APRIL 23 . 2005 • Q-NOTES
& SO
CAROLIN
noted . notable . noteworthy 6LBT issues
Volume 19 • No. 25 • April 23, 2005
The Carolinas'most comprehensive Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender newspaper. Published every 2 weeks
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contributing writers
Christopher Barron, Marie Brodie, Mubarak Dahir, J.
Lynn Davidson, Lawrence Ferber, Peter Gelvin,
Kevin Grooms/Miss Della, J.S. Hall, Robert Kirby,
Charlene Lichtenstein, Richard Lindsay, Ed Madden,
Lainey Millen, Donald Miller, David Moore, Steve
Ralls, Leslie Robinson, Yvette Ruffin, Beth Shapiro,
Mark Shields, Mark Smith, David Stout, Trinity,
Rodney Tucker, Connie J. Vetter, Steve Warren
on page one
• Charlotte hosts AIDSWalk
• Chariotte Pride around corner
• Eric Rudolph gets plea bargain
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21
16
08
24
28
25
30
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20
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articles
Brandy speaks out on gay issues
DADT bill repeal gains momentum
Fiji sodomy bw vioilates Constitution
Gay Cathob'c community reflects
LCR convention energies gays
Perry supports WorldPride
Poll shows gay athletes ok
PSA: Patient's Rights
Reps sponsor legislation
Stop Hillary campaign traced
Training aimed at LCBT abuse survivors
features
33 I More music from the Wainwrights
33 I Mother's Day
columns
Classifieds
Community Cards • 39-41
Curbside
Drag Rag
Editor's Note
General Gayety
Money Matters
News Notes: Global
News Notes: NC
News Notes: SC
Opinion: Day of Silence
Opinion: Dream Defened 011505
Opinion: SC Ballot
Opinion: Schiavo
Out and About
Out in Print
Out in the Stars
Para Todos
Playin'It Out
QrPoll
Tell Trinity
The Big Screen
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advertising space deadlines
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issue: 21 May
issue: 01 June
deadline: 04-27
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deadline: 05-25
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Editor’s note
Come out,
come out,
wherever
you are
We’re in a strange
place right now — the world is turned
upside down with anti-gay amendments
left and right and religious extremists seem
to be attempting to move our democracy in
the direction of. a theocracy. Liberal and
moderate politicians are running scared
and afraid to vote in favor of the very caus
es that prompted them to run for office in
the first place, as threats of retaliation
come from even the president himself.
Amidst all the darkness surrounding us
right now — I found a couple of particu
larly uplifting coincidences on the political
scene:
Kansas mayor says he is gay
Outgoing Lawrence Mayor Mike Runclle,
announced April 13 that he is gay. He said he
made the announcement
partly because of a statewide
vote in favor of an amend
ment to the Kansas
Constitution banning gay
marriage.
“It Is with dignity and
pride that I acknowledge that
I have been Lawrence mayor and in all likeli
hood, Lawrence’s first gay mayor,’’ Randle said
after finishing his one-year term. The
announcement was greeted with applause from
the audience and fellow commissioners.
Rundle indicated that he was well aware of a
“whispering campaign’’ targeting him since he
first entered politics in 1987.
Rundle told the audience he did not
acknowledge his sexuality earlier because he
wanted to keep the political focus on his quest
for good government apd he wanted to avoid
triggering prejudice that might detract from that
quest.
“I think, perhaps, that is less of a concern
today than it was 18 years ago,” said Rundle.
Republibm state senator
acknowledges he's gay
Minnesota State Sen. Paul Koering (R-Fort
Riplty') announced April 13
that he is gay and that many
of his legislative colleagues
have known about his sexu
ality for some time.
In interviews published
by the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune, the
Brainerd Dispatch and a web log, therawsto-
ry.com, Koering said he had faced questions
about his sexuality since he joined senate
Democrats in defeating an attempt to force a
floor vote on a constitutional amendment ban
ning gay marriage.
“I’ve always felt like my personal life was just
that — personal,” Koering told the Brainerd
Dispatch.
He decided to publicly acknowledge he is
gay because the questions were taking up time
that he preferred to spend on his legislative
activities.
“It’s hampered me from doing the real work
that I want to do here,” Koering told therawsto-
ry.com. “I just felt that I need to
talk to reporters and say ‘Yep, I’m
gay, so what?’ and now that’s
done, let’s talk about the real
issues, good-paying jobs with
health care benefits, talk about
issues that affect families and people in their daily
lives.”
it’s refreshing to know there are a few
politicos out there in the world that aren’t
too scared to let the world know it’s okay
to be openly gay. Why, shucks, you, can
even be a senator or a mayor.
Fact of the matter is, though, there are
a lot of people that don’t feel that way.
They would prefer that we hold our
tongues and accept the role of second-
class citizens.
One such “shining” example is
“Americans For TVuth” President Peter
LaBarbera, who recently spoke out against
“Day of Silence,” a student-led day of
action for those who support making anti-
LGBT bias unacceptable. Participants take
a day-long vow of silence to recognize and
protest the discrimination and harassment.
In response to this effort, LaBarbera
said that a “Day of Silence” simply does
not go far enough and called for extending
the idea to a “Decade of Silence” for pro-
”gay” advocates in our nation’s places of
learning.
“Parents are sick and tired of pro-‘gay’
liberals using the trusted school environ
ment to promote homosexuality and gen
der confusion as normal to impressionable
children,” LaBarbera said. "We know we
speak for the majority of American moms
and dads in calling on pro-homosexual
activists to extend indefinitely their volun
tary ‘silence’ in our schools.”
This is just the kind of rhetoric that
makes my blood boil.
So what do we do?
We declare war on the theocrats who
want to change everything our country
stands for.
We can do that by becoming involved,
listening, watching and responding. If
you’re not politically active — now is the
time to be. When you’re listening to right
■ wing babble from crazed maniacs like Neil
Boortz or Dr. Laura — cal! them on their
misinformation campaigns. If you’ve got
the constitution to grin and bear it through
aity news on the FOX network, note the
right-wing overtones or propaganda
reports and call and complain.
Theocrats have been slowly organizing,
over the past 25 years and have amassed
a considerable amount of power. Still, we
outnumber them. ,
More Americans believe in separation
of church and state. Most Americans aren’t
running around screaming about the dan
gerous impact of same-sex unions on het
erosexual marriage. We need to be just as
vocal as this minority that is trying to
hijack our way of life.
And just like the mayor and the senator
— if you’re not out already — you need to
come out.
In the words of Howard Dean at a
recent Democratic Party gathering, “Are we
going to live in a theocracy where the high
est powers tell us what to do? Or are we
going to be allowed to consult our own
high powers?”
— David Moore
Editor