Opinion: The Drawbacks of Marriage Activism, p. 12
Post Out. What the Candidates’ Websites Reveal, p.14
August 1,2003
Serving the Carolinas’ Gay & Lesbian Communities Since 1979
Volume 24, Number 16
Lawrence Ruling
Affects Pending
Cases in NC
A recent U.S. Supreme Court
ruling striking down an anti
sodomy law in
Texas has
forced the
Brunswick
County District
'Attorney's
Office to drop
charges of
"crimes against
nature” this
History
of CAN
in North
Carolina,
p. 6-7
month against three men accused
of having sex with each other (dur
ing a party in a private home. But
identical charges will remain
against men accused of having
oral sex with each other during a
separate incident in a public park
in the same county;
On June 26, the Supreme Court
struck down a Texas law that
made homosexual sex between
adults a crime, saying they have a
right to privacy in their personal
lives. *
Two weeks earlier, according to
a report in the Wilmington Star
Neivs (7/25/03), sheriffs deputies
received a tip about a party that
was allegedly going to include
drugs and what Lt. Dave Crocker
would only described as "crimes
against nature."
Crocker said deputies staked
out the address and later received
permission from the occupants to
enter the home. Deputies found
evidence — including photos —
that the men had engaged in sexu
al acts with each other, he said.
Three men were charged with
Crime Against Nature, and their
names appeared in the newspa
per. The ACLU, however, success
fully contended the charges had to
be dismissed.
.Charges were filed earlier this
year against six men accused of
having oral sex with each other in
John D. Long Park after residents
told the Sheriff's Department
continued on page 22
Center, OutWilmington Merge
Press Release
On July 15th, members of the Board
of Directors of the Gay and Lesbian
Community Center of Wilmington and
L.S. "Bo" Dean along with all the mem
bers of the Advisory Board of
Outwilmington.com gathered to dis
cuss and ultimately approve the merg
er of these two entities. From this merg
er comes the newly formed
QutWilmington Lesbian and Gay
Community Center.
This announcement comes as the cul
mination of the work of two groups
working parallel to each other in a sin
gular mission: enhancing the lives of
LGBT and Allied citizens in
Wilmington and throughout
Southeastern North Carolina.
Naomi Swinton, Wilmington activist
and grassroots organizer and Amanda
McCullough, minister at Wilmington's
St. Jude's wrote grants to set up North
Carolina's first Gay and Lesbian
Community Center. Once the monies
were obtained, a hard working board
was formed that shaped and set direc
tion for North Carolina's first LGBT
Community Center.
A while before the community center
process began, Bo Dean, a local com
Seated: Gayle Tabor, interim President OLGCC, L.S. "Bo" Dean, founder,
OutWilmingotn.com Back row: left to right John Laughter, Kate Temoney, Mary,
Ellen Wheeler, Miles Daniels, Matt TenHuisen, Ed Tilley
munity activist, turned a successful
local LGBT and Ally news service into
a fully operative website and commu
nity-programming hub. At the end of
the day, both teams ended up with suc
cessful projects.
However, in a community as closely
knit as Wilmington, it did not take long
for leaders in both groups to see that a
"marriage" between the two groups
would be a perfect union that could
continued on page 23
Triangle Center Forum Planned
RALEIGH — There will be a community forum to share
opinions and ideas for the planning of the Triangle's first
LGBT Community Center on Wednesday, August 20 at 7
p.m. at the Community United Church of Christ (814 Dixie
Trail, near the comer of Dixie Trail and Wade Avenue) in
Raleigh.
The event is hosted by Triangle Community Works, a non
profit organization started in 1991, which operates the local
Gay and Lesbian Helpline, sponsors ASPYN (a coalition of
Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender, Questioning and Allied
youth) and, most recently, acted as fiscal sponsor for the
National Gay Men's Health Summit.
"We welcome anyone with a special interest in the devel
opment of a gay lesbian, bisexual and transgender corpmu
nity center in the Triangle area,” Robert L. Mlodzik,
Development Director for TCW, said. "We would appreciate
input, ideas and direction for a community center that will
represent all the needs of our diverse community."
Creating an LGBT Community Center has been part of
TCW's mission and goals since the organization’s inception
continued on page 23
2ft
"Other" answers were: Durham (3), Chapei Hill, Central
Location (2), near NCSU, and RTP