Vol. 8, No. 9
September 1993
She's a
dream, girl
...page 4
Notes for
votes
...page 17
Fnnted on Recycled Paper
FREE
Creating Change Conference set for Durham
..... .» _ 1 4.^ r\n QotiirHciv Al
by Darryl R. Williams
Special to Q-Notes
DURHAM—^This November, about 1200
gay and lesbian grassroots activists from the
United States and other countries will attend
the 6th Annual Creating Change Conference
in Durham, NC. The conference, sponsored
by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
(NGLTF) Policy Institute, is a fomm for
organizers and activists to share skills and
dialogue about the gay, lesbian and bisexual
movement and to discuss strategies for the
coming year, according to conference orga
nizers.
While the conference is sponsored by the
NGLTF Policy Institute, it is hosted by a
committee of North Carolinians representing
several organizations from across the state.
The fact that the NGLTF Policy Institute
chose to hold the conference in the Triangle
(a.k.a. Jesse Helms’ back yard) has invited a
question that NGLTF Conference Director
Ivy Young has heard from activists around
the country: “You’re having it whereT'
Conference organizers originally planned
to hold the conference in the Washington,
D.C. area; however, contractual problems
with the hotel they were planning to use sent
them into a last-minute scramble to find a site
that met two primary criteria: space to accom
modate the activists and a community able to
host the conference. Durham fit the bill and
its selection marks the first time the confer
ence will be held in the South.
The conference, which is being held at the
Omni-Durham Hotel and Convention Cen
ter, will be preceded by three day-long insti
tutes beginning Wednesday, November 10,
and including The Diversity Training Insti
tute; The People of Color Organizing Insti
tute; and The Race, Class, and Gender Insti
tute. The institutes, organizers say, are de
signed to give organizers and activists insight
into the critical issues affecting the lesbian,
gay, and bisexual movement The confer
ence itself, which officially commences on
Friday, November 12, consists of day-long
“intensives” and skills-building workshops.
Using “intensives” is new to the confer
ence this year, and, much like the pre-confer
ence institutes, they are designed to allow
activists and organizers to focus on particular
issue areas. The ten intensives being offered
are Fight the Right, Civil Rights/Privacy,
Health Care, Southern Organizing, Age and
Aging, Youth Organizing, Work and Family,
Anti-Violence, Sex and Sexuality, and Inter
national Issues/Organizing.
Skills-building workshops remain a core
part of the conference and include Media,
Fund Raising, Campus Organizing, Organi
zational Development, Lobbying, Diversity
Training and Education/Information Pro
grams.
Three plenary speakers are also being fea
tured at the conference. North Carolina au
thor and activist Mab Segrest will speak at the
opening plenary; Segrest currently serves on
the board of the North Carolina Coalition for
Gay and Lesbian Equality (NCCGLE) and is
the Coordinator for the U.S. Urban-Rural
Mission of the World Council of Churches.
Dr. Franklin Kameny, a founding member of
the National Gay Task Force and the
Mattachine Society of Washington, will speak
1994 Pride March to
be held in Charlotte
by Kathy Staley
Special to Q-Notes
CH ARLOTTE^Between 3,000and 5,000
gay and lesbian North Carolinians are ex
pected to converge in the city of Charlotte
next year, June
3-5, to celebrate
gay, lesbian and
bisexual pride
and to call for
equal treatment
under the law.
North Caro-
linaLesbianand
Gay Pride, Inc.
informed Char
lotte organizers
on July 24 that
the city’s initial
bid to sponsor
the Ninth An
nual North
Carolina Les
bian and Gay
Pride March
and Rally was
accepted.
Jim Duley,
the executive
director of NC
Pride, said,
“I’ve been
wanting to have
the march in
Charlotte. The
location is real Dan
central to every
one. Symbolically, Charlotte is the largest
city in the state and the economic capital.”
NC Pride is the Durham-based not-for-profit
corporation which sponsors the Lesbian and
Gay Pride March and Rally providing sup
port such as minimum financial backing and
mailing lists to (he local organizing commit
tees that plan the actual event.
“1994 is an important year in gay and
lesbian history,” said Dan Kirsch, co-chair of
Charlotte’s Local Organizing Committee
(LOC) and Operations Manager of North
Kirsch
at a luncheon plenary on Saturday. And Dr.
Maijorie Hill will speak at the closing ple
nary; Hill is currently the Assistant Vice
President for Special Populations with New
York City ’ s Health and Hospital Corporation
and fonnerly Director of the New York City
Mayor’s Office for the Lesbian and Gay
Community.
At least two events will be open to tliose
not attending the conference. A community
dance, sponsored by the Host Committee,
will be held on Friday evening, and the Stand
Up For Your Rights III Performance Gala
will be held Saturday evening. The gala will
feature various gay and lesbian artists and
performers.
North Carolina Host Committee Co-Chair
Mark Donahue believes that the benefits of
the Triangle’s hosting the conference will be
significant. It will mark the second time in the
past year that the Triangle has hosted a major
national gay and lesbian convention. In No
vember 1992, approximately 300 elected and
appointed openly gay and lesbian officials
Continued on page 15
Carolina Dance Theatre. “June 1994 marks
the 25th anniversary of New York City’s
Stonewall riot, the event that started the mod
em gay equality movement.” A massive
march is planned for June 26, 1994 in New
York City to
commemorate
the riots. The
NC, SC and At
lanta Gay and
Lesbian Pride
Marches have
shifted their
1994 march
dates so that par
ticipants may
also go to New
York.
The Charlotte
LOC has formed
a Steering Com
mittee and sev
eral sub-com
mittees, select
ing Sue Henry
and Dan Kirsch
as co-chairs.
Other Steering
Committee
members are
Brad Caldwell,
Donna Hilbert,
Don King, Mike
Larson, Kim
berly Melton,
Jan Walsh, Jay
Williams and
Dick Woodhouse.
The Steering Committee consists of only
“out” persons; however, sub-committee par
ticipation is open to any interested persons.
Committees available include Fundraising,
Marketing (Publicity and Merchandising),
Pride Guide, Rally Set-up/Clean-up, March/
Parade, Recreational/Sports Events, Special
Services (i.e., community housing, childcare,
services for the differently abled). Political
Action, Stonewall 25 Organizers, Building
Continued on page 14
Openly gay candidate runs
for Asheville City Council
by Brent L. Pack
Q-Notes Staff
ASHEVILLE—^The winds of political
change have recently been blowing across
local precincts, districts, states and even the
nation, paving the way for gay and gay af
firming candidates to enter and win political
races. Sensing this change, Ron Lambe de
clared his candidacy to become the first openly
gay candidate to seek a seat on the Asheville
City Council.
Although surrounded by conservative and
fundamental Democratic and Republican in
fluences in Western North Carolina, the po
litical base of Asheville has recently been
changing to a more middle-of-the-road po
litical stance. In the most recent city council
races, successful candidates have recognized
the power of the gay and gay affirming voting
base, often appealing to them for support.
Ron Lambe recognizes this strong emer
gence of gay, lesbian and bisexual influence;
however, his political activity did not begin
as a result of this change. Lambe began his
political activity when being openly gay was
not as easily tolerated or accepted. Working
his way up through the political hierarchy of
Asheville’s Democratic Party, Lambe
achieved election to the 2nd Vice Chair of the
15th Democratic Precinct in West Asheville.
He has also served as Co-Chair of Citizens for
Safe Drinking Water, Vice President of Citi
zens for Public Accountability, Co-Chair of
the Asheville Gay and Lesbian Community
Council, Chairman of West Carolina Coali-
Continued on page 24
Lowcountry basher
found guilty in SC
CHARLESTON—“I had nothing to do
with it, sir,” were the last words former Cita
del Cadet James T. Hill said before Judge
Arthur MacFarland, Charleston City Munici
pal Court, found him guilty of simple assault.
According to the victim, William Munn of
Charleston, he was leaving a well-known gay
bar when the suspect and three others con
fronted him and asked, “Are you a faggot?”
As Munn tried to leave the scene. Hill punched
him in the mouth and the three others began
to beat him in the face, head and ribs. Munn
managed to run from the scene to call for help.
Hill told the judge that he wasn’t “the one
that hates gays,” but admitted he did see the
victim get beaten up outside the nightclub.
The judge’s verdict stood and Munn’s attor
ney, Edmund Robinson, asked him to use this
case as an example when sentencing Hill.
“Mr. Hill needs some time behind bars to let
him think about what he’s done and also to let
tlie rest of the community know that the
police will protect people walking the streets
of this town whether they are gay or straight.”
But the judge said there is no hate crime
statute in South Carolina and the charge was
simple assault and ordered a $200 fine and 30
days suspended.
While members of the Lowcountry Gay
and Lesbian Alliance (LGLA) were happy
about the verdict, they are disappointed this
case was not accepted in a higher court. “It is
perfectly clear to me that the solicitors office
has their own agenda and the scales of justice
do not include gays and lesbians,” said Kevin
Campbell, Co-Chair of LGLA. The LGLA,
Munn and the ACLU begged Assistant So
licitor Kate Cunningham to bump this case to
general sessions because it was clearly more
titan simple assault. Cunningham refused
citing she saw no aggravating circumstances.
However, many are happy the judge in this
smaller court saw it their way, and are hoping
Hill’s guilty verdict will send a message that
crimes of hate should be crimes of the past.