HerlandVoice-1988-04-v5-no04_ocr.pdf
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- HerlandVoice-1988-04-v5-no04_ocr.pdf
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VOLUME 5, NUMBER 4
· APRIL, 1988
Around the Corner
OKC REP FOR NGLTF
ASKS FOR YOUR INPUT
OKLAHOMA CITY - The National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force is in the process of collecting statistics on the incidence of antigay activities in Oklahoma.
The information will be used to support the
position of the Task Force at va rious congressional hearings and meetings in Washington,
that anti-gay violence and harassmen t is a
problem that indeed exists and is not being
adequately dealt with by law enforcement agencies and legislation.
If you ·were the victim of any form of harassment or violence or discrimination as a result of the fact that you are gay, or know
someone who was, the local representative of
the NG LTF wants to hear from you. The period
from January l, 1987 until now (the last 15
months) is the time period the Task Force is
interested in . You need not give your identity
They just want to know what happened .
Please call 794-7464 if you ha ve experienced
any of the following: harassing note s or letters, telephone calls, verba l or physical assaults , discrimination on the job, los s of a
job or home because of your lifestyle.
Your cooperation in assisting the NG LTF in
compiling this vital information is strongly en
couraged and greatly appreciated.
ARKANSAS WOMEN PLAN RETREAT
HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES , INC.
2312 NH 39th, OKC, OK
HERLAND WINS NOMINATION
OKLAHOMA CITY - Oyer one-hundred lesbians
and gay men attended the annual Gay and Lesbian Awards Ceremony sponsored by the Metropolitan Community Church in Oklahoma City on
March 12th .
·
In attendance at the formal affair were
several Herland board members who were surprised when Herland was announced as being
one of the nominees for Outstanding Community
Organization. Although it lost the award to
the Oasis Community Center, Herland's Board
President said, "We were very pleased that
Her land was nominated."
Other award winners inc luded Donna DeSalvo,
for Outstanding Female Entertainer - Live
Performance and the Hi-Lo Club's April, for
Outstanding Female Bartender.
A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
BARBARA CLEVELAND
By Sondra Metzger
COME TO HERLAND'S RETREAT
It's RETREAT TIME!!! Come on out to
Boiling Springs State Park on April 8th
to Herland's Spring Retreat.
Enjoy the company o.f great wom~n and the
great outdoors. Bring your sleeping bag,
toiletries, flashlight, guitar, etc, and
don't forget something to eat for three glorious days.
Herland invites EVERY woman to come join
us in the fun. If you can't get your registration in by April 2, call 672-4141 or
794-7464 for directions and info on what to
bring with you.
DO IT! YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!
This is the first in a ser ies of interviews
with the women of the Herland Sister Resources
collective. To introduce this column, the
first interview is with the woman that some of
us in vo lved with Herland have nicknamed
"Mother Herland". Initially, I thought this
was going to be a biographical sketch of a
very ambitious, dynamic, proud woman. Barbara
Cleveland, however, turned it into an educational and historical experience which I
thought may be of interest to Herl an.d '. s read ers.
: (
Barbara did not dwell on herself very Jonq
while being interviewed. Her introduction to
women's movements was in the late 1970's , when
she was hounded by friends to become more po1i ti cal l y aware of what was happening to women .
At that time, there was one feminist newspaper
in print, Sister Advocate. There was also a
women's resource center at 36th an.d l~estern in
Continued on page 2
IN THIS ISSUE OF HSR NEWSLETTER:
- An Interview With B.C"
- Olivia Celebrates #15
- Book Reviews
v
---------------------------------- -------SPRING RETREAT FOR WOMEN
LITTLE ROCK - The Homen's Project in
Little Rock is planning their retreat for
April 15 - 17.
Held in a state park lodge , the Arkansas
~!omen's Retreat will begin on April 15 at
4 pm and run until l pm on Sunday. Homen
interested in participating are asked to
send their $20 registration fee to the
IJomen's Project , 2224 Main, Little Rock,
AR 72206 by April 4.
Organizers ask that women come to the
retreat "prepared to give workshops and lead
discussions" on topics they wish to discuss.
As the retreat will not be highly organized,
bring creative energy and ideas, as well as
musical instruments, songs, poetry, and
things to share or sell (such as women's
books, records, crafts). Chi 1dren a re we 1come, but bring toys and books and games to
entertain them.
Other things to bring: bedding for bunks ,
blankets or sleeping bag and warm clothes ;
food for the weekend. You must supply all
your own food. There are refridgerators for
storage, but you will need cooking utensils,
cups and glasses . Bring something to share
with others at a large group meal Saturday
night ; sports equipment or games; flashlights ,
towels, toiletries; children, friends , family.
Animals must be kept on leash and in your
car. Do not bring any alcohol or drugs.
For further information, call 501-372-5113.
NAME(S) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ADDRESS _ _ _ _.;.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
~
CITY - - - - - - - - - - - - - S T A T E _ _ _ _ _ZIP - - - PHONE (_ _) - - - - - - - I would like to help at the
- - - - retreat.
- - - - I can provide - - - - - -
I would like to provide a
----scholarship.
Pre-registration is $17-20 ; Please
pay in this range based on your
ability •
Upon receipt of your registration
form, a map to the campsite and a
list of what to bring with you will
be mailed to you.
Mail this comoleted form and your
check to:
- - - - I would like a scholarship.
Deadline for pre-registration is April 2, 1988.
For further information call (405) 672-4141.
Herland Sister Resources
c/o Laura, Camp Director
4924 S. Kathy Drive
Oklahoma City, OK 73135
Continued from page l
Oklahoma City. "The people who ran it were
my heroines , " Barbara said. "They would qet
a phone call in the middle of the niqht and
go to wherever the rape victim was. They
would stay with her through the hospital exam ination, through police questioning, right
through to the cou r t date . They were there
to support the vi ct i m and make sure she was
not victimized again by the system. "
· At th1s time, Barbara was a medical technician in a lab at one of the hospitals and saw
how the women were treated when they came in .
She witnissed first hand the anguish those women suffered . The women with the resource
center amazed Barbara. Not only were they
helping rape victims . but they were changing
attitudes statewide about rape . They were
forcing people to be accountable for what they
did, they were helping victims not to be victimized again . "It was astronomical wha~ they
were doing , " Barbara said . "When it s~ut down ,
a few friends and I decided there was a need
for a support group. From this support ~roup
grew concerts by women performers to raise money for women's causes . Things were being put
in me and on me by all those people who were so
into the movement."
Around 1980, Barbara joined first the Women's
men's Political Caucus and then the National
Organization for Women . "There was a push across the country for the National Organization
for Women to deal with lesbian issues," she
said , "which they weren't ready to do." Because of all the women coming into the state to
work toward passage of the ERA , it was an exciting time for women in Oklahoma . Through
these two organizations, Barbara became more
involved in women's issues. "I participated in
parades in Chickasha and Pauls Valley, handing
out leaflets for the ERA ," she recalls .
It was in 1979 that Barbara had attended her
first national women's music festival. "There
were 4,000 people there," she explained, "women
of all ages. There were musicians, books. I
felt the ener.QJI." She wanted to do something
in this area . Through the teachings of a friend,
Gay le Marie , Barbara learned how to produce a
concert and held her first of many at the Nite
Life, now Razzy's. Her second concert was staged in 1981 , in Norman. It was there that word
got around that two women wanted to start a
bookstore . Barbars's first visit to a women's
bookstore had been. in Nashville, Tennessee . "!
was amazed, simply amazed," she says now.
"There were records by and about women, books
by and about women . And one whole wa ll of nothing but books about Black women . I just tingled a 11 over."
Once people began hearing about the bookstore
donations started coming in. Several women got
together and talked an older woman into letting
them use her house as the bookstore. This was
tile beginning of the Herland Bookstore on northwest 19th. "After getting her permission, they
went in a tore the place apart , just gutted it
out," Barbara said . "Gobs and gobs of people
came. All kinds of people . There was great
community spirit. The next weekend, no one
showed. Here was this lady's storefront, all
torn up, dusty , nothing being done. The lady
padlocked the place and wouldn't let any of them
back in . " It later became apparent that the
bookstore was not going to open.
A meeting was called by several people who
were concerned that the bookstore was not going
PUBLISHED BY: HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES, INC.
CIRCULATION : 700
PHONE NUMBER (WEEKENDS) : 524-71 08
GENERAL INFO:
495-4390
794-7464
672-6459
1-353-6861 (LAWTON)
VOLUNTEER INFO: 672-4 141
ADVERTISING: 794-7464
DEADLINE on all advertising and submissions
- - - is the 15th of each month.
SUBSCRIPTIONS to this Newsletter are free
by calling any number above.
ANN0 UNC E S
=
I N
~ .. .,,.,.,.
CONCERTtaow--
APRIL 2:
THE SHARTELS OPEN FOR
J A S MI N E
7:30 p.m.
AT THE CIVIC CENTER LITTLE THEATER
FOR TICKET INFORMATION CALL 672-6459
..~~u.....~u.,...._.,,,.,...~a114..-..u.,.....an
·~~~1••
HERLAND SPRING RETREAT
at
BOILING SPRINGS STATE PARK
near Woodward
APRIL 8, 9, & 10
! i
'V
COME ONE, COME ALL ! ! !
DI
a
..
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
ALL HERLAND COLLE CTIVE MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO YOU
NEXT MEETING :
SUNDAY, APRI L 24, 6:30 p.mo
CALL 794-7464 for locati on
·--------- ..-..--...... . - ..
...
.
~~- --~~-
to become a reality , and Barbara was among them.
They decided to go ahead with the project on
their own and put Barbara in charge of the project. "I knew alot of people in alot of places
who could help us . " she said. "I went to the
landlady and promised her that it would open in
one month . " In July the group started working
on the bookstore three to four nights a week and
then all weekend. They divided up the duties to
get it organized and called bookstores all over
the country for information on how to order
books. They also had to raise money. The landlady let the group sell some of her antiques at
a garage sale that netted them $300. On August
14th , the bookstore opened . "There weren't
many books," Barbara reca ll s, "but it was open .
We waited to see what would happen. " The group
was allowe d to sell books at the coffee houses
which we re being held at the Women's Resource
Center in Norman . Barbara also sold books at
some of the local women's bars . Barbara worked
many of the weeke nds for the first 2~ years
the store was open, prior to Herland becoming
a collective . Since she worked there so much,
it soon became known as Barbara 's bookstore .
"I agreed to work there, but it was for everyone," she said. "Everyone thought since it
was 'my' bookstore , why should I be asking for
vo lunteers to work there? I had a hard time
asking people to do anything , anyway." The
library was opened in 1983 with the donation
of books from a friend. "At that time," she
explained, "it was only a browsing library ...
When asked what she would like to see in
2
/
Herland ' s future , now.that she is an Honorary
Board member (rather than an active board member), Barbara explained that it still isn't
the all-around resource center that she had
visualized . "This drives me , " she said. "It
is only partially there . The opportunity for
workshops and book readings is there." Barbara feels that there is room to become more
than the predominantly lesbian group Herland
has become. She would like to see it be more
involved with all women and not be so focused
on one group . "I would like to see things being done with Herland 's name to give it more
strength and va lidity. When NOW decided to
confront the lesbian issue , they invited us
over to a conference where Elenor Smeal was to
speak. I set up a table at the conference and
sold enough books to pay the rent for one
month . Once I invested my who le ta x refund
and bought books about Black women to se ll at
a Black Liberated Arts Conference. i sold almost every book on the first day . Since Herland became a collective, we haven 't been to
one of their (BLAC) events. I am more than a
lesbian and I cannot restrict myself to a le sbian world. We all ha ve to live in this
world. I ' m tired of living in the middle . I
am an educated Black woman . Gotta be a lesbian here , can't be a lesbian there. Women
should all be working together whet her we're
lesbians or not , to get the women the support
they need . Herland Sister Resources should be
Continued on page 3
Continued from page 2
a women's resource center and should not back
off from any women's issue, whether it is
problems associated with single parenting, issues of women of color, lesbian issues, childcare, rape, etc. They don't need to tell
everyone they're lesbian. Herland needs to
concentrate on serving the needs of all women.
You can't cram something down people's throats
(lesbianism) if they're not ready for it, but
you can educate them.
At age 43, Barbara is embarking on a new
adventure and may be moving to Ohio to work on
her PhD. She will leave an indelible mark on
the women's movement in Oklahoma. In March she
brought Robin Flower and Nancy Vogl to Oklahoma
City. With Jasmine on April 2nd, she produces
what she considers to be her final concert before her departure. l~e thank Barbara for her
love, concern, advice, insights, courage and
the giving of herself to make life better for
women. We wish her well on her journey and
hope she returns, to again be a part of the
collective that is Herland.
Editor's Note: This new monthly column will be
used as a vehicle to introduce Herland's readers
to various women involved with the Herland collective. It is hoped that this column will help
to encourage friendShip and facilitate a sense
of sharing within the women•s community. The
editor extends her gratitude to Sondra Metzger
for her time and expertise in writing this art-
icle ..
HERLAND SEEKS BOARD MEMBERS
OKC - In preparation for the future, the
number of Board positions has been increased
from 15 to 17. Due to this increase Herland
has Board vacancies to fill with women ,wbo
are interested in the organization and progression of Oklahoma's women's community.
Anyone wanting to get involved with women's
collective future is encouraged to attend the
next Herland Board meeting on April 24.
The Book Corner
BOOK REVIEWS IN BRIEF
By Jane Casey
ROMANCE NOVELS PROVIDE GOOD READING
Occasionally, I am asked to give my expert
opinion on "What is a good book to read?".
Well, to me, any book that deals with lesbianism, fiction or otherwise, is worthwhile reading. However, I realize that some people have
a few more stipulations than that. So, let us
begin with a discussion of authors who write
Lesbian romance novels.
A very good place to start is with Katherine
V. Forrest. If the reader likes erotic, romantic literature, she may enjoy Ms.. Forrest's
Curious Wine or An Emergence of Green. Both of
these novels are very tender, romantic love
stories and are two of her finer works. Her
other novels seem a little shallow by comparison, but all of them are enjoyable reading material. Ms. Forrest's Daughters of a Coral Dawn
is a delightful science fiction about a planet
populated almost entirely by Lesbians. Her
Amateur City and Murder at the Nightwood Bar
are both murder mysteries (although, the real
fllYStery is, when does the lesbian detective
get intimate with the beautiful witness?), Ms.
Forrest's forte lies in her ability to write a
very erotic, romantic, and intimate love story.
If this subject matter is to your liking, then
you should enjoy her work.
Another excellent author of the romantic
novel is Sarah Aldridge. Ms. Aldridge manages
to : combine romance with some sort of social
consciousnes.s . Her plots remain basically the
same with all eight of her novels: woman meets
SUE FINK:
CERTIFIED OUTRAGEOUS
A CONCERT REVIEW
Like bread and butter, they went together. Complimenting each other's musical and
comedic talents, Oklahoma City's own Donna
DeSalvo and California's Sue Fink created a
concert performance which radiated pure,
unadulterated delight last March 19th.
Sitting on a high stool and wearing a
flowing white printed blouse over a black
turtleneck pullover and slacks and sportin9
her inimitable good humor, Donna made a
class act of her opening for Sue Fink. Accompanying herself on guitar, Donna treated
the gathering to a number of her own compositions including "Pack Up Old Barney" and
"My Two Sisters" among others. Obviously
pleased with her brand of entertainment,
the audience called her back for an encore
of "Ode to Robie".
After a brief intermission Sue Fink shed
the crutches she had been hobbling around
on earlier in the day and gave the assembly
an unrivaled performance. Paying no attention to the knee she had injured, for the
next two hours Sue Fink moved back and
forth across the stage to accompany herself
on a novel band of musical apparatus.
These instruments, including two which looked like electric organs, but emitted differing sounds and a box that created drum noises, were connected to a computer terminal
and keyboard on stage right which she periodically consulted throughout her concert.
Without the computer, she said, the instruments are useless. With it, a multitude of
wonderful sounds can be generated -- and
they were.
For several numbers Sue accompanied herself "womanually" on one or the other instrument. On others she allowed the computer compositions, all of which she had programmed herself, to do the work. Her music
included rock, jazz and blues selections
from her 1985 album "Big Promise" and a num-
ber of others which are planned for her upcoming, but not-yet-produced,· album.
With reverberating audience response,
Sue's performance was perforated by frequent
interludes with humor" At one point she
said, "I think it's time that I changed your
lives forever~ Her listeners were about to
be "certified outrageous". Promising that
"you wi 11 never fee 1 the same again'; she invi ted everyone to "pick a pitch and hum."
They did. Asking for trust, she stressed
that she and her listeners had much in common: "You eat, I eat; you pay most of your
bills, I pay most of ~1y bi 11 s; you flush the
toilet, I flush the toilet; you smile, I
smile; you flirt, I flirt; you kiss, I kiss;
you fall in love, I go to the next town!
Now, we've established basic trust." The
audience roars. Suddenly she began to shake.
Her head snapped to the left, then to the
right, and her arms became rigid" Her hands
shook. Her eyes closed, then jerked open.
In another voice she said, "I'm Sutha. I
speak through Sue and I'm glad I do." What
followed for the next five minutes brought
tears of mirth to this reviewer's eyes. The
respite of absurdity ended with the audience
being "certified outrageous" by the woman
who undoubtedly holds the title.
Later, Sue explained why she behaves as
she does. Tired of seeing depression around
her, she wants 1;omen to find the joy in themselves -- laughter and self-confidence. By
performing in an honest, and not unnatural,
outrageous manner, she helps that process
along.
·, .._
Called back for an encore, Sue asf.ed for
audience participation in writing he ~ final
number, then incorporated their responses into a humorous finale of. hope.
A positive theme ran through her music and
audience interaction. The world could use
more Sue Finks. It feels an honor to have
such talent in the women's camp. And, the
women who came to see her got more than their
money's worth. They got "certified •••••
outrageous."
K.L.
woman, women fall in love, women overcome some
ny women have contributed to Lesbian literainner .crisis, and then women live happily ever
ture. We'll discuss a few more of them next
after. (Come on, now, they have to call this
month. Until then, check out some of the
stuff "fiction" for some rP.ason).
books on the Herland table you'll find at vaAlthough the plots are simplistic in nature, rious functions about our f~ir city.
it's that inner crisis that will touch your
heart. Her book Misfortune's Friend is about
Note: The Editor extends her sincere apprea young Lesbian who learns that a crippled leg
ciation to Jane Casey for her offer to introis not the worst handicap that can afflict a
duce Herland's readers to these books, and to
person, as she falls in love with another stuher intentions to continue this column in
dent. Magdalena enlightens us to the social
future issues of the HSP Newsletter.
injustices that are borne by the aging and
homeless in a story that tells of a prominent ~--------------·-·------ ----opera star who becomes a bag lady living on
the streets after her Lesbian lover dies.
s·arah Aldridge creates an old-fashioned Lesl~ISDOM
b.ian love story -- with a happy ending,
If the reader likes a little mystery and
By special request from a reader, the foladventure with. their romance, then Camarin Crae
is an author to read. Ms. Crae's first novel, lowing poem is printed from the boo~ When I am
an Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple:
Winaed · Dancer, is an exciting who-done-it,
mur er mystery/adventure that takes its heroSocial Security
ine to the far-off corners of the world as
by Barbara Bolz
well as to familiar places of the heart.
Another novel entitles Soul Snatcher is an
She knows a cashier who
intrigueing mystery/adventure about an introblushes and lets her use
verted lesbian who tries to live her selffood stamps. to buy tulip
assured, identical twin sister's life. It's
bulbs and rose bushes.
a shocker of an ending. If you like mystery
and adventure to go along with romance, you'll
We smile each morning as I
really enjoy Camarin Crae's books.
pass her -- her hand always
Well, that's about it for this discussion,
married to some stick
but before I end, let me say that the opinions
or hoe, or rake.
stated here are my own, and you may or may not
agree with them. Also, I do not mean to imply
One morning I shout,
that only Lesbian romance novels are worth"I'm not skinny like
while reading. Quite the contrary. There are
you so I've gotta run
many aspects to the Lesbian lifestyle, but I
two miles each day."
have limited the scope of this article to romance novels. The purpose of this writing is
She begs me closer, whispers
to introduce you to but a few of the many auto my flesh, "All you need,
thors whose works are enjoyable reading. Mahoney, is to be on welfare
and love roses."
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WDHEAI ~l/111~11{il'f
/1eet J( '/w{fl 12:10
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in concert
CIVIC CENTER LITTLE THEATER
APRIL 2,1988
7:30 P.M.
MICHELE ISAM
JASMINE • ...
Represents a cool classic fusion
of jazz and pop genres.
Their
songs exhibit a passion and J
sophistication of true jazz yet
lyrical and musical elements of
contemporary chart music
CAROL SCHMIDT
TICKETS:
EARTH NATURAL FOODS
49th & Western (OKC)
309 s. Flood (Norman)
OPENING PERFORMANCE
THE
SHARTELS
or Call: 528-0020
672-6459
~
GENERAL ADMISSION $8
11co1os ·
PSA
Around the Country
NEW MOON:
NEW LESBIAN MAGAZINE
AMES, IOWA - Proclaiming that it will "Provide for lesbians what MS. has provided for
feminists'', a soon-to-be journalism graduate
from Iowa State University is firing up the
presses on a "magazine for alternative womyn~'
New Moon is the brainchild of Claire Hueholt
a seiilor-a!Jout to graduate with a degree in
journalism. She explains that "Womyn with alternative lifestyles have a number of lesbian
publications to choose from in the United States
However, none up to this point, have taken a national perspective of the community~ She plans
to have the magazine on the newsstands by the
first of October, 1988.
The magazine is to be a semi-slick national
publication for lesbians that will be published
quarterly. Hueholt said, "It's time that we
begin looking at ourselves as a true positive
community with unique interests and is sues.
This magazine will be the first national voice
for us. New Moon will provide a national unified yoi ce. We 1 11 be the MS. of the l es bi an
community in the U.S."
Hueholt is currently in the process of assembling a list of potential subscriptions, ~hare
holders, advertisers, and writers and photographers currently working in news media who
would be interested in contributing to the new
magazine.
Co ntents of the magazine will include features, profiles, travel, arts/entertainment,
editorials, columns, news , short stories/poetry,
sports, and classified advertising. Hueholt
expects a nationwide Girculation of about 10,000
women. Subscriptions for the first year of pub1ication will cost $15.00.
Anyone interested in contributing in any way
or anyone who would like a subscription, contact
Claire Hueholt, Editor; 2 Kings Terrace; Ames,
Iowa 50010; (515)292-1972 .
A NEW KIND OF SORORITY
The University of California at Los Angeles
has given official recognition to a sorority
formed by lesbian students, says an article
printed in the March 9th issue of the Chronicle
of Higher Education.
Nine women applied for university sanction
of their organization, Lambda Delta Lambda,
saying they felt excluded from other sororities
on the campus. Under university rules, however,
they may not bar heterosexual women from joining.
University officials and gay activists said
they believed Lambda Delta Lambda was the first
gay-oriented sorority or fraternity recognized
for participation in a regulated Greek-letter
system at an American college or university.
The new U.C.L.A. sorority is not affiliated
with any national Greek organization.
LANDMARK JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
STUDY ADDRESSES ANTI-GAY
VIOLENCE
WASHINGTON, DC - A recent US Department of Justice study of violence based
on sexual orientati~n, race; religion,
and ethnicity has concluded that such
crimes are "widespread" and appear to be
increasing. According to the report,
"the most frequent victims of hate violence today are blacks , Hispanics , Southeast Asians, Jews and gays and lesbians .
Homosexuals are probably the most frequent victims."
The study, which was undertaken after sustained lobbying by the National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and
other professional and civil rights groups,
was sponsored by the National Institute
of Justice--the research arm of the Justice Department. It was conducted by Abt
Associates, an independent research group
in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The report's
conclusions are based on interviews with
forty respondents, including representatives of the criminal justice system, constituency organizations, including NGLTF,
and organizations devoted to preventinq
hate violence.
·
Commented Kevin Berrill, Director of
NGLTF's Anti-violence Project, "This study
confirms what gay and other minority communities have long understood: that crimes
based on prejudice are widespread and increasing, that such crimes are devastatino
to the victims and their communities, andthat the criminal justice system has not
been responsive enough to this problem."
According to the NIJ-sponsored report
crimes of bias "are far more serious than
comparable crimes that do not involve prejudice, because they are intended to intimidate an entire grou·p •.. our country is
founded upon principles of equality, freedom of association and individual liberty;
as such, bias crimes tear at the very fabric of our society." Despite the farreaching consequences of hate crime~ , the
report acknowledges that "the criminal
justice system, like the rest of society,
has not recognized the seriousness of the
hate violence problem."
The NIJ report concedes some of the
particular problems facing anti-gay violence vic tims, such as the fact that gay
victims often fear public exposure and, alon9 with Southeast Asians, are especially
reluct9nt to report crime. While noting
that "ho,mosexual s are probably the most ·
frequent victims," the NIJ report states
that "almost none" of the statutes that
address crimes of bias include gay and
lesbian victims of bias." Accordingly, it
calls for strategies to "encouraae legislatures to include gays and lesbians in
their statutes." The report goes further
to recommend training for police and prosecutors in identifying, investigating,
and prosecuting crimes based on prejudice,
and in working with victims and their communities.
According to NGLTF's Berrill, the NIJ
study, along with the recent passaoe of
the hate crime statistics bill in the
House Judiciary Committee, suggest that
anti-gay violence is beginning to be recognized as a significant problem- -one no
less deserving of study and remedy than
other types of crime motivated by bigotry.
"In the face of this report and our own
community's research in anti-gay violence,
officials can no longer credibly deny or
minimize this problem , " Berrill said.
Potpourri
NATIVE AMERICANS SOUGHT
Plans are being made to hold a Native
American Les bi an conference and A11 Homyns
Sundance Ceremony near Phoenix, Arizona in
July, 1988.
Charlene O'Rourke and Beverly Little
Thunder of Phoenix are organizing the event
and plan to dance four days. They seek the
support of any women of any color to assist
in the ceremony. "We wi 11 need women to
learn the songs and drum for four days. He
will need women to build the sweat fires and
gather wood. We will need trucks to go on
water runs and women for security. We also
need women to cook during the four days for
the drum group," said Charlene. Any woman
who desires is needed to pray and offer support from the outer circle of the arbor.
However , they ask that for this year, at
least, only Mative American women who have
danced previously or have knowledge of the
ceremony dance within the mystery circle during the four days. They also ask that any
women who may be coming let them know in advance so they can plan on who will be there .
Native American women who wish to .pledge
to dance even one day should be aware that
there is preparation which need s'i to begin
soon. There are items that need«t o be assembled during this time as well as several
periods of fasting to be done . This is why
they ask that women ·contact them as soon as
they feel they may want to dance.
The ceremony will take place in St. John ,
Arizona. It is high desert and water must
be hauled in . There are five miles of dirt
road to travel from the mai n paved road.
The road is easily travelled during the time
of year the ceremony is planned, and the
nearest town is 28 miles away .
This spring they plan a two-week work
crew to St. John to dig post holes and set
poles up for the arbor. Also, several new
sweat lodges will be built. Anyone with the
time to travel is welcome to join Charlene
and Beverly in completing this task . During
the summer for several weeks prior to the
ceremony there will be women on the land
working in preparation for this event.
There is an understanding that there be
no alcohol or drugs , including marijuana .
No cameras or tape recordings of any kind
will be permitted of the ceremony. Firearms
are prohibited . Anyone bringing any of the
aforementioned items will be asked to turn
them in to security until they leave the
ceremonial grounds .
All women, of all colors, straight or
lesbian are invited to join in this ceremony. Beverly and Charlene expecially seek
other Native American lesbians, because they
now know that they are not the only Mative
American lesbians who desire to follow ancestral ways.
For more information you may write or
call: Charlene O'Rourke or Beverly Little
Thunder; 2505 West Monroe Street; Phoenix,
Arizona 85009; 602-272-3906.
THE BASKET AND THE BOW
A GATHERING OF AMERICAtl INDIAN GAYS & LESBIANS
A POINT TO PONDER •••
If boys do it and girls don't -Who are the boys doing it with?
6
MINNEAPOLIS - A conference entitled The
Basket and the Bow: A Gathering for AmerTcan Indian Gays and Lesbians is scheduled
for June 18-19, 1988 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The conference coordinators say that it
was the consensus of American Indians who
participated in the National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights that the
Continued on page 7
Continued from page 6
time has come for suc h a conference. They
al so feel it is necessary for the support
and encouragement of gays and l esb ian s who
are members of the Nat ive American eth nic
group. "As indi vidua ls from many tribes/
nations, we decided tha t it is time to celebrate our identities as gays and lesbians ; it
is through our sexual identities that we are
strengthened and able to provide leadership
individually and collectively" the organizers
s.aid.
The target audience for this gathering is
American Indian Gays and Lesbians, their
partners , Gay and Lesbian service providers,
and American Indian service providers. Workshops may be segregated to allow participants
to discuss issues freely. Workshop topics
will include: AIDS, Spiriruality, Reservation/Urban i ss ues, Homophobia, Internalized
Oppression , Being Out, The Politics of Racism,
Family i ss ues .
For further information, ideas for workshops/speakers, donations, call Lee Staples
at (612)870-4848; Sharon Day at (612)222-5127 ;
or write: The Basket and the Bow; P.O Box
10229; Minneapolis, MN 55458-3229.
OLIVIA RECORDS:
CELEBRATING 15 YEARS
THE FIRST WOMEN'S MUSIC LABEL
OAKLAND CA - Olivia Records , the world's
oldest and'iargest independent label specializing in women artists, celebrated its 15th
anniversary,on January 21, 1988.
Over the past 15 years, Olivia has released 31 albums and sold over 1 million albums.
Their productions range from folk to pop,
soft-rock to country and strive to meet the
diverse demands within the women's cultural
movement.
Judy Dlugacz , an original founder of Olivia
and President of the company, is proud of what
Olivia has accomplished over the first fifteen
years. "We have watched the music grow and
develop and seen the wonderful effects of literally thousand s of women's music concerts.
We have received thousands of letters over the
years and know that the music has touched
million s of lives around the world."
During its history, Olivia has relea sed albums which speak to the lives of women, and
es pecially lesbian s. "It has always been
Olivia' s main focus to create safe spaces and
visibility for women to find each other and
build a co nscious and growing movement to sustain our feminist vision," says Dlugacz . "It
i s through the music that Olivia ha s helped
thousands of women come out of the closet and
be proud of th eir identity. If we accompli sh
nothing else we have done more than we could
have ever dreamed when we began back in 1973."
Everyone in the mu sic industry we talked
to sa id it couldn't be done , " recalls Dlugacz.
"We started Olivia as a collective with almost
no experience and very little money . If someone had spoken of a 'track' -0n a recorder , we
wouldn't have known what they were talking
about. But we were in touch with the right
people at the right time . "
Olivia Records began in Washington , DC back
in 1973,with a group of women looking to start
an alternative business that would offer opportunities for women to do their politi cal work
full ti me while helping to develop a femini st
political/cultural mo vement. When singer/songwriter/musician Cris Williamson came to town,
she provided the needed impetus. "During an
interview with Meg Christian, we talked about
some of the difficulties women had performing
in the (male dominated/male oriented) industry,"
says Cris Williamson. "Olivia was formed soon
3fter, relying more on spunk than savvy.~
With $4,000 donated by supportive feminists
and the help of a woman engineer, the collective cut its first 45 record in 1974. Featuring Meg Christian and Cris Williamson, the re-
cord sold 5,000 cop i es and gave the collective
a shot of much-needed momentum. A first album
followed six months l ater, made for a scant
$11,000 and aga in produced, performed and packaged solely by women. At concerts, Dlugacz remembers, "We'd go to t he aud i ence and say,
'Okay, we need a di stributor in Chicago . If
anyone is interested, please see us after the
show .' " Through this method, Olivia began its
own international distribution network .
Recognizing the need for a closer geographic
tie to the recording indu stry, the collective
moved to California in 1975, where they recorded .Olivia 's best-selling album, Cris Williamson's "The Changer and the Changed." Hand
carried from listener to listener and store
to store, the album ha s sold over 250,000
co pies . "More than any other single factor ,
'The Changer' made it possible to insure
Olivia's success," says Dlugacz.
During its 15th ann i versary year, Olivia
will release an album with rock/blues belter
Dianne Davidson on Second Wave , a subsidiary
l abe l . Other plans include th e re l ease of
"The Changer and the Changed" on compact
disc and the recording of Lucie Blue Tremblay'
second album.
"Fifteen years is a real milestone. We ' re
celebrating by again stressing the grassroots,
our natural audience who appreci at es quality
music by incredibl y talented women," says Dlugacz . "We plan for Olivia to celebrate i ts
10.Dth anniversary, so we're working now for
the financial stability and creative growth
that will take it. into the next century . "
Cris Williamson calls Olivia "an idea born
out of real necessity. The legendary mother
of invention ••••• Like myself , Olivia is a
constant work in progress, helping to carry
and shape the elements of a culture too long
silent."
Editor's No t e: Now t hat Olivia is 11 again
str ess ing the grassroots", why doesn't each
o f us sit down and write them a l e tter te lling
how we feel about Nancy Day and her music? We
can ma il o ur letters to: Olivia Records;
4400 Market Street; Oakland, CA 94608.
MARIAH WILDERNESS EXPEDITIONS
ANNOUNCES UPCOMING WOMEN-ONLY VACATIONS
Mariah Wilderness Expeditions, California's only women-owned and operated
whitewater rafting and wilderness expeditions company, is offering a variety of
outdoor trips for women of all ages and levels of experience. On the schedule
for 1988 are the following trips :
·.
Rafting the Grand Canyon: August 16-28; 13 days, 20 women, $1493
- Rafting the Rogue River in Oregon: June 28-July 2; 5 days, 20 women, $525 ~VI
Rafting in Costa Rica and a Jungle Tour: November 11-20; 11 days, 20 women,
$785
- Trek Nepa 1: November 2-30; 28 days, 15 women, $1640
- Uorsepacking in the Grand Tetons: Trips for the novice and the experienced;
5 and 6 days, 5 women, $700-$850; offered from July through September
- Sea Kayak Baja: December 27- January 6; 10 days, 10 IVOmen, $65Cl
For further infor~ation on these trips and other trips for women only call
Donna Hunter; Mariah Wilderness Exoeditions; 415-233-2303 or write her at P.O . Box
248; Point Richmond , CA 94807.
·
NWSA TO PUBLISH NEW JOURNAL - SOLICITING SUBMISSIONS
The National Women's Studies Association is pleased to announce that it will
begin publishing the Nl~SA Journal, a new interdisciplinary, multicu~tural, feminist
journal which will be located in the Center for Women's Studies at t he Ohio State
University. The first issue is scheduled for Spring 1988. The Journal is actively
soliciting articles of interest to women's studies researchers, teachers, and others involved with femini5t concerns . In the review process , essays will be read
anonymously by women's studies scholars before a final publication decision . (If
you wish to participate in the reviewing process see last two sentences of this
article).
Submissions in all disciplines are welcome. Of special interest is work written from an interdisciplinary approach, research focusing on feminist pedagoqy, and
articles by and about women of color. The journal will also publish reviews of
books, films, and other educational materials, and, on occasion, some student research. Some art work , including photography, poetry, and sbort fictioo will be
considered when relevant . One future issue will focus on analysis of the connections between sexuality and race or class; another on the theoretical issues encountered· by feminist scholars in writing of the lives of women, e,q, bio 0raphy or
personal narratives. Articles should be written from a feminist perspective and in
a lanouage and style accessible to a variety of readers.
Authors should submit manuscripts in duplicate . The NWSA cannot consider material previously published or that which is under consideration elsewhere. Lenqth
should not e xceed 30 typewritten, double-spaced paqes (less than 9,000 words), and
of course, shorter articles may be submitted. Endnotes also should be doublespaced. In addition , authors are requested to send an abstract of no more than 300
words. The author's name and institutional affiliation, i f an y, should aooear only
on a separate cover sheet. Manuscript form should be in accordance with the most
recent edition of A Manual of Style (University of Chi cago Press). Submi ssions
will be returned onl y to authors who include a st amped, self-addressed, 9 x 12 envelop. Those who wish to review books and other materials should write to t he editor requesting reviewer forms. Manuscripts, correspondence, and books, films, and
educational materials for review should be addressed to:
MaryJo Wagner, Editor
NWSA Journal
Center for women's Studies
207 Dulles Hall
230 West 17th Avenue
The Ohio State University
7
Columbus, OH 43210
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