Triangle Community Center News & Views : v.9:no12(1998:Dec.)
- Title
- Triangle Community Center News & Views : v.9:no12(1998:Dec.)
- Description
- News & Views was the monthly newsletter of the Triangle Community Center (TCC) in East Norwalk, CT. TCC today is Fairfield County, CT�s leading provider of programming, resources, and education supporting growth and connection within and for the LGBTQ+ community.
- Date Issued
- 1998-12
- Relation
- Triangle Community Center News & Views
- Rights
- Contact UCO Chambers Library's Digital Initiatives Working Group at diwg@uco.edu for the permission policy on the use, reproduction or distribution of this material.
- Creator
- Stone, Michele
- Contributor
- Triangle Community Center, Inc.
- Date
- 2025-03-26T21:26:14Z
- Date Available
- 2025-03-26T21:26:14Z
- Subject
- LGBTQ+ newsletters
- Gay
- Type
- Periodicals
- extracted text
-
Property of the Center
Triangle Community Center
■e,,'"
Free to Members and Subscribers
\Sf
A ,Tie,,'"
December 1998
Vol.9, No.12
The Triangle Community Center, Inc. a non-profit Connecticut corporation, exists to provide services to give the
lesbian/gay/bisexualjtransgender community a sense of identity, pride and visibility, as well as to work with the
greater Fairfield County community to foster understanding and awareness of lesbian/gay/bisexualjtransgender issues.
TCC's Holiday Friendraiser!
TCC's monthly Friendraiser for December will be held on December 20th from 2 to 6 PM.
Roy and Terry have hosted our holiday Friendraisers for the last four years and have graciously
shifted their busy schedules to allow the tradition to continue. Food and beverages will be
provided. Come to their gayly decorated home and help us celebrate the holidays!
DIRECTIONS:
Via Merritt Parkway - SOUTHBOUND: take Exit 34, Long Ridge Road. At the light at the end of the exit ramp, make a left on to Long Ridge
NORTHBOUND: take Exit 34, Long Ridge Road. At the end of the exit ramp, make a right. You will then be on Long Ridge Road.
Go for one mile, thro ugh 6 lights (including the blinky one). At the 7th light (which is the one mile point), make a right. Do NOT go to extreme
right which goes up a winding hill. Go up hill which runs right by the nursery (watch for the blue "H" signs for the hospital). The road you are
on is Stillwater. Take Stillwater (its winding) for 1. 7 miles, through 3 lights (including the blinky one). At the fourth light, where there is a
Christian Science Church on the left, make a left turn on to Bridge St. Take Bridge St. until the first right turn, which is Hubbard Avenue. After
you go through one traffic light on Hubbard the third house on the right is number 42, a white center-hall colonial.
Via 95 - SOUTHBOUND: take Exit 6, West Avenue. At the light make a right onto West.
NORTHBOUND: take Exit 6, H drvard Avenue. Go through one light (Harvard Ave). At the next light make a left onto West.
Take West until it ends and makP a left onto Stillwater, which curves around to the left of a large field and school. At the next intersection make
a right turn onto Broad Street. Take the first light which is Hubbard, and make a left. The 4th house on the left is number 42 as described above.
WHEN in doubt follow blue signs for hospital (H) - The address again is 42 Hubbard Avenue, Stamford . Phone (203) 348-2954 if you get lost.
"Holy Order! The sisters are brothers!"
"Hilarious!"
,
-MwMTI ...
• Lil
S•it•
TheTri;m
,.
,..
C
scott M - Robbins
"Sensationa If"
"A H·,ti"
-WAIC-N
-USA Tt4ty
ft produced by
A Bene' TCC
...i..
A parli.OCI of the 9roc
•PpO"'
s
ffp.EAo&ROSf.
For 'Tickets<zo,-85s-l4ss
S3S DOI SS0,00 Masle~;~::
includes posts.how
January 15, 16, 21, 22, & 23, 1999 at 8PM
Norwalk Community Technical College
Performing Arts Center
188 Richards Avenue, Norwalk
Nunsense A-Men! - an all new, all male version of the smash play
"Nunsense" is coming to Fairfield County in January 1999. Five
performances are set for January 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 at 8 PM, at Norwalk
Community Technical College's Performing Arts Theatre on Richards Ave.
in Norwalk off Connecticut Turnpike (I-95) exit 13. Tickets are $50 and $35
for the show and include a post-show reception. Tickets may be obtained
by calling (203) 855-1485.
Nunsense A-Men! features comedy, gags, and music, with songs ranging
from tender to hand-clapping torrid. The director is Scott M. Robbins. The
cast includes: Amie Cuarenta of New York City as Sister Leo, Scott Fabri of
Fairfield as Sister Hubert, Joe Guttadauro of Norwalk as Sister Robert Anne,
Edward James Hines of Norwalk as Sister Amnesia, and Al Recchia of
Stratford as the Reverend Mother.
The musical director is Stephanie Datimer and the choreographer is Kathy
Hellrigel both from Norwalk. The set has been designed by scenic designer
Barry Axtell of New York City. Patty Blackwood's puppet-the puppet from
the original Nunsense - will be featured in the Norwalk performances. The
Westchester Broadway Theatre and the Helen Hayes Theatre of Nyack, NY,
also are assisting in the Norwalk performance.
Elliott Arluck, the show's producer, said that the corporate sponsors of the
production include Virgin Atlantic Airways, People's Bank, and Cafe 168
(168 York St., New Haven). The hotel Millennium Bailey's of London has
donated a room for two for a raffle in conjunction with the show.
Many Hearts • • • One Community
T NEWS & VIEWS
TCCNEWS
Les/Bi/Gay /Trans Spiritualities
Board Acts on Town Meeting Ideas
Explore your spirituality in a supportive group environment. The group
will determine its own structure and direction (though with guidance
and suggestions as needed). We will meet every other week to support
one another in defining our own spirituality and looking at how who we
are individually and as a member of a sexual minority influences our
spirituality. Facilitator: Marion Visel, M. Div. Marion is a candidate for
the Unitarian Universalist ministry and graduate of the Graduate
Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She is a member of the Triangle
Community Center. The group will meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of
the month. Their next meeting is December 9th from 7-9 PM at TCC.
Contact: Marion Visel (203) 250-7933.
TCC held its annual Town Meeting on October 4th and out of that
meeting came several productive and positive suggestions. Below
are some of the suggestions and what the Board has done to
implement them.
Suggestion - New site for TCC
Response - Dave Carroll, Michael Pavlicin and Lester Sharlach have
volunteered their expertise and are working overtime to help find a
new home for TCC. They have looked at several locations but found
them unsuitable for various reasons. Legal advise is being provided
at no charge by attorney Vickie Ferrara. A big THANKS to all!
Suggestion - TCC should get an 800 or other telephone number so
that calls to the Center are local. Get the phone staffed
Response - Inquiries were made with SNET concerning an 800 number. But because of our eminent move, plans for the number have
been put on hold. Voice Mail boxes are now available to callers providing TCC's purpose, directions to the Center and a list of upcoming events. Caller messages are picked up daily.
Suggestion - Have open board meetings regularly.
Response - An open board meeting was held on October 20th . Two
TCC members attended and offered several ideas for Board members to consider. No date has been set for the next open meeting.
Suggestion - Have more frequent Town Meetings.
Response - The Board supported the idea of having quarterly Town
Meetings but a final decision was not made.
Suggestion - Have mailboxes for each group that meets at TCC.
Response - Mailboxes for every group have been put in place. Announcements are placed in the boxes for facilitators to read at their
meetings. There is also a place for suggestions.
Suggestion - A Volunteer Committee chair is desperately needed.
Response - Karen Jastermsky, TCC's newest Board member, is the
new chair for the Volunteer Committee and is working with Denny
Burke on a campaign to get more volunteers.
Suggestion - TCC should have more potlucks.
Response - Potluck suppers have been added to TCC's Movie Night.
Suggestion - Women need to be included in theatrical productions.
Response - Unfortunately, this cannot be done for this year's production of Nunsense because of contractual stipulations but women
will definitely be needed next year.
Suggestion - News & Views should publish a list of what the Center needs in terms of volunteers as well as items.
Response - The items needed by TCC are now being published
monthly in News & Views under the headline: Wish List.
Suggestion - There should be more Center-wide activities.
Response - TCC has begun this task by hosting a Friendraiser at
the Center in November. It was open to all.
**
Going to a party?
Time to don that gay apparel you keep in the
back of your closet!
~---------
Common Danbury
Ground
Holiday Calendar
We invite all gays and lesbians to our December programs!
Tuesday, Dec. 8 - Noted author and educator Dan Woog
discusses his recently published book "Jocks,"
about gay male athletes. Dan is openly gay and
a soccer coach at Staples High School in
Westport, CT. A warm and engaging speaker,
Dan will be discussing his experiences as an
educator and a proponent of gay youth. Join
- - - . s at 7:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Society
in Redding, CT.
Tuesday, Dec. 15 - We'll meet at the Gathering in New
Milford from 7-10 PM.
Tuesday, Dec.22- Our Holiday Potluck dinner will be held
at 7 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Redding.We'll
prepare the ham and you bring your favorite dish.
Common Ground is an association of Bi and Gay men who
wish to meet in a welcoming and convivial setting for social
events of interests. We meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Unitarian Universalist Society
Building in West Redding, CT.
Directions to the Unitarian Society:
North on Route 7 from Norwalk/Wilton past the famous Stonehinge
restaurant on the left, and up hill to traffic light - and right at the light onto
Picketts Ridge Road. Drive along the winding road about a quarter mile to
the Unitarian sign on the left - into the driveway and park. The potlucks are
in the white house on the left of the drive. Use the rear entrance and up the
stairs.
Exit 184 from Danbury onto Route 7 South and drive past Triangles Cafe and
about one half mile past the split of 35 into Ridgefield (don't take it). Turn
left from route 7 at the traffic light onto Picketts Ridge and follow above
directions. For more information and weather announcements please call
(203) 743-5731.
Lesbian Lit Group
For their December 1st meeting, the Lesbian Literature
Group has chosen the novel, "Ferocious Romance" for
discussion. The author, Donna Minkowl
described her
book saying that It deals with, ''wha
counters with
the right tau
me about sex, go
ry." Copies of the
book are ava
ocal boo
and libraries. The Lit
Group meets
of each month at TCC
beginning at 7:30 PM.
nformation call Christine at
(203) 847-8476.
-2-
T NEWS & VIEWS
TCC Fiction Writing Group
Movie Night and Potluck
Behind every beginning is a story. Thf' story behind the creation of the TCC
Writer's group is an old one. lt begins with the lofty ideas of dreamers (like
myself) who still believe in the possibility for positive change in a world where
chaos is the only constant. As I sat down to write about this group for the TCC
newsletter, I asked myself the reason behind my desire to bring Gay and Lesbian
writers together at TCC. And the answer that came to me what a simple one:
Freedom.
Only last night, I was sitting in front of a Holocaust survivor who had gathered
all of her strength during the years when a piece of her soul died along with
all of her family members and the first time she decided to tell her story to
those willing to listen. As I listened to her, my mind sat quietly - paralyzed by
the pain of my heart. There are horrors that cannot be filtered by the mind,
comprehended by the heart. Atrocities so great, words can only ram themselves
against the flat surface of our understanding like birds flying into glass panes.
When she finished her story, she paused and looked al the handful of us
gathered in a small classroom. As I sat waiting for her to speak again, I knew
that she wanted to a tell us one more thing, maybe a word or phrase that
would distill her story into something that could be held, contained within
our understanding. And that's when she said the words that I need to remind
myself daily on my ongoing journey as a writer and lesbian: "You are all still
young, with a long life ahead of you. The most important thing in life second
to your health is your freedom." She is right. But I know that there are varying
degrees of freedom or captivity for that matter, varying breadths of space within
which we can express ourselves, grow dnd continue to change into the person
we truly are. Within the Gay, Lesbian and Transgender community, we are
constantly confronted with these varying degrees of captivity where our
identities are rebuffed and slammed ag.-1inst the impenetrable wall of the norm.
But we must remember that freedom '.Jegins with a clear sense of self and a
lucid and limpid voice that rings true. V\ riling can be a powerful way to uncover
the chamber where that voice echoes.
The TCC Writer's group is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive creative
forum for the exchange of ideas for all courageous TCC members who are
willing to uncover, discover, recover their voice though the pen. Silence =
Death. Never have these words carried so much meaning as in the life of a
silenced writer. There is a writer in all >f us. Not all writers are artists nor are
all artists writers, yet everyone has a V•>ice. However distant, faint or muted,
your voice can be unleashed through th e power of the written word. Whenever
I conduct writing workshops, I like to express to people that writing has saved
my life and indeed it has.
The goal of this group is to create a safe haven for writers to come together
and share their work and ideas about writing with each other. Although this is
not a place to learn how to write per se, this group welcomes all who are willing
to explore the realm of writing and able to read and review the work of other
writers with respect, support and gentleness. It is up to the members of the
group to come to a steadier definition and structure than those stated here.
The only bona fide rules of the group are mutual respect and noncompetitiveness. Having the courage to share one's self through the written
word is an act of generosity. But it takes a certain type of reader to be able to
receive this gift fully - it requires gratitude, respect and a lot of love. I look
forward to meeting all of you writers out there interested in writing and sharing
your fiction in this light.
Bring your cute little self and food for four to this
month's Movie Night at TCC. The film for
December is "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" . The
n
Los Angeles Times described the movie as, "bold,
witty and hilarious!" It all happens on Sunday,
December 13th at TCC. Food at 6 PM and film at 7 PM.
Contact Information: The group will be facilitated by Mona de Vestel. Meetings
will be held twice a month (the second and fourth Tuesday of every month) at
the Triangle Community Center from 7:30-9:30 PM. The first meeting will
take place on Tuesday November 10th at 7:30 PM. For more information, please
contact Mona: (203) 863-1553.
A couple of words about the facilitator: Mona de Vestel is a novelist living in
Stamford. She has recently completed her first novel Idols (currently looking
for an agent) and is at work on her second novel (untitled). Mona has given
many readings in places such as Barnes and Noble, Tower Books, Cornelia
Street Cafe, KGB Cafe and the Gay and Lesbian Center in New York City. Mona
has conducted a number of writing workshops in NYC, the Catskills and
Vermont. She was also the facilitator of a Weekly Novel Writing Group for
three years in Manhattan.
Correction to Nov N&V's: TCC's revenue and expenses numbers should be ...
Total revenue
$27,076.22
Total expenses
($29,-'44. 91)
Net Total (Deficit)
($2,368.69)
-3-
It Takes a Whole VIiiage to Raise Our Children
Children From the Shadows (CFS) invites YOU to participate in
CFS VI: It Takes a Whole Village To Raise Our Children Too! It
takes a Whole Village to Raise Our Children Too will be held on
Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20, 1999 at the University
of Hartford in West Hartford, CT. More than 2,500 students,
teachers, social workers and others have attended CFS since it's
inception five years ago. With more than 80 workshop choices,
ranging from professional level presentations to facilitated
discussions, interactive exchanges, networking and entertainment,
the conference offers something for everybody. Registration fees
are $15 for one day/ $20 for both days for youth and full-time
students; $45 for one day and $60 for both for adults and include
lunch, all workshop choices as well as entertainment and a youth
dance on Saturday. Work exchanges and scholarships are available.
It takes a whole village to raise healthy, productive, happy lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. It takes our children
themselves - those who are fierce, fabulous warriors for change,
those who are still too frightened by a hostile world to venture
out, and those who stand somewhere in-between. It takes our
elders - those who have come before us to light the way with their
passion, their bravery and their vision of how the world might
be ... It takes our families of origin and our families of choice; our
civic, political and our religious leaders; our mental and physical
health care providers. We need them all to understand and
participate in the development and maintenance of our health and
well-being. We need YOU!
YOU can participate by sharing your expertise as a workshop
presenter or facilitator; by attending as a participant who wants
to learn more and help make a difference; by volunteering to help
as an organizer or a conference angel. For More Information: Call:
1-888-565-5551, e-mail: CFShadows@Juno.com or write: CFS, PO
Box 1855, Manchester CT 06045.
Outwrlte
The annual Outwrite conference, a gathering of gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered writers, authors and journalists, will
be held from February 26-28, 1999, at the Park Plaza Hotel in
Boston, MA.
The conference in past years has brought such top names as Tony
Kushner, author of" Angels In America," and publishers, editors
and reporters from mainstream newspapers and magazines as well
as gay and lesbian publishers. The event, sponsored by Gay
Community News of Boston, will include seminars and workshops
on a wide assortment of topics related to gay publishing.
Representatives of publishing companies will be there to discuss
book proposals.
Among those present last year was Kirk Read, then editor of Our
Own, the gay newspaper in the Norfolk-Portsmouth, VA area, and
who is now a columnist and free-lance reporter based in San
Francisco. For more information about Outwrite call (617) 262-6969,
extension 3 or fax (617) 267-0852. Snail mail is 29 Stanhope Street,
Boston, MA 02116.
TNEWS & VIEWS
Coverage of Matthew's Death
By Michael Collins
Finally a gay bashing death was given the coverage it deserved in the mass
media, with the vicious murder of a young Wyoming student, Matthew
Shepard in October. Several years ago a gay man was murdered in Texas
and stabbed dozens of times, and I recall seeing only one tiny wire piece
about it. And I never remember any other gay death receiving full coverage
in the way other hate crime deaths have been covered.
With all the anti-gay rhetoric this past election year by the right-wing
Republicans, I think at least some or even much of the public saw the
connection between the heightened atmosphere of hate this rhetoric created,
and the tragic death of Matthew. This may have been one factor in the results
of the November 3rd elections. Many of the Republicans who went down to
defeat were right-wing Republicans, such as U.S. Senator Lauch Faircloth of
North Carolina, Jesse Helm's evil twin.
The Triangle Community Center (TCC) of Norwalk responded, and I spoke
to a number of newspapers and appeared on various broadcast media, thanks
to cooperative efforts of News & Views editor Michele Stone, TCC president
Donald Buxton, TCC founding president Justine Michaud and Meg Bachtel,
the public relations department of Quinnipiac College of Hamden, and
others. The gist of my comments were that Matthew's death was the kind of
crime that happens - his skull smashed and his body pinned to a fence when you have the top man in the U.S. Senate - Trent Lott - calling gay
people kleptomaniacs, or you have U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
saying in an official decision that animus (animosity) toward homosexuals
is a good thing, as he did 2 years ago in his dissension in the Colorado
referendum ruling. It creates an atmosphere, and sends a signal to the haters
that it's okay to bash gays.
I appeared on the front pages of the New Haven Register and the Connecticut
Post and made this point. The same night I saw U.S. Senator Joseph
Liebermen and he had seen the Register piece and thought the quotes were
excellent. I also appeared on a morning talk show broadcast Wednesday
October 14, 1998 for a full half hour on WNLK 1350 Norwalk and WSTC
1400 Stamford, and was able to talk extensively about TCC and what services
it offers, as well as Matthew's death. At 12 noon I appeared with Connecticut
Civil Liberties Union president Joseph Grabarz on David Smith's Exchange
on Newsvision 12. Then the following Sunday the Stamford Advocate had
a major front page piece, and TCC founding president Justine Michaud,
author Dan Woog and also actor Dan Kelley, all from TCC, were quoted
extensively. On November 1", a vigil was held at Fairfield's First Church
Congregational to mark Matthew's death, and bring attention to the issue
of bigotry and I, as TCC public relations director, invited the media, WTNH
Newschannel 8 led with the story and when I was interviewed, TCC received
full display on the screen. It is reassuring to see that the life of a gay person
does count, and that a hate crime against a gay person does count as much
as an attack against someone for racial or religious reasons. That is a
significant step, I believe.
On November 15, the Westport Unitarian Church held a major vigil, featuring
multiple speakers and the Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus. TCC president
Don Buxton helped arrange this, along with Rozanne Gates and Suzanne
Sheridan, both of the Rainbow Task Force.
wrong about slavery
wrong about the civil war
wrong in their (winning position) on Native Americans
wrong in bringing us the Irish potato famine
wrong in resisting abolition of child labor
wrong about keeping women from voting
wrong about repression of workers' rights and labor unions
and working conditions
wrong for bringing us the KKK
wrong for bringing us Jim Crow
wrong for bringing us segregation
wrong for bringing us Nazism in Europe
wrong for bringing us the McCarthy Era
wrong about prohibition
wrong about Christian and Islamic fundamentalism with its
intolerance and terrorism
wrong about the civil rights movement
wrong in its anti-Semitism
wrong about women's rights and sexism
wrong about wanting to give wealth and power to the top 1 %
wrong about homosexuals today,
The radical right-wingers are WRONG for always trying to impose their
views on everyone through intimidation and hysteria and terror.
Homosexuals live in fear every day. The older generation is still shell-shocked
from the 1950s terror and in 1998 its members still fear even giving out their
own names as homosexuals. The young generation fears being called "fag"
at high school, and being smashed against high school lockers, or even worse.
Christmas Eve at MCC In New Haven
Come and spend Chrisbnas Eve with your family at MCC
New Haven. Join us for Candles and Carols at 7 PM and 11
PM. There will be a special time for children in the 7 PM
service. MCC New Haven is located in the Westville section
of New Haven, just off Whalley Ave. at 34 Harrison St. Call
the church office for directions and more information at (203)
389-6750 or visit our website: www.mccnh.org. Rev. Frank
Beard invites all of our community to come and celebrate the
birth of Christ together.
I spoke i: t the service. My comments included, "we should constantly remind
people that Jesus never mentions homosexuality, but specifically condemns
divorce and remarriage. While I understand why divorce happens, the
right-wing Republicans justify their gay-hatred by saying they take the bible
literally. Well, they do not. They even elevate those living the
divorce-and-remarriage "lifestyle" to the presidency! We should say to these
hypocrites: 'Was Jesus kidding when he condemned divorce and remarriage?
How can you support Congressman Barr, Gingrich, Armey, Ronald Reagan,
Dole, and many others? Was he kidding when he condemned being
judgmental, and said the GREATEST commandment is to love your neighbor
as much as yourself?"'
Right-wing leader and commentator Paul Weyrich said, "Homosexuality is
the highest sin." It says this no where. We are letting them get away with
their agenda of bigotry with our failure to respond to their lying and deceitful
arguments. We allow them to cherry-pick verses from the bible to persecute
a vulnerable minority, and fail to call them on it.
It is my view that the radical right wing is virtually always wrong, as
demonstrated during just the last 2 centuries.
-4-
AT LAST!
C'sMonumen
DDIC SALE
day, December 6
Froml-3 PM
Over 1,500
Books, Videos & Records
thing over $3. 00 ... N othi
Hundreds of subjects!
T NEWS & VIEWS
CONNECTICUT NEWS
Given the sometimes ferocious public reaction to any school policy
that even hints at "condoning" homosexuality, it's not surprising
that administrators often refuse to fight for their gay students. New
Haven attorney Maureen Murphy has handled cases of sexual
orientation harassment outside the courtroom. She says
administrators' responses run the gamut. "In some cases, the school
doesn't make an effort to intercede. In other cases, they just throw
their hands up and say they've talked to the kids and that they just
can't stop it. In other cases, just a letter from our office can make a
difference." Murphy does say that schools often don't take claims
seriously until a lawyer becomes involved. She also says that in many
cases, rather than sue, parents will simply take their children out of
the public schools. "The majority of these cases don't involve
students that identify themselves as gay," notes Murphy. Pointing
to the high suicide rate among sexual minority youth, she voices
concern about those kids who are gay and have not yet identified
themselves as such. "Who knows how much further these kids will
go into the closet because of their experiences?"
Controversy can be painful and destructive. It can also produce
positive change, notes Robin Passariello, founder of the Children
from the Shadows conference, pointing to the Brookfield High School
GSA as an example. "Even when there's a lot of hostility, something
good can come out of, it," she says. "That's why it's important to
have laws and policies in place to protect those people when there
is a community backlash. So you can say to those one or two parents
[who object], 'We're doing what we have to do to protect our kids."'
Passariello grew up in Connecticut and started the Children from
the Shadows conference as field work at the University of
Connecticut School of Social Work. The conference, which celebrated
its fifth year, consists of two days of workshops, speakers, activities
and entertainment in March. This year, CFS attracted between 800
and 1,000 people
They're Here, They're Queer
Richard Agostinho remembers the first time he cut class. A freshman
at Glastonbury High School, he was cornered by a classmate in the
hallway. "He asked me if I was a faggot." Agostinho tried to deny it
and the other boy punched him in the face. That was five years ago.
"We've come a long way" since then, says Joan Beach, a health and
physical education teacher in Glastonbury. Last year, a student asked
Beach to help him start a Gay Straight Alliance. She encouraged
him to go to the administration himself and explain the need. The
administration responded with a mandatory faculty workshop and
support for the GSA. The alliance, for which Beach is the faculty
adviser, now meets twice a month and is attended by between 10
and 35 kids.
Unfortunately, this success story remains too rare a phenomenon in
Connecticut, though the state is far ahead of most of the country in
establishing legal protection for gay students. In June 1997, under
pressure from gay rights advocates, the legislature amended its antidiscrimination statute to .make Connecticut one of only a handful of
states that prohibits discrimination in the public schools on the basis
of sexual orientation.
But, in some areas Connecticut shows less leadership than other
New England states. Massachusetts and Vermont state agencies, for
example, recently conducted surveys to determine the health and
educational risks for these students. Connecticut has undertaken
no such survey and so has no statistics on the educational and health
risks gay teens face. This spring, Ver:nont Gov. Howard Dean visited
a public high school and spent -!5 minutes decrying anti-gay
harassment. In contrast, Connecticut Gov. John Rowland refused for the third year in a row - to sign a proclamation marking June as
Gay Pride Month.
Even those adults within the school system who are supposed to
serve as resources for these children are often not willing to take a
proactive stance and advocate for them. Asked if she believes gay
students are being harassed at school, East Hartford High School
social worker Marilyn Dupuis says: "I'm sure that they have been.
There's no way we're going to stop that. We're never going to stop
people from being narrow and cruel. That's the way it is." Many
administrators seem eager to disnuss the harassment as "teasing,"
just one of the tough things about growing up. But sexual minority
youth are more alone than their peers.
Dan Woog, a teacher at Staples High School in Westport, thinks
that verbal slurs are in some ways worse than physical harassment,
which administrators are quicker to identify and punish. Woog
helped found Connecticut's first Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) in a
public school. The alliances are intended as forums where students,
teachers and parents can discuss homophobia and sexual identity,
regardless of their own sexual orientation. There are now 16 GSAs
in the Connecticut public schools. Woog feels that since the Staples
GSA' s inception, the atmosphere has changed significantly. "Many
more kids are aware of the power of language. You hear 'faggot'
and' queer' much less. Kids are aware that they have gay and lesbian
classmates, even if they don't know who they are."
While administrators and faculty recognize that schools should be
safe places for all students to learn, regardless of their sexual
orientation, many are not willing to take a public and proactive
stance against harassment to make this possible. Their hesitance
stems in large part from fear of community reaction - a fear that is
not entirely unjustified.
Stamford School's Goal is Helping Youth
A panel discussion was held in November in Stamford to raise
awareness of, and sensitivity to gay and lesbian youth issues. The
session was sponsored by Stamford Public School's Office of
Diversity and Multicultural Education. The discussion was designed
to ensure a safe environment for gay and lesbian students. Speakers
included David Knapp, co-chair of Stonewall Speakers Association,
Lester Sharlach, former president of the local chapter of Parents,
Family and Friends of Lesbian and Gays; and Deann LeBeau, a
retired teacher from Newtown High School.
The session covered such topics as how teachers can handle incidents
involving anti-gay verbal abuse and how to accommodate students
who are gay. Sharlach, a Stamford resident, said the goal is to reach
out to school social workers, teachers and others who might be able
to help homosexual students. Teachers must be willing to stop antigay comments, he said and the suicide rate is about 30% higher
than the rest of the population.
-5-
FROM YOUR NEWS
&
VIEWS
WITOR. MICHELE STONE.
T NEWS & VIEWS
Gays: Dodd/Franks Debate
The Connecticut Broadcasters Association (CBA) sponsored a debate
on October 29'h between US Senator Christopher Dodd and his
Republican opponent, Gary Franks. During the debate, Franks
chastised Dodd several times for Dodd' s earlier description of
Clinton as an "idiot" for allowing the Monica Lewinsky affair to
happen. Franks said, "I don't raise my children to be name callers."
Michael Collins, CBA board member and public relations director
of Norwalk's Triangle Community Center asked Franks and Dodd
what they thought of Republican US Senate Majority Leader Trent
Lott's comparison of homosexuals to "kleptomaniacs."
Franks, a right-wing black Republican, did not answer specifically
about Lott. He did note that he has "been a victim of bigotry" and
an attack at his Waterbury, CT home by the Ku Klux Klan. Franks
said that, "bigotry cannot be accepted anywhere in America, and I
would strongly support federal legislation that would protect the
rights of all individuals who are gay."
It might be noted that the planks in the platform of the Republican
Party for the 1996 presidential campaign included the phrase that
the Republican party supports equal rights for racial minorities but
opposes any "pernicious" attempts to extend this concept to
homosexuals. Franks said that, "individuals (who commit crimes
of bigotry) should be punished swiftly and severely and federal
legislation should apply." However, afterward, in conversation with
Michael Collins, Franks said, "If you had asked me about gay
marriage I would have given a different answer."
Senator Dodd said "I commend my opponent." Dodd also noted he
voted for the federal law to protect gays in employment several years
ago. "I think it is unfortunate that the majority leader used the
language he did because unfortunately language does affect people,
because it isn't just laws, it's how leaders talk on issues," that affects
events. Dodd used words no stronger than "ill-advised" to describe
Lott's use of the word kleptomaniacs. "To compare homosexuality
to kleptomania was ill-advised," Dodd said before an audience of
Connecticut TV and radio station owners, managers, programmers
and engineers. The debate was broadcast on Connecticut Public
Television as well. Dodd went on to win the November 3rd election
by a very large margin over Franks, garnering 65 per cent of the
vote.
- Michael Collins
to love God and love your neighbor as much as yourself. Other
pastors who spoke included, the Rev. Henry Morris, pastor of Our
Saviours Lutheran Church of Fairfield, Mr. Erick Olson, associate
pastor of the First Church Congregational of Fairfield, and the Rev.
Alida Ward Sohuchert, associate pastor of the Greenfield Hill
Congregational Church of Fairfield. Several people from TCC
attended the Fairfield vigil including board member, John
DeIVecchio, and public relations director, Michael Collins.
The family of Matthew Shepard is asking that donations be sent to
help support the groups Matthew cared about. They asked that
donations be sent to the Matthew Shepard Donation Fund, First
National Bank, P.O. Box 578, Fort Collins, Colorado 80522. Account
# 1926083.
-Michael Collins
Homophobia Runs Deep, Gay Activist Tells
Hamden Students
Troix Bettencourt was 16 and living a lie in 1992: a young gay man
masquerading as straight. Today, at 24, he's emerged as one of the
nation's most outspoken "Gen-X" gay advocates . Bettencourt
brought his story and message to Quinnipiac College in November,
telling gay and lesbian students that despite society's more tolerant
attitude toward homo!iexuals, there's still much work to be done.
Bettencourt has had his struggles with homophobia. His mother
called the police to remove him from the house in 1992, after he
announced he was gay. Bettencourt told students the incident
inspired him to become even more active in homosexual rights
organizations. He was elected president of the Boston Alliance of
Gay and Lesbian Youth and was later named to the Massachusetts
Gay and Lesbian Youth Commission.
Paul Thury
REALTOR·
Office: 203.846.1611 ext. 218
Res: 203.847.5621
Fax: 203.857.7842
E-mail: pthury@aol.com
Vigil for Matthew in Fairfield
You Have a Friend in
Real Estate
A vigil for Matthew Shepard, the young gay man killed in a vicious
attack in Laramie, Wyoming in October and James Byrd, the black
man killed in a vicious attack in Jasper, Texas in which he was
dragged by a pickup truck on a chain, were remembered in a vigil
on Sunday (November 1st ). The vigil was at the First Church
Congregational in Fairfield. Some 150 people turned out on the
Fairfield Green, and the church bells were rung to honor the victims.
The church described the vigil as civil observance to demonstrate,
"our resolve against bigotry, to stand for equal protection before the
law, and to commit our nation to justice." The Triangle Community
Center (TCC) arranged media coverage for the vigil, and it was the
lead story on WTNH channel 8 New Haven on the 8 PM evening
news and also was a top story on Cablevision 12 news Sunday
evening. The Connecticut Post also ran a story.
The Reverend David Spoliett, pastor of the First Church
Congregational, said "I do think the Christian Church needs to come
to grips with the centuries-old problem of racism and with
homophobia ." Some parents brought their children to the vigil,
telling channel 8 news that they wanted to teach their children about
intolerance and bigotry. The Reverend Spoliett also noted in his
address to the crowd that Jesus said the greatest commandment is
Whether you're looking to sell or buy, I will
help you put all the pieces together.
I have the marketing tools necessary to offer
you peace of mind. And that's what you need
most from a real estate agent.
For a free market analysis to determine the value of
your home, a "Why Rent When You Con Own" brochure, or a copy of my home tips newsletter
Call Paul Thury-203.846.1611 ext. 218
{f$ Prudential
-6-
Connaclicut
Realty
T NEWS & VIEWS
Message From Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Chaplain, to Trinity College in Hartford
I saw on the news that Matthew Shepard died. He was the 22 year
old man from Wyomin g who was beaten and tortured and left to
die for no reason other than he was a homosexual. This tragic murder
has raised a national debate again, the kind of periodic soul-searching
our society goes through whenever a crime of hate startles us into
awareness. The burning of Black churches, the bombing of innocent
people, the death of a shy young man from Wyoming: these events
suddenly shake us out of complacency and remind us that fear,
prejudice and rage are always the shadows just beyond the light of
our reason. And so people suddenly start to speak out. There are
voices of outrage and grief. Voices of sorrow and demands to know
why such a thing could happen. And predictably, there are also
defensive voices like the governor of Wyoming trying to explain
why his state has no laws to protect people from hate crimes and
the leadership of what is called the Christian "right wing" trying to
explain why their national ads against homosexuality don't influence
people to commit such violence against gays and lesbians.
As the chaplain for our own community, I would like to invite us all
to consider Matthew's death in another way. Notthrough the clamor
or denials, not through the shouts or cries of anger: but rather,
through the silence of his death, the silence of that young man
hanging on his cross of pain alone in the emptiness of a Wyoming
night, the silence that ultimate! y killed him as surely as the beatings
he endured. Silence killed Matthew Shepard. The silence of
Christians who know that our scriptures on homosexuality are few
and murky in interpretation and far outweighed by the words of a
savior whose only comment on human relationships was to call us
to never judge but only to love. The silence of well meaning educated
people who pretend to have an enlightened view of homosexuality
while quietly tolerating the abuse of gays and lesbians in their own
communities. The silence of our elected officials who have the
authority to make changes but prefer to count votes. The silence of
the majority of "straight" Americans who shift uncomfortably when
confronted by the thought that gays and lesbians may be no different
from themselves, save for the fact that they are walking targets for
bigotry, disrespect, cheap humor, and apparently, of murder.
Visit Our Web Site at: http://members.aol.com/TCCenter/
Triangle Community Center
State Supports New Britain Teacher
A former teacher who claims she was forced to resign because she is
a lesbian has received the support of the Connecticut's human rights
commission. Beth Kavy claims she had her nose broken by Maria
Garcia, a former nurse at the Diloreto School in New Britain in
October of 1997, after an argument over another teacher, Lynn
Kowalczyk. Both Kavy and Kowalczyk were transferred following
the incident. Kavy claims she was eventually forced to resign by the
school board. The human rights commission, which recently
dismissed a similar complaint by Kowalczyk, has ruled in favor of
Kavy. Based on that decision, Kavy said she plans to go forward
with lawsuits against Garcia and members of the school board.
Raising The Demand For Awareness at UConn
The Rainbow Center at the University of Connecticut opened in
October with an air of celebration. Then came news reports of the
killing of Matthew Shepard. Feelings of shock and horror replaced
celebration at the Rainbow Center, which needed no stronger
reminder of why the center was formed. It sponsored a vigil for
Shepard. The Rainbow Center is a university-backed organization
for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. It supports
lesbian and gay students, and helps educate all students about issues
regarding homosexuality.
UConn's Rainbow Center has been in existence for several years
but opened this year for the first time with a full-time director and
two staff members. While most campuses in this state have gay and
lesbian student organizations, UConn's LGBT center is the first to
reach this level of support.
46,
Norwalk, CT
ff
Crimes of hate may live in shouts of rage, but they are born in silence.
Here at Trinity, I hope we will all listen to that silence. Before w e
jump to decry Matthew's senseless death or before we seek to
rationalize it with loud disclaimers~ I hope we will just hear the
silence. A young man's heart has ceased to beat. Hear the silence of
that awful truth. It is the silence of death . It is the silence that
descends on us like a shroud ....
As a person of faith, I will listen, as we all will, to the many voices
which will eulogiz.e Matthew Shepard. I will carry that part of our
national shame on my shoulders. But I will also listen to the silence
which speaks much more eloquently still to the truth behind his
death. I will listen and I will remember. And I will renew my resolve
never to allow this silence to have the last word. Not for Matthew.
Not for gay men or lesbian women. Not for any person in our society
of any color or condition who has been singled out for persecution.
Not in my church. Not in my nation. Not in Wyoming. And not at
Trinity College.
f f "Many Hearts, Om Comm1111ily" ff
Serving the lesbian/gay/bi/tg community of southwestern Connecticut
'ifStephanie's Living Room, Inc.
Presenting quality dances for women who do not like
th$ bar scene... CotM and 1Met new friends.
Michelle C. Loris, Psy.D.
Holiday Gala
Sat. Jan 2, 8 pm $10
Individual, Couple and Group Therapy
Ramada Inn, Stratford, CT
I-95 North, Exit 30
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
For more information ca11: (203) 377-2119
-7-
(203) 255-2767
By Appointment
T NEWS & VIEWS
Gay Student's Death Spurs Debate
To the local gay and lesbian community, the beating death of a gay University of Wyoming student serves as a wake-up call to lawmakers and educators
and rekindles some existing concerns. How many more will have to be taunted by names, beaten or killed until they feel safe in their community, they ask.
Can this vicious crime happen here? Across Fairfield County, gays and lesbians and their supporters mourned and condemned the murder of 21-year-old
Matthew Shepard. Statewide advocacy groups such as The Gay, lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GI.SEN) not only used the incident to push for
a federal Hate Crimes Protection Act, but also called on "educators, community leaders, and concerned citizens to dramatically step up efforts to address
anti-gay bias in Connecticut schools." The focus on young people in schools has been of particular interest to local activists who say early awareness and
appreciation of people who perceive themselves as different can curb anti-bias behavior at a young age.
Dan Woog, a volunteer soccer coach at Staples High School in Westport, called Shepard's death "a wake-up call to straight people." Woog helped found
Connecticut's first Gay Straight Alliance in a public school. When acts of violence toward gays and lesbians are reported in the news, it affects the community
on many levels. "Older gay and lesbian people can relate back to a time of being found out," Woog said. "Younger kids might wonder suddenly about the
world they are living in. A lot of kids, not here necessarily, relate to physical abuse. But there also is a noticeable amount of lack of address of the needs of
gay and lesbian youth. A kid might hear ' faggot' or 'queer' but he or she won't hear a teacher react to it. They don't hear about their role models, history or
issues. That isolation is very significant." Parents of gays and lesbians become isolated, too, Woog said." A parent hears this and freaks out and fears for the
kid, tries to push the kid back into the closet," he said.
"Every parent is concerned for their children regardless if they are gay or straight," said Lester Sharlach, a member of the local chapter of Parents and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays. In general, Sharlach said, hundreds of messages by parents and members of the group have expressed outrage as well as
sorrow for Shepard's family. While that fear always exists for their children, lawmakers and activists seem more confident about Connecticut's laws,
Sharlach said.
"Connecticut is at the forefront" of protecting gays and lesbians, said U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Stamford. Shays, who attended a reception held by
the Lambda Legal Defense Fund in Stamford, is praised for being instrumental in sponsoring a national anti-discrimination act, which is set to be voted on.
Lambda is the first and oldest legal defense fund for gays and lesbians.
Connecticut is one of 21 states that have hate-crime laws that include sexual orientation, said Joe Grabarz, executive director for the Connecticut American
Civil Liberties Union. Grabarz, a former Bridgeport legislator who was one of the first state elected officials to announce he was gay, said two laws in
particular make Connecticut unique. One is the Statistics Act, which requires that all crimes motivated by bigotry and bias are to be reported by local police
to the state. The second is the Hate Crime Sentencing Act. If a crime committed against a person who characterizes himself or herself with a specific group
the sentence is doubled. "Connecticut is an easier place to live" for gays and lesbians, Grabarz said. "But these incidents do happen, and they happen in
Connecticut. The disturbing thing is that nationwide, we've seen an increase of crime against gays, while crimes against other groups have declined."
The laws may reflect a trend in statewide acceptance toward the gay and lesbian community but that does not represent the attitudes of citizens, said
Justine Michaud, founder and former president of the Triangle Community Center in Norwalk, which has served gays and lesbians since 1991. "How do
we make our community safe for people who perceive themselves differently?" Michaud asked. Michaud said she helped the existing state civil rights bill
extend to sexual orientation, as well as extend anti-discrimination measures to include gays and lesbians in 1991. "When we look at the influence of politics
nationally, there seems to be misinterpretation of Christianity, and that's not OK with me. It's not OK with me that people judge my life who don't know
me," she said.
And those attitudes then trickle down into the schools, said Dan Kelly facilitator for OutSpoken, a weekly rap group for 16-- to 22-year-olds that meets in the
Triangle Community Center. "I do some speaking in some of the schools (about being gay) and something that strikes me is the level of ignorance," Kelly
said. "It starts early in elementary school. The longer that's allowed to continue, the longer it takes to re-educate."
MICHAEL D. ROME
Attorney-at-Law
St. Paul's Episuopal Churuh
PIRRO, CHURCH & COOK, LLC
Bankruptcy
Business Transactions
Social Security Disability
Divorce
Worker's Compensation
Personal Injury/Accident Law
Real Estate Transactions
Criminal
Taxation: Business & Individual
Estate Planning & Probate
60 East Avenue, Norwalk
(Across from the Green)
120 EAST A VENUE
NORWALK, CONNECTICUT 06851
Phone:(203) 259-6785 or (203) 853-6677
Fax: (203) 259-7831
E-mail: Romemdesq@aol.com
An inclusive, diverse,
affirming community
MICHAEL G. SAAD, MA, LCSW
LICENSED CU NI CAL SOCIAL WORKER
Solemn Eucharist - Sundays at 10:15
COUNSEL! NG AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
FOR ADULTS, ADOLESCENTS, COUPLES, FAMILIES
6527 MAIN STREET
TRUMBULL, CT 06611
with organ, choir, and splendid music
Office: (203) 847-2806
BY APPOINTMENT
(203) 459-1666
-8-
T NEWS & VIEWS
NATIONAL NEWE
Ogunquit, Maine - failed
Referendum question 4 amends the Ogunquit Municipal Code to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the areas of employment,
housing, public accommodations, and the extension of credit. In response to
the repeal of Maine's statewide civil rights law banning discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation, activists with Concerned Citizens of Ogunquit
gathered enough signatures to have a human rights ordinance modeled after the statewide non-discrimination bill placed on the November 3rd ballot.
Fayetteville, Arkansas - failed
Resolution 51-98, the Fayetteville Human Dignity Resolution, would have
added the categories of sexual orientation and familial status to the City of
Fayetteville's non-discrimination policy for public employees. Last spring,
the city council passed this non-discrimination resolution. The mayor vetoed it, and in a rare move the council overrode the mayor's veto, effectively
enacting the resolution as law. A local group affiliated with the Christian
Coalition gathered enough petition signatures to put the measure up for a
vote.
Fort Collins, Colorado - failed
Ordinance 22 would have added sexual orientation to the city's nondiscrimination law covering employment, housing, and public
accommodations. The city council and mayor enacted the ordinance into
law last spring. Shortly thereafter right-wing opposition groups gathered
enough signatures to have the measure referred to the ballot.
National Gay and Lesbian Election Report
Gay and Lesbian Congressional Candidates (Non-Incumbent)
Tammy Baldwin (D) vs. Josephine Musser (R)
Wisconsin 2nd Congressional District
Ba Id win wins (53 % to 4 7%) Baldwin is the first
openly lesbian to win a seat in the US Congress.
Paul Barby (D) vs. Rep. Frank Lucas (R)
Oklahoma 6th Congressional District
Barby defeated (34% - 65%)
Christine Kehoe (D) vs. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R)
California 49th Congressional District
Kehoe defeated. Kehoe is an open lesbian.
Grelhe Cammermeyer (D) vs. Rep. Jack Metcalf (R)
Washington 2nd Congressional Distric t
Cammermeyer defeated (45% -55%)
Cammermeyer is a retired army colonel who successfully challenged her
dismissal from the military after havin~ truthfully answered questions pertaining to her sexual orientation.
Gay Congressional Candidates (Incumbent)
Rep. Barney Frank (D) vs. unopposed
Massachusetts 4th Congressional Distnct
Frank is an openly gay, progressive incumbent. He is a consistent voice and
vote on issues of concern to the GLBT ,·ommunity.
Rep. Jim Kolbe (R) vs. Thomas John Vdgy (D)
Arizona 5th Congressional District
Kolbe wins (52% lo 46%) Kolbe is openly gay and an Employment NonDiscrimination Act co-sponsor. He also l ought the Hefley Amendment, which
would have overturned the Executive Order protecting federal employees
from discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Senate Races
Senator Al D' Amato (R) vs. Charles Schumer (D)
Schumer wins (55% to 45%)
Chuck Schumer will become the new junior senator from New York. He
defeated Senator Alfonse D' Amato (R-NY) in one of the most contentious
campaigns in the country. While D' Amato recently made overtures to the
GLBT community, his staunch anti-choice votes angered many in the GLBT,
feminist, and other progressive communities.
Senator Barbara Boxer (D) vs. Matt Fong (R)
Boxer wins (53 % - 43 %)
Boxer is a staunch advocate of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil
rights and reproductive choice. Fong stated that he believes marriage should
be between a man and a woman. He has also stated that he does not support
"homosexual behavior." Fong believes "Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided,"
and he opposes public funding and late-term abortions, and supports a
parental consent requirement.
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D) vs. Robert Dornan (R)
California 46th Congressional District
Sanchez wins (56% to 39%)
For the second time in a row, Representative Sanchez defeated former Congressman Dornan. Dornan spearheaded many anti-gay bills and amendments while in Congress.
Marriage Ballot Initiatives
Hawaii: Initiative passed 69% - 28%
The Hawaii ballot initiative likely will lead to a ban on same-sex marriage.
The vote amended the state's constitut ion to empower the legislature to reserve marriage to opposite sex coup!Ps. (A second initiative to call for a
constitutional convention - where a an mti-gay marriage amendment could
have been added to the constitution failed 59% - 34 %). In a 1996 ruling, a
Hawaii court ruled that there is no valid reason for denying same-sex couples
the freedom to marry. The government appealed that decision to the Hawaii
Supreme Court, and a final decision is expected any time. This vote will
essentially nullify the expected positive court decision.
Alaska: Initiative passed 68% - 32%
In Alaska, voters elected to amend the 5tate Constitution to limit the definition of marriage as only between one man and one woman. The initiative
was in reaction to a ruling by the state's Superior Court (Brause v. Alaska)
this past February in Alaska determining that the denial of same-sex marriage violates privacy and equal protection under the state's constitution.
Ballot Initiatives (non-marriage)
South Portland, Maine -Anti-discrimination ordinance
Passed (54 % to 46%)
Ogunquit, Maine - Anti-discrimination ordinance
Failed by 9 votes (50.6% - 49.4% or 383 - 374).
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Anti-discrimination ordinance
Failed (60% lo 40%)
Fort Collins, Colorado -Anti-discrimination ordinance
Failed (62% to 38% - not all precincts reporting)
South Portland, Maine - passed
This ordinance prohibits acts of discrimination in employment, housing,
public accommodations, or the extension of credit. In February, Mainers voted
to repeal a state law banning anti-gay discrimination. In South Portland, 60
percent of the voters favored keeping the state law. This year the South Portland City Council decided to put the issue directly to the voters rather than
having the council vote on the ordinance.
Conference Studies Gay Prevention
Hundreds gathered at a church near Columbus, OH recently, to talk
about understanding and preventing childhood homosexuality, in
what a conservative group hopes to be the first of a series of
conferences around the country. The meeting was sponsored by
Focus on the Family, a Colorado Springs, Colo.-based ministry that
publishes more than a dozen magazines.
The ministry believes homosexuality is the result of environment
and relationships between children, their parents and peers. Some
groups, they say, try to "normalize" homosexuality by teaching
children about historic figures who are gay. The conference
encouraged parents to complain if they are unhappy with the
curriculum of the schools their children attend. The ministry also
contended that gay rights groups plant the idea of homosexuality
in children's minds if the youngsters have any type of attraction to
the same gender. Attractions, they say, are a normal part of growing
up, and most of those children become heterosexual adults if left
alone.
-9-
Propertv of
P- ~ ,
T NEWS & VIEWS
Targets of Hate
"Religious Right" Trounced
Gays and lesbians are six times more likely to be physically attacked
on the basis of who they are than Jews or Hispanics, and twice as
likely to be attacked as African-Americans, said Mark Potok,
spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Birmingham,
Ala., which tracks hate crimes. A 1989 academic study found that 45
percent of lesbians had been attacked and 29 percent of gay men,
based on their sexual orientation, he said. Worse, Potok added, is
that hate crimes against gays tend to be the most vicious.
Don't look to police records to find out what's really going on, experts
say; the stories often aren't reported. Albany police, for example,
have no record of violence against gays through all of 1998, although
the city's human rights law mandates that they track it. Hate crime
statistics, collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 1990,
are woefully incomplete, Potok said. Nine states have no hate-crimes
statutes, and many police departments lack a hate-crimes category
on report forms . Training in hate-crimes prosecution has been scant,
Potok said.
Some of the brightest stars of the religious right were trounced in
the 1998 elections. Governor John Rowland (R-CT) told the New
York Times on October 31 that" our party doesn't get it at the national
level. Beating up on gays - all that stuff. That turns my stomach.
We' re never going to win the White House again unless we have an
ability to reach out to people.
The Congressional GOP leadership wasted the summer trying to
explain why homosexuality is a disease akin to kleptomania, meeting
with religious right leaders like James Dobson of Focus on the Family
to assuage his threats to leave the party unless his agenda was met,
blocking the nomination of openly-gay ambassador nominee James
Hormel, and promoting the anti-gay Hefley Amendment, which
would have repealed all non-discrimination policies which covered
gay federal workers. Dobson and Bauer spent millions of dollars in
a disastrous campaign to knock off moderate Republicans in primary
elections around the country. Instead of tax cuts, more welfare reform
or balancing the budget, the issue of homosexuality was on the front
covers of the nation's news magazines.
"This purge of social conservatives by the voters is a crucial warning
to the Republican leadership about the stakes in 2000," said one
Republican leader. "Unless the winning side of this party takes full
control of the leadership and the agenda and we move in the
direction of the GOP governors - inclusion, problem-solving and
distancing from the religious right - we will have another night
like last night (election night), which means losing the White House
and maybe losing the Congress."
Gay Votes Help Defeat D'Amato
U.S. Senate candidate Chuck Schumer won the election with 54
percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Al D' Amato and will
join fellow Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the Senate. In his
acceptance speech, Schumer mentioned Gays once. Many Gay New
Yorkers, had not originally supported Schumer in his bid to unseat
D' Amato. Schumer received the fewest endorsements from Gay
Democratic groups of the three challengers. But the fact that Gay
New Yorkers lined up behind Schumer in the general election
indicates a "maturity" to the Gay community, said Sterling
Zinsmeyer, president of Stonewall Democrats. Zinsmeyer said, "This
is a significant change. It's a maturing of the community beyond
our own narrow interests. We looked at the two candidates that have
similar records on Gay issues, but also saw that D' Amato is
completely wrong on every other issue."
TRIVIA QUESTION
Answer to Nov. - "Just As I Am", by Dan Williams and Earl Handy.
Question for December - Drag was the name of a transvestite show
starring Mae West in her pre-movie days, a show which was attacked
and eventually cancelled on account of it content, considerable lewd
in the 20's. Where did this show have its premiere?
Horticultural Botanist
Gardener & House I Pet Sitter
Donald J. Comes
(203) 866-2823
JOANNE M. MARINO, C.C.M.H.C., N.C.C.
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
30 Tierney Street
Norwalk, CT 06851
21 STRICKLAND RD .. COS COB. CONN . 06807 (203) B69-02US
VICTORIA
T.
FERRARA
ATTORNEY AT LAW
(203) 227-9585
MICHAEL
j.
TAYLOR, LMT
THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE •
WESTPORT, CT
ADMJTrED IN CT AND NY
440
-10-
MAIN STREET • RIDGEFIELD,
CT, NY LICENSED
CT 06877 • 203-431-8278
TNEWS & VIEWS
Pope Hits Out at Non-Marital Unions
STATE BY STATE NEWS
Pope John Paul has lashed out at :1on-marital unions, saying the
traditional family was the only rermissible social solution and
implicitly condemning legal recognition of homosexual couples.
"While respecting
personal freedom, putting
other
types
of
interpersonal relationships
on the same level as
marriage by legalizing
them is a grave
~ 1'
decision that can only
damage
the
y-,
institution of matrimony
and the family," the
~·-\
Pope said. "It would be
regrettable in the long
-.'
term if laws, based no
longer on natural law
but on
individuals'
arbitrary will, were to _ •
• .
give the same legal status to
different kmds of t,,,!"x... ·i
;;:. communal life, causing
great confusion," he~ :!:
told delegates to an
international meeting of European politicians and lawmakers. The
78-year-old Polish Pontiff is a fierce advocate of the traditional family
structure, considering it a basic building block of society under threat
from cultural and social decay. 1n 1994 he attacked the European
Parliament over a resolution tha: urged governments to enact
legislation allowing homosexuals to marry and adopt children.
IL - Gay Church Sues TV Station
The nation's largest gay and lesbian church has filed suit against a
Chicago television station, accusing the station of breaking its
agreement to broadcast an infomercial produced by the church
because the station considered the advertisement too controversial.
Leaders of the church in Dallas, believe the station, WGN-TV,
rejected the infomercial "based on their views that this is not
appropriate content for those stations," said a lawyer for the church,
Christopher Wolf. "I think those are code words for homophobia
and for anti-gay discrimination." The church spent two years
producing the infomercial it in part as a counterweight to advertising
by conservative Christian groups, including recent full-page
newspaper advertisements with people who say they are former
homosexuals who "overcame" their sexual orientation.
Most of the cable companies the church contacted said no. WGNTV agreed to broadcast the advertisement, scheduled five showings
and accepted a check for the first payment in July, church officials
say. Then, church officials said, a week later, WGN canceled the
agreement and returned the check. The attorney for WGN said that
infomercials that touch on sensitive subjects are routinely turned
down by television stations.
ks~ '
Gay 'Marriages' Make Church Review Its Code
As in many mainline Protestant churches, the Presbyterian Church
U.S.A. is struggling to come to terms with homosexual parishioners,
and especially with the
question of how to treat
homosexual unions .
Three times since 1993, the
highest governing
~
body of the Presbyterian
Church U.S.A., which
has
2.6 million members,
T -r
has
considered
.- • • '
amending its constitution
to ban ministers from
• -::
"participating in the
blessing of any same- ¢ : l-;-. I_
sex unions," said the Rev.
Mark
Tammen. . f.Z:::"7··
Currently the Book of
Order,thePresbytenan ,. ' -,- •I ,. t~""'church code states, "It
would not be proper ,- ,., ~
for a minister of word and
sacrament to perform a same-sex un 10n that the minister determines
to be the same as a marriage."
ff
(203) 256-4565
(203) 256-1122
(800) 628-7209
FAX: (203) 256-1759
JOANN ATTWOOD NEMIS
VICE PRESIDENT INVESTMENTS
JANNEY MONTGOMERY SCOTT, INC.
MEMBERS NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE AND OTHER PRINCIPAL EXCHANGES
2150 POST ROAD, FAIRFIELD, CT06430
1
~
9il )
MICHAEL PAVLICIN
BUYER AGENT/BROKER
~1
TILGHMAN &
925 POST ROAD EAST, WESTPORT, CT 06880
a-IRISTIE'S
ORBAT ESTATES
t
FROST~A'nlNC.
OFFICE: (203) 227-7231
FAX: (203) 227-1217
VOlCEMAIL: (203) 221-2297
leadhomeleaol.com
IL - Foundation Fined in Firing of Lesbian
A foundation that fired a woman for being a lesbian has been ordered
by the city's Commission on Human Relations to pay her $13,000 in
damages. The Inner City Horticultural Foundation hired Fawn
Houck for a gardening program with Cabrini-Green children. But
upon learning she was gay, the executive director fired her because
"he was afraid to have her go on out-of-town trips with the children
and said that he was worried about her influence on them," the
commission said. The foundation was ordered to pay Houck's
attorney's fees. Its staff also must attend sensitivity training.
NH - Church Welcomes Gays
Prodded by a hate crime in Wyoming, the First Congregational
Church of Pelham formally has invited homosexuals to join its flock.
For the past year, it has blessed same-sex unions, but now by a 7022 vote, the congregation has invited homosexuals and bisexuals
into its fold. The welcome had been in the works four years. But it
was pushed by the beating death last month of Matthew Shepard, a
gay college student in Wyoming. The church is one of six UCC
congregations among 140 in New Hampshire to invite homosexuals.
The Pelham church is about 250 years old. Of its 400 members, about
175 attend regularly. It is the same church that in 1990
overwhelmingly rejected the same proposal.
NJ - Judge Gives Lesbians Joint Custody
A lesbian must share custody of her 2-year-old son with her expartner, a judge has ruled. Experts say the decision, which grants
the ex-partner the status of a parent, is a first because of the broad
custodial rights given to a woman who is not the child's birth mother.
The partner, identified only as R.E.M., was not the boy's biological
mother but stayed home to take care of him while her partner, S.L.V.,
went to work. The Lakewood couple chose a sperm donor together
to inseminate S.L.V., sent out birth announcements with both
women's fingerprints on them and attended Lamaze classes together.
"The court is satisfied that R.E.M. has been able to show that she
stands in the shoes of a parent to the child and should be accorded
the status of parent in parity with S.L.V.," Superior Court Judge
Vincent Grasso wrote in his decision. Dozens of lesbian couples who
adopted or raised a child together have become involved in custody
battles over the past decade.
-11-
T NEWS & VIEWS
KY - Judge Denies Request to Rejoin NKU Team
NY- Police Said To Deny HIV Medicine
Jaime Garner's efforts to return to Northern Kentucky University's
women's basketball team immediately were denied Friday. U.S.
District Judge Jennifer B. Coffman of London denied a motion to
reinstate Ms. Garner, a 5-foot-7-inch guard and the team's No. 2
scorer last season, to the team. Returning Ms. Garner to the team
would irreparably harm the team and the university, the judge ruled
after a Friday telephone conference with attorneys from both parties.
Her decision came about a week before the women's basketball team
begins its new season. In a federal discrimination lawsuit, Ms. Garner
said shew as dismissed from the team in May because of her sexual
orientation.
Ms. Garner, 22, of Richmond, Ky., is a senior. In the federal lawsuit
she filed in October, she said Coach Winstel asked her about her
sexual orientation in a meeting earlier this year. "I didn't answer
her because it was none of her business," she said in the lawsuit.
The suit also said Coach Winstel asked Miss Garner about a
relationship she was having with another player on the team.
Meanwhile, NKU officials have said Ms. Garner was dismissed from
the team for reasons that had nothing to do with her sexual
orientation. She has retained her scholarship. The defense team said
Ms. Garner wasn't a team player.
Gay activists jailed for their part in a huge demonstration complained
that they were denied access to their AIDS medication, which can
lose effectiveness if patients miss even a single dose. At least five of
the roughly 100 people arrested were denied access to HIV or AIDS
medication, according to the New York City Gay & Lesbian AntiViolence Project. The arrests occurred during a rally in response to
the slaying of Matthew Shepard, the gay University of Wyoming
student who was beaten and lashed to a fence.
ALDIS
Two men arrested while having sex in an apartment in Houston
may use their case to try to overturn the Texas anti-sodomy law,
their lawyer said. "We think they've got a right to privacy that was
invaded by the cops," attorney David Jones said. The men were
charged Sept. 17 with homosexual conduct, a Class C misdemeanor,
the lowest ranking violation, carrying a $S<XJ fine on conviction. They
are free on $200 bond each. The arrests occurred after Harris County
sheriff's deputies saw them while responding to a false report of a
man with a gun. The false report apparently came from a man who
had been with the men earlier the same evening. Gay advocates
have been campaigning on a state-by-state basis to change antisodomy laws. Nineteen states have laws banning oral and anal sex.
Fourteen ban those sex 'acts between all couples. Five, including
Texas, limit the ban to same-sex couples.
WA - Kent Schools Pay $40,000 in Gay Case
_fflE_4_6_~-il-l
Plo_JEL_in-Road_P_IANNffl
_ _Da_nb_ury_,_CT_06_8_11-*
(203)778•9399
TX - Case May Test Sodomy Law
FAX (203)744•1139
Three detades of GAY travel expertise
11--,iY\
-=RSVP
A Kentwood High School graduate who sued the Kent School
District, alleging that it failed to protect him from anti-gay
harassment, has agreed to a $40,000 settlement. The school district
also agreed to continue to review its student-to-student harassment
policies and training, and update them when necessary. School
officials never denied that the incidents had occurred. But they said
they had acted in good faith to enforce anti-harassment policies and
to discipline students involved in the beating.
MFAP
NICHOLAS LANG, Ph.D., N.C.C.
Providing Affordable
Individual and Couples Counseling
Specializing in Relationship,
Sexual Orientation, Self-esteem,
Loss, & HIV-related Issues
NORWALK OFFICE
MfD-E~fRHELD AJDS PROJECT
Do you seek support and advocacy for HIV/AIDS?
MFAP can assist and provide you with case management
Call us today!
847-1094
Serving the needs of HIV/AIDS community in:
Norwalk
Rl!t'.Frankt.ard
Pastor
Office
566 Whalley Avenue, Suite #ID
New Haven, CT 06511
T 203-389-6750, F 203-389-6318
Westport
Weston
Wilton
Worship
34 Hamson Street
New Haven, CT 06515
Sundays 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Mid Fairfield AIDS Project
16 River Street
Norwalk, CT 06850
Phone: (203) 855-9535
Fax: (203) 855-1531
Internet: http://www.mfap.com
E-Mail: info@mfap.com
Metropolitan Community Church
of New Ha.-en
Especially serving the Gay and Lesbian Community
-12-
TNEWS & VIEWS
TRANSGENDER NEWS
The New Minority
Aided by the political gains of gays and lesbians - the transgender
community of transsexuals, cross dressers and others appears to be
gaining acceptance as a bona fide minority group. A small but
growing number of cities grant them special protections; some
employers take pains to treat them sensitively; and the media has
given them increasing visibility. Still, many transgender people defined by the National Journal of Sexual Orientation Law as those
"whose gender identity or expression differs from conventional
expectations of masculinity or femininity" - remain frustrated. They
are routinely denied access to bathrooms and other public
accommodations, according to a case before the California Supreme
Court. Many complain that they are targets of hate crimes. And they
continue to face resistance from the religious right.
Transgender rights also are problematic for some gays and lesbians.
A spat recently broke out over the pending federal Employment
Nondiscrimination Act, which as written would shield gays and
lesbians from job bias. Some activists want it to also cover
Sources
Foundation Fined in Firing of Lesbian - Chicago Sun-Tunes, Nov. 10, 1998
Gay Student's Death Spurs Debate- Stamford Advocate, October 18, 1998
Homophobia Runs Deep - New Haven Register, Nov. 3, 1998
IL- Gay Church Sues TV Station - New York Times, October 28, 1998
Lesbian Request Denied - Cincinnati Enquirer, Nov. 7, 1998
Pope Hits Out at Non-Marital Unions - Reuters, October 23, 1998
Raising The Demand For Awareness - Hartford Courant, Oc. 17, 1998
Religious Right Trounced - Log Cabin Republicans
Stamford School's Goal is Helping Youth-Advocate, Nov. 15, 1998
State Supports New Britain Teacher - Hartford Courant, Oct. 20, 1998
Targets of Hate - Albany Times-Union, October 22, 1998
They' re Here, They' re Queer - Hartford Advocate, October 20, 1998
TX - Case May Test Sodomy Law - Dallas Morning News, Nov. 7, 1998
WA - Kent Schools Pay $10,000 - Morning News Tribune, Nov. 7, 1998
Maria C. Castillo, MSW, LCSW
Individual, Couples, and Family Therapy
Recovery from Abuse
Bilingual
(203) 261-3492
(203) 336-2708
Monroe, CT
transgender people, who can be either gay or heterosexual. But to
their dismay, the Human Rights Campaign - a nationwide gay and
lesbian lobbying group - has opposed the idea. "We absolutely
agree that the transgender community should have employment
protections," said Nancy Buermeyer, the campaign's senior policy
advocate. But getting support for gay and lesbian issues is hard
enough, she added, without adding the still-volatile issue of
transgender rights. "
That cross dressers and transsexuals are objecting to such issues in
public is itself significant. No longer willing to suffer in silence,
transgender activists these days loudly protest any perceived slight.
They recently chastised Ford Motor Company for its still-running
ad with a male character who is forced to wear women's clothes
after losing a bet about a Ford truck. Among other signs of a
developing trend, the Random House Webster's College Dictionary
included the term "transgender" for the first time last year.
Hollywood is producing more transgender-themed films and such
businesses as AT&T, Hewlett-Packard Co. and Sun Microsystems
Inc. win praise for their relative sensitivity toward transgender
employees.
Bridgeport.CT
CONFUSED? SCARED? NOWHERE TO TURN?
Peter Scifo
If you have HIV/AIDS, you don't need to feel like you
are alone. Stamford CARES gives you the support and
attention you require. We are your direct link to the HIV
Care Network. Complete confidentiality assured.
Serving Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan.
Call 977-5096 to speak to a Care Coordinator today.
ETTERS
~LON
932 Hope Street, Stamford. Conn.
Telephone: 203-348~9880
We're here to help - because we care.
Jane
w. Griffith,
JD, MBA
Attorney-at-Law
Joan W. Duncan, Ph.D.
Psychotherapist
Tax Strategy & Preparation • Real Estate
Estate Planning & Wills • Business Consulting
Women and Couples
188 Scribner Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06854
(203) 854-4805
270Alden Avenue, New Haven, CT06515-2ll4
Fax 203 / 387-9899
Voice 203 I 389-8614
-13-
T NEWS & VIEWS
JOSEPH H. SWEENEY, CPA
SAUGATUCK COUNSELING CENTER
ATTORNEY-AT LAW
Individual, Couple, Family & Group Therapy
1305 POST ROAD, FAIRFIELD
203/256-3839
JOHANNA RAYMAN
M.S. W., L.C.S. W.
Tax Planning, Preparation & Appeals;
Estates & Trusts, Probate Matters,
Real Estate Law; Elder Law; and
Small Business Formations and Assistance
225 MAIN STREET, LLI • WESTPORT, CT 06880 • 203.454.1549
Diane Hyatt, MSW, LCSW
Maureen M. Murphy
Problem focused psychotherapy for Adults,
Adolescents, lndlvlduals and Couples.
Speclallzlng in, but not limited to:
2 7 Elm Street
New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 789-2269
Fax (203) 781)-2(}()7
49 Coolidge Avenue
Stamford, CT 06906
(203) 964-1847
E-mail: mmurph!aw @ aof.com
Civil Rights
Employment Law
Title IX
Special Education l.1w
I'.1mi/y L.1w
Lesbian & Gay Legal Rights
1653 Capltol Avenue
llrldgeport, CT 06606
(203) 332-0136
T
Depression
T
Anxiety/Phobias
T
Counseling for Partners & Family
T
T
Psychotherapy Groups
EMDR Consultation
AIDS
an
equal opportunity
infection
men, women, children
PLAY SAFE
STAMFORD H EALT H D EPART MENT
AJDS PROGRAM
HIV ANTTRODYTF.STING
anonymow and free rcni n~
We a.re here and we a.re he.l plilg.
967-AIDS
~
• Coming out
• Self-esteem
• Relationships
• Dating
TCC Wish List
It JI
Being a gay man or lesbian today can stir up many
important issues. And sometimes you need to talk to
someone who understands. For over a decade, I have
helped gay men and women understand themselves
better and take hold of their lives. I can help you now
to build new focus in your life, and grow into your
strengths and unique character. Please call me at
(203) 454-1549 for a complimentary consultation, and
find out how you can overcome your problems and get
a new outlook on life.
Expert Help For
Many Issues:
Big Smen TV
• Depression
Most insurance accepted • Flexible scheduling, with
afternoon and evening appointments available
Emergency appointments within 24 hours
No-wait appointments • Calls returned promptly
Convenient location and parking
• Recovery
• Self-improvement
(203) 454-1549
• Community building
Fax
Licensed: State of Connecticut
MS: Columbia University.
Copier
New York. NY
Member: National Association
of Social Workers
-14-
<
co
225 Main Street, LL-1 • Westport, CT 06880
c..
Q
T NEWS & \/IEW~
Univilill1~!1lf1fii~i1Jil~,1~[1i11Jill~1~111l~[1J11d, OK
Property of the Center
M 001 111 382
TRIANGLE COMMUNITY CENTER, INC.
P.O. BOX 4062,. East Norwalk, CT 06855
TeJ/Fax: (203) 853-0600
e-mail TCCenter@aol.com
TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES
GROUPS MEETING AT OR SPONSORED BY TCC
A.A. - Don 762-9964
Bi Rap Group - Peter 838-2806; Robin 855-8646
35+ Women's Pot Lucks - Judy 227-7162
Free Association of Fairfield County - Bruce 782-1496
Gay Men's Rap Group - Dave 838-1881
Gmosaic (People of Color)- Nasheed 854-7726
Lesbian Literature Reading Group - Christine 847-8476
Out & About (20's & 30's) - Heather 924-2930, Ashley 576-1073
or Dan 838-2367
OutSpoken (Youth)-Perry & Sara 846-4569; Dan 227-1755;
Doug 838-2367
P-FLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians & Gays)Joan 544-8724; Lester 322-5380; Belinda 855-1203
P-FLAG Spouses & Ex Spouses Group - Joan 544-8724
Triangle Bowling League (Circle Lanes, Fairfield) - Lisa 333-3113;
Roseann 931-8789
Women's Rap Group - Chandra 226-8652; Linda 866-4598;
Michele 438-4465
Writer's Group- Mona 863-1553
All meetings are held at the Center and in the evening unless
otherwise noted. A $3 donation per person is appreciated with your
participation in activities to help support the Center.
OTHER AREA GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Bare & Gay (B&G) gay nudists
(203) 330-9595
Bisexually Curious Support Group Bot
(203) 264-5605
Chiltern Mountain Club
(203) 899-0270
Connecticut Kids and Families
(203) 256-8414
Connecticut Freedom to Marry Coalition
(203) 791-9553
40-Up Club. (Social Grp. -call Dale before 10pm) (203) 261-4019
Gay Fathers Group
(203) 866-7051
(203) 778-7016
Gay Mens Association of Danbury
GEMS (Mature GLBT)
(860) 688-1881
GuideLine (gay/lesbian phone info)
(203) 366-3734
Hartford Community Center
(203) 724-5542
Married Men's Bisexual Suppt Grp Htfd
(203) 262,1555
Metropolitan Community Church
(203) 389-6750
(203) 222-1441
Rainbow Task Force (Unitarian Church)
Transgendered Resource - Kaylen
(203) 661-2448
(914) 948-4922
The Loft, White Plains NY,
Triangle Bowling League
(203) 931-8789
Triangle Kids
(203) 323-6278 & (203) 255-6229
(203) 773-9947
Western Connecticut Gay Men's Group
Call (203) 964-1133 for free hstrng.
WHERE ARE WE? The Triangle Community Center Inc. is
located at 25 Van Zant Street in Norwalk. From 1-95, take
Exit 16 and go south (from Stamford, turn right; from New
Haven, turn left). Continue south under the railroad bridge
and turn right on Van Zant St (Route 136). 25 Van Zant is a
large condominium office building on the right. TCC is in
Suite 7-C on the ground floor. Tel. (203) 853-0600.
Deadline for the January Newsletter is Saturday, December
12th • We cannot gaurantee that material received after this
date will be included in the Jan. News & Views.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
DON BUXTON .................... President
DENYSE BURKE ..................Vice-President
JOHN WALLACE ................Treasurer
MEG BACHTEL.. ................. Corresponding Secretary
DAVE CARROLL.. ............... Recording Secretary
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEG BACHTEL
JIM BRIDGE
DON BUXTON
DENYSE BURKE
DAVE CARROLL
JOHN DEL VECCHIO
KAREN JASTERMSKY
MICHELE STONE
JOHN WALLACE
(203) 375-9020
(203) 847-3268
(203) 762-9964
(203) 367-3911
(203) 838-1881
(203) 334-3822
(203) 899-0381
(203) 964-1133
(203) 389-7381
STANDING COMMITTEES
AIDS Liaison
Tom M
Board Development Vacant
Communications
John D
-Public Relations
Mike C
Finance
John W
Fundraising
Vacant
Membership
Denyse B
-Member Database
Marianne S
Operations
Cindy M
(and to schedule events at the Center)
Program
Dave C
Resource Room
Walter D
-Center Forums
Marianne S
Volunteer
Karen J
374-6934
334-3822
375-3567
261-7349
367-3911
222-8294
595-9799
838-1881
374-6934
222-8294
899-0381
NEWS& VIEWS
Is published monthly by
Triangle Community Center, Inc.
P.O. Box 4062,. East Norwalk, CT 06855.
NEWS & VIEWS encourages its readers to submit materials of interest
to our community, including short articles, letters to the editor, etc.
We cannot respond to, or publish, anonymous letters. We reserve
the right to edit or conaense as appropriate to meet space
requirements Authors will be contacted if maJor rev1s10ns are
necessary. Please submit to:
NEWS&VIEWS
Michele Stone: Editor & Advertising Manager
P.O. Box 8185
Stamford, CT 06905
Phone/Fax: (203) 964-1133
John DelVecchio: Assist. Editor
Phone: 203-334-3822
Mike Collins: Publicity
Phone: (203) 375-8567
E-mail: News Views2@aol.com
FOR AD RATES PLEASE CONTACT MICHELE STONE:
Ads lllllfil be camera-ready. Any ad not camera ready will
be subject to an additional charge. Inserts and special sizes
upon prior agreement. All ads are placed on a space available
basis.
The publication of the name of any person or organization in articles
or ads in NEWS & VIEWS is not to be construed as any indication of
the sexual orientation of such persons or members of such
organizations. The appearance of advertisements in NEWS & VIEWS
does not imply nor constitute endorsement by TCC, Inc. The views
expressed in this NEWS & VIEWS are not necessarily those of TCC,
Inc. Copyright 1997 by Triangle Community Center, Inc. All rights
reserveed. This work, or any parts thereof, may not be used or
reproduced in any manner without written permission.
-15-
TNEWS & VIEWS
TCC Calendar
Sun
December, 1998
Mon
Tues
1
II
Lesbian Llt 7:30
Wed
Fri
Thu
2
P-FLAG 7:45
3
4
Men's Rap 7:30
Sat
5
G-Mosaic 7:30
Bowl 9:30 Circle Lanes
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
AA 9-10 am
Outspoken 4-6
Women's Rap 7:30
TCC Board 7:30
Witter's Group 7:30
Bi Rap Group 7:30
Spirituality Group 7
Men's Rap 7:30
Out & About 7:00
Bowl 9:30 Circle Lanes
N&V's Deadline
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
AA 9-l0am
OutSpoken 4-6
Movie Night 6
Women's Rap 7:30
P-FLAG Spouses &
Ex-spouses 7:30
Men's Rap 7:30
G-Mosaic 7:30
Bowl 9:30 Circle Lanes
Hanukkah be2ins at sundown
20
AA 9-10 am
OutSpoken 4-6
Friendraiser 2-6
27
AA 9-10 am
OutSpoken 4-6
21
Women's Rap 7:30
28
22
23
29
25
24
Bi Rap Group 7:30
Spirituality Group 7
TCC Board 7:30
Writer's Group 7:30
Men's Rap 7:30
31
30
Women 's Rap 7:30
~
26
•
Connecticut Calendar - December
Thursday, December 3 - The Hartford Gay and Lesbian
Health Collective will be holding a volunteer orientation for
anyone interested in learning more about volunteer
opportunities from 6-7 PM at the Health Collective, 1841
Broad St., Hartford, or call Joe Simard at 860-278-4163.
Friday, December 4 - Movie: "Miracle on 34th Street'' at
the NHGLCC, 50 Fitch Street, New Haven. 6:30 PM potluck,
7:15 PM screening, $3.00. More info: FGDMYO@aol.com.
Friday, December 11 - Movie: "Holiday Inn" at the
NHGLCC, 50 Fitch Street, New Haven. 6:30 PM potluck, 7:15
PM screening, $3.00. More info: FGDMYO@aol.com.
Tuesday, December 15 - The Third Tuesday in New
Milford's Christmas Party will be held at the Bistro Cafe on
Bank Street in downtown New Milford at 7 PM. Go upstairs
to the Tap Room past the "private party" sign. Featuring live
Christmas music, and lots of nice people.
Friday, December 18 - Movie: "Scrooge" (Musical) at the
NHGLCC, 50 Fitch Street, New Haven. 6:30 PM potluck, 7:15
PM screening, $3.00.
Thursday, December 24 - Midnight Mass at Dignity
Hartford. We will gather at the Quaker Meeting house at 10:00
PM for a dessert social. At 11:30 we will have a carol sing,
followed by Christmas Mass at midnight. All are welcome
to join us.
Friday, December 25 - Movie: "White Christmas" at the
NHGLCC, 50 Fitch Street, New Haven. 6:30 PM potluck, 7:15
PM screening, $3.00. More info: FGDMYO@aol.com.
-16-
Thursday, December 31 - Women After Hours New
Years Eve Ball (women only), Holiday Inn, East Hartford,
8:30 PM -1:00 AM, $10.00 cover. For info call 860-528-9611.
TMEMBERSHIP FORM
MEMBERSHIP LISTS ARE CONFIDENTIAL
NAME
ADDRESS
CtTY
PHONE
STATE-- ZtP
E-MAIL
Contributing Member
Contributing Household
Supporting Member
Sponsoring Member
Sustaining/Business Member
Special Member (Youth/Senior)
Newsletter Only
$ 35
$ 60
$12 5
$250
$500
$ 20
$ 15
(new subscriptions only)
Please make check payable to:
Triangle Community Center, Inc. - Membership
P.O. Box 4062 - East Norwalk, CT 06855
(203) 853-0600
j
-
Property of the Center
Triangle Community Center
■e,,'"
Free to Members and Subscribers
\Sf
A ,Tie,,'"
December 1998
Vol.9, No.12
The Triangle Community Center, Inc. a non-profit Connecticut corporation, exists to provide services to give the
lesbian/gay/bisexualjtransgender community a sense of identity, pride and visibility, as well as to work with the
greater Fairfield County community to foster understanding and awareness of lesbian/gay/bisexualjtransgender issues.
TCC's Holiday Friendraiser!
TCC's monthly Friendraiser for December will be held on December 20th from 2 to 6 PM.
Roy and Terry have hosted our holiday Friendraisers for the last four years and have graciously
shifted their busy schedules to allow the tradition to continue. Food and beverages will be
provided. Come to their gayly decorated home and help us celebrate the holidays!
DIRECTIONS:
Via Merritt Parkway - SOUTHBOUND: take Exit 34, Long Ridge Road. At the light at the end of the exit ramp, make a left on to Long Ridge
NORTHBOUND: take Exit 34, Long Ridge Road. At the end of the exit ramp, make a right. You will then be on Long Ridge Road.
Go for one mile, thro ugh 6 lights (including the blinky one). At the 7th light (which is the one mile point), make a right. Do NOT go to extreme
right which goes up a winding hill. Go up hill which runs right by the nursery (watch for the blue "H" signs for the hospital). The road you are
on is Stillwater. Take Stillwater (its winding) for 1. 7 miles, through 3 lights (including the blinky one). At the fourth light, where there is a
Christian Science Church on the left, make a left turn on to Bridge St. Take Bridge St. until the first right turn, which is Hubbard Avenue. After
you go through one traffic light on Hubbard the third house on the right is number 42, a white center-hall colonial.
Via 95 - SOUTHBOUND: take Exit 6, West Avenue. At the light make a right onto West.
NORTHBOUND: take Exit 6, H drvard Avenue. Go through one light (Harvard Ave). At the next light make a left onto West.
Take West until it ends and makP a left onto Stillwater, which curves around to the left of a large field and school. At the next intersection make
a right turn onto Broad Street. Take the first light which is Hubbard, and make a left. The 4th house on the left is number 42 as described above.
WHEN in doubt follow blue signs for hospital (H) - The address again is 42 Hubbard Avenue, Stamford . Phone (203) 348-2954 if you get lost.
"Holy Order! The sisters are brothers!"
"Hilarious!"
,
-MwMTI ...
• Lil
S•it•
TheTri;m
,.
,..
C
scott M - Robbins
"Sensationa If"
"A H·,ti"
-WAIC-N
-USA Tt4ty
ft produced by
A Bene' TCC
...i..
A parli.OCI of the 9roc
•PpO"'
s
ffp.EAo&ROSf.
For 'Tickets<zo,-85s-l4ss
S3S DOI SS0,00 Masle~;~::
includes posts.how
January 15, 16, 21, 22, & 23, 1999 at 8PM
Norwalk Community Technical College
Performing Arts Center
188 Richards Avenue, Norwalk
Nunsense A-Men! - an all new, all male version of the smash play
"Nunsense" is coming to Fairfield County in January 1999. Five
performances are set for January 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 at 8 PM, at Norwalk
Community Technical College's Performing Arts Theatre on Richards Ave.
in Norwalk off Connecticut Turnpike (I-95) exit 13. Tickets are $50 and $35
for the show and include a post-show reception. Tickets may be obtained
by calling (203) 855-1485.
Nunsense A-Men! features comedy, gags, and music, with songs ranging
from tender to hand-clapping torrid. The director is Scott M. Robbins. The
cast includes: Amie Cuarenta of New York City as Sister Leo, Scott Fabri of
Fairfield as Sister Hubert, Joe Guttadauro of Norwalk as Sister Robert Anne,
Edward James Hines of Norwalk as Sister Amnesia, and Al Recchia of
Stratford as the Reverend Mother.
The musical director is Stephanie Datimer and the choreographer is Kathy
Hellrigel both from Norwalk. The set has been designed by scenic designer
Barry Axtell of New York City. Patty Blackwood's puppet-the puppet from
the original Nunsense - will be featured in the Norwalk performances. The
Westchester Broadway Theatre and the Helen Hayes Theatre of Nyack, NY,
also are assisting in the Norwalk performance.
Elliott Arluck, the show's producer, said that the corporate sponsors of the
production include Virgin Atlantic Airways, People's Bank, and Cafe 168
(168 York St., New Haven). The hotel Millennium Bailey's of London has
donated a room for two for a raffle in conjunction with the show.
Many Hearts • • • One Community
T NEWS & VIEWS
TCCNEWS
Les/Bi/Gay /Trans Spiritualities
Board Acts on Town Meeting Ideas
Explore your spirituality in a supportive group environment. The group
will determine its own structure and direction (though with guidance
and suggestions as needed). We will meet every other week to support
one another in defining our own spirituality and looking at how who we
are individually and as a member of a sexual minority influences our
spirituality. Facilitator: Marion Visel, M. Div. Marion is a candidate for
the Unitarian Universalist ministry and graduate of the Graduate
Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She is a member of the Triangle
Community Center. The group will meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of
the month. Their next meeting is December 9th from 7-9 PM at TCC.
Contact: Marion Visel (203) 250-7933.
TCC held its annual Town Meeting on October 4th and out of that
meeting came several productive and positive suggestions. Below
are some of the suggestions and what the Board has done to
implement them.
Suggestion - New site for TCC
Response - Dave Carroll, Michael Pavlicin and Lester Sharlach have
volunteered their expertise and are working overtime to help find a
new home for TCC. They have looked at several locations but found
them unsuitable for various reasons. Legal advise is being provided
at no charge by attorney Vickie Ferrara. A big THANKS to all!
Suggestion - TCC should get an 800 or other telephone number so
that calls to the Center are local. Get the phone staffed
Response - Inquiries were made with SNET concerning an 800 number. But because of our eminent move, plans for the number have
been put on hold. Voice Mail boxes are now available to callers providing TCC's purpose, directions to the Center and a list of upcoming events. Caller messages are picked up daily.
Suggestion - Have open board meetings regularly.
Response - An open board meeting was held on October 20th . Two
TCC members attended and offered several ideas for Board members to consider. No date has been set for the next open meeting.
Suggestion - Have more frequent Town Meetings.
Response - The Board supported the idea of having quarterly Town
Meetings but a final decision was not made.
Suggestion - Have mailboxes for each group that meets at TCC.
Response - Mailboxes for every group have been put in place. Announcements are placed in the boxes for facilitators to read at their
meetings. There is also a place for suggestions.
Suggestion - A Volunteer Committee chair is desperately needed.
Response - Karen Jastermsky, TCC's newest Board member, is the
new chair for the Volunteer Committee and is working with Denny
Burke on a campaign to get more volunteers.
Suggestion - TCC should have more potlucks.
Response - Potluck suppers have been added to TCC's Movie Night.
Suggestion - Women need to be included in theatrical productions.
Response - Unfortunately, this cannot be done for this year's production of Nunsense because of contractual stipulations but women
will definitely be needed next year.
Suggestion - News & Views should publish a list of what the Center needs in terms of volunteers as well as items.
Response - The items needed by TCC are now being published
monthly in News & Views under the headline: Wish List.
Suggestion - There should be more Center-wide activities.
Response - TCC has begun this task by hosting a Friendraiser at
the Center in November. It was open to all.
**
Going to a party?
Time to don that gay apparel you keep in the
back of your closet!
~---------
Common Danbury
Ground
Holiday Calendar
We invite all gays and lesbians to our December programs!
Tuesday, Dec. 8 - Noted author and educator Dan Woog
discusses his recently published book "Jocks,"
about gay male athletes. Dan is openly gay and
a soccer coach at Staples High School in
Westport, CT. A warm and engaging speaker,
Dan will be discussing his experiences as an
educator and a proponent of gay youth. Join
- - - . s at 7:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Society
in Redding, CT.
Tuesday, Dec. 15 - We'll meet at the Gathering in New
Milford from 7-10 PM.
Tuesday, Dec.22- Our Holiday Potluck dinner will be held
at 7 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Redding.We'll
prepare the ham and you bring your favorite dish.
Common Ground is an association of Bi and Gay men who
wish to meet in a welcoming and convivial setting for social
events of interests. We meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Unitarian Universalist Society
Building in West Redding, CT.
Directions to the Unitarian Society:
North on Route 7 from Norwalk/Wilton past the famous Stonehinge
restaurant on the left, and up hill to traffic light - and right at the light onto
Picketts Ridge Road. Drive along the winding road about a quarter mile to
the Unitarian sign on the left - into the driveway and park. The potlucks are
in the white house on the left of the drive. Use the rear entrance and up the
stairs.
Exit 184 from Danbury onto Route 7 South and drive past Triangles Cafe and
about one half mile past the split of 35 into Ridgefield (don't take it). Turn
left from route 7 at the traffic light onto Picketts Ridge and follow above
directions. For more information and weather announcements please call
(203) 743-5731.
Lesbian Lit Group
For their December 1st meeting, the Lesbian Literature
Group has chosen the novel, "Ferocious Romance" for
discussion. The author, Donna Minkowl
described her
book saying that It deals with, ''wha
counters with
the right tau
me about sex, go
ry." Copies of the
book are ava
ocal boo
and libraries. The Lit
Group meets
of each month at TCC
beginning at 7:30 PM.
nformation call Christine at
(203) 847-8476.
-2-
T NEWS & VIEWS
TCC Fiction Writing Group
Movie Night and Potluck
Behind every beginning is a story. Thf' story behind the creation of the TCC
Writer's group is an old one. lt begins with the lofty ideas of dreamers (like
myself) who still believe in the possibility for positive change in a world where
chaos is the only constant. As I sat down to write about this group for the TCC
newsletter, I asked myself the reason behind my desire to bring Gay and Lesbian
writers together at TCC. And the answer that came to me what a simple one:
Freedom.
Only last night, I was sitting in front of a Holocaust survivor who had gathered
all of her strength during the years when a piece of her soul died along with
all of her family members and the first time she decided to tell her story to
those willing to listen. As I listened to her, my mind sat quietly - paralyzed by
the pain of my heart. There are horrors that cannot be filtered by the mind,
comprehended by the heart. Atrocities so great, words can only ram themselves
against the flat surface of our understanding like birds flying into glass panes.
When she finished her story, she paused and looked al the handful of us
gathered in a small classroom. As I sat waiting for her to speak again, I knew
that she wanted to a tell us one more thing, maybe a word or phrase that
would distill her story into something that could be held, contained within
our understanding. And that's when she said the words that I need to remind
myself daily on my ongoing journey as a writer and lesbian: "You are all still
young, with a long life ahead of you. The most important thing in life second
to your health is your freedom." She is right. But I know that there are varying
degrees of freedom or captivity for that matter, varying breadths of space within
which we can express ourselves, grow dnd continue to change into the person
we truly are. Within the Gay, Lesbian and Transgender community, we are
constantly confronted with these varying degrees of captivity where our
identities are rebuffed and slammed ag.-1inst the impenetrable wall of the norm.
But we must remember that freedom '.Jegins with a clear sense of self and a
lucid and limpid voice that rings true. V\ riling can be a powerful way to uncover
the chamber where that voice echoes.
The TCC Writer's group is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive creative
forum for the exchange of ideas for all courageous TCC members who are
willing to uncover, discover, recover their voice though the pen. Silence =
Death. Never have these words carried so much meaning as in the life of a
silenced writer. There is a writer in all >f us. Not all writers are artists nor are
all artists writers, yet everyone has a V•>ice. However distant, faint or muted,
your voice can be unleashed through th e power of the written word. Whenever
I conduct writing workshops, I like to express to people that writing has saved
my life and indeed it has.
The goal of this group is to create a safe haven for writers to come together
and share their work and ideas about writing with each other. Although this is
not a place to learn how to write per se, this group welcomes all who are willing
to explore the realm of writing and able to read and review the work of other
writers with respect, support and gentleness. It is up to the members of the
group to come to a steadier definition and structure than those stated here.
The only bona fide rules of the group are mutual respect and noncompetitiveness. Having the courage to share one's self through the written
word is an act of generosity. But it takes a certain type of reader to be able to
receive this gift fully - it requires gratitude, respect and a lot of love. I look
forward to meeting all of you writers out there interested in writing and sharing
your fiction in this light.
Bring your cute little self and food for four to this
month's Movie Night at TCC. The film for
December is "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" . The
n
Los Angeles Times described the movie as, "bold,
witty and hilarious!" It all happens on Sunday,
December 13th at TCC. Food at 6 PM and film at 7 PM.
Contact Information: The group will be facilitated by Mona de Vestel. Meetings
will be held twice a month (the second and fourth Tuesday of every month) at
the Triangle Community Center from 7:30-9:30 PM. The first meeting will
take place on Tuesday November 10th at 7:30 PM. For more information, please
contact Mona: (203) 863-1553.
A couple of words about the facilitator: Mona de Vestel is a novelist living in
Stamford. She has recently completed her first novel Idols (currently looking
for an agent) and is at work on her second novel (untitled). Mona has given
many readings in places such as Barnes and Noble, Tower Books, Cornelia
Street Cafe, KGB Cafe and the Gay and Lesbian Center in New York City. Mona
has conducted a number of writing workshops in NYC, the Catskills and
Vermont. She was also the facilitator of a Weekly Novel Writing Group for
three years in Manhattan.
Correction to Nov N&V's: TCC's revenue and expenses numbers should be ...
Total revenue
$27,076.22
Total expenses
($29,-'44. 91)
Net Total (Deficit)
($2,368.69)
-3-
It Takes a Whole VIiiage to Raise Our Children
Children From the Shadows (CFS) invites YOU to participate in
CFS VI: It Takes a Whole Village To Raise Our Children Too! It
takes a Whole Village to Raise Our Children Too will be held on
Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20, 1999 at the University
of Hartford in West Hartford, CT. More than 2,500 students,
teachers, social workers and others have attended CFS since it's
inception five years ago. With more than 80 workshop choices,
ranging from professional level presentations to facilitated
discussions, interactive exchanges, networking and entertainment,
the conference offers something for everybody. Registration fees
are $15 for one day/ $20 for both days for youth and full-time
students; $45 for one day and $60 for both for adults and include
lunch, all workshop choices as well as entertainment and a youth
dance on Saturday. Work exchanges and scholarships are available.
It takes a whole village to raise healthy, productive, happy lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. It takes our children
themselves - those who are fierce, fabulous warriors for change,
those who are still too frightened by a hostile world to venture
out, and those who stand somewhere in-between. It takes our
elders - those who have come before us to light the way with their
passion, their bravery and their vision of how the world might
be ... It takes our families of origin and our families of choice; our
civic, political and our religious leaders; our mental and physical
health care providers. We need them all to understand and
participate in the development and maintenance of our health and
well-being. We need YOU!
YOU can participate by sharing your expertise as a workshop
presenter or facilitator; by attending as a participant who wants
to learn more and help make a difference; by volunteering to help
as an organizer or a conference angel. For More Information: Call:
1-888-565-5551, e-mail: CFShadows@Juno.com or write: CFS, PO
Box 1855, Manchester CT 06045.
Outwrlte
The annual Outwrite conference, a gathering of gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered writers, authors and journalists, will
be held from February 26-28, 1999, at the Park Plaza Hotel in
Boston, MA.
The conference in past years has brought such top names as Tony
Kushner, author of" Angels In America," and publishers, editors
and reporters from mainstream newspapers and magazines as well
as gay and lesbian publishers. The event, sponsored by Gay
Community News of Boston, will include seminars and workshops
on a wide assortment of topics related to gay publishing.
Representatives of publishing companies will be there to discuss
book proposals.
Among those present last year was Kirk Read, then editor of Our
Own, the gay newspaper in the Norfolk-Portsmouth, VA area, and
who is now a columnist and free-lance reporter based in San
Francisco. For more information about Outwrite call (617) 262-6969,
extension 3 or fax (617) 267-0852. Snail mail is 29 Stanhope Street,
Boston, MA 02116.
TNEWS & VIEWS
Coverage of Matthew's Death
By Michael Collins
Finally a gay bashing death was given the coverage it deserved in the mass
media, with the vicious murder of a young Wyoming student, Matthew
Shepard in October. Several years ago a gay man was murdered in Texas
and stabbed dozens of times, and I recall seeing only one tiny wire piece
about it. And I never remember any other gay death receiving full coverage
in the way other hate crime deaths have been covered.
With all the anti-gay rhetoric this past election year by the right-wing
Republicans, I think at least some or even much of the public saw the
connection between the heightened atmosphere of hate this rhetoric created,
and the tragic death of Matthew. This may have been one factor in the results
of the November 3rd elections. Many of the Republicans who went down to
defeat were right-wing Republicans, such as U.S. Senator Lauch Faircloth of
North Carolina, Jesse Helm's evil twin.
The Triangle Community Center (TCC) of Norwalk responded, and I spoke
to a number of newspapers and appeared on various broadcast media, thanks
to cooperative efforts of News & Views editor Michele Stone, TCC president
Donald Buxton, TCC founding president Justine Michaud and Meg Bachtel,
the public relations department of Quinnipiac College of Hamden, and
others. The gist of my comments were that Matthew's death was the kind of
crime that happens - his skull smashed and his body pinned to a fence when you have the top man in the U.S. Senate - Trent Lott - calling gay
people kleptomaniacs, or you have U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
saying in an official decision that animus (animosity) toward homosexuals
is a good thing, as he did 2 years ago in his dissension in the Colorado
referendum ruling. It creates an atmosphere, and sends a signal to the haters
that it's okay to bash gays.
I appeared on the front pages of the New Haven Register and the Connecticut
Post and made this point. The same night I saw U.S. Senator Joseph
Liebermen and he had seen the Register piece and thought the quotes were
excellent. I also appeared on a morning talk show broadcast Wednesday
October 14, 1998 for a full half hour on WNLK 1350 Norwalk and WSTC
1400 Stamford, and was able to talk extensively about TCC and what services
it offers, as well as Matthew's death. At 12 noon I appeared with Connecticut
Civil Liberties Union president Joseph Grabarz on David Smith's Exchange
on Newsvision 12. Then the following Sunday the Stamford Advocate had
a major front page piece, and TCC founding president Justine Michaud,
author Dan Woog and also actor Dan Kelley, all from TCC, were quoted
extensively. On November 1", a vigil was held at Fairfield's First Church
Congregational to mark Matthew's death, and bring attention to the issue
of bigotry and I, as TCC public relations director, invited the media, WTNH
Newschannel 8 led with the story and when I was interviewed, TCC received
full display on the screen. It is reassuring to see that the life of a gay person
does count, and that a hate crime against a gay person does count as much
as an attack against someone for racial or religious reasons. That is a
significant step, I believe.
On November 15, the Westport Unitarian Church held a major vigil, featuring
multiple speakers and the Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus. TCC president
Don Buxton helped arrange this, along with Rozanne Gates and Suzanne
Sheridan, both of the Rainbow Task Force.
wrong about slavery
wrong about the civil war
wrong in their (winning position) on Native Americans
wrong in bringing us the Irish potato famine
wrong in resisting abolition of child labor
wrong about keeping women from voting
wrong about repression of workers' rights and labor unions
and working conditions
wrong for bringing us the KKK
wrong for bringing us Jim Crow
wrong for bringing us segregation
wrong for bringing us Nazism in Europe
wrong for bringing us the McCarthy Era
wrong about prohibition
wrong about Christian and Islamic fundamentalism with its
intolerance and terrorism
wrong about the civil rights movement
wrong in its anti-Semitism
wrong about women's rights and sexism
wrong about wanting to give wealth and power to the top 1 %
wrong about homosexuals today,
The radical right-wingers are WRONG for always trying to impose their
views on everyone through intimidation and hysteria and terror.
Homosexuals live in fear every day. The older generation is still shell-shocked
from the 1950s terror and in 1998 its members still fear even giving out their
own names as homosexuals. The young generation fears being called "fag"
at high school, and being smashed against high school lockers, or even worse.
Christmas Eve at MCC In New Haven
Come and spend Chrisbnas Eve with your family at MCC
New Haven. Join us for Candles and Carols at 7 PM and 11
PM. There will be a special time for children in the 7 PM
service. MCC New Haven is located in the Westville section
of New Haven, just off Whalley Ave. at 34 Harrison St. Call
the church office for directions and more information at (203)
389-6750 or visit our website: www.mccnh.org. Rev. Frank
Beard invites all of our community to come and celebrate the
birth of Christ together.
I spoke i: t the service. My comments included, "we should constantly remind
people that Jesus never mentions homosexuality, but specifically condemns
divorce and remarriage. While I understand why divorce happens, the
right-wing Republicans justify their gay-hatred by saying they take the bible
literally. Well, they do not. They even elevate those living the
divorce-and-remarriage "lifestyle" to the presidency! We should say to these
hypocrites: 'Was Jesus kidding when he condemned divorce and remarriage?
How can you support Congressman Barr, Gingrich, Armey, Ronald Reagan,
Dole, and many others? Was he kidding when he condemned being
judgmental, and said the GREATEST commandment is to love your neighbor
as much as yourself?"'
Right-wing leader and commentator Paul Weyrich said, "Homosexuality is
the highest sin." It says this no where. We are letting them get away with
their agenda of bigotry with our failure to respond to their lying and deceitful
arguments. We allow them to cherry-pick verses from the bible to persecute
a vulnerable minority, and fail to call them on it.
It is my view that the radical right wing is virtually always wrong, as
demonstrated during just the last 2 centuries.
-4-
AT LAST!
C'sMonumen
DDIC SALE
day, December 6
Froml-3 PM
Over 1,500
Books, Videos & Records
thing over $3. 00 ... N othi
Hundreds of subjects!
T NEWS & VIEWS
CONNECTICUT NEWS
Given the sometimes ferocious public reaction to any school policy
that even hints at "condoning" homosexuality, it's not surprising
that administrators often refuse to fight for their gay students. New
Haven attorney Maureen Murphy has handled cases of sexual
orientation harassment outside the courtroom. She says
administrators' responses run the gamut. "In some cases, the school
doesn't make an effort to intercede. In other cases, they just throw
their hands up and say they've talked to the kids and that they just
can't stop it. In other cases, just a letter from our office can make a
difference." Murphy does say that schools often don't take claims
seriously until a lawyer becomes involved. She also says that in many
cases, rather than sue, parents will simply take their children out of
the public schools. "The majority of these cases don't involve
students that identify themselves as gay," notes Murphy. Pointing
to the high suicide rate among sexual minority youth, she voices
concern about those kids who are gay and have not yet identified
themselves as such. "Who knows how much further these kids will
go into the closet because of their experiences?"
Controversy can be painful and destructive. It can also produce
positive change, notes Robin Passariello, founder of the Children
from the Shadows conference, pointing to the Brookfield High School
GSA as an example. "Even when there's a lot of hostility, something
good can come out of, it," she says. "That's why it's important to
have laws and policies in place to protect those people when there
is a community backlash. So you can say to those one or two parents
[who object], 'We're doing what we have to do to protect our kids."'
Passariello grew up in Connecticut and started the Children from
the Shadows conference as field work at the University of
Connecticut School of Social Work. The conference, which celebrated
its fifth year, consists of two days of workshops, speakers, activities
and entertainment in March. This year, CFS attracted between 800
and 1,000 people
They're Here, They're Queer
Richard Agostinho remembers the first time he cut class. A freshman
at Glastonbury High School, he was cornered by a classmate in the
hallway. "He asked me if I was a faggot." Agostinho tried to deny it
and the other boy punched him in the face. That was five years ago.
"We've come a long way" since then, says Joan Beach, a health and
physical education teacher in Glastonbury. Last year, a student asked
Beach to help him start a Gay Straight Alliance. She encouraged
him to go to the administration himself and explain the need. The
administration responded with a mandatory faculty workshop and
support for the GSA. The alliance, for which Beach is the faculty
adviser, now meets twice a month and is attended by between 10
and 35 kids.
Unfortunately, this success story remains too rare a phenomenon in
Connecticut, though the state is far ahead of most of the country in
establishing legal protection for gay students. In June 1997, under
pressure from gay rights advocates, the legislature amended its antidiscrimination statute to .make Connecticut one of only a handful of
states that prohibits discrimination in the public schools on the basis
of sexual orientation.
But, in some areas Connecticut shows less leadership than other
New England states. Massachusetts and Vermont state agencies, for
example, recently conducted surveys to determine the health and
educational risks for these students. Connecticut has undertaken
no such survey and so has no statistics on the educational and health
risks gay teens face. This spring, Ver:nont Gov. Howard Dean visited
a public high school and spent -!5 minutes decrying anti-gay
harassment. In contrast, Connecticut Gov. John Rowland refused for the third year in a row - to sign a proclamation marking June as
Gay Pride Month.
Even those adults within the school system who are supposed to
serve as resources for these children are often not willing to take a
proactive stance and advocate for them. Asked if she believes gay
students are being harassed at school, East Hartford High School
social worker Marilyn Dupuis says: "I'm sure that they have been.
There's no way we're going to stop that. We're never going to stop
people from being narrow and cruel. That's the way it is." Many
administrators seem eager to disnuss the harassment as "teasing,"
just one of the tough things about growing up. But sexual minority
youth are more alone than their peers.
Dan Woog, a teacher at Staples High School in Westport, thinks
that verbal slurs are in some ways worse than physical harassment,
which administrators are quicker to identify and punish. Woog
helped found Connecticut's first Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) in a
public school. The alliances are intended as forums where students,
teachers and parents can discuss homophobia and sexual identity,
regardless of their own sexual orientation. There are now 16 GSAs
in the Connecticut public schools. Woog feels that since the Staples
GSA' s inception, the atmosphere has changed significantly. "Many
more kids are aware of the power of language. You hear 'faggot'
and' queer' much less. Kids are aware that they have gay and lesbian
classmates, even if they don't know who they are."
While administrators and faculty recognize that schools should be
safe places for all students to learn, regardless of their sexual
orientation, many are not willing to take a public and proactive
stance against harassment to make this possible. Their hesitance
stems in large part from fear of community reaction - a fear that is
not entirely unjustified.
Stamford School's Goal is Helping Youth
A panel discussion was held in November in Stamford to raise
awareness of, and sensitivity to gay and lesbian youth issues. The
session was sponsored by Stamford Public School's Office of
Diversity and Multicultural Education. The discussion was designed
to ensure a safe environment for gay and lesbian students. Speakers
included David Knapp, co-chair of Stonewall Speakers Association,
Lester Sharlach, former president of the local chapter of Parents,
Family and Friends of Lesbian and Gays; and Deann LeBeau, a
retired teacher from Newtown High School.
The session covered such topics as how teachers can handle incidents
involving anti-gay verbal abuse and how to accommodate students
who are gay. Sharlach, a Stamford resident, said the goal is to reach
out to school social workers, teachers and others who might be able
to help homosexual students. Teachers must be willing to stop antigay comments, he said and the suicide rate is about 30% higher
than the rest of the population.
-5-
FROM YOUR NEWS
&
VIEWS
WITOR. MICHELE STONE.
T NEWS & VIEWS
Gays: Dodd/Franks Debate
The Connecticut Broadcasters Association (CBA) sponsored a debate
on October 29'h between US Senator Christopher Dodd and his
Republican opponent, Gary Franks. During the debate, Franks
chastised Dodd several times for Dodd' s earlier description of
Clinton as an "idiot" for allowing the Monica Lewinsky affair to
happen. Franks said, "I don't raise my children to be name callers."
Michael Collins, CBA board member and public relations director
of Norwalk's Triangle Community Center asked Franks and Dodd
what they thought of Republican US Senate Majority Leader Trent
Lott's comparison of homosexuals to "kleptomaniacs."
Franks, a right-wing black Republican, did not answer specifically
about Lott. He did note that he has "been a victim of bigotry" and
an attack at his Waterbury, CT home by the Ku Klux Klan. Franks
said that, "bigotry cannot be accepted anywhere in America, and I
would strongly support federal legislation that would protect the
rights of all individuals who are gay."
It might be noted that the planks in the platform of the Republican
Party for the 1996 presidential campaign included the phrase that
the Republican party supports equal rights for racial minorities but
opposes any "pernicious" attempts to extend this concept to
homosexuals. Franks said that, "individuals (who commit crimes
of bigotry) should be punished swiftly and severely and federal
legislation should apply." However, afterward, in conversation with
Michael Collins, Franks said, "If you had asked me about gay
marriage I would have given a different answer."
Senator Dodd said "I commend my opponent." Dodd also noted he
voted for the federal law to protect gays in employment several years
ago. "I think it is unfortunate that the majority leader used the
language he did because unfortunately language does affect people,
because it isn't just laws, it's how leaders talk on issues," that affects
events. Dodd used words no stronger than "ill-advised" to describe
Lott's use of the word kleptomaniacs. "To compare homosexuality
to kleptomania was ill-advised," Dodd said before an audience of
Connecticut TV and radio station owners, managers, programmers
and engineers. The debate was broadcast on Connecticut Public
Television as well. Dodd went on to win the November 3rd election
by a very large margin over Franks, garnering 65 per cent of the
vote.
- Michael Collins
to love God and love your neighbor as much as yourself. Other
pastors who spoke included, the Rev. Henry Morris, pastor of Our
Saviours Lutheran Church of Fairfield, Mr. Erick Olson, associate
pastor of the First Church Congregational of Fairfield, and the Rev.
Alida Ward Sohuchert, associate pastor of the Greenfield Hill
Congregational Church of Fairfield. Several people from TCC
attended the Fairfield vigil including board member, John
DeIVecchio, and public relations director, Michael Collins.
The family of Matthew Shepard is asking that donations be sent to
help support the groups Matthew cared about. They asked that
donations be sent to the Matthew Shepard Donation Fund, First
National Bank, P.O. Box 578, Fort Collins, Colorado 80522. Account
# 1926083.
-Michael Collins
Homophobia Runs Deep, Gay Activist Tells
Hamden Students
Troix Bettencourt was 16 and living a lie in 1992: a young gay man
masquerading as straight. Today, at 24, he's emerged as one of the
nation's most outspoken "Gen-X" gay advocates . Bettencourt
brought his story and message to Quinnipiac College in November,
telling gay and lesbian students that despite society's more tolerant
attitude toward homo!iexuals, there's still much work to be done.
Bettencourt has had his struggles with homophobia. His mother
called the police to remove him from the house in 1992, after he
announced he was gay. Bettencourt told students the incident
inspired him to become even more active in homosexual rights
organizations. He was elected president of the Boston Alliance of
Gay and Lesbian Youth and was later named to the Massachusetts
Gay and Lesbian Youth Commission.
Paul Thury
REALTOR·
Office: 203.846.1611 ext. 218
Res: 203.847.5621
Fax: 203.857.7842
E-mail: pthury@aol.com
Vigil for Matthew in Fairfield
You Have a Friend in
Real Estate
A vigil for Matthew Shepard, the young gay man killed in a vicious
attack in Laramie, Wyoming in October and James Byrd, the black
man killed in a vicious attack in Jasper, Texas in which he was
dragged by a pickup truck on a chain, were remembered in a vigil
on Sunday (November 1st ). The vigil was at the First Church
Congregational in Fairfield. Some 150 people turned out on the
Fairfield Green, and the church bells were rung to honor the victims.
The church described the vigil as civil observance to demonstrate,
"our resolve against bigotry, to stand for equal protection before the
law, and to commit our nation to justice." The Triangle Community
Center (TCC) arranged media coverage for the vigil, and it was the
lead story on WTNH channel 8 New Haven on the 8 PM evening
news and also was a top story on Cablevision 12 news Sunday
evening. The Connecticut Post also ran a story.
The Reverend David Spoliett, pastor of the First Church
Congregational, said "I do think the Christian Church needs to come
to grips with the centuries-old problem of racism and with
homophobia ." Some parents brought their children to the vigil,
telling channel 8 news that they wanted to teach their children about
intolerance and bigotry. The Reverend Spoliett also noted in his
address to the crowd that Jesus said the greatest commandment is
Whether you're looking to sell or buy, I will
help you put all the pieces together.
I have the marketing tools necessary to offer
you peace of mind. And that's what you need
most from a real estate agent.
For a free market analysis to determine the value of
your home, a "Why Rent When You Con Own" brochure, or a copy of my home tips newsletter
Call Paul Thury-203.846.1611 ext. 218
{f$ Prudential
-6-
Connaclicut
Realty
T NEWS & VIEWS
Message From Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Chaplain, to Trinity College in Hartford
I saw on the news that Matthew Shepard died. He was the 22 year
old man from Wyomin g who was beaten and tortured and left to
die for no reason other than he was a homosexual. This tragic murder
has raised a national debate again, the kind of periodic soul-searching
our society goes through whenever a crime of hate startles us into
awareness. The burning of Black churches, the bombing of innocent
people, the death of a shy young man from Wyoming: these events
suddenly shake us out of complacency and remind us that fear,
prejudice and rage are always the shadows just beyond the light of
our reason. And so people suddenly start to speak out. There are
voices of outrage and grief. Voices of sorrow and demands to know
why such a thing could happen. And predictably, there are also
defensive voices like the governor of Wyoming trying to explain
why his state has no laws to protect people from hate crimes and
the leadership of what is called the Christian "right wing" trying to
explain why their national ads against homosexuality don't influence
people to commit such violence against gays and lesbians.
As the chaplain for our own community, I would like to invite us all
to consider Matthew's death in another way. Notthrough the clamor
or denials, not through the shouts or cries of anger: but rather,
through the silence of his death, the silence of that young man
hanging on his cross of pain alone in the emptiness of a Wyoming
night, the silence that ultimate! y killed him as surely as the beatings
he endured. Silence killed Matthew Shepard. The silence of
Christians who know that our scriptures on homosexuality are few
and murky in interpretation and far outweighed by the words of a
savior whose only comment on human relationships was to call us
to never judge but only to love. The silence of well meaning educated
people who pretend to have an enlightened view of homosexuality
while quietly tolerating the abuse of gays and lesbians in their own
communities. The silence of our elected officials who have the
authority to make changes but prefer to count votes. The silence of
the majority of "straight" Americans who shift uncomfortably when
confronted by the thought that gays and lesbians may be no different
from themselves, save for the fact that they are walking targets for
bigotry, disrespect, cheap humor, and apparently, of murder.
Visit Our Web Site at: http://members.aol.com/TCCenter/
Triangle Community Center
State Supports New Britain Teacher
A former teacher who claims she was forced to resign because she is
a lesbian has received the support of the Connecticut's human rights
commission. Beth Kavy claims she had her nose broken by Maria
Garcia, a former nurse at the Diloreto School in New Britain in
October of 1997, after an argument over another teacher, Lynn
Kowalczyk. Both Kavy and Kowalczyk were transferred following
the incident. Kavy claims she was eventually forced to resign by the
school board. The human rights commission, which recently
dismissed a similar complaint by Kowalczyk, has ruled in favor of
Kavy. Based on that decision, Kavy said she plans to go forward
with lawsuits against Garcia and members of the school board.
Raising The Demand For Awareness at UConn
The Rainbow Center at the University of Connecticut opened in
October with an air of celebration. Then came news reports of the
killing of Matthew Shepard. Feelings of shock and horror replaced
celebration at the Rainbow Center, which needed no stronger
reminder of why the center was formed. It sponsored a vigil for
Shepard. The Rainbow Center is a university-backed organization
for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. It supports
lesbian and gay students, and helps educate all students about issues
regarding homosexuality.
UConn's Rainbow Center has been in existence for several years
but opened this year for the first time with a full-time director and
two staff members. While most campuses in this state have gay and
lesbian student organizations, UConn's LGBT center is the first to
reach this level of support.
46,
Norwalk, CT
ff
Crimes of hate may live in shouts of rage, but they are born in silence.
Here at Trinity, I hope we will all listen to that silence. Before w e
jump to decry Matthew's senseless death or before we seek to
rationalize it with loud disclaimers~ I hope we will just hear the
silence. A young man's heart has ceased to beat. Hear the silence of
that awful truth. It is the silence of death . It is the silence that
descends on us like a shroud ....
As a person of faith, I will listen, as we all will, to the many voices
which will eulogiz.e Matthew Shepard. I will carry that part of our
national shame on my shoulders. But I will also listen to the silence
which speaks much more eloquently still to the truth behind his
death. I will listen and I will remember. And I will renew my resolve
never to allow this silence to have the last word. Not for Matthew.
Not for gay men or lesbian women. Not for any person in our society
of any color or condition who has been singled out for persecution.
Not in my church. Not in my nation. Not in Wyoming. And not at
Trinity College.
f f "Many Hearts, Om Comm1111ily" ff
Serving the lesbian/gay/bi/tg community of southwestern Connecticut
'ifStephanie's Living Room, Inc.
Presenting quality dances for women who do not like
th$ bar scene... CotM and 1Met new friends.
Michelle C. Loris, Psy.D.
Holiday Gala
Sat. Jan 2, 8 pm $10
Individual, Couple and Group Therapy
Ramada Inn, Stratford, CT
I-95 North, Exit 30
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
For more information ca11: (203) 377-2119
-7-
(203) 255-2767
By Appointment
T NEWS & VIEWS
Gay Student's Death Spurs Debate
To the local gay and lesbian community, the beating death of a gay University of Wyoming student serves as a wake-up call to lawmakers and educators
and rekindles some existing concerns. How many more will have to be taunted by names, beaten or killed until they feel safe in their community, they ask.
Can this vicious crime happen here? Across Fairfield County, gays and lesbians and their supporters mourned and condemned the murder of 21-year-old
Matthew Shepard. Statewide advocacy groups such as The Gay, lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GI.SEN) not only used the incident to push for
a federal Hate Crimes Protection Act, but also called on "educators, community leaders, and concerned citizens to dramatically step up efforts to address
anti-gay bias in Connecticut schools." The focus on young people in schools has been of particular interest to local activists who say early awareness and
appreciation of people who perceive themselves as different can curb anti-bias behavior at a young age.
Dan Woog, a volunteer soccer coach at Staples High School in Westport, called Shepard's death "a wake-up call to straight people." Woog helped found
Connecticut's first Gay Straight Alliance in a public school. When acts of violence toward gays and lesbians are reported in the news, it affects the community
on many levels. "Older gay and lesbian people can relate back to a time of being found out," Woog said. "Younger kids might wonder suddenly about the
world they are living in. A lot of kids, not here necessarily, relate to physical abuse. But there also is a noticeable amount of lack of address of the needs of
gay and lesbian youth. A kid might hear ' faggot' or 'queer' but he or she won't hear a teacher react to it. They don't hear about their role models, history or
issues. That isolation is very significant." Parents of gays and lesbians become isolated, too, Woog said." A parent hears this and freaks out and fears for the
kid, tries to push the kid back into the closet," he said.
"Every parent is concerned for their children regardless if they are gay or straight," said Lester Sharlach, a member of the local chapter of Parents and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays. In general, Sharlach said, hundreds of messages by parents and members of the group have expressed outrage as well as
sorrow for Shepard's family. While that fear always exists for their children, lawmakers and activists seem more confident about Connecticut's laws,
Sharlach said.
"Connecticut is at the forefront" of protecting gays and lesbians, said U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Stamford. Shays, who attended a reception held by
the Lambda Legal Defense Fund in Stamford, is praised for being instrumental in sponsoring a national anti-discrimination act, which is set to be voted on.
Lambda is the first and oldest legal defense fund for gays and lesbians.
Connecticut is one of 21 states that have hate-crime laws that include sexual orientation, said Joe Grabarz, executive director for the Connecticut American
Civil Liberties Union. Grabarz, a former Bridgeport legislator who was one of the first state elected officials to announce he was gay, said two laws in
particular make Connecticut unique. One is the Statistics Act, which requires that all crimes motivated by bigotry and bias are to be reported by local police
to the state. The second is the Hate Crime Sentencing Act. If a crime committed against a person who characterizes himself or herself with a specific group
the sentence is doubled. "Connecticut is an easier place to live" for gays and lesbians, Grabarz said. "But these incidents do happen, and they happen in
Connecticut. The disturbing thing is that nationwide, we've seen an increase of crime against gays, while crimes against other groups have declined."
The laws may reflect a trend in statewide acceptance toward the gay and lesbian community but that does not represent the attitudes of citizens, said
Justine Michaud, founder and former president of the Triangle Community Center in Norwalk, which has served gays and lesbians since 1991. "How do
we make our community safe for people who perceive themselves differently?" Michaud asked. Michaud said she helped the existing state civil rights bill
extend to sexual orientation, as well as extend anti-discrimination measures to include gays and lesbians in 1991. "When we look at the influence of politics
nationally, there seems to be misinterpretation of Christianity, and that's not OK with me. It's not OK with me that people judge my life who don't know
me," she said.
And those attitudes then trickle down into the schools, said Dan Kelly facilitator for OutSpoken, a weekly rap group for 16-- to 22-year-olds that meets in the
Triangle Community Center. "I do some speaking in some of the schools (about being gay) and something that strikes me is the level of ignorance," Kelly
said. "It starts early in elementary school. The longer that's allowed to continue, the longer it takes to re-educate."
MICHAEL D. ROME
Attorney-at-Law
St. Paul's Episuopal Churuh
PIRRO, CHURCH & COOK, LLC
Bankruptcy
Business Transactions
Social Security Disability
Divorce
Worker's Compensation
Personal Injury/Accident Law
Real Estate Transactions
Criminal
Taxation: Business & Individual
Estate Planning & Probate
60 East Avenue, Norwalk
(Across from the Green)
120 EAST A VENUE
NORWALK, CONNECTICUT 06851
Phone:(203) 259-6785 or (203) 853-6677
Fax: (203) 259-7831
E-mail: Romemdesq@aol.com
An inclusive, diverse,
affirming community
MICHAEL G. SAAD, MA, LCSW
LICENSED CU NI CAL SOCIAL WORKER
Solemn Eucharist - Sundays at 10:15
COUNSEL! NG AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
FOR ADULTS, ADOLESCENTS, COUPLES, FAMILIES
6527 MAIN STREET
TRUMBULL, CT 06611
with organ, choir, and splendid music
Office: (203) 847-2806
BY APPOINTMENT
(203) 459-1666
-8-
T NEWS & VIEWS
NATIONAL NEWE
Ogunquit, Maine - failed
Referendum question 4 amends the Ogunquit Municipal Code to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the areas of employment,
housing, public accommodations, and the extension of credit. In response to
the repeal of Maine's statewide civil rights law banning discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation, activists with Concerned Citizens of Ogunquit
gathered enough signatures to have a human rights ordinance modeled after the statewide non-discrimination bill placed on the November 3rd ballot.
Fayetteville, Arkansas - failed
Resolution 51-98, the Fayetteville Human Dignity Resolution, would have
added the categories of sexual orientation and familial status to the City of
Fayetteville's non-discrimination policy for public employees. Last spring,
the city council passed this non-discrimination resolution. The mayor vetoed it, and in a rare move the council overrode the mayor's veto, effectively
enacting the resolution as law. A local group affiliated with the Christian
Coalition gathered enough petition signatures to put the measure up for a
vote.
Fort Collins, Colorado - failed
Ordinance 22 would have added sexual orientation to the city's nondiscrimination law covering employment, housing, and public
accommodations. The city council and mayor enacted the ordinance into
law last spring. Shortly thereafter right-wing opposition groups gathered
enough signatures to have the measure referred to the ballot.
National Gay and Lesbian Election Report
Gay and Lesbian Congressional Candidates (Non-Incumbent)
Tammy Baldwin (D) vs. Josephine Musser (R)
Wisconsin 2nd Congressional District
Ba Id win wins (53 % to 4 7%) Baldwin is the first
openly lesbian to win a seat in the US Congress.
Paul Barby (D) vs. Rep. Frank Lucas (R)
Oklahoma 6th Congressional District
Barby defeated (34% - 65%)
Christine Kehoe (D) vs. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R)
California 49th Congressional District
Kehoe defeated. Kehoe is an open lesbian.
Grelhe Cammermeyer (D) vs. Rep. Jack Metcalf (R)
Washington 2nd Congressional Distric t
Cammermeyer defeated (45% -55%)
Cammermeyer is a retired army colonel who successfully challenged her
dismissal from the military after havin~ truthfully answered questions pertaining to her sexual orientation.
Gay Congressional Candidates (Incumbent)
Rep. Barney Frank (D) vs. unopposed
Massachusetts 4th Congressional Distnct
Frank is an openly gay, progressive incumbent. He is a consistent voice and
vote on issues of concern to the GLBT ,·ommunity.
Rep. Jim Kolbe (R) vs. Thomas John Vdgy (D)
Arizona 5th Congressional District
Kolbe wins (52% lo 46%) Kolbe is openly gay and an Employment NonDiscrimination Act co-sponsor. He also l ought the Hefley Amendment, which
would have overturned the Executive Order protecting federal employees
from discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Senate Races
Senator Al D' Amato (R) vs. Charles Schumer (D)
Schumer wins (55% to 45%)
Chuck Schumer will become the new junior senator from New York. He
defeated Senator Alfonse D' Amato (R-NY) in one of the most contentious
campaigns in the country. While D' Amato recently made overtures to the
GLBT community, his staunch anti-choice votes angered many in the GLBT,
feminist, and other progressive communities.
Senator Barbara Boxer (D) vs. Matt Fong (R)
Boxer wins (53 % - 43 %)
Boxer is a staunch advocate of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil
rights and reproductive choice. Fong stated that he believes marriage should
be between a man and a woman. He has also stated that he does not support
"homosexual behavior." Fong believes "Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided,"
and he opposes public funding and late-term abortions, and supports a
parental consent requirement.
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D) vs. Robert Dornan (R)
California 46th Congressional District
Sanchez wins (56% to 39%)
For the second time in a row, Representative Sanchez defeated former Congressman Dornan. Dornan spearheaded many anti-gay bills and amendments while in Congress.
Marriage Ballot Initiatives
Hawaii: Initiative passed 69% - 28%
The Hawaii ballot initiative likely will lead to a ban on same-sex marriage.
The vote amended the state's constitut ion to empower the legislature to reserve marriage to opposite sex coup!Ps. (A second initiative to call for a
constitutional convention - where a an mti-gay marriage amendment could
have been added to the constitution failed 59% - 34 %). In a 1996 ruling, a
Hawaii court ruled that there is no valid reason for denying same-sex couples
the freedom to marry. The government appealed that decision to the Hawaii
Supreme Court, and a final decision is expected any time. This vote will
essentially nullify the expected positive court decision.
Alaska: Initiative passed 68% - 32%
In Alaska, voters elected to amend the 5tate Constitution to limit the definition of marriage as only between one man and one woman. The initiative
was in reaction to a ruling by the state's Superior Court (Brause v. Alaska)
this past February in Alaska determining that the denial of same-sex marriage violates privacy and equal protection under the state's constitution.
Ballot Initiatives (non-marriage)
South Portland, Maine -Anti-discrimination ordinance
Passed (54 % to 46%)
Ogunquit, Maine - Anti-discrimination ordinance
Failed by 9 votes (50.6% - 49.4% or 383 - 374).
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Anti-discrimination ordinance
Failed (60% lo 40%)
Fort Collins, Colorado -Anti-discrimination ordinance
Failed (62% to 38% - not all precincts reporting)
South Portland, Maine - passed
This ordinance prohibits acts of discrimination in employment, housing,
public accommodations, or the extension of credit. In February, Mainers voted
to repeal a state law banning anti-gay discrimination. In South Portland, 60
percent of the voters favored keeping the state law. This year the South Portland City Council decided to put the issue directly to the voters rather than
having the council vote on the ordinance.
Conference Studies Gay Prevention
Hundreds gathered at a church near Columbus, OH recently, to talk
about understanding and preventing childhood homosexuality, in
what a conservative group hopes to be the first of a series of
conferences around the country. The meeting was sponsored by
Focus on the Family, a Colorado Springs, Colo.-based ministry that
publishes more than a dozen magazines.
The ministry believes homosexuality is the result of environment
and relationships between children, their parents and peers. Some
groups, they say, try to "normalize" homosexuality by teaching
children about historic figures who are gay. The conference
encouraged parents to complain if they are unhappy with the
curriculum of the schools their children attend. The ministry also
contended that gay rights groups plant the idea of homosexuality
in children's minds if the youngsters have any type of attraction to
the same gender. Attractions, they say, are a normal part of growing
up, and most of those children become heterosexual adults if left
alone.
-9-
Propertv of
P- ~ ,
T NEWS & VIEWS
Targets of Hate
"Religious Right" Trounced
Gays and lesbians are six times more likely to be physically attacked
on the basis of who they are than Jews or Hispanics, and twice as
likely to be attacked as African-Americans, said Mark Potok,
spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Birmingham,
Ala., which tracks hate crimes. A 1989 academic study found that 45
percent of lesbians had been attacked and 29 percent of gay men,
based on their sexual orientation, he said. Worse, Potok added, is
that hate crimes against gays tend to be the most vicious.
Don't look to police records to find out what's really going on, experts
say; the stories often aren't reported. Albany police, for example,
have no record of violence against gays through all of 1998, although
the city's human rights law mandates that they track it. Hate crime
statistics, collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 1990,
are woefully incomplete, Potok said. Nine states have no hate-crimes
statutes, and many police departments lack a hate-crimes category
on report forms . Training in hate-crimes prosecution has been scant,
Potok said.
Some of the brightest stars of the religious right were trounced in
the 1998 elections. Governor John Rowland (R-CT) told the New
York Times on October 31 that" our party doesn't get it at the national
level. Beating up on gays - all that stuff. That turns my stomach.
We' re never going to win the White House again unless we have an
ability to reach out to people.
The Congressional GOP leadership wasted the summer trying to
explain why homosexuality is a disease akin to kleptomania, meeting
with religious right leaders like James Dobson of Focus on the Family
to assuage his threats to leave the party unless his agenda was met,
blocking the nomination of openly-gay ambassador nominee James
Hormel, and promoting the anti-gay Hefley Amendment, which
would have repealed all non-discrimination policies which covered
gay federal workers. Dobson and Bauer spent millions of dollars in
a disastrous campaign to knock off moderate Republicans in primary
elections around the country. Instead of tax cuts, more welfare reform
or balancing the budget, the issue of homosexuality was on the front
covers of the nation's news magazines.
"This purge of social conservatives by the voters is a crucial warning
to the Republican leadership about the stakes in 2000," said one
Republican leader. "Unless the winning side of this party takes full
control of the leadership and the agenda and we move in the
direction of the GOP governors - inclusion, problem-solving and
distancing from the religious right - we will have another night
like last night (election night), which means losing the White House
and maybe losing the Congress."
Gay Votes Help Defeat D'Amato
U.S. Senate candidate Chuck Schumer won the election with 54
percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Al D' Amato and will
join fellow Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the Senate. In his
acceptance speech, Schumer mentioned Gays once. Many Gay New
Yorkers, had not originally supported Schumer in his bid to unseat
D' Amato. Schumer received the fewest endorsements from Gay
Democratic groups of the three challengers. But the fact that Gay
New Yorkers lined up behind Schumer in the general election
indicates a "maturity" to the Gay community, said Sterling
Zinsmeyer, president of Stonewall Democrats. Zinsmeyer said, "This
is a significant change. It's a maturing of the community beyond
our own narrow interests. We looked at the two candidates that have
similar records on Gay issues, but also saw that D' Amato is
completely wrong on every other issue."
TRIVIA QUESTION
Answer to Nov. - "Just As I Am", by Dan Williams and Earl Handy.
Question for December - Drag was the name of a transvestite show
starring Mae West in her pre-movie days, a show which was attacked
and eventually cancelled on account of it content, considerable lewd
in the 20's. Where did this show have its premiere?
Horticultural Botanist
Gardener & House I Pet Sitter
Donald J. Comes
(203) 866-2823
JOANNE M. MARINO, C.C.M.H.C., N.C.C.
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
30 Tierney Street
Norwalk, CT 06851
21 STRICKLAND RD .. COS COB. CONN . 06807 (203) B69-02US
VICTORIA
T.
FERRARA
ATTORNEY AT LAW
(203) 227-9585
MICHAEL
j.
TAYLOR, LMT
THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE •
WESTPORT, CT
ADMJTrED IN CT AND NY
440
-10-
MAIN STREET • RIDGEFIELD,
CT, NY LICENSED
CT 06877 • 203-431-8278
TNEWS & VIEWS
Pope Hits Out at Non-Marital Unions
STATE BY STATE NEWS
Pope John Paul has lashed out at :1on-marital unions, saying the
traditional family was the only rermissible social solution and
implicitly condemning legal recognition of homosexual couples.
"While respecting
personal freedom, putting
other
types
of
interpersonal relationships
on the same level as
marriage by legalizing
them is a grave
~ 1'
decision that can only
damage
the
y-,
institution of matrimony
and the family," the
~·-\
Pope said. "It would be
regrettable in the long
-.'
term if laws, based no
longer on natural law
but on
individuals'
arbitrary will, were to _ •
• .
give the same legal status to
different kmds of t,,,!"x... ·i
;;:. communal life, causing
great confusion," he~ :!:
told delegates to an
international meeting of European politicians and lawmakers. The
78-year-old Polish Pontiff is a fierce advocate of the traditional family
structure, considering it a basic building block of society under threat
from cultural and social decay. 1n 1994 he attacked the European
Parliament over a resolution tha: urged governments to enact
legislation allowing homosexuals to marry and adopt children.
IL - Gay Church Sues TV Station
The nation's largest gay and lesbian church has filed suit against a
Chicago television station, accusing the station of breaking its
agreement to broadcast an infomercial produced by the church
because the station considered the advertisement too controversial.
Leaders of the church in Dallas, believe the station, WGN-TV,
rejected the infomercial "based on their views that this is not
appropriate content for those stations," said a lawyer for the church,
Christopher Wolf. "I think those are code words for homophobia
and for anti-gay discrimination." The church spent two years
producing the infomercial it in part as a counterweight to advertising
by conservative Christian groups, including recent full-page
newspaper advertisements with people who say they are former
homosexuals who "overcame" their sexual orientation.
Most of the cable companies the church contacted said no. WGNTV agreed to broadcast the advertisement, scheduled five showings
and accepted a check for the first payment in July, church officials
say. Then, church officials said, a week later, WGN canceled the
agreement and returned the check. The attorney for WGN said that
infomercials that touch on sensitive subjects are routinely turned
down by television stations.
ks~ '
Gay 'Marriages' Make Church Review Its Code
As in many mainline Protestant churches, the Presbyterian Church
U.S.A. is struggling to come to terms with homosexual parishioners,
and especially with the
question of how to treat
homosexual unions .
Three times since 1993, the
highest governing
~
body of the Presbyterian
Church U.S.A., which
has
2.6 million members,
T -r
has
considered
.- • • '
amending its constitution
to ban ministers from
• -::
"participating in the
blessing of any same- ¢ : l-;-. I_
sex unions," said the Rev.
Mark
Tammen. . f.Z:::"7··
Currently the Book of
Order,thePresbytenan ,. ' -,- •I ,. t~""'church code states, "It
would not be proper ,- ,., ~
for a minister of word and
sacrament to perform a same-sex un 10n that the minister determines
to be the same as a marriage."
ff
(203) 256-4565
(203) 256-1122
(800) 628-7209
FAX: (203) 256-1759
JOANN ATTWOOD NEMIS
VICE PRESIDENT INVESTMENTS
JANNEY MONTGOMERY SCOTT, INC.
MEMBERS NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE AND OTHER PRINCIPAL EXCHANGES
2150 POST ROAD, FAIRFIELD, CT06430
1
~
9il )
MICHAEL PAVLICIN
BUYER AGENT/BROKER
~1
TILGHMAN &
925 POST ROAD EAST, WESTPORT, CT 06880
a-IRISTIE'S
ORBAT ESTATES
t
FROST~A'nlNC.
OFFICE: (203) 227-7231
FAX: (203) 227-1217
VOlCEMAIL: (203) 221-2297
leadhomeleaol.com
IL - Foundation Fined in Firing of Lesbian
A foundation that fired a woman for being a lesbian has been ordered
by the city's Commission on Human Relations to pay her $13,000 in
damages. The Inner City Horticultural Foundation hired Fawn
Houck for a gardening program with Cabrini-Green children. But
upon learning she was gay, the executive director fired her because
"he was afraid to have her go on out-of-town trips with the children
and said that he was worried about her influence on them," the
commission said. The foundation was ordered to pay Houck's
attorney's fees. Its staff also must attend sensitivity training.
NH - Church Welcomes Gays
Prodded by a hate crime in Wyoming, the First Congregational
Church of Pelham formally has invited homosexuals to join its flock.
For the past year, it has blessed same-sex unions, but now by a 7022 vote, the congregation has invited homosexuals and bisexuals
into its fold. The welcome had been in the works four years. But it
was pushed by the beating death last month of Matthew Shepard, a
gay college student in Wyoming. The church is one of six UCC
congregations among 140 in New Hampshire to invite homosexuals.
The Pelham church is about 250 years old. Of its 400 members, about
175 attend regularly. It is the same church that in 1990
overwhelmingly rejected the same proposal.
NJ - Judge Gives Lesbians Joint Custody
A lesbian must share custody of her 2-year-old son with her expartner, a judge has ruled. Experts say the decision, which grants
the ex-partner the status of a parent, is a first because of the broad
custodial rights given to a woman who is not the child's birth mother.
The partner, identified only as R.E.M., was not the boy's biological
mother but stayed home to take care of him while her partner, S.L.V.,
went to work. The Lakewood couple chose a sperm donor together
to inseminate S.L.V., sent out birth announcements with both
women's fingerprints on them and attended Lamaze classes together.
"The court is satisfied that R.E.M. has been able to show that she
stands in the shoes of a parent to the child and should be accorded
the status of parent in parity with S.L.V.," Superior Court Judge
Vincent Grasso wrote in his decision. Dozens of lesbian couples who
adopted or raised a child together have become involved in custody
battles over the past decade.
-11-
T NEWS & VIEWS
KY - Judge Denies Request to Rejoin NKU Team
NY- Police Said To Deny HIV Medicine
Jaime Garner's efforts to return to Northern Kentucky University's
women's basketball team immediately were denied Friday. U.S.
District Judge Jennifer B. Coffman of London denied a motion to
reinstate Ms. Garner, a 5-foot-7-inch guard and the team's No. 2
scorer last season, to the team. Returning Ms. Garner to the team
would irreparably harm the team and the university, the judge ruled
after a Friday telephone conference with attorneys from both parties.
Her decision came about a week before the women's basketball team
begins its new season. In a federal discrimination lawsuit, Ms. Garner
said shew as dismissed from the team in May because of her sexual
orientation.
Ms. Garner, 22, of Richmond, Ky., is a senior. In the federal lawsuit
she filed in October, she said Coach Winstel asked her about her
sexual orientation in a meeting earlier this year. "I didn't answer
her because it was none of her business," she said in the lawsuit.
The suit also said Coach Winstel asked Miss Garner about a
relationship she was having with another player on the team.
Meanwhile, NKU officials have said Ms. Garner was dismissed from
the team for reasons that had nothing to do with her sexual
orientation. She has retained her scholarship. The defense team said
Ms. Garner wasn't a team player.
Gay activists jailed for their part in a huge demonstration complained
that they were denied access to their AIDS medication, which can
lose effectiveness if patients miss even a single dose. At least five of
the roughly 100 people arrested were denied access to HIV or AIDS
medication, according to the New York City Gay & Lesbian AntiViolence Project. The arrests occurred during a rally in response to
the slaying of Matthew Shepard, the gay University of Wyoming
student who was beaten and lashed to a fence.
ALDIS
Two men arrested while having sex in an apartment in Houston
may use their case to try to overturn the Texas anti-sodomy law,
their lawyer said. "We think they've got a right to privacy that was
invaded by the cops," attorney David Jones said. The men were
charged Sept. 17 with homosexual conduct, a Class C misdemeanor,
the lowest ranking violation, carrying a $S<XJ fine on conviction. They
are free on $200 bond each. The arrests occurred after Harris County
sheriff's deputies saw them while responding to a false report of a
man with a gun. The false report apparently came from a man who
had been with the men earlier the same evening. Gay advocates
have been campaigning on a state-by-state basis to change antisodomy laws. Nineteen states have laws banning oral and anal sex.
Fourteen ban those sex 'acts between all couples. Five, including
Texas, limit the ban to same-sex couples.
WA - Kent Schools Pay $40,000 in Gay Case
_fflE_4_6_~-il-l
Plo_JEL_in-Road_P_IANNffl
_ _Da_nb_ury_,_CT_06_8_11-*
(203)778•9399
TX - Case May Test Sodomy Law
FAX (203)744•1139
Three detades of GAY travel expertise
11--,iY\
-=RSVP
A Kentwood High School graduate who sued the Kent School
District, alleging that it failed to protect him from anti-gay
harassment, has agreed to a $40,000 settlement. The school district
also agreed to continue to review its student-to-student harassment
policies and training, and update them when necessary. School
officials never denied that the incidents had occurred. But they said
they had acted in good faith to enforce anti-harassment policies and
to discipline students involved in the beating.
MFAP
NICHOLAS LANG, Ph.D., N.C.C.
Providing Affordable
Individual and Couples Counseling
Specializing in Relationship,
Sexual Orientation, Self-esteem,
Loss, & HIV-related Issues
NORWALK OFFICE
MfD-E~fRHELD AJDS PROJECT
Do you seek support and advocacy for HIV/AIDS?
MFAP can assist and provide you with case management
Call us today!
847-1094
Serving the needs of HIV/AIDS community in:
Norwalk
Rl!t'.Frankt.ard
Pastor
Office
566 Whalley Avenue, Suite #ID
New Haven, CT 06511
T 203-389-6750, F 203-389-6318
Westport
Weston
Wilton
Worship
34 Hamson Street
New Haven, CT 06515
Sundays 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Mid Fairfield AIDS Project
16 River Street
Norwalk, CT 06850
Phone: (203) 855-9535
Fax: (203) 855-1531
Internet: http://www.mfap.com
E-Mail: info@mfap.com
Metropolitan Community Church
of New Ha.-en
Especially serving the Gay and Lesbian Community
-12-
TNEWS & VIEWS
TRANSGENDER NEWS
The New Minority
Aided by the political gains of gays and lesbians - the transgender
community of transsexuals, cross dressers and others appears to be
gaining acceptance as a bona fide minority group. A small but
growing number of cities grant them special protections; some
employers take pains to treat them sensitively; and the media has
given them increasing visibility. Still, many transgender people defined by the National Journal of Sexual Orientation Law as those
"whose gender identity or expression differs from conventional
expectations of masculinity or femininity" - remain frustrated. They
are routinely denied access to bathrooms and other public
accommodations, according to a case before the California Supreme
Court. Many complain that they are targets of hate crimes. And they
continue to face resistance from the religious right.
Transgender rights also are problematic for some gays and lesbians.
A spat recently broke out over the pending federal Employment
Nondiscrimination Act, which as written would shield gays and
lesbians from job bias. Some activists want it to also cover
Sources
Foundation Fined in Firing of Lesbian - Chicago Sun-Tunes, Nov. 10, 1998
Gay Student's Death Spurs Debate- Stamford Advocate, October 18, 1998
Homophobia Runs Deep - New Haven Register, Nov. 3, 1998
IL- Gay Church Sues TV Station - New York Times, October 28, 1998
Lesbian Request Denied - Cincinnati Enquirer, Nov. 7, 1998
Pope Hits Out at Non-Marital Unions - Reuters, October 23, 1998
Raising The Demand For Awareness - Hartford Courant, Oc. 17, 1998
Religious Right Trounced - Log Cabin Republicans
Stamford School's Goal is Helping Youth-Advocate, Nov. 15, 1998
State Supports New Britain Teacher - Hartford Courant, Oct. 20, 1998
Targets of Hate - Albany Times-Union, October 22, 1998
They' re Here, They' re Queer - Hartford Advocate, October 20, 1998
TX - Case May Test Sodomy Law - Dallas Morning News, Nov. 7, 1998
WA - Kent Schools Pay $10,000 - Morning News Tribune, Nov. 7, 1998
Maria C. Castillo, MSW, LCSW
Individual, Couples, and Family Therapy
Recovery from Abuse
Bilingual
(203) 261-3492
(203) 336-2708
Monroe, CT
transgender people, who can be either gay or heterosexual. But to
their dismay, the Human Rights Campaign - a nationwide gay and
lesbian lobbying group - has opposed the idea. "We absolutely
agree that the transgender community should have employment
protections," said Nancy Buermeyer, the campaign's senior policy
advocate. But getting support for gay and lesbian issues is hard
enough, she added, without adding the still-volatile issue of
transgender rights. "
That cross dressers and transsexuals are objecting to such issues in
public is itself significant. No longer willing to suffer in silence,
transgender activists these days loudly protest any perceived slight.
They recently chastised Ford Motor Company for its still-running
ad with a male character who is forced to wear women's clothes
after losing a bet about a Ford truck. Among other signs of a
developing trend, the Random House Webster's College Dictionary
included the term "transgender" for the first time last year.
Hollywood is producing more transgender-themed films and such
businesses as AT&T, Hewlett-Packard Co. and Sun Microsystems
Inc. win praise for their relative sensitivity toward transgender
employees.
Bridgeport.CT
CONFUSED? SCARED? NOWHERE TO TURN?
Peter Scifo
If you have HIV/AIDS, you don't need to feel like you
are alone. Stamford CARES gives you the support and
attention you require. We are your direct link to the HIV
Care Network. Complete confidentiality assured.
Serving Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan.
Call 977-5096 to speak to a Care Coordinator today.
ETTERS
~LON
932 Hope Street, Stamford. Conn.
Telephone: 203-348~9880
We're here to help - because we care.
Jane
w. Griffith,
JD, MBA
Attorney-at-Law
Joan W. Duncan, Ph.D.
Psychotherapist
Tax Strategy & Preparation • Real Estate
Estate Planning & Wills • Business Consulting
Women and Couples
188 Scribner Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06854
(203) 854-4805
270Alden Avenue, New Haven, CT06515-2ll4
Fax 203 / 387-9899
Voice 203 I 389-8614
-13-
T NEWS & VIEWS
JOSEPH H. SWEENEY, CPA
SAUGATUCK COUNSELING CENTER
ATTORNEY-AT LAW
Individual, Couple, Family & Group Therapy
1305 POST ROAD, FAIRFIELD
203/256-3839
JOHANNA RAYMAN
M.S. W., L.C.S. W.
Tax Planning, Preparation & Appeals;
Estates & Trusts, Probate Matters,
Real Estate Law; Elder Law; and
Small Business Formations and Assistance
225 MAIN STREET, LLI • WESTPORT, CT 06880 • 203.454.1549
Diane Hyatt, MSW, LCSW
Maureen M. Murphy
Problem focused psychotherapy for Adults,
Adolescents, lndlvlduals and Couples.
Speclallzlng in, but not limited to:
2 7 Elm Street
New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 789-2269
Fax (203) 781)-2(}()7
49 Coolidge Avenue
Stamford, CT 06906
(203) 964-1847
E-mail: mmurph!aw @ aof.com
Civil Rights
Employment Law
Title IX
Special Education l.1w
I'.1mi/y L.1w
Lesbian & Gay Legal Rights
1653 Capltol Avenue
llrldgeport, CT 06606
(203) 332-0136
T
Depression
T
Anxiety/Phobias
T
Counseling for Partners & Family
T
T
Psychotherapy Groups
EMDR Consultation
AIDS
an
equal opportunity
infection
men, women, children
PLAY SAFE
STAMFORD H EALT H D EPART MENT
AJDS PROGRAM
HIV ANTTRODYTF.STING
anonymow and free rcni n~
We a.re here and we a.re he.l plilg.
967-AIDS
~
• Coming out
• Self-esteem
• Relationships
• Dating
TCC Wish List
It JI
Being a gay man or lesbian today can stir up many
important issues. And sometimes you need to talk to
someone who understands. For over a decade, I have
helped gay men and women understand themselves
better and take hold of their lives. I can help you now
to build new focus in your life, and grow into your
strengths and unique character. Please call me at
(203) 454-1549 for a complimentary consultation, and
find out how you can overcome your problems and get
a new outlook on life.
Expert Help For
Many Issues:
Big Smen TV
• Depression
Most insurance accepted • Flexible scheduling, with
afternoon and evening appointments available
Emergency appointments within 24 hours
No-wait appointments • Calls returned promptly
Convenient location and parking
• Recovery
• Self-improvement
(203) 454-1549
• Community building
Fax
Licensed: State of Connecticut
MS: Columbia University.
Copier
New York. NY
Member: National Association
of Social Workers
-14-
<
co
225 Main Street, LL-1 • Westport, CT 06880
c..
Q
T NEWS & \/IEW~
Univilill1~!1lf1fii~i1Jil~,1~[1i11Jill~1~111l~[1J11d, OK
Property of the Center
M 001 111 382
TRIANGLE COMMUNITY CENTER, INC.
P.O. BOX 4062,. East Norwalk, CT 06855
TeJ/Fax: (203) 853-0600
e-mail TCCenter@aol.com
TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES
GROUPS MEETING AT OR SPONSORED BY TCC
A.A. - Don 762-9964
Bi Rap Group - Peter 838-2806; Robin 855-8646
35+ Women's Pot Lucks - Judy 227-7162
Free Association of Fairfield County - Bruce 782-1496
Gay Men's Rap Group - Dave 838-1881
Gmosaic (People of Color)- Nasheed 854-7726
Lesbian Literature Reading Group - Christine 847-8476
Out & About (20's & 30's) - Heather 924-2930, Ashley 576-1073
or Dan 838-2367
OutSpoken (Youth)-Perry & Sara 846-4569; Dan 227-1755;
Doug 838-2367
P-FLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians & Gays)Joan 544-8724; Lester 322-5380; Belinda 855-1203
P-FLAG Spouses & Ex Spouses Group - Joan 544-8724
Triangle Bowling League (Circle Lanes, Fairfield) - Lisa 333-3113;
Roseann 931-8789
Women's Rap Group - Chandra 226-8652; Linda 866-4598;
Michele 438-4465
Writer's Group- Mona 863-1553
All meetings are held at the Center and in the evening unless
otherwise noted. A $3 donation per person is appreciated with your
participation in activities to help support the Center.
OTHER AREA GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Bare & Gay (B&G) gay nudists
(203) 330-9595
Bisexually Curious Support Group Bot
(203) 264-5605
Chiltern Mountain Club
(203) 899-0270
Connecticut Kids and Families
(203) 256-8414
Connecticut Freedom to Marry Coalition
(203) 791-9553
40-Up Club. (Social Grp. -call Dale before 10pm) (203) 261-4019
Gay Fathers Group
(203) 866-7051
(203) 778-7016
Gay Mens Association of Danbury
GEMS (Mature GLBT)
(860) 688-1881
GuideLine (gay/lesbian phone info)
(203) 366-3734
Hartford Community Center
(203) 724-5542
Married Men's Bisexual Suppt Grp Htfd
(203) 262,1555
Metropolitan Community Church
(203) 389-6750
(203) 222-1441
Rainbow Task Force (Unitarian Church)
Transgendered Resource - Kaylen
(203) 661-2448
(914) 948-4922
The Loft, White Plains NY,
Triangle Bowling League
(203) 931-8789
Triangle Kids
(203) 323-6278 & (203) 255-6229
(203) 773-9947
Western Connecticut Gay Men's Group
Call (203) 964-1133 for free hstrng.
WHERE ARE WE? The Triangle Community Center Inc. is
located at 25 Van Zant Street in Norwalk. From 1-95, take
Exit 16 and go south (from Stamford, turn right; from New
Haven, turn left). Continue south under the railroad bridge
and turn right on Van Zant St (Route 136). 25 Van Zant is a
large condominium office building on the right. TCC is in
Suite 7-C on the ground floor. Tel. (203) 853-0600.
Deadline for the January Newsletter is Saturday, December
12th • We cannot gaurantee that material received after this
date will be included in the Jan. News & Views.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
DON BUXTON .................... President
DENYSE BURKE ..................Vice-President
JOHN WALLACE ................Treasurer
MEG BACHTEL.. ................. Corresponding Secretary
DAVE CARROLL.. ............... Recording Secretary
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEG BACHTEL
JIM BRIDGE
DON BUXTON
DENYSE BURKE
DAVE CARROLL
JOHN DEL VECCHIO
KAREN JASTERMSKY
MICHELE STONE
JOHN WALLACE
(203) 375-9020
(203) 847-3268
(203) 762-9964
(203) 367-3911
(203) 838-1881
(203) 334-3822
(203) 899-0381
(203) 964-1133
(203) 389-7381
STANDING COMMITTEES
AIDS Liaison
Tom M
Board Development Vacant
Communications
John D
-Public Relations
Mike C
Finance
John W
Fundraising
Vacant
Membership
Denyse B
-Member Database
Marianne S
Operations
Cindy M
(and to schedule events at the Center)
Program
Dave C
Resource Room
Walter D
-Center Forums
Marianne S
Volunteer
Karen J
374-6934
334-3822
375-3567
261-7349
367-3911
222-8294
595-9799
838-1881
374-6934
222-8294
899-0381
NEWS& VIEWS
Is published monthly by
Triangle Community Center, Inc.
P.O. Box 4062,. East Norwalk, CT 06855.
NEWS & VIEWS encourages its readers to submit materials of interest
to our community, including short articles, letters to the editor, etc.
We cannot respond to, or publish, anonymous letters. We reserve
the right to edit or conaense as appropriate to meet space
requirements Authors will be contacted if maJor rev1s10ns are
necessary. Please submit to:
NEWS&VIEWS
Michele Stone: Editor & Advertising Manager
P.O. Box 8185
Stamford, CT 06905
Phone/Fax: (203) 964-1133
John DelVecchio: Assist. Editor
Phone: 203-334-3822
Mike Collins: Publicity
Phone: (203) 375-8567
E-mail: News Views2@aol.com
FOR AD RATES PLEASE CONTACT MICHELE STONE:
Ads lllllfil be camera-ready. Any ad not camera ready will
be subject to an additional charge. Inserts and special sizes
upon prior agreement. All ads are placed on a space available
basis.
The publication of the name of any person or organization in articles
or ads in NEWS & VIEWS is not to be construed as any indication of
the sexual orientation of such persons or members of such
organizations. The appearance of advertisements in NEWS & VIEWS
does not imply nor constitute endorsement by TCC, Inc. The views
expressed in this NEWS & VIEWS are not necessarily those of TCC,
Inc. Copyright 1997 by Triangle Community Center, Inc. All rights
reserveed. This work, or any parts thereof, may not be used or
reproduced in any manner without written permission.
-15-
TNEWS & VIEWS
TCC Calendar
Sun
December, 1998
Mon
Tues
1
II
Lesbian Llt 7:30
Wed
Fri
Thu
2
P-FLAG 7:45
3
4
Men's Rap 7:30
Sat
5
G-Mosaic 7:30
Bowl 9:30 Circle Lanes
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
AA 9-10 am
Outspoken 4-6
Women's Rap 7:30
TCC Board 7:30
Witter's Group 7:30
Bi Rap Group 7:30
Spirituality Group 7
Men's Rap 7:30
Out & About 7:00
Bowl 9:30 Circle Lanes
N&V's Deadline
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
AA 9-l0am
OutSpoken 4-6
Movie Night 6
Women's Rap 7:30
P-FLAG Spouses &
Ex-spouses 7:30
Men's Rap 7:30
G-Mosaic 7:30
Bowl 9:30 Circle Lanes
Hanukkah be2ins at sundown
20
AA 9-10 am
OutSpoken 4-6
Friendraiser 2-6
27
AA 9-10 am
OutSpoken 4-6
21
Women's Rap 7:30
28
22
23
29
25
24
Bi Rap Group 7:30
Spirituality Group 7
TCC Board 7:30
Writer's Group 7:30
Men's Rap 7:30
31
30
Women 's Rap 7:30
~
26
•
Connecticut Calendar - December
Thursday, December 3 - The Hartford Gay and Lesbian
Health Collective will be holding a volunteer orientation for
anyone interested in learning more about volunteer
opportunities from 6-7 PM at the Health Collective, 1841
Broad St., Hartford, or call Joe Simard at 860-278-4163.
Friday, December 4 - Movie: "Miracle on 34th Street'' at
the NHGLCC, 50 Fitch Street, New Haven. 6:30 PM potluck,
7:15 PM screening, $3.00. More info: FGDMYO@aol.com.
Friday, December 11 - Movie: "Holiday Inn" at the
NHGLCC, 50 Fitch Street, New Haven. 6:30 PM potluck, 7:15
PM screening, $3.00. More info: FGDMYO@aol.com.
Tuesday, December 15 - The Third Tuesday in New
Milford's Christmas Party will be held at the Bistro Cafe on
Bank Street in downtown New Milford at 7 PM. Go upstairs
to the Tap Room past the "private party" sign. Featuring live
Christmas music, and lots of nice people.
Friday, December 18 - Movie: "Scrooge" (Musical) at the
NHGLCC, 50 Fitch Street, New Haven. 6:30 PM potluck, 7:15
PM screening, $3.00.
Thursday, December 24 - Midnight Mass at Dignity
Hartford. We will gather at the Quaker Meeting house at 10:00
PM for a dessert social. At 11:30 we will have a carol sing,
followed by Christmas Mass at midnight. All are welcome
to join us.
Friday, December 25 - Movie: "White Christmas" at the
NHGLCC, 50 Fitch Street, New Haven. 6:30 PM potluck, 7:15
PM screening, $3.00. More info: FGDMYO@aol.com.
-16-
Thursday, December 31 - Women After Hours New
Years Eve Ball (women only), Holiday Inn, East Hartford,
8:30 PM -1:00 AM, $10.00 cover. For info call 860-528-9611.
TMEMBERSHIP FORM
MEMBERSHIP LISTS ARE CONFIDENTIAL
NAME
ADDRESS
CtTY
PHONE
STATE-- ZtP
E-MAIL
Contributing Member
Contributing Household
Supporting Member
Sponsoring Member
Sustaining/Business Member
Special Member (Youth/Senior)
Newsletter Only
$ 35
$ 60
$12 5
$250
$500
$ 20
$ 15
(new subscriptions only)
Please make check payable to:
Triangle Community Center, Inc. - Membership
P.O. Box 4062 - East Norwalk, CT 06855
(203) 853-0600
j
- Temporal Coverage
- 1990-1999
Linked resources
- Hierarchies
-
Herland Archive
- All Resources (Private)
- Themes
- LGBTQ+ (482 items)
- Feminism (40 items)
- Faith and Religion (51 items)
- Activism and Advocacy (69 items)
- HIV/AIDS (25 items)
- Education (18 items)
- Literature (20 items)
- Art (16 items)
- Themes
- All Resources (Private)