Newspapers / Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.) / Feb. 21, 1998, edition 1 / Page 6
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PAGE 6 T Q-Notes T February 21,1998 0uest editorial Our youth are ready The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. That’s a fancy way of saying it’s our birth day, too. We’ll be talking a lot this year about our past accomplishments and our vision for our future to our members and friends. In or ganizational years, 25 seems older, wiser and more informed. Because of our longevity, people will treat us with great respect for our experience. It is a pity, then, that our movement does not treat gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and questioning youth leaders of that same age with that same respect. They, too, have accom plishments and experience. They, too, bring their energy and vision to our movement. The best of these youth leaders are challenging some of our movement’s long-held ideas about sexual orientation and gender identity. And the real ity is that many of these organizers are starting their work in their early teens. Youth does not equate to inexperience. In junior highs, high schools and colleges across the country, youth organizers are build ing unprecedented alliances with straight stu dents. They form school and campus organiza tions, advocate for inclusive school curriculums and demand school safety. They are anti-racist workers, welfare and immigrant organizers, state lobbyists and candidates for public office. They stand at the frondines of the gap between cultural changes and real civil rights. Young people continue to be the target of Right-wing organizing. Fifteen school-related bills moved through state legislatures in 1997. The highlight was Connecticut’s enactment of legislation banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation for students. It became the third state to do so, following Minnesota and Massachusetts. Three other favorable bills failed to become law. Importantly, 11 unfavorable measures were brought to the table, but none became law. They dealt primarily with restric tions on school curriculum, such as teaching abstinence-only HIV prevention or forbidding the discussion of GLBT- and HIV/AIDS-re- lated materials altogether. Despite these suc Vol. 12, No. 19 - February 21, 1998 Mailing Address: PO Box 221841 Charlotte, NC 28222 Phone: (704) 531-9988 Fax-. (704) 531-1361 E-mail: pridtype@vnet.net Street AJdress: 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... Brian M. Myer Personals Larry Jackson Advertising Sales Jim Yarbrough Contributing Writers: J. Lynn Davidson, Brian D. Holcomb, Mark F. Johnson, C. Lichtenstein, Kerry Lobel, Paula Martinac, Tom Phills, David M. Smith, David Stout, Brandon Tunnell, Dan Van Mourik Q-Notes is published every other week in Charlotte, NC by Pride Publishing & Typesettine. Advertisements are published with the understanding that the advertisers are iully authorized to publish sub> mitted copy; having secur^ any necessary viritten 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. TTie 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 claim. 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) 1998 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 artides or advertising in Q^Notes 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, artides and cartoons are those of the writers and artists and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Q-Notes. cesses, the Right’s efforts to silence youth orga nizers are growing in city after city and state after state. It is timely then, that today’s GLBT move ment is being shaped and transformed hy youth leadership. NGLTF has seen first-hand the fruits of their labor. NGLTF has long been at the forefront of supporting campus and youth organizing. The Task Force launched its cam pus project in 1987 and our 1997 Creating Change conference served as the birthplace for the National Consortium of Directors of Les bian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resources in Higher Education. NGLTF’s annual Youth Leadership Institute and youth and campus tracks at our annual Creating Change confer ence have been home for some of the nation’s best youth organizers. From that vantage point, we’ve seen and experienced the age gap. Last summer, we had the idea that our reunion of Youth Leadership Institute graduates should be planned by youth for themselves. They planned a retreat at the historic Highlander Center, known for its long history and ties to the civil rights movement. They also planned the day long youth inten sive at Creating Change, which brought youth from around the country together. Both of these events were wildly successfiil, due mostly in part to the fact that they were youth designed and youth lead. But that’s not the moral to the story. At these two NGLTF events and in count less initiatives in state after state, the youth had no problem stepping up to the plate with all they had to offer. Rather, the harrier they faced was adults refusing to step aside so that youth could lead. Some adults think they know what’s best for young people. Some are waiting for youth to “pay their dues” before assuming a leadership role in our movement. And some are threatened hy the new ideas and conven tions that GLBT youth are bringing to the uble. We adults are the ones who have a lot to learn. We don’t have to wait to find out what the future brings. The future of our movement is with us today. As NGLTF moves into its 25th anniversary year, we do so with a rich history. But we also move forward with new vision. A vision, informed by youth, that all things are possible. T — Kerry Lobel. [The writer is executive director ofNGLTFl\ Index Articles AIDS budget gets mixed reviews.... ...3 Gay marriage, families under attack ... 1 Leaders praise new Surgeon General ...5 Maine voters repeal anti-bias law.... ... 1 Millenium March on Washington .. ... 1 Perils of Promise Keepers examined ...5 Youth hold National Day of Silence ...3 Features All the news that’s fit to print 19 Competing for acceptance 18 Q-Culture presents Netspeak 101 .. 18 Q-Culture Recommends 19 Sex today: panic or ecology? 18 Columns Advertiser Index 21 Classifieds 21 Community Cards 22 Curbside 26 GLAAD Notes 12 Lesbian Notions ..8 Money Matters 14 News Notes 11 Out and About 26 Out In The Stars 17 Personals 24 QFYI 10 Reason For Hope 16 The Maine. Event letters Bell, book and scandal I applaud your publication and reporter for your investigation and non-bias report of the information contained in your article dated February 7, 1998 (“Community Yellow Pages embroiled in a number of disputes across US”J. However, I find it necessary to respond to sev eral inaccuracies. In paragraph one, it states that the Com munity Yellow pages is in “...a maze of lawsuits;” in actuality we are defending ourselves in only two lawsuits which were brought by Paula McDonald [at] Perennial Publications, Inc., one in Florida and another in Georgia. Moving to page 12, under the heading “Dis putes,” office manager for the Seattle Gay News, Randy Spohn stated “...they make hundreds of appointments and don’t tell anyone who they really are.” Our appointment setters are trained to clearly state our corporate identity and that we produce a directory for the Gay and Les bian community in (the City’s Name). Regarding Jeff Ofstedahl’s quote, “I talked with an ad rep (from GCYP) last week and the funny thing is that they’re now claiming to be printing fewer copies (than was originally quoted in GCYP sales brochures), but the ad rate has increased.” According to my ad reps on staff, currently none has ever talked with Jeff in the past. In addition, we still claim the same distribution numbers as last year; between 30,000 and 60,000 directories in each city are distributed. Yes, ad rates have gone up to offtet the increase in production costs — printing, labor and materials. Further down in the article, I was quoted as saying “One of the last meetings both Paula McDonald and [GCYP employee Jim Wells] attended was a discussion on beginning a bi monthly publication in the Phoenbe area” to compete with Echo. Paula and Jim were not even employed by the company at that time. The reference was made to ex-employees Pam Lipski, Finance Manager, Raymond Lockett and Scott Effiier, production staff members and others. They were the employees I was refer ring to that were terminated in June or July, not Paula or Jim. Later, Paula was questioned if she had first hand knowledge of GCYP incongruities in dis tribution amounts, she stated, “While I was working there, the media kits said 75,000 [di rectories would be distributed] and, no, they did not distribute 75,000.” My response to Ms. McDonald, as the Assistant Publisher, is why not? Paula McDonald was the Executive Vice President of the company and in charge of op erations. The owner and publisher, Marci Alt, was rarely in the Corporate Headquarters, as during that time period she traveled to open and train the new staff members in each of our cities. Paula was Marci’s right hand. Marci had trusted Paula to run her company and I might add paid her very well. When she left, her sal ary and bonuses were more than $70,000 an nually. The Portland Directory. Yes, I was late in the delivery of the Portland direaory. Portland has received 15,750 copies of the 1998 direc tory as of February 2, 1998. This reflects the first run of the minimum of30,000 for the year. To compensate for our error, the entire cycle for Portland has now changed to be an annual delivery in late January/early February. In ad dition, we have sent a letter to the advertisers stating that they will receive a 25 percent dis count when they renew for the 1999 edition. Paula’s termination. Yes, Paula did submit a 30 day resignation to leave the end of October 1996. But, before the 30 days was up a prior contract which was renewed by Paula with a trade amount in excess of $4000 was discov ered. The contract and trade agreement were found under the calendar mat on the Sales Manager’s desk in Atlanta. Paula had instructed the staff to not turn the contract into the Cor porate office until the last day of sales for At lanta. Paula had improperly entered into a con tract with a dentist for trade. Paula had used the trade for her personal use without the ap proval of Marci Alt, so Marci requested that she leave before the completion of the 30 day See LETTERS on page 15 Advertising Deadlines Issue Date Deadline March 7 Monday, February 23 March 21 Monday March 9 April 4 Monday March 23 Subscribe! Subscriptions are by 1st and 3rd class mail in sealed envelopes mailed in Charlotte, NC. Subscription rate for one year (25 issues) is $52 (1st class) or $28 (3rd class). Subscription 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. 25 issues: □ 1st class, $52 □ bulk, $28 • 12 issues: □ 1st class, $25 □ bulk, $15 Name Address City, State, Zip ' Credit Card (circie one): MasterCard Visa Discover American Express Card Number: Exp. Date: Signature
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