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/ The Carol inas' Most Comprehensive Gay & Lesbian Newspaper Black History Month Special Feature See page 3 Among GL8T persons ol color was Barbara Jordan, noted statesperson from Texas, who was the first African-American woman to deliver a keynote address at a political convention. Published Every Two Weeks On Recycled Paper • Volume 15, Number 20 • February 17, 2001 • FREE Native son comes home for Greensboro reading A, by Elaine Tricoli Special to Q-Notes Lrmistead Maupin, creator of the legend ary Tales of the City and author of the recently- published psychological suspense book The Night Listener, will present a program of read ing, humor and conversation at the Greensboro Public Library on Sunday, March 4 at 2 pm. His typical public programs include selected readings and a hilarious free-form “conversa tion” with the audience that draws heavily on the authors life and work. Maupin, who spent most of his childhood in Raleigh, began writing Tales of the City in 1976 as a series in the San Francisco Chronicle. It was the first fiction to appear in an Ameri can daily newspaper in decades. The series grew from a local sensation into an international one when the works were compiled and published in book form. The series includes a total of six books, the last one becoming a New York Times bestseller. To date, his books have been translated into 10 languages, with more than two million cop ies in print. The Night Listener tells the story of 54-year- old Gabriel Noone, a writer and host of the vastly popular radio show Noone at Night. As the novel progresses, Noone develops a tele phone relationship with a 13-year-old boy, an avid fan of the radio program, who tells Maupin he is dying of AIDS. In reviewing Maupin’s latest work, the New York Titties said, “In the end, the reader is captivated and won’t be able to get on with things until The Night Listener is wolfed down whole, like a midnight snack eaten standing up at the kitchen sink.” Maupin has been the subject of a one-hour BBC documentary, ArmisteadMaupin Is a Man by Bo Dean Special to Q-Notes WILMIN'GTON, NC — The Curran House, located at 312 South 3rd Street, Wilmington, was reported to have refused a woman a room on February 4 because she was going to share the room with another woman. The Innkeeper, Vickie Stringer reportedly said that her husband “would not like that” and re fused the room reservation. In order to verify this story, a call was placed at around 8:40 pm on that day to the Inn, and Innkeeper Greg Stringer answered the phone. The caller, a male, tried to make a res ervation for next weekend and was asked if he would be bringing his wife. When he said “no,” that he would be bringing his boyfriend, Mr. Stringer said he was completely full. The male then asked when the first opportunity ENC PAC sets date for Lobby Day 2001, statewide training by Ian Palmquist Special to Q-Notes RALEIGH — Equality North Carolina PAC, the statewide GLBT political organiza tion, has announced that their second Lobby D.ay will be held on March 8 at the North Caro lina General Assembly in Raleigh. The event is an opportunity for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and allied citizens from across the state to come to Raleigh and help advance im portant legislation by directly lobbying their legislators. The group’s first Lobby Day was held in 1999 and was attended by more than 200 people. Equality NC PAC hopes to break that record this year. The main focus of this grassroots lobbying effort will be on passage of a bill to expand the state’s existing hate crime law to include sexual orientation and gender expre.ssion, as well as age, disability, and gender. A similar bill came within ten votes of passing the NC House of Represen- Armistead Maupin Inn keeps lesbian couple out would be to stay at the Inn, and Mr. Stringer said that if it was for “two gentlemen” he would “not have them under his roof.” The caller asked if Stringer was aware that his Inn was a public establishment advertised by the visitors’ center in Wilmington, and Mr. Stringer said yes, but that did not matter. He repeated that he would not have two men un der his roof st.iying together. Under current state law, there is nothing to prevent a private business owner from refusing service to persons based on their sexual orien tation. Readers wishing to express their objection to this policy of discrimination m.ay contact the Curran House by phone at 910-763-6603 or 800-763-6603, by fax at 910-763-5116, or by mail at the address above. The ZIP code is 28401. T I Dreamt Up. The first book of the Tales series was adapted by Britain’s Channel Four as a six-hour miniseries, and when it aired on PBS in 1994, it received widespread critical acclaim, the pres tigious Peabody Award, and the highest ratings ever recorded for a PBS drama series. Showtime produced and broadcast the sequel. More Tales' of the City, in 1998 and will broadcast Further Tales of the City this year. Maupin’s program will be at Greensboro’s Central Library, 219 N. Church Street, in the Nussbaum Room. For more information, call 336-373-3617. T [ The writer is Communications Specialist for the Greensboro Public Library. ] Lesbian, bisexual women at risk for HIV infection PROVIDENCE, RI — A study conducted by researchers at Brown University finds that a majority of lesbian and bisexual women re ported multiple episodes of unprotected sex every month that involved potential exchange of vaginal secretions, blood, and semen. How ever, very few of the responding to an anony mous questionnaire perceived themselves to be at risk for HIV infection or other sexually trans mitted disease. Of the respondents who had at least one fe male sexual partner in the previous year, 27 percent reported having more than one part ner. Bisexual women were more likely than les bians to report having multiple sexual partners, but they did not differ significantly in their rate of previous HIV testing. Active oral-anal sex was reported by 19 percent of the 540 respon dents, sexual activity involving possible expo sure to blood by 20 percent, and 26 percent reported a previous sexually transmitted disease. Even so, 84% of respondents believed they were at zero risk of HIV or sexually transmit ted disease exposure over the previous year. Only 21% had ever suggested the use of safer sex practices to their sexual partners. The sample group was derived through .women’s cultural events, FIIV/STD service or ganizations, and women’s health collectives. T Attorney General’s prior record on sexual orientation raises red flags tatives in 1999, and thete is a good chance the bill will pass this year, according to Jo Wyrick, Equality NC PAC’s Executive Director. “We believe that victory is within our reach, but only if legislators know that their constitu ents care about this issue,” said Wyrick. “Lobby D.ay is an important part of our strategy to gain protection from bias violence, and a large turn out from the LGBT community will send a powerful message to the General Assembly.” Other issues on the group’s legislative agenda include a bill reforming the Crime Against Nature sodomy law, requiring that sexuality education cutricula be medically and legally accurate, and passing anti-discrimination leg islation that includes sexual orientation for Durham and Orange Counties. Lobby Day will also help advance these efforts. In preparation for Lobby Day, the Equality NC Project is working with local organizations See ENC on page 14 by Clay Ollis Q-Notes Staff WASHINGTON, DC — Attorney General John Ashcroft s.ays his personal views would not affect his abilit)' to enforce the law equitably, and denies that sexual orientation would be an fac tor in hiringdecisions at the Department ofjus- tice. But the Washington fort alleges he has a his tory of discrimination. That paper reported that Ashcroft, .as governor of Missouri, asked a job applicant about his sexual orientation. The Post reported that a health care expert who applied for a top Cabinet post in Missouri’s state government says he was asked by Ashcroft . about his sexual orientation. The applicant con tends that Ashcroft’s very first question was, “Do you have the same sexual preference as most men?”Through a spokeswoman, Ashcroft said he “cannot im.igine” questioning a job ap plicant about his sexual orientation. Ashcroft, who was confirmed by the Senate National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. . As a US Senator, Ashcroft repeatedly de clined to sign a pledge that he would not dis- criminate against gay or 1 p lesbian em ployees in his Ip Senate office. 3 Asked why I during his con- I o firmation hear- ing, Ashcroft replied, “1 don’t have any recollection about this statement, and frankly. I’d have to answer, ‘I don’t know and 1 don’t h.ive any rec ollection of that.’” Ashcroft also denied that he held up Hormel’s nomination as am Attorney General John Ashcroft "It is important that the nation's highest-ranking law enforcement official tell the truth" said Elizabeth Toledo 58 - 42 on February 1, has repeatedly asserted he would not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, despite evidence to the contrary. “It is important that the nation’s highest- ranking law enforcement official tell the truth,” said Elizabeth Foledo, executive director of the bassador to Luxembourg be cause of Hormel’s sexual ori entation. But news accounts from 1998 have surfaced in which Ashcroft was quoted as objecting to Hormel’s “gay lifestyle.” “Ashcroft seems to be expe riencing either amnesia or an in ability to be forthright,” Toledo said. Gay activists around the country indicated disappointment with the confirmation, but said they would hold the Attorney General account able to the more moderate positions he pro fessed during his confirmation hearings. ▼ nri 1 j > T} 11 14- Do you believe GLBT people are really becoming more accepted in Mainstream society? r riC iCILCSl t/ii ± CSUITS Yes 45% No 24% Only if acceptance makes money or avoids a lawsuit 29% ./ „„ .^To participate in our newQ-Pollaccesswww.q-notes.com c-,. .
Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Feb. 17, 2001, edition 1
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