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