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Published Every Two Weeks On Recycled Paper • Volume 14, Number 23 • April 15, 2000 • FREE
Equality NC appoints interim executive director
Melissa Etheridge
Final MMOW
preparations are
underway
by Bob Findle,
Special to Q-Notes
In just two weeks, the Millennium March
on Washington (MMOW), the fourth national
GLBT march for civil rights will take center
stage in the nation’s capital and around the
world. On Sunday, April 30, organizers are ex
pecting hundreds of thousands to march from
The Ellipse, located between the White House
and The Washington Monument, to the Na
tional Mall, which stretches out before the
Capitol. The rally begins at noon and features
a list of speakers described as “unprecedented”
by Dianne Hardy-Garcia, executive director of
the March.
GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry
reported that she, along with a number of
GLAAD staff members, will be on hand to lend
support. “My family and I are looking forward
to being a part of the historic event,” she said.
“Let’s not forget that this is an election year,
and we must make our issues known vocally
and visibly. This march presents us with an op
portunity to do just that.”
Because it is an election year, organizers have
established a “GLBT Vote 2000” campaign to
increase voter registration and education so that
the community’s voting power is maximized.
In addition to the actual march, many other
events are being held in conjunction, includ
ing the Millennium Festival, Ajrril 29-30. Billed
as the largest national festival in history, it will
feature vendors, community groups, food, en
tertainment, dance areas and a family area.
Other weekend events include the Parents,
Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
(PFLAG) national conference and the Univer
sal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community
Churches (UFMCC) hosts “The Wedding;
Now More Than Ever!” on April 29. The pub
lic demonstration and non-sectarian ceremony
— led by UFMCC founder Rev. Elder Troy
Perry — will be open to all couples wanting to
make a public statement of vows. That after
noon, the AIDS Memorial Quilt will stage a
new panel dedication, with about 150 new pan
els expected. That night. Equality Rocks, a con
cert featuring Garth Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres,
Melissa Etheridge, Anne Heche, Kristen
Johnston, Nathan Lane, k.d. lang and the Pet
Shop Boys will hit RFK Stadium. Throughout
the weekend there are several dance parties,
mini-conferences, rallies, dinners, religious cer
emonies and a variety of entertainment.
For complete March information, call (202)
467-8100, email MMOW2000@aol.com or
access www.mmow.org
Volunteers are being sought to help with
everything from handing out flyers to office
tasks to on-site festival/march work. Those in
terested in volunteering can use the above con
tact methods to obtain more information. T
by Wanda Pico
Special to Q-Notes
RALEIGH—The Board of Directors of
Equality North Carolina PAG, a nine-year-old
statewide political action group that works to
advance GLBT issues, has announced that staff
member Ian Palmquist will serve as interim
executive director until the search for a perma
nent director is completed.
The position came open in late February
with the departure of MK Cullen. She stepped
down to prepare for a move to Washington,
DC and a new position with the Gay, Lesbian
and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a
national organization focused on GLBT issues
in schools. Cullen will become GLSEN’s first
Director of Public Policy. Prior to her resigna
tion, she led Equality NC PAG through a fruit
ful four-and-a-half-year term. The organization
is conducting a national search to find her suc-
“We feel that Equality NC has developed
into an iinportant and strong organization that
will be able to attract an experienced and tal
ented executive director,” said Jeff Prince, chair
of the Search Committee. “For that reason, we
are being very deliberate and moving carefully
to find the right candidate. While everyone as
sociated with Equality NC is eager to see the
position filled, we want to be certain we attract
the right person for the position.”
Palmquist, who joined the staff of Equality
NC in October, is a graduate of the Univetsity
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a former
co-chair of Queer Network for Change. His
background and experience are expected to fa
cilitate a smooth traijsition into the next ex
ecutive director’s tenure. Following that, he will
shift into the role of Adrninistrative Director.
“We are fortunate to not only have some
one as talented as Ian to lead us during this
time, but someone who cares so passionately
about issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgendered North Carolinians,” said Board
Co-Chair Phil Wells.
Among Palmquist’s current projects are co
ordinating the endorsement process for the May
2 primary election and working with candidates
who are supportive of GLBT issues, as well as
overseeing the day-to-day functions of the or
ganization.
“With the primary and general elections and
a number of interesting projects, this is going
to be a busy year for Equality NC PAC,” said
Palmquist. “I’m excited and ready to help move
the organization forward during this important
time.”
For more information on Equality NC, con
tact Palmquist at (919) 829-0343 or email
EqualityNCPAC@aol.com. ▼
Refonn rabbis affirm same-sex unions at conference
by Dan Van Mourik
Q-Notes Staff
GREENSBORO, NC—Breaking with tra
dition, the world’s largest organization of rab
bis voted overwhelmingly to support ceremo
nies, including weddings, for same-sex couples.
The vote, the first by a major religious denomi
nation, came during the annual conference of
the Central Conference of American Rabbis
recently held in Greensboro with about 500
participants. Leaders of the Reform Jewish
movement, the dominant strand of American
Judaism, said they hoped their action might
influence liberal Protestant denominations now
debating the treatment of gays and lesbians.
At a news conference immediately follow
ing the vote, the group’s president. Rabbi
Charles A. Kroloff, said: “I’ve never been
prouder to be a rabbi — I think this is one of
our finest days.
“My dream is that every gay and lesbian Jew
in America will feel comfortable in every Re
form synagogue throughout our land, and I also
hope that other clergy groups will hear us loud
and clear and that they’ll be inspired to move
in the same direction,” said Kroloff. “In my
mind, this is the direction of history —- this is
where we’re all headed, to affirm the rights of
our fellow Jews and our fellow human beings.”
The resolution approved by the Reform rab
bis dties not use the words “wedding” or “mar
riage” and does not requite any rabbi to per
form any ceremony. Instead, the resolution says
that “the relationship of a Jewish same-gender
couple is worthy of affirmation through Jewish
ritual.” The resolution also says the rabbis will
support those who officiate at “rituals of union”
for same-gender couples, as well as those who
do not officiate at such ceremonies. The reso
lution further calls on the rabbis’ group to de
velop educational and liturgical material about
such ceremonies.
More than 500 of the 1800 Reform rabbis,
representing 1.5 million Reform Jews, have said
they ate performing or are willing to perform
same-sex ceremonies and some are using the
word “wedding,” while others use phrases such
as “commitment ceremony.” Many ceremonies
include elements associated with a Jewish wed
ding — a couple standing under a canopy, the
recitation of seven blessings, and the smashing
of a glass.
For the Reform rabbis, the nearly unani
mous vote brought an end to years of contro
versy. Even though the group voted 10 years
ago to endorse the ordination of gays and les
bians as rabbis, the issue of gay relationships
was so divisive that two yeats ago the group
withdrew a resolution from its annual conven
tion rather than endure heated debate.
The rabbis did not allow reporters to wit
ness the vote and no vote count was taken as it
was a voice vote, but those present said that
only two or three rabbis spoke against the mea
sure and fewer than 10 voted against it.
Rabbi James Bennett of Temple Beth El in
Charlotte, the Catolinas’ largest Reform Jew
ish synagogue, called the passage of the resolu
tion a proud moment for the movement. “It is
a public affirmation of the fact that the rabbis
in the Reforrri movement have taken the very
bold position to say it’s an OK thing.... This is
one prejudice that we will not sit quietly by
and watch,” Bennett said.
The vote marks another sharp break between
the Reform movement and the more traditional
conservative and orthodox movements. And the
action was swiftly denounced by them as divi
sive and contrary to biblical teaching.
“I’m deeply distressed by the passage of this
resolution, because it drives another wedge in
the united fabric of the Jewish people,” said
Rabbi Steven M. Dworken, executive vice presi
dent of the Rabbinical Council of America,
which represents Orthodox rabbis.
And, of course. Rev. Fred Phelps, from To
peka, KS, showed his face in Greensboro. But
Phelps, who has devoted his ministry to con
demning homosexuality, picketed the Confer
ence for just a single morning. He and four
other members of his Westboro Baptist Church
walked along sidewalks, carrying signs that in
cluded racial slurs against gays and Jews. But
they didn’t stay long nor have much of an im
pact on the conference.
But the reaction from gays and lesbians was
understandably far more favorable.
“For gays and lesbians, this is a historic and
prophetic moment,” said lesbian Rabbi Denise
Eger who leads the Kol Ami congregation in
Los Angeles. “We now have the chance to stand
in holiness under the marriage canopy.”
“This bold, historic decision to affirm our
relationships sets a new standard for inclusive
ness and equality for a major religion,” said
Human Rights Campaign Executive Director
Elizabeth Birch. “This forward-thinking policy
paves the way for voices of reason and fairness
within other denominations to step forward and
demand that the love that is preached is also
practiced.” T
ACLU fights for inclusion of gay prom couples
by Eric Ferrero
Special to Q-Notes
NEW YORK—Vowing to continue stand
ing by youth who want to bring same-sex dates
to their school proms, on March 31 the Ameri
can Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a
resource guide to help young people combat
discrimination.
For decades, youth and their families have
tangled with schools over whether high school
students can bring same-sex dates to school-
sponsored proms. The new resource comes just
as young people nationwide are beginning to
think about proms, which typically take place
in April and May.
“Every year at this time, we start receiving
calls from students across the country whose
schools are refusing to let them bring same-sex
dates to the prom,” said Jennifer Middleton,
an ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights Project staff
attorney specializing in youth and schools is
sues. “Schools are increasingly justifying this
discrimination by saying they fear for students’
safety if they bring same-sex dates. That’s an
unacceptable argument that is not legally sup
ported. The bottom line is students have the
right to bring same-sex dates to the prom and
schools are obligated to ensure their safety.”
“Who Are You Taking to the Prom This
Year?” includes the text of US District Judge
Raymond J. Pettine’s ruling in the landmark
gay prom case, Aaron Fricke v. Cumberland High
School Principal Richard B. Lynch. In that 1980
case, the court ruled that Fricke’s First Amend
ment rights were violated by the school’s re
fusal to allow him to take another male to the
prom. The Court also found that the school
was required to ensure Fricke’s safety at the
prom.
This year, disagreements with schools have
already flared up in several locations nation
wide, including Roanoke, VA — where the
Floyd County school district refused high
school junior Tiffany Lapine’s request to bring
her girlfriend to the junior prom, hut relented
after an appeal from the ACLU.
Meanwhile, the group continues working to
ensure the rights of a Connecticut student who
wants to bring a same-sex date to the prom. In
response to the youth’s request, the school re
cently held a student election to determine
whether same-sex dates should be allowed at
the prom. The students voted for an opposite-
sex only prom, so the school refused to allow
the student to bring a same-sex date. As in
Roanoke, the ACLU is working to resolve the
matter before taking the school to court. T