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SOUTHERN VOICE MARCH31/1994
Not an end, but closure
—
FAMOUS GARMENT
As Queer Nation/Atlanta
disbands, its former co-chair
reflects on the group’s legacy
and history of change
by LYNN COTHREN
At 6:50 p.m., sitting in a room of the
Peachtree Library, my mind goes back to the
other meetings I had attended in this place
and to all of the people I had worked with
over the past four years.
But it was not a time for reminiscing, for
I had been called to attend this meeting to
discuss the future of Queer Nation/Atlanta.
Although I had not been to a QN/Atlanta
meeting in more than six months, I knew the
membership and the energy of the organiza
tion had fallen off.
As the group gathered one by one, people
who had not seen each other for many months
greeted each other warmly. Someone even
said it looked like a reunion. I was happy to
see many of the faces I had not seen in many
months, but I was unsettled by what I knew
we were gathered to do.
The meeting came to order, beginning
what would prove to be one of the only con
sensus votes in QN/Atlanta’s history—a vote
to dissolve the organization.
As each member spoke, they referred to
this meeting as the death of QN/Atlanta. How
ever, when it was time for me to speak, I
could not shape my lips to speak those words.
I referred to it as the closure of QN/Atlanta
and began to share some of the fond thoughts
I had been having early that evening.
Queer Nation/Atlanta bumbled onto the
scene in late October 1990. At the first meet
ing of which I was one of the 35 people in
attendance, a man from New York spoke
about how to start a Queer Nation chapter in
Atlanta. I remember meeting Gary Kaupman,
a longtime community activist, for the first
time at that meeting when we shaped the
direction of this young, new organization.
This would not, however, be the last time
Gary would help to shape the direction of
QN/Atlanta.
By the second meeting, it was decided
with much discussion that the first action
would be at Jocks and Jills for what was
called a “queer night out.” We were in Jocks
and Jills expressing our affection for each
other with little reaction from the crowd until
a bartender requested that the group vacate
the premises. This reaction affirmed that ho
mophobia was alive in Atlanta. Other early
outings included: 70 individuals going to
Underground Atlanta, Lenox Mall and
*Hartsfield International Airport.
At a time when holding elected officials
to their campaign promises was not the ticket,
QN/Atlanta issued a report card on then-
Mayor Maynard Jackson. However, prior to
issuing the report card, QN/Atlanta thor
oughly researched the activities of the mayor
to evaluate his performance versus his cam
paign promises to the lesbian and gay com
munity. When the report was issued, the
mayor received an “F’ for his follow-through
to the community, and QN/Atlanta was noted
in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Peach
Buzz” at a time when lesbian and gay organi
zations were not receiving recognition from
Cothren at a Queer Nation Cracker Bar
rel demonstration with Cheryl
Summerville, whose firing ignited the
controversy
the mainstream press. As a result, the com
munity obtained its first open lesbian liaison
to city hall.
In February 1990, Cracker Barrel Old
Country Stores, Inc. issued an employment
policy which allowed persons to be fired due
to their sexual orientation. Southern Voice
immediately broke the story and as a result
encouraged the mainstream press to cover
this human rights issue. Gary Kaupman again
played a pivotal role in QN/Atlanta’s history
by providing the necessary guidance and in
formation on the restaurant chain’s actions.
In addition, Gary encouraged Cheryl
Summerville, a fired employee and eventu
ally the co-chair of the organization, to at
tend a meeting to explain her situation.
Although there is not space in this or any
publication to fully explain every detail of
this historical campaign, I would like to touch
on just a few exciting points.
Over a period of three years, numerous
direct actions and sit-ins against Cracker Bar
rel, more than 30 activists were arrested for
standing up for their beliefs.
Even though there were set backs through
the campaign, the scales of justice always
weighed in favor of QN/Atlanta and what is
morally correct. Following each court ap
pearance, members of the coalition walked
away with acquittals and a multi-million dol
lar corporation walked away with yet another
defeat.
Whether this defeat came as a result of an
arrest or the corporation’s interpretation of
federal securities laws, QN/Atlanta always
prevailed. This struggle is, however, not over.
The work continues through the Boycott
Cracker Barrel Coalition.
A coalition derived from years of hard
work to bring together a group of diverse
people under the umbrella of one cause. Early
in the struggle, Ivy Young of the National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force helped QN/At
lanta organize what would be the largest coa
lition of over 120 organizations and national
figures centered around a gay or lesbian is
sue. Although the Task Force is not the only
national organization involved in the cam
paign (the National Organization for Women
was the first to come on board), it was re
sponsible for bringing the following to the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
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