news notes:
from the Carolines, nation and world
compiled by Lainey Millen:: lainey@goqnotes.com | David Stout:: david@goqnotes.com | Matt Comer:: matt@goqnotes.com
Charlotte
Foundation makes changes
CHARLOTTE—The Wesley Mancini
Foundation has changed its grant applica
tion requirements. Beginning this year, the
Foundation will pick an annual theme for which
the LGBT community
has a current need to
address. Only grant
applications address
ing the year's theme
will be considered.
"With the
resources that we
have to give back to
our community, we
wanted to make sure
we target a specific issue each year," said
Wesley Mancini. "The 'theme' will change from
year to year based on the needs of the LGBT
community. Our board is very excited about our
new direction and what it can mean to not only
the Charlotte LGBT community, but also the
community at large."
Grant applications must develop a project
that will raise the profile of the local LGBT com
munity in front of a national audience during
the Democratic National Convention Sept 3-6,
2012 and partner with at least one non-LGBT
organization to accomplish the grant's goals.
The Foundation is a non-political entity.
Applications must not deal with politics,
but focus on the awareness that the local
community exists during this time when the
world's eyes will be upon Charlotte.
Applications are being accepted until Nov.
15 for the grant cycle of Jan. 1-Dec. 31,2012.
Foundation grants are awarded to fund
specific projects and are not awarded to
cover general operating expenses.
Federally-tax exempt organizations or
those with tax-qualified sponsors interested in
receiving a grant application should contact
Bob Scheer at 704-375-4275, ext. 11 or by
email to bscheer@wesleymancini.com.
~LM
Coastal
Protest held at church
WILMINGTON — On Aug. 14, a protest
was held outside Sea Gate Community Chapel
to challenge that church's decision to place
an anti-gay message in it's church sign. The
sign read "God loves gays, but He hates
perverted life style, turn or burn" and had ba
een erected the prior week.
Vandals removed the last portion of the
wording and left it reading, "God loves gays,
but He hates sin" and spray painted a heart
over the "but He hates sin" portion. This
"turn or burn" instruction had been omitted.
Pastor David Heuring was not happy. Church'
members then added the "but He hates sin"
back onto the sign.
Wilmington Pride organized the peaceful
protest, saying that they wanted the people
who attended the church to know that if they
were struggling with their sexuality, there
was hope. Afterward, a man driving a Ford
Taurus took a hammer and smashed the sign.
according to witnesses.
According to the WWAY-TV 3 website,
Wilmington Pride President T.R. Nunley
posted a comment saying that when they left
that morning from the protest, the sign was
okay. When he returned at 6 p.m. for a station
interview, it was destroyed. He shared his re
gret that this had been done and said that his
organization did not "condone the actions."
Heuring and protestors dialogued during
the protest and he shared drinks with them.
— L.M.
Gay-friendly list ruffles feathers
WILMINGTON — The University of North
Carolina at Wilmington's LGBTQIA Resource
Office issued a guide in July that listed gay-
friendly businesses, health clinics, churches
and other Institutions. This publication was
passed out by the resource office's Amy
Schlag to staffers.
Now,^Professor Mike Adams is taking the
initiative to task saying it was silly and’a "gov
ernment waste," FoxNews.com reported. This
atheist-turned-Christian teaches criminology.
Adams ridiculed this action in an article
forTownHall.com entitled "Separation of Gay
Church and State." He went on to say that
"homosexuality... It is unequivocally sinful...
God wants you to avoid homosexuality..."
He even has gone so far as to ask that
LGBT groups be abolished on campus.
Time will tell if his wishes will be taken into
serious consideration. The schooljelt validity
in publishing its list.
— LM
Triad
New exec hired
GREENSBORO — Guilford Green
Foundation has announced the appointment
of Shane Burton as executive director. Burton
replaces Ivan Canada, who has been serving
as interim execu
tive director and will
remain in a transi
tional role working on
special projects over
the next year.
Burton most
recently served as
director of develop
ment with Triad
Health Project. He
brings a wealth of experience m both the
public and private sectors, having worked in
various administrative capacities with area
non-profits and in senior sales positions with
Belgian-owned Unilin Flooring and U.S.-based
Mohawk Industries. His civic involvement
includes serving on the Community Advisory
Board of the University of North Carolina
Center for AIDS Research; the University of
North Carolina at Greensboro Community
Advisory Board for the Office of Leadership
and Service Learning; two-term president of
the Guilford County Directors of Volunteers in
Agencies; and a one year appointment on the
Board of the North Carolina Association of
Volunteer Administrators.
For more information, visit ggfnc.org.
— LM
Triangle
Kids program slated
DURHAM — iNSIDEoUT, a youth-led or
ganization that serves lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, intersex, questioning, queer and
allied youth in Wake, Durham, Orange, Vance,
Person, Franklin, Granville and Warren coun
ties, will be starting a program in the Triangle
for children ages 7-12 years old this coming
fall. The program is especially for children of
diverse gender identities and expressions and
children of same-sex parents or other alterna
tive families.
The group will hold bi-monthly meetings
every other Sunday afternoon from 3-5 p.m.
beginning in the Fall of 2011. Meetings will
include a variety of fun, social, educational,
activist and support-related events and
occasional outings to fun places around the
Triangle. Children will also have the option to
participate in an indoor overnight retreat. Cost
is $30-60 per child based on a sliding scale.
Meeting location will be sent to registered
participants. A parental release form which
can be downloaded online must accom
pany payment via mail to iNSIDEoUT, 1303
Clarendon St, Apt B, Durham, NC 27705.
To register or for more information, call
919-923-7884, email insideoutamy@gmail.com
or visit insideouti 80.org.
— LM
Western
Philanthropists honored
BLOWING ROCK — Two gay philanthro- ,
pists were honored on Aug. 17 for their long
time advocacy on behalf of North Carolina's
LGBT community.
Bob Page, founder and CEO of
Greensboro-based Replacements, Ltd., and
life partner Dale Frederiksen were the guests
of honor at a luncheon sponsored by Faith
in America and the Human Rights Campaign
and hosted by Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer
at the Westglow Resort & Spa. Page and
Frederiksen are vast supporters of the Human
Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT
civil rights group, and Faith in America, a
Hickory-based non-profit organization work
ing nationally to educate the public about the
personal, social and religious pain and trauma
that is inflicted upon LGBT individuals.
Dr. Jack McKinney, a national spokesper
son for Faith in America and former Southern
Baptist minister who today counsels LGBT
youth and families, told luncheon attendees
that the commitment shown by people like
Page and Frederiksen is key to countering the
emotional and psychological toll LGBT people
and their families experience as a result of
the. moral and religious stamp of disapproval
placed on them by anti-gay leaders.
Mitchell Gold, founder of Faith in America
and longtime civil rights advocate, told
guests that the couple's passion for improv
ing the lives of LGBT Americans has been
an inspiration to him and others who are
working toward honoring human dignity and
full equality for LGBT people. Chely Wright,
country singer and songwriter and member
of Faith in America's board of directors,
performed at the event.
— M.C.
Regional
Gala looking for champs
STATEWIDE — Equality North Carolina is
seeking nominations for its Equality Champion
Awards to be given out at the Equality NC
Foundation's 2011 Equality Conference & Gala
held at the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro's Elliott University Center (confer
ence) and at the Empire Room (gala).
Know someone who exemplifies what it
means to be a champion? Nominees should
embrace the ideals of working toward secur
ing equality across North Carolina.
Along with the Legislative Leadership
Award, these will be a surefire way to rec
ognize those who are digging deep into the
trenches to lead the cause for freedom.
Nominees may come from the Western,
Charlotte, Triad, Triangle and Eastern regions.
Beat the Sept. 15 deadline and send in
nominations via email to Kay Flaminio at kay@
equalitync.org. In the subject header, write
Equality Champion. Be sure to include your
name, email address and phone number, as
well as that of the nominee, along with the
regional designation. Finally, tell the selection
committee about the nominee in 250 words
or less.
— LM
Campus Scene
Blue Devils welcome students
DURHAM — Duke University's Center for
LGBT Life has announced a host of activities
for returning and new students to campus.
"Our Lives: Up Close and Personal" dis
cussion groups will take place at the center
, on Sept. 15, Oct. 13, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8,6:30-
7:30 p.m., at 2 West Union Building.
This is being held in conjunction with the
Blue Devil United blog to augment LGBT and
ally student life, which is a first for the commu
nity. Membership and topics are confidential.
Additionally, two presentations are
planned for the first week in September.
On Sept. 6,4-6 p.m.. Justice Edwin
Cameron will share "Constitutionalism and
Diversity: Sexual Orientation in South Africa"
in Smith Warehouse, Bay 4, C105. Cost is free.
South African Constitutional Court Justice
Cameron will speak on efforts in South
Africa to guarantee rights for LGTQ citizens
post-apartheid. He will refer to "Somewhere
Over the Rainbow Nation: Gay, Lesbian and
Bisexual Activism in South Africa" by Ryan
Richard Thoreson. For more information, call
Robin Kirk at 919-668-6511.
The next day. Sept. 7, Cameron will deliver
a global health seminar, "Stigma and AIDS:
The Personal and the Political" from 4-5 p.m.
in the John Hope Franklin Center, Room 240.
Cameron is a sitting justice on South
Africa's Constitutional Court. His legal work
and personal experience as an HIV-posi
tive public figure have been instrumental in
improving access to antiretroviral therapy
and de-stigmatizing the disease in his home
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