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Youth deliver demands
to California officials Page 3
New column: The Art
of Meeting Women Page 20
The Carolinas’ Most Comprehensive Gay & Lesbian Newspaper
Published Every Two Weeks On Recycled Paper • Volume 12, Number 18 • February 7, 1998 • FREE
Community Yellow Pages embroiled
in a number of disputes across US
Pictured L to R: Taylor, Dr. Rhett Brown, Reyes, Mixner, Elders, Tyler
Ex-Surgeon General speaks at Hrst
Time Out Youth dinner fundraiser
by David Stout
Q-Notes Staff
CHARLOTTE—Time Out Youth.
Charlottes only support organization specifi
cally serving gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender adolescents, hosted a successful
fundraising dinner January 23 featuring former
US Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Eldets, ex-
Clinton advisor David Mixner and openly gay
soap star Steve Tyler.
The benefit, held at the Marriott City Cen
ter, began with a 6:00pm press conference. The
three special guests. Time Out Youth Execu
tive Director Tonda Taylor and Mecklenburg
County Commission candidate Andrew Reyes,
who organized the fundraiser, addressed the
media with a few brief comments.
Elders, the first woman of color ever to hold
the nations highest public health position,
stressed that she was “extremely pleased to be
in Charlotte to help such a wonderful organi
zation.” She asserted that society must stop ig
noring GLBT youth and deal frankly with the
issues that face them.
Her forthright manner in dealing with con
troversial issues like those presented in assist
ing gay youth — “normalizing” opinions on
homosexuality, supporting safe alternatives to
intercourse such as masturbation, honesdy deal
ing with the increased incidence of drug use
among gay adolescents — cost her the job of
Surgeon General in 1994.
Highly-sought political consultant David
Mixner, who has assisted with over 75 electoral
campaigns and written his autobiography
[Stranger Among Friends), reiterated Elders’
point, saying, “If we’re not here to support the
kids, why are we here.”
“Paul Lynde,” noted actor Steve Tyler, “was
the only gay person I ever knew on television.”
He said he is working to change that, using his
celebrity as a cast member of NBC’s daytime
drama Days of Our Lives to bring a positive
message to younger GLBT performers. He
stated that his efforts have not been without
Struve, though. “I still face the [entertainment
industry’s] homophobia every day...but it’s im
portant for someone to do this.”
After the press conference, the featured
guests mingled at a $100-per-person private
reception. Outside of the expected, well-heeled
GLBT attendees, other notables at the mixer
included Bill Culp, former Mecklenburg
County Elections Director; and Jerry Klein,
newspaper columnist, radio deejay and founder
of the new Progressive Alliance.
At 7:00pm, nearly 300 gathered for the
evening’s featured event: a $35-per-plate din
ner at which all three invitees spoke. During
her remarks. Elders decried American society’s
indifference toward GLBT youths. She said that
they are often treated Uke “biodegradable trash”
and asked, “Do we have 10 percent of our youth
to throw away because we refuse to accept who
they are?” Her comments drew vigorous ova
tions from the audience.
After the fundraiser, preliminary totals in
dicated that around $30,000 was raised from
the event. The money will primarily be used to
help fund the salary of a second full-time staflF
member.
Time Out Youth is open to gay, lesbian, bi
sexual, transgender and questioning youth be
tween the ages of 13 and 23. They offer weekly
support meetings and other social functions.
For more information, call (704) 537-5050. ▼
by David M. Smith
Special to Q-Notes
WASHINGTON, DC—Chief Petty Of
ficer Timothy R. McVeigh (unrelated to the
convicted Oklahoma City bomber), 36, re
ceived a temporary reprieve January 25 when a
federal judge restrained the Navy from firing
him for having the word “gay” in his America
Online (AOL) profile.
“It seems clear to everyone except the US
Navy that the Navy violated Chief Petty Of
ficer McVeigh’s personal privacy as well as the
law governing gays in the military,” said Winnie
Stachelbcrg, political director of the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest national
by Brian M. Myer
Q-Notes Staff
CHARLOTTE—A. story that contains al
legations of murder for hire, kidnapping, pis
tol-whipping, drug use, forgery, business fraud,
writing bad checks and a maze of lawsuits
sounds like the script for Melrose Place. But in ‘
this instance, the allegations aren’t from a fic
tional melodrama, but an article printed in a
Phoenix gay newspaper about the Gay Com
munity Yellow Pages (GCYP).
As reported in the last issue of Q-Notes, the
publisher of the Gay Community Yellow Pages
has announced that a volume is being produced
for Charlotte. Since then, Q-Notes has fielded
a number of questions and concerns from the
community regarding the business practices of
both the company and its owner. Most of the
concerns stem from a news article that was
widely distributed via an e-mail list service.
The article, actually third in a series, was
published in Echo magazine, based in Phoenix,
AZ and written by general manager Jeff
Ofstedahl. The “expos^” paints a lurid picture
of the Gay Community Yellow Pages home of
fice (also in Phoenix), its parent companies.
Chapter Two Publishing and OutWest Publi
cations, and owner Marci Alt.
To the average person, this tale has all the
dubious elements of a bad made-for-'FV movie;
but for Charlotte business owners — who are
being solicited for expensive GCYP ads — the
facts may determine where hard-earned money
is spent and what returns can be expected. Be
cause this tangled tale will only be unravelled
in the courts (we were informed that litigation
has begun), Q-Notes decided to simply contact
those involved and report in chronological or
der the information tha^was received. At this
time, we will leave it up to readers to draw their
own conclusions regarding whether or not to
do business with GCYP.
• An Echo news article, entitled “As the Gay
Community Yellow Pages World Turns,” is re
ceived by Q-Notes staff. The article reports on
the kidnapping and subsequent pistol-whipping
of Tampa, FL resident Jamie Kent and claims
that “an associate of the Phoenix-based GCYP,
a company explored last July by Echo magazine
for numerous potential illegalities, is consid
ered by police in Florida as an investigative
lead.” It also reiterates Echo's July investigative
report that “oudined: tax fraud, drug use, forg
ery, telemarketing wire fraud, poor-to-fraudu-
lent distribution numbers, illegal employment
practices and interference with business. At the
heart of that investigation were apparent mis
representations from GCYP and its owner con
cerning publication and distribution of Phoe
nix Gay Yellow Pages.”
• Upon request, a fax of an article appearing
in the Las Vegas Bugle (“Community Yellow
P^es under attack for business practices, short
circulation”) was received and reviewed by Q-
Notes. The article covered much of the same
ground as the Echo piece. One new charge was
that “Marci Alt admits to forging legal docu
ments” in relation to an ex-employee’s records.
For all its negative coverage, however, the Bugle
reported that “Las Vegas advertisers [were] gen
erally satisfied with GCYP.” Although the Bugle
was named in the Echo article as one of the pub
lications embroiled in a payment dispute with
GCYP, a Bugle staffer told Q-Notes, “As of to
day, GCYP is paid in full.”
• We attempted to contact all of the publi
cations reported to have outstanding debts
from, or disputes over invoices with, GCYP. The
first publication reached was the Seattle Gay
See DISPUTES on page 12
Supporters tie up loose ends
in recognition of gay marriage
by Derrick Phillips
Special to Q-Notes
“Willyon marry me?"...This simple question
is the hopeful landscape upon which commit
ting partners have built their futures for count
less generations. Regardless of whether this age-
old question is posed classically on bended knee
or features a diamond ring, it represents a mo
ment of bliss between two people who want to
commit themselves to one
another for the rest of their
lives...so long as they are
opposite-sex partners, of
Judge says Navy cannot boot sailor
because they violated “Don’t Ask
gay political organization. “Fortunately, the
court stepped in and prevented the Navy from
compounding its mistakes by wrongfully dis
charging this exemplary officer.”
US Distria Judge Stanley Sporkin ruled that
McVeigh could remain on active duty while the
court considered the Navy’s decision to dismiss
him based on evidence of homosexuality ob
tained from AOL. Sporkin issued a preliminary
injunction, saying essentially that McVeigh
would be irreparably harmed by being dis
charged before the court’s review of the case
was complete. But in an unusual and surpris
ing move on January 29, Judge Sporkin made
See JUDGE on page 12
On February 12, gays
and lesbians will push for
the same cherished oppor
tunities for themselves rJjF
when they inaugurate a na
tionwide day to call for le
galization of same-sex mar
riages.
The National Freedom
to Marry Day will occur on
Thursday, February 12.
This date was selected and
is announced by the Na
tional Freedom to Marry
Coalition, which includes Lambda Legal De
fense and Education Fund; the Human Rights
Campaign; the National Gay & Lesbian Task
Force; Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defa
mation; the American Civil Liberties Union;
Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders; the
m
National Organization of Women; Parents,
Friends, and Family of Lesbians and Gays; and
the LA. Gay & Lesbian Center as well as hun
dreds of non-gay and gay local and state part
ners across the country. . .
Why the twelfth of February?
This date is chosen for two reasons — more
specifically, two words: equality and love.
Lincoln’s birthday is a time to remember the
foundations surrounding
equality; Valentine’s Day
centers around love. To
combine the two, there is
no better day or way to
mark the importance of
ending sex discrimination
in the sanctity of marriage
and permitting lesbian and
gay couples to share in the
celebration, rights and re
sponsibilities of civil mar
riage.
A decision concerning
marriage for lesbian and
gay couples by the Hawaii
Supreme Court is soon to
be expected — with na
tional repercussions. With
out serious discussions between gay and non
gay America, this paramount chance for greater
freedom and equality could be lost or delayed
significandy.
“The choice of whether and whom to marry
See MARRIAGE on page 4