^north
& sout
CAROLIN
Next Lf*^ue: 2004 in Review
noted . notable . noteworthy GLBT issues
Sfwcial
Q-Living Action:
AlUhewaj^of
celebrating the s^son
Win $50 from
Q-Notes!
See page 3 for
details.
Sex ed classes giving
false info
‘Kinse^ opens in theaters 29
Condicis continue
in Jamaica 15
Gay Nigerian wins
US. asylum 22
Ousted Vets sue Pentagon 26
North and South
Carolina
North Camlina:
One Voice Chorus performs
in Wanksgiving Day Parade 10
South Carolina:
Openly gay student
president featured in
use magazine 12
VOLUME 19 . ISSUE 1«
SINCE 198« WWW.Q-NOTES.COM
DECEMBER 18 . 2004
Jennifer Helms Knox:
Is Jesse's politico
granddaughter a lesbian?
Knox defeated incumbent
District Court Judge Michael Morgan
in Wake County
by David A. Moore
Q-Notes staff
RALEIGH, N.C. — Following her election
as a district court judge for Wake County, the
internet has been filled with reports that
Jennifer Helms Knox — the granddaughter of
notoriously anti-gay former Sen. Jesse Helms
— is herself a closeted lesbian.
Neither Knox nor her reported partner
and campaign treasurer Shields Carstarphen
have acknowledged the claims, though
friends of the two spoke anonymously with
the websites RawStory and BlogActive after
Knox apparently decided that a Helms
endorsement was a plus in her campaign.
Knox is a registered Republican
The North Carolina Republican Party
platform is unyielding in its stance against
gays and lesbians.
“We believe homosexuality is not normal
and should not be established as an accept
able ‘alternative’ lifestyle either in public
education or in public policy,” the platform
states. “We do not believe public schools
should be used to teach children that homo
sexuality is normal.”
The source who spoke with RawStory edi
tor John Byrne admitted she had asked Knox
whether Helms knew she was a lesbian.
“I could never tell my grandfather,” Knox
reportedly replied. “It would kill him.”
“If Jesse Helms knew the reality and
truth of his granddaughter, then I cannot
imagine he would have anything to do with
her,” the source added.
Knox’s first photo-op with Helms during
her campaign trail began the day she filed
paperwork to the state board of elections.
The former senator was on hand, as
reported by the Associated Press: “It means
a lot to me that my granddaughter get this
attention,” Helms said, srhiling at the
reporters and photographers there to cap
ture the event.
Wake County District Court Judge
Jennifer Helms Knox
A former Wake County assistant district
attorney, Knox would later successfully
unseat incumbent District Court Judge
Michael Morgan.
Her filing — with Helms in tow — pre
sented a distinctly symbolic image: a
descendant of a legendary North Carolina
five-term senator entering into the world of
politics.
“The biggest part to me is that my grandfa-
see INTERNETon 19
Altman threatens SCETV
budget after gay
documentary airs
Congressman angered by
AFFA-produced documentary
by Monica Simpson
Q-Notes staff
A documentary aired in
south Carolina that gave resi
dents a chance to look into the
lives of the LGBT community has
come under fire for “promoting
the gay agenda.”
“We Are Your Neighbors”
was shown in early November
as part of SCETV’s twice-month
ly “Southern Lens” series that
discusses life in the South. The
documentary was independently
produced and cost the state
nothing.
"We try to provide a space for
independent film makers and
films to have a voice,” said
Maurice Bresnahan, SCETV
president.
we are your neighbors
Images from We Are Your
Neighbors.'
The documentary was produced by Sunhead Projects and The
Alliance For Full Acceptance (AFFA) and was aired
last year on network affiliates during purchased see AFFAon 7
Shake-up at HRC
Former Sen.. Cheryl Jacques leaves HRC, interim replacement
a straight man
by Donald Miller
Less than a year after replacing for
mer HRC director Elizabeth Birch, for
mer Massachusetts State Sen. Cheryl
Jacques has reportedly resigned from
her post as director of the organiza
tion, amidst rumblings of disagree
ments about management. Her depar
ture comes in the aftermath of a dev
astating election campaign that saw 11
states ban same-sex marriage, though
organizers at HRC say that had noth
ing to do with her decision to leave.
Following speculation that Jacques
was actually forced to resign, an offi
cial statement from HRC said that
Jacques had resigned over “a difference in management philosophy.”
In the statement, Jacques is quoted as saying, ^My priorities were
to defeat the Federal Marriage Amendment, expand the organization’s
membership and fundraising capacity, increase our diversity and
maintain a strong voice in the media.”
Three days later HRC announced it was appointing a heterosex
ual man co-chair of its board of directors.
Michael Berman will serve with lesbian Hillary Rosen on an inter
im basis in leading the HRC while the organization searches for a
new leader.
Berman is president and one of the founders of The Duberstein
Group, a government affairs consulting
group. Prior to that he served as coun- see JACQUES on 17
Former Sen. Cheryl Jacques,
prior to leaving HRC.