HerlandVoice-1991-06-v8-no06_ocr.pdf
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- HerlandVoice-1991-06-v8-no06_ocr.pdf
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do~HERLAND ~
JUNE 1991
ICE
BREAK-IN AT HERLAND
AIRLINE FIRES WOMAN
Sometime during the night of May 10, 1991, Herland was broken
into and seriously trashed.
Herland volunteers arriving to open the book store the following
morning found the front door open and a back window broken.
They took a few cautious steps inside but retreated in a hurry when
they realized that the intruder was still in the building.
The police were summoned and removed a young man who had
broken in the night before. While extremely passive and submissive
when arrested, he had evidently at some point the night before been
in a rage, and the building was a real mess. He had a nasty cut on his
hand (most likely sustained while coming through the broken
window), and he had bled on the floor and on some of the furniture.
There was blood on the walls and the doors and door frames. It did
not appear that there was any personal animus toward Herland; the
damage seemed incidental to a (probably) drug-induced frenzy . We
do not believe that this was a homphobic action.
The response from Herland's friends and Board was wonderful.
More than a dozen women turned out and by the end of the day the
only clue that anything out of the ordinary had happened was that
everything looked just a little cleaner than usual.
As this is written we do not know what has happened to the
intruder. As stated earlier, we believe that this was a random breakin by a vagrant, hungry and high on something, and looking for
shelter.
One day we hope to put a state-of-the-art alarm system on the
building. Before then, we will be happy and satisfied to have bars
on the windows. These would have averted the entire event.
Unfortunately, bars are still on our wish list; we just cannot afford
them yet. If anyone would like to contribute bars, or dollars to a
"security fund" to help us buy them, we would be most
appreciative. We had a wonderful community reaction and display
of sisterhood and solidarity and heartfelt thanks to all who showed
up and worked so hard. It was warming and sisterly and wonderful;
but really, we would just as soon not have the need for another
•
such display anytime too soon!
Continental Airlines has fired a female ticket counter agent
because she refuses to wear makeup. Teresa Fischette intends to fight
to retain her job, and has contacted the Civil Liberties Union to assist
her. "I'm prepared to go to court, but that's not going to change their
outdated sex-biased attitudes," Fischette said. Sarah Wunsch, a Civil
Liberties Union staff attorney, said that Fischette's colleagues had
considered her a highly professional and personable worker.
Hmmm. Time was when women were arrested, fined, banned
and even burned for wearing cosmetics; now we're losing our jobs
for not wearing them?
Hmmm, again. Dyes used in lipsticks have been found to cause
cancer in mice; yet not only are women not supposed to worry
about this, here we have a woman being required by her job to
paint this poisonous stuff on her face.
All together now: Hmmmm. Give us a break! Is no detail of
women's lives so small or so large, so basic or so insignificant, that
men and their minions will not try to control it? How does anyone
dare tell another adult that she needs to enhance her looks - that,
in effect, her plain face is offensive and unpleasing compared to
that of the (male) humans working next to her?
Or-hmmmm- is the purpose of makeup not to make women
more attractive but merely to further objectify us; making us all, like
painted clowns or the 'fembots' in the Robert Plant video, look just
alike. Really, the makeup so many of us wear is not all that different
from the veil of purdah. Veil: Disguise, facade, mask; conceal, cover,
hide, screen. Wasn't Continental saying to Fischette: mask, conceal,
and cover yourself- and submit to our control?
Kudos and sincere thanks to Fischette for not submitting, and for
fighting this edict
Facts of this report from Associated Press via the Daily
Oklahoman, 5-13-91; riled commentary by St Sybil. Editor's note:
On May 15, as the case was ready for Court, Continental had a
refreshing change of mind and backed down. The makeup "requirement" is now a "guideline", and Fischette has been rehired with full
•
back pay. Way to go, Fischette!
ERICA WHEELER
IN
$500
CONCERT
HOTEL BOHEMIA
SATURDAY, JUNE 8th
9:00
CALL 528 - 0020 FOR RESERVATIONS
Mesmerizing. Captivating. Passionate.
Poetic. Insightful...
These are some of the words used to describe Erica Wheeler
and the magic of her performances. Her fa ns come back
again and again to thin k, to feel, and to go on a journey with
her and themselves. They come to hear her weave tales of
love and irony th rough truckstop diners and the deserts of the
Southwest with a fresh, unforgetable poetry and wit.
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 6
•
HER LAN D SISTER RESOURCES
•
2312 N.W. 39th, OKC, OK 731 12
•
(405) 521 -9696
CDC DEFINITION OF AIDS
DISCRIMINATES AGAINST
WOMEN
AIDS activitists are calling for a nationwide protest to the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about their refusal to expand
the AIDS definition, redefine surveillance techniqud according to
routes of transmission and to vigorously support anonymous
testing.
The CDC establishes the official definition of AIDS. They have
refused to include the gynecological symptoms and diseases of
women with HIV in the AIDS case definition. Their own study
reports that 65% of HIV positive women die without an AIDS
diagnosis. Women's bodies are different from men and susceptible to different diseases including cervical cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and vaginal thrush. Without an AIDS
diagnosis women cannot qualify for benefits reserved for people
with AIDS {including disability and Medicaid). Access to treatment clinical trials is also limited. Without adequate diagnoses,
the quality of treatment for women is compromised. The failure
of the CDC to expand its definition to include women's disease is
clear sexism.
Currently, the CDC tracks the number of AIDS cases by "risk
groups" such as "gay/bisexual man" or "IV drug user". Nowhere
does the CDC attempt to explain specific sexual and social
activities which carry the risk of HIV transmission. Gay men are
not routes of transmission-unprotected anal intercourse and
cunnilingus are. The risk of sexual transmission of HIV is directly
related to exchange of specific bodily fluids and therefore specific
sexual acts. Lesbians engage in sexual activities that put them in
contact with bodily fluids that contain HIV {i.e. vaginal
secretions, blood, and semen) and are at risk for HIV infection.
The way in which the CDC categorizes people in risk groups
presents a confusing and life-threatening message to many women
who see themselves as not at risk.
The CDC has historically supported routine testing and contact
tracing even though it has proven unsuccessful. Coerced testing
and mandatory contact tracing drive those desperately in need of
life-threatening safer sex information and possible treatment away
from available health care.
The CDC can take action. They must expand the AIDS
definition to include opportunistic infections that affect women;
collect data according to routes of transmission, not "risk
groups"; and ensure the availability of anonymous testing instead
of mandatory or "routine" testing.
You can express your opinion to the CDC by writing James
Curran, Centers for Disease Control, 1600 Clifton Road N.E. 26
Executive Park, Atlanta, GA 30333.
•
A CALL FOR THE IMMEDIATE
REVISION OF THE CENTERS FOR
DISEASE CONTROL SURVEILLANCE DEFINITION OF AIDS
And changes in CDC AIDS epidemiology, education and
testing policies
The Definition:
The CDC defines a case of AIDS as an illness characterized by one
or more of a list of "indicator" diseases, depending on the status of
the laboratory evidence of HIV infection. That list of indicator
diseases must be expanded to include all of the following with
laboratory evidence of HIV:
1. Neurosyphilis, or definitively diagnosed reactivation of
syphilis
2. Renal failure (with the exclusion of other causes)
3. Pulmonary tuberculosis
And all of the following diseases when they fail to respond to
conventional therapies:
4. Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, including endometritis,
salpingitis, tubovarian abscesses leading to multiple pelvic
adhesions, and chronic pelvic pain
5. Chronic refractory vaginal thrush ( candidiasis)
6. Chancroid
7. Anal, vulvar or vaginal condylomas (caused by human papilloma
virus)
8 . Genital ulcers of undetermined etiology lasting more than 4
weeks
9. Vulvar, vaginal, cervical and anal squamous cell neoplasias
including disseminated or rapidly progressing squamous cell
neoplasias of the lower genital tract
10. Chronic refractory urinary tract infections
11. Endocarditis
12. Bacterial and atypical pneumonias
13. Chronic or fulminant hepatitis
14. Thrombocytopenia
15. Neutropenia (non-AZT related)
These diseases are occurring routinely in patients with seriously
compromised immune systems. Most are particular to women and
intravenous drug users (IVDUs). The first definition, in 1982, was
based on a small number of gay men. Subsequent revisions, in 1985
and 1987, failed to include any diseases specific to women.
This list of diseases has been compiled from the considerable
literature on the developing presentation of AIDS published in
medical journals, and on discussions with doctors who treat HIVpositive women and IVDUs. This list should not be considered complete.
The presentation of AIDS changes as it affects different groups of
people. New treatments for some opportunistic infections (Ols) allow
patients to live to be affected by newly discovered or developing Ois.
Because of this evolving nature of AIDS, the CDC must institute a
regular quarterly review and revision process of its surveillance definition.
Representatives from all affected communities must be included in
this process.
(continued on page 3)
Ink Well V1finting
TERI HOELTZEL
SUSAN BROOKS
Owners
2
HSR JUNE 1991
(405) 942-5693
501 N. Meridian, Suite 107
Oklahoma City, OK 73107-5701
PUBLISHED BY: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312 NW 39th,
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
NEWSLETIER COMMITIEE:
Margaret Cox, Deborah Fox, Pat Reaves
CIRCULATION: 750
GENERAL INFO: (405) 521-9696 (leave message)
SUBSCRIPTIONS to the Her/and Voice are free upon request.
AIDS DEFINITION
EllCODlllGS
Volume 1 No. 2
(continued from page 2)
1
Epidemiology:
The CDC mu:it research and collect :itatistics on the varieu§ Qls
occurring through the course of :ln AIDS case. This m_yst itlClude the
specific: cause of death. This :ihould be don_e in a manner which
protects anonymity.
The CDC must collect and publish statistics on trnnsmission
according to explicit modes of trammissign instead gf its current
method of listing ''risk groups 1\ CDC categories such as "heternsexual partner gf IVDU" do not show whether the trammission was
anal, oral or vaginal. Further, the CDC must recognize th<!t women do
not only have sex with 111en.
Som@ examples of listings of rnodes of trnnsmissi011;
Anal intercourse - no condom u§~ - mak-Illale
Anal intercourse - no condom use - m11,leofemale
Cunnilingus - no latex barrier - female-female
Cunnilingus - no latex barrier - male-female
Dirty needle use - intravenous drug use
Dirty needle use = tatteoing
Education:
The CDC must develop and widely distribute education materials
with complete descriptions ef pessible Ols and their sy{Ilptoms for all
people. Their prevention effort must indude explicit explanations of
possible transmission routes.
The CDC must stop their policy of counseling HIV-positive
women to delay pregnancy. They must instruct counsilors and health
care providers to provide complete and accurate i11formation on IDV
infection and pregnancy.
CDC grants to state and local governments for educatien must be
audited to insure they are being used in a timely and qppropriate
manner. The CDC should publfoly report governments which-leave
funds unspent and reallocate them to agencies who will U§e them
appropriately.
The CDC must publish on a timely basis standards of care for the
prevention and treatment of all indicator diseases and ors.
The CDC must provide free up-to-date imm\,II!e system monitoring
together with appropriate cou11seling :lnd referr:ll services at all I=IIV
testing sites.
Testing:
The CDC must publicly support voluntary and anonymous I=IIV
testing. It must expand its financial support of anonymous testing
sites.
The CDC must abandon their strategies for partner notific!!tign,
contact tracing and "routine" and mandatory HIV-testing, including
their efforts toward mandatory testing of infants, pregn°int worn.en
and health care workers.
~
•
NEW POETRY AND ARTWORK av WOMEN IN HOUSTON
Leslie Lepe?;, Ca.ml $nyd~r, Cg_thy Stf}rn,
Sharon Stewart, Monic;,a Va.ughn, Fabian Worsh@m
A"f YOUR l"AVOF-llT!iO BOOKSTORE, OR WRITE:
!,,l"UD: ~Women's Press
P.O.
aox 6793, Hou~ton, TX 77265-6793
$4.50/copy
OKLAHOMA NOW MEETING
Qkl11-ho!fl.!l Ngw met S~turgay, May ll, 1991. at the State
eapitQl i:n Qklahorp.a (;ity. New gffit~r§ w~rn el~ct~d. including
Phyllis Heam of Chouteau as Stat~ CoOFdin!!tQr, Juqy I}lair qf
Tl!lea as Vi!,'e C';ggrdin&tor, Jill lfolme§ Qf Stillwqt~r- as Trna§urer,
ancl Rhonda Fernw@n o( t Yhia §S s~~ret!!ry. M~gar~t C9x of
QKC will c:gntip.ue !!§ n~wsl@tter edimr.
~
State Reprn§~:ntativei; Linda Larai;Qn l\Pd Angela Monson, eoth
of Oklahoma City imd pqth stauneh !lllie§ of women and childr~n
and the nee~}§ gf all clisl\dV§flt!!ged l'J«mgl~, jQin~d th~ m~~ti11g for !l
round t!!ble cli,§<;l!l!§iQn of is§ue§ {:lf partic:ular eoncem to womep in
Ol<faht'Jm!l, :lnd Qf ways in whic:h NOW i;;euld help th~m be
addressed, lt was an infgrrp!ltiv~ !!nd i;;h!!llenging di§cussiqn, and
NOW extend§ sincere thanks to Reps. }..1gnson and Larason; fgr
their time Sarurdl\Y and for fill the, tir:ne §..nd ~ffgrt they e:imend
daily to m;!ke Oklahgma b~tter fof Y§ all.
As the 9nly thip.g femiil!sts l9V~ !l§ rp.uch as t!!lk and
co:ntrnvereY is ggod fo!:'ld, at ngon th@ me~ppg JllQved to th~ S!).la
Thai r~St!!urant QP 23rd Stre~t. Th~re, two g~neral goals were
chosen for the cqming year for OldwoJlla NOW: 1) To establish
an efficient and pr;!ctical phon~tr~e/infgrmation netwgrk to
notify NOW members and friends of neees§ary aetion, be it tQ
join a dernop.str;i.ti!:')p for better he!llth car~ or to write letters to
key legislatt'Jrs, or what hav~ you; and 2) tQ ertic:ulete a!ld VQEalize
the more e-xtremist views whic:h are, at least ip Ckla}i.oma,
expect~d gf Y§; 11-ll!"lwing the rri.grn mainstr~am, larg~r grg!!Pi;§tion§
(Leagye of Worp.~n Voter§, NAACP, etc:.) to rriaintain their
mantle of respeet!lbility and mggeration , while urging their
.
~~
Sam L. Nicolosi, D.V.M.
Kay Killgore, M.Ed.
Wornf!n 19 W9man Counsel ing
1010 N.W. 45th
· Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118
(405) 524-1062
NICOLOSI ANIMAL HOSPITAL
4015 N.W. 23rd
Okl!!hQma City
by Appointment
Pho~
(!f()5) 94'1-5545
HSR JUNE 1991
3
~x---DON'T MISS ERICA WHEELER ON JUNE 8th at 9:00. See
front page for article .....
P-FLAG is a non-profit organization to help families and their
lesbian and gay members learn to understand, accept, and. love one
another. P-FLAG is the only group of non-gay people ' working
exclusively for gay and lesbian rights and welfare. Families and
friends of lesbians and gay men can find a confidential, warm and
supporting setting in P-FLAG meetings. Oklahoma City's chapter of
P-Flag may be contacted by writing P-FLAG, P.O. Box 22 182, OKC,
OK 74122 or calling 789-4056 .....
CHARLOTTE DE CLUE, OSAGE POET, will speak on issues of
racism and give a reading of her poetry on June 18, 1991 at8 o'clock
p.m. at OSU, 123 College of Business Administration Building,
Stillwater .....
VICTIM PROTECTION ORDER
Oklahoma's Victim Protection Order is available to persons who are
threatened or abused by family or household members. "Family or
household members" is defined by law to include spouses, ex-spouses,
present spouses of ex-spouses, parents, children, persons otherwise
related by blood or marriage, persons living in the same household, or
persons who are the biological parents of the same child. This definition
does include same-sex partners or roommates and unmarried heterosexual partners.
Through the Victim Protection Order, the abuser may be ordered not
to abuse, threaten, visit or harass the victim. If the parties live in the
same household, the abuser may be ordered to move out of the
residence.
Any person who is being abused or threatened by a family or
household member may file a petition for a Victim Protection Order
through the Court Clerk of the county in which she lives or the Court
Clerk of the county in which the abuser lives.
•
Office Hours
Tues - Thurs 9-3
Friday 10-6
Sat by appointment
OFFICE OF CHILD CARE? A new law establishing an Office of
Child Care for Oklahoma requires it to "advise parents that no
outside child care can ever be as effective and beneficial as devoted
loving care within the home, and encourage parents to care for their
children themselves, in their own home, whenever possible." Unfortunately, the legislators didn't make any provisions for how children
would be fed, clothed and sheltered if mothers (or fathers) didn't
work outside the home. They also didn't change the requirement that
mothers on welfare register for employment .. . ..
JOBS GENERATED BY SPENDING $1 BILLION: Military:
76,000 jobs; Transport: 92,000 jobs; Construction: 100,000 jobs;
Health: 139,000 jobs; Education: 187,000 jobs. That's interesting
math .....
AFTER THE PARADE come to the Coyote Club to hear Peggy
Johnson. June 23rd, 7-11 p.m ..... .
WATCH FOUND at Herland Retreat. Call 521-9696 and
identify . ....
FOR SALE: PRECORE Stairmaster (stairstep exercise equipment),
$200. Call Coleen at 525-2174 .. . . .
FOR SALE: 12-string Ovation Guitar. Great condition. Call
842-8246.
366-09'23
HELEN HOLGATE
Certified Alcoholism & Drug Abuse
Counselor
VISA & MC accepted.
We file insurance.
z:>~. Z'~ 'J::.. '8~. ie.P'-.. Z'.Z'.S.
..
Comprehensive Dental Care
'f
5009 North Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 103
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
JOBS WITH JUSTICE HEALTH
CARE ACTION WEEK
Jobs with Justice Health Care Action
Week is planned for June 3 through 9. A
focal point of the week is the national day
of action-when all participating cities will
state a simultaneous event-on Thursday,
June 6.
Oklahoma's Jobs with Justice Coalition
HEALTHCARE
will rally at the Oklahoma headquarters of
FOR ALL
Blue Cross/Blue Shield to call for replace- ,
ment of the insurance industry with a
national health care plan. Participants in
the rally will gather at Tinsley Park, N.W.
66 and Independence at 4:45 on Thursday, June 6.
Other activities planned for the week include wearing "Health Care
for All" stickers to show support for national health care reform and
.
signing of postcard ballots to be sent to congresspersons.
The failure of insurance companies nationwide to assure access to
health care for all is the nationwide focus of Health Care Action Week.
In most industrialized nations of the world which guarantee health care
as a right, the standard business practices of the U.S. health insurance
industry would be outlawed as gross abuses. Insurance companies keep
premiums down by denying coverage to individuals or groups who are
considered high risk. A significant portion of money spent on health
care goes to administration costs assr ·::iated with the insurance
industry - the insurance overhead and the administratrive costs to
doctors and hospitals of handling insurance claims.
Jobs with Justice organizers say this "bloated bureaucratic jumble,
bound together with miles of administrative red tape, contribrutes
nothing to the health of our citizenry, yet robs us of the financial
capability to assure health care for all. Jobs with Justice calls for a
national health care program to solve the barriers to universal health
~.
4 HSR JUNE 1991
(405) 843-3281
.
CANADIAN VS. U.S.
HEALTHCARE
The United States spends more on health care per person than
any country in the world: 38% more than Canada, 124% more
than Japan, and 171 % more than Great Britain. Meanwhile, health
indicators of Americans rank among the lowest in the industrialized world.
.
In Canada, Medicare is a universal and comprehensive plan for
all citizens, of all ages. It covers the majority of medical services,
including office visits to the doctor, drugs for people over sixtyfive, treatments, tests, lab fees, x-rays, surgery and hospitalization.
Depending on the province (state), Medicare may also cover nonphysician services, such as physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, drugs, and children's dental care.
Private insurance is outlawed except for services not covered by
Medicare, such as travel insurance outside of Canada, semiprivate
or private rooms in hospitals, and home nursing care.
An important aspect of the Canadian Medicare system is that it
provides for standardized billing for practitioners. There is no
coinsurance, no deductibles, no use fees, and no extra billing by
physicians. Whether for an office visit, an appendectomy, or
open-heart surgery, the doctor bills the government on a standardized form, and gets paid, usually within thirty days.
This single billing cuts down the administrative cost of medical
care to a level far lower than in the United States, freeing health
care dollars for use for actual health care services. A study by the
Cleveland Plain Dealer found that Mutual of Omaha, Aetna, and
Golden Rule insurance companies spent an average of 27% of
every health-care dollar on administration in 1989. In the same
year, Ontario's government health-insurance plan spent just 1.8%
of every dollar on administration.
A real life example is a Canadian man who had a heart attack in
Canada. His treatment included several days in the hospital,
Edwina V. Johnson, D.D.S.
monitoring in the cardiaccare unit, bloodwork, electrocardiogram, x-ray, ultrasound, angiogram, various medicines, exercise
stress tests. The charge to the patient: $0.00.
A few months later this same man, while vacationing in
California, again suffered chest pains and was hospitalized. After
virtually the same tests and procedures, he was released. The bill?
$12,590.34.
Following are a few statistics comparing U.S. and Canadian
health delivery. Information from Mother Jones Magazine. Dollar
amounts will be given in U.S. dollars.
CANADA
USA
$202
$347
463
488
50%
10%
• Availability of short-term
hospital beds, per 1000 patients:
4.4
4.1
• Deaths from heart disease per
100,000 people:
348
434
• Per caµita expenditure for
physicians' services:
• Number of patients per
physician:
• Percentage of physicians who
are general practitioners:
• Percentage of U .S. population covered by health insurance:
White: 76%
Black: 12%
Hispanic: 9%
• Physicians' fees are approximately 234% higher in the United
States than in Canada.
• 94% of the United State's top 100 executives are opposed to
national health insurance.
• 75% of all Americans favor some sort of national health
insurance.
• If the U.S. could hoid health-care spending at a level equal to
Canada's, the savings would equal almost $100 billion a yearenough to immunize the 1.3 million children not covered by
health insurance or government immunization programs; for
870 years.
•
"Catering to Cowards needing Tender Care"
in ComprehensiveDentistry
·5009 North Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 103
(405) 840-5410
Night & Sunday practice by appt. only
Emergencies welcome
Mowing • Fertilizing • Trimming
• Light Hauling •
Insurance accepted
"We Are Insured"
M. COLEEN WOODY
KAY
SANDIE
794-0081
794-6884
MARILYN D. BEST
IMPROMPTU-A REVIEW
by Rhonda Smith
ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW
General Practice
1518 N.W. 29th St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
405-525-2174
Just a quick note about a delightful film. This is a somewhat
fictionalized account of the relationship between author George Sand
and composer Frederik Chopin. The story itself is sweet and
believable, but the most captivating aspect is the character of George
Sand. A woman who wore men's clothing and smoked at a time when
such ideas were preposterous, she was strong, forceful, full oflife, and
•
impatient with "proper" behavior. A must see!
HSR JUNE 1991
5
RACISM -
I DON'T GET IT!
By Renea L. Butler-King
As I settle with my cup of coffee, pens, pencils, paper and several
notes jotted to myself (my ritual for writing), I attempt to script an essay
or an article about my frustrations with the Women's Resource Center
(WRC) in Norman, Oklahoma - a feminist organization that is
practicing serious racism, the worst kind. The Director, JoAnn Smith,
will tell you "she wishes to integrate her Lily White office, although the
rest of the WRC staff has no intentions of hiring women of color". The
reality is, she and her staff fire, belittle, and segregate any of the black
staff that doesn't agree with her practices.
This article has a difficult subject, racism amongst a sisterhood within
a domestic violence organization. Serious! this kind of racism. It's hard
to digest. You tell me, I work for an organization that allows me freedom
of speech and none of the white-male hierarchy bullshit. A JOKE! As
soon as I ask for some clarity of issues or display any kind of intellect,
you feel threatened and I've got to be suppressed and dislodged. I
DON'T GET IT!
I call this serious racism, the worst kind, because the Director of
Women's Resource Center, the former Director of the Norman Shelter,
would lead you to believe that in the midst of our difference in color,
there is a commonality in our struggle. The commonality was when she
was lobbying for the director's position of the Women's Resource
Center and needed the support of the Norman Shelter staff. After
receiving such position, the commonality STOPPED; and she showed a
definite difference in color. Confused? So, am I. I DON'T GET IT!
Even more frustrating is a call I made to a sister (blackwoman) who is
still employed there, I asked if she thought what was going on at WRC
was justified and her answer to me was, "Renea, some black people will
always holler racism no matter what." Sad as it sounds, she believes this.
My first reaction to this statement was, "well it is!" If it happens 100
times or 1 time, PLEASE, let's call it what it is. It is racism. Some people
do not want to see it like it is. They'd call this denial in my psychology
class. I'm not going to participate in practicing denial of racism of any
kind, any longer.
The phone rang, it's Connie, Lina and Colletta. Last month WRC
fired two of these women on the same day; Lina was fired because she
didn't fit in and Colletta was fired during a grievance process, one day
before her hearing. Women's Resource Center, didn't give Colletta due
process before firing her. In fact, WRC has consistently harassed
Connie, Lina and Colletta. Is firing and harassing black women a
practice of sisterhood? Is it a practice of commonality? Is it a practice of
communication? ls firing and harassing black women a practice of
equality? Of course not, it's racism and to give it any other name would
be confusing the issues. Racism is alive and well at Women's Resource
Center (WRC). They only employ white women to work in the
administrative offices (The Big House), even though many qualified
black women have applied for some of these positions. They employ
black women to work at the Norman Shelter (The Back House). I
DON'T GET IT!
Women's Resource Center reorganized approximately six/seven
months ago, and with this reorganization it was plainly stated by the
current Director "the new positions were to be hand picked staff (white
women) and filled with people she chose." When this happened it
occurred to me that there was no room for self-development or selfimprovement as far as black women were concerned. Not one of the
black women was ever considered or encouraged to apply for any of the
renewed positions. In fact, we were discouraged from doing so by the
current Director with statements like ''I'm appointing Kristy and Jamie
to that position and there will be no more conversation about it."
Racism, white-male hierarchy is alive and well within the Women's
Resource Center.
TRUST ME - I DON'T GET IT!
This article is difficult, I must say very sad and difficult for me because
some of my best friends are white (I love this phrase; white women use it
alot ). Thanks, but no thanks, I'll not participate in the oppression and
depression of my sisters. So, as difficult as this article was to write, it had
to be said. To preserve our commonality in the struggle, it had to be said.
REALLY - I DON'T GET IT!
•
6
HSR JUNE 1991
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WHAT IS A COMMUNITY?
by Michelle Klukas
In today's society people live within a few feet of each other and
may not even know the other's name or recognize their face in a
crowd. But sometimes people form a group. These groups of people,
with one or two things in common, band together to form a
community.
These communities work as a whole for the good of the community
and sometimes for those outside the community. They voice their
opinions and work diligently to bring about necessary changes in
the neighborhood, community or even the city or state, that will
benefit everyone involved. As expected, not everyone in a community
will agree, but the people of a good community can air their
differences, debate the issues and get things resolved without hurt
feelings or violence, and everyone is still as friendly as before the
disagreement.
This close-knit community can function just as blood relatives. In
many cases, especially if there is no family near, the community serves
as a family for many of its members. Acting as the family a
community will help person who is ill or in the hospital, or provide a
free meal or the loan of a car or money, without the expectation of
immediate financial reimbursement.
Most communities aren't just there for the problems of an
individual or the world . They are also around to provide a
networking system and entertainment. In the community there are
always many individuals whose talents can be combined with others
or used individually. A diverse community can include doctors,
mechanics, accountants, and entertainers such as singers, poets, and
other artists.
Belonging to a community is a very beneficial experience to both
the individual and the community. There is always a give and take,
and it's nice to know there is someone out there who is willing to help
•
just because you belong to the same community.
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THE KEV TO THE FUTURE
OUT OF THE PAST
By Deborah Fox
Women's heritage, like that of the Native Americans, Africans,
et al, has been dismissed as insignificant by the dominant culture.
We are being bleached of our colorful cultures and'• theologies.
What is lost is our identity and strength. Acculturation, impoverization, enforced education, missionization, and colonization are the
forces that whitewash us into conforming with the dominant
culture. What's worse is that many of us have come to believe in
the presumed authority of our oppressors. We needn't cloak our
intelligence and spirituality in male ideology and theology any
longer.
Women have been reduced in and omitted from History,
Literature, Theology, and the Sciences in the past few thousand
years of male domination. By studying only men and the history
of Patriarchy we have a lopsided account of human evolution, and
neglect what is likely the key to a sustainable future. Women rae
bringing to light the vestiges of female heritage and pioneering the
study of Woman. His-story would likely repeat itself if women
didn't set the record straight.
The ancient female images that have been disparaged by
generations of male scholars are profoundly important for women
today because they represent the legacy of female power and
woman-centered cultures. Whether a woman is gnostic, agnostic,
atheist, or pagan the Goddess remains a powerful, empowering
and validating symbol of the benevolence and wisdom of female
power. She affirms the value inherent in female be-ing.
Some feminists are skeptical claiming there is no real proof of
the Goddess, and fear Goddess will merely replace God and that
Matriarchy may be the same as Patriarchy. A rchaeological evidence, however, shows us that Goddess worship is ancient and
enduring and that these matriarchal cultures were peaceful and
egalitarian. Noted archaeologist Marija Gimbutas states: the
matriarchal cultures of the Goddess "contrasted sharply with the
ensuing proto-Indo-Europeans which were patriarchal, stratified,
pastoral, mobile, and war oriented .. . "; that "the Goddess
Creatrix in her many aspects, were largely replaced by predominantly male divinities of the Inda-Europeans." Quoted from her
book: The Goddesses And Gods of Old Europe. That the matriarchal
cultures contrast sharply with the patriarchal is exactly what
warrants our attention and further examination.
Some feminists also fear that an alliance with the Goddess
Gaia/Mother Earth will result in our being relegated to the roles
of caretakers and nurturers again, and fear that feminists combining spirituality with politics will hinder the critical thinking they
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believe is necessary for effective political change. But is it not this
fragmented, strictly "mind" approach that has led the world to
near extinction?
In Western dualistic thinking, women have been associated with
the body and nature while men have been associated with the
mind and spirit. Dualistic thinking fragments, separating mind
from body, spirit from matter. It is this frame of mind that views
human lives as expendable and justifies war, that can murder
millions of buffalo, destroy rain forests, and blow up the earth
with nuclear bombs. We must address this. We must cultivate the
frame of mind that blends mind and heart, body and spirit,
intuition and rational thought. This is the kind of spirituality
politics needs, not an organized religion that believes the murders
of war and the destruction of the earth is God's will.
The fear that recognizing a special relationship of women with
the earth will project onto us the responsibility of saving the earth,
is justified. This scenario is typical of dualistic thinking and the
dominator model of structuring the world. We all have a special
relationship with the earth, survival, for one! And we are all
responsible for cleaning up after ourselves and taking care of the
planet earth. President Bush has gone so far as to label Mars our
new home! As if that were a plausible solution to the mounting
destruction of the earth. Talk about out of touch! Riane Eisler, in
her brilliant book: The Chalice and The Blade, has developed a new
model for structuring the world based upon her studies, especially
those of the early matriarchal cultures. She calls this model the
Partnership Model, whose tenets are equality, quality of life for
all, and the ecowisdom necessary for a sustainable future.
The philosophy of Goddess spirituality posits that She is
imminent in all of creation; plant, animal, human, earth, moon,
stars, and galaxies - that all life is sacred. Hers is the earliest and
oldest religion known to date. Later came the religion of
transcendental God. The eradication of the Goddess, Goddess
religion, and women from positions of prominence was a political
act. True religious freedom acknowledges all religions as valid. As
Carol P. Christ reminds us in her book: The Laughter of Aphrodite,
"there are many names for the powers we call divine. These may
be male, female, or not genderized. The problem comes when we
do not recognize power within ourselves as well as within others
and when we do not recognize our connection to all beings within
this circle of life."
The evidence of the Goddess and Her peace-loving, egalitarian
cultures is ample, and can teach us another way of being in the
world. What's more, reclaiming our rich heritage is an empowering process. It lifts the veils of deceit and tumbles the patriarchal
foundations upon which we have built our lives thus far, clearing
the way so we can rebuild a better foundation for our future. The
journey to our true identity and power may be arduous, but we
are worth it.
•
HSR JUNE 1991
7
1991 Oklahoma
Gay cind Lesbian
PRIDE
PARADE
Saturday, June 22:
7 p.m.
Concert Under the Stars and G.A.L.A. presentations
Habana Inn west parking lot
2200 N. W. 39th Expressway 1Yi blocks west of Penn
Sunday, June 23:
11 a.m.
Ecumenical worship service
Memorial Park, Classen between N.W. 35th and 36th
12 noon
Rally, with special guests
Memorial Park
1 p.m.
Parade, with floats, marching band, organizations, and proud gays
and lesbians and supportive friends and family.
From Memorial Park, along N.W. 39th to Pennsylvania, to 39th at
Barnes (one block west of Penn).
848-5429
NEED TO TALK?
NEED COMMUNITY INFORMATION?
CALL
SHIRLEY M. HUNTER, M.Ed.
LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR
Emphasis on the problems of gay people.
PENN PARK OFFICE COMPLEX• SUITE 102
5009 N. PENNSYLVANIA • OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73112
842-GAYS
The Gay & Lesbian
HELPLINE
Hours: 7 p.m. - 1 a.m. Wednesday - Monday
Volunteers Needed: Leave a message with
a current volunteer if you are interested.