Newspapers / Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.) / May 31, 1997, edition 1 / Page 6
Part of Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
PAGE 6 ▼ Q-Notes T May 31, 1997 guest editorial Volunteering for our youth President Clinton thinks more Americans should volunteer to do good things. More time, energy, money and TLC is needed, he says. I agree. It’s a nonpartisan message that should galvanize Americans, no matter their politics. In the gay community, volunteers are the people who make things happen. Yet activist demands on our time and money are spiraling as legislative attacks increase. I could spend my whole day faxing letters to legislators in sup port of — or protest of — this or that bill. Nonprofit AIDS organizations tell me that donations are down. Ellen or no Ellen, we have a ways to go. In my opinion, one effective way to do the most with volunteering is to do it for our young people. They are our future. We can provide legitimate economic safety-nets for our needier kids. Because some of them aren’t going to make it otherwise. I’m talking about scholarships for those bright students who are going to be our ■ future, our leaders in law, politics, the media, medical research, social work, history, etc. As a commissioner of education in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and as a speaker who travels the country, I have seen the danger signs among the kids I know. While many gay adults are consumed with anxiety • about partner benefits or whether kids are hav ing safer sex, our young people are consumed with anxiety about just getting through school and into the job market. More often, I am seeing bright GLBT stu dents from low-income families, or families who have thrown them out, go into debt for large amounts of financial aid. One girl I know is entering her college junior year $20,000 in debt. Working your way through school is a good American tradition. But today the game is dif ferent — more dangerous, more stressful. Many more kids come out in high school. How many jobs are available to openly gay kids? I’ve al ready seen the students who dye their hair back Vol. 12, No. 1 - May 31, 1997 Mailing Address: PO Box 221841 Charlotte, NC 28222 Phone-. (704) 531-9988 Eax-. (704) 531-1361 E-mail: pridtype@vnet.net Street Address: 4037 E. Independence Blvd., Suite 611 Charlotte, NC 28205 Publisher & CEO Jim Yarbrough Editor David Stout Associate Editor Dan Van Mourik Arts Editor Brian D. Holcomb Typesetter Dan Van Mourik Administrative Assistant.... Howard Strevel Personals Larry Jackson Advertising Sales Shane Wilf Contributing Writers: Randi M. Bearden, Peg Byron, Vicki Chew, Tracey Conaty, DJ Instant T, J. Lynn Davidson, Jennings Fort, Ira Gruber, Brian D. Holcomb, Robert Marcus James, David Jones, Alan Klein, Mark Lockaby, Kim I. Mills, David Prybylo, David Stout, Howard Strevel, Miss Paige Turner, Dan Van Mourik, Patricia Nell Warren, Riki Anne Wilchins, Shane Wolf Q-Nous is published every other week in Charlotte, NC by Pride Publishing & Typesetting. Advertisements are published with the understanding that the advertisers are fully authorized to publish sub mitted copy: having secured any necessary written con sent for all copy, text, photos and illustrations, and that no ad submitted is in violation of a patent, copyright, first right of publication, or a right to privacy. 'Hie ad vertiser assumes all liability for daims of suits based on the subject mater of its ad, and agrees to hold Pride Pub lishing & Typesetting and Q^Notes harmless from any such daim. The Publisher assumes no liability for typographical errors or omissions beyond offering to run a correction. The entire contents of Q-Notes are copyright (c) 1997 by Pride Publishing & Typesetting, and may not be re produced in any manner, either in whole or part, with out the express written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in anides or advertising in Q-Nota is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual ori entation of such person or organization. The views of this newspaper are expressed only in edi torials. Opinions expressed in columns, letters, articles and cartoons are those of tjie writers and artists and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Q-Nous. to normal, get rid of their lip bead, cover their tattoo and act super-straight so they can pass at McDonald’s. Today’s job training isn’t always free and companies are selective about who they pick. For the non-straight student, the transi tion from high school to college is far more rocky than it used to be. The economic load can be as crushing as bigoted attitudes at school. The arithmetic is often simple and brutal. An out high-school student plus leaving home because of family hostility plus living indepen- dendy plus jobs hard to get equals a hair-rais ing economic challenge. Is it any wonder some kids turn to the street or the sugar-daddy sys tem to make ends meet? Indeed, some suicides among GLBT youth can surely be traced to economic desperation. The trend has already been reported among heterosexual youth. If straight kids are seeing the connection, it’s time for the gay commu nity as a whole to see it, too. We constantly hear heterosexual parents complain that a college education can cost well over $100,000. Some states are thinking of starting tax-free investment programs for the benefit of straight parents. It’s time for us to start thinking along these lines. It is very much in our interests, even for those who have no children, to start thinking like parents of our next generation. If the government won’t help us, forget them. We can bootstrap it ourselves. We should start by funding new GLBT scholarships. For people who have died of AIDS, there could be more memorial scholar ships. There could be more giving by diversity- minded big companies (like AT&T); local or ganizations (like the Atlanta FrontRunners and the Minnesota GLBT Education Fund); na tional organizations and business organizations. And more foundations like Uncommon Cause, which gives scholarships to lesbians — because women are more often in an economic shadow. As Hillary Clinton says, it takes a village to raise a child. But it also takes a village — ours — to put that kid through school and launch him or her into economic independence and a proud self-fulfilling career. ▼ — Patricia Nell Warren [Ms. Warren is author ofTht Front Runner and other bestselling books, as well as a widely pub lished commentator. Her publisher is Wildcat Press. Copyright 1997- All Rights Reservedly ALOM& CAME the M«toR.OP THE VUXACtE WHO SAWTHE SOUP AMO DROPPED IM moldy BAEAD UOPlNetTO WJIN sou p . s 9 A PRIDE day fairy tale 6Y jot HOOVER © / NEXT CAME IHEMERCHAMT WHO SAW THE SOUP AND PR0PPE0INR0T7EN VESETA6LES. LASTLY CAME THE VILLA(»E MINISTER. WHEN HE SAW THE SOUP HE OROPPEOIN SPOILED FISH HEADS INTO IT. ALL THREE OISAPPEOVEPOFI OL6A iLeUA'i LOVE FOR BtCH OTHER SO MUCH THAT THEY THOUGHT IF THEY RUINED THE SOUP OLGA (LENA LUOULD STAY AWAY FROM THE FESTIVAL. V' ] 1 FESriVALWERETN^ AT THE MAYOR THE MERCHANT AND THE MINISTER. THEY WERE ASTONISHEOTO SEE OLGA (LENA serving THE SOUP. '{/a 1MORE...I Index Articles AIDS bills languish in NC legislature .. 10 Barney Frank’s partner to speak at fundraiser .. 16 Democratic National Committee institutes partner benefits ..28 Fairy flies to association board .... 1 MCC Charlotte leader is forced to resign NC Supreme Court hears custody appeal against gay father ....4 OutCharlotte announces events .... ....5 Pride PAC tracks bills in Assembly ....1 Transgender crime stats highlighted Features CPCC’s summer theatre preview... .24 Controversial book explores degeneration of gay sensibility .19 Despite the myths, lesbians are vulnerable ro AIDS ... 1 ManSpirit brings men together .15 New York’s eleven days of gay .24 Q-Culture Recommends .24 Sugarsmack kicks out the jams on ’97 Pride tour .17 The Tonys, the King and Bernadette Peters on the Great White Way .25 Columns Advertiser Index .30 Ask Billy Holliday .28 Classifieds .30 Community Cards .31 Curbside .34 Glaad Notes 12 Inside Hollywood 24 Money Matters 16 National Notes 11 Out and About 34 Out There 21 Personals 32 Q-crossword 14 QFYI Quips and Quotes 22 1 s lop Twenty 24 letters Personal experience I’m writing to let you know how a year and a half ago I met the love of my life. In your match maker personal ads! There’s no way I would have met her if I hadn’t run this ad — because she lives out of town. We are planning ro become partners at the end of June. • At the time she responded to my ad, I was at the end of my rope. I was so down. But she was what I was looking for. I had been going to bars to meet girls. I was always getting in trouble; always looking for the wrong one to go out with. Because I know what I want out of life. I’m so grateful to God and Q-Notes for helping me find her. My personal ad was the only one my girlfriend responded to and she, too, thanks Q-Notes over and over for bringing us together. Q-Notes is number one! I pray you all stay in business a long time — you’re a big help to the gay/lesbian community. God bless you. —Jean Satterfield Oakboro, NC Out proud It’s 7:30pm, and Hartigan’s is abuzz with excitement, conversation and electrifying an ticipation. Everyone is waiting for Ellen. There’s an “Ellen Coming Out” party brewing. And from the looks of things, it will be something quite memorable. I’m here with friends Lisa and Suzi. Lisa is a new friend and things are com ing along fairly well. Suzi and I on the other hand are pretty tight. Partners in crime! So this evening should prove to be filled with funl There are so many faces in the crowd. Some familiar, some not. Lesbians for as far as the eye can see. There are a few gay men though. Becoming a part of the experience. The joy of being a Lesbian. And being proud of it. Cel ebrating another woman’s rebirth. Saying out loud, “I’m okay with who I am.” It’s something that everyone should experience. No matter what their sexuality, gender, race or religion. Well, it’s 8:25pm, and the place is really hopping. Old friends are on the scene, acknowl edging their support. Not just for Ellen, but for Lesbians everywhere. And especially here at Hartigan’s. Time to have a little fun with the ladies. This atmosphere is what makes life good. This is what being a “woman who loves women” is all about. Belonging. The music is pumping. Melissa Etheridge is taking us to that level we must achieve in order to be one with the cause. When the time comes, all will become quiet. And the celebra tion will begin. It is 9:00pm and all eyes are on the televi sion. Watching Ellen DeGeneres. Coming out. Becoming one with Lesbians worldwide. Free ing herself from the prison of societal condem nation. That is something every one of us here has experienced. And so we celebrate this won derful, ecsutic moment with her, and each other. Thank you Ellen DeGeneres. Because it takes every one of us. And because of your ce lebrity status, the world can truly see that we are proud of who we are. That there is nothing to be ashamed of. If we are lucky enough to find happiness with another person, regardless of race or gender, then the world shodd wish us well. Not condemn us because the relation ship may not conform to society’s defitution of love. ▼ —A.E. Bryant Charlotte Letters to the editor are always wel come on any topic which would be of interest to our community Letters do not have to be in response to an article which has appeared in Q-Notes nor to another letter. Letters may be edited for grammar, clarity content or due to space limitations. Mail letters to: Q-Notes. PO Box 221841, Charlotte, NC 28222; fax to (704) 531-1361 or email to pridtype®vnet.net. Advertising Deadlines Issue Date Deadline June 14 Monday, June 2 June 28 Monday June 16 July 12 Monday, June 30 Subscribe! i Subscriptions are by 1st and 3rd class mail in sealed envelopes mailed in Charlotte, NC. I Subscription rate for one year (25 issues) is $52 (1st class) or $28 (3rd class). Subscription I rate for she months (12 issues) is $25 (1st class) or $15 (3rd class). To subscribe, mail this | form to Q-Notes, PO Box 221841, Charlotte, NC 28222. Make checks payable to Q-Notes | or provide credit card information below. j 25 issues: □ 1st class, $52 □ bulk, $28 • 12 issues: □ 1st class, $25 Name □ bulk, $15 j I Address City, State, Zip Credit Card (circle one): MasterCard Card Number: Signature Visa Discover American Express Exp. Date:
Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 31, 1997, edition 1
6
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75