Page 6 Community Connections, April, 1991
The March meeting of the Southern
Appalachian Lesbian and Gay Alliance
was held March 3 at the Unitarian
Universalist Church in Asheville. Framed
Certificates of Appreciation signed by
SALGA Chair Carlos Gomez were
presented to the Executive Officers of
1990-91: Teri Gibbs, Chair; Nancy
(Curry) Snead, Secretary; and Ron
Huskins, Treasurer. Peter Kendrick,
Vice-Chair, was presented with his later.
In conjunction with the release of the
1990 statistics on hate crimes against gay
men and lesbians by the NC Coalition for
Gay and Lesbian Equality, Cynthia Janes
reported that she has contacted experts on
the legal, religious, and psychological
aspects of anti-gay hate crimes, and is
sending press advisories with their names.
Cynthia also pointed out that,
although there is now a federal hate
crimes law, the Asheville Police
Department and the Buncombe County
Sheriffs Department have no formal
mechanism for collecting data on hate
crimes against gay men and lesbians. She
suggested that SALGA approach the
Police Department and request that they 1)
keep statistics on gay-related hate crimes,
and 2) offer sensitivity training to police
officers. Asheville Mayor Ken Michalove
had promised last fall that he would ask
the Police Department to keep these
statistics.
Nancy McWilliams visited the
SALGA meeting as a representative of the
Land-of-the-Sky Chapter of the National
Organization of Women. She announced
that NOW wants to reactivate the chapter,
which was very active in the early 1980’s,
and that she has assumed interim
leadership of it. The chapter wants to
bring updates on legislative action, as well
as acting as an information resource.
Nancy enumerated the issues espoused by
NOW, namely, choice, anonymous AIDS
testing, domestic violence and rape-crisis
funding, warrantless arrest for scene of
domestic violence, and health insurance
coverage for mammograms and pelvic
examinations.
Nancy also reported that NOW is
exploring the feasibility of forming a new
political party.
Organizers said everyone involved
with SALGA’s Valentine’s Dance worked
really hard, and the dance was a success.
It was decided that SALGA will
endorse Asheville’s bid to become the site
of NC Pride ’92.
Ron Huskins reported on the
Documentation Project, and Charlotte
Goedsche reported on the Speakers’
Bureau Workshop.
After a spirited discussion, it was
agreed that the ten minutes devoted at
each meeting to anti-racism be devoted to
the topic of diversity, instead.
The first meeting of SALGA’s Board
of Directors was held March 4. The
Board discussed the budget and planned
the tentative schedule for the retreat which
will be held April 13-14.
The next SALGA meeting will be
held Sunday, April 7, at the Unitarian
Universalist Church (lower level), 1
Edwin Place, corner of Charlotte Street,
Asheville. We will begin the meeting
promptly at 4:30 PM. We will have
potluck, so please bring a covered dish to
share, and drinks for yourself. To help
our environment we ask that you bring
your own plates and eating utensils.▼
CLOSER members Why Don't Ya
Rider (above, alias John Rider), and
Rose (below, alias Bill Allen) perform
at CLOSER'S annual Camp Drag
Variety Show
HAIR • SKIN • NAILS
1089 Hendersonville Rd.
Asheville, NC 28803
(704) 274-0479
OUR HOUSE-
continued from page 5
of "footwork" on this committee. "I think
there is a lot this committee can do,"
Latharus continued, "but it sounds like the
Executive Committee is taking some
responsibility away from us. Maybe they
feel as if this is their problem and they
will deal with it instead of the Housing
Committee. We know the history and
have been involved with the policy-
making, and now we feel that the Board is
saying to us that this committee isn’t
important." Nolan concurred. When she
had reported to the WNCAP Board that
there were some "emotionally charged"
feelings about problems at Our House,
Nolan explained, Melissa Hicks, Board
President, assumed responsibility for the
Board in an effort to relieve the committee
of dealing with these problems. "I will be
glad to talk with Melissa about this,"
Nolan said.
"I suggest that you do," Youngblood
replied.
Nolan, who had only recently become
Chair of the Housing Committee, added,
"I told the Board that we were still
confused about what the Housing
Committee was supposed to be doing." In
spite of that, the committee continued to
discuss policy concerning the house for
some time. Nolan commented that it
looked as if they were coming up with a
lot of questions that should be dealt with,
but said "I don’t want to deal with
anything until we get some clarification of
our duties and responsibilities." The
committee then agreed to adjourn until
early April.
Major questions have been raised by
former residents and by two PWA’s in the
community about the need for, and the
desirability of, Our House as it is
presently operated. How much attention
should be paid to compatibility of
residents? How far should WNCAP go to
insure that there is no alcohol and drug
use? Can people from very different
backgrounds live in relatively close
quarters harmoniously? Should residents
from other states be allowed to live in Our
House? How strict should cleanliness
rules be? For what should residents rely
on the manager? Are Our House policies
applied equally to all residents? Would
Our House be more attractive to PWA’s if
it were converted into three separate
apartments? Should Our House be used
for temporary housing for people in
transition? Is there an unavoidable stigma
attached to living in a PWA facility? Is
living in Our House good for the physical
and mental health of PWA’s?
Who will decide these issues?
Community Connections will report on
future developments as they unfold.