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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.