Newspapers / Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.) / Jan. 15, 2005, edition 1 / Page 13
Part of Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
JANUARY 15 . 2005 • Q-NOTES Global 13 Tsunami devastates Sri Lankan LGBT community from page 1 wiped out by the tsunami.... This horrible, horrible disaster has knocked Sri Lanka so bad that it will take years and years to rebuild.” Indonesia In Indonesia, gay groups have been un able to get any information from the most- affected areas. The effect of the tsunami that originated from an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia was felt as far away as India and Thailand. “We don’t know about the effect of the tsunami on gay people in Aceh and North Sumatra,” said Dede Oetomo, head of GAYa NUSANTARA. “We never had any organized contact in Aceh or the island of Nias in North Sumatra, which have been hardest-hit. “Medan, the major city on the eastern coast with a sizeable gay population, was spared due to its distance from the epicen ter,” Oetomo said. “The good news is that gay organizations are involved in fundrais ing and collecting donations together with other community groups.” Thailand In Thailand, the gay resort of Phuket was hard-hit. It has many gay guest hous es, restaurants, bars, shops and coffee houses. But, according to Ulf Mikaelsson and Borje Carlsson, two Swedes who run the Connect Guest House and Coffee Bar, most of the gay businesses arc “far enough from the beach to be untouched by the tragedy.” "The day of the tsunami disaster, the Connect, with its satellite television con nection, was one of the only sources of news coverage of the tragedy as it unfold ed,” the couple wrote in an email. “Scores of native and foreign gays gathered around the mounted television and ate, drank and bonded with each other as news came in as to the losses being sustained. "Right now, the Phuket gay community is busy raising funds for those Thais and for eigners who suffered injury and loss due to the tidal wave,” the couple said. “It will take some months to clean up and rebuild the beach area, but everything else on the island, 500 yards or more from the beach, is exactly as it was — untouched by the tsuna mi. If you want to help us in Patong, do not cancel your tour to Patong Beach. Now more than ever we need your support.” Carlsson's experience of the tsunami “It was a clear blue sky and we were having our morning coffee at Connect when we heard people screaming that the beach had disappeared. When 1 got close to the beach I heard more scream ing and suddenly I saw this huge wave, taller than the palm trees, coming to crash down on us. ... We rushed into a hotel as the huge wave rolled into Patong Beach. The giant wave flooded the lobby within seconds and dragged furniture onto the street. 1 had to wrap myself around a pillar to avoid being swept away. As I was standing there, a car actually floated into the lobby and over turned because the current was so strong. The water was up to my chest and I was holding on to my boyfriend’s hand be cause he can’t swim. It’s a strange feel ing to walk from one of Rath-U-Thit road to the other, one side it looks like a war zone on the other side nothing had side “On and changed.” Satellite images show tsunami destruction of Phuket, Thailand. SifSpeedy, PRINTING • COPYING • DIGITAL NETWORK Fast^ Friendly and Courteous Service Printing*Typesetting»High Speed Copying • Binding • Notary • Invi tations • Laminating • Resumes • Business Cards • Full Color Copies » Rubber Stamps • Holy Union Announcements * MUCH MORE! 301 North Caswell Road (Across from Mercy Hospital, comer of 5th St.) (704) 375-8349 / FAX (704) 342-1066 Contact information Sri Lanka Companions on a Journey 46/50 Robert Drive Robert Gunawardhane Mawatha, CoIombo-06, Sri Lanka Telephone: 011-94-11-251-4680 Fax: 011-94-11-555-7660 Email: sherman@sri.lanka.net Web: www.companions-lanka.org Equal Ground Phone: 011-94-11-268-2278. Email: graycat@sltnet.lk donate@equal-ground.org Web: www.equal-ground.org Indonesia GAYa NUSANTARA, Jalan Mojo Kidul I No. 11-A, Surabaya 60285, Indonesia Telephone/fax: 011-62-31-591-4668 Cell phone: 011-62-811-311-743 Email: doetomo@indo.net.id. Thailand Connect Telephone; 011 -66-76-294-195 Email: connect@beachpatong.com Web: www.beachpatong.com GayPatong.com. Email: webmaster@gaypatong.com Web: www.gaypatong.com Organic Sustems O I I LLC We care for your environment naturally! Selective Pruning Shrubs, Plants and Trees Selective Pruning at the right time of year retains the natural shape of a plant and prevents unhealthy suckers & water sprouts. Contact us fora free estimate. 10% off pruning fee when you mention this ad! 704-55+-W organicscjstemsllc@yahoo.com □ 1704 Shamrock dn Mon. - Sat. ^ 8pm - 2am ^ 1704 Shamrock MON. - Brandy Alexander's Cabaret. Guest Star "Boom Boom LaTour" Jan. 17th Featuring DJ Rocker Spinning Live all night NOIZE featuring DJ MAVRICK House & Techno SAT- DAKS TALENT SHOWCASE Show starts at midnight 321/vews Hosted by the Outrageous Nairobi Featuring DJ Rocker Spinning Live all night with the best light show on the east side of Charlotte 36th f?
Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 15, 2005, edition 1
13
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75