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q-notes.com

Not for Reproduction
Gay Power
page 17
Noted . Notable . Noteworthy . LGBT News & Views
Volume 24 . Number 04
June 27 . 2009
Printed on Recycled Paper
WNCAP
campaign
In memoriam
‘I Need You to Know’
page 18
page 12
Judy Cantor
FREE
q-notes.com
Spaulding
honored
Receives Women’s
Media award
page 12
T A B L E
O F
C O N T E N T S
Front Cover:
Timeless Pride - Part 1 of 2
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Volume 24
Number 04
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Editor’s Note
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General Gayety
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Articles:
News Notes: Domestic
07
12
News Notes: Global
06
Associate Editor: David Stout
Boseman votes no on Helms
05
News Notes: NC
08
Special Assignments: Lainey Millen
Community mourns loss
18
Out and About
26
Eat Charlotte
05
Out in the Stars
25
Pride wrap ups
10
Q-Poll
04
Sartain announced candidacy
11
T-Notes
19
Spaulding honored
12
Tell Trinity
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JUNE 27 . 2009 • QNotes
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June 27, 2009
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Columns:
Editorial Contributors:
Features:
Inside the halls of power
17
Robbi Cohn, Matt Comer, Andy Harley,
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P E R S P E C T I V E
R E G I O N A L
Editor’s Note
Lesbian senator votes against Jesse Helms resolution
History will see to it
Twenty-six legislators walk out of
House, Senate chambers
rious, with a more equal and just society and nation for all her people.
The American story is the same
by Matt Comer . Q-Notes staff
for LGBT people. Through the preStonewall movement to Stonewall and
through the harrowing AIDS crisis of
the 1980s until today, we’ve watched
It is quite fitting that this issue is pubour brothers and sisters face down oppression
lished on June 27. Forty years ago this weekand prejudice, hate crimes resulting in injury
end, young people of color, closeted white
and death and government-sanctioned disbusinessmen, gay street hustlers and drag
crimination.
queens in New
At the end of the day
York City’s
A century from now, the American we are moving forward.A
Greenwich Village
people will look back at the beginning century from now, the
headed out to one
of their favorite
of the 21st century. They will see each American people will
underground gay
of us, individually fighting for life, look back at the beginof the 21st century.
bars for a night of
love and liberty — and they will say ning
They will see Obama as
fun. Little did they
we were heroes. the man who either
know that just a
moved the American
few hours into the
dream forward or the one who held it back.
early morning of June 28, New York City police
They will see each of us, individually fighting
officers would descend on their bar and a
for life, love and liberty — and they will say
modern revolution would be born.
we were heroes.
In this issue, Q-Notes celebrates two hisThe anniversary of Stonewall and the
toric births: the 40th anniversary of the riots
birthday of our nation go hand-in-hand, interat the Stonewall Inn — the birthplace of our
twined in a never-ending struggle to fulfill a
modern LGBT civil rights movement — and
dream first laid at our feet more than 230
the 233rd birthday of our nation.
In the centuries since our
nation’s founders sat down to craft
their visions for America, generation
after generation has been forced to
grapple with new understandings
and extensions of the dreams and
ideals set to paper in 1776.
Our nation’s history of social and
political change and the continuous
reshaping of our national conscience has come neither easily nor
without cost.
“The American experiment is the
most tremendous and far reaching
engine of social change which has ever Tensions escalate between gay street kids and New
either blessed or cursed mankind,”
York City police officers outside of the Stonewall
Inn on June 28, 1969.
said Charles Francis Adams,an antiPhoto Credit: Joseph Ambrosini
slavery Republican U.S.House memNew York Daily News
ber and grandson of John Adams.
years ago. Our shared American journey
The “American Dream” is something that is
reminds us to never give up, to never falter or
living, breathing and always changing, usually
fail in the long and hard-fought battle for life,
for the better. But nothing worth having
liberty and happiness.We deserve it, and it
comes without struggle. Our nation’s history
will be achieved. History will see to it.
of progressive movement forward is filled with
Corrections
stories of horrendous pain and suffering. But,
In the last Q-Notes issue on June 13, an
every time we near the end of another civil
oversight by our staff resulted in inadvertently
and human rights road, we begin to underleaving out an important notation on the
stand that the journey was well worth it.
QList — Best of the LGBT Carolinas, Readers’
From ending slavery and Jim Crow to
Pick result listings:“Readers might notice that
women’s suffrage and the Civil Rights
there are no results for four geographic areas
Movement, our country’s people have faced
originally included in the voting process:
down their worst fears and fought bitterly for
Eastern N.C.,Western N.C., Coastal S.C. and
equality. That fight started with a bloody war,
Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C. These areas did
was renewed nearly a century later with a secnot produce an adequate sample size with
ond bloody war and continues through today
which we could effectively compile results and
to cause great pain and anguish.
feature winners. Feedback can be sent to
But, through torment and hell, the
[email protected].” Q
American people have always prevailed victo-
Helms was a conservative radio and TV
commentator before serving on the Raleigh
City Council and later serving as a U.S. senator.
Boseman told Q-Notes that she couldn't
bring herself to vote yes and felt she had to
Sen. Julia Boseman (D-New Hanover),
be heard.
North Carolina’s only
“To me, Helms represented hate
openly gay or lesbian
and intolerance — his opposition
state legislator, voted
to civil rights and AIDS funding,
against a resolution
his opinions of gays and lesbians.
honoring the life of the
There was absolutely no way I was
late Jesse Helms on
going to vote for the resolution, nor
Wednesday, June 10.
was I going to take a walk.”
She was the only legisWhile no other legislator voted
lator in the entire N.C.
against the resolution, 26 House
General Assembly to
and Senate members did walk out
vote against the honof the respective chambers in
orary resolution.
silent protest. Most declined to
Twenty-six of her colcomment when approached by
leagues in the House
the Greensboro News and Record’s
and Senate, meanwhile,
Mark Binker.
sat out of the vote.
On why she didn't participate
The resolution,
A resolution honoring the late in the walkout, Boseman said,“I
which passed the
U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms passed
thought it was important to stand
the N.C. General Assembly, but up for what I believe. Jesse Helms
Senate 41-1 and the
not without some vocal
House 98-0, states,
certainly would have done the
“The General Assembly protest from the state's only
same thing. In fact, he might have
openly gay legislator.
of North Carolina
given me more respect for voting
expresses its appreciation for the life and pubno than walking out on it.”
lic service of Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr., and
She said many of her colleagues felt voting no
honors his memory.”
would have showed disrespect to Helms’family.
“That was their decision, their personal
decision,” Boseman said of her 26 colleagues.
“They felt what they did was appropriate.”
One of the last lines of the Helms resolution reads,“North Carolinians mourn the
death of this dedicated public servant who was
known and respected for his love of his home
State and his nation.”
Helms has been criticized, past and present, for his conservative racist and homophobic views and legacy. He was a chief opponent
of HIV/AIDS funding during the 1980s AIDS
crisis. He said gay men were “weak, morally
sick wretches” who contracted the disease
through their own “deliberate, disgusting,
revolting conduct.”
In 1988, Helms said,“There is not one single case of AIDS in this country that cannot be
traced in origin to sodomy.”
The legislature routinely hears and passes
honorary resolutions for state leaders and community members. It is rare for legislators to vote
against them or to boycott them altogether. In
fact, Boseman said her no vote on June 10 was
the first such vote she’d seen while in office. Q
— Read the full text of the Jesse Helms
resolution via the online version of this story
at www.q-notes.com/2745/.
Eat Charlotte
Eatery owners unite to promote local dining scene
The general manager of a popular Uptown
Charlotte casual dining restaurant has
launched a new local dining alliance and
hopes to “ignite the local dining scene” in the
Queen City.
Briana Cohen,
general manager
of Sonoma
Modern American Cuisine on N.
Tryon St., says that EatCharlotte.net
will serve to promote locally- and
independently-owned restaurants and create
strong relationships between businesses, owners, patrons and the community.
“Eat Charlotte is all of us working together
to promote local restaurants and local philanthropic groups,” Cohen says in a release.
Originating members of EatCharlotte.net
include Andrew Blair’s,Aquavina,
Barrington’s, Blue, Bonterra, Cafe Monte,
Carpe Diem, Custom Shop, Fenwick’s, Global,
Good Food on Montford, La Vecchia’s, Las
Ramblas, Latorre’s, M5 Modern
Mediterranean, Mimosa Grill,
Nix, Noble’s, Pie Town, Press,
Ratcliffe on the Green, Rooster’s,
Sonoma, Upstream, Zebra, and
Zink American Kitchen.
The project launched at
EatCharlotte.net on Friday, June 19. Through
the site, the alliance will offer exclusive specials at each of their restaurants. The first special included half-price bottles of wine
through June 27.
Be sure to check out EatCharlotte.net for
their next round of specials. Q
We’ve noticed a lot of ranting and
raving in Q-Notes Online’s
comment threads lately. Is it time
for us to create a blog or similar
online forum (think Washington Blade’s “Bitch Session”) for all your
bloviating, gossiping and other soapbox chatter?
See the options and vote at www.q-notes.com
4
5
G L O B A L
National News Notes
compiled by Q-Notes staff
by David Stout . Q-Notes staff
GIBRALTAR — The parliament of this
small British territory on June 18 voted down
a member’s bill to equalize the age of consent
for gay men, which is currently 18. The age of
consent for heterosexuals and lesbians is 16.
The decision by the parliament is in direct
defiance of the European Court of Human
Rights and the European Union.
Gibraltar is a self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Chief Minister
Peter Caruana has been under pressure from
London to comply on equalizing the age of consent, in addition to other human rights issues
affecting the gay and lesbian community.
The bill, tabled by Daniel Seetham and
defeated 8-4, was put on the parliamentary
agenda at the very last minute.
Following the decision, Equality Rights
Group GGR Chairman Felix Alvarez described
the bill’s defeat as “not surprising.”
Alvarez said the reality of the situation is
“quite different” from what has been painted.
Alvarez said that a “clear majority” of the parliament’s members are actually in favor of the
equalization.“The public must not be confused by the complicated manoeuvres which
have fudged the realities,” he said.
In London, internationally-renowned
activist Peter Tatchell lashed out at the decision.
“The opposition’s vote against the bill gives
a bad impression and contradicts its previous
support for gay equality,” Tatchell said.
— Andy Harley . UKGayNews.org.uk
Lesbian couple sues
MOSCOW — Two lesbians refused the
right to marry at a Moscow registry office in
May have filed an official complaint and are
suing for their right to marry.
The couple, Irina Fedotova-Fet and Irina
Shepitko, say they will take their complaint to
the City Court and then to the European Court
of Human Rights. Russia is a member of the
European Union.
“We intend to take the case to the highest
level,” Fedotova-Fet told The Moscow Times.
Leading Russian gay activist Nikolai
Alexeyev is backing the couple’s challenge.
While their case is winding its way
through Russia’s judicial system, the couple
will travel to Canada and plan to wed there.A
“loophole” in Russian family law might allow
their foreign marriage to be recognized.
“An article in the Family Code says that
foreign-registered marriages between
Russians must be recognized. It lists four
exceptions including bigamy and incest but
not same gender,” The Times reported.
“It’s sort of a loophole in the law that really
allows us to fight for this,” Alexeyev said.
The activist admits he doesn’t expect the
couple to win. Other gay activists have questioned the couple’s and activist’s priorities.
“It’s not the most high-priority talks,
because the level of homophobia in society is
too high,” said activist Igor Petrov, chairman of
the Russian LGBT Network.
— Matt Comer . Q-Notes staff
Ambassador blasted for
Pride support
LONDON — The British ambassador to
Bulgaria has been slammed by a Bulgarian
Court ruling returns foster child
CHARLESTON,W.V. — The Supreme
Court of Appeals of West Virginia ruled June 5
that a foster child should be returned to her
lesbian foster parents, Kathryn Kutil and
Cheryl Hess, reversing an anti-gay lower court
ruling that sought to remove the child on the
basis that her placement was not with a “traditional family.”
“The West Virginia high court has done
the right thing in ruling in the best interests of
this child.We applaud them for rejecting the
prejudice that would have removed her from
the only home she ever knew,” said Greg
Nevins, Supervising Senior Staff Attorney in
Lambda Legal’s Southern Regional Office in
Atlanta.“Children in West Virginia need parents to love and care for them and that’s what
the state should want, too.”
Lambda Legal filed a friend-of-the-court
brief on Feb. 19 on behalf of several West
Virginia foster care agencies urging the
reversal of a trial court order removing the
then one-year-old girl from the home of Kutil
and Hess.
Administration wrong on DOMA
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A coalition of six
leading LGBT advocacy groups released a
joint statement June 12 denouncing the
egregious language and reasoning used by
the Department of Justice in a brief seeking
to dismiss a challenge to the federal Defense
of Marriage Act. The coalition was comprised of The National Center for Lesbian
rally when Orbin, who suffers from epilepsy,
collapsed in a seizure.At Community Regional
Medical Center, Rowe asked numerous hospital employees to allow her to see Orbin and
talk to a physician about her care but was
refused. She volunteered to have Orbin’s legal
paperwork naming Rowe as her health care
agent faxed to the hospital but was told that it
wouldn’t do any good. Rowe also cautioned
that Orbin should not be given
the drug Ativan and was told the
message would be conveyed. If
the message was delivered, it
was ignored because Orbin was
given the drug, which causes her
pain.
The letter sent by the ACLU
and NCLR charges that it was a
violation of state law for the hospital to discriminate against the
couple based on their sexual orientation, as well as to refuse to
recognize Rowe’s legal authority,
authorized by Orbin’s advance
health care directive.
Hospital bias prompts rebuke
Study:
Couples marry for love
FRESNO, Calif. — On June 15, the
American Civil Liberties Union and the
National Center for Lesbian Rights sent a letter to a local hospital urging that it adopt policy changes respecting same-sex relationships
after multiple members of hospital staff
barred a lesbian from visiting her partner and
giving advice about her treatment during an
emergency visit.
Teresa Rowe and her partner of four years,
Kristin Orbin, were walking in a gay marriage
BOSTON, Mass. — Married same-sex
couples statewide report positive effects of
marriage on their families, according to a
new study released by the Williams
Institute. The report reveals that marriage
has enhanced same-sex couples’ commitment to each other and has improved the
lives of their children. Families and communities have also responded positively to
same-sex couple’s marriages, giving gay
and lesbian couples and their children a
sense of security and legitimacy.
Some observers expected same-sex couples to marry purely for the economic benefits
of marriage. However, the new “Health and
Marriage Equality in Massachusetts” survey of
558 people in married same-sex couples suggests a very different story.
“This survey gives us a new view into
who got married and why,” notes co-author
Christopher Ramos.
“Almost all couples —
93 percent — reported that they got married to express love
and commitment.
After getting married,
they felt more committed to their partners and greater
acceptance of their
relationships.”
Chaz Bono
announces
transition
LOS ANGELES,
Calif. — In a June 11
statement from his publicist, Chaz (formerly Chastity) Bono, the child of Cher and
Sonny Bono and a longtime advocate for
LGBT equality, announced that he was transitioning from female to male. Chaz has
long been active in the fight for LGBT
equality, including serving as a “National
Coming Out Day” spokesperson for the
Human Rights Campaign. Bono came out to
his celebrity parents as a lesbian at age 18.
The story was recounted in his 1998 memoir, “Family Outing.” Q
Gay men still at risk
SYDNEY,Australia — An Australian health
group is warning that men who have sex with
men (MSM) continue to be most at risk of
contracting HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald,
64 percent of HIV cases between 2003 and
2007 were the result of male-to-male sexual
contact. Transmission of the virus through
heterosexual intercourse stood at 21 percent.
Officials with the Australian Federation of
AIDS Organizations said that of the heterosexuals infected with HIV, 60 percent of them
contracted the virus after sexual contact with
partners from high-prevalence countries,
such as those in southeast Asia and subSaharan Africa.
“Over the last few years,Western Australia
and Queensland have detected concerning
trends among Australians travelling and
working in South East Asia and Papua New
Guinea and becoming infected there —
chiefly through unprotected sex between heterosexuals,” federation president Graham
Brown told the Herald.
Approximately 16,000 people are living
with HIV in Australia. Q
— M.C.
Rights, Lambda Legal, The American
Civil Liberties Union, The Human Rights
Campaign, Gay & Lesbian Advocates &
Defenders, and The National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force.
The statement begins,“We are very surprised and deeply disappointed in the manner in which the Obama administration has
defended the so-called Defense of Marriage
Act against Smelt v. United States, a lawsuit
brought in federal court in California by a
married same-sex couple asking the federal
government to treat them equally with
respect to federal protections and benefits.
The administration is using many of the
same flawed legal arguments that the Bush
administration used.”
Rea Carey, executive director of NGLTF,
said,“Unfortunately, the malicious and outrageous arguments and language used in the
Department of Justice’s marriage brief are
only serving to inflame and malign the
humanity of same-sex couples and our families. This is unacceptable. This ugly chapter
in our nation’s history must come to an end
now with the repeal of DOMA.”
International News Notes
Age of consent bill defeated
6
conservative for his statement
of support to a Pride festival in
the nation.
Ambassador Steve Williams
(pictured) sent his
statement of support to the organizers of the Rainbow
Friendship Rally in
Sofia in mid-June.
The same festival
last year ended in
bloody riots as participants clashed
with police and farright nationalists.
“Celebrating
diversity is not
about promoting a
lifestyle,” Williams wrote.“It is about promoting respect for fundamental human rights. It
is about the very essence of our European
democratic values.”
The leader of the Gaurdia Bulgarian
National Alliance, a far-right, conservative
party, has condemned Williams’ interference.
“He should mind his own business and his
country’s business,” said Bojan Rasate.“He has
no right to tell Bulgarians how to live in
Bulgaria. Europe has been ruled by homosexuals for a long time.We do not care how they
live, but we do not want them to impose their
pervert values on us.”
Britain’s ambassador to Poland, Ric Todd,
created a similar controversy when he publicly
backed a rally there.
The British government is backing their
ambassadors and regard the messages of support as key to its human rights policies.
“We have had the policy for some time,” a
foreign ministry official said.“What’s new is
the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
[LGBT] Toolkit, which has raised the profile of
such activities a bit.”
Amnesty International’s United Kingdom
affiliate is putting pressure on the foreign
office to continue pushing for LGBT equality
in other nations.
— M.C.
D O M E S T I C
7
N O R T H
C A R O L I N A
N O R T H
North Carolina News Notes
online forum set up for
ways to secure funds.
by Lainey Millen & Matt Comer . Q-Notes staff Grants and contributions from
supports and the community is
CHARLOTTE where he hopes to get the lion’s share from.
Purvis reported,“‘As a person who grew up
Ante up!
without anyone that was LGBT to talk to, I felt
alone, but strived forward with my life to figCHARLOTTE — Pride Charlotte will be
ure out who I was as an individual,’ [Boyette]
held on July 25 at Gateway Village. Currently
said in an online statement about the project.
the Pride Charlotte Committee is actively seek‘We want to give visibility to the history, culing volunteers for a variety of positions,
ture and diversity of the LGBT community.’”
including Partners in Peace.
Partners In Peace exists to keep conflict
Author tackles LGBT suicide rate
from occurring between protesters and the
DUNN — On April 15 the Lesbian, Gay,
Pride Charlotte participants. Partners In Peace
Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Youth
organizer Susan Cummings says,“It is my
Advocacy Store opened via Cafepress. The
belief that everyone has the right to peacefully
online store sells T-shirts and accessories
protest. It is also my belief that we have the
meant to spread awareness about the high suiright to the pursuit of happiness. Our goal as
cide rate among LGBT youth, as well as
Partners In Peace is to curb and temper any
encouraging teenagers to choose life.
extreme or uncivil behavior.”
The store was created by author Stephanie
To lend a hand for 2-4 hour shifts in order
Silberstein, who is also writing a young adult
to make this year’s festival a safe place zone,
novel to bring awareness to the issue.
email [email protected].
Silberstein nearly lost a close friend to suicide
For other opportunities, email
over his sexual orientation last summer.After
[email protected].
doing some research, she learned that her
EASTERN friend’s situation was not uncommon. Thirty
percent of completed youth suicides are related
Teen center on radar
to sexual orientation.“He chose not to be a staGREENVILLE — Kevin Boyette, a recent
tistic,” Silberstein says.“I’m reaching out to othpublic relations graduate of East Carolina
ers like him, both in gratitude for his continued
University (ECU), has a plan.And, if he is suclife and in hopes of making a difference.”
cessful, it will create a much-needed asset to
The primary product offered is a black Tthis eastern North Carolina town.
shirt inscribed with,“30% of suicides are
He wants to open up a teen center. His
LGBT related. I refuse to be a statistic.”
motivation is to battle as a gay teen the isolaSilberstein also offers T-shirts and hats suption he experienced growing up.
porting other issues important to the LGBT
According to Carlton Purvis, a reporter
community, such as school safety and answerwith The East Carolinian who wrote in his
ing religious condemnation of homosexuality.
story,“From Stonewall to Greenville,”
The shirts are sold for $15-$30 each. Ten
“Greenville’s gay community is using formulas
percent of profits will help The Trevor Project
reminiscent of the civil rights movement of
Suicide Hotline, the only national suicide hotthe ’50s and ’60s. The 20-something crowd is
line targeted specifically towards LGBT youth.
the catalyst and there’s no shortage of public
The rest of the proceeds will be used to supdemonstrations.”
port the independent publication of
In recent times, Boyette led the April 17
Silberstein's LGBT teen-oriented novel,
March on Silence from College Hill to the cam“Shades of Gay,” in May 2010.
pus mall. This practicing Christian is more
Silberstein is planning several events
worried about the school board and radical
intended to lower the suicide rate among
Christian groups and how they might become
LGBT adolescents.A candlelight vigil and dina stumbling block to his dream. He feels that
ner in honor of Harvey Milk’s birthday was
the climate at ECU is becoming more open.
held in May.
Facebook has become a vehicle for Boyette to
“Whether or not you are participating in
get his message across.He is soliciting commuan event, please buy a T-shirt today and wear
nity-based ideas there.Already there are over 200
it with pride,” Silberstein says.“Chances are
on the list.He hopes to have a gay rights movement books section at the center.There is also an
see next page >
8
that there’s a young person in your life who
needs to see its message. If each of us can just
encourage one person to keep living, the day
will come when there are no more people
killing themselves because of who they are.”
For more information, email
[email protected] or
visit www.cafepress.
com/shadesofgay, www.squidoo.com/shadesofgay and/or www.thetrevorproject.org.
TRIANGLE
Local awareness raised
CHAPEL HILL — On June 12, Chapel Hill
students came together to show their support
for LGBT rights in the first ever Boomtown
showcase at Rooftop, reported Equality NC
(ENC) intern Graham Hunter. The rock and
hip-hop concert, organized by college students
Alison Bryan and Jonathan Gedney, was
designed to spread awareness of important
social issues (this year’s theme being LGBT
rights) as well as promote local musical talent.
Ticket sales from the concert were donated to
Equality NC and Lambda Legal.
Around 60 attended the event.
In addition to fund-raising, the event provided a opportunity to spread the good word
about ENC and its efforts with the School
Violence Prevention Act. Many attendees had
never heard of ENC, but were very supportive
of the cause.“A few individuals were shocked
that North Carolina did not already have such
anti-bullying legislation on the books, which
only goes to show the greater need for visibility and information.At the end of the night, we
C A R O L I N A
[ENC] had a few more postcards to add to our
already expansive number and, hopefully, a
few more allies,” Hunter commented.
The Boomtown showcase was a venue by
the youth, for the youth. The most rewarding
part of the night was to see youth actively confronting social problems and working toward
greater understanding and equality. The
notion of ‘change’ (like its conservative cousin,
‘maverick’) may be a hackneyed phrase by
now, but I have to believe that its frequent use
only highlights its necessity,” Hunter added.
“As the struggle for LGBT rights extends
into the coming years, today’s youth must be
willing to take up the mantle of their forebearers. The fight for tomorrow’s change starts
today. Boomtown showed that a growing
number of youth are becoming more involved
in LGBT issues and are willing to fight for that
change,” he concluded.
CAMPUS SCENE
Take it, shake it, do it!
STATEWIDE — Campus Pride needs your
input. They are currently conducting their
National LGBT College Climate Survey online.
Participate and win an chance at a free RSVP
cruise or $500 cash. This is open to LGBT students, faculty, staff and administrators. It’s
totally confidential.
The National LGBT College Climate Survey
is a comprehensive assessment to document
annually the experiences of students, faculty,
staff and administrators who identify as LGBT
at America's colleges and universities. The survey is conducted through the Q Research
Institute for Higher Education owned and operated by Campus Pride.The annual assessment
examines emerging issues, trends and changing
demographics of LGBT people in higher education. The Research Director is Dr. Susan R.
Rankin of The Pennsylvania State University
and Associate Research Director is Dr.Warren J.
Blumenfeld of The Iowa State University.
This project is approved by the Office of
Research Protections at The Pennsylvania
State University.
Visit www.campuspride.org/research by
June 30 to join in.
Next, mark your calendar for the “A New
Benchmark: Successful Policies, Programs
Practices for Supporting LGBT Students”
webinar on July 9 from 1-3 p.m. It focuses on
how to create a welcoming and supportive college environment for LGBT students.
To sign up, visit www.innovativeeducators.
org/retention_p/701.htm.
Campus Pride will host its third annual
Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp
from July 21-26 geared toward LGBT and ally
student leaders from colleges and universities
across the United States. The five-day-long
leadership camp, is the only national program
of its kind, and will take place on the campus
of Towson University in Towson, Md.
It will bestow a new award at Camp called
surprisingly a “Campy.” This award recognizes
special individuals and organizations that
have demonstrated outstanding service and
contributions to Campus Pride. This summer
Shelly Weiss of OUTmedia and Patrick Davis
of Patrick Davis Partners will receive a Campy
recognizing their unique roles supporting the
Campus Pride mission to give “voice and
action” to LGBT and ally youth. In addition,
five longstanding Campus Pride volunteers
will be recognized for their ongoing support of
camp: Christopher Bylone, C.M. Hall, Jessica
Pettitt, Michael Shutt and Lisa Simmons.
Weiss is the owner and founder of
OUTmedia, a leading queer cultural activist
organization and social enterprise.
Davis is the owner and founder of Patrick
Davis Partners.
The five Campus Pride volunteers
Christopher Bylone, C.M. Hall, Jessica Pettitt,
Michael Shutt and Lisa Simmons were on the
original team who helped plan and implement
the first-ever Campus Pride Summer
Leadership Camp in 2007. Each individual has
demonstrated volunteer service beyond expectations building Campus Pride programs and
services over the last three to four years.
“Campus Pride has witnessed tremendous
success with our programs and services,
growing very quickly over the years with limited monies. The first ‘Campys’ are going to
those individuals and organizations who
believed in us and made this success a reality,”
said Shane Windmeyer, executive director of
Campus Pride.“We are fortunate, especially in
these hard economic times, to have these volunteers commit their time and energy.”
Any college student 18 years old or above
may attend camp. Registration is due by July 6.
To register, sponsor or for more information, email visit [email protected] or visit
www.CampusPride.org. Q
info: Announce your community event in NC News Notes.
email: [email protected].
9
P R I D E
0 9
P O L I T I C S
A June full of Pride
From east to west and on down
south, Prides across the Carolinas
From the eastern tip of the Tar Heel State
to its western mountainy edge, and from the
Upstate of South Carolina to its capital city,
Columbia, the Carolinas saw plenty of Pride
activity in mid-June.
Wilmington
In Wilmington, about a dozen
vendors set up shop during the
OutWilmington Pride street festival on Water St., near the historic
Cape Fear River, on June 13. That
evening, approximately 900 community members filled the Hilton
Wilmington Riverfront’s grand
ballroom to hear Someone’s Sister
and drag legend RuPaul perform.
OutWilmington Pride Festival
sponsors included the Hilton
Wilmington Riverside, encore
magazine, TransCon Travel
International, WHQR 91.3 and QNotes.
Boone
LGBT mountaineers joined together in a
Pridewalk down Boone’s Main St. on June 13
and a popular dance on that night.
High Country Pride spokesman Gordon
Hensley told Q-Notes that the group had yet
to have their “post mortem” meeting; num-
Sartain announces Raleigh
council run
bers on attendance weren’t available. Hensley
said the group’s Saturday night dance at the
Broyhill Conference Center, usually their
most popular event, again attracted large
numbers of people.
Hensley said the group was happy with its
name change this year. The June 13-14 festivities marked the first time Boone Pride was
known as High Country Pride.
Second openly gay city council
candidate in state this year
Another openly gay man has announced his
intention to run for a city council office in North
Carolina.Lee Sartain,a Charlotte native and N.C.
State University alumnus,made the announcement in early June.He’s running to fill one of two
at-large seats on the Raleigh City Council.
In a telephone interview with Q-Notes,
Sartain, 28, said his primary campaign issue
Equality NC and PFLAG were two of a dozen vendors at the
OutWilmington Pride street festival on June 13.
High Country Pride worked with several
local businesses,Appalachian State University,
the school’s two LGBT student groups and
others to make the event a success.
Upstate Pride
Spartanburg’s LGBT community held its
first-ever Pride parade and festival on June 20.
Area news stations reported attendance at
300-400, although pastor Randy Besta of The
Upstate Church told Q-Notes that the attendance could have been as high as 700. Despite
the presence of about 100 anti-gay protesters,
the events went off without incident.
Columbia
South Carolina Black Pride was held June
18-21, featuring several events including
receptions and parties, a community expo, a
day-long seminar of HIV/AIDS among MSM
of color and more.
On June 18, Columbia Mayor Bob Coble
appeared at the group’s opening reception
and addressed the crowd. It was the mayor’s
second annual visit to the city’s Black Gay
Pride festivities. Q
Lee Sartain is running for an at-large
seat on the Raleigh City Council.
will focus on economic development. He
wants to create a “Raleigh Innovation and
Technology Zone.”
“It’s trying to basically take pre-existing
technological space and doing a more concentrated effort around creating the [Research
Triangle Park] of 2009 in downtown Raleigh.”
He says such a “tech zone” — what he
calls a “downtown renaissance” — would
both mirror and complement the success of
the Research Park.
Sartain also wants to focus on building
more comprehesive public transportion.
“The difference between Charlotte and
Raleigh is that our regional transportation is
split between three counties,” he said.“There
has not been any major success getting the
commuter rail up and running. If they can’t
come up with a reasonable plan, Raleigh
10
needs to do it on its own.”
Neighborhood development and several
other local government issues round out
Sartain’s campaign focuses.
Sartain will be the second openly gay man
running for a city council seat in this election
season. Owen Sutkowski announced his candidacy for Charlotte City Council in late May.
Mark Kleinschmidt, currently a member of
the Chapel Hill Town Council, is also running
for mayor there.
But Sartain wants to be known for more
than his sexual orientation.
“I’m not particularly keen on being called
the ‘gay candidate,’” Lee Sartain, a 2009 city
council candidate in Raleigh, told Q-Notes.
In today’s time, Sartain said, gay and lesbian
people actually have a chance to run for office
and make a difference on a range of issues other
than those pertaining to the LGBT community.
“One of the things that strikes me in 2009,
is that if you look back over history and you
look back to Harvey Milk — that was 30 years
ago and he was the gay candidate,” Sartain
said.“In 2009, you are not the gay candidate.
You are just a candidate. I don’t necessarily
think it is helpful for the community to run as
the gay candidate. If you are, you might not
even get my vote.”
Sartain said he’s always been involved in
public service.“This is certainly a way to be
involved in a more significant way,” he said of
his campaign.
“A lot of people have it in their minds that
maybe they want to run for office, but they
never take that next step to do it,” he said.
“They get involved in lobbying and the legislative process, but they don’t take that leap and
put themselves out there as a candidate.”
Sartain worked for the Friday Institute for
Educational Innovation, a part of the College
of Education at N.C. State University. He is a
member of the Wake County Library
Commission and is active in the life of his two
churches,White Memorial Presbyterian and
Pullen Memorial Baptist.
In the past, he’s served in various church
roles, including a stint as interim minister of
young adults.As a student at N.C. State
University, Sartain worked with the school’s
LGBT student organization. Q
info: www.sartainforraleigh.com
11
R E G I O N A L
WNCAP launches new AIDS
media campaign
PSAs, posters to build awareness
The Western North Carolina AIDS Project
(WNCAP) has launched and is currently running a bold, new media campaign to combat
HIV/AIDS stigma in Western North Carolina.
The “I Need You to Know” campaign will
raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and how
they affect everyone in the community.
WNCAP says stigma can act as a barrier to
prevention and treatment. They say communicable disease experts cite stigma as a reason
why people fail to get tested, afraid that having
others know about their infection might lead
to rejection from family and friends.
“It took a couple of months before I told my
sisters,” WNCAP client Shirley Goode said in
the release.“They didn’t want me around at all.
My niece had just had my great-nephew. I didn’t get to see him until he was four years old.”
WNCAP says that HIV/AIDS stigma is
worse in the South, particularly in rural areas
like Western North Carolina. They hope their
new media campaign will help to jumpstart
prevention and show ostracized or fearful
HIV-positive men, women and
youth how much support they
do have from their surrounding community.
The campaign features several video PSAs and posters,
all proclaiming,“i need u2
know,” and,“It’s time to end
HIV/AIDS stigma in WNC.”
WNCAP hopes to gather
5,000 signatures from community members on statements of support such as,
“People living with HIV/AIDS
deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” and,“People living with
HIV/AIDS deserve unconditional love from
their families.”
The statements of support can be signed
electronically or downloaded and printed at
WNCAP’s special “I Need You to Know” media
campaign website at www.wncap.org/iknow.
There you can also view the four video PSAs,
which are currently airing on Charter Cable
channels across Western North Carolina. Q
info: www.wncap.org/iknow
Spaulding honored
Durham, N.C.-based blogger Pam
Spaulding has been honored with an award
from the Women’s Media Center.
Spaulding, who operates the acclaimed progressive LGBT blog PamsHouseBlend.com, was
one of 11 female journalists and media personalities honored at a reception held June 17 at the
Women’s Media Center offices in New York City.
The “blogmistress,” as she calls herself, was
one of two online journalists honored. Other
honorees included CNN’s Christiane
Amanpour, Rebecca Traister of Salon.com,
news commentator Rachel Maddow, singer
Dolly Parton and actress Tina Fey.
Women’s Media Center co-founder Gloria
Steinem presented the award and thanked
Spaulding for “creating a website that gives the
LGBT community a strong and (sic) voice and
a center of action.”
Spaulding, always humble, took the time to
thank and honor her readers.“Without my
readers, I am just another voice out in the
wilderness on the digital space,” she said.
Spaulding is the recipient of the 2006
Distinguished Achievement Award from the
Manatt Horowitz Trust. She is on the board of
The Institute of Southern Studies and also
serves on its Media Advisory Group. Her blog
is ranked among the top 50 progressive political blogs on the internet and has been honored as the “Best LGBT Blog” by the 2005 and
2006 Weblog Awards.
Spaulding currently contributes to or has
12
written for a number of other progressive blogs
including Pandagon.net,Americablog,
Firedoglake and The Bilerico Project.In the past,
she has written for The Independent Weekly and
currently writes a column for The Durham News.
Spaulding lives in Durham with her wife
Kate, legally married in Vancouver in 2004, and
their two dogs. She works as an information
Pam Spaulding
technology manager at Duke University Press.
Read Spaulding’s brief on her visit to New
York City and watch video from the Women’s
Media Center awards ceremony at
www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11531/. Q
— by Matt Comer . Q-Notes staff
13
J U N E
2 7 - 2 8 ,
1 9 6 9
-
S T O N E W A L L
4 0 T H
A N N I V E R S A R Y
Timeless Pride
A two-part history timeline of the LGBT Carolinas
exQlusive
he history of the LGBT community is a tough subject
to study. The community has been oppressed and
maligned for so long, that much of the history is forgotten. In most schools, LGBT youth never learn about the legendary
events and people who helped to shape the queer community, the
entire nation and its political and social landscape.
The story of LGBT people is nothing less than a truly American
story — it is a part of the fabric that makes this nation great.And, it
shouldn’t be forgotten.
From archived issues of The Front Page, Q-Notes, Lambda and
other sources, Q-Notes staff compiled this two-part Carolinas LGBT
history. Part One, below, traces our community’s successs, setbacks,
sorrows and joys from 1971 — two years after the Stonewall Riots
— through 1986. Part Two, to be published in our July 11 print issue,
will explore history from 1987 to the present.
T
1971 — North Carolina native Bob Bland moves back to his
home state from New York and founds the Triangle Gay Alliance. He
and others rent a home for the group, which acts as an early social,
activism and support organization for LGBTs across the state.
Fall 1973 — Concerns about the growing organizing by the “Gay
Liberation Movement” by students on University of North CarolinaGreensboro campus prompt the chancellor to seek advice on the
matter from the UNC System president.
1974 — Phillip Pendleton and Jim Baxter, future Front Page
editor and publisher, establish the Guilford Gay Alliance on the campus of Guilford College and an off-campus group, the Greensboro
Gay Alternatives.
February 1974 — The Carolina Gay Association, the gay student
group at the University of
North Carolina-Chapel
Hill is established. It is
the first such group in
North Carolina and
among the oldest LGBT
student organizations in
the nation.
November 1974 —
Students at the UNCGreensboro organize a
gay student organization
unaffiliated with the
school.
1975 – North
Carolina’s first gay newspaper, The Free Press, is
published in Charlotte.
The first issue of The Front Page
1975 — The first gay
published on Oct. 25, 1979.
church in Charlotte is
formed by a non-parochial Catholic priest, Friar Bruce Wood.
1976 – St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church in Raleigh
is founded.
April 1976 — The first annual Southeastern Gay Conference is held
by UNC-Chapel Hill’s Carolina Gay Association.
August 1976 — The first issue of Lambda, the newsletter of the
Carolina Gay Association at UNC-Chapel Hill is published. It is the
nation’s oldest, student-run, LGBT publication.
1977 — A local chapter of Dignity, a gay Catholic organization, is
formed. Later, the group morphs into the more inclusive Acceptance.
1978 — The Gay Academic Union, a social and professional
organization for LGBTs in Greensboro is established.
October 1979 — The first meeting of the fully-University-affiliated Gay Student Union is held.Alumni and students protest the
school’s decision to recognize the group through virulently anti-gay
letters to the university and letters to the editor in the daily
Greensboro newspaper.
Oct. 25, 1979 — The first issue of The Front Page is published
in Raleigh.
Dec. 9, 1979 — Thirty-five men and women meet in Raleigh for
14
the first-ever meeting of the Triangle Area Gay
Communication and Planning Committee.
December 1979 — A group of 21 gay men and
lesbians meet in Winston-Salem and begin steps to
organize a gay support group.
May 1980 — The Raleigh chapter of the
National Organization for Women (N.O.W.) votes to
back and present a resolution on gay rights at the
statewide Democratic convention. The resolution is A Pride march is held in Durham for the second time ever in 1986.
never presented.
Front Page file photo by Jenny LaBalme.
March 31, 1980 — LGBT community members
cial recognition from the university. The complaint is filed as a
and members of the Metropolitan Community Church protest Jerry
civil rights violation in U.S. District Court. A federal judge later
Falwell’s “I Love America” rally in Columbia.
rules in favor of the organization and they are granted official
June 2, 1980 — The White House, a gay bar in Myrtle Beach, is
university recognition.
torched after receiving harassing phone calls and a bomb threat two
March 27, 1983 — Nineteen Democratic Party activists gather in
days prior. The bar had only been in operation for a week.
Chapel Hill to establish the group, Lesbian and Gay Democrats of
Fall 1980 — Students at Western Carolina University in
North Carolina.
Cullowhee establish their Gay Students Association. Shortly thereJune 28, 1983 — On the 14th anniversary of the Stonewall
after they battle their student government over a loss of student
Riots, The Front Page newspaper’s entire front page of news, for the
organization funding.
first time, is devoted to coverage of the AIDS outbreak. At the time,
1981 — Queen City Quordinators, a group of LGBT community
13 cases has been reported in North Carolina, including seven
members and leaders in Charlotte, is established by gay activist Don
dead victims of the disease, and three cases had been reported in
King and lesbian activist Billie Stickell.
South Carolina.
1981 — Metropolitan Community Church congregations are
July 12, 1983 — A second issue of The Front Page devotes its
founded in Charleston and Charlotte.
entire front page of news to “The AIDS Crisis,” the first time the
April 15, 1981 — One man is killed and three others are injured
phrase appears prominently in the newspaper. The paper
in a gay bashing at a popular gay sunbathing and swimming locaincludes an eight-page Charlotte Observer “special report” on
tion on the Little River near Durham. Two men in their 20s are
AIDS as an insert. The reported number of cases nationwide
arrested and charged with murder. One man is later found guilty
rises to close to 2,000.
of second degree murder. The other
October 1983 — Q-Notes,
pleads guilty to involuntary
at the time a newsletter of
manslaughter in exchange for his
Queen City Quordinators,
cooperation and testimony against
reports on the first case of
the other.
AIDS in Charlotte.
May 5, 1981 — Charlotte Boys
Nov. 7-11, 1983 — News
Choir accompanist John George is
station WECT-TV broadcasts
forced to resign from his position
a five-part series on
after appearing on a local WPCQ
Wilmington’s gay community.
News Channel 36 news special,
December 1983 —
“Charlotte’s Closet: Charlotte Gays.”
New Life Metropolitan
May 13, 1981 — New rules
Community Church in
established by the High Point, N.C.,
Charlotte is established.
Housing Authority bar gay and lesFebruary 1984 — UNCbian couples, as well as unmarried
Chapel Hill’s student governheterosexual couples, from qualiment passes a resolution callfying for public housing.
ing for a ban on discriminaJune 27, 1981 — “Our Day Out,”
tion on the basis of sexual
the first gay Pride
orientation in the activities
The Front Page cover on July 12, 1983. parade in North
The first tabloid newsprint issue of student organizations.
of Q-Notes, June 1986.
Carolina, is held in Durham. The mayor of Durham attends.
April 10, 1984 — The
Aug. 25, 1981 — Bob Hoy, an openly gay graduate student at N.C.
Front Page continues its coverage of the growing AIDS Crisis, as
State University, announces his candidacy for the Raleigh City
South Carolina ranks seventh and North Carolina ranks eighteenth
Council. He is later defeated in a primary, garnering only three perin AIDS cases nationwide.
cent of the vote.
May 1984 — Joe Herzenberg, a formerly closeted Chapel Hill
September 1981 — Charleston’s LAMBDA, a counseling, health,
Town Council member, is elected as an openly gay delegate to the
legal referral and social organization is established.
Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.
Oct. 1, 1981 — The first issue of The Newsletter for lesbian
August 1984 — A Naval Investigative Service inquiry in
women is published in Durham.
Charleston leads to possible infiltration of gay clubs and bars.
Oct. 2, 1981 — Openly gay Lightning A. Brown files to run for
NIS requests the membership roster of Charleston’s Metropolitan
Chapel Hill Town Council. His partner, Joe Herzenberg is closeted at
Community Church. The pastor refuses the request.
the time and is seeking re-election to an appointed council position.
September 1984 — An openly gay Republican running for the
Both are unsuccessful in the primary.
Washington, D.C., City Council withdraws from the race after the
Winter 1981 — Students at the University of South Carolina in
Gay Activists Alliance declines to endorse him. A primary reason
Columbia establish their Gay Students Association.
in the endorsement decision is the Republican’s backing out of a
Sept. 28, 1982 — The Front Page reports on a “baffling illness”
gay speaking engagement in North Carolina, due to pressure
primarily affecting gay men and surfacing in the Chapel Hill area.
from the Republican National Committee.
Known as GRID, or gay-related immunodeficiency, at the time,
Fall 1985 — Six gay men found Metrolina AIDS Project in Charlotte.
more than 500 cases had been reported nationwide.
see History on 20
Dec. 8, 1982 — USC’s Gay Students Association sues for offi-
15
Audiophile:
So not gay
page 22
Inside the halls
of power
Gays and lesbians have served the
Carolinas well
In the 1980s, the chances for any openly
gay man or lesbian woman wining an election
to public office were pretty much slim-tonone. That didn’t stop scores of gay and lesbian North Carolinians from throwing their
hat into the ring and giving it a shot.
With this year’s candidacies of openly gay
Mark Kleinschmidt for Chapel Hill mayor, Lee
Sartain for Raleigh City Council and Owen
Sutkowski for Charlotte City Council, LGBT
Carolinians’ attention has turned to queer politics and the history of the trailblazers who
came before our modern day politicos.
Kleinschmidt, Sartain and Sutkowski have
a wealth of LGBT political history preceding
them. They stand on the successes, failures,
lessons and legacies of the brave men and
women who came before them.
Bob and Lightning
On August 25, 1981, openly gay N.C. State
University graduate student Bob Hoy filed to
run for the Raleigh City Council where just a
generation before, arch-conservative Jesse
Helms held office.
Hoy was ultimately
unsuccessful. Even
The Front Page,
North Carolina’s
most comprehensive gay and lesbian newspaper at
the time, said Hoy
wasn’t a “serious
contender.”
The Front Page’s
writers changed
their tune when
Lightning A. Brown Joe Herzenberg in 1991.
came onto the scene, extolling his abilities and
platform. Just weeks after Hoy filed to run in
Raleigh, Brown filed to run for the Chapel Hill
Town Council.
Come election day, neither Hoy nor Brown
won. Hoy picked up only three percent of the
vote in his primary. Brown picked up more
than 1,400 votes in his primary, but ultimately
failed to capture the 2,100 votes required to
continue on to the general election.
Hoy’s and Brown’s candidacies are likely
the first openly gay candidacies for public
office in the Carolinas.
16
next issue
Queerly faithful
Timeless Pride
July 11, 2009
A look at the Carolinas’ MCCs
Part two of Q-Notes’ LGBT Carolinas history
www.q-notes.com/qliving • QNotes
‘The Mayor of
Franklin St.’
Brown’s partner,
Joseph Herzenberg, would
go down in history.At the
same time Brown was
fighting for his chance to
become Chapel Hill’s first
openly gay town councilman, Herzenberg — not
yet out — lost his chance
to continue serving on the Julia Boseman speaks at an Equality North Carolina legislative panel with General Assembly colleagues
council.
Rep. Susan Fisher (D-Buncombe) and Rep. Paul Luebke (D-Durham).
Herzenberg had run for
Photo Credit: Equality NC
the council before.In 1979,
he was narrowly defeated.
council campaign of Republican Jim Soukup.
Orange County Board of Commissioners.
He was later appointed to the council when
In 1987, Sheets entered the Charlotte
In 2007, Nelson announced his intention to
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill student
political scene as a candidate himself, runseek election to the N.C. Senate. Ultimately, he
Gerry Cohen resigned.Trying to keep that seat in
ning in the at-large primary race for Charlotte
decided not to run after incumbent Democrat
1981,Herzenberg barely missed the mark,losing
City Council.
Ellie Kinnaird reversed her decision to retire.
his seat in the same primary election that saw
While there was no hiding the fact that
If he had run and been successful, Nelson
his partner’s defeat.
Sheets was openly gay,
would have become
That didn’t stop Joe. In
he wasn’t too keen on
the state’s second
1987, he ran again and
the idea of being comopenly gay or leswon, becoming the state’s
pletely open.
bian member of the
first openly gay elected
Q-Notes reported,“He
legislature.
official. Serving until 1993,
said that asked whether
Nelson’s former
Herzenberg was instruhe is gay, he will reply,
partner, Mark
mental in political organiz‘Would you ask such a
Kleinschmidt, who is
ing statewide and was a
damaging question of all
running for Chapel
co-founder of the Equality
candidates?’”
Hill mayor, is in his
North Carolina Political
Sheets came in last
second term on the
Action Committee.
against five other
town’s council. First
Mike Nelson
He died of complicaDemocrats in the 1987
elected in 2001,
tions from diabetes at the
race.He tried once more in
Kleinschmidt will
age of 66 on Oct. 28, 2007.
1989,again unsuccessfully.
become the state’s
Queen City politico
Liberal Triangle
third openly gay
Robert Sheets, a presiNorth Carolina’s
mayor if successful
dent of the 1980s-era Queen
Triangle — home to some
this fall.
City Quordinators (once the
of the state’s most liberal
Right outside of
non-profit publishers of Qcities and towns — have
the hustle and bustle
Notes), was no newcomer to
given the Carolinas a stew
of the inner Triangle
the political arena.
of most of its openly gay
area, openly gay Elic
Q-Notes’ September 1987 article elected leaders.
As a child, Sheets
Senter was elected
on Sheets’ first run for Charlotte
watched his mother serve
Mike Nelson, elected
mayor of small town
City Council
Mark Kleinschmidt Franklinton, N.C., in
on the Charleston,W.Va.,
in 1993 to the Carrboro
City Council for 12 years. He served on the
Board of Aldermen, became the state’s first
2007.A former teacher at West Forsyth High
Kanawha County (W.Va.) Democratic
openly gay mayor in 1995. He served five
School in Winston-Salem, Senter moved back
Executive Committee for six years and ran
consecutive terms before moving to
to his hometown of Franklinton to accept a
unsuccessfully for county commissioner.After
Hillsborough and running successfully for
position teaching at Wakefield High School in
moving to Charlotte, Sheets managed the city
see Served on 21
his current office as a member of the
Q - L I V I N G
Community mourns loss
Judith Cantor leaves legacy
by Lainey Millen . Q-Notes staff
Judith “Judy” Cantor died on June 16 unexpectedly in Raleigh. She was 60.A life cut
short as always by a directional sign that says,
exit here. However, without having left her
without a cause, Death was not able to keep
her from leaving her mark on the landscape
of life by being an active member of the
Triangle LGBT community and its associated organizations.
You see, I had known Judy all my life.We
grew up together in Johnson City, Tenn. Our
families were intertwined through life at the
synagogue, playtime, friendship and more. I
always remember her with that big, bright,
infectious smile. She was forever excited
about life and what it had to offer.And,
she embraced humor enthusiastically as well.
Her parents were poised, welleducated, articulate and demanding.All this set a stage for Judy’s
thirst for life and learning. Forever
the achiever, her grit and determination led her to excellence. This
Volunteer State native mentor and friend lived
by three “Ts” — teaching, tenaciousness and
trustworthiness — always. She was someone
you could count on in good times or bad. She
was a rare composite of professional, strong,
caring and kind qualities plus more.
She attended Science Hill High School her
first year, but chose to finish her teen years at
Interlochen Center for the Arts High School in
Michigan.
Afterward, she spent a year abroad in
Israel and then returned to attend the
University of Tennessee and Syracuse
University before earning her BA in Business
from Baruch College in New York. She
obtained her CPA and continued to work in
accounting throughout her lifetime.
In N.Y., she was an active member of the
National Organization for Women, Salute to
Israel and other groups.
Judy decided to venture back south and
founded The Computer Lab in Morrisville
with her life partner, Kathe Rauche. The Lab
afforded hundreds of students with the opportunity to earn computer job certifications.
Let no stone sit quietly. She returned to college to earn her Masters in Accounting at North
18
Carolina State University (NCSU), then headed
north to Baltimore, Md., for a year. The south
called again. This time she returned to teach
accounting at her alma mater. Just recently, she
had secured a post at Peace College and was
working on another Masters degree through
the College of Engineering at NCSU.
Judy loved music. I can
remember visiting her
home when family
members would take
out some sort of instrument to play in the living room. Oh, those
were great years. Her
eyes would glow with a
sparkle as the melodies
rose. In recent years
she played bass
clarinet for the
Durham
Community
Concert Band, as
well as the North
Carolina Pride
Concert Band.
Again, stones
needed moving
and she was quick to do so as a member of
Strong Women Organizing Outrageous
Projects (SWOOP).
Back to her teaching roots, she tutored
Adult Basic Education. Just another way Judy
gave to the world so that others could achieve.
Most recently, she was on the steering
committee to help start the Raleigh Business
& Professional Network. Project SAFE training
was among her credentials through the NCSU
GLBT Center where she attended programs
and events, as well as hung out to share stories
with the students and others, said Director
Justine Hollingshead.
Judy is preceded in death by her father,
Bernard. Survivors are her mother, Evelyn of
Raleigh; life partner, Kathe Rauche; sisters
Susanna Cantor and husband Dave Caldwell of
Raleigh and Abigail Cantor and husband Dr.
Alan Kalker of Madison,Wisc.
Contributions may be made in Judy’s
memory to Interlochen Center for the Arts,
P.O. Box 199, Interlochen, MI 49643-0199,
North Carolina Pride Marching Band, P.O. Box
72122, Durham NC 27722-2122 or the Food
Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina,
3808 Tarheel Dr., Raleigh, NC 27609. Q
Q - L I V I N G
T-Notes
nity and those who espouse
a Human Rights Campaign
paradigm, the record bears
by Robbi Cohn . Contributing Writer
re-examination. This friction is not new. Seeds had
been planted early on after
assimilationist-oriented
The “hairpin drop heard round the world”
Mattachine made efforts to marginalize Sylvia
— that is how New York’s Mattachine Society,
Rivera, Marsha Johnson and others during the
and others, 40 years ago described the June
first annual Christopher Street Reminders
28, 1969, events at Stonewall, a gay and queen
commemorating Stonewall.
bar in the heart of Greenwich Village.
The rest of the history has been marked by
The name “Stonewall” has come to symalternating carrots and sticks delivered from
bolize the beginning of gay activism and, in
well-organized and well-funded gay activists to
fact, spawned the Gay Liberation Front (GLF).
trans folk whose efforts to organize were never
In actuality, however, Stonewall was not the
even modestly funded. The latest carrot was Joe
first encounter between persons we now
Solmonese’s address at the Southern Comfort
describe as gender diverse and the authoriConvention in September 2007. The latest stick
ties/status quo. Dewey’s Lunch Counter in
was the subsequent ditching of trans inclusivity
Philadelphia and Compton’s Cafeteria in San
in ENDA voting in October 2007.
Francisco both saw incidents wherein drag
At the heart of the 1960s conflicts —
queens — or transvestites, as they were often
Dewey’s, Compton’s and Stonewall — was the
termed in the vernacular of the ’60s — were
matter of gender transgression.At the heart of
at odds with management and the local
the friction between Mattachine and New York
police. Dewey’s occurred in 1965 and was
City queens, as well as between HRC and
more or less subdued; Compton’s in 1966, on
modern trans-activists, was and is the same
the other hand, has been described as more
issue.And, this was generally the modus
violent. Both predated Stonewall by better
operandus the authorities used to raid gay
than three years.And, both were organized by
bars and attack non-normative gender expresindividuals who violated normative gender
sion back in the 1960s. Remember, this was a
presentation, as was the case with Stonewall.
time of a burgeoning counter-culture, a loosThere have been divergent accounts of what
ening of sexual mores and the presentation of
actually happened at Stonewall: who did what
a new paradigm. Peace and Love. Drugs, Sex
and who should be credited with the riots and
and Rock and Roll.And, Gender Diversity.
their historic place as a “watershed”event?
The predominantly conservative generaPostulated as protagonists were queens,
tion — the parents and grandparents of the
gays, lesbians, or, all the above. Because there
Sexual Revolution’s proponents — saw their
has been “friction” between the trans commu-
Déjà vu all over again
world crumbling around them. Laws were
either enacted or resurrected to keep this
groundswell from spreading and gender
transgressors were summarily arrested and
bullied by the police. One of these laws, extant
in New York City, as well as similar ordinances
in many other metropolitan centers, required
persons to be wearing at least three garments
common to their birth genders.Violation of
this proviso meant arrest for disturbing the
peace and a few other statutes, and a night in
jail in the “transvestite” tank.
The summer of 1969 was one of social
upheaval: Vietnam protests, racial tension;
hippies, black panthers, weathermen and feminists all calling attention to societal
inequities. Upon pressure from party heavies,
and contrary to what the gay community
expected, liberal Republican Mayor John
Lindsay allowed police inspector Seymour
Pine unfettered power to subdue the gay and
queen community, specifically the mafia-run
bars, using as pretext the so-called “three item
clothing” ordinance, as well as the absence of
liquor licenses by gangland owners.
Stonewall was raided more than once, as
were other bars. Stonewall was a favorite, however, and a “perfect storm” was brewing: An
era of dramatically changing values meets a
stubborn status quo in a politically and culturally charged New York City during the
extraordinary heat wave that had taken control that summer.
A Mattachine mindset which emphasized
assimilation mirrored the cultural myopia
espoused by the status quo. Both refused to recsee T-Notes on 20
19
Q - L I V I N G
Q - L I V I N G
History
Served well
from page 15
from page 17
Fall 1985 — Five organizations in the Greensboro,
Winston-Salem and High Point area charter the Triad Gay
and Lesbian Network. Richard Gray and LGBT historian
John D’Emilio are elected as the group’s first officers.
October 1985 — Project H.O.P.E., an HIV/AIDS service
organization, is established in Asheville. The group
changes its name to Western North Carolina AIDS Project
in summer 1986.
1986 — Charlotte’s first PFLAG chapter is established.
Feb. 4, 1986 — Piedmont Gay and Lesbian
Association, the LGBT student group at Clemson
University, claims they are being censored after editors
prohibit the group from placing advertising in The Tiger,
Clemson’s student newspaper.
June 1986 — Queen City Quordinators establishes QNotes as a monthly print newspaper and the first issue is
published, after an almost three-year run as the organization’s newsletter.
Summer 1986 — Triad Health Project is established in
Greensboro to combat the HIV/AIDS crisis there.
July 25, 1986 — For the first time in Charlotte, media is
allowed unrestricted access to cover an LGBT community
event.WSOC-TV,WBTV and The Charlotte Observer covered
the 105-person demonstration “American Vigil for Truth and
Decency” in response to a Charlotte visit by anti-gay
researcher Paul Cameron.
Dec. 22, 1986 — The first local cable show in Charlotte
about gays and lesbians airs its first episode on a public
access channel. The “Gay/Lesbian Forum” was produced
by activist and Q-Notes editor Don King’s Closet Buster
Productions. Q
— Information compiled from the public archives of
The Front Page, Q-Notes and the University of North
Carolina-Chapel Hill GLBTSA’s Lambda.
Raleigh. He now works as an education consultant with the
North Carolina Association of Educators Center for Teaching
and Learning. His position as mayor is the first elected office
he’s ever held.
Moving and shaking
One might think having an openly lesbian member of the
State Senate would make the good ol’ boys in Raleigh shake
in their boots. Nope. They just keep pouring out the same old
bigotry they always have.
But, that doesn’t dissuade Sen. Julia Boseman (D-New
Hanover). First elected to the Senate in 2004, Boseman is
the state’s first openly gay or lesbian member of the
General Assembly. She didn’t waste anytime getting to
work for the people of her district. The North Carolina
Center for Public Policy Research ranked her the 20th
most effective senator out of 50 in her freshman year and
said she was the second most effective freshman legislator
in the 28-year history of their research.
This session, Boseman has taken on the responsibility of
being the leading proponent of the School Violence
Prevention Act, opening her to personal criticism from radical, right-wing colleagues.
In a House committee hearing on the bill on June 16,
Republican Minority Leader Skip Stam of Wake County said
same-sex parents were “more dangerous that second-hand
smoke.” He said protecting gay students would lead to the
protection of pedophilia and gay marriage.All this in front of
Boseman and her six-year-old son, who were both attending
the committee hearing.
Prior to her election to the Senate, Boseman served one
four-year term on the New Hanover Board of
Commissioners.
Making history in the Palmetto State
Nick Shalosky was only 21 when he was elected to the
Charleston County Constituent School Board in 2008.
Noticing no one had filed to fill the vacant seat in his district,
Shalosky initiated a successful write-in campaign. His decision to take action and responsibility on behalf of his district
made him the first-ever openly gay or lesbian elected official
in the history of South Carolina politics.
At the same time, lesbian philanthropist Linda Ketner
was vying for her chance to lead South Carolina’s First
Congressional District. Her long battle against incumbent
Republican Rep. Henry Brown was well-fought, but ultimately unsuccessful. It wasn’t all bad news, though. Despite her
liberal stances and openness about her sexual orientation,
Ketner received 48 percent of the conservative district’s vote
— a victory in and of itself, no matter the outcome.
2008 also saw the openly gay candidacy of James Akers,
Jr., who ran unsuccessfully for an open seat on the Greenville
County Council. Garnering only 40 percent of the vote, he lost
the race to Republican challenger Liz Seman.
Around Carolina
Other current openly gay or lesbian elected officials include:
• Ernest Fleming: Warren County Board of Commissioners,
first elected 2006.
• Janet Pepin, Boone City Council
• Lydia Lavelle, Carrboro Board of Aldermen
• Jennifer Knox,Wake County District Court
• Nancy Caviness, Duck, N.C., Town Council
Other historic candidacies include:
• Lesbian Sue Henry’s 1995 independent, write-in campaign
for Charlotte mayor.
• Openly gay Jim Neal’s 2008 bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. He was defeated by then-N.C. Sen.
Kay Hagan who went on to defeat then-incumbent
Elizabeth Dole.
• Wade Boyles’ 2008 Democratic challenge to incumbent N.C.
Rep. Dale Folwell in western Forsyth County. Folwell, a
Republican, carried 60 percent of the vote.
• Libertarian Chris Cole’s several unsuccessful runs for
the Charlotte City Council, N.C. Senate and House and
U.S. Senate. Q
T-Notes
from page 19
ognize the essential nature of individuality and both chose to
marginalize and eliminate that which they neither understood
nor tolerated.
Yes, Stonewall is history and celebration is in order. Lest
we forget the lessons of history, however, we’d be wise to pay
closer attention.As much as has changed over the past 40
years, we still face the very same bugaboo — the “ick” factor,
the problem some straight persons have when they allow visceral “gut” feelings to fester in the stew of denial. The innocent and natural behavior expressed in gender diversity is
just too much for some. This mindset allowed events such as
Stonewall to transpire.
What is most appalling 40 years later, however, is that we
are still hearing the same assimilation tack, a variant of the
“ick” factor, from many in the LGB community. In the guise
of incrementalism, this same old bigotry tells us to be
patient, wait our turn while we continue to educate (as if no
efforts have been made heretofore). The implication is that
the world is not ready yet for our blatant and deviant gender
transgressions. If we would only tone it down, try to blend…
Regardless of the degree or substance of such bigotry, or
its basis —assimilation or religious intolerance, Mattachine
or Family Values Coalition — the inability to abide by a “live
and let live” model amongst these hypocritical so-called
judges of societal behavior has the same net result:
Intolerance, Inequality, Injustice.
The lesson, for today, of Stonewall, Compton’s and Dewey’s
is that, for all the progress we have made, the world is still neither a very prosperous nor safe place to live in if you are a gender transgressor. Maybe its time to take to the streets again —
I still have my copy of the Stones’“Street Fighting Man!”Q
— Comments and corrections can be
sent to [email protected].
To contact Robbi Cohn, email [email protected].
20
21
Q - L I V I N G
Audiophile
by Andy Reynolds
and David Stout . Q-Notes staff
Daniel Ingala’s not gay, but he’s
fine that you are
Plushgun singer discusses equal rights, political pop
and fighting Prop 8
“Pins & Panzers,” the debut album by Brooklyn-based postpunk, indie pop trio Plushgun, has struck a chord with queer
fans.And the LGBT community’s continued fight for equality
has certainly struck a chord with the synth-driven band’s
founder and lead-singer, Daniel Ingala.
In fact, count him as one of the growing number to answer
the impassioned call to action by music icon and fervent gay
rights activist Cyndi Lauper, who declared in a recent statement,
“Never forget the late, great San Francisco Supervisor Harvey
Milk who was known for saying,‘I’m here to recruit you!’And
I’m shouting out now for all my fellow straight allies to stand
beside our LGBT friends and family and start being counted.”
Because Plushgun has been so very publicly queer-friendly, we were excited to have a short rap session with Ingala.
The conversation confirmed that he’s just as cool as we all
thought he was.
You’re a political creature and address social issues
in your music. With lyrics that reference “pushing
back hate” and “boys kissing boys,” gay fans have
identified with your song “Dancing In A Minefield.”
Did you set out to address gay rights in the song or
it is just a happy coincidence?
Q - L I V I N G
It was directly meant to address gay rights, and the rights of
unitary meaning behind the music brings a lot of people together.
all kids who are told their uniqueness is morally corrupt.As
You’re 25. With the last election, it was nice to see
we have seen in the last election, progress is possible, yet
so many 20-somethings enthusiastically embracing
thousands came out to endorse the hate-filled Prop 8 in
not only electoral politics, but social politics on a
California. This was driven by social conservatives and fundvariety of fronts, vocally confronting ignorance,
ed by religious institutions.
hatred and separation. That wasn’t always the case.
“Dancing in a Minefield”is about reacting against these
What was the catalyst that brought about this new
institutions directly through living life, free from subjective
age of enlightenment?
“morality.” I do not place judgments on someone’s religion, but
It is hard for me to step into the shoes of the less politically active,
I do not think that intolerance from anybody can be justified.
I have been politically active — to a fault — since early adolesYour current video, “Just Impolite,” stars a trio of
cence. But I would presume the death of apathy amongst my peers
young actors — Juno Temple (“Atonement,” “Notes
was a reaction to the Bush administration.Action leads to reacon a Scandal,” “Year One”), Brittany
tion, and actions based on
Snow (“Hairspray,” “Prom Night”) and
such ignorance can bring
Shiloh Fernandez (“Cadillac Records,”
about the best in those who
“The United States of Tara”) — who
wish to rise above it.
play out a woman-scorned scenario
Okay, last question.
with a queer plot twist. The clip feaWhat are your top
tures a beautifully lit and, frankly, hot
political causes?
kiss between stars Temple and Snow.
Equal protection for all under
When you wrote the song, was the
the law. This applies to queer
object of the woman’s ire meant to
rights, women’s rights, and
be another woman?
even the separation of church
Daniel Ingala: ‘I have as many lesbian fans as and state. There is still work
Not exactly. It was about my own personal
struggle with lost love. However, it’s impor- a nerdy breeder boy can attract I suppose.’ to do, and there are still many
tant to realize that these emotions are felt all across the genwho wish to limit the rights of those with alternative lifestyles,
der continuum.
be they gay or atheist. Q
You count Daniela Sea and her girlfriend Bitch as
Plushgun’s “Pins & Panzers” (Tommy Boy) is out now. On July 19,
fans and just played Chicago’s queer-inclusive
the band embarks on a two month, 40-plus city U.S. tour that
Decibelle Music & Culture Festival (formerly known
includes two North Carolina stops: July 26 at Milestone Club,
as Estrojam). Do you have a large lesbian following?
Charlotte, 8 p.m., 18 and up; and July 27 at The Brewery, Raleigh,
As many as a nerdy breeder boy can attract I suppose! I tend not
6 p.m., all ages.
info: [email protected]
to ask fans their sexual preference, but I am sure the inclusive and
General Gayety
by Leslie Robinson . Contributing Writer
The bird’s eye view
Stories about the two gay male penguins that are
raising a chick in a German zoo have included quotes from a
zookeeper and other relevant humans, but not one of the
accounts has presented the penguins’ view of things. Until now.
A reporter fluent in German, Spanish, English and Humboldt
Penguin journeyed to the Bremerhaven zoo to interview Z and
Vielpunkt, the new dads.
Reporter: Good morning.
Vielpunkt: Good morning.
Z: Careful where you sit. No time to clean up the doo-doo these
days, don’t y’know.
Reporter: Being parents is keeping you busy?
Z: Oh, we’re rushed off our happy feet, feeding and looking after
our little one.
Reporter: Is it a boy or a girl?
Vielpunkt: We’re not telling. The zookeepers don’t know. It’s
driving them crazy. I love it.
Reporter: Tell me about how all this began. Obviously, neither
one of you gave birth to the chick.
Z: You could’ve knocked me over with a flipper when that egg
landed in our nest. Sure, we’d talked about having a baby,
Vielpunkt: Harvard.
but, realistically…
Z: I just want our child to be happy and never lack for fish.
Vielpunkt: See that couple over there? The ones trying to
Vielpunkt: I want our child to be a leader. To tell these stupid
look busy grooming themselves? They rejected the egg.
humans…
Z: Can you imagine?
Z: Present company excepted, of course.
Vielpunkt: The keepers put it in our nest. I don’t know why
Vielpunkt: To tell them that they’re killing us! Back in Peru and
they chose us. There are two more same-sex couples here.
Chile where we come from…
Reporter: Really?
Z: You came from a zoo in Vienna.
Z: Oh, yes. It’s a rainbow fowl fest.
Vielpunkt: You know what I mean. Humans are overfishing and
Reporter: So, all of a sudden you found yourselves being pardestroying our habitat! Humboldt penguins are disappearing!
ents. How did it go?
Z: Now look what you’ve done. The baby is up and shrieking
Z: Swimmingly.We incubated the egg for 30 days.
for food!
Vielpunkt: Harder work than it looks. Gave me hemorrhoids.
Vielpunkt: Hey, little fuzz ball.You hungry again? Go take a bite
Z: And, then the big day! I heard a little crack, crack, crack.
out of that veterinarian over there.
Vielpunkt: It was so exciting, I have to admit.
Z: Vielpunkt!
Z: We made a complete spectacle of ourselves, yelling,“Go,
Reporter: One last question if I may.What’s your reaction to
baby, go!”
those who say two males shouldn’t raise youngsters?
Reporter: Wow.
Vielpunkt: Unprintable.
Z: Out came our little chick.All scraggly and icky and gorgeous.
Z: My goodness, who has time to worry about what those peoReporter: He or she is certainly sleeping soundly now.What an
ple or penguins think? I have a chick to raise! I’m already losing
adorable chick.
sleep over how to teach this child to waddle. Q
info: [email protected] . www.GeneralGayety.com
Z: Thank you. I think the little one takes after my side of the
family.
Reporter: Huh?
For up-to-date coverage visit: www.q-notes.com
Vielpunkt: Humor him.
the Carolinas’ multimedia LGBT news source
Reporter: What are your hopes for your chick?
Triangle Area
Around The Carolinas
22
23
Q - L I V I N G
Tell Trinity
by Trinity . Contributing Writer
than you truly
deserve, but while the
months and years
fade, don’t just sit
there listening to old
love songs waiting for
a soulmate to walk
onto your front porch. Pumpkin, the
smartest way to wait is to keep dating,
socializing and staying active about your
love life! In other words, live! (I sure can
show you how I do it while sitting on the
veranda in my little ole cartoon.)
Dearest Trinity,
Love knows no rationality and neither do I
for deciding to date a guy whose profession is
“escorting.” We deeply love each other and are
great together, but once in a while it hurts. Am I
a fool?
Escort Love, NYC, N.Y.
Dearest Escort Love,
Yes, dating an escort is foolish. Yes, dating a doctor, lawyer or rabbi would be much
more practical. And, yes, knowing that
you’re dating someone who’s not for hire
makes life a hell of a lot nicer. But, darling,
for some great, grand, glorious reason you
obviously need to have this experience. So, if
you want this to work — and it can work —
then stay mentally healthy about his career
choices and take it one dollar, I mean, one
day at a time.
Hello Trinity,
One of my housemates is very aggressive
about their attraction for me. I’m completely uninterested, yet I cannot convince anyone of that.
Uninterested, Madison, Wisc.
Hello Uninterested,
When someone can’t stop picking you up
then, sweetie, try picking up:
Dating a few different people at
once: smart or dishonest?
Hey Trinity,
I’ve been dating a couple of people off and on
for the last few months. I’m waiting for one to
work out. Dating like this has always worked for
me, but some of my friends think I’m dishonest.
Do you think so?
Multidating Doubts, Portland, Maine
Hey Multidating Doubts,
With powerdating (dating many people
at once) you’ll never feel like a loser or that
you’re losing the game of dating, you’ll also
have better odds of winning! Even though
it often does put people into precarious
situations, the alternative of spending
months with one person only to find out
that you’re not compatible can make you
even crazier. Finding the right mate means
dating long and hard, climbing many
mountains and slopping many valleys
(violin please). So, honey, stick to your
powerdating guns. As Kahlil Gibran once
wrote, “Before love finds you, you must be
sifted, kneaded, grinded, and threshed.”
Sounds like fun to me!
Hello Trinity,
I truly believe that one has to wait for love,
not just jump into anyone’s bed. However, it’s
now been a few years since I’ve dated and I’m
beginning to think something is wrong with me.
Is being old fashioned too old fashioned?
Willing To Wait, Raleigh, N.C.
Hello Willing To Wait,
It’s smart to wait for that special someone and even smarter to not settle for less
Q - L I V I N G
Out in the Stars
by Charlene Lichtenstein
June 27 - July 10
Turn your ha ha ha into ha cha cha as we welcome
July. Any steamy thought or comment boils over.
Mercury opposes Pluto and packs a jolt.Aim your
missives carefully…and shoot from the lip.
CANCER (06.22-07.23) Gay Crabs may chaff
at the leash now. Not only do you ache for some
time alone, you need it in order to re-approach,
refresh and reassess certain cloying relationships.
Are partnerships giving you what you need?
Honesty will be the best policy, unless it is brutal
honesty. So, be sure to add some sugar to every
bitter pill to avoid indigestion.
LEO (07.24-08.23) Keeping secrets to yourself
will not move the needle on the job. Proud Lions
with ambition need to be forthright in their opinions,especially when it has to do with their role in
the organization or with the expectations of their
co-workers. Are you meeting or exceeding your
agreed upon goals? If not, prepare for some big
changes over the next four weeks.
VIRGO (08.24-09.23) Sitting at home and eating in front of the television may have its charms
at other times of the year, but in July the fates
demand that you expand your social reach and
get out of your safe cocoon. Queer Virgins can
meet new and interesting friends now who will
prove to be pivotal to your future happiness.
Press and impress — and I don’t mean the
couch cushions.
LIBRA (09.24-10.23) You are brimming with
great professional ideas. Can you get anyone in
authority to listen to you? All bets are off unless
you find important and powerful folks from other
areas of your life to
come to your assis. Contributing Writer tance. Proud Libras
are charmers, so
turn up the heat on your charisma and see how
brightly you can burn. Stop at warm before you
become toast.
SCORPIO (10.24-11.22) They say “those who
can’t do, teach,” but that is plain wrong. Queer
Scorps not only can do they are also able to impart
their wisdom effectively. So, use this time to
spread your word and see how lucrative it will be.
Even better, use your knowledge to become an
effective leader.Create a new ground swell and use
it as fertilizer for your own victory garden.
SAGITTARIUS (11.23-12.22) Gay Archers are
known for their reckless extravagance and now is
no exception. You are full of love and have no
qualms about lavishing your affections and
money on a certain delightful someone. But, limit
your budget to affordable treats. Sometimes you
can win hearts through good deeds rather than
grand trinkets. Sometimes.
CAPRICORN (12.23-01.20) You, me or we?
That is the question. Pink Caps expect to find all
the answers to their life course within another
person. But, the surprise conclusion is that you
have all the answers you need for your personal
happiness all within yourself. Of course, a second
opinion from you-know-who can sometimes be
appreciated. But, it is all icing on the beefcake.
AQUARIUS (01.21-02.19) There are no secrets
at work, so avoid long lunches and mental health
days.And,if you decide to cheat on your diet there
will be no calorie-free option. The gremlins will
gleefully add on the pounds. Aqueerians can’t
seem to get away with anything now, try as they
will.So,don’t even try.Be honest,thrifty and clean
until August.
PISCES (02.20-03.20) Turn your attention to
creative pursuits. Guppies can expand their
artistic impact by enlisting the help of
friends. But, an even better, more effective way
of making your mark on the landscape is to
join new relevant organizations that place you
in touch with the experts. Ask advice, listen
carefully and then show the world how it is
really done.
ARIES (03.21-04.20) Even if your home life is
not perfect, there is a great deal to recommend
it. Proud Rams find that good thoughts take
them far with relatives and in their home surroundings.And, with domestic knots untangled,
you can focus on manifesting transformations
on the job front. Enlist a friendly helping hand to
assist you in your corporate climb. Don’t step on
their fingers.
TAURUS (04.21-05.21) Stop talking to yourself
or to just your small coterie of rabid fans. Life
now demands that you get your ideas pushed out
into the blogosphere as soon as possible. Many of
your opinions have the potential to change the
global landscape while others are mere potholes
that will trip you up. The questions is — do you
know which is which, queer Bull?
GEMINI (05.22-06.21) Many pink Twins lapse
into mindgames when they really should take a
risk and deliberate action. Confound the experts
and get up off your contemplative pose. Express
yourself with the powers-that-be. Glad handing
potentially well-endowed benefactors might
wind up delivering you a lump sum or two. Some
folks have all the luck! Q
© 2008 Madam Lichtenstein, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Entertainment.
info: Visit www.TheStarryEye.com for e-greetings,
horoscopes and Pride jewelry. My book “HerScopes: A Guide
To Astrology For Lesbians” from Simon & Schuster is
available at bookstores and major booksites.
Trinity’s Pushy Tips For Getting
Someone Uninterested In You
1. Tell her about your uncontrollable
bouts of depression, A.D.D and bi-polar
disorder.
2. Tell him that you’re soon to be moving
across country to be with your lover.
3. Tell her to just accept that you refuse to use
deodorants or bathe yourself.
4. Just be your twisted, delusional, frantic,
frustrated, dysfunctional, neurotic self.
5. Tell him that you’re in rehab for pedophilia,
drugs, alcohol, sex and child abuse.
6. Remind her that you’re running from the
law or from your very psychotic ex-convict, Hells Angels girlfriend.
7. Tell him that you are a writer/singer/minister/female impersonator. No, forget it that
never worked for me.
8. Just talk about your deep, uncontrollable
religious devotion for anything and everything demonic.
9. Be the most self-centered, self-absorbed
and selfish person she has ever met.
10. Lastly, let him know how much you are in
love with him, can’t live without him and
need to move in right away. (I hear a car
speeding away!) Q
— With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity
was host of “Spiritually Speaking,” a weekly
radio drama, and now performs globally.
info: www.telltrinity.com . [email protected]
Tell Trinity, P.O. Box 23861 . Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33307
Sponsored by: Provincetown Business Guild
800-637-8696 . www.ptown.org
24
25
Q - L I V I N G
Out and About . compiled by Q-Notes staff
Announce your community event in Out & About.
email: [email protected].
from across the Carolinas
Community Centers &
Switchboards
motivational workshops will be held at Aloft Charlotte
Uptown hotel at the Epicentre, 210 E. Trade St. 9 a.m.6 p.m. Prices vary. www.charlotteblackgaypride.com.
Charlotte Lesbian & Gay
Community Center
July 18 • Charlotte
704-333-0144
820 Hamilton St., Suite B11
Charlotte, NC 28206
www.gaycharlotte.com
Performing live this musician will knock you off your
feet! Manifest Discs, 6239 South Blvde., 3 p.m., and
Petra’s Piano Bar and Cabaret, 1919 Commonwealth
Ave., 8 p.m. www.gordonroque.com.
Harriet Hancock Center
July 30
803-771-7713
1108 Woodrow St.
Columbia, SC 29205
www.scpride.org
Women and finances
Ameriprise Financial offers “Strong Women, Powerful
Financial Strategies” workshop hosted at Fleming’s at
Crabtree Valley Mall.Appetizers and beverages will be
served at this educational seminar. RSVP via email to
[email protected]. Crabtree Valley Mall,
4325 Glenwood Ave. 11:30 a.m. 919-227-3176.
OutWilmington GLCC
910-762-4717
Wilmington, NC 28401
www.outwilmington.com
Aug. 13-16 • Durham
Film Fest
The Center Project
843-626-4953
736 8th Ave. N.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
www.thecenterproject.com
Triangle Community Works
Gay and Lesbian Helpline
Raleigh, NC
[email protected]
919-821-0055
Alternative Resources of the Triad
Community resources and referrals
Greensboro, Winston-Salem & High Point, NC
OutTriad.org . OutGreensboro.com
Upcoming Events:
June 27 • Charlotte
Rainbow Fest
Join RuPaul and other live acts for great drinks, fabulous food and wonderful fun, celebrating Pride on the
day of Stonewall’s 40th anniversary. NoDa neighborhood, N. Davidson St. and 36th. 4 p.m.
July 8 • Raleigh
Monthly Dinner
Join the Raleigh Business and Professional Network
for their monthly dinner. EVOO Restaurant, 2519
Fairview Rd. 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.Visit raleighnetwork.org
to make your reservations.
July 9 • Concord/Charlotte
Join queer film festival lovers from across the Carolinas
and the nation as they descend on the Carolina Theatre
for three full days of brilliant, starworthy LGBT films at
the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. The
Carolina Theatre, 3009 Morgan St. 919-560-3030.
www.carolinatheatre.org/ncglff. Q
Upcoming Pride
Festivals
July 3-5 • Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach Pride
Featuring a pageant and happy hour, day festival
and nighttime activities. myrtlebeachpride.com.
July 16-19 • Charlotte
Charlotte Black Gay Pride.
Featuring a town hall meeting in conjunction
with Time Out Youth, diva party, Pride parties
and community expo.
www.charlotteblackgaypride.com.
Pride Charlotte Event
Guide
July 3
Miss Queen City Pride
“A Queen in Color” — A Pride Charlotte
Pageantry System preliminary.Actor’s Theatre of
Charlotte, 650 E. Stonewall St. 8 p.m.
‘Forever Plaid’
July 10
Back from the grave by popular demand,“Forever
Plaid” is coming to your local movie theater. One of
Off-Broadway’s most popular and critically acclaimed
musicals, this is a “Forever Plaid” 20th Anniversary
Special one night only event.AMC Concord Mills 24,
8421 Concord Mills Blvd., and Regal Stonecrest 22 at
Piper Glen, 7824 Rea Rd.
“Out is In…Style” — Join the winners from
Pride Charlotte Pageantry System preliminaries
across the Charlotte-metro area for the final
Miss Pride Charlotte Pageant where the final
winner will receive her crown! Scorpio,
2301 Freedom Dr. 8 p.m.
Black Pride Town Hall
Discussing “What About the Children,” join Time Out
Youth, Her-Shee’s and Charlotte Black Gay Pride for
a reception and discussion forum. Time Out Youth,
1900 The Plaza. 7 p.m. Free.
www.charlotteblackgaypride.com.
July 17 • Hickory
Birthday bash
Club Cabaret owner Jeff Reeves celebrates his 55th
birthday. Come out and join the fun! Club Cabaret,
101 N. Center St.
Black Gay Pride Expo
Join vendors such as the ACLU, NARAL Pro-Choice
NC,Ardyss International, Time Out Youth,
Alternatively Speaking Tees and others for fun and
live entertainment at the Charlotte Black Gay Pride
Expo at 800 E. Third St. Noon-5 p.m. Educational and
26
Gordon Roqué
Miss Pride Charlotte
July 25
Pride Charlotte Festival
Featuring a day-long festival with local and
regional entertainment, including musician and
poet Amy Steinberg, singers Brendan Velasquez,
Chrys Matthews, Joshua Klipp and Rodie Ray,
dancers Daniel Gray and the Beledi Beat
Dancers, and more.
July 25
Detour dance party
“Pure Music, Pure Dance, Pure Fun” — A sober
dance party for ages 21 and up, hosted at the
Lesbian & Gay Community Center, 820
Hamilton St., B-11, 8 p.m.-Midnight.
More events to be announced soon.
For more information visit
www.pridecharlotte.com.
Sponsored content provided by Pride Charlotte
and Q-Notes
27
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Transcription

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