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QUEER MONTCLAIR – Out in Essex

Post Office Box 1974

Bloomfield, New Jersey 07003

Telephone: 862-823-1767

November/December 2002

Dear Friends and List Members,

A happy and healthy holiday season! I hope that your Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali

and Eid are as full of love and laughter, friends and family, good health and happiness as can be!

Because there is such a vast array of events coming up in the next few weeks, I’m going to forgo

my usual few words of introduction and plunge right into business.

In addition to our usual holiday obligations, we’re faced with some fabulous events taking

place in Montclair and its area that it would simply be a sin to miss, notable among them

Luna Stage’s production of “A Voice of Good Hope,” and Dreamcatcher Theater’s “The

Laramie Project.” Jersey City’s presentation of the Living Quilt marking World AIDS Day

will surely be impressive and merits everyone’s support and attendance.Hopefully, I will

have the opportunity to update the Queer Montclair website with other holiday event

information as it arrives.

For those of you who have been out of touch, I hope our paths cross over the holiday season!

Again, warmest wishes!

In solidarity,

Bill Courson

=================================================================================

* MONTCLAIR ‘S COFFEE CLUB CAFÉ TO CELEBRATE ‘GAY/LESBIAN SINGLES NIGHT’ DECEMBER 1st

* QM’er JANET VILLAS HAS A NEW CD!

* THE LARAMIE PROJECT” AT BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE STARTING JANUARY 2003

* GAY VETERANS GROUP FORMING

* GLSEN-NNJ SEEKS STUDENTS FOR VideoWORKS film project

* LUNA STAGE STAGING CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA JORDAN’S LIFE

* Drew University cited as most LGBT-Accepting in U.S.

* McGreevey comes out in support of same-sex benefits

* FEMININE CONNECTION SPONSORS DECEMBER 1^st TEA DANCE

* NEW JERSEY SAME-SEX MARRIAGE WEBSITE

* JCLGO Annual Holiday Gathering – 12/14

* More New Jersey Companies Embrace Domestic Partners

* JERSEY CITY COMMUNITY SPONSORS “THE LIVING QUILT” ON World Aids Day

* QUEER FOLK Are “SCUM” Says Tobacco Giant

* SLASHER ATTACK IN N.Y.C.

* ANTI-GAY “CAUSE” DIALOGUE DISGUISES UNDERLYING HATE

* BUSH PRESSURED ON GAY BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS

* FRED PHELPS & CO. – COMING TO A CHURCH NEAR YOU!

* WORLD’S OLDEST GAY BOOKSTORE MAY FACE CLOSURE

* RIGHT-WING ELECTION VICTORY POSES NEW CHALLENGES

* HOMOPHOBIC B.U. CHANCELLOR SILBER FACES CALLS FOR RESIGNATION

* COMMENTARY: WHY DOES MUSIC INDUSTRY FUND REGGAE HATE?

* PENTAGON FIRES GAY ARABIC TRANSLATORS: SADDAM LIKELY PLEASED

=================================================================================

MONTCLAIR ‘S COFFEE CLUB CAFÉ TO CELEBRATE GAY/LESBIAN SINGLES NIGHT’

DECEMBER 1st

The Coffee Club Café (on Valley Road across from Tierneys) is having a gay/lesbian

singles night on Sunday 12/1/2002. Admission is $15.00 and it includes refreshments

and entertainment (I think a floutist and acoustic guitarist).  The event is to start

at or shortly before 8:00PM.

Please help to get the word out, since Cheri (the Café’s owner) is breaking new

ground in Montclair by having an especially designated gay/lesbian event, and we

really want to support her in her efforts, as I'm sure do all the rest of you who

are members of the Community.

Further information can be had from the Coffee Club Cafe at (973) 744-7090.

QM’er JANET VILLAS HAS A NEW CD!

Janet Villas, Queer Montclair veteran and supporter and a member of the New

York City Opera for 16 years, has published a new CD! Janet sings hits

from the 60's and 70 ‘s and Broadway shows. This CD contains material

from two of her New York Cabaret shows: "But Not for Me" and I Always Wanted

to be a Fifth Dimension," a funny look at growing up in New Jersey with a

big voice and big dreams, (and maybe even big hair...).

Janet's style is a mix of 70's rock and a lot of opera lessons in the 80's.

Her clean, crisp vocals combine with creative jazz/theatre piano licks

from Mike Tornick and folk/rock bassist Tony Soll. The music is a delightfully

eclectic mix of early rock, jazz, blues and even opera.

These will make great Christmas gifts: to learn more or to order, visit Janet’s

website at http://cdbaby.com/janetvillas.

“THE LARAMIE PROJECT” AT BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE STARTING JANUARY 2003

The Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre is a small professional theatre

in residence at Bloomfield College whose mission is to tell the

human story -- in all its variety -- on an intimate scale, in a way that

is both entertaining and challenging. The company produces contemporary

plays, both original and published, with an emphasis on drawing from

the rich pool of talent living and working in New Jersey.

Dreamcatcher’s mainstage production for the 2002-2003 season is THE

LARAMIE PROJECT, by Moisés Kaufman and the Members of the Tectonic

Theater Project. This play chronicles the life of the town of Laramie,

Wyoming in the year following the murder there of twenty-one-year-old student

Matthew Shepard. Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten, tied to a fence

and left to die because he was gay. The author and members of his theatre

company made six trips to Laramie over the course of a year and a half and

conducted more than two hundred interviews with the people of the town.

From the material they collected, they wrote this collage that explores both

the worst and the best of humanity by representing the whole panorama of

opinions and experiences of the people of Laramie following this brutal event.

Eight actors who portray fifty-six characters perform the play which

debuted at the Denver Theatre Center in February of 2000, and opened

Off-Broadway at the Union Square Theatre in May 2000.

In the new year, the Resident Acting Company of Terrence P. Burnett,

Nicole Callender, Harry Patrick Christian, Laura Ekstrand, Melissa Jane

Martin, Dave Maulbeck, Janet Sales, Jeff Stone, and Harriett Trangucci

will perform in THE LARAMIE PROJECT, by Moisés Kaufman and the members of

the Tectonic Theater Project. The writers of the play conducted more than

200 interviews with residents of Laramie, Wyoming, the site of Matthew

Shepard's brutal murder at the hands of homophobic young men in 1998.

The play, depicting 56 of these local inhabitants, is performed by a

handful of actors who also narrate the process of collecting the information

and getting to know the community. This collage explores both the worst and

the best of humanity by representing the whole panorama of opinions and

experiences of the people of Laramie following this brutal event. The play

is a reminder of the importance of the conscious examination of our beliefs,

prejudices and relationships to each other.

THE LARAMIE PROJECT will run at Dreamcatcher from Friday, January 31

through Sunday, February 23. Performances are Friday and Saturday

nights at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $20.00 general

admission and $15.00 for students and seniors, with special rates for

subscribers and groups. Performances are in the Westminster Arts Center,

located on Bloomfield College's campus a few blocks from Exit 148 off

the Garden State Parkway, on the corner of Franklin and Fremont Streets.

For information and tickets for any of Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre's

programs, please call (973) 748-9008, ext. 995.

GAY VETERANS GROUP FORMING

American Veterans for Civil Rights is in the process of forming a

chapter for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. They will march in NYC

area GLBT Pride parades and Veterans Day parades, hold social events,

provide GLBT advocacy and information about VA medical benefits and

develop other services for our community and veterans. For information,

e-mail them at [email protected], or leave a message at

718-429-5309.        Also please check their website at www.averny.tripod.com.

GLSEN-NNJ SEEKS STUDENTS FOR VideoWORKS film project



The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Educators Network of Northern New Jersey (GLSEN NNJ)

is looking for young filmmakers, artists, performers, journalists, activists

and organizers to submit any length or style of video, showing what life is

really like for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. Submissions

will be incorporated into a film GLSEN will use with teachers, administrators,

parent organizations and community groups.



Youth aged 13-24 may submit entries.  The deadline is March 15, 2003.

For complete information and application forms, write to [email protected]

LUNA STAGE-MONTCLAIR TO STAGE DRAMATIZATION OF CONGRESSWOMAN

BARBARA JORDAN’S LIFE

From November 14^th through December 8^th, Montclair’s Luna Stage theater Company will

present the East Coast Premiere of "A Voice of Good Hope," by Kristine Thatcher.

The play depicts the complex personal and political life of the late Texas

Congresswoman, following her rise from a Houston ghetto through her pivotal role

in Richard Nixon’s impeachment as a leading member of the House Judiciary Committee,

to her struggle with multiple sclerosis, to her issues in coming out as an African-

American lesbian. It also examines the tensions between ideals and pragmatism in

the political realm and asks how much can one compromise in order to effect change.

Luna Stage is located at 695 Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair. For detailed information,

please call 973-744-3309, or visit Luna Stage’s website at www.lunastage.org. Also

please visit the informative site on Barbara Jordan maintained by Rice University at http://riceinfo.rice.edu/armadillo/Texas/jordan.html.

N.J. Colleges openly embracing gay students: Drew University

cited as most Accepting in U.S.

By Kelly Heyboer

Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ) – 11/4/2002

The Alliance, a campus support group for gay students, meets each week.

University celebrations of National Coming Out Day are held each fall.

Seminars titled "Everything You Wanted to Know About Being Gay But Were

Afraid to Ask," are conducted in the freshman dorms.

Welcome to Drew University -- the most accepting college in the nation for

gay and lesbian students, according to a recent survey by the Princeton

Review.

The Madison campus took the top ranking this fall in the national student

survey, edging out Boston University, Wesleyan, Wellesley and Vassar. Drew

officials said they welcome the distinction, but do not expect to see the

ranking in the private university's recruiting materials anytime soon.

"We try to be welcoming to all students. Diversity is a big thing here,"

said Tom Harris, a Drew spokesman. "But we almost never use those rankings

for marketing."

While Drew will not tout itself as "No. 1 for Gay Students," a handful of

colleges across the nation are starting to market themselves specifically as

campuses that welcome homosexual students. Schools from San Jose State to

Brown and Harvard have slowly begun targeting their recruiting efforts at

the increasingly visible gay and lesbian student market.

Some schools, including California's San Jose State University, are

featuring gay students prominently in their recruiting brochures. Others,

including American University in Washington, D.C., have carefully cultivated

a reputation among high school counselors as being comfortable for gay

students.

In a move that got national attention this spring, recruiters from nearly 40

New England colleges, including Harvard, attended a first-ever college fair

for gay and lesbian students in Boston. Even the Journal of College Admissio

ns, the bible of college admissions officers, featured an article on its

cover this month about recruiting gay students.

Dea Nelson, publication coordinator for San Jose State's enrollment services

office, said inquiries from openly gay students, their families and high

school counselors have caused colleges to take notice. Nelson said she has

seen a significant increase in attendance at seminars she hosts on the topic

at annual conventions for college admissions officers.

"I noticed the first few years they were not all that well attended," Nelson

said. "That has really evolved over time. I do see the trend is there."

San Jose State is often cited as a pioneer in marketing to gay and lesbian

students. After years of slipping references to gay life into its recruiting

publications, the state university became one of the first schools in the

nation to prominently display a rainbow flag and to profile a gay student in

the so-called view books describing the institution sent to prospective

students.

To Nelson's surprise, no one complained or objected to including gay

students in marketing materials. Several students, including one

international student from Malaysia, said they applied to San Jose State

specifically because the school's view book made it seem like they would be

welcome, Nelson said.

However, colleges say it is hard to statistically measure how effective

marketing to gay students has been because it is impossible to get an

accurate count of how many homosexual students are on campus.

For years, gay and lesbian students have been choosing colleges based on

word of mouth or the visibility of gay and lesbian groups on campus. But

with the students coming out at earlier and earlier ages -- and with parents

becoming increasingly accepting of their children's sexual orientation--

colleges have begun to get questions about gay life on campus.

Last year, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network , based in New

York, published a college guide for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual

students. The first printing of the pamphlet, titled "Finding an

LGBT-Friendly Campus," disappeared almost immediately as students, parents

and counselors snatched it up.

"There was a need," said Mary Kate Cullen, the group's public policy

director. "Over the past seven years, the number of students out in high

school has increased tremendously. ... More teachers, parents and counselors

are aware of these students and their needs."

Cullen said gay students who have come from supportive high schools expect a

similar atmosphere at college, while homosexual students who have felt

harassed or unwelcome at home or high school look for a college where they

can be accepted.

The education network recommends lesbian and gay students gauge a college's

"friendliness" by asking how many openly gay students, professors and

administrators are on campus and whether there are gay-studies courses or

majors offered.

Students also should ask whether there are support services for homosexual

students and whether the campus has active clubs and student organizations

for gay and lesbian students, Cullen said.

John Saul of Florham Park said he was not specifically looking for a

gay-friendly campus when he applied to Drew University in the mid-1990s.

But, much to his relief, Saul, a biology major, found the 2,400-student

liberal arts college welcoming.

"I basically had come out within the first two months I was here and I never

had any problems," said Saul. "It's basically a non-issue. ... People don't

worry or think about it."

Saul, who graduated in 1999, stayed on campus to work in Drew's academic

technology office. He also serves as adviser to the Drew Alliance, the

campus gay-straight group.

The Alliance, which has about 20 active members, holds weekly meetings and

organizes events, including last month's Coming Out Day panel and dinner.

Jennifer Royer, the group's co-president, said the atmosphere at Drew is

welcoming enough to attract students from neighboring Fairleigh Dickinson

University to the Alliance's meetings.

The group also welcomes straight students at its events and makes a point to

never ask anyone's sexual orientation, Royer said. "It's such not an issue here,"

Royer said. "When people go out in the real world, that's the problem."

N.J. Gov. McGreevey comes out in support of same-sex benefits

New York Blade News  (November 1, 2002 )

NEWARK, N.J. - A bill that would grant legal benefits to same-sex couples is

likely to have the backing of Gov. James E. McGreevey. "Governor McGreevey

supports legislation that would provide domestic partner benefits and

protections," McGreevey spokesperson Jo Glading told the Sunday Star-Ledger of

Newark.

The bill would not recognize gay marriages, but would ensure that people

living together, including same-sex couples, receive the same legal benefits as

married couples under state law.

If the new measure becomes law, New Jersey would be the third state in the

country to allow equal benefits to same-sex couples, along with California

and Vermont.

The bill is sponsored by Assembly member Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen.

The measure would require unmarried couples to sign a certificate that

states they are committed, intimate partners. "I think this is another

case where the law has to catch up with reality,''

Weinberg said. Republican state Sen. Gerald Cardinale opposes the bill. "What

people do privately without sticking it in the public is of much less interest,"

he said. "But once you begin to ask government to sanction it, I think, you are

in a different ballpark."

FEMININE CONNECTION SPONSORS DECEMBER 1^st TEA DANCE

The feminine connection is sponsoring a Tea Dance on Sunday, December 1^st

from 3:00 – 7:00PM At the Sheraton Eatontown Hotel, Route 35 in Eatontown, New Jersey.

A hot buffet, with desserts and beverages will be offered and events will include

dancing (with DJ Yvonne), a cash bar, prizes and a 50/50 raffle.  Cost of attendance

is $34.00, and reservations only will be accepted.  Please call 201-337-6943 for

further information, or contact the sponsors by e-mail at [email protected]

NEW JERSEY SAME-SEX MARRIAGE WEBSITE

The legislative, legal and socio-political struggle regarding discriminatory

marriage laws in New Jersey may be only beginning, but the New Jersey Task

Force on Same-Sex Marriage has set up a fascinating and enlightening website

dealing with the issue and related topics.

Captioned “Civil Unions and Spousal Rights in New Jersey,” the site is located at

http://www.geocities.com/njcivilunion.

The web page will be limited to the current challenge of Civil Unions and their

impact on the spouses in the State of New Jersey.

JCLGO Annual Holiday Gathering – 12/14

Treat Yourself To A Night Of Fun on Saturday, December 14, 2002
8pm to 11pm at the Jersey City Lesbian & Gay Organization’s Annual

Holiday Gathering at Colletta's Restaurant, 332 Second Street in
Jersey City, NJ 07302.

Dinner, drinks, Music, and Plenty Of Holiday Cheer will be provided,
as will an Open Bar from 8pm to 10pm, with Door Prizes & 50/50 Raffle.

The cost of admission is $40.00 for JCLGO non-members and $35.00

for members. Buy Your Tickets Before December 10^th as Space is limited.
Contact Catherine Hecht at [email protected] for information, or visit

the organizations website at www.jclgo.org.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the St. Clare's Home

for Children in Jersey City

More New Jersey Companies Embrace Domestic Partners

By Teresa M. McAleavy (11/10/2002)

The Bergen Record – Hackensack, NJ

Anywhere from 10 percent to 15 percent of all employers in the country offer

health care coverage to the partners of gay and lesbian employees.

It's a number that will likely continue to rise, even with traditionally

conservative Republicans in power, a group of labor economists and workforce

advocates said recently at Rutgers University.

"The social climate is such now that despite unrelenting homophobia of our

society or our right-wing politicians, in general, there's a far greater

understanding and openness to varieties of sexual orientation,'' said Kitty

Krupat, a longtime labor organizer and co-editor of "Out at Work: Building a

Gay-Lesbian Alliance.''

"The larger issue in the workforce, especially where unions exist, is that

as long as an employer provides health benefits to anyone,'' Krupat said,

"that employer should provide health benefits to everyone. It's a cardinal

labor principle of equality.''

Krupat joined the "Domestic Partner Benefits: Theory and Practice'' panel

discussion hosted by Rutgers' Center for Women and Work.

Although Rutgers does not extend domestic-partner benefits to its employees,

panelists said the trend toward offering them is gaining momentum in New

Jersey. "The issue is getting a lot of attention here,'' said Eileen Appelbaum, a

labor economist who directs Rutgers' Center for Women and Work. "Governor

McGreevey has indicated he is supportive of ensuring everyone in a committed

relationship is entitled to the benefits.''

The governor recently said that he would support a bill expected to be

introduced this month by Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, that

would guarantee that all state residents who live in committed relationships

receive the same legal benefits, including access to health insurance.

"It's an equity issue that is being embraced more and more,'' said panel

member M.V. Lee Badgett, an associate professor of economics at the

University of Massachusetts-Amherst. "In terms of DP benefits, both public

policy and competition in business is driving the issue.''

Today, she said, some 30 percent of all Fortune 500 companies offer the

coverage. In New Jersey, such employers as the Chubb Corp., Avaya Inc., Cendant

Mortgage, Honeywell International, and Verizon offer domestic partner

benefits.

"We've offered them since 1996 because basically it's a diverse world out

there and we recognize that in our relationships with our employees,'' said

Mark Schussel, a spokesman for Warren-based Chubb.

"It's fair and it's good business.''

Schussel agrees with panelists who said offering domestic-partner benefits

may cost employers more because they're paying to insure a few more people,

but that it ultimately saves them money.

"There's less turnover in workplaces where employees feel they're being

treated fairly,'' he said.

Verizon believes that offering families of its employees access to health

benefits is both morally and fiscally sound.

"It's in line with our non-discrimination policy,'' Verizon New Jersey

spokeswoman Ivette Mendez said. "It also helps us to attract and retain the

best workforce possible.''

Panelist Desma Holcomb said issues of worker retention and fairness on the

job led to the creation of domestic-partner benefits in the early 1980s.

"Labor unions invented domestic-partner benefits,'' said Holcomb, treasurer

of Pride at Work NY and deputy director of research and policy for the

Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ. "They're accustomed to

redesigning benefit programs when they bargain.''

The Village Voice led the way by extending its domestic-partner benefits

policy to lesbians and gays in 1982, after union members brought the issue

to the fore, Holcomb said.

By 1990, there were fewer than two dozen U.S. employers that offered

''spousal equivalent'' benefits to their gay employees' partners.

Then, in 1992, Lotus Development Corp., based in Cambridge, Mass., became

the first publicly traded company to offer such benefits, and in 1997, San

Francisco's municipal government began requiring that all firms doing

business with the city offer the coverage.

By 2000, the Big 3 automakers- General Motors, Ford, and Daimler-Chrysler

began extending medical, dental, and prescription drug benefits to partners

of full-time U.S. employees.

Badgett, who also is research director and co-founder of the Institute for

Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies, said increased momentum toward offering

domestic-partner benefits will probably prompt more companies to sign on.

"Shared fears about cost or fraud or moral backlash were allayed when

companies began offering DP benefits and none of it came to pass,'' Badgett

said.

A 1997 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, for example,

found that 85 percent of employers reported no increase in their health care

costs as a result of offering domestic-partner benefits.

"Even though the economy is not in great shape and health premiums are on

the rise,'' Badgett said, "more and more competitive companies are offering

this as a way to increase business.''

Still, she said, issues of equity still loom large - the benefits cost gay

employees more than their heterosexual counterparts because they are taxed

as income by the federal government.

The forum was also hosted by the Institute for Research on Women and the

Office of Diverse Community Affairs and Lesbian-Gay Concerns, all at

Rutgers.

THREE JERSEY CITY COMMUNITY- BASED ORGANIZATIONS

CO-SPONSORING THE LIVING QUILT In observance of World Aids Day

Location: Grace Church, Van Vorst Street at the corner of Second & Erie streets,

Downtown Jersey City.

Time: 6:00PM to 8:00PM, 12/1/2002

On December 1st, 2002, United in Grace (the GLBT ministry at Grace Church Van

Vorst) will host “The Living Quilt” in observance of World AIDS Day. This

project is co-sponsored by Jersey City Connections/HudsonPride and Jersey City

Lesbian & Gay Outreach, Inc. (JCLGO).

The Living Quilt project, a new tradition we aim to establish, is a forum for

different forms of expressing grief, honoring the memories of our loved ones,

celebrating the lives of those we have lost to AIDS, and also dealing in here

and now, for anyone touched by this epidemic. People participate with original

creative works, which have become instrumental in their grieving / healing

process--be it poetry, music, readings, songs, drawings, dance, paintings, story

telling, or any other form of self-expression.

The Living Quilt is the brainchild of Michael Bacon, a Jersey City resident,

social worker, and long time advocate and educator in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The

focus of this project is to counteract the institutionalized ceremonies, in

which the survivors are invited to merely be the silent witnesses to someone

else telling their own story. It is extremely empowering and healing for anyone

to relate to the uniqueness of the stories in personal terms. A reception will

follow the event. We hope you will join us!

PEOPLE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING should send a note of intention, stating:

name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, and a brief description or

statement about their presentation. Keep in mind that the time limit is 10

minutes. Send your materials to the Jersey City Connections / Hudson Pride

office. Please contact: JC Connections by phone (201-963-4779), fax

(201-963-7983), or e-mail ([email protected]). Letters of intention can also

be mailed to JC Connections / HudsonPride, 34-36 Jones Street. 2nd Floor, Jersey

City, NJ 07306 - Att.: The Living Quilt Project.

About the sponsoring organizations:

Jersey City Lesbian & Gay Outreach, Inc:

JCLGO Inc. is a vital voice in Jersey City committed to bringing the LGBT

community together. We are an all volunteer, Non-Profit Organization that

informs the community of and networks within the LGBT resources available

locally, statewide, and nationally. We host and produce the Jersey City LGBT

Annual Pride Festival and we are committed to promoting the health and well

being of our community.

Jersey City Connections, Inc:

The dual mission of Jersey City Connections, Inc., also known as Hudson Pride,

is to provide social service support to improve the quality of life of Hudson

County residents who are living with HIV/AIDS; and to provide support and

advocacy for adults and teens who self-identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual,

transgender, or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity.

United in Grace @ Grace Church Van Vorst:

United in Grace, serves the LGBT community, their friends, and families,

offering reconciliation and hope to all who seek empowerment, social justice and

peace. Our monthly support/discussion meetings offer a safe environment to

expose issues that affect us personally and socially. Everyone is welcome to our

circle. Our motto is “community-diversity-creativity”.

Contacts:

Rev. Anahi Galante/United in Grace:

201-344-1077 or 201-626-5933, [email protected]

Catherine Hecht/JCLGO Inc:

201-536-1746, [email protected]

Joanne Smith/JJC- HP:

201-963-4779 or 201-988-1615 (cell), [email protected]

We're “SCUM” Says Tobacco Giant

by Doreen Brandt

365Gay.com Newscenter in Washington (11/21/2002)

(Washington, D.C.) Documents have been uncovered showing a master plan to target

gays and lesbians by America's biggest tobacco manufacturer.

The plan was called ' Project SCUM' for ' Subculture Urban Marketing' and was

drawn up by R. J. Reynolds to target San Francisco's gay community in the 1990s.

The documents were uncovered by American Legacy Foundation, a public health

foundation created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement

that ended lawsuits against the big tobacco companies by a number of states.

"Project Scum is yet another disturbing example of how the tobacco industry

markets its addictive and lethal products," said  Dr. Cheryl Healton, ALF

President.

"This outrageous behavior towards the GLBT community is particularly disturbing

because of the disproportionately high rates of smoking among this population,"

said Healton.

Estimated smoking rates for GLBT youth range from 38 percent to 59 percent, far

above the approximately 30 percent national average for all adolescents.

"Project SCUM is troubling not only because of a major tobacco company's

offensive characterization of the gay community, but because the industry is

targeting us. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community (LGBT) smoking

rates are estimated to be double that of the general population," said Bob

Gordon, Vice President of the CLASH, the Coalition of Lavender Americans on

Smoking & Health.

To address this disparity, the American Legacy Foundation has created a $21

million grant program to serve the GLBT community, as well as other underserved

communities. The money comes from part of the settlement made by the big tobacco

companies to end the lawsuits.

The foundation is also sponsoring a series of TV ads aimed at gays and lesbians.

The ad features a teen pulling back an orange curtain and reading a copy of the

actual tobacco industry document that describes "Project SCUM." The ad will air

on BET, MTV, MTV2, WB, WB SYND, and WWE. In addition, the Foundation will be

placing a series of print ads in many of the major GLBT publications.

(Note: For those of you who are smokers and are considering quitting, visit the website

of the LGBT SMOKE-FREE PROJECT at http://www.gaycenter.org/press/smokefree.htm

Slasher Attacks Gay Man In NYC

by Beth Shapiro

365Gay.com Newscenter in New York  (11/21/2002)

(New York City)  A gay New York man is recovering from a vicious homophobic

attack by three men on a Bronx street.

The man, whose name is being withheld,  was slashed across the face with box

cutter by one of the men, while the others  shouted anti-gay epithets.  The 31

year old victim needed 18 stitches to close the gash on his face, police said.

The attack, in the Westchester section of the Bronx, began when the attackers

taunted their victim and blew kisses at him while trying to rob him. The man

ran, but the suspects caught up with him and slashed him before fleeing.

Two of the three suspects were arrested not far from the crime scene and charged

with assault and attempted robbery.

The third suspect is still at large.

Anti-gay dialogue disguises hate

Op-Ed by Ryan Lee,  November 21, 2002

The Auburn (Alabama) Plainsman

Sociological discussions about homosexuality devote too much dialogue to the

nature vs. nurture debate, instead of interrogating the aggression and

hatred many Americans feel toward gays and lesbians.

Whether a person is born homosexual or somehow "chooses" a same-sex

orientation is wholly irrelevant. It is naive to assume that if an

irrefutable scientific study were published this morning proving genetics

determine sexual orientation, then tomorrow homosexuality would be any more

acceptable than it was yesterday.

It is undeniable that people cannot choose their skin color or ethnicity;

however, these innate characteristics continue to be targeted by hate.

Though it dominates most discussions on the subject, nature vs. nurture

actually has little to do with how people feel about homosexuals.

The principal factors in determining views toward homosexuality are

religion, patriarchy and ignorance. These three are often intertwined,

creating a hateful helix that is sadly accepted by most people.

Just as it has been used to justify wars, slavery and sexism, the Christian

bible is routinely cited in arguments condemning homosexuality.

Memorize any isolated verse of scripture, ignore the context in which it

appears, regurgitate it on cue and you can have God's agreement with almost

any of your personal views.

How sad is it that the magnificent word of God shelters the hatred of those

whose existence is insecure? Too many Christians perceive homosexuality as a

threat to their livelihood; heaven forbid they be forced to develop

understandings about humanity through experience instead of psychological

coercion.

Patriarchy has played an equally significant part as pseudo-theology in

shaping America's popular intolerance of homosexuality. Same-sex

relationships violate the patriarchal dynamics most of us are used to.

How can there be a genuinely dominant and submissive partner when both mates

are the same sex?

This sexist concept of intimate relationships forces us to assume that

lesbian relationships are somehow lacking the right stuff.

Our society's intolerance toward male couples is even more inflamed, as

these men are perceived to have surrendered the sacred power of masculinity.

Myths about distribution and displays of power in relationships fuel many

people's hatred of gays and lesbians.

In an attempt to disguise the hatred that consumes their insecure lives,

many people, particularly so-called Christians, profess to hate the sin, not

the sinner.

Let's see if I've got this right: I don't hate you, but I will fight like

hell to make sure you are denied basic human rights and acceptance, simply

because of who you are.

Anyone who perceives the right to get married or not be fired from your job

because of your sexual orientation as a "special right" is overwhelmed with

arrogance produced by a safe, privileged (and presumable chosen)

heterosexual upbringing. Lesbians and gays are not fighting for special

rights to aid their agenda of taking over the world from conservative

Christian heterosexuals.

They are searching for -- and continually being denied -- a dignified

existence in a hostile environment. They are looking for a life where they

are not punished for who they love.

God will ultimately determine if homosexuality is a punishable offense, but

too many of His self-anointed saints have already initiated holy scorn. As a

result of society's homophobic attitudes, 10 percent of our population grows

to hate and be ashamed of themselves.

Those who judge are the ones deserving shame. Pity is also to be bestowed

upon those whose lacking existence requires the subordination of others.

Bush Pressured To Oppose Big Brothers / Sisters Gay Mentoring

by Paul Johnson

365Gay.com Newscenter in Washington (11/21/2002)

(Washington)  A group of conservative Republican congressmen want President Bush

to publicly condemn Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America over its gay

mentoring program. Bush is an honorary co-chairman of the organization.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters forbids gay discrimination by its member agencies

and has a mentoring program for gay and lesbian youth.

The nine representatives say the policy forces gays on young people without

giving parents a say.

"Many of these kids are emotionally fragile and desperate for attention and

affirmation from an adult of their own gender," the congressmen said in a letter

to the president.

"As a general rule of thumb, Big Brothers doesn't match up adult men with

teenage girls. Obviously that would set up a risky situation that could lead to

sexual abuse."

The letter, organized by Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. also referred to recent

abuse allegations against a Big Brothers and Big Sisters mentor in Ohio.

"Rep. Tancredo and his associates are spreading misinformation in an attempt to

smear innocent members of the gay and lesbian community," said Winnie

Stachelberg, political director for the Human Rights Campaign in a statement.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said the president had not received the

letter and could not comment.

Along with Tancredo letter was signed by Republican Reps. Chris Smith of New

Jersey, Joseph Pitts of Pennsylvania, Ernest Istook and John Sullivan of

Oklahoma, John Hostettler of Indiana, Bob Schaffer of Colorado, Jim Ryun of

Kansas and Brian Kerns of Indiana.

Phelps Klan Coming to a Church Near You: Lehigh U. organizes

demonstration to counter Church

By John Zukowski

Easton Express Times, Easton, PA (November 19, 2002)

Lehigh University officials are organizing a non-violent protest against

the Dec. 6 and 7 pickets by the anti-homosexual Westboro Baptist Church.

Officials will meet with students Nov. 21 to plan what LehighUniversity

spokeswoman Tracey Moran called "counter programming" against the

picketers who are coming to Lehigh to protest a diversity plan at the

university.  Church members have said diversity programs often include

homosexuals.

In a statement, the university condemned the tactics of the Topeka, Kan.

church, which has held thousands of anti-homosexual demonstrations with

signs such as "God Hates Fags."  However, the church's message also provides

an opportunity for discussion through on-campus forums, lectures, and

speeches, Moran said.

"As an institution of higher learning, we do believe that conversation,

discourse and dialogue is an important thing," she said.  "In this case,

what has been really wonderful is that our students have come forward and

they want to have a voice in it."

However, those discussions won't include members of the Westboro Baptist

Church, Moran said.  Previously, members challenged the university to

include them in any forums about homosexuality. Instead, church members

likely will protest at two places the university and police determined

would be safe areas to demonstrate. Westboro Baptist spokeswoman Shirley

Phelps-Roper said it was hypocritical that church members weren't asked

to join any of the events on campus.

"Sometimes you get people at universities who really believe in fundamental

fairness and will include all sides, but often they scream about tolerance

but are actually intolerant," she said.  "That's because they'll tolerate

everything except God.  They are really the intolerant people because they

hate God."  She also dismissed the idea that it was not possible to engage

in constructive dialogue with them and that their views were hateful.

"They're going to rethink how hateful it is when they stand in judgment

before God," she said.

The picket is part of a three-day protest the group has scheduled for

Bethlehem from Dec. 6 to Dec. 8, which includes pickets of seven Bethlehem

churches and Cedar Crest College.  The group is protesting the churches

to show support for the Rev. Marshall Griffin of St. Paul's Baptist Church

in Bethlehem, who suggested during a Sept. 11 ecumenical service that the

terrorist attacks may have been retribution for homosexual unions.  They

are protesting Cedar Crest College because the college recently awarded

an honorary degree and named ascholarship for tennis player Billie Jean King.

Cedar Crest has not planned any protest, rally, or workshop in expectation

of the visit from the Westboro protesters, said the school's Director of

College Relations Michael Traupman.

However, a statement by Cedar Crest College President Dorothy Gulbenkian

Blaney said police notified the college  about the protest. "Legal advice

to the trustees from the college's counsel at Pepper Hamilton LLP indicates

that the law requires that the college permit this demonstration to take

place," the statement said.  "Cedar Crest campus security is prepared to

assure a safe and orderly protest."

Lehigh University President Gregory Farrington's office issued some guidelines

about how to interact with the protesters.  The letter advised students not

to approach them, not to yell at them and to utilize non-violent methods.

The letter also warned students that the protesters "use vulgar language,

graphic signs and illustrations and tactics aimed at inciting others into a

confrontation."

So far, Lehigh has planned a number of events in reaction to the picket,

including a series of speakers, testimonials, church services and musical

presentations to non-violently protest the Westboro Baptist Church

WORLD’S OLDEST GAY/LESBIAN BOOKSTORE FACES CLOSURE

by Beth Shapiro

365Gay.com Newscenter in New York (11/12/2002)

(New York City)  It's birth coincided with that of modern gay liberation. It has

faced bomb threats, smashed windows and graffiti with the words "kill fags"

written on the walls.  But, now, New York's Oscar Wilde Bookshop is facing its

biggest crisis yet: foreclosure.

The store has operated at a loss for several years but the crisis worsened when

mass online marketers such as Amazon and Barnes Noble began selling GLBT books

at prices no small standalone bookstore could afford.

After September 11 business dropped a further 30% when gay tourists stopped

going to New York.  Part of the problem, says manager Kim Brinster, is the gay

community itself. "People are less aware of that 'buy gay' concept now," she said.

"Young members of the community tend to take things for granted.

"They forget the origins that now allow us to walk down the streets of many

neighborhoods in New York, hold hands and not necessarily get the crap beaten

out of us."

The store helped hundreds of gay and lesbian writers over the years. There was

little gay and lesbian fiction and non-fiction being published when the store

opened in 1967. Binster said she did not know how long the store could hang on.

The problems facing Oscar Wilde are being felt by gay bookstores across the US

and Canada.

Deacon Maccubbin, founder of the Lambda Rising chain of gay and lesbian

bookstores, said current writers were not helping by putting links to online

booksellers on their websites instead of urging readers to go to specialist

shops.

"I wonder if they really think they would have been published at all if not for

the gay bookstores that sprang up around the country in the 1980s and 1990s?" he

said.  "In the 1970s, that literature barely existed."

Gay Civil Rights Groups Face New Challenges With Shift To Right

by Paul Johnson (11/7/2002)

365Gay.com Newscenter in Washington

(Washington, D.C.)  A national shift to the right in US politics is presenting

new challenges for gay civil rights groups.  Voters Tuesday gave Republicans

control of both the House and the Senate effectively muting the traditional

support for gay issues of the Democrats.

Equal rights protections and hate-crimes legislation are still high on the

agenda of both the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and the Human Rights

Campaign (HRC), the country's two largest GLBT rights groups.  But, both groups will

be forced to seek out bipartisan support.

NGLTF Executive Director Lorri L. Jean said Wednesday that she was concerned

gays and lesbians are in jeopardy of seeing more anti-GLBT legislation

introduced.

"NGLTF calls on both House and Senate Republicans to work toward eliminating

discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity," Jean said.

The Human Right's Campaign's Elizabeth Birch was more positive.

"While yesterday was a significant defeat for Democrats, our long experience

tells us that GLBT issues will continue to move forward for human as well as

partisan reasons," Birch said.

Nevertheless, she warns that with the control of both Houses the Republican

leadership has greater leverage in shaping a more conservative agenda.

"The time has come to consider the myriad federal issues regarding sexual

orientation and gender identity and expression to move strategically forward --

not just on protection in employment and hate crimes, but on a whole range of

economic benefits issues, such as taxation, pension and retirement benefits,

immigration and hospital visitation rights," said Birch.

"We must continue to work with both parties and support good members within

those parties," Birch said.

Both Birch and Jean said work will begin immediately on building support for the

2004 election.

" HRC will continue to build a muscled electoral infrastructure to deliver not

just our GLBT voter base, but swing voters who tend to support our issues,"

Birch said.

Rich Tafel, executive director of LCR, the nation's largest gay GOP group, said

the Republican wins in Congress offer both the NGLTF and HRC an opportunity to

reach out and work with the party.

"We have a chance to advance our issues now in a bipartisan fashion, with real

results," Tafel said, citing the need to "work as a community with leaders in

both parties."

Neither the NGLTF nor the HRC would make any predictions on whether they would

able to get any GLBT rights laws enacted in this Congress.

Demands For B.U. Chancellor's Resignation Over Gay Group

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Boston)  A battle between Boston University students and alumni and Chancellor

John Silber over a gay support group continues to escalate. Two months ago,

Silber ordered the disbanding of the gay-straight alliance at BU Academy,

a high school run by the university.

Silber, 76, said sex education didn't belong at the school. Some parents voiced

support for the decision, but gay students began to protest.  Students at BU Law

School began circulating a petition, and now there are calls for Silber to resign.

Speaking at an alumni breakfast at BU's School of Public Health, state Senator

Cheryl A. Jacques urged BU alumni to withhold donations to the school, and to

let trustees know why. "The university needs to understand there are repercussions

for their actions," said the lesbian senator.

Boston City Councilor Michael Ross, a BU graduate, called for Silber to

reinstate the alliance, citing the chancellor's "strange fascination with

imposing his conservative values on others."

Reid Williams, a BU graduate and a member of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight

Education Network's board of directors, said Silber had "made it abundantly

clear, and not for the first time in his career, that he is ill prepared to have

a role in shaping the leaders of tomorrow or even in providing a safe learning

environment."

Williams said "it is time for Silber to go."

PETER TATCHELL: The Music Industry Colludes With Reggae Homophobia:

Industry Colludes With Reggae Homophobia

Commentary By Peter Tatchell (365Gay.com) 11/5/2002

Why is the music industry promoting singers who incite the murder of gay

people?

If gay singer George Michael wrote a song urging the lynching of black

people, would any record company agree to release it? Would he get radio

air-play, and promotion in the music press? I don't think so. He'd be kicked out

of the music industry and be prosecuted for incitement to racial hatred and

murder.

In contrast, several Jamaican reggae artists have put out tracks calling

for the killing of gay people. They are being rewarded with mostly uncritical

media coverage, and with record contracts from Virgin, Green Sleeve and VP

records. Worse still, the music industry has nominated them for prestigious

awards (the MOBOs - Music of Black Origin awards).

Elephant Man, Capelton, TOK and Beenie Man have released singles that

abuse gay people as "batty men" and "chi chi men" (Jamaican slang insults

equivalent to "queer" and "faggot"). Their records call for the incineration,

gunning down and beating of homosexuals. While they have a right to condemn

homosexuality, there is no right to incite anti-gay violence and murder.

Beenie Man is signed to the supposedly gay-friendly Virgin record label.

His pre-Virgin hit tune, Bad Man, Chi Chi Man (Bad Man, Queer Man), urges

listeners to "Kill dem (gay) DJ". Why is Virgin colluding with this violent

homophobe?

TOK's track, Chi Chi Man (Queer Man) goes: "From dem a drink inna chi chi

(queer) man bar/Blaze di fire mek we dun dem!./Rat tat tat every chi chi man dem

haffi get flat./Chi chi man fi dead and dat's a fact".

Music industry chiefs seem happy to promote these violent homophobic

anthems. Radio 1 defended playing Chi Chi Man on the grounds that it was part of

Jamaican culture. Please! Apartheid was part of white South African culture, but

the BBC never used that argument as an excuse to give a platform to white

supremacists. Why the double standards?

At the recent Music Of Black Origin (MOBO) awards, Elephant Man, TOK and

Capelton were nominated as "Best Reggae Act" - despite their history of lyrics

urging the killing of gays.

A Nuh Fi Wi Fault by Elephant Man boasts: "Battyman fi dead!./Gimme tha

tech-nine/Shoot dem like bird".   Equally murderous is Capelton's, Bun Di Chi

Chi (Burn The Queer): "Bun (burn) out ah chi chi (queer)/Dem ah deal with too

much inequity/Blood out ah chi chi, Bun out ah sissy".

I have a question for record executives, music journalists, DJs, and MOBO

organizers: how do you justify promoting artists that advocate the murder of

homosexuals when you would never promote singers urging the killing of black

people?

COMMENTARY FROM “THE LIST”: PENTAGON KICKS OUT GAY ARAB-LANGUAGE

SPEAKERS

By John Aravosis - The List (11/5/2002)

Apparently, the Bush Administration thinks the war on terror should take

second-place to the war on homosexuals.

According to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), the Defense

Department has fired a number of Arabic linguists because they're gay,

in spite of the fact that the US government is woefully short of Arab-

language speakers, and such speakers are a critical need in the “war

on terror.”

What's especially strange here is that President Bush keeps telling us

how great a danger Al-Qaeda and Iraq are to our national security, then

he turns around and fires qualified gay people from the military because,

somehow, having a gay linguist on staff is a bigger threat to our national

security than Saddam Hussein.

Nice to know the Bush Administration is pulling out all the stops to keep

America safe after 9/11.

Read more about this here:

http://www.sldn.org/templates/press/record.html?record=636

and SUPPORT THE LIST

http://www.hatecrime.org/support.html

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