extracted text

·./ :·

th~:BIRLAND~, V'0 1
ICJ!:,
·········:( .......:;··:

..::··

···········~;··············

february 2004

La Salle De Femmes
By Jo L. Soske
erland recently celebrated a twenty-year anniversary. That is a momentous accomplishment
for an independent women's bookstore. A number of women worked very hard to put on an extensive
celebration for this occasion. I want to commend them
in the work that they did .
Prior to the celebration, a lot of information and history was gathered. This information was used to prepare a pamphlet telling about the history of Herland. It
was also used to acknowledge a number of women on
the night of the concert. Inadvertently, part of the his. tory of Herland was altered, and part of it was left out.
There was nothing deliberate about this. However, history is all too often rewritten, and many times in the
rewriting women are excluded or delegated to a place
of unimportance. For that reason, I believe that whenever possible we should hold on to our history and retell it. I wrote a similar article to this for The Voice ten
years ago, and I have decided that it is time to write it
again .
Near the end of 1981, a loosely knit group of women
formed a collective and decided to write a newspaper
called The Brazen Hussy Rag. I apologize in advance
for the fact that I am certain to omit some of the
names of these women. However, I will list the ones of
which I am certain, using only first names and last initials, because I have not obtained permission from
them to use their full names. The group initially in-

H

( continued on page 4)

·volume 22, number 2

Oklahoma Freedom &Equality Coalition Forms

H

ertand is proud to be a member of the newly formed Oklahoma
Freedom and Equality Coalition (OFEC) formed on January 9-10 in
Stroud, OK. Around 85 people from all over Oklahoma, representing dozens of equaLity groups, gay and straigh~ faith-based and secular, met
for two days to form OFEC. Satellite meetings for those who could not attend
in Stroud were held in Oklahoma City and Tulsa in the following weeks.
In addition to planning and strategizing, the group was addressed by Oklahoma County Commissioner Jim Roth, who spoke of his personal experiences, clearly illustrating that lgbt people are not asking for special privileges,
merely rights due us all. Log Cabin Republican Mark Mead addressed the
gathering, pointing out that there is a possibility that in addition to the Federal
Marriage Amendment now introduced in the US Congress, another amendment may arise that would remove same-gender marriage from the "full faith
and credit" clause of the US Constitution, whereby laws in one state are recognized in another state.
As the Voice goes to press, OFEC has twenty-one organizational groups as
members, representing over 6,000 Oklahomans. Elected Co-Chairs of OFEC
are Karen Weldin of Soulforce, and Rodney Johnson of OGLPC.
The Mission Statement adopted by OFEC is: "The Oklahoma Freedom and
Equality Coalition is a group of organizations, faith-based groups, and individuals working together to achieve equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender people. We carry out this mission through educaiion, advocacy, and grassroots organizing." OFEC's primary goal is to build a committed and powerful grassroots movement, one that will be capable, first of all, of
defeating the kind of anti- glbt legislation which is being introduced this session in the Oklahoma legislature.
Bills to be introduced this session and which OFEC will fight are listed here
with their principal author and "short title":
•
•
•
•

HB 2207, Graves, Same gender marriage recognition (and of course
Rep. Graves is against recognition)
HRJ 1045, Graves, Constitutional Amendment - same gender relationships
HR 1027, Balkman-Cargill, Disapproval of US Supreme Court ruling
invalidating state sodomy laws
SJR 38, Senator Jim Williamson and Rep. Mike O'Neal, Marriage Protection Amendment

If you wish to register your disapproval of these bills and your desire that
they receive a speedy death in committee, you can contact the following
(being sure to mention the bill number, authors, and short title):
Larry Adair, Speaker
Phone: 405-557-7394
Fax: 405-557-7445
Email: adairla@lsb.state.ok.us

Danny Hilliard, Speaker Pro Tem
Phone: 405-557-7412
Fax: 405-962-7648
Email: hilliardda@lsb.state.ok.us

Jari Askins, Speaker-Elect
Phone: 405-557-7327
Fax: 580-522-3969
Email: askinsja@lsb.state.ok.us

Senator Pro Tem Cal Hobson
Phone: 405-521-5553
Email: hobson@lsb.state.ok.us

For more info about OFEC, please visit www.ofec.org.

www.herlandsisters.org
herland sister resources, 2312 nw 39th, oklahoma city, ok 73112
(405) 521-9696
email: herlandsisters@cox.net
bookstore hours: saturclays 1-5 pm

Black History Month: A Reading List
In recognition of Black History Month, Herland would like to recommend just a few of
the great books we have in our lending library by African-American authors:

Sister Outsider
A Burst of Ufe
Angela Davis, an Autobiography
Angela Davis
Maya Angelou
Just Give Me a Cool Drink of
Water 'Fore I Diiiie & Other Poems
Zora Neale Hurston Their Eyes Were Watching God
Jewelle Gomez
The Gilda Stories
bell hooks
Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center
Ntosake Shange For Colored Girls Who have Considered
Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf
Assata Shakur
Assata, An Autobiography
Alice Walker
In Search of our Mothers Garden
Possessing the Secret of Joy
Meridian
The Color Purple
Toni Morrison
Beloved
Bebe Moore Campbell What You Owe Me
Black Lesbians: An annotated Bibliography Compiled by J R Roberts
Audre Lorde

Herland Discussion Group on the Web
Member of the Herland community are invited to join the Herland
Discussion Group on Yahoo. The purpose of this group is to enable
women involved with Herland to contact each other, invite others to
join them for a social event, or just chat. To join the group, visit
http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/HerlandSisters. Note that this is
an unmoderated group which means Herland does not screen people
as they jo!n the discussion group. Your email address, and any other
information you provide when signing up, will be listed on the
"members" page. Because of this, you may wish to create a new
email address, not your primary email address, for purposes of this
group. And please exercise caution if you make plans to meet with
someone from the group that you don't already know.

Herland Sister Resources, Inc.
Financial Statement (1/1/03 to 12/31/03)
INCOME
Building Fund Donations
Events
Fundraisers
General Donations
Grants
Newsletter Subscriptions
Newsletter Advertising
Rent
Retreats
Sales
Sales Tax Collected
Miscellaneous
Total Income
EXPENSES

Bank Charges
Building Maintenance
Community Support
Event Expenses
Fundraising Expenses
Insurance
Merchandise for Resale
Newsletter Postage/Printing
Other Postage/Printing
Retreat Expenses
Sales Tax Paid
Telephone
Transfer to Legal Def. Fund
Utilities
Miscellaneous
Total Expenses
Net

Building Fund carryover from 2002
General Fund Carryover from 2002

50
$
$ 5,984
$ 1,778
$ 1,736
$ 1,300
$ 352
$ 670
$ 270
$ 3,619
$ 754
74
$
$ 127
$16,714
92
$
$ 1,800
$ 308
$ 4,240
$ 185
$ 1,657
$ 284
$ 3,645
$ 193
$ 1,931
58
$
$ 675
$ 289
$ 1,331
$ 162
$16,851
$ (138)
$ 2,656
$ 4,725

HEALTH: Advances in Fighting Ovarian Cancer
info from womensenews.com and OU Medicine
his winter, researchers will be conducting clinical trials of a blood test, called Correlogic, a non-invasive, pin-prick
procedure that is expected to be the first to be able to catch ovarian cancer in its initial stages. The test, which
screens for protein patterns that appear at the onset of the disease, is being hailed as a major breakthrough by researchers, doctors, and patients alike. The Food and Drug Administration has yet
to approve the test, which must complete clinical trials before the government
sanctions its use. Instead of facing a round of detection tests--a pelvic exam,
pelvic ultrasound, CAT-125 test and possible biopsy--patients will be able to be
diagnosed after one pin-prick.
For late-stage patients there is also hope on the horizon: two new treatments
now in the third and final round of clinical trials. The first drug is OvaRex, which
targets cancer cells remaining after remission and the second is Telcyta, which
attacks cancer cells while sparing healthy ones.
Ovarian cancer is a disease of 55- to 70-year-olds, although it can occur much
earlier. The primary risk factor is lack of bearing children. Because progesterone
plays a major role in ovarian cancer, women who have taken birth control pills or
who have had children have much lower risk for developing the disease.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer (see inset right) are often mistaken for indigestion
or just shrugged off as part of getting older. As a result, 75 percent of cases are
not caught until the advanced stages. If caught early, it boasts a survival rate of
90 percent.

T

---------------------................................
.•
Herland Book Club
•
The Herland Book club will meet at 7 pm on Monday,
February 2 to discuss Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, the
award-winning author of Tipping the Velvet. The Book
Club will then take a break and not meet in March.

Berland Supper Club & Road Trip
Herland Supper Club hits the road this month for a trip
to Stillwater on Saturday, February14th. For those who
wish to carpool, we will meet at Herland and leave
around 3 pm. We'll meet for supper at Hideaway Pizza,
230 S. Knoblock, around 4:30 pm. After supper, we'll go
to the OSU vs. Missouri women's basketball game at 6
pm. Join us for a great evening! For more info, call Ginger at 942-1535.

Herland Hiking
The Herland Hiking Group will have its regular monthly
outing to Martin Nature Park, 5000 W. Memorial, at 10
am on Saturday, February 14. There is also an optional
coffee gathering beforehand at Panera's, corner of Memorial & Meridian, at 9:00 am.

Womyn of Color
Womyn of Coior group meets the 2nd Sunday of each
month. Please email womynofcolor@gay.com or call
(405) 842-3464 or (405) 947-7691 for more information.

Native American Women
OKC Two-Spirit Society is having meetings for lesbian
and bi-sexual women of Native American descent.
Please call the OKC Two-Spirit Hotline number at (405)
317-7283 for information about the next meeting.

The Vagina Monologues!
The Monologues will be presented Feb 12th and 13th at
8pm both nights in the Oklahoma Memorial Union Ballroom. Tickets are $5 and all proceeds benefit the Norman Women's Resource Center. To reserve tickets or for
accommodations on the basis of disability contact
ryan@bluejellybean.com. Tickets will be available at the
door and seating is open.

A Weekend with Lisa Thiel
The Deep Root Community Center (DRCC), Unity
Church, and Gather the Women are sponsoring a weekend with Lisa Thiel, March 13-14, in celebration of International Women's Week. Lisa will be performing a
benefit concert on Sat., March 13, and offering a workshop and sacred ceremony on Sun., March 14. For
more info, see Deep Root's website at
www.deeproot.org.

• HERLAND EVENTS CALENDAR
•

•February
•

•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
•
••
•
••
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•

Monday. February 2 : Herland Book Club, 7 pm
Sunday. February 8: Womyn of Color Meeting, call 842-3464
for details
Monday. February 9: OGLPC Monthly Meeting at the Center,
2135 NW 39th, 7 pm
February 12-13: Vagina Monologues at OU Memorial Ballroom, 8 pm, $5
Thursday. February12: Miss Brown to You, UCO Jazz Lab in
Edmond, 8-11 pm, $7
Friday. Febtuary13: Mary Reynolds, Louise Goldberg, and
Emily Kaitz at the Spotlight Theater in Tulsa, 1381 Riverside
Drive, 8 pm.
Saturday. February14: Herland Hike at Martin Nature Park,
5000 W. Memorial, 10 am
Saturday. February14: Herland Supper Club goes to Stillwater for Hideaway Pizza & OSU Women's Basketball Game
Saturday. Febtuary14: Peggy Johnson at Deli on the Labyrinth, NW 32nd and Classen, 9 pm-midnight
Sunday. Febtuary15: Herland Potluck, 3 pm, followed by
Herland Board Meeting, 4 pm
Wednesday. February 18: Herland Black History Month Movie
Night, 7 pm
Friday. February 20: Mary Reynolds and Louise Goldberg at
One, 323 White Street in Norman, 7:30 pm, $5

www.guerrillagirls.com

•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
•
••
•
•
•
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•

: Looking Ahead

:

:
•
•
•
•
:
•
:
•

:
•
•
•
•
:
•
:
•

.
•

Saturday. March 13: Herland Supper Club at Grand House
followed by OKC Lightning Women's Football Game
Match 14- 20: Second Annual LGBT Health Awareness .Week
Saturday. April 3: Miss Brown to You at the Herland and
OGLPC April Fool's Dance, First Unitarian
Apri l 3 & 4: IRIS at Chelsea's in Eureka Springs for Diversity
Weekend
Sunday. April 25: March for Women's Lives, Washington DC
May14-16: Herland Spring Retreat at Roman Nose

.
•

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

~-----------------------------~I
It's Your Voice!
I
If you value receiving the Voice every month, consider this:
Just $12 a year (a mere $1 per month) will help us pay for
the $300+ it costs every month to print and mail the newsletter. Please help with a donation today!

D Enclosed is a contribution for $ _ _ __

D Please add me to the mailing list for The Voice.
D Please change my address (new address below).

Website of the Month

•
•
•
•

Name - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Street _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _

City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State _ _ Zip _ __

I
I
I
I

(continued /Tom page 1)
eluded: Jana B., Tanya J., Pat C., Mary B., Jonna R., Myra F., Jo S., Susan S.,
Vicki R., and a few others.
We began to meet in the home of Jana B. and Tanya J. to make article selections, cut, and paste. The first issue of the paper appeared late that year. In
all, I believe that we published five issues of the newspaper. I still own copies
of two of the issues.
One afternoon, as we were putting the newspaper together, Jana and Tanya
took a break and went out for a walk. While they were walking, they came
across an old store in front of a house that was located at 19th and Blackwelder.
They began to talk about the possibility of a bookstore and they knocked on the
door of the house to talk with the owner. A woman in her late seventies or early
eighties answered. Her name was Murray. She said that she would be willing to
rent the space, but she would have to have $125 a month for it.
In that moment, the concept of La Salle de Femmes was born. When Jana and
Tanya returned to the newspaper gathering, they told us of their find, and plans
were underway. Pat C. and Tanya J. were to organize the bookstore aspect of
the collective. We immediately began making arrangements for our first benefit
to raise money for the future bookstore. That benefit took place at D.J. 's on
Thursday, March 11, from 7-11 p.m. Live entertainment included Bonnie H.,
Cate C., and Brette B. We provided food to accompany the entertainment, and
the cover charge was $2.00. We held two similar benefits at The Rose. Additionally, Barbara C. produced a concert by Sharon Ridell, and part of the proceeds from that concert were donated to La Salle de Femmes.
In addition to benefits, there were workdays and book drives. There was a LOT
of work to do. The workdays took place every Saturday from 12:00 p.m. until
6:00 p.m. and every Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Many women participated in these workdays. Some women, such as cathie C., never missed one.
Others, such as Barbara C., were present for most. They did yardwork, removed
debris from the store, and began building walls and doing drywall work. Many
hours of hard labor were put into that building. Volume I, No. 4 of The Brazen
Hussy Rag has a picture of Tanya J. on a ladder painting.
Unfortunately in July or August of 1982, it all began to fall apart. Pat C., who
was a major organizer and took a great deal of responsibility for the bookstore
project, moved to california. Jana and Tanya broke up, and Tanya moved to
Texas. One of our group, (since very remorseful, but too late!) stole the money
that had been raised and donated for the bookstore. The account was temporarily empty. Women were very discouraged and the workdays stopped. The
owner, Murray, began to lose patience, and she padlocked the door. It looked as
though the dream of La Salle de Femmes had died.
What was needed was a strong, dedicated, organizer to take over the project
and make the dream a reality. It had to be somebody who could follow through
and get things done. That's when Barbara C. stepped up to the plate. She was
all of those things, a leader, an organizer, and a motivator.
After Barbara took over the project, a decision was made to change the name
of the store from La Salle de Femmes to Herland. Pat C. returned from California and helped Barbara C. retrieve the stolen money. The bank had let it go with
only one authentic signature, and thus they had to restore it.
Workdays resumed. Barbara lifted a dying project from the ashes and made it
into a reality. She had not been the one who conceptualized the dream, but she
was the one who made it into a reality. Without her, there would have been no
twenty-year celebration, because there would have been nothing to celebrate.
There was a lot of division in the lesbian community with respect to the bookstore for many years. I feel certain that much of the division was rooted in territorialism, a very human but not very feminist response to a change in leadership. That is why I feel that it so important that this story be told and retold.
Without the women of the Brazen Hussy Collective and without Barbara C., Herland would not exist today. It was not one or the other that made the bookstore
a reality, it was both, and I personally am grateful for both.

The Key to the Closet
Door
By James Nimmo, moderator OGLPC News
The upcoming nationwide Spring primaries and November election will be the most
critic.al voting opportunities that gays/
lesbians and our straight supporters have
ever had in history. The 2003 court decisions concerning sodomy and same-sex
laws have galvanized people on both sides
of these civil issues. All of us will be affected in ways which c.an bring equality and
daylight to our lives or will bring back the
closet door. Each person reading this possesses the key to the closet door in the
form of a ballot marked at your polling
place for progressive candidates who will
support gay/lesbian equality.
Yes, we're all in this together. The problem is that too many gays/lesbians go their
merry way without much thought as to how
important it is to elect people who are supportive of gay/lesbian equality. Gay life is
more than being comfortable in your own
circle of friends. It involves getting with the
program and talking to friends, family, and
co-workers about equality in a nonaccusative way in order to point out the
fallacies of the fundamentalists and the
politicians of any party who use homophobia as a weapon to ensure their re-election.
Gays/lesbians c.an get involved with a
campaign and help with phone banking,
letter stuffing, sign making--in short, all
those things which c.an help promote the
candidate, but for which there is not
enough money to pay anyone to do, which
makes you and your time literally priceless.
As the political activist Abbie Hoffman
said, "Democracy is something that you
actively do, not something you passively
celebrate." And there's the secondary possibility - you might meet Mr,/Ms. Perfect!
Give it a try!

Massive Support Seen
for Gays in Military
new poll has found that 79
percent of all Americans believe that gays and lesbians
should be allowed to serve openly in
the military. The CNN/USA Today/
Gallup poll, which was conducted December 5-7, 2003, surveyed 1,004
adults. Survey participants were
asked, "Do you think people who are
openly gay or homosexual should - or
should not - be allowed to serve in the
U.S. military?" In the 18-29 year age
range, 91 percent said that gays
should be allowed to serve openly.
Those aged 30-49, 50-64, and 65 and
over were 81, 74, and 68 percent respectively. Seventy-three percent of
men, and 85 percent of women, responded affirmatively.
The numbers show a significant improvement over earlier polls. An August, 2003 Fox News poll found that
64 percent of the public believed that
gays should be allowed to serve
openly in the military. Previously, a
2001 survey published by MIT Press
found that 56 percent of civilian respondents believed that gays should
be allowed to serve openly.
"After ten years of Don't Ask, Don't
tell, the public understands that discrimination undermines military effectiveness," said Geoffrey Bateman, Assistant Director of the Center for the
Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military (CSSMM) at the University of
California, Santa Barbara. Bateman
said the shift in public opinion may
reflect ongoing concern about the firing of gay Arabic language specialists
during the war on terror. Over the
past two years the military has fired
37 linguists for being gay. Earlier this
month two brigadier generals and a
rear admiral, all retired, came out to
mark the 10th anniversary of "don't
ask, don't tell".
Fact: the more glbt come out of the
closet, and the more it is publicized
that discrimination against us is real,
the sooner we will all have real equal
rights, treatment, and acceptance.
Source: www.365gay.com

A

The Music Scene
By Jill Garner

T

oni Price doesn't tour, and she doesn't have to. She has one of the best gigs
in Austin, playing the happy hour every Tuesday evening at the Continental
Club. Crowds pack in to hear her strong, bluesy voice. Price isn't a songwriter, but rather an interpreter of songs. As she said in an interview I read recently, " ...I'm amazed at songwriters. It's a sacred mystery, what they do. Some
people open their mouths to sing and that's what I do."
Since 1993, Price has released six CDs. Her latest, Born to Be Blue, was released
after the death of her good friend and fiddler Champ Hood from cancer. She surrounds herself with excellent musicians and several tracks on this latest release feature the prolific guitarist James Burton. She also picks good songwriters and Gwil
Owens writes three of the songs.
The easiest way to get any of Toni's music is to order it on line, either through her
website or Amazon.com. I highly recommend that you do, and get to hear what
people in Austin have known for years. Toni Price is a voice to be reckoned with, so
get it while you can. She's definitely at the top of her game right now so don't miss
out on any of her wonderful music.
Inside the front cover of Born to Be Blue, there's a letter from Toni to Champ.
She ends it by writing, "I tried to make my tears into something beautiful, like you
did. I chose songs to make you smile ... " They should make you smile too, knowing
you're listening to one of the best.

PROUDLY ANNOUNCING
THE OPENING OF MY LAW OFFICE
A. TERRY COCON.
6425 EAST RENO SUITE #l.06
1"1IDWEST CITY, OKLAH01\-1A 73110
(405) 922~7366
Divorce • Child Custody • Paternity
Child Support • 1\.1odify Decree • Contempt
Domestic Violence • Gua.rdia.nship

CALL ~'IE FOR ALL YOUR .L EGAL NEEDS ' ·
LEG~AL SERVICES YOU CAN TRUST AND AFFORD

...---------..,~-------------------·
The Society of
Women Students
and Supporters at
0 U meets every
Thursday night at
7:30 pm in the
Student Union,
2nd floor, across
from Meacham
Auditorium. Contact Michell at
feminazi_ou
@yahoo.com for
more info.

Wellness Project

5500 N. Western # 214 OKC

Massage gift certi.ficates
are the perfect gift
$10. 00 offyour first massage of one hour or
more with this coupon.

A comprehensive holistic approach to emotional and physical
well being.
Psychotherapy/Counseling
Massage
Addiction Counseling
Acupuncture
Health and Wellness Education
Reflexology
Call Linn or Sunshine for information or appointment 840-3331

.. _- - -- - -- - ----- - - - - _..

Herland Sister Resources
2312 NW 39th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73112

NonProfit Org.
U.S. Postage

PAID
Oklahoma City, OK
Permit No. 861

Return Service Requested

Lives

©..

PHONE: 943-1467

C!a~~iZI

CITY ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Mealor LPC!

Licensed Professional Counselor

2910 N.W. 23
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA 73107

N. WORLAND DVM
D. TRAVIS DVM

Julia Irwin, M.D., P.C.

REBECCA R. HOLT, Ph.D.

Psychiatrist

Clinical Psychology
(405) 321-2148
Box 5119
Norman, OK 73070

Norman, OK

(405) 410-2900
D.M. HAWKINS, DVM

Doctor's Park
500 E. Robinson, Suite 600
Norman, OK 73071
(405) 321-3719

Individuals - Couples
Family Therapy, Retreats

DOROTHY E. HEIM
Attorney at Law
(405) 691-4949

Sandy Ingraham, J.D., M.S.W.
Attorney-at-Law
Ingraham & Associates, PLLC

.

dheim033@yahoo.com
Call me with your legal questions:
estate planning
personal injury
contract issues
small business

Young
And Older Adults

Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Probate, Adoption, Contracts
Route 2, Box 369-B
McLoud, OK 74851

Tel. (405) 964-2072

Ingraham@mcloudteleco.com



·./ :·

th~:BIRLAND~, V'0 1
ICJ!:,
·········:( .......:;··:

..::··

···········~;··············

february 2004

La Salle De Femmes
By Jo L. Soske
erland recently celebrated a twenty-year anniversary. That is a momentous accomplishment
for an independent women's bookstore. A number of women worked very hard to put on an extensive
celebration for this occasion. I want to commend them
in the work that they did .
Prior to the celebration, a lot of information and history was gathered. This information was used to prepare a pamphlet telling about the history of Herland. It
was also used to acknowledge a number of women on
the night of the concert. Inadvertently, part of the his. tory of Herland was altered, and part of it was left out.
There was nothing deliberate about this. However, history is all too often rewritten, and many times in the
rewriting women are excluded or delegated to a place
of unimportance. For that reason, I believe that whenever possible we should hold on to our history and retell it. I wrote a similar article to this for The Voice ten
years ago, and I have decided that it is time to write it
again .
Near the end of 1981, a loosely knit group of women
formed a collective and decided to write a newspaper
called The Brazen Hussy Rag. I apologize in advance
for the fact that I am certain to omit some of the
names of these women. However, I will list the ones of
which I am certain, using only first names and last initials, because I have not obtained permission from
them to use their full names. The group initially in-

H

( continued on page 4)

·volume 22, number 2

Oklahoma Freedom &Equality Coalition Forms

H

ertand is proud to be a member of the newly formed Oklahoma
Freedom and Equality Coalition (OFEC) formed on January 9-10 in
Stroud, OK. Around 85 people from all over Oklahoma, representing dozens of equaLity groups, gay and straigh~ faith-based and secular, met
for two days to form OFEC. Satellite meetings for those who could not attend
in Stroud were held in Oklahoma City and Tulsa in the following weeks.
In addition to planning and strategizing, the group was addressed by Oklahoma County Commissioner Jim Roth, who spoke of his personal experiences, clearly illustrating that lgbt people are not asking for special privileges,
merely rights due us all. Log Cabin Republican Mark Mead addressed the
gathering, pointing out that there is a possibility that in addition to the Federal
Marriage Amendment now introduced in the US Congress, another amendment may arise that would remove same-gender marriage from the "full faith
and credit" clause of the US Constitution, whereby laws in one state are recognized in another state.
As the Voice goes to press, OFEC has twenty-one organizational groups as
members, representing over 6,000 Oklahomans. Elected Co-Chairs of OFEC
are Karen Weldin of Soulforce, and Rodney Johnson of OGLPC.
The Mission Statement adopted by OFEC is: "The Oklahoma Freedom and
Equality Coalition is a group of organizations, faith-based groups, and individuals working together to achieve equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender people. We carry out this mission through educaiion, advocacy, and grassroots organizing." OFEC's primary goal is to build a committed and powerful grassroots movement, one that will be capable, first of all, of
defeating the kind of anti- glbt legislation which is being introduced this session in the Oklahoma legislature.
Bills to be introduced this session and which OFEC will fight are listed here
with their principal author and "short title":
•
•
•
•

HB 2207, Graves, Same gender marriage recognition (and of course
Rep. Graves is against recognition)
HRJ 1045, Graves, Constitutional Amendment - same gender relationships
HR 1027, Balkman-Cargill, Disapproval of US Supreme Court ruling
invalidating state sodomy laws
SJR 38, Senator Jim Williamson and Rep. Mike O'Neal, Marriage Protection Amendment

If you wish to register your disapproval of these bills and your desire that
they receive a speedy death in committee, you can contact the following
(being sure to mention the bill number, authors, and short title):
Larry Adair, Speaker
Phone: 405-557-7394
Fax: 405-557-7445
Email: adairla@lsb.state.ok.us

Danny Hilliard, Speaker Pro Tem
Phone: 405-557-7412
Fax: 405-962-7648
Email: hilliardda@lsb.state.ok.us

Jari Askins, Speaker-Elect
Phone: 405-557-7327
Fax: 580-522-3969
Email: askinsja@lsb.state.ok.us

Senator Pro Tem Cal Hobson
Phone: 405-521-5553
Email: hobson@lsb.state.ok.us

For more info about OFEC, please visit www.ofec.org.

www.herlandsisters.org
herland sister resources, 2312 nw 39th, oklahoma city, ok 73112
(405) 521-9696
email: herlandsisters@cox.net
bookstore hours: saturclays 1-5 pm

Black History Month: A Reading List
In recognition of Black History Month, Herland would like to recommend just a few of
the great books we have in our lending library by African-American authors:

Sister Outsider
A Burst of Ufe
Angela Davis, an Autobiography
Angela Davis
Maya Angelou
Just Give Me a Cool Drink of
Water 'Fore I Diiiie & Other Poems
Zora Neale Hurston Their Eyes Were Watching God
Jewelle Gomez
The Gilda Stories
bell hooks
Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center
Ntosake Shange For Colored Girls Who have Considered
Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf
Assata Shakur
Assata, An Autobiography
Alice Walker
In Search of our Mothers Garden
Possessing the Secret of Joy
Meridian
The Color Purple
Toni Morrison
Beloved
Bebe Moore Campbell What You Owe Me
Black Lesbians: An annotated Bibliography Compiled by J R Roberts
Audre Lorde

Herland Discussion Group on the Web
Member of the Herland community are invited to join the Herland
Discussion Group on Yahoo. The purpose of this group is to enable
women involved with Herland to contact each other, invite others to
join them for a social event, or just chat. To join the group, visit
http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/HerlandSisters. Note that this is
an unmoderated group which means Herland does not screen people
as they jo!n the discussion group. Your email address, and any other
information you provide when signing up, will be listed on the
"members" page. Because of this, you may wish to create a new
email address, not your primary email address, for purposes of this
group. And please exercise caution if you make plans to meet with
someone from the group that you don't already know.

Herland Sister Resources, Inc.
Financial Statement (1/1/03 to 12/31/03)
INCOME
Building Fund Donations
Events
Fundraisers
General Donations
Grants
Newsletter Subscriptions
Newsletter Advertising
Rent
Retreats
Sales
Sales Tax Collected
Miscellaneous
Total Income
EXPENSES

Bank Charges
Building Maintenance
Community Support
Event Expenses
Fundraising Expenses
Insurance
Merchandise for Resale
Newsletter Postage/Printing
Other Postage/Printing
Retreat Expenses
Sales Tax Paid
Telephone
Transfer to Legal Def. Fund
Utilities
Miscellaneous
Total Expenses
Net

Building Fund carryover from 2002
General Fund Carryover from 2002

50
$
$ 5,984
$ 1,778
$ 1,736
$ 1,300
$ 352
$ 670
$ 270
$ 3,619
$ 754
74
$
$ 127
$16,714
92
$
$ 1,800
$ 308
$ 4,240
$ 185
$ 1,657
$ 284
$ 3,645
$ 193
$ 1,931
58
$
$ 675
$ 289
$ 1,331
$ 162
$16,851
$ (138)
$ 2,656
$ 4,725

HEALTH: Advances in Fighting Ovarian Cancer
info from womensenews.com and OU Medicine
his winter, researchers will be conducting clinical trials of a blood test, called Correlogic, a non-invasive, pin-prick
procedure that is expected to be the first to be able to catch ovarian cancer in its initial stages. The test, which
screens for protein patterns that appear at the onset of the disease, is being hailed as a major breakthrough by researchers, doctors, and patients alike. The Food and Drug Administration has yet
to approve the test, which must complete clinical trials before the government
sanctions its use. Instead of facing a round of detection tests--a pelvic exam,
pelvic ultrasound, CAT-125 test and possible biopsy--patients will be able to be
diagnosed after one pin-prick.
For late-stage patients there is also hope on the horizon: two new treatments
now in the third and final round of clinical trials. The first drug is OvaRex, which
targets cancer cells remaining after remission and the second is Telcyta, which
attacks cancer cells while sparing healthy ones.
Ovarian cancer is a disease of 55- to 70-year-olds, although it can occur much
earlier. The primary risk factor is lack of bearing children. Because progesterone
plays a major role in ovarian cancer, women who have taken birth control pills or
who have had children have much lower risk for developing the disease.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer (see inset right) are often mistaken for indigestion
or just shrugged off as part of getting older. As a result, 75 percent of cases are
not caught until the advanced stages. If caught early, it boasts a survival rate of
90 percent.

T

---------------------................................
.•
Herland Book Club
•
The Herland Book club will meet at 7 pm on Monday,
February 2 to discuss Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, the
award-winning author of Tipping the Velvet. The Book
Club will then take a break and not meet in March.

Berland Supper Club & Road Trip
Herland Supper Club hits the road this month for a trip
to Stillwater on Saturday, February14th. For those who
wish to carpool, we will meet at Herland and leave
around 3 pm. We'll meet for supper at Hideaway Pizza,
230 S. Knoblock, around 4:30 pm. After supper, we'll go
to the OSU vs. Missouri women's basketball game at 6
pm. Join us for a great evening! For more info, call Ginger at 942-1535.

Herland Hiking
The Herland Hiking Group will have its regular monthly
outing to Martin Nature Park, 5000 W. Memorial, at 10
am on Saturday, February 14. There is also an optional
coffee gathering beforehand at Panera's, corner of Memorial & Meridian, at 9:00 am.

Womyn of Color
Womyn of Coior group meets the 2nd Sunday of each
month. Please email womynofcolor@gay.com or call
(405) 842-3464 or (405) 947-7691 for more information.

Native American Women
OKC Two-Spirit Society is having meetings for lesbian
and bi-sexual women of Native American descent.
Please call the OKC Two-Spirit Hotline number at (405)
317-7283 for information about the next meeting.

The Vagina Monologues!
The Monologues will be presented Feb 12th and 13th at
8pm both nights in the Oklahoma Memorial Union Ballroom. Tickets are $5 and all proceeds benefit the Norman Women's Resource Center. To reserve tickets or for
accommodations on the basis of disability contact
ryan@bluejellybean.com. Tickets will be available at the
door and seating is open.

A Weekend with Lisa Thiel
The Deep Root Community Center (DRCC), Unity
Church, and Gather the Women are sponsoring a weekend with Lisa Thiel, March 13-14, in celebration of International Women's Week. Lisa will be performing a
benefit concert on Sat., March 13, and offering a workshop and sacred ceremony on Sun., March 14. For
more info, see Deep Root's website at
www.deeproot.org.

• HERLAND EVENTS CALENDAR
•

•February
•

•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
•
••
•
••
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•

Monday. February 2 : Herland Book Club, 7 pm
Sunday. February 8: Womyn of Color Meeting, call 842-3464
for details
Monday. February 9: OGLPC Monthly Meeting at the Center,
2135 NW 39th, 7 pm
February 12-13: Vagina Monologues at OU Memorial Ballroom, 8 pm, $5
Thursday. February12: Miss Brown to You, UCO Jazz Lab in
Edmond, 8-11 pm, $7
Friday. Febtuary13: Mary Reynolds, Louise Goldberg, and
Emily Kaitz at the Spotlight Theater in Tulsa, 1381 Riverside
Drive, 8 pm.
Saturday. February14: Herland Hike at Martin Nature Park,
5000 W. Memorial, 10 am
Saturday. February14: Herland Supper Club goes to Stillwater for Hideaway Pizza & OSU Women's Basketball Game
Saturday. Febtuary14: Peggy Johnson at Deli on the Labyrinth, NW 32nd and Classen, 9 pm-midnight
Sunday. Febtuary15: Herland Potluck, 3 pm, followed by
Herland Board Meeting, 4 pm
Wednesday. February 18: Herland Black History Month Movie
Night, 7 pm
Friday. February 20: Mary Reynolds and Louise Goldberg at
One, 323 White Street in Norman, 7:30 pm, $5

www.guerrillagirls.com

•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
•
••
•
•
•
•
:
•
:
•
:
•
:
•

: Looking Ahead

:

:
•
•
•
•
:
•
:
•

:
•
•
•
•
:
•
:
•

.
•

Saturday. March 13: Herland Supper Club at Grand House
followed by OKC Lightning Women's Football Game
Match 14- 20: Second Annual LGBT Health Awareness .Week
Saturday. April 3: Miss Brown to You at the Herland and
OGLPC April Fool's Dance, First Unitarian
Apri l 3 & 4: IRIS at Chelsea's in Eureka Springs for Diversity
Weekend
Sunday. April 25: March for Women's Lives, Washington DC
May14-16: Herland Spring Retreat at Roman Nose

.
•

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

~-----------------------------~I
It's Your Voice!
I
If you value receiving the Voice every month, consider this:
Just $12 a year (a mere $1 per month) will help us pay for
the $300+ it costs every month to print and mail the newsletter. Please help with a donation today!

D Enclosed is a contribution for $ _ _ __

D Please add me to the mailing list for The Voice.
D Please change my address (new address below).

Website of the Month

•
•
•
•

Name - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Street _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _

City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State _ _ Zip _ __

I
I
I
I

(continued /Tom page 1)
eluded: Jana B., Tanya J., Pat C., Mary B., Jonna R., Myra F., Jo S., Susan S.,
Vicki R., and a few others.
We began to meet in the home of Jana B. and Tanya J. to make article selections, cut, and paste. The first issue of the paper appeared late that year. In
all, I believe that we published five issues of the newspaper. I still own copies
of two of the issues.
One afternoon, as we were putting the newspaper together, Jana and Tanya
took a break and went out for a walk. While they were walking, they came
across an old store in front of a house that was located at 19th and Blackwelder.
They began to talk about the possibility of a bookstore and they knocked on the
door of the house to talk with the owner. A woman in her late seventies or early
eighties answered. Her name was Murray. She said that she would be willing to
rent the space, but she would have to have $125 a month for it.
In that moment, the concept of La Salle de Femmes was born. When Jana and
Tanya returned to the newspaper gathering, they told us of their find, and plans
were underway. Pat C. and Tanya J. were to organize the bookstore aspect of
the collective. We immediately began making arrangements for our first benefit
to raise money for the future bookstore. That benefit took place at D.J. 's on
Thursday, March 11, from 7-11 p.m. Live entertainment included Bonnie H.,
Cate C., and Brette B. We provided food to accompany the entertainment, and
the cover charge was $2.00. We held two similar benefits at The Rose. Additionally, Barbara C. produced a concert by Sharon Ridell, and part of the proceeds from that concert were donated to La Salle de Femmes.
In addition to benefits, there were workdays and book drives. There was a LOT
of work to do. The workdays took place every Saturday from 12:00 p.m. until
6:00 p.m. and every Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Many women participated in these workdays. Some women, such as cathie C., never missed one.
Others, such as Barbara C., were present for most. They did yardwork, removed
debris from the store, and began building walls and doing drywall work. Many
hours of hard labor were put into that building. Volume I, No. 4 of The Brazen
Hussy Rag has a picture of Tanya J. on a ladder painting.
Unfortunately in July or August of 1982, it all began to fall apart. Pat C., who
was a major organizer and took a great deal of responsibility for the bookstore
project, moved to california. Jana and Tanya broke up, and Tanya moved to
Texas. One of our group, (since very remorseful, but too late!) stole the money
that had been raised and donated for the bookstore. The account was temporarily empty. Women were very discouraged and the workdays stopped. The
owner, Murray, began to lose patience, and she padlocked the door. It looked as
though the dream of La Salle de Femmes had died.
What was needed was a strong, dedicated, organizer to take over the project
and make the dream a reality. It had to be somebody who could follow through
and get things done. That's when Barbara C. stepped up to the plate. She was
all of those things, a leader, an organizer, and a motivator.
After Barbara took over the project, a decision was made to change the name
of the store from La Salle de Femmes to Herland. Pat C. returned from California and helped Barbara C. retrieve the stolen money. The bank had let it go with
only one authentic signature, and thus they had to restore it.
Workdays resumed. Barbara lifted a dying project from the ashes and made it
into a reality. She had not been the one who conceptualized the dream, but she
was the one who made it into a reality. Without her, there would have been no
twenty-year celebration, because there would have been nothing to celebrate.
There was a lot of division in the lesbian community with respect to the bookstore for many years. I feel certain that much of the division was rooted in territorialism, a very human but not very feminist response to a change in leadership. That is why I feel that it so important that this story be told and retold.
Without the women of the Brazen Hussy Collective and without Barbara C., Herland would not exist today. It was not one or the other that made the bookstore
a reality, it was both, and I personally am grateful for both.

The Key to the Closet
Door
By James Nimmo, moderator OGLPC News
The upcoming nationwide Spring primaries and November election will be the most
critic.al voting opportunities that gays/
lesbians and our straight supporters have
ever had in history. The 2003 court decisions concerning sodomy and same-sex
laws have galvanized people on both sides
of these civil issues. All of us will be affected in ways which c.an bring equality and
daylight to our lives or will bring back the
closet door. Each person reading this possesses the key to the closet door in the
form of a ballot marked at your polling
place for progressive candidates who will
support gay/lesbian equality.
Yes, we're all in this together. The problem is that too many gays/lesbians go their
merry way without much thought as to how
important it is to elect people who are supportive of gay/lesbian equality. Gay life is
more than being comfortable in your own
circle of friends. It involves getting with the
program and talking to friends, family, and
co-workers about equality in a nonaccusative way in order to point out the
fallacies of the fundamentalists and the
politicians of any party who use homophobia as a weapon to ensure their re-election.
Gays/lesbians c.an get involved with a
campaign and help with phone banking,
letter stuffing, sign making--in short, all
those things which c.an help promote the
candidate, but for which there is not
enough money to pay anyone to do, which
makes you and your time literally priceless.
As the political activist Abbie Hoffman
said, "Democracy is something that you
actively do, not something you passively
celebrate." And there's the secondary possibility - you might meet Mr,/Ms. Perfect!
Give it a try!

Massive Support Seen
for Gays in Military
new poll has found that 79
percent of all Americans believe that gays and lesbians
should be allowed to serve openly in
the military. The CNN/USA Today/
Gallup poll, which was conducted December 5-7, 2003, surveyed 1,004
adults. Survey participants were
asked, "Do you think people who are
openly gay or homosexual should - or
should not - be allowed to serve in the
U.S. military?" In the 18-29 year age
range, 91 percent said that gays
should be allowed to serve openly.
Those aged 30-49, 50-64, and 65 and
over were 81, 74, and 68 percent respectively. Seventy-three percent of
men, and 85 percent of women, responded affirmatively.
The numbers show a significant improvement over earlier polls. An August, 2003 Fox News poll found that
64 percent of the public believed that
gays should be allowed to serve
openly in the military. Previously, a
2001 survey published by MIT Press
found that 56 percent of civilian respondents believed that gays should
be allowed to serve openly.
"After ten years of Don't Ask, Don't
tell, the public understands that discrimination undermines military effectiveness," said Geoffrey Bateman, Assistant Director of the Center for the
Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military (CSSMM) at the University of
California, Santa Barbara. Bateman
said the shift in public opinion may
reflect ongoing concern about the firing of gay Arabic language specialists
during the war on terror. Over the
past two years the military has fired
37 linguists for being gay. Earlier this
month two brigadier generals and a
rear admiral, all retired, came out to
mark the 10th anniversary of "don't
ask, don't tell".
Fact: the more glbt come out of the
closet, and the more it is publicized
that discrimination against us is real,
the sooner we will all have real equal
rights, treatment, and acceptance.
Source: www.365gay.com

A

The Music Scene
By Jill Garner

T

oni Price doesn't tour, and she doesn't have to. She has one of the best gigs
in Austin, playing the happy hour every Tuesday evening at the Continental
Club. Crowds pack in to hear her strong, bluesy voice. Price isn't a songwriter, but rather an interpreter of songs. As she said in an interview I read recently, " ...I'm amazed at songwriters. It's a sacred mystery, what they do. Some
people open their mouths to sing and that's what I do."
Since 1993, Price has released six CDs. Her latest, Born to Be Blue, was released
after the death of her good friend and fiddler Champ Hood from cancer. She surrounds herself with excellent musicians and several tracks on this latest release feature the prolific guitarist James Burton. She also picks good songwriters and Gwil
Owens writes three of the songs.
The easiest way to get any of Toni's music is to order it on line, either through her
website or Amazon.com. I highly recommend that you do, and get to hear what
people in Austin have known for years. Toni Price is a voice to be reckoned with, so
get it while you can. She's definitely at the top of her game right now so don't miss
out on any of her wonderful music.
Inside the front cover of Born to Be Blue, there's a letter from Toni to Champ.
She ends it by writing, "I tried to make my tears into something beautiful, like you
did. I chose songs to make you smile ... " They should make you smile too, knowing
you're listening to one of the best.

PROUDLY ANNOUNCING
THE OPENING OF MY LAW OFFICE
A. TERRY COCON.
6425 EAST RENO SUITE #l.06
1"1IDWEST CITY, OKLAH01\-1A 73110
(405) 922~7366
Divorce • Child Custody • Paternity
Child Support • 1\.1odify Decree • Contempt
Domestic Violence • Gua.rdia.nship

CALL ~'IE FOR ALL YOUR .L EGAL NEEDS ' ·
LEG~AL SERVICES YOU CAN TRUST AND AFFORD

...---------..,~-------------------·
The Society of
Women Students
and Supporters at
0 U meets every
Thursday night at
7:30 pm in the
Student Union,
2nd floor, across
from Meacham
Auditorium. Contact Michell at
feminazi_ou
@yahoo.com for
more info.

Wellness Project

5500 N. Western # 214 OKC

Massage gift certi.ficates
are the perfect gift
$10. 00 offyour first massage of one hour or
more with this coupon.

A comprehensive holistic approach to emotional and physical
well being.
Psychotherapy/Counseling
Massage
Addiction Counseling
Acupuncture
Health and Wellness Education
Reflexology
Call Linn or Sunshine for information or appointment 840-3331

.. _- - -- - -- - ----- - - - - _..

Herland Sister Resources
2312 NW 39th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73112

NonProfit Org.
U.S. Postage

PAID
Oklahoma City, OK
Permit No. 861

Return Service Requested

Lives

©..

PHONE: 943-1467

C!a~~iZI

CITY ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Mealor LPC!

Licensed Professional Counselor

2910 N.W. 23
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA 73107

N. WORLAND DVM
D. TRAVIS DVM

Julia Irwin, M.D., P.C.

REBECCA R. HOLT, Ph.D.

Psychiatrist

Clinical Psychology
(405) 321-2148
Box 5119
Norman, OK 73070

Norman, OK

(405) 410-2900
D.M. HAWKINS, DVM

Doctor's Park
500 E. Robinson, Suite 600
Norman, OK 73071
(405) 321-3719

Individuals - Couples
Family Therapy, Retreats

DOROTHY E. HEIM
Attorney at Law
(405) 691-4949

Sandy Ingraham, J.D., M.S.W.
Attorney-at-Law
Ingraham & Associates, PLLC

.

dheim033@yahoo.com
Call me with your legal questions:
estate planning
personal injury
contract issues
small business

Young
And Older Adults

Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Probate, Adoption, Contracts
Route 2, Box 369-B
McLoud, OK 74851

Tel. (405) 964-2072

Ingraham@mcloudteleco.com