Vol. 8, No. 8
August 1993
Dying for
food
...page 13
Hawaiian
Honeymoon
...page 4
The Carolina^’ Most Cotnprohonsivo Gay & Lesbian Newspaper Printed on Recycled Paper FREE
Gay activist runs for office
by Darryl R. Williams
Special to Q-Notes
CARRBORO, NC—Gay activist Mike
Nelson announced recently that he will make
a second run lor one of tliree, open, at-large
seats on tlie Carrboro Board of Aldermen.
Nelson, who sought a seat in 1989 and lost by
only 32 votes, said die voters of Carrboro are
ready to elect an official willing to take a
stand on tough issues, regardless of the
candidate’s sexual orientation.
“Certainly my sexual orientation is a part
of tlie campaign because it’s not a secret to
anyone in town,” he said, “but it just doesn’t
matter to most of the people in Carrboro.
Tliey just want someone to focus on the
issues.”
The issues most important to Nelson are
broad; increasing Triangle-wide transporta
tion and bringing it into Carrboro; protecting
tlie environment, including controlling tlie
Canboro water quality, expanding accessi
bility to recycling, and keeping pollution in
check by increasing tlie use of public trans
portation; and controlling the town’s spiral
ing crime problem.
“These ai'e all very important issues for
me, but, more importandy, they aie important
to Carrboro,” Nelson said.
A Jacksonville native and longtime resi
dent of Carrboro, Nelson obtained a degree in
polidcal science at the University of Nordi
Carolina at Chapel Hill. He feels his varied
polidcal and civic activism over the past 11
yetus in Orange County has made him more
prepaied dian ever to represent die voters of
CtuTboro. He is currendy die vice chair of die
Orange County Democratic Paity; and has
worked both nadonally and locally on issues
such as abordon rights, day care, and trans-
portadon. In addidon. Nelson attended the
1992 Democradc Nadonal Convendon as an
openly gay delegate.
“I'lie convendon was such an affinning,
gay-posidveexperienceforme,”Nclson said.
“It reaffirmed my belief in die democratic
process.”
Nelson’s political work has also included
issues of pai'ticular importance to die gay and
lesbian community. He managed Joe
Herzenberg’s successful ctunpaign for a seat
ondieCliapelHiUTownCouncil. Herzenberg
is cuiTently die only openly gay elected offi
cial in Nordi Ctirolina.
“Working on Joe’s cmnpaign was a sig-
Vigil held on
compromise
by Kevin Menken
Special to Q-Notes
COLUMBIA—About 100 supporters of
die movement to lift die ban on gays and
lesbiiuis in die military held a candlelight
vigil at die Vieuiam Veterans Memorial nciu'
downtown Columbia on July 21 to protest
President Clinton’s compromise plan for gays
in the tunned forces.
Jlie vigil, sponsored by die city’s Gay and
Lcsbitui Pride Mmcli (GLPM), was called
alter die president’s announcement on July
19 of a version of die “don’t ask, don’t tell”
proposal dial included provisions for gays
and lesbians to refrain from homosexual con
duct on or off their bases during their tenure
in die miliUuy.
Protesters stuig “The Suir-Spangled Ban
ner” tuid specitd lyrietd versions of “We Shall
Continued on page 17
nificanl part of my polidcal development,”
Nelson said. “We put together one of die best
campaigns that’s ever existed for a seat on die
Chapel Hill Town Council, and I carried from
that a lot of knowledge and experience that
T ve been able to put to good use.” Nelson has
yet to name die individual who will manage
his campaign.
Nelson also recendy served as execudve
director of Pride PAC, apolitical acdon com
mittee dedicated to helping gay and lesbian
candidates and gay-affinning candidates get
elected in North Carolina.
“My experience in running Pride PAC,
which is a statewide organization, helped me
mostly in developing my organizational
skills,” Nelson said.
Although issues that are specifically perti
nent to gays and lesbians do not top Nelson’s
agenda, he believes it is critical that openly
gay and lesbian candidates seek and win
elected offices to demonstrate our presence in
communities nationwide.
“Different polls have shown that several
cities in North Carolina can elect gay candi
dates,” Nelson said. “The problem is that
people are either not interest^ or don’t think
they can win.”
Herzenberg believes Nelson’s interests in
public office and diverse interest on issues
make him a valuable asset to the gay and
lesbian community. He also views Nelson as
an unusual entity because so few gay and
lesbian activists choose the mainstream po
litical system as a battleground.
“Very few gay activists are interested in
running for public office and being scruti
nized as public officials are,” he said. “You
also have to have ahnost a perfect balance of
general community and gay interests. If
you’re seen striedy as a ‘gay candidate,’ you
won’t get votes outside of die gay and lesbian
community. And if you ignore the gay issues,
you will not get the support of the gay com
munity. It’s a very fine line we walk.”
Nelson said one of the reasons he’s spent
most of his time in establishment politics is
because that’s where he saw tlie greatest
need.
“I wouldn’t call the mainstream political
system the best or worst way to get things
done,” he said. “I just diink dial for the
lesbian tuid gay movement to be successful,
we need to have full-fledged involvement in
all aspects of politics, whedier it’s in die
Republican Party or the Democratic Party,
establishment politics or street politics. As a
movement, we won’t be’ really successful
until we’ve developed a wide range of tactics
and organizational structures.”
Mike Nelson
Herzenberg said die election of openly
lesbian and gay officials was one of the keys
to empowering die community.
“When we get people elected, we will
have die power to change die tilings dial need
to be changed,” Herzenberg said. “We will
not be able to change die world, but we will
definitely make small changes and move in
the right direction.”
In die past eight years, gays and lesbians
nationally have definitely been moving in die
right direction. In 1985, diere were about 14
openly gay and lesbian elected officials in the
United States; currendy, diere are approxi
mately 80. Herzenberg expects die number to
top 100 by die end of 1993. In Nordi Caro
lina, diough, die magic number is two.
“I would be more than happy to give up the
honor of being die only openly gay elected
official in North Carolina,” Herzenberg said.
Play provides
exploration of
discrimination
by Brent L. Pack
Q-Notes Staff
If ART unitates LIFE, then conversely,
maybe, LIFE can imitate ART, or at least die
meanings and messages conveyed dirough
art. Art could dien expose die injustices and
problems, and life could recognize and take
the initiative to solve diem. In the hope dial
diis process could occur, everyone, no matter
in what subset of society, should see “My
Castle’s Rockin’,” the 31 st world premiere of
the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre
in Mars Hill, North Carolina.
This innovative, one-woman show writ
ten by Florida playwright Larry Parr and
starring Ginnie Randall subdy but effectively
examines die discrimination tuid prejudice
which faces everyone in society, not just a
particular segment. “My Castle’s Rockin’”
chronicles die life of Alberta Hunter, the
prima donna of jazz in die early mid middle
1900s.
This musical biography, featuring jazz
pianist virtuoso Jay Flippin, begins widi
Alberui at age 82 contemplating a return to
her singing career at a local club; however,
she does not want the public “snooping” in
her life again. While considering her return to
public life, memories begin to Hood her mind
and unfold upon the stage.
' At age 14, after being sexually molested
by her school principal, Alberta ran away
from her home in Memphis, TN for the bright
lights of Chicago. She began singing in the
clubs diere, bringing to diem die deep, rich,
spiritual music that had been passed down
from generation to generation widiin her cul
ture. This music would later become known
as jazz.
Because of tier deep, rich voice and ex
pressive gestures, Alberta developed a large
following in the Chicago tnea; however, it
was Lottie Willhuns, die niece of the vaude-
villian star Bert Willimns, who developed a
particular affinity for her. Alberta, who was
distrustful of men because of hermoleslatioij,
found love and U'ust in a phice where she
never imagined—widi a woimui. Widi Lottie,
AlberUi found die security and love dial she
Continued on page 15
Unitarians affirm gay rights
by Jeanette Leardi & Kimberly Melton
Special to Q-Notes
CHARLOTTE—As a demonstration of
its ongoing commitment to affirming the rights
and dignity of all gays, lesbians, bisexuals
and transgender persons, the Unitarian Uni-
versalist Association (UUA) presented nu
merous workshops and events during its re
cent 32nd annued General Assembly (GA)
convention, held in uptown Charlotte.
From June 24-29, more diaii 2500 congre
gational representatives of the over 200,000
Unitarian Uni versalisls (UUs) in die U.S. and
Canada met to share ideas and strategies for
upholding their religious denomination’s lib
eral principles of freedom and tolerance in the
face of increasing social and political pres
sure from the “Religious Right.”
“The religious right has targeted gay, les
bian and bisexual people for political perse
cution,” said die Rev. Dr. William F. Schulz,
outgoing UUA president in his 1993
President’s Report address to the Assembly.
“Our sisters and brothers are dying for the
sentiments of their hearts, and we Unitarian
Universalists are saying with the most un-
equivoetd of voices, ‘lliis cannot continue!”’
In an impassioned speech to die GA del
egates and attendees. Rev. Schulz urged diem
to maintain dieir denomination’s long-stiuid-
ing coimnilment to social justice. “Oppres
sion still plagues this world in many fonns,”
he staled, “but one of diose forms against
which Unitarian Universalism still stands vir
tually alone among religious bodies is die
denigration and scapegoating of gay, lesbian
and bisexual people ... Unitarian Universal
ism’scommiunent to gay and lesbian rights is
now more than twenty years old. But, unfor
tunately, my friends, diis battle is just begin
ning.”
Refiecting this intent to win die “battle,”
die GA Planning Coimniltee organized a sig
nificant number of workshops and events
addressing gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender concerns.
Prominent among the sponsoring orgtini-
zalions was Interweave—^UUs for Lesbigay
andTnuisgenderConcenis—which presented
a workshop entitled “Our Youth Are At Risk:
Working Widi Our Lesbigay Youdi.”
Anodier GA workshop, “The Religious
Right’s Political Agenda,” featured speakers
Scott Nakagawa of the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force, and Deanna Duby, deputy
dii ector of policy for People For The Ameri
can Way. During dial session, die strategies
of die religious right were discussed, widi
particular attention paid to its alleged current
plans to target all U.S. slates for die establish
ment of homophobic legislation.
“We really want die UUA to be ready and
to be diere when die Federal Civil Rights Bill
comes up.” .said the Rev. Meg Riley, a lesbitui
and director of the UUA Office for Gay and'
Continued on page 8