.north
& sout
CAROLIN
Celehrate JBLielc Hit^tory Month!
noted . notable . noteworthy GLBT issues
Hilary Swank m
IVlillion Mlar Bab/
VOLUME ±9 . ISSUE ±9
SINCE ±9SS WWW.Q-NOTES.COM
JANUARY 29.2005
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For Black History Month: an A-Z
of notable queers of color
GLA/U)anmimces
award nominees
Out in Print Was Abe . ^
Lincoln gay? 29
HIV/AlDSrates
holding stemfy 20
Human genome study may
reveal rea^ns people
me g^ or straight 21
NGUF scutes On Martin
LutiwrKingJr. 16
North Carolina:
Charbtte gets gay
rugby team 08
South Camlina:
Catawba Cares offers bee
Orasuretest 10
ONLINE
A collection of LGBT African-Americans
and their contributions to our culture
by Donald Miller
During the month of February Americans are
celebrating Black History Month with festivals,
exhibits, lectures and seminars. Clearly, African-
American culture has offered a rich contribution to
American society as a whole — particularly in the
South. Much has been accomplished by LGBT folk
of color, as well.
After extensive research we’ve collected here
many of those individuals. The process ivos educa
tional — and fascinating. Take a look at our list of
who's who in BlacI?queer culture.
• Joan Armatrading
(Dec. 9, 1950)
American and British pop-singer, born in
Basseterre on the island of St. Kitts in the
West-Indies.
Musical hits include “Me, Myself, 1" and
i*,.i“rm.Lucky.” ...f :
' • Josephine Baker
Oune 3, 1906 - April 12, 1975)
Bisexual dancer, singer and actress. Born
in St. Louis, Mo., she lived most of her life in
France and adopted 12 children from all over
the world, calling them her “rainbow family.”
Films include “Zou Zou” (1934) and
“Princess Tam Tam” (1935).
• James Baldwin
(Aug. 2, 1924 - Nov. 30, 1987)
Author, playwright and civil rights
activist. Died of stomach cancer.
Books include “Go Tell It On The
Mountain” (1953), “Notes Of A Native Son”
(1955), “Giovanni’s Room” (1958), “Nobody
Knows My Name” (1960), “Another
Country” (1962), “The Fire Next Time”
(1963), “Tell Me How The Train’s Been
Gone” (1968), "If Beale Street Could Talk”
(1974), “Just Above My Head” (1979),
“Evidence of Things 1 See” (1983).
• Paris Barclay
(June, 1956)
Director and writer, born in Chicago
Heights, ill. Graduated from Harvard in 1979.
Television work includes “Angel Street,”
“NYPD Blue,” “City of Angels,” “The West
Wing” and “ER.”
• Jeon-Mkhel Basquiat
(Dec. 22, I960 - Aug. 12, 1988) ,
Painter and graffiti artist, born" in
Brooklyn, N.Y. His life story was made into a
movie in the 1996 film “Basquiat,” with
Jeffrey Wright as Basquiat and David Bowie
as Andy Warhol.
• Gladys Bentley
(Aug. 12, 1907 - Ian. 18, 1960)
Born in Philadelphia, Bentley left
Pennsylvania at 16 to be part of the Harlem
Renaissance. She began singing at rent parties
and buffet flats and moved on to speakeasies
and nightclubs. Later she would headline the
popular speakeasy, the Clam House, as well
as the Libangi Club. She wowed audiences
with her powerful voice and obscene parodies
of blues standards and show tunes and was
famous for her glamorous girlfriends. Very
open about her sexuality, Bentley also per
formed at lesbian bars and once told a gossip
columnist she had married a white woman
while in Atlantic City, N.l.
see LOOK on 12
Focus on the Family
loes after
ipongeBob
FOFs James Dobson calls video featuring
character a, threat to children
by Donald Miller
First there were the innuendoes
about the exact nature of the rela
tionship between Bert and
Ernie — the household
sharing puppets from
TV’s “Sesame Street.”
Then there was the uproar over
Barney — the singing, dancing and
skipping purple dinosaur who
always talked about love. Then it was
Tinky Winky the Teletubbie. He was
purple, too. He also carried a purse.
And he had an upside-down triangle on
his head!
Spwge^, « he api^rs U.S. evangelicals
on the Nickelodeon TV , . ° .
series. ^ music
video featuring the cartoon
character SpongeBob SquarePants.
Over 1,000 servicemembers
plea for help in 2004
SLDN encourages U.S. to follow Britain's lead and lift the ban
by Steve Rawls
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN)
announced Jan. 10 that it received a record 1,025 requests for assistance in 2004,
up from 991 similar requests in 2003. SLDN provides free, confidential legal coun
sel to service members impacted
by the military’s “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell” ban on lesbian, gay
and bisexual personnel.
“Service members continue
to report to SLDN that they face
a hostile military environment
rife with anti-gay harassment
and discrimination,” said SLDN
Executive Director C. Dixon
Osburn. “Even as their talents
are more urgently needed than
ever before, lesbian and gay
service members face investiga
tion, harassment and discharge.
Their courageous service to our
country, and not their sexual ori
entation, should be what matters.”
SLDN attorneys fought a successful battle in see THOUSANDSon 4
Gays and lesbians fighting in Iraq confirm
thev face a hostile military environment rife
with harassment and discrimination.