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GUEST EDITORIAL
Avoiding Political Sinkholes
In the two and one-half months since
Queer Nation/Atlanta issued its report
card on Mayor Maynard Jackson's admin
istration, the Mayor has taken virtually no
positive action towards or for the lesbians
and gay men who helped elect him.
Consider the facts: Jackson replied
obliquely and incompletely to our report
card; his lobbyist at the Georgia
Legislature offered no help on efforts to
pass comprehensive hate crimes legisla
tion or to repeal the sodomy statute; he
has refused an invitation to speak at this
year’s lesbian and gay pride ceremonies;
he has refused a request to light City Hall
lavender during Pride month; and he has
refused Queer Nation's request to make a
public statement condemning Cracker
Barrel's discrimination against lesbians
and gay men.
At last week's press conference
announcing AID Atlanta's upcoming
walkathon, the mayor did manage to utter
the word "homosexual" in public and in a
positive context. It is, we believe, the first
time he has publicly acknowledged the
presence of Atlanta's lesbian and gay
community since his election. But he did
so in the context of discussing a disease
that our enemies have regularly used as
reason to suggest that we be quarantined
or otherwise denied our rights as human
beings.
It's not a pretty picture. Nor one that
appears likely to change in the near
future.
Gay men, lesbians, and people with
AIDS are not the only residents of Adanta
that the Mayor is ignoring. Advocates for
the poor, housing activists, neighborhood
groups, and those concerned with effi
ciency and honesty in government are all
looking askance at Jackson. All are ask
ing why this man—who in his first term
as Mayor of Adanta was an unrepentant
advocate for the rights of individuals—is
now acdng like an apologist for a system
that seems to have maintenance of the sta
tus quo as its ulumate goal.
The answers to that qucsdon are, of
course, myriad and complex. But, in the
case of lesbian, gay and AIDS issues, we
think the answer is simple: Maynard
Jackson is a proud and stubborn man who
fully understands the inherent power of
inaction on requests made by minorides.
A psychologist might refer to his tacdcs
as passive aggression. Someone prone to
literary allusion could liken the situation
as, "trying to punch out a tar baby." We
like the term entropy, which Webster's
defines as "a measure of unavailable ener
gy in a closed thermodynamic system..."
Just substitute "polidcal" for "thermody
amount of heat that it takes to reverse
entropy is enormous. Ditto in politics.
Maynard Jackson's stance on lesbian/gay
issues is like a vast sinkhole for energy.
The amount of political heat that Queer
Nadon (or any other lesbian/gay group)
needs to generate in order to reverse
Jackson's inaction on our agendas is
almost unimaginable. Given the reality of
the issues that we face daily, expending
that amount of energy in one place is cer
tainly not pracucal.
Acdvists who tried to work with for
mer mayor Young on lesbian and gay
issues learned a lesson about the power of
political inaction. We had hopes that
Mayor Jackson would keep his campaign
promises and not become another Andrew
Young for queer AUantans. It is with no
small amount of sadness that we
acknowledge Maynard Jackson has
proven our hopes wrong.
- Queer Nadon/Atlanta
namic.
In a thermodynamic system, the
FROM THE EDITOR Tell it to the Moon
What Coolidge Can
Do for Pride
Congratuladons to the Atlanta Lesbian
and Gay Pride Committee for getting a
"big name" act for this year's Pride cele-
bradon. Rita Coolidge, who is acdve in
AIDS and other social causes, has agreed
to appear.
Some will say, of course, that a "big
name" is not necessary for Pride—that it
should be "our" celebration, and only
open gay and lesbian people should enter
tain. Others will complain that Coolidge
is not a big enough name and will whine
that the Committee should have done bet
ter. And others sdll (mostly those under
35) will ask ’’Rita who?" They're forgiv
en, however, because Uiey didn't have the
good fortune of seeing Joe Cocker's
incredible "Mad Dogs and Englishmen"
tour of which Coolidge was a big part.
But hopefully most people will appre
ciate the time and money it takes to put
together an event the size of Pride, and
will delight in the news that for the first
time in our Pride history we have a head
liner act of national prominence.
So why is a big name important? Two
reasons: numbers and numbers. Many—
make that most—of the 200,000+ queers
in Atlanta view Pride as a minor event not
worth attending. And for the Pride
Committee to get the 20,000 people they
want this year, they must offer something
to those who would otherwise choose to
go out for brunch or party with their
friends beside the pool. And, yes, it is
important that those people be there. We
all need to be there... guppies, drag
queens, leather folks, lesbian separatists,
radical fairies, all of us. Sheer numbers
speak loudly to the public about our
power.
Perhaps more important than numbers
alone are the numbers of potential
activists that can be born from a Pride
event. And Atlanta desperately needs
activists. For those of you who remember
your first Pride or March on Washington
you know the power therein. For those of
you yet to experience it, all-queer events
can be downright life changing. And not
nearly as scary as you think.
Congrats Pride Committee. We think
you may have changed the face of Pride
in Atlanta forever. We hope so.
Dear Editor,
I found your article "Is Sexual
Orientation a Matter of Choice?" particu
larly disturbing, and here's why.
Two days prior to picking up your
paper, I gave an old friend a call. (Prior
to this call, I wrote another letter to anoth
er publication, disagreeing with a straight
Christian, whom I felt had insulted and
patronized our community.) I discussed
my letter with my friend who then
shocked me by telling me that she was
now a born-again Christian. I'll be the
first to say there are some really good
people who are Christians, gay or
straight. But I couldn't believe this les
bian was telling me how much better the
straight lifestyle was, but how it was
okay, that Jesus still loved us even if we
were going to bum in hell. I ended the
call as gracefully as possible, remember
ing that in my letter I wrote about respect
for diversity.
Then I picked up Southern Voice and
read the article. I'm tired of being polite
to these Christians, or anyone else who
would have me "change" my sexuality,
including "moonies." I love myself and
that includes my sexuality. I don't want to
change.
We certainly need to keep our eye on
these 'homosexual exorcists.'
Jim Mattingly
Atlanta
Honor Your Mom
To the Editor:
Unless you are an ingrate of a child
(like me) who habitually forgets to honor
the woman who raised you, you are
beginning to contemplate Mother's Day
with that old sense of vague indecision.
What's the dutiful gay son or daughter to
send?
To all you tormented souls in the
throws of Mother's Day madness, let me
suggest the solution to your dilemma-the
PERFECT GIFT! Why not give a suit
ably substantial donation (let's say $50,
equivalent to sending a dozen roses long
distance) in your mother's name to P-
FLAG, Parents and Friends of Lesbians
and Gays.
P-FLAG is a national organization
with chapters in almost every state whose
purpose is to help parents cope and accept
their child's gayness. And while P-FLAG
counsels and supports the families who
are still struggling to come to terms with
their child's orientation, it also serves as a
rallying point for mothers and fathers
who actively work in our behalf.
Countless parents are risking ridicule and
worse to join speaker's bureaus, staff hot
lines, march beside us in our Pride
parades, testify in our behalf before
Congressional committees, and serve as
buddies to people with AIDS.
P-FLAG parents are there for us 365
days a year. This May 12, let's show our
love and affection for our mothers by
supporting this brave an loyal army of
parents in the battle for gay and lesbian
civil rights. Send your checks to:
P-FLAG
Box 27605
Washington, D.C. 20038
And let your Mom know that you did:
it'll make her proud.
Sincerely,
Drew Siegel
HBfj )bex h&isdM
"SORRY, TEP—WE'RE All OUT OP TEFLON /... NANCY JUST WENT TO SORROW SOME
FROM THE SimgfiSJ... "
Southern Voice/April 25, 1991