PAGE 20 T Q-Notes T September 20, 1997
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Spartanburg’s Heiuest b Upstate South Carolina's Finest Oance Bari
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2 miles south oflllestgate Hail)
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Guests call ahead for (Irrangements
(664) 526-COOE
(664]5?6-2683
Is it just me ... or does
anybody else think it’s
about time we bought at
least a two-bedroom place?
'O
Ah.
Over the years, everyone’s housing needs change.
When yours do, we hope you’ll give us a call to discuss
your needs and how we can be of help.
Join Our
Insider's Club
Stay on top of the HOT Charlotte real estate market. Get up-to-the-minute
information on the neighborhood of your choice through our Insider
Notification Program.
Register by calling the Insider's Club line and be notified of upcoming
listings of houses, condos, rehabs or historic/investment properties in your
designated neighborhoods.
CaU (704) 412-3162
CHARLOTTE
A new frontier for the gay traveler
by Thomas E. Roth
Special to Q-Notes
My first impression of Russia was upon ar
rival at St. Petersburg International Airport:
amusement. It was all too much of a clichd
Almost a cartoon. The long lines to process
documents, the longer lines to clear customs.
The big decorated uniforms. Multiple staff for
the job. The antiquated luggage conveyor belt.
Leaving the airport, the police checkpoints.
Somehow, it all made me smile. A warm and
fuzzy feeling. Why, I am not quite sure; maybe
because it met all my expectations and more!
Once the amusement about the clichds wears
off, the city emerges in its splendor. Grand pal
aces reflecting in broad
riverfronts. World class muse
ums. Inspiring craftsmanship.
Renowned performing arts. (I
was impressed with the school
children who seem to have a bet
ter grasp at the finer elements of
life than most Americans do at
any age.) Beyond the structures
and arts, the magic abides in the
people. They have been through
a lot in recent years, yet they
seem optimistic, resilient. In every way, they
show a willingness to be accommodating and
helpful. So, whatever the destination may lack
— and frustrate — due to its infrastructure, it
more than makes up in personality, sincerity
and fundamental human charm.
Russians obviously take great pride in their
homes and cities. Trash and graffiti, abundant
now in most western cities, are hardly found in
Moscow and St. Petersburg. This observation
is a very pleasant surprise.
Gay life in Russia
All homosexual behavior in the former So
viet Union was strictly outlawed by “Article
121” of the constitution, punishable by seven
years in prison (or worse, a mental hospital).
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, this law
has been abolished and the result is a tentative
Borrett Klutts
Michoel Williams
(ifyi
Compiled by Dan Van Nourik
Q-Notes Staff
Effective immediately, UNC-Charlottes
GLBT group PRIDE has a new phone/fax
number. It is (704) 332-GLBA (332-4522).
At least one — and possibly two — teams
of gay/lesbian nmners will compete in the 20th
annual Richmond Newspapers marathon relay
event on Sunday, October 19. Each runner will
complete one-fourth of the regular 26.2-mile
marathon course. The first team was coordi
nated by local gay runner Bob Greene, who has
run “out” in the five-mile event for the past
three years. Since the race is usually within a
week or so of National Coming Out Day,
Greene thought it was a great way for gay and
lesbian runners to gain recognition as part of
the larger running community. If you’re inter
ested in forming additional teams or want to
help with future growth of this idea, contact
Bob Greene at (804) 771-2911 during normal
business hours.
“Behind Our Masks,” the first mid-Adan-
tic GLBT writers conference will be held Oc
tober 31-November 2 in Washington, DC.
Sponsored by the Lambda Book Report and the
Lambda Literary Foundation, the conference
features an opening reception, an evening lit
erary performance, a day and a half of panels
and workshops, an author reading series, a po
etry slam and a closing brunch. Registration
for the conference is $70; $45 for students. For
more information, contact conference program
mer Sue Landers at Lambda Book Report, PO
Box 73910, Washington, DC 20056-3910;
(202) 462-7924; email: LBRAdvert@aol.com.
WTVI, the Public Broadcasting System
affialiate in Charlotte, is auditioning for a
prime-time host of the six-week TVi Tel-O-
Rama, a holiday festival of television programs
for, by and about the people in the Charlotte
region. They are looking for someone with a
warm smile, a persuasive voice and a winning
personality who can project the excitement of
live hometown TV. Auditions will be held
Monday, September 22 and Wednesday, Sep-
“gay identity” emerging here. The gay commu
nity has more civil rights by law. But the “cruis
ing areas” are less frequented because the cities
are more dangerous for hanging out than ever
before. The plazas and boulevards that used to
be crowded and busding on a spring evening
are almost desolate. StiU, there is an unshak
able optimism here, one that is contagious.
Although being gay is no longer against the
civil laws, it still takes time to change the atti
tudes of the people. Locals explain that in the
larger cities, notably St. Petersburg and Mos
cow, gay people are far more accepted, but much
less so in smaller cities and rural areas (sounds
familiar). Moscow (and to a smaller degree St.
Petersburg) boasts new gay
clubs and community centers
and a greater visibility in soci
ety.
Renovation is taking place in
all parts of the country. There
is a spirit of reawakening and
an acceptance of philosophies
and lifestyles that were
shunned. At the same time, this
new fi-eedom has seen an explo
sion of drug abuse, HIV infec
tion and crime. With the good elements of
newly found western-style freedoms have come
a flood of western-style problems.
The gay “community” has evolved in two
distina groups: The older community, one that
developed during the Soviet regime, and the
younger “post-Soviet.” Both are very different
than we are used to in western countries.
The older community does not identify with
the political/activist communities that formed
the foundation of gay communities in the west.
Instead, they see “homoactivism” as a leisure
activity, one which they don’t really have time
for, nor see a need for. In fret, it was summed
up like this: “Russians stay out of each others’
business.” Older gays are less likely to be “out”
to family or at work, but most feel no need to
discuss their personal matters in this way. Rus-
See RUSSIA on page 27
tember 24 at the WTVI studios, 3242 Com
monwealth Ave., Charlotte. Finalists will return
on Monday, September 29. Candidates will be
directed by a TV producer and will work with
teleprompter, with memorized copy, in ad-lib
and interview sistuations. Call (704) 372-2442
to schedule an audition.
The first issue of The International Journal
of Transgenderism is now online. You may ac
cess it at http://www.symposion.comyijt. The
IJT is the first scholary journal on trans
sexualism, crossdressing and related topics. The
journal is peer-reviewed and its editorial board
consists of many well known scientists from all
over the world. Exclusively available on the
internet, the IJT is published quarterly with
additional updates during the respective quar
ter. Access to the current issue is fi-ee.
The Journal of Gay, lesbian, and Bisexual
Identity is looking for original scholarly articles,
clinical studies, research papers, cultui^ and lit
erary theory and analysis, history, as well as
personal essays, interviews, and poetry which
explore the intersections of GLBT and disabled
identities. They would particularly welcome
contributions from people with various disabUi-
ties (physical, mental, developmental and learn
ing disabilities) and people of color. Deadlines:
Scholarly articles: Require a 250 word abstract
by Jan. 1,1998. Personal essays, interviews and
poetry also due by Jan. 1, 1998. Send for sub
mission quidelines via email to dawn-
atkins@uiowa.edu or with self-addressed,
stamped envelope to: Dawn Atkins &
Catherine Marston, 114 MacBride Hall, An
thropology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, lA
52242.
Have You Heard
Bear Trap III, sponsored by Carolina Bear
Lodge, raised over $2200 which was donated
to the North Carolina Lambda Youth Network,
Food Pantry of AIDS Service Agency of Wake
County, North Caroliiu Pride Inc. and Project
Aware of Gaston County Hospice.
This year’s Crape Myrtle Festival enabled the
organization to distribute $50,000 in grants for
the year to support HIV and AIDS service agen
cies and other relevant services for gay men and
lesbians in the Triangle. T