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Decision to pull Queer photo sparks controversy
by David Stout
Q-Notes Staff
CHARLOTTE — GLBT readers of ihcThe Charlotte Ob
server received a pleasant surprise wlien they flipped to the papers
Sunday Arts section December 10 and found extensive cover
age of Showtime’s groundbreaking new series QtieerAs Folk.
But if they had known that the photograph originally slated
to accompany the page one feature — depicting two male cast
members just prior to a kiss — had been dumped for being too
explicit and replaced with the chaste image they saw — two of
the show’s stars standing by a bar — their enthusiasm would
likely have been curbed.
And if they had known the full scope of the process that led
to the decision, they probably would have been greatly disap
pointed, just as some of the newspaper’s own employees were.
Questions involving the manner in which the photograph
was challenged, the potential homophobia behind its removal
and the ongoing effort to downplay the decision have all bit
terly divided newsroom staffers according to one inside source.
Apparently, press operators at the Observer initiated the re
moval of the photo on Thursday, December 7 — just before the
section was scheduled to be printed — when they undertook an
action to communicate their concerns about the image. The
manner in which they did this is unclear, and the launching
point of the debacle.
One recounting holds that pressmen simply called Manag
ing Editor Frank Barrows and Publisher Peter Ridder to the press
room to voice their opinions; Barrows reviewed the photograph
and determined that it needed to be replaced,
But another, more troubling, version of the morning’s events
— one that has been circulating through the Observer news
Cullen to head
GLSEN DC office
by Jim Anderson
Special to Q-Notes
WASHINGTON, DG—The Gay, Lesbian
and Straight Education Network [GLSEN] an
nounced early in December that Mary Kate
[MK] Gullen, who resigned in March as ex
ecutive director of Equality North Garolina
PAG to become GLSEN’s Public Policy Direc
tor, will head the organization’s new Office for
Public Policy in Washington, DG. The office
will identify federal, state and local public policy
strategics and expand the organization’s work
with the Department of Education and main
stream education organizations.
“Over the past few years educational policy
leaders and elected officials have begun to wake
up to the reality that GLBT students and staff
exist and need support,” stated Gullen. “In
opening an office in the Nation’s capital, we’re
better positioned than ever to build coalitions,
influence the federal government and stake
holder organizations, and articulate a clear strat
egy for national change.”
In addition to expanding GLSEN’s work
with national mainstream education and civil
rights groups, the Office for Public Policy will
provide leadership in mapping out the states
and communities in which GLSEN will lever
age resources to pass safe schools legislation,
expand nondiscrimination policies or fight anti
gay initiatives. It will also direct GLSEN’s Re
search Project, which brings together academ
ics and activists to identify research gap areas
and strategies to fill them.
“As GLSEN’s reputation within educational
communities has grown, so has the need for
GLSEN to have a strong and steady pre.sence
in Washington,’’.stated GLSEN Executive Di-
tectot Kevin Jennings. “We are delighted that
iMK Gullen has transitioned from long-time
-
room since the situation unfolded — charges that pressmen re
fused to print the section before Barrows arrived to remove the
offending photograph.
Many staff members are frustrated that Bartows and Observer
Editor Jennie Buckner, who was out of town that day, will not
clarify what transpired in the pressroom.
Its almost as if its a secret, said a newsroom employee who
requested anonymity. “We’re not being told and you get the im
pression that they don’t want us to know. All we can do is imag
ine what was said and many are imagining it was anti-gay. It’s a
mystety that no one seems to be able to solve.”
In a memo to the newsroom staff issued December 8, Bar-
rows took sole responsibility for the decision. “I thought [the
picture] was too erotically charged for a general-readership news
paper, especially when cotnhined with display type that read
‘Tongues Untied’ directly over the mouths of the two people as
they leaned so closely together that their foreheads touched.”
He explained that this was “not a case of the pressmen editing
The Observer, it’s not their job. 1 simply did not get the chance
to edit the package the day before. Thus when I did get the op
portunity to as.sess the photograph, the only intellectually hon
est course was to apply the same standards 1 would have at an
eatlier point, regardless of how the page was brought to my at
tention.”
Batrows added that there would be a “follow up” with press
operators, but he gave no details about the events of the previous
morning.
Q-Notes attempted to interview Barrows, but he did not re
spond to our request by press time.
The New York Times covered the controversy in a December
See PHOTO on page 4
Kiss, hut don't tell: This promotional photo
from Queer as Folk was deemed too "erotically
charged" for publication in the Observer.
Toronto church will offer legal
same-sex
marriages
Mary Kate IMK] Cullen
GLSEN volunteer to Director of Public Policy.
Her grassroots experience and commitment to
progressive social justice organizing will help
to bring about a safer school day for LGBT
youth around the country.”
A nationally tespected grassroots organizer,
Gullen comes to GLSEN with an extensive
background in both statewide legislative activ
ism and student organizing. Before she served
as executive director of Equality North Garo
lina PAG, a statewide organization working
toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
(GLBT) rights, she worked as a field organizer
and trainer dirextror for the United States Stu
dent Association. In her capacity as GLSEN’s
Directot of Public Policy, Gullen will oversee
coalition-building atid research initiatives and
work to identify and advance the organization’s
public policy agenda. ▼
by Bruce Weese
Special to Q-Notes
The Metropolitan Gommunity Ghiirch of
Toronto [MGGToronto] has announced it will
be petforming legal, same-sex marriages begitt-
ning in January 2001.
At an MGGToronto church service held on
December 3, Senior Pastor Rev. Brent Hawkes
told the congregation, “MGGToronto is proud
to announce that heginning in January 2001
we will be issuing marriage licenses for same-
sex weddings. Until now, we felt restricted from
acting on our beliefs by what we thought was a
legal impediment regarding .same-sex weddings.
Being called by God to marry same-.sex couples,
we recently sought legal advice and as a result,
we have changed our position on the legality of
same-sex marriages. In keeping with the ancient
Ghristian tradition of banns of marriage we will
now be issuing marriage licenses for same-sex
weddings. We believe we will be the first to is
sue these licenses anywhere in the world. As you
may know, the issue of same-sex marriage is
currently before the courts and we ate seeking
to participate in those court proceedings.”
Attorney Douglas Elliott has advised the
church that pursuant to Section 5 of the Ontario
Marriage Act, the ehutch has the authority to
follow ancient Ghristian tradition of publica
tion of banns of mattiage instead of tequiring
couples to obtain a marriage license.
Under Ontario law, couples who wish to
marry can either obtain a license from a local
municipal clerk or they can have banns pub
lished in a church they regularly attend. The
municipal clerks in Otitario have declined to Ls-
sue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and this
is the subject of a current court ca.se in the Ontario
Divisional Gotirt.
Until now, no church in Ontario has offered
to marry ,same-.sex couples by publishing banns
of marriage. Banns of marriage consist of an
audible announce
ment of the inten-
Senior Pastor
Rev. Brent Hawkes
MCC Toronto
tion to marry at a
church service in ac
cordance with that
church’s practice,
usually each Sunday
for three Sundays
preceding the wed
ding. It is the church
that i.ssues the mar
riage certificate fol-
lowing the wedding ceremony.
MGGToronto is a member congregation of
the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Gom
munity Ghurches [UFMGG], an inclusive
worldwide fellowship of Ghristian congrega
tions with a special outreach to gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender people. Since its
foutiding in 1968, UFMGG has grown into a
denomination of approximately 45,000 mem
bers in 300 churches in 18 countries.
MGG founder Rev. Troy Perry states, “Our
denomination is very proud of the Metropoli
tan Gommunity Ghurch of Toronto, Ganada,
and the fact that, under the leadership of Rev.
Brent Hawkes, they are challenging the mar
riage laws of the province of Ontario on the
issue of same-.sex marriages. This will be' the first
time in Ganadian history that a same-sex mar
riage will be performed and a marriage licen.se
i.ssued.”
“We were delighted with the overwhelming
response of our congregation and several couples
have already expressed interest in beitig tnar-
ried in our cluirch” said Rev. Hawkes. T
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