Vol. 7, No. 3
March 1992
ACT UP
vs.
Health Dept.
page 3
straight Talk —
Version #3
page 5
The Carol'mae’ Meet Compreheneive Oay & Leehian Newepaper'^" rrmteii on Recycled Raper'^w^ FI^EE
HIV test limits driving totals down in risk groups
State changes criteria in mid-study to indicate otherwise
by David Jones
Q-Notes Staff
RALEIGH—The first results are in on the
state’s decision to restrict anonymous HIV
testing to only a few counties.
Total tests of gay men and IV drug users
are down significantly. Where there is no
anonymous testing, tests are also down for
sex-partners of persons with HIV infection
and those of IV drug users. Testing for all
high-risk groups combined has declined.
AIDS activists, public health experts and
medical experts who opposed limiting access
to anonymous testing predicted just such a
result. However, the state health department
says that it is pleased.
Effective September 1,1991, anonymous
HIV testing was restricted to 17 counties (it
had been available in all 1(X)). A lawsuit filed
by ACT-UP/Triangle resulted in a temporary
order that kept anonymous testing in Durham
County while the court considered whether to
restore anonymous testing in other or all
counties. A decision is expected in early
March, 1992.
In approving the state health department’s
proposal, the Health Services Commission
ordered the state to conduct an analysis of the
effect of the change, and report back to the
commission every six months — something
the state did not want to have to do.
State Health Director Dr. Ron Levine pre
sented his first report to the commission on
February 5, 1992 (covering the four months
before and after the policy change). He was
able to label the experiment a success so far
by changing the criteria for evaluating it and
using questionable data.
The state’s announced objective in phas
ing-out anonymous testing was to get more
names so that partner notification would be
more effective in reaching those at highest
risk. But Levine has decided to evaluate the
new policy based on total number of tests and
total number of positives. Using Levine’s
figures, total tests are up 16.5% and positive
tests are up 6.4%. He argues that the policy is
working since total positive tests are up, even
though the state’s own analysis shows that
tests for gay men are down 16.8% and IV drug
users down 8%.
In addition to trying to change the objec
tive. of the policy change, the state is not using
the figures that are relevant to the question of
whether the lack of anonymous testing dis
courages testing of people at highest risk.
The state is analyzing all “public-sector
tests.” That includes testing locations like
prison, prenatal clinics, and STD clinics.
Continued on page 20
March is Gay Media Awareness Month
Q-Notes reflects on serving the Carol!nas
by David Stout
Q-Notes Staff
Unbeknownst to most, March is Gay and
Lesbian Media Awareness Month, that one
time of the year when community newspa
pers, magazines, cable access programs and
radio shows get to turn the spotlight back onto
themselves and say, “Job well done.” Here at
Q-Notes, the staff decided to mark the occa
sion by t^ng a stroll down memory lane and
recalling some of our history.
The first issue of Q-Notes (the newspaper)
rolled off the press in
June 1986 (it originally
began as a monthly
newsletter in Septem
ber, 1983). Volume 1,
No. 1, was eight pages
long and contained
seven ads, five display
ads and two business
cards. The lead article
was a full, front-page
story about the Carolina
Drummer contest which
was going to be held in
Charlotte. The reason
the Drummer contestre-
ceived such excellent
coverage was two-fold:
1) it was the first regional leather contest to be
held in the Carolinas and 2) it was being
produced by Queen City Quoidinators (who
just happened to own Q-Notes). QCQ was an
umbrella organization comprised of commu
nity leaders assembled to assist, and raise
money for, other organizations (such as pay
ing the Switchboard’s phone bill for many
years). The idea to publish the newspaper
sprang from the same vein of civic mindedness
that prompted the group to raise money and
then give it away. The Board of QCQ hired
Don King as Editor-in-Chief and gave him
full responsibility for its completion. This
meant he had to write the copy, sell the ads,
design the ads, typeset the paper, and do the
manual paste-up while maintaining a full
time job at The Charlotte Observer. King
pulled off this difficult task for quite a while,
but after a year and a half, he was ready to step
down. The first post-King issue was October
1987 which was four pages long and featured
a lead article about Supreme Court nominee
Robert Bork. Also on the front page was an
open letter from Jim Yarbrough, then the
current QCQ president, to the community
and the advertisers assuring them of the paper’s
continuation. That commitment was person
ally met by Yarbrough, QCQ’s immediate
past president Dean Gaskey, and board mem
ber Joel Smith. It was a challenge for the three
men, since they had little or no previous
newspaper experience, but one that was taken
head-on.
The next major change for Q-Notes oc
curred in September 1988 when QCQ closed
down and gave publi
cation rights to C.A.N.
Inc. (Charlotte Advo
cacy Network). This
move was taken so the
newspaper could le
gally express political
views and opinions. Un
der C.A.N., Q-Notes
continued to flourish -
reaching a consistent
twelve pages from is
sue to issue and utiliz
ing spot color. These
changes were enacted
under the guidance of
Dean Gaskey, editor
during this period. But
like Don King, maintaining editorship of the
growing newspaper and holding a full-time
job grew wearisome, and Gaskey decided to
resign. Then, a few months later, Joel Smith
was also ready to move on to other challenges
so he, too, stepped down. These events left
Jim Yarbrough as the lone major stockholder
and led to the closing of C.A.N. Inc. At the
last board meeting, November 1989,
Yarbrough’s bid to buy Q-Notes outright was
accepted.
Since that time, the paper has been in a
constant state of growth and maturation. The
addition of new personnel and an influx of
new ideas over the past two years has ushered
in something akin to a mini “Golden Era” for
the publication.
But rest assured, this newspaper HAS NOT
yet reached its potential - and we certainly
aren’t ready to rest on our laurels. The moti
vation to inform, challenge, and report con
tinues stronger than ever. In fact, we anx
iously await the evolution of this newspaper
during the next six years, firmly believing
that the best is yet to come!
HUD releases
housing money
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
will free up $50 million in AIDS housing
money that has been locked in the Depart
ment since October 1991, the AIDS Action
Council announced February 11. HUD’s
action culminates amonths-long face-off with
AIDS activists over the department’s foot
dragging in writing regulations for the AIDS
Housing Opportunities Act. The action came
on February 10, the same day as a meeting
between high-level HUD officials and AIDS
Action Council, the AIDS National Interfaith
Network (ANIN), and the AIDS Action Com
mittee of Massachusetts.
**HUD officials told us,
*Stop the letters and phone
calls. You won.*”
Continued on page 19
MCC pastor resigns
Services to continue
by Dan Van Mourik
Q-Notes Staff
CHARLOTTE—^Reverend Lynn Guerra,
pastor of Metropolitan,
Community Church of
Charlotte (MCCC), re- [
signed effective Febru
ary 1,1992. Guerra de
clined to make any
statement beyond the
contents of her letter to i
the MCCC Board of
Directors. In that letter,
Guerra stated, “I know
that some of you will feel betrayed, some will
be angry, some will be happy, some will be
relieved.. ..I have spent over nine years here
in Charlotte building a home for God. My
work here is finished.”
No one contacted would detail the reasons
behind Guerra’s resignation, all preferring to
call this period a time of “healing.”
MCCC will celebrate its 12th anniversary
this summer, possibly without a pastor. Rich
ard Wisner, Vice Moderator of MCCC’s
Board of Directors, stated that it could take
from six months to a year to find a new pastor.
A Search Committee has not yet been estab
lished, but Wisner said several options were
available for locating a pastor interested in
serving the Charlotte area.
Don Watkins, MCCC’s Senior Deacon,
heads a worship services team whose respon
sibility it is to arrange preachers and lay
speakers for Sunday services. Watkins stated
that Wednesday evening services have been
temporarily suspended, but all other sched
uled programs and services would continue
without interruption.
Everyone contacted emphasized that MCC
Charlotte would continue to serve the spiri
tual needs of the community. “God’s church
will go forward,” Watkins said. He also wanted
the community to know that the MCCC office
would be staffed and all calls and letters
would be handled in the appropriate manner.
Nominations sought for First
Annuai Q-Afofes Awards
CHARLOTTE—^This year at the an
nual Q-Notes Summer Breeze Gay and
Lesbian Pride Picnic, Sunday, June 7, at
Charlotte’s Bryant Park, we will inaugu
rate a pair of very special awards for two
individuals from the Carolinas.
The first, known as the Mark Drum
Memorial Award, will recognize an indi
vidual who has done outstanding and ex
ceptional work in the HIV/AIDS-affected
community.
Mark Drum was a Q-Notes staff writer
who chronicled his battle with the disease
until his passing last July. We are honored
to pay tribute to Mark and feel this award
will be our appreciation in action.
The second citation is the Q-Notes
OUTIBound Award whose recipient will
be someone who has made a significant
impact on the lesbian and gay community
in North and/or South Carolina.
This person will have made a viable
change through activism, lobbying, and
community service.
If you or your community service orga
nization know a person who should be con
sidered for either prize, please write to us.
Include in your letter a brief personal profile
of the individual, a description of theirwork
and performance and the reasons why their
contribution has been exceptional.
We are aware that bundles of people in
the gay and lesbian community are commit
ted everyday to extinguishing disease, suf
fering, bigotry, bashing and discrimination,
so choosing these recipients will be a diffi
cult process.
llie deadline for your submission is Fri
day, May 1.
The winners will be profiled in the issue
following the presentation.
All applications will be given serious
consideration by a nominating committee;
award finalists will be voted on by the entire
staff.
We look forward to hearing from you,
and learning more about our fine commu
nity members and volunteers.
Send your submissions to Q-Notes P.O.
Box 221841, Charlotte, NC 28222