ALGA Update_v3.no4.1996.09.pdf

Title: ALGA Update_v3.no4.1996.09.pdf
extracted text: Property of the Cen ter

•

51•13~1.&IL ltttlJIIILE 1551)13
Volume 3, Number 4

2nd Annual
~9411-ea
to benefit the
Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby
of Texas
Saturday, Oct. 26
8:00 pm
4409 Baltus Place
$25. 00 at the door
Queer Dinner Club
Thursday, November 21
Italian Delights
10th at Georgia
7:30p.m.
Everyone Invited
Melissa Etheridge
Amarillo Civic Center
November 25
P.A. S. 0 Benefit
at Independence Hall
Friday,November15
Queer Dinner Club
Thursday, December 19
Italian Delights
7:30p.m.
Everyone Invited

September 1996

ALGA Information Line: 373-5725

Lesbian Mother
Loses Custody
(by Kay C. Peck)
Expert witnesses confirmed that 9-year-old Riley Curtis should get exactly
what he wanted . He wanted to live with his mother, Diane Curtis , and her partner,
Bekki McQuay , with occasiona l visitations with his father, Dr. Don Curtis. A
conservative Amarillo jury bypassed the boy 's wishes and ignored the recommendations of all three psychological experts in the case in granting sole custody to the
father in a hearing held July 22-29 in Potter County .
"We got screwed ," McQuaysaid in her summation of the court's ruling . Both
McQuay and Diane Curtis feel strongly that the jury based its decision entirely on
their fear of a homosexual lifestyle and its possible influence on children.
Visiting judge Don Lane of Abilene added to the defeat when he enhanced
a co-habitation clause in the Curtis divorce decree. When Riley visits his mother,
McQuay must leave the home she shares with Diane Curtis by 7 p. m. and not return
until 7 a.m. Since Curtis and McQuay cannot legally marry , th is provision , without
court intervention, will remain in place until Riley reaches an age where parental
custody is no longer an issue.
Lane presided over the case after Judge Richard Dambold declined to hear
the custody hearing assigned to his court.
"The position it's put me in is always having a hole in my life. I can't have
both the love and support of my partner and my ch ild at the same time," Diane Curtis
said. "At any time, one of them has to be excluded from my life."
Although both Curtis and McQuay wish to appeal the court's decision , it is
not known if they can raise sufficient funds to do so. In less than a year, the family
moved twice because of the custody case. Legal expenses forced Curtis to sell her
original home, and the couple closed Washington Square , a cafe operated by
McQuay, and refurbished the building into a residence . When Dr. Curtis questioned
the issue of a non-traditional home , they moved again to a smaller house. Between
legal expenses, financial loses in case related moves, and short-term loss of income
when the cafe closed and before McQuay found long-term employment, Curtis and
McQuay's financial reserves are gone.
"We need funds to have supper," McQuay responded when asked about
financing of the appeal.
In the end , both women acknowledge that their primary concern is Riley 's

What's I n s i d e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Democratic Convention
GOP Convention
Overheard

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Editiorial
Organizations
ALGA Membership Form

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The ALGA UPDATE

well-being . Although Dr. Curtis was assigned sole custody, a 50/50 visitation
schedule was ordered by the court so that
the boy in reality spends only a fraction
less time from the former situation in
which Diane Curtis retained primary custody and Dr. Curtis received visitation
rights for 40 percent of his son's time.
"He's doing pretty well, but we
never told him Don won, " Curtis said . "We
just told him the judge split the visitation
time."
McQuay and Riley have grown
close since McQuay and his mother entered into a committed relationship. Frequently , McQuay assists with many parental tasks, such as taking Riley to Karate lessons and ball games.
"He's sad (when Bekki has to
leave), " Curtis said . "He doesn't think it's
right, but as long as he still has his mother,
he's basically okay. His father told him
Bekki has to leave to reduce the homosexuality in his environment. "

Gramm Runs Anti-Gay
Ads
(from BruceSJ on the Internet)
Senator Phil Gramm has started running a campaign ad against his challenger, Victor Morales, claiming that Morales is for (heaven forbid!) openly gay
people serving in the military.
Gramm won his first senatorial election
after trailing in the polls by charging his
opponent, Lloyd Doggett, as being friendly
to gays and having received financial
contributions from us.
Gramm has no qualms about playing
the homophobia card , just as southern
politicians never hesitated to play the
racist card a generation ago.

RECORD NUMBER OF
GAY DELEGATES TO
DEMOCRATIC
CONVENTION
by Rex Wockner
CHICAGO -- The Democratic National
Convention got underway here Monday,
Aug . 26 , with a record 102 openly gay or
lesbian delegates along with 25 openly

egates.

gay alternates and 19 gay standing-committee members. The total delegate count
was 4,329.
By contrast, July's Republican convention in San Diego had only three openly
gay delegates.
"The Clinton/Gore Re-elect Committee worked very hard to open doors
and ensure inclusion in the delegate-selection process," said Brian Bond , Democratic National Committee director of lesbian and gay outreach . "This is an example of real fundamental empowerment
within the political process of the Democratic party ."
The previous convention , in 1992,
had 81 gay delegates, 10 alternates and
13 standing-committee members.
California topped the list of gay participants this year with 34 delegates and 8
alternates. Texas was next with 15 delegates/alternates followed by New York
with 14 and Florida with 7.
Another key difference between the
Republican and Democratic conventions
is their platforms. While the Republicans
denounced gay marriage, gay-rights laws
and gays in the military , the Democrats
proclaimed : "We continue to lead the fight
to end discrimination on the basis of ...
sexual orientation ... . We support continued efforts, like the [federal] Employment
Non-Discrimination Act, to end discrimination against gay men and lesbians and
further their full inclusion in the life of the
nation ."
Not quite, though , of course. Bill
Clinton opposes legalization of gay marriage -- thus severely limiting gays' full
participation in the mainstream of American life. And his "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
policy requires gays and lesbians in the
military to lie and hide or else have no
personal life whatsoever.
Even so, there was not much friction
over these issues among the gays and
lesbians who came to Chicago as del-

"There's no split," said delegate Sky
Johnson , public policy director at Los
Angeles' gay community center. "Even
t disappointed,
the folks who were the mos_
those [from that group] who are here
obviously came to some resolution about
those concerns and--atleastforthe sake
of the campaign --are determined to work
for the president's re-election ."
Delegate Carole Migden, an openly
lesbian member of California's legislature , agreed with Johnson but said the
anger some gays and lesbians have toward Clinton is certainly leg itimate.
"I don't want to dampen or diminish
their anger which is righteous and appropriate," Migden said. "There is no question that we have been marginalized and
stripped ofour humanity. I am not one that
will in any way try and soften the dissent
or cloud over our deep disappointment.
But as a California State Assemblywoman ,
who's been in hand-to-hand combat with
Republicans about key lesbian and gay
issues, the Democratic Party is the party
of hope for us. So whereas it is not our
finest hour, it is nevertheless important to
support the Clinton-Gore ticket for a myriad
of other things we believe in -- and help
bring them along and educate them hopefully to bring us to more enlightened times."
At press time Tuesday , none of the
major gay-related events had taken place
with the exception of a big Aug . 25 reception for gay delegates at the popular gay
bar Sidetrack, co-owned by Chicago gay
leader Art Johnston and his lover Pepe
Pe~na .
About 550 people attended the event
-- including Clinton senior advisor George
Stephanopoulos. When Stephanopoulos
jumped up on the bar to address the
crowd , someone yelled, "Take it off!"
"I about fainted ," said Sidetrack's
Pe~na .

·~

The ALGA UPDATE is published monthly
by the Amarillo Lesbian/Gay Alliance , P.0 .
Box 9361 , Amarillo , TX 79105-9361 . Anyone wishing to contribute , please call 3742907 and leave the information on the
machine, or mail information to the Editor.
Deadlines will be the 15th of the month for
the next month's issue .

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th
a

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Page3

The ALGA UPDATE
The crowd repeatedly cheered
Stephanopoulos as he touted the gay
ground Clinton has broken . "Bill Clinton is
the first president to meet with openly gay
and lesbian Americans in the Oval Office," he exclaimed, going on to list the
President's many other gay firsts -- such
as a record number of gay appointments
and support for a federal bill to ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation .
Clinton's gay liaison, Richard
Socarides , was also on-hand along with
the highest-ranking open gay in the Clinton
administration, Bruce Lehman.
Tuesday night, past ALGA Update's
deadline, the Lesbian Avengers were to
stage a mock wedding of Clinton to Dole
(they both oppose gay marriage) in one of
the two designated-free-speech sites. Half
an hour later, an AIDS march was to step
off from the United Center convention site

Monday night, Brown told ALGA Update:
"I absolutely disagree with the president
on gay marriage but that quote was clearly
a typical-San-Francisco-Willie-Brown
funny . I'm not licensed to perform domestic-partners unions here," he said, laughing.
Also on Wednesday evening, an
openly gay candidate for Congress was
scheduled to address the convention . He
is Rick Zbur of Long Beach , Calif., the first
openly gay non-incumbent to win a contested primary for the U.S. House of Representatives.
"Rick Zbur's appearance at the DNC
is political dynamite," said Kathleen
DeBold, spokeswoman for the Gay and
Lesbian Victory Fund, a national group
that funds the races of gay candidates for
public office.
"No th ing

outside -- were continuing .

LARGE GAY PRESENCE
AT GOP CONVENTION
Liberal Gays Pr(?test, Republican
Gays Endorse Dole
by Rex Wockner
Copyright (c) 1996 Rex Wockner.
All rights reserved.

SAN DI EGO -- Gays and lesbians endeavored on numerous levels to make
their voices heard before and during the
Republican National Convention here Aug .
12-15. If they did not at all times succeed ,
it was not for lack of trying .
The gay Log Cabin Republicans, a
national organization with 10,000 members, got the ball rolling with their national
convention held in San Diego's University
Heights neighborhood Aug. 9-11 .

explodes anti gay
In an unexpected move, LCR's 200
stereotypeslike the conventioneers voted Aug. 11 to delay a
heading for Grant Park r;::::============~==,i power of positive
decision on whether to endorse Bob Dole's
Important Phone Numbers
downtown, site of some of
the 1968 Democratic Convisibility," she said.
candidacy. At a minimum, spokesmen
vention police riots.
Senator Phil Gramm (R)
The largest of told reporters, LCR wanted Dole to ask for
202-224-2934
the national gay the endorsement. The group did not enOn Wednesday, a
(FAX) 202-228-2856
groups, the Human dorse George Bush in 1992.
long list of national, reRights Campaign,
"Bob Dole as a presidential candigional and local gay groups Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R)
ran
a hospitality suite date has repeatedly compromised, rewere to stage a gala re202-224-5922
all week at the Hyatt treated or reversed himself under presception for gay/lesbian del(FAX) 202-224-0776
hotel
that quickly be- sure from the extreme right," LCR Execuegates at the Museum o1
came
the tive Director Rich Tafel said Aug . 11 .
Contemporary Art. Also,
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-/3th)
convention's gay ac- "Despite our best efforts, Bob Dole has
gay veterans had secured
202-225-3 706
tion center.
passed up a critical opportunity to demona protest slot Wednesda}
(FAX) 202-225-3486
strate
that he truly wants to lead a party
night at one of the free
Among the
which
welcomes
the participation of gays
speech sites, and the Hu
Rep. Larry Combest (R-J9th)
large number of folks
and
lesbians.
[For
him to request our
man Rights Campaign anc
HRC brought to the
202 _225 _4005
endorsement]
would
be somewhat hisIMPACT -- Illinois' gay po
convention was Barlitical-action committee (FAX) 202-225-9615
bara
Roberts , toric, and we're very aware of that."
were hosting another delt:..============::::::..JOregon's governor
Four hours later, the Dole campaign
egates' reception featuring U.S. Sen . Ted until 1995. In a lengthy interview , Roberts
responded.
Kennedy, San Francisco Mayor Willie called the gay cause "the civil-rights issue
Brown and Candace Gingrich, Speakerof of this decade --without any question."
"The Dole campaign would welcome
the House Newt Gingrich's lesbian sister.
the endorsement of Log Cabin Republi"I am absolutely committed to this
Brown was slated to address the cause," Roberts said . "I believe strongly cans as a sign that they too share the
convention Wednesday night. The previ- that straight people must take a stand on same beliefs, as Bob Dole has always
ous Sunday, he had quipped to reporters this issue. It's a civil-rights issue, it's a held the belief that the GOP is an inclusive
that he likely would perform some gay human-rights issue, and if people who are party," said spokeswoman Christian Martin .
domestic-partnership ceremonies not personally impacted by it stand silent,
Wednesday afternoon to get in the mood then maybe they're going to be in the
By Aug . 15, Tafel was singing a very
for his speech, which he planned to ad lib. group that gets chosen to be battered different tune.
The San Francisco city government of- next -- and I'm just not willing to do that."
"Bob Dole has a long and honorable
fers such ceremonies.
At press time , the convention -- and record when it comes to civil rights for all
Cornered on the convention floor the gay politicking inside and protests Americans," he said in announcing that

Page4

The ALGA UPDATE
An Editorial:

Dangers in the Closet
(by Bekki McQuay)

"They think we want special rights. We
deserve special rights. Let's start with
parking. They can put pink triangles
next to all the handicapped parking
signs and we can have special parking."

--Harvey Fierstein at the Gay and
Lesbian Association of Choruses
convention in Tampa as quoted in the
Florida gay publication Gazette.
"One unforgettable scene in [gay 'Friend
of Bill' David Mixner's new] book
involves the second gay relationship in
Mixner's life (his first lover was killed
in an accident), when he fell in love
with a man he calls 'Frank.' One day
federal agents showed him pictures of
himself and Frank in bed and told him
they would show the pictures to his
parents and the media if he didn't stop
his anti-war activities. Fearful that
Frank would be blackmailed too,
Mixner ran to Frank's apartment to warn
him , only to find the place empty, and
Frank gone. It turned out that Frank had
been a government agent, too, and the
entire affair a setup to bring Mixner
down."

--The San Francisco Chronicle, July 31 .
"People always say to us, 'Your politics
are so different, how do you get along?'
And the answer is: We don't talk about
politics when we're at home."

--Rob Morris, lover of openly gay U.S.
Rep. Steve Gunderson, R-Wis. Morris is
a Democrat.
"At Macy's stores on the West Coast,
the words 'bride' and 'groom' soon will
be purged from the computerized gift
registry system, replaced by the word
'partner.' ... 'Some gay couples are very
affluent and have a lot of disposable
income,' said Kimberly Miller, a
promotion director for Macy's West
Coast division. 'If retailers in certain
markets are resistant to servicing them
in any way, they're turning away a lot of
business.'"

--Reuter news service.

People have to know that gays
and lesbians are a part of their everyday
functioning world . We know we're out
there, but the heterosexual world has
no way of knowing unless we tell them.
Yes it is insane to have to tell
others we're gay. It shouldn't matter,
but it does.
Our sexuality is totally irrelevant
to our day at work or play or socializing,
but people will always retain their fear of
us if we don't show them that we do, in
fact, do more with our lives than have
sex. That's the only difference between
them and us, but until they can know our
similarities, they will never know us as
human beings.
Society segregated black
people because society closed the door
on their humanness. They remained a
misunderstood race until they were willing to go into the white world and show
people they had all the same "normal"
human traits and emotions as whites.
Somebody had to push their own comfort zones to go out in the world and just
be human and black at the same time.
Now, we don't have the fear of black
people that existed 50, 25, ten or even
five years ago. By sharing daily existence with them at work and at play, we
realize they are not to be feared.
All we as gay people ask or fight
for today is tolerance. The acceptance
part I believe will come as heterosexuals knowingly interact with homosexuals one on one. I encourage everyone
to push the comfort zones, both your
own and those of the people with whom
you come in contact. There are lots of
people out there who cannot hurt you the grocery store clerk, a car salesperson, a Realtor, a hotel clerk, an insurance contact when you call your company asking about coverage for unmarried spouses. Call your local video
store regularly to request the latest gay
movie, or the book store to request a
gay book. These things don't even put
you at risk , but it lets people know we're
here. When they look us in the eye, they

I

can see that we're not the three-headed
monsters they 've been told .
In July, my lover lost custody of
her child. It happened because people
were afraid of us. The . only thing they
knew about us was that we prefer to have
sex with a member of our own gender.
That seems simple enough , and it is our
only real difference from the rest of society . They need to start seeing our similarities, the things we have in common
that can start the process of creating
peace. We know were here. They need
to know it, too.
Please , before something happens to your or to someone you love, play
your part in pushing the comfort zones of
our society. They need to see our faces
as we spend money and not just read of
us as a statistic printed by some activist
group. I know the risk is too great for
some of us in some places, but danger is
not everywhere. If you get frustrated that
society only sexualizes our relationships,
then go out there and let yourself be seen
so you can be known as a human being .

Books, music and more

for the lesbian, gay and
feminist communities.

1846 Richmond Ave.
Houston, Texas 77098

CALL TOLL·FRE E
800-931·3369
Open Tuesday - Sunday
Personalized mail order service.

IN HOUSTON:

(71))

521-3369

(
The ALGA UPDATE
Student Organizations
Lambdas of West Texas A&M
(inactive)
Box WT 335, Canyon, TX 79016

Pink Triangles Student Group
(inactive)
Amarillo College
Contact Rob Mills, 371-5300
Religious Organizations
Metropolitan Community Church
2123 S Polk,
Office hours M-F 9 AM I PM 372-455 7
Sunday Services 10:30 AM & 6 PM
Children's Sunday school during service
Monday 12 Noon, Brown Bag Prayer
Wednesday 7 PM, Discussion Group

St Andrews Episcopal Church
1601 S. Georgia, Father Bill Nix
376-6316
Unitarian Universalist Fellows/tip
4901 Cornell
Sundays, 11 am (Summers, JO am)
355-9351
Services
Family Support Services
Domestic violence, rape crisis, counseling
services. Fees charged on a sliding scale.
900 S. Lincoln
372-3202
1-800-749-9026 hotline/helpline
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
1734 14th St. NW
Washington, D.C. , 20009
(202) 332-6483

Page 5
The Pavilion
Northwest Texas Healthcare System
Intensive Outpatient Program/Addictive
Disorders
354-1835
Shepherd House (call PASO)
MWF 1 /:30- 1:30
Home cooked meal services for
HIV/AIDS individuals
Sisters (Women's Discussion Group)
MCC 2123 S Polk
Every Sunday 7 PM
Speak Out 1 Human Rights
Campaign Fund Information
1-800-777-HRCF
Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas
P.O. Box 25 79
Austin, TX 78768
(512) 474-LGRL
People For The American Way
2000 M Street, NW, Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20036
Parellfs, Family & Friends of Lesbians
& Gays (P-FLAG)
Travis McBride 358-4810
Texas Human Rights Foundation
(Gay/lesbian legal issues)
1-800-82 8-6417

Gay Friendly
Businesses/Organizations

Amarillo Bowl
4100 Wolflin
352-5681
B & E Coffeehouse
coffee, espresso, latte, beer, wine,
sandwiches
3806 W. 6th
35/-0084
Hastings Books, Music and Video
200 I S Georgia - Gay/Lesbian book
section & magazines
4301 W 45th - Lambda book section
Italian Delights, Inc.
27 JO W 10th Ave
Queer Dinner Club (QDC) meets 7:30
PM on the third Thursday of the month.
Everyone is welcome!
Valley Lodge Family Motel &
The Hole Thing Donut Shop
PO Box 304 - Main Street
Red River NM 87558
Reservations: l-800-951-2262
Information: (505) 754 2218
Gay Owned Businesses

French & Co. Realtors
Paul D. French, Owner
4200 Ridgecrest, Suite A-5
356-9086

Bars
Club JO
1219 W 10th Ave
373-1250

National Gay & Lesbian Teen Hotline
Open 6 PM to 11 PM Central Time
Northwest Texas Public Services
D.J. Wyatt Community Health Ctr.
351-7220
Panhandle AIDS Support Organization
(PASO)
604 W. 8th, 372-1050
1-800-388-4879 Hotline/Crisis number
Parents & Friemls of Lesbians/Gays
(P-FLAG), Amarillo Chapter
Parents and friends, you have a support
group, too!

The Ritz
322 W 10th Ave
372-9382
Sassy's
309 W 6th Ave
374-3029

The C/assffieds
519 E. 10th St.
374-2435

This listing is a service of the
Amarillo Lesbian/Gay Alliance.
Please send corrections/additions
to ALGA Update, P.O. Box 9361,
Amarillo, TX 79105-9361.

ILC R'sPage
6
endorsements committee was recommending that local chapters endorse
Dole . The chapters will now vote by mail.
"Last February , Log Cabin Republicans stated that our top concern was to
avoid another [highly anti-gay) convention like in Houston in 1992," Tafel continued, noting that this year's convention
featured an "inclusive, welcoming tone
from the podium" and a speech by a
person with Al DS.
"The gay and lesbian demonstrators, many of whom are working closely
with the Democratic National Committee
to support President Clinton this fall, have
not told the full story ofBob Dole's record ,"
Tafel charged , citing Dole's votes for AIDS
funding and a ban on discrimination
against HIV-positives, along with the policy
in his Senate office that prohibited job
discrimination based on sexual orientation .
Several national gay leaders who

The ALGA UPDATE
strators nonetheless quickly denounced
LC R's pre-endorsement, citing other Dole
votes and Republican policies. But LCR
was not dissuaded. The group's mission
is clear, its leaders said : To work with the
GOP from within .
"We are like Dorothy in Oz," said
Brian Perry of Log Cabin California. "In
our journey. we're going to run into a few
scarecrows, some people who just don't
have a brain , and our role is to help them
understand and educate them. There are
the tin woodsmen who don't have a heart,
and we have to present ourselves as real
people and make them understand that
it's about caring -- and concerning our
lives about each other that is so important. And there's the toughest ones of all ,
the cowardly lions, who just need that
courage. We talk to them privately and
they do the right thing most of the time but
when push comes to shove, when it's
really on the line, they need that extra
courage."

Log Cabin Texas President Dale
Carpenter suggested , however, that Bob
Dole may not fall into any of these categories.
"Dole is so beholden to the far right
of our party that it's unrealistic to think
when he's president he'll change his colors," Carpenter said .
Openly Gay Delegates
There were three openly gay delegates to the GOP convention , all Log
Cabin members.
"I was elected an openly gay delegate," said Abner Mason of Boston ,
LC R's national board vice-chair. "I had to
get to my congressional-district caucus
enough people to elect me . I got enough
people to Belmont High School on a Saturday in April to get elected ."
Mason said he was pleased with
Dole's selection of Jack Kemp as his
running mate. "Jack Kemp is Mr. Big Tent;
he defines inclusion ," Mason said.

ALGA seeks to provide an organization that will encourage healthy acceptance of our lifestyle both within our
community and the population at large. Our annual budget is funded solely by your membership fees.
Membership guarantees reduced rates for future ALGA-sponsored events. Those same fees pay for printing
and mailing of this newsletter, sponsors the annual ALGA Gay Pride Picnic, camping trips, future workshops
and our information line costs. All mailings are discreet.

We are happy to provide the ALGA UPDATE to people who cannot afford to purchase a subscription ; however,
we ask that anyone who can afford to subscribe, do so to keep the exchange of information flowing, our
community informed, and allow for more activities in the future .

□ $_

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$35 Household annual membership for 2 adults (with 12 issues)
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□ $10 Student/PWA/Low Income membership (with 12 issues)
Name(s ):
Address:
State/Zip:
Phone:

Date :
Please make all checks payable to ALGA
PO Box 9361 , Amarillo, TX 79105-936 1

Page 7

The ALGA UPDATE
Rumors flew all week about alleged
homosexuality in Kemp's past but nothing
was proven . But in an indication of just
how run-of-the-mill the once-controversial tactic of outing has become, even the
Associated Press reported matter-of-factly
on the rumors , which revolve around a
cabin Kemp apparently co-owned with
some homosexuals in 1967 near Lake
Tahoe . Numerous gays posting in
cyberspace claimed to have second-hand
information on Kemp's alleged gay sexual
escapades.
The Platform
Gays and lesbians were disappointed with , but not surprised by, the final
GOP platform document. It stated:
""The sole source of equal opportunity for all is equality before the law.
Therefore , we oppose discrimination
based on sex, race , age, creed or national
origin and will vigorously enforce antidiscrimination statutes. We reject the distortion of those laws to cover sexual preference and endorse the Defense of Marriage Act to prevent states from being
forced to recognize same-sex unions.
Because we believe rights inhere in individuals, not in groups, we will attain our
nation's goal of equal rights without quotas or other forms of preferential treatment. "
* "We oppose Bill Clinton's assault
on the culture and traditions of the Armed
Forces , especially his attempt to lift the
ban on homosexuals in the military . We
affirm that homosexuality is incompatible
with military service . ... We reaffirm our
support for the exemption of women from
ground combat units."

* "We remain committed to , and place
a high priority on , finding a cure for HIV
disease. We support increased funding
for research targeted at conditions that
touch the families of most Americans, like
Alzheimer's , breast cancer, prostate cancer and diabetes. We call for an increased
emphasis on prevention of diseases that
threaten the lives of women . This requires
dramatic expansion of outreach and education to expand public awareness."

The platform also calls for constitutional amendments to ban abortion , balance the budget, prohibit burning of the
U.S. flag , and end the guarantee of citi-

zenship to any child born on U.S. soil.
VOICES '96
The main gay presence at the convention site was VOICES '96 -- Lesbian ,
Gay , Bisexual and Transgender Voters
Organized In Coalition for the Elections
'96 -- a coalition of the large national gay
organizations and local San Diego activists.

I

downtown park to the convention's socalled free-speech site. The site was directly across the street from the Convention Center-- the result of a lawsuit filed by
VOICES, the ACLU and others. Before
the lawsuit, GOP ·organizers had succeeded in pushing the protest site several
blocks away from the convention .

They set up a Media Center in an
abandoned restaurant a stone's throw
from the Convention Center front door
and staged a series of demonstrations,
rallies and press events .

The noisy, colorful march -- 1,000
people strong -- was led by national gaymovement leaders, including Urvash i
Vaid , Elizabeth Birch , Candace Gingrich ,
Robin Tyler, Eric Rotes, Tom Ammiano.
Melinda Paras, Donna Red Wing, Lorri
Jean , Robert Bray and Joe Zuniga.

Sunday night, Aug. 11, about 250
VOICES folks carpooled 30 miles north to
Escondido, Calif., to picket "The Man and
the Movement: A Tribute to Pat
Buchanan ."

By the time marchers reached the
fenced-in free-speech site, police estimated the turnout at 2,000 people. That
number then dwindled as speakers carried on for a full two hours.

When they arrived , they found the
California Center for the Arts complex
sealed off by temporary fences . So they
chanted across the fence , in the general
direction of the auditorium: "Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Pat Buchanan go away ,"
"Equal marriage rights for all" and, in
Spanish , "Here we are and we are not
leaving."

What is accomplished by staging
large gay protests outside the convention? Here's how five gay leaders responded to a reporter's inquiry:

While Lt. Col. Ollie North, Phyllis
Schlafly and Buchanan spoke inside, the
gays waved signs reading : "Stop the
Scapegoating -- Justice for All: Immigrants , Poor People, People of Color,
Lesbians,
Gays,
Bisexuals ,
Transgenders," "Jesus, save us from your
followers" and "We're here, we're queer
and we're your kids ."
VOICES Co-chair Tony Valenzuela
told ralliers: "Crossing back and forth ,
because my parents live in Tijuana, I've
seen that border turned into a prison . I've
seen how the right-wing has given license
to allowing to humiliate us."
Buchanan's speech inside -- the
speech he had hoped to give at the GOP
convention -- did not mention homosexuals. Oliver North, however, made a passing reference to President Clinton's "social experimentation" within the military.
2,000 March Through Downtown
The evening of the convention's
opening day, VOICES '96 staged its major gay-specific event, a march from a

* Human Rights Campaign Executive Director Elizabeth Birch : "It sends a
message thatthere are really hundreds of
thousands of Americans that are tired of
seeing the Republican Party cede their
party to the political-religious extremists.
There have been deals cut at this convention that have locked the Christian Coalition in for the year 2000."

* Gay author and academic Eric
Rofes: "We can provide an alternative to
the hate-mongering that is going on inside
the convention and a sense of who we are
as gay citizens, including gay Republicans who are here and marching as well."
* San Francisco Supervisor Tom
Ammiano: "There are thousands and thousands of queer people , particularly youth ,
who feel isolated and alone. When they
see this on TV ... I still believe that they
take some modicum of support and legitimization from this. Also, it shows people
we know how to have a good time, that we
are not going to go away, and we really
understand what the issues are and how
they are connected to other groups with
the same kind of civil-rights struggle. And
it's a pretty good fashion statement considering what I've seen on the delegates."

* Tracy Conaty , spokeswoman for

Ithe National
Page 8
Gay & Lesbian Task Force:
"More people get ... active in our community . As importantly, we're educating the
larger American public. We're educating
Republicans of conscience .. . about the
extremism within the Republican party.
When we have turnouts like this, we not
only bring our message within our community but we expand it, and we expose
and oppose the Right."
• Candace Gingrich , sister of U.S.
House of Representatives Speaker Newt
Gingrich: "We need to be here to remind
people ... that the things coming out of
there don't accurately reflect the rest of
the country -- that, basically , they have
been hijacked by a very , very narrow
group of religious-political extremists.
Their views ... are not indicative of how
most Americans feel. ... In actuality , even
members of the party itself are a little
frightened by the people who have taken
control. "
AIDS
On Tuesday, Aug . 13, gays and lesbians mounted a march and rally focusing
on AIDS issues. When the rally ended ,
400 protesters led by ACT UP/Los Angeles broke free of the designated-freespeech site and marched an additional
block to the Convention Center main entrance.
They halted behind several strands
of yellow "Police Line Do Not Cross" tape,
just a few feet from the convention's metal
detectors, and began shouting at the thousands of Republicans who were leaving
the convention hall following the close of
the evening's events.
They chanted , "Racist, sexist, antigay -- born-again bigots go away. " Many
Republican delegates chanted , "Dole ,
Kemp" in return. Others smiled , ignored
the protest or shouted insults back at the
gays.

The ALGA UPDATE
increase visibility around HIV and AIDS to
the Republican delegates," said NGL TF's
Robert Bray . "The platform for the 1996
Republican National Convention has one
sentence on AIDS -- and , actually, it's not
bad ; it talks about their support for a cure
for HIV. Unfortunately, it doesn'ttalk about
... how to fund that cure, how to keep
people alive through life-prolonging drug
therapy, and how to fund effective preventative education."
"Their silence on AIDS is unacceptable," said VOICES' Keith Anastasi. "Their
two sentences in their AIDS platform are
an absolute atrocity . We demand that
they ... tell us what they intend to do in
order to deal with this national health
crisis."
Jon Arterton , a member of the Flirtations gay singing group, was more ph ilosophical about his participation in the
protests.
"I think we can actually be here not
just to be visible people -- to show the
Republicans that we do in fact exist and
that we do in fact breathe the same air and
walk the same earth that they do -- but I
th ink it's also important for those people
who are here just for themselves to reassert to their spirits that what they do is
important and that in fact they do have a
voice and some say in the governing body
of this country ," Arterton said .
"AIDS is far from over in our lives
and in the lives of millions of people in th is
country and in the world ," said former
NGL TF head Urvashi Vaid. "It's really
important to remind the country and the
media that AIDS is ... just as desperate of
an emergency in our lives [as ever] ."
An Attempted Outing
There was one unexpected moment
in Tuesday's protests. During the rally at
the free-speech site, actor William Baldwin
showed up and briefly addressed the
crowd . As so~n as he took the stage,
former CBS News producer and ACT UP
co-founder Ann Northrop of New York
City began chanting , "Come out, come
out. "

Police eventually formed a line between the two groups and , after about 40
minutes, the gays started drifting away .
About60 protesters headed for the Planet
Hollywood restaurant in the downtown
Horton Plaza mall where Republican VIPs
were partying with actor Charlton Heston.
Police quickly intervened in that protest
action and it ended after half an hour.

Baldwin replied , "You've heard,
huh?" But after he left the stage , he walked
over and confronted Northrop.

"The purpose [of our protests] is to

"They always say that about my

I

brother too," Baldwin told Northrop. "And
they say that about Sean Penn . Why
would you stand here and yell that out
unless you knew, unless I told you that I
was gay? ... If I were, I would tell you . I just
don't understand."
Northrop said she was sorry if she
was wrong about his being gay and
Baldwin repl ied , "I accept your apology ."
Fisher Addresses Delegates
HIV-positive Republican Mary Fisher
addressed the convention itself again , as
she did in 1992.
"I mean to live and die as a Republican," Fisher said . "But I also will live and
will die in the AIDS community, a community hungry for the evidence of leadership."
Elsewhere inside the convention hall,
Out magazine columnist Michelangelo
Signorile was busy chasing Phyllis
Schlafly, newly out Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe, allegedly closeted Florida
Congressman Mark Foley and assorted
anti-gay GOP shakers-and- movers.
Signorile said Schlafly grew positively
exasperated with his daily inquiries about
how she reconciles her brand of conservatism with the fact that her son is openly
gay -- and she finally told him , "My son
John is right over there; go talk to him
yourself." As for Foley , who was recently
outed on the radio program "Out In New
England ," Signorile said the congressman very clearly cruised him for several
minutes on the convention floor Thursday
night -- at a time when Signorile was
blocked by the crush of the convention
crowd from moving a few feet closer to
Foley and introducing himself. The remainder of Signorile's adventures will be
recounted in an upcoming issue of Out.
Back in the streets, the gay protesters took a day off on Wednesday , Aug .
14. Local activists staged a $50-a-head
"Honoring Our Voices Reception" in the
gay Hillcrest neighborhood, presenting
awards to national gay leaders Urvashi
Vaid, Elizabeth Birch , Joe Zuniga, Robert
Bray , Donna Red Wing, Candace
Gingrich , Frank Buttino, Jack Campbell,
Melinda Paras, Ann Northrop and others.
The event was hosted by Christine Kehoe,
an openly lesbian member of the San
Diego City Council. Later in the evening ,

The ALGA UPDATE
gay groups converged on the hip gay
nightclub Rich's for the VOICES '96 "Politics of Dancing Party."

Gays and Delegates Clash
. Thursday, Aug . 15, protesters organized by VOICES '96 staged a large "progressive coalition" rally and march. As
Bob Dole finished his acceptance speech
and delegates began filing out of the Convention Center, about 2,000 supporters
~f gay equality , abortion rights, immigrant
rights and other issues marched from the
free-speech site to the convention-hall
exit.
For more than an hour they and
passing Republican delegates shouted
insults at each other across double lines
of hundreds of police officers. The police
kept re-routing the delegates down different streets only to have the protesters
quickly re-group at a new location and
continue haranguing the Republicans.
Eventually, the protesters wandered
back to the fenced-in free-speech site -"They walked back into their cage," commented one activist--and called it a night.
"[The week of protests] was a tremendous success," according to VOICES
'96 Co-chair Brenda Schumacher. "Inside the Convention Center it was like one
big soft-drink commercial , highly choreographed .... Outside, the delegates were
able to see and hear dissenting voices.
Particularly on the closing night of the
convention, the delegates were very angry at having to walk out into 1,500 people
who were protesting not fitting under their
Big Tent."
There is no question that the 1996
Republican National Convention was
kinder and gentler than the party's 1992
affair in Houston . And some observers -the gay Log Cabin Republicans among
them -- believe it was not just a facade .
They say the GOP learned the hard way
over the past four years that it cannot let
fundamentalist Christians dominate the
party's discourse or policy-making on
social issues.
Many other gay analysts, though,
were having none of it. The GOP has not
changed, they said, and one need only
read the party's 1996 platform -- which
Bob Dole says he hasn't -- for confirma-

Page 9
tion .
"The Republican Party proved something when the television lights went on in
San Diego," said syndicated lesbian columnist Deb Price. "It's learned to smile
without showing its fangs. The political
animal that frightened fair-minded voters
four years ago is more clever now. It
knows it must disguise itself to be appealing. And that makes it all the more dangerous."
Even Reuters was of a similar mind.
In an analysis piece, the news wire service said: "Is this the real Republican
party? Or did itgo into hiding during a fourday convention of touchy-feely videos,
speeches dripping with concern and
scarcely a controversial remark? ... The
Republicans seemed to be playing a game
of 'Where's Waldo?' only it was 'Where's
Newt Gingrich? Where's the Christian
Coalition? Where's Pat Buchanan?
Where's the 'Contract with America?"'

COMA Passes, ENDA Fails
The Senate passed the anti-gay Defense
of Marriage Act (DOMA passed 85-14)
and failed the pro-gay Employment NonDiscrimation Act (ENDA failed 50 to 49)
on Tuesday, September 1O.
DOMA, which has passed the House and
is expected to be signed by the President,
specifies marriage as a union between
one man and one woman and allows
states to deny same-sex marriages performed in other states. Currently , no
states allow same-sex marriage, but it is
possible that the courts in Hawaii could
allow same sex marriage in the future .
Gay activists and supporters were angered but not surprised by the DOMA
vote. Matt Coles, Director of the4 Lesbian
&* Gay Rights Project at the American
Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said : "This
vote [on DOMA] is a deplorable act of
hostility. It is one of the worst things any
Congress has done to gay Americans.
This vote will go down in history as a low
point in our nation's struggle against bigotry . This bill does nothing to 'defend'
marriage. Its only purpose and effect is
to bash lesbian and gay Americans, and
to pick up a couple of votes along the
way."
Although many activists had hoped that

I

ENDA would pass the Senate, a 50-49
vote was still considered a victory . This
was the first time that ENDA had ever
reached the floor of the House or the
Senate fora vote. Sen . Edward Kennedy
led the movement to force a vote on the
bill.
One Senator from Arkansas who
had planned to vote for the bill was absent. If he had been present, the bill
would have passed the Senate with a vote
from Vice President Al Gore, who was
available in the event of a tie.
Melinda Para, Executive Director of the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
remained upbeat, despite the votes: "De~
spite the outcome of these bills, the debates on them have already made history . We have broken the legislative
logjam that has blocked Congress from
seriously discussing our civil rights. What
was inconceivable only a few years ago is
happening today . Gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender equal rights have taken
center stage in American government,
and we can never go back to the days of
silence."
"He went [to the Republican convention]
as a Dole delegate and I went to see some
of the tackiest women I'd ever seen
bejeweled in red-white-and-blue glitt~r,
with high hair and elephant ear-bobs the
size of tennis balls."
--Rob Morris, speaking of his lover, U.S.
Rep. Steve Gunderson, R-Wis.
"The American press is no longer creating
'beards' nor assuring silences for would-be
closet cases in order to deflect attention
away from gay issues and gay lives as
though gayness were just too embarrassing to mention . To its credit, the press is
gradually abandoning both its past policy
of 'don't ask, don't tell' when it comes to
gayness and its phoney belief that to
discuss someone's sexual orientation
unasked is to violate that p~rson's priva-;;y
It is time that gays carry over these trends
into their daily lives as well. We need to let
the gayness of an individual come up whe
it is relevant, rather than playing along wit
the shaming social convention of the
closet, the demand that every gay person
is bound to keep every other gay person's
secret secret."
--Syndicated gay-press columnist an
University of Illinois philosophy professor
Richard Mohr.

Part of ALGA Update : v.3:no.4(1996:Sept.)