HerlandVoice-1990-07-v7-no07_ocr.pdf
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- HerlandVoice-1990-07-v7-no07_ocr.pdf
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cto~HERLAND ~
JULY, 1990
ICE
SOME GLIMPSES INTO THE FEMINIZATION OF POVERTY
by Peggy Johnson
(The following is an excerpt from a more extensive
work by the author entitled ''Women and the Court: Do
We need an ERA?" For a complete bibliography of
works cited, write Peggy c/o Herland.)
ln the years following the defeat of the
Equal Rights Amendment in 1982, sex discrimination has continued to be a problem in the
land of the free and the brave. Though in an
historical context, strides have been made in
the status of women in the United States, the
ruling class (white males) has continued,
through blatant and covert methods of
sexism, to perpetuate a society in which
women are kept subjugated in varying
degrees. One can liken this to political gerrymandering in which the party in power draws
up voting districts in such a way that its hold
on power is continued. Such is the yoke of
women within a patriarchy.
Granted, a woman's place is not still
assumed to be solely in the home. She is in
the general work force in greater numbers
than ever and enjoys some rights long taken
for granted by males (such as suffrage and the
right to serve on a jury). Often, however, this
"right to work" placed her in the position of
a double job-the traditional role of homemaker and the new role of worker. Also,
employment opportunities for women are
limited within the powerful patriarchal framework. Furthermore, the 1980s have been
witness to the feminization of poverty. The
effect of divorce laws which upheld woman's
dependency role, her secondary status in the
class structure of the job market, and the
general stereotype that women are not prepared to meet the pressures of the public
sphere have all served to make and keep
women poor.
The 1980s have been witness to the erosion
of the gains made by women in the 1970s
(Benokraitis et al., 1986). Support for the
religious right and their endorsement of
traditional sex roles along with efforts by the
Reagan Administration to undermine social
legislation and human rights progress have
led to the sorry state of affairs in which we
find ourselves in 1990. The religious fight
over abortion in the political arena has only
added fuel to the fanatic fire.
The Reagan Administration refused to
enforce Title IX of the Civil Rights Act which
prohibits sex discrimination in employment
and education (Benokraitis et al., 1986) and
rejected the equal pay for equal work concept
(Kinoy, 1987). For example, Eleanor Holmes
Norton, Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission chairperson under President
Carter, in 1980 considered the question of
whether pay for "historically segregated
jobs" has been lower for women and minorities as "the largest and most difficult issue
left unresolved under Title VII" ( qtd. in
Barnett, 1986). On the other hand, Clarence
Pendleton, chair of Reagan's conservative
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, said that
comparable worth is "the looniest idea since
Looney Tunes came on screen" (ibid).
The Supreme Court, however, has ruled
on this "apples and oranges argument,"
stating that a job comparison rating on the
(continued on page 2)
ELAINE
TOWNSEND
IN CONCERT
with PEGGY JOHNSON opening
Herland will present Elaine Townsend in concert on Saturday,
July 28 at 9:00 p.m. in the City Arts Center on the Oklahoma
State Fairgrounds. Advance tickets are available at Herland
for $6.00. Admission at the door will be $7.00.
Born in North Carolina and currently based in Oakland,
Townsend has recently released her debut album, Heartbreaker Blues. The album is a collection of nine of
Townsend's original compositions which presents a broad
range of styles- blues, bluegrass, samba, rock and
reggae. "My songwriting is a deeply personal experience to
me and these nine songs reflect my growth as a songwriter
and my growing up," says Townsend.
VOLUME 7 NUMBER 7
•
HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES
•
2312 N.W. 39th, OKC, OK 73112
•
(405) 521-9696
Feminization of Poverty
(continued from page 1)
basis of skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions is an objective way to decide a
job's value. Presumably, the Reagan Administration thought of sex discrimination suits
as a hindrance to the free enterprise system
(Barnett, 1986) and consequently "distorted
the meaning of affirmative action" ("Women
in the Work Force" 1986). Also, in a clear
policy statement, a Reagan task force charged
with eliminating "excessive legislation"
zeroed in on sexual harassment rules as those
most in need of trimming down (Kirp et al.,
1986).
In the job market, women receive 60 cents
on the dollar compared to those workers
who are men (Barnett, 1986). Kocol puts the
figure at 64 cents ( 1987) but even on the high
side the discrimination message is obvious.
Women with a college degree earn the same,
on average, as men with an eighth grade
education (Kocol, 1987; Benokraitis et al.,
1986) and Social Security benefits for
women are barely two-thirds what men
receive (Kocol, 1987). Though affirmative
action created a significant improvement in
the hiring, promotion and training of women
in the 1970s and early 1980s, the Reagan
Administration's distortion of the meaning
and value of affirmative action has eroded
some of that progress ("Women in the Work
Force," 1986).
In 1970, 28.3% of all university and
college teachers were women and by 1985
this number hadclimbed to35.2% ("Women
in the Work Force," 1986). An April 3,
1990 article in the Washington Times stated,
however, that only 26.5% of college professors are women. ls this a disparate statistical
study or a sign of the times? Similarly, a
disproportionate number of grammar and
high school teachers are women. This is a
clear indication of the spread of the class and
economic structure. Though the recent
teacher walk-out in Oklahoma was a tax issue
on its face, it was certainly a women's issue at
its core.
A 1981 National Academy of Science
study showed that while women and men
generally do different work, women are
overwhelmingly paid less. The more women
dominate a profession, the less the pay
(Jackson et al., 1988). Also, the Directory of
Occupational Titles lists 420 jobs and shows
that 80% of working women work in only 25
of them. O~er half of those women work in 1
of the 2 major jobs as clerical and service
workers (Jackson et al., 1988).
In 1982, 60% of the women working
outside the home (53% of all women are now
in the labor force) made less than $10,000
per year (Jackson et al., 1988). Women of
color fare particularly poorly in employment.
Black women were the most likely of all
2
HSR, JULY, 1990
women to be in the labor force in 1984
(55%) and 72% of all black families below
the poverty level were headed by women in
1983. Of all black families, 53.8% headed by
women were below the poverty level compared to 28.3% of households headed by
white women ("Women in the Work Force,"
1986). While 20% of lawyers and 40% of
law students are female (Time, 1989), less
than 2 % of all attorneys are black women
("Women in the Work Force," 1986).
These few figures are just a glimpse into
what has been termed the feminization of
poverty. Some of the blame has been placed
on no-fault divorce reforms. According to a
1987 California Senate task force, "There is
a direct relationship between the operation
of the current legal system of divorce .. . and
the resulting impoverishment of women and
children" (qtd. in Crites et al. ed., 1987).
Indeed, 90% of children live with their
mothers after a divorce and their standard of
living drops an average of 73% in the first
year. Ex-husbands incomes increased an average 42% in the same time period. Of single
mother households, 18% are unwed mothers,
50% are divorced, and 31 % are separated.
According to a 1985 U.S. Census Bureau
report, 54% of children in single parent,
mother-headed households are below the
poverty line. As poverty households have
increased, government assistance decreased
during the Reagan presidency.
The core of the problem, though, is sexism.
Bringing an end to institutionalized sexism is
no simple task. As those subject to racial
discrimination know, centuries of subordination are not overcome by a single action or
even by years of dedication. Likewise, the
quest for equality must be a diligent one.
Sexism is so ingrained in society that women
often add to their own oppression. The
solution is partly in the day-by-day personal
struggle to overcome the yoke of sexism.
Consciousness-raising groups where women
speak out loud to each other about the way
they are treated at home, in the work force,
and by themselves are beginning to spring up
again as the backslides of the 1980s give way
to the hopeful 1990s. Themoreindividualswomen and men-stand up and disallow
subtle remarks to pass, the more educated
the general public will become. This, as the
saying goes, is a long row to hoe but I want
•
potatoes!
THE FEMINIZATION OF POVERTY
In Oklahoma 3 of every 5 poor people are women. More than 18% of women in Oklahoma
are poor. 1/4 of all women aged 65 and older are poor and 72 % of the elderly poor are women.
1/3 of Oklahoma's women of color live in poverty. Nearly half of all families with a female
head are poor. Families headed by women.make up 48% of all poor families.
The poverty rate for women has steadily increased. In 1960, only 114 of the poor were
women or households headed by women. By 1976 the majority of those living in poverty were
women and children living in families headed by women.
Changes in the "traditional" family have contributed to the rate of poverty among women.
Teenagers with children are poor women. In Oklahoma, there are 30 babies born to teen
moms every day. Divorce contributes to poverty among women. After a divorce a man is
single while the woman is a single parent. Only 25% of those eligible actually receive child
support and of those 60% receive less than $1,000 per year. Displaced homemakers, women
who are abandoned after having spent large portions of their lives in unpaid labor supporting a
husband, are often unprepared for employment and even if a displaced homemaker receives
training, she faces both age and sex discrimination in the job market.
The low wages paid women contribute to women's poverty. Women earn approximately 60
cents for every dollar earned by men. Black women earn only 54 cents per dollar earned by
men and Hispanic women earn only 49 cents per dollar earned by men. According to the
National Advisory Committee on Economic Opportunity ( 1981 ), "If wives and female heads
were paid wages that similarly qualified men earn, about half of the families now living in
poverty would not be poor." Many women work at or near the minimum wage. A single
mother with two children who works full-time at minimum wage would still be below the
poverty level.
Reductions in the federal budget support of poverty problems have worsened poverty
among women. Federal and state poverty programs primarily serve women and their children.
Families headed by women comprise 93% of recipients of Aid to Families of Dependent
Children. 85% of all those receiving Food Stamps are women and their children. Women
make up 213 of the recipients of medical assistance. As social service programs were cut in the
early 1980s the poor have become impoverished with little relief available.
Inflation has worsened poverty among women. Welfare payments in Oklahoma have not
kept pace with inflation. Inflation has continued while the minimum wage did not increase
between 1981 and 1989.
•
This article is based on workshop materials provided by Sandy Ingraham.
,.....--------------~- --
--~
"LOOK TO THE FUTURE"
1990 LESBIAN &GAY
PRIDE MARCH .
OKC, OK
HSR, JULY. 1990
3
BARBARA BUSH SUPPORTS PARENTS AND
FRIENDS OF LESBIANS & GAYS
Barbara Bush has written the head of an
organization of parents of gay children that
"we cannot tolerate discrimination against
any individuals or groups in our country."
The letter was addressed to Paulette
Goodman, president of the Federation of
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, or
Parents FLAG. It came in response to
Goodman's plea that the First Lady "speak
kind words to some 24 million gay Americans and their families to help heal the
wounds and to keep these families in loving
relationships."
Mrs. Bush replied that "I appreciate ...
your encouraging me to help change attitudes." Discrimination, she said, "always
brings with it pain and perpetuates hate and
intolerance."
She said Goodman's "words speak eloquently of your love for your child and your
compassion for all gay Americans and their
families."
Mrs. Bush frequently has made clear her
distaste for discrimination based on sexual
orientation, according to an Associated Press
report of her letter to Goodman.
Last month, President Bush aroused protests from some conservatives when he
invited representatives of gay groups to
attend the signing of the Hate Crimes
Statistics Act, which targets bias-motivated
violence.
Tim Mcfeeley, executive director of the
Human Rights Campaign Fund, lobbying
arm of the movement for gay and lesbian civil
rights, said Mrs. Bush's letter "reinforces
values that American mothers and American
families are all about."
•
LETTER FROM
BARBARA BUSH
Dear Mrs. Goodman,
Thank you so much for your letter
and for sharing your work with the
Federation of Parents and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays, Inc. You sound like
a caring parent and a compassionate
citizen.
I firmly believe that we cannot
tolerate discrimination against any
individuals or groups in this country.
Such treatment always brings with it
pain and perpetuates hate and intolerance. I appreciate so much your sharing
the information about your organization
and your encouraging me to help change
attitudes. Your words speak eloquently
of your love for your child and your
compassion for all gay Americans and
their families.
With all best wishes,
Warmly,
Barbara Bush
EMPLOYMENT FOR HIV-INFECTED
A new program providing employment
opportunities for HIV-infected individuals
kicked off during the month of May. The
program, entitled Contact Services, is responsible for employment coordination for persons testing positive to HIV or having either
ARC (AIDS Related Complex) or AIDS.
Jim Carter was named Project Director.
Carter will work with individuals to develop
and implement employment goals based on
needs, desires and abilities. Interested persons
will be aided in finding appropriate employment
where the employer and employee will be
comfortable and both will benefit.
"Being productive is essential in helping
maintain one's self worth," Carter said.
"Persons with HIV have lost their jobs for
many different reasons. Some are unable to
physically continue in a particular position
or have difficulty in coping with day-to-day
stress. And some people have lost jobs due to
prejudice. Frequently, HIV jobless enter into
a spiral of depression or hopelessness. Financial losses can be tremendous and picking up
those pieces can be overwhelming.
4
HSR, JULY, 1990
Work, although sometimes a cause of
stress, can create productive stress," Carter
said. "HIV persons who continue to work
are less susceptible to depression which, in
turn, can improve their overall health status."
Contact Services is funded through a
grant from the Insurance Industry AIDS
Initiative. Monies from this grant provide
the necessary funds to launch the program.
The program will work in conjunction with
the current AIDS services provided at Red
Rock Mental Health Center, 4400 N. Lincoln
Boulevard.
Currently, Carter is seeking to locate
several part-time positions in the community
in areas of general office, sales, floral design,
delivery and in-home work. "I am excited
about working with the community in a team
effort to improve the quality of life for
persons with HIV and AIDS," Carter said.
If you are interested in hiring a full, parttime or temporary employee through Contact Services or if you are interested in
participating in the program, call Jim Carter
at ( 405) 425-0381.
•
WHAT'S THE FUSS?
by Sally Blevins
Here we are again, ladies- hot weather and
short pants. Again I find myself stuck in the
middle of the age old quandary: to shave or
not to shave, that is the question, whether 'tis
nobler to fight razor burn or to ignore the
sidelong looks from those that society has
conditioned. When I was younger I couldn't
wait to start shaving. I thought that made me
grown-up-a right of passage. Now I find it
to be a major pain in the body parts.
I do believe men initiated shaving for
women, but I'm not sure it was for the
reasons I've heard around town. I believe
that they did it to keep us from having fun!
That's right, fun! I recently went out with my
hairy legs and found it to be a lot of fun to
have the wind blow through the hairs on my
legs. I stood outside for five minutes just
letting the breeze spin my beanie propeller
and caress my legs. When I let this be known
to some of the men there with me one said,
"Oh, so you get off on having the wind blow
your hair." I told him, no, that I had said
exactly what I felt; it was fun. I do think that
short skirts and sheer hose look better on
shaved legs, but that is just my personal
opinion.
Now we get around to that touchy subject
of the underarms. I have a serious problem
with razor irritation in this delicate area. I
have had women tell me that underarm hair
causes people to have a problem with bad
body odor. I say this is nonsense most of the
time. People with bad body odor are going to
have that problem even if they shave their
whole body. We have become a perfumed
society. I think the smell of a woman is attractive. I have stopped shaving my underarms
and using deoderant except on occasions of
high stress and I have not had any complaints
yet. (I know I can count on my friends to tell
me if this ever does become a problem!)
If you are looking for better reasons not to
shave than those aforementioned, think of
the environment. There will be fewer plastic
containers used and thrown away, not to
mention disposable razors. Our rallying cry
shall be "Go natural for Nature!" Until next
time . .. .
Sally
SEVEN SINS:
Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Knowledge without character
Commerce without morality
Science without humanity
Worship without sacrifice
Politics without principle
-Mohandas Gandhi
Sunday
1
Monday
2
Tuesday
3
7:30 pm,
ProE:Sram
Committee
Heetin£1,
at Mary's
\'ednesday Thursday
4.
JULY
FOURTH
8
9
10 7:30
pm,
Sappho
rehearses al
Mary's
5
u
15~
13
14
PEGGY
JOHNSON
al KERR PARK
11:45 a.m.
PEGGY
JOHNSON
al the
Canlina
9:00 p.m.
"HISS BROWN
TO YOU": at
Mary's, 9prn*
18
19
20
21
23
25
26
27
28 ELAINE
2=
TOWNSEND
in Concert
9 p.m. at the
Fairi;;lrounds:
PEGGY
JOHNSON
opens
7:30 pm,
Sappho
rehearses
at Mary's
29
7
7:30 pm,
Pro£1ra111
Committee
Heetin£1.
al Mary's
Board
HeeUnp
4:30 pm
22
17
6
u
Mary Hcloud
Bethune,
1875-t955
16
Saturday
Sound
Workshop
7:30 p.m.
at Mary's
CaH
528-0020
for details.
12
11
Friday
30
31
7:30 Pm.
Pro£1ram
Committee
Heetin£1.
al Mary's
• Every Wednesday at Noon; Silent Vigil for Peace in Central America;
fourth &Robinson; across the street from the Federal Building.
• CODA meeting, every Friday at Herland, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
• Program Committee Meeting, every other Tuesday at Mary's, 7:30 p.m.,
begllllling July 3rd.
• Sappho, every other Tuesday at Mary's, 7:30 p.m., beginnng July 10.
HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES
2312 n.\\I. 39t..h Street.
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
(405) 521-9696
WOMEN AND POVERTY
by Deborah Fox
It began when women-centered cultures
were conquered and destroyed by marauding
tribes of men wielding swords, millenia ago.
Today poverty, hunger, and homeless rates
keep escalating while the men in power_
continue their obsessive preparation for war,
draining all human and earthly resources.
And it is primarily women and their children
who end up suffering for it.
Under male-domination/patriarchy,
women have been ripped-off and ripped-out
of their roles as leaders. All of the technologies for life, created by women for the benefit
of the many (i.e. language, teaching, pottery,
writing, weaving, farming, animal domestication and architecture), have been stolen and
exploited by men for men's sole benefit and
gain. Since then women have been confined
to the unpaid and belittled work of domestic
labor. ("If housewives were paid for their
domestic work alone, they would earn
$17,000 a year.'' The Great Cosmic Mother, M
Sjoo & B. Mor.) Men's wars forced them to
"allow" women into the paid workforce,
though we are still expected to do the
housework and raise the children, which
keeps us dependent upon men and therefore
under their control.
"The effect of increasing poverty (hunger
and homelessness) is to force the new generations of women into accepting the old traditional terms of patriarchal marriage. American women see less and less chance for
economic survival, for themselves and their
children, outside of marriage" (Sjoo & Mor).
Our work in society was stolen from us; our
jobs of creating peaceful, harmonious, creative, intelligent, just, humane, and comfortable civilizations has been replaced with two
choices today: "Economic enslavement within marriage or economic enslavement outside
of marriage." (M. Sjoo & B. Mor)
Approximately 100 years ago women were
"allowed" into men's educational institutions. But women are essentially still denied a
college education: Amish women are pulled
from academic pursuit at 13 years of age, for
example, and women from large families
with male siblings often can hardly hope to
go to college.
Those women who are fortunate enough
to earn degrees have had to be twice as good
as their male peers just to be considered in
the running with their male peers. Then there
is the stiff competition in a woman's chosen
field because most positions are awarded to
men (take, for example, "head of household!) The fact that many households are
headed by women is ignored or minimalized,
and these families are the poorest in America.
"While women represent half of the global
population and 1/3 of the labor force, they
receive only 1110 of the world income and
own less than 1% of the world's property.
They are also responsible for 2/3 of all the
working hours on earth" (The Anatomy of
Freedom, Robin Morgan). "The average
American woman works almost twice the
hours, and receives a little more than half the
pay, of the average American man" {Sjoo &
Mor). " ... Neoconservatives insist, 'hard
work is rewarded, and only the lazy are poor.'
The bitter truth is, under four thousand
years of patriarchal 'exploit for profit' economics, the women of the world have worked
long and hard. . . to keep the human race
minimally alive. In return, we receive mostly
dismal statistics signifying not reward, but
rip-off. If hard work equalled wealth, all the
world's women would be rich." (Sjoo & Mor)
Women's issues are global issues. The
world's poor are mostly women and their
children, most of the starving millions are
women and their children, a burgeoning
number of homeless are women, two out of
three older Americans living in poverty are
women, and millions of working women in
America are just one notch above the official
poverty level.
President Bush thinks it is more important
to put an American flag on Mars ( !) than to
feed, house, educate and ease the financial
strains of Americans. If the system's men in
power really wanted to end the suffering in
the world they could have done so many
times over by now.
We desperately need a whole new system.
A "partnership system" as Riane Eisler
asserts in her book, The Chalice And The
Blade." The slogans that say: "You can't beat
the system," or "Change takes time, we won't
see it in our lifetime," are blatant lies used by
the system to bully us into feeling powerless,
defeated and submissive. We cannot afford to submit until the entire globe is
reduced to a vast desert wasteland or until the
men in power blow us to smithereens with
nuclear warfare. We can transform the system if we are willing to take the necessary
actions. What would happen if we organized a
revolt against poverty, and, for example,
refrained from using our electricity on a
specified date. This would cost the system
and show that we have a voice. Look what was
accomplished through the boycott of tuna, or
the campaign to stop the slaughter of baby
seals for fur.
10% of the population controls the flow of
money and resources, the other 90%, of
which women are at least half, have the power
in numbers, and could be the beginning of
the partnership system. As Sonia Johnson
said; "they can't do patriarchy without us."
We live at a crucial time in history when the
threshold for massive change is extremely
low. The importance of seizing the moment
•
has never been greater.
THE START OF A
NEW DECADE OF
RETREATS SOUNDS
LIKE ...
• "That's Mary Reynold's equipment."
"Where?" "Over there in that parking lot."
"No it's not." "Yes it is!" "How can you
tell?" "They've got those orange OHS
stickers on them." "Anybody can have those
stickers." "Are you Tuffy?" "Yeah." ''I'll be
damned, You're right, it is Mary's stuff."
• "I don't want some goody-two-shoe altruist Unitarians pointing fingers and feeling
sorry for me behind my back."
• "Uh, put that to music and we can dance to
it."
• "I was sure that going to bed with a man
was tantamount to a seige of battle."
• "I've always felt there are just some things
that men are naturally better suited for."
(gag)
• "I've got some sweaters and chains in that
drawer I want to take can I borrow that bag?"
• "The lesbian dog is at it again."
• "Sally, you've got to introduce me to some
single women." "Go up and say hello-I
don't have a list."
• "I really like these stone-lined drainage
paths-we slid down them last night in the
rain."
• "Does it bother you to handle bacon?"
• Isn't this park scenic?"
Is scenic the new Buzz word?
The poem of a bitch and a bone
Creedy, the bird and lost closeness
Herds of single-named women
• "Ladies and Gentlemen." Flashback?
• "What do you call a boomerang that
doesn't come back? A stick."
• "ls this song about me?"
• "Next retreat I'll be the one causing all the
trouble!"
• "Mary do a sing-along, we're losing them!"
"Sally, it's 3:30 in the morning; it's OK to
lose them!! !"
• "It's the four-thirty version."
• Herland's Breakfast version of "Oklahoma" complete with genuine leather
dashboard.
• "Lighten your load for the trip home-put
your spare change here in the bucket."
Just a few of the sounds and comments
floating around the Spring Retreat. Be sure to
mark your calendars now for the fall retreat
August 31 thru September 3 at Arrowhead
State Park. Watch the Voice for more
information.
HSR, JULY, 1990
•
5
NATIONAL LESBIAN CONFERENCE
PLANNING CONTINUES
by Karen Lewis
Kansas City - Getting underway at 9 a.m.
"lesbian time" on April 27, 28, and 29, over
100 lesbians worked to organize and plan for
a momentous event in America's herstorythe National Lesbian Conference, to be held
in Atlanta, Georgia April 24-28, 1991.
Meeting in Kansas City, organizers hoped
to seat the 70+ steering committee delegates
from 11 regions across the U.S. so that
necessary decisions concerning the conference could be made. By the end of this 3rd
national planning meeting, 38 permanent
delegates had been seated and an interim
body of 13 had been selected to meet
monthly to make important definitive deci- .
sions regarding the conference. It is now
hoped that all permanent delegates will be
seated by the next steering committee meeting set for September in Atlanta, Georgia.
Failure to seat all the permanent delegates at
this meeting rested on the unfortunate fact
that several regions have not yet organized on
the more local level to elect all the required
regional delegates. Sadly, the Gulf States
region, including Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, was one of these regions.
The purpose of the National Lesbian Conference is to satisfy the lesbian nation's need
to create, publicize and implement a national
lesbian agenda. Through the conference,
lesbians can meet each other, identify common issues, have fun, build coalitions and
plan for their collective future . It may also be
seen as a vehicle for creating a foundation for
empowerment for social and political change
in America. It will be what we make it.
The primary objective in the organizational
stage for this conference is to allow as many
conti~gents as possible and every region a
voice, as delegates on the steering committee,
in bringing their issues and ideas together,
with the belief that a national lesbian agenda
must be developed through collaborative
means to form a lasting foundation . As a
result, the steering committee's structure
represents an array of our diversities: 50%
lesbians of color, 20% disabled lesbians, and
5% older (over 50) lesbians . And , in
addition: 2 deaf!esbians , 2 Jewish lesbians , 2
Arab lesbians, and one: lesbian mother,
young lesbian, SIM leather lesbian, separatist
lesbian, rural lesbian, and lesbian in the
military. And, a representative from each of a
dozen or more national lesbian and gay
organizations.
The conference planners are dedicated to
exploration of the issues of racism, ageism,
and ableism in an effort to sensitize our
community as a whole to these issues, and to
generate understanding among our sisters.
6
HSR, JULY, 1990
To this end, every NLC planning meeting and
the conference itself will include workshops
on these" isms." The workshops held in KC,
as evidenced by feedback gatherings, were
educational and very enlightening and succeeded in their objective to heighten awareness and increase sensitivity among their
participants.
Other accomplishments of the KC planning meeting were the tentative selection and
proposal to the interim steering committee
of a conference logo design and conference
theme. The logo design includes full silhouettes of female figures representing a number
of our diversities - a lesbian using a wheelchair, lesbians of color, young and old
lesbians - together in poses of celebration.
Above the figures are the words "National
Lesbian Conference • Atlanta, Georgia •
April 24 - 28, 1991" and below the figures
the proposed theme of "diversity • solidarity • empowerment." Both proposals were
reached by a consensus of the logo and theme
subcommittees after much discussion over
submitted designs and brainstorming for a
theme. A "closet tax" of$2.00 was proposed
for conference shirts with the NLC acronym
instead of the words "National Lesbian Conference" on them . Also announced was the
hiring of Mary Lou Lewis, a black lesbian
activist, to the position of Conference
Organizer to staff the national office in
Decatur.
Events at the KC meeting included a dance
Friday night and an Alix Dobkin concert and
dance Saturday night. A generic 12-step
meeting was held Friday night to accommodate lesbians in recovery.
Among the 100+ meeting attendees were
several published authors and well-known
performers, a number of lesbians of color
and lesbians using wheelchairs, as well as
other differently-abled lesbians, young lesbians and older lesbians: a well-represented
microcosm of our diverse community. The
weekend was filled with accomplishments,
frustrations, and fun. As one lesbian summed
it up at the end of the final meeting: "It has
been a stressful, pleasure-filled weekend."
While the National Lesbian Conference is
being funded in part by residual monies from
the 1987 March on Washington, the Human
Rights Campaign Fund, the National Gay
and Lesbian Task Force and the Chicago
Resource Center, among others, the vast
majority of funding must come from individual donations and local fund-raising
events. One of the tasks of the regional
delegations is to assist in raising these muchneeded funds. Fees are set up on a sliding
scale, so that everyone who wants to attend
the National Conference may have that
opportunity. Both hotel and community
housing will be available.
For more information on the conference
call 404-584-9671 or write the National
Lesbian Conference; P.O . Box 1999; Decatur,
GA 30031; attend the local planning and
information meeting on July 7 at 3 p.m. at
Berland, 2312 N.W. 39th St. Oklahoma
City; or call Karen at 405-528-3151.
•
LOCAL NLC
MEETING PLANNED
5,000 lesbians are expected to
converge on Atlanta, GA, in April
1991. This conference is happening,
dear sisters, and it will be one big
event in America's lesbian herstory.
Does Oklahoma and the Gulf region
want to participate in its planning? Do
we want to have a voice in defining
this country's lesbian agenda? Do we
want to be a part of it? Or, shall we
simply settle for being spectators,
watching while others plan our
future?
It's up to us . An information,
feedback and planning meeting for
lesbians in Oklahoma who wish to
participate in the National Lesbian
Conference will be held at Berland;
2312 N .W . 39th St. in OKC at 3 :00
p .m . on Saturday, July 7. Hope to see
you there!
- -~--
MEN
REAL
SUPPORT
THEliR
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1
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CH~D::J
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Do you have ideas about how Herland
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community? Do you have 10-15 hours a
month to spend working for HSR? If
your answer to both these questions is
yes, then we are looking for you to serve
on the Herland Board of Directors. We
are especially interested in adding more
women of color to the board. If you are
interested, leave a message on the Herland
answering machine (521-9696) and a
current board member will call you back
with more information .. . .. .
The Herland Resource Center is open
every Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6 :00 p.m.;
and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Come by and look over the books,
magazines, and other sale items, check
out books from the library, or just to
enjoy a friendly women's space .. . .. .
We hope you are happy with the new
mailing format for the Voice. Thanks to
all the volunteers who have spent countless hours stamping envelopes, folding
newsletters, and stuffing envelopes. We
do still have our monthly newsletter
mailout party-not as much work and
more fun, now. If you'd like to join us,
just leave a message on the Herland
answering machine and you'll be notified
of the next newsletter mailout . .. . . .
SAFO (Singing Amazons From Oklahoma) is still going. The next meetings
are July 10 and 24. With Mary Reynolds
as director, we're learning lots and
enjoying singing together. And we intend
to perform in public in the not too
distant future!
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DEMOCRATS
NOMINATE HARVEY
GANTT TO
CHALLENGE HELMS
Washington, DC - Harvey Gantt, former
mayor of Charlotte, NC, has won the Democratic Senate nomination in North Carolina,
defeating prosecutor Mike Easley 57% to
43%. Gantt received early financial support
from the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the
largest lesbian and gay political organization
in the country. He will face Senator Jesse
Helms (R-NC) in the November general
election.
The 14 percent margin of Gantt's victory
in the Democratic run-off election surprised
many observers. "Harvey Gantt's strong lead
defies the conventional wisdom that North
Carolina Democrats would not nominate a
progressive African-American candidate for
the Senate," said HRCF Executive Director
Tim Mcfeeley.
"His victory is a clear sign that Gantt is in
touch with the voters of North Carolina and
that he has a compelling political message Harvey Gantt can beat Jesse Helms." Although he trailed in early polls, a poll
released in early June indicates that the race is
now a dead heat between Helms and Gantt.
The Campaign Fund contributed $5,000
to Gantt's campaign in April, long before he
appeared to be a viable candidate. The
amount is the maximum contribution allowed by federal law in a primary. At that
time Mcfeeley stated that Gantt, an African
American, "represents the best of what
North Carolina can offer the nation, independence and vision, rather than the ignorance, bigotry and hate that Jesse Helms
embodies,'' Mcfeeley stated.
"Jesse Helms is a disgrace. The more
voters learn about him, the more questions
they have about whether he represents their
interests," Mcfeeley noted. "Helms spends
his time fighting needed AIDS resources,
censoring art and opposing choice. His
bigotry against lesbian and gay Americans
has no place in the U.S. Senate"
Helms is the author of notorious amendments which have weakened AIDS prevention materials aimed at gay and bisexual men.
He strongly opposed the Hate Crimes Statistics Act which overwhelmingly passed the
Congress earlier this year and was signed into
law by President Bush. Increasingly in recent
years, the Senate has refused to side with
Helms when his anti-gay amendments have
reached the floor.
"Harvey Gantt is willing to fight for the
basic civil rights of all Americans. We intend
to do all we can to help him in the coming
•
months,'' Mcfeeley said.
WOMEN WITH WOMEN
WITH CHILDREN
The first gathering of Women With
Women With Children (WWWC) was on
June 9th at Will Rogers Park. Fifteen women
and nineteen children, aged 2 through 19
years old, cooked out, swam at the public
pool, played softball and simply enjoyed
themselves
Not all the conversation was about children and the problems parents cause them;
actually, not all of the women there had
children. It turned out to be a time where
women could feel free to be with their
children and other women.
A BBQis being scheduled for July 21st at
Will Rogers Park, at 2:00 p.m.; and plans are
being made to go camping and canoeing
down the Illinois River the weekend of
August 3rd, 4th and 5th.
Whether you are single, have children or
not and would like to join us, call ( 405)
(94 2-4331) for more information. Everyone
is welcome.
•
BE A PART OF HERLAND
Herland is the collective effort of the
women of Oklahoma. You can be a part of
creating and sustaining this very special
community we call Herland. Join a committee, volunteer tc work in the resource
center, or make a contribution to help
meet the monthly expenses. Herland will
be what you make it.
YES, I want to help Herland continue
to grow.
D I'm interested in working on a committe. Please have the committee
chair call me.
D I'd like to volunteer at Herland.
Please have the volunteer coordinator call me with more information.
D Here's my contribution of _ _ __
to help support Herland.
Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
~
Phone -----------~
Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _
City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
State/ZIP - - - - --
- - --
HSR, JULY, 1990
-
7
848-5429
M. COLEEN WOODY
MARILYN D. BEST
ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW
General Practice
SHIRLEY M. HUNTER, M. Ed.
LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR
Emphasis on the problems of gay people.
PENN PARK OFFICE COMPLEX e SUITE 102
5009 N. PENNSYLVANIA e OKLAHOMA CITY, OK73112
1518 N.W. 29th St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
QJality Service With That Personal
405-525-2174
Touch~
Sam L. Nicolosi, D.V.M.
NICOLOSI ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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Come See Us For All Your Printing Needs!!
4015 N.W. 23rd
Oklahoma City
by Appointment
Phone ( 405) 947-5545
Notary Services Also Available
Monday - Friday
8:30 - 5:30
942-5693
501 N Meridian, Suite 107
Oklahoma City, OK 73107-5701
TREAT YOURSEL T TO THE "TOUCH OF GOLD."
Treat your special someone, too, for $10 off her massage!
Special
discounts
available
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Her/and
readers'
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vouch of Qold
"Catering to Cowards needing Tender Care"
in Comprehensive Dentistry
HEALTHFUL • STRESS RELIEVING MASSAGE
5009 North Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 103
(405) 840-5410
by
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Night & Sunday practice by appt. only
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