extracted text

:~~HERLAND ~

ICE

THE MEANING
OF STONEWALL
by Vivien Ng

It's my second nature to dwell on the past. After all, I am
a professional historian--! make my living making sense of the
past. I am more or less comfortable with it, even though
dwelling on the past--such as, for example, botched relationships--can sometimes be downright painful. (That's all you' II
ever get out of me: I am writing for Herland Voice, not True
Confessions!)
What I am trying to say is that I am a sucker for anniversaries. The month of June brings us a major chest-sweller--the
24th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village,
New York City. As a historian, I understand what Stonewall
represents--it marks the beginning of the gay liberation movement. As a lesbian activist, I also appreciate the fact that
Stonewall spawned the "We're here! We're queer! Get used to
it!" in-your-face attitude that has revolutionized the way
lesbians and gays view ourselves and our relationship with the
straight world. But such a significant event had no direci
impact on my coming out experience, because it was only in the
early 1980s that I found out about the Stonewall Riots. Not
once during my graduate school days was Stonewall ever
mentioned in any of my classes.
Can I say that unless we are historians and/or activists, or
unless we are consciously aware of its meaning, Stonewall has
no relevance in our lives? Absolutely not, because the only
truly unaffected are people who died before June, 1969.
''Before Stonewall' ' and ''After Stonewall'' --these are markers in history that, for lesbians and gays, define precisely when
we as a people become politicized. "Lesbian" and "gay" are
no longer labels for ''lifestyles.'' They are political identities.
After Stonewall, "lesbian" and " gay" meanmorethanmerely
''homosexual.''
How did Stonewall happen? What caused the riots? Years
of police oppression. Years of police intimidation. Years of
patrons of gay bars being herded onto paddy wagons. Finally,
one night, ''Enough is enough!''
As I reflect on the meaning of Stonewall, I recall details
from the 1993 March on Washington. I note in particular how
curiously few drag queens and other outlandishly-costumed
daredevils there were. A filmmaker I know came back from the
March sorely disappointed, because she had been unable to film
enough footage of drag queens. She asked afterwards: •'How
come the marchers are so boring?"
(continued on page 6)

Volume 10 Number 6

OKC's second Annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade (1989)

PRIDE

'93

You are invited to show your pride as a part of the Herland
contingent in the 1993 Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Pride
Parade. International Gay and Lesbian Pride Week will
culminate on Sunday, June 27 in Oklahoma City with the 1993
Pride Parade. The theme thi.s year for the annual event is •• A
Family of Pride.'' Parade organizers say they hope all lesbians
and gays will participate in the Gay and Lesbian Pride Week
festivities in the spirit of pride and cooperation.
The Parade will stepoff from Memorial Park near 36th and
Classen in Oklahoma City at 4 P.M. on June 27. Pre-parade
events include a worship service conducted by the Gay Christian Ecumenical Council beginning at 2 P .M. A rally sponsored
by the Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Caucus will follow the
service.
The parade route has been lengthened to accommodate an
expected increase in the number of marchers and to allow
participants to see other parade entries. The route will proceed
from 36th and Classen north to Classen and 42nd. At N. W.
42nd, the parade will make au-turn to NW 39. Marchers will
go west on 39th to Barnes and the parade will end in the west
parking lot of the Habana complex.
Pride Week activities in Oklahoma City begin June 20with
a Block Party at N.W. 39 and Barnes in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma's Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade is organized by
Pride Network Inc.
D

Herland Sister Resources

23.12 NW. 39, OKC, OK 73112

THE GRATEFUL BEAN CAFE .

ST. SYBIL

Hosrs Music;

PEGGY JOHNSON

PERFORMS ON JUNE 5TH
Dear St. Sybil,
Some of us in the community are feeling kind of hurt by
Berland being women-only space. How come, what gives,
what's up? Why are the women there prejudiced against men?
Sincerely,
Bob's Your Uncle
Dear Bob,
You haven't been hanging around Herland very much
lately, honey, have you? There hasn't been a social event at
Berland in years that didn't have several men present and
welcome. Men come to meetings regularly at Berland, for
instance, Simply Equal and AIDS Coalition Committee meetings. Men shop at Berland. Men are on the Herland Voice
mailing list and are kind and very appreciated donors to
Berland.
Herlandrents space to a lesbian-only counseling group one
night of the week, but that is the policy of the group paying for
the space, not of Herland.
Berland does just one thing which is restricted to womenonly; the biannual retreats, which are designed as safe-space for
women.
Why is there an occasional need to create and offer a safe
space for women? Well, let's talk briefly about the pandemic
of violence against women. Consider this: statistics indicate
that there are 683,000 forcible rapes a year in the United States
- in other words, 1.3 women raped per minute. The breakdown
by perpetrator, not that it really matters, is: 22% stranger, 9%
husband or exhusband, 11 % father or stepfathers, 10% boyfriend or ex-boyfriend, 16% other relative, 29% other nonrelative, 3%, unidentified. And battering - in Oklahoma alone
there were 15,552 domestic violence calls to police in 1992.
Beyond the statistics lies the basic truth that no woman is
unaffected by this violence against some women. Women
sleep in sweltering heat every summer, afraid that an open
window will let in more than a welcome breeze. Women
monitor their actions and activities, in ways that never occur to
men to do, in order to keep themselves safe from male violence.
A woman wanting to go to her office on a Saturday or Sunday
will always weigh her wishes and needs against her possible
lack of safety in an "empty" building. Now, it should be said
that everyone at Herland recognizes that not all men are
batterers, not all men violent. Everyone at Herland knows kind
gentle men whom they love and honor and trust. Nevertheless,
the violence tha! directly affects a large number of women,
indirectly affects all women. Therefore, all women benefit
from safe, women-only space; and Berland will continue to
provide it at their retreats. Other than the retreats, Herland
welcomes all people of good will.
Hope you feel better now,
Fondly,
Sybil
2 Herland Voice June, 1993

· The Grateful Bean is a great place to eat, drink coffee or
tea, slurp on a malt. Now the Bean is proud to sponsor local
acoustic folkies on the weekends. On Saturday, June 5th, at
9 p.m., singer-songwriter-guitarist Peggy Johnson will sing the
blues, tell some stories, and maybe even recommend a tasty
dish from the menu. The kitchen will be open until 10 p.m. and
the music will go on until midnight.
Says Peggy, •The food is delicious, the people are so nice
and I'm so excited to have a new place to play in Oklahoma
City!"
Located where Kaiser's Ice Cream store used to be, the
Grateful Bean is at 1039 N. Walker in Oklahoma City. That's
10th and Walker, of course, and the new restaurant has been
there since the end of April. The menu contains a host of
vegetarian dinners guaranteed to satisfy your palate. There are
also several chicken dishes and salads. All are served with
hearty organic French hearth bread. The malts are served in
frosted glasses, as is fresh Kaiser's ice cream. Desserts include
Ye Olde SweetPotatoe Pudding and apple pie among others and
will make the musical evening all the more sweet.
The cafe is owned and operated by Oklahoma Beari.
Project, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation. The Bean Project
runs the cafe and also bags beans for sale at 15 outlets in
Oklahoma City, including Pratt's Grocery. Its purpose is to help
people help themselves by developing skills, expanding choices,
and increasing self-sufficiency. The Project employs many
who were previously unemployed or under-employed.
Pete Schaffer is the owner/head guy around there but
everyone is nice and eager to please. Stop by for lunch or dinner
from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until
midnight on Fridays and from 5 p.m. until midnight on Saturdays. Call 236-3503 for more details.
Cl

EUREKA!
WOMIN'S BED & BREAKFAST
Friendly, Simple & Clean
1 Block from Downtown
AFFORDABLE!
$20 a Nite per Person
$15 for 3 Nites or More
Accomodates Groups up to 6

FEATHER MOON COTT AGE
10 Elk, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Please call Scotty or Sequita
(501)253-5699

June 1, 1660: Quaker Mary Dyer hanged in Bostm for preaching 111m-violence.
e::::=::;i June 2, 1863: Daring raid by Bairiet Tuman frees 750 sla"VeS.
June 16, 1873: Susan B. Antbmy arrested for voting.

Sunday

Tuesday

Monday

1

PEGGY J,
1:30. Edmond's ;
Canterbury tJ
Festival
ERICAWHEELER
picnic &
Concert at
Herland, 6pm

13

7

8
-

.,

14

MISS BROWN
TO YOU
9pm,
at. VZD's

20

SUMMER
SOLSTICE

2 tAY

PRIDE
Parade
C24lh
anniversary
of Stonewall)

.

Emma Goldman
t869 - t940

28

3

g

1Cbrd

15

16

17

29
Simply Equal,
Herland,
7 pm

23.

CoDA, 7 pm

25

.

CoDA, 7 -m

Wilma Rudolph
Olympic
Superstar
born 1940

.J

5

PEGGY
JOHNSON
Canterbury
F'est.lval, 3pm
and at. t.he
Grate fl.II Bean
tOlh & Walker
in OKC, 9 pm

,J

PEGGY~ l

J-

CoDA, 7 pm

24

Saturday

12

11

18

Simply Equal,
Herland,
7 pm

Simply Equal,
Harl.and,
7 pm

Friday
iina & Dale's
Float Trip
All weekend
lone
War Eaele
Ca mo
near
Tahlequah

Annual
Vireinia Woolf
Conference,
Lincoln Univ.,
JeffesonCit.y
Missouri
t.hroueh
the t3lh---->

Simply Equal,
Her land,
7 pm

22

21

2

Simply Equal
Chapter
Meet.ine.
7 pm
Testins;i
the Limits

JUNETEENTH: Celebrates June 19,
1865; the day Blacks in Texas
learned of their emancipation.

6

\\lednesday Thursday

-JOH NSON
al
La Baeuette
323 W. Boyd
Norman
8:30 - tf:30

19
JVNETEENTH

26
Oklahoma NOlrJ
Conf8ranca
in TahleQuah

30
June 27th, quite a day; the birthday of Helen
Keller, in 1880 and Emna Goldman, in 1869; as
well as the anniversary of the gay rebellio
called Stonewall, in 1969.

HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES, INC
2312 N.W. 39th Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
405/ 521-9696
Hours: Saturdays rn - 6: Sundays 1 - 6

l

,(

~

NonProfit Org.
U.S. Postage

PAID
Oklahoma City, Okla.

2312 N.W. 39th Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED

Permit No. 861

OGLPC PHOBIEIAWARDS
OF MERIT BANQUET
The annual ''Phobie Awards'' and Awards of Merit Banquet, sponsored by Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, was held at Gushers on Sunday, May 16. OGLPC CoChairs, Ginger McGovern and Paul Thompson, presided over
an afternoon of camaraderie, excellent food, and awards
presentations which brought both laughter and tears.
Two State politicians received Phobie Awards for their
sponsorship of anti-gay legislation. Although their various
bills never got out of Committee, Dan Webb and Bill Graves
received plaques in recognition of their homophobic efforts.
Representative Don Nickles earned a Phobie for his consistency and persistency--a consistently homophobic attitude
toward Gay Rights and a persistent opposition to Gays in the
Military.
A Phobie Award went to "Cola" Rankin of the Lower
Deck in Norman ''because of her proud and forthright bigotry.'' (Ms. Rankin won Community and media attention by
posting a NO DYKES ALLOWED sign and refusing to allow
lesbians and gays into her bar.
Judge Donald Powers earned his Phobie by removing
custody of two young children from their lesbian mother; and
The Daily Oklahoman ' s award was for a general homophobic
stance and, specifically, discontinuance of the comic strip• 'For
Better or For Worse."
All the Phobie recipients were, coincidentally, absent.
Their awards will be delivered to them.
Five Awards of Merit were presented.
Representative Jeff Hamilton was recognized for his
courageous decisions and positive leadership in matters of
human rights, including sponsorship of a bill requiring the State
Health Department to form a plan for study and treatment of
AIDS.
Cookie Arbuckle, who was honored for her hard work and
compassion toward persons living with lilV/AIDS, accepted
her award "In honor of all people living with AIDS and the
remarkably incredible battle they wage.''
Steve Ltlzarus, for his leadership and positive influence on
the OU campus, including the passage in 1991 of a code which
bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Nathanial Bachelder ~f the Peace House for his carrying
civil rights concerns into Main Stream areas, which he accepted
with, ''All issues for social change are connected, so when we
make progress in one, we make progress in all.''
The Reverend Richard Monroe, a posthumous award for
his adovocay for AIDS awareness in the United Methodist
Church and his work as Executive Director of the AIDS
Support Program.
Mary Reynolds received the Ron Shaefer award for her
dedicated work for peace, the environment, and justice in
everyday life, for her widely recognized talent as a performer,
and for her use of that talent for numerous an~ positive causes.

The Bill Rogers Award for 1993 went to Pat Reaves and
Allen Nyitray, the founding co-facilitators of Simply Equal.
This organization gathered our diverse community into a
cohesive group to lobby against and successful defeat antilesbian/gay legislation.
Councilman Mark Schwartz, Senator Bernest Cain, and
Representative Jeff Hamilton (sporting a "Flush Rush" button) spoke briefly about current concerns and their need and
appreciation of our support as they repeatedly put their political
lives on the line to prevent discriminatory legislation and
combat homophobia.
Senator Cain, who has received many OGLPC Awards of
Merit, assured the gathering, "I give you my word that anywhere I find legislation that is restrictive, that holds back
people's rights, I'll be there."
The attitude which seemed common to all the Merit
Awards winners was expressed by Representative Hamilton:
''To be human is to be a person of compassion, caring for each
other."
In closing, Paul Thompson observed, "There is plenty of
work for every group, every focus--there is no reason why
organizations can't work together ....Make it easy for our
politicians to support us--work for them; be there for them.'' [J

SIMPLY EQUAL OF

OKC

The Oklahoma City chapter of Simply Equal established
as its primary goal for this year the passage of a human rights
ordinance by the Oklahoma City Council to outlaw discrimination of any kind on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, national origin, age or handicap.
Simply Equal will also continue to monitor for any evidence of efforts to introduce anti-lesbian/gay measures of the
Colorado/Oregon type. If movement toward that type of
iniative is seen, stopping the measure will take top priority.
The effort to show support for lifting the ban on gays and
lesbians in the military continues. Simply Equal is collecting
postcards to be sent to Senator Nunn, Chairman of the Senate
Armed Services Committee and all members of the Oklahoma
congressional delegation. They are also encouraging everyone
to write Senators Boren and Nickles and their Congressman
with their views on the subject.
Officers elected at the meeting on May 4 are: Cofacilitators, Alan Nyitray and Pat Reaves; Treasurer, Jimmie
Harris; Secretary - open; Howard Harris will continue in that
position for present. Spokespersons, Terry Gatewood and
Peggy Johnson; Co-chairs of the four committees are: Communications, Terry & Peggy; Education, Margaret Cox and Howard
Harris; Fundraising, Joe Scholes; and Legislative, Paul
Thompson. All committees will have a man and a woman as
co-chairs. Women co-chairs are still needed for the Fundraising
and Legislative committees.
Simply Equal of Oklahoma City meets at 7 p.m. on the first
Tuesday of every month at Testing the Limits, 2136 NW 39th
Street. The coordinating committee is currently meeting every
Tuesday at Herland, 2312 NW 39th Street, at 7 P.M, and
everyone who is interested is encouraged attend those
meetings.
[J
Her/and Voice June, 1993

3

HERLAND LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
GUIDELINES
The purpose of the Herland Legal Defense Fund is to help
gain a legal precedent protecting the child custody rights of
lesbians and gay men in Oklahoma through financial support
for legal expenses of child custody cases in which lesbianism
is an issue.

Criteria for selection of cases:
• Appeals have priority for support by the fund.
• If a ruling has already been issued, the Judge's ruling states
that sexual orientation was a consideration in removing custody.
• There must be no evidence of child neglect or abuse.
• Potential for legal success will be a priority for funding of
cases by the HSRLDF. A legal advisory panel will be formed
to advise the HSRLDF in this area.
Application Process:
• Requests for assistance will be made in person to the
HSRLDF committee. The committee will report to the HSR
board.
• Copies of all relevant legal documents will be provided to
the HSRLDF committee.
• ff an evaluation has been completed by a social worker or
psychologist, it will be made available to the HSRLDF
committee.
• The person requesting assistance must be a resident of
Oklahoma with a financial need and the case in an Oklahoma
court (or appropriate Federal court).
HSRLDF Operating Procedures:
• Expenses critical to the continuation of the case have the
highest priority for allocation of funds.
• Women involved in cases supported by the HSRLDF will
be encouraged to seek assistance through the Lambda Legal
Defense and Education Fund and the National Lesbian Center.
• The HSRLDF will hold as confidential information the
identity of persons receiving support through the fund and all
information about the cases. The legal advisory panel will be
asked to assist in developing guidelines for individuals involved in the cases regarding media and publicity.
• All payments from the HSRLDF fund will be made directly
to the individual's attorney on documented expenses.
0

Mowing • Fertlllzlng • Trimming
• Ll~ht Haullng •

"We Al8 /nsul8d"
Nancy

794-6884

4 Her/and Voice June, 1993

HELMS ATTACTS ATCHENBERG NOMINATION
Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) attacked the nomination of
San Francisco Supervisor Roberta Achtenberg as assistant
secretary at Housing and Urban Development "because she is
a damm lesbian.". Helms said he will not vote to confirm a
lesbian who wants to "shut off the Boy Scouts because they
wouldn't have queer scoutmasters." If you want to call me a
bigot, fine," said Helms.
Achtenberg is President Clinton's choice to head the office
of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at HUD. Her appointment would make her the highest ranking lesbian in the Clinton
administration and is the first time an "out" lesbian or gay
person has been appointed to such a high government position.
Opposition to the Achtenberg nomination was fueled by
Pat Robertson's 700 Club, the daily television program which
has repeatedly urged viewers to call Capitol Hill to express
opposition to her confirmation.
ANTI-GAY/LESBIAN ORDINANCE PASSES
The Oregon community of Cornelius passed an anti-gay
measure initiated by the Oregon Citizen's Alliance on May 18.
Measure 34-5 amends the city charter to ban specific civil rights
protections for homosexuality as a group. In addition, it says
that city money may not be spent ''to promote homosexuality
or express approval of homosexual behavior."
Lon Mabon, OCA chairman, said the victory in Cornelius
gave momentum to the OCA •s efforts to pass similar initiatives
in 32 other Oregon communities and a statewide measure in
1994. The new initiatives were filed after voters rejected a
0
statewideOCAinitiative last year.

ERICA WHEELER

PLANES, TRAINS, AND

RETURNS!

AUTOMOBILES:

Don't miss the chance to spend an evening with Erica
Wheeler, who was such a popular performer at the Retreat a
year ago. · Sunday evening, June 6, Erica will appear on
Herland's Back Yard Stage singing those fresh and original
songs that have moved her into the front ranks of the current
wave of new singer-songwriters.
Erica Wheeler's career took off with the release ofher first
recording, Strong Heart, in Dec. '89. With it, Erica began
touring nationally, building a base of fans, receiving critical
acclaim and invitations to many of the best listening rooms in
the country. In Dec. '92, her career took another leap forward
with the release of her first CD, From That Far. It has been
enthusiastically received by DJ's, club owners and fans across
the country.
An outdoor enthusiast, the natural world serves as an
inspiration for many of her songs. With a spirtuality akin to that
of many Native American traditions, Erica has infused her
beliefs into lyrics which offer gentle inspiration to her listeners.
Outstanding lyrics, stunning vocals, tasteful guitar playing
and the warm integrity she conveys easily on stage all combine
to create a performer of extraordinary beauty and depth. We are
fortunate that she has been able to put Oklahoma City on her
current tour.
l:J
. ·.·.·.·.·-:-;.;.·-·

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== =:

Published by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312 N.W. 39th,
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Newsletter Committee: Margaret Cox, Deborah Fox, Vivien Ng,
Pat Reaves
Circulation: 1000
Advertising Rates: Business card $15; 1/4 page $35;
12 page $60; full page $100. The advertising deadline is the 15th of
the month prior to publication .
The Voice is offered as an open forum for community discourse.
Articles reflect the opinions of the author and not necessarily those
of Herland 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.
Subscriptions to The Voice are free upon request.

==

RAPPIN' JANE'S REVIEW OF

BROWN

Miss

ro You

After much anticipation, the band Miss Brown To You has
released the song "Miss Brown to You" on the album Miss
Brown To You. The album is full of favorites and three newish
tunes.
The band, Mary Reynolds, Louise Dick, Elyse Angelo and
Terry Hoersch take the listener on a trip through musical time
and space dimensions that would be logically inconceivable to
Mr. Spock. Most notable of the ethereal tunes is the Louise
Dick composition "Weezie's Tune." While Terry and Elyse
keep us firmly in contact with ground control, Mary and Louise
launch solos that go further and further into deep space.
"Blackbird" and "Mourning Dove" stay a little closer to
earth, but it may still be a good idea to see if your car seat can
act as a flotation device before you listen to this album in an
automobile.
MissBrown'sgreatesthit, "Night Train Lullaby'' has long
beena "singing myself to sleep" favorite of mine. Mary's sax
is perhaps best on this tune and Terry, Elyse and Louise keep
the train moving right on down the line. The train never leaves
ground, but there is no question that this train is going places .
And to what hot, humid place is it thatI am taken by "Why
Don't You Want Me?" It must be south, it must be summer,
and I must be sittin' on the porch listening to the sounds of a
band down at the sinful little sugar shack on the river. You
know, that place Idgie Threadgood goes in •'Fried Green
Tomatoes'' or that place in ·'The Color Purple'' where Whoopi
hears Sugar sing. If this song doesn't move you, check your
pulse or call 911, 'cause something's wrong.
If you ever thought those Gazette polls were rigged, give
a listen to Mary's vocals on "There Will Never Be Another
You" and you will know that at least the best female vocalist
category was not. Mary has won the award every year that it
has been given, and there are nine reasons why on this album.
If the Gazette had a category for ·'vocal event'' like they
do out in Nashville, I'd nominate the glory-hallafunky-speaking-in-tongues duet from "Miss Brown to You." Mary and
Lousie take off on a syllabular slide that would have the
"Hooked on Phonics" folks running for cover.
A fan at the Arts Festival told me that Miss Brown's
arrangement of the Beatles' ''Can't Buy Me Love'' is the best
Beatie cover they ever heard. And while it may be true that
money can't buy you love, ten bucks will get you a copy of this
album, and you will love it, I guar-ron-tee. Check with any
member of the band or stop by Herland or the Earth to get your
copy now. Tell 'em Rappin' Jane sent you. (I'm not on
commission.)
l:J

The Voice is printed on recycled paper.

Her/and Voice June, 1993

5

THE MEANING OF STONEWALL

COMMUNITY LEADERS IN AIDS,

(continued from page 1)

GAY/LESBIAN RIGHTS

Recall, if you will, how many self-annointed lesbian or gay
spokespeople remarked how ''fair'' network coverage of the
event had been, because for once they did not focus only on
drag queens. You'd think that they were ashamed of and
embarassed by drag queens.
How did Stonewall happen? We must credit the drag
queens who, along with gay and lesbian people of color, made
it happen. They dared to rebel against police oppression and
intimidation. They deserve our gratitude, not embarassment.
The original Stonewall Inn closed years ago, but I noticed
to my great delight, during a recent trip to New York, that at
Stonewall Place in Greenwich Village now stands a new bar,
the Stonewall. The publisher of Martin Duberman' s new book,
Stonewall, threw a book.party for him and his friends on May
4, at the new Stonewall.
Next year, on June 25, 1994, the international lesbian and
gay communities will be descending on New York City to rally
and march to the United Nations. At least a million are expected
to come to the city to commemorate the 25th anniversary of
Stonewall. Be there, or be ... !
0

CAMPAIGNS WIN STONEWALL

THE STONEWALL REBELLION
In the sixties, gays and lesbians in New York City
could not gather legally. Gay bars could not get licenses.
People could be -- and were-- arrested for wearing more
than three items of clothing considered appropriate for
the opposite sex. Gays and lesbians were frequent
subjects of verbal and physical harassment. Police raids
on gay bars were common. Afraid of arrest or calls to
employers and families, men and women complied with
the police or fled.
On June 27, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn
in Greenwich Village because it was serving liquor
without a license. They began sending customers out the
door, and crowds gathering outside cheered the departing patrons. A paddy wagon arrived and police shoved
patronsintoit. Angererupted. Therebellionbegan. The
crowd threw cans and bottles at windows, and hurled
coins, stones and parking meters at the police. Back-up
police in riot gear arrived, striking the crowd with night
sticks. The raid and rebellion lasted 45 minutes and
sparked week-long demonstrations.
Though police continued to raid gay bars, Stonewall had signaled the ability to say, "Enough," and
created a collective defiance against official repression.
Gays and lesbians began to organize, politicize and fight
for their civil rights around the country.

AWARDS FOR

The Anderson Prize Foundation has announced the 1993
winners of the Stonewall Awards "for achievement for gay and
lesbian America.'' Five community activists were honored for
their work on behalf of AIDS education, gay and lesbian rights
and women's interests.
Earnest Hite, Chicago, co-founded and serves president of
Image Plus, a support organization targeting African-American gay and lesbian youth, and founded the HOPE Project, an
AIDS education program.
Pat Norman of San Francisco is the executive director of
the California AIDS Intervention Training Center. She served
as National Chair of the 1987 Gay and Lesbian March on
Washington and is now one of three coordinators for Stonewall
25 commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion.
Suzanne Pharr, Little Rock, a social justice worker and
coalition builder for the past 30 years, focuses much of her
attention on the threat of the Radical Right. She founded the
Women's Project in Arkansas in 1981 to work against violence,
economic injustice, homophobia and sexism. "Some of the
most critical work on racism, sexism and homophobia is being
done in the middle of the country,'' Ms. Pharr said, •'where
people are figuring out the hard questions, what it means to live
where you don't have services, where information flow is not
as fast or complex as on the two coasts.''
Edward Sedarbaum of Queens, New York, who shares a
prize with Howard Cruse, his companion of 14 years, founded
Queens Gays and Lesbians United to give gays and lesbians a
voice in their residential neighborhood. His companion, Howard
Cruse, is a pioneering gay and underground cartoonist who is
best know as the founding editor of "Gay Comix" and the
creator of the characters Barefootz and Wendel.
The Stonewall Awards, established in 1990, are named for
the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion in Greenwich Village -- the first
widely recognized act of collective defiance against repression
that launched the gay rights movement. They are given by the
Anderson Prize Foundation, set up and funded by the late Paul
A. Anderson, a futures trader in Chicago. Through the awards,
the Foundation promotes education about and awareness of the
concerns of the gay and lesbian community.
0

2109 S. AiR DEpOT
Midwm CiTy, OK n 110

( 405 )7"5 7-0496

AiR DEpoT ANiMAl HospiTAl
CAil foR AppoiNTMENT

6 Her/and Voice June, 1993

1993

JOY HUSKA: D.V. M.

TAKING CARE OF EACH
OTHER
More than 900 lesbian and gay health care providers will
discuss strategies for including lesbian and gay issues in the
emerging national health care agenda on July 21-25, 1993, at
the 15thNational Lesbian and Gay Health Conference and 11th
Annual AIDS/HIV Forum to be held in Houston, Texas.
"We've seen tremendous positive changes in the lesbian
and gay movement since it began at Stonewall in the 60s. But,
one recurring problem that has impeded our progress is our
community's tendency to splinter over specific issues and to
create hostile 'camps,"' said Joyce Hunter, president of the
National Lesbian and Gay Health Foundation (NLGHF), and
1993 conference program co-chair. "By addressing this issue
at the opening plenary session on 'Horizontal Hostility,' we
hope to create an environment which will unite the efforts of our
health care community in one forward direction,'' she added.
Other plenary sessions which will address the current state
lesbian and gay health care include: "The Politics of the
Lesbian and Feminist Cancer Movement," "Perspectives on
Future AIDS Policy," "Gay Positive School Curricula," and
"Is Our Community Under Siege?"
Preceding the opening session, 11 full-day pre-conference
institutes will explore health topics such as sexual abuse,
internalized oppression, and special health care concerns for
people of color. Following the opening, more than 220
workshops will be presented in five educational tracks including AIDS/HIV Forum, Lesbian and Gay Health, Mental Health,
Substance Abuse, and Strategies for Inclusion.
The Health conference is sponsored by the National Lesbian and Gay Health Foundation and The George Washington
University Medical Center. For registration information and a
program brochure call (202)944-4285.
0

NGLTF CONDEMNS "DON'T
ASK, DON'T TELL" AS
ENFORCING THE CLOSET
Washington, DC, May 18, 1993 ... The National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force (NGL TF) opposes the suggestion of a
''don't ask, don't tell'' policy to solve the current controversy
over the ban on gay men and lesbians in the military. Such a
policy would require gay and lesbian service members to stay
in the closet and would mandate discrimination in the name of
''compromise.''
As put forward in recent Senate hearings and the media by
Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA) and others, the "don't ask, don't tell"
policy would codify President Clinton's interim directive that
is now in effect. In essence, the military would refrain from
asking the sexual orientation of new recruits and would end
organizing witch hunts to ferret out gay and lesbian soldiers.
Service members who are gay or lesbian, however, would not
be permitted to openly "announce" their sexual orientation.
Debate is now forming around the limits of "announcing"
one's sexual orientation. Is the photo of a partner of the same
sex "announcing" one'shomosexuality? Isdiscussionsabout
your same sex-date "announcing" one's sexual orientation?
•'We oppose any compromise that would codify discrimination through enforcing the lie of the closet," said Torie
Osborn, NGLTF executive director. "Don'ttell' would require
gay and lesbian service members to be constantly vigilant. The
closet is not a ' compromise."'
"The Tailhook scandal vividly illustrates the need for
enforcing existing military regulations," said Tanya Domi,
director of the NGLTF Military Freedom Initiative. "Gay and
lesbian soldiers should be held to the same standards as straight
service members. We simply want a non-discrimination policy
with parity in treatment."
0

r----------------------------------------,

:

JIULl~ETIN JIOAlln

You won't want to miss the Second Annual
''Vacation with Tina and Dale'' Float Trip,
beginning at 5 pm on Friday, June 4, and
concluding at6 pm on Sunday,June 6. The
festivities include an option to float one or
two days down the meandering Illinois
River, contests, camping in a secluded site,
and miscellaneous frivolities, at War Eagle
Camp, located outside Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Floating will cost $8.50 for Saturday and $8 for Sunday, and camping costs
$4.00 for each car. Floating and camping
are optional, you may come and go as you
please. Questions may be directed to Tina,
321-8148, or Dale, 843-8378.

Patricia Ireland, President of the National
Organization of Women, will be a special
honored guest at the OK NOW annual
conference. See page 8 of this issue for
more information.

The 18th annual Michigan Womyn's
Music Festival is scheduled for August 10. 15. For information, write WWTMC, P.O.
Box 22, Walhalla, MI 49458 or call
(616)757-4776

Lesbian-only counseling group, Wednesday evenings. Contact Jo. L Soske, M.Ed.,
MHR, NCADC, NCC, LPC at 364-5708.

The 19th Annual Feminist Women's
Writing Workshop, held on the shore of
Seneca in Lake New York's Fingerlakes
Region, will feature as writer-in-residence KWELISMITH, a poet and performance artist. Some scholarships are available. For information send a self-addressed
stamped envelope to Feminist Women's
Writing Workshops, P.O.Box 6583, Ithaca,
NY 14851.

Sixth annual Two-Spirited Gathering--A
gathering of Native American lesbians
and gays and their families will be held
August 26 - 29 near Tucson, Arizona. For
information, send a stamped self addressed
envelope to: P.O. Box 1727, Bisbee,
Arizona 85603.

~----------------------------------------J
June,
Her/and Voice

1993

7

Sharing Stories . ..
Strengthening Communities
Oklahoma NOW Conference
Co-Sponsored by Muskogee NOW
Saturday,]une 26, 1993
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Cherokee Heritage Museum

..Jl'lf'¥~:::~

'''::~.•:•-g;;;:.-:•.::.:~.-~-""'~5'
A.A~·,rA:~ (:,.,-::.···.»

J::,.,. (:<->>=~:~··-

,

ISSUES: Sustaining a Culture: Tribal Sovereignty & Legal Issues
Honoring Our Foremothers Through Environmental Action
Valuing Ethnic Diversity & Confronting Racism
Mind, Body & Soul: Protecting the Health of Native Women
KEY NOTE ADDRESS WILL BE GIVEN BY WILMA MANKILLER,
PRINCIPAL CHIEF OF THE CHEROKEE NATION
SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE:
Linda Epperley, J.D. Creek/Seminole Attorney
Shan Goshorn, Wolf Clan Cherokee, Artist/Educator
Dale Lee Woody, M.H.R. Cherokee Human Resources Consultant
Lisa Tiger, Creek/Seminole/Cherokee AIDS Educator/Activist
REGISTRATION INCLUDES:
Admission to Cherokee Museum and Village - Lunch - Signed conference poster Pow-wow on Saturday evening - For those staying Saturday evening, a "bring your own
goodies" picnic will be held on Sunday.

----------------------------------------------------------------------Return registration with check to: Dana Tiger Studios
HC73 Box277
Park Hill, OK 74451
WRITE CHECKS TO MUSKOGEE NOW. Enclosed Registration: _ _ _ $40 NOW Member

_ _ _ $55 Non-NOW Member

_ _ _ $30 low income stipend

Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Phone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Addre~-------------------------------N OW Chapter Affiliation _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __



:~~HERLAND ~

ICE

THE MEANING
OF STONEWALL
by Vivien Ng

It's my second nature to dwell on the past. After all, I am
a professional historian--! make my living making sense of the
past. I am more or less comfortable with it, even though
dwelling on the past--such as, for example, botched relationships--can sometimes be downright painful. (That's all you' II
ever get out of me: I am writing for Herland Voice, not True
Confessions!)
What I am trying to say is that I am a sucker for anniversaries. The month of June brings us a major chest-sweller--the
24th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village,
New York City. As a historian, I understand what Stonewall
represents--it marks the beginning of the gay liberation movement. As a lesbian activist, I also appreciate the fact that
Stonewall spawned the "We're here! We're queer! Get used to
it!" in-your-face attitude that has revolutionized the way
lesbians and gays view ourselves and our relationship with the
straight world. But such a significant event had no direci
impact on my coming out experience, because it was only in the
early 1980s that I found out about the Stonewall Riots. Not
once during my graduate school days was Stonewall ever
mentioned in any of my classes.
Can I say that unless we are historians and/or activists, or
unless we are consciously aware of its meaning, Stonewall has
no relevance in our lives? Absolutely not, because the only
truly unaffected are people who died before June, 1969.
''Before Stonewall' ' and ''After Stonewall'' --these are markers in history that, for lesbians and gays, define precisely when
we as a people become politicized. "Lesbian" and "gay" are
no longer labels for ''lifestyles.'' They are political identities.
After Stonewall, "lesbian" and " gay" meanmorethanmerely
''homosexual.''
How did Stonewall happen? What caused the riots? Years
of police oppression. Years of police intimidation. Years of
patrons of gay bars being herded onto paddy wagons. Finally,
one night, ''Enough is enough!''
As I reflect on the meaning of Stonewall, I recall details
from the 1993 March on Washington. I note in particular how
curiously few drag queens and other outlandishly-costumed
daredevils there were. A filmmaker I know came back from the
March sorely disappointed, because she had been unable to film
enough footage of drag queens. She asked afterwards: •'How
come the marchers are so boring?"
(continued on page 6)

Volume 10 Number 6

OKC's second Annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade (1989)

PRIDE

'93

You are invited to show your pride as a part of the Herland
contingent in the 1993 Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Pride
Parade. International Gay and Lesbian Pride Week will
culminate on Sunday, June 27 in Oklahoma City with the 1993
Pride Parade. The theme thi.s year for the annual event is •• A
Family of Pride.'' Parade organizers say they hope all lesbians
and gays will participate in the Gay and Lesbian Pride Week
festivities in the spirit of pride and cooperation.
The Parade will stepoff from Memorial Park near 36th and
Classen in Oklahoma City at 4 P.M. on June 27. Pre-parade
events include a worship service conducted by the Gay Christian Ecumenical Council beginning at 2 P .M. A rally sponsored
by the Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Caucus will follow the
service.
The parade route has been lengthened to accommodate an
expected increase in the number of marchers and to allow
participants to see other parade entries. The route will proceed
from 36th and Classen north to Classen and 42nd. At N. W.
42nd, the parade will make au-turn to NW 39. Marchers will
go west on 39th to Barnes and the parade will end in the west
parking lot of the Habana complex.
Pride Week activities in Oklahoma City begin June 20with
a Block Party at N.W. 39 and Barnes in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma's Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade is organized by
Pride Network Inc.
D

Herland Sister Resources

23.12 NW. 39, OKC, OK 73112

THE GRATEFUL BEAN CAFE .

ST. SYBIL

Hosrs Music;

PEGGY JOHNSON

PERFORMS ON JUNE 5TH
Dear St. Sybil,
Some of us in the community are feeling kind of hurt by
Berland being women-only space. How come, what gives,
what's up? Why are the women there prejudiced against men?
Sincerely,
Bob's Your Uncle
Dear Bob,
You haven't been hanging around Herland very much
lately, honey, have you? There hasn't been a social event at
Berland in years that didn't have several men present and
welcome. Men come to meetings regularly at Berland, for
instance, Simply Equal and AIDS Coalition Committee meetings. Men shop at Berland. Men are on the Herland Voice
mailing list and are kind and very appreciated donors to
Berland.
Herlandrents space to a lesbian-only counseling group one
night of the week, but that is the policy of the group paying for
the space, not of Herland.
Berland does just one thing which is restricted to womenonly; the biannual retreats, which are designed as safe-space for
women.
Why is there an occasional need to create and offer a safe
space for women? Well, let's talk briefly about the pandemic
of violence against women. Consider this: statistics indicate
that there are 683,000 forcible rapes a year in the United States
- in other words, 1.3 women raped per minute. The breakdown
by perpetrator, not that it really matters, is: 22% stranger, 9%
husband or exhusband, 11 % father or stepfathers, 10% boyfriend or ex-boyfriend, 16% other relative, 29% other nonrelative, 3%, unidentified. And battering - in Oklahoma alone
there were 15,552 domestic violence calls to police in 1992.
Beyond the statistics lies the basic truth that no woman is
unaffected by this violence against some women. Women
sleep in sweltering heat every summer, afraid that an open
window will let in more than a welcome breeze. Women
monitor their actions and activities, in ways that never occur to
men to do, in order to keep themselves safe from male violence.
A woman wanting to go to her office on a Saturday or Sunday
will always weigh her wishes and needs against her possible
lack of safety in an "empty" building. Now, it should be said
that everyone at Herland recognizes that not all men are
batterers, not all men violent. Everyone at Herland knows kind
gentle men whom they love and honor and trust. Nevertheless,
the violence tha! directly affects a large number of women,
indirectly affects all women. Therefore, all women benefit
from safe, women-only space; and Berland will continue to
provide it at their retreats. Other than the retreats, Herland
welcomes all people of good will.
Hope you feel better now,
Fondly,
Sybil
2 Herland Voice June, 1993

· The Grateful Bean is a great place to eat, drink coffee or
tea, slurp on a malt. Now the Bean is proud to sponsor local
acoustic folkies on the weekends. On Saturday, June 5th, at
9 p.m., singer-songwriter-guitarist Peggy Johnson will sing the
blues, tell some stories, and maybe even recommend a tasty
dish from the menu. The kitchen will be open until 10 p.m. and
the music will go on until midnight.
Says Peggy, •The food is delicious, the people are so nice
and I'm so excited to have a new place to play in Oklahoma
City!"
Located where Kaiser's Ice Cream store used to be, the
Grateful Bean is at 1039 N. Walker in Oklahoma City. That's
10th and Walker, of course, and the new restaurant has been
there since the end of April. The menu contains a host of
vegetarian dinners guaranteed to satisfy your palate. There are
also several chicken dishes and salads. All are served with
hearty organic French hearth bread. The malts are served in
frosted glasses, as is fresh Kaiser's ice cream. Desserts include
Ye Olde SweetPotatoe Pudding and apple pie among others and
will make the musical evening all the more sweet.
The cafe is owned and operated by Oklahoma Beari.
Project, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation. The Bean Project
runs the cafe and also bags beans for sale at 15 outlets in
Oklahoma City, including Pratt's Grocery. Its purpose is to help
people help themselves by developing skills, expanding choices,
and increasing self-sufficiency. The Project employs many
who were previously unemployed or under-employed.
Pete Schaffer is the owner/head guy around there but
everyone is nice and eager to please. Stop by for lunch or dinner
from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until
midnight on Fridays and from 5 p.m. until midnight on Saturdays. Call 236-3503 for more details.
Cl

EUREKA!
WOMIN'S BED & BREAKFAST
Friendly, Simple & Clean
1 Block from Downtown
AFFORDABLE!
$20 a Nite per Person
$15 for 3 Nites or More
Accomodates Groups up to 6

FEATHER MOON COTT AGE
10 Elk, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Please call Scotty or Sequita
(501)253-5699

June 1, 1660: Quaker Mary Dyer hanged in Bostm for preaching 111m-violence.
e::::=::;i June 2, 1863: Daring raid by Bairiet Tuman frees 750 sla"VeS.
June 16, 1873: Susan B. Antbmy arrested for voting.

Sunday

Tuesday

Monday

1

PEGGY J,
1:30. Edmond's ;
Canterbury tJ
Festival
ERICAWHEELER
picnic &
Concert at
Herland, 6pm

13

7

8
-

.,

14

MISS BROWN
TO YOU
9pm,
at. VZD's

20

SUMMER
SOLSTICE

2 tAY

PRIDE
Parade
C24lh
anniversary
of Stonewall)

.

Emma Goldman
t869 - t940

28

3

g

1Cbrd

15

16

17

29
Simply Equal,
Herland,
7 pm

23.

CoDA, 7 pm

25

.

CoDA, 7 -m

Wilma Rudolph
Olympic
Superstar
born 1940

.J

5

PEGGY
JOHNSON
Canterbury
F'est.lval, 3pm
and at. t.he
Grate fl.II Bean
tOlh & Walker
in OKC, 9 pm

,J

PEGGY~ l

J-

CoDA, 7 pm

24

Saturday

12

11

18

Simply Equal,
Herland,
7 pm

Simply Equal,
Harl.and,
7 pm

Friday
iina & Dale's
Float Trip
All weekend
lone
War Eaele
Ca mo
near
Tahlequah

Annual
Vireinia Woolf
Conference,
Lincoln Univ.,
JeffesonCit.y
Missouri
t.hroueh
the t3lh---->

Simply Equal,
Her land,
7 pm

22

21

2

Simply Equal
Chapter
Meet.ine.
7 pm
Testins;i
the Limits

JUNETEENTH: Celebrates June 19,
1865; the day Blacks in Texas
learned of their emancipation.

6

\\lednesday Thursday

-JOH NSON
al
La Baeuette
323 W. Boyd
Norman
8:30 - tf:30

19
JVNETEENTH

26
Oklahoma NOlrJ
Conf8ranca
in TahleQuah

30
June 27th, quite a day; the birthday of Helen
Keller, in 1880 and Emna Goldman, in 1869; as
well as the anniversary of the gay rebellio
called Stonewall, in 1969.

HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES, INC
2312 N.W. 39th Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
405/ 521-9696
Hours: Saturdays rn - 6: Sundays 1 - 6

l

,(

~

NonProfit Org.
U.S. Postage

PAID
Oklahoma City, Okla.

2312 N.W. 39th Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED

Permit No. 861

OGLPC PHOBIEIAWARDS
OF MERIT BANQUET
The annual ''Phobie Awards'' and Awards of Merit Banquet, sponsored by Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, was held at Gushers on Sunday, May 16. OGLPC CoChairs, Ginger McGovern and Paul Thompson, presided over
an afternoon of camaraderie, excellent food, and awards
presentations which brought both laughter and tears.
Two State politicians received Phobie Awards for their
sponsorship of anti-gay legislation. Although their various
bills never got out of Committee, Dan Webb and Bill Graves
received plaques in recognition of their homophobic efforts.
Representative Don Nickles earned a Phobie for his consistency and persistency--a consistently homophobic attitude
toward Gay Rights and a persistent opposition to Gays in the
Military.
A Phobie Award went to "Cola" Rankin of the Lower
Deck in Norman ''because of her proud and forthright bigotry.'' (Ms. Rankin won Community and media attention by
posting a NO DYKES ALLOWED sign and refusing to allow
lesbians and gays into her bar.
Judge Donald Powers earned his Phobie by removing
custody of two young children from their lesbian mother; and
The Daily Oklahoman ' s award was for a general homophobic
stance and, specifically, discontinuance of the comic strip• 'For
Better or For Worse."
All the Phobie recipients were, coincidentally, absent.
Their awards will be delivered to them.
Five Awards of Merit were presented.
Representative Jeff Hamilton was recognized for his
courageous decisions and positive leadership in matters of
human rights, including sponsorship of a bill requiring the State
Health Department to form a plan for study and treatment of
AIDS.
Cookie Arbuckle, who was honored for her hard work and
compassion toward persons living with lilV/AIDS, accepted
her award "In honor of all people living with AIDS and the
remarkably incredible battle they wage.''
Steve Ltlzarus, for his leadership and positive influence on
the OU campus, including the passage in 1991 of a code which
bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Nathanial Bachelder ~f the Peace House for his carrying
civil rights concerns into Main Stream areas, which he accepted
with, ''All issues for social change are connected, so when we
make progress in one, we make progress in all.''
The Reverend Richard Monroe, a posthumous award for
his adovocay for AIDS awareness in the United Methodist
Church and his work as Executive Director of the AIDS
Support Program.
Mary Reynolds received the Ron Shaefer award for her
dedicated work for peace, the environment, and justice in
everyday life, for her widely recognized talent as a performer,
and for her use of that talent for numerous an~ positive causes.

The Bill Rogers Award for 1993 went to Pat Reaves and
Allen Nyitray, the founding co-facilitators of Simply Equal.
This organization gathered our diverse community into a
cohesive group to lobby against and successful defeat antilesbian/gay legislation.
Councilman Mark Schwartz, Senator Bernest Cain, and
Representative Jeff Hamilton (sporting a "Flush Rush" button) spoke briefly about current concerns and their need and
appreciation of our support as they repeatedly put their political
lives on the line to prevent discriminatory legislation and
combat homophobia.
Senator Cain, who has received many OGLPC Awards of
Merit, assured the gathering, "I give you my word that anywhere I find legislation that is restrictive, that holds back
people's rights, I'll be there."
The attitude which seemed common to all the Merit
Awards winners was expressed by Representative Hamilton:
''To be human is to be a person of compassion, caring for each
other."
In closing, Paul Thompson observed, "There is plenty of
work for every group, every focus--there is no reason why
organizations can't work together ....Make it easy for our
politicians to support us--work for them; be there for them.'' [J

SIMPLY EQUAL OF

OKC

The Oklahoma City chapter of Simply Equal established
as its primary goal for this year the passage of a human rights
ordinance by the Oklahoma City Council to outlaw discrimination of any kind on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, national origin, age or handicap.
Simply Equal will also continue to monitor for any evidence of efforts to introduce anti-lesbian/gay measures of the
Colorado/Oregon type. If movement toward that type of
iniative is seen, stopping the measure will take top priority.
The effort to show support for lifting the ban on gays and
lesbians in the military continues. Simply Equal is collecting
postcards to be sent to Senator Nunn, Chairman of the Senate
Armed Services Committee and all members of the Oklahoma
congressional delegation. They are also encouraging everyone
to write Senators Boren and Nickles and their Congressman
with their views on the subject.
Officers elected at the meeting on May 4 are: Cofacilitators, Alan Nyitray and Pat Reaves; Treasurer, Jimmie
Harris; Secretary - open; Howard Harris will continue in that
position for present. Spokespersons, Terry Gatewood and
Peggy Johnson; Co-chairs of the four committees are: Communications, Terry & Peggy; Education, Margaret Cox and Howard
Harris; Fundraising, Joe Scholes; and Legislative, Paul
Thompson. All committees will have a man and a woman as
co-chairs. Women co-chairs are still needed for the Fundraising
and Legislative committees.
Simply Equal of Oklahoma City meets at 7 p.m. on the first
Tuesday of every month at Testing the Limits, 2136 NW 39th
Street. The coordinating committee is currently meeting every
Tuesday at Herland, 2312 NW 39th Street, at 7 P.M, and
everyone who is interested is encouraged attend those
meetings.
[J
Her/and Voice June, 1993

3

HERLAND LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
GUIDELINES
The purpose of the Herland Legal Defense Fund is to help
gain a legal precedent protecting the child custody rights of
lesbians and gay men in Oklahoma through financial support
for legal expenses of child custody cases in which lesbianism
is an issue.

Criteria for selection of cases:
• Appeals have priority for support by the fund.
• If a ruling has already been issued, the Judge's ruling states
that sexual orientation was a consideration in removing custody.
• There must be no evidence of child neglect or abuse.
• Potential for legal success will be a priority for funding of
cases by the HSRLDF. A legal advisory panel will be formed
to advise the HSRLDF in this area.
Application Process:
• Requests for assistance will be made in person to the
HSRLDF committee. The committee will report to the HSR
board.
• Copies of all relevant legal documents will be provided to
the HSRLDF committee.
• ff an evaluation has been completed by a social worker or
psychologist, it will be made available to the HSRLDF
committee.
• The person requesting assistance must be a resident of
Oklahoma with a financial need and the case in an Oklahoma
court (or appropriate Federal court).
HSRLDF Operating Procedures:
• Expenses critical to the continuation of the case have the
highest priority for allocation of funds.
• Women involved in cases supported by the HSRLDF will
be encouraged to seek assistance through the Lambda Legal
Defense and Education Fund and the National Lesbian Center.
• The HSRLDF will hold as confidential information the
identity of persons receiving support through the fund and all
information about the cases. The legal advisory panel will be
asked to assist in developing guidelines for individuals involved in the cases regarding media and publicity.
• All payments from the HSRLDF fund will be made directly
to the individual's attorney on documented expenses.
0

Mowing • Fertlllzlng • Trimming
• Ll~ht Haullng •

"We Al8 /nsul8d"
Nancy

794-6884

4 Her/and Voice June, 1993

HELMS ATTACTS ATCHENBERG NOMINATION
Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) attacked the nomination of
San Francisco Supervisor Roberta Achtenberg as assistant
secretary at Housing and Urban Development "because she is
a damm lesbian.". Helms said he will not vote to confirm a
lesbian who wants to "shut off the Boy Scouts because they
wouldn't have queer scoutmasters." If you want to call me a
bigot, fine," said Helms.
Achtenberg is President Clinton's choice to head the office
of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at HUD. Her appointment would make her the highest ranking lesbian in the Clinton
administration and is the first time an "out" lesbian or gay
person has been appointed to such a high government position.
Opposition to the Achtenberg nomination was fueled by
Pat Robertson's 700 Club, the daily television program which
has repeatedly urged viewers to call Capitol Hill to express
opposition to her confirmation.
ANTI-GAY/LESBIAN ORDINANCE PASSES
The Oregon community of Cornelius passed an anti-gay
measure initiated by the Oregon Citizen's Alliance on May 18.
Measure 34-5 amends the city charter to ban specific civil rights
protections for homosexuality as a group. In addition, it says
that city money may not be spent ''to promote homosexuality
or express approval of homosexual behavior."
Lon Mabon, OCA chairman, said the victory in Cornelius
gave momentum to the OCA •s efforts to pass similar initiatives
in 32 other Oregon communities and a statewide measure in
1994. The new initiatives were filed after voters rejected a
0
statewideOCAinitiative last year.

ERICA WHEELER

PLANES, TRAINS, AND

RETURNS!

AUTOMOBILES:

Don't miss the chance to spend an evening with Erica
Wheeler, who was such a popular performer at the Retreat a
year ago. · Sunday evening, June 6, Erica will appear on
Herland's Back Yard Stage singing those fresh and original
songs that have moved her into the front ranks of the current
wave of new singer-songwriters.
Erica Wheeler's career took off with the release ofher first
recording, Strong Heart, in Dec. '89. With it, Erica began
touring nationally, building a base of fans, receiving critical
acclaim and invitations to many of the best listening rooms in
the country. In Dec. '92, her career took another leap forward
with the release of her first CD, From That Far. It has been
enthusiastically received by DJ's, club owners and fans across
the country.
An outdoor enthusiast, the natural world serves as an
inspiration for many of her songs. With a spirtuality akin to that
of many Native American traditions, Erica has infused her
beliefs into lyrics which offer gentle inspiration to her listeners.
Outstanding lyrics, stunning vocals, tasteful guitar playing
and the warm integrity she conveys easily on stage all combine
to create a performer of extraordinary beauty and depth. We are
fortunate that she has been able to put Oklahoma City on her
current tour.
l:J
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== =:

Published by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312 N.W. 39th,
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Newsletter Committee: Margaret Cox, Deborah Fox, Vivien Ng,
Pat Reaves
Circulation: 1000
Advertising Rates: Business card $15; 1/4 page $35;
12 page $60; full page $100. The advertising deadline is the 15th of
the month prior to publication .
The Voice is offered as an open forum for community discourse.
Articles reflect the opinions of the author and not necessarily those
of Herland 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.
Subscriptions to The Voice are free upon request.

==

RAPPIN' JANE'S REVIEW OF

BROWN

Miss

ro You

After much anticipation, the band Miss Brown To You has
released the song "Miss Brown to You" on the album Miss
Brown To You. The album is full of favorites and three newish
tunes.
The band, Mary Reynolds, Louise Dick, Elyse Angelo and
Terry Hoersch take the listener on a trip through musical time
and space dimensions that would be logically inconceivable to
Mr. Spock. Most notable of the ethereal tunes is the Louise
Dick composition "Weezie's Tune." While Terry and Elyse
keep us firmly in contact with ground control, Mary and Louise
launch solos that go further and further into deep space.
"Blackbird" and "Mourning Dove" stay a little closer to
earth, but it may still be a good idea to see if your car seat can
act as a flotation device before you listen to this album in an
automobile.
MissBrown'sgreatesthit, "Night Train Lullaby'' has long
beena "singing myself to sleep" favorite of mine. Mary's sax
is perhaps best on this tune and Terry, Elyse and Louise keep
the train moving right on down the line. The train never leaves
ground, but there is no question that this train is going places .
And to what hot, humid place is it thatI am taken by "Why
Don't You Want Me?" It must be south, it must be summer,
and I must be sittin' on the porch listening to the sounds of a
band down at the sinful little sugar shack on the river. You
know, that place Idgie Threadgood goes in •'Fried Green
Tomatoes'' or that place in ·'The Color Purple'' where Whoopi
hears Sugar sing. If this song doesn't move you, check your
pulse or call 911, 'cause something's wrong.
If you ever thought those Gazette polls were rigged, give
a listen to Mary's vocals on "There Will Never Be Another
You" and you will know that at least the best female vocalist
category was not. Mary has won the award every year that it
has been given, and there are nine reasons why on this album.
If the Gazette had a category for ·'vocal event'' like they
do out in Nashville, I'd nominate the glory-hallafunky-speaking-in-tongues duet from "Miss Brown to You." Mary and
Lousie take off on a syllabular slide that would have the
"Hooked on Phonics" folks running for cover.
A fan at the Arts Festival told me that Miss Brown's
arrangement of the Beatles' ''Can't Buy Me Love'' is the best
Beatie cover they ever heard. And while it may be true that
money can't buy you love, ten bucks will get you a copy of this
album, and you will love it, I guar-ron-tee. Check with any
member of the band or stop by Herland or the Earth to get your
copy now. Tell 'em Rappin' Jane sent you. (I'm not on
commission.)
l:J

The Voice is printed on recycled paper.

Her/and Voice June, 1993

5

THE MEANING OF STONEWALL

COMMUNITY LEADERS IN AIDS,

(continued from page 1)

GAY/LESBIAN RIGHTS

Recall, if you will, how many self-annointed lesbian or gay
spokespeople remarked how ''fair'' network coverage of the
event had been, because for once they did not focus only on
drag queens. You'd think that they were ashamed of and
embarassed by drag queens.
How did Stonewall happen? We must credit the drag
queens who, along with gay and lesbian people of color, made
it happen. They dared to rebel against police oppression and
intimidation. They deserve our gratitude, not embarassment.
The original Stonewall Inn closed years ago, but I noticed
to my great delight, during a recent trip to New York, that at
Stonewall Place in Greenwich Village now stands a new bar,
the Stonewall. The publisher of Martin Duberman' s new book,
Stonewall, threw a book.party for him and his friends on May
4, at the new Stonewall.
Next year, on June 25, 1994, the international lesbian and
gay communities will be descending on New York City to rally
and march to the United Nations. At least a million are expected
to come to the city to commemorate the 25th anniversary of
Stonewall. Be there, or be ... !
0

CAMPAIGNS WIN STONEWALL

THE STONEWALL REBELLION
In the sixties, gays and lesbians in New York City
could not gather legally. Gay bars could not get licenses.
People could be -- and were-- arrested for wearing more
than three items of clothing considered appropriate for
the opposite sex. Gays and lesbians were frequent
subjects of verbal and physical harassment. Police raids
on gay bars were common. Afraid of arrest or calls to
employers and families, men and women complied with
the police or fled.
On June 27, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn
in Greenwich Village because it was serving liquor
without a license. They began sending customers out the
door, and crowds gathering outside cheered the departing patrons. A paddy wagon arrived and police shoved
patronsintoit. Angererupted. Therebellionbegan. The
crowd threw cans and bottles at windows, and hurled
coins, stones and parking meters at the police. Back-up
police in riot gear arrived, striking the crowd with night
sticks. The raid and rebellion lasted 45 minutes and
sparked week-long demonstrations.
Though police continued to raid gay bars, Stonewall had signaled the ability to say, "Enough," and
created a collective defiance against official repression.
Gays and lesbians began to organize, politicize and fight
for their civil rights around the country.

AWARDS FOR

The Anderson Prize Foundation has announced the 1993
winners of the Stonewall Awards "for achievement for gay and
lesbian America.'' Five community activists were honored for
their work on behalf of AIDS education, gay and lesbian rights
and women's interests.
Earnest Hite, Chicago, co-founded and serves president of
Image Plus, a support organization targeting African-American gay and lesbian youth, and founded the HOPE Project, an
AIDS education program.
Pat Norman of San Francisco is the executive director of
the California AIDS Intervention Training Center. She served
as National Chair of the 1987 Gay and Lesbian March on
Washington and is now one of three coordinators for Stonewall
25 commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion.
Suzanne Pharr, Little Rock, a social justice worker and
coalition builder for the past 30 years, focuses much of her
attention on the threat of the Radical Right. She founded the
Women's Project in Arkansas in 1981 to work against violence,
economic injustice, homophobia and sexism. "Some of the
most critical work on racism, sexism and homophobia is being
done in the middle of the country,'' Ms. Pharr said, •'where
people are figuring out the hard questions, what it means to live
where you don't have services, where information flow is not
as fast or complex as on the two coasts.''
Edward Sedarbaum of Queens, New York, who shares a
prize with Howard Cruse, his companion of 14 years, founded
Queens Gays and Lesbians United to give gays and lesbians a
voice in their residential neighborhood. His companion, Howard
Cruse, is a pioneering gay and underground cartoonist who is
best know as the founding editor of "Gay Comix" and the
creator of the characters Barefootz and Wendel.
The Stonewall Awards, established in 1990, are named for
the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion in Greenwich Village -- the first
widely recognized act of collective defiance against repression
that launched the gay rights movement. They are given by the
Anderson Prize Foundation, set up and funded by the late Paul
A. Anderson, a futures trader in Chicago. Through the awards,
the Foundation promotes education about and awareness of the
concerns of the gay and lesbian community.
0

2109 S. AiR DEpOT
Midwm CiTy, OK n 110

( 405 )7"5 7-0496

AiR DEpoT ANiMAl HospiTAl
CAil foR AppoiNTMENT

6 Her/and Voice June, 1993

1993

JOY HUSKA: D.V. M.

TAKING CARE OF EACH
OTHER
More than 900 lesbian and gay health care providers will
discuss strategies for including lesbian and gay issues in the
emerging national health care agenda on July 21-25, 1993, at
the 15thNational Lesbian and Gay Health Conference and 11th
Annual AIDS/HIV Forum to be held in Houston, Texas.
"We've seen tremendous positive changes in the lesbian
and gay movement since it began at Stonewall in the 60s. But,
one recurring problem that has impeded our progress is our
community's tendency to splinter over specific issues and to
create hostile 'camps,"' said Joyce Hunter, president of the
National Lesbian and Gay Health Foundation (NLGHF), and
1993 conference program co-chair. "By addressing this issue
at the opening plenary session on 'Horizontal Hostility,' we
hope to create an environment which will unite the efforts of our
health care community in one forward direction,'' she added.
Other plenary sessions which will address the current state
lesbian and gay health care include: "The Politics of the
Lesbian and Feminist Cancer Movement," "Perspectives on
Future AIDS Policy," "Gay Positive School Curricula," and
"Is Our Community Under Siege?"
Preceding the opening session, 11 full-day pre-conference
institutes will explore health topics such as sexual abuse,
internalized oppression, and special health care concerns for
people of color. Following the opening, more than 220
workshops will be presented in five educational tracks including AIDS/HIV Forum, Lesbian and Gay Health, Mental Health,
Substance Abuse, and Strategies for Inclusion.
The Health conference is sponsored by the National Lesbian and Gay Health Foundation and The George Washington
University Medical Center. For registration information and a
program brochure call (202)944-4285.
0

NGLTF CONDEMNS "DON'T
ASK, DON'T TELL" AS
ENFORCING THE CLOSET
Washington, DC, May 18, 1993 ... The National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force (NGL TF) opposes the suggestion of a
''don't ask, don't tell'' policy to solve the current controversy
over the ban on gay men and lesbians in the military. Such a
policy would require gay and lesbian service members to stay
in the closet and would mandate discrimination in the name of
''compromise.''
As put forward in recent Senate hearings and the media by
Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA) and others, the "don't ask, don't tell"
policy would codify President Clinton's interim directive that
is now in effect. In essence, the military would refrain from
asking the sexual orientation of new recruits and would end
organizing witch hunts to ferret out gay and lesbian soldiers.
Service members who are gay or lesbian, however, would not
be permitted to openly "announce" their sexual orientation.
Debate is now forming around the limits of "announcing"
one's sexual orientation. Is the photo of a partner of the same
sex "announcing" one'shomosexuality? Isdiscussionsabout
your same sex-date "announcing" one's sexual orientation?
•'We oppose any compromise that would codify discrimination through enforcing the lie of the closet," said Torie
Osborn, NGLTF executive director. "Don'ttell' would require
gay and lesbian service members to be constantly vigilant. The
closet is not a ' compromise."'
"The Tailhook scandal vividly illustrates the need for
enforcing existing military regulations," said Tanya Domi,
director of the NGLTF Military Freedom Initiative. "Gay and
lesbian soldiers should be held to the same standards as straight
service members. We simply want a non-discrimination policy
with parity in treatment."
0

r----------------------------------------,

:

JIULl~ETIN JIOAlln

You won't want to miss the Second Annual
''Vacation with Tina and Dale'' Float Trip,
beginning at 5 pm on Friday, June 4, and
concluding at6 pm on Sunday,June 6. The
festivities include an option to float one or
two days down the meandering Illinois
River, contests, camping in a secluded site,
and miscellaneous frivolities, at War Eagle
Camp, located outside Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Floating will cost $8.50 for Saturday and $8 for Sunday, and camping costs
$4.00 for each car. Floating and camping
are optional, you may come and go as you
please. Questions may be directed to Tina,
321-8148, or Dale, 843-8378.

Patricia Ireland, President of the National
Organization of Women, will be a special
honored guest at the OK NOW annual
conference. See page 8 of this issue for
more information.

The 18th annual Michigan Womyn's
Music Festival is scheduled for August 10. 15. For information, write WWTMC, P.O.
Box 22, Walhalla, MI 49458 or call
(616)757-4776

Lesbian-only counseling group, Wednesday evenings. Contact Jo. L Soske, M.Ed.,
MHR, NCADC, NCC, LPC at 364-5708.

The 19th Annual Feminist Women's
Writing Workshop, held on the shore of
Seneca in Lake New York's Fingerlakes
Region, will feature as writer-in-residence KWELISMITH, a poet and performance artist. Some scholarships are available. For information send a self-addressed
stamped envelope to Feminist Women's
Writing Workshops, P.O.Box 6583, Ithaca,
NY 14851.

Sixth annual Two-Spirited Gathering--A
gathering of Native American lesbians
and gays and their families will be held
August 26 - 29 near Tucson, Arizona. For
information, send a stamped self addressed
envelope to: P.O. Box 1727, Bisbee,
Arizona 85603.

~----------------------------------------J
June,
Her/and Voice

1993

7

Sharing Stories . ..
Strengthening Communities
Oklahoma NOW Conference
Co-Sponsored by Muskogee NOW
Saturday,]une 26, 1993
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Cherokee Heritage Museum

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,

ISSUES: Sustaining a Culture: Tribal Sovereignty & Legal Issues
Honoring Our Foremothers Through Environmental Action
Valuing Ethnic Diversity & Confronting Racism
Mind, Body & Soul: Protecting the Health of Native Women
KEY NOTE ADDRESS WILL BE GIVEN BY WILMA MANKILLER,
PRINCIPAL CHIEF OF THE CHEROKEE NATION
SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE:
Linda Epperley, J.D. Creek/Seminole Attorney
Shan Goshorn, Wolf Clan Cherokee, Artist/Educator
Dale Lee Woody, M.H.R. Cherokee Human Resources Consultant
Lisa Tiger, Creek/Seminole/Cherokee AIDS Educator/Activist
REGISTRATION INCLUDES:
Admission to Cherokee Museum and Village - Lunch - Signed conference poster Pow-wow on Saturday evening - For those staying Saturday evening, a "bring your own
goodies" picnic will be held on Sunday.

----------------------------------------------------------------------Return registration with check to: Dana Tiger Studios
HC73 Box277
Park Hill, OK 74451
WRITE CHECKS TO MUSKOGEE NOW. Enclosed Registration: _ _ _ $40 NOW Member

_ _ _ $55 Non-NOW Member

_ _ _ $30 low income stipend

Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Phone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Addre~-------------------------------N OW Chapter Affiliation _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __