ALGA Update_v3.no3.1996.07.pdf
- Title
- ALGA Update_v3.no3.1996.07.pdf
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Property of t he Center
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Volume 3, Number 3
7
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Arizona Congressinan
CoJTies Out
Queer Dinner Club
Thursday, August 15
Italian Delights
10th at Georgia
7:30p.m.
Everyone Invited
More Outings Expected
Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) acknowleged that he was gay after being outed on
an National Public Radio story about the Defense of Marriage Act by reporter Kurt
Wolfe. It was also expected to be reported in an August 20 issue of the Advocate.
Gay and lesbian activists have been outraged at the overwhelming vote in congress
to pass the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which is widely viewed as one of the
most anti-gay pieces of legislation to pass the House in recent history. Many people
were especially outraged that gay and lesbian members of Congress voted for the
bill. This outrage has resulted in some news organizations reporting on gay
congressional votes.
Queer Dinner Club
Thursday, September 5
Los lnsurgentes (Celia's)
3521 W. 15th
7:30p.m.
An ad that ran this week in the Washington Blade, a gay weekly, urged closeted
members to come out. Although the ad did not threaten to out anyone, it did
encourage gay congressmen who voted for DOMA to "atone f~r your vote against
the community" by coming out. The ad gained attention from the straight press,
generating news reports in both the Washington Post and the Boston Globe.
Queer Dinner Club
Thursday, September 19
Italian Delights
7:30 p.m.
Everyone Invited
Kolbe has told the Arizona Daily Star that he is "not bitter about this, but I think it's
unfortunate for our society that things have to happen this way." He also said, "I
am the same person I was yesterday, and I'll legislate just the same way . This
should be as irrelevant as the fact that I am blue-eyed, right-handed and balding ."
Splash Day At
Texas Water Rampage
(Lubbock)
Tentatively set for
Sunday, August 25
Look for an update - include
ticket information - in the next
Update
The outings have not come without criticism. The Log Cabin Republicans praised
Congressman Kolbe for his "courageous announcement that he is gay" but issued
a strong statement condemning the outing.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) reports that Koble received a 50% and 60%
Congressional scorecard rating in the 102nd and 103rd congress. They also report
that he is a sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and has
consistently voted for the Ryan White Care Act.
2nd Annual
~~-ta
to benefit the
Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby
of Texas
Saturday, Oct. 26
July 1996
ALGA Information Line: 373-5725
.,
Wolfe also outed a congressman in Louisiana on NPR, who may come out over the
recess, and there are reports that another congressman in Florida will come out. If
this happens, there would be a total of six openly gay congressmen(four Republicans and two Democrats) . However, Rep. Steve Gunderson (R-WIS) is not running
for re-election. The Update will report any Congressmen that come out in future
updates , however, we will not out any individuals .
What's l n s i d e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - News Briefs
Take Action
Overheard
2
3
4
News
Organizations
ALGA Membership Form
3
5
6
.--P-a_g_e_2_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
T:_he_A_L_G_A_U_P_D_A_T:_E_ __,
newspaper concerning the 1994 ce ebration said,
"Even Disney has been exceptionally helpful this
year."
Rep. Attacks DOMA
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) on the floor of the House Of
Representatives, July 11, 1996
Let me say to the gentleman that when I was
growing up in the south during the 1940s and the
1950s, the great majority of the people in that
region believed that black people should not be
able to enter places of public accommodation, and
they felt that black people should not be able to
registerto vote, and many people felt that was right
but that was wrong. I think as politicians, as elected
officials, we should not only follow but we must
lead, lead our districts, not put our fingers into the
wind to see which way the air is blowing but be
leaders.
Mr. Chairman, this is a mean bill. It is cruel. This bill
seeks to divide our nation, tum Americans against
Americans, sew the seeds of fear, hatred and
intolerance. Let us remember the Preamble of the
Dedarationof Independence:We hold these truths
self-evident that all people are endowed by their
creator with certain inalienable rights. Among
these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
We are moving toward the 21st century. Let us
come together and create one nation, one people,
one family, one house, the American house, the
American family, the American nation.
Gay Day At Disney
The Homophobic Perspective
Reprinted From the American Family
Association "Journal", August, 1996:
FAMILIES SHOCKED BY HOMOSEXUAL
CELEBRATION AT MAGIC KINGDOM
* Includes eyewitness accounts from Disney World
event
The first weekend in June is the unofficial beginning of summervacation when kids bolt out of their
school rooms, pile into the family minivan and
This bill is a slap in the face of the Declaration of • head off for the annual respite from the day-to-day
Independence. It denies gay men and women the grind.
right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Marriage is a basic human right. You cannottell people This year many pointed their compasses toward
they cannot fall in love. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Disney World in Orlando, Florida, unaware of an
used to say when people talked about interracial impending cultural collision with a two-faced ''fammarriage and I quote, "Races do not fall in love and ily entertainment'' companythatwelcomed hordes
get married. Individuals fall in love and get mar- of homosexuals to celebrate their sexual perverried."
sions at ''The Sixth Annual Gay and Lesbian Day
at the Magical Kingdom that Walt Built."
VVhy do you notwantyourfellowmen andwbmen,
your fellow Americans to be happy? VVhy do you The 1996 "Gay Day at Disney'' celebration proattack them? VVhy do you want to destroy the love vided few surprises for those who have watched
they hold in their hearts? VVhy do you wantto crush the infamous gathering overthe years. But for the
their hopes, their dreams, their longings, their unsuspecting families who happened into the lair
aspirations?
of depravity, shock would be an understatement,
according to Rusty Pugh, and AFA reporter who
We are talking about human beings, people like witnessed this year's event. Pugh said he saw
you, people i,..-ho want to get manied, buy a house, several families crestfallen as they entered the
and spend their lives with the one they love. They Magic Kingdomandfoundthemselvessurrounded
have done no wrong.
by male and female homosexuals displaying their
I will not tum my back on another American. I will affections and stereotypical "gay'' attitudes."Faminot oppress my fellow human being. I have fought lies [were] forced to be subjected to this. They
too hard and too long against discrimination based [didn't] have any choice," said Pugh in regard to the
on race and color not to stand up against discrimi- lack of prior warming families received.
nation based on sexual orientation.
Although Disney does not officially sponsor the
Mr. Chairman, I have known racism. I have known
bigotry. This bill stinks of the same fear, hatred and
intolerance. It should not be called the Defense of
Marriage Act. It should be called the defense of
mean-spirited bigots act.
I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill,to have the
courage to do what is right. This bill appeals to our
worst fears and emotions. It encourages hatred of
our fellow Americans for political advantage. Everyword,every purpose,every message is wrong.
It is not the right thing to do, to divide Americans.
celebration, the company seems to accommodate and even welcome it. An internal correspondence from Clyde Min at Disney says: "Each
Resort has been asked to supply one Management Tearn Member to assist with the Gay Pride
Day in the Magic Kingdom on June 1, 1996. I am
looking for any volunteers who may be interested
in helping with this event." Two years ago Disney
employees who claimed to be volunteers served
as greeters wearing "Gay Day at Disney'' T-shirts
and handing out a pamphlet promoting the event
and asking homosexual patrons to write a letter to
Disney to encourage them to allow the event to
continue. A report in a New York homosexual
Since its beginning sex years ago, the homosexual celebration has been organized by Doug
Swallow, a homosexual activist in Orlando. In
earlier years a group of homosexuals who call
themselves "Digital Queers" was involved.
Another revealing first hand account of the year's
celebration came from "Disney Diary," a column in
the Orlando Weekly newspaper. In it writer Jeff
Truesdell recounts the day and the invasion of red
shirts - the traditional color choice for the homosexuals during their day at Disney. The column
implies that many Disney World workers are homosexual. Truesdell writes: ''Take away the gay
workers ... and Disney World becomes the planet's
largest self-service theme park." The newspaper
also describes an occasion when a parking attendant, upon seeing the crimson-attired passengers
in one vehicle, waved them through without collecting the $5 parking fee. Even the afternoon
Disney parade down the theme park's Main Street
- a favorite family event- portrayed strong homosexual overtones, according to Truesdell. The
performers in the parade, paid by the company
that claims to have no connection to the homosexual celebration, were decked out in - you
guessed it - red costumes.
Disney's claim not to sanction the event could
more easily be believed if the company were
consistent in applying policies concerning groups
that come en masse to their theme parks. Disney
claims it can't deny admission to someone only
because he belongs to a group which might upset
other patrons.
However, dozens of gang members visiting
Disneyland in California were evicted recently
after they entered the park wearing gang colors.
Kenneth Green, Director of Corporate Communications, said the company was concerned the
group might intimidate or invoke fear in the hearts
of mainstream patrons.
Even families who knew about the homosexual
event before making the trip to Orlando were met
with problems. David Caton of AFA of Florida
reports instances where families were told they
would not be given a refund on their deposits.
The ALGA UPDATE is published monthly
by the Amarillo Lesbian/Gay Alliance, P.O.
Box 9361, Amarillo, TX 79105-9361 . Anyone wishing to contribute , please call 3742907 and leave the information on the
machine, or mail information to the Editor.
Deadlines will be the 15th of the month for
the next month's issue.
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MAPPLETHORPE
REVISITED IN CINCINNATI
Defense, the Air Force and the Hickam Sasebo, Japan in 1992, stays in jail. By
Air Force Base have failed to respond to circulating a petition, Hajdys-Holman
numerous
inquiries
from
the hopes to get over one million signatures
OBSCENITY TRIAL
servicemembers and Congressional rep- from people who believe Helvey should
resentatives. For more information con- . serve his full life sentence for this particu(GLAAD) On August 5, Gary Allgier, owner tact Kirk Childress (SLDN) at (202) 328- larly heinous anti-gay hate crime in which
of the gay bookstore The Pink Pyramid, 2344 or e-mail at sldn1@aol.com.
Schindler was beaten so badly that he
and two clerks will go before the Ohio First
could only be identified by a tattoo on his
District Court of Appeals on obscenity
PUBLIC MORALS
arm. Helvey is currently seeking clemcharges for renting world-renowned filmency. For more information, contact DorINCLUDES GAY
maker Pier Paolo Pasolini's critically acothy Hajdys-Holman at P.O. Box 104,
CHARACTER
claimed Salo: 120 Days of Sodom. "This
Steger, IL 60475.
is a trial that should not be taking place,"
[ submitted by phil.attey@mail.hrcusa.org ]
This fall, under a deal with CBS to prosaid Leanne Katz, executive director of
duce series for the network, Steven
ACTION STILL NEEDED
the National Coalition Against CensorBochco will serve up his latest offering
ship (NCAC). Katz suggests that, like the
ON DEFENSE OF
1990 Mapplethorpe case when city pros- called Public Morals. Bochco has been
known for testing the limits of television,
MARRIAGE ACT
ecutors charged the Contemporary Arts
especially
seen
his
controversial
ABC
Center with obscenity, this latest obscen(HRC) This is a critical moment in the
ity trial cast Cincinnati officials as "op- television series NYPD Blue. He has also
drive to end job discrimination based on
been
known
to
include
gay
and
lesbian
pressive, obsessive anti-obscenity crusexual orientation, so everyone who cares
saders [that] seek out lesbian and gay characters in his series, winning GLAAD
about fairness should contact their U.S.
Media
Awards
for
NYPD
Blue
and
LA
targets." More than a dozen organizasenators immediately. Urge your senations including the NCAC, American Civil Law.
tors to support the Employment Non-DisLiberties Union and the r;::::::===============~
Public Morals will
Important Phone Numbers
crimination Act (ENDA, S. 932) as an
Museum of Modern Art
also be featuring a amendment to the Defense of Marriage
have filed a "friend of the
Senator Phil Gramm (R)
gay character. Bill Act (DOMA, S.1740), and tell them to
Brochtrup,
who
court" brief on behalf of
202 _224 _2934
oppose DOMA itself. DOMA, the antithe defendants. For more
(FAX) 202 _228 _2856
played out gay premarriage bill, is rocketing through Coninformation
contact
cinctsecretary John
gress.
Leanne Katz (NCAC) at Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) Irvin on NYPD Blue,
(212) 807-6222 or e-mail
will be bringing his Since the House passed the anti-gay
202 _224 _5922
(FAX) 202 _224 _0776
character to the new marriage bill July 12, the Senate is our
at ncac@netcom.com.
only hope for something positive to come
show.
GAY SOLDIERS
out of this election-year spectacle. The
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-13th)
Please thank Steven bad news is that DOMA is virtually certain
TARGETED IN
202-225-3706
Bochco for including to pass the Senate. The good news is that
(FAX)
202-225-3486
HAWAII WITCH
a gay character on it can at least deliver some basic fairness
his new show and in the workplace if we each do our part to
HUNT
Rep. Larry Combest (R-19th)
encourage himtofur- have the Senate pass the ENDA amend202-225-4005
therdevelop the char- ment to it.
The Servicemembers Le
acter.
gal Defense Networl
(FAX) 202-225-9615
(SLDN) reports that militan.ll..======::;;::::======-lco ntact:
Steven The so-called "Defense of Marriage Act"
would allow states to ignore gay marprosecutors are aggressively questioning suspected gay male
Bochco, Steven Bochco Productions, c/ riages performed in other states, and
servicemembers at Hickam Air Force
o CBS Entertainment, 7800 Beverly would create an unprecedented federal
Bouleva rd • Los Angeles, CA 90036- definition of marriage to exclude gay
Base and elsewhere in Honolulu, in viola2188
tion of "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue."
, e-mail: cbso01 a@prodigy.com
unions from all federal benefits should
any state decide to legalize same-sex
The most recent round of investigations
GAY VICTIM'S MOTHER
marriage.
began with a criminal conviction and an
PETITIONS TO KEEP
offer of a reduced sentence for one Air
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act
Force member for identifing other serMURDERER BEHIND
would protect Americans from job disvicemen engaging in consensual gay sex.
crimination based on sexual orientation .
BARS
At least 17 servicemembers from all
President Clinton endorsed the Employbranches have been targeted. One has
Dorothy Hajdys-Holman, mother of gay ment Non-Discrimination Act last Octobeen separated, two await discharge and
Navy Petty Officer Allen Schindler, is ber.
at least one other faces possible courtfighting to ensure that Terry Helvey,
martial and jail-time. The Department of
convicted of murdering her son in With your help, the ENDA amendment
has a decent chance of succeeding in the
p
The ALGA UPDATE
~~
by Rex Wockner
"I'm an openly gay trailer-trash Mexican. How could they not love me?"
--Ice-skating national champion Rudy
Galindo
"[The] principal House sponsor [of the
Federal anti-gay-marriage act, 'The
Defense of Marriage Act'], Bob Barr of
Georgia, his district office confirms, has
been married three times -- which raises
the question of why the act doesn't
contain
three-strikes-and-you're-out provision."
--New York Times columnist Frank Rich
"[The] Defense of Marriage Act ... an
attack on same-sex marriages, is
sponsored in the house by Rep. Bob
Barr (R-Ga.), whose interest in conventional marriage is so strong he is now on
his third one .... [I]f we take our legislative cues from the Bible -- if you insist - then what about divorce? Jesus was
adamant that it not be allowed: 'What
God has joined together, let no man put
asunder,' he told the Pharisees, adding
to the disciples, 'Whoever divorces his
wife and marries another commits
adultery.' (see Mark IO and Matthew
19). Paul, thereafter, wrote in First
Corinthians that the Lord gives charge
'that the wife should not separate from
her husband ... and that the husband
should not divorce his wife.' Should we
not recognize divorce as legitimate?
Shall we compel Messrs. Barr, Dole,
Gingrich, Limbaugh and other conservative serial monogamists outspoken in
their opposition to same-sex marriage
back into domesticity with their first
spouses?"
--Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn.
"Piercing your tongue is a lesbian
contradiction in terms.''
--From Shelly Roberts' new book
Roberts' Rules of Lesbian Living.
enate. ENDA has 30 Senate co-sponors, including two Republicans. ENDA
lso enjoys the support of major corporaions such as Eastman Kodak, Quaker
ats and Bethlehem Steel, and Republian Govs. William Weld of Massachuetts and Christine Todd Whitman of New
ersey.
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ontact your U.S. senators immediately
nd urge them to support the Employent Non-Discrimination Act (S. 932) as
n amendment to the so-called "Defense
f Marriage Act" (S. 1740), and also exress your opposition to DOMA itself.
se the sample letter below as a guide for
hat to say. Refer to each bill by its
ppropriate number. Write, call, fax, and
-mail your senators.
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rk E,,,f,f4,,,,,e,,t'Jt--"l)i4efril,ds. 932. 44,a,,4,,,e,u{,,,e,,((6$.
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Books, music and more.
for the lesbian, gay and
feminist communities.
~
~ °' "l)O?lf.,,l d4.. ttOt (6 le U< la-°'
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1846 Richmond Ave.
Houston, Texas 77098
CALL TOLL·FREE
800-9J1·JJ69
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Sample Letter to Your Senators
~ ~ (6 ~
-
~-;~. 4
ay marriage is not legal in any of the 50
tates. However, it is legal in 41 states to
e fired from your job simply because you
re gay. Congress should focus on the
eal problem of job discrimination against
ay people that affects Americans right
ow. A Hawaii court case that has sparked
he same-sex marriage debate is not exected to be decided for approximately
o years.
(6 ~
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~~~~/o,o~uiem-olfJ
Open Tuesday • Sunday
PfflOllalized mail order service.
IN HOUSTON: (713) 521-3369
) I'---------,-s-tu""'d,...e-nt_O.,,....rg_a_n"'"iza----,ti-on_s
The ALGA UPDATE
Page 5
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _....,G,_a_y_F...r"'"ie-n"""d....ly-=------1
1;
Lambdas of West Texas A&M
(inactive)
Box WT 335, Canyon, TX 79016
Pink Triangles Student Group
(inactive)
Amarillo College
Contact Rob Mills, 371-5300
Religious Organizations
Metropolitan Community Church
2123 S Polk,
Office hours M-F 9 AM 1 PM 372-4557
Sunday Services 10:30 AM & 6 PM
Children's Sunday school during service
Monday 12 Noon, Brown Bag Prayer
Wednesday 7 PM, Discussion Group
St Andrews Episcopal Church
1601 S. Georgia, Father Bill Nix
376-6316
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
4901 Cornell
Sundays, 11 am (Summers, 10 am)
355-9351
Services
Family Support Services
Domestic violence, rape crisis, counseling
services. Fees charged on a sliding scale.
900 S. Lincoln
372-3202
1-800-749-9026 hotline/helpline
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
1734 14th St. NW
Washington, D.C., 20009
(202) 332-6483
National Gay & Lesbian Teen Hotline
1-800-347-8336
Open 6 PM to 11 PM Central Time
Northwest Texas Public Services
D.J Wyatt Community Health°Ctr.
351-7220
Panhandle AIDS Support Organization
(PASO)
604 W 8th, 372-1050
1-800-388-4879 Hotline/Crisis number
Parents & Friends of Lesbians/Gays
(P-FLAG), Amarillo Chapter
Parents and friends, you have a support
group, tool
The Pavilion
Northwest Texas Healthcare System
Intensive Outpatient Program/Addictive
Disorders
354-1835
Shepherd House (call PASO)
MWF 11:30 - 1:30
Home cooked meal services for
HIV/AIDS individuals
Sisters (Women's Discussion Group)
MCC 2123 S Polk
Every Sunday 7 PM
Speak Out! Human Rights
Campaign Fund Information
1-800-777-HRCF
Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas
P.O. Box 2579
Austin, TX 78768
(512) 474-LGRL
People For The American Way
2000 M Street, NW, Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20036
Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians
& Gays (P-FLAG)
Travis McBride 358-4810
Texas Human Rights Foundation
(Gay/lesbian legal issues)
1-800-82 8-6417
Businesses/Organizations
Amarillo Bowl
4100 Wo/flin
352-5681
B & E Coffeehouse
coffee, espresso, latte,beer, wine,
sandwiches
3806 W 6th
351-0084
Hastings Books, Music and Video
2001 S Georgia - Gay/Lesbian book
section & magazines
4301 W 45th - Lambda book section
Italian Delights, Inc.
2710 W 10th Ave
Queer Dinner Club (QDC) meets 7:30
PM on the third Thursday of the month.
Everyone is welcome!
Valley Lodge Family Motel &
The Hole Thing Donut Shop
PO Box 304 - Main Street
Red River NM 87558
Reservations: 1-800-951-2262
Information: (505) 754 2218
Gay Owned Businesses
French & Co. Realtors
Paul D. French, Owner
4200 Ridgecrest, Suite A-5
356-9086
Bars
Alexander's Lounge
1219 W 10th Ave
372-7414
The Ritz
322 W 10th Ave
372-9382
Sassy's
309 W6thAve
374-3029
The Classifieds
519 E. 10th St.
374-2435
This listing is a service of the
Amarillo Lesbian/Gay Alliance.
Please send corrections/additions
to ALGA Update, P.O. Box 9361,
Amarillo, TX 79105-9361.
Page 6
The ALGA UPDATE
BOB PARIS AND ROD
JACKSON SPLIT UP
by Rex Wockner
The famous gay couple Bob Paris and Rod
Jackson have broken up.
In a statement faxed [to this news service] by
Paris on July 18,the bodybuilder/model couple
said:"Rumors have been circulating in the gay
community regarding the status of our relationship, and while neither of us is comfortable
discussing the very private aspects of our
lives,wewanttoaddressthose rumors directly
to prevent any misunderstanding.
"For the public record, we have been broken
up for the last year and were separated for a
year before that. The past two years have
been an extraordinarily difficult time for both of
us as we have faced the dissolution of our
marriage. The details and reasons for our
separation are complicated, painful and personal, as they are when any marriage fails.
And while our marriage was lived in the public
eye for many years, its demise is not a subject
either of us can expand upon in the media. We
have tried to handle the breakup in a mature,
quiet fashion, and are trying now to find new
ways to still be in each others lives.
'Wetriedourbesttomakeourmarriagework,"
the always-publicity-sensitive couple continued. 'We loved each other deeply and had ten
years together. Seven of those years were
spent as activists for gay civil rights and we
were fortunate to have been able to do some
very difficult, rewarding and exhausting work
together. Like so many couples, we found
ourselves in very different places, and our
partnership could no longer be the source of
joy and shelter it was for so long. Living and
working so much in the public eye, our marriage took on a life of its own, and our full
schedule of gay rights activism often came at
the expense of sustaining our personal relationship.
'We share the disappointment of those of you
who looked up to our marriage as a role model
- no one feels that disappointment more
I !!
keenly than we do," Jackson and Paris said.
"But as individuals we need to move on and
look forward, as any other couple, gay or
straight would at this point in their lives. We
both remaincompletelycommittedtothecause
of making the world a better, safer place for
gay, lesbian and bisexual youth. We both
remain deeply committed to the concept of
equal marriage rights, and we both still believe
in the magic of love."
In a telephone conversation, Paris- a former
Mr. America and Mr. Universe - said the
couple prepared the statement because, "I
think readers of the gay press are interested."
Paris and Jackson got married in 1989, after
Paris came out publicly in the July 1989 issue
of the muscle magazine lronman. Thereafter,
they spent several years as sort of free-lance
gay role-models - showing gay and straight
America that two All-American guys could fall
in love and live happily every after.
They made scores of speaking and television
appearances, and released a coffee-table
book of photos of themselves.
ALGA seeks to provide an organization that will encourage healthy acceptance of our lifestyle both within our
community and the population at large. Our annual budget is funded solely by your membership fees.
Membership guarantees reduced rates for future ALGA-sponsored events. Those same fees pay for printing
and mailing of this newsletter, sponsors the annual ALGA Gay Pride Picnic, camping trips, future workshops
and our information line costs. All mailings are discreet.
---------------------------------------- We are happy to provide the ALGA UPDATE to people who cannot afford to purchase a subscription; however,
we ask that anyone who can afford to subscribe, do so to keep the exchange of information flowing, our
community informed, and allow for more activities in the future.
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