Networking45North_v9.no5.1995.09-10.pdf

Title: Networking45North_v9.no5.1995.09-10.pdf
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(j THE NEWSLETTER OF FRIENDS N ORTH, INC., an association of lesbians, gay men, bi-sexuals and their friends. !::::
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amm:Nos•·•·NoRTH GAY AND LESBIAN
.·•·•· <i11s"i°ORv AND EoucAnoN Div -

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OCTOBER 21 ST AT SUGAR LOAF RESORT IN CEDAR, MICHIGAN
The Friends North Gay and Lesbian History and Education
Day is coming up soon! On October 21st, lesbians and gays
from northern Michigan and around the state will gather for a
day of keynote speakers, workshops, luncheon, and one act
stage readings. The workshops include homophobia,
Mich igan's gay and lesbian history, spirituality, womyn' sand
mehn' s music, health and the lesbian/ gay community, and
"Coming Out of Shame ."
The conference will be held at Sugar Loaf Resort located
on the Leelanau Peninsula near Traverse City. The Resort is
reserving rooms for the Friends North event at the low
conference rate of $50.00 per night. Please fill out the motel
reservation form located in the center of the newsletter and
mail it in with the required deposit, as soon as pos~ible.
Reservations cannot be accepted by phone for these rates .
The conference will begin with registration between 8:00
and 9:00 am on Saturday morning . Early registration before
October l st for the conference will be $20.00 per person,
which includes lunch and after October l st the cost will be
$25.00. PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION FOR THE
HOTEL IS SEPARATE
FROM THE
CONFERENCE
REGISTRATION. Please w atch your mail box for a separate
conference flyer with registra tion information. Participants are
encouraged to ma ke a weekend of this event with many
activities availa ble outside of the conference such as a
hospitality gathering on Friday and Saturday evenings and
continental breakfast Sunday morning before departure.

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us!
Watch for more details in upcoming new sletters a nd mailings
September 24th Autumn Hike/ Dinner
2:00-6:00 pm Lake Skekemog area/Acme
October 11th National Coming Out Day Film Festival
6: 30 pm Location to be announced

HURRY!! LATE NOTICEll-lUTUMN HIKE AND DINNER
Everyone is invited to attend the Autumn Hike and Dinner on
Sunday, September 24, 1995. The hike/ walk will ta ke place at
2:00 pm at Lake Skegemog, which is east of Traverse City, and
will be followed with a cookout dinner at a Friends North
member's home in Acrne at around 4:30 pm.
All participants are asked to make reservations by September
19th . The cost for this event is sliding scale $5.00-$ l 0.00 .
Sliding scale means that you pay the amount you can afford
between the given dollar amounts .
If you are interested in joining us for a little fresh air and good
food, please send your reservation with name(s), address, phone,
and check or money order to Friends North, PO Box 562,
Traverse City, Ml 49685-0562. A confirmation letter with details
and map will be sent to you upon reservation.

SECOND ANNUAL (ONUNG OUT DAY
FILM FESTIV.Al
The Friends North Second Annual National Coming Out Day
Film Festival will take place on Wednesday, October l l, 1995
at 6:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Traverse
City. The cost for the evening of films will be $5.00 which
includes refreshments.
A special mailing will be sent out the beginning of October
with the list of films that will be presented. Please mark your
calendars NOW for this wonderful, community opportunity!

October 21st Gay /Lesbian History Day
Sugar Loaf Resort, Cedar on Leelanau
Peninsula
December 7th Friends Annual Meeting
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship,
Traverse City

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Friends North, Inc., P.O. Box 562, Traverse City, Ml 49685-0562
(616) 946-1 804 (This is a general information line to receive F/N
information.)

We Are Everywhere. This message is being
reinforced daily. But, we are also on
everyone's tongue everywhere, which I find
surprising. Remember just a few years ago
when we searched through magazines and
newspapers to find any reference at all to
gays and lesbians?

FRIENDS NORTH is an organization of lesbians, gay men, bi-sexuals
and their friends from northwestern lower Michigan . Located in Traverse
City, we provide social activities, a newsletter, phone line, workshops,
and a community needs fund for financial assistance.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS of FRIENDS NORTH is composed of nine
women and men elected each December. Regular board meetings are
held at Northwestern Michigan College, West Hall , Room 2 in the
cafeteria the first Tuesday of every month at 6: 30 p. m. Everyone is
welcome to attend .
Patty O'Donnell-president
Jim Poole
Susie Keilla-VP

Rose Clement-secretory
Greg Baird
Tom Kincaid

Was it IV\ae West who said that even bad publicity is better
than no publicity? If so, then we are doing just great! Here's what
we've seen lately:
• In a move to appease the religious right, Bob Dole returns a
$1,000. check from gay Republicans; the Log Cabin Club.
• Iowa considered outlawing the discussion of homosexuality
in the classrooms by teachers and students.
• The Supreme Court considers the Colorado constitutional
amendment which would ban all local ordinances that
gave gays and lesbians equal protection.
• Cincinnati has its gay rights ordinance overturned by a
federal court, and appeals it.
• Kentucky declares, in a court decision, that its sodomy laws
are discriminatory against homosexuals, and are repealed .
• The House of Representatives holds a committee hearing
on whether discussion of homosexuality in school can
promote homosexuality.
• Don't Ask-Don't Tell" policy is declared unconstitutional by a
federal court. The decision gets appealed by the government.
Don't for a minute believe that all that is happening right now
is coincidental. Gays are getting this much attention for two simple
reasons: First, We have made Us the order of business, by very
hard work, spending lots of money, and through extreme sacrifice
by many individuals. We have raised the issues through the courts
in cases involving child custody, military service, marriage rights,
sodomy laws, and job protection .
Secondly, the Religious Right has targeted us using their
grand plan of putting us back in the closet. The key to their plan
is based on negative media publicity, and with this , they are very
much succeeding.
As things sort out over the next election year, and if we see
them not going in our favor, I was wondering about a new
approach. A few years ago, someone proposed that by us
arguing to prove that homosexuality was pre-determined at birth
(allowing us no ability to choose, and thereby, no reason to be
discriminated against) may not be the best way to obtain our
rights.
The argument most often used against us is based on this
premise that we have the ability to 'choose' our sexual orientation.
The same way, The Right has the ability to 'choose' their religion.
So, why don't we simply decide that we are going to begin
a new religion based solely on our belief in homosexuality? The
freedom to associate and to have protection from discrimination
based on one's religion is well established. It also is something
The Right champions, although the line separating 'church and
state' has been overstepped so often by them.
The idea of creating an organized, nationwide gay and
lesbian religion may have its pitfalls. However, it also may be
something that we fall back upon if things don't improve for us in
the courts or Congress in the next few years.

Scott SouthwelHreasurer·
Gretchen Sawage
Steve Waulkezoo

Networking 45° North, P.O. Box 562, Traverse City, Ml 49685-0562
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE : Publication of Networking 45° North .
Editor:
Publishing & Layout:
Advertising :
Mailing List:

Richard Tuxbury: 271-3042
or e-mail: DIC KOO l @AOL . COM
Richard Curtis: 929-9605
Jim Carruthers: 922-7768
John Evans: 922-0746

Networking 45° North is the newsletter of Friends North, Inc.
Viewpoints expressed do not necessarily represent those of the board or
general membership.
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING and notices are run without charge.
Please submit in writing or by calling the editor (and leave ad on machine
271-3042.)
DISPLAY ADVERTISING in Networking 45° North is available in
Business Card size - $25.00 per space per issue or an annual rate of
$120.00 for 6 issues. Inserts and larger sized ads are available. Please
call 'advertising' for rates.
SPONSORING POLITICAL POSTCARDS: Cost for printing 2,800
postcards for Netvvorking 45° North is $80.00, To sponsor all or part
of this, and to give your input, call Jim Carruthers: 922-7768 or Richard
271-3042.
CONTRIBUTIONS to Networking are welcome. Letters, essays,
features, reflections, and original artvvork should be sent "c/o Editor" to
above address. (Netvvorking will not accept material that is sexist,
discriminatory or sexually explicit. Contributors are responsible for
obtaining permission from those whose names they submit for
publication.)
NEXT DEADLINE:

Issue #6 -

October 15 .

ADDRESS CHANGES: Please notify us in advance if a change is
coming. Call John Evans, 922-0746, or send changes to our address.
SUBSCRIPTIONS/MEMBERSHIPS: $12 .00/single; $18.00/
couple. Please send checks or money orders to: Friends North, P.O. Box
562, Traverse City, Ml 49685-0562 .
DISTRIBUTION: Networking is published 6 times per year. Copies
are sent bulk-mail in a plain envelope to approximately 700 households.
Additional copies are available at select local establishments. Our
mailing list is confidential and is not sold or traded with other
organizations.

~

printed on recycled paper
NETWORKING 45° NORTH

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2

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

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This last Spring there was a lot of ta lk among the Board of
Friends North regard ing an approach to the Traverse City
Commission. Many felt that the time was right to appeal to the
Commission to add 'sexual orientation' to their list of protected
classes in the areas of housing, employment, etc. After lots of
posturing and discussion, there seemed to be a conclusion drawn
that we would need to first prove that there was discrimination
against gays and lesbians before the City would go through the
effort of providing this protection. Then, the approach to the City
Commission just fell apart.
Traverse City has its share of discrimination, much of it subtte
of course, but still, some quite blatant. Just last week, a gay couple
in the city came home from a weekend away to find that the front
of their home had been spray-painted with the word
"FAGGOTS." Do you remember the amount of media attention
given to theJewish family with the black child who had their house
sprayed a few years ago? I doubt if anyone will write a story on
this new incident, because I doubt if it will be reported . Like most
of the violence against gays in this country, harassment like this is
seldom reported.
.
Thankfully, Ron Harington of Side Traxx went public with
the St. Francis bus incident this last June. The Principal of the
school wrote an official apology. The local community knew
we had been wronged. The paper wrote a supportive
editorial.
It is common knowledge that the Sabin Dam area is a
cruising spot for gay men. Grand Traverse County has been
entrapping men by using undercover cops to cruise gays. They
have been quite successful, and many locals have been
arrested . Not to my knowledge have heterosexual men ever
been the target of a police sting in Grand Traverse County.
The City Commission might truly feel that there is no
discrimination in Traverse City. For this reason the community
needs to be reminded whenever our rights, our properties, or
our bodies are violated. There needs to be accountability for
actions, and simply stated, there must be on-the-books, legal
protection for all gay men and lesbians.
In this issue you will also see a letter from state Rep.
Michelle McManus regarding hate crime legislation against
gays. She feels that we need no more protection, in that "there
are currently laws in existence that protect every individual."
This Religious Right chant of 'no special rights for any group'
has become nothing more than an empty, rhetorical answer. It
is a way to denigrate us, and by claiming that we want
something more than others want, we are made to appear
greedy. Even worse, by not using our name, she shows her
constituency that we do not deserve to be properly
recognized, and therefore might be considered second class
citizens .
Michelle McManus needs to use the "G" word . She, like
the City Commission needs to state, for the record, that she
condones no violence and will tolerate no discrimination
against gays and lesbians. tt is our governing bodies and our
elected officials who set the stage for violence and hate
crimes, and who, by their inaction, give subtle endorsement to
discrimination.
o. 11 ~ I
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NETWORKING 45° NORTH

Family! Birth family, that is. What a weird
and funny situation , at times. My partner and
I went down to the "old homestead" last
month for my parent's 40th wedding ~.
anniversary. After living half my life in silence =l______.
about being a lesbian and hardly talking
openly with family about it now, I actua lly had a short
conversation with my niece who is twelve years of age . She
had been asking my sister over the last four years about "Aunt
Patty." A little question here, a question there. My sister told
me that my niece asked if " ... Aunt Patty was a lesbian?"
"Why?" "Because she sleeps in the same bed as Jo Ann (my
partner) and they act like they're married." "Would it make a
difference in how you felt about Aunt Patty?" "No." "Would
you still love her?" "Yes! " So, I'm now out to my oldest niece
and we end up discussing the merits of a forehead-kiss
between two men on a "Hootie and the Blowfish" music video
and the implications of that kiss related to their sexual
orientation. Pretty neat!
The family weekend was capped by everyone posing for
a "family portrait." Jo Ann was right in there with my siblings
their spouses, and accompanying children! I guess they finally
know that it is not a phase I am going through.
Speaking of family (family of choice), I would like to thank
all the volunteers who helped make the Friends North bike tour
a huge success! Thanks to Jeff and Gretchen for all their hard
work in coordinating the event; Rose, Nancy, Terry and Tom
for working the shag wagons and taking care of the bikers
(skinned knuckles, lost helmets, a cool spray of water); Woody
for the flower arrangements; the dinner crew that set-up and
served l 30 hungry participants, consisting of Steve, Jo Ann,
Rose, Kevin, Nancy, Kirk, Scott, Lynn, and Richard; Jim for the
Tee-shirts & design; and all of you people who helped clean
up! I encourage everyone to take part in next year's Bike Tour
event and/or the dinner. It is a fun time to meet new people
and see old friends .
The Board is busy with the array of events that are coming
up during the next couple months. Mark your calendars NOW
and register to attend the Autumn Hike/Dinner (it is really a
"walk") on September 24th; and the Gay and Lesbian History
and Education Day on October 21st. Also, plan to attend the
Coming Out Day Film Festival on October l l . Please see
other articles in this issue for details.
I would like to report that the Friends North phoneline
recently received an inspiring call. The unidentified woman
stated, "I was recently in the Charlevoix hospital and thanks to
a gay man, I am alive. He saved my life. I have made a lot of
wrong judgments against you people and I am sorry. I am alive
because of him." Remember, we are everywhere; and just
being who we are will dispel the myths and misconceptions
that many people have regarding lesbians and gays!

.,o~ o2J~

JV~\p7

3

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

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The Indianapolis Youth Group (IYG) is hosting the first ever
youth festival focused solely on gay, lesbian, bisexual young
adults (all youth must be under age 21 ). This event is being
coordinated with the National PFlAG (Parents and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays) Convention to be held September 30th and
October l st, 1995 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The PFlAG organization has made a commitment to honor
youth this year and has arranged for Wilson Cruz, star of the
television hit series "My So Called Life" for the Conference and
Festival activities. The highlight of the weekend will be the mocktalk show in which one of the IYG youth will serve as a talk show
host to Wilson Cruz.
All expenses, except travel will be covered. Registrations are

Atter a quiet summer it is time to get the Rap Group moving
again. We are at our new location at the Grace Episcopal Church
at 34 l Washington Street, by the Government Center. The room is
in the basement and it is really very cozy and safe. It should provide
for some interesting conversation .
The September topic will be "Gays/Lesbians in Traverse City:
Are we still reaching out together and working together, or are we
breaking into splinter groups?" This is just a general discussion to get
interpretations on how, as a commun ity, we are changing.
The October meeting corresponds with the Friends North Film
FeStival, so inS tead of going to the rap group let's everybody go to
the Film Festival. Great Flicks and Good Company. The Film Festival
is being held at th e Unitarian UniversaliSt Fellowship out on the
peninsula.
The November topic will be Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual parents.
Those of you who have parents who are gay or those who are
parents yourself, are especially invited. Please come and share your
feelings and experiences. What is our community doing or not doing
to help?

due September 20th. If you would like to attend this festival or
know of a youth who would like to go, please contact the Friends
North phone line at (616) 946-1804 and leave a message with
your name and address and a registration form will be sent to
you.

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/\: company of any and all who attend. Leave a message on the Friends
phone line and I will give you a call if you need any
November 8-12, 1995 Detroit, M1ch1gan
ff information. Thanks-see you soon!! Rose
Detroit will be the international gathering site of lesbian/ I]!

.

. .

JI! North

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is in Detroit, everyone should take advantage of the
convenience without the additional travel expenses.
Some of the highlights include organizing roundtables on
workplace organizing, rural organizing, people of faith, equal
marriage rights, and anti-violence; skills 9uilding intensives on
fund-raising, campaign skills training, speakers bureaus, and
campus organizing; other talks will cover "Prevention vs.
Pleasure? Safe sex/sex clubs debate: 1995," "Age
Stratification in the Movement and Our Communities,"
"Movement Dysphoria: Liberation is a Many-Gendered
Thing," "Amendment 2/lssue 3 Go To Washington: The End
of Civil Rights?," and more. Keynote speakers include
Representative Tammy Baldwin who is serving her second term
in the Wisconsin State Assembly as an openly gay elected
state official; Harry Britt who served on the San Francisco

Board of Supervisors for 14 years; Elias Farajaje-Jones-a
Spanish speaking Afrikan Native American theologian, AIDS
activist, writer; and Urvashi Vaid who was the executive
director of NGLTF for six years and is a community organizer
and attorney. There are lots of workshops and also fun events
such as the Motor City Scene: Queer Cabaret on Saturday
evening .
If you are interested in attending this great conference,
please contact the Friends North phoneline at (616) 9461 804 and leave your name, address and phone number
(clearly) and we will send you a brochure. Please do not let
this opportunity pass you by-since it is right in our own state!
If possible, car pools and room sharing can be set up.

Locally Owned & Operated

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Morty's

~

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(formerly with Pet Nanny® )

Marty Phillips
P.O. Box 451
Traverse City, MI 49685-0451

A Better Co1r4>act Disc Store.

430 East Front Street I Traverse City/ 946-2112
NETWORKING 45° NORTH

4

616-929-3174

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

THE f RIE~DS NORTH 1995 BIKE TOUR
by Richard Tuxbury
Imagine l 20 gay and lesbian bikers exploring the hilly, curvy roods of
Leelanau County on a warm August weekend. Think of Sleeping Bear
Campground strewn with a myriad of tents , rainbow flags, bicycles, and cook
stoves . Picture three perfect, sunny days and warm evenings, with clear Lake
Michigan water so inviting that nightly skinny-dipping became a necessity.
Many of the group weren't what most would call 'bikers,' as some folks
hadn't been riding since last year's tour. I rode with a handsome young man,
James, from Detroit, who said he hadn 't ridden his bike since junior high . Then
there were others - those who wanted to get in l 00 miles on Saturday, and
were on the rood by 9:00 a.m. that Saturday.
Unlike the rest of the summer, this was a relaxing weekend and very
sociable, with people camping, making coffee, sharing stories around the fires
at night, and getting in lots of swimming and beach time. It was a time spent
with others like ourselves in one of the most beautiful places in the Midwest.
There were many images in the short weekend. I like to recall the bagpipes
playing up high on the dune above the campground Friday evening. Tom's
haunting music seemed to float down to us out of nowhere and yet,
everywhere. There was Sunday's beach party and volleyball on the clean
sands at Otter Creek. Then there was riding through the fishing village of Leland
and seeing about 40 people from the tour lunching by the side of the rood.
The campground, though a mi le from the beach, is really quite
spectacular . Nestled on the side of the largest group of sand dunes in
Michigan, the Sleeping Bear, there is a feeling of being in a protected and
quiet mountain valley .
Some might be wondering about a downside to such a memorable
weekend. Okay, so poison ivy abounds, and there are frequent raids of the
coolers by raccoons lying in wait in the brush. And maybe the latrines have
become an olfactory legend, and then, Friday night's downpour did cause
more than a few people to scurry to high ground at 3 in the morning. But there

I

were the others who enjoyed the storm and flooting on
their sleeping bag seemed great entertainment.
With the different routes of the tour, as well as the
size of the campground, it never felt like there were a
lot of people. But, when we all got lake-cleaned for
Saturday night's dinner and gathered in Glen Arbor's
rustic town hall, the enormous room actually became
filled. These tanned and healthy men and women had
come from all over the Midwest, with some as far away
as St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco, and Denver.
The local Traverse City folks might have been in the
minority, but they were still well-represented and made
great hosts.
Friends North advertises the beauty of Leelanau
County and Sleeping Bear National Park for the tour.
But, what really makes the event memorable is the
people. Many of the bikers told me that this was the
friendliest group that they had ever been around. The
feeling was truly one of 'community, ' and simply stated ,
everyone was a lot of fun .
After the tour this year, we sat around brainstorming
on ways to improve it for 1996. We thought about
adding some new routes and a longer ride for those
who'd requested it. We talked about keeping the events
to a minimum, because everyone seems to enjoy the
informality and the hang-loose schedule of the weekend .
Donations from the weekend's event have been earmarked for Networking 45 Degrees North, this
newsletter, as well as for sponsoring individuals to the
NGLTF 'Creating Change' conference in Detroit this
November. Friends North treasurer, Scott Southwell,
reports that over $3,000. was raised from the weekend .
Jeff is already organizing for next year's event, and
Gretchen reports that she has the Glen Arbor hall reserved
in late July. If you weren't part of this year's event, I wil l
ask you now to consider it for next year . To receive
information in the Spring, calljeff now at 6 l 6-271-3042
and you will be put on the mailing list. I hope you join us
and the others at another unforgettable bike-tour next
summer.

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NETWORKING 45° NORTH

Announcing Bike Tour Contestl

LINDA L. WIKLE
Agent

We "croppedH this photo. What is the person on the left pointing at?
Do you know? Make a guess. Prizes to be determined.

5

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Grts

P·FLAG NEWS
WE

Now HAVE AN AGENDA!

Traverse City Area P-FlAG has great things planned for the
up-coming months. Please note the agenda we have
scheduled and plan to attend our meetings. We have some
interesting and exciting events which all coincide with the
theme of "coming out."

SEPTEMBER

submitted by M'Lynn Hartwell

October 21-The Out n' About Coffeehouse will be one of

20TH: GUEST PANEL

We ill feature a panel of gay men and lesbians who have
had particularly poignant coming out experiences. Parents are
encouraged to attend as we will focus on the specific questions
and concerns that they have for and about their children.

the first lesbian organizations to present the must-see movie The
Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love. Director Maria
Maggenti used an almost totally female crew to film this romantic
comedy about two high school girls falling in love for the first time .
Randy Dean (Laurel Holloman), a rebellious baby dyke who lives with
her aunt and her aunt's lover in a working-class neighborhood, falls
in love with Evie Roy (Nicole Parker), an intelligent, wide-eyed beauty
who lives with her mother in a wealthy suburb .
The film The Incredibly True Adventure of Tow Girls in Love was
extremely well received at the Sundance Film Festival and by
reviewers at the Boston Globe and other publications . A Newsweek
movie critic commented, uFirst love, stra ight or gay, has rarely been
so expertly enacted."
Laurel Holloman, who play the character Randy Dean,
commented that making the film did alter her sexual identity. When
we started filming, I was in a relationship with a man and my history
has been with men," says Holloman. uAnd then midway through this
film being surrounded by all these women-most of whom were gay
and young and vibrant and who were extremely excited about
working on the movie-sort of organically took me over. I felt like for
the first time I was in a positive atmosphere with women ."
November 18- The Out n' About lesbian coffeehouse w ill
celebrate its two year anniversary. Along with, our traditional lesbian
potluck, we will provide turkey and trimmings and a night of
entertainment you will definitely not want to miss. Watch your
mailbox for details.

OCTOBER 18TH: FIRST ANNUAL P-FLAG COMING OUT POTLUCK
October l l th is National Coming Out Day. We would
like to get together with family and friends to celebrate our own
coming out. People who have just come out; be they parents,
family members, or gay and lesbian persons themselves; are
encouraged to attend and share their coming out stories while
at the same time socialize with others who share their
experience.
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend P-FLAG as
we focus on the issue of coming out. Invite others who may
benefit from these special meetings. A lot of exciting things are
happening and we know you will want to be a part of it.

CAMPING - CABINS
& DORMITORY
• Full Facility Resort
• Nature Trails
• On Site Storage
• Hot Showers
• LP Gas Refill
• Rec Room
• Park Store

Out n' About Coming AttractionsGo Fish producer Christine Vachon is helping with the screen
adaptation of Stone Butch Blues, written by transgender activist Leslie
Feinbert. The movie will be directed by Jan Oxenberg, and filming is
scheduled to begin this fall. Stone Butch Blues is Leslie Feinberg's
often painful experiences as a female-to-male transsexual, and her
return to living and working as the female gender in the days of
Stonewall. Northern Michigan lesbians can look forward to seeing
this film as soon as it is available in 1996.

SNOWMOBILE
SERVICE CENTER
• 28 Years Experience
• Open 10 to 10 Daily
•• Parts, Oil & Fuel
• Indoor Storage
• Access to Trails

Many fine restaurants nearby
60 Acre spread with trout stream

_ff_s1_1_34_a_94_9_4

8003489490

Lovells Area
3576 Sno-Trac Trail
Grayling, Ml 49738

Out 1 n About is a lesbian coffeehouse, held on the third
Saturday of each month except August and December. The
Coffeehouse comes alive between 7:00 and l l :00 p.m . at the
Unity Church, 3600 Five Mile Road, Traverse City.
Smoke Free - Chem Free-Cover donation is $3 ($5 if we have
entertainment). Snacks and coffee are free- soft drinks are available.

Now located at
236 East Front Street
(616) 938-1971

For more information, or to have your name placed on the Out 'n
About mailing list, call Brenda at 946-2708 - leave message.
(Please note this is for Coffeehouse info only; if you have other
questions or needs, please call Friends North at 946-1804.)
NETWORKING 45° NORTH

Richard Miller; manager
6

VOWME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

:!lt:e·o·n·f:r :l l:aJ:1 ·1 ·, ,-n·s ·:···:·:·:·.·:·:·:··:·:·:··:·:··:·:··:·:·:::·:·::·:·:··:·:···:::·:·:·:·:·:::.HtLU.U.U.U

FROM THE COMMUNITY

Zalmon Sherwood

LIFE'S

A BEACH

"Now you've done it," his voice filled with rage on the other
end of the line. "Everything was just fine until you opened your
big fat mouth."
I knew instantly what he was referring to. Following my
Lesbian/Gay Pride speech in Lansing, I received several phone
calls from gay businessmen (note, it's the men who were frantic,
not the women) in Saugatuck. In my speech, I criticized the
Saugatuck Village Council's decision to sidestep a gay rights
ordinance. I encouraged the gay, lesbian and bi-sexual
community to be out, proud and visible in Saugatuck, to claim
the Lake Michigan resort community as our own.
"You have no right to interfere with the political process in
this town," another caller chastised me. "We've worked a long
time to get this far, and an inflammatory speech like yours only
damages our cause."
Why did I choose to interfere? Saugatuck is a powerful
symbol to sexual minorities throughout the Midwest. Queer
publications promote it as "The Fire Island of the Midwest." My
friends, I know Fire Island, and Saugatuck is no Fire Island . Nor
is it a Provincetown or Key West. And yet, it has the potential of
becoming a major world class lesbian/gay resort, which is why
village officials are so threatened by any expression of queer
political clout.
When I lived on Beaver Island, I was accused by township
officials of trying to turn the island into "another Saugatuck." Such
a laughable claim became deadly serious when my property was
vandalized and I was forced off the island. There was nothing
pretty or idyllic about my two years of openly gay life on Beaver
island.
Ditto for Petoskey. The Saugatuck businessmen who call me
don't realize that I own a business in a resort. I understand their
concerns about image and economy and "not rocking the boat"
as we compete for every last tourist dollar. And at least Saugatuck
officials were willing to consider a gay rights ordinance. I can't
even persuade our city manager to yank the antiquated parking
meters outside my shop.

My main problem with my gay Saugatuck col leagues is their
belief that if they work quietly, discreetty, with village leaders, then
they will reward them with a gay rights ordinance. Straight people
won't give us a thing, except grief. A cardinal rule of the business
world is "Don't trust anyone," and the same applies in the political
arena.
The lesson of Saugatuck is that life is not a beach for sexual
minorities. Unless we are able to come out as lesbian/gay
business owners, professionals and civic leaders, unless we are
able to claim our rights while refusing to retreat on issues that
affect our lives and well being, then we do not deserve the
amenities that resorts like Saugatuck offers.
The best thing that happened to me during the Lesbian/Gay
Pride March was the opportunity to meet the writer Lev Raphael
and his lifepartner, Gersh Kaufman. Lev and Gersh, who live in
Okemos, have agreed to participate in the Lesbian/Gay History
conference in October at the Sugar Loaf Resort. It is remarkable
that Michigan has a young writer of Lev's talent and
accomplishment. When one considers that the conference will
feature dynamic individuals like Lev, Gersh and Jan Stevenson, it
is clear that Sugar Loaf will be the place to be in October. Make
your reservations today.
(an update on Saugatuck follows on page 18)

•

by M'Lynn

While many of us are familiar with the origin of the inverted
Pink Triangle, there is a question among many of us about the
origin of the Black Triangle, who wears it and what it
represents .
As the Nazi party gained power in Europe they originally
identified/humiliated gay men by sewing a yellow "A" (for
"ass-fucker") onto their clothing. With the development of
additional Nazi concentration camps and a more efficient
homosexual identification network, combined with systematic
gathering and imprisonment of gay men, they soon labeled
homosexual males with an inverted pink triangle sewn onto
their prison clothing. The pink triangle was believed to
reinforce the popular stereotype of gay males as being
woman-like. As many as 50,000 gay men were "arrested" for
the "crime" of homosexuality during the twelve years of Nazi
domination. Today the pink triangle has been adopted by our

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Massage Therapist

·accommodations for women·

Message Threapy available in your home or office (616) 885-2484

Equine Massage
Kalkaska Chiropractic Center

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(616) 885-2484
(616) 258-8678

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Member of Associated Body Work & Massage Professionals

NETWORKING 45° NORTH'

P.O. Box 457
Glen Arbor, Ml 49636

7

616 - 334 - 3346

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

:i:i:i:i:i:i:i:i:iWh~t:i:( ol~i:i(tbrttirtuidi:il :~i:;pt~~i~Oji:;:ptig~):i:i:i:)i:i:i:i:i:i:)i:i:i

a woman who would produce children in his name, for him.
Each man had to control the sexuality of "his" woman, for how
else could he be sure that "his child" was really "his"? To aid
man in his political quest, laws were enacted against
homosexuality, women and children. While the patriarchal
political process hit a peak during the Nazi period, our humanrights battle is far from over. If today's Christian Right has their
way-human sexuality, sexual expression and family-will
once again fall under the rigid narrow-minded control of rightwing radica ls.
•

gay community in memory of these men--a visual reminder to
never forget what has happened and to never again empower
a far right-wing government.
The story of lesbians living in Nazi Germany is less clear.
We do know that a strong and vocal women's movement
flourished in pre-Nazi Germany, and that lesbians were a vital
part of the feminist movement. Eleven years before the openly
patriarchal Nazis came to full power, they decreed that no
woman would ever be allowed to hold office in the Nazi
party. German women were instructed to support the Nazi
policy of Kinder, Kuche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church), and
the Nazi's even went so far as to offer monetary incentives to
women who married, left the workplace, and bore children.
In 1933, as the Nazis' strengthened the penalties on male
homosexuality, criminalizing lesbian activity was also
considered. Instead though, an even more far-reaching and
insidious policy was enacted. Any woman who was
considered a "threat" to Nazi power was imprisoned. Inverted
black triangles were assigned to these women which included
prostitutes as well as any other woman deemed to be antisocial or otherwise unfit by the Nazi patriarchal hierarchywhich clearly included lesbians . The women so identified were
frequently forced into sexual acts with male camp personnel.
Survivors of the concentration camps indicated that the Nazi
"cure" for suspected lesbians and feminists was to label them
with the inverted black triangle and force them to engage in
sex with Nazi men. Today many lesbian women wear the
inverted black triangle in remembrance of the women who
were disgraced and lost their lives for what they believed.
The Aryan practice of naming lesbians and feminists as
prostitutes exists historically throughout most patriarchal
religious documents. Many references are made in the
, Christian Bible to "temple prostitutes" and/ or to "ritual
prostitutes ." The women referred to in this ,derogatory manner
were not prostitutes at all, but rather women who were
practitioners of the goddess-based religions that the newer
patriarchy-based religions found so irksome. Why? Because
in order to allow lineage and inheritance to pass through men,
and not women (as it had previously), men had to create a
"special family." The family that men created to solve their
dilemma became a political institution: Each man would "own"

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1

1 1

by Richard Curtis
As I write this Lamas/Lughnassad is passing, the wheel turns.
Lamas-the wake of Lugh the Sun King, marks the passing of
summer and the shift toward the dark of winter . We are turning
inward to the quiet time.
I have always thought of myself as a Sun worshiper . As
someone who might someday find myself living in a tropical
climate. But thls year has made me realize that the dark of winter
is very attractive to me . The energy which the Sun demands of us
must be followed by a time of introspection, quiet. The Goddess
has been very good to us this year . This has been one of the most
beautiful summers in my memory. The warmth has penetrated
strongly into the north, but it has also been an exhausting rush of
people, events, emotions. So I welcome this time of reflection as
I prepare for Winter here in the north.
Last summer toward the end of June I spent a week in New
York City, it was Gay Pride Week, The Gay Games, Stonewall
25, The Gay Pride March. Writing as a Pagan (a person of the
country) New York City might not seem to qualify, but throughout
history pagans have gathered for festivals in the cities. I went to
New York to visit friends, do the march and enjoy. I had made
some effort to get information on the pagan gatherings associated
with this festival (RFD is a wonderful source of contacts and their
summer issue had many phone numbers and event listings) .
On Saturday evening I attended a planning session of the
New York Faerie Circle. I had an unclear idea of what to expect.
My pagan contacts had been more "mainstream" (more heterosexual, bi-sexual, integrated). The Radical Faeries are mainly a
gay-male group (there was one female Faerie at this gathering).

PERRY SHERWOOD
FINE ART
200 Howard Street • Petoskey • 348-5079

NETWORKING 45° NORTH

8

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

Property of the Ce:1ter

by a

Within the gay-male context the fairies are a diverse group, in
age, in race, in region of origin. They are colorful. Many wearing
wings, most wearing skirts. Some with long hair, some shaved,
some painted. I had the good fortune to find myself next to a lovely
young Faerie from Los Angeles-Krishna-whose light was
almost blinding. The purpose of the meeting was to decide the
approach which the Fairies would take to the March on Sunday.
An aside-The Mayor of New York had announced that the
March would not be permitted to use its usual route-starting at
Sheridan Square, where the Stonewall Riots had taken place 25
years earlier, crossing east through the Village to Washington
Square and north on Fifth Avenue to Central Park. In place of this
l O mile route, the Mayor had decided that the March would start
on First Avenue at the United Nations (4 l st St.) move west on
57th Street to Sixth Avenue and north to the Park. This would be
about a two mile route. Many groups, the Faeries included, were
unwilling to give in to the Republican Mayor and move our march
from the center of the city to what, to a New Yorker, would seem
a rather out-of-the-way area. We would "gather" in a side street
off Sheridan Square Sunda·y morning.
I arrived early, wanting to get a sense of how things were
progressing. I watched as literally hundreds of New York Police
and many police "Paddy Wagons" gathered around the Square.
I was somewhat concerned. But, lest anyone think this bit of civil
disobedience might have been dangerous, well, it could have
been, but the Faerie tactic stated in policy-"if there is any
trouble, run in the opposite direction-really fast." (During the
March, Act-Up was chanting "Fight Back, Act-Up-Fight Back,
Act-Up" we answered them with "Fight Back, Dress Up, Fight
Back, Dress Up.")
There wasn't any trouble. Hundreds of marchers gathered in
Sheridan Square and began The March on schedule. We were
the fringe groups: Act-Up, The Fairies, The Lesbian Avengers,
NAMBLA and others. We joined the other march at 57th and
5th avenue. I never did get to see the Rainbow flag. I heard it
was great.
But this summer, right here in Traverse City, I marched in the
Cherry Royal Parade, behind a certain float that won the Queen's
Trophy and I, along with 200 other marchers, carried a Rainbow
flag that was beautiful. Right down Front Street, Traverse City and
when the music played "She's a Grand Old Flag" everyone
cheered The Flag, but the only flag in sight had seven colors, not
just three. The float was painting a pink line down the center of
Front Street, TRAVERSE CITY and while all the queens on the float
were in drag, half of them were women and half of them were
men. Nothing bad happened here either. And we got a trophy!
Being a good Faerie I agree that there is no need to put
yourself in any real danger. I agree with their stated policy "Safety
First" in sex, in life. But, I also think it is necessary to push the
boundaries with as much energy as possible. Fly your flag. Have
your eyes open. If someone points a gun at you-Duck! But if you
duck and cover without ever trying to raise your flag you are
hurting no one, except yourself.
October 11th is coming, maybe you will find that when you
fly your flag on Front Street that there will be crowds of people
cheering. It happened once, it could happen again.
NETWORKING 45° NORTH

local parent

Most of us [90% of the population] are like three leaf
clovers-sort of ordinary, not much attention is given to usbut once in awhile we find a four leaf clover, a rare and
wonderful discovery. I remember, as a girl, spending hours
looking for that four leaf clover. Occasionally I would find one
and press it in a book or iron it between pieces of waxed
paper. It was something I treasured, wanted to save and
protect. My daughter is like one of those four leaf clovers; her
sexual orientation just happens to be different from mine. She
is someone I treasure and want to protect. A four leaf clover is
not unnatural, just unusual and different from all the rest. I would
have never considered removing one of the leaves so it would
appear to be a three leaf clover.

NATIONAL
COMING OUT
DAV:
0Cf'OBER I I -TH
What are you doing
to take your
next step?

•
•
-

PUBLISHING

Catalogs Circulars WORD PROCESSING, TYPE SETTING
Booklets PAGE LAYOUT, GRAPHICS
Brochures & DESIGN SERVICES
Business Cards •
Business Forms RICHARD CURTIS
Announcements •
-

• Fliers •
•Menus•
- Tickets • Resumes • Invitations Newsletters Letterheads -

- - - - - - - - proprietor _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

1969 S. Airport Rd.

Traverse City, Ml
9

~1-2298
Fax: 941-1158

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

A LOCAL GUIDE TO BOOKS, MAGAZINES, TAPES AND CDS
by Rick Gould
With fall, comes more quiet time, and here are some
suggestions from local book and music stores for your free time.
First, at the Bookie Joint, Shelley gives us her usual variety
of recommendations:
Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to the
Present by Neil Miller, $16.00. The author has done an excellent
job of presenting what is known about gay and lesbian history.
The Beach Affair by Barbara Johnson, $ 10.95. A sizzling
lesbian mystery from Naiad Press.
Getting There by Robbi Sommers, $ l 0.95. An intimate and
beautiful array of dreams and fantasies .
Tasting Life Twice, edited by E.J. Levy, $ l 0.00. A collection
of 24 richly varied stories by lesbian writers that spreads a wide
net to catch the many nuances of modern lesbian life.
In music, here are some artists for the womyn who attended
their recent festival:
Linda Tillery's Cultural Heritage Choir, tape/$11 .48 and
CD $15.98.
Shape Shifters by Ubaka Hill, tape/$9 .98 and CD/
$14.98
Music for the boys:
Family by the Turtle Creek Chorale, tape/$9.95 and CD/
$15.95. These singers join forces with the Women's Chorus of
Dallas. Selections include Michael Collen's "Love Don't Need a
Reason," "Secret Love," and "Over the Rainbow."
Gay Happening 2, Various Artists, CD only/$19.98. This
import includes Eartha Kitt, Freda Payne, Bronski Beat, Gloria
Gaynor, and the Outhere Brothers. 17 cuts all together.
Check out old and new favorite gay and lesbian magazines
at The Bookie Joint.
At WaldenBooks, Kevin gave us these titles:
The Stranger Wilde: Interpreting Oscar.by Gary Schmidgall,
$14.95. A provocative and unconventional look at the
celebrated wit and writer who became a scandalous scapegoat.
Take it Like a Man: The Autobiography of Boy George, with
Spencer Bright, $25.00. One of the first MTV pop stars of the
80's tells his story, the highs and lows, and of course, the
inevitable comeback.
Sometimes My Heart Goes Numb: Love and Caregiving in
a Time of AIDS by Charles Garfield, $22.00. Moving and
inspirational stories about exceptional caregivers that range from
funny to wise to angry to touching.
Joining the Tribe: Growing Up Gay and Lesbian in the 1990s
by Linnea Due, $12.95. This journalist travels the country to
document a portrait of an endangered and vulnerable community,
whose diversity, courage, and resilience will inspire all readers.
Out in All Directions: The Almanac of Gay and Lesbian
America, edited by Lynn Witt, Sherry Thomas, and Eric N\arcus,
$24.95. A lively chronicle of gay and lesbian accomplishments
makes this a most useful guide. From the gay rights movement to
the media to the struggle against AIDS, this is a fresh and wideranging look at our history and culture.
AT AB CDs, Norm offers these musical notes on new CDs.
Eddi, by Eddi Reader, $15.99. Featured on the Batman
Forever soundtrack, this performer now has a solo effort out, AB
NETWORKING 45° NORTH

CDs #2 bestseller.
Dare to Love by Jimmy Sommerville, $15.99. The former
Bronski Beat member covers the Supremes' "Someday We'll Be
Together."
Big Love by Ali Campbell, $16.99. UB40's front man has
produced a solid solo CD that offers pop, rock, reggae, and
dance.
Late Night Gumbo, Jimmy Buffett' s N\argaritaville Cafe New
Orleans, $16.99 . The author and department store owner has
picked up his original career as musician once again.
Legend soundtrack, $ 16.99. From the Tom Cruise film, this
music by Tangerine Dream is on CD for the first time.
Finally, at B. Dalton's, Beth gave us the following
suggestions:
Gump and Co by Winston Groom, $22.00. The follow-up
to the life adventures of the beloved Forrest Gump continues,
bringing him to current times.
The magazines, Genre, Advocate, Advocate Men, and
Freshmen are available.
These local businesses appreciate and encourage your
support and comments .

!;:~:;

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intrusion.

accidents or low self esteem.
Symptom of soul loss are empty
feelings, depression, loss of
vitality, gaps in memory and long

grieving periods.

!l[I

When we are dispirited, who helps us? We have doctors for
the body and mind. As a practicing shaman, Nancy
Hayward uses techniques from the ancient ones. She
journeys to other worlds and with spirit help restores
personal power, knowledge, healing and wholeness to her
clients.
Nancy has her training from the Foundation for Shamanic
Studies. For information or for an appointment call her at
616-223-7999.

10

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

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NETWORKING 45° NORTH

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To add events or notices
to the Calendar
call Dick at 271-3042

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

would be interested in the program, please call 6 l 6-526-9213.
(issue l)
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meetings for gays and
lesbians ore held each Wednesday at 5:30 pm and each
Saturday at l l :00 am at the Friends Meeting House, 5th and
Oak Streets in TC. For further info, call John ~
922-0746 Iissue 6)
.~

FRIENDS NORTH BOARD AND MEMBER MEETINGS:
The Friends North Board meets on the first Tuesday of each month
at 6:30pm. at Northwestern Michigan College, West Hall on the
first floor, Room 2 in the cafeteria. Everyone is welcome! (issue 6)
FRIENDS NORTH RAP GROUP is a group of men and
women who get together monthly for lively discussion on a
particular topic and a good time. Please consider joining them on
the second Wednesday of each month, 7:30 p.m. at Groce
Episcopal Church, 349 Washington, T.C. Look for the Rap Group
announcement elsewhere in this issue of the newsletter. (issue 6)
P-FLAG: (Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays.)
This is a network of parents, friends, and families of lesbians and
gays who meet monthly to offer information, support, and a place
to talk with others about the issues concerning them. Gays and
Lesbians ore also welcome to attend P-FlAG meetings. Meet at
Groce Episcopal Church every third Wednesday of the month, from
7-9 pm. For more information call Cindy at 27 l-5045(Issue 6)
WINDFIRE: This is a local youth support group for teens and
others under 25 which meets on a weekly basis in an atmosphere
that is comfortable and friendly. Please contact Third Level at 9221
800 or l-800-442-73 l 5 for location, dote and time . (issue 6)
UT 1 N ABOUT is a lesbian coffeehouse featuring
entertainment as well as a chance to meet others from the area. It
all happens at the Unity Church, 3600 Five Mile Rd. in T.C .
Please see the Out 'N About calendar elsewhere in this newsletter
for times and specific activities. (issue 6)
TRAVERSE CITY FRONTRUNNERS If you ore interested in
running, coll Poul or Jim at 271-45 l 0and leave your name, number,
and that you ore interested in Frontrunners. We will return your call
' with information on where to meet. We're back running as a group
for the foll again. All ages and abilities ore welcome. (issue 6)
WELLNESS NETWORKS SUPPORT GROUP is for people
with HIV or AIDS and they welcome you to attend. Please drop in
Monday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 at the Groce Episcopal
Church library at 34 l Washington in Traverse City. Every fourth
Monday of the month the Significant-Other Support Group will be
meeting at 330 l Veterans Drive, Suite 22 l, just north of S. Airport
Rood. For further information, please call 933-0279 (issue 6)
THE PETOSKEY GROUP: A social group for lesbians and gay
men is meeting weekly in Petoskey. The group meets Thursday
nights at a gay-friendly restaurant. For information, please contact
Timothy at 347-4238 or Zalmon at 348-5079 (issue 6)
NORTHERN MICHIGAN WOMYN'S CHOIR is always
looking for new voices . To obtain more information or for a
performance schedule, please contact Deb at 275-5924. (issue6)
H.A.N.D.S is on HIV/AIDS Network located in Petoskey. They
ore currentty seeking volunteers in the northern lower peninsula
and eastern upper perninsula of Michigan. HANDS is a non-profit
organization that has committed itself to helping and supporting
the needs of NIV infected persons. They offer a number of
services, including support groups, education, publ ic awareness,
and one-on-one friendship support. Volunteers ore urgentty
needed in the Alpena, Gaylord, and Rogers City areas. If you

NETWORKING 45° NORTH

il!!Wllll:11:!;l'■lltl'.!WlllHit@IM!hlpid~
ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY PICKUPS will be• wrapping up this
Fall on our very own two miles of M-72. The next date for pickup
is September 28 . Call Alec at 943-4492 for time and
location.(issue 4)
PLEASE SPONSOR OUR POSTCARD PROJECT: They do
make a difference! The cost for printing the 3000 postcards is
$80.00. To contribute specifically to the Postcard Project, please call
Richard at 271-3042 or send a check (in on amount of $80.00 or
less) directty to Friends North. We thank an anonymous donor from
Traverse City and Philadelphia for this issue's cords.(issue 5)
QUESTIONS ABOUT HIV AND AIDS? Coll locally 24
hours a day to 947- l l l 0. This program is sponsored by the
HIV/AIDS Wellness Networks Grand Traverse Area and is
staffed by Third Level Crisis Center volunteers. (Issue 6)
THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION of
Petoskey is pleased to announce it will begin providing public
services in the liberal religious tradition. Sunday services will be
held at the Temple B' noi Israel on the corner of Woukazoo and
Michigan Street in downtown Petoskey. Services will be held on
alternate Sundays with dates disclosed in their newsletter,
Diversity. Please call 348-3 l 17 for details or write to us at POB
271, Petoskey, Ml 49770-027 l (Issue 6)
HATE CRIMES WATCH: The Triangle Foundation of Michigan
has begun a VICTltv\S' PROGRAM COMMUNITY WATCH
COALITION. The group will collect hate-crime information from
Lesbian and Goy victims of such crimes. For details, coll 313-533l l 66 or 5 l 7-753-9823. Report Hate Crimes! Stop the Violence!
(issue 5)
SOCIAL/SUPPORT GROUP FORMING for gay and
bisexual men in NE Michigan area. For further information,
contact PO Box 39 l, Alpena, Ml 49707 (issue 5)

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT:
Their Reproductive Health Clinic is open to women and men of
all ages. Confidential services provided ore physical exams, HIV
counseling and testing, pregnancy testing, sexual transmitted
disease testing and treatment, all methods of birth control
available, FREE Norplants, Depo-Provero, IUDs, and Condoms .
For more info about these and other methods which ore charged
on a sliding fee scale, coll 922-4630. Services ore by
appointment only. !issue 5)

@i# f

6

l 'l fa$li fE'fi1:nrn,,,wiw,m;;um,;:11:t- l ;w1

NEW HOUSES for sale in gay neighborhood in Interlachen.

12

Please call Dane for more information. 6 l 6 -276-9125 (issue 6)

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 •SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 1995

Bl-WHITE MALE, 48, professional and secure, 154 lbs.,
5'9", In shape, New to scene. Seeking friends in northern
Michigan. Enjoy boating, skiing, sports cars. Write POB 254,
Roscommon Ml 48653 (issue 6)
'

CARETAKER WANTED: For women-only resort. For details,
contact Marge and Joanne's at 616-334-3346 (issue 6)

" lfifRIIJll'w18111!+'

reaching out to thousands of people throughout the state of
Michigan.
.
.
.
.
.
Jan has been with the Center since 1t began: first seM_ng
as the President of the Board and then, as the first Executive
Director. The opening of the center, along with a Helpline and
numerous additional services were all a natural progression for
an organization that was wel~staffed and managed. A monthly
newsletter also serves to announce the Center's events as well
as providing local news for the gay and lesbian community.
She will be missed greatly by the staff. They appreciated
her incredible commitment to a vision of a vibrant community
center in southeastern Michigan.

fr bfoiiiiiiiciii;n;

CREATING CHANGE CONFERENCE
By Richard Tuxbury

HENRY MESSER SHOT- IN DETROIT
Dr. Henry Messer, one of the founders of the Triangle
Foundation, was shot in the abdomen at Triangle offices
during a bungled robbery on June 28. The bullet fortunately
penetrated no vital organs, and as of this writing, Dr. Messer
has recovered well.
The shooting has appalled gay and lesbian groups
around the country. Because Dr. Messer, who is a retired
neurosurgeon, helped organize the Triangle Foundation, gay
leaders are asking themselves whether this was an anti-gay
shooting.
The important thing, say Triangle leaders, is that in the
aftermath of the shooting, they are seeking to strike a proper
balance between designating the attack on Messer as an antigay attack and seeing it simply as a robbery assault and
nothing more.
After much investigation, Triangle President Jeff
Montgomery concludes that the incident was gay-related but
probably not gay-motivated. Apparently, the attackers had
visited the Triangle office early the day of the shooting and
had inquired what "Triangle" stood for. They determined that
the offices were part of a gay organization.
According to police reports, the shooting occurred when
two young men walked into the office late one evening,
pointed a gun at Messer's head, and demanded money.
Messer struggled with them and pulled the revolver away from
his head before being shot. A third man entered the building,
while a fourth was a look-out outside.
The attackers have not been apprehended. Security at the
office has been addressed by the board, with improvements
recommended immediately.

Southeastern Michigan will never be the same: The 8th
Annual Creating Change Conference will take place from
November 8-1 2, at the Westin Hotel, Renaissance Center, in
downtown Detroit. This is THE National Conference for the
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Movement.
Sponsored by the National Lesbian and Gay Task Force Policy
Institute, the conference will feature workshops on every
homosexual topic, Digital Queers computer training, tussling
with our movements' best minds, and fob social events. The
Host Committee expects over 3000 participants in this major
event.
(for further information on registration and housing, call Patty
O'Donnell at the Friends North phoneline).

MICHIGAN LESBIAN AND GAY FILM FEST
South East Michigan Pride is proud to produce the 3rd
annual film festival. This Queer Cinema Event will be held at
the Magic Bag Theatre in Ferndale, on September 22-24.
Featured will be No Ordinary Love, Heaven's A Drag,
Sister My Sister, Ballot Measure 9, and OUT: Stories of
Lesbian and Gay Youth.
For info, contact S.E.M.P at 810-825-6659.

Joanna T. Lauber, M.A., c.s.w., c.m
- Individual, Couples & Group Counseling
- Adult Survivors of Incest & Alcoholism
- Releasing &Healing the Inner Child
- Hypnotherapy
- Integration of Dody, Mind & Spirit
- Stress Management
- Women's Issues
- Student of SHEN Physio-Emotional Release Therapy

JAN STEVENSON STEPS DOWN AT AFFIRMATIONS
After six years of dedicated service to Affirmations Lesbian
and Gay Center in Ferndale, Executive Director Jan Stevenson
is resigning her position. Jan has decided it is time to move on
NETWORKING 45° NORTH

(616) 947-8842
3301 Veterans Drive, Suite 214, Traverse City, MI 49684

13

VOWME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / oaOBER 1995

STATE AND NATIONAL HOTLINES
Department of Justice Hotline (for reporting
Hate Crimes against gays and lesbians) ............ 800-347-HATE
Child Abuse Hotline .................... . ........... 800-392-8222
Michigan Wellness Networks ........................ 800-872-AIDS
Gay/Lesbian National Youth Hotline .................. 800-347-TEEN

STATEWIDE SERVICES
SOCIAL / POLITICAL / MEDIA
The Network: Lesbian and Gay Community Network of W. Michigan
909 Cherry St. S.E., Grand Rapids, Ml 49506 ......... 616-458-3511
Metro Gay Monthly (newspaper)
232 E. Marshall St. Ferndale, Ml 48220 ............. 810-544-0809
Lavender Morning
P.O. Box 729, Kalamazoo, Ml 49005 ... . ........... 616-685-6061
Kalamazoo Resource Center
P.O. Box 1532, Kalamazoo, Ml 49005 .............. 616-345-7878
Affirmations Lesbian/Gay Community Center
Suite 110, 195 W. Nine Mile Rd.
Ferndale, Ml 48220 ............................ 313-398-GAYS
Lansing Association of Human Rights
P.O. Box 18062, Lansing, Ml 48826 ................ 517-332-3200
Capital Men's Club
P.O. Box 18062, Lansing, Ml 48902 .. . . (Kelly Stevens) 517-482-0860
Ambitious Amazons/Lesbian Connection
P.0. Box 811, East Lansing, Ml 48826 .............. 517-371-5257
Lesbian Alliance
P.O. Box 6423, East Lansing, Ml 48826 ............. 517-394-1454
Triangle Foundation (Lesbian/Gay Foundation of Michigan)
19641 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit 48219 ............ 313-537-3323
........................................ Fax: 313-537-3379
PRIDE-Flint: P.O. Box 7014, Flint, Ml 48507 ............. 313-238-9854
Aurora Newsletter: (reaching out to gays, lesbians, bisexuals in the UP &

Canada) POB 626, Marquette, Ml 49855
Tearn Great Lakes
195 W. Nine Mile Rd., Suite 106, Ferndale, Ml 48220 .. 810-553-3586

NATIONAL SERVICE/ SOCIAL/ POLITICAL
P-FLAG: Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
101214th St. NW, Ste. 700, Washington, DC 20005 ... 202-638-4200
GLMD: Gay/Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
80 Varick St., #3E, New York, NY 10013 ............ 212-807-1700
........................................ Fax: 212-807-1806
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force ................. 202-332-6483
2320 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009 ...... Fax: 202-332-0207
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
666 Broadway, New York, NY 10012 ............... 212-995-8585
ACLU Lesbian/Gay Rights Project
1370 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94130 ......... .415-621-0674
HRCF: Human Rights Campaign Fund (National Coming Out Day)
101214th St. NS #607, Washington, DC 20005 ....... 202-628-4160
........................................ Fax: 202-347-5323
Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, Political Action Committee
1012 14th St. NW #707, Washington, DC 20005 ..... 202-842-7679

LOCAL SPIRITUAL:
The Reverend Emmy Lou Belcher
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Grand Traverse
6726 Center Rd., Traverse City-Home: 938-9078 .. Office: 947-3117

LOCAL COUNSELING:
Third Level Crisis Intervention, 902 W. Front St. ............. 922-4800
......................................... and 800-442-7315
Women's Resource Center .............................. 941-1210
Rodger Landvoy, PHO ................................. 929-1711
Lois Martindale, PHO .................................. 943-8463
Susan Breuer PHO (Frankfort/ Traverse City) .............. 352-4261
Margo Million, ACSW .................................. 947-0511
David Blisk (Maple City) ................................ 228-5105
Barbara Jones Smith, PHO .............................. 947-1444
Elizabeth Most, MSW, ACSW (Petoskey) ................... 348-2415
William D. Gould, MA (Gladwin) ...................... 517-426-?.351
David Rushlow, ACSW, Munson Medical Center ............. 935-6385
Joanna T. Lauber, MA, CSW, CHT ........................ 947-8842
Bay Area Counseling (Petoskey/Harbor Springs)
Margalo Bley, MSW, ,ACSW
Tom Terry, PHO, CSW .............................. 348-3616
Daniel C. Doran, PHO, CSW ......................... 906-495-5061
CDRS (a free substance abuse referral agency)
808-A S. Garfield, Traverse City ......... 929-1315 or 800-686-0749

LOCAL SERVICE / SOCIAL / POLITICAL
Friends North (information line) .......................... 946-1804
Windfire Gay & Lesbian Youth Support GroupCall Third Level for location & time ........... : ......... 922-4800
or ........................................... 800-442-7315
Side Traxx Nite Club, 520 Franklin St. off of 8th St. .......... 935-1666
Traverse City Human Rights Commission, 400 Boardman ..... 922-4700
Gay Alcoholics Anonymous,
Friends Church, 206 S. Oak at 5th St., TC .......... John 922-0746
P-FLAG, Traverse City
POB 1705, Acme, Ml 49610 ..................... Cindy 271-5045
NOW (National Organization for Women)
Gail Trill .......................................... 938-1333

LOCAL HIV/AIDS HEALTH COUNSELING:
Wellness Networks, Grand Traverse,
P.O. Box 1632, Traverse City, Ml 49685 ................ 947-1110
Wellness HIV Support Group and
Family and Significant Other Support Group ............. 94 7-111 o
Grand Traverse County Health Department ................. 922-4831
(anonymous HIV Testing Center)
Mary Dillinger, RN, Clinical Nurse Specialist ................ 935-8140
Munson Medical Center HIV Clinic ................ 1-800-847-8474
Community Health Clinic ................................ 929-4448
(anonymous counseling/testing; same-day results no fee)
H.A.N.D.S. (HIV/AIDS Support: Petoskey) ............. 1-800-248-6777

HERE ARE SOME PHONE NUMBERS EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE: The White House (202) 456-1111; the U.S. Capital (202) 224-3121 •
and some phone numbers for Northwest Michigan Residents-Carl Levin (202) 224-6221 or in TC (616) 947-9569·
'
Spencer Abraham (202) 224-4822 or in Grand Rapids (616) 456-2592; Bart Stupak (202) 225-4735 or in TC 929-4711

NETWORKING 45° NORTH

14

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

C:

Kirtland Community College

Editorial from Treverse City Record-Eagle,
Wednesday, June 21, 1995

0

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June 28, 1995
Friends North;

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ACCEPTANCE Of HOMOSEXUALS
SHOULD BE FOSTERED IN AREA

...Q

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As editor of Jack Pine Journal, I would welcome the
~
opportunity to publish writing by lesbians and gay
~
men as well as writing with a positive lesbian/ gay
theme .
Because Jack Pine Journal is a community magazine, we hope
to reach individuals who do not necessarily consider themselves to
be artists or writers. We want to give voice to people who might be
publishing for the first time . Because of this, my advisory board and
I are especially willing to work with new writers .
Individuals interested in submitting work for possible publication
should realize that we would not be interested in material that is
stridently political. Authors and artists should also note that a north
woods flavor is crucial.
Enclosed are some copies of the writer's guidelines (please call
Richard @ 6 l 6-271-3042 for guidelines) for Jack Pine Journal. I
appreciate your help in getting them to individuals who might be
interested in submitting a contribution .
Sincerely,
Steven L. Berg, Ph.D., Editor

Michelle A. McManus
August 4, 1995
Thank you for sending me your postcard concerning hatemotivated crime legislation.
I do not condone violence against any individual. This country
was founded on individual rights, not group rights. The founding
fathers firmly believed protection of individual rights insured
protection for any group. Violence is violence no matter who it is
perpetrated against. There are currently laws in existence that protect
every individual.
Thanks again for your postcard. I appreciate your input.
Sincerely,
Michelle A. McManus
State Representative, l 04th District

No one seems to have intended any harm recently when a
bus and a van carrying 1995 St. Francis graduates stopped
outside SideTraxx, the only gay bar in Traverse City.
The stop apparently was intended to be a joke-part of a
graduation party "guess where we're going" mystery trip.
Whatever the motive, the result was harassment. It was a bad
joke from the beginning. The mere act of stopping and laughing
mocks the men and women at the bar. The "joke" became worse
when a handful of graduates reportedly got off the bus and
shouted slurs in and around the bar.
The entire scene was ugly. Had bar patrons retaliated, either
physically or verbally, it could have been much uglier.
Besides reflecting some bad judgment by parents who
planned and executed the "mystery trip" portion of the all-night
party, the entire incident suggests a widespread intolerance,
homophobia-perhqps a disdain-of homosexuality and people
who happen to be homosexuals.
That intolerance is not confined to one school or one
community. As polls showed during the "gays in the military"
controversy, millions of Americans harbor an unfounded fear or
loathing of homosexuals.
In the graduation party incident, St. Francis officials were
quick to repudiate and apologize for all aspects of what
happened-from the decision to just drive by SideTraxx to the
shouting of insults. They did not condone it. The school teaches
acceptance, not intolerance.
Perhaps some good can come of this incident if school
officials at St. Francis and at all area schools can foster a greater
understanding of the gay community and other minority groups .
Achieving that understanding starts with dialogue, open minds
and a willingness to abandon old prejudices and stereotypes .

~

LASER PERFECT PWS Inc.

:====:

616 • 947-1965 T Fax• 947-1816
❖

Typesetting & Design
Offset & Raised Printing
❖ Malling Lists & Marketing
♦ Desktop Publlshlng Service
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TRAVERSE CITY'S ONION PRINT SHOP
NETWORKING 45° NORTH

15

VOWME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

HOMOSEXUALITY HEARING

Among the things Sheldon hopes to "expose" during the
hearing, according to a letter:
• A decision to declare June "Gay and Lesbian Pride Month"
in Los Angeles schools.
• Teacher training manuals and conferences organized by
the NEA that advocate the promotion of homosexuality in
the classroom .
• Anew curriculum in Fairfax, VA thatdiscusses "normalcy of
homosexuality."
• Efforts in Massachusetts to "indoctrinate an entire
stote ... under the guise of 'safety' and preventing suicide ."
The hearing has drawn criticism from the country's largest
gay rights organization. The HRCF accused Hoekstra of
turning the committee over to Sheldon , who is "distorting the
purpose of programs designed to keep young people safe and
healthy," said Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the fund.
Spokesperson for Hoekstra say that Sheldon has helped
plan the hearing, but does not have a run of Hoekstro's
subcommittee.
(from the Traverse City Record-Eagle and the Detroit Free Press)

U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra plans a congressional hearing to
determine whether public schools promote homosexuality to
students . Planned for early September, the hearing will be
before a panel of the House Economic and Educationa l
Committee. It will address parental concerns about distributing
condoms in school and sex education:
"It's not to bash gays, it's to talk about the appropriateness
of having to deal with these issues in the classroom," says a
spokesperson for Hoekstra.
But, the hearing came about because House Speake r
Gingrich promised Traditional Values Coalition that the issue
would be addressed. The California group has been opposed
to gay rights for more than 20 years. "We are convinced that
there is a clear agenda that the gay and lesbian .. .groups want
to promote in school, " said Rev. Lou Sheldon, director of the
coalition. "And, this agenda has been accomplished through
the Centers for Disease Control with funding under the Trojan
Horse of AIDS education ."

"I'm absolutely fine with it, I'm proud of her. She writes for The
Advocate all the time. I said to her, 'I didn't know I was raising
a gay activist, but I guess that's what's supposed to be' ... It's
a difficult thing [for a parent]. It's one thing to be completely
liberal when it doesn't affect you. But you really have to search
your soul long and hard [when it's your child. Chastity
hesitated in coming out because] she didn't want to hurt her
dad [Congressman Sonny Bono] or hurt me."

"He was a young black second lieutenant who had not
attended West Point and yet rose through the ranks to become
head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But now he wants to deny
gays the same equal rights that enable him to succeed. I
thought he would have had a certain sensitivity and say we
judge people on the basis of their ability."
Sen. Alfonso D'Amato (R-NY) charging that retired Gen. Colin
Powell's support for the ban on homosexuals in the armed
forces is the same argument used to segregate black
servicemen 50 years ago, in a Washington Times interview.

Singer/actress Cher to USA Today, about her daughter, Chastity.

FRIENDS NORTH. INC .. P.O. Box 562. TRAVERSE CITY. Ml 49685-0562
YES. I want to be a supporting member of the Friends North Organization.
0 Single: $12.00 0 Couple: $18.00 (includes one-year newsletter subscription)
0 Other _ __
I am enclosing an additional: 0 10.00 0 20.00 0 40.00
and I would like to see this used for: 0 Newsletter

O Phoneline/Publicity

0 All of the above

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City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ST _ _ __ ZIP _ _ _ _ __

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THE FIN MAILING LIST IS STRICTI.Y CONFIDENTIAL AND OUR MAILINGS COME IN AN UNMARKED ENVELOPE.

NETWORKING 45° NORTH

16

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OOOBER 1995

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Happy Hour 6:00 to 9:00 pm

Open Daily 6:00 pm

616.., 935.., 1666

520 Franklin
NETWORKING 45° NORTH

T

Traverse City, MI 49684
17

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

heterosexuals do. Last year, one of the biggest developments
in Saugatuck's history - a $1.5 million renovation of a
restaurant-and-retail complex - was the labor of two male
lovers of 27 years, Larry Gammons and CarlJennings. The two
***
also own the Douglas Dunes, the area's sole gay bar, and an
MICHIGAN TOWN IS NOTABLE FOR ITS AMITY,
adjoining restaurant with a mixed clientele.
"I think we need to pass these ordinances to make it a fact that
BUT DOES IT NEED A NEW RIGHTS LAW?
by Oscar Suris, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal we're accepted, productive Americans," Says Mr. Gammons.
SAUGATUCK, Mich. - This summer, the gay-rights "Now that the cow is out of the barn, we can't go back."
movement has found an odd place to hit a bump in the road:
But the issue has raised tempers in this mellow town. AJune
this resort town of 950 residents.
city-council meeting turned testy after council members said
Nearly 200 miles west of Detroit, where conservative they wouldn't consider any "human rights" proposal unless they
ethnic Dutch communities thrive, Saugatuck attracts as tourists first received pro-ordinance petitions containing 1 20
husbands and wives with kids in tow, as well as vacationing signatures - 5% of the town's voting population.
homosexuals. Gay men and lesbians own businesses here,
Ordinance supporters cringed as the frustrated city
They win city elections. And they sip coffee with heterosexuals manager, Perry Franzoi, told one stunned gay resident - Ed
each morning at the town's only newsstand.
Gray, an artist - that if he didn't like the council's decision,
But Saugatuck's chemistry has been upset ever since a he should move out of town. The local newspaper, the
group of locals approached the city council this past spring Commercial Record, reported that Mr. Franzoi got an "oral
with a seemingly innocuous request: Put into regulation what reprimand" from the council for his outburst and that Mr. Gray
Saugatuck already d~s in fact. The citizens - a small, loosely got a letter of apology from Mr. Franzoi. He declines to
organized group of area homosexuals and heterosexuals comment on the incident.
wanted an ordinance that would ban discrimination based on
Saugatuck' s gay community is divided, too. Some gay
sexual orientation. At least nine states and l 30 counties and men and lesbians want a low-key approach, fearing that a
cities already have such ordinances.
fight over an ordinance would simply polarize their city and ,
hurt many gay merchants. Others fear that showing support for
Legislating a Fact
the
cause would be tantamount to going public with their own
But to the group's dismay, many in Saugatuck balked .
sexuality-an
uncomfortable option for some. A side debate
"We laugh, drink and play with [gays], says Harry Van Singe!,
a 68-year-old Saugatuck city-council member who is also has cropped up over whether a new ordinance ought to
address homosexuals exclusively, or include civil protections
heterosexual. "Why do we have to have an ordinance?"
Saugatuck's uncodified hospitality had already helped its for virtually every shade and shape of human being.
restaurants, its smoky pubs, its gift shops and its bed-andNo Room in the Inn
breakfast hotels enjoy tourist business of all sorts. But the
But for James Scott, one of the ordinance's staunchest gay
request for a human-rights ordinance has forced this leafy town supporters, the need for some action became eminently clear
on the banks of the Kalamazoo River off Lake Michigan to after an evening last November when the Rosemont Inn, a bedrevisit a sore subject from its past. Decades after signs here and-breakfast in the neighboring village of Douglas, allegedly
reading "Gentiles Only" came down, Saugatuck is wrestling refused to rent a room to two of his gay friends .
with civil rights again.
"They said, "It's not our policy to rent to two men. We' re
Saugatuck residents opposed to the proposed ordinance not gay-friendly,"' claims Mr. Scott. The hotel's owner, Joe
fear that a "gay-friendly" statute would scare away thousands Sajdak, declines to comment.
of conventional families and heterosexual couples who visit
Saugatuck's reluctance to pass an ordinance has surprised
here annually. They, along with gay tourists, are worth tens of veterans of the gay-rights movement. Jeff Montgomery, a gay
millions of dollars to the local economy. Other residents fear activist from Detroit, had expected an easy assignment when
the potential costs of defending and enforcing such an he agreed to advise proponents of an ordinance. But after
ordinance could be onerous to a city that already frets over an asking for petitions, the city this month decided not even to
annual municipal toilet-paper budget of $4,800.
consider passage. Instead, council members voted to study the
"It's not every day that a small town is asked to handle a possibility of forming a commission that would hear charges
constitutional issue," says Arlene Sherman, another of human-rights abuses. Mr. Franzoi says there have been
heterosexual city-council member. She adds, "Why pick on a none filed.
community that is already accepting?"
Meanwhile, in the neighboring town of Douglas, an all

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TOUIUSTS, BUT THERE IS FRICTION

encompassing human-rights ordinance was adopted this
summer without incident. And Mr. Montgomery came to feel
that not only is hostility toward homosexuality a problem in
Saugatuck but that too many gay people themselves are
reluctant to support their own cause.

Wielding Influence
But for many gay people who live here, such arguments
are beside the point. This, they remind their neighbors, is a
town that has been a draw for homosexuals from across the
Midwest for decades, and they wield as much influence as

Saugatuck continued next page
ETWORKING 45° NORTH

18

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

---------:•:•:•:•:•:•: : :,Saugatuck:,:continued.,.fr.om.,
.p{rev.lous..page>..,.....:..............:.:.:.:..:. . ,._.:.1:11.vER·. ,a1:, :;~1 ou,,::LEUE::··,·.,:,:::,:::·,:,:,::'!:··,·:·:::·:·:,:··:::::::·:·:·,·:::·:·,·,: ·:·:·,··:···:::··::•::,·:·:·: :·•: ·:·:

A Closet Case?
"It's the power and impact of what the closet has done to
many people's lives," says Mr. Montgomery. "I guess we now
know that it is folly to believe that there is this tiny oasis of
tolerance out there."
Some residents say that if an ordinance isn't passed soon,
boycotts by outside activists could follow, posing a threat to
the town's tourism-dependent economy. But David Smith, a
spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign Fund, a
Washington gay-rights group, says "Saugatuck" isn't likely to
become a rallying cry.
He says most gay activists have their eyes trained instead
on 1996, when the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule
on the constitutionality of a 1992 initiative-passed by
Colorado voters and declared unconstitutional by the state's
highest court-that prohibits local gay-rights ordinances in the
state. Colorado is appealing that decision.
reprinted from the "front page"-Wall Street Journal, August
22, 1995

At Midnight 96-Year-Old Ruth Ellis finally abandoned the
dance floor, but only because she wanted to shoot some pool
in the bar. The slight African-American had driven 19 hours
from Detroit to Provincetown to attend an annual celebration
for lesbians over 50 and their friends. The oldest attendee, Ruth
was also one of the most enthusiastic dancers, but the night's
musical offerings, gleaned from the past five or six decades,
gave everyone an opportunity to step out.
The dance was the social highlight of the weekend ,
organized by 90-year-old Christine Burton. Eighteen years
ago, when Burton was thwarted from placing an ad in a gay
newspaper (she was told there were no lesbians her age
looking for friends), she started her own international
distribution and a devoted following.
This year's meeting included appearances by musician
Alix Dobkin and a workshop sponsored by OLOC, Old
Lesbians Organizing for Change. OLOC provided a
clothesline of birthday cards that pointedly illustrated the
demeaning images fed to women "past their prime." "I hate
the question 'Are you still driving?'" said one lesbian in
Birkenstocks and a Queer Crone T-shirt.
Lucy Winer, director of the award-winning documentary
on lesbian and gay seniors Silent Pioneers,
and
cinematographer Frances Reid {The Times of Harvey Milk)
were on hand to document the weekend and record the story
of Burton's life. "I was beginning to get freaked out about
aging, but meeting Christine and these women has radically
shifted my perspective," Warner said.
Reprinted from Out October 1995.

HAIR FORCE ONE
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Traverse City , MI 49684
For Appointment Ca ll
941-8255

"I hadn't been going to church for five years, because I
couldn't believe in anything. I wanted something I could
relate to as a woman. A lesbian woman."

Mark Lizenby

"It was the same for both of us. Walking into a Unitarian
Universalist service and feeling immediately at home. We felt
welcome. We didn't have to be different people-we could be
ourselves."
"We could be together ... a couple. And no one was going
to kick us out."

"It goes way, way beyond tolerance. Unitarian Universalists
encoura~e diversity. And acceptance."

(616) 941-8868

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THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS
for the location of a congregation near you, call:
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19

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OO0BER 1995

'

liOMO~HATRED ON TRIAL:
AMBUSHED AND HUMILIATED
Keynote by Jeffrey Montgomery, President, The Triang le Foundation
Anti-Violence Institute, National Lesbian & Gay Health Association, June
17, 1995 , Minneapoli s, Minnesota

On March 9 of this year, Scott Amedure was gunned down in
hi s mobile home, in the suburban Detroit community of Orion
Township. Scott died from two shotgun blasts to the chest. The selfconfessed killer is Jonathan Schmitz, an acquaintance of Scott's.
This murder quickly gained national attention because it seemed to
have been provoked by the joint appearance of Scott and Jon at a
taping of the nationally syndicatedJennyJones Show, during which Scott
revealed that he had a crush on Jon . In fact, the theme of that particular
show was uSecret Crushes ." Since the attention that was focused on thi s
murder was so widespread, I'm going to make an assumption that most
of you in this room know the basic facts of this case.
I'd like to speak about what this case is really about; why it
deserves wide ranging attention-and why some of the attention to
it is so miss-directed; and how our anti-violence work can--and
should-use horrible tragedies like Scot Amedure 's murder to further
efforts to stop the violence being waged against gays and lesbian s
across our country.
As the only gay and lesbian anti-violence project in Michigan,
The Triangle Foundation was involved in the aftermath of Amedure's
murder almost from the moment that Jon Schmitz turned himself in to
the sheriff.
To recollect :
Schmitz, after shooting Scott, drove directly to a filling station
down the road from Scott's house, got on a pay phone and called
91 l. When police arrived at the gas station , Schmitz told the
arresting officer :
uHe's gay, but I'm not. He wouldn 't leave me alone . That 's why I did
it. I went on the 'Jenny Jones Show' and he called me a crush . I didn 't
know it was a guy and that 's why I killed him ."
At his preliminary hearing, it would be revealed that in a
subsequent statement, Schmitz admitted that he left his apartment on
the morning of the killing, stopped at an ATM machine, withdrew
$350, went to a gun shop where he purchased the new shotgun,
stopped at a hardware store and bought a $3. l 9 box of 12 gauge
buckshot, and drove back to his apartment.

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He sat parked in front of his apartment where he contemplated
the fact that he would never see it again. Next, he drove to Scott's
home, knocked on the door, had a brief conversation with Scott,
returned to his car, retrieved the shotgun went back to the house and
immediately, without further words, shot Scott twice . Then he want to
the gas station .
Schmitz' statement indicates that what convinced him he would
have to kill Scott was not the admission of attraction on the Jenny
Jones show, but a note that was left on his doorstop-a note that he
discovered on the morning of the killing .
It was an anonymous note that read : ulf you want to get off,
you 've got to have the right tool. Just ask me ." it was signed , "Guess
Who?"
Apparently, the short conversation at Scott's home a couple
hours later--the last conversation that Scott would ever have-was
to confirm that Scott had, indeed, written the note. Jon said that when
he read that note he decided he would have to kill Scott. Just so it's
clear, then , by the statement of the killer himself, Scott Amedure's
murder was an anti-gay motivated crime. A hate crime.
Scott was killed because he was gay and he had the confidence
of his own identity to admit his attraction to another man during the
taping of a national television program . No matter how great an
effort is made by the prosecutor in the case, by much of the med ia,
and others who find these issues unsettling or troubling, the rea l
motivation in this ,murder was homophobia . Actually, more
accurately, homo-hatred .
The efforts to obscure this issue are homophobic .
During the last four years, The Triangle Foundation has been
involved in the investigation and prosecution of five gay murders
before Amedure. In every one of those cases we worked closely with
the police and prosecutors and saw first-degree convictions in every
case . In Michigan first-degree murder is the highest murder charge
available and the sentence is mandatory life without possibility of
parole .
Anyway, until now, we have never encountered a prosecutor
who was not willing to recognize these crimes as bias-motivated and
who did not aggressively fight defense attempts to introduce various
versions of the homosexual panic defense . Until now . The prosecutor
in the Amedure case, Richard Thompson, set the tone of this issue
from the moment that Schmitz was arranged. In a rare postarraignment news conference the prosecutor went rampaging
against the TV show and man-to-man attraction . He said :
"In my view, the 'Jenny Jones' show ambushed this defendant with
humiliation, and in retaliation, the defendant ambushed the victim
w ith a shotgun ."
The talk who ambushed the defendant? The mitigating
circumstance was uhumiliation?" If anyone was ambushed and
humiliated it was the gay and lesbian community.
To this day, the prosecutor has refused to acknowledge that this
was an anti-gay attack, or even that this case has anything to do
with the gay issue. He has aided the defense team, which
immediately picked up on the themes laid out by the prosecutor and
police, and have created the picture of Jon Schmitz as a poor straight
boy who was tormented-"humiliated ," their word-by another
man's attraction to him .
Thompson is a Republican who owes his political career to
Michigan's Republican political establishment. The Republican party
in Michigan is one of the most stridently far right in the country and
anything that even smells gay-positive is taboo. Republican
leadership erased gays from our state's hate crime statute and
continues to keep us out. Interestingly, Thompson has gained quite a

20

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OOOBER 1995

--------reputation as an individual-responsibility
advocate. It is nearly
impossible to find a single case in wh ich he has accepted
extenuating circumstances as a defense for crime in his jurisdiction.
Suddenly he is finding all manner of excuses for Jon Schmitz' act of
murder.
The defense team can just sit back and ·coast on this one. The
Talk Show Defense, which could become as ludicrous as the Twinkie
Defense, of Dan White infamy, wos snapped up by the media . The
tabloids, People, TV Guide, The New York Post, as well as severa l
others, created a circus in which was lost any semblance of outrage
over a cold-blooded, methodical murder, let alone any discussion of
how the issues of homophobia and homo-hatred played into the
killing and its aftermath.
This unfortunate coverage inevitably influenced the way this case
was being regarded within our community; the gay community.
Locally, in the Detroit area, many gays and lesbians-many more
men than women-questioned our posture in the case. They wished
that we would lay off the gay angle and stop egging on the
prosecutor.
We began, as soon as the prosecutor was finished with his first
media statements, to mount the offensive and make the effort to keep
the focus on this case as an anti-gay bias crime . In our statements we
made the case for looking at·the societal context in which a guy like
Jon Schmitz would be provoked to murder because another man had
a crush on him .
In fact, statements have recently been made that suggest that
Scott Amedure himself is the person responsible for his own murder.
Ifs ironic that Thompson, who has made many national headlines as
the chief prosecutor of Jack Kervorkian, seems to be making
1
Amedure s murder into a justifiable assisted suicide: Scott was
responsible for his own death, Jon just pulled the trigger .
By a week or two into this bizarre story, some of the media
appeared to finally be getting our message. Some actually began to
call Thompson's actions into question. there was a half-hearted
attempt by The New York Times to look at the homophobia
suggested by the case, and most of the gay press, especially local
and regional newspapers around the country were doing a great
job. Ifs also worth noting that The Village Voice provided the best
analysis of this case of any that was printed .
But our own glossy magazines, notably The Advocate, Genre,
and Out were still, and are still, fixated on the talk show
sensationalism and have given very scant attention to the biasmotivation involved. In fact they're right up there with TV Guide and
People in the pandering of Amedure s killing to the lowest common
denominator of public consumption.
Scott Amedure' s murder provides us with an excellent platform
from which to speak on issues like homophobic attitudes, the socalled uhomosexual panic defense," self-loathing homosexuals, and
the lack of protection for gays and lesbians in most hate crime
legislation. As the trial approaches we will continue to keep these
important aspects of the case in the media spotlight and in the public
discourse.
When the trial begins this Fall, we expect to learn many more
things about Jon Schmitz and what was the true relationship between
1
him and Scott, andjon s own gay identity history. But as these themes
may develop, so too will additional challenges be presented to us in
helpmg to explain complicated issues to a lazy and ignorant public.
How to explain self-hating homosexuds, uhomosexual panic"
and the dominating, suffocating power of the closet s atmosphere,
in a twenty-second sound bite? How to make these concepts clear
during a telephone interview with a reporter on deadline? How to

make it clear that even if the killer may have been gay, this is still an
anti-gay murder? To rise to the task of these challenges is paramount
as we continue to seek justice for the victim.
If we can agree that violence is a major health crisis and that
bias-motivated violence is, indeed, a plague on our community, we
must be concerned with the causes as well as the symptoms as we
search for the cures .
We believe that the Amedure murder case presents us with many
lessons and equally many opportunities .
For the most part, the focus here has not been on the cause of
Scotfs murder. Rather, the media, lead by law enforcement, has
fixed on anything else that anyone can conjure to avoid obvious
conclusions: that gays must be granted full protection; that our lives
are equally significant as any others; that society has failed its
homosexual brothers and sisters, sons and daughters by subjecting
them to daily risk and, crippling fear of mayhem and violence.
Those of us who are active in the national gay/lesbian
community and in the communities where we live ·should use the
death of Scott Amedure to begin or continue the dialogue and
discussions about how to ultimately stop the violence against us and
how to deal with the real underlying causes of the disease of antigay hatred.
We cannot afford to let Scotf s death and the thousands of other
victims and survivors of anti-gay or lesbian violence simply become
statistics in reports and studies. Every single case that we-all of us
who do anti-violence work in our communities-become involved
with must also become vehicles for the whole community1s combined
will and commitment to confront homo-hatred and stop the violence
before it conquers the will and spirit of us all.
Stop the violence. Remember the victims . Empower the survivors.

Rush Limbaugh eats pizza while commenting on his knack for
"always being right" in a new series of TV and radio
commercials for Pizza Hut. According to the Washington
Feminist Faxnet, Limbaugh recently commented on a rural
meeting of lesbian organizers saying they were "mating with
pigs" to "perpetuate the species." Register your distaste for
homophobic and anti-woman radio and television. Call the
Pizza Hut comment line at 800-358-2222 (and while you're
at it call-WPBN-WTOM TV 7&4-616-947-7770, which
has begun showing Rush twice daily. Do we need this?)

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Gifts

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'W)

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OOOBER 1995

Jim's points are clear: "We are totally unprepared," our
leaders are failing us, "because we made no effort to hold an
internal discussion of the issue, we will not be united .. . We are
a bout to get creamed."

lll.llll■II
1

The Spring National Gay & Lesbian Task Force 1995 Task
Force Report featured same-sex marriage on the front page, alerts
against bills introduced into the Alaska legislature against same
sex marriage and domestic partnerships, and reports from Utah,
South Dakota, and Alaska.
The legislatures in Alaska, Utah and South Dakota are
already dealing with same-sex marriage legislation designed to
head off a positive ruling expected on a same-sex marriage case
in Hawaii. Currently, no U.S. state recognizes marriage for samesex couples.
ALASKA: Two bills recently introduced in the Alaska State
Legislature could slow the efforts of local activists working for
domestic partnerships and marriage for same-sex couples in that
state. HB226 would prohibit domestic partnership benefits for
state and university employees. HB227 would bar legal
recognition of same-sex marriages. If passed, Alaska would be
come the second state th.is year to pass legislation banning
marriage for same-sex couples.
Contact: Governor Tony Knowles, State Capitol, PO Box
l l 000 l, Juneau, AK 998 l l; fax-907-465-3980; e-mail-:
tony knowles%gov@state.ak.us
UTAH: Utah activists are organizing to oppose legislation that
banned recognition of same sex couples.
SOUTH DAKOTA: The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force,
with local activists, helped form South Dakota's first gay
organization-the South Dakota Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual
Federation-to defeat a bill banning same-sex marriages.
Contacts: HERMP, Tom Ramsey, Secretary, Steering
Committee, Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project, 1820
University Ave., Honolulu, HI 96822. NGLTF, 2320 17th Street
NW, Washington, DC 20009.

Saturn is OUT ol this World
A two-page advertisement for Saturn automobiles appears in
the May issue of "Out" magazine, a national lesbian/gay
monthly. According to business reporter Joann Muler, "It marks the
first time that an American carmaker has advertised in the gay
media." Saturn cars are manufactured by General Motors, which
also purchased advertising time during the February broadcast of
"Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story."
"With this public success comes greater attack from the
radical right," cautions "Out" editor Michael Goff. "The radical
right crew is responding with massive letter-writing campaigns to
our advertisers. The very existence of our institutions such as 'Out'
magazine are at stake if companies are bullied out of making
simple good business decisions."
Encourage General Motors to continue supporting "Out" as
well as other vital and diverse lesbian/gay media. Contact:John
Smale, Chair of the Board, General Motors Corporation,
General Motors Building, 3044 W. Grand Boulevard, Detroit,
Ml 48202; Donald B. Bryant, Saturn Assistance Center, Saturn
Corporation, l 00 Saturn Parkway. PO Box 1500, Spring Hill,
TN 37 l 7 4-1500

Tracking the Ads

Hawaii Update
On /\k:Jy 31, the Mormon Church in Hawaii filed a motion
with Hawaii's Supreme Court to expedite their appeal of Circuit
Court Judge Shimabukuro's decision against them. They would
like their appeal decided this summer in advance of the scheduled
September 25 hearing date for Baehr v. Lewin in Circuit Court.
The Mormon Church filed in February with Honolulu's Circuit
Court to become co-defendants with the state against HERMP in
Baehr v. Lewin. They were rejected in /\k:Jrch by Circuit Court
Judge Shimabukuro. The Mormons then appealed Shimabukuro's
rejection to Hawaii's supreme Court. Alas, for them, such appeals
usually take one year and the Circuit Court is scheduled to hear
Baehr v. Lewin in September 25. For this reason, the Mormons
have filed for special treatment.
HERMP' s Dan Foley will provide a brief against the Mormons'
request for an expedited a ppea I.
Jim Thomas, editor of the News-Telegraph (a leading
lesbigay newspaper in the Midwest) wrote an op-ed piece "The
coming storm over marriage" which predicts disaster greater than
what happened with the military (it was also reprinted in San
Jose's Out-Now). Their e-mail addresses are: newstele@aol.com
and jct@netcom.com
NETWORKING 45° NORTH

The Media Outreach Committee wants to inform the gay and
lesbian community of advertisers who either support programs
about our community or contribute to censorship of those
programs, and you can help. The next time you watch television,
keep a pencil and paper handy. If there is such content, jot down
the name of the show and is sponsors. Then, c.all the information
into the GLAAD Hottines: In Los Angeles: 2 l 3-764-5223; fax
2 l 3-658-6776; in New York 212-802-1700; fax 2 l 2-8071806.
If you are an advertising industry "insider" who might have
access to information about advertisers who have been under
boycott or hate-campaign pressure to cease advertising on
programs that are lesbian and gay positive, please call us. Any
information will be treated in confidence.

22

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111

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MEET CONGRESS AT AN OFFICE NEAR YOU
URGE YOUR LAWMAKERS TO FIGHT JOB DISCRIMINATION,
AIDS AND HATE LEGISLATION -

Members of Congress return home in August to meet with
constituents and hear their concerns. You can meet with your elected
representatives and help get the message to Congress that Americans
oppose discrimination and support federal efforts to fight AIDS .

THE ISSUES
A face-to-face meeting gives you the perfect opportunity to
urge your members of Congress to:
• Support increased federal efforts for AIDS research,
prevention and care.
• Co-sponsor and support the Employment NonDiscrimination Act (ENDA), a bill to prohibit job
discrimination based on sexual orientation. Current federal
civil rights laws offer no protection from this widespread
form of discrimination.
• Oppose any attempt by anti-gay extremists to pass hate
legislation that singles out lesbian and gay Americans for
discrimination.

FIVE EASY STEPS TO AN EFFECTIVE MEETING
1. Be Prepared. Know what you want out of the meeting
and what to expect. The Human Rights Campaign Fund
(HRCF) can provide voting records on your members of
Congress and detailed information on the issues. Call
HRCF at 202-628-4160 and talk with your lobbyist to
work on a strategy for your meeting.
2. Ask for an appointment. Call the US Capitol
Switchboard at 202-224-31 21 to be connected to your
Senator or Representative. When you reach your
legislator's office, ask to speak with the scheduler.
Explain the nature of your meeting, the number and
names of those attending, and dates which might be
mutually convenient. Confirm your request with a followup letter restating the areas for discussion, the names and
affiliation of those attending, and your understanding of
a date for the meeting.
3. Hold a Productive Meeting. Dress appropriately,
and be on time. Each person attending should make
points about the issues. Mention specific legislation by
name or number.

.:~!-.. n,/ EICHBERG CO•FOUNDER OF
NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY

TESUQUE, NM (AP)-Robert H. Eichberg, a psychologist who tried
to bridge the gap between gay and non-gay segments of society,
has died of complications of AIDS.
Eichberg was 50 when he died Aug. 11 at his home in
Tesuque .
Eichberg's book, uComing Out: an Act of Love," has become
required reading for friends and family of gays and lesbians, said
Lynn Shepodd of Santa Fe, president of the Santa Fe Lesbian, Gay
and Bi Pride Committee.
ulf you care to have any relationship with gay people, his book
is essential," Shepodd said. ult accurately describes the process that
gay and lesbian people go through in their coming out."
Eichberg also was a co-founder of National Coming Out Day.
uHis whole life's work was about bridging the gap between gay
and non-gay communities, allowing people to discover who they
are, and really encouraging them to go out and do something with
that knowledge," Shepodd said.
Honey Ward of Santa Fe, a friend and colleague, said Eichberg
helped uthousands of people-people who had literally lived lives
of quiet desperation, people who thought their lives were not going
to get any better, peopl~ who thought they would always be secondclass citizens. n
In an interview with The Associated Press in 1993, Eichberg
said uMost people think they don't know anyone gay or lesbian, and
in fact everybody does. It is imperative that we come out and let
people know who we are and disabuse them of their fears and
stereotypes. n
Eichberg was born in Brooklyn in 1945 and lived most of his
life in Los Angeles.
His activism began more than two decades ago with the
founding of a political action committee for gay, lesbian and
women's rights in Los Angeles.
In 1978, he founded The Experience, a community-based
workshop that inspired people to reveal their homosexuality to family
and friends, Ward said .
Eichberg moved to Santa Fe in 1988-the same year he cofounded National Coming Out Day with Jean O'Leary of Los
Angeles, Ward said. National Coming Out Day is observed
annually on October 11.
Eichberg is survived by his partner, Jon Landstrom of Santa Fe;
his mother, Shirley Greenes; his father, Norman Eichberg; and
brothers Peter Eichberg and Steven Eichberg, all of the Los Angeles
area.

4. Follow up after the meeting. Make sure that you
and each person who attended follow up with a letter of
thanks.
5. Tell us about your meeting. Anytime you have a
meeting, receive a written response, or see comments in
the press on lesbian and gay issues by your members of
Congress, let us hear from you.

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Manistee, Ml 49660
(616 ) 723-AV' " r,_, 11• 1 6 ) 723-7140

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NETWORKING 45° NORTH

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VOLUME 9 • ISSUE S

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1995

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MAGGIE LALLY & MARIE GREEN
John Evans
At the opening night reception after Lonely Planet early this
summer I had the pleasure of meeting its director Maggie Lally
who with her partner Marie Green spends six weeks of summer
in the region as a respite from life in the Big Apple .
(Marie is the person from whom I inherited the Friends North
data bast in the fall of 1992 just as she was moving to New York
to live with Maggie.)
I asked Marie if she were a native of these parts:
"Well, sort of. Not really though because I wasn't born here
but I used to live here for about eight years. Then when I got
involved in Michigan Ensemble Theater that's where I met
Maggie . We were involved in that for about three years."
Marie was the business manager and Maggie was directing.
For a couple of years it was a long-distance relationship in the
winter-lots of plane tickets, big phone bil ls, but in 1992 Marie
moved to Maggie's home state. Now she says she's just a fudgie!
A native Long Islander, Maggie went to Adelphi University.
"They had a really good theater program. I always know I
wanted theater. I started out acting-chose Adelphi because they
were conservatory training-meaning I didn't have to take math
an science-- didn't want to be miserable with that!"
After a year of working in New York, Maggie, realizing she
needed to go back to school, entered graduate school at the
University of Michigan.
AJter U of M, I moved to Chicago and lived there for a year
and a half but it just wasn't the place for me to be. I sent my
resumes out and got a job at Duke University teaching. I did that
for a year and then moved to New York and got a job at NYU."
At NYU Maggie taught in the dramatic writing program
where she worked with Michael Kay, now technical director at
the Old Town Playhouse, and Gary Garrison whom she had
originally met at the U of M.
(Gary together with Barry Cole founded Tempest productions
which played in the late eighties at the Opera House, and
Michigan Ensemble Theater which ran for four years at the
Dennos Museum Center.)
"The three of us were cohorts in crime together-we all
helped run the dramatic writing program ... I still teach there as
adjunct faculty. I'll go back and teach in the fall. But I direct
wherever I get work."
Marie was born in Detroit and had been coming up to Elk
Rapids area since early childhood.
"I went to Michigan State for social work and came up here
for a while and then went back for business education and then
through that learned computers."
Right out of college Marie worked at Murchie House, a home
for emotionally impaired teenage girls. After she received her
business education training she taught accounting in the
vocational program for the Grand Traverse Band for two years.
"Then I went on and worked for MET as business manager .
Actually I wanted to meet new people and it was exciting to meet
all these people from New York and then - meeting Maggie that was exciting!"
tv\aggie interjected: "What was funny was that both of us
had been talking on the phone (New York to Traverse City) pretty

NElWORKING 45° NORTH

consistently for about
three months doing the
business end of the
theater.
We
had
completely
different
impressions of what
each other looked like
just from our voices. I
thought Marie was a
former
cheerleader
because her voice was

Marie Green & Maggie Lally

so enthusiastic."
Marie: "I thought
you were about 50 years old with Birkenstocks and tie-dyed
skirts .. . And then even when we met, too, we weren't like each
others type. We were just going out and having fun ."
Maggie: "I love that about Marie - the bottom line is have
fun. Don't get too serious about the work. Even now we'll look at
each other and remind ourselves the bottom line is to have fun."
Marie considers herself fortunate to have such a flexible job
in computers in New York because she is able to have an
extended vacation in summer. Commenting on Marie's work
Maggie said :
"The thing that makes Marie so viable in the computer work
is her nature . You know, she's not one of those analytical people
that sit behind a computer whom you feel you can't talk to . She
is so approachable. People always ask for her to solve
problems."
Marie adding to this: "When I do support, rather than try to
walk through, it on the phone, and they get all frustrated, I will just
go to their desk and sit down ... I like working with people-I
wouldn't be happy just sitting behind a computer."
The couple is just winding up their six week stay and getting
ready to return to New York. Having spent some time with Marie's
family up here, they are looking forward to some time with
Maggie's family in Long Island before returning to the jobs.
The most important part of their entourage on the return trip
will be Chelsea, Marie's ten-year-old Golden Retriever, and
Buster, Maggie's cat whom she has had since Chicago days.
Another cat, Lola, stays in New York with Maggie's mother.
The apartment is near Central Park where they regularly exercise
Chelsea.
I asked Maggie what is in the future.
"I'm involved in a new company called Lesbian Exchange of
Ne:' Drama in New York. Major playwrights are involved,
strrnght and gay, men and women ... The thing that's appealing
to me about it is there's real affirmation and validation out there I
feel wonderful about giving my time and effort to that and helping
develop lesbian works--helping writers work in that area."
So much transpired in our interview-many laughs-and a
lot of information about theater both here and in New York-too
much to include here. I hated to bring it to an end. We are
fortunate to have these two intelligent, energetic and talented
women in our midst for six weeks.

24

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1995

Part of Networking 45° North : v.9:no.5(1995:Sept./Oct.)