Out & Proud
Singer Kaki King
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page 29
For Gay History Month
Matina Navratilova
page 19
Noted. Notable . Noteworthy. LGBT News & Views
Q-Style
New fall trends
page 53
Vol. 21 . Number 11 www.q-notes.com October 7.2006
Gay students arrested for Army
protest in enlistment attempt
Nine individuals charged with
trespassing after Army refuses to
allow gay and lesbian students to
enlist
by Donald Miller
GREENSBORO — Nine people were
arrested, charged with criminal trespassing
and led away in handcuffs on Sept. 21 when
four openly gay students attempted to enlist in
the U.S.Army.
The four students — Jessica Arvidson,
Stacey Booe, Matt Hill Comer and Alex Nini
— were participating in the Right to Serve
campaign, a national effort by the group
Soulforce protesting the federal “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell” policy.
After the recruiter told the students they
would not be allowed to enlist. Comer, the
city organizer for the Right to Serve
Campaign, stood in the doorway of the Army
office and informed the media that the sit-in
would start. Although the recruiters allowed
the sit-in to begin, they did notallow media
into the building and immediately called the
police.
According to a report in the Greensboro
News and Record, Major Stewart Upton, a
press officer for the Department of Defense
said members of the military must abide by
the US. Code.
“Under that policy, any person who has
stated that they are a homosexual or bisexual
cannot be allowed entry into the US. military
services based upon the applicable laws and
regulations governing sexual conduct by
members of the armed forces.”
In what seemed almost a note of support
for the protestors, he added, “the Department
of Defense supports and defends the constitu
tional right of all US. citizens to free speech
and peaceful assembly.”
In a statement exclusive to Q-Notes, Comer
described what happened once the sit-in
began.
“A police officer arrived in just a couple of
minutes and informed those sitting in that
they were trespassing and that they must leave
or be arrested,” he said. “One of those sitting in
left while nine others remained. These nine
were arrested, charged with Class 2
Misdemeanor Trespassing and set a court date
of Oct. 23.”
Police said all nine were released on a writ
ten promise to appear in court. The other five
individuals arrested were Alexander James
Barbato, Cristy Ford Elkins, Jacquelyn
Hernandez, Danielle Ashton Hoffman, Leslie
Jean Hughes and Caitlin Elyse Stroud.
According to a press release from
Soulforce, the Right to Serve campaign is hav
ing an impact on military recruitment offices
around the country.
Since the beginning of the summer, 25
openly gay Americans have attempted to
enlist as part of the campaign. They range
from recent high school graduates to recent
college graduates, but each one has been
denied the opportunity to enlist because of
sexual orientation.
The week beginning Sept. 18 marked a
turning point in the effort, as recruiting offices
across the country closed their doors rather
than offer recruiting interviews to openly gay
youth.
In New York City, the Armed Forces
Recruitment Center, which is normally open
every day of the year, was closed without
warning. WTien Right to Serve campaigners
Curt Peterson, Kamal Davis and Rhonda Davis
found the center empty, they held an all-day
vigil outside the center. They were joined by
more than 80 supporters from nearby schools
and colleges.
Throughout the day, enlistees unaffiliated
with Right to Serve showed up for recruiting
appointments, but they found that their
scheduled appointments had been cancelled
without notice.
In Austin, Texas, Rebecca Solomon and
Jesus Sanchez had both attempted to enlist in
recent weeks, but were turned away because
of their sexual orientation. They returned to
the recruiting center with the intent of hold
ing a sit-in with their supporters. Although
the doors were locked, recruiters were plainly
visible inside the office. Sanchez and
Solomon were able to slip inside when one of
the recruiters exited. After a brief sit-in, they
were arrested and charged with criminal
trespassing.
In Charlottesville, Va., openly gay third-year
college student Wyatt Fore and second-year
college student Rachel Miller, a lesbian, were
arrested and charged with trespassing on pri
vate property after being asked to leave by
recruitment officers.
In Washington, DC., bisexual Mandy
Craig and Alexandra Douglas
Barrera, an 18-year-old lesbian,
attempted to enlist Sept. 26 in the
U.S. Navy, but the recruiting office
was closed when they arrived, and
calls to a posted telephone number
went unanswered. No arrests were
made.
To date, Greensboro has been the
only city where openly gay youth
were actually given a brief opportuni
ty to sit down with recruiters. >
Alex Nini being taken away by Greensboro poiice.
October is National Breast
Cancer Awareness Month
Over two decades of building breast
cancer awareness have provided
information and hope for future
innovations in treatment
For more than
20 years. National
Breast Cancer
Awareness Month
(NBCAM) has
educated women
about early breast
cancer detection,
diagnosis and
treatment.
NBCAM continues
reaching out to tf vMtt.
women with sever
al key messages,
most notably, the
importance of
Mammograms are
an important step
toward prevention
of breast cancer.
Queen City Cotillion contes to Chartoj^*
page 29
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early detection through annual mammogra
phy screening for women over 40, or earlier
for women at increased risk.
Mammography screenings are a woman’s
best chance for detecting breast cancer early.
When coupled with new treatment options,
mammography screenings can significantly
improve a woman’s chances of survival.
We are pleased that our efforts have con
tributed to more women than ever participat
ing in mammography screening. Independent
reports indicate that this has been instrumen
tal in the increase in the survival rate for
women with breast cancer.
Since 1906 Now, in an effort to further
increase our impact, we are seeking to take our
activities to the next level — encouraging all
women to take charge of their own breast
health. Whether it includes practicing regular
self-breast exams or making sure to schedule
an annual mammogram, every little bit counts.
For patients and survivors, adherence to
one’s prescribed treatment is equally as para
mount. Visiting one’s healthcare provider on a
regular basis and staying alert to changes in
see annual on 26
Celebrating gay
history month
by Jason Villemez
Motivated by the lack of gay and lesbian
history in textbooks, in 1994 Missouri high
school teacher Rodney
Wilson and other lead
ers and educators start
ed a campaign to raise
awareness in the general
public about the history
of the LGBT community.
Since then, many
prominent groups and
state and city govern-
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ments have endorsed October as Gay and
see celebrate on
14
Rainbow Radio celebrates one year
page 11