PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY QCQ AS A PUBLIC SERVICE
Q-NOTES
VOLUME 3, NUMBER 5 MAY 1988
PRIDE IN PRINT
Switchboard, Charlotte 704/525-6128
AIDS Hotline, Charlotte 704/333-AIDS
PFLAG Hotline, Charlotte 704/364-1474
AIDS Hotline, Columbia 803/868-7257
Call Line, Wilmington 919/675-9222
TO ADVERTISE; 339-0679
BEST BETS
May 7
Mature Gay Men
May 8
Bingo at Stevens
May 12
Gay Pride Planning
Meeting at Stevens
PFLAG meeting
May 13, 14, 15
Tradesmen Anniversary
May 16
GROW Wilmington
May 22
MCC Charlotte
MCC New Life
May 25
Queen City Friends
May 28
MCC Charlotte Potluck
Supper
May 31
CLOSER Asheville
INSIDE
Business Cards, page 7
Calendar, page 2
Charlotte Brotherhood, page 7
Classifieds, page 8
Horoscope, page 4
Miss Lillian, page 6
Organizations, page 2
QCQ Financial Report, page 5
Queens Cuisine, page 7
Social Highlights, page 7
The Soft Spot, page 7
To Your Health, page 8
Congress
Outlaws
Phone Sex
By Patrick Church
Q-Notes Staff
In 1934,theU.S.Senate passedacommu-
nications act, aptly titled The Communica
tions Act of 1934. In this piece of legislation,
it was decided that no phone messages of a
pornographic nature could be disseminated
over telephone lines between states.
However, this Act did allow those persons
who were over the age of 18 and consenting
to hear them.
On up the legislative road, December of
1987, Senator Jesse Helms, R-N.C., devel
oped the Helms Amendment which calls for
this clause to be deleted from the Act. Thus,
if it were to pass it would make the dissemi
nation, i.e., spreading, of pornographic mate
rial between states over telephone lines to
tally illegal.
The amendment was approved by the
Senate in a 98-0 vote, but was later replaced
in the House by a watered down version,
came to the floor of House, it failed.
Approval for the Helms Amendment, in
the house, came on April 19,1988, winning
passage by an overwhelming 272-131 vote.
The next day it passed through the Senate
with no vote necessary due to its previous
passage. Pornography across any state lines
over telephone wires was prohibited for
anyone.
Keep in mind, though, that the law applies
only to calls made between states. As Bar
bara Lukin, in Sen. Helms’ office stated, "the
states will have to decide for themselves
about what they will do within their own
boundaries."
In North Carohna, as of4/28/88, there has
been no legislation passed on the matter.
Schoool Board Candidates
Non-Responsive
Only three of 14 persons running for
school board in the May 3 election answered
questionnaires developed and presented by
First Tuesday, Charlotte's gay lobbying or
ganization. None were completely positive.
The questionnaires used were developed
to help First Tuesday decide which candi
dates to recommend in upcoming elections,
but have so far not produced much response.
The problem, it may be, is that local
politicians do not see the gay vote as neces
sary.
Register to Vote, It Counts
by Greg Winston
Q-Notes Staff
There will no doubt be a lot of articles and
press coverage concerning the reasons that
every American who legally can, should vote.
Most will be very valid points, such as: it is your
civic duty and people around the world are
fighting and dying for the right we take for
granted.
The reasons people often give for not voting,
however, are usually flimsy. "The people run
ning don't interest me." "I don't really have lime
to go vote."
Voting is very simple, as is registering to
vote. Let's take a hypodietical person and walk
him /her through the registration process.
Bob, our hypothetical man, decides he wants
to vote but he needs to register. He calls the
Board of Elections to ask them how he does this.
While on the phone with the Board, he finds out
that there are 258,429 persons, at present, reg
istered to vote in Mecklenburg County. He then
asks the person at the Board how he can join
those great people who are already registered.
The lady explains to Bob that he can go to
any public library branch, any Mechanics and
Farmers Bank branch, or come to the Board of
Elections office locat^ at 741 Kenilworth Ave.
near Outlet Square in the modem, black office
building. The suite number is 202.
Bob elects to go to the Boards office. When
he enters he tells the lady behind the desk that he
needs to register to vote.
She asks Bob if he would like to put his hand
on the Bible, though he doesn't have to. Then
she asks him to raise his right hand and repeat
after her .They went through the ritual and Bob,
our hypothetical man, was registered.
While Bob was in the office, he picked up
literature on how the voting booths work and a
copy of a sample ballot.
The deadline to register is October 10,1988,
for the election on Nov. 4. It is a simple process
and it does give you a voice in how your country
is to be run. Remember Silence=Death.
Morgan Crowned
Miss Charlotte '88
Tracy Morgan, left, was crowned Miss Charlotte for 1988 at Scorpio. Blair
Williams, also pictured, was awarded 1st Runner-up in the annual contest. Grand
Prix earned 2nd Runner-up.
Perkins Benefit Raises Big $$
By Dean Gaskey
Q-Notes Staff
With more than 300 people in attendance,
the special benefit show, on April 27th at
Scorpio, was off to a rousing start.
The star-studded evening was to benefit
Frankie Perkins, one of the club dancers.
Perkins, 19, was downed by a stroke on the
evening of Febru^ 11, and was rushed to
Charlotte Memorial Hospital, where it was
also discovered that Perkins was experienc
ing heart problems originating from child
hood.
Scott Higgs, Perkins' lifemate, said that
Perkins has been in various intensive care
units since the sboke and medical bills are
piling up every day. Perkins, v.’ith no medi
cal insurance, had only his friends in the
Charlotte area to turn to for assistance, hence
the idea for a benefit show.
Performers who gave of their time and
talent to raise more than $650 for Perkins
included: Tracy Morgan, Kevin Scott,
BoomBoom LaTour, and Tina Terell.
Also appearing were: Jacqueline Boreau
and Jamie Monroe.
Perkins, who is still at the Charlotte
Rehab Hospital, is able to receive cards and
flowers. If you wish to send gifts, address
them to:
Frankie Perkins
c/o Charlotte Rehab Hospital
llOOBlyth Blvd.
Charlotte, N.C.
Gay or Gay and Proud?
By Joel N. Smith
Q-Notes Staff
June is Gay Pride Month. Is there any
pride out there? Next year will mark the
twentieth anniversary of the Stonewall
Riots. If Charlotte is able to successfully
celebrate Pride Month this year, the wheels
could begin turning to make next year’s
celebration one worthy of twenty years of
fighting for our rights.
In past years, picnics, awards, banquets,
carnivals and newspaper advertising have
comprised Charlotte’s gay pride celebra
tions. These events have largely been spon
sored by Queen City Quordinators. Again,
this year, QCQ board members have offered
to facilitate similar events. However, given
the large number of organizations currently
meeting in Charlotte, QCQ is asking for each
organization to pull part of the load and give
their support, input and person-power to
make Gay Pride Month a success, an event
worth our pride. Representatives of organi
zations and interested individuals are asked
to meet on Thursday, May 12th, at 8:00 p.m.
at Steven’s to begin planning this year’s
activities.
Celebrations, parades and speeches
across the country have marked the month of
June since 1969. In the summer of that year
the first militant gay uprising in the United
States happened at the Stonewall Inn in
Greenwich Village when police tried - as
they did often - to raid the bar and arrest the
patrons. This time patrons fought back.
The homosexual civil rights movement in
the United States actually began much ear
lier. An organization called the Society for
Human Rights based in Chicago was
founded in 1924, but was overcome by oppo
sition from police and press. Soon after the
Kinsey report of 1948, which revealed the
extent of homosexuality in the United States
several gay groups were formed, including
the Mattachine Society; One, Inc.; and the
Daughters of Bilitis. By 1969 there were
about 50 gay organizations in the United
States. After the Stonewall incident, the Gay
Liberation Front and the Gay Activist Alli
ance were founded.