Newspaper Page Text
PLEASE RECYCLE 75c WHERE SOLD
SOUTHERN April 11 - April 24,1991 Vol. 4, No. 4
Taking Pride in Our Culture
Proud
Being out
of the closet is an
essential element of
self-esteem. 9
Tunes
Sue Fink’s newest.
And a first rate com
pilation of “Songs to
End AIDS.” 13
Travel
It’s spring
and that means it’s
time to take a trip.
Shall We March on Washington Again?
Town meeting scheduled for April 15 to
gather input on proposed Washington
March in '92 or '93.
Just ask anyone one of the 600,000 folks who were
there. They'll tell you that the 1987 March on Washington
for Lesbian and Gay Rights (MOW) was one of the most
amazing, exciting and empowering experiences of their
life. And unlike the hangover from a great weekend
party—which it certainly was—the MOW's effect was
been long-lasting and very positive. Consciousness was
raised, activists bom, alliances negotiated and hearts were
touched.
The mainstream press may have ignored the action, but
the folks back home heard about it—over and over and
over again—from their wildly enthusiastic friends who
did attend. The MOW was the biggest ever ga'Jylesbian
march in this country, the biggest ever civil rights demon
stration and probably the only time more than 100 gay/les
bian activists have gotten together and all been in agree
ment—at least for a weekend. Yes, there were gripes
voiced about the '87 MOW, but praise and jubilation were
definitely the order of the day.
Thus it would seem that the decision to have another
MOW in the spring of '92 would be an easy one. Maybe.
But so large and important an event, especially one for
gays and lesbians, requires process. Plenty of process.
The first part of that process took place on March 9th
in D.C. when about 70 activists from 13 cities—to our
knowledge, Ft. Lauderdale was the only Southern town
represented —expressed support for the idea of another
MOW. There primary point of disagreement was whether
the March should be held in '92 or '93. No surprise, those
in attendance were pretty much equally divided on the
date question.
In the end, the group decided that not enough folks
were present to make such an important decision.
Thus a call has gone out to groups all over the country,
requesting that town meetings be held to solicit input on a
number of questions about the proposed '92/’93 March.
Representatives from the groups hosting the town meet
ings will gather again in D.C. on May 11-12.
Atlanta's meeting will be held from 7-9prn on
Monday, April 15 at the Ponce De Leon Library, 980
Ponce de Leon, diagonally across from the Majestic.
While the most pressing decision to be made is decid
ing on a '92 or '93 date, 13 specific proposals were intro
duced at the March meeting, including: a biannual MOW
with a permanent committee; marches on the state capitals
of all 50 states in '92; massive marches at the Democratic
and Republic Conventions in '92; and numerous permuta
tions and variations thereon.
Central to any decision made about another MOW is
how the proposed march will relate to the Stonewall 25
"Global Celebration of Lesbian and Gay Pride and
Protest” set for late June, 1994 in New York City.
Stonewall 25 will include the Gay Games IV, a meeting of
the International Lesbian and Gay Association, a massive
civil rights march, and a number of meetings/events spon
sored by national lesbian and gay groups.
Equally important, but not discussed at the last D.C.
meeting, is how another MOW and Stonewall 25 would fit
in with the anti-sodomy law demonstrations that have
been proposed for Atlanta immediately before and during
the 1996 Olympics.
Exciting stuff. If you don't believe it, just ask anyone
who went to Washington in '87. And lots of work. If you
don't think it's worth it, well, just ask anyone...
For more information about the April 15 MOW Town
Meeting here in Atlanta, call 373-6330.
For information on, and registration at, the May 11-12
meeting in D.C., call 1-800-832-2889.
For information about Stonewall 25, write to 208 W.
13th Street, New York, NY 10011-7799.
by Nancy Steidtmann
PLAYFUL PLAIDS
For Casual Weekend activities, this Polo
University Club by Ralph Lauren silk
sport coat from Greif is designed for an
active lifestyle.
Men's fashion takes a reality check this spring and offers
an updated array of wardrobe basics—with a touch of
accessory fun—to counter the nation's recessionary econo
my and hangover from the war in the Gulf.
"These difficult economic times make people think
twice before they buy and it makes us think before we
make things," said designer Alexander Julian, against a
backdrop of unfolding events in the Middle East, at the
Men's Fashion Association in Los Angeles.
Julian's comments expressed the apparel industry's eco
nomic concerns and its pragmatic marketing reorientation
aimed at boosting retail sales this spring. The str
ategy—provide a versatile assortment of practical and
durable quality basics at a reasonable price to bring in the
dollars.
What designers anticipate is that the country's economic
downturn will push men to redefine the way they dress. To
accommodate this trend, new clothing items must serve
more than one purpose. Look for weekend wardrobes that
merge with business and tailored clothes. -
This spring casual and dress clothes combine to cre
ate individual styles. "Men at work" construction clothing
enters the white-collar office as chambray shirts and fuller-
cut jeans are worn under sport jackets. Leather jackets, in
brighter colors and new tailored cuts, aim to dressier status
as they break the "black leather jacket" stereotype. Even the
once home-bound loungewear and underwear—from silk
pajama tops to gaily colored knit underwear and boxer
shorts—are sporty enough to wear out on the street as
causal wear.
Yet the biggest fashion news comes on the fabric front,
as polyester re-enters in grand style via the use of lighter-
weight "microfiber" blended fabrics in the fine menswear
market.
This ultimate refinement of polyester—through a
Japanese-perfected technique which spins fiber one-hun
dred times thinner than a strand of human hair—produces
expensive threads. When woven with high-quality wool,
cotton, silk, rayon and other fibers, the new poly threads
produce light-weight, wrinkle-free fabrics that breathe and
drape with more ease than the natural fibers.
Menswear manufacturers hope the microfiber blending,
which enhances the texture of natural fibers to allow more
vibrant fabric designs, will restore consumer confidence in
polyester. If consumers embrace the blends, manufacturers
believe it will revolutionize the apparel industry and set
new directions for quality and styling in the '90s.
To test the market this spring, a variety of microfiber
blends offer sophisticated "on-the-go" executive suits fea
turing soft-construction European-influenced silhouettes
with wider shoulders and tapered waists. The patterns are
Continued on page 23
