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Bilim
May 23 - June 5,1991 Vol. 4, No. 7
Taking Pride in Our Culture
Intimacy
between gay men is
the focus of two new
books. 15
Madonna
Truth or Dare
is hot.
Switch is not.
17
Mhncal
AIDS treatments
are available through the
newly-formed Atlanta
Buyers’ dub. • 11
Crackep Barrel Threatens Queer Nation With Arrest
by Larry Pellegrini
Douglasville, Ga. - Friendly service was not the order
of the day when Queer Nation/Atlanta took over all seat
ing at the Cracker Barrel in Douglasville on May 12. For
the first time since Queer Nation began its demonstrations
against Cracker Barrel in March, there was a pervasive
tone of intimidation set by management. Police were on
the premises when the group of more than 100 arrived and
at several times during the day members were threatened
with arrest. "By our adherence to strictly non-violent
protest, we are evidently putting such pressure on Cracker
Barrel to change their anti-gay employment policies that it
is really having an affect," said Queer Nation organizer
Lynn Cothren.
Intimidation began as soon as protesters entered the
restaurant. As they lined up to be seated, CB management
attempted to discern who was from QN to tell them they
were "not welcome." Their job was made particularly dif
ficult because of the presence of children and mothers of
some QN members. (The May 12 demonstration fell on
Mother's Day and members were encouraged to bring
along their mothers and other family). Concurrently, three
members of the press were immediately threatened with
arrest. Management stated there was a "new policy" which
banned cameras from inside the store and some people's
belongings were searched for cameras. Despite manage
ment's attempts to delay seating, within an hour QN had
taken over all tables in the restaurant.
Once seated the group ordered beverages as they have
done at each demonstration. But unlike previous seatings,
managers went to police and asked that all be arrested for
criminal trespass because beverages did not constitute
"ordering from the menu." ACLU attorney Michael
Hauptman, who accompanied QN, told management that
drinks were indeed items on the menu but suggested that
police call the County District Attorney for his opinion.
The DA responded by saying that the police should
"honor management’s request" because it was up to
Cracker Barrel to determine what was "ordering from the
menu." While awaiting the DA's response, management
went to each table and threatened arrest again, but no QN
members left their seats.
When the DA's opinion was announced, QN organizer
Lynn Cothren went to each table and told members to
order toast or a biscuit in order to avoid arrest. While food
orders were being placed, management once again asked
police to arrest QN members for trespass because the
group was "taking too long." Hauptman stated that he did
not believe anyone could be convicted of criminal trespass
but added "if management were to swear out arrest war
rants, the police would have no choice but to make arrests.
Arrests, yes. Convictions, no."
QN decided to leave as they had been in the restaurant
longer than planned because of delays caused by manage
ment. At the cash register some people were told they did
not have to pay because "we need to get you out of here."
However, everyone insisted on paying their bill. Most
paid with a credit card and wrote "Gay money" on the
receipt. The average tab was a little over a dollar per per
son.
As Cothren led the group out, Cracker Barrel District
Manager Jody Waller told him, "you and your group are
not welcome here. We don't want your kind. You have
been costing us business and you will be arrested if you
come back." Waller’s statement was the first admission by
Cracker Barrel that the demonstrations are financially
See page 10
but is it lesbian music?
video night at one of the oldest women’s
bars in San Francisco last year, the place
was packed tighter than anyone can
remember, k.d. lang look-alikes wearing
bolo ties and cowgirl skirts danced the
two-step. Others sat on the floor, eyes
transfixed by the collage of promo
tional videos and homemade footage
assembled especially for the occa
sion. The glee in their faces, the
longing for identification, were
proof of how starved they were for
celebrities to call their own.
lang, a cross-dressing
crossover artist, is not the only
perf ormer to capture the atten
tion and imagination of les
bians throughout the nation. In
1988, Michelle Shocked,
Tracy Chapman, Indigo
Girls, Melissa Etheridge, and
Phranc also burst upon the
music scene, and journalists
pronounced the arrival of a
"new breed of women" in
popular music. "Neither
their songs," one critic
wrote, "nor the images
they project, cater to
stereotypical male fantasies of female
pop singers."
While many of these artists had
received initial exposure through the
nationwide network of coffeehouses,
bars, and music festivals that cater pri
marily to lesbians, once they achieved
commercial success, it wasn’t something
they were quick to mention. They stu
diously avoided male pronouns in roman
tic ballads and carefully constructed their
personas to assert a strong, sexually
ambiguous female presence. Through the
subtleties of self-presentation, whose
message was often lost on those
who weren't cued into the
See page 18
' * -1
by Arlene Stein
22-year-old Danielle Brugmann of
Rochester Hills, Michigan, has never
heard of women's music, On Our
Backs magazine, or even off our
backs. She attends a monthly gay
coffeehouse in Detroit, twenty miles
away, when she can get to it, though
she much prefers riding her motor
cycle or going hunting. But
Danielle can recall the day, four
years ago, when she spotted k.d.
lang on a late-night TV talk show,
with a butch haircut, a man's
western suit, and no make-up,
like it was yesterday. "I took one
look at k.d.," she says, "and I said
to myself: is that a guy or a girl?
There was something about her
attitude that I liked."
Dannielle's room is filled with
k.d. videotapes, promotional CDs,
posters, autographed photos, T-
shirts, and ticket stubs—parapherna
lia she has collected through ads
placed in magazines and bookstores.
She finally got a chance to see her star
in the flesh last year in Detroit, an
experience she exclaims was "amaz
ing."
"lang thangs" like Danielle, primari
ly young women, mob k.d. wherever she
plays. When a fan club sponsored a
Androgyny goes pop...