The Carolinas’ Most Comprehensive Gay & Lesbian Newspaper www.q-notes.com Published Every Two Weeks On Recycled Paper * Volume 16, Number 8 • September 1, 2001 • FREE Want to know about Carolina GLBT history? See page 3 inside for more details as we continue our Out of the Past coverage. Mr.SaifffSmoOl: JUtmioEihimiiswttiiStepliett Michael 2000wfiim Page20. ^ Whars inside... Israel Part 2 pages Gay Softball World Series page 12 GlAADAction Sleri " page 13 NCPrideFest 2G01 page 16 Jade Estrada plays in Chapel Hill page 20 OutCharlotte Cultural Festival 2001 page 21 See these ami mere news, etUierialsamlleawres when you step InsUel See the Index on page B. TaHettieMest a-POH: Wllatpe^nanen^ reiationsiiip status is most important to you? State-recognized: domestic partnership State-recognized: civil union Stato^ecognized: marriage Beiigiously-performed marriage even if not state-recognize None Other To participate in our Q-Poil. access www.a-notes.com See our latest poll results on Senatorship sinking, Helmsmanship flagging—Jesse bails by Leah D. Sepscnwol Venator Jesse Helms is scootin’. Liter ally. He’s got 17 more months to hover ’round hallowed halls amidst hallelujahs in wave-like chorus heard on the corner, across the coun try, in every continent. The choraleers, with long memories and deep wounds, are not fooled by talk of an “old, mellowed man.” Helms hardly glanced back since he snagged his seat in ’72. He has plotted politi cal tack, abandoned tact and torpedoed the softest spots of present and future foe: Demo crat Nick Galifianakis’ Greek heritage; Jim Hunt’s liberal agenda; and Harvey Gantt’s black race. With malice toward all Helms on:... the poor: “A lot of human be ings have been born bums,” as TV commen tator. ...a civil rights icon: 1983, opposed Martin Luther King Jr.’s national holiday be cause of the leader’s “communist ties.” ...a US Senate colleague: 1993, sang Dixie to black Senator Carol Moseley-Braun who led the de feat of his proposal to grant a federal patent for an insignia containing the Confederate flag. ...a person with AIDS: 1988, from the Senate floor, “If he had a father who was worth a damn, he would not have gotten AIDS.” ...Hate Crimes Statistics Aa: 1990, proposed amendment that stated: “The homosexual movement threatens the strength and survival of the American family” and “state sodomy laws should be enforced.” ...a presidential nominee: 1993, opposed the confirmation of Clinton’s .HUD nominee, Roberta ' Achtenberg “because she’s a damn lesbian” and two days later, “Not your garden variety lesbian. She’s a militant activist, mean les bian.” ...ailing, indigent patients: 1995, pro posed to amend the Ryan White CARE Act, thereby cutting funds to local gay commu nity health centers caring for men, women and children with HIV and AIDS. ...the New York Times and Washington Post: 1998 “...are both infested with homosexuals. These people are intellectually dishonest in just everything they say or do. They start by pretending that it is just another form of love. It’s sickening.” Second Chance Prom was first rate CHARLOTTE, NC — Amidst all the se rious clamor for marriage rights and civil unions, for equal protection and a safe coun try for us all; among the heavy headlines that beg for front page place ment — it’s nice to find something close to home — newsworthy for its quiet simplicity: it made people happy. T h e “United in Love: Second-Chance Profn” was just that, an opportunity to go to a prom for the first time or get to take the one you really wanted to go with in the first place. Sponsored by Unity Fellowship Church See PROM on Page 26 Tiffany Hatcher and Jennifer McCoach ... local schools and education agencies: 2001, introduced the Better Education for Students and Teachers Act, de nying federal funds to any local school district or edu cation agency that “discriminates against the Boy Scouts of America or any group that prohibits ho mosexuals.” ...the President of the United States: 1994, warned President Clinton to “bring a body guard” when visiting North Carolina military facilities. Three decades of diatribe. Five elections won by mere bare-bones majority and the help of “Jessecrats.” Those otherwise and not-so-wise Democrats who jumped into Jesse’s closet just long enough to vote yes for “Senator No.” Good ol’ boys learn to spit early on. And Helms always aimed for our faces. By bluster, by bombast, Bible- bouyed, but by golly, he lasted. We rallied, we prayed, paraded and fasted. “All good things come to those who wait” No one beat him. No one could, ex cept another conscience-less cad — and so he had: Jesse has caught up with Jesse. And there is no contest and no protest. The legacy ... hmm, let’s see: dwindled donations. Dot down home. Dole on deck, and frail, failed feet. The bad thing will have lasted 30 years. The good thing, all the sweeter for it — \ lived long enough to say, “Amen.” ▼ Resource acknowledgement: HRC OutCharlotte Executive Director Dan Kirsch bows out we got ^-shirT JLhe Board of Trustees of OutCharlotte has announced that Dan Kirsch, founder of the or ganization and its executive director for the past seven years, will resign effective at the end of this year. Board Co-Chairs Vikki Hunley and Tim Mattox issued the following sutement: “There are not enough words to express our gratitude to Dan for what he has done for OutCharlotte and for what he has contributed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. He is certainly leaving a legacy that has made, not only a positive mark on Charlotte, but also on the hearts of all who have had the pleasure of working with Dan.” Kirsch also issued a state ment. “I would like to thank the community for giving me the privilege of creating something from the ground up — some thingvalued by this community something that has helped change attitudes and perceptions, something that has brought many new voices to the table. In the twelve years I’ve lived here, and in my seven years as Executive Director of OutCharlotte, I’ve seen remarkable changes in our community “I have loved doing this work. It’s been very rewarding. I choose to leave now because I rec ognize the signs of burn-out in myself Rather than see even the slightest impact on the effec tiveness of this great organization, I decided to step away and allow OutCharlotte’s important work to continue on course. “It’s been an honor to serve the community in this way, and the support and fi^iendship of donors, volunteers and participants has been in- Dan Kirsch valuable in making OutCharlotte what it is to day. I hope the community will continue their support in order to keep OutCharlotte success ful and strong, so future needs and issues can be addressed with creativity and integrity.” Kirsch has no plans after he leaves OutCharlotte except to take a break. He will con tinue work on the seventh annual cultural festi val, scheduled for October 3-7 at various loca tions around the city. Kirsch started Out Charlotte in January 1995 with other community members as an outgrowth of the successful statewide North Carolina Pride Celebration held in Charlotte in June 1994. His background in not-for-profit ans manage ment has included stints with North Carolina Dance Theatre and the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. The mission of Out Charlotte is to give positive voice and visibility to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people by celebrating our cultures through the arts, enter tainment and learning opportunities. OutCharlotte produces an annual cultural festi val in October, presents the Charlotte Gay & Les bian Film Series, is producing the new LGBT soap opera Southern Disclosure ioi airing on pub lic access, and this year is hosting the Gill Foundation,s OutCiving InCommunity program often free fundraising trainings, open to any not- for-profit organization in the community. The OutCharlotte Board ofTrustees is de veloping a transition plan, which includes the formation of an Executive Director Search Committee. T