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HERLANDV ICE
December, 1995

AETAEAT(ING) REFLECTIONS
by jingles

Greetings from the Kitchen:
After previous RETREATS, it has, more often than not,
been my intention to write a short article for the "VOICE" ... to say
thank you, thank you and .... to comment. I have never gotten past
the intention phase until now.
First of all, I must say thanks with a big hug to all those
who helped in the kitchen .... before, during and after meals. I
usually try to "steal" the kitchen duty sign-up list. This time,
while having so much fun doing clean-up, I forgot. The list is one
way to insure that I have something besides my sometimes
fleeting memory to rely on. Please know that all of you are
appreciated, more than I could ever say. A special thanks to
Diane T .H. and Deborah Fee. Diane volunteered to help me shop
and I'm sure Laura, Marilyn, Judith and some others can attest to
how much fun marathon RETREAT shopping can be ... . save
those receipts!!! Deborah .... no amount of thanks and praise can
equal the talents you bring to the kitchen. A great cook, organizer
and teacher .... as well as being fun to work with .... what more
could you ask for. Each of you made the task of preparing and
serving breakfast a much easier one, for sure. And the clean-up
crew .... who, during mealtime often performed multiple tasks but
kept the kitchen relatively clean at a crucial time.
Mary Reynolds, thanks for your Sunday serenade and
Breakfast Kitchen History ... please know that "frantic" is still the
watchword .... it just doesn't rule. The words of Jane Jacobs , in
her book, "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" is , in
my opii;llon, an appropriate comment in this regard:
11
.. . to see complex systems as order and not chaos takes
understanding. The leaves dropping from the trees in the autumn,
the inside of an airplane engine ...the city desk of a newspaper, all
appear to be chaos if they are seen without comprehension. Once
they are understood as systems of order, they actually look
di.fferent. 11
This, certainly describes the kitchen at the RETREAT ....
and not just at breakfast! The same, me thinks, could also be said
for HERLAND, in general.
It is, I have found, that by becoming a participant in life
we begin to realize that we weren't just "PUT" here, in this world.
Rather, we are the world, grown (one step or day at a time) into
various degrees of self-awareness ... . often in ways that seem
small and insignificant .... or unrelated to any thing or reality .... at
the time.
(continued on page 2)

Volume 13 Number 12

ACADEMIC DYKES will meet
December 2nd at 6:30 p.m. For information call
Diane at 524-3495.
PARTY!PARTY!PARTY!PARTY!
Simply Equal of Norman, OBIN, p-Rag of
Norman, and the OU GLBA will be
sponsoring ...

Jfofi(jay '95
December 9, 1995 from 7 PM to Midnight
Hillel Foundation, 494 Elm A venue, Norman
[Located on the NW corner of Elm and Boyd]

Requested Donation At The Door
Refreshments and more ..• [bring some
to share]
Awesome Auction!!! Dynamite
Drawings!!!
[Top Prize: Dallas Getaway for 2]
Call 405-945-2908 for more information.

HERIAND COFFEEHOUSE & PORUCK
DINNER! Bring something to share and enjoy
the company of friends and some good music . .
Saturday, December 16, 7 PM at Herland Sister
Resources.
HERLAND OPEN HOUSE! Start the New
Year right! We'll furnish the black-eyed peas,
cabbage and cornbread. You can bring any
other special New Year foods to share. Come
hang out, maybe play some music (or listen)
and, if you just can't bear being away from the
bowl games, we'll have a TV on for you.
Monday, January 1, 1 - 5 PM!

Harland Sister Resources

2312 NW 39, OKC, OK 73112

AETAEAT REFLECTIONS

Dear St. Sybil,
During my travels this summer I flew on four different
airplanes. In order to spend absolutely as little time as possible
inside the planes, I am always the last passenger to board. I
walked through the first class section four times and saw about
thirty or so "first class" passengers. They were all men. Don't
women like to fly first class?
Confoundedly yours,
I. Donna Gedi tt
Dear Donna,
Well, of course not. Women don't like to fly first class,
we also don't particularly like to make a living wage; we really
hate to have any free time to ourselves or to be still for one
second, we cannot bear to watch men work around the house, we
abhor the thought of running the country, and we positively gag at
the prospect of equal representation in government, the media, the
Board room, or as characters in children's books.
Besides, if women were to fly first class, lounging
around in those comfy seats eating shrimp cocktails and beef tips,
with free drinks foisted on them, conservatives would notice it,
and they'd get the idea that affirmative action is working too
bloody damn well, and that the next thing you know there'd
probably be a bunch of African-Americans riding around in the
front of the airbus too and then who knows what-all ....
Thanks for asking,
Love,
Sybil

Dear St. Sybil,
Do you think the home-school movement is a ploy
primarily designed to isolate women in the home once again, to be
unpaid and unappreciated, without power or prestige, lacking a
community of their peers and a challenge beyond childcare,
perpetually at the service and whim of a (hopefully-benevolent)
dictator?
Worriedly,
Ima Skeerd
Derlma,
Yes, I do.
Love,
Sybil
Published by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312
N.W. 39th, Oklahoma City, OK 73112

The Voice is offered as an open forum for community
discourse. Articles reflect the opinions of the author and
not necessarily those of Harland Sister Resources.
Unsolicited articles and letters to the editor are welcomed
and must be signed by the writer with full name and
address. Upon request, letters or articles may be printed
under a pseudonym or anonymously.
The Voice is
printed on recycled paper.

2

Her/and Voice

December, 1995

(continued from page 1)
Volunteering to work in the BOOKSTORE for a few
hours each month (call Helen S. or jingles); becoming a member
of the Herland Board (yes, YOU can!) ; going to the RETREAT;
signing-up for a few hours in the kitchen, or some other
RETREAT task; attending or presenting a workshop; performing
at "open mike" . The et ceteras are myriad.
Through these and other involvements we are able to
begin to see the self, not as the isolated phenomenon we first
imagined, but more as a participant in and ever widening and
more complex series of interactions between the self and the
cosmos .... or more simply, our world. And, perhaps, somewhere
in the process , we learn to avoid the mistaken and sometimes
fatalistic path of exclusivism .... (shades of "Chris in the Morning"
.... perhaps I should have prefaced THAT with "Goodmoming
Cicely???").
Anyhow, enough philosophy, maybe ...
The FALL RETREAT was great .. .. except there never
seems to be enough time, for me, to do everything I'd like to do ....
attend workshops, explore, go hiking, meeting and talking with
new and old friends (a personal favorite) ... . working in the
kitchen is really a plus in this area. You'd be surprised at the
opportunities for wonderful dialogue.
One thing that I heard very often this time were
comments about .. .. ahhhhhhh .... very delicate subject here ....
cabin mates zzzzznoring. You can laugh, cry, get mad, be
offended or embarrassed .... but snoring has the potential to be a
serious health hazard for the person doing it .... no, not just
because your cabin mates may try to silence you, permanently ....
but snorers are more prone to strokes, heart problems, and high
blood pressure, to name a few . They also can have severe fatigue
problems and lack the concentration necessary to perform their
jobs adequately. They are also 22% more likely to have a traffic
related accident. Severe snoring problems can also indicate other
medical problems. There are some simple, natural solutions to
eliminate or lessen the affliction. I heard one this morning ... . an
herbal remedy (1-800-292-6196) .. .. as one snorer to another .... I
think I'd like to know.
Dr. Jan and Tracy .... thanks for helping us learn more
about the importance of Sharing Our Traditions and how much
each of us has to offer in that process. Can't forget the SLIDE
SHOW, a colorfully poignant and graphically vivid comment on
the RETREAT.
The DOG SHOW!!! You just had to be there for that
one! For those of you who may have decided not to attend partly
because of the number of canine friends who might be there
(admittedly, I had reservations) they were all relatively wellbehaved, as were their human counterparts. I only heard of a few
small problems and, uh .... er .. .. mishaps .... such as human foot
coming in contact with inadvertently misplaced organic products.
No explanation needed, I hope!
I am a bit ashamed to say, duties kept me from the guitar
workshop and Maria's session on dog grooming. I also missed the
CONCERT .... during the Saturday Nite Pot Luck I realized that I
was way past tired and well on the way to SUPER BITCH, so I
(continued on page 3)

r\\\IUill C
ll?IEVlllEW
1

by Jill Gamer

Laura Love - The Laura Love Collection
(

This collection contains songs from Laura's 3 albums on
her own label, Ochoroan Biography: Z Therapy, Pangaea, and
Helvetica Bold. The Putamayo World Music label loved her
"Afro-Celtic" style and packaged this collection "in hopes of
bringing her music to a wider listenership." I first saw Laura
Love at the Lone Star Women's Music festival outside of Austin
three years ago and I fell in love with her music then. For starters,
I don't see many people play the bass guitar quite like she does
and it's a major focal point of her band. Love's music has a unique
style and she brings in all types of instruments from cymbals,
congas, bongos, dumbek, and has a great band and a wonderful
voice. I think her energy is what captivates me the most. Her
music always gets me up. Love also delves into yodeling and
mixes various styles from Appalachian, Celtic, African and urban
American. All the songs on this collection are originals but on her
previous albums, she has put her mark on Swing Low, Sweet
Chariot, Hank Williams' I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry and
Jackie DeShannons' Put A Little Love in Your Heart. One of my
favorite remakes of hers is Leonard Cohens' That's No Way to Say
Goodbye on her Pangaea album. I also noticed in Ladyslipper
that she has an album out with Jo Miller, Ranch Romance's lead
singer titled Sing Bluegrass and Old-Time Music. Love is
certainly not afraid to explore various styles and I love her imprint
on everything I've heard by her. I highly recommend any of her
albums but this collection is a nice mix of her songs and may be
more easily attainable. Don't pass up the chance to hear this very
talented woman! And don't hesitate to dance when you do!
While I was at the retreat recently, I thought about how
much local talent we have here in Oklahoma. I love the open
mike and the concerts at the retreat and they were both wonderful
as usual. Although I missed part of the open mike because I was
out tackling hills on my bike, I fortunately got there in time to
hear Wende Allen and Deborah Hayek perform. I knew that
Deborah has written some great songs, and I've had the pleasure
of hearing Wende sing a couple of times, so merging the two
talents together was a great idea. Wende has a beautiful soft voice
full of emotion and I always get goosebumps listening to her sing.
They wrote some great songs together, and Wende's song The
River was a big hit too, for good reason. Next up were Louise
Goldberg and Rhonda Smith who I always love to hear. I'm
amazed by Louise's musical talent and Rhonda's voice is so
pretty. She used to be very reluctant to share it but fortunately she
does more often now. The other two members of their group,
Freefall, were not there, but watch for any performances by them.
They're great!
The Saturday night concerts at the retreat are the main
reason I go. This retreat, Peggy Johnson and Mary Reynolds
performed and the concert was perfect. Peggy has written some
great songs and she has a lot of talent. I love the addition of

Nancy Nesser and Elyse Angelo to many of her performances.
Nancy provides great harmony with Peggy and Elyse's talents on
drums add a lot to Peggy's songs. And while Mary Reynolds lives
in Austin now, she fortunately still makes it back to Oklahoma to
play. I become oblivious to the rest of the world when I hear
Mary sing. Her voice is so sweet and strong at the same time, and
it's a beautiful gift when she performs. I've heard her sing for
many years now and I love to hear her just as much now as I did
then. While I love my Sisters of Swing album, and my Miss
Brown to You tape, I never quit hoping that she'll put out a solo
CD.
I feel lucky that we have a lot of talented musicians here
in Oklahoma. Please support them when they play and maybe
they'll get to play more often. Live music is something I can't
imagine living without. Many of the most talented artists never
get that big record contract and we'll never hear them on the radio.
Fortunately we can bear many of them sing live in small clubs and
listening rooms around the country and I'll take that over a CD
anyday when I can get it.
One additional note, Austin singer/songwriter Betty
Elders will be performing at the Blue Door on December 8th.
Call the Blue Door for ticket information. You won't want to miss
this!'Cc

RETREAT REFLECTIONS

(continued from page 2)

decided to retire to my cabin in order to be ready for
BREAKFAST PREP and clean-up on Sunday .... and the drive
home as well. Believe me, that was a hard decision to make.
I wish I could thank every person and event that made
this RETREAT so special. I think I may have (BIG MAY) even
made some imoads to making friends with KENYA. I guess I'll
just have to wait to see if our next encounter starts with a wag or a
Grrrr. (Mmmmmmm that could pertain to some people I have
known!)
Please, come out in droves for the Spring Retreat (at
ROMAN NOSE). Sign-up early (it makes planning for the food
easier among other things). Join the BOARD. Volunteer for the
BOOKSTORE; become a part of the Oral History Project .. ..
share your ideas. Don't wait for soineone to ask, or beg. Have a
happy life and remember the TAO OF POOH.'Cf

DISNEY
Delegates to the Florida State Baptist Convention asked
their 1 million members to think twice before supporting Disney
on account of Disney's decision to give insurance benefits to
partners of homosexual siaff, as well as Disney's occasional
special nights for gay groups at their theme parks.
Those who appreciate what Disney is doing might
consider "girlcotting" Disney - a reverse boycott; and try giving
Disney a little extra business, during the upcoming holiday season
and throughout the year.'Cc

3 Herland Voice

December, 1995

LESBIAN-ONLY COUNSELING - group or individual counseling.
M.E.D./M.H.R./l.CA.D./L.P.C. at 321-0134.

For more information contact Jo L. Soske

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS! to an Anthology of ''Really, the Best Lesbian Erotica," fiction and nonfiction (we've reached the limit on
poetry). The Hard and Fast -- we know there's stuff out there already -- magazines and other anthologies -- but let's be honest: how much
of it turns you on wicked bad and is well written to boot? There's nothing we hate more than being thrown off by yet another clunky
sentence, or even worse, by an author who's following a formula. So, what do you -- with your daring and lusty appetite -- want to read?
The Sweet and Slow -- from the single lesbian, to the married bi sex radical, to the soft butch with brains, to every woman who has ever
wanted a woman, we can and will and do read it. We are yours in rapt anticipation. One story or nonfiction piece at a time, up to 5,000
words. Be sure to include a SASE. Send to: Anthology, Box 440478, Somerville, MA 02144. Deadline: June 1, 1996.
PRO-CHOICE SHOPPING GUIDE: The National Abortion & Reproductive Rights Action League of New York State (NARAL
New York) publishes a Shopping for Choice Guide which details the giving patterns of American companies, and includes detailed
profiles of prominent right-wing think tanks supported by corporate America. The guide also includes an educational section that
informs consumers about easy steps to take to shop pro-choice. To order send $6.50 check or money order to NARAL New York
Foundation, 462 Broadway #540, New York, NY 10013 and indicate that it is payment for the Shopping Guide. Call 212-343-0114 for
information.
200 WOMYN DRUMMERS!! April 12-14, 1995, Moonsisters Drum Camp #2, Sausalito, CA. Nurudafina Pili Abena, Carolyn
Brandy, Nydia Mata & Mabiba Baegne are among the teachers of rhythms from Africa, Cuba & Brazil. All levels welcome! For
registration info: SASW, P.O. Box 20918, Oakland, CA 94620, (510) 547-8386.
BLUE JEAN MAGAZINE FOR TEEN GIRLS WHO DARE is a new national magazine for teen girls, by teen girls. Blue Jean
Magazine is multi-racial, multi-cultural and advertising free and is devoted to publishing what teen girls are thinking, saying and doing.
Features include: creative works, daring feats, career profiles, community challenges and entrepreneurial ventures. To submit writings,
photos, or artwork write: Blue Jean Magazine, For Teen Girls Who Dare, P.O. Box 90856, Rochester, NY 14609. For more information
call (716)- 654-5070.
INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN PENPALS AND BED AND BREAKFAST EXCHANGE. For information: "Come
Together Foundation" c/o M. Kaczoreck, Staustrasse 5, D-26122 Oldenburg, GERMANY.
ST. SYBIL APPEARS IN ON THE ISSUES! Look for our own St. Sybil in the winter edition!

Announcing
the private practice of
to THE VOICE

John M. Doneti M.Ed.
Licensed Professional
Counselor
*Individual Therapy
*Group Therapy
*Evening and Weekend
Hours Available

\

425 W. Wilshire
Suite C.

\

647-4075

• 'btJl1te'En RaJJl<m ·
" rlataSha Rite 1
'

, ,

,

-'

4

Digital Pager

(405) 447-5111

.I

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Her/and Voice

'

December, 1995

CYI83JEE§JPACJE

=

women's space
by Pat Reaves

"Cyberspace", "the information highway", "the net" are
the catch words of the day. The media is full of stories about the
internet. Even movie ads have W odd-Wide Web pages listed. Is
the internet different from any other mass media? Is it woman
friendly?
The Internet is largely a male domain. According to a
Georgia Institute of Technology survey, only 15% of web users
are female and over 80% of web users are male. The same survey
suggests that the number of women using the web is increasing
faster than the number of men. If that trend continues, the survey
authors say an even male/female ratio could be achieved in early
1997. Traditionally, women have been thought to be less
technically savvy than men. Perhaps men have been more drawn
to technology as a toy, while women need tools -- after all,
women's work is never done. Certainly with scare stories
permeating the media, the Internet has not been promoted for
women.
Today learning to sue the Internet and electronic
technologies offers important tools for women. Resources of
many women's groups and other community organizations around
the world can be accessed. There are discussion groups, support
groups and social networks. You can get acquainted with women
in different communities in many parts of the world, share your
knowledge and widen your horizons.
Yea, there is women's space in the Internet because, like
everywhere else, women pioneers have overcome the obstacles
and have created women's spaces. Here's an introduction to some
of those spaces that women have made on the Internet.
Mailing lists or listservs provide an electronic forum
through email -- the simplest and most common form of Internet
access. Subscribing to a list will get you mail in your email box
and give you a chance to participate in discussion with other
members of the list. Here's a couple of my top picks:

SAPPHO is a great list for just keeping up with lesbians.
Sit around the kitchen table and catch up on the latest gossip or
discuss important issues of the day. It's all here! Membership is
limited to women. For more information send an email message
to SAPPHO-REQUEST@APOCALYPSE.ORG. Be careful, this
can be a high traffic group leaving lots of messages in your
mailbox.

USENET: another source of electronic forums is
Usenet, with its vast array of "newsgroups." Among the
thousands of groups are soc.feminism, soc.women, and
soc.men. These newsgroups all carry discussions of male/female
relations, as well as other topics. The newsgroups are public,
open to both men and women. Soc.feminism is moderated; the
others are not and tend to be somewhat wilder and more
argumentative. Check with your Internet service provider for the
best way to access Usenet newsgroups on your system.
THE WED: The World Wide Web is the mass media of
the Internet. Through the Web's pages, an individual can use their
computer to send and receive text, images and sounds. According
to aNew York Times article that appeared on November 20, "the
Web quickly became a standard and accepted way for the growing
millions of the computer literate to communicate and to entertain
and inform themselves." Unlike other mass media, it is relatively
easy for someone to create her own Web site with only limited
computer skills and a little money.
Here are a couple of good places to start exploring the
Web's womenspace:
Virtual Sisterhood's Sampler of Women's Electronic
Resources has links to dozens of resources for women and to help
women use the Internet more effectively. Point your Browser to:
http://www.igc.apc.org/vsister/res/
FeMiNa claims to be "the first comprehensive World
Wide Web based directory and information resource containing
information exclusively for and about women and girls online." It
has more links to women's resources than any guide I've found so
far and has a search facility that will let you find the information
you are looking for more quickly.
Check it out at:
http://www jemina.coml
Do you have a favorite web site or know of a good
mailing list or news groups? Let me know and I'll pass it along.
You can email me at preaves@mail.icon.net. Send me your email
address and I'll send you occasional information about Herland
activities.*
~

~
~

~

~

'•

·~
~

'•
~

.~

·~

INTERNET-WOMEN-HELP is a women-only list for
asking questions and receiving help on a wide variety of Internetrelated functions and issues. If is for questions and answers
ONLY; for information, such as locations of feminist web sites or
reviews of relevant books, see INTERNET-WOMEN-INFO
(below). To subscribe to INTERNET-WOMEN-HELP, send the
message SUBSCRIBE INTERNET-WOMEN-HELP to
MAJORDOMO@LISTS.BEST.COM.
To subscribe to
INTERNET-WOMEN-INFO, send the message SUBSCRIBE
INTERNET-WOMEN-INFO to MAJORDOMO@LISTS,
BEST.COM.

.

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5 Her/and Voice

December, 1995

Suruey: 1 in 3 Women Abused

PEACE & GOOID WIJLJL

PHILADELPHIA - One in three women have been
victims of domestic abuse and half were assaulted before the age
of 18, a medical study found.
Domestic violence experts say the survey confirms their
estimates, while doctors said they need to train each other to
better identify patients who need treatment and counseling.
The study of 1,952 adult women was conducted by Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and was
published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Between February and July 1993, nurses in four
Baltimore-area medical practices had patients fill out confidential
questionnaires in examining rooms. The survey asked whether
the women had been physically or sexually attacked and when, as
well as general questions about their current emotional and
physical health.
"The women don't volunteer the information. The
doctors have to ask," said Dr. Jeanne McCauley, the lead author
of the study and an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins.
"Studies have shown that doctors are afraid of offending
them by asking about domestic violence. But women aren't
offended, in fact they see it as a sign of concern."
The women who reported abuse were four times as
likely to attempt suicide, the study found. About 17 percent had
abused drugs or alcohol.
Of the 639 women who reported experiencing domestic
violence at some point in their lives, 108 said it had been within
the past year. Nearly 420 women had experienced domestic
violence in their adult life, and 429 had experienced it before age
18.
About half the women attacked in the past year reported
abuse that resulted in broken bones, bums, internal injuries or
head injuries.
McCauley believes the Baltimore study reflects the
general U.S. population, as opposed to other studies which have
been conducted in emergency rooms, speciality clinics or shelters
and reflect a more limited racial or socioeconomic background.
Rita Smith, national coordinator for the National
Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said she was not surprised
by the survey's results, but hoped the medical profession would
use the survey to change their practices.
''I think it can be used as an educational tool. It will let
doctors and nurses know how many of these women are in the
system and maybe they will learn how to protect their patients
from future injuries," she said.
McCauley said the results of the survey have already
changed the way she practices medicine.
The women who had been abused reported many
physical and mental maladies ranging from headaches to
sleeplessness to high anxiety and low self-esteem.
"When a woman comes in with multiple symptoms, and
complains of depression or anxiety than I am more aware of the
possibility of current or past domestic violence, and I ask them
about it," she said. But she added doctors still have more to learn.
"There is so little money available for research concerning
domestic violence and there are so many more questions that need
to be answered," she said.

The news was chilling - three people arrested in
Oklahoma and a fourth charged with conspiracy to manufacture
and possess a bomb. Bomb making materials were found at their
home in Vernon, Oklahoma. Reports say they discussed bombing
the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Houston office of the AntiDefamation League, welfare offices, abortion clinics, and gay
bars. One of those arrested, Willie Ray Lampley is quoted as
saying that he was preparing the bombs to defend the U.S. against
an invasion.
Every news story about the case says, "the case is not
connected to the April 19 bombing in OKC." But it is related - to
the bombing of OKC, the murder of Prime Minister Rabin,
terrorist attacks and threats on abortion providers, gay bashing on
"the strip". Even though the perpetrators may not have planned
their actions together or even known each other, their actions
share the same roots of intolerance, hate and fear.
In 1992, Pat Buchanan said, 'There is a religious war
going on in our country for the soul of America. It is a cultural
war as critical to the kind of nation we will one day be as was the
Cold War itself...abortion on demand, homosexual rights,
discrimination against religious schools, women in combat...it's
not the kind of change we can abide in a nation that we still call
God's Country." Talk shows and newspaper columnists present
the same sort of message on a daily basis.
With this kind of rhetoric, it's no surprise that some take
violent action. In a war, battles are necessary to defend the home
ground. In one of those battles, on April 19, someone killed 169
people in Oklahoma City. Willie Ray Lampley prepared bombs
for future battles. In Israel, after right-wing leaders portrayed
Prime Minister Rabin as a traitor, he was assassinated to "protect"
Israel. Workers in clinics that provide abortions are gunned down
at their jobs in the battle to "save lives."
Many activists for women's rights, gay rights or other
progressive activists would agree with Buchanan that there is a
cultural war in America. A war in which we are struggling to hold
our own against seemingly overwhelming forces of intolerance
and hatred. The language of war is pervasive. We talk about "the
enemy", "fighting", "winning and losing", and "attack". In this
fearful environment, it's hard to maintain a vision of a world of
peace where each person is valued and in control of her/his own
life. This siege mentality leaves little room for developing ,our
vision of what we want our society to become.
I'm still trying to learn to be a conscientious objector in
this cultural war in a way that's more than denial and withdrawal.
I do believe, to paraphrase Audre Lourde, that you can't tear down
the master's house with the master's tools. A world of peace,
acceptance and tolerance can happen only when we act in ways
that are accepting, tolerant and peacefully. "Fighting" won't build
that kind of society - we must find ways for public discussion that
build connections and consensus. One step is to abandon t11e
language of war. We won't get to the world we want on a path that
is inconsistent with our vision.
"Peace on Earth - Good Will to All," the Christmas
message, really is a challenge. To have peace we must live
peacefully. To have good will, we must show good will.
·
Live the vision! f<

6 Her/and Voice

December, 1995

by Pat Reaves

December
Sunday

Monday

1995
Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

10AM-5PM

Peace Fest
St. Lukes Methodist Churci
6:30 PM Academic
Dykes
calll 524-3495

3

4

6

5

7

8

9

Peggy Johnson

8 P.M. Freefall
Benefit Concert

9:30 P.M. Medina's

Mayfbwer Congrega- HoliGay'95
7PM-Midnight
tional Church
Hilell, 494 Elm, Noona~
3901 NW63

10

12

11

14

16

POTLUCK at
Herland7 PM

18 Hanukkah 19

20

Freefall
9PM-1AM, Starclub
10603 N. Penn

21

4:30 PM Herland
Board Meeting

24

15

Mary Todd
Lincoln
Born 1818

Emily Dickinson
born 1830

17

13

22

23

LadyBird Johnson
Born 1912

25 Christmas 26
Clara Barton Nurse

& founder of the
American Red

27

28

29

30

6:30 PM
Newsletter
Folding Party

Mary Reynolds
9:30P.M.
Medina's Coffehouse

Cross
Bom1821

3 lopenlng

Night
Look for Miss
Brown to You and
Freefall at
Carpenter SQuare

1

Herland
Open
House
1-5PM

Omsider including Herland inyour Holiday
..

g1-ving. Herla,nd depends on your mntributions

Subscriptions to the Voice are available upon request. To have the Voice mailed to you,
please send this form to Herland, 2312 N.W. 39, Oklahoma City, OK 73112
If you can, please contribute toward the expense of printing and mailing the Voice. It costs Herland about $12 a year to send your
Voice. If you can't contribute, we understand and still want to send the Voice to you. Just let us know you want it.

Address_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ City _ _ __ _State_
_

Here's my contribution

_ I can't contribute now but maybe later.

_

Zip_ _ _

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U.S. Postage

PAID
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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
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'Ifi£

HERLANDV ICE
December, 1995

AETAEAT(ING) REFLECTIONS
by jingles

Greetings from the Kitchen:
After previous RETREATS, it has, more often than not,
been my intention to write a short article for the "VOICE" ... to say
thank you, thank you and .... to comment. I have never gotten past
the intention phase until now.
First of all, I must say thanks with a big hug to all those
who helped in the kitchen .... before, during and after meals. I
usually try to "steal" the kitchen duty sign-up list. This time,
while having so much fun doing clean-up, I forgot. The list is one
way to insure that I have something besides my sometimes
fleeting memory to rely on. Please know that all of you are
appreciated, more than I could ever say. A special thanks to
Diane T .H. and Deborah Fee. Diane volunteered to help me shop
and I'm sure Laura, Marilyn, Judith and some others can attest to
how much fun marathon RETREAT shopping can be ... . save
those receipts!!! Deborah .... no amount of thanks and praise can
equal the talents you bring to the kitchen. A great cook, organizer
and teacher .... as well as being fun to work with .... what more
could you ask for. Each of you made the task of preparing and
serving breakfast a much easier one, for sure. And the clean-up
crew .... who, during mealtime often performed multiple tasks but
kept the kitchen relatively clean at a crucial time.
Mary Reynolds, thanks for your Sunday serenade and
Breakfast Kitchen History ... please know that "frantic" is still the
watchword .... it just doesn't rule. The words of Jane Jacobs , in
her book, "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" is , in
my opii;llon, an appropriate comment in this regard:
11
.. . to see complex systems as order and not chaos takes
understanding. The leaves dropping from the trees in the autumn,
the inside of an airplane engine ...the city desk of a newspaper, all
appear to be chaos if they are seen without comprehension. Once
they are understood as systems of order, they actually look
di.fferent. 11
This, certainly describes the kitchen at the RETREAT ....
and not just at breakfast! The same, me thinks, could also be said
for HERLAND, in general.
It is, I have found, that by becoming a participant in life
we begin to realize that we weren't just "PUT" here, in this world.
Rather, we are the world, grown (one step or day at a time) into
various degrees of self-awareness ... . often in ways that seem
small and insignificant .... or unrelated to any thing or reality .... at
the time.
(continued on page 2)

Volume 13 Number 12

ACADEMIC DYKES will meet
December 2nd at 6:30 p.m. For information call
Diane at 524-3495.
PARTY!PARTY!PARTY!PARTY!
Simply Equal of Norman, OBIN, p-Rag of
Norman, and the OU GLBA will be
sponsoring ...

Jfofi(jay '95
December 9, 1995 from 7 PM to Midnight
Hillel Foundation, 494 Elm A venue, Norman
[Located on the NW corner of Elm and Boyd]

Requested Donation At The Door
Refreshments and more ..• [bring some
to share]
Awesome Auction!!! Dynamite
Drawings!!!
[Top Prize: Dallas Getaway for 2]
Call 405-945-2908 for more information.

HERIAND COFFEEHOUSE & PORUCK
DINNER! Bring something to share and enjoy
the company of friends and some good music . .
Saturday, December 16, 7 PM at Herland Sister
Resources.
HERLAND OPEN HOUSE! Start the New
Year right! We'll furnish the black-eyed peas,
cabbage and cornbread. You can bring any
other special New Year foods to share. Come
hang out, maybe play some music (or listen)
and, if you just can't bear being away from the
bowl games, we'll have a TV on for you.
Monday, January 1, 1 - 5 PM!

Harland Sister Resources

2312 NW 39, OKC, OK 73112

AETAEAT REFLECTIONS

Dear St. Sybil,
During my travels this summer I flew on four different
airplanes. In order to spend absolutely as little time as possible
inside the planes, I am always the last passenger to board. I
walked through the first class section four times and saw about
thirty or so "first class" passengers. They were all men. Don't
women like to fly first class?
Confoundedly yours,
I. Donna Gedi tt
Dear Donna,
Well, of course not. Women don't like to fly first class,
we also don't particularly like to make a living wage; we really
hate to have any free time to ourselves or to be still for one
second, we cannot bear to watch men work around the house, we
abhor the thought of running the country, and we positively gag at
the prospect of equal representation in government, the media, the
Board room, or as characters in children's books.
Besides, if women were to fly first class, lounging
around in those comfy seats eating shrimp cocktails and beef tips,
with free drinks foisted on them, conservatives would notice it,
and they'd get the idea that affirmative action is working too
bloody damn well, and that the next thing you know there'd
probably be a bunch of African-Americans riding around in the
front of the airbus too and then who knows what-all ....
Thanks for asking,
Love,
Sybil

Dear St. Sybil,
Do you think the home-school movement is a ploy
primarily designed to isolate women in the home once again, to be
unpaid and unappreciated, without power or prestige, lacking a
community of their peers and a challenge beyond childcare,
perpetually at the service and whim of a (hopefully-benevolent)
dictator?
Worriedly,
Ima Skeerd
Derlma,
Yes, I do.
Love,
Sybil
Published by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312
N.W. 39th, Oklahoma City, OK 73112

The Voice is offered as an open forum for community
discourse. Articles reflect the opinions of the author and
not necessarily those of Harland Sister Resources.
Unsolicited articles and letters to the editor are welcomed
and must be signed by the writer with full name and
address. Upon request, letters or articles may be printed
under a pseudonym or anonymously.
The Voice is
printed on recycled paper.

2

Her/and Voice

December, 1995

(continued from page 1)
Volunteering to work in the BOOKSTORE for a few
hours each month (call Helen S. or jingles); becoming a member
of the Herland Board (yes, YOU can!) ; going to the RETREAT;
signing-up for a few hours in the kitchen, or some other
RETREAT task; attending or presenting a workshop; performing
at "open mike" . The et ceteras are myriad.
Through these and other involvements we are able to
begin to see the self, not as the isolated phenomenon we first
imagined, but more as a participant in and ever widening and
more complex series of interactions between the self and the
cosmos .... or more simply, our world. And, perhaps, somewhere
in the process , we learn to avoid the mistaken and sometimes
fatalistic path of exclusivism .... (shades of "Chris in the Morning"
.... perhaps I should have prefaced THAT with "Goodmoming
Cicely???").
Anyhow, enough philosophy, maybe ...
The FALL RETREAT was great .. .. except there never
seems to be enough time, for me, to do everything I'd like to do ....
attend workshops, explore, go hiking, meeting and talking with
new and old friends (a personal favorite) ... . working in the
kitchen is really a plus in this area. You'd be surprised at the
opportunities for wonderful dialogue.
One thing that I heard very often this time were
comments about .. .. ahhhhhhh .... very delicate subject here ....
cabin mates zzzzznoring. You can laugh, cry, get mad, be
offended or embarrassed .... but snoring has the potential to be a
serious health hazard for the person doing it .... no, not just
because your cabin mates may try to silence you, permanently ....
but snorers are more prone to strokes, heart problems, and high
blood pressure, to name a few . They also can have severe fatigue
problems and lack the concentration necessary to perform their
jobs adequately. They are also 22% more likely to have a traffic
related accident. Severe snoring problems can also indicate other
medical problems. There are some simple, natural solutions to
eliminate or lessen the affliction. I heard one this morning ... . an
herbal remedy (1-800-292-6196) .. .. as one snorer to another .... I
think I'd like to know.
Dr. Jan and Tracy .... thanks for helping us learn more
about the importance of Sharing Our Traditions and how much
each of us has to offer in that process. Can't forget the SLIDE
SHOW, a colorfully poignant and graphically vivid comment on
the RETREAT.
The DOG SHOW!!! You just had to be there for that
one! For those of you who may have decided not to attend partly
because of the number of canine friends who might be there
(admittedly, I had reservations) they were all relatively wellbehaved, as were their human counterparts. I only heard of a few
small problems and, uh .... er .. .. mishaps .... such as human foot
coming in contact with inadvertently misplaced organic products.
No explanation needed, I hope!
I am a bit ashamed to say, duties kept me from the guitar
workshop and Maria's session on dog grooming. I also missed the
CONCERT .... during the Saturday Nite Pot Luck I realized that I
was way past tired and well on the way to SUPER BITCH, so I
(continued on page 3)

r\\\IUill C
ll?IEVlllEW
1

by Jill Gamer

Laura Love - The Laura Love Collection
(

This collection contains songs from Laura's 3 albums on
her own label, Ochoroan Biography: Z Therapy, Pangaea, and
Helvetica Bold. The Putamayo World Music label loved her
"Afro-Celtic" style and packaged this collection "in hopes of
bringing her music to a wider listenership." I first saw Laura
Love at the Lone Star Women's Music festival outside of Austin
three years ago and I fell in love with her music then. For starters,
I don't see many people play the bass guitar quite like she does
and it's a major focal point of her band. Love's music has a unique
style and she brings in all types of instruments from cymbals,
congas, bongos, dumbek, and has a great band and a wonderful
voice. I think her energy is what captivates me the most. Her
music always gets me up. Love also delves into yodeling and
mixes various styles from Appalachian, Celtic, African and urban
American. All the songs on this collection are originals but on her
previous albums, she has put her mark on Swing Low, Sweet
Chariot, Hank Williams' I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry and
Jackie DeShannons' Put A Little Love in Your Heart. One of my
favorite remakes of hers is Leonard Cohens' That's No Way to Say
Goodbye on her Pangaea album. I also noticed in Ladyslipper
that she has an album out with Jo Miller, Ranch Romance's lead
singer titled Sing Bluegrass and Old-Time Music. Love is
certainly not afraid to explore various styles and I love her imprint
on everything I've heard by her. I highly recommend any of her
albums but this collection is a nice mix of her songs and may be
more easily attainable. Don't pass up the chance to hear this very
talented woman! And don't hesitate to dance when you do!
While I was at the retreat recently, I thought about how
much local talent we have here in Oklahoma. I love the open
mike and the concerts at the retreat and they were both wonderful
as usual. Although I missed part of the open mike because I was
out tackling hills on my bike, I fortunately got there in time to
hear Wende Allen and Deborah Hayek perform. I knew that
Deborah has written some great songs, and I've had the pleasure
of hearing Wende sing a couple of times, so merging the two
talents together was a great idea. Wende has a beautiful soft voice
full of emotion and I always get goosebumps listening to her sing.
They wrote some great songs together, and Wende's song The
River was a big hit too, for good reason. Next up were Louise
Goldberg and Rhonda Smith who I always love to hear. I'm
amazed by Louise's musical talent and Rhonda's voice is so
pretty. She used to be very reluctant to share it but fortunately she
does more often now. The other two members of their group,
Freefall, were not there, but watch for any performances by them.
They're great!
The Saturday night concerts at the retreat are the main
reason I go. This retreat, Peggy Johnson and Mary Reynolds
performed and the concert was perfect. Peggy has written some
great songs and she has a lot of talent. I love the addition of

Nancy Nesser and Elyse Angelo to many of her performances.
Nancy provides great harmony with Peggy and Elyse's talents on
drums add a lot to Peggy's songs. And while Mary Reynolds lives
in Austin now, she fortunately still makes it back to Oklahoma to
play. I become oblivious to the rest of the world when I hear
Mary sing. Her voice is so sweet and strong at the same time, and
it's a beautiful gift when she performs. I've heard her sing for
many years now and I love to hear her just as much now as I did
then. While I love my Sisters of Swing album, and my Miss
Brown to You tape, I never quit hoping that she'll put out a solo
CD.
I feel lucky that we have a lot of talented musicians here
in Oklahoma. Please support them when they play and maybe
they'll get to play more often. Live music is something I can't
imagine living without. Many of the most talented artists never
get that big record contract and we'll never hear them on the radio.
Fortunately we can bear many of them sing live in small clubs and
listening rooms around the country and I'll take that over a CD
anyday when I can get it.
One additional note, Austin singer/songwriter Betty
Elders will be performing at the Blue Door on December 8th.
Call the Blue Door for ticket information. You won't want to miss
this!'Cc

RETREAT REFLECTIONS

(continued from page 2)

decided to retire to my cabin in order to be ready for
BREAKFAST PREP and clean-up on Sunday .... and the drive
home as well. Believe me, that was a hard decision to make.
I wish I could thank every person and event that made
this RETREAT so special. I think I may have (BIG MAY) even
made some imoads to making friends with KENYA. I guess I'll
just have to wait to see if our next encounter starts with a wag or a
Grrrr. (Mmmmmmm that could pertain to some people I have
known!)
Please, come out in droves for the Spring Retreat (at
ROMAN NOSE). Sign-up early (it makes planning for the food
easier among other things). Join the BOARD. Volunteer for the
BOOKSTORE; become a part of the Oral History Project .. ..
share your ideas. Don't wait for soineone to ask, or beg. Have a
happy life and remember the TAO OF POOH.'Cf

DISNEY
Delegates to the Florida State Baptist Convention asked
their 1 million members to think twice before supporting Disney
on account of Disney's decision to give insurance benefits to
partners of homosexual siaff, as well as Disney's occasional
special nights for gay groups at their theme parks.
Those who appreciate what Disney is doing might
consider "girlcotting" Disney - a reverse boycott; and try giving
Disney a little extra business, during the upcoming holiday season
and throughout the year.'Cc

3 Herland Voice

December, 1995

LESBIAN-ONLY COUNSELING - group or individual counseling.
M.E.D./M.H.R./l.CA.D./L.P.C. at 321-0134.

For more information contact Jo L. Soske

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS! to an Anthology of ''Really, the Best Lesbian Erotica," fiction and nonfiction (we've reached the limit on
poetry). The Hard and Fast -- we know there's stuff out there already -- magazines and other anthologies -- but let's be honest: how much
of it turns you on wicked bad and is well written to boot? There's nothing we hate more than being thrown off by yet another clunky
sentence, or even worse, by an author who's following a formula. So, what do you -- with your daring and lusty appetite -- want to read?
The Sweet and Slow -- from the single lesbian, to the married bi sex radical, to the soft butch with brains, to every woman who has ever
wanted a woman, we can and will and do read it. We are yours in rapt anticipation. One story or nonfiction piece at a time, up to 5,000
words. Be sure to include a SASE. Send to: Anthology, Box 440478, Somerville, MA 02144. Deadline: June 1, 1996.
PRO-CHOICE SHOPPING GUIDE: The National Abortion & Reproductive Rights Action League of New York State (NARAL
New York) publishes a Shopping for Choice Guide which details the giving patterns of American companies, and includes detailed
profiles of prominent right-wing think tanks supported by corporate America. The guide also includes an educational section that
informs consumers about easy steps to take to shop pro-choice. To order send $6.50 check or money order to NARAL New York
Foundation, 462 Broadway #540, New York, NY 10013 and indicate that it is payment for the Shopping Guide. Call 212-343-0114 for
information.
200 WOMYN DRUMMERS!! April 12-14, 1995, Moonsisters Drum Camp #2, Sausalito, CA. Nurudafina Pili Abena, Carolyn
Brandy, Nydia Mata & Mabiba Baegne are among the teachers of rhythms from Africa, Cuba & Brazil. All levels welcome! For
registration info: SASW, P.O. Box 20918, Oakland, CA 94620, (510) 547-8386.
BLUE JEAN MAGAZINE FOR TEEN GIRLS WHO DARE is a new national magazine for teen girls, by teen girls. Blue Jean
Magazine is multi-racial, multi-cultural and advertising free and is devoted to publishing what teen girls are thinking, saying and doing.
Features include: creative works, daring feats, career profiles, community challenges and entrepreneurial ventures. To submit writings,
photos, or artwork write: Blue Jean Magazine, For Teen Girls Who Dare, P.O. Box 90856, Rochester, NY 14609. For more information
call (716)- 654-5070.
INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN PENPALS AND BED AND BREAKFAST EXCHANGE. For information: "Come
Together Foundation" c/o M. Kaczoreck, Staustrasse 5, D-26122 Oldenburg, GERMANY.
ST. SYBIL APPEARS IN ON THE ISSUES! Look for our own St. Sybil in the winter edition!

Announcing
the private practice of
to THE VOICE

John M. Doneti M.Ed.
Licensed Professional
Counselor
*Individual Therapy
*Group Therapy
*Evening and Weekend
Hours Available

\

425 W. Wilshire
Suite C.

\

647-4075

• 'btJl1te'En RaJJl<m ·
" rlataSha Rite 1
'

, ,

,

-'

4

Digital Pager

(405) 447-5111

.I

(

Her/and Voice

'

December, 1995

CYI83JEE§JPACJE

=

women's space
by Pat Reaves

"Cyberspace", "the information highway", "the net" are
the catch words of the day. The media is full of stories about the
internet. Even movie ads have W odd-Wide Web pages listed. Is
the internet different from any other mass media? Is it woman
friendly?
The Internet is largely a male domain. According to a
Georgia Institute of Technology survey, only 15% of web users
are female and over 80% of web users are male. The same survey
suggests that the number of women using the web is increasing
faster than the number of men. If that trend continues, the survey
authors say an even male/female ratio could be achieved in early
1997. Traditionally, women have been thought to be less
technically savvy than men. Perhaps men have been more drawn
to technology as a toy, while women need tools -- after all,
women's work is never done. Certainly with scare stories
permeating the media, the Internet has not been promoted for
women.
Today learning to sue the Internet and electronic
technologies offers important tools for women. Resources of
many women's groups and other community organizations around
the world can be accessed. There are discussion groups, support
groups and social networks. You can get acquainted with women
in different communities in many parts of the world, share your
knowledge and widen your horizons.
Yea, there is women's space in the Internet because, like
everywhere else, women pioneers have overcome the obstacles
and have created women's spaces. Here's an introduction to some
of those spaces that women have made on the Internet.
Mailing lists or listservs provide an electronic forum
through email -- the simplest and most common form of Internet
access. Subscribing to a list will get you mail in your email box
and give you a chance to participate in discussion with other
members of the list. Here's a couple of my top picks:

SAPPHO is a great list for just keeping up with lesbians.
Sit around the kitchen table and catch up on the latest gossip or
discuss important issues of the day. It's all here! Membership is
limited to women. For more information send an email message
to SAPPHO-REQUEST@APOCALYPSE.ORG. Be careful, this
can be a high traffic group leaving lots of messages in your
mailbox.

USENET: another source of electronic forums is
Usenet, with its vast array of "newsgroups." Among the
thousands of groups are soc.feminism, soc.women, and
soc.men. These newsgroups all carry discussions of male/female
relations, as well as other topics. The newsgroups are public,
open to both men and women. Soc.feminism is moderated; the
others are not and tend to be somewhat wilder and more
argumentative. Check with your Internet service provider for the
best way to access Usenet newsgroups on your system.
THE WED: The World Wide Web is the mass media of
the Internet. Through the Web's pages, an individual can use their
computer to send and receive text, images and sounds. According
to aNew York Times article that appeared on November 20, "the
Web quickly became a standard and accepted way for the growing
millions of the computer literate to communicate and to entertain
and inform themselves." Unlike other mass media, it is relatively
easy for someone to create her own Web site with only limited
computer skills and a little money.
Here are a couple of good places to start exploring the
Web's womenspace:
Virtual Sisterhood's Sampler of Women's Electronic
Resources has links to dozens of resources for women and to help
women use the Internet more effectively. Point your Browser to:
http://www.igc.apc.org/vsister/res/
FeMiNa claims to be "the first comprehensive World
Wide Web based directory and information resource containing
information exclusively for and about women and girls online." It
has more links to women's resources than any guide I've found so
far and has a search facility that will let you find the information
you are looking for more quickly.
Check it out at:
http://www jemina.coml
Do you have a favorite web site or know of a good
mailing list or news groups? Let me know and I'll pass it along.
You can email me at preaves@mail.icon.net. Send me your email
address and I'll send you occasional information about Herland
activities.*
~

~
~

~

~

'•

·~
~

'•
~

.~

·~

INTERNET-WOMEN-HELP is a women-only list for
asking questions and receiving help on a wide variety of Internetrelated functions and issues. If is for questions and answers
ONLY; for information, such as locations of feminist web sites or
reviews of relevant books, see INTERNET-WOMEN-INFO
(below). To subscribe to INTERNET-WOMEN-HELP, send the
message SUBSCRIBE INTERNET-WOMEN-HELP to
MAJORDOMO@LISTS.BEST.COM.
To subscribe to
INTERNET-WOMEN-INFO, send the message SUBSCRIBE
INTERNET-WOMEN-INFO to MAJORDOMO@LISTS,
BEST.COM.

.

1;•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•:~

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5 Her/and Voice

December, 1995

Suruey: 1 in 3 Women Abused

PEACE & GOOID WIJLJL

PHILADELPHIA - One in three women have been
victims of domestic abuse and half were assaulted before the age
of 18, a medical study found.
Domestic violence experts say the survey confirms their
estimates, while doctors said they need to train each other to
better identify patients who need treatment and counseling.
The study of 1,952 adult women was conducted by Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and was
published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Between February and July 1993, nurses in four
Baltimore-area medical practices had patients fill out confidential
questionnaires in examining rooms. The survey asked whether
the women had been physically or sexually attacked and when, as
well as general questions about their current emotional and
physical health.
"The women don't volunteer the information. The
doctors have to ask," said Dr. Jeanne McCauley, the lead author
of the study and an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins.
"Studies have shown that doctors are afraid of offending
them by asking about domestic violence. But women aren't
offended, in fact they see it as a sign of concern."
The women who reported abuse were four times as
likely to attempt suicide, the study found. About 17 percent had
abused drugs or alcohol.
Of the 639 women who reported experiencing domestic
violence at some point in their lives, 108 said it had been within
the past year. Nearly 420 women had experienced domestic
violence in their adult life, and 429 had experienced it before age
18.
About half the women attacked in the past year reported
abuse that resulted in broken bones, bums, internal injuries or
head injuries.
McCauley believes the Baltimore study reflects the
general U.S. population, as opposed to other studies which have
been conducted in emergency rooms, speciality clinics or shelters
and reflect a more limited racial or socioeconomic background.
Rita Smith, national coordinator for the National
Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said she was not surprised
by the survey's results, but hoped the medical profession would
use the survey to change their practices.
''I think it can be used as an educational tool. It will let
doctors and nurses know how many of these women are in the
system and maybe they will learn how to protect their patients
from future injuries," she said.
McCauley said the results of the survey have already
changed the way she practices medicine.
The women who had been abused reported many
physical and mental maladies ranging from headaches to
sleeplessness to high anxiety and low self-esteem.
"When a woman comes in with multiple symptoms, and
complains of depression or anxiety than I am more aware of the
possibility of current or past domestic violence, and I ask them
about it," she said. But she added doctors still have more to learn.
"There is so little money available for research concerning
domestic violence and there are so many more questions that need
to be answered," she said.

The news was chilling - three people arrested in
Oklahoma and a fourth charged with conspiracy to manufacture
and possess a bomb. Bomb making materials were found at their
home in Vernon, Oklahoma. Reports say they discussed bombing
the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Houston office of the AntiDefamation League, welfare offices, abortion clinics, and gay
bars. One of those arrested, Willie Ray Lampley is quoted as
saying that he was preparing the bombs to defend the U.S. against
an invasion.
Every news story about the case says, "the case is not
connected to the April 19 bombing in OKC." But it is related - to
the bombing of OKC, the murder of Prime Minister Rabin,
terrorist attacks and threats on abortion providers, gay bashing on
"the strip". Even though the perpetrators may not have planned
their actions together or even known each other, their actions
share the same roots of intolerance, hate and fear.
In 1992, Pat Buchanan said, 'There is a religious war
going on in our country for the soul of America. It is a cultural
war as critical to the kind of nation we will one day be as was the
Cold War itself...abortion on demand, homosexual rights,
discrimination against religious schools, women in combat...it's
not the kind of change we can abide in a nation that we still call
God's Country." Talk shows and newspaper columnists present
the same sort of message on a daily basis.
With this kind of rhetoric, it's no surprise that some take
violent action. In a war, battles are necessary to defend the home
ground. In one of those battles, on April 19, someone killed 169
people in Oklahoma City. Willie Ray Lampley prepared bombs
for future battles. In Israel, after right-wing leaders portrayed
Prime Minister Rabin as a traitor, he was assassinated to "protect"
Israel. Workers in clinics that provide abortions are gunned down
at their jobs in the battle to "save lives."
Many activists for women's rights, gay rights or other
progressive activists would agree with Buchanan that there is a
cultural war in America. A war in which we are struggling to hold
our own against seemingly overwhelming forces of intolerance
and hatred. The language of war is pervasive. We talk about "the
enemy", "fighting", "winning and losing", and "attack". In this
fearful environment, it's hard to maintain a vision of a world of
peace where each person is valued and in control of her/his own
life. This siege mentality leaves little room for developing ,our
vision of what we want our society to become.
I'm still trying to learn to be a conscientious objector in
this cultural war in a way that's more than denial and withdrawal.
I do believe, to paraphrase Audre Lourde, that you can't tear down
the master's house with the master's tools. A world of peace,
acceptance and tolerance can happen only when we act in ways
that are accepting, tolerant and peacefully. "Fighting" won't build
that kind of society - we must find ways for public discussion that
build connections and consensus. One step is to abandon t11e
language of war. We won't get to the world we want on a path that
is inconsistent with our vision.
"Peace on Earth - Good Will to All," the Christmas
message, really is a challenge. To have peace we must live
peacefully. To have good will, we must show good will.
·
Live the vision! f<

6 Her/and Voice

December, 1995

by Pat Reaves

December
Sunday

Monday

1995
Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

10AM-5PM

Peace Fest
St. Lukes Methodist Churci
6:30 PM Academic
Dykes
calll 524-3495

3

4

6

5

7

8

9

Peggy Johnson

8 P.M. Freefall
Benefit Concert

9:30 P.M. Medina's

Mayfbwer Congrega- HoliGay'95
7PM-Midnight
tional Church
Hilell, 494 Elm, Noona~
3901 NW63

10

12

11

14

16

POTLUCK at
Herland7 PM

18 Hanukkah 19

20

Freefall
9PM-1AM, Starclub
10603 N. Penn

21

4:30 PM Herland
Board Meeting

24

15

Mary Todd
Lincoln
Born 1818

Emily Dickinson
born 1830

17

13

22

23

LadyBird Johnson
Born 1912

25 Christmas 26
Clara Barton Nurse

& founder of the
American Red

27

28

29

30

6:30 PM
Newsletter
Folding Party

Mary Reynolds
9:30P.M.
Medina's Coffehouse

Cross
Bom1821

3 lopenlng

Night
Look for Miss
Brown to You and
Freefall at
Carpenter SQuare

1

Herland
Open
House
1-5PM

Omsider including Herland inyour Holiday
..

g1-ving. Herla,nd depends on your mntributions

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