HerlandVoice-2001-03-v19-no03_ocr.pdf
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- HerlandVoice-2001-03-v19-no03_ocr.pdf
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March, 2001
HERLAND LEGAL DEFENSE FUND PROFESSIONAL
AUTHOR AND ACTIVIST LESUE
REFERRAL REGISTER
FEINBERG TO SPEAK AT OU
The Herland Legal Defense Fund has had a rash of calls
recently from people needing information and assistance, and
in response we are developing an information packet to
furnish to callers and to make available throughout the
community. We also are preparing, for committee use and
referral, a list of professionals interested in offering legal and
other assistance.
In addition to information about Herland in general and
the HLDF in particular, the information packet will provide
guidelines and forms for applying to HLDF for financial
assistance; a brochure on parental rights and a layman's
guide to the rights won through the Fox v. Fox and Hall v.
Maldonado cases.
Often people fighting for custody of their children need
emotional bolstering as well as legal help; therefore we are
compiling a list of counselors and mental health providers as
well, of course, as attorneys. We ask that our referral
professionals be willing to work with their clients fmancially,
including liberal use of payment plans rather than large down
payments, and possibly reduced fees, especially for initial
consulting.
If you are interested in being on the HLDF confidential
professional referral list, please call Her land at 405/521-9696
or email Herland@mailroom.com. Thank you.
Cl
Renowned author and activist Leslie Feinberg will speak
at the University of Oklahoma on Thursday, March 8, 200 I
at 7:00 PM. Hir speech, "Trans Liberation: The Basis For
Unity," explains how transgender oppression confmes all
people and explores the deep connections between sexism,
homophobia, and transphobia. The event in Meacham
Auditorium of the Oklahoma Memorial Union is free and
open to the public.
Feinberg is the author of the novel Stone Butch Blues
(Firebrand, 1993), and several nonfiction works. Stone
Butch Blues quickly became wildly popular the United States
and has been translated into Chinese, German and Dutch.
The novel won the prestigious American Library Association
Award for Gay and Lesbian Literature and a LAMBDA
Literary Award in 1994. Hir nonfiction work, Transgender
GLSEN COMING OUT PARTY
The Oklahoma chapter of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight
Education Network will host a Coming Out Party on Saturday, March 24, 2001, from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM at The Center,
2135 NW 39th Street to introduce Oklahoma GLSEN to the
people of Oklahoma. All those interested in the OKC GLSEN
chapter and its work are invited to drop by and get to know
the members of Oklahoma GLSEN and their hopes and plans
for the community.
Kevin Barker has been invited to share his experience of
starting a Gay-Straight Alliance at Jenks High School. Kristen
White, GLSEN's Midwest Regional Director, will discuss
developments on the national level and pass along information
regarding the victories that other chapters have experienced
around the nation. Drop in anytime between 6:30 PM and 8:30
PM. Refreshments will be provided
[J
Volume 19Number03
Herland Sister Resources
Warriors: Making History From Joan of Arc to RuPaul
(Beacon), is the first analysis of the historical roots of
transgender oppression. (continued inside)
Her/and Spring
;<-~~
Retreat
~
'
~
April 13-15
Roman Nose State
Park
Finish your taxes early
andcome celebrate
Spring in a community of
Women
Her/and Supper Club
Saturday, March 10th, 5:30 p.m. Meet
at Herland and go out to eat.
www.herlandsisters.org
2312 N.W. 39, OKC, OK 73112
SAINT SYBIL
Dear Fellow Saints and Sinners,
The Her/and Voice and I received a long letter recently,
reproaching me for my apparent opposition to Wanda Jean
Allen's execution. The letter was signed "Disappointed".
Disappointed makes several points, including:
"The case involving convicted murder WandaJean
Allen has been through every Oklahoma court available,
denied clemency by the Pardon and Parole, and the
United State Supreme Court refused her appeal"
"!wonder how you' dfeel ifthe murdered girl were
YOUR sister, YOUR girlfriend, YOUR mother?"
A low IQ doesn't necessarily mean you can 'ttell the
difference between right and wrong. Especially when it
comes to murder."
" It embarrasses me to be an upstanding, decent,
hard-working, out-of-the-closet lesbian when I see our
kind defending someone whom so deservedly doesn't
deserve it.'
"Disappointed" is saying what she and a great many
other people feel about capital punishment. What I wantto tell
her, and the others, is, that it doesn't matter. Feelings don't
matter in issues of this magnitude. Actually, if feelings and
opinion did matter, anti-death penalty people would win the
debate hands down; but it doesn't matter.
All the details are beside the point. The IQ of the person
put to death, whether 60 or 160, - doesn't matter. Whether
the person put to death is guilty or innocent - doesn't matter.
Whether the crime involved premeditation or was in the heat
of passion -doesn ;t matter. Whether $800 or $800,000 was
spent on the accused's defense - doesn't matter. Whether
the accused has a "dream team" on defense, or whether the
defense attorney naps through the trial - doesn't matter.
Whether racism is rampant in the system, - doesn't matter.
Whether the Pope thinks the death penalty is wrong - or
Governor Keating thinks it is just-doesn't matter. Whether
the executed is winsome with a smile as big as all outdoors or
is ugly as sin - doesn't matter. Whether the executed is 61
or 16 at the time of the crime - doesn't matter.
All of those things may make it harder, or easier, to deal
with execution, but - they don't matter. What does matter,
the only thing that matters, is that no matter what, it is dead
wrong and a horrible offense against life and the Universe, to
kiJI a helpless human being in cold blood. It absolutely does
not matter what they have done or might do in the future. It
is wrong, no matter how legal the killing is.
A few of the many adjunct wrongs inflicted by capital
punishment are the extreme harm it does to the family and
loved ones of the executed; the false hope for peace and
closure it gives to the families of the original victims; the
brutalizing effect executions have on all of society; the pain
and scars it inflicts on those involved in the death scene itself
- the guards, wardens, chaplains, and other inmates.
Page 2 Her/and Voice March, 2001
That old slogan, cliche, bumpersticker, is absolutely true:
It is wrong to kill people to show that killing people is wrong
·- or for any other reason. Wrong Wrong. Wrong.
And that's the truth.
St. Sybil
D
IN
OKLAHOMA, THE QUALITY OF
MERCY
IS
STRAINED •••
by MOC
The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma requires our
Pardon and Parole Board to make an impartial investigation
and study of applications for commutations, pardons or
paroles. (Art. 6, ec.10). This obligation clearly implies
openness to the possibility that good reasons might exist to
commute a death sentence to life without parole. Yet this
Board has not once seen fit, since our state began executions again in 1990, to recommend clemency in capital
cases.
At one time or another it has rejected:
•
evidence of possible
innocence;
developmental
disability;
On March 1, the
•
Oklahoma Pardon
• sincere repentance;
and Parole board
• religious conversion;
recommended
• exemplary conduct in
prison;
demency for Phillip
Dewitt Smith. The
• contributions to the
quality of prison life;
recommendation
family
needs;
now
goes to Gov.
•
inadequate
or
Keating
who must
•
incompetent defense
make the final decicounsel;
sion. The last time
• unfair prosecutorial
the Board approved
conduct;
a request for clem• lack of jury understanding
ency was in 1966.
about the meaning of life
without parole;
• proof that the person
before the board received a death sentence when the
actual killer was given life;
• recognition by federal judges that executive clemency
was in order;
~
requests for clemency by victims ' family members;
and
• appeals for mercy by prison chaplains, state religious
leaders, and other ministers.
Apparently no change for the good, however dramatic or
enduring, in the life of a prisoner; and no problem, however
serious, in that person's trial, can convince the Board to
l:J
recommend clemency in death penalty cases.
Herland Board of Directors:
Laura Choate
Jacqueline Gatewood
DlH
Ginger McGovern, Treasurer
Pat Reaves, Co-Chair
Judy Walden
The Voice is published by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc.
2312 N.W. 39th, Oklahoma City, OK 73112. The Voice is offered
as an open forum for community cfiscourse. Articles reflect the
opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Herland
Sister Resources. Unsoicited articles and letters to the edlor
are wek:omed and must be signed by the writer wlh ful name and
address. Upon request, letters or articles may be pmted under
a pseudonym or anonymously. Subscriptions to The Voice are
free upon request although a donation is requested to meet
pubication and distribution costs.
I have a bunch oflaw school stuff, review materials
and the like, that would be great for either a first
year student or someone getting ready for the bar.
Contact Nancy at njnesser@aol.com or 942-1425
Individual, couples or family counseling.
Accessible rates. Call for a Wednesday
evening appointment. Jo L. Soske, Phd, LPC,
CADC 879-2226
HERLAND
FEINBERG AT
OU (continued from pg I)
Feinberg is a national leader of Workers World Party,
and a Managing Editor of Workers World newspaper. S/he
is well-known in the U.S. and many other parts of the world
as an activist who works to help forge a strong bond between
the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities. As a trade
unionist, anti-racist and socialist, Feinberg also organizes to
build strong bonds of unity between these struggles and
those of movements in defense of oppressed nationalities,
women, the disabled, and the working class movement as a
whole. Feinberg has worked for more than 25 years in
defense of the sovereignty, self-determination and treaty
rights ofN ative nations and for freedom ofpolitical prisoners
in the U.S. S/he is an internationalist and has been part of the
anti-Pentagon movement since the U.S. war against Vietnam.
The event is sponsored by the Society for Women
Students and Supporters; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexua~ Transgender
& Friends; Speakers Bureau; Student Affairs; Union Programming Board; and the Human Diversity Committee of
the Graduate Student Senate (administrative and student
CJ
groups at the University of Oklahoma).
SPRING RE I REAT
APRD. 13-15, RoMAN Nose STATE PARK
Please choose the registration amount most
appropriate for you. On-site registration will be $65.
The deadline for pre-registration is April 10 and
registration is non-refundable
Single Per-son's
Annual Income
Pre-t"egistration
per·person
Household Annual
Income
under $6,500
$15
under $13,300
$6,500 - $13,250
$25
$13,300- $18,000
$13,250 - $19,500
$35
$18,000 - $26,000
$19,500 - $30,000
$45
$26,000 - $50,000
over $30,000
$60
over $50,000
Registration fee enclosed (payable to Herland): _ $15 _$25 _$35 _$45 _$60
_ Saturday only Registration $25
Name: ___________________________________Phone:_ _ _ __
Address:____________________City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _State_ _Zip_ _ __
__ I need a scholarship to attend.
__ I'm enclosing and additional $_ _ _ to help provide scholarships.
__ I'm bringing __ children (girls of all ages and boys under 10 are welcome)
Her/and Voice March, 2001 Page 3
Herl and Sister Resources
2312 N.W. 39
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
NonProfit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Oklahoma City, OK
Permit No. 861
Address Service Requested
Thanks, Chas,for the great new Herlandt-shirt design!
Support our
Supporters
jVERTIGOj
"Clothing for my lifestyle."
on the web at
www.geocities.com/ vertigowear/
\i\~strc
_
fOR€st m&SUR€S
· t lnccmc It
o8s • aindlca • ...P,.
REBECCA R. HOLT, Ph.D.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
• D1dak ~am- • ~lrf
c..np- ~·
• 111\lquo< lk unusual gt"8
t llN age 8Upplia
llJ~Sn.t
Normm,OK 7.}069
NalmhaRic& (405)447-5111
321-2148
P.O. Box 5119
Norman, Okla. 73070
Individual - Couples
Family Therapy, Retreats