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Ifarfatwafear r ll J *<<r r V ' SOUTHERN VOICE • DECEMBER 29/1994 Eiil¥OR|AJL STAFF Publisher: Leigh VanderEls General Manager: Gary Kaupman Editor: Christina Cash Assistant Editor: Devon Clayton Staff Writer: KC Wildmoon Art Director: Joan T. Sherwood Asst. Art Director: Robert Boeger Advertising: Dixon Taylor, Linda Vaughn Classified Advertising: Shane Nugent Circulation: Shane Nugent Front Office: Badili Jones Office Cat: Molly Ivins Typists: Jeri Alger, Andy Ditzier, Markdu Pont, Jack Jones, Shelly Robbins Columnists: Maria Helena Dolan, Virginia Erhardt, Alan Frutkin, Lee Hughey, Michael Kape, Shane Meder, Bruce Mirken, Gene Gabriel Moore, Peter Newton, Nicholette Scofield Contributors: Brian Cochran, Al Cotton, Mubarak Dahir, Victoria Brownworth, Richard Eidredge, Pamela Evans, James Fitch, Debbie Fraker, Brent Hartinger, Wayne Hoffman, Richy Howard, Leonard Earl Johnson, Lee Lynch, William J. Mann, Dell Richards, Shelly Roberts, Bob Roehr, Adam Sank, Karen Shoffner, Nadine Smith, Lester Strong, Daniel Vaillancourt, Steve Warren Photographers: E. Bennett, Cathy Carmichaei, KES, Patsy Lynch, Denise Myers, Judi Parks, RINK Illustrators: Alison Bechdel, Jennifer Camper, Joe Hoover, Andrea Natalie, Eric Omer, Melissa K, Sweeney The views of Southern Voice are expressed only in editorials or in editor's notes. Other opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Southern Voice or the publisher. Southern Voice is a newspaper publication of Ryan Publications, Inc. P.O. Box 18215, Atlanta, GA 30316 1189 Virginia Ave„ NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 (404)876-1819 FAX (404) 876-2709 HTTfiTTTrTTTl voice To submit a letter: Letters should be typed and less than 400 words long. We reserve the right to edit for content and length. We will withhold names upon request, but you must include your name and phone number for verification. Please mail to Southern Voice, P.O. Box 18215, Atlanta, Georgia 30316. Here junior, here junior by CHRIS CASH It's standard practice among gay men and lesbians to refer to their pets as their "children." I hear it almost daily. Drop in on any Sunday brunch or Saturday night dinner party and when dis cussion turns to things domestic, you will hear the "parents" wax fondly and forever about the lat est poop on their cats, dogs or whatever. Straight folks are guilty of the same but the level of devotion doesn't compare to that of gay folks. Of course, that's because most straight people have chil dren so they know better than to equate the two. However, I have heard childless heterosexuals go on and on about the precious things Pooky did with his catnip so they are not completely inno cent. It's more than a stretch to assume that pets and children are one and the same. If you are a parent, as some of my closest friends are, this comparison is particularly irritating. I have found that this phe nomenon cuts across gender lines as well, something rather rare in our community. Men and women both turn mawkishly maternal when it comes to their "babies." I suppose this is understandable. Pets are dependent and quite cute, so there are some similarities be tween young human beings and small animals. And both are prone to chew things up from time to time. But it's more than a stretch to assume that pets and children are one and the same. If you are a parent, as some of my closest friends are, this compari son is particularly irritating. I am a co-parent myself. He's 15 and doesn't live with us full time, so I have been denied a lot of the pleasures and the pains of raising him from babyhood. I do know, however, that parenting of people requires a helluva lot more than an occasional trip to the vet for shots and abscess lancing and trips to the pet store to shop for goodies. I am a godparent too, a responsibility I do not take lightly, and just that one night a week visit is enough for me to forever refrain from comparing the rais ing of children to the caretaking of pet animals. Gay men and lesbians who are parents, you might note at your next brunch or dinner party, do not refer to their pets as chil dren. They know too well the dif ferences. I have three dogs myself and never have I had to haul dia pers, a change of clothes, a bottle of milk, a bottle of juice, three toys, a teething ring, teething medicine, a car seat and a stroller to go for a walk in the park. No, all Fido requires is her leash and, if I'm in the mood, her favorite frisbee. My two cats, although moody in their own way, have never had to be rocked all night to soothe their upset tummies. And I doubt I will ever have to discuss sex, drugs and death with any of them. They don't talk back either which many people find calming but I find tremendously boring. A good conversation with an angst-ridden teenager makes my day but I know I'm an excep tion there. It's sad but true that in our community children are most of ten referred to as "rug rats" and "curtain climbers." While there always seems to be room for Fluffy at the table, a child is seen as merely a nuisance. Gay and les bian parents are very aware of this and pick their friends accordingly — mostly other parents. Children are yet another thing that divide us along with all the other differ ences that are too long to list here. Someone told me recently that she prefers the company of ani mals to humans. "Animals are so much higher evolved," she ex plained, very pleased with this profound insight. Hello, I said. On what level are they more evolved —emotionally, intellectually, spiritually? My question angered her, and she mumbled something about how far I had to go on the evolutionary scale as she stomped off. As I think about it, maybe she had a point. Gay money, straight money All of us here at E.D.'s Gour met Records felt we should write to you regarding the December 22nd issue's article on the new gay and lesbian music section at Tower Records. We are thrilled that a mainstream music store is progressive enough to include a gay and lesbian section and we respect them for doing so, but let's face it —it is 1994 and only re cently has it become politically correct enough for these large cor porate retail stores to extend our community this "favor." But right here in Midtown we have had two gay-owned and op erated music stores, E.D.s and Let The Music Play, that have been serving our community for well over five years. And thanks to the primarily gay and lesbian sup port, we are still going strong. It's about time that corporate America is beginning to respect our community as a force in the economy, but let's not delude our selves into believing that if the political climate changes for the worse these large companies will stand behind us with continued support. That's where stores like ours come in — we are actively involved in community activities and issues not because it is the "94" thing to do, but because we are part of it ourselves. We all have a choice about where to spend our hard-earned ^ money, but doesn't it make sense to keep it in our community? Sincerely, Eric Lopez, owner E.D.'s Gourmet Records Stop whining While sipping my morning coffee I was reading the latest copy of Southern Voice. Of par ticular interest was the editorial and a letter about the Republican landslide. I have a simple message for the editors and readers — stop crying and stop whining about the election. The Democrats lost and the Republicans won. Deal with it! Instead of bitching about the Republicans, why don't you find a way to start working with them? Most are right wing jerks but there are a few reasonable Republicans, we should be looking to work with. The bottom line is that we must deal with the political facts as they are not as we wish them to be. America is a two-party coun try, when are gays going to be a two-party constituency? L.F. Fremont Atlanta SWITCHED AT BIRTH 7 to.KSvicene'/ SbRRy kid, But thB "HEIDI*PICTURES BEEN CANNED. 7WEV SAY THERE ARB Too MANY i-ES0/AN OVERTONES BETWEEN W AND THE K7D /N 7HE SHIRUY TEAIPLE IN THE 9o's