Christopher Guest
on ‘For Your Consideration
page 29
Concerns
Holidays
LGBT Baby Boomers
Recollections from
page 14
staff and friends
pages 29,38,39
Noted. Notable . Noteworthy. LGBT News & Views
Vol. 21 . Number 16 www.q-notes.com December 16.2006
Gay men at helm of North Carolina’s Human
Relations Commissions
Greensboro’s Wayne Abraham and
High Point’s Paul Siceloff reach out
to help their communities
by David Moore . Q-Notes staff
Despite the notion that it’s hard to be out
and proud and politically involved in a small
town, two North Carolina men are living
exactly that life in two distinctively different
towns.
Paul Siceloff, 50, became the Chairperson
of the High Point Human Relations
Commission earlier this year.
Siceloff grew up in High Point, though he
attended college in Spartanburg, S.C., and later
spent many years living in Raleigh, N.C.
“I spent the last 12 years in Raleigh,”
Siceloff explains. “I moved back here two years
ago to work with the
North Carolina
Shakespeare
Festival.”
Professionally,
Siceloff works as a
freelancer, helping
art and performance
organizations with
administration
needs and market
ing communica
tions.
His role as chair
of the commission is
a volunteer position,
though that doesn’t
make him any less
committed.
“This is a small
town,” says Siceloff.
“The population is
about 90,000 and
they tend to lean
politically to the
right — they’re pret
ty conservative. I
‘Guilford is a blue county. Fairly liberal.
It’s a good place for gays to live.’
— Greensboro Human Relations
Commission Chair Wayne Abraham.
find it to be an energizing challenge to reach
out to these people and help broaden their
perspectives.”
When the commission’s Director Al
Heggins took on the job with High Point three
years ago — she set out to include all aspects
of the town’s diverse population — including
the LGBT community.
It was at the behest of Louisa Hart of the
High Point Theatre that Heggins appointed
Siceloff.
“She’s been absolutely great,” says Siceloff.
“She’s very supportive of the gay community.”
This past September for Hi^ Point’s
Racial Equality Inclusive Communities Week,
Siceloff was responsible for bringing together
representatives of the media to speak to the
public about representation of minority com
munities.
“We talked about coverage of ethnic, reli
gious and the gay and lesbian communit)^’
Siceloff recalls. “It was a very enlightening
experience for a number of people.
“As a whole, we work on issues of race
relations between the black and white com
munities, although that’s not our exclusive
concern. We’re committed to creating better
understanding
between all the differ
ences in our communi
ty, be they ethnic, cul
tural, religious or of a
sexual orientation
nature.”
In the upcoming
year Siceloff plans to
continue working with
the High Point commu
nity to foster better
relations by holding
panel discussions with
representatives of the
Jewish, Islamic and
Christian faiths. He
also plans to screen
topical films to initiate
further dialogue.
“This past year we
screened‘Crash,’”
Siceloff recalls. “That
was a very dynamic
film and represented a
broad cross section of
the population, so a lot
of people could relate to it. The dialogue that
was generated as a result of the screening was
amazing.”
Despite Siceloff’s enthusiasm, he admits
much of the population has a way to go with
issues regarding the LGBT community.
“Homosexuality is not broadly enough
on the plate here,” he offers. “It’s still
a very closeted community and not very gay
friendly in some aspects — but that’s why I
think it’s important for people to step up to
the plate and offer their services, especially if
they are gay or lesbian living in a small town
like High Point. It educates and informs peo
ple who otherwise might not know a gay
person.”
In decidedly more liberal Greensboro,
N.C., openly gay Wayne Abraham, 49, is chair
of that town’s Human Relations Commission.
“Guilford is a blue county,” says
Abraham. “Fairly liberal. It’s a good place for
gays to live.”
Abraham is very politically active in
Greensboro — he’s one of the founders of
the Triad Health Project and a former presi
dent of the organization. He’s also the chair
for the Democratic Party in the sixth con
gressional district.
His interest in human equality and politics
are what set him on the path to his role as
chair of the Greensboro Human Relations
Commission.
“I asked one of the city council members
to nominate me,” he says matter-of-factly.
“This is my fourth year with the commission.”
Abraham grew up in Maine, but has called
Greensboro home for the past 29 years. He
shares his life with his partner of 14 years,
who is a teacher at a nearby school.
Paul Siceloff is the chairperson of the
High Point Human Relations
Commission.
For the two of them, one recent accom
plishment by the commission holds particular
significance.
“We were able to get Greensboro to add
domestic partnership benefits for city employ
ees,” Abraham beams. “People could start sign
ing up at the beginning of this month. It takes
effect Jan. 1.
“It’s extremely rewarding for me to see how
my work can have a positive impact on the
community” I
En Espanoi - Para Todos
page 21
Carolina neighborhood listed
in top U.S. *gay ghettos’ list
From New York state and
Washington D.C. to Charlotte N.C.
and Atlanta, Ga — most larger cities
have ‘gay ghettos.’
DENVER, Colo. — Whether or not you
subscribe to Richard Florida’s “creative class”
theory that where the gays go eventually so do
higher property values, less crime, better
schools, ethnic diversity and growth — there’s
no disputing the fact that across the country
in many cities, LGBT communities have fre
quently taken back decaying neighborhoods
and made them viable and livable once again.
In that vane, GayGhettos.com in
Charlotte’s NODA (North Davidson)
neighborhood has been chosen as an
up-and-coming ‘gay ghetto.’
see list on 6
Take Over Friday
page 25