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* Published Every Two Weeks On Recycled Paper • Volume 15, Number 3 • June 24, 2000 • FREE
Schwacke apparently loses in SC
Diverse crowd comes out for Pride
by Clay OlUs
Q-Notes Staff
The rainbow flags were abundant around
Duke’s east campus on Saturday, June 10 as
GLBT activists, straight allies, closeted homo
sexuals and John Queet Public from all over
North Carolina converged on Durham for Pride
2000.
Watching the crowd —- comprising leather
mommies, stroller daddies, drag queens, dif-
ferently-abled, clergy, lipstick lesbians, buff-
boys, PFLAGers, transgender folks, fag-hags,
beer-bellies, and one mildly annoying intoxi
cated individual — enjoy themselves while
Duke students and campus police watched
unconcerned was good for the soul.
The 15 th consecutive year of Pride in North
Carolina, it was fitting that the event returned
to Durham, where the first two marches were
held, in 1981 and 1985 respectively.
The theme, “It’s time: come out for pride,”
recalled the great strides that have been made
in GLBT visibility since those first events, while
recognizing the work yet to be done. Unlike
some events of its ty'pe, the heat at the march
was generated by the sun, rather than an abun
dance of half-naked gym gods — though they
can be nice, too.
Despite an understaffed and overextended
organizing committee, and a schedule that was
revised right up to the week before the event,
the celebration appeared on the surface to flow
smoothly, and blended a political call for ac
tion with a celebration of freedom and diver
sity. According to estimates from the Duke
University Police, 2000 to 2500 people at
tended the event, while the Raleigh News and
Observer reported attendance around 3000.
The day before the, main parade and festi
val, a special screening of the Independent Tele
vision Service documentary Our House —
about kids of gay and lesbian parents — was
presented followed by a reception with the film
maker, Meema Spadola. For those inclined to
a different sort of culture. The Butchies were
featured in a performance at Visions nightclub,
and proceeds benefited the Rape Grisis Gcnter
of Durham. Following these events. Insomnia
Dance Club of Chapel Flill welcomed all who
wanted to party.
For those who were able to drag their tired
selves out of bed on Saturday morning, there
were workshops for gay and lesbian parents.
See PRIDE on page 25
by Sloan C. Wiesen
Special to Q-Notes
CHARLESTON, SC — According to un
official election returns, David Schwacke, South
Carolina’s 9th Judicial Circuit Solicitor, nar
rowly lost a closely-fought Republican primary
in a campaign rife with anti-gay tactics.
Schwacke is the openly gay GOP chief pros
ecutor for Charleston and Berkeley counties
who had been targeted by local party officials
because of his sexual orientation. He appears
to have fallen short of victory by less than one
percent of the vote, but the closeness of the vote
hastriggered a state law requiring a recount.
“The fact is that David Schwacke is an ex
cellent prosecutor. It is unfortunate that anti
gay activists and Schwacke’s opponent have
apparently misled a bare majority of the voters
to buy into the politics of fear over fact,” said
Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund Executive Di
rector Brian K. Bond. “Throughout the coun
try, and especially in the South, we have a long
way to go before all candidates are judged on
their merits and anti-gay attacks are no longer
effective in any race. Still, it is somewhat en
couraging that Schwacke pulled off such a
strong showing in a GOP primary in a conser
vative state — despite all the anti-gay tactics
and despite being outspent by nearly four to
one.”
The unofficial results indicate that Schwacke
carried Charleston County by rriore than 1000
votes, but lost Berkeley County by more than
1200.
Schwacke has been a prosecutor since 1983.
He has served in his current post as head pros
ecutor for South Carolina’s 9th Circuit for the
past eight years, during which time he secured
40,000 adult convictions and 5000 juvenile
adjudications — improving his office’s total
conviction rate by 10 percent over the record
of his predecessor.
This race was Schwacke’s first attempt at re
election since he came out and acknowledged
his orientation three years ago. When it became
clear to local GOP officials that he was gay, they
initiated an investigation against him — claim
ing that he had made inappropriate personal
use of an office computer. He was completely
cleared of any wrongdoing, but anti-gay activ
ists continued to oppose him ever since.
Fueled by well-funded right-wing backers,
Schwacke’s opponent. Charleston attorney
Ralph Hoisington, was able to spend $ 120,000
on the race — compared to only $34,000 for
Schwacke.
Hoisington, apparently seeking to make
sexual orientation an issue — but in a way
subtle enough to avoid being accused of overt
negative campaigning on the issue — dubbed
himself the candidate who was “for our fami
lies.” He used the “For Our Families” slogan
on his campaign signs.
With somewhat less subtlety, he also aired
television ads in the final days of the campaign
touting himself as the candidate who would
crack down on sexual predators.
The Christian Coalition, which mounted an
intense phone banking and get-out-the-votc
drive against Schwacke, also sent out a mailing
echoing Hoisington’s “For Our Families” slo
gan and accusing Schwacke of mishandling a
case involving a sexual predator. According to
the Victory Fund, the campaign piece unques
tionably played upon a longstanding anti-gay
myth that gay people arc somehow a threat to
children.
“It is shameful that a group purporting to
speak for Christians would deliberately spread
some of the most dangerous and insidious fitlse-
hoods ever used to smear gay people,” said
Bond. “And it is regrettable that so many fami
lies in South Carolina arc apparently about to
lose a good prosecutor because of the preju
dices of a few misguided people. Clearly, we
have much work to do.” T
Big 3 automakers to offer benefits
House members call for military
accountability after anti-gay murder
by David Elliot and Thomas Coleman
Special to Q-Notes
DETROIT—In a dramatic advance for eq
uity in the workplace, the nation’s leading au
tomobile manufacturers — Chrysler Corp.,
Ford Motor Company and General Motors
Corp. — announced they are offering domes
tic partner benefits to employees’ same-sex part
ners, effective August 1, 2000.
This historic announcement means that one
of the nation’s largest blue-collar industries will
now join a growing number of Fortune 500
companies in offering such benefits as medi
cal, prescription drug and dental coverage to
same-sex domestic partners of eligible active
employees.
“Because benefits comprise nearly 40 per
cent of an employee’s overall compensation,
domestic partner benefits is a major step to
ward promoting equality in the workplace,” said
Elizabeth Toledo, executive director of the Na
tional Gay and Lesbian Task Force. “Today we
celebrate the fact that one of the nation’s bed
rock industries has joined the fight for basic
fairness.”
Toledo, who met last year with top Ford
executives to discuss domestic partner benefits
and other workplace issues, noted that the num
ber of companies offering domestic partner
benefits is rapidly increasing. In 1990, there
were less than two dozen companies offering
such benefits. Today, there are more than 2500,
more than a 1000 percent increase in 11 years.
The announcement comes as the number
of households occupied by unmarried partners
continues to increase significantly in the United
States. Between 1994 and 1998, for example,
the number of unmarried partner households
increased by 11 percent, compared with a two
percent increase in the number of married
couple households.
“Our definition of family is changing and
the reality of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender families today is what makes do
mestic partner benefits necessary,” Toledo said.
“Employers that recognize the evolving needs
of their workforce by offering domestic part
ner benefits will be able to recruit and retain
the best employees and will ensure that their
employees’ health and well-being outside of the
workplace is maintained.”
While the new benefits plans will allow
workers to add same-sex partners to health pro
grams at the three companies, unlike similar
programs in Canada which are open to both
gay and heterosexual domestic partners, the
American plans are limited to gay and lesbian
couples.
The American Association for Single People
is concerned about the restrictions that apply
the benefits only to same-sex unmarried
couples. They argue that excluding unmarried
heterosexual couples shows disrespect for per
sonal family choices. ▼
by Steve Ralls
Special to Q-Notes
WASHINGTON, DC—Thirty members
of Congress have co-sponsored a letter demand
ing accountability from Secretary of Defense
William Cohen and the White House regard
ing leaders who tolerate anti-gay harassment
and other violations of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,
Don’t Pursue, Don’t Harass.”
The letter specifically asks for accountabil
ity of Major General Clark, Commanding Gen
eral of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
at Fort Campbell, KY, where Private First Class
(Pfc.) Barry Winchell was murdered last year
after months of harassment by a fellow soldier
who perceived him to be gay. Major General
Clark was to change command at a Fort
Campbell ceremony on June 9.
Those who signed the letter, including Rep.
Barney Frank, who spearheaded the effort to
contact Secretary Cohen, expressed concern
over the possible relocation or promotion of
Major General Clark, noting that he is the sub
ject of an investigation into Fort Campbell’s
command climate.
Congressional members wrote to Secretary
Cohen stating, “we believe that, as base com
mander, Major General Clark is responsible for
tolerating anti-gay harassment on the base prior
to Pfc. Winchell’s murder, and for doing little
in the wake of the murder to stop this type of
harassment.”
Notwithstanding the open Inspector Gen
eral investigation into his command climate.
the Atmy has assigned Clark to the prestigious
position of Vice Director of “J-3” Operations
Office for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
C. Dixon Osburn, co-executive director of
the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
(SLDN), welcomed the letter as an important
first step in ensuring accountability in the ranks,
but expressed concern about accountability at
the post. “While we appreciate the Army’s de
cision not to immediately promote Major Gen
eral Clark, the Army has sent a mixed message
by appearing to reward him with a prestigious
assignment while his command climate is still
under investigation.”
In conjunction with seeking to hold Major
General Clark accountable for the documented
instances of anti-gay harassment at Fort
Campbell, the Congressional letter pressed for
confirmation of accountability in the case of
Lieutenant Colonel Edward Melton ofTwenty
Nine Palms, CA.
Lieutenant Colonel Melton sent an email
in October belittling the murder of Pfc.
Winchell at Fort Campbell, using anti-gay epi
thets in a statement to subordinates that was
supposed to encourage the proper implemen
tation of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue,
Don’t Harass.”
Though the signers noted that reports have
surfaced that the situation was resolved, they
expressed concern that the resolution has not
been made public. “If ETC Melton’s actions
have been addressed,” the letter said, “it seems
See ACCOUNTABILITY on page 25