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July, 1993
A
GALA '93
FAMILY OF
PRIDE
Organizers estimated there were over 700 marchers in
Oklahoma's annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade. Marchers were
met by a crowd of over a thousand people when they arrived at "the
strip" at N.W. 39th and Penn.
In keeping with the theme, "A Family of Pride," participants
reflected the diversity of the gay, lesbian and bisexual community.
They came from all over the state with a charter bus load from Tulsa
and contingents from towns like Stillwater and Ada. They were
Native Americans, Latinas and Latinos, African-Americans, AsianAmericans, Anglos. They were parents, leather dykes, teachers,
social workers, drag queens, and preachers -- in short, they were a
cross-section of Oklahomans.
The day's events began with a picnic hosted by the Oklahoma
City chapter of Simply Equal and election of Oklahoma representatives to participate in the Stonewall 25 planning process. Events
continued with a worship service led by the Gay Ecumenical
Council.
The pre-parade rally organized by the Oklahoma Gay and
Lesbian Political Caucus included speeches by Bill Rogers, Chairperson of the Oklahoma City Human Rights Commission, Peggy
Johnson of Herland .and Simply Equal, and Jose Zuniga, recently
discharged Soldier of the Year.
Sgt. Zuniga shared that he chose to participate in the Oklahoma
Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade as his first Pride Parade as an out gay
man. He turned down an opportunity to speak in San Francisco to
come to Oklahoma to talk to middle America about the need to lift
the military ban.
Sgt. Zuniga was discharged from the Army after he came out
publicly at the March on Washington in spite of his distinguished
military service. He was named the Sixth Army Soldier of the Year
in March, 1993 and had received numerous other awards and
decorations. Zuniga denounced proposed compromises on lifting
the miltary ban saying, "We will not give in. We will not barter our
rights."
Herland Sister Resources was honored as "Outstanding Community Organization ofl 992" by Pride Net work, Inc. at GALA '93.
With the theme ·'Celebrating the Best in the Community for 1992' ',
GALA'93: Creatively Black & White was held June 21 at Gusher's
Bar. This year is the first year the Gay and Lesbian Awards have been
presented by Pride Network. The awards ceremoney was co-hosted
by Mychall Lee Allen and Shatzy Watson.
AlanNyitray received the Richard Monroe Humanitarian Award
in recognition of his service to Oklahoma's gay and lesbian community. Alan is a past co-chair of the Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian
Political Caucus and current co-facilitator of Simply Equal - Oklahoma City.
Excerpts from Peggy Johnson's Pride Rally Speech
I was a Navy journalist, but I am in the Navy no longer. I am
a lesbian activist, bent on making the world a more comfortable place
for us to live. That includes lifting the ban on gays and lesbians in the
military. We must press our representatives for that important
change ....
I speak today not to educate the ignorant and close-minded that
lesbians and gays are people who have a right to be. I do not speak
to those lost in a small world of hatred and hypocrisy.
I speak to my friends -- my family of lesbians, gay men,
bisexuals, transsexuals, transvestites and heterosexuals . I speak to
you personally on this day -- on our day -- ignoring those who would
see us dead, impoverished, and institutionalized.
For today is our day. This parade is our parade. This is our day
to shine, proud to live, proud to love, proud to be. This is Lesbian
and Gay Pride Day. We are out in the light of this day. The light
makes us grow.
(continued pg. 6)
Volume IO Number 7
AWARDS
Herland Sister Resources
GALA '93 Honorees
Outstanding Female Volunteer
Cindy Bookout
Outstanding Male Volunteer
Paul Thompson
Outstanding Female Entertainer
Peggy Johnson
Outstanding Male Entertainer
Mychall Lee Allen
Outstanding Community Organization
Herland Sister Resources
Outstanding Female Sportsperson
Rhonda Blake
Outstanding Male Sportsperson
Cheyenne Rosborough
Outstanding Female Impersonator
Jacqulyn DeVaroe
Outstanding Community Event
1992 Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade
Outstanding Male Entertainment Group
OKC Metro Men's Chorus
Outstanding Youth Organization
YGLA
Outstanding Female Entertainment Group
Checks 'N Denim
Outstanding Male Club/Bar
Bunkhouse
Outstanding Female Club/Bar
Porthole
Outstanding Business
Gushers Restaurant
1992 Woman of the Year
Shatzy Watson
1992 Man of the Year
Paul Thompson
Richard Monroe Humanitarian Award
Alan Nyitray
2312 N.W. 39, OKC, OK 73112
ST. SYBIL
Sybil Ludington, unsung and mostly-forgotten heroine ofthe American Revolution, is an occasional contributor to this space.
Dear St. Sybil,
I am interested to hear what you, as a famous patriot, consider
patriotism to be. Not all of us have the opportunity to leap on our
pony and carry warnings through the night like you and Paul Revere
did.
Admiringly,
ImaN. Viuss
Dear Ima,
What Paul and I did was easy - anyone can be a hero when such
an opportunity presents itself. Was it patriotic? I guess; but again,
it was so simple - one night, one job that needed doing, the
wherewithal to do it - duck soup.
So what is patriotism? Well, what is not patriotism is getting
all teary-eyed when the flag passes - that's sentimentality; running
for major political office - that's ambition; bashing flag burners and
other dissidents - that's blind hatred; "My Country Right or
Wrong' ' - that' s jingoism - and stupid.
If I were to look in on the United States in 1993 and check for
patriots, I would look for people who were brought up to believe the
American dream and who work to make it a reality for others:
T Teachers who choose to work where the children are most needy;
Legal Aid lawyers; Big Brothers and Sisters; poverty health care
workers, labor organizers - my new friend Cesar Chavez, Patron
Saint of farm workers, was a Patriot.
T Volunteers in hospices, AIDS workers, volunteers who rock sick
babies for hours; settlement house workers - another new friend,
Mitch Snyder, Patron Saint of the Castoff, the Castout, and the
Homeless, was a Patriot.
T Vista volunteers, Peace Corp volunteers, Peace House workers,
Pantex vigilers, Plowshares activists, the Women of the Puget
Sound encampment, - my wonderful new friend Leona Luecke,
Matron Saint of the dedicated, was a Patriot.
Real patriots go quietly about their way working to make the
country they Jove even better. The one thing you can be sure real
patriots will never do is describe themselves as patriots. In the
famous words of Samuel Johnson, ''Patriotism is the last refuge of
a scoundrel" . Remember this the next time you are tempted to go
hear some self-described patriot Marine Colonel speak ...
Love,
Sybil
Dear St. Sybil,
Did you march in the gay pride parade June 27?
Curious
Dear Curious,
I was the wind making the heat bearable, the clouds giving you
shade, and the cosmic clockworks making everything run so well. I
wouldn' t have missed it for the world.
Love & kisses,
Sybil
Simply Equal representatives from OKC and Norman discuss lifting the ban on lesbians/gays in
the military with Senator Boren's aide, Jim Hopper. Pictured from left, Terry Gatewood, Peggy Johnson,
Tina Steeves, Jim Hopper, Helen Miller, Steve Lazarus,
o
and Kerman Raines.
DOT
CELEBRATES LESBIAN,
GAY, AND BISEXUAL PRIDE
Frederico Pena, Secretary of the U.S. Department of
Transportation(DOT) is among the first cabinet level officials to
support actively the lesbian, gay and bisexual employees in his
department. The Secretary issued policy statements on May 27,
1993 covering diversity and equal employment opportunity.
These statements are historic in that they are among the first
policies issued by a Cabinet Secretary that include protections based
on sexual orientation. The Secretary defined diversity as "hiring,
developing, promoting and retaining employees of all races, ethnic
groups, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds; the old, the
young, and the middle-aged; the able-bodied and the disabled; men
and women."
In his policy statement on equal employment opportunity, Pena
stated, "it is the policy of this Department that no one be denied ·
opportunities because of his or her race, color, religion, sex, age,
national origin, disability or sexual orientation."
In addition to being among the first cabinet-level Departments
to provide protection for lesbian, gay and bisexual employees, the
Department of Transportation was the first cabinet-level agency to
have activities to observe lesbian, gay and bi-sexual pride. The
major event held on June 15 featured addresses by Secretary Federico
Pena and Congressman Barney Frank. Other activities included a
lesbian, gay, and bisexual history display in the lobby of the FAA
building, a seminar led by a panel from the Federation of Parents and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays and a seminar on the effect of AIDS on
workplace, family and friends.
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DOC BERLAND KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN NOVEMBER.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
\Wednesday Thursday
Birthdays in July:
Mary McLeod Bethune, July 10, 1875 - 1955
Emmeline Pankhurst, July 14, 1858 - 1928
Amelia Earhart, July 24, 1898 - 1937
Eleanor Smeal, July 30, 1939
Patricia Schroeder, July 30, 1940
4
5
DO YOU????
7
6
I
Friday
Saturday
3
2
CoDA, 7 pm
8
Simply
Equal
g
10
CoDA, 7 pm
at Trianele
Associates
7 pm
PeeeyJohnson
at.
Lena's Place
Allanta, GA
..
11
13
12
Miss
Brorwn
To You
8:45 pm
Al VZD's
18
19
Board
Meet.inQ
15
26
17 .
16
Bastille Day
al Herland
7 pm
GaraQe
=
SIMPLY EQUAL
CoDA, 7 pm
Woody
Guthrie
1912 - 1967
20
21
eoo st.u
22
lt~rkshop
23
CoDA, 7 pm
28
27
Sale
at Herland
brinj/bu~
Simply Equal
.it. Herl.ind
7 pm
4:30 pm
All Welcome
25
14
29
Simply Equal
al Herland
7 pm
3<l>eQQy
Johnson
405/ 521-9696
·Hours: Saturdays 10 - 6: Sundays 1 - 6
31
Incest.
Survivor's
Workshop
at. the
Cratefl.il Bean PeppyJohnson
fOt.h & Walker
at.
9pm-l'tidnipht
La Baeuet.t.e
9 pm
CoDA. 7 pm
•
.,
July 7, 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed to the
U.S. Supreme Court. Now she may soon be joined by Ruth
Bader Ginsburg - wow, we're taking over.
HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES, INC.
2312 N.\V. 39th Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
on
Livin£1 Wi11s,
etc. Herland,
2 - 4 r::irn ·
PeppyJohnson
Q p.m. al lhe
Grat.efl.il Bean
10th & Walker
NonProfit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Permrt No. 861
2312 N.W. 39th Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED
CONDUCT UNBECOMING: GAYS
AND LESBIANS IN THE U.S.
MILITARY:
A
REVIEW
by Peggy Johnson
The first thing I did was look in the index for my name. Of
course it wasn't there. I'm one of the ones Randy Shilts describes as
not fighting the military' s ban on lesbians and gays. I just quietly got
discharged.
The second thing I did was look up my ship's name in the index.
It wasn't there either. I guess all of us were quiet about it.
So as I was reading along, I was surprised to read the following
sentence on page 418. "The more successful witch-hunts were the
ones nobody heard about, such as that of lesbians aboard the USS
Puget Sound, a destroyer tender." I re-read it three times, then a
fourth . Here I had read over 400 pages of descriptions of people I've
come to admire -- Leonard Matlovich, Perry Watkins, Miriam BenShalom -- and my whole experience was recorded in one sentence.
lfl had to do itoverl would shout it out. Butl can't do it over. I don't
want to do it over.
My response to the Naval Investigative Service's treatment of
me was more common as Shilts reminds the reader throughout the
book. But I was always proud that I never denied being a lesbian and
thatl didn't give any names of the other lesbians I knew. As the book
explains, many did give names -- lots of names.
My interrogation was but a shadow of many described. You
must read this book to find out what has been going on for years and
continues to happen to average members of our society. Even if you
are a passivist, hate war, think no one should be in the military, you
need to know this. You need to find out what happens to gays and
lesbians from small towns, those who join to get away, people too
young to know whether they believe in war or not.
The military is a microcosm of our greater society. Conduct
Unbecoming shows what the military does to its gay and lesbian
members. It shows the inconsistency of the policy that bans us. It gets
in the face of the people who made and uphold the policy. It explores
the lives of the ones whose lives were most directly affected by it.
You must educate yourself about the story ofLeonardMatlovich.
Though he won his lengthy lawsuit to be re-instated in the Air Force,
after his discharge, he never quite fit in with the gay community. Find
out how his story ends.
You must learn about Perry Watkins who always said yes when
asked if he were a homosexual. He was retained for 13 years in the
Army until finally being discharged. One stage of his court case
contains an excellent legal analysis on the reasons for lifting the ban.
Conduct Unbecoming shows what the
military does to its gay and lesbian
members.
A federal district court ordered the reinstatement of Miriam
Ben-Shalom but the Army refused to comply. Paul Starr and Barbara
Baum did prison time. Others were demoted for being character
witnesses for those accused of being lesbian or gay . Find out how
their stories end. Realize that the purges dwindle during wartime,
including the Persian Gulf War.
Randy Shilts' writing style is somewhat cumbersome for a poor
memory like mine but really does work over the long haul. Think of
a well written murder mystery in which the writer introduces too
many characters as each chapter progresses. It's hard to keep up with
so much character development and action laid out in a chronological
fashion. But, hey, you can always flip back to refresh your memory.
The thing is that there are too many characters. And there are
thousands more who are not in the book who got out quietly like I did.
Let us be quiet no longer.
The book's treatment of women in the military is pretty good
and I'm sure Shilts had to push extra hard in researching lesbians'
plight. Often while reading, I really noticed the sketchiness of the
lesbian discussion until the major lesbian purges in the mid to late
1980's. This absence is more a social commentary than lack of
treatment by the writer. The feminist backlash was in full swing by
then.
You 'II learn that gays in the military is not
about gays in the military at all. It's about
health. It about banishing the closet. It's
about the freedom to be.
Conduct Unbecoming contains exhaustive research about the
development of the military ban on homosexuals within the context
of our ever-changing society as a whole. Shilts' descriptions of what
was going on in the military and in the broader world will stir your
mind to wonder why you didn't know. You'll wish yo_u had known
then what you know now. You'll learn that gays in the military is not
about gays in the military at all. It's about health. It about banishing
the closet. It's about the freedom to be.
Randy weaves the onslaught of AIDS into his chronological
arrangement. Anyone with an interest in the development of the
epidemic must read of the especially horrendous treatment infected
soldiers received from the military.
This book contains a major history lesson that you've not heard
in those war classes where you never could remember the dates.
You'll remember these dates. They happened before and during your
lifetime. It's the ··during'' part that'll shake you up. These are some
more names to remember. And don' t forget that thousands of our
names won't be in the book.
As the book wound to a close, I couldn't put down the story
about the Navy coverup of the tragedy on the USS Iowa . Many of you
will remember vaguely the facts surrounding the explosion onboard
the old battleship. The Navy set up an intricate scam to blame it on
an allegedly gay sailor, Chris Hargett, who died in the explosion. His
sister fought tirelessly and successfully to clear his name and denied
that he was gay. "But if he was, so what," she said. " What's the
connection between being gay and blowing up battleships?"
Indeed, what is the connection between being gay orlesbian and
anything except perhaps how we individually express that part of
ourselves? In this book, you will meet many who were forced to
speak up about their homosexuality and lesbianism for the public
record. Randy Shilts has created a volume documenting their lives
and exposing the hypocrisy of the military ban. The reader cannot
help but see the connection between the United States military policy
and the general treatment of gays and lesbians by society as a whole.Cl
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Her/and Voice July, 1993
3
MEMORANDUM
TO: Whom It May Concern
FROM: Barney Frank
RE: Outline of proposed compromise regarding the
right of gay men and lesbians to serve in the military.
I am proposing the following compromise. Obviously this is a
proposition which needs to be made much more specific, and part of
my reason for proposing it is to make sure that when a compromise
proposal is drafted, some ofus who in fact prefer a total lifting of the
ban are in on that drafting. It is in the course of these negotiations
that I hope we can fill in some of the specifics.
The essential position is to draw a distinction between what
people are legally entitled to do when they are on base, on duty or in
uniform, and what they can do when they are off duty, and on their
own time and in non-military installations. Under my proposal, gay
men and lesbians who are off duty, not in military installations and
in civilian clothes would be allowed to act as any other gay or lesbian
member of society. They could socialize, enjoy a relationship, etc.,
without this having any potential negative legal effect on their
service.
In fact, such a rule would have protected the vast majority of
lesbians and gay men who have been victimized by being kicked out
of the military in the past. That is, historically very few people have
volunteered their sexual orientation to their superior officers or to
the bulk of their fellow enlisted women and men. People have been
kicked out because they were spied upon, because phone conversations were overheard, because people saw them going into places
which revealed -- or at least indicated their sexual orientation. In all
cases these things were reported to superior officers who then acted
to kick people out. Under the proposal I am making, this would not
be allowed to happen. If someone reported to a superior officer that
someone had been seen off duty going into a gay bar, or had been seen
with a person of the same sex at a movie theater in circumstances that
suggested a relationship, or was seen dancing with someone of the
same sex at a particular party, etc., etc., the legal effect of this would
be zero. That is, the individual to whom this was reported would be
required to say that this was irrelevant and it would have no effect on
·
people's right to serve.
The part of my proposal that is a compromise on our part is an
acceptance of the restriction that currently exists against lesbians
and gay men being explicit about their sexual orientation while they
are on base, on duty, etc. This would restrict gay men and lesbians
from engaging in behavior while on base, etc., which gave a clear
indication of their sexual orientation. It would prohibit them from
being public about thc:ir sexual orientation to their colleagues at
large, their superior officers, etc.
Off base and off duty, gay men and lesbians in the military
would be free to act on their sexual orientation without fear that
someone could report them and cause them to lose their careers. On
duty they would be subject to essentially the same restrictions they
are subjected to now. Thus, this does free only part of their lives, and
is hardly the goal we would prefer if we had the votes to enact one.
Editor's note: The following is excerpted from Representative
Frank 's written explanation to the lesbian and gay community of his
compromise proposal.
Unfortunately with less than two months to go before congressional committees begin voting on this, I believe we have to face a
stark fact: if the choice before the Congress is instant equality or a
statute which enacts the complete ban into permanent law, Congress
will choose the latter.
4 Her/and Voice July, 1993
It was for this reason that I decided to try to promote a
compromise that would be far better than the very limited proposal
known as "don't ask, don't tell", which proposal would have left gay
men and lesbians totally unprotected for any activity they engaged
in which expressed their sexual orientation on their own time, off
base and off duty.
I had four criteria in trying to find a compromise. First I
obviously wanted one that would give us the maximum of what we
are trying to get, given that we cannot get 100%. Second, and equally
importaint it had to be one that could be sustained by a vote of both
Houses of Congress . .... The third one is that we find a solution which
has as its logical core a recognition that gay men and lesbians were
not the problem, but that the problem we were dealing with had to do
with prejudice from some of the straight majority. Finally, I wanted
a compromise that would leave us in a position to make further
improvements.
The proposal I have advanced .. .is the one I think best meets
these needs. What it says is essentially that the military will not ask
people their sexual orientation, will not investigate them for their
sexual orientation, and will pay no attention to things that happen
when people are off base, off duty and out of uniform which may
express their sexual orientation. In return for this, the gay men and
lesbians joining the military would have to accept a restriction on
their ability to express their sexual orientation while on base, in
uniform or on duty . .... I should add explicitly that under my
proposal, if someone were ·'reported'' to the military commanders
because he or she had been observed going to a gay bar, or because
someone noted that he or she lived with a same sex lover, the
response of the military would have to be · ' none of your business.' '
That is, off base activities of gay men and lesbians would simply not
be relevant to their careers. This is where my proposal differs from
the "don't ask -- don't tell" proposal because under versions I have
seen of that proposal, people who were seen going into a gay bar, or
whose mail was read, or who are overheard talking on the phone, etc.,
etc., would be kicked out. In fact, until recently when a number of
brave people volunteered their sexual orientation to help us in this
fight, this is how the overwhelming majority of gay men and lesbians
were in fact victimized. They were not people who on the whole
made any declaration of their sexual orientation. They were people
who were going about their business and who were spied upon on
their own time, either by official investigative forces of the armed
services, or by vengeful or nosy individuals. This practice would be
banned.
It is also important to note that the problem is not gay men and
lesbians, but the prejudice they may encounter among some straight
people. That is, accepting this proposal would mean acknowledging
the fact that gay men and lesbians were perfectly qualified to serve
in the military, and that people who serve in the military were
entirely free on their own time to live the life of a gay man or a
lesbian. It makes clear that the problem is that the military believes
that some significant percentage of straight people would react in a
disruptive fashion to the presence of gay men and lesbians .....
...I also believe that this is a first step ... it is explicitly based on
the assumption that the problem is not with gay men and lesbians but
with the prejudice that exists against us in some elements of the
straight community; and it offers us the basis for moving ahead.
.. .. I believe my proposal offers us the best chance to do that
[integrate more fully], especially since under my proposal, there
would be no statute locking in any particular set of rules, but rather
a modified executive order. The alternative is a statute which takes
the policy of total and complete exclusion with all of its negative
symbolic, monetary, and practical implications and writes it into
~-
Q
''DoN'T AsK, DoN'r
TELL''
by Vivien Ng
How any thinking person can regard the "don't ask, don't tell"
formulations (Sam Nunn's and Barney Frank's) as "reasonable
compromises" is beyond me. How President Clinton, who made
lifting the ban on gays and lesbians in the military a major campaign
promise, can characterize either version as a positive step toward
eliminating institutionalized discrimination is truly a stretch, even
for a man as elastic as he is. How he can claim to be our friend when
he states publicly that what he is striving to accomplish here is to give
us a chance to serve in the military while not appearing to "endorse
the gay lifestyle'' is downright gall. Which goes to show that some
friends can be our worst enemies.
Remember that fuss over Patricia Ireland, when she became
president of NOW? I still have a drawer full of newspaper clippings
from that time in December/January 1991/92. A story in USA Today,
for example, reported that ''some feminists were shocked Ireland
went public with her personal life." Similarly, Washington Post
reported that ''several feminists, though none on the record, said
Ireland's revelations about her personal life could reinforce a stereotype of NOW, accurate or not, as being out of step." Severalleaders
of women' s organizations fretted privately with me that they wished
Ireland would ' 'just keep her private life private.''
Statements such as' 'I don'tcare what you do.in your private life
as long as you don' t flaunt it in public" are nothing more than fig
leaves. And you know what, "liberals" are more liable to cover their
homophobia with these fig leaves than outright bigots, who at least
don't try to hide their true feelings.
"Keep your private life private" is the liberal community's
way of saying to us: "Stay in the closet." But because they don't
' 'get'' it, and because they are so good at acting progressive, they
have managed to confuse, for themselves and others, privacy with
concealment. I am just about as private as any person can be. I can
count on one hand the number of people in the entire state of
Oklahoma who know the intimate details of my private life. But
many people know that I am a lesbian. (At least a thousand, if you
count just the circulation of The Voice .)
I bet it has happened to you, too. That when you tell people that
you're a lesbian, they blanch and then stutter, " Oh, there's no need
to tell us about such intimate matters." Straight people have such
dirty minds, don' t they?
"Don't ask, don't tell" is a formula devised by pseudoenlightened people. It presumes that a person's sexual orientation
can be compartmentalized, packaged, put in a closet. It assumes that
the boundary between our public and private selves is an impenetrable wall. How else can they imagine that it is possible for a
person to be "out" off base but "in" on base?
Adrienne Rich, in a talk given at Scripps College in 1984, put
it very bluntly to her hosts: ''Here in Claremont ... I have often felt
invisible as a lesbian. I have felt my identity as a feminist threatening
to some, welcome to others; but my identity as a lesbian is something
that many people would prefer not to know about. And this
experience has reminded me of what I should never have let myself
forget: that invisibility is not just a matter of being told to keep your
private life private; it's the attempt to fragment you, to prevent you
from integrating love and work and feelings and ideas, with the
empowerment that that can bring."
' 'Don'task, don'ttell'' is a public policy that seeks todisempower
lesbians and gays. We will not be duped.
CJ
PATRIOTISM
by Deborah Fox
"Patriotism: n. Love of and devotion to one's own country.
Patrios - of one's fathers, patris - fatherland, pater - father." (Webster 's
//New Riverside University Dictionary)
I was born in the State of Arizona of the United States of
America. I am an American. My lineage is primarily Polish and
Russian. My roots are European.
·
''America'' is what white European men named this continent
the natives called Turtle Island. Various European countries fought
each other and the natives of this land for "rights" to this land.
America, the "New World", is founded upon stolen land. Our
forefathers refused to cooperate with and learn from the Native
Americans, believing instead that white maleness was superior to all
other peoples. Their arrogance was so great they even defaced a
majestic mountain, carving their mark upon Mr. Rushmore. Our
forefathers tried to destroy the Native Americans and nearly succeeded. Today, Native Americans are still being robbed of their land
and their dignity.
America is a mosaic of various peoples of varying cultures and
former countries. Yet the American governmental body has not
reflected this. White, male supremacy dominates and everyone else
is beneath their heel. This is changing, but not fast enough for my
liking .
I wonder what America would be like if our forefathers had
listened and learned from Chief Seattle or the countless powerful
Indian women who have been erased by male supremacist literature
and history texts. What would America be like if Wilma Mankiller,
Chief of the Cherokee Nation, were President? What would America
be like if the Government was multi-racial, multi-cultural and
equally gendered?
Patriotism to me, implies being loyal to and upholding the status
quo: white, male domination, hierarchy, consumerism and exploitation of Earth's resources.
Patriotism definitely means separation from other countries,
which alienates people of one country from people of another
country. Patriotism does not promote world peace, the Oneness of
all life, and global community.
" .. as a woman, I have no country, as a woman I want no country,
as a woman, my country is the whole world." Virginia Woolf [J
Published by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312 N.W. 39th,
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Newsletter Committee: Margaret Cox, Deborah Fox, Vivien Ng,
Pat Reaves
Circulation: 1000
Advertising Rates: Business card $15; 1/4 page $35;
12 page $60; full page $100 Deadline for ads is the 15th of the
month preceeding publication date.
The Voice is offered as an open forum for community discourse.
Articles reflect the opinions of the author and not necessarily
those of Hertand Sister Resources. Unsolicited articles and
letters to the editor are welcomed and must be signed by the writer
with full name and address. Upon request, letters or articles may
be printed under a pseudonym or anonymously.
Subscriptions to The Voice are free upon request.
The Voice is printed on recycled paper.
Her/and Voice July, 1993
5
HATE CRIMES
STATUE UPHELD
The U.S Supreme Court on June 11 affirmed the constitutionality of a Wisconsin state statute that enhances penalties for crimes
motivated by a bias against the victim's race, religion, color,
disability, national origin, ancestry or sexual orientation. The Supreme Court justices made clear that the decision in Wisconsin v.
Mitchell differs significantly from their ruling last year in a hate
speech case known as R.A.V. v. St. Paul. While the St. Paul
ordinance punished hate speech or ·'messages,'' the Wisconsin
statute allows for increased sentences when illegal conduct is motivated by bias.
"The Wisconsin v. Mitchell decision, and the fact that it was
unanimous, is a critical victory for the lesbian and gay movement,''
said Martin Hiraga, NGLTF Anti-Violence Project director. "It
vindicates our contention that because hate crimes are not simple
assaults, but attacks against entire groups, they deserve tougher
sentences."
"We hope this decision sends two messages," said Hiraga,
"First, to would-be anti-gay, anti-Semitic and racist bashers - they
cannot attack anyone with impunity any more. Second, to state and
Federal legislators - now is the time to pass carefully-crafted and
constitutionally-sound legislation to combat hate crimes."
NGLTF has been documenting anti-gay hate violence since
1982 and produces an annual report on violence, victimization and
defamation against lesbians, gay men and bisexuals in the nation.
The NGLTF Anti-Violence Project, working with activists from
across the nation, has pushed for local, state and national hate crime
legislation, such as the Wisconsin law and the Hate Crime Statistics
Act.
When the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith filed an
amicus brief in Wisconsin v. Mitchell, NGLTF joined it and 15
national Jewish, civil rights and law enforcement agencies in supporting the state of Wisconsin.
"Lesbians, gay men and bisexuals must now push for the
passage of hate crimes penalty enhancement legislation in their own
cities and states,'' urged Hiraga. ·•And wherever such laws already
exist, we must constantly monitor law enforcement authorities to
make sure that the laws are being implemented and used to counter
hate crimes."
Cl
A Family of Pride (continued
trom pg. 1;
But let us be silent no longer. Let us shout it, though fear may
tell us no. Let us tell our mother, father, sister, brother. Let us tell
our co-worker, our boss. At the very least, let us not laugh at another
gay or lesbian joke. Realize that racism and sexism have the same
elements as homophobia and cannot be tolerated.
Finally, let us come out to each other, come out for each other.
Our time is ripe. This is our day. This is our year. This is our
lifetime. We have been playing hide and seek. We have been playing
hide and seek for our whole lives. I say: COME OUT! COME OUT
WHEREVER YOU ARE! ....
We need each other. The hatemongers press down hard against
us, fueled by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Jesse Helms, Phyllis
Schlafly, Jerry Falwell. Don't believe them. Don't give them the
time of day. We must stand tall together on the hard road ahead to
achieve our simple task. Get involved with Simply Equal, Herland,
Oasis. Our task is simply the right to be. Grasp it now. We are
Cl
history in the making. We must not let the time pass us by.
6 Her/and Voice July, 1993
ZOOM BEACH
Sunday, August l, the old tradition of Zoom Beach will be
revived. The beach area at Lake Thunderbird in Norman will be open
from 1 - 6 pm. Event organizers hope to attract thousands of gay men
and lesbians from Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas
for this event, the proceeds of which will be donated to local AIDS
service organizations.
Organizers will not be able to sell or give away beer, but guests
will be able to bring their own beer and wine coolers as long as they
are 3.2 or less, and not in glass bottles. No hard liquor is allowed.
Advance ticket price for the event is $6.00 per person until Saturday,
July 31 . Due to restrictions by park officials, tickets cannot be sold
at the gate; they must be purchased in advance. The ticket price will
include standard picnic-type fare of hot dogs, chips and watermelon.
Guests are asked to bring their own soft drinks, water, etc.
Music for the event will be provided by Bryson, Inc., who has
donated the Bud Light karaoke truck. The music will be a combination of top 40 and top country hits, spun by Checkerz, house deejay
at Angles. Other planned activities include volleyball, horseshoes,
a water balloon toss, a watermelon seed spitting contest, and a Mr.
and Ms. Zoom Beach contest.
Tickets for the event, as well as for the Gay Day at Frontier City
in September (see next month' s Voice for more details) will be
available at several locations throughout Oklahoma City, including
Herland, Lobo's, Triangle Association, Jungle Red's, and several
local bars; or by mailing a check or money order to The Gayly
Oklahoman, P. 0. Box 60930, OKC, OK 73146.
Children are welcome, but Park officials ask that you leave your
Cl
animals at home.
THE DINNER PARTY
Judy Chicago's famous work, The Dinner Party, is a 48-foot
equilateral triangle set as a dining table. A series of 39 place settings
tells the symbolic story of women in Wes tern civilization. Each
setting is executed in hand-painted china ceramics and needlework.
the table sits on the Heritage Floor, which consists of 2,300 handcast, lustered porcelain tiles that bearthe names of999more women,
whose lives and work form the foundation for the achievements
represented at the table. The entire work was designed by Ms.
Chicago, and hundreds of artisans contributed to its execution.
After touring 14 institutions in six countries, The Dinner Party
virtually disappeared. It is obviously a huge work of art and
monumental to dismantle and move. It has come close to finding a
permanent home a couple of times, but never quite made it.
If things go according to recently formulated plans, however,
The Dinner Party will have a permanent home in New Mexico, where
Ms. Chicago now lives . Members of Through the Flower, the
foundation established to control The Dinner Party's fate, have
decided to permanently house it in Santa Fe. A capital campaign will
be launched next spring, about a year before the work is exhibited in
Los Angeles in 1995.
"We're going to need about $10 million for a building and an
endowment,: Ms. Chicago says. "Our goal is to have the facility
open in the year2000 as a symbol of women's achieving equality by
the end of the millennium. But we're going to need a nationwide
grassroots effort to accomplish it."
To raise money , Through the Flower is asking people to have
a dinner party for The Dinner Party. If you want to play a part in
establishing a permanent home for this important, beautiful and
po)Verful work of art, write Through The Flower, P. 0. Box 8318,
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504.
Cl
ANTI-GAY/LESBIAN
I NIATITIVE
INTRODUCED IN MISSOURI
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (June 21, 1993) -- The Privacy Rights
Education Project (PREP) joins with civil rights, legal, professional
and religious organizations throughout the state of Missouri in
expressing dismay and outrage at the introduction of an anti-gay and
lesbian initiative campaign announced today, said Leah Edelman,
administrative coordinator.
•'This campaign clearly shows a lack ofrespect for basic human
rights and dignity," Edelman said. "By singling out an entire class
of people for different treatment under the law, The Amendment
Coalition creates an environment of fear and intolerance."
At a press conference in Jefferson City today, members of The
Amendment Coalition, a conservative organization headed by Kerry
K. Messer of the Missouri Family Network, announced plans to
begin a statewide petition drive to place on the 1994 general election
ballot a constitutional amendment. If passed, the proposed amendment would deny Missouri's gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens
protection from discrimination under the law. It would also void
existing civil rights codes in the cities of Festus, St. Louis, Columbia
and Kansas City.
" I am disappointed that any group of people would deny the
basic human rights of another,'' said St. Louis city Alderwoman
Mary Ross. Ross sponsored the city's revised civil rights code, which
includes protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation,
last October. The proposed amendment is similar in form and
function to Amendment 2, which was considered and adopted in
Colorado last year. Although enjoined from enforcement pending
the outcome of a court judgement on its constitutionality, the
campaign leading to Amendment 2' s passage coincided with an over
400 percent increase in violence against lesbians and gay men in
Colorado, and increased reports of anti-gay discrimination and
defamation throughout the state.
"We are saddened that such a measure would even be considered in the state of Missouri," said Margaret Johnson, a PREP
spokeswoman, •'but we are not surprised. Missouri is only the latest
state to be targeted by conservative activists to deprive lesbian, gay
and bisexual people of their rights.
"We believe our state has far more important and immediate
concerns before it, which could benefit from the talents and abilities
of all of its citizens,'' Johnson continued. ' 'However, The Amendment Coalition has thrown down the gauntlet, and we -- a people
deeply concerned about equality ofjustice and opportunity-- have no
option but to reluctantly pick it up and work to defeat this amendment.' '
"We have confidence that the citizens of the state will not
support discrimination in any form, and we urge people of conscience throughout Missouri to join us in our efforts to oppose this
amendment,'' said Edelman.
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2109 s. AiR DEpOT
MidwEST CiTY, OK 7 ~ l l 0
(405 )?H-0496
AiR DEpoT ANiMAl HospiTAl
CAil foR AppoiNTMENT
JOY HUSKA, D.V. M.
PREMENSTRUL DYSPHORIC DISORDER
The Boston Women's Health Book Collective is urging women
to write the American Psychiatric Association to protest its recent
decision to include premenstrual syndrome as a diagnosis in its
Manual of Mental Disorders. Some arguments against including
··premenstrual dysphoric disorder'' in the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders are:
1. There is NO sound empirical basis for such a category. As
many researchers have documented, enormous numbers of studies
have been done, but most are profoundly flawed and certainly do not
constitute evidence that there should be such a disorder. Indeed, the
DSM subcommittee studying PMS reached an impasse about whether
or not it should go in the handbook and took the curious step of asking
two other people to review the research and decide what should be
done.
2. Such a category carries social and political dangers for
women.
-- At Senate confirmation hearings, job interviews, custody
proceedings, and mental competence hearings women could be
asked, ••Have you been diagnosed as having premenstrual dysphoric
disorder' '?
-- There is no parallel category for men, no suggestion that the
well-documented mood and behavior changes that result from variations in "male hormone" changes should be given the label of a
mental illness (no "testosterone-based aggressive disorder").
--There is no sex-blind category for mood or behavior changes
caused by physiological problems.
3. Such a category carries economic dangers for women.
--Former DSM Task Force Chair, Robert Spitzer, acknowledged in a press conference that psychiatrists have no effective
treatment for PMS, so the primary effects of this category will be to
pathologize women, increase the income of doctors who diagnose
women as having PMS and then "treat" them, and drain insurance
coffers.
For more information, contact the Boston Collective at 617/
625-0277. Letters protesting the PMS designation may be written to
Joseph T. English, MD, President, American Psychiatric Association, 1400 K Street N.W ., Washington, DC 20005 .
Cl
ACLU UPDATE
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit accusing
the City of Chattanooga, Tennessee and city officials of violating the
U.S. Constitution by denying a group of lesbians and gay men a
permit for a parade to commemorate its annual gay and lesbian pride
day.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S District Court by the ACLU's
national Lesbian and Gay Rights Project and the ACLU of Tennessee, also says that the City's process for obtaining parade permits
violates the U.S. Constitution by not clearly defining criteria necessary to receive permission for a parade or march.
Filed on behalf of the Chattanooga Lesbian and Gay Pride
Committee, the lawsuit seeks to force the City to provide a permit for
the gay pride parade and seeks to require the City Council to adopt
a constitutional permit application process.
"As sure as there are gay pride marches, there are attempts to
silence them," said William Rubenstein, Director of the ACLU's
national Lesbian and Gay Rights Project. •'Nearly every year we are
confronted with denials of parade permits. The ACLU has litigated
such cases in the past few years from Long Island to Long Beach, and
we will continue to protect vigilantly the rights of lesbian and gay
Americans to uncensored expressions of gay pride.''
Cl
.Her/and Voice July, 1993
7
r----------------------------------------,
1
JltJJ.. J. l~'l IN Jltt1llll)
Herland will sponsor a workshop on durable power of attorney and laws which
effect lesbians at 2 P.M., Saturday, July
24 at Herland. Attorney Collen Woody
will present the workshop which will
make participants aware of the need to
plan for the future and issues to be addressed in those plans.
Dr. Cindy Chandler presents "What is
Spirituality", Saturday July 3, 1993 from
12-3 P.M. at New Horizons MCC, 3136
N. Portland, OKC. Call 942-6313 for
details.
The 10th Annual Pantex Pilgrimage and
Peace Camp will be Friday, August 6
through Monday, August 9, at the Peace
Farm across from the Pantex Nuclear
Weapons Plant near Amarillo, Texas;
and is sponsored by Red River Peace
Network. For more information call
806/335-1715 or write HCR2, Box '25,
Panhandle, Texas 79068.
NGLTF' s Lesbian Health Issues and Recommendations includes information on
access to health care, greater health risks,
cancer, HIV, violence, aging, substance
abuse and more. It highlights five general
recommendations for the Department of
Health and Human Services and dozens
of specific recommendations for various
government agencies and departments that
oversee health issues. Copies are available from NGLTF for $3 each. Contact:
NGLTF Publications Department, 1734
14th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009.
The Herland Voice will address the following topics in the coming months, and
all of our readers are encouraged to contribute articles, poems, photos for publication.
September,1993: Women,workandunions
October, 1993: Violence against women
November, 1993: Women in prison
December, 1993: AIDS and women
January, 1994: Reproductive freedom
Mark your calendar now for the Her land
Fall Retreat. Scheduled for September
24-25 at Lake Murray State Park, the
retreat will feature an appearance by Alix
Dobkin. Watch The Voice for more information and registration details.
Drop by Herland on July 17 for another
of our great "multi-family" yard sales .
There's sure to be something you just
have to have -- and you'll be doing a
great community service cleaning out
our garage and helping to support
Herland's ongoing operation.
Did you know Herland is completely
operated by volunteers? The next time
you stop by let the women working the
center know how much you appreciate
them. If you' dlike to volunter-- staffing
the center, keeping the library organized,
working on a committee or joining the
Board -- give us a call. We'd love to have
you!
~----------------------------------------J
A WORKSHOP FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ABUSE
~ eS-act:e8@/}out:ne11
RECOVERING YOUR SELF
JULY 31st-AUGUST 2nd
Friday, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Oklahoma City
Using the Inner Family Healing Process and other tools for balance and integration of life, together we can
respectfully hear, be with and love the different parts of us who:
• Protect and keep us safe;
• Want to be loved, yet feel isolated
and alone;
• Playfully interact with life;
• Angrily register when our needs are
violated;
•
•
•
•
Hate us;
Love us just where we are;
Want to die;
Are creative, alive, sensuous and
enjoy life.
"Healing and wholeness occur rapidly and effortlessly when all the parts of
you who negotiated the complex process of survival are honored-their truths received."
Karla Crescenta-Colorado past participant
Sexual Abuse in any way, especially in childhood, hugely affects our access to the natural spontaneous core
of our being. Join A Sacred Journey, a journey to self honoring, healing and wholeness.
For more information, please contact Rhonda Smith at 942-4748.
Workshop is limited to 15 people. Please register by July 25th.