Newspaper Page Text
March 1,1990 • Southern Voicefl
A1AYBE ANW POONEY
/S RIGHT. MAYBE HJE
SHOULD JUST AM IT IDE
Em&HT ALL THIS Albs
MESS ON OURSELVES...
AND MAYBE, AS
DILLARD M]UNFORD SAID,
LJF SHOULD BE PUT To
DEATH FoP The guPDEhJ
AIDS HAS PLACED ON
MAYBE IDE DESERVE
75 El Called Felohs
and &E Totally
skipped ofkouB Rights.
MAYBE ML'PE UNIDOmY
OF THE FAMILY AND
7Me FRIENDS THAT
Reject US'...
MAYBE TOE REALLY ARE
THE SCUM OF THE
EARTH, UMRORTHY OF
LOVE...
Maybe me
DESERVE
J3 TF£
FAS-Bash INGA
IT MALES ME So
DEPRESSED, MAYBE ALL
GIVE THIS ToTAE
STRANGER 4 SLOW-jog.
FI ^
IIMLpJg
^ Society...
H
Is he the only one ?
Editor:
I'm a little embarrassed to write this since
I'm requesting anonymity, but here goes.
Am I the only one who finds it strange
that all Atlanta seems to be giddy as a pig in
shit about the Olympics coming to town but
no gay organization has spoken out about the
Olympic Committee's absolutely trashy
treatment of gays (in general) and Dr. Tom
Waddell (in particular) a.few years ago ?
Closeted but Concerned
Denial Equals Shame
To The Editor:
In response to A. Akins' letter condemn
ing Armistead Maupin's statements about
closeted gays in Hollywood, I find myself,
like Ms. Akins, incensed enough to respond. 1
Mr. Maupin is speaking about the respon
sibility of public figures who are gay to be
open about that fact. He is, quite simply, cor
rect. The people he talks about have gone far
past simply not speaking about their gayness.
They are denying it. Hiding. Which commu
nicates to the rest of us that being gay is
something to be ashamed of, something
which will be punished.
Ms. Akins is justifying her closet. This is
her right. But that closet remains a closet,
regardless of her somewhat eloquent state
ments that she just happens to be a lesbian
and therefore has no responsibility to be pub
lic about it.
I am a playwright. Because I am openly
gay, each time I am reviewed by the straight
press, I am pigeonholed as a gay playwright,
or as someone who insists on tacking gay
references onto everything I do. Because I
have been open about my orientation, 1 can
not escape this treatment.
But I remember what it was like when I
was thirteen and thought I was the only
queer in the world. One day I read a maga
zine article that mentioned homosexuals.
Just mentioned the fact of our existence.
That single reference helped me to hang on
to sanity until I could leave home and find
others like me.
We do have a responsibility to talk about
ourselves as gay. We have the option to
choose not to, to remain in the closet if we
wish. But those of us who seek the public
eye have the further responsibility not to lie
about our gayness. There is no hiding from
this responsibility. Any denial simply adds
to the oppression of our people. There are
millions of gay children in the world who
need to know they are not alone. What is
Ms. Akins doing about that?
Jim Grimsley
Get Serious
To the Editor;
As regards the 'Staff Editorial' in the
February 1st edition of Southern Voice, I must
take exception to the headline "Well Done,
ACT UP" and the editor's assertion that, while
"...insiders say there is less than zip chance
that any sodomy legislation will find its way to
the floor this year...that, they assure us, has
nothing to do with ACT UP."
One need look no further for evidence of
the damage done to Gay/Lesbian credibility as
a viable political force than to hear the
response of H.B. 1380 co-sponsor Cynthia
McKinney when asked if ACT UP's "graphic
depiction of sexual acts going on in the
streets..." had hurt chances of passage of the
bill. Her answer was a simple "yes."
What the gay movement (if, indeed there is
one at all) needs is a good PR firm. What we
don't need is representation in the form of "gay
men in their jockey shorts and lesbians in their
bras (both of them, I'm sure...) getting down
on the same dance floor." As flippant a com
ment as the author of this editorial may have
intended this to be, he/she is clearly missing
the point that in the eyes of most straight' (i.e.,
politically conservative) people, such behavior
is all that gays are interested in—spectacles,
partying and sex.
I, for one, resent the notion that sexual free
dom of choice is the focus of my political and
social being. Of course I resent the fact that in
the state of Georgia I cannot legally express
physical love for my chosen companion in as
many different positions as I can work my
aging body into.
However, I also resent the fact that on the
basis of our sexual orientation alone my com
panion and I are discriminated against on a
daily basis in matters of joint credit, property
ownership, health insurance coverage, life
insurance, tax returns and child adoption/cus
tody. I resent the fact that it is against the law
for two adults of the same sex to share a one-
bedroom apartment.
The sodomy law as it now stands is an
affront to gay men and women, yes, but it dis
criminates against all Georgians, regardless of
their sexual orientation. This law invades the
most private of domains and it smacks of Big
Brother. Therefore, in the interest of all
Georgians who find this law unfair (not to
mention incredibly out-of-date), I strongly urge
my fellow gays to refrain from indulging in
such sophomoric spectacles as those exhibited
by the members of ACT UP.
Such behavior may affect change in "New
York, Boston, San Francisco and L.A " but
I do not believe for one minute it will sway
even one straight Georgian to the cause of
eradicating this idiotic, antiquated and discrim
inatory law.
It is time we started acting like serious,
responsible adults, if for no other reason to
show our support for Cynthia McKinney, who
offended not only ultra right-wing conserva
tives but her own father as well by co-sponsor
ing H.B. 1380. Gay Georgians in favor of pas
sage of H.B. 1380 need to get serious and
leave the circus clown buffoonery to the mem
bers of ACT UP—preferably in another city,
another state and another zone of reality.
J.L.Stein
Omission
The stunning portrait of Cindy, Mo and
Angel that appeared with the "Outlines"
column in our February 15 issue was taken
by the very talented Mary Vogel. We regret
our failure to credit her for the photograph.
Viewpoints is intended to provide a continuing forum for the lesbian and gay community. We
encourage you to share your ideas comments and feelings on these pages.
Submissions should be typed, double-spaced and no longer than two pages. We are happy to offer
anonymity when letters are printed, but all submissions must be signed. Please also give us your
phone number in case we have questions. We reserve the right to edit for space. Mail your letters to:
Southern Voice/Viewpoints
P.O.Box 18215
Atlanta, GA 30316
The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of
Southern Voice.
Announcements
Gal Baby Performance to
Benefit Open Hand
The Alliance Theatre will present a
pay-what-you-can performance of
Sandra Deer's new play Gal Baby to ben
efit Project Open Hand/Atlanta on
Sunday March 11.
Tickets go on sale at noon in the
lobby of the Woodruff Arts Center; the
performance will begin at 2:30 p.m.
There will be no advance sales and ticket
purchases are first come, first served.
Gal Baby is a Southern comedy, the
story of a girl of the '50s who's catching
up with the '90s. For years she has been a
wife, mother and niece; now, at age 48,
she realizes its time to stop doing what is
right and start doing what's fun. (Maybe
she discovered Emma Goldman.)
Project Open Hand/Atlanta has served
more than 72,000 meals to persons with
AIDS and ARC since its inception in
September 1988. Open Hand has recent
ly secured the lease on a new kitchen
space and needs donations to bring the
facilities up to par.
To volunteer for Project Open
Hand!Atlanta, call 248-1788. For addi
tional ticket information on the pay-
what-you-can performance of Gal Baby,
call 898-1132.
NGLTF Cards Congress
The National Gay and Lesbian Task
Pnrcp (NGT TF) has announced a mas
sive post card campaign to increase sup
port for the Federal Gay and Lesbian
Civil Rights Bill in the U.S. Congress.
The post card campaign comes close
on the heels of Senate passage of the
Hate Crimes Statistics Act and is part of
NGLTF's commemoration of the 15th
anniversary of the introduction of the gay
rights bill.
Forty thousand post cards have been
printed. Participants fill in the name of
their Senator or Congressperson, pen a
short message urging support of the act,
apply a 15 cent stamp and drop the card
in the mail.
To obtain the cards and/or more infor
mation write NGLTF Post Card
Campaign, 1517 U Street NW,
Washington DC, 20009, or call (212)
332-6483.
Grants for Writers / Editors
With AIDS
PEN American Center, a worldwide
association of writers, has assisted writ
ers facing acute financial emergencies
since 1958. Since September 1988 the
group has made 21 grants of $500 to
$1000 to persons with AIDS.
Grants may be applied for at any time
and, in the case of extreme emergency,
can be awarded within 24 hours.
Donations may be sent to the PEN
AIDS Fund, Pen American Center, 568
Broadway, New York, NY, 10012, (212)
334-1660. Requests for assistance should
be addressed to Christine Friedlander at
the same address and phone.
fart of
the t0th "
an “h n is Established » r
^received.
a monthly column by KC Wildmoon
will return next issue.