Antiques & Collectibles
Shopping for that special treasure
page 33
Silver Screen
Pageant News
NC Gay and Lesbian Film Fest
page 33
Dee Ranged gets EOY crown
page 43
Noted. Notable . Noteworthy. LGBT News & Views
Volume 22 . Number 07 www.q-notes.com August 11 .2007
Anti-gay Cabarrus County Commissioner swept
up in prostitution scandal
‘Christian' activist violates teachings
of own ‘worldview'
by Jim Mahoney
KANNAPOLIS —
Christian activist and for
mer Republican state leg
islator turned Cabarrus
County Commissioner
CoyPrivette,74,was
arrested and charged July
19 on misdemeanor pros
titution charges. Privette
was charged with six
counts of aiding and abet- Cabarras^ Counpr
tingprostitutionafterhe
reportedly rented rooms at hotels in Salisbury,
N.C., and paid Tiffany Summers, 32, for sex six
times in May and June.
Privette is scheduled for a hearing in
Rowan County Aug. 22.
Further changes related to check forgery
against Privette and Summers have been
dropped.
Gay and lesbian Cabarrus County
residents should be familiar with
Privette’s widely-known anti-gay
stance. In 2003, when two gay men
were baptized together at McGill
Baptist Church in Concord, Privette
quickly jumped on the bandwagon to
have the church kicked out of the
Cabarrus Baptist Association.
Said the Rev. Randy Wadford,
the association’s missions director,
during the'controversy: “The homo-
p . sexual lifestyle is contrary to God’s
will and plan for mankind. To allow
individuals into the membership of a local
church without evidence or testimony of true
repentance is to condone the old lifestyle.”
Privette echoed his sentiments in a Charlotte
Observer interview.“[Becoming] a new aeature
in Jesus Christ” means old things pass away.
“Everybody is welcome,”he said,‘T)ut you’ve got
requirements for membership in churches.”
He was a state representative from 1984 to
1992. During his political career he has
emerged as one of the state’s strongest foes of
ordinances allowing liquor by the drink and
has spoken against gay and lesbian equality
and illegal immigration.
In 1992, when statewide activists were
attempting to overturn N.C’s now deftmct
sodomy statute, Privette insisted the law
remain in place.
“In light of the AIDS epidemic, for health
reasons, we should maintain that provision,”
he said.
Even ftirther back, in 1988, Privette was
towing the anti-gay line, when, as a conserva
tive candidate for the legislature, he indicated
that he felt the state should ban student fund
ing of LGBT groups on University of North
Carolina system campuses.
Privette was the president of the Christian
Action League (he resigned following his
arrest), a statewide organization that promotes
legislation that is “consistent with a Christian
worldview)’ according the group’s website. In
years past he has served as president of the
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
and been a member of the board of directors
and executive committee.
In 1998 he was voted a Cabarrus County
Commissioner and has held that post since
that time.
He captured the national media spodight
attention in January after he proposed a reso
lution that commissioners adopt English as
the county’s “official language.”
Since his arrest and subsequent release on
his own reconnaissance, Privette has not
attended any follow-up commission meetings.
In addition to his resignation from the
Christian Action League, he has also resigned
from the Baptist State Convention. I
Pride organizers expect protestors
Years past marred by verbal
harassment; '06 protestors kept
at bay
by David Moore . Q-Notes staff
It’s Pride time again and with all the fun and revelry
comes an unpleasant reali
ty: anti-gay protestors.
They’ve shown up at
aimual Pride events in
Charlotte and other cities
across the country
throughout the history of
the LGBT equality rights
movement. They’re noth
ing new — we’ve all
encountered them before.
This year, however,
might be a little different.
There’s a new enemy out
there — and he’s headed
our way. Move over Bill
James. Step to the rear Flip
Billy Ball after his arrest
in Hendersonville, N.C.
Benham. Make room for Rev. Billy Ball.
Ball’s “ministry” is based in Primrose, Ga. That hasn’t
stopped him from taking to the highways to launch
protests aganist LGBT Pride celebrations in places like
St. Petersburg and Jacksonville, Fla, and Atlanta, Ga.
One thing’s for sure — Ball likes to get arrested and
he loves to sue. In March in Hendersonville, N.C., he and
an assistant pastor from Faith Baptist Church in
Primrose were cited and later arrested for violating the
city’s public demonstrations ordinance when they took
to local streets preaching a fundamentalist message
without a permit.
According to a story in the Blue Ridge Times News,
Ball remained in jail for several days because he said the
city ordinance was a violation of his First Amendment
rights.
On June 7, Hendersonville’s town council caved in
and rescinded the ordinance. Despite his apparent victo
ry, Ball says he plans to file a civil lawsuit against the city
and his arresting officer to attempt to recoup legal
expenses and get his record expunged.
“I think he just wants to bring attention to himself)’
said Hendersonville Mayor Greg Newman, who is also an
attorney.
Ball was also arrested last year for protesting Atlanta
Gay Pride after he violated the city’s free speech zone
ordinance and advanced within 300 feet of the event’s
Dyke March. The charges against Ball were eventually
dropped and his $2 million lawsuit against the city of
Adanta is still pending.
On June 30 he challenged organizers of gay Pride in
see organizers on 9
s b
Holsingei* opposition still mounting
page 26
Court reunites gay couple
page 7
Dating slumps for the HIV-positive
page 22