north
& south
Carolina
VOLUME . XSSUE 25
SINCE ±98«
OUT OF THE PAST • see page 3
Q-Notes ^
lUNE 86 / ■ ' ^ 1994-1995
I LINE 01 g • Carrboro OKs domestic partnerships
f ' • NC reverses, stops anonymous testing
Margarethe Cammemeyer, author,
V i "Serving in Silence" is keynote
APRIL 27
WWW.Q-NOTES.COM
IIIMUhnm n^l
Ph/^
May 3.4. S
events on page 23
t: If k M wcK »}'k t: M} r R}•
^^ure‘
Bring your partner, mom, sister,
daughter, aunt, niece, grandma, and
friends for an unforgettable gift _
on Mother’s Day • May 12 9
Q-NOTES ENDORSES
THOMPSON SMITH
NC HOUSE . 30 SC HOUSE .119
Warren Campaign bid
for US House is over 28
Will you march or participate
in any PRIDE festivities
this year?
Yes! North Carolina
Yes! South Carolina
Yes! Some other place
No. not ready to “go pnblic” yet
A brave stand for diversity
GLBT group at JCSU held a jorum to
bring awareness to their issues and
bring visibility to themselves.
by Monica Simpson
JCSU contributing writer
CHARLOTTE, NC - On the campus of
Johnson C. Smith University, in jane M.
Memorial University Chapel on April 6, 2002
a nationally recognized flag with the colors of
red, orange, yellow, green, blue indigo was
displayed for the first time in the school's 135
years. To most people in the GLBT
community, displaying the gay pride flag is
hardly unusual. It has become routine in
their lives. However, to Jonathan Perry,
president and founder of the first GLBT group
at JCSU, "A3” - African American Alliance for
gay and lesbian acceptance - and its
members, it was a monumental event.They
had been forced to wait six months for
administrative approval (longer than any
other student organization; and A3 was the
only group on campus to need legal
intervention to get established.
As I walked into the chapel that day, I felt
an unrelenting spirit of joy and pride. Finally,
1 didn't have to hide being a lesbian. My
peers would see me for the person 1 am. I had
been hiding behind men just to appear
“normal,” whatever that is.
I focused on the forum moderator,
Brandon Braud, from the Human Rights
Campaign: Chris Bell, an HIV/AIDS activist
on college campuses; Mandy Carter, a
nationally-recognized lesbian activist; and
Rev. Tonya Rawls, founding pastor of Unity
Fellowship Church Charlotte.
In all of my four years at JCSU, I never
thought a diversity forum would be held at
this university — this school, bound by strict
tradition and still clinging to an older way of
thinking. It was astonishing we were
permitted to take this first step.
While the forum progressed, I scanned
the room to see if I recognized anyone. There
were many people from the GLBT
community of the surrounding area. Some
supporters came as far as Washington, DC
and Savahana, GA. All the GLBT community
see JCSU on t!
Jonathan Perry, founder of A3
speaking at Diversity Forum
Mancini Foundation dedicated to groups here
Two grant recipients: John Hartness, Off
Tryon Theatre Company; Tonda Taylor for
Time Youth whh Wesley Mancini (C).
Melrolina AIDS Project was third rec^Hent
New foundation funds local Charlotte
organizations that address LGBT issues
CHARLOTTE, NC — A new foundation
during a recent press conference, its 2001
grant recipients — support and arts
groups in the Charlotte LGBT community.
The foundation
The Wesley Mancini Foundation
convened its inaugural board, September 7,
2001. The new foundation is dedicated to
sustaining public programs of lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender expressions in
Charlotte. The Mancini Foundation is one of
only three US foundations who solely support
the LGBT community. Its mission statement
reads, “The Wesley Mancini Foundation
provides funding for projects that promote the
inclusion of gay, lesbian, transgender and
bisexuals as full participants in the Charlotte
community.”
Its founder and president, Wesley Mancini,
has been a longtime donor to the Charlotte
arts community and to local state and national
gay and lesbian causes. He was recently
honored at the annual 2002 HRC dinner held
in Cary, NC.
The lack of past public support for risk
taking creates a perception of “safe” and anti
gay guidelines at local foundations hindering
new applicants from submitting risky or
gay/lesbian-related programming. Mancini
thought the best response was to start a
foundation whose funding would be solely
dedicated to new and challenging voices.
“I do not see ... other funders seeking and
see MANCINI on 39
New executive director
already revving it up
The foremost LGBT culture and education
organization in Charlotte gets a guy with
a Harley and a Smelly Cat
CHARLOTTE - The Out Charlotte Board
of Tf-ustees is very pleased to announce it
has hired a new Executive Director after a
nationwide search yielded a great candidate
in our own backyard. Dwight Basset began
his tenure just last week.
Basset most recently worked in Rock Hill
as Downtown Development Manager. He
has over 15 years of non-profit and
government experience and brings a wealth
of non-profit management strengths.
Bassett has ^
also been
employed in
Statesville and
Concord North
Carolina,
McCormick Co.,
SC, and
Hinesville, GA in
downtown
development. He was a
Project Manager Center
Brothers Construction
Company in Savannah,
Dwight Bassett
Georgia and was a Public Relations Director
for Advertising Unlimited.
He attended Samford University
majoring in Business Administration with a
minor in Music. Basset and his partner
Richard Harris own The Smelly Cat Cafe in
the NoDa (North Davidson) theater and arts
district. They also have a
home in NoDa.
Mary Ann Mueller, Out
Charlotte co-chair said, "We
e very pleased to have
found an interested
individual with the
talents and experiences
that Dwight has.”
Bassett said he is
excited about the
opportunity to work
see DIRECTOR on 39