Q-Notes T June 1995 PAGE?
OutCharlotte 95 to produce cabaret
show with local talent competition
by Robert Marcus James
Special to Q-Notes
“Glitter & Be Gay,” a cabaret show to
benefit OutCharlotte 95, will be staged at
Theatre Charlotte on Friday and Saturday,
June 23 and 24. The show will feature a
cabaret cast, plus a talent competition open to
community acts. OutCharlotte 95 is an an
nual cultural festival celebrating the lesbian/
gay/ bisexual/transgender
community. The first fes
tival will be held October
11-15.
“We haven’t held a
community cabaret show
for several years,” stated Dan Kirsch, Festival
Director. “The last community show was
October 1991 for the National PFLAG Con
ference. We see the cabaret as a fun way to
raise funds and show off the talent within our
community.” The creative team includes
Kirsch, Rodney McAllister and Mark Propst,
all of whom were involved in both the PFLAG
show and the One Voice cabaret in February
1991, as well as Elaine Rhodes. The cabaret
cast includes Emory Clark, Doug Dozier,
Diann Hinson, Lisa Hammond, Matt Hough,
Travis Osley, and Tamera J. Whisnant. Lois
Webster will stage manage. The cast will sing
and dance to the music of Marvin Hamlisch,
Tom Weinberg, and Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Women’s health
access survey
set to begin
DURHAM, NC—Research suggests that
lesbians and other women who have women
partners may have difficulty accessing medi
cal care which is sensitive to their specific
needs. They may not get regular breast ex
ams, Pap smears, blood pressure checks or
other care, often because they can’t afford
medical care, they don’t know where to go for
help, they’re afraid of the results, or they have
had bad experiences with health care provid
ers in the past.
To better understand the issues about medi
cal care that women who partner with women
confront, researchers in North Carolina will
launch a major survey during Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual & Transgender Pride Month, June
1995. The survey, funded by the National
Institutes of Health’s Office of Research on
Women’s Health in Washington, DC, is being
conducted by lesbian health workers, includ
ing staff from Duke University Medical Cen
ter and the University of North Carolina School
of Public Health.
The project will target all women in North
Carolina who have women partners or who
identify as lesbian or bisexual. The research
ers are especially committed to strong respon
dent representation among older women,
women of color, low-income or working class
women, women with disabilities, and rural
women. They plan to use the information
they gather to create education and outreach
materials specifically designed for women
with women partners, to inform them of what
they need to know to stay safe and healthy.
They will also use the information to teach
doctors and other health care practitioners
about lesbian health needs and how to give
more sensitive care to their patients.
“This is a survey about the health needs,
concerns and experiences of women who love
women,” says project' coordinator Liza
Rankow. “We may call ourselves lesbian,
gay, bisexual, marimacha, in the life, or we
may not identify with a label at all. We are
different races, cultures, ages and abilities.
We come from different class backgrounds.
We are rural or we live in cities. The purpose
of this survey is to better understand our
varied life experiences, our health risks and
our ability to access the medical care we need
and deserve.”
The project, called Women’s Health Ac
cess, is seeing women from all parts of North
Carolina who are interested in helping to
distribute surveys in their area. Both paid and
volunteer positions are available. Women of
color, rural women and older women are
particularly encouraged to apply.
For more information or to receive a copy
of the survey, please contact Liza Rankow at:
Women’s Health Access, 703 Ninth St., Suite
327, Durham, NC 27705, (919) 685-1958.
“All kinds of acts are needed for the talent
competition,” said McAllister, who is coordi
nating the community talent. “At each perfor
mance, the audience will vote for the top two
acts, and we will be offering cash prizes. We
hope folks will pull their tap shoes, costumes,
and jokes out of the closet and join in the fun.”
All acts must register by June 12. First prize
is $50.00 and second prize is $20.00 (per
performance). Talentcom-
petition guidelines are now
available.
Three performances of
the cabaret benefit will be
held at Theatre Charlotte,
501 Queens Road: Friday, June 23 at 8:30pm
and Saturday, June 24 at 7:30 and 10:00pm.
General admission tickets are $10.00 - $17.50
sliding scale, which allows individuals to
determine their own ability to pay.
Reserved patron tickets are also available
for $25.00 per person which includes re
served seating, recognition in the cabaret pro
gram (if ordered by June 19) and complimen
tary beverages.
Tickets are available at Rising Moon Books
& Beyond, Urban Evolution, and by phone or
mail. For tickets or talent competition guide
lines, write to OutCharlotte 95, PO Box
32062, Charlotte, NC 28232-2062, or call
(704) 563-2699.
Mom Soys
It’s
^ Time
Celebrate
10% off books, June 1-30 • with this ad
NEWSSTAND
INTERNATIONAL
BOOKS • MAGAZINES • NEWSPAPERS
5022 — 126 Cast Independence 551-0199
Facing a Life Threatening
Illness is the
Worst of All Problems.
Viatical settlements allow
you to sell your life
insurance policy if you’re
facing a iife threatening
illness. This can mean immediate
access to critically needed funds
to make choices you might not
otherwise have, such as paying for
medical treatments or keeping your
home. You may even need the funds
for day-to-day living expenses.
Estate Trust, Inc. is one of the most
recognized names in the viatical
settlement industry. We are now also
an authorized agent of
Viaticus, Inc., a viatical
settlement company,
wholly owned by
CNA Financial Corp. Together,
Viaticus, Inc. and Estate Trust, Inc.
are committed to providing the
highest level of service to those in
need in an ethical and professional
manner — and to setting the industry
standard for quality.
For more information about this
important new financial option, call
Estate Trust, Inc., at 800.456.5100.
VIATICUS
A Viatical SctUcmeni Company, Chicago Illinois
Vlaiicus, Inc., a hMI\ onncd suhsiaitin of CNA f intmcut/ Cotf.x)riUion. CNA is ii n'ffislercd sen ice mark oj the CNA Unanciot Corporation. VuUicai Settlements not available in New York.