Keeping
Score
...Page 18
Onward
Christian Soidier
...Page 17
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Nelson’s mayoral
bid Is successful
by Darryl R. Williams
Q-Notes Staff
In an election year that saw lots of fizzle
and little sizzle, with voter interest and turn
out at record lows in many areas, openly gay
Carrboro alderman Michael Nelson and Char
lotte activist Sue Henry made their marks on
history with their respective mayoral bids.
Nelson handily defeated two opponents,
both by an approximate 2:1 margin. Nelson
garnered 1,272 votes, compared to fellow
alderman Randy Marshall with 699 votes and
conservative candidate Charles Riggsbee with
600 votes. The victory keeps Nelson as the
only openly gay elected official in North
Carolina and one of five openly gay mayors in
the country.
While Nelson’s accomplishments will earn
him a place in the gay and lesbian historical
archives, he reiterated his long-held position
that he is not a gay politician, but a politician
who happens to be gay.
“I don’t think the voters gave a rat’s rump
about my sexual orientation,” Nelson said,
kill elated about his win. “They cared about
the issues and voted for me because my posi-
Mike Nelson
tion on the is
sues was supe
rior to those of
my oppo
nents.”
In his tran
sition from al
derman to
mayor. Nelson
will focus on the same issues — just in a
different capacity. “What is important to me
is what’s important to the people of Carrboro,”
Nelson said. “I plan to work with the Board to
fine tune our open space ordinance and de
velop a coherent plan for development that
manages growth and protects the environ
ment.”
It’s certain that a lot of gay and lesbian
jaws dropped across the country when they
heard a gay man was elected mayor in North
Carolina, which is unfortunate according to
Kathleen DeBold of the Gay and Lesbian
Victory Fund.
“People write off the whole state as being
homophobic because of Jesse Helms,” DeBold
Continued on page 13
Amnesty breaks the silence
by David Stout
Q-Notes Staff
NE W YORK—^Amnesty International, the
world’s largest grassroots human rights orga
nization, boasting a membership of more than
one million, has just launched a massive drive
to raise funds and awareness for its gay hu
man rights campaign. Amnesty International
(AI) understands that the mistreatment of
homosexuals continues unabated in most
countries because of the silence of its citizens
— and the group is intent on “Breaking the
Silence,” the name they have given this effort.
AI is known for its constant
intercession on behalf of
political prisoners who
have been threatened,
jailed, beaten or killed
for their dissident be
liefs and non-violent
actions. Little more than
a year ago, after several
years of seemingly fiuit-
less dialogue, progres
sive AI members were
able to convince the
organization’s hierar
chy to extend “prisoner
of conscience” status to
homosexuals. AI’s recognition of political
abuses against gays was a major victory over
homophobia because many in the group were
vehemently opposed to the idea of such
acknowledgement.
Human rights abuses against gays and
lesbians now lead to the same typie of public
ity and mobilization that AI is Imown for —
and lauded for, having previously received
the Nobel Peace prize for its humanitarian
efforts.
William Schulz, AI Executive Director,
says that human rights violations against ho
mosexuals is one of the most insidious forms
of political perversion. “...[T]he routine and
violent oppression inflicted by governments
on peaceful citizens solely because they hap
pen to gay, lesbian or bisexual...[is] one of the
most tragically ignored, human rights abuses
in the world today.” He also acknowledges
that actions against sexual minority citizens
are often the most severe, recounting one
particularly bratal incident. “...[0]n March
14,1993, Renildo Jose dos Santos, a bisexual
councilor of Coqueiro Seco, Brazil, was vio
lently abducted from his home by heavily
armed men believed to be government agents
in plain clothes disguise. A family member at
the scene vividly described the victim’s shat
tering screams of terror. Two days later,
Renildo Jose dos Santos’ head was found in a
garbage dump. It bore the hideous marks of
torture. Basic human dignity and
justice cry out against this
barbarism!”
But things will change,
asserts Schulz, once the
veil of indifference has
been snatched from the
world’s collective eyes
by Amnesty Interna
tional. “In many nations
worldwide, oppressive
governments create de
basing stereotypes, per
petuate popular igno
rance and intentionally
aggravate homophobia.
That fear leads to the smoldering hatred that
results in the local populace ignoring the
cold-blooded murders and persecution of gay
men and lesbians. Thus, the tragic brutality
and even killings inflicted on gay men and
lesbians are often carried out with complete
impunity — because governments simply do
not fear any public outrage. But I can tell you,
with certainty, that governments from Argen
tina to Zaire are in for a rude awakening.”
To support Amnesty International’s ef
forts to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender citizens around the world, send a
tax-deductible donation to: Breaking the Si
lence, AIUSA, PO Box 96756, Washington,
DC 20077-7131. For additional information
or to report an abuse, write: Breaking the
Silence, AIUSA, 322 Eighth Avenue, New
York, NY 10001 or call (212) 807-8400.
GOP tries to gut Medicaid
WASHINGTON, DC—The Human
Rights Campaign (HRC), recently spoke out
strongly against the House Republican lead
ership which, through its actions and inac
tions, has demonstrated a complete disregard
for the lives of men, women and children with
HIV and AIDS. The group announced efforts
to overcome an apparent stalling of the Ryan
White CARE Act by the House leadership.
The group also plans to bolster support for a
presidential veto of the current version of the
Budget Reconciliation Act recently passed by
Congress, denouncing the bill’s dismantling
of Medicaid. Nearly half of all people with
AIDS rely on Medicaid — including more
than 90 percent of children with the disease.
The group warned that American voters
will look harshly at the direction Republican
House leaders have taken on these issues,
citing polling data that shows strong support
for federal efforts to care for people with
AIDS. A recent poll commissioned by the
HRC found that, of citizens of Cobb County,
Georgia — which is part of House Speaker
Newt Gingrich’s congressional district — 69
percent supported the Ryan White CARE
Act,, and 75 percent favored maintaining or
increasing federal efforts to care for people
with AIDS.
Elizabeth Birch, Executive Director of the
Human Rights Campaign — citing the Bud
get Reconciliation Act, which slashes $182
billion from Medicaid, and converts the pro
gram to block grants to the states where there
will be no guarantee of coverage—said, “the
actions of the Republican leadership on these
issues is far more extreme than what most
Americans want or bargained for in the 1994
elections. They are balancing the budget on
the nation’s weakest and most vulnerable
citizens, including men, women and children
with AIDS.”
The dismantling of Medicaid, contained in
the cunent version of the Budget Reconcilia
tion Act, would eliminate guaranteed health
coverage for all Americans who meet the
program’s eligibility guidelines. If enacted,
the Budget Reconciliation Act would deny
health care to the millions of Americans who
need it most. The Act would slash $182
billion from Medicaid over the next seven
years and make states responsible for provid
ing health care for the poor, while cutting the
funds they need to do it. Health experts also
warn that the bill threatens to p^s hidden
costs along to taxpayers, as Americans who
lost their health coverage would be forced to
turn to more expensive care in hospital emer
gency rooms — at public expense.
In addition, HRC charged the Republican
leadership with deliberately holding up the
Ryan White CARE Act and other legislation
in an effort to push moderate Republicans in
the Senate to enact legislation contained in
the Contract with America. House Speaker
Newt Gingrich (R-GA) has stalled the Ryan
White CARE Act, which enables local com
munity efforts to care for men, women, and
children with AIDS, by failing to appoint
House conferees. TTie Ryan ^ite CARE
Act passed the Senate earlier this year by a
vote of 97 to 3, and easily passed the House by
a voice vote. “The only explanation for this
failure to move forward,” said Daniel Zingale,
political director for HRC, “is that the Repub
lican leadership is holding Ryan White...
hostage in an attempt to expedite action on
their Contract with America currently work
ing its way through the Senate.”
Continued on page 11
NC Pride ‘96 plans are well underway
WINSTON-SALEM— North Carolina
Pride ’96 will be held June 7-9, 1996 in
downtown Winston-Salem. The weekend will
include entertainment, workshops, a dance
and other events, as well as the traditional
parade and rally. Want to help with Pride ’96?
You may be able to help from your home
anywhere in North Carolina. Help is needed
in many ways, big and small.
For instance. Pride ’96 t-shirts are now
available, and they need help in finding retail
outlets in every community in North Carolina
to sell them. They need help in advertising
sales for the Pride Guide, and potential adver
tisers are everywhere. They urgently need
people to help in fundraising, media relations,
data entry, clerical work, mailings, and to take
over the Pride newsletter (and in this era of e-
mail and fax, that could be anywhere). They
also need help in organizing the Performing
Arts series, sports events, the art contest,
entertainment, merchandising and vendors.
As well as volunteers. Pride ‘96 needs
funds to make the event everything you ex
pect. Their first fundraising effort is called
“Holiday Parties for Pride,” modeled on the
success^l “Dining for Friends” held each
May in the Triad to support various AIDS
agencies. The difference is that rather than
occurring on a fixed day at a relatively fixed
hour, you can have any sort of party you
choose for any holiday you choose at any time
you choose.
People already are signing up for parties
varying from intimate sitdown dinners to beer
and chips free-for-alls. Some are for Christ
mas, some for Hanukkah, some for New
Year’s, some for the winter solstice, and some
are converting a party they’ve been giving for
years into a Party for Pride.
Pride ’96 will supply festive invitations
explaining that the party is a fundraiser for
Pride ’96. You can set the amount your guests
are expected to donate, or you can let them
give whatever they want.
The Pride ’96 Local Organizing Commit
tee is hoping that supporters of Pride will
stage parties across North Carolina, and see
them as a way to begin to build enthusiasm for
Pride events that will begin occurring in early
May and extend through Pride weekend.
Another fundraising event already under
way is the selling of Pride ‘96 t-shirts. Volun
teers are selling them throughout the Triad
and at selected events around the state.
The white t-shirts are emblazoned, “I’m
coming out for Pride ’96" and feature the
multicolored Pride ’96 logo: a pink triangle
superimposed over a map of the state, cen
tered around the dot representing Winston-
Salem — the site for Pride ’96.
The logo also includes the dates: June 7-9,
1996 and the motto: Celebrate, Activate, Edu
cate!
The shirts are available in sizes L, XL,
2XL and 3XL at a cost of $12 each.
To order shirts by mail, simply send a
check or money order (or your MasterCard or
Visa number and expiration date) to Pride
’96, PO Box 30338, Winston-Salem NC -
27130. There is a $3 shipping fee in addition
to the $12 for each t-shirt.
To sign up for a holiday party, call Mark
Smith at (910) 722-2026 or to volunteer your
help with any of the other projects, call the
Prideline at (910) 750-0052, ext 1996.