HerlandVoice-1986-05-v2-no05_ocr.pdf
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- HerlandVoice-1986-05-v2-no05_ocr.pdf
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VOLUME II, NUMBER 5
MAY, 1986 .
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HOMOPHOBIA AND
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
by Suzaruie Pharr
I. · ORIGINS-Male violence aaainst women comes from an imbalance and misuse of power, from dominance and control. It is
based on a system of inequity in which there is • belief in
sender-based superiority/inferiority.
Tbrousb our work in the · battered women'• movement we have
developed an analysis of male violence aaainst women that
soes beyond some of the simpler explanations of violence. We
do not vi- it u beins caused by undue stress, the influence
of alcohol or drup, the result of cbildbood violence, mental
illness, etc. What we have seen in our work is that violence
apinst women is directly related to the condition of women in
a society that refuses them equal pay. · equal access to
resources, and equal status with males. From this condition
comes the confirmation of the male sense of ownership of
women, their power · over women, and their risbt to control
women for their own means. The violence of men is fed, then,
by ·their sense of their RIGHT to dominate and control, and
.their ·sense of superiority over a sroup of people who, because
of sender, are supposedly inferior to them.
Those of us who believe ·this to be a battered women's !a!!!!!:
aent (and not .iust
collection of service-providiq yenciesl
have known for a decade or more that if our soal is to end
violence aaainst · women, then we have to provide more than
safe space and service. We have to work for women's risbts
and equality on all fronts. We understand the relationship of
pay inequity to violence, of unpaid household work to violence,
of . sinsle sender (male) history and literature books to violence, of the entire system of unequal treatment to violence:
this lack of equality supports male dominance and control. We
know that until women find fair and equal treatment under the
law, men will continue to consider it their risbt to dominate
and control.
a
Given women's 'economic dependence upon men and male systems, we find it frishtenins and difficult to step out of line to
seek freedom and equality, to chance all of society's institutions ·that keep us from s•ininc our rishts and our power. For
our safety we are encourased to curtail activities that could
possibly threaten the protection and acceptance some women
set from males and male institutions. Hence, many women feel
too much at risk to speak and work in their own behalf and
are consequently easily threatened by male disapproval, i.e.
society's disapproval.
Inequality thrives on the oppressed
sroup's intimidation.
II. PERPETUATION-Inequality between the sexes is fed by
sex role stereotypins which besins at birth and continues
throucb life.
From the time we are very younc. we are taucht that there
are differ~nt proper behaviors expected from each sex, and
tbouch the women's movement bas worked bard to raise con·
sciousness about these differences, these behaviors are still
enforced in a child's life. We still see younc boys encouraged
to be directive, self-assertinc, career-oriented, and younc sirls
taucht to be accommodatinc. pleasing, indirect and family-ori·
ented (with perhaps a career thrown in on the side).
BERLAND SISTER RESOURCES, INC.
1630 NW 19, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73106
Women are taucht that to be directive, self-assertive, _career·
oriented is to be not womanly, feminine, acceptable to men·•
and therefore, tbey-misht lose what little power and privilese
that bas been sranted them. The myth is that for a woman to
maintain roles-to be a pleaser, a siver, a nurturer, a supporter
who demands little for herself-is to be repaid with a man to
provide authority over her life, financial security, decision-mak·
ins. and direction. To escb- roles is to be cut adrift, to be
without order, to be out of proper boundaries, to be someone
who sets in the way of the flow of society and the acceptable
routinized order of relationships. The person who thinks that
she should be able to accomplish whatever she is capable of
instead of what is expected of her is a threat to society: she
bas steppeci out of line. To know no artificial sense of boundaries sives a beady sense of freedom, a sense of release, of
joy, and, once one knows it, she bas to be intimidated if she's
to set back in line aaain. She must be controlled. She must be
tausbt that she will suffer sisnificant losses if sbe stays out
there in those free, open spaces.
III. BNFORCBRS-HOMOPHOBIA . AND HBTBROSEXISM. Two
primary enforcera of sex role stereotY,inc are homophobia (ir,
rational fear and hatred of bomosenals) and beterosexism (the
use of senal identity for dominance and. privilese).
It is not by chance that when children approach puberty and
increased semal awareness, that they besin to taunt each oth·
er by c.Uinsthese n-es: "queer; "faasot; "pervert.~ Children
know what we have tausbt them, and we have siven clear messaaes that those who deviate from standard expectations are
to be made to set back in line. The best controllinc tactic at
puberty is to be treated as an outsider, to be ostracized at a
time when it feels most vital to conform. Those who are dif.
ferent must be made to suffer loss. It is also at puberty that
misosny beains to be more apparent, and sirls are pressured to
conform to societal norms that do not permit them to realize
their full potential.
There was a time when the two most condemninc accusations
aaainst a woman to ostracize her were "whore" and "lesbian."
The semal revolution and cbansins attitudes about heterosexual behavior may have led to a lesseninc of the power of the
word whore. However, the word lesbian is still fully charsed
and carries with it the full threat of loss of power and privi·
Iese, the threat of beinc cut asunder, abandoned and left outside society's protection.
To be a lesbian is to be perceived as someone who has
stepped out of line, who bas moved out of semal/economic
dependence on men, who is woman-identified. A lesbian is perceived as someone who can live without men, who is therefore
(however illosically) aaainst men. A lesbian is perceived as be·
inc outside the acceptable, routinized order of thincs. A lea·
bian is perceived as someone who bas no societal institutions
to protect her and who is not privileged to the protection of
individual males. A· lesbian is perceived as someone who stands
in contradiction of the sacrificies heterosexual · women. have
made. A lesbian is perceived as a threat.
Lesbian-bait~ is an attempt to control women by calling them
lesbians because their behavior is not acceptable; that is, when
they are being independent, soing · their own way, fighting for
their rights, demanding equal pay, saying no to violence, t>eing .
Continued on Page 2
Continued from Page 1
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We encourage the exchange of information, personal opinions on issues of concern to the Oklahoma women's community, _and your stories and
experiences.
The editor reserves the right to edit and condense letters according to space limitations. Letters should be typed, double-spaced and signed
by the author(s). Include your address and phone
number. If you wish to be published anonYlllously,
indicate so, but include your name, etc., for our
information, in case the editor has questions.
Mail or deliver your letters to HSR, Inc., 1630
N.W. 19, Okla. City, OK 73106. Deadline is the
15th of each month.
Dear Editor:
The homophobia workshops led by Suzanne Pharr
were very educational and important for me.
Many other women expressed feelings of increased self esteem and a real sense of hope to
be able to have an effect on the world that aff ec~ us so powerfully.
I believe there is · a strong sense of working
community among many of the women who attended. I would like to use this letter to ask the
workshop attendees ( and any women interested
in learning more about dealing . with homophobia)
to form an or1going educational/support group.
Women interested in such a group can contact
me thr~ugh Berland Sister Resources.
I also wish to publicly thank Suzanne Pharr for
her co1D1Ditment to all of us--to help us learn,
grow --and be able to live fully in a life that, by
its very
:; ·
. structure, denies us so much.
Sincerely,
NV Godseed
W E
ff A V E
lending library, book and
record sales, coffeehouses, resource exchange,
retreats, newsletter and special events
W E
N E E D inexpensive or donated space
(TAX-DEDUCTIBLE, OF COURSE!), handicapped
accessible, restroom, temperature control - capabilities, room for library, book and other sales,
coffeehouses, performance area and parking
HELP MAKE A GOOD THING IN
OKLAHOMA CITY EVEN BETTER
Laura Choate,
672-4141
for Berland Sister Resources, Inc.
self-assertive, bonding with and loving the company of women,
assuming the right to their bodies, insisting upon their own
authority, makin& changes that include them in society's decision-ma.kine. Lesbian-baitinc occurs when women are called lesbians because they have stepped out of line. It is successful
when women in their fear jump back in line, dance whatever
dance is necessary for acceptability.
The dance women dance to keep the privilece offered conditionally by males is that of proper role, of behavin& in such a
way that does not threaten the status of men. They tone
down, reduce their work or activities in order to be safe. And
the conditions for privilege can change at any time. How many
of us have heard battered women's stores about their abusers
cailm. them lesbians or cailm. the battered women's shelter a
lesbian place? The abuser is not so much labelin& her a lesbian as he is warning her that she is choosing to be outside
society's protection (from male institutions) and she therefore
should choose to be with him and what is ri&ht. He recognizes
the .,Ower in woman bondinc and fears loss of her servitude
and loyalty: the potential loss of his control. The concern is
not affectional/sexual identity; the concern is disloyalty. The
labelin& is a threat.
And the threat is a real one, for women observe the penalties
society places on lesbians when possible: loss of community,
loss of job and economic security, loss of children, loss of
family, loss of church, and sometimes loss of life. Such is the
cost of stepping out of line, out of role, and seeking one's
own empowerment. Women fear these losses, and to avoid
them, many women not only refuse to recognize and support
lesbians, but they do self-necating things to maintain approval
and protection. Entire industries are built around women's
needs to stay within approved, dictated roles. Observe the
fashion and cosmetic industries, for example. Consider whatever
motivated women to put on a pair of pointed-toe shoes with
three-inch spiked heels. Was it comfort?
IV--FREEDOM IS THE ISSUB~-Freedom to be who we are (and
all of who we are), to control our own lives; is the issue.
At issue here is not whether women can wear makeup and high
fashion and still be independent and free; at issue is whether
women make choices against their best interests of independence and freedom in order to gain approval and protection at
a hich cost. At issue here is not that all· women should be lesbians in order to be independent and free, but that qualities
of independence and freedom and self-empowerment, through
the J1trategy of lesbian-baiting, are identified with lesbians and
that all of us as women need to look at what blocks our empowerment and, in particular, our response to lesbian baiting.
At issue is not our sexual identity, but our fre~om.
We need to examine our failures to assert ourselves, to demand our equality. Women working in shelters sometimes in
fear agree to provide services only and not to talk about and
work for lasting social change; sometimes they acree to serve
only acceptable women-lesbians, differently-abled women, women
of color, older women, prostitutes need not apply. These women would cause disturbances within the shelter, the commnity
and we would lose approval, funding, etc. Other women have
fear of organizations that advocate change for women; they
accept the notion that to work for the empowerment of women
is to present oneself as a manhater. From fear, women lose.
And what do· we lose? We lose th·e freedom to be who we are,
and, therefore, some of our essential humanness.
Our concern with homophobia, then, is not just tliat it damages
lesbians, but that it damages all women. We recocnize homophobia as one means of controllinc women, and we recognize
the connection between control and violence. Homophobia keeps
us from stepping out of line and setting into the movement for
freedom. If not a single lesbian worked in a shelter or came
to a shelter for services, we still would have to work to eliminate homophobia because we know how it is used to disem·
power women and keep us vulnerable to violence and abuse. To
work against homophobia is to work against violence against
all women.
CALL
CENTER HOURS:
Saturdays 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sundays,
1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
POINT OF VIEW
ATTENTION, VOLUNTEERS!!!
by Patti Weaver
I was apprehensive about attending a session on
homophobia. I wondered if the women who are
lesbian would think I looked "too feminine"--and I
wondered if the women who are lesbian would
think I was a deficient feminist consorting with
the "enemy."
I was wrong.
founded.
It seems all my fears were un-
I didn't find rejection--I wasn't put down because
close friend is a man. What I found was a
truth I found very difficult and depressing to
accept--that women who are lesbians are frightened of exposure, fear for their jobs, even their
lives.
my
Your contributions in time and energy to Berland
are valued and needed. To show our appreciation
in more than words, friendships and that sense
of accomplishment toward creating a supportive
community, we are offering gift certificates in
return for donated time.
For each 12 hours you spend working at Berland,
you will receive a $5 gift certificate, which may
be exchanged for books, music and miscellaneous
items, not including consignment items.
Consider getting involved and, thank you, thank
you to all our current volunteers. This gift certificate policy is effective beginning May 1, so
get a volunteer log sheet at Berland and start
keeping track of the hours you spend working at
the store.
I think the time has come for those of us who
are non-lesbian to face reality--women are hurting
from an incredible fear and hatred that is even
codified into law prohibiting them from teaching
in Oklahoma.
I think the time has come for us to understand
that sexism stays alive and well in Oklahoma
because of homophobia, that no one will be free
until everyone is free.
announces its monthly
Collective Meeting
I think the time has come for us to challenge
the stupid stereotypes of homosexuals we hear
so often.
Sunday, May 11, 1986
6:30 p.m.
1630 N.W. 19, OKC
To my non-lesbian sisters, I wish more of you
had been there, that Saturday in April, at the
homophobia workshop. If you heard and saw the
•
I
pam, you would never be the same.
'
I will never be the same. I vow never to let
anyone off the hook again when they make a
slur aimed at a homosexual. I am sick at the
viciousness and fear. I am sick at the bigotry. I
am sick at the silence.
To my lesbian sisters, I say thank you--thank you
for having the courage to tell me, and everyone
else who was there that Saturday in April, your
pain.
It is now
my
pain.
Jean's
Carpentry~~
CERAMIC TILE
ENTRY LOCKS
DEADBOLT LOCKS
FREE ESTIMATES
1-262-4923
•
KE.MCO
PRINTING INC.
Kelley Mattocks
340-4301
160 I S . Broadway, Unit D • Edmond. Okla. 73013
r-----------,
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Oeverly K. Evans, M.S.W.
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IL.::__________ jI
1010 NW 45
Oklahoma City
521-8241
CONGRATULATIONS, IT'S A GIRL!!
Making Babies on the Frontier
would face because of the fact of her/his lesbian mothers.
by two Oklahoma Women
But, the very best of times began one early
evening last October, when our daughter drew
her first breath and began the marvelous process
of sharing her uniqueness with us. While it is
not always easy and while we are sure we share
the struggles of all "new" parents, our baby is
an unending source of joy and laughter in our
home.
"Lesbians have been having children and rearing
them since the beginning of time." We believed
that this generalization was true, but, as lesbians who wanted to have children, the options
that we were aware of (sexual intercourse, insemination from a known donor and artificial insemination) seemed*undesirable. As a couple and
a family unit, we ultimately rejected the idea of
co-parenting with a male. We wanted our children
to be children of our family unit, not ours and
some#else's. The search for an answer to our dilemma ended when we found out about the Sperm
Bank of Northern California.
This feminist, pro-people group of sensitive women and men is dedicated to reproductive freedom
for all women. My partner and I were received
as the family unit that we indeed are, and
throughout the entire process--from orientation
to positive pregnancy testing--we were treated
with dignity and genuine respect and concern.
After attending orientation, we began charting
cervical mucus changes and basal body temperature. After about four months of charting, we
were ready to begin the insemination process.
For the next 11 months we lived that roller
coaster existence common to couples trying to
get pregnant.
Our joyful anticipation was
matched by our overwhelming feelings of loss and
grief each time the inseminations were unsuccessful.
Eventually, we worked with the Bay
Area Services Infertility Clinic "BASIC" (located
in the same building) and after one inter-uterine
insemination, we were expecting our baby.
The first trimester was long and sometimes anxiety filled. Nausea became an all-day-long part of
our existence. And, we knew that the first trimester was the next step to get through on the
road to having our baby. Excellent prenatal care
beginning the first month of pregnancy (provided
by the Feminist Women's Health Center, also located in the same building) played a key role in
the maintenance of our pregnangy.
The pregnancy was the "best of times, and the
worst of times." Feeling our baby grow and
move--revelling in the unique expectation of a
couple awaiting a new family member--being together and dreaming of days to come--these were
the best of times. The worst of times were the
emotional ups and downs--wondering if we were
being fair to the baby--wondering if we could
still have time for each other--trying to figure
out new ways of being a family in the midst of
discrimination, ignorance and sometimes hostility
for not bringing this child into the world in the
"traditional" way with the "traditional" fatnily--anticipation of the pain that someday our child
* (insert) unattainable or
# - one
We share our story as a way of letting you
know of the option we found. During the years
of searching for options, we would have been
overwhelmingly grateful to have known that an
organization
such as the Sperm Bank of
Northern California existed.
We are also willing to answer any questions you
may have. You may contact us through Berland.
Several more parting facts: You need not live in
California to utilize the Northern California
Sperm Bank, as they ship frozen sperm all over
the country; the fee is based on income; our
daughter's biological mother was 37 at the time
of her birth and that was not unusual for women
choosing insemination; we are planning to have
another baby in the next couple of years--same
donor--diff erent biological mother.
For more information, you may contact the
Sperm Bank of Northern California,
2930
McClure, Oakland, CA 94609, 405-444-2014.
HAPPY HOUR
M-F, 4-6, Sat. 10-2
2 for 1 Cash & Carry
tissue wrapped
t. kreppI
floral de1ign 1tudio
52.8- 8 580
2426 ciossen bou:evord •-:ikiohorno city. okl'.:ihornc 73106
~ tlu r r
<£ust11m 3Jrmrlnt- ~ [rulhrr Drstnn
1 iµ
Appoinlmrnt tfh lµ '
1403' 3.2 3 83.2.t
1301
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ll'lk lah oma [ itµ.tak lah om u 13106
National Now Conference will be held in Denver,
June 13-15, 1986. This is the closest a national
conference has been to Oklahoma in a long time,
so take advantage of this opportunity. If you are
an at-large member and plan to attend, write
Loretta Pecchioni at P.O. Box 21538, OKC, OK
73156, for information about delegate status for
voting purposes.
11th Annual Southeastern Conference for Lesbians and Gay Men, held in conjunction with the
6th Annual Louisiana State Gay Conference, June
5-8, 1986, at Tulane University, New Orleans,
Louisiana. Four days of workshops, entertainment,
speeches, a volleyball tounament, a gay-themed
photographic exhibition, films, videos, Mardi Gras
party, interfaith worship service, picnic, dance,
swimming party and more. Keynote address by
Lea Hopkins, Black lesbian poet, author of I'm
Not Crazy, Just Different and Womyn, I Have
Known You, and David Scondra, openly gay
Boston City Councilperson.
--from Oklahoma NOW Newsletter, April 1986
Coordinate For Kids, May 9-10, 1986, is designed
to promote a collaborative effort of parents and
professionsals working together to improve services for children who are emotionally disturbed
and/ or have special needs.
For details about workshops, housing, special
needs, etc., write for brochure: S.E.C.L.G.M.,
Inc.,
P.O.
Box 51877,
New Orleans,
LA
70151-1877.
The conference is an Oklahoma Child & Adolescent Service System Program and will be held
from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Friday and Saturday,
May 9 and 10, at the Center for Continuing Education, Nicholson Tower, 5th floor, Oklahoma
Children's Memorial Hospital. There is no registration fee.
Coordinate for Kids is presented by the OK
Dept. of Mental Health, Positive Reflections: A
Parent Coalition, OK Institute for Child Advocacy, OK Commission on Children & Youth; in cooperation with the OK Adolescent Health Project,
OK Alliance for Children, OK State Dept. of
Health, and OK Dept. of Human Services. For
more information, contact the OK Institute for
Child Advocacy at 405-236-2789, or Positive Reflections, 405-751-6375.
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence 3rd
national conference, July 15-19, 1986, St. Louis,
Missouri. Contact Pat Reaves, conference planning committee, c / o OKC YWCA, 232-7681.
Exclusively Greece, a women's tour/the ideal
vacation. July 26-Aug. 17. For itinerary and information, write: Meltemi, Ltd., P.O. Box 33330333, Washington, D.C. 20009, 202-483-8333.
2ND Annual Lesbian Celebration of Aging is for
lesbians over 40 and friends. It will be held July
3-6 at the Wisconsin Womyn's Land Cooperative
campground, DOE Farm. For more information,
write Aging Celebration, 2529 S. 18th Ave.,
Minneapolis, MN 55404.
Crone Gathering. A Web of Crones invites all
supporters and friends to a gathering on Hornby
Island, B.C., Canada, the week of August 15-22.
Bed & Breakfast is available on the island,
Crone Haven can sleep 11. Bring music, stories,
strong shoes, swimwear, and let us form our
Crones Charter and plan our future, spinning
dreams and schemes. Information from A Web of
Crones, P.O. Box 6, Hornby Island, B.C. VOR
lZO, Canada.
Disability Awareness Day '86, "Disability Doesn't
Mean Inability." The physically disabled need a
recreation outlet, too. Come watch the fun and
experience your unique abilities and courage.
Live music, carnival games, food, basketball,
track, tennis, bowling, racquetball, etc.
Disability Awareness Day will be held Saturday,
May 17, at Okla. City Community College, 7777
S. May, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is sponsored by American Respiratory and Rehabilitation,
Okla. City Community College, Hillcrest Osteopathic Hospital and OKC Civitan Club. For further information, call Bob Daniel, 843-1471, or
Maggie Keller, 843-2525.
_____ ____
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TelephoDe
~05 232 - 5~53 or 272·7155
I
Practice Lim ited
to Psychi•try
LARRY M. PRATER,M.D.
Office Hnurs
By Appointment
318 Closson Prnfess inn' I Bldg.
1110 N. Closson Blvd.
01<.Jah oma Ciry, Ok . 7}106·6808
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A group for Lesbian and gay Catholics
and their friends
MASS CELEBRATED TWICE MONTHLY
~-
for information call
Mary Ann
943-8249
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TAKE BACK THE NIGHT
Downtown Oklahoma City is the site of this
year's annual Tak() Back the Night rnlly and
march, to be held on Thursday, May 15, from
7-10:00 p.m. at Kerr Park, l\P.rr and Broadway.
Donna Meyer, New Orleans long-time activist in
the anti-rape movement , will present the keynote
speech. Peggy Johnson, vibrant City singer/songwriter, will lead the crowd in music and chants.
Take Back the Night marches take place each
spring all over the world to protest rape and
violence against women; to raise awareness of
dangerous areas in local communities; to support
survivors of rape; to publicize local available
resources.
OK NAT'LL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN MTNG
Oklahoma NOW will hold its annual meeting for
the election of officers and bylaws amendments
on Saturday, May 17, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at
the YWCA, 411 S. Johnstone, Bartlesville. The
film "One Fine Day" will be shown. Bartlesville
NOW will provide lunch. There is no registration
fee, but preregistration is suggested. Inform them
if you need child care, interpretation for the
deaf, reader for blind, or mobility assistance.
Alternative housing is available. Send registration
to Sally Thomas, 2633 Chapel Hill Rd., Bartlesville, OK 74006.
MOTHER'S DAY PEACE CELEBRATION
Last year's rally in Winans Park and march
through the Mesta Park neighborhood was a premier event, with an incredibly empowering public
speak-out.
A Mother's Day Peace Celebration will be held
May 11, from 4:00-5:30 p.m.. at the First Christian Church amphitheater, 3700 N. Walker,
Oklahoma City.
A reception will be held to honor legislators who
have contributed to the rights of women, children and men, on Monday, May 12, at 11:30 a.m.,
in the Blue Room at the Capitol. Everyone is
invited.
Activities for adults and children include an historical pageant of renowned women peacemakers,
storytelling by "Miss Fran" Morris, vocal and instrumental music, and refreshments.
Sponsored by YWCA Crisis Intervention Services.
CINDERELLA AUTHOR TO SPEAK AT CSU
Colette Dowling, author of The Cinderella Complex, will be the keynote speaker at the summer
conference of the Oklahoma Women in Educational Administration, June 19-20, at Central State
University in Edmond.
The theme of the conference is "The Female
Legacy," and one hour graduate credit is available. For additional information, contact Teresa
Mitchell, 11420 S. Western, OKC, OK 73170.
The purpose of the celebration is to bring alive
the traditional meaning of Mother's Day as a
time to reflect on and pray for peace on earth.
Though the first celebration of Mother's Dayis
usually credited to Anna Jarvis, whose suggestion
prompted Congress to make it a national holiday
in 1913, it was actually Julia Ward Howe, author
of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," who first
promoted a festival called Mother's Day in 1872,
devoted to the advocacy of peace. She gave to
Mother's Day a meaning it has since largely lost.
Sponsored by Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament, Peace Links, Church Women United
Board, OK Nuclear Wea pons Freeze Campaign.
MULTI-ETHNIC DANCE FOR BIG MOUNTAIN
The Street People Reggae Band, the Friends of
Tradition and the Oklahoma International Folk
Dancers
are
featured
entertainment
at
a
fundraiser for the Big Mountain Support Group.
The event is Sunday, May 4, at 3:00 p.m .. at the
Native American Center gym, 2900 S. Harvey,
Oklahoma City.
MIDWEST WIMMIN'S FESTIVAL
WOMEN
I.....C>VE
,
TC>C>
MUCH
B~Y-c:::>rid.
~d..d..ic:::.t.i""V~
R.~
l
Cl.
t. i c:::>ri::; h i :p::;
new group forming for Lesbian women
The Midwest Wimmin's Festival, June 13-22, at
Camp Pin Oak, Lake of the Ozarks State Park,
Missouri, includes arts and crafts, entertainment,
workshops, sharing of skills and ideas and
wimmin energy.
Registration is on a sliding scale based on income and number of days attending. Check the
Herland Bulletin Board for details, or write to
P .O. Box 5945, Kansas City, MO 64111. Deadline
is May 15 to assure your place.
WI-IC>
Call Kay Killgore
524-1062
•••••
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NEWS BRIEFS
VIETNAM WOMEN'S MEMORIAL PROJECT
0klahoma City's Lambda Productions has announced its next play, "Norman, Is That You?"
For more information, contact them c/o Christ
the King MCC, 1900 N.W. 12, OKC 73106,
521-8352.
The Vietnam Women's Memorial Project was or'ganized in May 1984 as a nonprofit corporation
under the laws of Minnesota, with the project's
goals to build a life-size monument depicting a
woman veteran of the Vietnam war and to place
it in proximity to "The Wall" and "The Three
Fighting Men" in Washington, D.C.
0
0
Affirmation, the United Methodist Church's ministry for lesbian and gay concerns, is forming
groups in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. At this time
the Dallas groups are heading the organizing efforts, so those interested should call 214-9481546, or write Affirmation, 729 N. Winnetka,
Dallas, TX 75208, for local contacts and meeting locations.
••As of March 15, one out of four gay males
tested in OKC is an AIDS virus carrier. Out of
49 diagnosed cases, 25 AIDS-related deaths have
occurred.
--from The Gayly Oklahoman, April 1986
0
Women of the Year: 1985, Maria Bordas, who
worked toward satisfying her need to "go on
working to change things" by co-funding the Mi
Casa Resource Center in Denver to increase Hispanic women's education and job skills. Her next
goal is to duplicate Mi Casa's pioneering employment program for Hispanic girls throughout the
US, with the help of a program manual she is
developing.
This
fully
that
eight
"The
memorial is intended to acknowledge grateand honor the women who served during
long and difficult war. The nall)es of the
women killed in Vietnam are inscribed on
Wall," in the midst of the men's names.
The founders of the project are Diane Carlson
Evans, who served as an Army nurse at the 36th
Evacuation Hospital, Vong Tau, and at the 71st
at Pleiku, 1968 and '69, and Donna-Marie Boulay,
an Army nurse in Vietnam in 1967 and '68 at the
36th and 93rd Evacs.
The Vietnam Women's Memorial Project is writing
an important page in American history. Anyone
wishing to contribute, please write: VWMP, 511
11th Ave., South, Box 45, Minneapolis, MN
55415.
--Emergency Nursing News, Vol. 12, No. 1, exc.
KRISTINA S. MAREK
Author Louise Erdrich, who combined high-precision writing skills with the all-too-rarely heard
perspective of the Native American woman to
create the award winning book, Love Medicine.
Erdrich's novel, her first, describes the lives of
Chippewa women and men over 50.
Attorney and Counselor at Law ,
-CONTRACTS
t
--from Her Say
..The OU women's softball team is ranked 19th
in the latest NCAA Division I softball poll.
,
••
'
'
•INCORPORATIONS
9TITLB EXAMINATIONS
-wILLS/PROBATB
•FAMILY LAW
1137 N.W. 31st Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
40.5-.521-8434, after .5:00 P.M.
FOLLOW THE DOTS TO THE
THINKING PERSON'S BED & BREAKFAST
ADVENTURE ...
OKC
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·The Bi6 Biscuit Basket Breakfast•
ROSALBA HOSTETLER
For reservations:
BOX 121, HARPER, KS 67058
316-896-7880 HOSTS WANTED
fi 1-: f,. f~
IT'S AVAILABLE
Lilith, now in its 10th year, is a feminist quarterly that seeks to reach the entire spectrum of
Jewish women, from Orthodox to Reformed to
women who have no religious or organizational
affiliation. Subscriptions are $14 for 4 issues for
individuals. Write 250 West 57th St., New York,
NY 10019
Taking Charge of Your Life: Proceedings of a
Forum on Living Wills and Other Advance Directories, from the Older Women's League and ABA.
$4.50, including postage, from OWL, 1325 G. St.
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005
Feminist Forum is a bi-monthly magazine of women's issues in Japan and other parts of the
world. Subscriptions are $19 airmail, $14 sea.
Write Ohnuma-kata, 2-39-3 Zenpukuji, Suqinamiku,
Tokyo 167, Japan
Transformation, Women's Project Newsletter.
Your contribution is tax-deductible: $5 low incone, $10 general membership, $25 supporting,
$50 and above, sustaining gift. Concerned in particular about issues of importance to traditionally
underrepresented women: poor women, aged women, women of color, teenage mothers, lesbians,
women in prisons, etc. All are women who experience discrimination and violence against their
lives. Write the Women's Project, 1601 Dennison,
Little Rock, AR 72202
Lesbian Aging Project is working toward the establishment of a multicare retirement program for
elderly lesbians. Levels of care being considered:
nursing home, intermediate care, retirement facility, etc. Write for questionnaire to Pam Smith,
Lesbian Aging Project, 11223 S.E. 21st St., Portland, OR 97214
Focus, literary .iournal of the Daughters of
Bilitis. Focus is the oldest publication of its kind
for lesbians in the US. After a two-year cessation of publication, it is now continuing in a new
and. improved format. A 36-page .iournal will be
issued . twice a year, summer and winter. Submissions of poetry, fiction, reviews, non-fiction, photogra~hy, art work are welcome.
Subscriptions
are $8 from Focus, c/o D.O.B., Office 3, Old
Cambri~ge '3al>tist · Church, 1151 Mass. Ave.,
Cambridge, ¥A 02138
The Pride Institute, an in-patient treatment
facility for gay and lesbian alcoholics and drug
addicts, is dedicated to the proposition that
these addicts have the same need for freedom
from society's daily pressures as every other recovering person in treatment. Unfortunately, the
homophobia prevalent in any heterosexual environment is one of those pressures on gays and
lesbians. The Institute offers a complete program
designed to send gay men and lesbians back into
society centered in their hearts and minds, free
from all mood-altering substances, and proud of
it. For admissions or further information, call
1-800-54-PRIDE, or write 14400 Martin Drive.,
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
The Alcoholism Center for Women, Inc., in Los
Angeles, is a nonprofit, community-based program
with over 10 years experience providing services
to women with alcohol related problems and to
women at high risk for alcoholism. At high risk
are adult children of alcoholics, lesbians and
survivors of child sexual abuse or domestic
violence.
In addition, they serve family and
concerned community members.
Recovery services and prevention programs are available on a
sliding scale. No one is turned away for lack of
funds. For more information, write 1147 S. Alvarado St., Los Angeles, CA 90006, or call 213-3817805
Lesbian Ethics is published three times a year.
$12 for individuals from LE Publications, P.O.
Box 943, Venice, CA 90294
r-----individuals • couples • croups -
Helen Holgate
Certified Alcoholism & Drug Abuse
Counselor
Intervention
Crisis Counseling
Families
...A,..du=lt........,C.._h__il""'d-..re=n--...o-.f_,A
....l....c_o_h_ol_ic_s_ _.4051 366-0923-
Loral C. Reeves, C.P.A.
-CASS I
A
524-3017
1820 N.W. 30
Oklahoma City
MEALOR,,
COUPLES
LESBIAN ISSUES
Sliding Fee Scale
1014 Cedardale Drive
Oklahoma City, OK 7.312 7
405 I 495· l 094
ARKANSAS RACISM JOINS COMPUTER NETWORK
Reprinted from Arkansas Gazette. April 12, 1986
article by Michael Haddigan
A computer network based at North Little Rock has joined
the white supremacist computer bulletin boards at Dallas,
Houston, Chicago and North Carolina that have been disseminatiq racist propqanda and far-rightwing political
messages.
The "Arkansas Liberty Net," an affiliate of the "Aryan Nation Liberty Net" originates from the residence of Wilbur 8.
Hale, 6902 Pontiac Drive, North Little Rock. In a telephone interview Thursday, Hale said he was an Identity
Christian, a member of the White Patriot Party of North
Carolina and a former member of the Knights of the Ku
Klux Klan. Hale also was an unsuccesful candidate for the
North Little Rock School Board in the 1985 election.
"This syteni is dedicated to the free exchange of ideas, ..
the introductory message in the system states.
·
"If you are an anti-Communist, you have made the right
connection. If you love the heritage, culture and traditions
of the white race, then you are at home. If on the other
hand you are consumed with one of the modem malignant
social diseases such as liberalism, atheism or egalitarianism,
then you have definitely dialed the wrong number."
One message on the 'Arkansas computer network requests
information on homosexuals so that they could be "rounded
up" for "internment and quarantine" to stem the "AIDS epidemic," a reference to the deadly disease acquired immune
deficiency syndrome.
Another message praises Gordon Kahl, the antitax protester
who died in an Arkansas shootout, and calls him Arkansas'
"new hero." The message also compares him with the seven
astronauts who died in the space shuttle Challenger.
Computer enthusiasts have established thousands of bulletin
boards during the last few years as a a way of exchanging
computer programs and equipment information. Recently the
networks have been joined by computer bulletin. boards specializing in ultraright-wing, racist propaganda.
Access to the new Arkansas network can be gained with a
home computer and a telephone. The phone number for the
system is listed under the name of "William Travis" and
under Hale's address.
Hale said he was not the operator of the computer network, but that a man he knows as William Travis from Dallas came to Little Rock last week to set up the system.
Hale said he did not know what else Travis did at Little
Rock before returning to Dallas.
Hale,
room
that
room
this ouline data base," the message states. "You should also
include in your list the addresses of all known deviant establishments where sodomites are known to congregate, as
well as the names of restaurants where they work."
The message then asked for the full names, addresses, ages
and occupations of homosexuals and the names and addresses of "all family members and close associates" of homosexuals.
The information, the message ·said, would be included in a
"nationwide hotline" and would be "acted upon when deemed
expedient."
The ode to Gordon Kahl, written · by Louis Beam, the former
Texas Klan leader with close links to the Aryan Nations
church of Hayden Lake, Idaho, compares Kahl to Viking,
Spartan and Roman warriors, Christian Crusaders, American
soldiers of the Revolutionary War, Texans who fought at
the Alamo and soldiers of the Confederacy.
Kahl, a member of tlie militant antitax group, Posse Comitatus, who was being sought by federal agents, for the shooting of two federal agents, was killed in . 1983 shoot-out
with Lawrence County Sheriff Gene Matthews in a farmhouse near ·Smithville. . Matthews also died in the shoot-out.
a-·
The Arkansas Llberty Net also includes numerous other m~s
sages attacking · Jews. blacks, Hispanics, the news media~.
the federal governm~nt, homosexuals and immigrants. ManY
of the messages also have· appeared on the Texas computer
networks.
··~
A
• ·
revolutio~' ~idnst
Several messages call for armed
the federal government. One asks why the federal government
sanctions the killing of Communists in Nicaragua, but will
not allow the killing of "the .Communists in Washington,
D.C.. and Berkeley sic."
Material by Beam and Robert Miles of Michigan, a former
Klansman, who now operates an Identity organization known
as the Mountain Church, ~ alsf? appears on the Arkansas
system.
The Dallas network sta~~ , that the system operator is
"Nathan 8. Forrest," the name of the Confederate general
who also is credited with founding the Ku Klux Klan. The
name is thought by watchdog groups to be a pseudonymn
for Beam, who previously was based at Dallas. He reportedly has dropped out of sight in recent months.
Hale said he had met Beam several years ago at a "Freedoms Festival" organized by the Christian Patriots Defense
League of Licking, Mo. Asked if William Travis was a pseudonymn for Beam, Hale said it was not. · ·
a retired electrical engineer; said he had rented a
in his house for a "very nominal sum" to Travis and
Travis had installed an Apple IIC computer in the
for the bulletin board.
Hale said he had not "interrogated" the computer system,
but that Travis showed him some of the messages on the
system. Hale ·said he knew enough about the system to
know that it was "a patriotic network." He said Travis was
"a real nice IUY," but that he did not know much about him
or how to get in touch with him.
A message titled, "Queer Watch," and headed, "We may
need to round them up soon," said that "because of the terrible crisis this nation faces over the AIDS epidemic," the
Liberty Net has ordered new equipment that will allow people to use their home computers to transmit information to
the computer system.
"We advise all callers to start collecting now the names
and addresses of queers in their local area for entry into
HERLAND COFFEEHOUSE
presents
WOMEN'S
MUSIC
NIGHT
Friday, May 30, 1986
8:00 p.m.
Herland Sister Resources, Inc.
1630 N.W. 19, OKC
SO MUCH HAS . BEEN
. WRITTEN
.'
.
ABOUT WOMEN.
·•·
·,
BUT SO LITTLE HAS
SHOWN up ·
IN THE LIBRARIES . .
. CHECK. OUT
THE SELECT VOLUMES
AT HERLAND.
••NOTICE TO BERLAND CUSTOMERS••
Berland Sister Resources, Inc., will be closed
Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4, for the
Spring Retreat/Women's Festival at Robbers
Cave. See you there. ·
JUST US, a dating magazine exclusively
for women wanting to meet women.
SlO (refunded) for details and sample
copy to JU, P.O. Box 80521-E, Atlanta,
.GA 30341
.
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS:
Rates:
1-20 words, $2.50, 1 time
21-30 words, S3.50, 1 time
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Your donation, re1ardless of classification, entitles you to discounts on certain store stock
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Donations may be made via cash_ ·
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