APRIL 24.2004 • Q-NOTES
&
CAROLiN
noted . notable . noteworthy GLBT issues
Volume 18 • No. 24 • April 24, 2004
The Carolinas' most comprehensive Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender newspaper . Published every 2 weeks
PO Box 221841 • Charlotte, NC 28222
704.531.9988
704.531.1361 FAX
•
www.q-notes.com
Publisher: Jim Yarbrough
publisher@q-notes.com.
•
Editor: David Moore
editor@q-notes.com
Associate Editor: David Stout
Special Assignments: Lainey Millen
•
New Media: Brian M. Myer
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Administrative Assistant: Brad Ward
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Jim Yarbrough, Manager
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Q-Notes accepts unsolicited editorial, but cannot
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contributing writers
Marc Aci'to, William Brand, Scott Calvert,
Teresa Carson, Mubarek Dahir, J. Lynn
Davidson, Lawrence Ferber, Kevin Grooms/Miss
Della, J.S. Hall, Rabbi Richard Hirsh, Paul
Johnson, Robert Kirby, Alice Leeds, Charlene
Lichtenstein, Ed Madden, John Marlie, Donald
Miller, David Moore, Brian M. Myer, Zelie
Pollon, Leslie Robinson, Mary-Ellen Shay, Jim
Sims, Gene Smith, Jack Spilane, David Stout,
Trinity, Steve Warren
on page one
• A war rages on
• Pro-gay biltboard in Greensboro
• SCEC gets new director
27
18
22
09
10
17
23
03
26
19
articles
Chicago issues warnings after murders
Elders defends same-sex mam'age
Frank's opponent plays gay card
Gay Dems endorse Kerry
Jewish leaders show support
Lesbians, bisexual girls use tobacco more
Men guilty in teen's murder
New to Q-Notes
Oregon county bans all marriages
Senator changes his mind
features
06 I Asheville anti-gay billboard controversial
29 I Key headliners at Charlotte Pride
39
43
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42
37
03
38
25
14
12
13
31
36
34
33
35
16
01
19
41
columns
Big Screen
Classifieds
Community Cards • 37-39
Curbside
Drag Rag
Editor's Note
General Gayety
Money Matters
News Notes: Global
News Notes: NC
News Notes: SC
Opinion: Catholic reformation
Opinion: Defending porn
Out in Print: Strangers
Out in the Stars
Out on DVD
Para Todos
Q-Poll
Q-Poll Results
Tell Trinity
advertising space deadlines
issue: 08 May
issue: 22 May
issue: 05 June
deadline: 04-28
deadline: 05-12
deadline: 05-26
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ditor*s note
Feelings of negativity
President George W. Bush came to
Charlotte Apr. 5. He tried to visit in late
February, but the
Mayor asked him not
to come because of
the severe weather.
I wish it had
snowed again.
Unfortunately it
didn't and our
appointed President
showed up as sched
uled this time to make a speech during a
luncheon held downtown. There were a
handful of Internet alerts that came across
the wire throughout the weeks preceding
Bush’s arrival that spoke of plans for a
mass anti-Bush rally. I had my doubts
early on.
A war rages seemingly out of control,
an economy still languishes enough that
more than five percent of our population is
struggling to find jobs and the country’s
president is endorsing legalized discrimi
nation. In times like these you’d think like-
minded individuals might want to come
together to let their feelings be heard.
They did.
Several hundred of Charlotte’s wealthi
est Republicans showed up to pay $2,000
a head to eat and listen to Dubya ramble
on and on about what he saw as the high-
points of his career.
Outside, I’d estimate that less than 50
protestors were on hand at McDowell Park.
Not including myself — I was there to
cover the event — there was only one^
queer in attendance.
That made me a little mad. Perhaps disap
pointed would be a better word choice.
The following day I read in Charlotte
Observer columnist Dannye Romine’s sum
marization of the minor protest that
Charlottcans were “just too polite” and
that most people felt a demonstration
would be “disrespectful to the command-
cr-in-chief.’
Disrespectful? How many LCBT people
feel disrespected when Dubya wants to
permanently amend us into second class
citizenship status?
Then I was mad. Forget disappointed.
It’s ingrained for Charlottcans to smile in
the face.of hatred, I know. I was born here. A
few years away will clear your head I prom
ise. We can’t just go on smiling
quietly, nodding and shuffling
to our place at the back of the
bus just because people tell us
to do so.
A few days later it was a local
politician that raised my ire again.
How many of you felt patronized by
Mayor Pat McCrory’s mass email answer
to our inquiries about domestic partner
ship benefits for the same-sex partners of
city employees?
Thank you for contacting me regarding
Domestic Partnership Benefits for Charlotte City
’ employees. I know this issue is very personal for
many and political for others. While I have been
open to the discussions on this issue, which is
nationwide, I am opposed to adding domestic
partner benefits to the City’s benefits and com
pensation plan, no matter if it is for gay or
straight employees. My opposition is financial
because of the potential impact on the City budg
et and I believe we currently offer a significant
benefit package to be an attractive employer.
Further, I have a strong view on the structure and
value of marriage in our society. Although we
may disagree on this issue, I appreciate your
feedback and hope to work with you on the many
areas where ive do agree.
Mayor Pat
Man did I feel patronized.’
Mayor Pat. How sweet. We’re on a first
name basis. Don’t talk to me about the
“potential impact’’ on the city budget when
proof already exists in other North
Carolina towns
that the impact
is negligible. As
for your
“strong view
on marriage”
— you can’t
began to fath
om the strong
Wavs of an esti
mated 70,000
Mecklenburg
County resi
dents who arc
fed up with
clear-cut discrimination rooted in misdi
rected religious beliefs. How convenient it
is to forget about that separation of Church
and State when it comes to the city’s LGBT
population. Your refusal to acknowledge
the importance of just the small number of
gay and lesbian city employees’ relation
ships as valid as your heterosexual one is
a slap in the face to the Charlotte LCBT
community at large.
Couched oh-so-politcly. of course.
— David Moore
Editor
New to Q-Notes
Gordon Marcelo
is a new advertising
sales consultant for
Q-Notes.
He grew up in
American Samoa
but moved to the
United States with
his family just after
he graduated from
high school in 1994.
Folks around Charlotte will probably
recognize Marcclo’s name — he was
actively involved with Time Out Youth
since his arrival in the city and served as a
board member before he took on the role of
youth program director, a position he held
for three years.
In addition to his new position with Q-
Notes, Marcelo is also a singcr/composer
and an artist, as well as an administrative
assistant at New Life MCC. He makes his
home in Charlotte’s Shamrock-Eastway
neighborhood.