PAGE 6 Q-Notes
April 1995
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West steps down at
Brothers Foundation
by David Stout
Q-Notes Staff
CHARLOTTE—In a February 28 press
release, The Brothers Foundation announced
the resignation of its first Executive Director
Betsy West, citing a need to “...trim the size of
staff [and] ...reduce operational expenses.”
As part of the restructuring, two employees of
The Living Center, the agency’s day respite
facility for people with HIV and AIDS, were
also let go.
.According to a member of The Brothers
Foundation’s board. West’s resignation was
solely attributable to economics. Chair
Deborah Hirsch said, “We discovered we
were administration heavy — more of the
budget was going to administration than to
clients. We were able to trim $90,000 from
the budget through this process.”
West agreed saying, “[The Brothers Foun
dation is] a great example of what non-profits
are facing. There is money available for pro
grams but very little for operations, and that’s
what I came under.” But she challenged the
notion that letting her go was the best option.
“Administrators are considered an extrava
gance by the public — but they are the pro
grams. I was as much a part of the programs
as the person doing day-to-day, hands-on
work with the clients.” She said that as the
highest paid employee of the agency, she was
an easy target, but she had no knowledge that
her resignation would be sought. “When
you’re one of the ones who can go, you’re not
privy to that information.”
When asked if she would have supported
the decision to seek the director’s resignation,
had she been on the board. West responded,
“Of course not. I have a whole different per
spective on what could have been done. We
should have been out in the community beat
ing the bushes all along raising money. We
could have streamlined our operations —
possibly a temporary layoff at the Living
Center. The employees would have qualified
for unemployment until we could find the
money to bring them back to work.”
Despite the fact that The Brothers Founda
tion experienced phenomenal growth under
West (she procured more than $2.5 million
for the agency), Hirsch wasn’t concerned
about a reversal following her resignation.
“One of the reasons we did this now was
because we wanted to set the direction of the
Board for the future. We are supposed to be
serving 11 counties, but right now we are only
serving Mecklenburg. There comes a time
when you have to be realistic, and we’re there.
It’s important that we serve as many people as
possible.”
West noted that this would be difficult
under the circumstances. “Until that Board
gets real strong and real participatory, it’s
never going to happen.”
According to Hirsch, losing its executive
director isn’t a threat to the level of care the
Foundation can offer. “It’s important to re
member that The Brothers Foundation is an
umbrella group overseeing Fieldstone [a group
home], l^e Living Center, hopefully Taylor
Home [a group home whose construction is
currently being illegally blocked by the City
of Charlotte] and The Havens [a proposed 24-
unit apartment complex schedul^ for ground
breaking in less than two months]. Each of
these projects has its own director—we don’t
need a full-time director for the directors.”
West sees a different problem arising, since
the Board is now handling the administrative
duties. “They will have to do work that they
just don’t know how to do. They have differ
ent gifts and work other jobs.”
Hirsch indicated that the Board will prob
ably re-tool the job description of the next
executive director, steering the position to
ward more community development and
fundraising efforts. West found this to be in
keeping with her view of the agency’s lead
ers. “I think the Board thinks a fundraiser is
interchangeable with an executive director—
and they’re very different things. A good
many on the Board see the two as inter
changeable.”
Although West is disappointed to be leav
ing The Brothers Foundation (“It’s a hard
thing to give up your baby... especially The
Havens. I started that program from soup to
nuts... well, I won’t be around for the nuts, but
I started the soup”), she is still encouraging
others to support the organization and its
programs. “I’ve had fi-iends say, ‘I won’t give
them another dime,’ and I say ‘Why? This
shouldn’t be about personalities. ’ I hope people
support them and I hope they succeed.”
Martin says no discrimination at UNC
by David Jones
Q-Notes Staff
CHARLOTTE—“There is no discrimina
tion against anyone at the University [of North
Carolina] on any of its campuses attributable
to homosexual orientation, and so such dis
crimination has been alleged,” according to
former North Carolina governor James G.
Martin of Charlotte. The statement was made
in a letter from Martin to Ed Farthing, legisla
tive liaison for NC Pride PAC, the lesbian and
gay political action committee in NC.
TTie university has a system-wide policy
under consideration that would ban discrimi
nation based on sexual orientation. It is being
studied in a committee of the Board of Gov
ernors. A recommendation from the commit
tee to the full board is expected this summer.
Farthing heard Martin speak at a Triangle-
area lecture series and decided to write him a
letter asking his position on the proposed
policy. Martin is a member of the board. In
Martin’s response to Farthing, he states that
he is oppx)sed to including homosexuality in
the university’s nondiscrimination policy be
cause “there has been nothing to necessitate
it.” “I have been told that at least one of our
staff is homosexual, but I have no knowledge
of that, and really don’t care.” After proclaim
ing that discrimination against gay people
does not exist and has never been alleged,
Martin stat^, “If there is no discrimination
against any individual based on homosexual
ity, then I see no sound reasons to try to bring
it up for debate.”
In a strange twist coming shortly after
major Republican victories in the 1994 elec
tions, Martin, a Republican, ended his letter
with the comment, “If you want to redress a
real grievance, try the issue of discrimination
based on political orientation.”
Martin sent the letter from his home ad
dress in Charlotte, to which those who are
aware of discrimination may send replies.
The address on the letter is James G. Martin,
1831 Maryland Avenue, Charlotte, NC28209.
NCLGHP hires coordinator
DURHAM—The North Carolina Lesbian
and Gay Health Project (NCLGHP) an
nounced the hiring of Susan Angle as the new
Program Coordinator for its Lesbian Health
Center.
The Lesbian Health Center, currently in
development at NCLGHP, hopes to provide a
safe, confidential and comfortable environ
ment for lesbians, bisexuals and all women
who partner with women in need of health
care services. Among the services the center
will offer are pelvic exams, pap smears and
clinical breast exams. Additionally, educa
tion and support services will help lesbian/
bisexual women understand their health needs
and find the best ways to get them met, whether
through scientific or alternative medicine, or
a combination of both.
Angle, a native of Charlotte, has served as
a counselor at Plaimed Parenthood providing
counseling and support services to women
undergoing various surgical procedures as
well as those in need of guidance in the areas
of contraception, avoiding STDs and HIV
prevention. Most recently, she worked at
Charlotte Internal Medicine.
A graduate of UNC Charlotte with a B.A.
in psychology and a minor in sociology. Angle
has a particular concern for the emotional
well-being of women. “All women are at a
societal disadvantage, but the stresses on les
bians and other women who partner with
women are neglected by the mainstream.”
Angle is in the process of relocating with
her partner, Liz Burnett, and looks forward to
taking an active role in the community.