extracted text

January, 1994

_)

COMMITTEE FOR AN INCLUSIVE
FUTURE DECLARES VICTORY
The Committee for an Inclusive Future, the principal
opposition to Oklahoma City's MAPS sales tax proposal,
declared their campaign a success in spite of the passage of the
sales tax proposal. "We have shown that when those of us who
are traditionally shut out of power work together we can make
a significant impact in the political process. With very little
money but lots of grassroots work, we have brought our issues
to the forefront of public discussion. The City Council never
expected we could have so much impact on _this election,''
commented Pat Reaves, spokesperson for Simply Equai-OKC.
Paul Thompson, co-chair of the Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian
Political Caucus, said ''The coalition building we have done is
impressive and ongoing. Those who have been working
together will continue to do so and to include others in our fight
until we are all heard and respected.''
African American leaders in the Committee for an Inclusive Future were criticized throughout the campaign for their
alliance with gay and lesbian advocacy organizations. A Daily
Oklahoman editorial (12/3/93) entitled "No Blackmail" said
they had "unwisely allied themselves with radical homosexual
and lesbian activists seeking special privileges." and said "it is
curious, indeed, to see pastors equating sexual immorality with
the moral objective of equal protection for all, regardless of
race." The Black Chronicle (11/11193) editorialized, " The
league [Urban League] is ... trekking down such a primrose path
as it is now while aligned with radical homosexual groups such
as Queer Nation; weirdo grpups bent upon expanding the law
of the land to grasp illegitimate so-called rights."
In a letter to the editor published in the Daily Oklahoman
(12/14/93), Leonard Benton, Executive Director of the Urban
League, and Roosevelt Milton, President of the Oklahoma City
Branch of the NAACP reiterated the positions of their respective organizations. "Human rights is an issue of concern in the
African American Community ... The NAACP and the Urban
League have called for the passage of a stronger human rights
ordinance recommended by the OKC Human Rights Commissions which will include protection and penalty for employment discrimination in the private sector. Benton and Milton
continued, "The NAACP and the Urban League are proud to
offer leadership and support to the gay community in their
struggle to secure basic human rights and protection.
Speaking atthe final "Victory Rally'' held by the Committee for an Inclusive Future at Fairview Baptist Church, Leonard
Benton, Executive Director of the Urban League said, "For me
the person who has given me the clearest insight on this issue
in terms of how this issue as we struggle for the human rights
of all people -- how it is related to the civil rights movement is
Coretta Scott King."
(continued on page 2)
Volume 11 Number I

COLORADO AMENDMENT
Two RULED
UNCONSTITUTIONAL
by Peggy Johnson

On December 14, 1993, the Colorado district court for the
city and county of Denver ruled as unconstitutional Amendment 2, the state initiative banning any laws protecting gays,
lesbians and bisexuals from discrimination. Colorado's attorney general has said the state will appeal the decision to the
Colorado Supreme Court. The plaintiffs in the action, styled
Evans v. Romer, No. 92 CV 7223, included, among others,
Richard G. Evans, Martina Navratilova, the Boulder Valley
School District, the city and county of Denver, the cities of
Boulder and Aspen, and the Aspen city council. With legal
support from the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
and the American Civil Liberties Union, the plaintiffs challenged the law passed by a 53.4% majority of the voters on
November 3, 1992. The defendants included Roy Romer,
Colorado governor; Gale Norton, Colorado attorney general;
and the state of Colorado.
Judge Jeffrey Bayless of the district court granted a preliminary injunction sought by the plaintiffs soon after the
initiative passed in November 1992. The Colorado Supreme
Court upheld that injunction in July in Evans v. Romer, 854 P .2d
1270 (Colo. 1993). In that case, the Colorado Supreme Court
stated that ''the Equal Protection Clause of the United States
Constitution protects the fundamental right to participate equally
in the political process, and ... any legislation or state constitutional amendment which infringes on this right by 'fencing out'
an independently identifiable class of persons must be subject
to strict judicial scrutiny." Evans, 854 P.2d at 1282. Under
strict scrutiny, a state must show that it has a compelling state
interest in passing the law in question. As such, the burden in
this case was on the defendants to prove its compelling interest
in keeping the law. Since the Colorado Supreme Court set forth
the standard for review at trial, there is strong speculation that
the district court decision will be upheld on appeal.
In order to meet their burden, the defendants offered six
alleged "compelling state interests." These included ( 1) deterring factionalism; (2) preserving the integrity of the state's
political functions; (3) preserving the ability of the state to
remedy discrimination against suspect classes; (4) preventing
the government from interfering with personal, familial and
religious privacy; (5) preventing government from subsidizing
the political objectives of a special interest group; and (6)
promoting the physical and psychological well-being of our
(continued on page 4)
children.

Herland Sister Resources

2312 N.W. 39, OKC, OK 73112

ST. SYBIL

COALTION VICTORY

St. Sybil, who normally appears in this space has taken a
brief holiday break. Look for her wit and wisdon to reappear
in the February issue of The Voice .

LESBIAN HERSTORY
What was the life of a lesbian like for our great-aunts and
grandmothers? The Lesbian Herstory Archives is one of the
best places to find out about the lives of the lesbians who have
gone before us. For the past 19 years, the Archives have
collected and cataloged photographs, diaries, books, and a
myriad of artifacts of lesbian lives.
Located in New York City; the Lesbian Herstory Archives
houses the world's largest collection of materials by and about
lesbians and our communities. The collection, international in
scope, includes books, unpublished papers, conference proceedings, newsletters, photographs, slides; periodicals,-tapes,
videos, films, artwork, calendars, manuscripts, music, and
clothing that deal with lesbians and lesbian lives.
The Lesbian Herstory Archives opened in 1974 in the
pantry of an Upper West Side Manhattan apartment. The
founders were concerned about the failure of mainstream
institutions to value lesbian culture. They recognized that an
independent archive governed by lesbians would best protect,
preserve, and share lesbian history. Today the Lesbian Herstory
Archives is the largest and longest lived lesbian archive anywhere.
Herland will celebrate Women's History Month in March
with a special visit from the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
Coordinator Amy Beth will bring a special audiovisual presentation to share the images of lesbian herstory preserved by the
Archives. Watch future issues of the Voice for details of the
Lesbian Herstory Archives visit to Oklahoma City.
D
( 405 )7H -0496

2109 S. AiR DEpOT
Midwm Chy, OK 7} l l 0

CAii foR AppoiNTMENT

JOY HUSKA, D.V.M.

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'.D.nial Cau fo< tf.. &iiv. g~
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2 Her/and Voice January, 1994

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(continued from page 1)

" This is what Coretta Scott King had to say in June of this
year at the gravesite of Dr. Martin Luther King in Georgia. She
says, 'I strongly believe that freedom and justice can not be
parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience. Dr. King
said 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' I
don't believe you can stand up for freedom for one group of
people and deny it to others. Many lesbian and gay people have
supported the African American freedom struggle and I'm not
going to tum my back on their movement for freedom and
dignity. ' We have a responsibility in the civil rights movement
to stand up for what is right, to stand up against discrimination
whatever its form may be. So we have called upon this city to
pass a human rights ordinance. They did not pass that human
rights ordinance and they had the opportunity to do that. ... so we
are standing in opposition .... The day is gone when we will not
demand for fair inclusive participation. "
The Committee mounted an intensive two-week grassroots
campaign to defeat the MAPS sales tax proposal following the
City Council's refusal to address concerns about minority
participation in city contracts, transportation links to Northeast
OKC, funding for economic development in Northeast OKC,
and passage of a strong human rights ordinance including
remedies for discrimination in employment and protection
against discrimination based on sexual orientation. The lowbudget campaign spent less than $2,000 compared to over
$400,000 expenses reported by supporters of the MAPS proposal.
The Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) passed by a 54%
to 46% margin with the largest margin of victory in far
northwest and southwest Oklahoma City. Voters in northeast
Oklahoma City and near northwest OKC (below N.W. 50th)
voted against the proposal demonstrating success of the campaign against the proposal by the Committee for an Inclusive
Future. Voter turnout was higher than any OKC sales tax
election in four years.
In a statement on behalf of the Committee for an Inclusive
Future following the announcement of the election results,
Roosevelt Milton, President of the OKC NAACP said, ''We
knew this fight would be challenging but we had little to lose
in our struggle for justice. We will continue to broaden our base
of community support and work towards a future that includes
and involves everyone. Our four objectives, i.e. guaranteed
minority participation, improving transportation in northeast
OKC, funding economic development in the northeast quadrant and passing an enforceable human rights ordinance will
continue to be central in all of our actions."
Membership in the Committee for an Inclusive Future
encompassed ci vii rights organizations, African American
ministerial groups and gay and lesbian advocacy organizations.
The OKC NAACP, the Urban League, Simply Equal-OKC, the
Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, the Baptist
Ministers Association, The Interdenominational Ministerial
Alliance, The Peace House, The Social Justice Committee of
the First Unitarian Church, the Coalition of Concerned Businessmen, and the Concerned Clergy for Spiritual Renewal are
among the active participants in the committee.
D

LESBIAN FANTASIA
by Vivien Ng
Some of you may have guessed it already: I am a closeted
writer. I don't know if my condition is congenital or cultural,
but I've known since I was in first grade that translating my
thought into words gives me great joy. My classmates thought
I was queer, of course, for taking such perverted pleasure in
reading my essays aloud in class. Peer pressure drove me into
the closet, but I never abandoned this forbidden love.
It's time for me to come clean: I am going to write THE
great lesbian novel, one that will not only make me famous but
also buy me a coveted apartment in New York City and a
summer cottage on Orcas Island in Puget Sound. When I make
it big time, I have to thank the constraints of historical scholarship for making my success as a fiction writer possible.
About three summers ago, I picked up a copy of Paula
Martinac' s Out of Time and read it from cover to cover in one
sitting. In this delightful lesbian ghost story (of sorts), strange
things began to happen to Susan Van Dine, a perennial graduate
student, after she' 'stole'' an old photo album from an antique store
in New York City. I was especially taken by the way Van Dine was
able to gradually reconstruct the lives of the four women whose
photographs made up the album. At the time, I had just started my
research on early Chinese feminists, a task made particularly
daunting by the layers of neglect and distortion that had shrouded
their lives for so long. I could not help but fantasize, "If only 'my'
women would communicate with me the way Harriet and Lucy did
with Susan!"
"My" women were an unconventional lot. Not only did they
eschew marriage but they lived far away from home, in Tokyo,
Japan. Some of them founded a radical magazine called NEW
CIIlNESE WOMEN. A few of them, I am convinced, were
lesbians. But I have no proof! If only they would appear in my
dreams and reveal their secret to me! (Harriet did more than that
to Susan Van Dine, but since this is a "family" publication, I
can't tell you more. You just have to read the book yourself!)

Published by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312 N.W.
39th, Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Newsletter Committee: Margaret Cox, Deborah Fox, Vivien
·
Ng, Pat Reaves
Circulation: 1200
Advertising Rates: Business card $15; 1/4 page $35;
1/2 page $60; full page $100
The Voice is offered as an open forum for community discourse. Articles reflect the opinions of the author and not
necessarily those of Herland Sister Resources. Unsolicited
articles and letters to the editor are welcomed and must be
signed by the writer with full name and address. Upon
request, letters or articles may be printed under a pseudonym
or anonymously.

Subscriptions to The Voice are free upon request .

Of course, even if they had done so, I still would not be able
to call them lesbians in the history book that I am writing. Look
how much trouble Blanche Wiesen Cook got into with her
biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, and she had more ''proof'
than I would ever have. I probably would not have to defend
myself against irate admirers of' 'my" women, as Cook has had
to do, because no university press would publish such
"unsubstantiated drivel" in the first place. I have only one
choice: ifl want to reclaim their story, I need to write a romantic
novel in addition to the history book.
As a novelist, I am Clio unbound. I can give my women
flesh and blood (and temper). I can make them sensual as well
as cerebral. Like Out of Time, my novel will be unabashedly
erotic, because only in such a vehicle will I be able to do justice
to them. I will weave an intricate tapestry of love, desire,
conviction, self-sacrifice, even martyrdom. I will claim victory
for them against convention, against tradition, against compulsory heterosexuality. I will make them succeed where history
would/could not. I will write lesbians into Chinese history.
Sooner or later, of course, I will have to come down to earth
from this lesbian fantasy. I don't normally give in to self doubts,
but I have been an historian for maybe too long--long enough
perhaps to have cost me my ability to render fiction. But until I
come crashing down, I am going to relish these fanciful thoughts
0
as robustly as I can.

New Ar

HERLAND

Joan Alden
Before Our Eyes
Tell Me What You Like
Kate Allen
Lesbian Love Signs
Aurora
Rest in Pieces
Rita Mae Brown
That's Ms. Bulldyke to You, Charlie Jane Caminos
Claire of the Moon
Nicole Conn
Forty-three Septembers
Jewelle Gomez
Running Fiercely Toward A High Thin Sound Judith Katz
Undersong
Audre Lorde
Out of Time
Paula Martinac
Home Movies
Paula Martinac
Profiles in Gay & Lesbian Courage Perry
Crime Against Nature
Minnie Bruce Pratt
k.d. tang: Carrying the Torch
William Robertson
Cecile
Ruthann Robson
May Sarton: Among the Usual Days
May Sarton
Empathy
Sarah Schulman
Lesbian Quotations
Silva
Possessing the Secret of Joy
Alice Walker
Temple of My Familiar
Alice Walker
In Search of Our Mothers' GardensAlice Walker
Vampires & Violets: Lesbians in Film Alison Weiss
Diamonds are a Dyke 's Best Friend Zipter
A new shipment of CD's and tapes with recordings by Cris
Williamson and Tret Fure and others has just arrived. Drop by
Herland to see the latest arrivals.
0

The Voice is printed on recycled paper.

Her/and Voice January, 1994

3

AMENDMENT

Two

UNCONSTITUTIONAL

(continued from page 1)
The district court found only the fourth and sixth claims to
be compelling state interests -- the promotion of religious
freedom and the promotion of family privacy. But the court
went on to rule that Amendment 2 was not narrowly drawn in
the least restrictive manner possible to achieve the claimed
state interests. Therefore, the defendants failed to meet their
burden and the initiative had to be struck down. The law
violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by interfering with ''the fundamental right of an identifiable group to participate in the political process.'' The
U.S.Supreme Court has recognized a few other fundamental
rights under the equal protection analysis including the right to
vote, the right to travel and the right to have offspring.
The plaintiffs also sought a ruling that gays, lesbians and
bisexuals should be considered a "suspect class" or "quasisuspect class.'' Suspect class status is desirable because whenever a law is passed discriminating against a ''suspect class, ''
the law is subjected to strict scrutiny review. Few laws can pass
such review. Only race, alienage and national origin have been
recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as "suspect classes."
Gender and illegitimacy have been recognized as "quasi-suspect." To laws addressed toward these groups, the courts must
apply "middle-tier scrutiny." The law must be substantially related
to an important govenmental interest under this heightened scrutiny but the standard is not as insurmountable as the "strict
scrutiny" standard. This test is also difficult for most laws to pass.
The court, however, refused to apply ''suspect class'' or quasi~
suspect class" status to gays, lesbians and bisexuals. There is no
precedent for such a determination and the court said the group
failed to pass the three-prong test used by courts in bestowing such
status. First, the group must have suffered a history of discrimination. Second, the individuals of the group must show'' obvious,
immutable, or distinguishing characteristics.'' Third, the group
must be politically powerless. The district court determined
that lesbians, gays and bisexuals have suffered a history of
discrimination as a group. However, the court said the question
of whether homosexuality or bisexuality is immutable is inconclusive and not one to be determined by the court. Finally, the
court would not conclude that the group is politically powerless. Relying on trial testimony, the court determined that ''the
percentage of homosexuals in our society'' is not over four per
cent. Since 46% of the Colorado electorate voted against the
initiative, the court concluded that four per cent of the population
garnered the support of an additional 42% and thus lesbians, gays
and bisexuals are not particularly politically powerless.
The district court also refused to apply the rational basis
test to the initiative. Since the Colorado Supreme Court had
determined there was a fundamental right involved and therefore strict scrutiny should apply, the court "declined to apply
a legally inappropriate test to this case." Under the rational
basis test, a state must show that a law has a rational relationship
to a legitimate governmental interest. This is the lowest level
of scrutiny and almost all laws pass this test when applied.
However, two recent cases striking down the ban on gays and
lesbians in the military have used a heightened rational basis test.

4 Her/and Voice January, 1994

There is some good language in the district court's decision
which at times almost ridicule the state's attempt to justify
Amendment 2 and Colorado's attempt to stigmatize and shut
out lesbians, gays and bisexuals from the political process.
There is still some order left in the courts even though this
decision affects only Colorado. Perhaps it indicates a renewed
accessibility to the judicial system to which the U.S. Supreme
Court in Bowers v. Hardwick,478 U.S. 186 (1986) dealt a
crushing blow. For further legal research and reading, see the cases
cited above and also High Tech Gays v. Defense Industrial Security
Clearance Office, 895 F.2d563 (9th Cir. 19':1J); Ben-Shalmn v. March,
881 F.2d454 (7th Cir. 1989); and Steffan v. Aspin, 1993 W L., 465530
(D.C. Cir.).
0

HATE CRIMES SENTENCING AcT
The U.S. House and Senate passed the Hate Crimes
Sentencing Enhancement Act last month by overwhelming
margins in both chambers. This piece of legislation advances
the federal response to crimes in which the perpetrator intentionally selects a victim because of his or her ''actual or
perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.''
The legislation increases penalties for hate crimes under
the federal law; enhances federal sentences not less than three
offense levels and demands proof beyond a reasonable doubt
that a hate crime occurred.
The House passed a stand-alone measure while the Senate
passed an Omnibus Crime Bill package that included the hate
crimes issue. This legislation will be going to conference committee in January to resolve differences between the chambers. 0

Art Therapy is a mental health profession that
uses art media to aid in communication,
expression and change. Debbie and Joan have
over 10 years experience each as Registered
Art Therapists.
Our office is wheelchair
accessible and we offer the following services:
Individual, Couple, and Family Therapy
Adult Survivors of Sexual Assault Therapy
Women's Issues Group
Consultation and Supervision for Professionals
Debbie Simms
MS, LMFT, A.T.R.

Joan Phillips
MA, MS, LMFI', LPC, A.T.R.

405/364-2008
123 E. Tonhawa, Ste. 104
Norman, Oklahoma

e

Kitchen Table
Women of Color Press

-

Help keep Kitchen Table alive
for the next generation of feminists of color

Dur Book Lover,
When Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press was started by Audre Lorde and Barbara Smith
in 1980, its founders pledged that it would become an institution. Thirteen years later Kitchen
Table • still alive and continues to be the only U. S. publisher for women of color. But in
these hard economic times, there 11 no guarantee that Kitchen Table will be always be here,
unless the women's community nationwide takes an active part In securing Its future.
As you know, the Press has published award winning classics like This Bridge Called My
Back, Home Girls, and Cuentos, but you may not know that it has always functioned as a
service organization and political support network for feminists and lesbians of color as well.
Recently the Press' first full four-color cover for Seventeen Syllables was awarded First
Place in the highly competitive New York Book Show. Most of the other winners were multinational corporations with unlimited budgets, art departments, and state of the art equipment.
Kitchen Table won with two people on staff and without even an office copying machine or
laser printer.

If it were not for publisher Barbara Smith's years of leadership and unsalaried work the
Press would not have survived. Because we are women who cherish Kitchen Table we believe
it is time for the Press' existence not to be dependent upon individual sacrifice. We want the
Press to grow and to gain access to the material and technological resources that would make
it possible to sustain the quality work that has made its reputation. That means that we have
made a commitment to raising the necessary funds to accomplish these goals.
We the undersigned take responsibility for preserving Kitchen Table and the work that has
given 10 many of us the strength, the vision, and the hope to fight for our lives and the lives of
those we love. We urge you to join us. For just as we are responsible for our own liberation,
we understand that Kitchen Table Press' survival depends on us.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Dorothy Abbott, Tania Abdulahad, Mary Ader, Cethy Cohen, Gloria DeSole, Bea Gates, Jaime Grant,
Naomi Jaffe, Joo Hyun Kang, Laura Kaplan, Andrea Lockett, Judith McDaniel, Helen Quan, Vickie Smith

Ynl I want to join my sisters In ensuring the future of KTP. Please accept my contribution.

0$1,000
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Address
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P.O. Box 908-

tf

Latham, NY 12 f10

Her/and Voice January, 1994

9

MISSISSIPPI LESBIANS

WILD HAIRED KATE

UNDER SIEGE

wild haired Kate was a rancher woman
she pulled calves, branded stock
made steers and rode a spirited horse.

By Deborah Fox

Two hundred fifty people attended a meeting on December 6 at the Community Center in Ovett, Mississippi to denounce Brenda and Wanda Henson, who bought property in
July to create Camp Sister Spirit, a feminist educational center.
At the meeting, residents discussed ways to force the women to
leave the area. Private citizens and public officials (including
the attorney for the Board of Supervisors in neighboring Perry
County) vowed to research state and county laws, including the
state anti-sodomy law, to discover a means to force the women
to leave. The women did not attend the meeting because they
fear for their safety. A second community meeting is scheduled
for January 4, 1994.
The December 6 meeting followed nearly two months of
harassment, intimidation and violence directed at the women.
The women receive harassing and threatening phone calls. A
dead dog was hung from their mailbox The mailbox has also
been shot at and stuffed with sanitary napkins; and several
unknown men (some of them armed) have been found wandering on the 120 acres of Camp Sister Spirit.
"Even local government officials are involved in the
attempt to force us from this land,' ' Henson said. ·'I view this
as an open conspiracy to deny us our civil rights."
In response to the request of the NGL TF, the Community
Relations Service (CRS), an agency of the U.S. Department of
Justice, has agreed to monitor the situation. Sue Brown, of the
Atlanta office of the CRS, spoke with Brenda Henson and
assured Henson that she would contact the local sheriff and
local FBI to let them know a federal agency was monitoring the
situation. However, CRS is mandated to mediate disputes
related only to race, color and ethnicity, not sexual
orientation.and with the current mandate, CRS cannot directly
mediate the dispute unless Attorney General Janet Reno directs
CRS to do so.
National attention has been focused on the women's
situation by an appearance on Oprah Winfrey's television talk
show and aNewsweekarticle, " MississippiBurning." ABC ' s
20/20 has also indicated interest in covering the events surrounding Camp Sister Spirit.
Sister Spirit is a community based, IRS recognized 501 (c)
(3) organization committed to providing people counseling,
information, education, referral, advocacy and meeting space
to address social issues. To date, Sister Spirit reports they have
received over $1200 dollars from supporters around the nation.
They still need around $6000 to install 3 cameras, a monitor,
and a road sensor to cover some of the potential access points
onto the land and would also appreciate any videocamera shells
that could be put up as decoys. Craftswomen, particularly
skilled carpenters, electricians, masonry workers, and plumbers, are also needed. Brenda and W andaHenson can be contacted
at Camp Sister Spirit, PO Box 12, Ovett, MS 39464.
D

10 Her/and Voice January, 1994

ever' morn she was up by six
with a cup of joe in hand
she made to feed the cows.
she doctored the sick stock, mended the fences
broke the colts to ride and
every now and again she liked to go a-two-steppin'.
Kate could do most anything
a man could do
and alot of times she did it better.
but most folks never heard much about her
or any others like her
'cause its the men who made the West
-so we was toldand the men who wrote it!
but Kate didn't mind
all the millions of lies and omissions
'cause she had the life she loved.

I can't blame her or any of the others like her
an' begrudge the niche they made
'cause they was better than equal to the men
who stole all the credit from the.
so now you know 'bout wild haired Kate
and I hope you won' t forget any of the others like her ·
'cause they gave us something real important,
a self-reliance we can emulate.

FEMINIST TEACHER: CALL FoR PAPERS
How do you teach about sexism, racism, homophobia, and
other forms of oppression? Have you developed lesson plans
or courses dealing with AIDS, human rights, anti-Semitism,
peace and justice, violence against women, world politics,
imperialism, or the environment from a feminist perspective?
Feminist Teacher seeks essays, articles, course descriptions, bibliographies, and letters-to-the collective describing
how educators address these and other issues in the classroom.
The magazine also seeks reviews of books, periodicals, and
videos that address pedagogical issues from a feminist perspective.
Feminist Teacher reaches educators in a variety of disciplines and in all grade levels -- preschool through graduate
school, in traditional as well as nontraditional classroom settings. Authors are asked to keep the diversity of this audience
in mind and to avoid technical or abstract language.
For a copy the Manuscript Guidelines, please write: Feminist Teacher, Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts 02766.
Subscription rates for U.S. addresses are $18 individuals,
$32.50 institutions (please write for international, including
Canadian, rates).
D

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I

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
The annual Martin Luther King Day activities will be held on January 17. They
will begin with a rally at Calvary Baptist Church, 300 N. Walnut at noon followed by
a parade to the Civic Center. A program will be held at the Civic Center from 2 - 4 P.M.
This year Herland will be marching with the Simply Equal contingent. Come join
us as we honor Martin Luther King and celebrate the on-going struggle for civil rights
for all.
D

I

Susan reports that the lesbian and gay
teachersnibrarians meeting in December was a great success, and that the
group will meet again on Thursday,
January 13, 1994, at 7 o'clock p.m. at
Herland.

\..

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NURSES NEEDED: NGLTF, in conjunction with other groups, is waging
a battle with the Harvard researchers
responsible forthe 18-year-oldNurses
Health Study. This is an on-going study
of more than one hundred thousand ·
female nurses to obtain general health
information in all areas of women's
health. Nurses (lesbian, bisexual or
straight) are needed to write the researchers and encourage them to add
questions about sexual orientation and
sexual activity. Call Marj Plumb,
NGLTF Health Policy Director, at
(202) 332-6483, ext. 3310 or fax her at
(202) 332-0207 and leave your name,
address, phone number and fax (if you
have one), for important information
about this study and whom to write.
People For the American Way, a
300,000-member nonpartisoan constitutional liberties organization, has
published its annual report which documents anti-gay measures taking place
in this country between November 3,
1992 and September 30, 1993. The
report, titled HOSTILE CLIMATE,
focuses on activity at the state and
local level. To obtain a copy send
$6.95 to Communications Department,
People for the American Way, 2000 M
St NW, Suite 400, Washington DC
20036. Or call 202-467-4999.
HEALTH CARE REFORM & YOU:
NGLTF is preparing an analysis of the
President's Health Security Act and
its impacts on the health concerns of
gay, lesbian and bisexual people.
NGLTF is also establishing a nationwide network of lesbian, gay and bisexual health reform activists . For a
copy of the Health Security Act analysis, write to NGL TF Publications
Dept., 1734 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009. (202) 332-6483, ext.
3327. To join the nationwide network
of lesbian, gay and bisexual health
reform activists, contact Marj Plumb,
NGLTF Health Policy Director, at
(202) 332-6483, ext. 3310.

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___________ .)
Berland Voice January, 1994

11

NonProfil Org.

U.S. Pos1age

2312 N. W. 39th Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 731.12

PAID
Oklahoma City. Okla.

P11rm1t No. 861
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED



January, 1994

_)

COMMITTEE FOR AN INCLUSIVE
FUTURE DECLARES VICTORY
The Committee for an Inclusive Future, the principal
opposition to Oklahoma City's MAPS sales tax proposal,
declared their campaign a success in spite of the passage of the
sales tax proposal. "We have shown that when those of us who
are traditionally shut out of power work together we can make
a significant impact in the political process. With very little
money but lots of grassroots work, we have brought our issues
to the forefront of public discussion. The City Council never
expected we could have so much impact on _this election,''
commented Pat Reaves, spokesperson for Simply Equai-OKC.
Paul Thompson, co-chair of the Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian
Political Caucus, said ''The coalition building we have done is
impressive and ongoing. Those who have been working
together will continue to do so and to include others in our fight
until we are all heard and respected.''
African American leaders in the Committee for an Inclusive Future were criticized throughout the campaign for their
alliance with gay and lesbian advocacy organizations. A Daily
Oklahoman editorial (12/3/93) entitled "No Blackmail" said
they had "unwisely allied themselves with radical homosexual
and lesbian activists seeking special privileges." and said "it is
curious, indeed, to see pastors equating sexual immorality with
the moral objective of equal protection for all, regardless of
race." The Black Chronicle (11/11193) editorialized, " The
league [Urban League] is ... trekking down such a primrose path
as it is now while aligned with radical homosexual groups such
as Queer Nation; weirdo grpups bent upon expanding the law
of the land to grasp illegitimate so-called rights."
In a letter to the editor published in the Daily Oklahoman
(12/14/93), Leonard Benton, Executive Director of the Urban
League, and Roosevelt Milton, President of the Oklahoma City
Branch of the NAACP reiterated the positions of their respective organizations. "Human rights is an issue of concern in the
African American Community ... The NAACP and the Urban
League have called for the passage of a stronger human rights
ordinance recommended by the OKC Human Rights Commissions which will include protection and penalty for employment discrimination in the private sector. Benton and Milton
continued, "The NAACP and the Urban League are proud to
offer leadership and support to the gay community in their
struggle to secure basic human rights and protection.
Speaking atthe final "Victory Rally'' held by the Committee for an Inclusive Future at Fairview Baptist Church, Leonard
Benton, Executive Director of the Urban League said, "For me
the person who has given me the clearest insight on this issue
in terms of how this issue as we struggle for the human rights
of all people -- how it is related to the civil rights movement is
Coretta Scott King."
(continued on page 2)
Volume 11 Number I

COLORADO AMENDMENT
Two RULED
UNCONSTITUTIONAL
by Peggy Johnson

On December 14, 1993, the Colorado district court for the
city and county of Denver ruled as unconstitutional Amendment 2, the state initiative banning any laws protecting gays,
lesbians and bisexuals from discrimination. Colorado's attorney general has said the state will appeal the decision to the
Colorado Supreme Court. The plaintiffs in the action, styled
Evans v. Romer, No. 92 CV 7223, included, among others,
Richard G. Evans, Martina Navratilova, the Boulder Valley
School District, the city and county of Denver, the cities of
Boulder and Aspen, and the Aspen city council. With legal
support from the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
and the American Civil Liberties Union, the plaintiffs challenged the law passed by a 53.4% majority of the voters on
November 3, 1992. The defendants included Roy Romer,
Colorado governor; Gale Norton, Colorado attorney general;
and the state of Colorado.
Judge Jeffrey Bayless of the district court granted a preliminary injunction sought by the plaintiffs soon after the
initiative passed in November 1992. The Colorado Supreme
Court upheld that injunction in July in Evans v. Romer, 854 P .2d
1270 (Colo. 1993). In that case, the Colorado Supreme Court
stated that ''the Equal Protection Clause of the United States
Constitution protects the fundamental right to participate equally
in the political process, and ... any legislation or state constitutional amendment which infringes on this right by 'fencing out'
an independently identifiable class of persons must be subject
to strict judicial scrutiny." Evans, 854 P.2d at 1282. Under
strict scrutiny, a state must show that it has a compelling state
interest in passing the law in question. As such, the burden in
this case was on the defendants to prove its compelling interest
in keeping the law. Since the Colorado Supreme Court set forth
the standard for review at trial, there is strong speculation that
the district court decision will be upheld on appeal.
In order to meet their burden, the defendants offered six
alleged "compelling state interests." These included ( 1) deterring factionalism; (2) preserving the integrity of the state's
political functions; (3) preserving the ability of the state to
remedy discrimination against suspect classes; (4) preventing
the government from interfering with personal, familial and
religious privacy; (5) preventing government from subsidizing
the political objectives of a special interest group; and (6)
promoting the physical and psychological well-being of our
(continued on page 4)
children.

Herland Sister Resources

2312 N.W. 39, OKC, OK 73112

ST. SYBIL

COALTION VICTORY

St. Sybil, who normally appears in this space has taken a
brief holiday break. Look for her wit and wisdon to reappear
in the February issue of The Voice .

LESBIAN HERSTORY
What was the life of a lesbian like for our great-aunts and
grandmothers? The Lesbian Herstory Archives is one of the
best places to find out about the lives of the lesbians who have
gone before us. For the past 19 years, the Archives have
collected and cataloged photographs, diaries, books, and a
myriad of artifacts of lesbian lives.
Located in New York City; the Lesbian Herstory Archives
houses the world's largest collection of materials by and about
lesbians and our communities. The collection, international in
scope, includes books, unpublished papers, conference proceedings, newsletters, photographs, slides; periodicals,-tapes,
videos, films, artwork, calendars, manuscripts, music, and
clothing that deal with lesbians and lesbian lives.
The Lesbian Herstory Archives opened in 1974 in the
pantry of an Upper West Side Manhattan apartment. The
founders were concerned about the failure of mainstream
institutions to value lesbian culture. They recognized that an
independent archive governed by lesbians would best protect,
preserve, and share lesbian history. Today the Lesbian Herstory
Archives is the largest and longest lived lesbian archive anywhere.
Herland will celebrate Women's History Month in March
with a special visit from the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
Coordinator Amy Beth will bring a special audiovisual presentation to share the images of lesbian herstory preserved by the
Archives. Watch future issues of the Voice for details of the
Lesbian Herstory Archives visit to Oklahoma City.
D
( 405 )7H -0496

2109 S. AiR DEpOT
Midwm Chy, OK 7} l l 0

CAii foR AppoiNTMENT

JOY HUSKA, D.V.M.

~Cw. !J(. !Bwam~, cf?. Pfi., !D.!D..d.
'.D.nial Cau fo< tf.. &iiv. g~
.£af• 'l::w.li~ fo.!Jna.i .fu,uiuou
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2 Her/and Voice January, 1994

( 4"')7,,-11099

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7!1120

(continued from page 1)

" This is what Coretta Scott King had to say in June of this
year at the gravesite of Dr. Martin Luther King in Georgia. She
says, 'I strongly believe that freedom and justice can not be
parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience. Dr. King
said 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' I
don't believe you can stand up for freedom for one group of
people and deny it to others. Many lesbian and gay people have
supported the African American freedom struggle and I'm not
going to tum my back on their movement for freedom and
dignity. ' We have a responsibility in the civil rights movement
to stand up for what is right, to stand up against discrimination
whatever its form may be. So we have called upon this city to
pass a human rights ordinance. They did not pass that human
rights ordinance and they had the opportunity to do that. ... so we
are standing in opposition .... The day is gone when we will not
demand for fair inclusive participation. "
The Committee mounted an intensive two-week grassroots
campaign to defeat the MAPS sales tax proposal following the
City Council's refusal to address concerns about minority
participation in city contracts, transportation links to Northeast
OKC, funding for economic development in Northeast OKC,
and passage of a strong human rights ordinance including
remedies for discrimination in employment and protection
against discrimination based on sexual orientation. The lowbudget campaign spent less than $2,000 compared to over
$400,000 expenses reported by supporters of the MAPS proposal.
The Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) passed by a 54%
to 46% margin with the largest margin of victory in far
northwest and southwest Oklahoma City. Voters in northeast
Oklahoma City and near northwest OKC (below N.W. 50th)
voted against the proposal demonstrating success of the campaign against the proposal by the Committee for an Inclusive
Future. Voter turnout was higher than any OKC sales tax
election in four years.
In a statement on behalf of the Committee for an Inclusive
Future following the announcement of the election results,
Roosevelt Milton, President of the OKC NAACP said, ''We
knew this fight would be challenging but we had little to lose
in our struggle for justice. We will continue to broaden our base
of community support and work towards a future that includes
and involves everyone. Our four objectives, i.e. guaranteed
minority participation, improving transportation in northeast
OKC, funding economic development in the northeast quadrant and passing an enforceable human rights ordinance will
continue to be central in all of our actions."
Membership in the Committee for an Inclusive Future
encompassed ci vii rights organizations, African American
ministerial groups and gay and lesbian advocacy organizations.
The OKC NAACP, the Urban League, Simply Equal-OKC, the
Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, the Baptist
Ministers Association, The Interdenominational Ministerial
Alliance, The Peace House, The Social Justice Committee of
the First Unitarian Church, the Coalition of Concerned Businessmen, and the Concerned Clergy for Spiritual Renewal are
among the active participants in the committee.
D

LESBIAN FANTASIA
by Vivien Ng
Some of you may have guessed it already: I am a closeted
writer. I don't know if my condition is congenital or cultural,
but I've known since I was in first grade that translating my
thought into words gives me great joy. My classmates thought
I was queer, of course, for taking such perverted pleasure in
reading my essays aloud in class. Peer pressure drove me into
the closet, but I never abandoned this forbidden love.
It's time for me to come clean: I am going to write THE
great lesbian novel, one that will not only make me famous but
also buy me a coveted apartment in New York City and a
summer cottage on Orcas Island in Puget Sound. When I make
it big time, I have to thank the constraints of historical scholarship for making my success as a fiction writer possible.
About three summers ago, I picked up a copy of Paula
Martinac' s Out of Time and read it from cover to cover in one
sitting. In this delightful lesbian ghost story (of sorts), strange
things began to happen to Susan Van Dine, a perennial graduate
student, after she' 'stole'' an old photo album from an antique store
in New York City. I was especially taken by the way Van Dine was
able to gradually reconstruct the lives of the four women whose
photographs made up the album. At the time, I had just started my
research on early Chinese feminists, a task made particularly
daunting by the layers of neglect and distortion that had shrouded
their lives for so long. I could not help but fantasize, "If only 'my'
women would communicate with me the way Harriet and Lucy did
with Susan!"
"My" women were an unconventional lot. Not only did they
eschew marriage but they lived far away from home, in Tokyo,
Japan. Some of them founded a radical magazine called NEW
CIIlNESE WOMEN. A few of them, I am convinced, were
lesbians. But I have no proof! If only they would appear in my
dreams and reveal their secret to me! (Harriet did more than that
to Susan Van Dine, but since this is a "family" publication, I
can't tell you more. You just have to read the book yourself!)

Published by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312 N.W.
39th, Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Newsletter Committee: Margaret Cox, Deborah Fox, Vivien
·
Ng, Pat Reaves
Circulation: 1200
Advertising Rates: Business card $15; 1/4 page $35;
1/2 page $60; full page $100
The Voice is offered as an open forum for community discourse. Articles reflect the opinions of the author and not
necessarily those of Herland Sister Resources. Unsolicited
articles and letters to the editor are welcomed and must be
signed by the writer with full name and address. Upon
request, letters or articles may be printed under a pseudonym
or anonymously.

Subscriptions to The Voice are free upon request .

Of course, even if they had done so, I still would not be able
to call them lesbians in the history book that I am writing. Look
how much trouble Blanche Wiesen Cook got into with her
biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, and she had more ''proof'
than I would ever have. I probably would not have to defend
myself against irate admirers of' 'my" women, as Cook has had
to do, because no university press would publish such
"unsubstantiated drivel" in the first place. I have only one
choice: ifl want to reclaim their story, I need to write a romantic
novel in addition to the history book.
As a novelist, I am Clio unbound. I can give my women
flesh and blood (and temper). I can make them sensual as well
as cerebral. Like Out of Time, my novel will be unabashedly
erotic, because only in such a vehicle will I be able to do justice
to them. I will weave an intricate tapestry of love, desire,
conviction, self-sacrifice, even martyrdom. I will claim victory
for them against convention, against tradition, against compulsory heterosexuality. I will make them succeed where history
would/could not. I will write lesbians into Chinese history.
Sooner or later, of course, I will have to come down to earth
from this lesbian fantasy. I don't normally give in to self doubts,
but I have been an historian for maybe too long--long enough
perhaps to have cost me my ability to render fiction. But until I
come crashing down, I am going to relish these fanciful thoughts
0
as robustly as I can.

New Ar

HERLAND

Joan Alden
Before Our Eyes
Tell Me What You Like
Kate Allen
Lesbian Love Signs
Aurora
Rest in Pieces
Rita Mae Brown
That's Ms. Bulldyke to You, Charlie Jane Caminos
Claire of the Moon
Nicole Conn
Forty-three Septembers
Jewelle Gomez
Running Fiercely Toward A High Thin Sound Judith Katz
Undersong
Audre Lorde
Out of Time
Paula Martinac
Home Movies
Paula Martinac
Profiles in Gay & Lesbian Courage Perry
Crime Against Nature
Minnie Bruce Pratt
k.d. tang: Carrying the Torch
William Robertson
Cecile
Ruthann Robson
May Sarton: Among the Usual Days
May Sarton
Empathy
Sarah Schulman
Lesbian Quotations
Silva
Possessing the Secret of Joy
Alice Walker
Temple of My Familiar
Alice Walker
In Search of Our Mothers' GardensAlice Walker
Vampires & Violets: Lesbians in Film Alison Weiss
Diamonds are a Dyke 's Best Friend Zipter
A new shipment of CD's and tapes with recordings by Cris
Williamson and Tret Fure and others has just arrived. Drop by
Herland to see the latest arrivals.
0

The Voice is printed on recycled paper.

Her/and Voice January, 1994

3

AMENDMENT

Two

UNCONSTITUTIONAL

(continued from page 1)
The district court found only the fourth and sixth claims to
be compelling state interests -- the promotion of religious
freedom and the promotion of family privacy. But the court
went on to rule that Amendment 2 was not narrowly drawn in
the least restrictive manner possible to achieve the claimed
state interests. Therefore, the defendants failed to meet their
burden and the initiative had to be struck down. The law
violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by interfering with ''the fundamental right of an identifiable group to participate in the political process.'' The
U.S.Supreme Court has recognized a few other fundamental
rights under the equal protection analysis including the right to
vote, the right to travel and the right to have offspring.
The plaintiffs also sought a ruling that gays, lesbians and
bisexuals should be considered a "suspect class" or "quasisuspect class.'' Suspect class status is desirable because whenever a law is passed discriminating against a ''suspect class, ''
the law is subjected to strict scrutiny review. Few laws can pass
such review. Only race, alienage and national origin have been
recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as "suspect classes."
Gender and illegitimacy have been recognized as "quasi-suspect." To laws addressed toward these groups, the courts must
apply "middle-tier scrutiny." The law must be substantially related
to an important govenmental interest under this heightened scrutiny but the standard is not as insurmountable as the "strict
scrutiny" standard. This test is also difficult for most laws to pass.
The court, however, refused to apply ''suspect class'' or quasi~
suspect class" status to gays, lesbians and bisexuals. There is no
precedent for such a determination and the court said the group
failed to pass the three-prong test used by courts in bestowing such
status. First, the group must have suffered a history of discrimination. Second, the individuals of the group must show'' obvious,
immutable, or distinguishing characteristics.'' Third, the group
must be politically powerless. The district court determined
that lesbians, gays and bisexuals have suffered a history of
discrimination as a group. However, the court said the question
of whether homosexuality or bisexuality is immutable is inconclusive and not one to be determined by the court. Finally, the
court would not conclude that the group is politically powerless. Relying on trial testimony, the court determined that ''the
percentage of homosexuals in our society'' is not over four per
cent. Since 46% of the Colorado electorate voted against the
initiative, the court concluded that four per cent of the population
garnered the support of an additional 42% and thus lesbians, gays
and bisexuals are not particularly politically powerless.
The district court also refused to apply the rational basis
test to the initiative. Since the Colorado Supreme Court had
determined there was a fundamental right involved and therefore strict scrutiny should apply, the court "declined to apply
a legally inappropriate test to this case." Under the rational
basis test, a state must show that a law has a rational relationship
to a legitimate governmental interest. This is the lowest level
of scrutiny and almost all laws pass this test when applied.
However, two recent cases striking down the ban on gays and
lesbians in the military have used a heightened rational basis test.

4 Her/and Voice January, 1994

There is some good language in the district court's decision
which at times almost ridicule the state's attempt to justify
Amendment 2 and Colorado's attempt to stigmatize and shut
out lesbians, gays and bisexuals from the political process.
There is still some order left in the courts even though this
decision affects only Colorado. Perhaps it indicates a renewed
accessibility to the judicial system to which the U.S. Supreme
Court in Bowers v. Hardwick,478 U.S. 186 (1986) dealt a
crushing blow. For further legal research and reading, see the cases
cited above and also High Tech Gays v. Defense Industrial Security
Clearance Office, 895 F.2d563 (9th Cir. 19':1J); Ben-Shalmn v. March,
881 F.2d454 (7th Cir. 1989); and Steffan v. Aspin, 1993 W L., 465530
(D.C. Cir.).
0

HATE CRIMES SENTENCING AcT
The U.S. House and Senate passed the Hate Crimes
Sentencing Enhancement Act last month by overwhelming
margins in both chambers. This piece of legislation advances
the federal response to crimes in which the perpetrator intentionally selects a victim because of his or her ''actual or
perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.''
The legislation increases penalties for hate crimes under
the federal law; enhances federal sentences not less than three
offense levels and demands proof beyond a reasonable doubt
that a hate crime occurred.
The House passed a stand-alone measure while the Senate
passed an Omnibus Crime Bill package that included the hate
crimes issue. This legislation will be going to conference committee in January to resolve differences between the chambers. 0

Art Therapy is a mental health profession that
uses art media to aid in communication,
expression and change. Debbie and Joan have
over 10 years experience each as Registered
Art Therapists.
Our office is wheelchair
accessible and we offer the following services:
Individual, Couple, and Family Therapy
Adult Survivors of Sexual Assault Therapy
Women's Issues Group
Consultation and Supervision for Professionals
Debbie Simms
MS, LMFT, A.T.R.

Joan Phillips
MA, MS, LMFI', LPC, A.T.R.

405/364-2008
123 E. Tonhawa, Ste. 104
Norman, Oklahoma

e

Kitchen Table
Women of Color Press

-

Help keep Kitchen Table alive
for the next generation of feminists of color

Dur Book Lover,
When Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press was started by Audre Lorde and Barbara Smith
in 1980, its founders pledged that it would become an institution. Thirteen years later Kitchen
Table • still alive and continues to be the only U. S. publisher for women of color. But in
these hard economic times, there 11 no guarantee that Kitchen Table will be always be here,
unless the women's community nationwide takes an active part In securing Its future.
As you know, the Press has published award winning classics like This Bridge Called My
Back, Home Girls, and Cuentos, but you may not know that it has always functioned as a
service organization and political support network for feminists and lesbians of color as well.
Recently the Press' first full four-color cover for Seventeen Syllables was awarded First
Place in the highly competitive New York Book Show. Most of the other winners were multinational corporations with unlimited budgets, art departments, and state of the art equipment.
Kitchen Table won with two people on staff and without even an office copying machine or
laser printer.

If it were not for publisher Barbara Smith's years of leadership and unsalaried work the
Press would not have survived. Because we are women who cherish Kitchen Table we believe
it is time for the Press' existence not to be dependent upon individual sacrifice. We want the
Press to grow and to gain access to the material and technological resources that would make
it possible to sustain the quality work that has made its reputation. That means that we have
made a commitment to raising the necessary funds to accomplish these goals.
We the undersigned take responsibility for preserving Kitchen Table and the work that has
given 10 many of us the strength, the vision, and the hope to fight for our lives and the lives of
those we love. We urge you to join us. For just as we are responsible for our own liberation,
we understand that Kitchen Table Press' survival depends on us.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Dorothy Abbott, Tania Abdulahad, Mary Ader, Cethy Cohen, Gloria DeSole, Bea Gates, Jaime Grant,
Naomi Jaffe, Joo Hyun Kang, Laura Kaplan, Andrea Lockett, Judith McDaniel, Helen Quan, Vickie Smith

Ynl I want to join my sisters In ensuring the future of KTP. Please accept my contribution.

0$1,000
0$500
0$250
0$100 0$50
0$35 OOther
Name-------------------------------~
Address
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
State____ Zip_ _ _ _ _ __

.City
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Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press

P.O. Box 908-

tf

Latham, NY 12 f10

Her/and Voice January, 1994

9

MISSISSIPPI LESBIANS

WILD HAIRED KATE

UNDER SIEGE

wild haired Kate was a rancher woman
she pulled calves, branded stock
made steers and rode a spirited horse.

By Deborah Fox

Two hundred fifty people attended a meeting on December 6 at the Community Center in Ovett, Mississippi to denounce Brenda and Wanda Henson, who bought property in
July to create Camp Sister Spirit, a feminist educational center.
At the meeting, residents discussed ways to force the women to
leave the area. Private citizens and public officials (including
the attorney for the Board of Supervisors in neighboring Perry
County) vowed to research state and county laws, including the
state anti-sodomy law, to discover a means to force the women
to leave. The women did not attend the meeting because they
fear for their safety. A second community meeting is scheduled
for January 4, 1994.
The December 6 meeting followed nearly two months of
harassment, intimidation and violence directed at the women.
The women receive harassing and threatening phone calls. A
dead dog was hung from their mailbox The mailbox has also
been shot at and stuffed with sanitary napkins; and several
unknown men (some of them armed) have been found wandering on the 120 acres of Camp Sister Spirit.
"Even local government officials are involved in the
attempt to force us from this land,' ' Henson said. ·'I view this
as an open conspiracy to deny us our civil rights."
In response to the request of the NGL TF, the Community
Relations Service (CRS), an agency of the U.S. Department of
Justice, has agreed to monitor the situation. Sue Brown, of the
Atlanta office of the CRS, spoke with Brenda Henson and
assured Henson that she would contact the local sheriff and
local FBI to let them know a federal agency was monitoring the
situation. However, CRS is mandated to mediate disputes
related only to race, color and ethnicity, not sexual
orientation.and with the current mandate, CRS cannot directly
mediate the dispute unless Attorney General Janet Reno directs
CRS to do so.
National attention has been focused on the women's
situation by an appearance on Oprah Winfrey's television talk
show and aNewsweekarticle, " MississippiBurning." ABC ' s
20/20 has also indicated interest in covering the events surrounding Camp Sister Spirit.
Sister Spirit is a community based, IRS recognized 501 (c)
(3) organization committed to providing people counseling,
information, education, referral, advocacy and meeting space
to address social issues. To date, Sister Spirit reports they have
received over $1200 dollars from supporters around the nation.
They still need around $6000 to install 3 cameras, a monitor,
and a road sensor to cover some of the potential access points
onto the land and would also appreciate any videocamera shells
that could be put up as decoys. Craftswomen, particularly
skilled carpenters, electricians, masonry workers, and plumbers, are also needed. Brenda and W andaHenson can be contacted
at Camp Sister Spirit, PO Box 12, Ovett, MS 39464.
D

10 Her/and Voice January, 1994

ever' morn she was up by six
with a cup of joe in hand
she made to feed the cows.
she doctored the sick stock, mended the fences
broke the colts to ride and
every now and again she liked to go a-two-steppin'.
Kate could do most anything
a man could do
and alot of times she did it better.
but most folks never heard much about her
or any others like her
'cause its the men who made the West
-so we was toldand the men who wrote it!
but Kate didn't mind
all the millions of lies and omissions
'cause she had the life she loved.

I can't blame her or any of the others like her
an' begrudge the niche they made
'cause they was better than equal to the men
who stole all the credit from the.
so now you know 'bout wild haired Kate
and I hope you won' t forget any of the others like her ·
'cause they gave us something real important,
a self-reliance we can emulate.

FEMINIST TEACHER: CALL FoR PAPERS
How do you teach about sexism, racism, homophobia, and
other forms of oppression? Have you developed lesson plans
or courses dealing with AIDS, human rights, anti-Semitism,
peace and justice, violence against women, world politics,
imperialism, or the environment from a feminist perspective?
Feminist Teacher seeks essays, articles, course descriptions, bibliographies, and letters-to-the collective describing
how educators address these and other issues in the classroom.
The magazine also seeks reviews of books, periodicals, and
videos that address pedagogical issues from a feminist perspective.
Feminist Teacher reaches educators in a variety of disciplines and in all grade levels -- preschool through graduate
school, in traditional as well as nontraditional classroom settings. Authors are asked to keep the diversity of this audience
in mind and to avoid technical or abstract language.
For a copy the Manuscript Guidelines, please write: Feminist Teacher, Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts 02766.
Subscription rates for U.S. addresses are $18 individuals,
$32.50 institutions (please write for international, including
Canadian, rates).
D

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••• , [AM NOT PATRONIZING. YOU!
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I

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
The annual Martin Luther King Day activities will be held on January 17. They
will begin with a rally at Calvary Baptist Church, 300 N. Walnut at noon followed by
a parade to the Civic Center. A program will be held at the Civic Center from 2 - 4 P.M.
This year Herland will be marching with the Simply Equal contingent. Come join
us as we honor Martin Luther King and celebrate the on-going struggle for civil rights
for all.
D

I

Susan reports that the lesbian and gay
teachersnibrarians meeting in December was a great success, and that the
group will meet again on Thursday,
January 13, 1994, at 7 o'clock p.m. at
Herland.

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NURSES NEEDED: NGLTF, in conjunction with other groups, is waging
a battle with the Harvard researchers
responsible forthe 18-year-oldNurses
Health Study. This is an on-going study
of more than one hundred thousand ·
female nurses to obtain general health
information in all areas of women's
health. Nurses (lesbian, bisexual or
straight) are needed to write the researchers and encourage them to add
questions about sexual orientation and
sexual activity. Call Marj Plumb,
NGLTF Health Policy Director, at
(202) 332-6483, ext. 3310 or fax her at
(202) 332-0207 and leave your name,
address, phone number and fax (if you
have one), for important information
about this study and whom to write.
People For the American Way, a
300,000-member nonpartisoan constitutional liberties organization, has
published its annual report which documents anti-gay measures taking place
in this country between November 3,
1992 and September 30, 1993. The
report, titled HOSTILE CLIMATE,
focuses on activity at the state and
local level. To obtain a copy send
$6.95 to Communications Department,
People for the American Way, 2000 M
St NW, Suite 400, Washington DC
20036. Or call 202-467-4999.
HEALTH CARE REFORM & YOU:
NGLTF is preparing an analysis of the
President's Health Security Act and
its impacts on the health concerns of
gay, lesbian and bisexual people.
NGLTF is also establishing a nationwide network of lesbian, gay and bisexual health reform activists . For a
copy of the Health Security Act analysis, write to NGL TF Publications
Dept., 1734 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009. (202) 332-6483, ext.
3327. To join the nationwide network
of lesbian, gay and bisexual health
reform activists, contact Marj Plumb,
NGLTF Health Policy Director, at
(202) 332-6483, ext. 3310.

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___________ .)
Berland Voice January, 1994

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NonProfil Org.

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