Newsgroups: bit.listserv.gaynet
Date:         Thu, 20 Aug 1992 11:21:11 -0400
From:         gaynet@ATHENA.MIT.EDU
Subject:      GayNet Digest Volume 5 Issue 641

In this issue:
                          More convention fun!
                             Family Values
              Information on Network for Battered Lesbians
             India, Bill and Erotica (not necess. related)
                           I hope this is it
                 i can't even think of a title for this

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 09:28:01 EDT
From: farach@dimacs.rutgers.edu (Martin Farach)
Subject: More convention fun!

The following are anagrams of "Democratic National Convention" and
"Repulican National Convention".  They are to go along with such
wonderful political anagrams as "Ronald Wilson Reagan" -> "Insane
Anglo Warlord" and, better yet, "George Herbert Walker Bush" -> "Huge
Berserk Rebel Warthog"! :-)


Democratic National Convention
- ------------------------------

Top ten:

America voted Clinton?  No, I cannot!
Item: Advance Clinton coronation
Clinton nomination: Accord at eve
Clinton: "Act on American devotion"
Control, damn it, conceive a nation
Conceal at contrived nomination
American continent: cold ovation
Viet Nam, Tornado, Cocaine, Clinton
Election condition: Vacant manor
Dominator can't contain violence


Republican National Convention
- ------------------------------

Top ten:

Puritanical ban on innocent love
Continual privation can ennoble
Can learn potato noun?  Invincible!
Cannot balance virulent opinion
Unconventional noble patrician
Clinton convention: plebian aura
An inconvenient clan, a Politburo
Innocence until naval probation
Plain notion: binuclear covenant
Pollution ban: inane contrivance


Democratic National Convention
- ------------------------------

Honorable mention:

Clinton contortion; evade maniac
Clinton nomination; vacate credo
Concentration on vital comedian
Clinton: Condemnation to avarice
Clinton vocation: Erotica and men
Covet arcane Clinton admonition
A violent, narcotic condemnation


Republican National Convention
- ------------------------------

Second tier:

Announce bill veto; nation in crap
Announce vibrant, online capitol
Bonn (noun): (1) capitol; (2) evil incarnate
Uncap cannon; violent liberation
A craven taunt: penicillin no boon
Clinton evaporation; ennui blanc
Ballet, union, nirvana, conception
Burn no inane political covenant
Violence burnt on; national panic
Uncap ban: colonial intervention

Almost as good:

Obtain an epic: "Clinton lover a nun"
Concentration on unlivable pain
Conventional lunatic brain?  Nope!
Valiant concubine; online patron
Continual probation can enliven
Violent cannibal, piano nocturne
Conviction plan: alienate unborn
Blunt an inane conviction, parole
Innocent love-rub; national panic
Avert Clinton; unbalance opinion

Martin Farach

------------------------------

Date: 20 Aug 92 09:38:57 EST
From: Larry Goldsmith <LGOLDSMI@PENNSAS.UPENN.EDU>
Subject: Family Values

      "In 1933, Mussolini equated raising the birth rate with fighting for
one's country in his call to 'Win the battle of motherhood!' for Italy.
Christmas Day, 1933, was proclaimed the 'Day of the Mother and Child,' and
mothers who had borne fourteen to nineteen children could meet Mussolini and
be given both a medal and a copy of Pope Pius XI's encyclical, in which he
condemned contraception, abortion, and sex in marriage without the intent to
procreate, as well as the employment of married women. The same year, the
Nazis came to power in Germany: some of their first decrees were concerned
with the 'birth war,' as a fascist book of 1936 called it. New laws made
Mother's Day a national holiday, established government loans for married
couples where the wife did not work outside the home, and outlawed the sale of
contraceptives. Prosecutions for abortion rose to seven thousand a year.
Abortions remained illegal, except for 'racially undesirable' women, like Jews
and gypsies. Eugenic sterilization was mandated for women and men classified
as 'feeble-minded,' 'schizophrenic,' or physically or psychologically
'invalid.' 'Racially desirable' married couples could erase their marriage
loan if they had four children, and in 1939 the government instituted the
'Honor Cross of the German Mother,' which was awarded to mothers of four or
more children and bore the slogan 'The child ennobles the mother.' Mothers of
nine children or seven sons-- whichever occurred first--received a special
award. Members of the Hitler Youth and the armed forces were instructed to
salute a woman wearing the motherhood medal. Hitler himself strenuously
reasserted traditional views of women's role. 'The use of contraceptives :by
Aryan women: means a violation of nature, a degradation of womanhood,
motherhood, and love,' he told his close associates. 'Nazi ideals demand that
the practice of abortion . . . shall be exterminated with a strong hand. Women
inflamed by Marxist propaganda, claim the right to bear children only when
they desire. First furs, radio, new furniture, then perhaps one child.'"

- from Bonnie S. Anderson and Judith P. Zinsser, _A History of Their Own:
Women in Europe from Prehistory to the Present_, (New York, 1988), Vol. II,
209-210.:

------------------------------

Date: 20 Aug 1992 09:14:51 -0500 (CDT)
From: ANIXON@carleton.edu
Subject: Information on Network for Battered Lesbians
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT

A friend gave me a copy of  a pamphlet put out by the Network for Battered
Lesbians, P.O. Box 6011, Boston, MA, 02114, (617)424-8611.  I have never worked
with this group but found the pamphlet very informative.  The pamphlet is
printed in both English and Spanish.  I have only typed in the English as you
can see.:

You May be abused if any of these things is true for you:

*you constantly worry about her moods and change your behavior to deal with
them*she slaps, pulls, shoves, hits, kicks, burns, punches, or restrains
you*she blames you for all the failures in the relationship or for her personal
problems*she seems like two different people*you don't see family or friends to
avoid her jealousy or anger*she forces/coerces you to have sex and/or hurts you
during sex*she wants to control whre you go and what you do*she wants to take
all of your money or wants you to need her for money*she threatens you with a
weapon*she forces you to live someplace that jeopardizes your health*she uses
your race, age, physical ablility, class, religion, etc. against you*she
constantly accuses you of having affairs*she ridicules or humiliates you*you
feel like you are walking on eggshells*she screams at you, throws things,
breaks or steals your things*she threatens to tell your employer, family or
others that you are a lesbian*she withholds your medications*she accuses you
of not being a real lesbian*she hurts you in anger or in "play"*she claims she
canUt handle herself because of alcohol, drugs, or because she had an abusive
childhood or adulthood*she withholds sex as a way to humiliate you or punish
you*she holds you responsible for her suicidal or self-abusive behavior

Battering is a patter of violent and coercive behaviors.  Battering happens
when one person tries to control the thoughts, beliefs, or conduct of her
lover, friend, or any other person she is close to.  Many battered women fight
back physically or verbally -- this is not "mutual abuse."

Both battered women and batterers are found in every social, ethnic, racial,
political, or economic group.  A woman's size, strength, or personality does
not determine whether she can be battered or a batterer.

Batterers often blame stress, alsohol, or other things besides themselves for
their behavior, but battering is a choice.  _No one has the right to batter and
no one deserves to be battered._


If your are being battered ...

You are not alone.  Any woman can be battered by another woman.  Many women
minimize the bause or violence in their relationships.  Just because abuse
Rcould be worseS doesnUt mean you have to live with it.  Battering often
becomes more frequent and more brutal over time, sometimes ending in death.  If
you are being battered or even if you are unsure, you can --

*Talk to someone you think will be supportive.  Don't let anyone discount the
abuse -- if one person isn't supportive, try another.
*Call the Network for Battered Lesbians for information about our services and
other resources in the area.  You don't have to leave or want to leave the
relationship to get support.
*Call a battered women's shelter or hotline to talk confidentially about your
situation.  Women there can share information and provide assistance with
housing, restraining orders, etc.
*Go to a hospital, doctor, or other health care provider.
*Develop a safety plan.  Keep your I.D., money, medication, keys, and other
necessary items easily accessible in case you have to leave quickly.  Think of
safe places to go and how to get there.
*Call the police.  They can provid you with temporary protection until you can
go to a safe place.
NOTE: Police, courts, and social service agencies are often homophobic, racist,
etc., but calling them may be a good option in your particular situation.


How you can support battered lesbians/bisexual women

*If you know someone who is being battered, _don't ignore the abuse_.  Give her
support and let her move at her own pace.  You might want her to recognize the
abuse or leave the relationship, but she might not want to or be able or ready
to.
*Let her know that she is not the only lesbian or bisexual woman being battered
and that no one deserves the abuse.
*Help her find information and resources.
*Refuse to support battering in lesbian and bisexual communities.  Educate
yourself about abuse -- don't deny or minimize its existence.


The Network for Battered Lesbians

In 1989, formerly battered lesbians initiated the Network for Battered Lesbians
to address battering in our communities, to provide support to battered
lesbians and bisexual women, and to work toward the elimination of violence
against women.  It is our belief that a movement to end lesbian battering must
be led by, and be accountable to, battered and formerly battered lesbians and
bisexual women.  Battering is but one aspect of a violent/abusive culture, and
cannot be addressed in isolation.  To confron battering also means to confron
all forms of oppression and other abuses of power.

The Network for Battered Lesbians sponsors free services for battered and
formerly battered lesbians and bisexual women, and offers workshops and
trainings on lesbian battering and homophobia.  Services are wheelchair
accessible and ASL interpreters, air filters and reimbursement for childcare
are available as needed.

Network for Battered Lesbians
(617) 424-8611
(voice answering machine, TTY response available)

Battered WomenUs Hotline
(617) 661-7203
(24 hours., V/TTY)

National Battered WomenUs Hotline
1-800-333-SAFE
(24 hours, V/TTY)


- ------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrea Nixon                         *
Public Microcomputing                *
	Support Supervisor           * Northfield, a town of
Carleton College                     * "Cows, Colleges, and
Northfield, MN 55057                 * Contentment."
USA                                  *
anixon@carleton.edu	       	     *

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 10:20:16 EDT
From: Catherine Moroney <moroney@oldkat.physics.utoronto.ca>

Does anybody out there know the exact date of issue of the TIME that has
that article comparing gays and lesbians to Willy Horton?  I was rooting
around through the past issues last night and couldn't find it.
Anything "interesting" happen at the convention last night, or is is the
standard load of swill?
CM Moroney

------------------------------

Date: 20 Aug 1992 10:59:31 -0500 (EST)
Date-Warning: Date header was inserted by vassar.edu
Subject: India, Bill and Erotica (not necess. related)
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
From: An Anonymous Sender

Hi!!  To address the subjects in order, although they are not at all
related... First, I think I remember reading in an anthropology class that
there is an Indian (that's from India, not New World) God who after having
a homosexual encounter(s) gave birth to another deity.  Or, something like
that.  Could anyone out there confirm this piece of fuzzy memory?  If I am
on the right track, I'd like to be able to read more about it or perhaps
discuss it with someone who is well informed.

Second, it is disappointing that Bill C. denied wanting marrital and
adoption rights for lesbigays on television (I didn't see the interview),
however, before throwing in the towel I think we should all realize the
line he walks.  He is a supporter of anti-discrimination in all of the
other lesbigay cases I've heard him on.  Marrige and adoption are _very_
sticky subjects.  He's still got to appeal to a lot of people who think
equal oppourtunity in ok, but cringe at the idea of marrige.  Maybe he even
cringes, but if he can pave the way for anti-discrimmination in other
areas, it will eventually lead to the barriers between us and families
being broken down.  I for one really believe that.  So I can listen to him
when he sounds a little homo-nervous and not lose faith because I believe
eventually, with a little improvement here and a little there, we will win
the rights everyone else enjoys.  Look at the femminist movement, they've
come a long way, but women still don't make a dollar for every dollar a man
makes..some things take time.  Does that make sense or have I babbled into
obscurity?

Third, I have some short erotica stories I would like to have published.
Not  _that_ short, maybe 7 notebook pages, front and back.  The thing is, I
don't want to lose my rights to the story and the magazines I've looked
into so far would pay me and then own the story.  I'd like to make money,
but I don't want to lose them.  The one I'm looking to get published first
is strayt, incase that makes a difference.  If anyone knows of a good
magazine or journal please post.  :)

Sorry this isn't a well written post, I don't have time today to think.

PS  to Dan in Fredonia, thanks for the list, I ended up with no time to
breathe, much less go out.  The tornado looked exciting though, it
*leveled* a house and nursery across the street from my aunt's house.  No
one was hurt...exept the insurance company.

                                    ;)
"I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is.  I
only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that
differentiate me from a doormat, or a prostitute."   -Rebecca West, 1913

------------------------------

Date: 20 Aug 92 11:04:00 EST
From: "GEOFFREY SCHRAMM" <gschramm@gmuvax.gmu.edu>
Subject: I hope this is it

Greetings. I hope that I am using the right command to access transmission
(or whatever), but if it isn't.... someone please help me!!
My name is Geoffrey Schramm and I am a senior at George Mason University
(located twenty minutes from the nation's capital). I am the male co-chair of
George Mason University's Gay and Lesbian Student Association and am also one
student who is trying to start a Gay and Lesbian Studies Department here at
out school. I won't go on with a tedious introduction about me ("... and if you
have five seconds to spare, then I'll tell you the stroy of my life..."), so
I will cut to the chase.
	My question is to all of you *fierce* gaynetters: Have any of you been
involved in the construction of such a department? If so, what school are you
from, etc.? Also, what problems did you run into (i.e. student/faculty
resistance, funding) attempting to initiate such a program? Were you
successful in beginning a G&L Studies, or did you fall short?
	I'm sure a great number of you do not know where or anything about
George Mason University. We (speaking as co-chair of GLSA) are the first group
of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transexuals that has successfully maintained
a group for our purposes. The first group was attempted back in the early
1980's (ugh!). However, it was brought to an end by religious groups who
demonstrated the group's existence. However, in 1990, Mason exploded into the
Queer 90's by starting another group. This group was mostly interested in
social functions (i.e. parties, informal chats). However, we are now a potent
political group who refuses to relent to heterosexist (and homophobic) America
(starting at Mason, of course). In fact, we were the first contingent from
Mason to march in Washington's Gay Pride Day (June 1992). I was surprised at
the multitudes of alumni who came to our table and congratulated us for our
initial achievements. (Oh, ANY MASON ALUMNI: please vax me and tell me what
years you attended. WE are also starting a lesbigay alumni group).
	Enough of my ranting. *SNAP* Please email me with any responses,
comments or concerns. They will be greatly appreciated. I will keep in touch
with major updates when the school year begins.
                              Cheers, Queers,

                                  Geoffrey
address: gschramm@gmuvax.gmu.edu

"When my brother fell/I picked up his weapons/and never once questioned/whether
I could carry the weight and grief,/the responsibility he shoudlered."
         -Essex Hemphill

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 08:08:24 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Medlin <jmedlin@u.washington.edu>
Subject: i can't even think of a title for this
Mime-Version: 1.0

Can it be true?  NPR says it is.  It seems that at the height of the
Republicans' family orgy Wednesday night, the celebratory music being
played was the theme from La Cage Aux Folles.  My day is made.

------------------------------

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