Herland Sister Resources : v.1: no.11(1985)
- Title
- Herland Sister Resources : v.1: no.11(1985)
- Description
- The Herland Sister Resources newsletter is the monthly publication of Herland Sister Resources, a womanist organization with a strong lesbian focus based in Oklahoma City.
- Date Issued
- 1985-11
- Rights
- All rights reserved by Herland Sister Resources. Contact UCO Archives & Special Collections for the permission policy on the use, reproduction or distribution of these materials.
- Is Part Of
- Herland Sisters Resources
- Creator
- Herland Sister Resources
- Date
- 2022-01-27T17:56:12Z
- Date Available
- 2022-01-27T17:56:12Z
- Subject
- Oklahoma
- Type
- application/pdf
- extracted text
-
BERLAND SISTER RESOURCES, INC.
163 N. . 19, Okla. City, 0 73106
ANN JONES ON BATTERED WOMEN
Ann Jones, author of Women Who Kill and Everyday Death, spoke at Herland October 11, in conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness Week,
sponsored by the YWCA Crisis Intervention Services. What follows are excerpts from Ann Jones'
remarks and conversation:
"Everydey Death was a very difficult book to
write. It started out to be the story of a bat- ·
t ered woman, Bernadette Powell, who killeQ. in
self-defense, who was victimized by the criminal
justice system. It turned out to be much more
complicated than I had thought.
"She was victimized in ways that I had not anticipated, and was not in ways I thought she
would have been. Writing her story has mellowed
me out in a lot of ways--made me look again. I
have felt the injustices of power all along but I
no longer feel that it can easily be set straight.
It makes me less easily frustrated because I expect less.
"The criminal justice system is inadequate because it is adversarial--it seldom bears on either
side. None of the process through which you get
into prison has anything to do with the way
women live their lives.
"Those stories like Francine Hughes', the Farah
Fawcett tastefully bruised, is the creation of an
image. There isn't a simple solution. In the story
of Bernadette Powell we have to deal with the
worst of cases. She didn't fit the perfect victim
stereotype; justice applies to those who aren't
nice. Friends who read the manuscript said they
didn't like her, and · in reviews of Everyday
Death, critics complain that she had a bad temper .
"Battered women tend to look alike, like POWs
coming out of a prison camp, because of their
common experiences, not because they were all
alike before the experience. I've been making
the analogy for years between battered women
and hostages. The immediate behavior of identification wit h t he t errorist is the same.
'.'I stayed onc e, for more than a week, in an isolated farmhouse with a woman who h·ad killed her
husband. I saw the behavior which was most exasperating--behavior trained in her by this man
who · had beaten her for 19 years. A person exhibits passivity and learned helplessness to try not
to alienate you. There are all kinds of nuances
and I can't pin it down, but it makes you angry
to be around someone who is trying so hard not
to make you angry.
"Even to sey some of these things comes dangerously close to blaming the victim. We're not
blaming the victim but blaming the behavior
which ·has been learned and can easily be unlearned.
Wh~never we have hostages, we have
all these psycbologists telling us what behaviors
we can expect to see. No one has done this for
battered women. When the police say these women tell tliem they don't want an arrest made, t he
cops say?. 'Okay,' but that's a symptom.
f
"I work a lot with women inside the prisons.
They meet with women who have shared similar
experiences. There are physical improvements in
sleeping and eating. They feel better and look
better and say it's less stressful than in a violent home . Maximum security lif e in prison c(\n
be less stre sful than some women's lives on t he
outside. The hostage system again--the only way
t hey could find to get out of it was homicide
t ells you the emotional abuse was incredible.
"Professionals, doct ors, nurses, social workers,
psychologists, ministers , law enforcement officers,
et c., see the worst cases and generalize that
this is what these battered women ar e like.
Some battered women are very passive and some
are not. Passivity is a result of having been
beaten, and there's a whole cont inuum. The flip
side of the violence is to become overly passive.
What would life be like if we were normally assertive?
"Anger gets discr edited as an emotion. It 's a
powerful motivator when you control and direct
it, but a lot of women don't want to fe el their
anger. In reviews of Women Who Kill, men got
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We encourage the exchange of information, personal opinions on issues of concern t o the Oklahoma .women's community, and your stories and
experiences.
The editor reserves the right to edit and condense letters according to space limitations. Lett ers should be typed, double-spaced and signed
by the author(s). Include your address and phone
number. If you wish to be published anonymously,
indicate so, but include your name, etc., for our
information, in case the editor has questions.
Mail or deliver your letter to HSR, Inc., 1630
N.W. 19, Okla. City, OK 73106. Deadline is the
15th of each mont h.
Dear Editor:
I would like to thank Mary Reynolds for speaking up about the many silent musicians, including
myself, who want to be heard!
I, too, appreciate The Second Fret, because it is
a place to go to express yourself no matter who
you are.
It's up to the people, though, to keep us going.
And Mary's letter expressed it all. I just hope
that her letter reached the public--not just the
musicians.
Here's to you, Mary!
Thanks.
Mary Black
oKC
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The Second Fret, 3009 N.
Classen, Okla. City, was a year old last month.
The organization/ establishment has without doubt
"established" itself as a center for alternative
music: folk music, traditional, bluegrass, exotic,
contemporary blues, Celtic, piano, rock, reggae
and much more.
The Fret's very special contribution to the OKC
community is its support of local musicians. I
agree also that the atmosphere is open to a
wide variety of folk and the folk I know have
reported to me that the variety of sound/instrumentation, yodeling and story-telling, local, national and international musicians have created a
qualitY opportunity for evening entertainment.)
animal t:o kill. He's even told it's a pleasant,
pastoral scene to t ake his son fishing.
What's missing is the truth.
The truth is that bashing someone in a "sport" is
training someone--and includes all the specat ators--that hitting another person can be fun, can
be a great outlet for all your "aggression."
The truth is that the person bashed is dehumanized, not unlike what occurs in war when t he
"enemy" becomes a gook or commie, not unlike
what occurs in pornography when the "centerfold" becomes a thing to look at, to use .
You cannot use another person for your entertainment, you cannot use another creature for
your entertainment, even your food or clothing,
without somehow lessening that other being's value .in your eyes. To do that, the other being
must become "other," less than you.
It is my firm conviction that a society which
continues to sanction the killing of creatures,
simply because they happen to be a life form
other than human, will continue to encourage t he
degradation of women and children.
Violence--against women, children, men--begins at
the breakfast table.
Violence against animals is still violence. Fishing
is not "fresh~ater population control." Killing
deer is not "wildlife management." And pornography is not "erotic material."
If viole}\Ce is to be stopped or even slowed in
this cou'~try, each of us must look at all t he
ways we; are violent in our own lives--and are
contributing to the legitimatizing of violence.
Football, eating the flesh of other creatures, be
they cows, birds or fish , these are the insidious
violences undercover, still approved.
We can change that.
Patti Weaver
Cushing, OK
Dear Editor:
Violence does not exist in a vacuum. The man
who slugs a woman or slaps a child is supported
by an insidious system of "accepted violence" by
the majority of Americans.
He is told it's perfectly all right to bash someone on t he fo otball field. He is told it's quite
manly t o don hunting gear and go looking for an
announces
the next meeting of the Collective
Open to the Public
Sunday, November 17, 1985, 6:30 p.m.
1630 N.W. 19
PUBLISHING NEWS
Winston Press reports that Women's Reality by
Anne · Wilson Schaef has gone into its eighth
printing (this one is 25,000), bringing the total
books in print to 125,000. Schaef's new book,
The Disease of Co-Dependency, will be available
in January.
argarita Donnelly of ~. Sue Heine ann and
Lucy Lippard of Heresie and Susan Sherman of
on received Editor's Grants fro
The Coo ·nating Council of Literary Magazines. The $3500
grants are given to recognize excellence and innovation in the editing of literary magazines in
the U.S. ·
P.S. In case you have wondered about I Know
You Know, managing editor Mary Byrne says
they took off a few months to regroup, but the
December issue is ready for mailing. If you are
a subscriber, just hang on. If not, you will want
to see this beautiful magazine.
San Francisco Singer/Songwrit e r /Recording Artist
Ann Bannon is working on a book about the later
life of Beebo Brinker, called Applehood a d
other Pie. Not yet finished, no pub date yet.
"Desert of the Heart", the movie, has been
bought by Goldwin for distribution. It will
opening as a maior movie in 20 American citi s
in January. "Leanna" opened in eight cities, w
successful and then "reopened" in 28 cities, so
"Desert" is projected to be a bigger and more
fully mainstreamed film than "Leanna" was.
Naiad has just signed contracts for a western, a
ghost story and a Regency-style romance. Just
goes to show that there are ever more genres
available to lesbian writers.
Methuen bought Routledge Kegan Paul, and what
is that going to mean for RKP's feminist books
and the Pandora Books?
The Phoenix seeks submissions for an issue on
"The Native American Today." The editors wish
to see work that is honest and which avoid
stereotypic thinking. Indians and non-Indians are
invited to submit work for this issue. Poetry, fiction (under 3000 words), essays and literary criticism, previously unpublished only. Deadline: Dec.
31, 1985. Payment in copies, reporting time three
months. SASE. $100 each will be awarded for
the best poem and the best prose. Send to Joan
Shaddox Isom, Editor, The Phoenix, Division of
Arts & Letters, Northeastern State University,
Tahlequah, OK 74464.
Tough Dove is a new women's publishing house
with an emphasis on producing "planetary healing
tools from a feminist perspective." This means
provocative visionary writings by women. Their
first titles are It's Time: A Nuclear Novel by
Jana Bluejay; Stone Clinking . by Nancy Tyler
Glenn will be available March 10, 1986. They
to rechannel profits into just causes. Contact: Denise Sheffield, Tough Dove Books, P.O.
Box 548, Little River, CA 95456.
fro · Feminist Bookstore News, Vol. 8, No. 2-3
{'DOUBLE TALK album release tour.
...
HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES PRESENTS
GAYLE
MARIE with
OKLAHOMA'S OWN MARY REYNOLDS OPENING
IN CONCERT
FRIDAY
8 ·PM
UNITARIAN CHURCH
advance tickets
at
NOV
22, 1985
the
800 NW
13
$6
at the door)
($7
OKLA CITY
TICKETS ON SALE AT HERLAND can (405) 672- 6439
Free community housing is available for folks
coming from out of town -- call 672-6459 or
524-3017 for information.
Interpreters for the hearing impaired are
available, but will only agree to sign if there
will be hearing impaired attendees. Please let
know by calling one of the · above-listed
n hers if you need this service.
ca.t11:.ei,d 17-17>'>1 ptt~e
Dear Editor:
Please reprint my letter published in your August
issue. I have received several calls in reference
to starting a cooperative household in Norman,
t he mafority of which were from newspaper reporters wanting to interview me for articles, or
real estate agents wanting to sell property.
I appreciate the additional publicity and have
kept the agents' numbers who have offered their
assistance. I am very interested in hearing from
women interested in living in a cooperative
household.
I recently participated in the Celebration On Aging at
DOE Farm, a small womyn's community in Wisconsin.
Much discussion, brainstorming and dreaming centered a.round issues of housing in the later years, being allowed
to do useful work as long as one is able and the desire
for nurturing caretaking when unable to care for oneself.
As a result, I have been rethinking and expanding my
options for housing when I settle in the Norman area this
fall. Currently I am researching sale properties that
would be suitable for about six people.
I would like to share ideas, concerns, information, etc.,
especially with midlife or older lesbians and/or feminists
who might consider living in a cooperative household. I
will be here off and on for the next few months and can
be contacted c/o Berland, or messages left at 946-5395.
,,
angry with it from a position of superiorit y, but
it also received the best reviews from men.
Women said it was a bad book because they believed I was angry. Anger always played a part
in their opinions. When you read a book that
makes you angry, you blame the writer rat her: 1
than acknowledging your own anger.
"Lee Grant and Joseph Fury produced a video
for Home Box Office, called 'When Women Kill,'
based on Women Who Kill. I was glad they made
the film and interviewed some of the women in
the book, but they didn't have enough experience
to ask the hard questions."
According to Dreama Moon, Director of YWCA
Crisis Intervention Services, signatures are still
needed to call for a grand jury investigation into
t he. case of Donna Bechtel, who killed her husband in September, 1984, after being battered by
him. The media has kept this issue alive and this
makes it easier for the next person. The best
thi_ng we can do, said Moon, is "inform people
and get publicity." Petitions are avaiilable at t he
YWCA, 129 N.W. 5, and at Herland. You must be
a registered voter in Oklahoma County to sign a
petition.
Phoenix Wheeler
NOTICE!
BERLAND
COFFEEHOUSE
The Coffeehouse, held the last Friday of
each month, will resume in January. For
your November musical pleasure, come to
t he Berland-sponsored GAYLE MARIE
concert, Nov. 22, 8:00 p.m., First
Unitarian Church.
BERLAND COFFEEHOUSE
••• T-SHIRTS •••
Lavender on Purple
Berland Logo on Front & Back
Med., Lg. , X-Lg.
$8.00
.42
tax
1.50 postage/handling
$9.92
Get Herland's T-shirt with our new
lo o, delivered to your doorstep
requests the talent of women's
musicians for entertainment, the
la t
Friday of each month,
beginning in January.
The Berland Coffeehouse offers a
unique opportunity to local entertainers: a warm and receptive
audience for all those songs only
your living room walls have heard
We would love to meet you.
Call or write.
EDWINA V. JOHNSON, D.D.S.
COMPREHENSIVE DENTISTRY
•912 S WESTERN
OKLAHOMA CITY OKLAHOMA 731Cl9
~EN
FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE
MON THRU THUR
I 00 PM · 12 00
MIONl~l-IT
WE REALLY DID GO TO A MEETING
When friends heard we were going to New
Orleans to a conference, they speculated on how
much ' time we would spend in the actual meeting.
Would you believe 30 hours? Well, I did.
A blurb in this newsletter alerted me to a fall
workshop entitled "Southern Women: Portraits in
Diversity," at Tulane University. The thing that
drove me to work out all the details of being
able to go was the fact that Toni Cade Bambara
was one of the keynote speakers. I "met" her
through the sophomore literature anthology which
contained her story "Blues Ain't No Mockin'
Bird," one of the best stories I have ever
taught. She was worth the trip down there--all
5'4" of her, dressed in a black knit jump suit
and black hightop tennies.
The first keynoter was Florence Howe, founder
of The Feminist Press, who set the tone for the
conference with her opening remarks about her
evolution as a feminist teacher. Howe took her
New York Jewish self to Mississippi in the mid'60s to teach and work in the Civil Rights
movement.
There were four sets of workshops Friday, three
on Saturday, and the only problem was when I
wanted to go to more than one at a given time.
In most, people read papers, which were interesting, but that got rather old. Finally, by the
very last session, a standing-room crowd bulged
the seams of "The Game of Politics," with several people's remarking that they were ready for
something other than being read to. The final
keynoter, Sarah Weddington, who was a legal
adviser to former President Carter and is now
practicing law in Texas, attended this session
and made some valuable comments about helping
women attain more elected positions. The workshop which sounded like it would be so helpful
to me--"The Place and Purpose of Women's Studies in the Secondary School Curriculum"--proved
to be a disappointment, as all the panelists
taught at private, elite schools, with very supportive administrations. Several of us in the audience did share some ideas on how to accomplish
more in "the real world" of the public school.
The importance of oral histories was stressed
again and again, especially in "Creoles of Color"
a d "Feminist Theory and Methodology."
We had decided to stay at a hotel just on the
fringe of the French Quarter, The Frenchman, A
Hotel (advertised in Places of Interest to Womfil!), and it proved to be a wonderful choice. The
room was decorated in antiques, the service and
atmosphere were wonderful, and there was a free
beautiful breakfast served each morning on the
patio. If you are going to be in New Orleans,
consider staying there. We caught the bus across
the street, rode to Canal St . . and caught the
streetcar .out to Tulane--65 cents. Great, sensible
transportation. By staying in the Quarter, we also experienced more of the true flavor of being
in New Orleans. We overhead some women from
Texas, who were staying out towards Tulane, discussing eating all their meals at Denny's and
wanting some "real" native food.
I have an extensive bibliography on the subject
of integrating women's studies into various curricula, which will be made available to anyone who
would like to copy it.
The only real disappointment was that crawfish
were not in season--! almost cried. We brought
back dark roast coffee, Creole garlic, pictures,
pounds, memories and prize-winning blisters on my
toes. I also gained a new understanding of the
line of crap my mother has dished out all these
years about Southern "ladies," and what all was
expected/required of us. After hearing it and
viewing it all weekend I realized that it wasn't
just something my mother had dreamed up to torture me with--she really can't help it for that 's
all she heard when she was growing up. I could
not buy into the frilly-dress-for-the-big-meetingscene, but then I have worked through all that
and now go for comfort. It was amusing to observe some of the women who had, in my estimation, bought their ensembles just for this meeting
and would h&:Ve been much more comfortable in
slacks. But, they were certainly entitled to wear
dresses if they want to, as are any of you. Just
don't make that a requirement for life.
M.H.,
o!S;c ·
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to Psychfatry
LARRY M.PRATER,M.D.
_________
Office Hnurs
By Appointment
318 Clossen Professinnol Bldg.
II 10 N. CJ.ssen Blvd.
Oklahoma City, Ok . 73106-6808
LOCAL NEWS
WYMIN GATHERING IN EUREKA SPRINGS
••The Women's Resource Center, 226 E. Gray,
Norman, has a new director, as of October 1.
Patricia Easteal, former professor in the Women's Studies Program at Bowling Green State
University, has done research in the areas of
minority women, women and health, women and
woek, and women cross-culturally.
Wymin Moving From Oppression to Empowerment
will be held December 13-15, at the School
House Inn, 15 Kansas St., Eureka Springs,
Arkansas. The fee is $20, $10 due by Nov. 13,
and the balance due upon arrival, payable to
Oakleaf, c/o Whypperwillow, Rt. 1, Box 198,
Eureka Springs, AR 72633 (send SASE).
••Dignity/Oklahoma City offers programming, including Mass, general meetings, rap sessions,
movie nights, special events and parties, for
Catholic gays and lesbians and their friends.
Contact them for more information: 2537 N.W.
31, Okla. City, OK 73112, or call 943-8249.
Join them in sparking and re-claiming our wymin
consciousness; re-creating wymin's culture; transforming patriarchal forms; envisioning a feminist
future; empowering ourselves and one another;
celebrating our lives together.
••The Oklahoma Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign is organizing a Citizen's Summit, Nov. 1922. While President Reagan and Soviet leader
Gorbachev are meeting in Geneva, Okla. citizens
will be meeting here. They plan to have workshops at local churches during the evenings of
Nov. 19-21, and a candlelight vigil on Monday,
Nov. 18. The themes will be US/Soviet relations,
arms control, etc. Call Tom or Karen at 524-5577
for more information.
••women's Wednesday Night offers an on-going
utual help group for women who want to recover from addictive relationships. The format of
the group is primarily that of discussion of issues raised in various books, on tapes and by
eroup participants. "Beyond Addictive Relationships" meets Wednesday nights, 6:30-7:45 p.m., at
5500 N. Western, Suite 102. The fee is $25 p r
month. Suggested reading is Women Who Love
Too Much by Robin Norwood. Call Pat Walke,
MSW, facilitator, at 848-0050 for more information.
Gather around 5:00-6:00 p.m., Friday to Sunday
afternoon. Bring food to share. 40 bed capacity
(linens provided), additional floor space (bring
sleeping bags, etc.)
T
Dr. Susan M. Andrew
CHIROl"RACTIC l"HYSICIAN
ACUl"UNCTURE
HOURS 8Y A""'OINTMENT
1818) 885·7077
7717 E. 21ST ST .. SUITE 8
TULSA. OKLAHOMA 74129
1
..The Berland Newsletter will publish items · of
interest to the Oklahoma women's community.
Send us your press releases/info by the 15th of
each month.
••To date, Berland has received THREE change
of address notifications from readers. Thank you
three, but would the rest of you who are planning moves, please let us know? It's costing us
30 cents for each returned newsletter. Granted,
the post office is not being very efficient in its
notifying us, but you could help tremendously by
s nding us that information before the last week
of each month.
·
'.
'
J __
·- T A K E A BREAK
·"
New Paperbacks (Bestsellers)
Used Paperbacks (Buy or Trade)
COMPUTER CRAFTS
Posters -- Local Crafts -- Jewelry -Greeting Cards, etc.
2624 N. Classen Blvd.
Open Mon-Sat 10-6
405/848-5429
......
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Ti~~~§Qt;!lt~\~e~t~a~WMwen~
Wiii Not Be Dedu~ted From ,,
Your;. Life
.
' ..:.,:. ~:
\;-·)·.-,... . ~.
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·; ''.~· .:..:.
.SHIRLEY M. HUNTER, M.A.
COUNSELING
PENN PARK OFF ICE COMPLEX• SUITE 301
5001 N PENNSYLVANIA• OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73112
NATIONAL NEWS
The cervical cap is one of the best kept secrets
aroun~.
Though it has been used extensively in
Europe for over 60 years and was used in the
U.S. from 1920 to the early '50s, U.S. manufacturers like Ortho discontinued cap production after WWII. For 30 years the cap maintained a
low profile in the U.S., but in 1980, it hit the
news when the FDA decided to classify it as a
"significant risk" device. The agency justified the
move by stating that the cervical cap "had not
been studied sufficiently." The cap is a barrier
method of birth control made of rubber and
works by covering the opening of the uterus.
Unlike the diaphr
, the cap fits by suction, so
that only a small amount of sper acide i required. A wo an can keep the cap in for up to
72 hours without having to use additional spermacide.
--Plexus
Eleanor Smeal, the newly elected president of
the National Organization for Women, has vowed
she will take the fight for women's rights "back
to the streets." That's a project that pleases not
only many of the group's supporters but some of
its enemies, too.
Smeal, who also held the president's post in a
term that ended in 1982, says under her new
term, NOW will campaign for economic rights,
including pay equity and unisex insurance rates
that will test states' equal rights amendments.
Smeal says she will also press for abortion
rights, a restoration of bans on sex bias at insti- tutions that get federal money, and, yes, a new
drive for a national equal rights amendment.
Some women, who have climbed to success as
the feminist movement racked up new rights for
them, told The Wall Street Journal that many
professional women "don't have much time" for
such campaigns--especially since they might not
view the endeavors as "career-enhancing."
Lesbian and gay movie watchers no longer have
to choose only between Hollywood soft-soap or
independently done soft-core porn.
Now they can also see more real life images of
themselves on the home screen, thanks to a Los
Angeles firm that markets non-sexual cassettes
focusing specifically on the lesbian and gay market. Humanus Home Video, now a year old, has
come out with two cassettes and has several
more in the works. One upcoming tape is for parents who have discovered that their daughter or
son is gay, another deals with AIDS, and a third,
title "The Female Couple," focuses on the nurturing of a lesbian relationship.
Company founder Robert Frisch, the former publisher of the gay publication The Advocate, admits marketing the videos can be a challenge.
Says Frisch, "We can always stress that these
tapes are purely non-sexual and educational. But
many stores still won't carry them. They claim
their customers won't be interested."
--Her Say
For the first time, an insurance company has
agreed to give gay couples the same 20% discount on auto insurance that it gives to married
couples. Known as the "multiple car discount," it
is given to couples who own two or more cars.
Previously the discount was available only to
arried co pfes.
The agreemen~ was reached after extensive negotiation between AAA of Southern California and
National ~ G,a y Rights Advocates, the San Francisco-baied public interest law firm. NGRA represented !Leo Laurence and Robert Zelmer, Jr., a
gay co~ple in San Diego who have been in a relationship for seven years.
--press release from NGRA
Meanwhile, Republican political consultant Roger
Stone fs expressing satisfaction with Smeal's call
to action. Stone says NOW's new president will
"certainly be more polarizing, which, from a conservative viewpoint, is a good thing. Because
she's polarizing, she won't allow the women's
movement to cloak their rhetoric in majority
terms--they're a radical minority."
De pite such theories, Smeal is sticking to her
no-holds-barred tactics, saying it's time for NOW
to give up its "polite, quiet" approach of recent
years. Says Smeal, "If you're a doormat, people
walk over you."
--Her Say
Oeverly K. Evans, M.5.W.
527 N.W 23rd 5rreer
Oklahoma C1ry, OK 7310.J
(405) 521-8241
Publisher:
Editor:
Typesetter:
Advertising:
Circulation:
Berland Sister Resources, Inc.
Elaine Barton
Marian Hulsey
Marian Hulsey, 521-8434
550
HERLAND RETREAT REMEMBERED
"You're out of the woods, you're out of the
dark, you're out of the night ..step into the sun,
step i,nto the light."
We did it. All, each and every beautiful woman
(and dog) who attended formed the Osage Hills
All-Munchkin Chorus with the musical wizardry of
Mary Reynolds and Peggy Johnson.
We sang a lot around the campfire. We played
hard with passion and I think truly enjoyed the
company we made for one another. We rode
horses which sprang into occasional gallups. We
painted a totem pole and conjured up the worn n
spirit of a full moon, played drums and spoons,
r ead tarot and rune stones, discused health and
law, survival and children. We learned to juggle,
told a continuous stream of bad jokes, acted !in
plays, wrote and painted, banged on the old upright piano.
We left our homes and work and cities--we left
Kansas to squawk and scream over the volleyball
net, go fishing in the river, take long walks on
crackling fall leaves . Events like this retreat, I
think, are a trip "over the rainbow" where women can relax and share visions, can indulge fo a
.mini-society which we create for a few days, can
receive nurturing support we don't always get
from the major society.
The individuals in the Herland Collective who
worked on the retreat deserve many thanks for a
well-organized event. So much interest was expr essed in having another that as you read this,
we are reserving a group camp at Robbers Cave
for a spring retreat. If you missed us at Osage
Hills, watch the Newsletter for details about the
next one and schedule it in--just write FUN on
those dates in your calendar immediately upon
notificatoin and say Nope! to anything else that
comes up that weekend .
J/pf,~ ~ $ho/~J
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P.O. BOX 10472
MIDWEST CITY, OK 73140
405-737-7487
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7llfll,,'1JI,
HerlanJ- //,-:IO A/./,J. /~ ~»t9Re.
KRISTINA S. MAREK
Attorney and Counselor at Law
11.37 N.W • .31st Street
_Oklahoma City, OK 73118
lfQ.5-521-84.34, after 5:00 P.M.
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SO MUCH HAS BEEN
WRITTEN .
ABOUT WOMEN.
CHRIS WILLIAMSON IN CONCERT IN DALLAS
Little Feather Productions, Inc., is producing
Chris Williamson, Tret Fure, Teresa Trull,
Barba:ra Higbee, Cam Davis and Carrie Barton in
concert Friday, December 6, at 8:00 p.m., at the
Garland Performing Arts Center, 300 N. 5th,
Garland, Texas.
BUT SO LITTLE HAS
SHOWN UP
IN THE LIBRARIES.
Tickets are $12.50 before December 5; $12.50
for mail order before November 23; $15 at the
door; and children's tickets are half the adult
price. Send check or money order and SASE to
Little . Feather Productions, P.O. Box 64720,
Dallas, TX 75206. The facility is wheel chair
accessible. Call 214-941-9303 or 214-526-2868 for
more information.
CHECK OUT
THE SELECT VOLUMES
AT HERLAND .
WORKSHOP TO EXPLORE LIFE OF RUSSIANS
0
"I know of no safe repository of the ultimate
power of society but the people. And if we think
them not enlightened enough, the remedy is not
to take the power from them, but to inform them
by education.''--Thomas Jefferson, 1820.
,-Oi 9~i~3'~~I
i
_
A croup for Lesbian and gay Catholics
and their friends
The Oklahoma Nuclear Weapons Education Fund
and Freeze Campaign is sponsoring a series of
workshops on the life and government of the
eople of the Soviet Union.
I
Dr. James Marcum, Ph.D. in Russian History and
Soviet Studies, will conduct the workshops fro
7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Okla. Blood Institute, 1001
N. Lincoln Blvd., Okla. City.
L~
Nov. 14
Nov. 21
Dec. 5
Dec. 12
Dec. 19
Introduction - "The Trouble with the
Russians"
Gorbachev: The Politics of Leadership
Soviet Militarism: Are the Civilian s in
Control?
The Economy: Living in Russia Toda:y
Soviet-American Relations: Who's at
Fault
Send your name, telephone number and registration fee of $15 to the Okla. Nuclear Weapons
Education Fund, 2920 N. Robinson, Okla. City,
OK 73103. Pre-registration is requested but not
mandatory. A limited number of scholarships are
available. For more info ation, contact Tom
Faudree, 405-524-5577.
MASS CELEBRATED TWICE MONTHLY
I
_
,
for information call
Mary Ann
943-8249 ~~
I
I
t
C~ssia A./!.t;,~lor, M.S.
Her/and Sister Resources
(405) 524 ·3017
1630 N.W. 19
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
THIS SPACE FOR RENT
$10
write:
BERLAND SISTER RESOURCES, INC.
1630 N.W. 19th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
t4a-171l
WANTED: · Female roommate(s); couples okay , to
share near NW OKC home. Call 946-5395
-
BERLAND SISTER RESOURCES, INC.
163 N. . 19, Okla. City, 0 73106
ANN JONES ON BATTERED WOMEN
Ann Jones, author of Women Who Kill and Everyday Death, spoke at Herland October 11, in conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness Week,
sponsored by the YWCA Crisis Intervention Services. What follows are excerpts from Ann Jones'
remarks and conversation:
"Everydey Death was a very difficult book to
write. It started out to be the story of a bat- ·
t ered woman, Bernadette Powell, who killeQ. in
self-defense, who was victimized by the criminal
justice system. It turned out to be much more
complicated than I had thought.
"She was victimized in ways that I had not anticipated, and was not in ways I thought she
would have been. Writing her story has mellowed
me out in a lot of ways--made me look again. I
have felt the injustices of power all along but I
no longer feel that it can easily be set straight.
It makes me less easily frustrated because I expect less.
"The criminal justice system is inadequate because it is adversarial--it seldom bears on either
side. None of the process through which you get
into prison has anything to do with the way
women live their lives.
"Those stories like Francine Hughes', the Farah
Fawcett tastefully bruised, is the creation of an
image. There isn't a simple solution. In the story
of Bernadette Powell we have to deal with the
worst of cases. She didn't fit the perfect victim
stereotype; justice applies to those who aren't
nice. Friends who read the manuscript said they
didn't like her, and · in reviews of Everyday
Death, critics complain that she had a bad temper .
"Battered women tend to look alike, like POWs
coming out of a prison camp, because of their
common experiences, not because they were all
alike before the experience. I've been making
the analogy for years between battered women
and hostages. The immediate behavior of identification wit h t he t errorist is the same.
'.'I stayed onc e, for more than a week, in an isolated farmhouse with a woman who h·ad killed her
husband. I saw the behavior which was most exasperating--behavior trained in her by this man
who · had beaten her for 19 years. A person exhibits passivity and learned helplessness to try not
to alienate you. There are all kinds of nuances
and I can't pin it down, but it makes you angry
to be around someone who is trying so hard not
to make you angry.
"Even to sey some of these things comes dangerously close to blaming the victim. We're not
blaming the victim but blaming the behavior
which ·has been learned and can easily be unlearned.
Wh~never we have hostages, we have
all these psycbologists telling us what behaviors
we can expect to see. No one has done this for
battered women. When the police say these women tell tliem they don't want an arrest made, t he
cops say?. 'Okay,' but that's a symptom.
f
"I work a lot with women inside the prisons.
They meet with women who have shared similar
experiences. There are physical improvements in
sleeping and eating. They feel better and look
better and say it's less stressful than in a violent home . Maximum security lif e in prison c(\n
be less stre sful than some women's lives on t he
outside. The hostage system again--the only way
t hey could find to get out of it was homicide
t ells you the emotional abuse was incredible.
"Professionals, doct ors, nurses, social workers,
psychologists, ministers , law enforcement officers,
et c., see the worst cases and generalize that
this is what these battered women ar e like.
Some battered women are very passive and some
are not. Passivity is a result of having been
beaten, and there's a whole cont inuum. The flip
side of the violence is to become overly passive.
What would life be like if we were normally assertive?
"Anger gets discr edited as an emotion. It 's a
powerful motivator when you control and direct
it, but a lot of women don't want to fe el their
anger. In reviews of Women Who Kill, men got
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We encourage the exchange of information, personal opinions on issues of concern t o the Oklahoma .women's community, and your stories and
experiences.
The editor reserves the right to edit and condense letters according to space limitations. Lett ers should be typed, double-spaced and signed
by the author(s). Include your address and phone
number. If you wish to be published anonymously,
indicate so, but include your name, etc., for our
information, in case the editor has questions.
Mail or deliver your letter to HSR, Inc., 1630
N.W. 19, Okla. City, OK 73106. Deadline is the
15th of each mont h.
Dear Editor:
I would like to thank Mary Reynolds for speaking up about the many silent musicians, including
myself, who want to be heard!
I, too, appreciate The Second Fret, because it is
a place to go to express yourself no matter who
you are.
It's up to the people, though, to keep us going.
And Mary's letter expressed it all. I just hope
that her letter reached the public--not just the
musicians.
Here's to you, Mary!
Thanks.
Mary Black
oKC
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The Second Fret, 3009 N.
Classen, Okla. City, was a year old last month.
The organization/ establishment has without doubt
"established" itself as a center for alternative
music: folk music, traditional, bluegrass, exotic,
contemporary blues, Celtic, piano, rock, reggae
and much more.
The Fret's very special contribution to the OKC
community is its support of local musicians. I
agree also that the atmosphere is open to a
wide variety of folk and the folk I know have
reported to me that the variety of sound/instrumentation, yodeling and story-telling, local, national and international musicians have created a
qualitY opportunity for evening entertainment.)
animal t:o kill. He's even told it's a pleasant,
pastoral scene to t ake his son fishing.
What's missing is the truth.
The truth is that bashing someone in a "sport" is
training someone--and includes all the specat ators--that hitting another person can be fun, can
be a great outlet for all your "aggression."
The truth is that the person bashed is dehumanized, not unlike what occurs in war when t he
"enemy" becomes a gook or commie, not unlike
what occurs in pornography when the "centerfold" becomes a thing to look at, to use .
You cannot use another person for your entertainment, you cannot use another creature for
your entertainment, even your food or clothing,
without somehow lessening that other being's value .in your eyes. To do that, the other being
must become "other," less than you.
It is my firm conviction that a society which
continues to sanction the killing of creatures,
simply because they happen to be a life form
other than human, will continue to encourage t he
degradation of women and children.
Violence--against women, children, men--begins at
the breakfast table.
Violence against animals is still violence. Fishing
is not "fresh~ater population control." Killing
deer is not "wildlife management." And pornography is not "erotic material."
If viole}\Ce is to be stopped or even slowed in
this cou'~try, each of us must look at all t he
ways we; are violent in our own lives--and are
contributing to the legitimatizing of violence.
Football, eating the flesh of other creatures, be
they cows, birds or fish , these are the insidious
violences undercover, still approved.
We can change that.
Patti Weaver
Cushing, OK
Dear Editor:
Violence does not exist in a vacuum. The man
who slugs a woman or slaps a child is supported
by an insidious system of "accepted violence" by
the majority of Americans.
He is told it's perfectly all right to bash someone on t he fo otball field. He is told it's quite
manly t o don hunting gear and go looking for an
announces
the next meeting of the Collective
Open to the Public
Sunday, November 17, 1985, 6:30 p.m.
1630 N.W. 19
PUBLISHING NEWS
Winston Press reports that Women's Reality by
Anne · Wilson Schaef has gone into its eighth
printing (this one is 25,000), bringing the total
books in print to 125,000. Schaef's new book,
The Disease of Co-Dependency, will be available
in January.
argarita Donnelly of ~. Sue Heine ann and
Lucy Lippard of Heresie and Susan Sherman of
on received Editor's Grants fro
The Coo ·nating Council of Literary Magazines. The $3500
grants are given to recognize excellence and innovation in the editing of literary magazines in
the U.S. ·
P.S. In case you have wondered about I Know
You Know, managing editor Mary Byrne says
they took off a few months to regroup, but the
December issue is ready for mailing. If you are
a subscriber, just hang on. If not, you will want
to see this beautiful magazine.
San Francisco Singer/Songwrit e r /Recording Artist
Ann Bannon is working on a book about the later
life of Beebo Brinker, called Applehood a d
other Pie. Not yet finished, no pub date yet.
"Desert of the Heart", the movie, has been
bought by Goldwin for distribution. It will
opening as a maior movie in 20 American citi s
in January. "Leanna" opened in eight cities, w
successful and then "reopened" in 28 cities, so
"Desert" is projected to be a bigger and more
fully mainstreamed film than "Leanna" was.
Naiad has just signed contracts for a western, a
ghost story and a Regency-style romance. Just
goes to show that there are ever more genres
available to lesbian writers.
Methuen bought Routledge Kegan Paul, and what
is that going to mean for RKP's feminist books
and the Pandora Books?
The Phoenix seeks submissions for an issue on
"The Native American Today." The editors wish
to see work that is honest and which avoid
stereotypic thinking. Indians and non-Indians are
invited to submit work for this issue. Poetry, fiction (under 3000 words), essays and literary criticism, previously unpublished only. Deadline: Dec.
31, 1985. Payment in copies, reporting time three
months. SASE. $100 each will be awarded for
the best poem and the best prose. Send to Joan
Shaddox Isom, Editor, The Phoenix, Division of
Arts & Letters, Northeastern State University,
Tahlequah, OK 74464.
Tough Dove is a new women's publishing house
with an emphasis on producing "planetary healing
tools from a feminist perspective." This means
provocative visionary writings by women. Their
first titles are It's Time: A Nuclear Novel by
Jana Bluejay; Stone Clinking . by Nancy Tyler
Glenn will be available March 10, 1986. They
to rechannel profits into just causes. Contact: Denise Sheffield, Tough Dove Books, P.O.
Box 548, Little River, CA 95456.
fro · Feminist Bookstore News, Vol. 8, No. 2-3
{'DOUBLE TALK album release tour.
...
HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES PRESENTS
GAYLE
MARIE with
OKLAHOMA'S OWN MARY REYNOLDS OPENING
IN CONCERT
FRIDAY
8 ·PM
UNITARIAN CHURCH
advance tickets
at
NOV
22, 1985
the
800 NW
13
$6
at the door)
($7
OKLA CITY
TICKETS ON SALE AT HERLAND can (405) 672- 6439
Free community housing is available for folks
coming from out of town -- call 672-6459 or
524-3017 for information.
Interpreters for the hearing impaired are
available, but will only agree to sign if there
will be hearing impaired attendees. Please let
know by calling one of the · above-listed
n hers if you need this service.
ca.t11:.ei,d 17-17>'>1 ptt~e
Dear Editor:
Please reprint my letter published in your August
issue. I have received several calls in reference
to starting a cooperative household in Norman,
t he mafority of which were from newspaper reporters wanting to interview me for articles, or
real estate agents wanting to sell property.
I appreciate the additional publicity and have
kept the agents' numbers who have offered their
assistance. I am very interested in hearing from
women interested in living in a cooperative
household.
I recently participated in the Celebration On Aging at
DOE Farm, a small womyn's community in Wisconsin.
Much discussion, brainstorming and dreaming centered a.round issues of housing in the later years, being allowed
to do useful work as long as one is able and the desire
for nurturing caretaking when unable to care for oneself.
As a result, I have been rethinking and expanding my
options for housing when I settle in the Norman area this
fall. Currently I am researching sale properties that
would be suitable for about six people.
I would like to share ideas, concerns, information, etc.,
especially with midlife or older lesbians and/or feminists
who might consider living in a cooperative household. I
will be here off and on for the next few months and can
be contacted c/o Berland, or messages left at 946-5395.
,,
angry with it from a position of superiorit y, but
it also received the best reviews from men.
Women said it was a bad book because they believed I was angry. Anger always played a part
in their opinions. When you read a book that
makes you angry, you blame the writer rat her: 1
than acknowledging your own anger.
"Lee Grant and Joseph Fury produced a video
for Home Box Office, called 'When Women Kill,'
based on Women Who Kill. I was glad they made
the film and interviewed some of the women in
the book, but they didn't have enough experience
to ask the hard questions."
According to Dreama Moon, Director of YWCA
Crisis Intervention Services, signatures are still
needed to call for a grand jury investigation into
t he. case of Donna Bechtel, who killed her husband in September, 1984, after being battered by
him. The media has kept this issue alive and this
makes it easier for the next person. The best
thi_ng we can do, said Moon, is "inform people
and get publicity." Petitions are avaiilable at t he
YWCA, 129 N.W. 5, and at Herland. You must be
a registered voter in Oklahoma County to sign a
petition.
Phoenix Wheeler
NOTICE!
BERLAND
COFFEEHOUSE
The Coffeehouse, held the last Friday of
each month, will resume in January. For
your November musical pleasure, come to
t he Berland-sponsored GAYLE MARIE
concert, Nov. 22, 8:00 p.m., First
Unitarian Church.
BERLAND COFFEEHOUSE
••• T-SHIRTS •••
Lavender on Purple
Berland Logo on Front & Back
Med., Lg. , X-Lg.
$8.00
.42
tax
1.50 postage/handling
$9.92
Get Herland's T-shirt with our new
lo o, delivered to your doorstep
requests the talent of women's
musicians for entertainment, the
la t
Friday of each month,
beginning in January.
The Berland Coffeehouse offers a
unique opportunity to local entertainers: a warm and receptive
audience for all those songs only
your living room walls have heard
We would love to meet you.
Call or write.
EDWINA V. JOHNSON, D.D.S.
COMPREHENSIVE DENTISTRY
•912 S WESTERN
OKLAHOMA CITY OKLAHOMA 731Cl9
~EN
FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE
MON THRU THUR
I 00 PM · 12 00
MIONl~l-IT
WE REALLY DID GO TO A MEETING
When friends heard we were going to New
Orleans to a conference, they speculated on how
much ' time we would spend in the actual meeting.
Would you believe 30 hours? Well, I did.
A blurb in this newsletter alerted me to a fall
workshop entitled "Southern Women: Portraits in
Diversity," at Tulane University. The thing that
drove me to work out all the details of being
able to go was the fact that Toni Cade Bambara
was one of the keynote speakers. I "met" her
through the sophomore literature anthology which
contained her story "Blues Ain't No Mockin'
Bird," one of the best stories I have ever
taught. She was worth the trip down there--all
5'4" of her, dressed in a black knit jump suit
and black hightop tennies.
The first keynoter was Florence Howe, founder
of The Feminist Press, who set the tone for the
conference with her opening remarks about her
evolution as a feminist teacher. Howe took her
New York Jewish self to Mississippi in the mid'60s to teach and work in the Civil Rights
movement.
There were four sets of workshops Friday, three
on Saturday, and the only problem was when I
wanted to go to more than one at a given time.
In most, people read papers, which were interesting, but that got rather old. Finally, by the
very last session, a standing-room crowd bulged
the seams of "The Game of Politics," with several people's remarking that they were ready for
something other than being read to. The final
keynoter, Sarah Weddington, who was a legal
adviser to former President Carter and is now
practicing law in Texas, attended this session
and made some valuable comments about helping
women attain more elected positions. The workshop which sounded like it would be so helpful
to me--"The Place and Purpose of Women's Studies in the Secondary School Curriculum"--proved
to be a disappointment, as all the panelists
taught at private, elite schools, with very supportive administrations. Several of us in the audience did share some ideas on how to accomplish
more in "the real world" of the public school.
The importance of oral histories was stressed
again and again, especially in "Creoles of Color"
a d "Feminist Theory and Methodology."
We had decided to stay at a hotel just on the
fringe of the French Quarter, The Frenchman, A
Hotel (advertised in Places of Interest to Womfil!), and it proved to be a wonderful choice. The
room was decorated in antiques, the service and
atmosphere were wonderful, and there was a free
beautiful breakfast served each morning on the
patio. If you are going to be in New Orleans,
consider staying there. We caught the bus across
the street, rode to Canal St . . and caught the
streetcar .out to Tulane--65 cents. Great, sensible
transportation. By staying in the Quarter, we also experienced more of the true flavor of being
in New Orleans. We overhead some women from
Texas, who were staying out towards Tulane, discussing eating all their meals at Denny's and
wanting some "real" native food.
I have an extensive bibliography on the subject
of integrating women's studies into various curricula, which will be made available to anyone who
would like to copy it.
The only real disappointment was that crawfish
were not in season--! almost cried. We brought
back dark roast coffee, Creole garlic, pictures,
pounds, memories and prize-winning blisters on my
toes. I also gained a new understanding of the
line of crap my mother has dished out all these
years about Southern "ladies," and what all was
expected/required of us. After hearing it and
viewing it all weekend I realized that it wasn't
just something my mother had dreamed up to torture me with--she really can't help it for that 's
all she heard when she was growing up. I could
not buy into the frilly-dress-for-the-big-meetingscene, but then I have worked through all that
and now go for comfort. It was amusing to observe some of the women who had, in my estimation, bought their ensembles just for this meeting
and would h&:Ve been much more comfortable in
slacks. But, they were certainly entitled to wear
dresses if they want to, as are any of you. Just
don't make that a requirement for life.
M.H.,
o!S;c ·
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8.lf2- 6851
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to Psychfatry
LARRY M.PRATER,M.D.
_________
Office Hnurs
By Appointment
318 Clossen Professinnol Bldg.
II 10 N. CJ.ssen Blvd.
Oklahoma City, Ok . 73106-6808
LOCAL NEWS
WYMIN GATHERING IN EUREKA SPRINGS
••The Women's Resource Center, 226 E. Gray,
Norman, has a new director, as of October 1.
Patricia Easteal, former professor in the Women's Studies Program at Bowling Green State
University, has done research in the areas of
minority women, women and health, women and
woek, and women cross-culturally.
Wymin Moving From Oppression to Empowerment
will be held December 13-15, at the School
House Inn, 15 Kansas St., Eureka Springs,
Arkansas. The fee is $20, $10 due by Nov. 13,
and the balance due upon arrival, payable to
Oakleaf, c/o Whypperwillow, Rt. 1, Box 198,
Eureka Springs, AR 72633 (send SASE).
••Dignity/Oklahoma City offers programming, including Mass, general meetings, rap sessions,
movie nights, special events and parties, for
Catholic gays and lesbians and their friends.
Contact them for more information: 2537 N.W.
31, Okla. City, OK 73112, or call 943-8249.
Join them in sparking and re-claiming our wymin
consciousness; re-creating wymin's culture; transforming patriarchal forms; envisioning a feminist
future; empowering ourselves and one another;
celebrating our lives together.
••The Oklahoma Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign is organizing a Citizen's Summit, Nov. 1922. While President Reagan and Soviet leader
Gorbachev are meeting in Geneva, Okla. citizens
will be meeting here. They plan to have workshops at local churches during the evenings of
Nov. 19-21, and a candlelight vigil on Monday,
Nov. 18. The themes will be US/Soviet relations,
arms control, etc. Call Tom or Karen at 524-5577
for more information.
••women's Wednesday Night offers an on-going
utual help group for women who want to recover from addictive relationships. The format of
the group is primarily that of discussion of issues raised in various books, on tapes and by
eroup participants. "Beyond Addictive Relationships" meets Wednesday nights, 6:30-7:45 p.m., at
5500 N. Western, Suite 102. The fee is $25 p r
month. Suggested reading is Women Who Love
Too Much by Robin Norwood. Call Pat Walke,
MSW, facilitator, at 848-0050 for more information.
Gather around 5:00-6:00 p.m., Friday to Sunday
afternoon. Bring food to share. 40 bed capacity
(linens provided), additional floor space (bring
sleeping bags, etc.)
T
Dr. Susan M. Andrew
CHIROl"RACTIC l"HYSICIAN
ACUl"UNCTURE
HOURS 8Y A""'OINTMENT
1818) 885·7077
7717 E. 21ST ST .. SUITE 8
TULSA. OKLAHOMA 74129
1
..The Berland Newsletter will publish items · of
interest to the Oklahoma women's community.
Send us your press releases/info by the 15th of
each month.
••To date, Berland has received THREE change
of address notifications from readers. Thank you
three, but would the rest of you who are planning moves, please let us know? It's costing us
30 cents for each returned newsletter. Granted,
the post office is not being very efficient in its
notifying us, but you could help tremendously by
s nding us that information before the last week
of each month.
·
'.
'
J __
·- T A K E A BREAK
·"
New Paperbacks (Bestsellers)
Used Paperbacks (Buy or Trade)
COMPUTER CRAFTS
Posters -- Local Crafts -- Jewelry -Greeting Cards, etc.
2624 N. Classen Blvd.
Open Mon-Sat 10-6
405/848-5429
......
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Ti~~~§Qt;!lt~\~e~t~a~WMwen~
Wiii Not Be Dedu~ted From ,,
Your;. Life
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:
·; ''.~· .:..:.
.SHIRLEY M. HUNTER, M.A.
COUNSELING
PENN PARK OFF ICE COMPLEX• SUITE 301
5001 N PENNSYLVANIA• OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73112
NATIONAL NEWS
The cervical cap is one of the best kept secrets
aroun~.
Though it has been used extensively in
Europe for over 60 years and was used in the
U.S. from 1920 to the early '50s, U.S. manufacturers like Ortho discontinued cap production after WWII. For 30 years the cap maintained a
low profile in the U.S., but in 1980, it hit the
news when the FDA decided to classify it as a
"significant risk" device. The agency justified the
move by stating that the cervical cap "had not
been studied sufficiently." The cap is a barrier
method of birth control made of rubber and
works by covering the opening of the uterus.
Unlike the diaphr
, the cap fits by suction, so
that only a small amount of sper acide i required. A wo an can keep the cap in for up to
72 hours without having to use additional spermacide.
--Plexus
Eleanor Smeal, the newly elected president of
the National Organization for Women, has vowed
she will take the fight for women's rights "back
to the streets." That's a project that pleases not
only many of the group's supporters but some of
its enemies, too.
Smeal, who also held the president's post in a
term that ended in 1982, says under her new
term, NOW will campaign for economic rights,
including pay equity and unisex insurance rates
that will test states' equal rights amendments.
Smeal says she will also press for abortion
rights, a restoration of bans on sex bias at insti- tutions that get federal money, and, yes, a new
drive for a national equal rights amendment.
Some women, who have climbed to success as
the feminist movement racked up new rights for
them, told The Wall Street Journal that many
professional women "don't have much time" for
such campaigns--especially since they might not
view the endeavors as "career-enhancing."
Lesbian and gay movie watchers no longer have
to choose only between Hollywood soft-soap or
independently done soft-core porn.
Now they can also see more real life images of
themselves on the home screen, thanks to a Los
Angeles firm that markets non-sexual cassettes
focusing specifically on the lesbian and gay market. Humanus Home Video, now a year old, has
come out with two cassettes and has several
more in the works. One upcoming tape is for parents who have discovered that their daughter or
son is gay, another deals with AIDS, and a third,
title "The Female Couple," focuses on the nurturing of a lesbian relationship.
Company founder Robert Frisch, the former publisher of the gay publication The Advocate, admits marketing the videos can be a challenge.
Says Frisch, "We can always stress that these
tapes are purely non-sexual and educational. But
many stores still won't carry them. They claim
their customers won't be interested."
--Her Say
For the first time, an insurance company has
agreed to give gay couples the same 20% discount on auto insurance that it gives to married
couples. Known as the "multiple car discount," it
is given to couples who own two or more cars.
Previously the discount was available only to
arried co pfes.
The agreemen~ was reached after extensive negotiation between AAA of Southern California and
National ~ G,a y Rights Advocates, the San Francisco-baied public interest law firm. NGRA represented !Leo Laurence and Robert Zelmer, Jr., a
gay co~ple in San Diego who have been in a relationship for seven years.
--press release from NGRA
Meanwhile, Republican political consultant Roger
Stone fs expressing satisfaction with Smeal's call
to action. Stone says NOW's new president will
"certainly be more polarizing, which, from a conservative viewpoint, is a good thing. Because
she's polarizing, she won't allow the women's
movement to cloak their rhetoric in majority
terms--they're a radical minority."
De pite such theories, Smeal is sticking to her
no-holds-barred tactics, saying it's time for NOW
to give up its "polite, quiet" approach of recent
years. Says Smeal, "If you're a doormat, people
walk over you."
--Her Say
Oeverly K. Evans, M.5.W.
527 N.W 23rd 5rreer
Oklahoma C1ry, OK 7310.J
(405) 521-8241
Publisher:
Editor:
Typesetter:
Advertising:
Circulation:
Berland Sister Resources, Inc.
Elaine Barton
Marian Hulsey
Marian Hulsey, 521-8434
550
HERLAND RETREAT REMEMBERED
"You're out of the woods, you're out of the
dark, you're out of the night ..step into the sun,
step i,nto the light."
We did it. All, each and every beautiful woman
(and dog) who attended formed the Osage Hills
All-Munchkin Chorus with the musical wizardry of
Mary Reynolds and Peggy Johnson.
We sang a lot around the campfire. We played
hard with passion and I think truly enjoyed the
company we made for one another. We rode
horses which sprang into occasional gallups. We
painted a totem pole and conjured up the worn n
spirit of a full moon, played drums and spoons,
r ead tarot and rune stones, discused health and
law, survival and children. We learned to juggle,
told a continuous stream of bad jokes, acted !in
plays, wrote and painted, banged on the old upright piano.
We left our homes and work and cities--we left
Kansas to squawk and scream over the volleyball
net, go fishing in the river, take long walks on
crackling fall leaves . Events like this retreat, I
think, are a trip "over the rainbow" where women can relax and share visions, can indulge fo a
.mini-society which we create for a few days, can
receive nurturing support we don't always get
from the major society.
The individuals in the Herland Collective who
worked on the retreat deserve many thanks for a
well-organized event. So much interest was expr essed in having another that as you read this,
we are reserving a group camp at Robbers Cave
for a spring retreat. If you missed us at Osage
Hills, watch the Newsletter for details about the
next one and schedule it in--just write FUN on
those dates in your calendar immediately upon
notificatoin and say Nope! to anything else that
comes up that weekend .
J/pf,~ ~ $ho/~J
Jb./ani j,a{'/f!B/,
IHPHS n.u.J
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P.O. BOX 10472
MIDWEST CITY, OK 73140
405-737-7487
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7llfll,,'1JI,
HerlanJ- //,-:IO A/./,J. /~ ~»t9Re.
KRISTINA S. MAREK
Attorney and Counselor at Law
11.37 N.W • .31st Street
_Oklahoma City, OK 73118
lfQ.5-521-84.34, after 5:00 P.M.
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[us tom 3Jrwrlry S: [rat~rr fir.sign
by "irrr "
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1403' 323-83.:!4
1301 l\: _)11 _ 2 Sth !!1 t rrr I
~kla~oma [il!l. lf>klahoma i'JID6
SO MUCH HAS BEEN
WRITTEN .
ABOUT WOMEN.
CHRIS WILLIAMSON IN CONCERT IN DALLAS
Little Feather Productions, Inc., is producing
Chris Williamson, Tret Fure, Teresa Trull,
Barba:ra Higbee, Cam Davis and Carrie Barton in
concert Friday, December 6, at 8:00 p.m., at the
Garland Performing Arts Center, 300 N. 5th,
Garland, Texas.
BUT SO LITTLE HAS
SHOWN UP
IN THE LIBRARIES.
Tickets are $12.50 before December 5; $12.50
for mail order before November 23; $15 at the
door; and children's tickets are half the adult
price. Send check or money order and SASE to
Little . Feather Productions, P.O. Box 64720,
Dallas, TX 75206. The facility is wheel chair
accessible. Call 214-941-9303 or 214-526-2868 for
more information.
CHECK OUT
THE SELECT VOLUMES
AT HERLAND .
WORKSHOP TO EXPLORE LIFE OF RUSSIANS
0
"I know of no safe repository of the ultimate
power of society but the people. And if we think
them not enlightened enough, the remedy is not
to take the power from them, but to inform them
by education.''--Thomas Jefferson, 1820.
,-Oi 9~i~3'~~I
i
_
A croup for Lesbian and gay Catholics
and their friends
The Oklahoma Nuclear Weapons Education Fund
and Freeze Campaign is sponsoring a series of
workshops on the life and government of the
eople of the Soviet Union.
I
Dr. James Marcum, Ph.D. in Russian History and
Soviet Studies, will conduct the workshops fro
7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Okla. Blood Institute, 1001
N. Lincoln Blvd., Okla. City.
L~
Nov. 14
Nov. 21
Dec. 5
Dec. 12
Dec. 19
Introduction - "The Trouble with the
Russians"
Gorbachev: The Politics of Leadership
Soviet Militarism: Are the Civilian s in
Control?
The Economy: Living in Russia Toda:y
Soviet-American Relations: Who's at
Fault
Send your name, telephone number and registration fee of $15 to the Okla. Nuclear Weapons
Education Fund, 2920 N. Robinson, Okla. City,
OK 73103. Pre-registration is requested but not
mandatory. A limited number of scholarships are
available. For more info ation, contact Tom
Faudree, 405-524-5577.
MASS CELEBRATED TWICE MONTHLY
I
_
,
for information call
Mary Ann
943-8249 ~~
I
I
t
C~ssia A./!.t;,~lor, M.S.
Her/and Sister Resources
(405) 524 ·3017
1630 N.W. 19
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
THIS SPACE FOR RENT
$10
write:
BERLAND SISTER RESOURCES, INC.
1630 N.W. 19th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
t4a-171l
WANTED: · Female roommate(s); couples okay , to
share near NW OKC home. Call 946-5395
- Temporal Coverage
- 1980-1989
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