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SOUTHERN VOICE • DECEMBER 29/1994
Rev. Phelps 8
EDITORIAL PAGES 10-11
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FEATURE
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Gay businesses boom
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women’s place
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NUMBER 45
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Southern Voice
1189 Virginia Ave., NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
(404)876-1819
Va.-Hi. AIDS memorial park gets city funds
Rick Porter expects smooth completion on the John Howell Park Project.
by KC WILDMOON
Atlanta—Plans for the
completion of the John Howell
Park Project have gotten an
enormous boost—the City
Council has approved expendi
ture of $150,000 toward renova
tions on the Virginia-Highland
park, which includes a memo
rial to those who have died of
AIDS.
The city funds—collected
from impact fees charged to
contractors working on the ad
dition to Lenox Square mall—
must be matched dollar for dol
lar by the project by May 1.
"We already have half of it
raised," said volunteer project
coordinator Rick Porter. "If we
can raise $75,000 by May 1,
we'll have $300,000 and we can
finish the park."
The park is named for
neighborhood gay activist John
Howell, who died of AIDS
complications in 1988. Renova
tions will include new frontage
on Virginia Avenue with park
lighting, a children's playscape
in the center of the park (where
De Leon Street has already been
closed) and artwork, as well as
completion of the memorial
walk, filled with bricks pur
chased by community mem
bers.
"I would like really to get
the word out to the gay com
munity that we'll be taking
brick orders like crazy," Porter
said.
Skandalakis
>- Continued from page 1
seriously gut the budgets for
Ryan White and Housing Op
portunities for People With
AIDS.
"We are going to do this,"
she said. "[Skandalakis] has
put it on my agenda."
Upshaw said she hopes to
convene a meeting of those in
terested in serving on the panel
early next month, but she
added that the lesbian/gay
community has shown little in
terest.
"We've had two people vol
unteer to serve," she said, "and
The brick walk, a semicircle
on the Barnett Street side of the
park, has the first 500 bricks al
ready in place.
City Councilmember Mary
Davis, who sponsored the or
dinance that gave the project
the city money, said that the
completion of the park was
long overdue.
"That land was important
to me from the beginning," said
Davis, referring to the fight to
stop construction of 1-485
through the area in the early to
mid-'70s. The proposed con
struction left the land between
"[The staff] is almost
like Noah's Ark," said
Karen Webster,
Skandalakis' chief of
staff, "We have one of
everything. I think
that's wise for a
politician to do."
two people have written for
more information."
As for Kenyon, Upshaw
said the conservative, who told
Southern Voice that state Chris
tian Coalition head Pat
Gartland is a "good friend" and
Barnett and Arcadia streets va
cant, and eventually led to the
creation of the park, later
named for Howell.
"The neighborhood and
John Howell Park Project have
put together good plans,"
Davis said. "And I want to see
them out there."
Porter said he felt "very
confident" that the project
could raise the remaining
$75,000 and added that once
the monies are in place and
construction begins, he expects
the project to be completed by
1996.
that he has performed free le
gal work for the Coalition, has
been "very supportive in get
ting the Republicans to pay at
tention to us to get this Ryan
White money."
Larry Pellegrini, lobbyist
for GAPAC, took a wait-and-
see approach to the news of
Kenyon's hiring.
"We'll talk with him, just
like anybody else, if we have an
issue in his official domain," he
said. "As usual, we'll welcome
the opportunity to have anyone
get to know us and what we
can offer the community If he's
truly interested in doing a good
job in government, he'll wel
come that opportunity too."
One of several demonstrators
at 6rady High
Queer Planet
protests Surgeon
Gen/s firing
KC WILDMOON
Atlanta—Grady High
School students on their way
out of school for the winter
holiday were greeted by five
members of the newly formed
activist group Queer Planet
on Dec. 16. The Planeteers
were protesting President
Clinton's firing of Surgeon
General Joycelyn Elders, and
handed out flyers proclaim
ing that "it's OK to mastur
bate."
"These kids, especially at
the high school level, need to
know that there's nothing to
be ashamed of about their
sexuality," said Joe de Rose.
Reaction from the stu
dents was mixed—some re
fused the flyers, some took
them, some were supportive
of QP's efforts, and others
shouted anti-gay epithets.
School authorities arrived on
the scene after the 20-minute
demonstration was finished
and the Planeteers were on
their way back to their cars.
Queer Planet struck again
the following day in Roswell,
with assistance from the Les
bian Avengers, Refuse & Re
sist and Empty the Shelters. A
dozen protesters picketed
outside the Holiday Inn on
Holcombe Bridge Road,
where Rep. Newt Gingrich
was holding his annual vol
unteer holiday party. Protest
ers handed out flyers inform
ing the designated Speaker of
the House and his followers
that homosexuality is not a
disease.
No problems were re
ported at the demonstration,
although a few protesters who
attempted to enter the party
were quickly asked to leave.