HerlandVoice-1988-03-v5-no03_ocr.pdf
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- HerlandVoice-1988-03-v5-no03_ocr.pdf
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HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES, INC.
2312 NW 39th, OKC, OK 73112
VOLUME 5, NUMBER 3
MARCH . 1988
Around the Corner
HERLAND KE EPS ON TRUCKIN'
OKLAHOMA CITY - Herland volunteers continue to fight the odds with b~ilding repairs, etc ., etc . , etc . ; learning all a:
bout the ins and outs of a REAL commercial
enterprise YJith building ownership starting from scratch . Herland is still working it out with City Hall and its bookful
of city codes , so it appears it may be a
while (even yet) before Herland Bookstore
is open for business .
Meanwhile , watch for access to Herland's
stock of good books at various functions
around Oklahoma City and Norman . \·J e'll be
setting up the books and r ecords table at
the Robin Flower/Nancy Vogl concert and at
the Jasmine concert, and we're trying to
work out a space at the tlational Women's
History Month festivities in Norman on
March 19th. So, watch for us;
For up-to-the-minute reports on the sta tus of the Herland Bookstore and Library
ca 11 794- 7464 .
WANTED: REGISTRATIONS!
SPRING RETREAT DRAvJS NEAR
Bookstore or no bookstor.e , Herland
is still alive and well in spirit and
energy! The Spring Retreat is planned
and ready to go , so make your pla~s .now
to spend a r el axing weekend at Boiling
Springs State Park in northwestern Okla homa.
Arrive at 4 pm or later on April 8th
and stay until Sunday , April 10th . And ,
bring all your sporting gear - softball
mits , balls , games , fishing poles , and
spelunker ' s hat , etc . for a fun YJeekend .
The Sisters of Swing will be on hand
after Saturday ' s traditional Pot Luck
dinner to entertain us. Don't forget
to bring something delicious t o shar e
at the Pot Luck .
So , plan to enjoy the pleasant company of lots of wonderful women on April
8, 9, &10 . Pre-register by April 2, and
save some bucks . Scholarsh i ps and work
exchanges are available , but they are in
limited supply , so call Laura, the camp
director , now at 672-4141 .
If you have any requests on what you
would like to see presented at a Retr eat
\'lorkshop , let Laura know . Or , if you
would like to present a workshop , give
Laura a call at the above number .
Don ' t hesitate and don ' t be late .
Don ' t miss out on any of the fun ••• get
your registrations in the mai l today !
Upon receipt of your reg i stration form ,
a map to the campsite and a list of what to
bring with you will be mailed to you.
CHI LD ADVOCATES
TO SPEAK IN COURT
W.A. R. HELPS WOMEN
OKLAHOt1A CITY - On Monday , November 15 ,
1987 , a fifteen-year-old Oklahoma City
girl walking to school was ki dnapped,
raped, sodomized orally and anally, mutilated and tortured for. 23 hours . The
man accused of attacking her was on parole
after serving less than five years of a
fifteen-year sentence for raping and oral ly sodomizing a fourteen-year-old Dru1TY11ond
girl .
Outraged by the lenient sentencing and
quick parole seen too often in sexual assault cases , women and men of Oklahoma
City are organizing a courtwatch program
to demand more effective use of the law to
stop rape .
Homen Against Rape (U . A. R. ) is inviting
anyone interested in helping to eradicate
the crime of rape to attend a 12:30 PM,
March 12 meeting at the YIJCA at 415 Nl·J 5th .
W.A. R. seeks to :
l) Monitor the handling of sexual as ault cases by state and local court
systems .
2) Lobby judges , prosecutors and attorneys for stricter sentencing of convicted
rapists.
3) Support victims so they will feel
safe in confronting their attackers
through the court system .
4) Demand that the state delay parole
for convicted rapists .
5) Lobby for more effective laws to
stop the crime of rape .
6) Through education dispel the various
myths about rape .
7) Research ways to prevent the crime
altogether.
For more information , call 528-0400 ,
528-8544 (Lynette) or 737-4731 (Caryn).
OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma County has a
new Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
program which provides trained volunteers
who serve as the child's voice in court
during abused and reglected cases . The
CASA concept is based on the conmitment
that every child has a right to a safe ,
permanent home.
The CASA volunteer does three things :
l) Serves as a fact-finder for the judge
by thoroughly researching the background of
each assigned case; 2) Speaks for the child
in the courtroom , representing the child ' s
best interests ; and , 3) Continues to act ·
as a "watchdog" for the child during, the
life of the case , helping to bring i ~ t o
a swift and appropriate conclusion . u
Currently, in Oklahoma County , about 625
abused and neglected children are involved
in a court case. In addition , every day
another abused or neglected child enters the
court system in Oklahoma County . The average length of court involvement and idsruption in these children's lives is over t wo
years. Following the success of the Tulsa
Continued on page 2
IN THIS ISSUE OF HSR NEWSLETTER :
- AIDS : A Homen' s Concern
J
- lfomen ' s Hi story Month Showcase
:I
- Robin Flower & Nancy Vogl Coming
L - Jasmine Returns~-------------'
------------ - ---- - - - - - -- - - - ----- -- - --- - -- - SPR ING RETREAT FOR WOMEN
NAME (S) - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ADDRESS
-----------------------~
CITY - - - - -- - - -----STATE _ _ _ _ _ZIP - - - - PHONE (_ _) - - - - - -- - -- - I would l ike t o he l p at t he
r etr eat.
- -- -
I can pro vi de - - - - - -
I would like t o provide a
scholarsh i p.
Pre-registration is $17-20 ; Please
pay in this ranqe based on your
ability •
Upon receipt of your registration
form, a map to the campsite and a
li st of what to br ing with you will
be mailed to you.
Mail this comPleted form and your
check to :
_ _ _ _ I wou l d li ke a scholarsh i p.
Deadline for pre-registration is April 2 , 1988 .
For further information ca l l (405) 672-4141 .
Herland Sister Resources
c/o Laura, Camp Director
· 4924 S. Kathy Drive
Oklahoma City, OK 73135
I.
Continued from page 1
County CASA program established in 1985, it
is believed the disruption to a child•s life
will be reduced by 10 mon ths or more in Okhoma County.
The Oklahoma County CASA program will
hold its first volunteer training in March.
Volunteers will learn about court procedure; interviewing techniques, the dynamics
of abuse and neglect, childhood development
and effective advocacy techniques for children" Sessions will be presented by judges,
attorneys, caseworkers and other professionals from the child protection field. For
more information about the CASA program or
to serve as a volunteer, contact Loretta
Pecchioni, Program Coordinator, at 841-0456
during regular office hours or write to the
Oklahoma County CASA program, Oklahoma
County Juvenile Center, 5905 No ClJssen,
Oklahoma City, OK 73118.
G.A.L.A. BANQUET SET
OKLAHOMA CITY - The 4th Annual Gay and
Lesbian Awards banquet will be held at
the Habana Inn at 22b0 NW 39th Expressway,
OKC on Saturday, March 12. Cocktails are
at 5 pm and dinner will be served at 6 pm.
The awards ceremony will begin at 7:30 pm,
with a dance following.
The awards banquet is a black tie affair
sponsored by the Metropolitan Cor.rnunity
Church to honor women and men who have made
significant contributions to the Oklahoma
City gay community. Invitation ·is open to
anyone who would like to attend, however
tickets are by advance purchase only.
Tickets may be purchased at HCC, the Hi-Lo
Club, the Bunkhouse, and the Sidekicks.
The cost is $20.00 per ticket which includes dinner.
HERLAND NEWSLETTER
AD RATES TO INCREASE
HSR - In an effort to help the Herland
Sister Resources, Inc. Newsletter pay for
itself, it ha·s become necessary for the
Newsletter to raise its advertising rates.
The r~ews 1etter is the second greatest
ongoing expense incurred by Herland, and,
to date, it has never supported itself.
Even with the scheduled increase in advertising rates, the Newsletter will not be
able to cover its own expenditures , but it
will become less of a burden for Herland's
financial resources to bear.
The new rates , scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 1988 will be as follows :
Business card, $15; 1/4 page, $35; 1/2
page, $60; and full page, $100. Discounts
on these rates will be given to advertisers who pre-pay ads slated to run after
July l, 1988.
PUBLISHED BY: HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES , INC.
CIRCULATION: 700
PHONE NUMBER (WEEKENDS): 524-7108
GENERAL INFO: 495-4390
794-7464
672-6459
1-353-6861 (LAWTON)
VOLUNTEER INFO: 672-4141
ADVERTISING: 794-7464
DEADLINE on all advertising and submissions
- - - is the 15th of each month.
SUBSCRIPTIONS to this Newsletter are free
by calling any number above.
2
A NN0 U NC E S
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NA NCY
I N
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MARCH 13:
PEGGY JOHNSON OPENS FOR
V 0 G L & R 0 B I N F L 0 WE R
APRIL 2:
THE SHARTELS OPEN FOR
J A S MI N E
AT THE CIVIC CENTER LITTLE THEATER
FOR TICKET INFORMATION CALL 672-6459
a
n
II
II
a ••a a D D a D
ALL HERLAND COLLECTIVE MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO YOU
NEXT MEETING:
SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 4:30 p.m.
CALL 794-7464 for location
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
SHOWCASE
·,
·.
!"'\.'f
IS YOUR ADDRESS CHANGING?
NORMAN - March is Women's History Month.
t!
It is a time to be set aside to reflect on
the lives and work of women in the past and
to look forward to the opportunities that
If you are planning to move, and you
lie in store for women in the future.
don't want to miss any issues of the HSR
March 19, 1988, Women Who Share, a nonNewsletter, please let us know your new
profit group formed recently to promote
address BEFORE you move. The Post Office
creative endeavors of women, wfll present
will NOT forward the Newsletter, and Hertheir first annual event: a Showcase of
land will NOT change your address without
film, art, storytelling and mus i c at Meachyour authorization. Therefore, to insure
am Auditorium, located in the University of
receipt of the Newsletter fill out and
Oklahoma Student Union . The showcase celemai l us this Change of Address form BEFORE
brates lfomen' s Hi story Month and offers woyou move. The form may also be used to
men and men a chance to enjoy the work of
add a new name to the mailing list.
renowned women artists, filmmakers and musicians.
"Hour of the Star~ shown at 10:30 AM in
Meacham Auditorium, is the first feature
CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM
from Brazilian Suzanna Amaral. This film
is the story about an uneducated 19 yearold who moves from the rural north t o the
big city. This film was nominated in 1985
for an Academy Award for best foreign film.
"Loyalties", shown at 3:00 PM, is a
Old A d d r e s s : - - - - - - - - - - - feature debut of Anne Wheeler, one of Canada's most respected and prolific filmmakers. This film is the story of the friendCity: ------------~
ship between two women across cultural and
State: - - - - - - Z i p : - - - - class boundaries. After moving to small
town in Canada from an affluent life in
England a family's wife and mother feels
New A d d r e s s : - - - - - - - - - - - - uncomfortably out of place" She soon develops a close friendship with a native woman who comes to work for them, and as the
City: - - - - - - - - - - - - - family's terrible secrets begin to unfold
State:
------Zip: - - - - and the reasons for their relocation to
this remote region become clear, loyalties
are tested.
1Mail to: Herland Sister Resources, Inc,
"Hour of the Star" and "Loyalties" are
2312 NW 39th
I
Oklahoma City , OK 73112
Continued on page 3
I
Continued from page 2
part of The Third Wave International \fomen's Film and Video Festival , organized by
Liatris Media, a sponsored project of Women
and Their Work , a Texas-based, non-profit,
multidisciplinary arts organization emphasizing the work of women . The firl festival is partially funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on
the Arts, and the City of Austin . The
Norman portion of the festival is partially
funded by a grant from the College of Arts
and Sciences, University of Oklahoma.
Lynn Moroney , best known for her interpretation and retelling of Native American
sky lore, will tell Tales of Powerful Homen
at 1:30 PM in Meacham Auditorium. "I like
stories of power," explains Lynn. Her repertoire includes sky myths from around the
world as well as traditional folk tales and
teaching tales. Lynn has performed throughout the United States and Mexico and regaled
audiences at universities , festivals and on
radio and TV . Her delight at sharing personal tales and having her audience look at
their own stories through interior landscapes promises an afternoon of fun and introspection.
Throughout the entire day , representative works of leading Oklahoma Native American women artists will be on display in
the Lounge on the 2nd floor of the Student
Union.
The evening ' s activities highlight two
extremely talented performers in concert at
Meacham Auditorium . Native Oklahoman singer-songwriter Donna DeSalvo will start the
evening program at 8: 30 PM as the opening
act for Sue Fink .
Donna i~ a talented musician whose various performances in Oklahoma have won her
a loyal group of fans. Her renditions of
songs by other artists are combined with her
o~m original music reflecting personal experiences. Donna ' s warmth promises to spark
a fire for the high energy talent of California singer Sue Fink .
Sue Fink is "certified outrageous". Her
flamboyant personality, energetic stage presence and wonderful voice have entertained
audiences from coast to coast and across
Europe and the Orient . The 1984 Music Recipient of the Vesta Award given to women
who have made significant contributions to
the arts in Southern California , she has a
also received teh Mayor's Certificate of appreciation from Los Angeles mayor Tom Brad1ey . Sue is aperformer whose love of life
is manifest in·her powerful music and her
compelling drive to have her audience share
her zest.
Festival passes for entire day's events
are available for $12 (advance) or $15 (at
the door) . Tickets for each individual
daytime event are $2 .50 (advance) or $3. 00
fat the door). Tickets for the Sue Fink
concert are $7.00 (advance) and $8.00 (at
the door) . Ticket outlets are : Arts Place
II, 20 U. t1ain , Oklahoma City ; Earth Natural Foods , 49th and N. Western , OKC , and
309 S. Flood in Norman ; The Galleria , 1630
fl. Lindsey, Norman.
For more information about the Showcase
call 366-0923 or 360-9857 .
DIANE KEATON'S HEAVEN
NORMAN - Diane Keaton's first-evPr feature directional effort , "Heaven" , makes
its Oklahoma premier in Norman on March
20 , 1988, at the Hollywood Theater.
Screening time is at 12 : 00 noon .
"Heaven" is a hilarious , yet sophisti cated , ironic , yet loving look at the
"great beyond . " It is a series of interviews with a wide variety of people talking about their conceptions of heaven .
Their comments ar~ illustrated by depictions of heaven in film footage from features , television shows an d r el igi ous programs . Some of the questions, and answers ,
are d e cid~dly bizarr e. The film is a high
camp , transcenden tal roller- coaster ride ,
ROBIN FLOWER & NANCY VOGL
IN CONCERT
an outrageous collision of fundamentalists,
freewheeling visionaries and people-nextdoor .
Keaton is enormously proud of the feature. "Making 'Heaven' gave me so much
satisfaction," she said, "It's the most fun
I've had in a long time . But it taught me
just how difficult it is to make a movie . "
Tickets are availab.l e at the following
outlets: Arts Place II, 20 H. Main, OKC;
the Earth Natural Foods, 49th and N. Western·, OKC, and 309 S. Flood, Norman; and
the Galleria, 1630 W. Lindsay, Norman.
Ticket prices are $2.50 (advance) or $3.00
(at the door). The Hollywood Theater is
located at 1210 McGee Drive in Norman.
A versitile and engaging performer , Robin
Flower crosses traditional and comtemporary, bluegrass and pop, jazz and rock,
vocals and instrumentals into a synthesis
that is urban acoustic music. Robin, an
ace fiddler, mandolinist and guitarist ,
on tour with Nancy Vogl, presents a
bristling raw-energy performance. Stimulating , challenging, and, just plain old
fun.
Robin Flower is celebrating the release
of her 4th album, Babies with Glasses."
Featured on the album are highly original music and lyrics in songs about babie :
love, nuclear war, sex, South Africa,
personal struggle, and the universe and
cats, to name a few .
Nancy Vogl 's mastery of acoustic steelstring guitar-picking is something to
contend with. Certainly, not many could
That's right! Jasmine is coming back to match her skill, let alone excell . Her
Oklahoma City , Saturday, April 2, 7:30f"" insight into economic, social and politiat the Civic Center Little Theatre.
cal history infuses her work with an extra intelligence.
Jasmine, consisting of Michele Isam and
Carol Schmidt , represents a cool classic Nancy's first solo effort produced an
album, "Something to Go On." Her
fusion of jazz and pop genres. Their
second album, recorded in Nashville, is
songs exhibit a passion and sophisticarooted in solid country with a little
tion true to jazz yet with lyrical and
swing and blues.
musical elements of contemporary chart
music.
Peggy Johnson of Oklahoma City wi~~ be
opening this conLert . Peggy has 'dklighted Oklahoma audiences for over thre
They have shared the stage with such
years with her style , musical talent , an c
greats as Judy Collins, Joan Rivers ,
i original compositions: Having released
"Doc" Severinsen, and other. Their
I her own musical cassett, "Time to Oo It , '
first recording , "Jasmine," sold over
Peggy demonstrates that she is on the
15,000 copies. January, 1987, marked
move; she has been very active in the
the release of Jasmine's second album,
Women's community , performing at 'Take
"Wild Strings," which represents the
Back the Night" rallies, Herland regroup's move from jazz to a more
treats, and the South Central Women
intergrated pop and jazz sound.
Studies
Association Conference.
i
Opening for Jasmine wi 11 be the
j
Shartels of Oklahoma City, known
I Be sure to catch Robin Flower, Nancy Vog l
also as the Sisters of Swing. They
j and Peggy Johnson in concert on Sunday,
are certainly one of Oklahoma's
• March 13 , 1988, 4 : 00 p.m. at the Civic
Center Little Theatre in downtown
fastest rising, popular entertainOklahoma City. Tickets are $6 and may
ment groups. The Sisters of Swing
be purchased at the Earth Natural Foods ,
released their first album , "Fun at
49th and Western in Oklahpma City and
Parties," in 1987. As the Sisters
S Flood in Norman, or you may call
of Swing they delight audiences with
i 309
(405) 672-6459 or (405) 528-0020.
a "do-wop" style that is certain to set
your fingers snapping. As the Shartels
they set the stage with a nostalgic air .
of music from the 40's to the present .
JASMINE COMING BACK TO OKC
I
I
I
II:
1·
I
Tickets for this concert are $8 and may j
be purchased at the Earth Natural Foods,
49th and Western in Oklahoma City and
.
309 S Flood in Norman, or you may call
A POETIC DYNAMO
(405) 672-6459 or (405) 528-0020 . It
is suggested that you purchase your
ST! LL HATER - A very compelling hour
tickets early for this concert . This
was experienced by those who heard the
concert will be one of Oklahoma City's
readings by Safiya Henderson-Holmes here
best and will probably sell out early.
last February 16th .
Ms. Henderson-Holmes• poetry spoke of
the pain , suffering and anger created by
a discriminating society and social system, and the love and comraderie shared
by the oppressed trapped in the wake of
their injustices. With adament foreboding, her words apprised those responsible
for the proliferation of nuclear weapons
and the destruction they will inevitably
bring to pass if current attitudes do not
change.
Herland Sister Resources , Inc. is printing a program for the Jasmine concert,
The identification that much of the
April 2, 1g88, 7: 30 pm, at the Civic Center
audience felt with the emotions in her
Little Theatre. \~e invite you to place
work elicited, alternately, both discernyour ad in this program at the following
ing silence and applause . Hith forceful
rates: business card (1/8 page), $15 ; 1/4
elegance, clarity and poetic con.viction
page , $25; 1/2 page, $45; full page, $75.
and marked by syncopation and near-perfect
The program will be printed on 8!2 x 14"
rhythm, her various works express what ~o
colored paper, folded.
many of us feel; In a way that others can
If you would l ike t o get t he word out
unde rstand •• • i f they would onl y li sten.
Saf iya Henderson- Hol mes. A woman t o
abo ut you r busi ness or servi ce , please call
672- 64 59, and Barba ra 1~ i 11 he l p yo u.
K. L.
watch. And hear.
I SAFIYA
ADVERTISING AVAILABLE
IN JASMINE PROGRAM
3
HENDERSON- HOLMES
Feature Article
--.------------- ..
AIDS: A HOMEN'S CONCERN
By Cindy Irwin, R.N.
Editor's Note: The following article was
researched and written by Cindy Irwin, BS,
RN, who over the last six weeks has directly contacted numerous sources of information in Oklahoma and across the United
States in an effort to bring Herland's readers the most comprehensive and up-to-date
information possible regarding women and
AIDS.
AIDS is a devastating disease, and
none of us is inunune.
The editor suggests
you read this article carefully and behave
accordingly to protect yourself and others.
The editor wishes to extend her appreciation to Jean Derry of the State Task Force
on AIDS foT supplying the impetus, as well
as some of the resources for this article,
and to Jill Waters to typing the final report.
A very special thank you goes to
Cindy Irwin who followed the· proposal
through, expending much time and energy to
bring us the truth about women and AIDS.
AIDS A WOMEN'S CONCERN
The question of what sexually active
women should do to prevent the spread of
AIDS becomes more critical daily. Today,
more women are dying from AIDS than
ever before. Their life spans after
diagnosis are alarmingly short when
compared to their male counterparts .
Children are frequently born with AIDS
to mothers who unknowingly carried the
virus. Presently, Lesbians remain at
low risJc, but evidence shows we are far
from invulnerable. AIDS affects all
women and the choices we make--collectively
and individually.
According to the most recent statistics
released by the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC), the group that is currently
at highest risk for AIDS is heterosexual
women between the ages of 17 and 35
(Brownsworth). Women are proportionately
the fastest growing group of people with
AIDS in the United States (AAPHR) . In
the three AIDS "capitols" for heterosexual cases; New York, Miami, and
Newark, reports of women with AIDS have
sky-rocketed nearly 200 times what they
were last year. In New York, the
count is up to hundreds a week, and
AIDS is the leading cause of death
for women ages 15 to 40. This increase
in female AIDS cases was predicted
for several years by some statisticians
and scientists . Dr. Mathilde Krim,
co-chair for the American Foundation
for AIDS Research, repeatedly stated
that women are going to bear the greatest burden of the epidemic within the
next five years (Brownsworth).
What researchers didn't predict,
according to Victoria Brownsworth who
cites three studies, was that once
diagnosed, women die more quickly,
with more illnesses than men. The
first study, which Margaret Fischl
conducted on Miami residents, showed
that the survival rate among women
was less than half that of men . Of
the 119 women she studied, the life
expectancy 3fter diagnosis was 6 . 6
months; for men it was 14 months .
Fischl's findings also showed that
women were much sicker, because they
had more opportunistic infections
than men (Brownsworth) .
Dr. Paul Harder uncovered far more
devastating data in San Francisco,
while directing a consulting project
for the state . Harder examined the
life expectancies of 7,074 AIDS patients
diagnosed prior to 1987. He found that
the women lived an average of only 40
days, while men lived an average of 16
months. The third study conducted by
Dr . Rand Stoneburner of the New York City
Health Department found that women lived
one third as long as men (Brownsworth).
As startling as the statistics are,
there are other reasons women need to
f?cus on stopping the spread of AIDS.
Approximately half the people with AIDS
in many countries are women. Hundreds
of women have given birth to infants
infect.ed with AIDS (AAPHR). A study
released in November, 1987 indicates
that in some of America's inner cities,
up to one in five pregnant women may
be infected, a rate as high as that
in parts of Africa where the disease
is much more wide spread (Daily Oklahoman).
In the United States, ethnic minorities
and people of color are disproportionately
represented in the AIDS population: 75
percent of women and 90 percent of infants
with AIDS are members of ethnic minority
groups (AAPHR).
During artifical insemination, the
virus has been transmitted to women when
infected semen was injected into the
uterus (Stewart). Health care and child
care are issues of concern. Women comprise
a substantial number of intravenous drug
users,"the fastest growing risk factor
of all new AIDS cases 11 (Byron). Women
in the sex industry, who often have no
alternative means of self-support, are
excluded from traditional medical,
social, and educational services; yet,
they are at high risk for transmitting
AIDS (AAPHR). Furthermore, many women
have been personally affected by AIDS
related deaths or illnesses of people
close to them.
According to the Women's AIDS Network,
lesbians are not at high risk of contracting
AIDS at this time unless they use I.V.
drugs or have unsafe sexual contact with
people in high risk groups. Theoretically,
lesbians who carry the virus could
infect others, if their vaginal fluids or
menstrual blood enter the bodies of
their sexual partners (Byron). Evidence
of vaginal transmission of the virus
from woman to woman has been shown in
one case in the U.S . (Manner et.al . )
and in one case in the Phillippines
(Monzon et.al.) . Although AIDS has
been slow to penneate the lesbian
corranllllity, researchers are llllsure
whether it is just because the disease
doesn't appear to have originated
in women, or because it is harder for
women to spread the disease. No
lesbian should assume that just because
she only sleeps with women, she is
safe from the disease (Pepper) .
By mirroring heterosexual attitudes
that AIDS is a gay male disease, we
make ourselves extremely vulnerable as
a community through our ignorance of
our refusal to confront AIDS (Pepper) .
Jo Ann Loulan, in her new book, Lesbian
Passion (Spinsters/Aunt Lute, $1~
states, "Think what could have happened
if only gay men had known what we Im.ow
now . Because lesbians have the lowest
percentage of the population contracting
AIDS, we have the unique opportunity to
act wisely now, and to keep the incidence
of AIDS in our community very low . "
Educating ourselves about AIDS is the
first step in prevention . Clearly, women
cannot ignore these issues which can affect
so many aspects of our lives . We need
to take a good look at all aspects of
how AIDS affects us and how we can
prevent the spread of AIDS collectively
and individually.
4
THE DISEASE PROCESS
AIDS is a complex viral disease for
which there is currently no known cure .
It is caused by a virus identified
as !ITLV-III (HIV). The virus attaclcs
and can severely damage the body's
immune system, leaving the body defenseless against both rare and common
diseases, which are usually fatal .
THE EPIDEMIOLOGY
Ten years ago, AIDS was considered
an exotic disease, rarely encountered
by most people in this country. Today,
actual cases have been diagnosed in
every state, with over 47,000 U.S. cases .
Of those, 3,628 were women; 682 were
children under 12 (AISMSR)_. It is
currently estimated that 1-1.5 million
people in the U.S. are infected. By
the end of 1991, it is projected that
270,000 cases will be reported in this
country, with 179,000 deaths (Bowen).
World figures are more staggering.
According to the World Health Organization
(WHO), there are presently 100,000
known cases and between 5-10 million
carriers. The WHO's prognosis is that
AIDS will claim 3 million lives in the
next five years (Bowen).
In Oklahoma alone, health officials
estimate that 4,000 to 10,000 people
carry the virus (Killackey).
There are 196 AIDS cases with 101
known deaths that have occurred as ·, ·.
of November, 1987; twelve Oklahoira\ .f
women have been diagnosed, disturbingly '
enough, all since August, (AISMSR).
THE TRANSMISSION OF AIDS
Because the incubation period may
be as long as 15 years after infection,
it is believed to take years for patterns
of transmission to emerge. The upward
trend of female cases is a reflection of
increased heterosexual transmission,
despite what many Americans would like
believe. Americans can no longer afford
to view AIDS as a disease that afflicts
gay men and I.V. drug users. The disease
can strike anyone--men, women, and
children of any race or social class (Bowen) .
The virus is found in blood, semen, cervical
secretions and menstrual blood .
Most cases of heterosexual transmission
involve women infected by their male
partners . However, vaginal transmission of
HIV from woman to man has been shown in
several U. S . studies, and in one reported
case, from woman to woman . Infected
women must assume that they have the
potential to transmit HIV to their
partners (Wolfsy) .
(Most of the following information
comes from a pamphlet, WOMEN NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT AIDS, written by Peg Byron
for the Gay Men's Health Crisis, Inc . ,
1986, and from AIDS LIFELINE: THE
BEST DEFENSE AGAINST AIDS IS INFORMATION,
a pamphlet by the San Francisco AIDS
Foundation. 1987 . )
REDUCING THE RISKS
AIDS IS NCYr SPREAD THROUGH CASUAL
CONTACT . Being in the same room with
a person with AIDS will not "give the
disease to someone . You can't get AIDS
from: touching , food, sneezes, clothes,
sheets, coughing, or from toilet seats.
Risk Factors . You can get AIDS
from sexual contact and I .V. drug use
if you share needles. The women roost
at risk are:
-Women who use I.V. drugs and share
needles.
-Women with sex partners who use
r.v. drugs.
Continued on next page
Continued frollJ previous
pa~e
-Women with sex partners who have
had sex with persons at high risk.
(I.V. drug users, gay or bisexual
men) .
-Women who have received contaminated
blood or blood products. (Experts
believe that blood transfusions
occurring after March of 1985 should
not transmit the virus as a result
of improved screening programs . )
Symptom-Free People Can Transmit
the Virus. Not everyone infected with
the virus will actually develop AIDS.
Most infected people develop antibodies
and remain symptom-free. But even
when healthy, an infected person is
able to transmit the virus to others.
This means that infected women, even
without the symptoms thern5elves, can
spread the virus to others , including fetuses during pregnancy or at birth. The
long-term effects of infection for
this group of people are unkn01m .
Some people will develop what is called
an AIDS Related Condition (ARC),
characterized by mild to severe illnesses.
Symptoms of AIDS . Many of the
symptoms associated with AIDS are also
present in common, minor illnesses such
as a cold, bronchitis, or stomach flu .
However, in AIDS, these symptoms are
usually persistent or recurrent.
The general symptoms associated with
AIDS include:
-Une>.."Plained , persistent fatigue .
-Unexplained fever, shaking chills,
or drenching night sweats.
-Unexplained and sudden weight loss
greater than 10 pounds (not due
to dieting) .
-SWolien glands (enlarged lymph nodes
usually in the neck, armpit, or
groin) which are otherwise unexplained
and last more than several weeks.
-Pink or purple flat or raised blotches
(on black skin they appear darker
than the area around them and have
a purplish tint) that doesn't go
away, on or under the skin, inside
the mouth, nose, eyelids, or anus .
-Persistent white spots or patches
on the tongue or mouth .
-Persistent diarrhea.
-Persistent dry cough (not due to
smoking or minor'respiratory
ailment).
If you have these symptoms DON'T PANIC!
The symptoms of AIDS are similar t o
many other illnesses . Do seek medical
attention at a clinic or by a physician
that is familiar with treating AIDS .
HOW WOMEN CAN PROTECT THEMSELVES
The most common source of AIDS among
women ·is intravenous drug use. Traces
of bleed on shared or rented needles
and/or cookers can spread the virus .
I.V. DRUG USE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE
DANGEROUS! You can protect yourself
by :
-If you shoot drugs, get help.
-If your partner has a drug problem,
encourage him or her to get help.
- Never share needles, works, or
cookers .
-Don't rent·work at sheeting galleries.
-Don't use rebagged needles.
-Clean your works by soaking the
needle, syringe, and cooker in
rubbing alcohol or in a mixture of
household bleach and water (One
cup bleach to 10 cups water) for
10 minutes a~d then rinse in
running tap water.
Sex without protecti~n with anyone
who is infected is very risky. Semen,
blood and vaginal fluids can spread the
AIDS virus during vaginal and anal
intercourse and possibly during oral
sex . Some Safer Sex Guidelines you
can follow are:
-Choose sexual activities that prevent
blood (including menstrual blood),
semen, or vaginal secretions from
entering your mouth, vagina , or
anus .
-Use condoms. If you use a lubricant,
it should be a waterbased one like
K-Y jelly.
-Because condoms can come off or break,
withdrawal before ejaculation is
safest.
-Nonoxynol-9 spermicide with a condom
may provide better protection against
the virus. If you have an allergic
reaction try another brand .
-Use your mm sex toys (dildos,
vibrators). Clean shared ones with
bleach or alcohol, or use condoms
and change them after each use.
-Select healthy partners who are not
or have not practiced activities
that would place them at high risk.
hands or genitals, and external water
sports .
UNSAFE LESBIAN SEX . Unprotected
cunnilingus (especially during
menstruation since menstrual blood
is currently considered to be the
same as any other type of bleed),
any type of blood exchange, unprotected oral/anal contact, unprotected hand/vagina or hand/anal contact,
urine or feces in the mouth or vagina,
and sharing sex toys that have come
in contact with bodily fluids .
WHERE CAN I TAKE THE HIV VIRUS
ANTIBODY TEST? Certa~n specific
AIDS antibodies tests' can help you
find out whether the AIDS antibodies
are present in your system. Call
your local health department and
ask where you can get an AIDS antibody
test that will be as specific as possible to your concerns .
If you live in
Oklahoma City you may prefer to call
the AIDS Referral Line at 525-2437.
LESBIANS AND AIDS
(Emily Kal'ln wrote the following:
"Safe Sex Guidelines for Lesbians", which
appeared in the fall edition of On Our
Backs.)
Most lesbians do not have a high risk
of contracting or transmitting the
AIDS virus at this time . But for
lesbians >Tho fit into one of the
"high risk" groups, practicing safe
sex is a must to prevent further
exposure . For lesbians who are
at low risk, learning and practicing
safe sex is the healthiest way to
stay sexually active and prevent AIDS
from growing in our cormnunity.
LESBIANS AT HIGH RISK FOR AIDS
-Lesbians who share needles or any
other paraphernalia(spoons, works,
syringes) when using I .V. drugs .
This is the single most important
rislc catc."ijory for lesbians.
-Lesbians who have had sexual contact
with : Men who have been actively gay or
bisexual since 1979, people of either
sex whose se>..'Ual histories are
unknown, people who are hemophiliac,
or who have received blood transfusions between 1979 and 1985.
-L<:>sbians llho have received blood
transfusions or blood products
between 1979 and 1985 .
LESBIANS AT LOW RISK FOR AIDS
-Lesbians who have been mongomous with
a partner since 1979 .
-Lesbians who have been celibate and
received no blood transfusions or
blood products since 1979 .
-Lesbians whose sexual partners
have not been at risk since 1979.
AIDS experts are advising lesbians who
believe that they run the risk of either
contracting or transmitting the disease
to follow safe sex guidelines :
SAFE LESBIAN SEX . Massage , tribadisrn
(body to body rubbing), social kissing
voyeurism, mutual masterbation, sex toys
which are protected by condoms or
cleaned and dried thoroughly between
each partner's use, S/M activities that
do not involve exchanging bodily fluids,
and virtually any other activity that
does not require sharing or contact
with bodily fluids .
LOW RISK LESBIAN SEX. French kissing,
cunnilingus with a latex barrier,
genital or anal contact with hands or
fingers while wearing surgical latex
gloves, genital or anal contact with
hands or fingers when neither partner
has cuts, scratches, or sores on their
5
PREGNANCY AND AIDS VIRUS
Infected women without symptoms
themselves can spread the virus to
infants during pregnancy or delive!i'y .
and possibly throuc:;h breastfeeding \ /
Pregnancy also can increase an infected ·
woman's chances of developing AIDS, since
it naturally lowers tlle irmnune system.
Women at risk for AIDS who are considering pregnancy should talk to a counselor .
Taking the AIDS antibody test is often
recormnended in this case, but that
choice should be weighed carefully.
Women may prefer to delay pregnancy
until more is knmm about perinatal
and maternal transmission (Byron) .
CHILDREN WITH AIDS
Children with AIDS do not pose a
rislc to other children or adults . Of
the 30,000 AIDS cases reported to the
CDC, none of the family m~lnbers has
developed AIDS as a result of household
contact . Children don't spread the
virus through toys, spoons, bottles,
dishes, biting, touching or playing .
These children need care and affection,
not isolation (Byron) .
ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION
No cases of AIDS have been reported
due to artifical insemination, but the
virus has been found to have been transmitted to women when infected semen was
injected directly into the uterus.
(Stewart, et.al . ) Sperm banks have been
advised to test all donors for the AIDS
antibody. If you are planning pregnancy
for donor insemination, the following
suggestions may be helpful .
-Do a rislc-assessment of your donor
and use semen donors not at rislc
-If you w<.Jnt a gay mi.In as a donor
give priority to those who have
been in monogamous relationships
since 1977 and whose medical and
sexual histories indicate lesser
risk of infection.
-Donors who have used I . V. drugs
may be in poor health regardless of
Continued on page 8
I·.
\vf
"Keeping Music Alive in Oklahoma"
presents
~ancy
in concert
f2()bin t=l()wer &
"\"()1!1
1
CIVIC CENTER LITTLE THEATER
SUNDAY, MARCH 13
4:00 P.M.
Peggy Johnson
Opening Act
GENERAL ADMISSION s6oo
TICKETS :
EARTH NATURAL FOODS
49th & Western (OKC)
309 S.
Flood
or Call:
(Norman)
528-0020
672-6459
JASMINE
in concert
CIVIC CENTER LITTLE THEATER
o
Represents a cool classic fusion
of jazz and pop genres.
Their
songs exhibit a passion and
sophistication of true jazz yet
lyrical and musical elements of
contemporary chart music .
·, ·.
'
MICHELE ISAM
Opening for Jasmine will be the
SHARTELS of Oklahoma City.
They
set the stage with a SO's air and
laughter.
This is one event that you don't
want to miss .
Q
RECORDS
April 2 7 1988
7:30 P.M.
GENERAL ADMISSION $8
CAROL SCHM I DT
(
•v
Continued from page
5
AIDS risk, and should also be carefully screened or ruled out.
-Ask your donor to have himself tes t ed for the AIDS antibody. There is
a slim possibility that a person
carrying the virus .may ha ve a nega-
ti ve antibody test.
Therefore, the
test slt>uld be done twice prior to
insemination with a period of 3 to
6 months between tests (Women's AIDS
Network).
HIV TESTING
There is currently no test for AIDS.
The HIV or antibody test shows 11hether
someone has been infected with the
vi rus. You may want to take the test
if you are considering pregnancy or
want to !mow if you are infectious
(Women's AIDS Network).
Alcoholism and birth control pills,
among other factors may cause a false
positive · result. The test may have
another problem that needs consideration:
discrimination. Some insurance companies
refuse applicants once a positive test
result is known. The military now
tests recruits and rejects those who
test positive. And employment discrimination
is a growing threat (Byron ) . Various
ai rlines do not a llow persons with HIV
disease to fly (AAPHR) .
The Women's AIDS Network suggests you
make sure anonymity is guaranteed,
and that your results will not be reported
on your medical record or anywhere
e lse. However, in Oklahoma, recently
passed legislation malces it mandatory
for laboratories and testing sites to
r eport positive results to the Oklahoma
State Department of Health . According
to Dr. Ha{kins, at the State Health
Department, the information remains
confidential, unless the infected person
is unwilling, after counseling, to
notify endangered third parties or
trace contacts. 1his new legislation
raises many complex medical, ethical
and leg<:il issues.
The American Association of Physicians
for Human Rights (AAPHR) advocates Education
and counseling as the primary tools for
control of the epidemic. They recommend
in their position statement, "the increased
availabi lity of anonymous testing programs
is essential for maximizing voluntary
participation. HIV testing must be
available on a voluntary and confidential
bas i s, with infoimed consent, counseling
and access to health care services to
be sucdessful". They stress patient
educat i on/counseling aimed at voluntary
compliance with behavior change and
self-notification of partners. The
AAPHR concludes that "the only currently available solution to halting the
spread of HIV in a democratic society is
provid ing each individual with information
11hich enables them to eliminate
behaviors placing themselves or their
partners at risk" (AAPHRl.
REFERENCES
1. AISMSR (1987, Nov.). Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome Monthly
Surveillance Report for Oklahoma
and u . s. Compiled by the AIDS
Division of the Oklahoma State
Department of Health.
2. American Association of Physicians
for Human Rights Position Statements
Adopted by the Board of Directors.
June, 1987.
3. Bowen, O.R. (1987, July). The War
Against AIDS. Journal of Medi.cal
Education, 62(7), p.541-556 .
4. Brownsworth, v. (1987,Nov .26 ) . Increased Risks for Women With AIDS.
Chicago Outlines, p.1,12-13.
5. Byron, Peg. Women Need to Know About
AIDS, pamphlet published by Gay
Men's Health Cri sis, Inco, New York,
1986.
6. Daily Oklahoman (1987,Nov.19). Article: Pregnant Women AIDSS Risks.
7, Kahn, E. (1987,Fall). Safe Sex Guide-
12. Redfield,R.R.,etal. (1985) . Heterosexually Acquired HTLV-III/LAV Disease
(AIDS-Related Complex and AIDS).
Journal of the American Medical
lines for Lesbians. On Our Back.s.
p.13.
8. Killackey, J . (1988,Jan.23) . AIDS:
4,000 to 10,000 Oklahomans May Carry
Virus. Saturday Oklahoman , p.l.
9. Marmor, M. (198a. Possible Female to
Female Transmission of HIV. Annals
of Internal Medicine, 105 , p.969.
10 . Monzon,O.T. & Capellan, J.M.B.
(1987,July 4). Correspondence Female
-to-Female Transmission of HIV. The
Lancet, p.40-41 .
11. p;;ppe-;;- R. (1987,Nov.26) . AIDS and
Safer Sex: A Lesbian Concern. Chicago
Outlines, p.13-14.
loyalties
Ass~
ociation, 254(15),p.2094-2096.
13. Stewart,G.J. Et .al.(1985 , Sept.14 ) .
Transmission of human T-Cell lyrnphotropic Virus Type III By Artificial
Insemination by Donor. The Lancet ,
p.581.
14. Wolfsy,C.B. (1987,April 17) . Human
Imrnunodef iciency Virus Infection In
Women . Journal of. the American Med ical
Association , 257(15),p.2074-2076.
15. Women's AIDS Network in cooperation
with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation
Lesbians and AIDS pamphlet , revised
October, 1987.
3:00 p.m.
Tales of Powerful Women
as told bu
Lynn Moroney
1:30 p.m.
Arts and Crafts
by
Natiue American Women
Student Lounge
In Concert
with Donna DeSaluo
opening act
8:30 p.m.
March 19, 1988 (Saturday)
Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union, OU
Festival Passes are $12 (advance) or $15 (at the door) . Tickets for individu al daytime
events are $2 .50 (advance) or $3 .00 (at the dood. Tickets for the Sue Fink concert are
$7 .00 (advance) or $8.00 (at the door)
For more 1nformation call: 366-8923 or 360-9857
Ticket Outlets:
Arts Place II
20 'vt. Main
Oklahoma City
Earth Natural Foods
49th & N. 'Western
Oklahoma City
Earth Natural Foods
309 S Flood
Norman
The Galleria
I 630 W. Lindsey
Norman
Hour of the Star and Loyalties are part oi The Third Wave International Women's Film and Video
Fest ival, organized by Liatris Media, a sponsored project of Women and Their Work, a Texasbased, non-profit, multidisciplinary arts organization emphasizing the work of women The
fi lm festival is partially funded ·by the National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on
the Arts, and the City of Austin. Programming in Norman is arranged by Women Who Share,
and is partially funded by the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Oklahom a. The Sue
Fink concert is produced by Rainbow Productions.
s
I
I
N
8
'WJ\K1: SllEEI'
Cll4P.MATIVE FINNCIAL STMD4ENl'S
HERU\Nl SI!mll RES:ulCES, IlC.
Ileceltler31,
1987
current Assets:
c.ash tn bank and on hand:
General Fund
lbley Market Mutual fund &lilding Fund
Aca:iunts receivable, including
pledges to &.iilding Fund
Inventories
Prepaid p::>s tage
rorAL aJRRmr ASSEI'S
1, 535
~
$ 1,028
413
1,562
14
375
1,039
4, 103
2,442
Fund Balances:
General Fund
&lilding Fund
TOTAL FUil BAINCES
Long-term debt
Increase in &iilding Fund
Decrease in &lilding Fund
investments - non-o.trrent
rorAL 9XllCES OF flH:6
937
$
845
31, 325
2, 995
materials
----..?li
3,555
3,140
Programs
3, 763
Gross profit Eran bcok.store sales 1, 281
Library
86
Advertising sales
935
Other
_ _1_2_Q_
5,033
678
81
560
~
6,638
~
9. 7 40
1,305
rorAL SJPR:Rl' & REllFNJE
1, 305
36, 67 4
$ J. 341
&
2,150
Programs
35,517
Building funds invested
Land and building acquired
35, 240
FUrniture & fixtures acquired _ __
ill&N
35, 240
1 ,4 34
456
GENEllAL rull) BAU\ICE Beginning of Year
IOU<IN:; CAPITAL -
Beginning of Year
IOU<IN:; CAPITAL El'lcl of Year
139
14
60
110
323
1,663
323
3,445
4,300
2,508
~
~
~
ill&N
LI..llti.
2,286
2, 292
2,682
~
8,803
3,987
l, 767
1,948
~
8,933
937
845
2,508
1,663
S 3.445
, ~
GElfilW, FUD BAU\ICE _
$ 2,119 ,
End of Year
1
~YSIS CF 0WCES
JN IOlKIH; CAPI'IJIL
Increase (decrease) in current assets:
Cash (including building
fwv:l cash)
$ 1,086
Accounts receivable
38
Inventories
523
Other
14
1,661
31, 875
Bookstore
Newsletter
Adninistrative and general
1,305
9, 778
~
~rating expenses -
35,629
112
current Liabilities:
current maturity of long-term
debt (net of deferred interest
of $3,142)
$
175
Trade aC'alU!lts payable
7
Sales tax payable
29
D.le to consigrors
50
Deferred illOClll'!:
Gift certificates outstanding
75
Prepaid advertising
104
Pledges
__..!!Q_
rorAL cmREN!'
LIABILITIES
550
Long-term Debt :
l'bte payable (secured by rortgage
on land and building) , net of
current portion
31, 325
rorAL LIABILITIES
funds f ran '+"'rations:
Excess of SlJRXlrt and revenue
CNe r expenses
Add depreciation expense not
requiring ootlay of funds
Contributions
D:::lflated services
1986
845
186
~
1,305
Pr'+1"rty and EJ:iuiprent, at a:ist:
Land
20,000
&.iilding and Uiproverrents
15, 240
FUrniture and fixtures
389
Less: Acculrulated depreciation
~
~CF~
579
&iilding Fund - N::ln-Q.irrent:
Cash in bank
lt:>ney Market "-itual Fund
STA'.lD!ENr CF SJPR:Rr , RfVEHlE NV ~
mJ ClWCfS rN GDElAI, f'l.Hl ~
Ileceltler 31 ,
IJeceotier 31, 1987 and 1986
and for the Years then E}:v}ed
STA'lD4ENI' CF SUPRRr, Rf.VEHlE ANl
ANl ClW>CES JN BJllDD(; 1"H> llAU\IC'S
Ileceltler, 31,
91
375
165
&lPRRI' ANl REVFHIES
Contributions
Fundraising programs
Interest ina::me
631
Increase (decrease) in current liabilities:
cur rent port ion of long-term
debt
175
Trade aC'alU!lts payable
7
Deferred illOClll'!
119
170
Other
___
5
___12!)
227
~
_...J.vi_
~•
'IurAL g)pR:Rr & RaimJE
Soliciting a:ists
Fundraising programs
Insurance, taxes and fees on
b.Jilding
175
IN IOU<IN:;
CAPITAL
~
$ 2,037
1,484
_ _7_6
656
835
2
3, 597
l, 493
76
244
188
'IurAL EXPENSES
il
ru~~~o=
IUIIDIN:; FmV Bl\lAOCE End of Vear
1986
188
1, 305
:::::
LL1QQ
I
WHO ARE THESE ••• ' PEOPLE'?
AND HOfJ DID THEY GET INTO THE HSR NEWSLETTER?
LEARN THE ANSl·JER TO THESE COMPELLING
QUESTIONS AND MUCH MORE •
AT THE JASMINE CONCERT ON APRIL 2nd
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GAY LUTHERANS
CERTIFIED FOR ORDINATION
BERKELEY - Three openly gay Lut~eran
seminarians have been certified for call and
ordination in two separate but related actions by Lutheran church author~ties. Th:
students were certified by their respective
synodical bodies prior to the merger of
those bodies into the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America ,
On December 9, 1987, the faculty of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, on behalf of the American Lutheran Church (ALC),
voted to approve Joel Workin for certification, the first step in the ordination
process. lforkin was amember of the ALC and
is openly gay. He was approved unanimously
without comment along with a slate of other
ALC candidates, by the faculty.
On December 11, 1987, the Professional
Preparation Co111111ission of the Pacific Southwest Synod of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) also voted unanimously to approve
onpnly gay candidates Jeff Johnson and James
Lancaster, both LCA members.
Since the ALC and LCA were part of the
merger which formed the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) on January l, 1988,
these three candidates were commended for
ordination in the new church upon satisfactory completion of seminary work and the receipt and acceptance of a valid call from a
congregation or agency of the church.
"The real difficulty," observed Lancaster,
"will be locating parishes willing to accept
openly gay ministers . " A call from a parish
or church agency is a prerequisite to ordination in the ELCA.
WOMEN'S CONFERENCE
AGENDA CHALLENGED
DES MO!tlES, IOl~A - The National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) strongly challenged the failure of a national feminist
conference to address lesbian rights issues.
P. national Women's Agenda Conference held
in Des Moines on January 22-24 , 1988, and
endorsed by most major feminist groups failed entirely to address lesbian and gay issues. During the Conference, tlGLTF staff
lobbyist Peri Jude Radecic re peatedly questioned the exclusion of lesbian/gay concerns and pressed for their recognition.
"It was clear that lesbians were not a
welcome agenda issue ," said Radecic. "The
word 'lesbian' was never voluntarily spoken
or 1~ritten by workshop moderators , panelists
or conference speakers during the entire
weekend."
Radecic noted the irony of the Agenda's
failure to raise gay/lesbian issues at a
time when all Democratic contenders have
stated their support for lesbian/gay civil
rights, "For the first time in American
history, all Democratic candidates have gone
on record with NGLTF to endorse gay/lesbian
rights. Now is not the time for any segment
of the civil rights community, especially
the feminist movement , to back away from the
critical battles our community is fighting.
This conference was indeed a step backwards
for lesbians."
Radecic raised lesbian issues in several
workshops and addressed the closing plenary
with a statement criticizing the conference's
silence. In her statement to the plenary,
Radecic noted that the 1977 Women's Conference in Houston had clearly endorsed a lesbian rights plank, and indeed was continuing
to work on lesbian rights issues. Said Radecic, "The signal in 1977 at the Houston
Conference was clear: lesbian rights are part
of the women's agenda. The signal in 1988
in Des Moines is befuddling--ll years later,
lesb ian rights are no longer present in the
feminist agenda."
The Women's Agenda Conference was sponsored by 43 feminist and women's organizations including the National \·/omen ' s Political Caucus, the Older Women's League, National Council of tlegro Women, Business and Professional Women/U. S.A., Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom, and the NOH
Legal Defense and Education Fund. The Women's
Agenda Conference was an attempt to shape public policy prio.rities for the 1988 elections.
COUPLES, INC.
SUPPORTS GAY FAMILIES
COUPLES,
rnc.
SUPPORTS GAY FAMILIES
LOS ANGELES - According to Couples, Inc.
the National Organization for Family Diversity headquartered here in Los Angeles,
support for the recognition of gay families
is growing. The organization cites the
following examples:
- The American Civil Liberties Union has
called for full recogn1t1on· of lesb1an and
gay relationships, with marriage for those
that want it.
- The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
and the Lesbian Rights Project have joined
together to work on legislation and legal
issues regarding families.
- The National Gay Rights Advocates and
Lambda Legal Defense are pursuing several
major couples' rights issues in the courts.
- The Democr.atic Party in California has
included recognition of domestic partners
in the state party platfonn and has called
for the National Democratic Party to include
our recognition in the national platfonn.
Couples, Inc . plans to continue to work
for full legal and social recognition of gay
relationships. They are starting a project
to identify those agencies, organizations,
and companies that recognize gay families
and to condemn those that do not .
Couples, Inc. recognizes that our society and governments do not accept gay relationships and that some same-sex couples can
not publicly support Couples, Inc., but they
assure such couples that their mailing list
is kept totally confidential and ~s only ~
vailable to members of the Executive Committee. It is used to inform the listed families and individuals of issues, events, and
services of i nterest to same-sex couples and
gay families, and will not be sold or lo~ned
to anyone, but will be destroyed before it
is turned over to anyone for any reason.
Couples, Inc. invites you to join ~h:m by
calling them at 213-550-7549 or writing to :
Couples, Inc.; P.O . Box 13323; Los Angeles,
CA 90013-0323.
Next month in the HSR Newsletter:
- An Interview: Barbara Cleveland
Talks About Herland
Potpourri
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
ON HOMOPHOBIA ANNOUNCED
FOR MAY 1988
The first Conference on Homophobia Education will be held in Wnshington DC from May
20-22, 19i.lt1 a~ the llntional 4-H ~onference
Center . It will be a small working conference for approximately 150 leaders in the
field of homophobia education. The work of
the Con erence will be to exchange strntegies and resources for development and distribution of resources on homophobia, and to
plan for a larger, public conference in 1989
The Confere11ce planners have identified
nine areas in which homophobia education
now occurs or should occur: religion, publi c
health, formal educntio11 , the media, art
(broad ly defined), politics, community
organizations, psychology, and law. The
program for the first conference 1~il l focus
on the first four areas listed, and the
planners are inviting leaders in those fielc1
The Conference is bein9 organized by the
Campaign to End Homophobia, a project
initiated by the l~ational Organizatfon for
Changing Men, and is co-sponsored b..x/ the
•
following organizations:
Unitarian Universalist Association
Women's Action Alliance
llew York City Gay and Lesbinn
Anti-Violence Project
Methodist Federation for Social
Action
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Kinheart Program on Sexuality
and Homophobia
Nationa l Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Illinois Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Society for the Psychological Study of
Lesbian and Gay Issues: Division 44
of the Americnn Psycholo9ical Ass'n.
llorizons Community Services, Inc.
Vermont Coal it ion for E!]ual ity
Goudard C~lle9e
{
.
The Campai9n 1s hased on the belief that
homophobia can be reduced throu~h education, and that there is a need to brinn
toqether or9anizations and individuals who
have developed educational models and who
are committed to reducin~ homonhohia .
In preparation for the Conference, we are
lookinn for assistance in the followin9
areas:
Identification of print or visual
resources on homophobia ;
Identification of individuals and
orqan izati ons who are involved
directly or indirectly with educatinl'J others about homophobia;
Capital contributions to cover
Conference expenses.
If you can help us with any of the above ,
or for additional information ahout the
Conference or any aspect of the Camrainn,
please contact the National Coordinator,
Cooper Thompson , PO Box 819, Cambridqe ,
MA 02139, (617) 868-8280, or contact one
of the followin~ reqional representatives:
.Jeff Reane, (Los An9eles) 213-274-2644
Betsey Crane , (Ithaca, NY) 607-273-1526
Dave Matteson , (Chicaqo) 312-672-8807
Gordon Murray , (San Francisco) 415-R21-1718
Pris Prutzman, (New York) 914-358-4601
John Speaks, (Atlanta) 404-873-5141
Potpourri
11
Continued on next page
Pot pou rri
Continued from page II
APPLICATIONS FOR liGLTF BOARD POSITIOHS
SOLI CITED ; ELECTIONS TO ClE HELD !fl
SUMMER OF 1988
the reform of laws crimi nali zing gay/lesbian
sexuality , gay and lesbian famil y issues ,
coverage of gay issues and perspectives in
the mainstream media , and combatting AIDSrelated discriminat i on at the federa l and
local levels . The Task Force also serves
as a resource center for t he local and
state gay organi zation s.
The Board of Di recto r s of the Nat ion al Gay
and Lesbian Tas k For ce (NGLTF) invites
inte rested persons t o consider ser ving on
the 24-membe r Board . The NGLTF Ooard i s
elected by al l Tas k Force members during
el ections held in August and Sept ember of
each yea r . Any Membe r of t he Task Force fa
eligible to ser ve on the Board . Approxi mately eight seats will be open for election this year .
As set forth in NGLTF ' s by- laws , the Board
is committed to gender pari ty , racial
diversity and geographic representation .
All llGLTF boa rd member s make a committment
to raise $2, 500 a yea r fo r the organi zation .
In addition , member-s are expected to attend
quarterly board meetings held ar ound the
country , and to serve on Board cofTlllittees .
The llGLTF Board oversees the fin ancial
management of the Task Force , and i s
actively involved in setting policy
directions for the or9anization . All
applicants should address their letters of
interest to : Peter Fowler , Chair , Cloard
Nomi nations Committee , llGLTF , 1517 U Street
llW , l·/ash i ngton , DC 20009 .
LAURA RINSHAW
The National Gay & Lesbian Tas k Force was
founded i n 1973 to advocate and organize
for equal rights for lesbi ans and gay men
in all aspects of society. Today , the Task
Force serves os the gay community' s lobby
at the federal level , and houses several
organizing projects on anti-gay violence ,
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