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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