Music scene
Imogen Heap plays Asheville
page 29
Out in Print
James McGreevey’s confession
page 36
Artists showcased
Seagrove Pottery Festivall
page 41
Noted . Notable . Noteworthy. LGBT News & Views
Vote for Equality Nov. 7!
Vol. 21 . Number 13 www.q-notes.com
November 4.2006
HRC Carolinas gearing up for *07 dinner
This year’s theme is
‘007 Equality is forever’
by Bert Woodard
CHARLOTTE — With a nod to the year
■2007 and affirming the mission of the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC), the HRC Carolinas
Gala committee has chosen “2007: Equality is
Forever” as the theme for its annual fundrais
ing event.
The 2007 HRC Carolinas Gala Dinner will
be held at the Charlotte Convention Center on
Saturday, Feb. 24,2007. Event planners are
projecting more than 1,600 in attendance in
hopes of making the 2007 HRC Carolinas
Dinner the largest in the country. The
Charlotte Westin will be the host hotel for the
third year.
“One of pur goals with this year’s dinner
was to provide an exciting, fast-paced dinner,
and what could be more exciting than James
Bond?” explains Rodney Tucker, one of the co
chairs for this year’s event. “We played with the
year and came up with ‘2007 Equality is
Forever’ theme. Throughout the gala our
guests will see how HRC fights for equality
throughout the year.”
Tucker is serving as dinner co-chair with
LaWana Mayfield and Dan Mauney.
As in years past, the event will feature
celebrated speakers and performers, though
a confirmation announcement isn’t expect
ed until early December. Again this year,
extensive involvement from South
Carolina’s LGBT community is part of the
annual celebration.
“We have, a subcommittee of volunteers
from South Carolina who bring a lot of excite
ment and energy to this year’s dinner,” Tucker
says. “Our City Host committee has developed
an ambassador program, with representatives
from Charlotte who visit cities in North and
South Carolina to invite them to the gala and
provide information about HRC.”
The HRC Carolinas Dinner is not an “invi
tation only” event and is open to everyone
including straight allies. Tables are organized
around table captains, but individual atten
dees are welcome and encouraged.
Nominations are currently being accepted
for the 2007 HRC Carolinas Awards, which
include an Equality Award that recognizes an
organization that has done great work in the
LGBT community, a Trail/Blazer Award that
recognizes an individual who has laid an out
standing foundation for LGBT advancement,
and the Community Service Award, which rec
ognizes an individual or organization for
superior contributions at the grassroots level
to the LGBT community and its allies.
Nomination forms are available on the organi
zation’s website.
Founded in 1980, HRC is America’s largest
civil rights organization working to achieve
LGBT equality. HRC effectively lobbies
Congress, provides campaign support to fair-
minded candidates, and works to educate the
public on a wide array of topics affecting
LGBT Americans, including relationship
recognition, workplace, family and health
issues. HRC currently has more than 500,000
members, including more than 18,000 in the
Carolinas.
HRC hosts annual fundraising dinners
throughout the country to support its mission
of buiJding an America where LGBT people
are ensured of their basic equal rights, and
can be open, honest and safe at home, at work
and in the community.
The 2007 HRC Carolinas Gala committee is
currently seeking volunteers to assist with the
weekend’s events — details are available at the
website.!
info: www.hrccarolinas.org
A soldier’s story: home from the war
One day short of a year in Iraq —
he’s back in the U.S.
by David Moore . Q-Notes staff
Over the past year he’s penned an ongoing
column for Q-Notes about his experiences as a
gay man serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq.
Many of you have followed his experiences.
read his words and even worried about him.
We did, too.
In mid-October, he returned home. Now
he’s sitting in the office of his North Davidson
home — shirtless, in a pair of jeans and still
wearing the military-issued dog
tags he was required to wear
Holiday party planning
page 29
a-
Snc$m
while on duty.
Plaques adorn the walls of the room —
citing his exemplary military service, while a
rather sizable mound of army equipment cov
ers a corner of the floor. Nearby his rottweilers
roughhouse together while we talk. They were
puppies when he left and now they’re practi
cally fully-grown.
Much has changed during his time away.
Q. Did you bring anything
back with you from Iraq?
A. A piece of shrapnel about eight
inches wide and four inches long
that nearly killed me — and two
helmets with bullet holes in them.
They came off this monument repre
senting the Iran-Iraq war. You’ve
probably seen pictures of it before
— you know the giant crossed
swords.
Q. Let’s talk about your last
few weeks in Iraq. Where did
you go?
A. I went to Mosul and worked
with the ammunition depot. I consolidated
two different depots into one. Then I went to
Ambar province and worked with some U.S.
marines.
We took several trips to Baghdad — which
is pretty much the most dangerous
part of the country. Then I wound
up at Balad — it’s a gar
rison base for soldiers
exclusive
see soldier on 6
iV AtCMiMf
Lily Tomlin comes to Greenville’s Peace
Center — exclusive interview page 16.
Syphilis epidemic in Mecklenburg?
page 4