AIDS Part 3s A Family Fights AIDS Charlotte Hotline Page 4 Switchboard 333-AIDS Command Performance For MAP 525-^8 Page 2 mmi-TiriiiiiiniiiiNii APRIL 1987 □ Vol. 2, No. 4 TO ADVERTISE: 704/332-3834 after 6:3o p.m. Switchboaid Celebrates 6 Ringing Years Approximately five thousand times since April 1, 1981, the phone at Char lotte's Gay/Lesbian Switchboard has been answered by a volimteer ready to listen to someone in.trouble. Many times, the voice at the calling end needed only the name of a bar where gay men or lesbians gather. But callers hove also needed understanding and advice for problems ranging from having been kicked out of home to financial ruination after losing a job because of gayness. The switchboard has now been around for six years, and it's undergo ing changes. This year, the name of its sponsoring organization will change from G8d, Associates to GLA, Inc., as it is granted a nonprofit charter under North Carolina law. And by the end of the year, according to president John Quil- Mn, GLA may also have federal non profit status. '"That will mean we can receive funds that ore tax deductible for the donor," Quillin said, "and that we can apply for grants that ore out of reach right now. WANT TO VOLUNTEER? A new tam ing session will be held 9 a.xn. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26. Call the switchboard at 525-6128 and leave your name and number. A volun teer will call you back with information. WANT TO GIVE? Send contributions, check payable to GLA, INC, to P.O. Box 11144. Charlotte 28220. Camp For Cash! Get outiiithe boas, the costume jewelry and the long white gloves, folks. i; It's camp for cash timet. "Camp Star. Search" comes to Charades Thursday, April 23, with cover charges going to QCQ. And. the best (most effective? worst?) camp; dragsters are going to get prizes: $99.50 for first, $49,25 lor sec ond — In some denomination of U.S. currency. "We might even Include a ,j, caxjwn," said QCQ president Dean i Gainey. "11 we can find some rhine stones and diddlyboppers," , »'s S2 members and S3 guests. Doors open at 9:30 and folks 18,19 or 20 are invited along with those 21 and olderl As soon as we get our incorporation papers from the state, we'll apply for the federal status." Quillin said the switchboard antici pates 2,000 calls this year, 700 more than in 1986. Last year, calls increased 130% over 1985. One reason for the increase is that the volunteer base for staffing the line 7-11 p.m. nightly has greatly increased since Quillin became head. Time was when the line was not staffed for nights on end, and the automatic answer tape would be filled with hangups from people try ing to find help. Quillin expects it to be staffed 90% of nights in 1987. 'This year, the switchboard has expan ded its services, too, creating two new groups: ■ Queen City Friends that meets a long-time Charlotte need for a lesbian social group. QCF meets every other week in restaurants. ■ An unnamed support group for per sons struggling with sexual identity. The group is led by a professional counselor. 'The percentage of male-to-female callers has remained constant since the Switchboard was founded: 84% male, 16% female. 'The 1986 percentage of calls about AIDS declined to 9% from 1985's 13%. Quillin attributed that to bet ter public and goy/lesbion awareness of the hotline operated by Metrolina AIDS Project. Few calls ore hostile, Quillin said. "Some of those turn into productive, positive experiences for both the caller and the Switchboard volunteer," he said. Nongoy calls hove increased to 20%. Very Special Guests Coming For Drummer Si>«cial To a-Not*s Mr. International Leather and the publisher of Drummer magazine have agreed to be two of the seven judges for Carolina Drummer '87. The contest — a competition for leath- ermen — will be held at Charlotte's Park Center on Saturday, May 16, during a long weekend of events. Robert Sheets — chair of the Drummer committee for QCQ, which is sponsoring Carolina Drummer — said that Scott Tucker of Philadelphia, winner of the 1986 International Leather Contest, agreed in late March to come to the Charlotte contest as a judge. And Sheets received word at the same time that Andrew Charles, Drum mer owner, would attend as a judge. "Andrew is one of the new owners who bought Drummer last summer," Sheets said. "They're building the Drum mer contest into what it should be — expanding next year into other coun tries and devoting a lot more space in the magazine to coverage of the re gional contests that lead up to the Mr. Continued On Page 8 ® 1986 by Robert Pruzan CHARLOTTE-BOUND: Mr. Inter national Leather — Scott Tucker of Philadelphia. Dnimmei Pieliminaiies Fiidoy, April 24 Trax, Asheville Oleen's, Charlotte Sunday, May 4 Scorpio, Charlotte QC€l Books Hotel, Bus For D.C. March Special To A-Notes A chartered party bus will carry 40 excited passengers from Charlotte (and possibly Greensboro and Durham) to Washington for the weekend of the gay March on Washington in October. The party will stay for three nights at the DuPont Plaza Hotel in the heart of Washington's DuPont Circle, D.C.'s gay est area. "It's a sfreot area with a dozen or so bars including a couple with excellent disco," said Don King, who has visited Tradesmen Plan Joylul First Birthday The Tradesmen, Charlotte's levi- leather club, will celebrate their first anniversary with festivities throughout May's first weekend. "We expect a large contingent from other cities," said club president Bill Pursell. "Eight of us attended a similar event in March in Nashville, Term., and we got some great ideas for our own anniversary." Q-Notes understands that Tim (a.k.a. First Lady Nancy) won a spirited high- heel race in Nashville and brought home a trophy! For those not pre-registered, registra tion for the Tradesmen's weekend be gins Friday, May 1. Transportation will be provided for registrants from anni versary headquarters — Howard John son's on Wilkinson Boulevard — to Char lotte's local clubs. Cocktail parties are expected to continue after hours. Saturday, May 2, events include a special anniversary show at Scorpio in the afternoon with lunch provided by members of Charlotte's gay men's com munity. 'The Tradesmen will stage a pro duction number for the anniversary show which will include members of Cheap Trade. The Scorpio eyent will be open to the public — space permitting — at usual cover charges. Awards will be presented Sunday, May 3, to clubs from outside Charlotte. Pursell said he expected at least eight other cities to be represented. Pursell urges pre-registration because registrations wiU be limited. Persons not Continued On Page 8 Washington several times since 1984. "I love the little piano bar and restaurant where the D.C. gay chorus hangs out. 'There's one place where young men dance nude on the bar, and practically all of them show adult films. There ore also lesbian bars in Washington. "If people want a great dance experi ence, my favorite is the Exile downtown. It's small and crummy, but it's one of the most synchronized light shows I've ever seen with shirtless men filling the place up about 2 in the morning. And there's always Trox, the monster disco on the southstde. Near that is Lost & Found, one of the preppiest bars you'll ever see." QCQ arranged the charter with Ken Stikeleother, a Charlotte travel consul tant and member of the International Gay Travel Association. He will be the tour guide. Reservations for the tour, which leaves on Friday, Oct. 9, and returns on Monday, Oct. \2. are now being taken by QCQ. The March on Washington takes place on Sunday, Oct. 11. 'The bus, which will include a mirfi- bar, will seat 40 passengers. 'They will be registered first-come, first-served for anyone who wishes to connect with the Continued On Pag* 6