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NEWS IN BRIEF
New Deterrent to Gay Bashing?
Two Nebraska physicians may have stumbled upon a new, deadly deterrent to gay bashing. Dr.
Paul Carson and Dr. Jonathan Goldsmith say that they are treating a 49 year-old heterosexual
man with AIDS whose only apparent risk factor is that he regularly roamed the streets of New
York from 1982-88 and attacked gay men with his fists. The man told doctors that he got small
cuts on his hands when he hit the meat who frequently bled profusely as the result of the attacks.
Carson told the New York Times, "There is no way to prove this 100%, but it is a plausible possi
bility."
Lawsuit Challenges NEA's "Decency Code”: Calling the National Endowment for the
Arts' "general standards of decency" unconstitutionally vague and an impermissible restraint on
free speech, the ACLU has filed lawsuit against the NEA in the U.S. District Court in Los
Angeles. "When a standard is so meaningless, the door is open for denials of funding based on
political point of view, rather than artistic merit,” ACLU lawyer Nan Hunter told the Associated
Press.
Homophobic Remarks in Federal Court: A senior Federal judge in Washington D.C. is
being asked to disqualify himself from a case for using the word "homo" three times to describe
former midshipman Joseph Steffan, who is suing the United States Naval Academy for dismiss
ing him from the Academy because he is gay. "When he said it a chill went right through me,"
said Sandra J. Lowe, of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, quoted in the New
YorkTunes. "...[the remarks] absolutely made the hearing come to a standstill."
Gay Rights Bill Nearly Passed In New Mexico: Civil Rights proponents in New Mexico
almost made their state the third in the country to pass a comprehensive Gay Rights Bill. The
bill was introduced to the state legislature, and defeated by the close margin of 24-15. The New
Mexico Lesbian/Gay Political Alliance said in a press release that they were pleased with what
they accomplished in their first effort to pass a gay rights bill. The bill would have amended the
New Mexico Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in mat
ters of employment, housing, public accommodations and credit
Coalition Makes Plans for '92 Sodomy Repeal: On Tuesday, April 9 the Georgia Privacy
Coalition will meet at the Peachtree Branch Library to hold a post-legislative session meeting.
Rep. Jim Martin, who authored this year's sodomy repeal legislation, will attend the meeting to
discuss how to build on the extensive progress made during this year's effort. Rep. Cynthia
McKinney will also attend the meeting. Georgia Privacy Coalition meetings are free and open
to the public, newcomers are welcomed and encouraged to attend.
"Little Shop of Horrors" Author Dies at 40: Howard Ashman, an Oscar-winning lyricist
and a librettist, playwright and director who wrote and staged the Off-Broadway hit "Little Shop
of Horrors," has died of AIDS. The show, based on a low-budget movie, ran five years and
became Off-Broadway's highest grossing and third-longest-running musical. A movie version of
the musical won him an Academy Award nomination. Mr. Ashman, collaborating with the com
poser Alan Menken, won an Oscar in 1989 for "Under the Sea," a popular song in the Disney
film "The Little Mermaid". He had also recently completed work on two other animated Disney
features, "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin." Ashman was predeceased by his lover William
Lauch.
Another Dentist's Patients Tested for HIV; The patients of a Delaware dentist who died
of AIDS are being given free HIV tests, according to the NY Times, despite the fact that CDC
officials determined that the sterilization procedures used by Dr. Owens "were better than you'd
find in most dental offices in the country." Owens stopped performing oral surgery and extrac
tions when he learned that he was carrying HIV, but he continued to perform routine procedures
until several weeks before his death.
Gay Man to Lead Anti-Discrimination Agency: Michael Duffy, the first openly gay per
son to ever serve as commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination,
has been sworn in by the state's Republican Governor Bill Weld. "My appointment of Mike
Duffy,” explained Gov. Weld during the ceremony, "...is primarily based on personal history,
and years of enduring and fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation."
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Cont'd from page 1
ing for a faggot." Ross's response was "that's
your choice. If this means my having to pay
for college, so be it." But Ross's family even
tually came around to accepting his lifestyle,
even becoming supportive. "They have a
much keener respect for me," he says, "know
ing I'm not going to back down to anybody."
But even after learning to accept his son's
lifestyle, the elder Mr. Ross was disappointed.
"Black middle class families have such aspira
tions for their children," Melvin says. "I guess
it was disappointing because they’ll never
have offspring through me." Ross's father's
most consistent objection seems to be visibili
ty. "He said, 'well, do you have to tell every
body?'"
When asked about his parents' reaction to
his bringing home white dates, Ross related a
recent experience with a man he took home to
Mom and Dad. "My parents were a little
shocked. They didn't want to ask the obvious
questions. He happened to have the same last
name as me, and I know they wanted to ask if
we had gotten married."
His membership in Black and White Men
Together has been important for an out-of-the-
closet Ross. "I get to meet other black gay
men who serve as a support system," he says.
Ross is adamant about the role of gay men
and lesbians in this society: "As gay people,
we have to be at the forefront of social
change, not in the background." But that's
another article. Family and friends are sup
posed to provide support systems, but they
can't really be supportive if they don't know
you. And how do they really get to know who
you are if you don't tell them?
Last winter Opal Fraker discovered that
her daughter is a lesbian. It took some getting
used to, but they developed new ways of com
municating as mother and daughter.
"My knowing that she's a lesbian hasn't
made her a different person," Opal says.
"She's still my daughter, she’s still the same
person I’ve always loved and sometimes
hated." Last June, Fraker called her daughter
the week before the Pride parade to ask if she
was free to spend that Sunday together. When
daughter Debbie invited her to the march and
rally, Opal's first response was a quick "no."
She feared she would not fit in, that gay men
and lesbians marching for pride might prefer
not to have someone's straight mother in the
crowd. After being assured that was not a
problem, Opal agreed to go, and her positive
response surprised them both.
After the rally Debbie and Opal went to
Blake's for a beer where Opal met some folks
from P-FLAG and discovered she wasn't the
only parent there. "Mostly I remember a feel
ing of friendship and togetherness," Opal
relates, ”1 could feel the pride in all the people
there."
Walking proudly together down Peachtree
Street in front of TV cameras and churchgoers
brought the two women closer to each other
than they had ever before been.
Or, as author Armistead Maupin once sug
gested, "Stop insulting the people who love
you by assuming they don't know you're gay."
"I think attending the conference will be
a positive step for young lesbians
towards transcending our modem
patriarchal education."
— KT Slaughter
20 year old Out lesbian
"The conference gives me an opportunity
to reaffirm my voice with other lesbians
in speaking out against descriminatlon
based on sexual orientation."
— Joan Garner
Co-Chair African American Lesbian and
Gay Alliance, and Senior Advisor to the
Mayor on the Lesbian and Gay Community
"Because it's a time for getting OUT -
getting ourselves OUT of the closets, our
sisters OUT of the prisons - and our
government OUT of Central America
and the Mideast!"
— Judy Sift
Lesbian Activist
"Because the group I'm in has a specific
idea we want to communicate, and the
conference seems like a good place to do
that."
— Eleanor Smith
Disabilities Activist
'To encourage all lesbians to move to my
neighborhood, and to see if there are any
new hairstyles I need to be aware of."
— Sherry Siclair
Grand Czarina, Digging Dykes of Decatur
Garden Club
"It's a great opportunity for women to
meet lesbians involved in national civil
rights organizations, and to provide
input into the agendas of those
organizations."
— Cathy Woolard
S.E. Regional Field Manager, H.R.C.F.
"Wouldn't miss it! Watching people is
my favorite form of entertainment, and
I have a feeling I will be thoroughly
entertained."
— Christina Cash
Publisher, Southern Voice
"To empower women through sharing
skills and information regarding lesbian
healthcare issues, specifically alternative
methods of creating a family."
— Amy Bernstein
Clinic Supervisor, Feminist Women's
Health Center
"It's important to include a voice from
the arts in setting a national lesbian
agenda."
— Lisa Mount
Managing Dir., 7 Stages Perf. Arts Ctr.
“Why
Are You
Going
to the
NLC?”
National • LESBIAN • Conference
April 24-28
Atlanta
"The N.L.C. is my opportunity to
rejuvenate myself with lesbian strength,
and to meet woman of the magnitude
of Charlotte Bunch."
— Samantha Claar
President N.O.W., Atlanta Chapter
'The N.L.C. is my opportunity to
exchange ideas with other lesbians.
I'm making the most of it!"
— Debbie Fraker
Operation Mgr., Image Film and Video
'To support lesbian visibility in a town
where we are too often invisible."
— Maggie Hasbrouck
AIDS Activist, Out businesswoman
'To raise hell."
— KC Wildmoon
Columnist, DJ, Rock-n-Roller
For those of you who are still talking about the N.L.C.
but have not decided and,
"Have some Serious Questions about:"
Cost
Housing
Registration Packages
Special Heeds Information
“How-To" Lend Your Help!
The Empowering Speakers
& the Hot Performances
1649 McLendon
Ponca de Leon
Mania id Ava.
L5P
N
t
an or
Deca
McUndoi
N.L.C. OFFICE
mm m 373-oood
DIVERSITY • SOLIDARITY • EMPOWERMENT
Southern Voice/March 28, 1991