HerlandVoice-1995-02-v13-no02_ocr.pdf
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- HerlandVoice-1995-02-v13-no02_ocr.pdf
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DV ICE
February, 1995
ANTI-GAY
CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT PROPOSED
Representative Bill Graves introduced a House Joint
Resolution (IDR1018) that would submit a state constitutional
amendment to a state-wide referendum. The proposed
amendment would prohibit any state, county, or municipal
government from adopting or enforcing laws, policies or
regulations "whereby homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual
orientation ... shall constitute or otherwise be the basis of or entitle
any person ...to have minority status, quota preferences, protected
status or claim of discrimination." The measure would also
prohibit "teaching of homosexuality, lesbianism, or bisexuality as
natural lifestyles" and prohibit adoption and foster care by
lesbians, gays or bisexuals.
Simply Equal of Oklahoma City has called a town
meeting to discuss HJR1018 for 6 p.m. on February 6 at Angles,
2117 N.W. 39th, OKC. TOHR has scheduled a town meeting for
January 30 at 7 p.m. in the MCC of Tulsa, 1623 N. Maplewood,
Tulsa.
"The OKC town meeting is on the first day of the
legislative session. By that time, we expect to have information
about the committee assignment for HJR1018," said Simply
Equal spokesperson, Pat Reaves. ''1bat committee will have until
February 23 to take action on HJR1018 and send it to the House of
Representatives for a vote. Until then, we'll be focusing our
efforts on encouraging members of that committee to kill the
proposal in committee."
HJR1018 is nearly identical to a Graves proposal in the
1993 session of the Oklahoma Legislature. That proposal
(HJR1021) died in committee following an unprecedented
grassroots effort from the lesbian, gay communities to defeat it.
In 1992, Colorado voters adopted a similar amendment,
widely known as Amendment 2, to the Colorado constitution.
The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that amendment
unconstitutional and blocked it from taking effect. A U.S. District
Court in Ohio ruled that a similar amendment to the Cincinatti
City Charter is unconstitutional.
Volume 13 Number 2
SATURDAY,
FJEBRUARY 25TH, 1995
9:00 P . M .
Come join us for an evening of fun and
purpose as the PORTH 0 LE plays host
to an OPEN-MIC to benefit
HERLANID SISTER
RESOURCES.
$2 COVJER
FEBRUARY 9TH - Teachers meeting
will
be held at Herland Sister Resources beginning
at 7:00 p.m.
FEBRUARY l 2TH - All past, present, and
interested Herland volunteers are invited to this
Sunday evening POTLUCK beginning at 5:00
p.m. For more information call Joni at
720-0044.
FEBRUARY 1 7TH - Black History Month
Video at Herland. Call Herland during business
hours for details, 521-9696.
FEBRUARY 25TH -
Academic Dykes
will be in Oklahoma City at Gail and Edie's.
Potluck, 7:00 p.m. Call 405-521-8447 for
directions. Gail agreed not only to clean the
house, but she also will select the next
reading.
Harland Sister Resources
2312 NW 39, OKC, OK 73112
ST~
SYBIL
*******************
~ IP~IT
IT0 r;::J®W
~TI'~
Dear St. Sybil,
My partner and I are very happy lesbians; we are "out" to
our family and close friends, but not particularly to the world at
large. We have no desire to march in any parades or in any other
way stir up trouble in the wider community. We feel that we are
just like everybody else except for our sexuality, and don't want to
set ourselves apart from the rest of the world just because of that.
No one bothers us and we don't want to bother them. Really, we
think that radical activists are doing more harm than good in
constantly bringing up the gay and lesbian agenda to the
mainstream public. Can you get them to stop it, please?
Thank you very much,
Ima Rae Clews
Dear Ima Rae,
Except for your sexuality? Except for your sexual
preference and orientation, your affectional preference, except for
who you love, live with, are intimate with, make long-range plans
with, want to be buried with? This is a small thing? No, Ima Rae,
this is a huge part of your life that you say you are content to deny.
Ima, it is not gay rights activists who are trying to set you
apart from the world on account of your sexuality; it is the people
you have to hide your sexuality from who are doing that. What
activists are trying to bring about - the famous "gay agenda" - is
acceptance of the fundamental truth that people's lives are all the
same; we do the same things, experience the same joys and
happiness, suffer the same tragedies and sorrows, have the same
hop~s and fears - and the gender of the person we share our lives
with should be insignificant.
As my esteemed old friend and Patron Saint of Language
and Insight, Will Shakespeare, said, "If you prick us, do we not
bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we
not die?"
Well, Ima, I could go on and on, but my channeler is
getting restless; so I will leave you with this one thought: don't
settle for less of a life, or less in life, than you need and deserve.
Fondly,
Sybil
r-----------------------.
Published by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312 N.W.
39th, Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Circulation: 1200
The Voice is offered as an open forum for community
discourse. Articles reflect the opinions of the author and not
necessarily those of Harland 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.
,___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___J
2
Her/and Voice
February, 1995
The Herland Pantry ...is stocked! The response has been
generous and has filled our original shelves; we are currently
busily shoring up a larger shelf area to hold the canned goods and
packaged foods. Thanks especially to Lisa and Karen from Del
City who brought in multiple boxes of groceries for the pantry.
How it works - if you've got more than you need, bring
it m. If you are in need, or if you have a friend in need, come in,
pack up a plastic bag, and out the door you go. That's it! Herland
is opened Saturdays 10 - 5 and Sundays 1 - 5. Come on in!
*******************
GAY, LESBIAN, AND
BISEXUAL SUPPORT AND
EDUCATION PROVIDED BY
RED ROCK
Red Rock Mental Health Center in Oklahoma City is
currently facilitating support and educational/social groups for
gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth and adults. Support groups are
held weekly at Red Rock (4400 N. Lincoln Boulevard). For more
information on these groups, please call Betsy Murphy or Kim
Johnson at Red Rock at 425-0399. The groups are free and open
to the community, although some screening may be required to
ensure compatibility of participants.
We are happy to announce a few of the changes in our
groups starting in February. The Y.G.L.A. group will include
participants up to 20 years of age, (parental consent for those
under 18.) Our new Young Adult Group includes those who are
21-29 years of age. The Adult Gay and Lesbian Group for those
who are 30 years old and older will continue meeting on Monday
evenings. In addition, an Adult Gay and Lesbian Group will start
in Shawnee this month. For more information on times and dates,
please contact the office.
Educational/social activities are facilitated weekly for
the Y.G.L.A. The youth group meets at OASIS Resource Center
(2135 NW 39th Street) every Sunday evening. On February 5th,
we will watch a movie and have pizza, we will host a Valentine's
Party and Dance on the 12th, Terry Dennison from Planned
Parenthood will discuss "How Do I Find The Right Person To
Date, Anyway?" on the 19th, and we will meet at Oasis to carpool
for skating and dinner afterwards on the 26th.
Red Rock Mental Health Center also offers HIV/AIDS
prevention and education for the gay, lesbian, and bisexual
community, free referrals for counseling and substance use
treatment and individual and group therapy for individuals with
HIV/AIDS and their loved ones. For more information, call Betsy
Murphy or Kim Johnson at 425-0399. ~
Black History Month
" I n j u s t i c e anywhere i s a
Sunday
Tuesday
Monday
·~~'
~'~~~~5".i
More February birthdays:
. . ..,
5
•·.
~--
.·
1 Cleveland
Friday
3 Elizabeth
Saturday
4
Blacku1ell
18:21 - 1010
.
NOW
Norman
Public
Library
7pm
Gert.rude
Stein
1874 - 1946
g
8
7
2
County
. .
6
j u s t i c e everywhere."
Wednesday Thursday
Alice Walker, February 9, 1944
Frederick Douglass, February 12, 1817
Abraham Lincoln, February 12, 1809
Rosa Parks, Valentines Day, 1913
:; Anais Nin, February 21, 1903 - 1977
.,.
threat to
11
10
£
Teachers
11eetin£1
7 pm at
Herl and
12
13
Party al.
Herland fl:>r
16
1"talenline's
Day
VOLUNTEERS,
Past.Present
& Future
Pot Luck
S - 8 pm
Susan B.
Anthony
tB20 - 1906
20
l~ideo
21
24
26
27
30 years
aeo today
2 i>PEN
111K
PORTHOLE
9:00 Piii
a
<ilSSilHtnill&d
Presidents
Day
Holiday
18
al the
Malcolm X
R.l.P.
Board
Meetinp
4:30 pm
Nielhl
Today in 1916,
at Herland
OKC NOW
Emma Coldman 7pm fl:>r Black
was arrested History Month
lf!eets at
in New York
Noon
& then:
at.. the
fl:>r !eel.urine PetstsyJohnson
Harvey House
on birth
at.. Medina's
control
9:30 - 12:30
Edna St.
Vincent Millay
1892 - 1950
W.E.B.
DuBois
1868 - 1963
ACA DYKES
in OKC
call 521-8447
28
Elizabeth Blackwell, February 3, 1821 - 1910; First American woman doctor
of medicine. Rebuffed at first by the authorities and later ostracized
by her fellow students, she went on to gain her degree, with the highest
grades for her year, in 1849. After study in Europe, she returned to the
US in 1857 and opened first a hospital run by women, and later a medical
school for women, in New York City.
HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES, INC.
2312 N.\\i. 39t.h Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
405/ 521-9696
Wint.er Hours: Saturdays iO - 5; Sundays I - 5
YtJIL
A~~
/NVl/E"O lo;
So.t"'""DY Y,c11 I .Nlzss$ $!kJp11t,
MAAT: Following the principles o{justia,
divine law and truth
Siinday lli/h Ma11 1":~~1M•
WeJ11ekia_t Low MaH r.'a:Jp,,,,
~
.
'Valerie ~ntkr
•
Mufium
HOLY TRINITY
Ecumenical Catholic Church
2328 N. MacAfthur
Tarot Cards • I Ching
By Appointment Only
(405) 235-5059
Pb.Jfu (405) 755-8351
~~StlC - ~
.
-
·fOR€St tR€aSUR€S
~1n£
aAts • antiques
•· Plahts • .cwts hEQ1tac",£ Plau-
katti11ern Qankm
-natasha Rice -
.. 1961 w. lmose~' ~
nomnan, ilk 73069
(405) 447-5111
ENERGY ZOil
Health
+ Nutrition + Fitness Products
Rebecca R. Cohn, Ph.D.
Cllnlcal Psychology
lndlvldual,
Couples & FamHy
Therapy
Norman, OK
321-2148
(405) 732-3644 r-q>
1612 S. Midwest Blvd .
Midwest City. OK 73110
c:;:J-85 :.:§&?---> /
Nancy Schneider M.s. w.
~ (j'~Joaat 'WorbMEM8EA
Sarah J. Rucker
Certified Massage Therapist
By Appointment Only
(405) "3-4210
individual.
couple, and
group therapy
2233 W. UNDSEY
SUITE 109
NORMAN, OK 73069
(405) 364-2545
PAGER: (405) 79 I ·8792
-
ll(J)lilN llff;Il'I1S l~N••
·1·11E ()){(; (;J'l'Y (;()(JN(;If~
by Margaret Cox
the Oklahoma City Council voted January 24, 1995, for
the second time in fifteen months and with an identical six to three
vote, not to adopt a Human Rights ordinance proposed to it by its
own Human Rights Commission. In a closely related matter, the
Council voted five to four against adopting an amendment to the
City's Hate Crimes Ordinance which was designed to make the
language of that ordinance constitutional under Supreme Court
guidelines. The vote was expected to fall as it did; nevertheless it
was a mean-spirited exhibition of bigotry and cynical political
maneuvering.
An impressive and eloquent group of Oklahomans spoke
for the Hate Crimes Ordinance: Michael Canfield, Pam
Fleischaker, JoAnne McFarthing, Rev. Wayne Robinson, Bill
Rogers, and Paul Thompson. Among those speaking against the
ordinance - speaking for Hate, if you will - was Representative
Bill "Three Strikes and You're Dead" Graves. Mayor Norick
allowed six people on each side of the issue to speak on the Hate
Bills ordinance. When it came time to speak on the Human
Rights Ordinance, however, he allowed four to speak against it
and only two, Pat Reaves and Margaret Cox, to speak for it. The
Rev . Kathy McCallie, who with Roosevelt Milton of the NAACP
were poised to speak next, called the Mayor on this point and
repeatedly asked that two more be allowed to speak for the
ordinance as a matter of fairness and justice. The Mayor denied
her request.
The two proposals were placed on the agenda in a
strategic move by gay-unfriendly Council members to make the
individual members take a public stand on the "homosexual"
question prior to Spring elections. Members voting for the
Ordinances were Jackie Carey, Ward 8; Willa Johnson, Ward 7;
and Mark Schwartz, Ward 2. Mayor Ron Norick joined those
three in voting ·to amend the Hate Crimes Statute to make it
viable. Councilwoman Johnson, in particular, spoke movingly
an? vehemently about the need for human rights and civil rights
bemg extended to all people. Council members who voted
against the two ordinances, and thereby left Oklahoma City with
no Human Rights or Hate Crimes Ordinances, were Jack Cornett,
Ward 3; Jerry Foshee, Ward 5; Beverly Hodges, Ward 6; Frances
Lowrey, Ward 4 , and Frosty Peak, Ward 1.
An alternate Human Rights ordinance was sent back to
the Human Rights Cb~ssion for further study and may be
before the Council at another date. It replaces the specific listing
of all protected classes with a more general reference to
"background". It is generally considered a well-meant but
basically useless attempt at compromise.
Filing dates for candidates for City Council are February
21 - 24. The primary election date is March 21, and the general
election, if needed, is April 4. Four Council seats will be up for
election: Beverly Hodges and Jerry Foshee, who voted against the
Ordinance, and Mark Schwartz, who voted for it, are all running
for re-election. Jackie Carey is not running for re-election, and at
this time it is not known who will be standing for that seat.
*
We spotted the yellow church buses, seven in all, as we
arrived at City Hall at 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday. We were over an
hour early for the Council meeting, but they were even earlier.
The passengers were disembarking, marching in a quiet, orderly
manner, their signs aloft. The two signs that were carried into the
row in front of mine were "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam
and ~teve" (o? clever!) and "Homos can't procreate, so they
recruit your children and grandkids!". It looked liked the town of
Stepford had come marginally to life and decided to agitate, in a
well-brought up manner, of course.
A few stalwart dykes had already claimed a couple of
benches towards the front of the Council Chambers when we
pushed our way through the side doors, so we had good seats for
the hour-long wait until the meeting was to begin. For the most
part all of the people seated behind us were "them" - the
Stepfords. As a matter of
discipline and an exercise in
courage, as well as real
curiosity, I stood, turned, and
faced them. I took my time
and looked at them all, row
after row, person by person.
They were mostly youngish,
many very young adults, high
schoolers, probably; well
scrubbed,
sober and frightened
by Sybil Ludington
by me. I suddenly became
aware that the husband of a
couple in the second row behind mine was holding a small book
or wallet in front of his wife's eyes. He held it there, with a defiant
and malignant glare at me, the entire time I stood there. Which
one of them was it, I wonder, who was so afraid? Most afraid?
Did he think I would turn her to stone? Was he afraid I would
recruit her??? (after all, these people have very little faith in the
ability of the charms and delights of heterosexuality to withstand
the lures and forbidden pleasures of homosexuality). Did he want
to keep her from seeing me or me from seeing her? Was he
guar~ng her from the sight of me the way we instinctively guard
a ?ehcate pe~son from the sight of an ugly accident? Do I just
think I look like a harmless kindly middle-aged Everywoman and .
really I present as a depraved monster? Was she glad of his care
or did she really want to slap his hand down and tell him to leave
her ~one? ''I couldn't stand the sight of her" .. .I always thought it
was JUSt a manner of speaking, but maybe it would have killed
her. Who knows. It made me feel very powerful, but gave me no
pleasure.
Among our speakers was Bill Rogers, who said that
every month he gets a couple of calls from people who tell him
they have been fired for being gay, and be has to tell them that
there is nothing he can do about it. Is this the kind of city, Bill
asked the Council, that we want? Yes, according to the people in
the rows behind me. "Yes, that's right, we certainly do ..." They
looked me right in the eye and told me so. Those Stepford folks
are pretty mean and nasty. They made me get up and ask the
Council to pass the ordinance to protect me from them. Most of
them there, by the way, according to the brave old gent next to me
who dared to carry on a conversation with T'Wanda, were from a
Windsor Hills church.
(continued on next page)
3
Her/and Voice
February, 1995
Winner-§ Ann()unced in
the m=itth Annual
m=emini§t ()f the .,,,earAwar-d§
Washington, Dec. 29 -- Eleanor Smeal, President of the
Feminist Majority Foundation, announced the winners of the
Fifth Annual Feminist of the Year Awards. These awards are
intended to encourage people to speak out for feminism and honor
those who risked their jobs, careers or educations, made personal
sacrifices, or used their high-ranking positions to bring about
women's equality over the past year or over their lifetimes.
This year two of the Feminist Majority Foundation's
Feminists of the Year are women who led the call for women's
worldwide empowerment and reproductive rights at the United
Nations International Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt. Dr. Nafis Sadik, general
secretary of the ICPD, worked to place the empowerment of
women at the center of the population debate; and Gro Harlem
Brundtland, prime minister of Norway, spoke out in favor of
reproductive rights at the ICPD in response to the Catholic
Church and fundamentalist Muslim opposition.
"Dr. Sadik and Prime Minister Brundtland are in stark
contrast to TIME Magazine's Man of the Year -- Pope John Paul
II," said Smeal. "The pope tried to obstruct the International
Conference on Population and Development with the abortion
issue. However, the work of Sadik, Brundtland and women's
organizations succeeded in putting the advaneement of women at
the center of the debate to stabilize the world's population while
recognizing for the first time unsafe abortion as a world public
health problem. Sadik and Brundtland are true 'moral forces'
working for the equality of all human beings, unlike the pope,
who chooses to ignore the sufferings of millions of women from
unwanted pregnancies."
Other 1994 Feminists of the Year are: Chilean feminist
writer Isabel Allende, for her portrayal of strong women writers
and her feminist activism; Asian Immigrant Women Advocates,
for working to end the exploitation of women immigrant workers;
Dandy Barrett-Witty and Bruce Barrett, daughter and son of slain
volunteer clinic escort James Barrett, who have both spoken out
against anti-abortion violence; Rep. Don Edwards , for his
leadership on women's rights during his three decades in
Congress; Atlanta Police Chief Beverly Harvard, the first
African-American woman to head a big-city police department,
for breaking the glass ceiling for women and African-Americans
in police; abortion clinic owner Susan Hill, who runs clinics in
remote areas in the face of continuous threats of violence; the first
lesbian or gay member of the California legislature, Sheila James
Kuehl; Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin, for continuing to
promote women's rights despite receiving death threats; the late
Winn Newman, for his pioneering leadership in the field of
comparable worth and pregnancy discrimination; Edouard Sakiz
and Catherine Euvrard of Roussel Uclaf, for breaking the logjam
on introduction of RU 486 to the United States; and Rena Weeks,
for setting a precedent that companies cannot tolerate sexual
harassment without paying a hefty price.~
GAY & LESBIAN FREEDOM
RIDERS BUS TO MISSISSIPPI
DESTINATION: OVETT
by Robin Tyler
Memorial Day Weekend (May 26-30, 1995) will once
again be memorable for Mississippi as 1,000 gays and lesbians
from all across America ride to the aid of a lesbian family and
their besieged property outside Ovett.
Since November 1993, lesbian partners Wanda &
Brenda Henson, along with numerous volunteers, have defended
their 120 acre "Camp Sister Spirit" folkschool from an ongoing,
religious-right-inspired campaign of violence, harassment,
intimidation and death threats. There have been over 64 incidents
to date, including telephone death threats, mail-bomb threats,
explosives at their gate and a dead dog tied to their mailbox. They
sleep with rifles next to their bed. Mississippi Family Values was
created for the purpose of finding ways to "oust" Sister Spirit Inc.
from their land. The climate of hatred that has been spawned in
the surrounding communities is palpable and deadly. Two gay
men were murdered recently just 15 miles away.
This climate of aggression briefly attracted the attention
of Attorney General Janet Reno who sent Justice Department
representatives to Ovett to investigate the situation last year. The
Justice Dept. concluded that the Federal government could NOT
help because GAYS AND LESBIANS ARE NOT COVERED
UNDER THE CURRENT CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS.
With no help from the government in sight, veteran gay
and lesbian activists have decided to take the defense of Camp
Sister Spirit into their own hands so that Camp Sister Spirit can
complete their dream of building a feminist lesbian folk school
(an educational and cultural retreat center that makes available an
opportunity for learning non-oppressive lifeways) & having foodboxes and clothing available to address the realities of poverty in
the area.
In addition to helping build the property, money will be
raised to help Camp Sister Spirit pay for expenses for a federal
lawsuit to be filed under the anti-Klan act for the harassment they
have received.
Because of the escalating violence against lesbians and
gays all over the world, an international lesbian/gay version of the
Clothesline project will occur during this time at the camp. The
purpose of the Clothesline project is to bear witness to the
survivors and victims of the war against women, both the
casualties of the war, and the wounded. This display will show
the extent of the problem with a visual impact similar to the AIDS
quilt. Another purpose of the Clothesline is to help with the
healing process for people who have lost a loved one or who are
survivors of this violence.
The Destination: Oven - Gay Freedom Rides Coalition
will contact gay and lesbian groups all over the world to send in
T-shirts bearing the names of gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals,
transsexuals, and transgenders who have suffered violence or
death. These will be displayed at Camp Sister Spirit. ~
5 Her/and Voice
February, 1995
by Jill Garner
Stacie Barnett - Baby Can You Stay All Night?
The tape I've been anxiously awaiting has finally arrived
and I want to share it. Stacie Barnett, a local singer who I rave
about to anyone who will listen, just released her first collection
of original songs. For those of you who haven't heard this country
singer yet, you may be surprised at the talent this woman
possesses. The first thing you may notice about her is her strong,
rich, resonant voice, touched with a southern twang, and then you
may realize that not only can she sing, but she's definitely got a
flair for songwriting. Many of her songs are light catchy country
songs about love and love gone wrong such as If Love Should
Come Again and Don't You Know Anything About Love, but
they're smooth songs that we can easily connect to, and want to
dance around the floor to. And while I love these toe-tappin'
songs, my favorites of hers are the quieter ballads that grab my
heart. The Harbour, Come Out of the Darkness and Till the End
are three of my favorites. The Harbour is one of Stacie's best
songs and the times I've heard it she's been accompanied only by
her acoustic guitar. While I love the musicians she recorded her
songs with, this is the only one that may take me getting used to
the additional backup. I do love the harmonica played by Peter _
Dolese but I don't particularly care for some of the background
vocals on this song (just some of them Nancy!) However, the
strength of the song overcomes my misgivings about that and I'm
pleased with her result. Come Out of the Darkness is simply
Stacie's beautiful voice and her guitar and this song moves me
every time I hear it, and I swear she wrote it for me. In Till the
End, one of the highlights of the song is the beautiful piano
playing of Louise Goldberg. It really adds to any already
touching song about love that eventually develops between
childhood friends.
One song I love to hear Stacie sing is the lively Where
You Are Over Me and Rick Wright on lead guitar (and on I Ain't
Buyin It) gives it a real country feel. Let Me Let Him Go, another
pretty ballad, is a conversation between the head and the heart to
let a love go, with the head telling the heart, "I'm counting on you,
to be the stronger of the two, let me let him go ." I love the idea of
the song and it's another one of my favorites.
Probably my least favorite song on the tape is I'm Goin
Down. It's one of the liveliest songs and I'm physically incapable
of not tapping my feet to it because it's a good song. I'm just not
crazy about the words. "I'm goin' down, in a sea of love, I'm
drownin', don't pull me up." It relies too much on a cliche (sea of
love) but that's my only complaint about it. I really like the fiddle
and the lead guitar on this (provided by Mo Gibson and Phil
Smith respectively).
Other musicians on the tape are Terri Hoersch on bass,
Elyse Angelo and Dona Jo Cox on drums, Nancy Nesser
providing harmony vocals, and Mike Dunn, along with Phil
Smith, and Rick Wright contributing lead guitar.
4
Her/and Voice
February, 1995
Overall, I love this tape. I would like to see Stacie delve
deeper into the heart and the complexities of love won and lost,
but I'll continue to be a fan whether she does or not. Words are
important to me but Stacie also has a voice that draws me in and
melts me. And with songs like The Harbour and Come Out of the
Darkness, she's got me hooked. And okay, I'm somewhat biased.
I happen to know and like Stacie but I have no doubt that she has
the talent and the drive to make it. If she does, then I'll buy her
music and say I knew her when. Good luck Stacie!
Stacie is selling her tapes herself so if you'd like a copy,
you can call 528-3727 and leave me your name and phone number
and I'll arrange for you to pick up a tape. They are $6 each. ~
RED ROCK MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
IS NOW OFFERING AN AFFIRMING
SUPPORT GROUP FOR GAY, LESBIAN,
AND BISEXUAL INDIVIDUALS IN THE
SHAWNEE AREA
Are you looking for a positive way to meet new people
and make friends in a supportive atmosphere that encourages
sharing ideas and concerns? Join us as we learn more about
ourselves and our community.
TIME:
WEDNESDAY EVENINGS, 5:30-7:00P.M.
PLACE:
RED ROCK MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
126 N. BELL, SHAWNEE, OK
For more information about this group, please contact the office of Red
Rock Mental Health Center at 425-039<). -ct
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Anyway. The place was full, and spirits were high, and
a great time was had by all. All of "us", anyway. Interestingly I
think we had a much better time than the people who won the day.
Following the final vote, one of us stood and called to the Council
"Shame!. Shame on you." It felt good. We were a wonderful
group of lesbians and gays and trans genders and straight humanrights activists. We knew the proposals would fail, but we also
knew that our cause will prevail. As more than one of our
speakers said, "As long as I breathe .... we will keep coming back;
and the City Council will pass this ordinance." ~
Winner§ Ann()unced in
the r=itth Annual
r=eminist ()f the ~ear
Awards
Washington, Dec. 29 -- Eleanor Smeal, President of the
Feminist Majority Foundation, announced the winners of the
Fifth Annual Feminist of the Year Awards. These awards are
intended to encourage people to speak out for feminism and honor
those who risked their jobs, careers or educations, made personal
sacrifices, or used their high-ranking positions to bring about
women's equality over the past year or over their lifetimes.
This year two of the Feminist Majority Foundation's
Feminists of the Year are women who led the call for women's
worldwide empowerment and reproductive rights at the United
Nations International Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt. Dr. Nafis Sadik, general
secretary of the ICPD, worked to place the empowerment of
wonien at the center of the population debate; and Gro Harlem
Brundtland, prime minister of Norway, spoke out in favor of
reproductive rights at the ICPD in response to the Catholic
Church and fundamentalist Muslim opposition.
"Dr. Sadik and Prime Minister Brundtland are in stark
contrast to TIME Magazine's Man of the Year -- Pope John Paul
II," said Smeal. "The pope tried to obstruct the International
Conference on Population and Development with the abortion
issue. However, the work of Sadik, Brundtland and women's
organizations succeeded in putting the advancement of women at
the center of the debate to stabilize the world's population while
recognizing for the first time unsafe abortion as a world public
health problem. Sadik and Brundtland are true 'moral forces'
working for the equality of all human beings, unlike the pope,
who chooses to ignore the sufferings of millions of women from
unwanted pregnancies."
Other 1994 Feminists of the Year are: Chilean feminist
writer Isabel Allende, for her portrayal of strong women writers
and her feminist activism; Asian Immigrant Women Advocates,
for working to end the exploitation of women immigrant workers;
Dandy Barrett-Witty and Bruce Barrett, daughter and son of slain
volunteer clinic escort James Barrett, who have both spoken out
against anti-abortion violence; Rep. Don Edwards, for his
leadership on women's rights during his three decades in
Congress; Atlanta Police Chief Beverly Harvard, the first
African-American woman to head a big-city police department,
for breaking the glass ceiling for women and African-Americans
in police; abortion clinic owner Susan Hill, who runs clinics in
remote areas in the face of continuous threats of violence; the first
lesbian or gay member of the California legislature, Sheila James
Kuehl; Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin, for continuing to
promote women's rights despite receiving death threats; the late
Winn Newman, for his pioneering leadership in the field of
comparable worth and pregnancy discrimination; Edouard Sakiz
and Catherine Euvrard of Roussel Uclaf, for breaking the logjam
on introduction of RU 486 to the United States; and Rena Weeks,
for setting a precedent that companies cannot tolerate sexual
harassment without paying a hefty price.~
GAY & LESBIAN FREEDOM
RIDERS BUS TO MISSISSIPPI
DESTINATION: OVETT
by Robin Tyler
Memorial Day Weekend (May 26-30, 1995) will once
again be memorable for Mississippi as 1,000 gays and lesbians
from all across America ride to the aid of a lesbian family and
their besieged property outside Ovett.
Since November 1993, lesbian partners Wanda &
Brenda Henson, along with numerous volunteers, have defended
their 120 acre "Camp Sister Spirit" folkschool from an ongoing,
religious-right-inspired campaign of violence, harassment,
intimidation and death threats. There have been over 64 incidents
to date, including telephone death threats, mail-bomb threats,
explosives at their gate and a dead dog tied to their mailbox. They
sleep with rifles next to their bed. Mississippi Family Values was
created for the purpose of finding ways to "oust" Sister Spirit Inc.
from their land. The climate of hatred that has been spawned in
the surrounding communities is palpable and deadly. Two gay
men were murdered recently just 15 miles away.
This climate of aggression briefly attracted the attention
of Attorney General Janet Reno who sent Justice Department
representatives to Ovett to investigate the situation last year. The
Justice Dept. concluded that the Federal government could NOT
help because GAYS AND LESBIANS ARE NOT COVERED
UNDER THE CURRENT CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS.
With no help from the government in sight, veteran gay
and lesbian activists have decided to take the defense of Camp
Sister Spirit into their own hands so that Camp Sister Spirit can
complete their dream of building a feminist lesbian folk school
(an educational and cultural retreat center that makes available an
opportunity for learning non-oppressive lifeways) & having foodboxes and clothing available to address the realities of poverty in
the area.
In addition to helping build the property, money will be
raised to help Camp Sister Spirit pay for expenses for a federal
lawsuit to be filed under the anti-Klan act for the harassment they
have received.
Because of the escalating violence against lesbians and
gays all over the world, an international lesbian/gay version of the
Clothesline project will occur during this time at the camp. The
purpose of the Clothesline project is to bear witness to the
survivors and victims of the war against women, both the
casualties of the war, and the wounded. This display will show
the extent of the problem with a visual impact similar to the AIDS
quilt. Another purpose of the Clothesline is to help with the
healing process for people who have lost a loved one or who are
survivors of this violence.
The Destination: Ovett - Gay Freedom Rides Coalition
will contact gay and lesbian groups all over the world to send in
T-shirts bearing the names of gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals,
transsexuals, and transgenders who have suffered violence or
death. These will be displayed at Camp Sister Spirit. ~
5 Her/and Voice
February, 1995
BOOK
REVKEW
by Jo L. Soske
Susan Koppelman introduces her latest collection, Two
Friends and Other Nineteenth-Century Lesbian Stories by
American Women Writers. with the brilliant preface and
introduction her readers have come to expect. Susan presents
eleven stories which she says are, "... portrayals of lesbian love,
lesbian passion, lesbian heartbreak, and lesbians living our their
lives ... " She offers these stories as proof that it was possible, in
the nineteenth century, to publish lesbian stories about women
loving women. Susan says that these stories "feel" like lesbian
stories.
It was not without ambivalence that I read this book.
The headnote to each story is interesting and extremely well
written. The book is worth reading simply for this reason. Two of
the stories, "Since I Died," and ''Two Friends" very definitely
"feel" like lesbian stories. However, the other stories feel, to me,
like pre-lesbian stories. Though most of them involve women
loving women, they lack any lesbian consciousness or lesbian
community. They are filled with causal assumptions of
heterosexual superiority. Some of the stories contain a woman
character who is woman centered, but she is always isolated in the
deepest sense of the word. I found reading some of these stories
to be quite painful. It was very much like reading The Well of
Loneliness. These stories are no less historically significant.
They are an important piece of our past and must be read. For this
reason and for its brilliant scholarship, I strongly recommend this
book. However, I do not suggest it for causal, pleasurable
reading. 'Cc
Multinational Monitor Announces
Ten Worst Corporations of 1994
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 -- Denny's, Dole Foods,
General Electric, General Motors, Monsanto, Nike, Pepsi, Philip
Morris, Unocal, and Upjohn are the "Ten Worst Corporations of
1994," according to the December 1994 issue of The
Multinational Monitor.
These companies are named by the magazine for
substantially contributing to corporate wrongdoing. According to
the article, corporate crime and wrongdoing as opposed to street
crime poses the greatest risks to society. Each year in the United
States, white-collar fraud alone costs $200 billion, dwarfing street
robbery's cost of $565 million and burglary's cost of $3.8 billion.
Author Russell Mokhiber said, "the popular theory, and
the one put forth in the best-selling book The Bell Curve. is that,
as a group, criminals are below average in intelligence. Yet the
opposite is true. The criminals who inflict the most damage are
above average in official measures of 'intelligence.' They are the
executives who run multinational corporations."
6
Her/and Voice
February, 1995
The cost of corporate crime is not only financial.
According to Mokhiber, corporate crime is more violent than
street crime as well. "The handful of the world's corporate
criminologists who have studied the issue agree that corporate
crime and violence kills far more people than all the street crime
and violence combined. While the murder rate in the United
States is 24,000 a year," he added, "the National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health estimated recently that
occupational diseases kill 50,000 Americans a year."
The Multinational Monitor, founded by consumer
advocate Ralph Nader in 1980, is a monthly magazine that
focuses on issues of multinational corporate power. 'Cc
*******************
LGBT TOWN HALL
Activists from Norman, Oklahoma City, Shawnee, and
Tulsa gathered in Norman on January 14 to discuss issues facing
the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. The
state-wide town hall meeting, convened by OGLPC, attracted
nearly 30 participants from Simply Equal-OKC, Simply EqualNorman, TOHR, Lighthouse MCC, NOW, Herland, OBIN,
LEAGUE, OUGBLA and unaffiliated individuals. The
importance of improved networking among lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender (1-g-b-t) organizations and our allies was
stressed by all the participants. A follow-up meeting to continue
the discussion was set for 11 a.m. on April 1 at Clark Memorial
United Methodist Church, 5808 NW 23rd, Oklahoma City.
Each of the participants gave her/his ideas about the
problems and issues facing the gay/lesbian community in a roundrobin session. The remainder of the meeting was devoted to
discussion of ways to address the issues that had been identified.
The most common theme in the issues identified was the
need for communication among 1-g-b -t organizations and
individuals state-wide. The threat from the Radical Right; the
need for organizing and education both within the 1-g-b-t
communities and in the general public; and, the importance of
visibility of 1-g-b-t individuals and our organizations were
frequently identified issues. The need of focusing our efforts for
equal rights in the legal, secular arena and not debating morality
with the Radical Right was emphasized by several participants.
The consensus of the group was that improved
networking among 1-g-b-t organizations and allies is an important
step toward addressing these issues. Several ideas for networking
were discussed, including development of a state-wide council or
coalition of organizations. The group agreed to continue the
discussion at the follow -up meeting in April.
Notes of the January 14 meeting will be distributed to all
those attending the meeting and those who received meeting
announcements. They will be asked to rank the top ten issues and
submit them for compilation before the April meeting. The top
five issues identified will be discussed at the meeting.
If you would like to receive information about the April
meeting, please leave your name and address on the Simply Equal
voice mail 945-5923. 'Cc
Dykes To Watch Out For ·
I'I"\ GONtii'. HAVE: To>il CoMe IN AND DoTtif: &:JDl<ka;f'/NG AMP PAYRoU., 8tlT MD 15 RESPONS/Bt£, RlR EV£l'Yfl11"'6 EJ.5£; /'\UOJ>J(, J.JITli
SALES Rl'PS, ORDER/NG, PAYING BIU.~. M.\l<ING ~1rs, /;till¥> THE
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Bc65· OkAY?
CROSSING THE BOUNDARY: FEMINISMS
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE STUDENT CONFERENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
TULSA MARCH 17-19, 1995.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: JUDY GRAHN
(One of the foremost voices of
Lesbian/feminism, her works include The Common Woman Poems, Edward the
Dyke, The Queen of Wands, The Queen of Swords, and Another Mother
Tongue -- Gay Words, Gay Worlds. At this conference, Judy Grahn will also
offer a workshop. )
For more information on the conference, contact Kerri Shaw at (918) 631-3421.
Lesbian-only counseling • group or
individual.
Contact Jo L. Soske,
MEd/MHR/ICADC/LPC at 321-0134 for
more information.
Attention artists: the Bunkhouse is
currently sponsoring a logo contest.
Entries must be received at the Bunkhouse
no later than midnight, February 15. The
winning entry will receive a $100 cash
prize. Contact the Bunkhouse for details.
Call for Submission: "Loving Across the
Boundary: An Anthology of Lesbian
Relationships Across Race and Culture."
We believe that lesbian relationships
across lines of race and culture involve
profound challenges, joys, and
satisfactions. As far as we know there is
currently no published work where such
relationships are central, or addressed in
detail. We are looking for essays, short
stories, and personal writings, of no more
than 30 double-spaced pages, authored by
one or both partners. We plan to write a
short introduction talking about how and
why this book is important, and a
concluding segment drawing on our own
and others' personal experiences to bring
out the skills, principles, and perspectives
which are valuable tools for alliance
building. Please submit three copies of
the manuscript with name(s), address, and
phone/fax number listed on a separate
sheet. Manuscripts should be sent to :
Gwyn Kirk & Margo Okazawa-Rey; 351
30th Street, San Francisco, CA 94131; by
September 1, 1995. For more guidance on
the kind of issues to address, check the
bulletin board at Herland or write to the
editors at the above address.
Lesbian Writers Fund Accepting
Submissions for 1995 A wards: Five
awards of $11,000 each will be made in
June 1995: 3 Fiction, 2 Poetry. Now in its
fifth year, the Lesbian Writers Fund was
established by the Astraea National
Lesbian Action Foundation to support the
work of emerging lesbian writers of
fiction and poetry. Deadline for
applications is March 8, 1995. Write or
call for guidelines and application form
to: Astraea National Lesbian Action
Foundation, Attn: Lesbian Writers Fund,
666 Broadway, Suite 520, New York, NY
10012, (212) 529-8021.
7 Her/and Voice
February, 1995
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