Newspaper Page Text
6
Southern Voice/July 5,1990
VIEWPOINTS
EDITORIAL
The Matter of Michael
It's time for us to demand that Lomax turn rhetoric into action
During the Pride rally two weekends
ago a lone man stood in the crowd and
repeatedly screamed "Cop-Out" as Michael
Lomax addressed the crowd.
Most in attendance seemed bewildered.
Why would anyone be angry at Michael
Lomax?
"It's simple," said Glen McClose, Lomax's
detractor. "You know the answer."
Indeed we do.
On January 11, 1989, Mr. Lomax told
this paper that he was on the verge of intro
ducing sweeping legislation that would ban
discrimination based in sexual orientation
and HTV status in Fulton County.
Mr. Lomax was, of course, running for
Mayor of Atlanta at the time. But he held
the position of Chairman of the Fulton
County Board of Commissioners then. He
still holds that position and it is highly like
ly that he will be elected to a much-
strengthened version of that post on July
17.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that
Mr. Lomax has not kept his promise to us.
Yes, there was the debacle in late July
when he apparently tried to introduce
something resembling contract compliance
to the Fulton County Commission—and
add gay/lesbian businesses to a study track
ing possible description. Suffice to say that
no legislation containing the words lesbian,
gay or HIV-infected ever made it to the
floor of the Fulton County Commission.
And, needless to say, no such legislation
has seen the light of day since.
Activists who have worked with Mr.
Lomax stress that he has been under
tremendous pressure to reestablish his pres
ence on the Fulton County Commission
since he dropped out of the mayoral race.
And, they caution, we should do nothing to
rock the boat before he is reelected.
His opponent after all is Lee
Roach—who, if he is not exactly patently
homophobic, is at least opportunistically
so. God(dess) forbid that we should do
anything that would give him ammunition
against the sainted Michael!
Mr. Lomax and his supporters repeated
ly point to the fact that he attends our ral
lies, he comes to our dinners, he supports
our equality. It was under his guidance that,
in 1984, Fulton County started giving
money directly to AID Atlanta. That agen
cy is still funded by Fulton County, to the
tune of $60,000 a year. And, though
Lomax had little to do with it, the Atlanta
Gay Center's Clinic receives substantial
funding from Fulton County.
All that said and acknowledged there
remains the matter of Mr. Lomax's
announced plans and the fact that he
accompanied it with these words, "One of
the things that I've had to explore personal
ly over the past 16 years is the issue of val
ues versus expedeniency....! run for office
not necessarily just to hold the office, but
to accomplish something that I believe in,
in the office."
It is time for Michael Lomax to make
good on his promises to this community. It
is time for him to understand the difference
between those who talk the talk and those
who walk the walk.
It is also time for us as a community to
understand that difference, time for us to
quit bellyaching about what politicians
don't do and instead demand action.
It is in that vein that Southern Voice
requests that all gay and lesbian residents
of Fulton County vote for Michael Lomax
on July 17th.
We also ask that on Wednesday July
18th—assuming that Mr. Lomax is reelect
ed—you call Michael Lomax's office and
leave a message that says something like
this: "I am a lesbian (gay man). I appre
ciate what you have done for the com
munity and I appreciate your visibility
at our functions. I voted for you yester
day and I now expect you to make good
on the promises that you have made to
our community. Now, not next year!"
Please try to call between noon and
2pm; if that is not possible call any time on
Evett Bennett
Vote for this man on July 17 then call
his office on July 18 and demand that
he keep his promises.
Wednesday, July 18. The number is
730-8206. If it’s busy, call back. Please
ask as many friends as possible to make
this important call.
Recent changes that make the Fulton
County Comission Chairman a position
chosen by voters rather than by his fellow
Comissioners should give the person elect
ed the ability to take a pro-acticve stance
on issues of importance. It should also
serve as notice to us that we must become
more agressive in electing, supporting and
demanding action from politicians who,
like Michael Lomax, say they are our
friends.
FROM THE EDITOR
Casting Votes That Count
Young For Governor
Until we got the information from
Bubba McDonald and Andrew Young that
appears on page 4, we thought the question
in the governor's race was: To vote or not
to vote?
Now with three Democratic gubernato
rial candidates and two Republican hope
fuls nominally on the side of sodomy
reform, clearly we must vote. Thus the
question, now, is: Do we vote our passion
or our politics?
The answer is "our politics"; the candi
date is Andrew Young. Here's our line of
reasoning:
First. Because most of the candidates
we want to vote for are Democrats, we
must pick a Democratic ballot. That elimi
nates Republican candidates Mr. Isakson
and Mr. Ellis—though either might be our
choice in the general election if the wrong
Democrat is nominated.
Second. Mr. Barnes and Mr. Maddox
are out. Both are immediately dismissible
for their reactionary views on abortion and
sodomy reform. Enough said.
Third. Zell Miller is on record in favor
of sodomy reform. He is also clearly
aligned with the Medical Association of
Georgia, a group that would have us all
tested for HIV and neatly labeled by status
if it had its way. Add the fact that no one
who has worked with Miller trusts him to
do what he says. And Miller and Speaker
Murphy are bitter enemies; they'll probably
spend 75% of the legislative session in a
power-pissing contest if Miller is elected.
Forget Zell.
Fourth. Lauren "Bubba" McDonald
appears to be on the right side of most of
our issues. Everyone who has worked with
him says he is an honorable man who
approaches issues pragmatically. Despite
his apparent conservatism, McDonald is
the candidate of many who consider them
selves progressive but who have reason to
dislike Andrew Young. If every queer in
Georgia voted for Bubba he might have a
chance of winning the Democratic nomina
tion. We don't think that will happen. If we
thought McDonald had a chance, we'd vote
for him, but it appears that he will place a
distant fourth. Sorry Bubba.
That leaves our choice—Andrew
Young. Yes, we remember what he did on
the Parkway. And many who have worked"
closely with the former Mayor say they'd
sooner eat hot lead than vote for him. But
we have him on record for sodomy reform,
increased AIDS funding and confidential
testing. Mayor Young wasn't particularly
pro-active in any area of civil rights, but he
did sign Atlanta's gay rights ordinance and
has been willing to chair the host commit
tee of Heartstrings for a couple of years.
As mayor, Young was good for busi
ness while ignoring deteriorating infras
tructure and human need. We hate that. But
given the petty, even mean-spirited, nature
of Zell Miller's politics, Andy looks down
right fine.
Finally there is the fact that—because
Mr. Young is both black and not part of the
Georgia good old boy network—his elec
tion will likely result in a shake up of
Georgia's political process. That should
mean increased opportunity for the partici
pation of lesbians and gay men in the pro
cess.
There seems to be little doubt that
Young and Miller will be the top two vote
getters; a strong gay/lesbian turnout for
Young could push him over the 50% mark
thus eliminating a run-off in that race.
That would earn our community the grati
tude of every voter in the state.
Sutton, Scott, Thomas and Valenti
in DeKalb
Lesbian and gay residents of DeKalb
must vote: All of them for Jackie Scott,
candidate for an at-large seat on the
DeKalb Commission; District 2 residents
for Sherry Sutton, also on the DeKalb
Commission—a too often stodgy political
body whose deliberations effect large num
bers of gays and lesbians. Rita Valenti,
running for House District 52, and Nadine
Thomas in House District 55 are also a
must.
All of these women are dead right on
our issues; the election of all four will
make a strong statement to those who
would trivialize our issues.
