extracted text

do~HERLAND ~
FEB/MARCH 1990

ICE

Daly Speaks At OU

Therapy Sisters In Concert
Herland will present live in concert ·
The Therapy Sisters, bright lights on
the talent-swinging Austin scene. The
concert will be at City Arts Center
Auditorium, 3000 Pershing on the State
Fairgrounds. Admission is $6.00 in
advance. $7 .00 at the door. On Saturday, March 10, 1989, at 8 p.m.
Lisa Rogers, Gail Lewis, and More
McLean have been playing in the Austin
area for three years as The Therapy
Sisters, and for a decade as members of
other bands. The band's laboratorytested repertoire consists of solo and
joint compositions based on personal
experience and years of introspection.
The Therapy Sisters are known for
tight vocal harmonies, creative arrangements and social commentary. Their
VOLUME 7 NUMBER 3

•

performance leads the audience through
mood swings, from tongue-in-cheek to
heart-on-sleeve. Lisa Rogers bemoans
her secretarial rut in "Guys in Ties"
while Gail Lewis quilts together the
personal and the political in "Cat in the
Sink." More McClean takes a pensive
look at friendship in "Letters Lost" and
collaborates with Gail in an audiencepleasing punk ballad of middle class
white girl who seeks a hipper image, if
only for an evening.
The Therapy Sisters have won awards
as an Avant Garde band, a Folk band,
and an Unclassifiable band. Their
fondest hope and measure of success is
to remain in the category "None of the
Above."

HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES

A-mazing. She breathes, she walks,
she drinks perrier and cough syrupfrom the vast plains of radical feminist
thought, Mary Daly whisked onto the
plains of Oklahoma last month and
spoke to a crowd of approximately 200
at the "aca-demented Oh You". It as
"a-mazing" that this philosopher, radical
feminist, hag, crone, author, spinster
and witch is not an ephemeral spirit but
possesses a body that laughs, importunes and encourages her listeners
to "sin". For Daly, women must "sin"
in order "to be."
Those of us who have tried to keep up
with her spinning, spiralling and weaving
over the years were not surprised that
she is still on her voyage-moving from
the "pinoramic to the panoramic". Daly
conjured up our foresisters from the
Past, Present and Future to thrill us
with her evening of "exorcism and
ecstasy" on the "Other World" journey
to the "homeland of wild women". She
read the names of the fourteen female
engineering students and admonished
the east coast press for their coverage of
the atrocity. She says that the journey
to "be-ing" is continuing.
Daly encouraged women to leave
behind the patriarchal phallocentric
"foreground" of the plastic world which
emphasizes man-made intellect and is
composed of necrophiliacs (life-haters)
and seek the "Background" which is a
"deep, wild reality in which all
biophiliacs (life-lovers) participate." In
Gyn/Encology, Daly writes:
spinning deeper into the Background
is courageous sinning aginst the Sins
of the Fathers. As our senses become
more alive we can see/hear/feel how
we have been tricked by their texts.
We begin unweaving our winding
sheets. The process of exorcism, of
peeling off the layers of mindbinding
and cosmetics, is movement past the
Continued on next page

•

2312 N.W. 39th, OKC, OK 73ll2

•

(405) 521-9696

patriarchally imposed sense of reality
and identity. This demystification
process, a-mazing The Lies, is ecstasy.
(p.6)
As must be obvious by now is that
Daly believes re-defining language is
imperative to "demystifying and amazing The Lies" of the Foreground.
She described Webster's as a "Dicktionary" and the audience was about to
give her a standing ovation. Her latest
book, Webster's First Intergalactic Wickedary of the English Language is a declaration that women have served the
Father's long enough. She said that
patriarchal language is the "incarnation
of double think" and their words subsist
of inherent contradictions and redundancy. She marched back to the
chalkboard and diagrammed her logic.
Weapons, she reasoned, are the same as
death, yet patriarchy would employ
their inherent contradictions to have
them synonymous with life, e.g. "peacekeepers."
Daly outlines four criteria for radical
feminists. She said radical feminists
have an "awesome sense of Otherness
from women in patriarchy"; also have a
knowledge of patrirchal sanctions
which means, to her, that radical
feminists will be punished just as much
as "itty-bitty" feminists, therefore
radical feminists just as well "go the
whole way"; radical feminists exhibit
moral outrage on behalf of women as
women; and, finally, radical feminists
exhibit constancy-prove to be in it for
the long haul. All, she said, require
courage- the courage to laugh out loud
and to sin.
As she finished her speech, she "incited" the audience to "move-out" to
the "cronehood of feminism" and acknowledge the "archetypal witch in all
of us" as well as the "subliminal sea of
knowledge of women". This move to
the Background will result in "ecofeminism". For, she states, "what do we
have to lose?-we lose Nothing and
losing Nothing feels good."
When soliciting comments or
questions from the audience, Daly reminded us that she does not respond to
men's questions, and asked that they
not participate. This was too much for
one man, who left the room raving
about the unfairness of it all. As one
observer pointed out afterward, men
just can't stand to be told "no." They
just don't know how to act in women's

space and certainly don't know how to
be quiet when asked to do so.
Many thanks to the "Oh You"
Women's Studies Student Association
for requesting funds from the "Oh
You" Speaker's Bureau to bring Mary
Daly to Oklahoma. The WSSA did an
excellent job. Thanks are also in order
for those who participated in the healing
ceremony the evening before Daly was
to fly out, because she was so ill that it
seemed she might not make it. We have
some "power-full" women in our midst.
Mary Daly has published five books:

The Church and the Second Sex; Beyond
God the Father Toward a Philosophy of
Women's Liberation; Gyn/Ecology The
Metaethics of Radical Feminism; Pure
Lust and Webster's First Intergalactic
Wickedary of the English Language.

Regina Bennett

Oklahoma Women's
Network
Formation of the Oklahoma
Women's Network was announced
February 2, 1990 at a press conference
at the State Capitol. The Network's
stated purpose is to promote educational, economic, social and legislative
activities to the goal of full development of women ( . . . in the belief
that ... ) full human development can
be achieved only upon the foundation
of equal rights and reproductive
freedom.
The Network's goals include identifying the needs of women in Oklahoma,
especially poorer women; acting as a
resource for workshops and conferences, and as a forum for research on
women's issues; providing leadership
development for women and girls;
encouraging women to seek elective and
appointive offices; and educating the
public, especially young people, about
sexism and its adverse f'ffects.
Anyone interested in joining the
Network, as an individual or as a
member of a group or organization,
may call (918) 744-0303; or write
OWN, P. 0. Box 14339, Tulsa, Oklahoma 73159-1339.

Editorship Transition
With this issue a new team of editors
begins work on the Herland Voice.
Margaret Cox, Karen Lewis and Pat
Reaves will serve as co-editors.
Sondra M., the previous editor, has
resigned to devote more time to her
other interests. Thank you, Sondra for
all your hard work.
We approach this responsibility with
a great sense of anticipation and apprehension. Previous editors have built a
newsletter with a distinguished tradition
to be upheld.
We will strive to continue to bring to
you information about the Oklahoma
women's community and issues of
interest to women. We hope you will
find community here and will be
challenged to examine the issues and to
take action.

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) escaped to freedom after 40 years of
slavery. She was a leader in the abolition movement and collected food and
clothing for black troops during the
Civil War. After the Civil War, she was
active with the women's sufferage movement.

EDITORIAL POLICY!
The HERLAND VOICE is offered as an
open forum for community discourse. Materials
printed herein reflect the beliefs and opinions of
the authors of the articles or letters, and not
necessarily those of the Newsletter or the
Herland Board.
Letters to the editor must be signed by the
writer with full name. Letters will not be
printed with name unless writer requests it.
Editing may be necessary for space or to avoid
obscenity, libel, or invasion of privacy, but ideas
will not be altered. Publication of all materials
is at the discretion of the editors. Anyone
having a complaint about the content of this
newsletter may contact the editors at 521-9696.
0

PUBLISHED BY: Herland Sister Resources, Inc.
2312 NW 39th, Oklahoma City, OK 73112.
SUBSCRIPTIONS to the HERLAND VOICE are
free upon request.

I
I

I

Programming Notes
The Herland open mike that was held
at DJ's club on the evening of January
21st was a smashing success according
to the members of the programming
committee who planned and presented
it and many of those who attended.
More than 200 women stopped in at
the come-and-go event to listen to more
than a dozen local performers ranging in
experience from brash beginners to
jaded professionals. It was a comfortable
rowdy, performer-friendly look at the
some (only some!) of the talent that our
own community has to offer. Thanks to
the generosity of DJ's and of Cindy
Rudich for providing the sound system,
Herland netted $206.00 towards a better
bookstore. Many performers and music
lovers asked when the next open mike
would be. Well, don't forget that open
mikes are a regular and popular feature
of the Herland retreats, and the next
one is scheduled for Memorial Day
Week end. Back here in the city, the
next one is scheduled for sometime in
August-plenty of time to dust off
those tunes and get ready to share your
talent.!
The programming committee met on
Feb. 4th to plan and discuss upcoming
events. Here is sort of "forecast your
can remember".
Feburary 24th Mardi Gras Carnival
at Mary Reynolds' house, including a
presentation of Jane Chambers play, A
Late Snow. This event was pushing the
Herland Voice deadline, so a special
mailing was sent out about it.
March 10, concert with Mimi
Baczewska opening for The Therapy
Sisters, discussed elsewhere in this newsletter.
March 23, a "Listening Party"-everyone invited to a party to listen to as
many different artists as possible and
cuss and discuss their suitability for a
concert here. Mary Reynolds' house,
2805 N. McKinely, no admission, refreshments provided by the programming committee. BRING YOUR
RECORDS!!!
The comm-ittee fs really anxious to
hear from all of you as to who your
favorite artists are and who you would
like to see at concerts and retreats. Feel .
free to call Mary Reynolds, 528-0020,
or talk to any committee member, or
come to the listening party March 23.
WE NEED YOUR INPUT!!!!!

Herland Needs...
* ThrowRugs

*

Floor Lamps

* Folding or Stackable chairs
* Subscriptions to women's periodicals such as Off Our Backs, On
the Issues, New Directions for

Women, et.

* Volunteers to staff the center
and work with committees.

* Donations to meet the costs of
operating the center. $20 contributions keep us going one more
day.
(Call 5 21-9696 to arrange pickup
of donations.)

...Your Support

Herland Committees
The work of Herland is carried out
by its committees. Volunteers are
needed to join in the efforts of
committees. Look over these descriptions and consider enlisting in the
committee of your choice. Be an active
part of Her land-join a committee.

Fundraising Committee Sally Blevins, Chair
Fundraising is an ongoing process
that can always use new people
especially new ideas. Any thought or
idea you might have to increase the

coins in our coffer would be appreciated. Our current activities include
gearing up for Carpenter Square's
Benefit showing of Caberet in April,
working with the programming committee on upcoming concerts and grassroots money makers. If you have a
talent for raising money or just some
great energy waves, we would love to
have you join us! Call Sally at 525-5907
to sign up!

The Resource Center Maintenance
Committee - Peggy Johnson, chair.
The Resource Center Maintenance
Committee wants you! We need skilled
women such as carpenters, electricians,
plumbers; and women who can do
general building maintenance. The most
recent committee project was tearing
out a wall to enlarge our resource center
space. Call Peggy Johnson at 524-5332
to join the Maintenance Committee.

The Newsletter Committee - Pat
Reaves, Chair.
The newsletter committee is responsible for the monthly publication
of the Her land Voice. We need
volunteers to contribute to the newsletter and to help with the monthly
mailout. If you've ever had the urge to
be a journalist, the newsletter committee
is the place for you. Call Pat Reaves at
521-8176 to join the newsletter
committee.

Marian Wright Edelman (b. 1939)
graduated from Yale Law School in
1963. In 1968, she founded the Children's Defense Fund and continues to
be a leading advocate for children's
rights.

HERLAND IS ...
A non-profit corporation composed of a collective of wimmin - open to any womyn who
wants to be a part of it - which works to maintain a feminist library and bookstore, sponsors
workshops, retreats, concerts and other events for YOU. Herland's reason for being is to
provide a framework for a variety of projects for the support and ~njo~ment of the a~ea
wimmin's community. It is a place to learn and grow, meet other w1mmm, develop lasting
friendships, receive support and nurture the positive self-image that societal attitudes
sometimes make illusive to us. Herland exists to serve YOU.
Your donations are used to pay the mortgage and utilities on the resource center, and
printing and postage for the monthly HSR Newsletter and Friend of Herland cards.
All of Herland's services are free, including the Newsletter. This is why your donation is so
important. It is Herland's lifeblood.

Jane Addams (Social Reformer)
Louisa May Alcott (Author)
Belle Boyd (Confederate Spy)
Mary Cassatt (Artist)
Martha Graham (Dancer)
Sarah Hale (Magazine Editor)
Helen Keller (Author I
Humanitarian)
Susette LaFlesche (Indian Rights)
Belva Lockwood (Attorney)
Juliette Low (Girl Scouts)

Alice Palmer (College President)
Rosa Parks (Civil Rights)
Frances Perkins (Sec. of Labor)
Linda Richards (Nurse)
Florence Sabin (Medical Research)
Sacajawea (Indian Interpreter)
Deborah Samson (Revolutionary
Soldier)
Ida Tarbell Uournalist)
Sojourner Truth (Abolitionist)
Laura Ingalls Wilder (Author)
Babe Zaharias (Athlete)

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Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

~ednesday

Thursday
1

WOMfENlJS

H~STORY

MONTH
4

11

,5

6

**Reception
for Harriet.
Woods; 900 N.
Portland,
S:-30 pm.

**Lei;sislat.ive
Day at Okla.
Capitol.

12

13

7

19

2

ISA 12-STEP,
8 - 9 pm

8

tq*THERAPY
SISTERS
in concert.!
CODA Meetin£1
8pm
6:30 pm
al the Cily
. Arls Cenler
al lhe Fairerounds.

ISA f2-STEP,
8 - 9 PM

20

BOARD
MEETING
'f:OO pm
Ali Welcome.

fnlernalional
Day for
EliminaUon of
Racial Discrimination

15

16

ISA 12-STEP.
8 - 9 PM

22

?Jleclure by
Or . Rayna
Green,
Director of
Anierican
Indian Pro£1ram al lhe
Smithsonian.

27

17

CODA Meetin[I
6:30 PM

23

24

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6:30 Pill
ISA 12-STEP.
8 - 9 PM

C-R, 7-9pm

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C-R, 7-9 pm

14

Salurday

CODA MeeUni;i
6:30 pm

INTERNATIONAL
WOMAN'S DAY

C-R. 7 - 9 pm

18

Friday

**List.eninES
Parly,7:30pm
al Mary
Reynold's;

28

29

30

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ISA 12-STEP.
8 - 9 PM

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Birlhday

HERLAND SISTER
RESOURCES
2312 N\\I 39th, OKC 73112 - 521-9696

HERLAND RETREATS!
SPRING - MAY tB - 20. 1990
AT ROBBER'S CAVE!
Yes, we have Robber's Cave again, our favorite spot, for what will be our
best retreat since last time! Check the April Voice for full details .
11

FALL

11

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

September 3, 1990; at the new camp at Arrowhead; with heat
air- conditioning, whichever we need - v1hoa !

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Gay Awareness
Week Activities
Planned
Sue Hyde, staff member at the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force,
will be the keynote speaker March 30 as
part of OU's Gay Awareness Week.
She will discuss her work at the Task
Force with the Privacy Project and the
Military Freedom Project and other
issues facing gay men and lesbians
nationwide.
Ms. Hyde is the director of the
Privacy Project at the Task Force which
was organized to reform sodomy laws in
the 25 states still criminalizing gay and
lesbian sexuality. The project provides
technical assistance and organizing support to activities seeking reform of the
laws in their home state.
Ms. Hyde also helped organize the
Military Freedom Project, a coalition of
leading civil rights groups whose goal is
to overturn the military's policy of
excluding gay men and lesbians. An
initial priority of the Military Freedom
Project has been to press for action on
the sexual harrassment of lesbians and
heterosexual women in the military.
Ms. Hyde's appearance will culminate
a week of activities on the OU campus
for March 26-31 for the OU Gay/Lesbian Alliance's annual Gay Awareness Week. Included in plans for the
week are several local speakers, movies,
music, and a dance. On March 31 there
will be a meeting at OU of the Coalition
of Lesbian and Gay Student Groups
which consists of a number of gay
student groups from Texas and Oklahoma.
For more information about Gay
Awareness Week, see the March issue
of The Galy or call Jill at 360-8723.

Susie King Taylor {1848-1912) was
born a slave in Savannah, Georgia. She
escaped in 1862 and served as a nurse
and teacher to black troops in the Civil
War. She never received a pension for
her services because she was not officially classiffied as an Army nurse.
Shirley Chisholm (b. 1924) was the
first black woman elected to the U .S.
Hoese of Representatives. She was the
first black woman to campaign for
president on a major political party
ticket. Here autobiography is titled,

Unbought and Unbossed.

Village Inn Boycott
Urged
An open letter to the Village Inn
District Supervisor:
This letter is in reference to an
occurrence on the night of February 10
at the Village Inn at 27th and Classen
Blvd. Technically, it was 3 a.m. on
Sunday, February 11. I was with a
group of ten women who came in for
breakfast at that time. The restaurant
was very crowded but we were seated
and, in fact, served in a reasonably
short period of time by our waiter,
Massoud. Our service from him was
very good.
We were enjoying the meal and the
conversation when I looked up to see a
Village Inn employee at the other end
of our long table. He took the wrist of
the woman sitting there and, as she had
been preparing to pick up a bite of food
on her fork, he rotated her wrist so that
her fork was forced to stir the food on
her plate. My first impression was that
she knew the man, for she had not
invited him to the table-he had walked
up from behind her. For the few seconds
that elapsed before I spoke up, I noticed
that she was trying to ignore him. I said,
sharply, "what are you doing?" He
nonchalantly looked up at me. I asked
the woman he was offending if she
knew him and she said she didn't so I
told him to leave our table. He impudently stood there and said, "who is
she, your mother? She sure is being
rude." I again sharply told him to leave
at which time he offered a few more
comments.
I noticed that the night manager was
clearing a table right next to ours so I
told him to make the man leave. He
seemed not to assess the immediacy of
my demand for he did not act assertively
at all and just said, "J. J., leave them
alone," without coming over to the
table. J. J. did not leave and I continued
my insistance that he leave immediately.
He finally sauntered away. His name tag
read "John."
The manager did apologize but only
with the excuse that John is friendly,
was being playful, and didn't understand that everyone is not as playful as
he is. This is totally unacceptable. A
man is not at liberty to walk up to any
woman and, without her permission,
pick up her hand and start playing with

it, especially a woman he does not
know. The implications of th is
occurrence are much deeper than "the
customer is always right," though we
did not even get that type of acceptance
or apology from the manager. If J. J. was
being "playful" and the manager has
been condoning it, he picked the right
table last Saturday night. Four of us are
very active feminists in the Oklahoma
City area, working with the YWCA, the
battered women's shelter, the rape crisis
hotline, and with Herland, a non-profit,
feminist bookstore.
A copy of this letter will be in this
month's Herland Voice, a newletter with
a circulation of 800. I look forward to
hearing from you concerning this matter
and will publish your response and the
action you set forth there in an effort to
resolve this serious problem. Unitl a
satisfacatory solution is reached, my
many friends and I will not spend our
time or money at the Village Inn.
Sincerely.

Peggy Johnson

ForRent1 Bdrm Duplex. Very nice.
W /D, stove, & refrig.
Call Regina at 521-8176.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM
Name(s) - - - - - - - -- - --

Old Address - - - - - - --

-

---

City - - -- - -- - - -- -State_ __ _ _ _ _ ZIP_ _ _ __ _
New Address _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _

Cfy ----------~
State,_ _ _ _ _ __ ZIP _ __ _ __
Mail to:

Herland Sister Resources, Inc.

2312 N.W. 391h
Oklahoma

Cfy, OK

73112

Romanian Women
Denied Reproductive
Freedom
The story of the consequences of loss
of reproductive freedom is among those
emerging from Romaina following the
revolution. Under the Ceausescu regime
women were required to have babies to
fulfill his goal of increasing Romania's
population to 30 million by the year
2000. All artificial forms of birth
control and abortion were outlawed.
Doctors who provided abortions were
subject to up to five years imprisonment.
Abortion was not permitted for a
woman under 45 unless her life was in
danger. For the woman who became
pregnant, illegal abortions by medically
trained persons or lay abortionists were
available only at the cost of 3-4 months
wages. Thousands of women each year
chose to self-abort.
Complications of attempts to selfinduce abortion were frequent. In 1989,
the Bucharest Municipal Hospital
treated 3,000 women with failed
abortions and over 1000 women died
in Bucharest from illegal abortions
according to a report published in the
W ashintong Post.
If she went to the hospital, she was
questioned by a commission which included a prosecutor and a police officer.
Completion of the abortion was allowed
only if that commission determined the
woman's life was in danger. Many
women never sought medical attention.
Abandoned children were a frequent
occurrence in Romania. Women unable
to care for another child in living conditions marked by shortages of food,
heat, and housing and unable to obtain
abortions relinquised their babies to the
care of the state. The number of abandoned children in Romania has risen
about 10% each year according to Dr.
Ekaterina Lazar, a senior health inspector in Bucharest. Dr. Lazar reports
that in 1989 nearly 1,000 children were
abandoned by their parents and another
2,000 babies were forcibly returned to
their parents by the government.

Many babies died under these conditions. The infant mortality rate is
2 7 .6 deaths per 1000 live births (In the
U.S . infant mortality if 10.6 per 1000
births). According to Dr. Lazar, the
most common cause of death are broncho-pneumonia, congenital malformation
and neonatal sepsis, an infection in
newborns.
One of the first acts of the new
government was the repeal of laws
restricting abortion and birth control.
Abortion is now available to any woman
upon written request during the first
trimester of pregancy.
Information drawn from The
Washington Post, 1-5-90 and UPI
1-4-90

Change Proposed in U.S.
Poverty Guidelines
In 1988, 53.2 percent of households
with single female parent had incomes
less than the federal poverty level. For a
family of 4, the official poverty line is
$12,092.
The Census Bureau, under the Bush
administration, has proposed changing
the method of calculating the poverty
rate to drastically lower the poverty
rate. The proposed formula would have
resulted in an official poverty line of
$10,997 for a family of four in 1988.
The efforts of the change could be
severe. Many children would be elimi.nated from programs like free school
lunches, Medicaid health care programs,
and Head Start. Many other federally
programs use poverty levels directly or
indirectly to determine eligibility for
services.
Low-income working families are
likely to suffer the most from the
adoption of this proposal. A single
mother supporting three children on a
wage of $5.30 per hour would not be
eligible for most assistance programs. If
she were on welfare, her income would
be low enough to qualify her children
for sub>idized healthcare and other assistance.
Information from Children's Defense
Fund.

Legislative Day March 6, 1990
The Oklahoma Women's Political
Caucus is sponsoring Legislative Day at
the State Capitol, Tuesday, March 6,
1990. The opening session will begin
with a welcome by Governor Bellman
at 9:00 a.m., in the House Chambers on
the fourth floor of the Capitol. Harriet
Woods, former Lt. Governor of
Missouri, will deliver the Keynote
address.
Workshop topics and leaders during
the day include:
* Should the State Constitution be
revised? - Attorney General Robert
Henry;
* The Healthy Living Skills bill -State
Representative Vickie White
* Developing State-wide Political
Strategies - Harriet Woods
* Family Leave and the Work Force
-Pat Hall, OPEA;
* Women and the Supreme Court Justices Alma Wilson and Yvonne
Kauger
* Lobbying Techniques I & II
* and others;
A brown-bag lunch is included in the
$10.00 pre-registration fee; registration
at the door is $12/00, and includes the
lunch as long as they last.

Pauli Murray (b. 1910) was ordained
by the Episcopal Church as its first
black woman priest in 1977. She was
the first black attorney general of California and one of the co-founders of the
National Organization of Women.
Phillis Wheatley (1753?-1784) was
born in Africa and as a child was
brought to Boston as a slave. She learned
to read and write and published her
first poem at age 17. Her first book of
verse, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, was published in
England 3 years later. Only one other
American woman had published a book
of verse in 1773.

Carpenter Square Theater will present
a special performance of Cabaret benefiting Herland Sister Resources on
Sunday, April 4. Tickets are $10 and
$12.50 in advance and $12.50 and $15
at the door. Tickets are available at
Her land and from HSR Board
members.
BLAC, Inc. will present "My Name is
Alice", a feminist music revue Thursday
-Saturday, March 1-3, 8:00 p .m. and
Sunday March 4, 4:00 p.m. at the
Classen Theatre, 1901 N. Ellison. Call
528-4660 for ticket information ....
The Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian
Political Caucus hosted the fourth
annual Bill Rogers Award of Merit and
Phobie Awards ceremony on Sunday,
January 14. Matthew Sharp received
the Bill Rogers Award of Merit. Senator
Bernest Cain and the Gayly Oklahoman
were awarded OGLPC Awards of Merit.
For more information about OGLPC
call, 525-6147 ...
Welcome to new board members, Renae
B. and Karen K. We are looking forward
to sharing the work with you.

Reception For Harriet Woods
A reception honoring Harriet
Woods will be held Monday March 5,
1990, at the OSU Extension Center,
901 N. Portland, Oklahoma
City; from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Harriet Woods is currently President of the Institute for Policy Leadership in the Bush Center in St. Louis,
Missouri. She is the National Democratic Party Task Force Chair, and was
the first woman elected to statewide
office in Missouri, serving as Lt. Governor
from 1985-1989.
Ms. Woods will give the keynote
address at the OWPC's Legislative Day
at the Capitol on the morning following
the reception. The reception is free, and
all are welcome.

Rainbow Productions will hold a
meeting for persons interested in
working with the production of entertainment events on March 11, 1990 at
2 P.M., 1126 Classen Blvd, Norman,
Oklahoma. Call 366-0923 for further
information.
Over 40? Physically challenged? Looking for alternatives to traditional retirement communities? SPINSTERHAVEN
is working to meet our physical, cultural, spiritual needs. Accessible urban
and rural housing, camping, and retreat
lodge our goal. SASE for brochure.
SPINSTERHAVEN, P.O. Box 718,
Fayetteville, AR 72702 ...
The Programming Committee will
sponsor a "Listening Party" at: 8:00
p .m., March 23 at 2805 N. McKinley.
The party will be an opportunity to
listen to a variety of women's music and
offer your suggestions about what performers you'd like to see in OKC.
Come and make your voice heard! ...
Don't forget, Herland is open every
Saturday from 10 a.m, to 6 p.m. and
Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p .m. Come by
to check out the available books and
gift items or just to hang out in a
friendly women's space. See ya' there!

DISPLAY ADS:

business card or 1/10 page ... $ 15.00
1/4 page ................ $ 35.00
12 page ................. $ 60.00
full page ................ $100.00
CLASSIFIED ADS:
first 10 words ............... $2.50
each additional word .......... $ .10

available on advance
prepaid orders only
1-3 months order . . . . . . . . . . . . none
4 - 6 months ............... 10%
7 - 9 months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15%
10 - 12 months .............. 20%

DISCOUNTS:

PLEASE NOTE: There will be a minimal
charge for typesetting done to any
advertising.
Leave message for Ginger at HSR,
(521-WMYN) to place an ad.



do~HERLAND ~
FEB/MARCH 1990

ICE

Daly Speaks At OU

Therapy Sisters In Concert
Herland will present live in concert ·
The Therapy Sisters, bright lights on
the talent-swinging Austin scene. The
concert will be at City Arts Center
Auditorium, 3000 Pershing on the State
Fairgrounds. Admission is $6.00 in
advance. $7 .00 at the door. On Saturday, March 10, 1989, at 8 p.m.
Lisa Rogers, Gail Lewis, and More
McLean have been playing in the Austin
area for three years as The Therapy
Sisters, and for a decade as members of
other bands. The band's laboratorytested repertoire consists of solo and
joint compositions based on personal
experience and years of introspection.
The Therapy Sisters are known for
tight vocal harmonies, creative arrangements and social commentary. Their
VOLUME 7 NUMBER 3

•

performance leads the audience through
mood swings, from tongue-in-cheek to
heart-on-sleeve. Lisa Rogers bemoans
her secretarial rut in "Guys in Ties"
while Gail Lewis quilts together the
personal and the political in "Cat in the
Sink." More McClean takes a pensive
look at friendship in "Letters Lost" and
collaborates with Gail in an audiencepleasing punk ballad of middle class
white girl who seeks a hipper image, if
only for an evening.
The Therapy Sisters have won awards
as an Avant Garde band, a Folk band,
and an Unclassifiable band. Their
fondest hope and measure of success is
to remain in the category "None of the
Above."

HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES

A-mazing. She breathes, she walks,
she drinks perrier and cough syrupfrom the vast plains of radical feminist
thought, Mary Daly whisked onto the
plains of Oklahoma last month and
spoke to a crowd of approximately 200
at the "aca-demented Oh You". It as
"a-mazing" that this philosopher, radical
feminist, hag, crone, author, spinster
and witch is not an ephemeral spirit but
possesses a body that laughs, importunes and encourages her listeners
to "sin". For Daly, women must "sin"
in order "to be."
Those of us who have tried to keep up
with her spinning, spiralling and weaving
over the years were not surprised that
she is still on her voyage-moving from
the "pinoramic to the panoramic". Daly
conjured up our foresisters from the
Past, Present and Future to thrill us
with her evening of "exorcism and
ecstasy" on the "Other World" journey
to the "homeland of wild women". She
read the names of the fourteen female
engineering students and admonished
the east coast press for their coverage of
the atrocity. She says that the journey
to "be-ing" is continuing.
Daly encouraged women to leave
behind the patriarchal phallocentric
"foreground" of the plastic world which
emphasizes man-made intellect and is
composed of necrophiliacs (life-haters)
and seek the "Background" which is a
"deep, wild reality in which all
biophiliacs (life-lovers) participate." In
Gyn/Encology, Daly writes:
spinning deeper into the Background
is courageous sinning aginst the Sins
of the Fathers. As our senses become
more alive we can see/hear/feel how
we have been tricked by their texts.
We begin unweaving our winding
sheets. The process of exorcism, of
peeling off the layers of mindbinding
and cosmetics, is movement past the
Continued on next page

•

2312 N.W. 39th, OKC, OK 73ll2

•

(405) 521-9696

patriarchally imposed sense of reality
and identity. This demystification
process, a-mazing The Lies, is ecstasy.
(p.6)
As must be obvious by now is that
Daly believes re-defining language is
imperative to "demystifying and amazing The Lies" of the Foreground.
She described Webster's as a "Dicktionary" and the audience was about to
give her a standing ovation. Her latest
book, Webster's First Intergalactic Wickedary of the English Language is a declaration that women have served the
Father's long enough. She said that
patriarchal language is the "incarnation
of double think" and their words subsist
of inherent contradictions and redundancy. She marched back to the
chalkboard and diagrammed her logic.
Weapons, she reasoned, are the same as
death, yet patriarchy would employ
their inherent contradictions to have
them synonymous with life, e.g. "peacekeepers."
Daly outlines four criteria for radical
feminists. She said radical feminists
have an "awesome sense of Otherness
from women in patriarchy"; also have a
knowledge of patrirchal sanctions
which means, to her, that radical
feminists will be punished just as much
as "itty-bitty" feminists, therefore
radical feminists just as well "go the
whole way"; radical feminists exhibit
moral outrage on behalf of women as
women; and, finally, radical feminists
exhibit constancy-prove to be in it for
the long haul. All, she said, require
courage- the courage to laugh out loud
and to sin.
As she finished her speech, she "incited" the audience to "move-out" to
the "cronehood of feminism" and acknowledge the "archetypal witch in all
of us" as well as the "subliminal sea of
knowledge of women". This move to
the Background will result in "ecofeminism". For, she states, "what do we
have to lose?-we lose Nothing and
losing Nothing feels good."
When soliciting comments or
questions from the audience, Daly reminded us that she does not respond to
men's questions, and asked that they
not participate. This was too much for
one man, who left the room raving
about the unfairness of it all. As one
observer pointed out afterward, men
just can't stand to be told "no." They
just don't know how to act in women's

space and certainly don't know how to
be quiet when asked to do so.
Many thanks to the "Oh You"
Women's Studies Student Association
for requesting funds from the "Oh
You" Speaker's Bureau to bring Mary
Daly to Oklahoma. The WSSA did an
excellent job. Thanks are also in order
for those who participated in the healing
ceremony the evening before Daly was
to fly out, because she was so ill that it
seemed she might not make it. We have
some "power-full" women in our midst.
Mary Daly has published five books:

The Church and the Second Sex; Beyond
God the Father Toward a Philosophy of
Women's Liberation; Gyn/Ecology The
Metaethics of Radical Feminism; Pure
Lust and Webster's First Intergalactic
Wickedary of the English Language.

Regina Bennett

Oklahoma Women's
Network
Formation of the Oklahoma
Women's Network was announced
February 2, 1990 at a press conference
at the State Capitol. The Network's
stated purpose is to promote educational, economic, social and legislative
activities to the goal of full development of women ( . . . in the belief
that ... ) full human development can
be achieved only upon the foundation
of equal rights and reproductive
freedom.
The Network's goals include identifying the needs of women in Oklahoma,
especially poorer women; acting as a
resource for workshops and conferences, and as a forum for research on
women's issues; providing leadership
development for women and girls;
encouraging women to seek elective and
appointive offices; and educating the
public, especially young people, about
sexism and its adverse f'ffects.
Anyone interested in joining the
Network, as an individual or as a
member of a group or organization,
may call (918) 744-0303; or write
OWN, P. 0. Box 14339, Tulsa, Oklahoma 73159-1339.

Editorship Transition
With this issue a new team of editors
begins work on the Herland Voice.
Margaret Cox, Karen Lewis and Pat
Reaves will serve as co-editors.
Sondra M., the previous editor, has
resigned to devote more time to her
other interests. Thank you, Sondra for
all your hard work.
We approach this responsibility with
a great sense of anticipation and apprehension. Previous editors have built a
newsletter with a distinguished tradition
to be upheld.
We will strive to continue to bring to
you information about the Oklahoma
women's community and issues of
interest to women. We hope you will
find community here and will be
challenged to examine the issues and to
take action.

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) escaped to freedom after 40 years of
slavery. She was a leader in the abolition movement and collected food and
clothing for black troops during the
Civil War. After the Civil War, she was
active with the women's sufferage movement.

EDITORIAL POLICY!
The HERLAND VOICE is offered as an
open forum for community discourse. Materials
printed herein reflect the beliefs and opinions of
the authors of the articles or letters, and not
necessarily those of the Newsletter or the
Herland Board.
Letters to the editor must be signed by the
writer with full name. Letters will not be
printed with name unless writer requests it.
Editing may be necessary for space or to avoid
obscenity, libel, or invasion of privacy, but ideas
will not be altered. Publication of all materials
is at the discretion of the editors. Anyone
having a complaint about the content of this
newsletter may contact the editors at 521-9696.
0

PUBLISHED BY: Herland Sister Resources, Inc.
2312 NW 39th, Oklahoma City, OK 73112.
SUBSCRIPTIONS to the HERLAND VOICE are
free upon request.

I
I

I

Programming Notes
The Herland open mike that was held
at DJ's club on the evening of January
21st was a smashing success according
to the members of the programming
committee who planned and presented
it and many of those who attended.
More than 200 women stopped in at
the come-and-go event to listen to more
than a dozen local performers ranging in
experience from brash beginners to
jaded professionals. It was a comfortable
rowdy, performer-friendly look at the
some (only some!) of the talent that our
own community has to offer. Thanks to
the generosity of DJ's and of Cindy
Rudich for providing the sound system,
Herland netted $206.00 towards a better
bookstore. Many performers and music
lovers asked when the next open mike
would be. Well, don't forget that open
mikes are a regular and popular feature
of the Herland retreats, and the next
one is scheduled for Memorial Day
Week end. Back here in the city, the
next one is scheduled for sometime in
August-plenty of time to dust off
those tunes and get ready to share your
talent.!
The programming committee met on
Feb. 4th to plan and discuss upcoming
events. Here is sort of "forecast your
can remember".
Feburary 24th Mardi Gras Carnival
at Mary Reynolds' house, including a
presentation of Jane Chambers play, A
Late Snow. This event was pushing the
Herland Voice deadline, so a special
mailing was sent out about it.
March 10, concert with Mimi
Baczewska opening for The Therapy
Sisters, discussed elsewhere in this newsletter.
March 23, a "Listening Party"-everyone invited to a party to listen to as
many different artists as possible and
cuss and discuss their suitability for a
concert here. Mary Reynolds' house,
2805 N. McKinely, no admission, refreshments provided by the programming committee. BRING YOUR
RECORDS!!!
The comm-ittee fs really anxious to
hear from all of you as to who your
favorite artists are and who you would
like to see at concerts and retreats. Feel .
free to call Mary Reynolds, 528-0020,
or talk to any committee member, or
come to the listening party March 23.
WE NEED YOUR INPUT!!!!!

Herland Needs...
* ThrowRugs

*

Floor Lamps

* Folding or Stackable chairs
* Subscriptions to women's periodicals such as Off Our Backs, On
the Issues, New Directions for

Women, et.

* Volunteers to staff the center
and work with committees.

* Donations to meet the costs of
operating the center. $20 contributions keep us going one more
day.
(Call 5 21-9696 to arrange pickup
of donations.)

...Your Support

Herland Committees
The work of Herland is carried out
by its committees. Volunteers are
needed to join in the efforts of
committees. Look over these descriptions and consider enlisting in the
committee of your choice. Be an active
part of Her land-join a committee.

Fundraising Committee Sally Blevins, Chair
Fundraising is an ongoing process
that can always use new people
especially new ideas. Any thought or
idea you might have to increase the

coins in our coffer would be appreciated. Our current activities include
gearing up for Carpenter Square's
Benefit showing of Caberet in April,
working with the programming committee on upcoming concerts and grassroots money makers. If you have a
talent for raising money or just some
great energy waves, we would love to
have you join us! Call Sally at 525-5907
to sign up!

The Resource Center Maintenance
Committee - Peggy Johnson, chair.
The Resource Center Maintenance
Committee wants you! We need skilled
women such as carpenters, electricians,
plumbers; and women who can do
general building maintenance. The most
recent committee project was tearing
out a wall to enlarge our resource center
space. Call Peggy Johnson at 524-5332
to join the Maintenance Committee.

The Newsletter Committee - Pat
Reaves, Chair.
The newsletter committee is responsible for the monthly publication
of the Her land Voice. We need
volunteers to contribute to the newsletter and to help with the monthly
mailout. If you've ever had the urge to
be a journalist, the newsletter committee
is the place for you. Call Pat Reaves at
521-8176 to join the newsletter
committee.

Marian Wright Edelman (b. 1939)
graduated from Yale Law School in
1963. In 1968, she founded the Children's Defense Fund and continues to
be a leading advocate for children's
rights.

HERLAND IS ...
A non-profit corporation composed of a collective of wimmin - open to any womyn who
wants to be a part of it - which works to maintain a feminist library and bookstore, sponsors
workshops, retreats, concerts and other events for YOU. Herland's reason for being is to
provide a framework for a variety of projects for the support and ~njo~ment of the a~ea
wimmin's community. It is a place to learn and grow, meet other w1mmm, develop lasting
friendships, receive support and nurture the positive self-image that societal attitudes
sometimes make illusive to us. Herland exists to serve YOU.
Your donations are used to pay the mortgage and utilities on the resource center, and
printing and postage for the monthly HSR Newsletter and Friend of Herland cards.
All of Herland's services are free, including the Newsletter. This is why your donation is so
important. It is Herland's lifeblood.

Jane Addams (Social Reformer)
Louisa May Alcott (Author)
Belle Boyd (Confederate Spy)
Mary Cassatt (Artist)
Martha Graham (Dancer)
Sarah Hale (Magazine Editor)
Helen Keller (Author I
Humanitarian)
Susette LaFlesche (Indian Rights)
Belva Lockwood (Attorney)
Juliette Low (Girl Scouts)

Alice Palmer (College President)
Rosa Parks (Civil Rights)
Frances Perkins (Sec. of Labor)
Linda Richards (Nurse)
Florence Sabin (Medical Research)
Sacajawea (Indian Interpreter)
Deborah Samson (Revolutionary
Soldier)
Ida Tarbell Uournalist)
Sojourner Truth (Abolitionist)
Laura Ingalls Wilder (Author)
Babe Zaharias (Athlete)

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Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

~ednesday

Thursday
1

WOMfENlJS

H~STORY

MONTH
4

11

,5

6

**Reception
for Harriet.
Woods; 900 N.
Portland,
S:-30 pm.

**Lei;sislat.ive
Day at Okla.
Capitol.

12

13

7

19

2

ISA 12-STEP,
8 - 9 pm

8

tq*THERAPY
SISTERS
in concert.!
CODA Meetin£1
8pm
6:30 pm
al the Cily
. Arls Cenler
al lhe Fairerounds.

ISA f2-STEP,
8 - 9 PM

20

BOARD
MEETING
'f:OO pm
Ali Welcome.

fnlernalional
Day for
EliminaUon of
Racial Discrimination

15

16

ISA 12-STEP.
8 - 9 PM

22

?Jleclure by
Or . Rayna
Green,
Director of
Anierican
Indian Pro£1ram al lhe
Smithsonian.

27

17

CODA Meetin[I
6:30 PM

23

24

CODA 11eeline
6:30 Pill
ISA 12-STEP.
8 - 9 PM

C-R, 7-9pm

2.s

3

g

C-R, 7-9 pm

14

Salurday

CODA MeeUni;i
6:30 pm

INTERNATIONAL
WOMAN'S DAY

C-R. 7 - 9 pm

18

Friday

**List.eninES
Parly,7:30pm
al Mary
Reynold's;

28

29

30

C-R, 7 - 9 pm

ISA 12-STEP.
8 - 9 PM

CODA Meetin£1
6:30 pm

31.
"

.

lrish's
Birlhday

HERLAND SISTER
RESOURCES
2312 N\\I 39th, OKC 73112 - 521-9696

HERLAND RETREATS!
SPRING - MAY tB - 20. 1990
AT ROBBER'S CAVE!
Yes, we have Robber's Cave again, our favorite spot, for what will be our
best retreat since last time! Check the April Voice for full details .
11

FALL

11

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

September 3, 1990; at the new camp at Arrowhead; with heat
air- conditioning, whichever we need - v1hoa !

!? !? !? !? !? !? !?

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Gay Awareness
Week Activities
Planned
Sue Hyde, staff member at the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force,
will be the keynote speaker March 30 as
part of OU's Gay Awareness Week.
She will discuss her work at the Task
Force with the Privacy Project and the
Military Freedom Project and other
issues facing gay men and lesbians
nationwide.
Ms. Hyde is the director of the
Privacy Project at the Task Force which
was organized to reform sodomy laws in
the 25 states still criminalizing gay and
lesbian sexuality. The project provides
technical assistance and organizing support to activities seeking reform of the
laws in their home state.
Ms. Hyde also helped organize the
Military Freedom Project, a coalition of
leading civil rights groups whose goal is
to overturn the military's policy of
excluding gay men and lesbians. An
initial priority of the Military Freedom
Project has been to press for action on
the sexual harrassment of lesbians and
heterosexual women in the military.
Ms. Hyde's appearance will culminate
a week of activities on the OU campus
for March 26-31 for the OU Gay/Lesbian Alliance's annual Gay Awareness Week. Included in plans for the
week are several local speakers, movies,
music, and a dance. On March 31 there
will be a meeting at OU of the Coalition
of Lesbian and Gay Student Groups
which consists of a number of gay
student groups from Texas and Oklahoma.
For more information about Gay
Awareness Week, see the March issue
of The Galy or call Jill at 360-8723.

Susie King Taylor {1848-1912) was
born a slave in Savannah, Georgia. She
escaped in 1862 and served as a nurse
and teacher to black troops in the Civil
War. She never received a pension for
her services because she was not officially classiffied as an Army nurse.
Shirley Chisholm (b. 1924) was the
first black woman elected to the U .S.
Hoese of Representatives. She was the
first black woman to campaign for
president on a major political party
ticket. Here autobiography is titled,

Unbought and Unbossed.

Village Inn Boycott
Urged
An open letter to the Village Inn
District Supervisor:
This letter is in reference to an
occurrence on the night of February 10
at the Village Inn at 27th and Classen
Blvd. Technically, it was 3 a.m. on
Sunday, February 11. I was with a
group of ten women who came in for
breakfast at that time. The restaurant
was very crowded but we were seated
and, in fact, served in a reasonably
short period of time by our waiter,
Massoud. Our service from him was
very good.
We were enjoying the meal and the
conversation when I looked up to see a
Village Inn employee at the other end
of our long table. He took the wrist of
the woman sitting there and, as she had
been preparing to pick up a bite of food
on her fork, he rotated her wrist so that
her fork was forced to stir the food on
her plate. My first impression was that
she knew the man, for she had not
invited him to the table-he had walked
up from behind her. For the few seconds
that elapsed before I spoke up, I noticed
that she was trying to ignore him. I said,
sharply, "what are you doing?" He
nonchalantly looked up at me. I asked
the woman he was offending if she
knew him and she said she didn't so I
told him to leave our table. He impudently stood there and said, "who is
she, your mother? She sure is being
rude." I again sharply told him to leave
at which time he offered a few more
comments.
I noticed that the night manager was
clearing a table right next to ours so I
told him to make the man leave. He
seemed not to assess the immediacy of
my demand for he did not act assertively
at all and just said, "J. J., leave them
alone," without coming over to the
table. J. J. did not leave and I continued
my insistance that he leave immediately.
He finally sauntered away. His name tag
read "John."
The manager did apologize but only
with the excuse that John is friendly,
was being playful, and didn't understand that everyone is not as playful as
he is. This is totally unacceptable. A
man is not at liberty to walk up to any
woman and, without her permission,
pick up her hand and start playing with

it, especially a woman he does not
know. The implications of th is
occurrence are much deeper than "the
customer is always right," though we
did not even get that type of acceptance
or apology from the manager. If J. J. was
being "playful" and the manager has
been condoning it, he picked the right
table last Saturday night. Four of us are
very active feminists in the Oklahoma
City area, working with the YWCA, the
battered women's shelter, the rape crisis
hotline, and with Herland, a non-profit,
feminist bookstore.
A copy of this letter will be in this
month's Herland Voice, a newletter with
a circulation of 800. I look forward to
hearing from you concerning this matter
and will publish your response and the
action you set forth there in an effort to
resolve this serious problem. Unitl a
satisfacatory solution is reached, my
many friends and I will not spend our
time or money at the Village Inn.
Sincerely.

Peggy Johnson

ForRent1 Bdrm Duplex. Very nice.
W /D, stove, & refrig.
Call Regina at 521-8176.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM
Name(s) - - - - - - - -- - --

Old Address - - - - - - --

-

---

City - - -- - -- - - -- -State_ __ _ _ _ _ ZIP_ _ _ __ _
New Address _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _

Cfy ----------~
State,_ _ _ _ _ __ ZIP _ __ _ __
Mail to:

Herland Sister Resources, Inc.

2312 N.W. 391h
Oklahoma

Cfy, OK

73112

Romanian Women
Denied Reproductive
Freedom
The story of the consequences of loss
of reproductive freedom is among those
emerging from Romaina following the
revolution. Under the Ceausescu regime
women were required to have babies to
fulfill his goal of increasing Romania's
population to 30 million by the year
2000. All artificial forms of birth
control and abortion were outlawed.
Doctors who provided abortions were
subject to up to five years imprisonment.
Abortion was not permitted for a
woman under 45 unless her life was in
danger. For the woman who became
pregnant, illegal abortions by medically
trained persons or lay abortionists were
available only at the cost of 3-4 months
wages. Thousands of women each year
chose to self-abort.
Complications of attempts to selfinduce abortion were frequent. In 1989,
the Bucharest Municipal Hospital
treated 3,000 women with failed
abortions and over 1000 women died
in Bucharest from illegal abortions
according to a report published in the
W ashintong Post.
If she went to the hospital, she was
questioned by a commission which included a prosecutor and a police officer.
Completion of the abortion was allowed
only if that commission determined the
woman's life was in danger. Many
women never sought medical attention.
Abandoned children were a frequent
occurrence in Romania. Women unable
to care for another child in living conditions marked by shortages of food,
heat, and housing and unable to obtain
abortions relinquised their babies to the
care of the state. The number of abandoned children in Romania has risen
about 10% each year according to Dr.
Ekaterina Lazar, a senior health inspector in Bucharest. Dr. Lazar reports
that in 1989 nearly 1,000 children were
abandoned by their parents and another
2,000 babies were forcibly returned to
their parents by the government.

Many babies died under these conditions. The infant mortality rate is
2 7 .6 deaths per 1000 live births (In the
U.S . infant mortality if 10.6 per 1000
births). According to Dr. Lazar, the
most common cause of death are broncho-pneumonia, congenital malformation
and neonatal sepsis, an infection in
newborns.
One of the first acts of the new
government was the repeal of laws
restricting abortion and birth control.
Abortion is now available to any woman
upon written request during the first
trimester of pregancy.
Information drawn from The
Washington Post, 1-5-90 and UPI
1-4-90

Change Proposed in U.S.
Poverty Guidelines
In 1988, 53.2 percent of households
with single female parent had incomes
less than the federal poverty level. For a
family of 4, the official poverty line is
$12,092.
The Census Bureau, under the Bush
administration, has proposed changing
the method of calculating the poverty
rate to drastically lower the poverty
rate. The proposed formula would have
resulted in an official poverty line of
$10,997 for a family of four in 1988.
The efforts of the change could be
severe. Many children would be elimi.nated from programs like free school
lunches, Medicaid health care programs,
and Head Start. Many other federally
programs use poverty levels directly or
indirectly to determine eligibility for
services.
Low-income working families are
likely to suffer the most from the
adoption of this proposal. A single
mother supporting three children on a
wage of $5.30 per hour would not be
eligible for most assistance programs. If
she were on welfare, her income would
be low enough to qualify her children
for sub>idized healthcare and other assistance.
Information from Children's Defense
Fund.

Legislative Day March 6, 1990
The Oklahoma Women's Political
Caucus is sponsoring Legislative Day at
the State Capitol, Tuesday, March 6,
1990. The opening session will begin
with a welcome by Governor Bellman
at 9:00 a.m., in the House Chambers on
the fourth floor of the Capitol. Harriet
Woods, former Lt. Governor of
Missouri, will deliver the Keynote
address.
Workshop topics and leaders during
the day include:
* Should the State Constitution be
revised? - Attorney General Robert
Henry;
* The Healthy Living Skills bill -State
Representative Vickie White
* Developing State-wide Political
Strategies - Harriet Woods
* Family Leave and the Work Force
-Pat Hall, OPEA;
* Women and the Supreme Court Justices Alma Wilson and Yvonne
Kauger
* Lobbying Techniques I & II
* and others;
A brown-bag lunch is included in the
$10.00 pre-registration fee; registration
at the door is $12/00, and includes the
lunch as long as they last.

Pauli Murray (b. 1910) was ordained
by the Episcopal Church as its first
black woman priest in 1977. She was
the first black attorney general of California and one of the co-founders of the
National Organization of Women.
Phillis Wheatley (1753?-1784) was
born in Africa and as a child was
brought to Boston as a slave. She learned
to read and write and published her
first poem at age 17. Her first book of
verse, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, was published in
England 3 years later. Only one other
American woman had published a book
of verse in 1773.

Carpenter Square Theater will present
a special performance of Cabaret benefiting Herland Sister Resources on
Sunday, April 4. Tickets are $10 and
$12.50 in advance and $12.50 and $15
at the door. Tickets are available at
Her land and from HSR Board
members.
BLAC, Inc. will present "My Name is
Alice", a feminist music revue Thursday
-Saturday, March 1-3, 8:00 p .m. and
Sunday March 4, 4:00 p.m. at the
Classen Theatre, 1901 N. Ellison. Call
528-4660 for ticket information ....
The Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian
Political Caucus hosted the fourth
annual Bill Rogers Award of Merit and
Phobie Awards ceremony on Sunday,
January 14. Matthew Sharp received
the Bill Rogers Award of Merit. Senator
Bernest Cain and the Gayly Oklahoman
were awarded OGLPC Awards of Merit.
For more information about OGLPC
call, 525-6147 ...
Welcome to new board members, Renae
B. and Karen K. We are looking forward
to sharing the work with you.

Reception For Harriet Woods
A reception honoring Harriet
Woods will be held Monday March 5,
1990, at the OSU Extension Center,
901 N. Portland, Oklahoma
City; from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Harriet Woods is currently President of the Institute for Policy Leadership in the Bush Center in St. Louis,
Missouri. She is the National Democratic Party Task Force Chair, and was
the first woman elected to statewide
office in Missouri, serving as Lt. Governor
from 1985-1989.
Ms. Woods will give the keynote
address at the OWPC's Legislative Day
at the Capitol on the morning following
the reception. The reception is free, and
all are welcome.

Rainbow Productions will hold a
meeting for persons interested in
working with the production of entertainment events on March 11, 1990 at
2 P.M., 1126 Classen Blvd, Norman,
Oklahoma. Call 366-0923 for further
information.
Over 40? Physically challenged? Looking for alternatives to traditional retirement communities? SPINSTERHAVEN
is working to meet our physical, cultural, spiritual needs. Accessible urban
and rural housing, camping, and retreat
lodge our goal. SASE for brochure.
SPINSTERHAVEN, P.O. Box 718,
Fayetteville, AR 72702 ...
The Programming Committee will
sponsor a "Listening Party" at: 8:00
p .m., March 23 at 2805 N. McKinley.
The party will be an opportunity to
listen to a variety of women's music and
offer your suggestions about what performers you'd like to see in OKC.
Come and make your voice heard! ...
Don't forget, Herland is open every
Saturday from 10 a.m, to 6 p.m. and
Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p .m. Come by
to check out the available books and
gift items or just to hang out in a
friendly women's space. See ya' there!

DISPLAY ADS:

business card or 1/10 page ... $ 15.00
1/4 page ................ $ 35.00
12 page ................. $ 60.00
full page ................ $100.00
CLASSIFIED ADS:
first 10 words ............... $2.50
each additional word .......... $ .10

available on advance
prepaid orders only
1-3 months order . . . . . . . . . . . . none
4 - 6 months ............... 10%
7 - 9 months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15%
10 - 12 months .............. 20%

DISCOUNTS:

PLEASE NOTE: There will be a minimal
charge for typesetting done to any
advertising.
Leave message for Ginger at HSR,
(521-WMYN) to place an ad.



do~HERLAND ~
FEB/MARCH 1990

ICE

Daly Speaks At OU

Therapy Sisters In Concert
Herland will present live in concert ·
The Therapy Sisters, bright lights on
the talent-swinging Austin scene. The
concert will be at City Arts Center
Auditorium, 3000 Pershing on the State
Fairgrounds. Admission is $6.00 in
advance. $7 .00 at the door. On Saturday, March 10, 1989, at 8 p.m.
Lisa Rogers, Gail Lewis, and More
McLean have been playing in the Austin
area for three years as The Therapy
Sisters, and for a decade as members of
other bands. The band's laboratorytested repertoire consists of solo and
joint compositions based on personal
experience and years of introspection.
The Therapy Sisters are known for
tight vocal harmonies, creative arrangements and social commentary. Their
VOLUME 7 NUMBER 3

•

performance leads the audience through
mood swings, from tongue-in-cheek to
heart-on-sleeve. Lisa Rogers bemoans
her secretarial rut in "Guys in Ties"
while Gail Lewis quilts together the
personal and the political in "Cat in the
Sink." More McClean takes a pensive
look at friendship in "Letters Lost" and
collaborates with Gail in an audiencepleasing punk ballad of middle class
white girl who seeks a hipper image, if
only for an evening.
The Therapy Sisters have won awards
as an Avant Garde band, a Folk band,
and an Unclassifiable band. Their
fondest hope and measure of success is
to remain in the category "None of the
Above."

HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES

A-mazing. She breathes, she walks,
she drinks perrier and cough syrupfrom the vast plains of radical feminist
thought, Mary Daly whisked onto the
plains of Oklahoma last month and
spoke to a crowd of approximately 200
at the "aca-demented Oh You". It as
"a-mazing" that this philosopher, radical
feminist, hag, crone, author, spinster
and witch is not an ephemeral spirit but
possesses a body that laughs, importunes and encourages her listeners
to "sin". For Daly, women must "sin"
in order "to be."
Those of us who have tried to keep up
with her spinning, spiralling and weaving
over the years were not surprised that
she is still on her voyage-moving from
the "pinoramic to the panoramic". Daly
conjured up our foresisters from the
Past, Present and Future to thrill us
with her evening of "exorcism and
ecstasy" on the "Other World" journey
to the "homeland of wild women". She
read the names of the fourteen female
engineering students and admonished
the east coast press for their coverage of
the atrocity. She says that the journey
to "be-ing" is continuing.
Daly encouraged women to leave
behind the patriarchal phallocentric
"foreground" of the plastic world which
emphasizes man-made intellect and is
composed of necrophiliacs (life-haters)
and seek the "Background" which is a
"deep, wild reality in which all
biophiliacs (life-lovers) participate." In
Gyn/Encology, Daly writes:
spinning deeper into the Background
is courageous sinning aginst the Sins
of the Fathers. As our senses become
more alive we can see/hear/feel how
we have been tricked by their texts.
We begin unweaving our winding
sheets. The process of exorcism, of
peeling off the layers of mindbinding
and cosmetics, is movement past the
Continued on next page

•

2312 N.W. 39th, OKC, OK 73ll2

•

(405) 521-9696

patriarchally imposed sense of reality
and identity. This demystification
process, a-mazing The Lies, is ecstasy.
(p.6)
As must be obvious by now is that
Daly believes re-defining language is
imperative to "demystifying and amazing The Lies" of the Foreground.
She described Webster's as a "Dicktionary" and the audience was about to
give her a standing ovation. Her latest
book, Webster's First Intergalactic Wickedary of the English Language is a declaration that women have served the
Father's long enough. She said that
patriarchal language is the "incarnation
of double think" and their words subsist
of inherent contradictions and redundancy. She marched back to the
chalkboard and diagrammed her logic.
Weapons, she reasoned, are the same as
death, yet patriarchy would employ
their inherent contradictions to have
them synonymous with life, e.g. "peacekeepers."
Daly outlines four criteria for radical
feminists. She said radical feminists
have an "awesome sense of Otherness
from women in patriarchy"; also have a
knowledge of patrirchal sanctions
which means, to her, that radical
feminists will be punished just as much
as "itty-bitty" feminists, therefore
radical feminists just as well "go the
whole way"; radical feminists exhibit
moral outrage on behalf of women as
women; and, finally, radical feminists
exhibit constancy-prove to be in it for
the long haul. All, she said, require
courage- the courage to laugh out loud
and to sin.
As she finished her speech, she "incited" the audience to "move-out" to
the "cronehood of feminism" and acknowledge the "archetypal witch in all
of us" as well as the "subliminal sea of
knowledge of women". This move to
the Background will result in "ecofeminism". For, she states, "what do we
have to lose?-we lose Nothing and
losing Nothing feels good."
When soliciting comments or
questions from the audience, Daly reminded us that she does not respond to
men's questions, and asked that they
not participate. This was too much for
one man, who left the room raving
about the unfairness of it all. As one
observer pointed out afterward, men
just can't stand to be told "no." They
just don't know how to act in women's

space and certainly don't know how to
be quiet when asked to do so.
Many thanks to the "Oh You"
Women's Studies Student Association
for requesting funds from the "Oh
You" Speaker's Bureau to bring Mary
Daly to Oklahoma. The WSSA did an
excellent job. Thanks are also in order
for those who participated in the healing
ceremony the evening before Daly was
to fly out, because she was so ill that it
seemed she might not make it. We have
some "power-full" women in our midst.
Mary Daly has published five books:

The Church and the Second Sex; Beyond
God the Father Toward a Philosophy of
Women's Liberation; Gyn/Ecology The
Metaethics of Radical Feminism; Pure
Lust and Webster's First Intergalactic
Wickedary of the English Language.

Regina Bennett

Oklahoma Women's
Network
Formation of the Oklahoma
Women's Network was announced
February 2, 1990 at a press conference
at the State Capitol. The Network's
stated purpose is to promote educational, economic, social and legislative
activities to the goal of full development of women ( . . . in the belief
that ... ) full human development can
be achieved only upon the foundation
of equal rights and reproductive
freedom.
The Network's goals include identifying the needs of women in Oklahoma,
especially poorer women; acting as a
resource for workshops and conferences, and as a forum for research on
women's issues; providing leadership
development for women and girls;
encouraging women to seek elective and
appointive offices; and educating the
public, especially young people, about
sexism and its adverse f'ffects.
Anyone interested in joining the
Network, as an individual or as a
member of a group or organization,
may call (918) 744-0303; or write
OWN, P. 0. Box 14339, Tulsa, Oklahoma 73159-1339.

Editorship Transition
With this issue a new team of editors
begins work on the Herland Voice.
Margaret Cox, Karen Lewis and Pat
Reaves will serve as co-editors.
Sondra M., the previous editor, has
resigned to devote more time to her
other interests. Thank you, Sondra for
all your hard work.
We approach this responsibility with
a great sense of anticipation and apprehension. Previous editors have built a
newsletter with a distinguished tradition
to be upheld.
We will strive to continue to bring to
you information about the Oklahoma
women's community and issues of
interest to women. We hope you will
find community here and will be
challenged to examine the issues and to
take action.

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) escaped to freedom after 40 years of
slavery. She was a leader in the abolition movement and collected food and
clothing for black troops during the
Civil War. After the Civil War, she was
active with the women's sufferage movement.

EDITORIAL POLICY!
The HERLAND VOICE is offered as an
open forum for community discourse. Materials
printed herein reflect the beliefs and opinions of
the authors of the articles or letters, and not
necessarily those of the Newsletter or the
Herland Board.
Letters to the editor must be signed by the
writer with full name. Letters will not be
printed with name unless writer requests it.
Editing may be necessary for space or to avoid
obscenity, libel, or invasion of privacy, but ideas
will not be altered. Publication of all materials
is at the discretion of the editors. Anyone
having a complaint about the content of this
newsletter may contact the editors at 521-9696.
0

PUBLISHED BY: Herland Sister Resources, Inc.
2312 NW 39th, Oklahoma City, OK 73112.
SUBSCRIPTIONS to the HERLAND VOICE are
free upon request.

I
I

I

Programming Notes
The Herland open mike that was held
at DJ's club on the evening of January
21st was a smashing success according
to the members of the programming
committee who planned and presented
it and many of those who attended.
More than 200 women stopped in at
the come-and-go event to listen to more
than a dozen local performers ranging in
experience from brash beginners to
jaded professionals. It was a comfortable
rowdy, performer-friendly look at the
some (only some!) of the talent that our
own community has to offer. Thanks to
the generosity of DJ's and of Cindy
Rudich for providing the sound system,
Herland netted $206.00 towards a better
bookstore. Many performers and music
lovers asked when the next open mike
would be. Well, don't forget that open
mikes are a regular and popular feature
of the Herland retreats, and the next
one is scheduled for Memorial Day
Week end. Back here in the city, the
next one is scheduled for sometime in
August-plenty of time to dust off
those tunes and get ready to share your
talent.!
The programming committee met on
Feb. 4th to plan and discuss upcoming
events. Here is sort of "forecast your
can remember".
Feburary 24th Mardi Gras Carnival
at Mary Reynolds' house, including a
presentation of Jane Chambers play, A
Late Snow. This event was pushing the
Herland Voice deadline, so a special
mailing was sent out about it.
March 10, concert with Mimi
Baczewska opening for The Therapy
Sisters, discussed elsewhere in this newsletter.
March 23, a "Listening Party"-everyone invited to a party to listen to as
many different artists as possible and
cuss and discuss their suitability for a
concert here. Mary Reynolds' house,
2805 N. McKinely, no admission, refreshments provided by the programming committee. BRING YOUR
RECORDS!!!
The comm-ittee fs really anxious to
hear from all of you as to who your
favorite artists are and who you would
like to see at concerts and retreats. Feel .
free to call Mary Reynolds, 528-0020,
or talk to any committee member, or
come to the listening party March 23.
WE NEED YOUR INPUT!!!!!

Herland Needs...
* ThrowRugs

*

Floor Lamps

* Folding or Stackable chairs
* Subscriptions to women's periodicals such as Off Our Backs, On
the Issues, New Directions for

Women, et.

* Volunteers to staff the center
and work with committees.

* Donations to meet the costs of
operating the center. $20 contributions keep us going one more
day.
(Call 5 21-9696 to arrange pickup
of donations.)

...Your Support

Herland Committees
The work of Herland is carried out
by its committees. Volunteers are
needed to join in the efforts of
committees. Look over these descriptions and consider enlisting in the
committee of your choice. Be an active
part of Her land-join a committee.

Fundraising Committee Sally Blevins, Chair
Fundraising is an ongoing process
that can always use new people
especially new ideas. Any thought or
idea you might have to increase the

coins in our coffer would be appreciated. Our current activities include
gearing up for Carpenter Square's
Benefit showing of Caberet in April,
working with the programming committee on upcoming concerts and grassroots money makers. If you have a
talent for raising money or just some
great energy waves, we would love to
have you join us! Call Sally at 525-5907
to sign up!

The Resource Center Maintenance
Committee - Peggy Johnson, chair.
The Resource Center Maintenance
Committee wants you! We need skilled
women such as carpenters, electricians,
plumbers; and women who can do
general building maintenance. The most
recent committee project was tearing
out a wall to enlarge our resource center
space. Call Peggy Johnson at 524-5332
to join the Maintenance Committee.

The Newsletter Committee - Pat
Reaves, Chair.
The newsletter committee is responsible for the monthly publication
of the Her land Voice. We need
volunteers to contribute to the newsletter and to help with the monthly
mailout. If you've ever had the urge to
be a journalist, the newsletter committee
is the place for you. Call Pat Reaves at
521-8176 to join the newsletter
committee.

Marian Wright Edelman (b. 1939)
graduated from Yale Law School in
1963. In 1968, she founded the Children's Defense Fund and continues to
be a leading advocate for children's
rights.

HERLAND IS ...
A non-profit corporation composed of a collective of wimmin - open to any womyn who
wants to be a part of it - which works to maintain a feminist library and bookstore, sponsors
workshops, retreats, concerts and other events for YOU. Herland's reason for being is to
provide a framework for a variety of projects for the support and ~njo~ment of the a~ea
wimmin's community. It is a place to learn and grow, meet other w1mmm, develop lasting
friendships, receive support and nurture the positive self-image that societal attitudes
sometimes make illusive to us. Herland exists to serve YOU.
Your donations are used to pay the mortgage and utilities on the resource center, and
printing and postage for the monthly HSR Newsletter and Friend of Herland cards.
All of Herland's services are free, including the Newsletter. This is why your donation is so
important. It is Herland's lifeblood.

Jane Addams (Social Reformer)
Louisa May Alcott (Author)
Belle Boyd (Confederate Spy)
Mary Cassatt (Artist)
Martha Graham (Dancer)
Sarah Hale (Magazine Editor)
Helen Keller (Author I
Humanitarian)
Susette LaFlesche (Indian Rights)
Belva Lockwood (Attorney)
Juliette Low (Girl Scouts)

Alice Palmer (College President)
Rosa Parks (Civil Rights)
Frances Perkins (Sec. of Labor)
Linda Richards (Nurse)
Florence Sabin (Medical Research)
Sacajawea (Indian Interpreter)
Deborah Samson (Revolutionary
Soldier)
Ida Tarbell Uournalist)
Sojourner Truth (Abolitionist)
Laura Ingalls Wilder (Author)
Babe Zaharias (Athlete)

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Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

~ednesday

Thursday
1

WOMfENlJS

H~STORY

MONTH
4

11

,5

6

**Reception
for Harriet.
Woods; 900 N.
Portland,
S:-30 pm.

**Lei;sislat.ive
Day at Okla.
Capitol.

12

13

7

19

2

ISA 12-STEP,
8 - 9 pm

8

tq*THERAPY
SISTERS
in concert.!
CODA Meetin£1
8pm
6:30 pm
al the Cily
. Arls Cenler
al lhe Fairerounds.

ISA f2-STEP,
8 - 9 PM

20

BOARD
MEETING
'f:OO pm
Ali Welcome.

fnlernalional
Day for
EliminaUon of
Racial Discrimination

15

16

ISA 12-STEP.
8 - 9 PM

22

?Jleclure by
Or . Rayna
Green,
Director of
Anierican
Indian Pro£1ram al lhe
Smithsonian.

27

17

CODA Meetin[I
6:30 PM

23

24

CODA 11eeline
6:30 Pill
ISA 12-STEP.
8 - 9 PM

C-R, 7-9pm

2.s

3

g

C-R, 7-9 pm

14

Salurday

CODA MeeUni;i
6:30 pm

INTERNATIONAL
WOMAN'S DAY

C-R. 7 - 9 pm

18

Friday

**List.eninES
Parly,7:30pm
al Mary
Reynold's;

28

29

30

C-R, 7 - 9 pm

ISA 12-STEP.
8 - 9 PM

CODA Meetin£1
6:30 pm

31.
"

.

lrish's
Birlhday

HERLAND SISTER
RESOURCES
2312 N\\I 39th, OKC 73112 - 521-9696

HERLAND RETREATS!
SPRING - MAY tB - 20. 1990
AT ROBBER'S CAVE!
Yes, we have Robber's Cave again, our favorite spot, for what will be our
best retreat since last time! Check the April Voice for full details .
11

FALL

11

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

September 3, 1990; at the new camp at Arrowhead; with heat
air- conditioning, whichever we need - v1hoa !

!? !? !? !? !? !? !?

DJ'S

28 0 5 NW 36th

942-9658

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r

Gay Awareness
Week Activities
Planned
Sue Hyde, staff member at the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force,
will be the keynote speaker March 30 as
part of OU's Gay Awareness Week.
She will discuss her work at the Task
Force with the Privacy Project and the
Military Freedom Project and other
issues facing gay men and lesbians
nationwide.
Ms. Hyde is the director of the
Privacy Project at the Task Force which
was organized to reform sodomy laws in
the 25 states still criminalizing gay and
lesbian sexuality. The project provides
technical assistance and organizing support to activities seeking reform of the
laws in their home state.
Ms. Hyde also helped organize the
Military Freedom Project, a coalition of
leading civil rights groups whose goal is
to overturn the military's policy of
excluding gay men and lesbians. An
initial priority of the Military Freedom
Project has been to press for action on
the sexual harrassment of lesbians and
heterosexual women in the military.
Ms. Hyde's appearance will culminate
a week of activities on the OU campus
for March 26-31 for the OU Gay/Lesbian Alliance's annual Gay Awareness Week. Included in plans for the
week are several local speakers, movies,
music, and a dance. On March 31 there
will be a meeting at OU of the Coalition
of Lesbian and Gay Student Groups
which consists of a number of gay
student groups from Texas and Oklahoma.
For more information about Gay
Awareness Week, see the March issue
of The Galy or call Jill at 360-8723.

Susie King Taylor {1848-1912) was
born a slave in Savannah, Georgia. She
escaped in 1862 and served as a nurse
and teacher to black troops in the Civil
War. She never received a pension for
her services because she was not officially classiffied as an Army nurse.
Shirley Chisholm (b. 1924) was the
first black woman elected to the U .S.
Hoese of Representatives. She was the
first black woman to campaign for
president on a major political party
ticket. Here autobiography is titled,

Unbought and Unbossed.

Village Inn Boycott
Urged
An open letter to the Village Inn
District Supervisor:
This letter is in reference to an
occurrence on the night of February 10
at the Village Inn at 27th and Classen
Blvd. Technically, it was 3 a.m. on
Sunday, February 11. I was with a
group of ten women who came in for
breakfast at that time. The restaurant
was very crowded but we were seated
and, in fact, served in a reasonably
short period of time by our waiter,
Massoud. Our service from him was
very good.
We were enjoying the meal and the
conversation when I looked up to see a
Village Inn employee at the other end
of our long table. He took the wrist of
the woman sitting there and, as she had
been preparing to pick up a bite of food
on her fork, he rotated her wrist so that
her fork was forced to stir the food on
her plate. My first impression was that
she knew the man, for she had not
invited him to the table-he had walked
up from behind her. For the few seconds
that elapsed before I spoke up, I noticed
that she was trying to ignore him. I said,
sharply, "what are you doing?" He
nonchalantly looked up at me. I asked
the woman he was offending if she
knew him and she said she didn't so I
told him to leave our table. He impudently stood there and said, "who is
she, your mother? She sure is being
rude." I again sharply told him to leave
at which time he offered a few more
comments.
I noticed that the night manager was
clearing a table right next to ours so I
told him to make the man leave. He
seemed not to assess the immediacy of
my demand for he did not act assertively
at all and just said, "J. J., leave them
alone," without coming over to the
table. J. J. did not leave and I continued
my insistance that he leave immediately.
He finally sauntered away. His name tag
read "John."
The manager did apologize but only
with the excuse that John is friendly,
was being playful, and didn't understand that everyone is not as playful as
he is. This is totally unacceptable. A
man is not at liberty to walk up to any
woman and, without her permission,
pick up her hand and start playing with

it, especially a woman he does not
know. The implications of th is
occurrence are much deeper than "the
customer is always right," though we
did not even get that type of acceptance
or apology from the manager. If J. J. was
being "playful" and the manager has
been condoning it, he picked the right
table last Saturday night. Four of us are
very active feminists in the Oklahoma
City area, working with the YWCA, the
battered women's shelter, the rape crisis
hotline, and with Herland, a non-profit,
feminist bookstore.
A copy of this letter will be in this
month's Herland Voice, a newletter with
a circulation of 800. I look forward to
hearing from you concerning this matter
and will publish your response and the
action you set forth there in an effort to
resolve this serious problem. Unitl a
satisfacatory solution is reached, my
many friends and I will not spend our
time or money at the Village Inn.
Sincerely.

Peggy Johnson

ForRent1 Bdrm Duplex. Very nice.
W /D, stove, & refrig.
Call Regina at 521-8176.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM
Name(s) - - - - - - - -- - --

Old Address - - - - - - --

-

---

City - - -- - -- - - -- -State_ __ _ _ _ _ ZIP_ _ _ __ _
New Address _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _

Cfy ----------~
State,_ _ _ _ _ __ ZIP _ __ _ __
Mail to:

Herland Sister Resources, Inc.

2312 N.W. 391h
Oklahoma

Cfy, OK

73112

Romanian Women
Denied Reproductive
Freedom
The story of the consequences of loss
of reproductive freedom is among those
emerging from Romaina following the
revolution. Under the Ceausescu regime
women were required to have babies to
fulfill his goal of increasing Romania's
population to 30 million by the year
2000. All artificial forms of birth
control and abortion were outlawed.
Doctors who provided abortions were
subject to up to five years imprisonment.
Abortion was not permitted for a
woman under 45 unless her life was in
danger. For the woman who became
pregnant, illegal abortions by medically
trained persons or lay abortionists were
available only at the cost of 3-4 months
wages. Thousands of women each year
chose to self-abort.
Complications of attempts to selfinduce abortion were frequent. In 1989,
the Bucharest Municipal Hospital
treated 3,000 women with failed
abortions and over 1000 women died
in Bucharest from illegal abortions
according to a report published in the
W ashintong Post.
If she went to the hospital, she was
questioned by a commission which included a prosecutor and a police officer.
Completion of the abortion was allowed
only if that commission determined the
woman's life was in danger. Many
women never sought medical attention.
Abandoned children were a frequent
occurrence in Romania. Women unable
to care for another child in living conditions marked by shortages of food,
heat, and housing and unable to obtain
abortions relinquised their babies to the
care of the state. The number of abandoned children in Romania has risen
about 10% each year according to Dr.
Ekaterina Lazar, a senior health inspector in Bucharest. Dr. Lazar reports
that in 1989 nearly 1,000 children were
abandoned by their parents and another
2,000 babies were forcibly returned to
their parents by the government.

Many babies died under these conditions. The infant mortality rate is
2 7 .6 deaths per 1000 live births (In the
U.S . infant mortality if 10.6 per 1000
births). According to Dr. Lazar, the
most common cause of death are broncho-pneumonia, congenital malformation
and neonatal sepsis, an infection in
newborns.
One of the first acts of the new
government was the repeal of laws
restricting abortion and birth control.
Abortion is now available to any woman
upon written request during the first
trimester of pregancy.
Information drawn from The
Washington Post, 1-5-90 and UPI
1-4-90

Change Proposed in U.S.
Poverty Guidelines
In 1988, 53.2 percent of households
with single female parent had incomes
less than the federal poverty level. For a
family of 4, the official poverty line is
$12,092.
The Census Bureau, under the Bush
administration, has proposed changing
the method of calculating the poverty
rate to drastically lower the poverty
rate. The proposed formula would have
resulted in an official poverty line of
$10,997 for a family of four in 1988.
The efforts of the change could be
severe. Many children would be elimi.nated from programs like free school
lunches, Medicaid health care programs,
and Head Start. Many other federally
programs use poverty levels directly or
indirectly to determine eligibility for
services.
Low-income working families are
likely to suffer the most from the
adoption of this proposal. A single
mother supporting three children on a
wage of $5.30 per hour would not be
eligible for most assistance programs. If
she were on welfare, her income would
be low enough to qualify her children
for sub>idized healthcare and other assistance.
Information from Children's Defense
Fund.

Legislative Day March 6, 1990
The Oklahoma Women's Political
Caucus is sponsoring Legislative Day at
the State Capitol, Tuesday, March 6,
1990. The opening session will begin
with a welcome by Governor Bellman
at 9:00 a.m., in the House Chambers on
the fourth floor of the Capitol. Harriet
Woods, former Lt. Governor of
Missouri, will deliver the Keynote
address.
Workshop topics and leaders during
the day include:
* Should the State Constitution be
revised? - Attorney General Robert
Henry;
* The Healthy Living Skills bill -State
Representative Vickie White
* Developing State-wide Political
Strategies - Harriet Woods
* Family Leave and the Work Force
-Pat Hall, OPEA;
* Women and the Supreme Court Justices Alma Wilson and Yvonne
Kauger
* Lobbying Techniques I & II
* and others;
A brown-bag lunch is included in the
$10.00 pre-registration fee; registration
at the door is $12/00, and includes the
lunch as long as they last.

Pauli Murray (b. 1910) was ordained
by the Episcopal Church as its first
black woman priest in 1977. She was
the first black attorney general of California and one of the co-founders of the
National Organization of Women.
Phillis Wheatley (1753?-1784) was
born in Africa and as a child was
brought to Boston as a slave. She learned
to read and write and published her
first poem at age 17. Her first book of
verse, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, was published in
England 3 years later. Only one other
American woman had published a book
of verse in 1773.

Carpenter Square Theater will present
a special performance of Cabaret benefiting Herland Sister Resources on
Sunday, April 4. Tickets are $10 and
$12.50 in advance and $12.50 and $15
at the door. Tickets are available at
Her land and from HSR Board
members.
BLAC, Inc. will present "My Name is
Alice", a feminist music revue Thursday
-Saturday, March 1-3, 8:00 p .m. and
Sunday March 4, 4:00 p.m. at the
Classen Theatre, 1901 N. Ellison. Call
528-4660 for ticket information ....
The Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian
Political Caucus hosted the fourth
annual Bill Rogers Award of Merit and
Phobie Awards ceremony on Sunday,
January 14. Matthew Sharp received
the Bill Rogers Award of Merit. Senator
Bernest Cain and the Gayly Oklahoman
were awarded OGLPC Awards of Merit.
For more information about OGLPC
call, 525-6147 ...
Welcome to new board members, Renae
B. and Karen K. We are looking forward
to sharing the work with you.

Reception For Harriet Woods
A reception honoring Harriet
Woods will be held Monday March 5,
1990, at the OSU Extension Center,
901 N. Portland, Oklahoma
City; from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Harriet Woods is currently President of the Institute for Policy Leadership in the Bush Center in St. Louis,
Missouri. She is the National Democratic Party Task Force Chair, and was
the first woman elected to statewide
office in Missouri, serving as Lt. Governor
from 1985-1989.
Ms. Woods will give the keynote
address at the OWPC's Legislative Day
at the Capitol on the morning following
the reception. The reception is free, and
all are welcome.

Rainbow Productions will hold a
meeting for persons interested in
working with the production of entertainment events on March 11, 1990 at
2 P.M., 1126 Classen Blvd, Norman,
Oklahoma. Call 366-0923 for further
information.
Over 40? Physically challenged? Looking for alternatives to traditional retirement communities? SPINSTERHAVEN
is working to meet our physical, cultural, spiritual needs. Accessible urban
and rural housing, camping, and retreat
lodge our goal. SASE for brochure.
SPINSTERHAVEN, P.O. Box 718,
Fayetteville, AR 72702 ...
The Programming Committee will
sponsor a "Listening Party" at: 8:00
p .m., March 23 at 2805 N. McKinley.
The party will be an opportunity to
listen to a variety of women's music and
offer your suggestions about what performers you'd like to see in OKC.
Come and make your voice heard! ...
Don't forget, Herland is open every
Saturday from 10 a.m, to 6 p.m. and
Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p .m. Come by
to check out the available books and
gift items or just to hang out in a
friendly women's space. See ya' there!

DISPLAY ADS:

business card or 1/10 page ... $ 15.00
1/4 page ................ $ 35.00
12 page ................. $ 60.00
full page ................ $100.00
CLASSIFIED ADS:
first 10 words ............... $2.50
each additional word .......... $ .10

available on advance
prepaid orders only
1-3 months order . . . . . . . . . . . . none
4 - 6 months ............... 10%
7 - 9 months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15%
10 - 12 months .............. 20%

DISCOUNTS:

PLEASE NOTE: There will be a minimal
charge for typesetting done to any
advertising.
Leave message for Ginger at HSR,
(521-WMYN) to place an ad.