Q-Culture —
features two great new picks
for TV viewing.
See pages 16 B 17 inside.
The Carolinas’ Most Comprehensive Gay & Lesbian Newspaper
Published Every Two Weeks On Recycled Paper • Volume 15, Number 18 • January 20, 2001 • FREE
Community center kick-off celebration a KO First legal same-
sex wedding
held in Canada
Cranium contestants!
Center
Kick-off
games
by Lainey Millen
Q-Notes Staff
Charlotte’s GLBT community came a step closer to securing its
first home during the nearly weeklong festivities Januaty 3-8, when
over 100 individuals either pledged or
joined The Lesbian & Gay Commu
nity Center.
The project, under the auspices of
chair Cherie Jones, provided an incred
ible look at what it would be like to
have an actual facility. The event,
which statted on January 3 with a so
cial gathering of Amity Allies at Cari
bou Coffee, continued for six days.
Other activities included Will & Grace
night at Liaisons on January 4 and, on
January 5 Tradesmen Levi/Leather
Club meeting at The Btass Rail and
Genesis, who donated part of its ad
mission to the Center fundraising ef
forts.
On Saturday January 6, an all-day
celebration at the Carole A. Hoefener
Community Services Center was fol
lowed by dancing at Scorpio, with a
portion of the club’s door proceeds be
ing do
nated to
the center, Sunday activities included
worship at Metropolitan Community
Church followed by brunch at Lori’s Grill
at Liaison’s, who also donated a portion
of its admissibn toward the Center. The
Lutherans Concerned monthly meeting
on Januaty 7, and Time Out Youth and
Queen City Rollers bowling on January
8 officially concluded the kick-off
The highlight of the festivities was the
celebration on January 6, when the city’s
GLBT community banded together to
bake, run, eat, learn, dance, and finally
play after chowing down on a delicious
potluck dinner provided by extraordinary
(but mostly amateur) “chefs” from the
community. All who attended wete treated to a sing-along musical
session sponsoted by One Voice and a welcome and update by Jones.
In addition to announcing the number of registered members and the
Boy Scouts to lose meeting space on
Chapel Hill/Carrboro campuses
funds received, Jones named the boatd members selected to date, but
declined permission for Q-Notes to print those names.
A silent auction was held for baskets loaded with “goodies” from
area businesses. Those who contributed were: Encore Styling & Tan-
Center Chair Cherie
Jones greets new
members at the
information booth.
Terrific trivia!
ning, Cotner Deli, Central Records, Georgetown Body Works, Palazzo,
White Rabbit, Paper Skyscraper, OutCharlotte, Mikwright, Posh Pets,
Calloway’s Baskets & Blossoms, Godiva Chocolates and Southern
Country. Thejnoney raised benfits the Project.
During dinner, attendees had the opportunity to exchange white
elephant Christmas gifts — those who wished were invited to bring
something that was teceived as a present during the holiday season.
Those gifts were an eclectic mix of everything from toe-socks to mas-
sagers to unusual cookie cutters.
Everyone who joined the Center that day could have a caricature
drawn which will be hung in the Center when it is built.
The evening shifted to more entertaining fare when participants
joined in to play several games hosted by local groups. A Scrabble
game’s added interest was a^rule change to allow extra points for gay
See CENTER on page 16
by Brad Salavich
Special to Q-Notes
TORONTO, ONTARIO — The first le
gal same-sex mattiage in North America was
performed on Sunday, January 14, 2001, at the
Metropolitan Community Church ofToronto.
In a double ceremony officiated by the Rever
end Brent Hawkes, Kevin Bourassa was mar
ried tojoe Varncll and Elaine Vautour was mar
ried to Anne Vatour.
MCC Toronto retained lawyer Douglas
Elliott of Elliott &C Kim to act on their behalf
Elliott has advised the church that pursuant to
Section 5 of the Ontario Marriage Act, the
church has the authority to follow the ancient
Christian tradition of the publication of banns
of marriage instead of requiring couples to ob
tain a marriage license. Under Ontario law,
couples who wish to marry can either obtain a
license from the clerk of their local municipal
ity or they can have their banns published in a
chtirch that they regularly attend. Municipal
clerks in Ontario have declined to issue mar
riage licenses to same-sex couples and this is
now the subject of a court case in Ontario Di
visional Court.
Until now, no Church in Ontario has of
fered to marry same-sex couples by publishing
their banns of marriage.
For three consecutive Sundays this past
December, Reverend Hawkes announced
during the weekly services at Metropolitan
Community Church ofToronto that Kevin
Bourassa wished to marry Joe Varncll and
that Elaine Vautour wished to marry Anne
Vautour. Consistent with the process for
See MARRIAGE on page 9
PEAW report says Ashcroft too
extreme for Attorney General
by David Stout
Q-Notes Staff
CHAPEL HILL — When the current
school year ends. Boy Scout troops currently
meeting in Chapel Hill/Carrboro schools will
have to secure other accommodations.
On January 11, school board members voted
unanimously to discon tinue allowing Scouts to
meet on school property because they are con
cerned that the Boy Scouts of America’s prohi
bition against gay troop leaders violates the
school system’s anti-discrimination policy that
includes sexual orientation.
Last summer, the US Supreme Court ruled
that the Boy Scouts have the right to bar gays
from membership. The decision stemmed from
the dismissal of James Dale, a highly-decorated
Eagle Scout, who was banned from participa
tion due to his homosexuality. Dale sued and
the case went all the way to the high court. Lib
erals and conservatives alike viewed the case as
one of the year’s most important cultural battles.
Despite the sign. Chapel Hill is just
as “left" as Carrboro.
Following the decision, numerous corporations,
local governments and private benefactors sev
ered ties with the Boy Scouts.
Chapel Hill-Cartboto school board mem
bers decided to allow troops to continue meet
ing on school property,through the academic
year to ensure a smooth transition to ahetnate
sites, but their message is clear.
“If we have a policy, we have to enforce it,”
board member Maryanne Rosenmann told the
Durham Herald-Sun. “If the first time there’s a
problem with the policy, we back down, what’s
the policy for?” T
by Nancy Coleman
Special to Q-Notes
WASHINGTON, DC — A review of just
the last six years of Senator John Ashcroft’s
record as a public official should be enough to
lead the US Senate to deny him confirmation
as US Attorney General and head of the nation’s
Justice Department, according to a new report
released January 5 by People For the American
Way.
The 22-page report is entitled “The Case
Against the Confirmation of John Ashcroft as
Attorney General of the United States.” It ex
amines votes and positions taken by Attorney
General nominee Ashcroft from 1995 to2000
as junior Senator from Missouri. It concludes
that he has consistently put his allegiance to far
right ideology before the interests and rights of
the people and the nation and concludes that
he has failed to demonstrate a deep commit
ment to equal justice under the law, respect for
individual rights and the Constitution, and sen
sitivity to the injustices suffered by women and
minorities - all qualities that should be consid
ered a prerequisite for the nation’s top lawyer
and principal enforcer of civil rights and other
federal laws.
“John Ashcroft is the wrong [person] for the
job,” .said Ralph G. Neas, President of People
For the American Way. “His record places him
at the far right edge of the political spectrum,
out of the conservative mainstream within his
own party. On the key criterion of commit
ment to equal justice under the law, Ashcroft’s
record simply does not measure up to the stan
dards the American people have a right to ex
pect from the person entrusted with protect
ing their rights and their Constitutipn. John
Ashcroft’s record shows him to be a man who
has not earned the people’s high trust but has
used his power and position to advance a far
right agenda at the expense of Americans’ fun
damental rights and liberties.”
The report examines Ashetoft’s Senate
record, focusing especially on issues that would
be likely to come before him if he were to be
confirmed as Attorney General, both in his role
of bringing cases to and through the courts and
as a participant in the screening and selection
of federal judicial nominees, including nomi
nees to the Supteme Court.
The criticisms leveled at Ashcroft in the re
port include;
See ASHCROFT on page 18
Thf> O Prtll -u Do you believe GLBT people are really becoming more accepted in mainstream society?
t/ii iCjUitj Yes 38% No 28% Only if acceptance makes money or avoids a lawsuit 33%
participate in bur new Q-Poll access wwwq^notes:c6m^3^r A I