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AIDS Fundraiser - June 23 8pm Friday, June 23. Featuring Tony Johnson and Company. Tickets $10.00 at the door or in advance. $8.00 with a donation of non-perishable food items. All donations raised go directly to the HIV/AIDS community. AIDS Compassion Day Service - June 25 3pm Sunday, June 25. Featuring Tony Johnson, area dancer and special music. Both events are being held at 4907 Garrett Rd. A Faith Community for ALL People invites you to join them for service each Sunday at 3:00 p.m.The church meets at the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (ERUUF) at 4907 Garrett Rd. in Durham, NC. Imam Metropolitan Community Church of Durham (919)403-6881 P.O.Box 51821 Durham, NC 27717 Rev. Wanda Floyd, Pastoral Leader www.lmaniMCCNC.com LESBIAN OWNEii AND OPERATED “Security Provided” Wednesday Nites Karaoke and Free Pool, No Cover Charge! The Karaoke is professionally led. Doors open at 6. Friday Nite Fun Drinks specials • Check out our new outdoor Tiki Bar. Black-Out Party on June 30th. ($8.00 cover) Open at 9. Saturday Nite Dance Party Hot music, cool drink specials and more womyn than any other site in the triangle! Open at 9. Sunday Gatherings Volleyball, great music, pool, drink Specials, r g ,- No cover! Open from I - 6. 711 RICSBEE AVE. DURHAM (919) 688-3002 EVE MEMBERSHIPS HONORED CALL FOR DIRECTIONS outdoor security to ensure your safety Maine Votes Again on Gay Rights By Hastings Wyman Contributing Writer This November, Maine voters will decide whether or not to keep the gay civil rights measure that the legislature passed earlier this year. Voters defeated a simi lar proposal in 1998 by 51 per cent to 49 per cent, but sever al changes in the legislation suggest the ver dict might be favorable this For starters, Dave GarritV more specific exemptions for religious organizations have led the state’s Roman Catholic Church to withdraw its opposition to the gay rights proposal. In addition, the bill passed with much more Republican support than in its past iterations; it had “the most bipartisan support in the bill’s history,” says Dave Garrity, president of Maine’s Lesbian-Gay Political Alliance. While some Pine Tree State gays regret the compromises in the legislation, Garrity says that the Maine measure is stronger than 80 percent of similar laws in other states. As a result of the broader support, much of the opposition, which is centered on the Christian Coalition and the Christian Civic League of Maine, has been marginalized. The anti-gay-rights forces have been reduced to bringing in such homophobes as discredited psychologist Paul Cameron, who attacked homosexual schoolteachers as child molesters. On the down side, however, the pro-ga\ supporters, led by the Maine Coalition for Equal Rights in Portland, has been "a little slow to raise money,” says one Maine gay insider. Watch this one. Oregon May Face Gay Vote, Too “At stake are the innocent young minds of thousands of young children and stu dents,” claims a Christian Coalition of Oregon flier titled, “Our kids are under attack,” which drags out that old saw about “the recruitment of our children.” This homophobic propaganda is part of a drive to get a new anti-gay initiative on the Oregon ballot this fall. If it succeeds, this would be the third anti gay ballot measure since 1994 to come before Oregon voters. The Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA), headed by long-time homophobe Lou Mabon and the Christian Coalition, is in the field collecting signa tures to put the “Student Protection Act” on the ballot. The measure provides that: “the instruction of behaviors relating to homo sexuality and bisexuality shall not be pre sented in a public school in a manner which encourages, promotes or sanctions such behaviors.” * If enacted, the proposal could jeopardize tfijf jobs of gay ancf tesbian teachers, aS wtll as eliminate AIDS-prevention education in the schools and counseling programs for gay students. It is not certain that the anti-gay forces will be able to secure the 67,000 valid sig natures by the July 8 deadline. “It wouldn’t surprise me if they fall short,” says a main stream journalist, who rates the chances as fifty-fifty. But Kathleen Sullivan, who will manage the campaign to defeat the anti-gay proposal if it is on the ballot, says “We def initely think they’re going to get the signa tures.” Sullivan is with Basic Rights Oregon, a group formed to fight a 1994 anti gay initiative. A recent law has removed about 100,000 non-voters from the registration list, reduc ing the number of eligible petition-signers. Mabon, however, claims he already has 66,000 signatures and his forces are simply getting extras to offset ineligible signers. The OCA and Christian Coalition are work ing through sympathetic churches and are also mailing out thousands of petitions to sympathetic souls across the state. Moreover, for the first time, the anti-gay groups have a professional signature gather er, which indicates they have some money. In 1992, Oregon voters turned down an anti-gay ballot initiative by 56 percent to 44 percent; in 1994, a similar, but toned down, measure was defeated by 52 percent to 48 percent. forecasting the outcome to a “Students Protection Act” referendum isn’t ease. The measure could benefit because it focuses on children and teens. On the other hand. < Iregonians may be getting tired of the bien nial ga\ bashes. Basic Rights Oregon is planning a SI million campaign to tight the initiative. Family Values in Massachusetts Former State Senator William Lawrence Saltonstall is the scion of a long-time, upper-crusty Republican dynasty in Massachusetts. His father was the late Leverett Saltonstall, a Republican who served in the U.S. Senate for 22 years. So it came as a surprise when Saltonstall the younger wrote a letter to the <Roston Globe> announcing that he will not vote for George W. Bush for president this fall. The reason? Saltonstall’s lesbian daughter Abigail and her partner, Chris Blankenship, have two adopted children, and Bush is opposed to adoptions by same-sex couples. I regard this as a direct attack on my fami ly.’’ wrote Saltonstall. “They are my grand children.” The Bay State Yankee won’t say whether he’ll vote for A1 Gore, just that he won’t vote for Bush. Will Navy Spying Become Campaign Issue? ,:-3f The revelation that the U-S. Navy has been conducting surveillance operations into gay bars in the nation’s capital may push Pentagon’s policy; on gays.back into , the political spotlight. The highly reliable * SerVrcemembers Legal Defense Network’s
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