Q-NQTES
August
■ PRIDE IN PRINT
Switchboard, Charlotte (704) 525-6128
AIDS Hotline, Charlotte (704) 333-AIDS
PFLAG Hotline, Charlotte (704) 364-1474
AIDS Hotline, Columbia (803) 779-PALS
Switchboard, Wilmington (800) 732-5461
(704)531-9988 Vol6,No.8
MAP director forced out
Critics charge Board is homophobic, racist
By Francois Pierre Nel
Special to Q-Notes
CHARLOTTE — Since the openly gay
director of Charlotte's largest AIDS service
agency was forced to resign July 8, public
charges of homophobia and racism have been
lobbed at the group’s board, which is lead by
a Catholic nun.
The battle pits Metrolina AIDS Project's
18-member board against clients, staff, vol
unteers and some gay and lesbian supporters,
who charge the action is only the latest in an
ongoing effort to tailor the agency's image to
the straight, white community.
Board president S ister Mary Thomas B urke
denied the allegations, but said, "We are not a
gay organization. We have gay clients....It's
for everyone."
The turmoil isn't expected to end soon.
And many insiders, including the group's
founder, fear the conflict may harm MAP's
ability to execute its mission: providing ser
vices to people with HIV.
"What saddens me is that MAP was de
signed to provide services and most people
didn't care who those (clients) were and what
they believed in. Now people seem more
concerned about that than about delivering
services," founding director Les Kooyman
said.
Kooyman and five other gay men started
the agency in 1985; it currently serves over
400 clients. However, since he stepped down
a year ago, several board actions have drawn
fire from area gays and lesbians. They allege
that because of homophobia the boanJ has:
• censored gay-positive statements from
the agency newsletter;
• deleted the agency's name from enve
lopes sent to donors;
• reprimanded the new executive director,
John Conley, 40, for pubhcly acknowledging
his homosexuality, and forced his resignation
on Monday, July 8.
Nun's leadership questioned
"What is a nun doing as the president,
anyway?" said gay-rights activist and MAP
contributor Peter Boles. "The Catholic church
thinks gays and lesbians are sick and sinful
and the Pope doesn't believe in condoms."
Her position on MAP's board does not
conflict with her personal beliefs or the mis
sion of her order, the Sisters of Mercy, Burke
said. "I see them as people who happen to be
gay, or happen to be straight, or happen to be
a nun... .1 am a nun, but I hope people will see
me as a person first," she said.
Anonymous AIDS
testing sites announced
RALEIGH, July 23 — State health direc
tor Dr. RonaldLevine announced the 17 coun
ties where anonymous testing will continue to
be offered after August 31. In addition to
Mecklenburg County, they are Buncombe,
Carteret, Catawba, Cumberland, Dare,
Guilford, Halifax, Macon, New Hanover,
Orange, Pasquotank, Pitt, Surry, Wake,
Watauga and Wayne.
According to a report in The Charlotte
Observer, Dr. Levine said he was complying
with a February decision by the state Com
mission for Health Services to begin phasing
out anonymous tsting. Confidential testing,
where names are recorded but kept private,
will continue in all 100 local health depart
ments. Names are not recorded for anony
mous testing.
The commission authorized a study by
state health officials on this issue. If the study
shows the need for anonymous testing no
longer exists, then the commission will elimi
nate it by 1994.
MAP; A year in review page 7
Carolina^ Celebration proceeds
as planned page 7
\
Sister Mary Thomas Burke, President,
MAP Board of Directors
Burke said she supports all MAP's activi
ties, including programs like "Man to Man,"
a series of safe sex workshops for gay couples
which advocates the use of condoms. "I think
that if that's what we need in order to prevent
AIDS—that's what we need to do," she said.
MAP supporters and staff say Burke was
recruited to head the agency's board because,
as a Catholic nun, she appeared above re
proach and would be able to shield the agency
from right-wing extremists, like Charlotte
pastor Joseph Chambers. Also, Burke's posi
tion of chair of UNC-Charlotte's department
of human services would help the agency gain
United Way support, which in turn would
help MAP's chances of winning government
grants.
In those areas, Burke's leadership appears
to have been successful. Right-wing critics
seem to have turned their attention to other
groups who support gays and lesbians (like
Parents and Friends of Gays and Lesbians).
And last fall, after Conley completed the
application, the United Way agreed to make
MAP a member agency.
Debra Arrington, who coordinates a re
gional AIDS consortium from the United
Way office in Charlotte, refused to comment
on how MAP's turmoil would affect the group's
standing with her organization. "It’s an agency
matter," she said, abruptly.
Continued on page 6
PFLAG Convention provides ’Ammunition
To Dream' for parents and gays
By Don King
Special to Q-Notes
Marcia (pronouncedMAR-see) Solomon
has two adult sons. David Craig, 27, cri
tiques scripts and books for movie potential
and recommends buys for Haft-Nassiter, a
Hollywoodfirm whose principals produced
the movies "Dead Poets Society" and "The
Big Chill." He and his male lover, Brian
Binder, have been together for three years.
The other son, 31, is a Christian fundamen
talist estranged from his gay brother.
Solomon learned that David is gay his
freshman year at college in Chapel Hill. He
told her on a Friday night at the beginning
of a weekend together. For two days she
pretended it wasn 't that important. She cried
all the way back to Charlotte, learned all she
could about homosexuality, and jumped at
the chance to participate when Charlotte's
PFLAG chapter came into being.
With her mother, Solomon operates a
small bookkeeping and accounting business
in Charlotte. She was valedictorian of her
class at an American high school serving
U.S. Navy families in Rota, Spain; gradu
ated after her divorce with honors from
UNC-Charlotte with a degree in English
literature; has completed 40 hours of a mas
ters program in industriallorganizational
psychology; and sits on the board of direc
tors of PFLAGICharlotte, the Charlotte
ACLU chapter and the Charlotte chapter of
MENSA.
Sne and her
husband went their
separate ways 16
years ago.
"When my son
asked me if it was
wrong to be gay, I
told him, 'Honey,
you're asking the
wrong person. I
only know that if you can find someone to let
you love them, you go for it and you love
that person and you let them love you. If you
can experience that in your life, you'll have
more than most people."
Marcia Solomon revealed much of her
self during an interview about the Oct. 11-
14 10th Annual Convention of the Interna
tional Federation of Parents and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays at the Omni Charlotte
Hotel. Theme of the interview was why
parents and gay people should attend.
Continued on page 8
Solomon
Last call changes permanently to 2:00 am
By David Stout
Q-Notes Staff
In the final days of its session, the North
Carolina General Assembly passed a new law
aliowing the sale of alcoholic beverages until
2:00 am year-round, rather than stopping at
1:00 am when daylight saving time ends in the
fall.
The old law, which had been attacked by
members of the convenience/grocery store,
nightclub and restaurant industries for years,
had long outlived its usefulness. The old law
was passed so long ago that now no one is sure
why the time distinction was enacted in the
first place.
The additional hours of alcohol sales will
bring the state of North Carolina millions of
dollars in added revenue. The state will not be
the only one to benefit from the General
Assembly’s surprise move; North Carolina's
gay nightclubs should see a marked rise in
revenue at year's end.
Q-Notes contacted Greg Bradford, man
ager of Oleen's Lounge and the Brass Rail
levi/leather bar to get his thoughts on the time
change. "I think it's wonderful. It will give us
a chance to make some extra money on alco
hol sales, and it will give patrons an extra hour
to enjoy themselves. I think it's a good deci
sion all the way around."
When asked to estimate how the additional
hour year-round will translate to added rev
enue, Bradford projected a $50,000 increase
for Oleen’s and $25,000 increase for the Brass
Rail.
Out & About
MeetfrigSt SodidS
Cwnmual^ P^ews» Etc.
T Thursday/l-Saturday/10
That bitchin’ Chicklet is back in Innova
tive Theatre’s production of Psycho Beach
Party, written by gay playwright Charles
Busch. It’s happening, dude, at the Pterodac
tyl Club, 1600Freedom Drive, 8:00pm. Tick
ets are $4 on Thursday, $6 on Friday and
Saturday. Info: 704/342-1889.
▼ Thursday/l-Sunday/4
Birds of a Feather...the wilder side of pink
is the theme of the Hotlanta River Expo
1991 in Atlanta. Registration fee is $160 per
person. Info: 404/874-3976.
▼ Saturday/3
The North Carolina Coalition for Gay
and Lesbian Equality (NCCGLE) Anti-Vio
lence and Discrimination Documentation
Committee will meet from 1:00-4:00 pm at
1209 Forsyth Street, Winston-Salem. Info/
Directions: Martha Wilson, 919/727-0915;
Mab Segrest, 919/596-4862.
T Saturday/3-Sunday/4
The next organizational meeting for the
April 1993 March on Washington will take
place at the Allerton Hotel in Chicago. Info:
MOW Hofline 1-800-832-2889.
T Tuesday/6
Democratic candidate A1 Rousso makes
his pitch to become Charlotte’s next mayor to
the folks at First Tuesday, 7:30 pm, St.
Peter’s Episcopal Church (corner of 7th and
Tryon). Info: Dick Woodhouse, 704/334-
1886.
T Tuesday/13
The Charlotte Gay/Lesbian Leadership
Coalition will meet in MCC’s Social Hall,
7th Floor, 4037 E. Independence, 7:00 pm.
Info: Matt Chila, 704/532-8484.
T Saturday/17
Play ball! The Queen City Friends ((^F)
go to the Knights Baseball Game. Info: Linda,
704/54-0845 or Switchboard, 704/525-6128.
T Thursday/22
A blood-and-thunder melodrama. Law of
Desire, has its showing at Duke Power The
atre, Spirit Square, 8:00 pm, as part of the
Charlotte Gay & Lesbian Film Series. Di
rected by Pedro Almodovar, this 1987 film is
laced with black humor and a clear-eyed look
at homosexual relationships. In Spanish with
English subtitles. Tickets: $5. Info: 704/376-
9563.
T Friday/23-Sunday/25
The OWLS (Older Wiser Lesbians) get
away to Charleston/Folly Beach. Info: Jackie,
704/525-8121 or Carol, 704/531-1200.
T Saturday/24
The Concerned Charlotteans have called
for a city-wide march in downtown Charlotte
- “Strengthening The Family, Protecting Our
Children.” Local activists are considering a
counter march.
The Opera Training Company of Char
lotte makes its debut with its premiere perfor
mance of a fully-staged and costumed evening
Continued on page 4
INDEX
Page
Between the Covers
17
Classifieds
Distribution List
22
Fun and Gaymes
16
Hey, Helen
19
Letters To The Editor
10
Metrolina Briefs
4
Musings
2
PFLAG Update
Poetry Contest
Quirks & Quotes
The Soft Spot
14
State & National News
7