No.1

June 26 1989$'1050ten east eight street new york city, 10003(212) 254-1699

CONTENTS
NEV'(S

....

.»

rest

State Axes City
PI~n> ddd/?i.6
Gay Gt'Oup In Pu~rt()RicanPatadeH

CitYUnveilsCohdorriCampaig~t>·······6..•...•...
·····7~S8~~~7~~'·\il!
ik..

PWAs Stopped At Border}>Salk ReportSVacdneProgt~s>.....J..

..~~f~g~k~~tl~tti~is~~~H.3..·i~0·····15.

.

.•.........

Duberffutri Addresses StoriewallRalfy20
GOP Memo Baits Foley .......•....

Cops Maintain .Giy Surveiliance
HEALTHAIDS Treatment News (james).Political Sdence(Rarrlngton}
Positive Alternatives (Lederer)

FEATURES
30
33···
34

THE ARTSFILMThe New Festival

49

THEATERdiy Pride Roundup

50

Nice
OPEAAPower Failure"
CABARET Pride Week picks

51
52
53

POPPhranc&Two

Girls. ....

Waller waxes historic about a big night inthe "annals of anals"
page 38

Wall Of Stone
Maggenti muses on the lesbian landmark.DEPARTMENTS
Outspoken (editorial).....
DykesTo watch Out For (Bechdel)
Out of COntrol (Day)Inside Out (Navarro)
Look Out!
Out Of My Hands (Ball)
Gossip Watch (SignOrlle)
Going Out Calendar (X)Bar Rounds
Sports

It·s A Wonderful Strife

4
5

page 40

26
28

46
48
48

54
78
82

Rebellion Over The
Rainbow
Russo on the Judy and Punch Connection
page 42

Present At The Creation
Fouratt recalls the night they raided
hairpinski's
page 44OUTSP'OKEN

OUT~WEEK
Publisher
Kendall Morrison

Editorial

Editor In Chief
Gabri el Rotello

From the mome,nt we' announced
our intention to
publish a new lesbian and gay news magazine in New York,
we've been overwhelmed with good wishes and barraged
with advice. If the reaction has been awesome, so has thesense of responsibility it engenders.
Reasons for this reaction are not hard to find. Many
American cities have several gay and lesbian newspapers.
Strangely, New York, with the largest lesbian/gay populationin the country, has had only one.
For several years, the long-distinguished history of ourchief competition has been marked by an. editorial bias
concerning the cause of AIDS. Their unwillingness to print
health news which conflicts with that bias has often resulted
in slanted, inaccurate articles presented as inve~tigative
journalism.
Women have regularly been neglected in New York's
gay press, both in coverage of pertinent issues and in
represeritation among writers and reporters. People of color
have been rendered virtually invisible.
OutWeek is committed to accurate and inclusive news
reporting. Our AIDS coverage will reflect the widest, not justthe wildest, range of facts, sources, information
andopinions. We will report responsibly on AIDS treatment andservices issues, and doggedly investigate the politics behindthem. Hopefully, our reporting will enable the women andmen in our community to make their own decisions about
health, politics and other issues that affect us.
We hope to extend this ideal of inclusiveness throughout
our features, arts and entertainment sections as well. Rather
than being one person's newsletter, we hope to be a true
forum for our community.
This will be a difficult task. The complexities anddiversities of the lesbian and gay world are daunting.
Without the input and support of the community, our vision
has little chance of success. We will need your criticisms andsuggestions,
your understanding
and perhaps
mostimportantly your patience. We hope to reward that patience
with a newsweeklyof lasting value to our embattledcommunity.

Art Director
Mark Finlay-Arthur

News Editor
Andrew Miller

Features Editor
Michelangelo

Signorile

EDITORIAL
Contributing Editors
Kim Christensen, Rick X

Contributing Reporters
Chris Bull, Mark Chesnut. Suzanne Hall,
Rachel Lurie, Donna Minkowitz, Jon David Nalley,
Cliff 0' Neill, Sarah Schulman,
Jim Whelan, Rex Wockner, Phil Zwickler

Contributing Writers•

Tim Allis, Bradley Ball, Marion Banzhaf, Charles Barber, Alison
Bechdl1l, Jill Benderley, Susie Day, Risa Denenbl1rg, Ann
Giudici Feltner, Gary Glickman, Mark Harrington, Craig G.
Harris, Terry Helbing,George Heymont. Sandor Katz, Bob
Lederer, Jennie Livingston, Maria Maggentti,Ray Navarro,
Sarah Pettit. Veneita Porter, Patrick Rogers, Vito Russo, Karl
Soehnlein, Daniel Sotomayor, James Waller, John Wasser

ART
Contributing Photographers

n. Litt, Tom McKitterick,

Scott Morgan,
Ellen B. Neipris, Ben Thornberry

PRODUCTION
Jon Cooper

ADVERTISING
Director of Sales
Kit WinterAccount Executive
Sidney Briscese

BUSINESS
Vice PresidentPeter Housos

Treasurer
Lawrence Basile

OUTWEEK
is publishedweeklyby OUTWEEKPUBLISHINGCORPORATION,
77 Lexington Avenue Suite 200, New York, New Yolk
100tO.
The entire contents 01 OUTWEEK
are copyright1989 by
OUTWEEK PUBLISHING CORPORATION,
and may not be reproduood
in any manner, either in wHole or in part. without written permission fromthe publisher.
All rights reserved.
Publicationof the name or photograph
01 any person, group ororganization appearing or advertising in OUTWEEK may not be taken ase

an indication of the sexual orientation of such person, group ororganization unless specifically stated.
The opinions 01 OUTWEEK are expressed

only in our editorials.

Other

opinions are those of the writers and artists and do not necessarily
represent the opinions of OUTWEEK.

4

our~WEEK

June 26, 1989

ON THE COVER:
COME our! was the first lesbian/gay
newspaper to appear in New York after
the Stonewall reb~lIion. This
photograph was the poster advertising
their first edition. and celebrating the
Gay Liberation Front. with which they
were associated. Among those we'vebeen able to identify are Earl Galvin.
Judy Greenspan. Fran Winant. John
Erdman. Dan,Smith. Carl Miller and Bob
Bland. We'd be interested in hearing
from anyone who knows others in the
picture (Ed.)~(Photo courtesy: Jim Fouratt)

Dykes to Watch Out For
fV"\ I W,! I <I\N·TwA'TOl>
CCtiJ\P~ I N FRoNTof .'I,v'
WfTJ1 ... HV""- Of' R~'n;p

WA6/'1'-.' ~"'$h)~

June 26. 1989

OUTTWEEK

5

NEWS
Axelrod Vetoes Jo~ephls Test Plan
AIDS Groups United in Opposition
by Chris Bull
NEW YORK-Health Commissioner Stephen
Joseph's muchmaligned proposal
to curtail anonymous HIV antibody
testing, and implement mandatoryname reporting andaggressive contact
tracing for those
who are infectedwith HIV, wasabruptly vetoed by
State HealthCommissioner
David Axelrod one
week after it was
unveiled.
Joseph's plans,presented in a June

continued on pagl 14

First Gay Groupin Puerto Rican
Day Parade

Act Up Zap. Joaeph No till ,.

tNt pilln.

5th address at the Fifth International
infection will usher in a new era in
Conference on AIDS in Montreal, were which policies will shift toward adecried by AIDS activists and service
disease-control
approach
to HIVproViders, who quickly organizedinfection, along the lines of diseases
protests, both in Montreal and New such as tuberculosis and syphilis,'
York, to blast the recommendations.
Joseph said at the conference.
Under the proposal, physicians
He went on to predict that thewould, be required to report to thepolicy, if adopted,
would set a
Health Department the names of all nationwide trend toward routine contact
people who test positive for HIV, the tracing. "Follow-up to assure adequate
virus thought by many to cause AIDS. treatment and more aggressive contact
Health Department employees would
tracing will become standard publicthen ask those who test positive to health applications for controlling HIV
voluntarily disclose sexual and needleinfection and illness,' he said. "We aresharing partners, who in turn would be fast approaching a time when we willcontacted by the Department of Health.
have to rethink the wisdom andJoseph told the Montreal audience
effectiveness of many of our present
that because new AIDS treatments are public-policy issues,' Joseph added.
increasingly successful, new testing andtracing measures are necessary in order I New YorkersBlast Proposal
to proVide medical care earlier in the
progression of the disease. "Changes in
A group of 46 AIDS serviceour capacity to prevent and treat
prOViders, physicians and activists

I

6our"'WEEK

released a joint statement at a June 14th
press conference, condemning Joseph's
proposal. The statement declared, "Weshould not forget the most basic publichealth lesson learned over the years of
the AIDS epidemic:
measuresofcompulsion or coercion directed at~rsons who are HIV infected drivethese people away from medical care

June 26, 1989

by Mark Chesnut
NEW YORK - For the first time in its
31-year history, an officially-recognizedlesbian and gay contingent, made up ofan estimated 100 participants, marchedin the New York Puerto Rican Paradeon Sunday, June 11th. The march began
at Fifth Avenue and 44th Street andfinished at 86th Street and Third Avenue
in Manhattan.
"This is our Stonewall," claimed
Pedro Velazquez, a member of the
Boricua Gay and Lesbian Forum, andone of the organizers of the contingent.
'We're coming out to the Puerto Rican
community to let them know we'rehere."
Although this is the first official
lesbian and gay presence in the Puerto
Rican Parade, a smaller group called the
Comite Homosexual Latinoamericano(CHOLA)marchedin1979,
unrecognized by the parade committee,
as part of the "Pe9ple's Contingent,"
which included groups like the Puerto
Rican Socialist Party. "We had tostrugglewith homophobia
frombystanders and also within our own
contingent,' said Francisco Dominguez,
who marched ten years ago and waspresent for this year's march as well. "Ifound that [this year] the people's

..:

!

reaction was much more positive. It
was a powerful group. It ended up witha real good feeling."
This year's arrangements were notwithout complications, according toand radio .announcements,
subwayby Andrew Miller
Velazquez,
who
submitted
the
NEW YORK -- Declaring the end of "the posters for platforms and trains, andapplication to the parade committee.
ads' for magaZines
and"They gave us a hard time. So I let them era of Tuffy the Tooth and similarly dull print
know that if they didn't accept us pUblic service announcements," New newspapers, as "the nation's boldest
because of homophobia, we would talk York City Health Commissioner Stephen government-sponsored AIDS prevention
media campaign.' He was also quick to
to Lambda [Leg.al Defense
and Joseph announced an AIDS prevention
point out that he expected the materials
media
campaign
utilizing
print
ads
Education Fund] ... and we would dotobe labelled "controversial" by many.
depictingcondoms,
and
1V
and
radio
civil disobedienceor whatever was
spots portraying openly gay men. Th.e The campaign also includes a televisionnecessary to march."commercial with Joseph himself urging
came at a hastilyThe lesbian and gay marchers were announcement
men who have sex with other men,' 'no
delayed for more than four hours, along scheduled news conference on Junematter how infrequently," to always use
14th
that
preceded
by
two
hours
a
with several other ~groups and floats, aspress conference called by the Gay condoms.
a result of a reported float breakdown,
So far, the New York City CBS
striking hotel employees on the parade Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). That
affiliate has approved the use of thatwas called to criticize
route, and numerous shiftings of the conference
commercial, but not those portraying
group's position in the parade by Joseph's remarks about anonymousparade marshals. Some, however, felt HIV-testing and contact tracing" made gay men. Although tapes of the spots
have been submitted to other local
the gay contingent received more of a last week at the Fifth International
television and radio stations, there has
runaround than others, due to the Conference on AIDS in Montreal.
,
homophobic
attitudesof parade
organizers.
Response from onlookers varied
from thumbs up and cheers, to spitting
on the ground and hisses, but mostmarchers agreed that for the most part,the response was positive. "I would say
75% loved to see us, 25% hated us. But
I think that's a great percentage,"
Velazquez said. He also noted thatspectators from the crowd joined the
1M~~dI_x.
gay contingent as it made its way up
CXII"ICIoI'M.
BecauN
Fifth Avenue.
AIDS Hotline 718 485-8111.
at SlDA.11Ima 81: 718 485-8111.
Members of Las Buenas Amigas, aLatina lesbian organization; handed out
flyers explaining the goals of theirpresence at the parade. "We believe it is
The end of the era of Tuffy the Tooth: N.w Ad. f""" the D,,,""'.nt of.H•• lth.
necessary to let you know who we are
been no decision from any of them yet,in order to put an end to the myths that Joseph said that "the key target group'
according to Joseph. That fact led somefor
hisdepartment's'RubberUpformarginalize
and, oppress'
LatinaSafety" campaign "is men who have sex in the community to speculate that thelesbians," their flyer read in part.health department's announcement ofwithother' men but who do not
Even so, some of the marchers
the ad campaign's
launchwasnecessarily
self-identify
oridentify
were quick to point out that thepremature.
outwardlyasgay."
Althoughn'ot
present
Hispanic community still does not"The number of people who get toat the press conference, Joseph said
deserve the homophobic,"macho'see these commercials really depends
that
the
mayor
supports
theendeavor
reputation some attribute to it. 'People
upon the TV stations,'
said Terry
The city provided
tend to generalize and think that Latins enthusiastically.
Chabrowe, pr~sident of Cappiello &$46,000
to
fund
the
ad
campaign's
have a bit more homophobia than other. Chabrowe, the advertising firm thatgroups, and that's not the case," noted production costs.
Joseph characterized the material, created the commercials. "It's up to thecontinued on page 12
which includes public service televisioncontinued on page 14

City Unveils Condom Campaign

Targets liMen Who Have Sex With Men"MAN

H~MBRE

T~

A

MAN

H~MBRE

CuIIndoIlll'lgllJ~"""'~~I,I_hoIItna.

1t)'CIUn.v."lwiltlOllWmen.nort'\lllllrhow~..
UM .....
OI'Q It .. It IfNs 10 II'~
the AIDS YIn-.
SoprOl8Cf~•.•~yourpenner.ForlllOftllnlonnPon.c.It---~besUilOlouneyUPIQIIrWllmilir.. ..w.dllSO\I
AII~~.•.yprglege.",pnjI.

June 26, 1989

our-.WEEK

.7

News
Activists Seize S'tage At ,AIDS Conference
by Rex wocknerof persons living with AIDS in Canada
and around the world, I would like to
MONTREAL -- To theirown . officially open the Fifth International
astonishment and to the cheers of many Conference on AIDS." Referring to theconference participants, more than 300 disruption, McCaskell continued, "This'members of ACT UP/New
York, Toronto's AIDS Action
Now, and Reaction SIDA ofMontreal marched into the
PalaisdesCongres,commandeered the escalators,
entered the main conference
site, took over the stage,
demandedthatthemicrophones be turned on,and, in the name of persons
with AIDS, "officially"opened
the
Fifth
International
Conference on AIDS on June
4th.
Three
hours
later,
activists were again given freerun of the huge conferencesite as they relentlessly
heckledCanadian
Prime
Minister Brian Mulroneythroughout
his 20-minuteaddress to the conference.
Although Mulroney has been
in office over five years, it was
his first major statement on
AIDS.
The activists remained on
the stage for nearly an hour.
Montreal and Royal Canadian
Mounted
Police seemed
unprepared for the rowdy,
U.S.-style activism, and -- tothe obvious
surpriseofdemonstrators-- took no
action at alL
Responding to posters TAKING CENTER STAGE
andbanners
criticizing Activists At The Montreal AIDS Conference.
government inaction on AIDS, (Photo: T.L Litt)about half of the thousands ofhasnowchangedpeople awaiting the opening ceremonies conference
international
AIDSconferences
forever."
cheered and applauded the disruption.
Alengthy
manifesto
was
then
read
After half an hour of chanting andstomping by the demonstrators, Toronto in both French and English. Activists
among other things,
activist Tim McCaskell took the main demanded,reclassificationof HIV-related illness' as a
microphone and announced, "On behalf
8

OUT'YWEEK

June 26, 1989

chronic,
manageablecondition;
enactment of an international code topreserve the rights of people with AIDS;
development of an international databank of AIDS information; an end toplacebo drug trials; support for
the right of women to control
their bodies; medical aid topoor nations; and worldwide
diversion of military spending
to health-related projects.
By the time activists
voluntarily vacated the stage
and conference
planners
regained control of the room,
the opening ceremonies wererunning two hours behindschedule. The action was the
first
in
a
seriesofdemonstrations carried out by
activists during the week-longconference.
The evening's keynote
speech was given by President
Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia,
who said he had lost his fifthborn son to AIDS and had
decided to speak publicly
about it. Kaunda received astanding ovation when hecalled for an end to "thewantondestructionofourselves"
withnuclearweapons, and demanded thatmilitary money be diverted tohealth care worldwide.
On a day when the
Chinese army clashed with'demonstrators in Beijing, 800
died in a Soviet train crash,
and Poland held free eictions,the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation (CBC) evening
news devoted several minutes
to the anger of the AIDS
activists in MontreaL "It wasn't the way
the Fifth International Conference on
AIDS was supposed to begin at all," theCBCcorrespondent reported ....

'T
CONDOM CAMPAIGN cOlltinued fro.. page 7

media to show how committed they are
to preventing the AIDS epidemic."
The subway ads will begin goingup immediately. But even Chabrowe
admittedthat
thecommercials
portraying gay men were "somethingthat networks and affiliates just don't
want to talk about on the air." Itremains
unclearwhethertheDepartment of Health will be able topersuade any television
or radiostations to run the ads, or whether any
newspapers or magazines will pickthem up either.
There are three versions of the adin question: two in English and one in
Spanish. One English version uses a
Black actor, and the other a white one,but the text for each is identical:"Dinner was perfect. Candlelight, music.
Later we had coffee by the fire andtalked long into the night. Finally wekissed. Then he asked if I enjoyed safer
sex. I have never felt so good aboutsaying yes." It ends with a shot of two
wrapped condoms, and a voice-overnarration: "When you have sex withanother man, always use a latex
condom to prevent transmission of the
AIDS virus."
The Spanish-language ad follows
more or less the text of the English
ones, although it does not mention
kissing. Similarly, the Spanish print ads
say, "if you have sex with women orother men,· where the English ads
mention only sex between men.
.
"All our consultations
with theHispanic community and the Hispanic
gay community advised us that if weused language that spoke only to men
having only sex with men, we reallywouldn't get our message across,·
Joseph explained when questioned

about these differences.
The healthdepartment
has
previously sponsored AIDS prevention
campaigns
aimed at heterosexual
women, IV-drug users and adolescents.
The campaign aimed at teen-agers was
criticized by some AIDS activists, whocharged that the text of the ads ·wasm~ralizing and sex~negative. Someinterpreted those ads as promoting
abstention from sex altogether.
The new ads were produced withthe cooperation of many AIDS service
organiZations, including GMHC, theMinority Task Force on AIDS, and the
Hetrick-Martin
Institute.
The
Department of Health will make video
tapes of the commercials available tobars and clubs around the city, which
Joseph said he hoped would enable the
DOH to reach a large percentage of its
target audience.
T

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June 26, 1989

OUTTWEEK

9

NEWS
Americans, Canadians
Clash On Men-OnlySpace
by Rex Wockner
MONTREAL -- U.S. AIDS activists in
Montreal for the Fifth International
conference on AIDS repeatedly clashedwith Quebecers over the local policy of
denying women entry to gay male bars
and clubs.
As the tension in'creased, ACT
UP!New York cancelled plans to hold alarge party at Securite Maximum, apopular gay disco in Montreal.
Earlier in the week, several womenaccompanying ACf UP/Los Angeles'
Mark Kostopolous were allowed entry,
but only after Kostopolous threatened
to organize
a 600-person-strong
demonstration the next night.
"People seem to take it as a given
here that the gay and lesbiancommunities are pretty separate," said
Maxine Wolfe, one of a large number ofwomen from ACf UP!New York present
at the conference. "But it's not a lot
different from New York."
Accordingto a volunteer
at
Montreal's Gayline, the men-only policy
is in place at most of Montreal's gay
bars and remains unchallenged by gay,lesbian or heterOsexual Quebecers.
. Gisele Cloutier, a spokesperson for
the Quebec Human Rights Commission;
said the bars are in violation of Section
15 of the province's Charter of Human
Rights and Freedoms, which also bans
discrimination
based
on sexual
orientation.
'No one can inhibit the access to a
public space based on sex," Cloutiersaid, "but we have never received any
complaints about this. I think peopleac.cept that some people want to havetheir own places."
Marcel Pleau, a writer with theMontreal gay newspaper RG, scoffed

10

OUT'TWEEK

June 26, 1989

INS guidelines allowing HIV-infected
visitors into the U.S. for up to thirtydays in order to attend' conferences,conduct business, visit family, or obtain
medical treatment.
That revision followed a highlypublicized incident in April, when
Dutch PWAHans Paul Verhoef, en routeto a gay and lesbian. health conferencein San Francisco, was imprisoned in
Minnesota, where he had stopped tochange planes.
At a press conference
held inMontreal, the Danish man, Knud
Josephsen, said he was sent to North
America for seven weeks by the Danish
Ministry of Health to 'look forexperimental approach~ to the care of
AIDS patients."
Boston INS agents allegedly asked
Josephsen if he had AIDS after he said
that his first destination was Montreal.
He acknowledgedthat he was HIV
antibody-positive "because it's a matterof dignity to say yes to that question"and because he had AZf in his luggage,
he said. (AZf is a drug taken by many
people with AIDSand HIV illness.)
After several hours of detention,
Josephsen was granted a $50 "HIVwaiver," good for thirty days -- three
weeks less than the time of his research
project.
"It's sad that the U.S. in this way
disrupts the international network ofseropositives," Josephsen said. "I see noreason why I should be a threat to theU.S."
At the same press conference,
British activist Simon Watney explained
the case of P.WAHenry Wilson of the
by Rex Wockner
MONTREAL-- A Da'nish man with AIDS Terrence Higgins Trust, Britain's leading(PWA) en route to Montreal's Fifth community-based AIDSorganization.
Wilson, who was travelling to San
International conference on AIDS wasdetained by U.S. Immigration and ,Francisco June 2nd to particpate in a
Naturalization Service (INS) officials at drug trial, was arrested in Minneapolis
Logan airport in Boston June 2nd. The by INS officers who verbally abused
him, strip-searched him, and placed him
same day, a British AIDS activist
in handcuffs, according to Watney.
travelling to San Francisco to receive
Wilson was told he could wait six
experimental treatments was sent backweeks in jail while application washome by INS agenls in Minneapolis.
Both actions follow recently-revised
continued on palle 15
when asked to comment on thecontroversy and said, "It's a non-issue."Pleau and several other gay
Quebecers
also spoke of conflict
betweenFrench-CanadianandAmerican activists.
Differences of
opinion arose on the second day of theconference when Quebecers requested
that the media be excluded from activist
meetings. ACf UP members explainedthat they use the media to effect socialchange, while members of Montreal's
Reaction SIDA said they didn't trust
reporters.
Since New Yorkers
outnumbered locals, reporters wereallowed to remain.
.
At several demonstrations, small
groups of Quebecers could be faintly
heard initiating French chants that werequickly drowned· out, to their great
dismay, said several gay Quebecers.
ACf UP and Toronto's AIDS Action
Now published all of their literature inboth languages and were careful to
include a French-speaking person at
every rally. But the written French
often contained
grammaticalandsyntactical errors and the spoken
French was not understood by most
New Yorkers, said the Quebecers.
ACT UP members said theyregretted the cultural tensions but feltthat overall their visit was tremendously
successful. ...

Two More PWAs
Stopped at u.S. Border.

·

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PARADE continued from page 6

AXEUIOD

Aurelio Font. ''The Latino community is
the only community where the gays
have been able to march openly,'
added Juanita Ramos of the Latina
Lesbian History Archives.
After the parade,the group
boarded a downtown 6 train, filling atleast one entire car with the songs they
had been singing during the march.
There followed a celebration at the
Lesbian and Gay Community Center,
where marchers were encouraged toexpress their thoughts. One person
claimed that as a result of theirmarching in front of an estimated300,000 spectators, 'openly gay andlesbian people were seen by morestraight people than probably any othertime in the history of New York."
Some had bigger goals for the
future. "This is the first time that an
openly gay group has marched in an
ethnic parade. We're hoping that theidea will catch on," said Aurelio Font.
"Let's say, in the St. Patrick's Day
parade, a group of gays of Irish descentwant to march. We'd be there to
support them. We want to make ourpresence
known in every. ethnic
parade." ...

and treatment, and it is a massive
disincentive to their entry into thehealth care system. This will particularly
affect women of color and theirchildren who must use the health caresystem for prenatal and perinatal care.'
The group recommended expanding
anonyinous testing and counselingcenters that already exist.
. The press conference was held at::>....

14

OUTTWEEK

June 26, 1989

JONp.

continued from page 6

Miguelina Maldonado, executive
director of the Hispanic AIDS Forum,
echoed johnson's concerns. "The Latino
community traditionally has little accessto the health care system, which often
fails to offer culturally sensitive services
and care to Latinos in New York City.
To assume that [name) reporting would
lead to better care for Latinos is an
unfounded assumption. Joseph has
created suspicion, alarm and fear in thecommunity needlessly,' she charged.

mHts reporters after his Montr .. ' announcement

the offices of the Gay Men's Health
Crisis (GMHC).
Richard' Dunne,
GMHC's executive director, predictedthat mandatory reporting would force
people "underground" and away fromtreatment. He said Joseph's proposal
makes little sense since the city alreadyfails to provide adequate health ·care formany people with AIDS (PWAs). Dunnecharged that the city is not prepared to
pay for early-intervention treatments.
Ronald Johnson, executive directorof the Minority Task Force on AIDS,
told the assembled media that Joseph's
policy is most damaging for people ofcolor. "There is a very real fear of
discriminationin Black and Lttino
communities,' he said, contesting thebenefits of mandatory reporting. "It's acruel hoax to talk about clinicaladvantagesof HIV testing, whileknowing the reality of the health caresystem,. which often entails waiting
periods of two to four months [foraccess to treatment]," he continued.
"Joseph must talk about services thatare currently available. We can't wait forservices to trickle down," he said.

IV-drug users would stop seeking
treatment
under Joseph's
policy,according to Bernard Bihari, an expert
on drug addiction at Kings County
Hospital. "Joseph doesn't seem tounderstand the fear of government that
addicts often have. These are people
who live outside of the law. This wiiI
reduce the number of women who
come in for prenatal care because theywould fear testing."
Reacting to the intense criticism,
Joseph announced that the proposal
was intended only to spark debate, andthat it could be modified. In response toa question abOut why the communities
most affected by AIDS were not first
consulted, JosepQ told Out Week, "I feel
we have been in lots of round andround and round discussions that inmany cases get nowhere about healthpolicies relating to AIDS."New York State's Axelrod, whose
relationship with Joseph has become
increasingly strained in recent months,
sided with Joseph's critics. "I think it
continued on page Z3...
made for an HIV waiver, or could return
immediately to the Uniled Kingdom,
Watney said. There was apparently no
explanation why Wilson was not offeredan on-the-spot waiver.
"The preposterous fantasy that theUnited States is at risk from people withAIDS coming into the U.S. from outside
is not only punitive to individuals who
have to undergo this form of sadistic
treatment,
it is also profoundly
irrational," Watney said.
Dr. John Ziegler, co-chair of next
year's conference to be held in San
Francisco, called these two newest INS
incidents"deplorable
andembarrassing."
He said organizers
wanted to move the 1990 conferenceout of the U.S., but that it is too late to
do so.
Benjamin Schatz of National Gay
Rights Advocates said he could notunderstand how the U.S. government
decided that "people with HIV infection
could not possibly have more than thirydays of legitimate business to conduct
in the U.S., or· why someone would beincapable of transmitting a virus in 30
days but would be capable of doing so
in 31." 'Y

Salk Reports Vaccine
Progress
by Rex Wockner
MONTREAL-TwoHIV-infected monkeys
showed no further signs of HIV
infection, and the conditions of 17 of 19
humans with AIDS Related Complex(ARC) stabilized or. improved, after all
received injections of an HIV vaccine
developed by polio vaccine pioneer
Jonas
Salk.
HIV, or, humanimmunodeficiency virus, is believed tobe the cause of AIDS. Salk reported his
results on June 8th at the Fifth
International Conference on AIDShere.
A third chimpanzee received thevaccine before being infected with HIV.
Although the amount of HIV in the
animal's body declined over time, HIV
was not cleared from the body entirely.

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. OUTTWEEK

15

The new vaccine is made from live
virus that has been treated withchemicals and irradiation. Researchers
hope it can be engineered to create an
immune response in infected humans.
The tests conducted were phaseone studies which, as defined by the'Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
are designed only to determine if thevaccine causes adverse side effects. Salk
~eported that it does not. To detennine,under FDA regulations, if the vaccine iseffective, researchers must now tum tolengthy,double-blind,placebocontrolled trials, where some volunteers
receive the vaccine and others receive
an inactive substance.
Declining to call his vaccine a
breakthrough, Salk did say that 'there islight at the end of the tunnel," and thattreating AIDS is going to require
multiple strategies, including use of the
only government-approved
anti-viralagainst AIDS, AZf. ...

Republicans Snuff Out
Bias Billby Jim Whelan
NEW YORK-With just two weeks
remainingin Albany's legislative
session, State Senate Republicans haveall but derailed the passage of bias billlegislation providing some protection
against hate crimes for gay men andlesbians. Meeting behind closed doors,
the Senate Republican Conference,
headed by Republican Majority Leader
Ralph Marino (R-Oyster Bay), prevented
the bill from proceeding to a vote on
the floor of the Senate, where many felt
it would have been passed.
The bill mandated stiffer penalties
for violent
or intimidating
acts
committed 'with the intent to deprive
an individual or group of individuals of
the exercise of their civil rights.' Thebill specificallymentioned
sexualorientation as a protected group, alongwith race, creed, color, national origin,sex, disability and age. The Black andPuerto Rican Legislative Caucus joined
gay and lesbian rights groups in an

16

OUTTWEEK

June 26, 1989 .

intensive lobbying campaign for the
bill's passage.
According to Libby Post of the New
York State Gay and Lesbian Lobby, theRepublican Conference's actions were
surprising because there were many
previous indications that the bill would
be allowed to proceed to the Senate
floor. The legislation was sponsored byfour key Republican Senators, and even
Marino has indicated in the past that he hate crimes.
would vote favorably on the measure,
Virginia
Apuzzo,Governorshe said.
Cuomo's liaison to the lesbian and gay
Bills are allowed to proceed to a community,
said 'we expect thevote by the full Senate only after
governor to pull out all the stops' on
unanimous consent at the Republican
the issue, and "demonstrate
his
Conference is achieved. Most legislation commitment to the community.' In fact,
is normally allowed to proceed to the the bill originated from the governor's
floor, where individual senators may office. She said that the governor hasvote their conscience, according to Post. promised to raise the issue withIn this instance, 'the Republicans
Republicans at every single leaders'kave buckled to the threats of themeeting he attends until the end of theconservative members of their party," legislative session.
Post declared. The Albany lobbyist said
Apuzzo complained that because
there are only five or six Republicanti}e Republican Conference operates
Senators,
opposedto legislation
behind closed doors, there is little
protecting gay and lesbian rights, who accountability for such' actions. "ThIs is
are preventing the bill from going to a an instancewhere
a minority
full vote.
detennines the agenda for the majority,'
The Gay and Lesbian Lobby hand- she fumed, accusin~ the Republicans ofdelivered a letter to Marino'S- office"holding this bill hostage. She said,
requesting a meeting on the bill: but he 'Ralph Marino cannot declare this billhas not as yet responded. The lobbyists dead." Lobbyists and Senate observers
have organized a contingent of about 20 point out that there are various unusual
people who plan to march i.ntoMarino's legislative scenarios that could still bring
office on Monday, June 19th, to the bill to a vote.
demand the majority leader speak withAccording to statistics compiled bythem about the matter.
the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
Ed Martin, a spokespe~sonfor (NGLTF), which recently released its
Marino, said that gay and lesbianannual report on anti-gay Violence, gay
lobbyists
may have been overly
men and lesbians are victimized by hate
optimistic
in predictingthat thecrimes at a rate seven times greater thanConference would allow the bill to the average rate for the U.S. adultproceed to the floor for a vote. He said population. The NGLTF documented
that during the Conference, senator
625 reported incidents of anti-gay
after senator opposed sending the bill harassment and violence in New Yorkto the floor because it would involve state last year, of which 122 werelengthy philosophical and legal debates
physicalassaults
and 14 werelate in the legislative session. Were the homicides. New York ranked fourth inlegislation to make it to the Senate floor, the number of reported inCidents,"it would probably not pass and would
behind North Carolina~ Ohio, andserve no useful purpose,' he predicted.
IllinOiS,and just ahead of California. ...
Martin suggested that improved police
protection would be a better way toprotect gay men and lesbians against

Gay and lesbian
lobbyists had
been overly
optimistic.

c

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I! News
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IWhoseConference
Was It,Anyway?
by Sandor Katz
MONTREAL-- While organizers of theFifth International Conference on AIDS
boasted that it was the first conference
to explicitly acknowledge the social
dimensionsof the disease, many
attendees criticized its failure to facilitate
a true sharing of persepctives among

News Analysis
scientists, health care providers, andpeople with AIDS.AIDSactivists focused
their priorities on the needs of people
with AIDS and HIV infection. (HIV is thevirus believed by many to cause AIDS).
But by the end of the conference, somescientists were complaining that theconference was too large and theatmosphere too political to allow themto exchange research information.
Meanwhile, an entire wing of
the conference site was devoted to a
trade show which British AIDS activist
and author Simon Watney described as"a supermarket for the multinational
pharmaceutical companies."
So, whose conference was it,
anyway?
Because of the aggressive
ingenuity of AIDS activists, people withAIDS (PWAs) were actually a major
conference presence. The only personwith AIDS who had been scheduled to
speak, Kevin Brown, died in May, andappeared via a video remembrance. But
during the activist takeover of the
opening ceremony's podium (see news
story), Canadian PWA Peter Wood wasable to "officially" open the conference.
And at the Tuesday morning plenary.
18

OUTTwEEK

June 26, 1989

LOOKING FOR LOVE IN AU THE WRONG PlACES$ex workers Cllrol Leigh, Vlllerie Scott lind Dllnny Cockerline

session, Ron Kelly, a 22-year-old HIVpositive Ontario man, commandeered
the microphone and spent ten minutes
recounting.
his experiencesof
discrimination.
Becauseconference
registration was $500, AIDS activists
produced pirate conference passes,
enabling many activists and PWAsto get
in. And in an effort to save face,
conference organizers added, at the lastminute, a PWA to the closing session
schedule. According to ACT UP/New
York's Tim Powers, the conference was"a big step forward for PWA selfempowerment.".
But some scientists and drug
company reps were less than thrilled
about listening to people living withAIDS ask questions about drug trials andtreatment
techniques.
Frustrated
researchers claimed that science shouldbe above social and political conflicts.
On the last full day of the conference,
Dr. Robert Gallo of the National Cancer
Institute said, "I have nothing against thesocial aspect, but in order to work well,scientists need calm. They must be able
to meet and exchange [ideasl."
With delegates from most of
the world's major medical and publichealth institutions, the conference didprovide. an ideal forum for certain typesof announcements. Perhaps the biggest

solicit lit the AIDS Conference.

story to emerge from the conference was
New york City Health Commissioner
Stephen Joseph's bombshell announcing
his intention to implement contact
tracing and phase out anonymous HIV
testing in New York City.
Cynical colleagues have notedthat such actions are impossible undercurrent New York State law, andunrealistic on New York City's large
scale. Others in the AIDS community
have accused Joseph, a Koch appointee,of hedging his bets against Koch's reelection by attracting the attention ofconservative
federalhealthofficials/potential
employers.
Thepublicityfollowing
Joseph'sannouncement
eclipsed the press
coverage of any medical news from theconference.
The conference exhibition was
simply a world unto itself. One hundred
ten booths housed drug companies,
condom producers, government healtheducation
programs,
and a few
community-basedorganizations.
According to the coordinatorofexhibitors, Lise Anne de Varennes, thesmallest booths rented for $3,500, which
proved prohibitive for most communitybased, service-providing organizations.
The largest booth belonged to
Burroughs Wellcome, the monopoly
continued on page 23

----------------------------~-------------------T
Fairpac Lobbies for
Les/Gay Council
Districts
by Jim Whe1an.
NEW YORK - FAIRPAC,the New YorkState gay and lesbian political action
committee, sent board member Julie
Green to testify before the Charter
Revision Commission on June 6th.
Green lobbied for the creation of city
council districts that reflect theestablishedlesbianandgayneighborhoods in New York City.
The Charter Revision Commission
was created over a year ago andcharged with revising the structure of
the municipal government. That task
has become particularly urgent sincelast March, when the United States
SupremeCourt
declared
unconstitutional the structure of theBoard of Estimate, for violating theestablished constitutional principle ofone person, one vote.
In its preliminary
drafts, .t.he
Commission has proposed that theBoard of Estimate be dismantled andthe City Council. enlarged from its
current 35 members to approximately
SO. An expanded City Council would
require the redistricting of New York
City, and many communities are now
scrambling to ensure their fair andaccurate representation
on a new,larger City Council.
FAIRPAC; like other communitybased organizations from the Black,
Latino,ChineseandKoreancommunities, is soncerned that redrawn

districtlines
may divide
thecommunity's population, and voting
power, among different districts. On
May 31st, Green and fellow board
members Mark D'A1essio,John Sharkey
and Candida Scott Piel met with
Commission chief counsel Frederick A.
O. Schwartz, to discuss how theCommission could insure the 'creationof council districts which reflect local
gay and lesbian populations.
In a telephone interview, Green
reported that Schwartz was "responsive
to the need for lesbian and gay
representation,' and further describedhim as "friendly, accessible
andknowledgeable."
Schwartz and thelobbyists agreed that the language inthe curren~ revision instructions isinadequate, according to Green.
continued on page 24

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June 26, 1989

OUT'YWEEK

19

\

News
Duberman Addresses
Sto.newall Dedication(Martin
Bauml
Duberman,Distinguisbed Professor of History at City
University of New York, is the author of 11
books, the most recent of which is Paul
Robeson. He is also the author of About
Time: Exploring the Gay Past, and a newbook, Hidden From History: Reclaiming The
Gay and Lesbian Past, due out in November.
Following is the speech he delivered at
the ceremony which renamed a portion of
Christopher Street "Stonewall Place" in honorof the twentieth anniversary of the Stonewall
Rebellion.)
It4

!II:.

I take no pleasure in sharing a platform
with Ed Koch, but I do take a great deal ofpleasure
in celebrating
the twentiethanniversary of Stonewall, for which we'regathered.
When I moved to New York in 1963
there were maybe five or six gay male bars
and perhaps (;>nelesbian bar. Even though
few in number, these were not what wewould today call 'safe havens' from theoppression of heterosexist society. My own
bar of choice rapidly became Stonewall. But
in that bar no one was ever sure whether or
not they would end the night by beingarrested and thrown into jail. There was alighting system at the door so that if
somebody who was suspicious happened· toenter, the light would be flashed on, alldancing would stop, and indeed many
hearts would stop, because soon on theheels of an unknown plainclothesman
would arrive the police.
They would trample through the bar
with their customary arrogance and arrest, atwill, people who were patrons of the bar.
When we went out at night in those
years many of us carried in our pockets thename of a woman lawyer, Enid Gerling.
(applause) I'm surprised and glad that somany people still remember her. Indeed, she
did a lot to help gay people in those years.
Enid Gerling, according to the legend of
those times, was the only person who knew
who to payoff and how to get to the rightpeople to make the payoff. And she did infact keep many people out of jail or in shortorder rescued them from jail when they20

OUTTWEEK

were arrested.
Those were, 25 years ago, very different
years from what many. of us now experienceand enjoy. I think it's hard for people undera cenain age, say 40 or 45, to understandthose years.
I was not in the Stonewall bar on thenight ~f the aaual raid, when patrons fought
back, but I do want to recall for you andwith you that the particular patrons, or atleast the people who were on the street
imm~telyoutside the bar who initiated thetook over. In other words, in the early days,
the GLF talked about and thought about theradical restructuring of this society.
Gay liberation at its inception was
indeed a radical movement for socialchange. It did not believe in mere liberaltinkering. Today, when our president has
made the word liberal a dirty word, or
attempted to, it's very difficult to pick up
and use the honorable word radical. But iome, it is indeed a very honorable word. And
it is a very honorable
tradition thatinaugurated our formal gay rights struggle.
The goals of the GLF were not only toliberate
the homosexual
impulsein
everyone,but also to liberatetheheterosexual
impulse in everyone. And
beyond that, the early days of the GLF wereJune 26. 1989

THE HEIRS OF THE GAY UBERATION FRONT?
ACTUP at the Stonewan dedication.
(Photo: Enen B. Neipris)fighting, were in faa street. people and dragqueens.
The early
gay movement
appreciated their role in the gay struggle andfrequently made mention of it. But the earlyyears of the gay movement should not be
confused with the gay movement that soon
supplanted it.
When I speak of the early years I speak
primarily of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF).
The GLF was very different from theorganized gay movement which very shortly
superseded and swallowed the GLF up.
What the GLF represented, among manythings, was first of all gay men and lesbian
women working togl!ther. And working
together with goals in mind that were far
more broad gauged than the goals of theorganized white male movement which soon

devoted and focused on an ideal of
androgeny,
in contrast to the ideal ofmachismo which subsequently won favor.
What happened to the GLF is a familiar
story of what always happens to radical
protest movements in this country. A radical
cutting edge inaugurates a movement of
substantive protest, but the cutting edge isquickly dulled when the effort to win overmainstream
America begins to takeprecedence. Once that begins to happen theemphasis on real differentness - as is thecase with our special gay and lesbian
heritage - has to be downplayed.
That
indeed was the story of the organized gay
movement in roughly the years that followedcontinued from pllge 20
GLF, namely 1972 or 1973, down to the
o1.!tbreak of the AIDS epidemic. The
organized movement became essentially,
and I know some of you won't agree, amovement by and for middle class, alreadyprivileged, white men. I think what has
happened as a result of the AIDS plague,
and i think this is perhaps the only positive
development during these terrible years, isthat a different 'kind of gay person has now
been brought into the movement.
If we are ever fortunate enough to see
the day when the AIDS plague is behind us,
I think we will also see the dawn of a newgay movement which in faa harkens back insignificant ways to the origina!movement of
the Gay Liberation Front. Because what weare seeing among the legions of the young
who make up ACf UP is once again gay
men and lesbian women acting in concert,welcomiAg and appreciating each others
differentness, and also welcoming minority
people. Beyond that change in 'personnel,
what ACT UP has discovered in the processof struggle is the full extent of entrenchedprivilege which characterizes our society.
They have seen it primarily in the way thehospitals are struaured, in the way the FDA
is structured, and by and for whom the·federal government operates.
Because of those insights gathered
during ACf UP's struggles, I think we may
yet see the birth of a new gay movement
which is once more radically oriented. Thatat least is my own personal hope, that GLF
will once more return, if n~ in name than. atleast in principle. Therefore I would closewith the additional hope that on thiswonderful
twentieth
anniversary:of
Stonewall
we attempt
to rededicate
ourselves to two principles.
First of all, to welcoming andappreciating diversity within the ranks of theorganized movement, a diversity that once
charaaerized that movement at its inception
but which did not charaaerize it for a periodof ten years. We need once more towelcome not only minorities, and for gay
men and lesbian women to once more work
together, but we need to appreciate andwelcome into our ranks all minorities within
our own extremely diverse co~unities,
notexcluding those heroic drag queens who

21our"WEEK

June 26, 1989

were on the streets for us 20 years ago. And
secondly, once we have made significant
room in our own ranks to represent the true
diversity in our communities, I think it isthen 'important to begin to reach out beyond
our own movement in order to make links

and draw conneaions with other oppressedminorities within the country at large. Onlythat way, I believe, will we be able to reachthe goal originally set for us by the GLF,
namely the radical restructuring of ourcountry as a whole. Thank you. ..,.

m i Z:i a n0

TRATTORIA
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News
CONFERENCE (continued from page 18)

What I said was that because of recent,and not so recent, information about
the broadening therapeutic horizons,
we are now in a phase of the epidemic:where there is strong consensus that wehave effective interventions to offer
people who are infected and ill. Notcures, not vaccines, but effective
interventions
that prolong life and
AXELROD (continued from page 14)
improve the quality of life. In .that
setting it seems to me absdlutely
would be premature
to mandate
inarguable that an approach that isreportingof
HIY-infected
persons,·he
AZf.
said in a prepared statement. The New much more' aggreSSive on the issues ofFreebies were everywhere.
counseling and testing, still voluntary,
York State legislatureand health
The most sought after prize was acommissioner actually have jurisdiction still confidential, and an approach thatgraphic, safer oral sex poster designed
is much more vigorous' on the issue ofover many of the AIDS policy changes
by the government of Quebec. Condom that Joseph proposed. The decision to contact tracing facilitated by mandatory
manufacturers
were
distributing
make HIY positivity a reportable public reporting of infection in a confidential,condoms of various sizes (small, large) health condition would reverse a public health framework, is the way for
and flavors (like mint). Okamoto, a confidentiality law signed last year by us to go. The debate should be opened
Japanese condom company, even had a Governor Mario Cuomo.
up and engaged
in q.uickly. I
contraption to prove how· strong theirchose to do that inWhile praising Axelrod's move to deliberately
condoms really are. The machine
Montreal,
which
was, at leastsquash the elimination of anonymous
automatically inflated the condoms to testing, many AIDS advocates said they supposedly, a profeSSional setting. But I
mythic proportions until they popped.
remained angry that Joseph often works did not propose mandatory testing or
the elimination of anonymous testing,·
Lyphomed, makers of Pentamidine (a against the communities most affected
prophylactic
treatment
for the by the epidemiC. Christopher Babick, Joseph said.
Because mandatory
reportingpneumonia associated with AIDS), deputy executive director of the PWA
would,
bydefinition,
involve
breaking
Coalition,
told
OutWeek
that
Josephwasgreeted conventioneers with the line
the anonymity, although not necessarily·We're part of the solution, not part of "once again preparing policies without
the confidentiality,of the person
consulting
the experts,
i.e., thethe problem," and distributed tote bags.
involved,
Joseph's
attempts
to explain
community-based
AIDS
service
Sex worker activists proVided aand soften his original statement havefew moments of stark reality when they organizations. •caused confusion and drawn more
attempted to join other exhibitors in
criticism from many in the AIDS
Activists Respond
peddling their wares. Protesting the
The activist group ACf UP (AIDS community.
scapegoating of prostitutes in the AIDS"Contact tracing has been the trend
Coalition to Unleash Power), whichcrisiS, they offered their sexual selVices
for the last three years,· said Yeneita
sponsoredmorningand evening
to conferencedelegates,
who demonstrations at City Hall on June 8th Porter, director of the New York State
nonethelessmustered none of the to protest the pf(?posal, called for
Office of AIDS Discrimination. "'There is
shopping spree enthusiasm they had Joseph to be removed from office. With a lot of pressure from the federal
shown to distributorsof medical
government to make New York a test
hundreds of police officers surrounding
paraphernalia all week.
case to see how tracing works. But it
City Hall, nearly 200 demonstrators
The visible fiscal realities of disrupted early morning traffic on the can only work in an environment where
the conference, and profit-oriented
Brooklyn Bridge, and temporarily shut there is no discrimination and where
health care in general, determine very down the nearby Department of Health treatment is available for everyone. Thissituation certainly does not exist here." .
clearly whose conference it really was. bUilding. "First you don't exist, now
Joseph said he would recommend
In the final analysis, the conference is you're on a list," stated an ACf UP flyer
keeping HIY reporting separate fromfor the demonstration,
big business. While it remains to be prepared
the reportingof other sexuafly
referring to Joseph's decision last
seen whether the Montreal gatheringtransmitted diseases in order to avoid
actually made money, last year's AIDS summer to halve the city'S official
forum in Stockholm turned a healthy estimate of city residents who are HIY "archaic" quarantine laws. But several
activists said they fear that Joseph's
profit. As exhibit coordinatorde positive.
proposal would play into the hands of
At
a
press
conference
on
June
14th
~arrenes explained, the drug companies
right-wing supporters of quarantine andannouncing the kick-off of tpe city's
and government ministries of healthrepressive
measures.
"It'slatest AIDS prevention media campaign, otherhave the resources to rent space,something we have to be very wary of,"
Josephresponded
to
some
of
the
therebyhelping
to financethe
said Porter. 'Y
charges of his critics. "I never proposed
conference.
the elimination of anonymous testing.
organizations.
The largest booth belonged to
Burroughs Wellcome, the monopoly
manufacturer of AZT, a drug taken by
many people with AIDS and HIY
infection. A huge structure with a public
exhibition area and a labyrinth ofprivate conference rooms, Burroughs
used the site to distribute slick bookletsof treatment information promoting

The unfortunate flip side is that
community-based
service providers
cannot afford to be represented. And
the $500 registration fee and additional
travel expenses effectively restrict theaccess and participation of most people
living· with AIDS throughout
theworld.'Y

June 26, 1989

OUT'YWEEK

23

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OUTTWEEK

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June 26, 1989Tsu~ceed the embattled Rep. Jim Wright
CD-Texas)as Speaker. The reference an
the memo was to ''Tam Foley, Another
Liberal Speaker."
The four-page document
washeadlined, "Tom Foley: Out af the
Liberal Claset," and, accarding
to.
Goodin's cover memo, was intended lo
set the' recard 'straight" an the new
Speaker.
The merna repeatedly
campared Foley's record to. that af Rep.
Barney Frank CD-Mass.), ane of two
apenly gay members of Congress.
The merna came just over a monthafter an article in Memorandum, theclosely-watched Democratic newsletter,said that "fellaw Demacrats" were
c\Jrrently spreading rumars to. the press
about the "alleged ho~asexuality
af
one Democrat" who might benefit fromWright's resignation.
At the time, Frank bristled atallegatians that Democrats would bespreading such rumors, but reserved hisharshest criticism for the media reports
af the whisper campaign, which was
also recounted in the Washington Post.
But the implicatians in Gaadin's
memo incensed Frank, who in a front
page June 7th Boston Herald article
by Cliff O'Neill
threatened to give up the names af six
WASHINGTON, D.C.-A June 6th
gay Republican members of Congress .
Republican
Party merna allegedly"I think if they don't cut the crap,
questianingthe' sexualityaf
newsomething might happen, and I'm going
Speaker af the Hause Tom Foley CD- to happen it," he tald the Herald. "TheWash.) set off a storm of criticism from right to. privacy and the right tobath Democrats and Republicans,
hypocrisy do. not coexisl."leading to the reSignation of its author"I am pleased that [Goodin]
just one day later. .
resigned, because it shows that heUnder fire for the controversial
admits they were misbehaving," Frankmemo, in which he said Foley hadlater told Out Week. "ObViously, I don'tcome 'out of the liberal claset,"
think that being gay is anything wrong.
Republican National Committee CRNC) [But] it's a terrible thing to use gayness
Communications
Director Mark W. as a weapon in this way. But I meant
Goodin resigned June 7th in a tersewhat I said. Gay Republicans should
letter to his boss, RNC Chairman Lee understand that if they are gaing to. sit
Atwater. 'I deeply regret my decision on by and encaurage this kind af stuff, andthe Foley memorandum," he wrote in support the peaple who do these
his letter. "It was, as I indicated to yau, things, then the question becomes nat
bad judgment on my part, althaugh at privacy but hypocrisy, and I don't
no time did I ever intend to.quest ian
intend to let them get away with il."anyone's reputation. nFrank's statement brought quick
The memo was released
to. candemna~ians of the merna by both
Republican Party afficials natianwide
Demacrats and Republicans, including
just as Foley was taking the gavel to. President George Bush. T
continued from page 19

During her testimany an June_ 6th,
Green, who. is an' attarney, urged theCammissian to. amend the redistricting
instructians to. read: 'To. the extent
practicable, district lines shall keep
intact neighborhoods and cammunities
with established ties af camman interest
and assaciatian, whether histarical,
racial, ecanamic, ethnic, religiaus, arbased an sexual arientatian."
Neighbarhaads
targetedby
FAIRPAC far redistricting protectians
includethe Upper
West Side,
Greenwich Village and Chelsea in
Manhattan, Jackson Heights in Queens,and Park Slape in Broaklyn. D'Alessia
said that the zip cades af thaseneighborhoods shaw up mast aften an
the mailing lists af gay and lesbian
clubs and arganizatians, and afferedthat infarmatian as hard evidence to. theCharter Revisian Commissian. T

GOP Memo
Baits Foley

20 Years Later,
Cops MajntainGay Surveillance
by Donna Minkowltz
NEW YORK-It is not often forgotten
among lesbians and gay men that our
movement began with a fight against thecops. But 20 years after Stonewall Inn,
patrons got up the gumption to resist athen-ordinary anti-queer raid by thecity'S finest, how much has therelationship between the police and
New York's gay men and lesbians
changed?
The last major bar raid occurred not
in 1969, but in 1982. Blue's, a Black gay
bar located down the block from The
New York Times, was stormed by about
40 officers who severely beat patrons,
and callC!d them "nigger faggots,"
according to an account by Village Voicereporter Arthur Bell. No arrests were
made. Although quite a few patrons

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wound up in the hospital, none werewilling to testify in court, so a proposed
lawsuit went nowhere.
Becauseof the community's
increased political and economic power,
raids are now infrequent occurrences;
but surveillance is another story. New
York Police Department (NYPD) files,
recently released by court order, containhundredsof pages of Intelligence
Division reports on gay and lesbian
groups, collected as recently as 1978.
The Freedom of Information Act request
for the files covered only groups that
had been established prior to 1973,' so
any reports on groups established sincethat time remain unreleased.
But surveillance
has clearlycontinued in the '80s. The fact thatpolice have apparently had advanced
knowledge of un publicized actions by
the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) and many othergroup's, as evidenced
by police
COPS continued on page 70--~~~-~
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June 26, 1989

OUrYWEEK

25

dUT OF CONTROLby Susie DayI

am a lesbian and I have lesbian
pride. lowe much of my pride to
the Stonewall Rebellion of 1969,
although at the time, I was but apolymorphously perverse junior highasexual with no pride and a secret crush
on one of the girls who modeled trainingbras in the Sears catalogue.
Yetsomehow, over the years, Stonewall
quietly widened my horizons.
Stonewall--that rout'ine barroom
bust in which assorted queers ended up
holding off the New York City Police
Department for three nightsnhas helped
thousands of women and men in thepast twenty years to claim positive
lesbian and gay identities.
I, forinstance, have remained a lesbian, partly
because of. Stonewall, and partly
because I would rather be a lesbian thana cop. Because, if you think' about it,
cops have it worse than we do.
No one stops to reflect that it was
the police who made Stonewall possible.
If the cops hadn't barged in, busted
heads, and yelled "Spread 'em, Sailor,"
when
they
did,
our
own
personal/political growth could havebeen retarded for years. Cops have also
used similar consciousness-raisingtechniques to guide countless Blacks,
Latinos, union activists and homelesspeople to deeper, more commanding
self-concepts. Yet cops have been slow
to take credit for these achievements. Is
this because they themselves are low, on
self-esteem?
Well, I think-it is time somebody
said, "Thank you, cops." To show myappreciation for all they've done, I havedevised a series of police empowerment
workshops, which may be presented, fora nominal fee, at nearly any precinct.
Exercise 1: Centering
The object here is to create a safe,
nurturing ~pace that will allow the inner
cop to heal. Have cops form a circle,
cross-legged on the floor. (Gently
discourage self-ridicule if the cartilage intheir knees keeps popping; this is a signof change and should be affirmed.)
Now ask cops to close their eyes andimagine a big, glowing ball of navy blue
26

OUT'YWEEK

June 26, 1989

light in the middle of their circle.
Suggest that they relax, breathe deeply
and just be.
Ask cops to imagine that, with eachbreath, the light enters their heavy
shoes, then travels up their uniformsn
through their pants legs, their mace,
their stun·guns, all the way to theirbadge chakras--until it bursts out of theirpolice hats in an arc of radiant energy.
This is their cop energy, their police

stop a black than a white person in a
speed trap because cops have an extra
muscle in their heads that makes themdo those things, etc., etc.
Try to channel the energy flow sothat cops begin to experience theirinnate cop-consciousness.
Do they
think, for instance, that they were born"that way," or did they become cops
because of some unspeakably disgustingchildhood trauma? Give them time tosee themselves as part of an' oppressedgroup. Are there cop "tendencies?"
Mannerisms? Hobbies? Discuss.
Exercise 3: Let Your Cop Out to PlayAt this point on the road to selfesteem, your cops should be eager touse various modes of artistic expression
to get in touch with their feelings.
Finger painting is a marvelous avenue ofself-discovery, as are macrame .andmodern dance. But perhaps the mostevocative form for cop-identification is
the theatre. Here is an excerpt from ascript, by and for cops, which sprang
from one of these workshops:(Photo: Ellen B. Neiprisl"force," some say. Ask them to use thisforce to imagine themselves running inslow motion, perfectly safe and relaxed,
as they chase thugs through a beautiful,
misty meadow. Play cassette tape ofTibetan temple bells and whale noises.
Burn sage.
--4_
Exercise 2: Breaking Down Stereotypes
Have cops center. Pass out paper
and pencils. Ask cops to go deep withinthemselv.es and write down all the myths
and vicious put-downs about police thatthey have encountered from ignorantcivilians. Examples: Cops are neveraround when you need them; cops arenaturally lazy and will not answer calls
for help in poor or out-of-the-way
neighborhoods; cops are more likely to

Scene: A park at night. The mujjled
noises of various muggings, gang wars,
and violent crimes can occasionally beheard in the distance as a ruggedly
handsome male cop patrols the area.
Enter: A young man with bleachedblond hair, wearing pink tank top andgold lame jeans. He minces over to cop
and speaks in lilting soprano.
Man: Yoo hoo! Mr.Officer!
Cop (a baritone): Yes, sir?
Man: You come here often, Beefcake?
Cop: Yes,·sir.
Man: Can I buy you a drink?
Cop: Say--what are you getting at, sir?
Man: It's this way, Joychunk: I am amilitant homosexual, and I
would like tOner, uh--play withyour nightstick.
Cop: I am not into that sort of thing,sir. Be gone.
Mari: Oh, I love jt when you talk likethatnit makes you look like
Nelson Eddy. (He grabs cop
and sweeps him romanticallySUSIE DAY cont'd

into his arms.)
Cop: Stop it, you brute! (Calls out:)
Help! Help! Entrapment!
Suddenly from the wings march two
police battalions in full dress uniform,
who rescue the lead cop, then bring him
downstage, where the entire company
sings all the choruses of "Stouthearted
Men." Curtain.

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Comer ChrIstopher' __~Exercise 4: A Kinder. Gentler Reality
Your cops are now ready to movefrom art to life, and begin to create theirown reality. Ask them to center andvisualize themselvd lying on a beautiful,warm beach. Watch their gruff exteriors
melt away as you explain that there is a
Great Scheme of Things, and that eveIY
one of them has a place in it. Yes, allthings are interconnected: the sun andthe moon, the wind and the waves havea vital role to play in this vast web of life,
just as cops themselves have a role toplay in the vast web of governmental
control that extends throughout thisgreat nation. Why, each of them, in asense, is as important as the JusticeDepartment or the FDA!
While cops are thus deeply relaxed,
calmly remind them that the U.S. now
holds 627,402 prisonersuthe
largestnumber of any countIY in the world--andthat 800Al of these prisoners are People of<=olor. As cops sink further into bliss,Monthspeak to them of the recent tough oncrime laws that detain people for years
SPECIAL
without bail; the bills for mandatory
AIDS testing and contract tracing; thebig, new detention centers for illegal
immigrants and political dissidents in theevent of a national emergency. CopsFirst 100
shouldexperience
complete .. New Membe,.
empowerment
and peace with theirwiththisad
world.
Now ask them to open their eyes.
Voila! Reality! There is a God! All hug.
Exchange addresses. And the next timethose cops bust a bunch of homos in abar, they'll do it with pride, knowing,
deep down, that somewhere there is a
Reason ...

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27

INSIDE OUT
by Ray Navarro
A Colorful Coalitionn Friday, May 26, an importantcoalition-building
meeting took
place at New York's Lesbian and Gay
Community Center. For the first time in
the Center's history, organizations
comprised of People of Color met, with
the intention of networking, establishingpolitical power within the Center, andpossibly marching together in the
Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade. The
question on everybody's mind: Why
hadn't such a meeting taken place
before? If you open any copy of theCenter Voice you'll find a large numberof listings representing various ethnic
groups within the lesbian and gay
community: Asian-Pacific Islanders,
Latinas and Latinos, and African
Americans.
The various groups in attendance,
however,have no intentionofhomogenizing their cultural differences
under the sign of ethriicity. East Coast
Asian
Pacific
IslanderLesbian
Association, Salsa Soul Sisters, Las
Buenas Amigas, Brooklyn Lesbian and
Gay Forum, Men of All Colors Together,Mama Doesn't Know Productions,Rainbow Repertory Theater, Lesbians
and Gays of Flatbush, Majority Actions
Committee of the AIDS Coalition to
Unleash Power (Aq UP) and Gay Men
of African Descent (GMAD) all agree on
this one point: The goal in working
together is to inform one another as totheir political intentions as activists
within various communities
withdiffering cultural heritages.
According to Daisy de Jesus, one of
the meeting's co-facilitators
and amember of Las Buenas Amigas, a Latina
lesbian group, the call for the meetingcame from GMAD. De Jesus agreed toattend because she recognized thenecessity that various groups should atleast coordinate
their own panel
discussions,workshops and social
events so as not to conflict with one
another. Even if effective coalitionbuilding seemed like a far off dream,"each group has its own activities andmany of us know each other, but we'd

O

28

OUTTWEEK

June 26, 1989

directors. B. Michael Hunter, a member
af GMAD and af Other Cauntries (aBlack gay men's writing callective), wasane af the primary arganizers af thismeeting. Hunter daes nat daubt theCenter's good intentians with respect to.
lesbian and gay People af Calar, but
stresses the necessity
far direct
representatian in the Center's decisianmaking bady. He says, "The Center isfalling into. the trap af claiming to. speakfar
the respective
Third Warldorganizatians. They may be making theright decisians ...but this is a matter af
direct access to. the decisians that are
being made." Hunter underscared thatany Peaple af Calar warking with thebaard must feel self-empaweredtorepresent the apinians and demands af
this ad hac caalitian.
"We need,sameane far wham ane af their primaryfunctians wauld be that."
Rabert Waadwarth, deputy directar
af the Center and Fran Galdstein,treasurer, bath attended the meeting andcardially extended whatever suppart theCenter cauld affer to. the group.
Hawever, ane unidentified white gay
Center valunteer challenged the group's
agenda as a whale, claiming that
introducing the problem af "race" into.
the concept af "gay pride". wauld
seriausly threaten the already fragile
involved in securing an effective political unity af New Yark's lesbian and gay
voice within the organized New York cammunity. The respa'nse af the group
was cardial, considering the backward
lesbian and gay community.
but widespread sentiment expressed in
The issue of the many groups
marching together in this year's Lesbian the camment .. Elbert Hunter, the Black
ca-facilitatar af the meeting, expressed
and Gay Pride Parade was vo.ted down,
the group concensus
that taking
primarily due to the fact that eachorganization had already planned its valuable meeting time away from thaseown activities for the march and had . in attendance to.explain such a camplex
already rented booths, etc. The Salsa issue to. ane af the few whites in the
Saul Sisters painted out that Women of raam wauld detract from the vitalbusiness an hand. Yet similar questians
Calar would spearhead this year's
parade, and that this had been wan anly were raised by same af the men in theroam as to.the privileging af gender averafter long negatiatian with the parade
arganizers.
Plans were made to. race or ethnicity in lesbian and gay
caardinate befare next year's parade so. discaurse. Again it was Salsa Saul Sisters
that all lesbian and gay Peaple af Calar who. effectively dispelled this misguided
and patentiallysexist view bycould march tagether if they so.chaase.
underscaring
the effects af lesbian
From here the discussian turned
toward the issue af why there are no. invisibility within Third Warld cultures.
Daisy de Jesus is encauraged by thePeaple af Calar on the Center's baard af
never gotten together like that, except
for maybe at the dedication of theCharles Angel Room ...The goal of themeeting was to set some guidelines, andthe more we talked the more it became
obvious that there were all of thesedifferent organizations, and that there
might be a network developing."
The strongest practical resolution
coming out of the meeting was theformation of a twenty-member steeringcommittee, comprised of representativesof each of the groups, who would
further discuss the logistical issues

The Lesbianand Gay
Community
Center is fa II ing
into the trap ofclaiming to
speak for Third
World
organizations.

establishment of a permanent "People ofColor Bulletin Board" above the water
fountainat the Center, but she
commented that, "the meeting was not a
direct response to the 20th anniversaryof Stonewall. It's just that our visibility at
the Center needs to increase, so thateach of us shows our presence to eachother with a stronger voice so that we
feel less isolated." I observed that while
direct action and protest were all part of
the history of the groups at this meeting,they did not shun the less glamorous but
essential tasks involved in networking
and building coalitions. This so as tomutually empower themselves to fightthe double-whammy of being lesbian orgay in this homophobic and racist city.

...
A GENERATION OF PRIDE!

THE NEW FRONTIER IN
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AIDS Treatment Newsby J9hn S. James

ITRACONAZOLE:
Affordable.Fluconazole
Substitute

If these options do not work, then for
more' information about obtaining
fluconazole or itraconazole from abroad,patients can call the PWAHealth Group,
212/532-0280.

mainstream researchers are synthesizing
the chemical, running animal studies andnegotiating for FDA permission to begin"phase I" human trials this year or next,
probably hundreds of people are alreadyusing herbal extracts. We are hearing
Reprinted by permission from AIDS
anecdotal reports of benefits, but thisTreatment News, P.O. Box 411256; San information is inherently limited because
luconazole is a very good antifungal
Francisco, CA94141.
of unknown self-selection biases, andwhich 'is taken by mouth; it isbecause different blood tests andeffective for cryptococcal meningitis anddifferent labs were used.
many other fungal infections. It is
The new monitoring study, formallyapproved in England: but not in theapproved May 22 by San Francisco's
United States, apparently because ofCommunity Research Alliance (CRA; forbureaucratic snafus. Some people havebackground on this community-based
obtained personal supplies fromresearchorganization,
see AIDS
England, but the drug is very expensive;
Treatment News issue #70, December 1,
maintenance doses for cryptococcal
1988), is for people who have not used
an Francisco area community
meningitis can cost as much as AZT,and
hypericin in the last six months, but plangroups have begun two small,insurance will not pay for fluconazole
to start using a standardized herbal
prospective monitoring studies to collect extract. (Standardized extracts are thosebecause it is not approved.
reliable information about potential
A'nother drug, itraconazole (brandwhich have been chemically tested
name Sporanox) may be almost as good AIDS/HIV treatments which have come during their manufacture and adjusted tointo use by patients but are not being contain' a uniform strength of an active
as fluconazole but much less expensive.
Itraconazole
is used to treat many . studied in formal clinical trials.
ingredient in every batch. Examples of"Monitoring" studies do not give St. John's wort extracts standardized for
different fungal diseases. It may be lesseffectivethanfluconazole
for treatment to anyone; they only collect hypericin content are Yerba Primadata. Therefore they are much easier to tablets, Psychotonin
cryptococcal
meningitis, however,tincture, andalthough it is sometimes used for that set up and administer than the large- Hyperforat tincture.)condition. Itraconazole is available in scale, randomized trials favored by large'
The study will last four months.
institutions. "Prospective" means that "Baseline" testing (before treatment
Mexico, and it either is or is soon
expected to be available in the UK. We these monitoring studies are designed in begins) includes P24 antigen, T-cell
do not have exact price information, but advance, allowing clean, uniform data subsets, CMI,Beta 2 microglobulin, CBC,gathering: the same blood tests for ESR, and SMA 25, as well as physicalhave heard that treatment
withevery patient, on the same schedule and examination and medical history. Blood
itraconazole (obtained from Mexico)
at the same la'b; uniform· physicalcosts about $1.50 to ,$3.00 per day,tests are given monthly; the last visit
examinations,medicalhistory
depending on the dose.
includes a second physical exam. A totalinterviews, and patient diary forms; and of five monthly visits is required.
Anyorieconsideringusing
fluconazole or itraconazole should also an overall study design approved in
All tests are paid for by the CRA. At
advance by a scientific committee. If this time, the CRAhas enough money toconsider the more conventional options.
Amphotericin B (AMB),which is readily successful, these studies can serve as enroll 30 patients. More will be enrolled
for rapid, communityavailable, is probably at least as effective precedents
if the money can be raised.
as fluconazole. Its drawbacks are that it controlled research projects to get
Note: Ten patients per month willmust be given intravenously, it can cause reliable data for patients and physicians, be enrolled in this observational study.
as soon as new treatments come into If you are interested in volunteering, call
unpleasant side effects, and someuse.
patients cannot tolerate it at all.
the Community Research Alliance at
If AMB cannot be used, a patient.
415/626-2145. If more than ten qualify
may be able to qualify for a trial of THE HYPERICIN STUDY
for the study, ten will be chosen by afluconazole, or for compassionate use
lottery; those riot chosen the first month
We have previously reported on will be considered again in later months.
in which case the drug will probably befree. Physicians only who want to find hypericin, an antiretroviral found in St. The first ten may be able to start by lateout how to enroll their patients should John's wort, a plant long used in herbal June. However, no starting date can becall the developer, Pfiser Inc., at medicine (see AIDS Treatment News guaranteed, and there will probably be#63, 74, 75, 77, and 78).
While
203/441-4112.
more volunteers than can be accepted.

F

San Francisco:.Hypericin, Ozone
Monitoring Projects
Beg'in.

S

n

30

our'YWEEK

June 26, 1989

..

It is very important that people whoenter this study have not used hypericinin the previous six months. Otherwise,
benefits may have already occurred
before the first physical exam and blood
test; and therefore the study would missthem and misleadingly underestimate
the value of the treatment.
All other treatments (AZT, etc.) are
OK, however, either before or during thestudy. One of the rules of a monitoring
study is that it does not ask people tochange the treatments they would beusing anyway. These must be reported
to researchers, of course.
The Community Research Allianceis also looking for volunteers for office
work, e·tc. If you can -help, call thenumber above.
OZONE STUDY
Ozone is being studied as an
AIDS/HIV treatment in Germany, but
aside from a small trial for AIDS-related
diarrhea at the Veterans Administration
Hospital in San Francisco, there are nogovernment or corporate clinical trials in
the United States. Recently, however, agroup of ten persons with AIDS or HIV
jointly purchased an ozone machine for
their own use, and before beginning thetreatment they organized their own
monitoring study, with the help ofresearch nurse Leland Traiman. Mr.
Traiman runs mainstream AIDS clinicaltrails professionally, and he volunteered
to help coordinate the patients' ozone
trial.
This eight-month study includes thesame blood tests as the hypericin
protocol described above. (These tests
are becoming a core subset of uniform
blood work and data collection forms, tobe used in many prospective monitoringstudies.)Laboratory work, medical
history and physical exams were given
before treatment started to obtainbaselinevalues; eight additional
appointments were scheduled over the
next eight months. The baseline andtwo other blood drawings have alreadyoccurred; the fourth blood draw isscheduled for the end of May.

At this time, the ozone trial is not close cooperation
between public
officially sponsored by any organization, agencies and private, mostly volunteer
it belongs entirely to the people in the organizations, in providing prevention
education to the general public andstudy. When they obtained the ozone
services to those who are ill. However,machine, the Community Research
Alliance was newly organized and not this model has traditionally not included
ready to approve and administer a study. any involvement with research.
The ozone and hypericin studies
But the patients were ready to start, andof course they did not want to wait for a suggest a new, additional model for theyears ahead. Small but well conductedstudy. So the Healing Alternatives
researchstudies
are within theFoundation (the San Francisco buyers'capabilities of grassroots organizations.
club) donated $2,500 for initial blood
work; without that support at a critical The key test of the success of thesetime, the baseline values could not have projects is whether they produce
been obtained and the study would have information which is credible to frontbeen lost. The entire trial will cost about line AIDS physicians, and useful to$10,000, almost all of it for lab work, as patients and physicians alike in making
Mr. Traiman's time is volunteer. Money treatment decisions. Community groups
from an anonymous benefactor, from responsive first and foremost to patients'
AIDS Treatment News, and from Mr. interest can move much faster thanfederal or corporate bureaucracies everTraiman himself has kept the study
will; if they can generate solid treatment
going so far.
information, they will make a major
Recently the Berkely Gay Men's
contributio'n
to saving lives and
Health Collective offered to assist by
improving quality of life.
housing the ozone monitoring project in
These small studies, which combine
the Berkelely Free Clinic building.
the work of professionals, activists, andAfter seven weeks of ozone
other volunteers, are also relevant totreatment, no dramatic changes havepublic policy in a time of scarce
been found.
At three weeks,
resources. Monitoring studies cost very
lymphocyte
counts had improved·little to run. If they produce useful
substantially for many of the patients;
treatment information, they should pay
other
blood
work
showedno for themselves many times over bymeaningful change. By the seventh
reducing the need for hospitalization
week, however, these counts had
and other treatment, by keeping people
returned to close to their baseline values. productively employed instead orill, andAt this time there is no' evidence of any by developing very low cost treatment
benefit, or of any harm, from the ozone options (such as hypericin herbal
treatment.
extracts) which other U.S. research
The lack of ealry results does not institutions seldom or never do.
discourage Mr. Traiman. "There are noconclusive results so far; it's too early to Reprinted by permiSSIOn of AIDS
Treatment News, P.O. Box 411256, San
telLI don't believe or disbelie.ve thatozone is an effective therapy. I've heard Francisco, CA 94141. Tsome strong positive anecdotal reports,
and I want to learn if there is any
scientific basis behind them."
A NEW MODELRESPONSE?

FOR COMMUNITY

One of the most successful
responses to the AIDS epidemic so far
has been the "San Francisco model"-June 26, 1989

OUTTWEEK

31

PRESCRIPTIVE FITNESS
A New

250

West

54th

Total

Concept
inFitness

Street,

New

York

(212)

489-5215

Political Scienceby Mark Harrington

TREATMENTDECISIONS
Dearly beloved, we are gathered
here today to get through this thingcalled fife ... In this fife, things aremuch harder than in the afterworld.
In this fife, you're on your own.
Prince, Let's Go Crazy

rtist Brian Damage has been livingwith AIDS since before that big
disease got its little name. His lymph
glands were massively swollen. His
doctors diagnosed lymphoma. They
wanted to operate, irradiate and dose
him up with chemotherapy. He said no,walked out, and treated himself fo~seven years with herbs, vitamins and amacrobiotic diet. In 1988 he got PCP.
He switched from alternative to medical
interventions, took pentamidine and
AZT and survived. Since then, he joined
the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power(ACT UP), marched at the Food andDrug Administration, became infectedwith MAl (a debilitating gastrointestinal
and blood infection), and endured two
more hospitalizations. Again he rejected
his doctors' plans, this time to install a
Hickman catheter in his chest and to
remove his spleen. He's out of thehospital and doing artwork.
His story is instructive not becauseof its particulars.
Some people farepoorly on a macrobiotic diet. Others
eschew AZT. The point is that even at
the outset of the disease, some people
made their own treatment decisions.
That's what this column is all about.
Knowledge is a tool. In the righthands, it can be a weapon for selfdefense. The government, the media
and the drug companies haven't giventhat weapon to people infected with
HIV,the virus believed by many to cause
AIDS, to empower them to maketreatment
decisionsand to keep
themselves alive. There are many ways
to stay·alive. I know people who have
lived with AIDS for years. Some were in
the original AZT trial. Some think AZT is

A

poison and would never take it. I know
many people who had ARC symptoms,
intervened
early, got aggressive
treatment, continually monitor theirstatus and are' now asymptomatic.
The overwhelming mediocrity ofNothing that is\Nritten or said
about AIDS
should ever be
accepted
uncritically.
most reporting on the medical aspects of
AIDS has contributed
heavily to
America's inadequate response to theepidemic. Mainstream organs like the
New York Times maintainrigid
separations between articles about drugs
for AIDS (Science Times), the impact of
AIDS in New York City Cin the Metrosection)andnational
political
ramifications of AIDS (main section).
Compartmentalizingthese aspeCts
maintains artificial distinctions, resulting
in journalism which fails to piece
together the complicated interplay ofpolitical, economic and scientificmotives which drive AIDS drug
development.
Ironically, it is thefinancial papers, such as the Wall Street
Journal and Barron's, which provide theclearest picture of this interplay. Yet
their target audience is the investmentcommunity,
prQvidedwith thisinformation for the purposes of making
money, and not the HIV-infectedindividuals who must face difficult
treatment decisions on a daily basis.
In 1989, for the first time, there are
too many promising agents that need to
be tested in people with AIDS or HIV,instead of too few. Existing medical andgovernmental structures are inadequate
to test all the new anti-AIDS agents.
Existing media outlets are inadequate tospread new treatment information topeQple who need it.

This column will be an advocacy
tool to disseminate such information andit will hopefully be helpful to people
making treatment decisions. Talking
about treatments
is hard.
AIDS
advocates are not doctors.
We arelearning as we go, and we will makesome mistakes along the way. Nothingthat is written or said about AIDS should
ever . beaccepted
uncritically.
Skepticism, constant questioning andrelentless challenging of establishedauthorities are the only way to find out
what works. Different combinations will
work for different people. The only
person qualified to make the final

For the first time, .
there are too many
promising agentsthat need to betested instead of
too fe\N.
decision is the person taking thetreatment.
Many people who have been livingwith AIDS for a long time are
activists-and I' do mean in the broadest
sense of the word: They all question
authority, constantly seek new treatment
information,
check their doctors'
opinions with other doctors and theirown friends, are open about their HIV or
AIDS status and agitate at every
opportunity for better health care andfaster research.
Two weeks ago, at the 5thInternational Conference on AIDS in
Montreal, San Francisco epidemiologist
Thomas Coates reported that people
involved in AIDS activism fared betterand lived longer.
Activism is theintervention which treats both people
with HIV and the diseased body politic.

...

June 26, 1989.

OUTTWEEK

33.

Positive Alternatives
by Bob LedererT

his column will appear evexy three
the Biological Assessment of Syphilis
weeks offering practical information and Immune Suppression(BASIS)
project, has done exhaustive medical
and political analysis of holistic andand treatedalternative treatments for AIDS,ARCana research, interviewed
hundreds of People With AIDS (PWAs),'HIV+. I inten.d to share the facts behindand developed an elaborate theoxy of
the growing belief that non-toxic,
immune-building
approaches
may the connections between AIDS,.syphilis
prevent these conditions from being a and antibiotics. A variety of doctors,
death sentence.
I use "holistic" t6 scientists, activists and PWAs have built
on this work and are now demanding
include: 1) well-practiced techniques
answers from the medical establishment.
other than orthodox Western medicine,Firs.r, a few basic facts, eachsuch as acupuncture,
herbology,
supported by numerous medical journal
homeopathy
and nutritional
supplementation; and 2) changes in living articles:•
Syphilis is caused by a bacteriapractices such as diet, exercise, addiction
treatment, stress reduction and building called a spirochete. Unless fully treated,
the infection goes through four stages:
self-esteem. By "alternative" I mean
primaxy .(sometimes a chancre or cold
Western medical treatments generally
ignored or discouraged by the medical sore at the point of infection); secondaxy(vague symptoms like rashes, swollen
establishment,such as the typhoidvaccine and pc;nicillin (based on the . lymph nodes, weight loss); latent (nosymptoms, can last up to 15 years); amd
theorized AIDS-syphilislink).
tertiaxy (heart problems, blindness andBesides
examiningparticulardisorderssuchastreatments, a recurrent theme will lor mental
neurosyphilis which is akin to AIDS
include careful analysis of alternative
dememtia).
theories of AIDS causes and co-factors• Syphilis can cause serious immune
and the political barriers blocking
scientific studies of these theories and of suppression. And evexy known AIDS
alternative treatments. I will also look at symptom has been found in secondaxy
the negative role played by the American
Medical' Association, the pharmaceutical
The theory linking
industxy and their allies at the Food and
AIDS to syphilis is
Drug Administration, and the National
Institutes of Health. r' will also speak
poorly understood.
about activist responses to these issues,
which are currently being developed byortertiary
syphilis-including
the Alternative and Holistic Treatment
pneumocystis
pneumonia
and Kaposi's
Subcommittee of the AIDS Coalition To
sarcoma. (Dr. Kaposi discovered theUnleash Power {ACTUP).
sarcoma in syphilitics.) Throughout
This week I'd like to focus
specifically on the role of syphilis and histoxy,. syphilis has been called "Theby medical
antibiotic overuse in the onset of AIDS. Great Masquerader"
The theory that AIDS is linked to practitioners as it is often misdiagnosed.
• Studies of gay PWAshave shown aadvanced, undiagnosed syphilis has
have had known
generated much controversy, but is still high percentage
historiesofsyphilis;much higher thanpoorly understood.
Some of its
advocates-uscientists,
journalists and have had gonnorhea, and significantly
publishers---have weakened their cases higher than among HIV-negative gay
Evidence among all AIDSby presenting the issues emotionally or men.
with minimal documentation. But since populations also shows high rates ofprevious miscellaneous infections and1986, Joan McKenna, a Berkeley
physiologist and Research Director of longterm antibiotic use.

34

OUTTWEEK

June 26, 1989•
For several years before AIDS, themajority of U.S. syphilis cases had beenamong gay men and IV-drug users, andthe tropical countries of Haiti andCentral Africa have historically had highrates of either syphilis or vexy similar
infections ·called yaws and pinta.
Syphilis is spread in ways much like
AIDS, including
throughblood
transfusions,hemophiliac
blood
products and from mother to baby.
• For 20 years, doctors in the U.S. andAfrica have warned of a growing
epidemic of undiagnosed advanced
syphilis cases, due to several factors:
Many people with syphilis do not show
the primaxy-stage chancres or cold sores(therefore
theirsecondary-stage
symptoms are often misdiagnosed);blood tests for antibodies to the syphilis
spirochete are increasingly unreliable.
In recent years, more people withsyphiUs are testing' negativ@ either
because they are given cheap andimprecise tests-especiallyin U.S.
clinics-or because even the morereliable tests miss many cases. Also,
many of these people's immune systems
are compromised so much that they are
no longer making antibodies.
• After the massive introduction of
penicillin, the "miracle cure," in 1945,
syphilis cases greatly decreasedforseveral years. In the late 1950s, therecommended
penicillin treatment
became benzathene (an oil-based form).
Since 1986 there has been a rapid rise,in
U.S.cases, particularly among Black and
Latino heterosexuals.
Dr. Nicholas
Fiumara, former Director of Infectious
Diseases at the Massa~husetts HealthDept. (one of the foremost syphologists)
is one of many physicians who havelong argued that the officiallyrecommended cine-shot dosage level ofpenicillin is far too low and short-term.
The result: many people with syphilis
have had their symptoms masked bydosages that suppress
immediate
symptoms but do not kill the spirochetes
paving the way for their virulent
reemergence years later.
How does all this explain AIDS?

Researcher McKenna and other theorists common passenger virus which emerges
argue AIDS may be a combination of from latency (indUCing antibody
inadequately treated syphilis, massive, production)
after serious immune
longterm use of antibiotics (whether for suppression.
,
syphilis, other sexually transmitted
What does this mean for treatment?
diseases, or simply strep throats) and, The vaccine for typhOid-the preferred
for those who use them, street drugs--- treatment
for neurosyphilis
until
alf of which have documented
1957-was patented for AIDStreatment in
immunosuppressive effects. This may .1986 by retired medical technologist Sal
not explain all AIDS cases, but theyCatapano. Catapano has been correctlybelieve at least a large percentage. And criticized for refusing to publish his
the timing may be explainedby scientific pata, but one of the 26 doctors
COincidingexplosions since the 1960s of using his vaccine reported (in the March
freely-expressed gay male sexuality (and 30, 1989 issue of Medical Tribune) somethe STDs that followed), antibiotic.symptom improvements in 60 of 100
overuse and street drug use. This may PWAs using it for several months. The
have been aggravated by a virulent
theory is that the vaccine "jumpstarts"
strain of syphilis brought back. by U.S. the immune response and enables it totroops from tropical Viet Nam. HIV, the begin fighting the syphilis infection.
theory says, may simply be the most Dramatically, syphilis blood tests ofmany PWAs using the vaccine havechanged from negative to positive,reflecting the newly-renewed immune
response .. Other doctors have used oral
or intravenous aqueous penicillin inlarge doses. And holistic healers have
used
such
provenanti-syphilis
approaches as homeopathy and herbs,
each with some success in PWAs,thoughthat work is barely beginning.
I do not claim to have definitive
answers, much less "the cure." But thestrong evidence generated by these
theorists-whatever
their personal
quirks-deserves study and investigation,
not the neglect and scorn of the medical
establishment.
If you have any questions, pleasewrite me in care of this magazine. And
don't miss the valuable forum on AIDS-

presents it's ongoing series

THE SYPHILIS CONNECTION
Joan McKenna. Ph.D.
Director of Research at the BASIS Project(Biological Assessment ofSyphilis and Immune Suppression),

who will be
speaking
on:• 60% of people with a hi~toryof syphilis shO'N indicationsof super-infection for syphilis in their blood ... and over ahalf of these show complete disappearance of anti-bodies.

Assessment of Riskfor
I nadequately TreatedDrug-Distorted
Syphilis ...

• PWAs patients who are adequately treated for syphilis ..
lose various S'imptoms such as Kaposi Sarcoma lesions,night sweats, rashes, diarrhea, fevers, and more.

Date: Thursday,June 29. 1989. Tone: 8 pm
Place: 441 Lafayette Street, Manhattan.Oust south of Astor Place subway station)
Suggested Donation $5.00

June 26, 1989

OUTTWEEK

35

':::':':':

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syphilis connections and treatments with
Joan McKenna on Thursday, June 29, at 8p.m. at 441 Lafayette St, sponsored by
HEAL(Health Education AIDS Liaison), $5
requested donation.
Info: (212) 674HOPE. T

SAFER SEX GUIDELINES
1.

THE BEST IN GROOMING FOR ALL BREEDS OF
DOGS AND CATS~~?~*

164 Christopher Street

USE A CONDOM WHEN FUCKING.
Avoid oil-based lubricants such as
baby oil, Vaseline, Crisco etc., as they
can cause condoms to break. Instead
use water-based lubes like KY. The
older a condom, the less reliable, sofind condoms whose' manufacturer's
dates are less than three months old.

2.

USE A CONDOM DURING ORAL SEX.
If you don't, avoid placing the head ofyour partner's cock in your mouth.
HIV-infected cum or precum canenter your bloodstream through cuts,tears or ulcers in your mouth.

3.

USE DENTAL DAMS DURING ORALVAGINAL SEX. HIV is present in someamounts in vaginal secretions, urine,
menstrual blood and infection-related
vaginal discharge.

4.

NEVERSHARE WORKS. This includes
needles, syringes, droppers, spoons,cottons or cookers. If you must reuseworks, clean them after each use
with bleach, or in an emergency withrubbing alcohol or vodka, by drawing
the solution into the needle threetimes and then drawing clean water
into the needle three times.

5.

AVOID FISTING, RIMMING, OR
SHARING UNCLEANED SEXTOYS.

6.

AVOID ALCOHOL, POPPERSOROTHERDRUGS. Many people areunable to maintain safer sex
practices after getting high.

7.

DON'T HESITATETO: Fuck with acondom, have oral sex with acondom. Play with, but don't share,clean sex toys, vibrators and dildoes.
Enjoy massage, hugging,
masturbation (alone, with a partner orin a groupl, and role-playing.
Remember, sex is good, and gay sex
is great. Don't avoid sex, just avoid
the virus. Learn to eroticize safer sex
and you can protect others, remain
safe and have fun. T

SEX.
POLITICS.
-.'l/

_..'"

"

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June 26, 1989

OUT~WEEK37

Wonderful
StrifeThe Story Of Stonewall

by James WallerT

he date we're'given isJune 27, 1969,
and, really, that's the date I'd preferto assign it, since it was my sixteenthbirthday. But to be more accurate, at
about 1:30 on the morning of Saturday,
June 28, 1969, there commenced theevent that a character in Doric Wilson's
play Street Theater claims will destinethat night to "live forever in the annals ofanals." The event that a Mattachine
Society flier, handed out on the street
sometime during the following few days,
described as "The Hairpin Drop Heard
Around the World."
To wit, theStonewall...what? The Stonewall Riot?
Rebellion? The StonewaJI Uprising,maybe? Well, let's bow to tradition andcall it a riot, but let's be careful toremember, also, that we're not talking
about anything on the scale of Watts
1965, or the bloody festivities that
accompanied the Democratic National
Convention in Chicago in 1968, or even,to bring the matter a little closer to what
we in the ensuing years have come tolook on as our history, the storming ofCity Hall that followed Dan White'sconvictionof manslaughter(inconnection with the killing of Harvey
Milk and George Moscone) in San
Francisco in 1979. The Stonewall Riot,
the Moment One from which the current
gay and lesbian liberation movement has
ever after reckoned its birth, was analtogether smaller affair.
But, given this preliminary caution,
what can we say more or less for certain
actually happened that night? That at
sometime after midnight a small groupof police officers (all but one in plain
clothes) led by Inspector Seymour Pineand Deputy Inspector Charles Smyth of
NYPD's First Division entered the38

OUT~WEEK

June 26, 1989

Stonewall Inn, a gay bar at 53
Christopher Street on the north side ofSheridan Square, with the intention of
conducting a raid. That, after having
positioned themselves inside the bar andtelephoned
the Sixth Precinct forassistance, they initiated the raid, whose
ostensible purpose was to stop theillegal sale of liquor at the Stonewall,
which, in violation of State Liquor
Authority regulations, was operating as

Lucky the riot
began atbar
called Stonevvall.
Imagine naming
the event.for the
Snake Pit, or, Godforbid, the Sevver.

aan unlicensed private club. (Admission
was, by the way, three bucks.) That fora time things proceeded according tocustom. (One of the things that's socurious, from the vantage of 1989, is that
there was a definite, time-honored
protocol for raiding gay' bars; a protocol
to some extent respected by both sides,
and which the Stonewall incident, to thesurprise of the police and undoubtedly
some of the rioters themselves,demolished forever.)A paddy wagon arrived outside.
The Stonewall's customers were lined up
and, for the most part, were allowed toemerge freely onto the street one-by-one
after their IDs were examined. A crowd,
composed of patrons who'd alreadybeen released and of passers-by, began

to gather. The mood at first seems tohave been almost festive; there was agreat deal of boisterous
reparteebetween those who'd been let go andthe customers still emerging from thebar, some of whom took the occasion to
make campy, dramatic entrances onto
the sidewalk, and this was accompanied
by some innocuous baiting of the police.
It's now that the reports begin togrow a little fuzzy. Something ticked thecrowd off, rapidly bringing to a violent
boil the anger that had been cloaked by
the bitchy, mocking humor. The policemanhandledsomeone,or several
someones, and the till-then harmless
taunts that had peppered the cops weresuddenly transformed into fighting
words and projectiles. Just who thecops roughed up isn't so clear. One
published account from that week says
"one guy," another claims it was a"dyke," yet another that it was "threedrag queens and a dyke." Apparently,
the police were having a bit of
unexpected trouble while trying to load
one or several of their intended token
detainees into a police vehicle (squad
car or paddy wagon--again, the stories
differ). He, or she, or they resisted, or
seemed to, and the cops overreacted,
bringing jeers--"Pigs! Police brutality!"-and then coins, and then stones andcans. hurtling from the crowd, which by
now had swelled to several hundred.
The police handling the raid were,as I said, few in number--six or eight(the reports differ), including two
policewomen--and were incapable ofdealing with the situation that was
erupting. So, to protect themselves, theyordered away the paddy wagon (orsquad car) with instructions to return

quickly with reinforcements, and then
The trouble is that this nutshellraising of the flag at Iwo Jima and likebeat a hurried retreat back inside the bar, account doesn't square with our picture images of valorous triumph.
Theby this time emptied of its clientele.
of the thing, whether the images are difficulty is that the facts--"stupid things,"
They bolted the door, and the siege of drawn from the Paris Commune of 1849 as Ronald Reagan reminded us in a
the Stonewall commenced.
or, as in one of the exhibits in the' speech last year--concerningwhat
The siege lasted forty-five minutes. Imagining Stonewall show at the Lesbian happened that night display a definite
Reading about it, you're struck both by and Gay Community Center, from Mack absence of sandbags, semi-automaticthe event's brevity and, oppositely, by Sennett's "Keystone Cops Comedies."
weapons, and all such paraphernalia.
how long it took for additional police to When people talk about Stonewall, they The facts even show a distressing wantarrive and sufficiently disperse the speak of drag queens "leading theof self-consciously political motivation
crowd to rescue their comrades inside. charge"--conjuring a bizarre variation on on the part of the rioters. Craig Rodwell,Those three-quartersof an hour
the image of Liberty Leading the Peo!?le. proprieter 'of the even-then-in-operation
constituted a very dangerous time, for Trash cans were set afire, apparently,
Oscar Wilde Bookshop, was quoted inrioters and cops alike, and it's surprising and there was some localized window1971 as saying that, when he happened
that the confrontation didn't end up smashing.
(Vito Russo told me he onto the scene of the already-in-progress
being a lot bloodier.
The riotersremembers seeing a couple of people
disturbance that night, he joined thesubjected. the Stonewall's
crowd and began chanting "Gaystorefront
to continuous
Power," but that very few ofbarrage.
The plate glass
those surrounding him botheredwindows were smashed, but
to join in.
these were backed by plywood
Anger'there certainly was,sheets and so it took awhile-and a good measure of plain oldand quite a bit of hammering
fed-upness. That summer, young
away--for the rioters to gain
as it was, had already beenaccess to the inside from thatmarked by a wave of police
direction. Using, among otherharassment of bars that, as thethings, an upended parking
Times would have put it backmeter as a battering ram, thethen, "ailegedly catered to arioters managed to breakhomosexual clientele."Andthrough the door fairly easily.
reports have it that one evening
Coins, cans a:nd bottles rained
severalweeks
beforethethrough the entryway, and one
Stonewall a dozen or moreof the cops got his face cut
paddy wagons pulled up to theinspiring Pine to rush outside
cruising grounds near the docks
and grab the man he'd instantly
on West Street and carted people
decidedwas the culprit,
off wholesale.
Nor did thedragging
him inside andharassment end with Stonewall:
subjecting him to a brutal oncea few weeks later, an after-hours
over; the man, the folksinger SPREADING THE 'NEWS'club called the Snake Pit, on
Dave Van Ronk (a fact all the 'Homophiles" with the first Come Out!. 1969.
Tenth, was subjected to a vicious
Times accounts mention), was IPhoto courtesy Jim Fouratt)raid-(one of those arrested thatlater charged with assault.
night died in police custody).
Once the boards covering the window breaking the glass of a little toy store I've been thinking, lately, how fortuitous
had been battered open, a hand jutted' next to the bar.) In a hilariously
it is that the riot we honor occurred inthrough, squirting lighter fluid onto the overstated account that appears in a front of a place as felicitously named as
floor and following it up with a match, recent issue of Workers' World, the the Stonewall. Consider how much
but the resulting blaze was quickly
Stonewall Rebellion is portrayed as an more difficult it would be to persuade
doused. Improbably, the cops found a organized "pitched battle" in which
the city fathers (or ourselves, for that
firehose inside the bar and, fitting its hundreds of lesbians and gay men
matter) to commemorate' an event taking
nozzle through a crack in the door,
its name from an establishment called
rampage through the streets of theturned it on the crowd, but it produced
the Snake Pit, or the Tele-Star, or, God
Village, gleefully tossing Molotov
only an ineffectual spray and was shut cocktails at the forces of oppression.
forbid, the Sewernwhich were the otheroff after a few of those outside started to And even in Doric Wilson's much more . bars raided that summer.
romp in the impromptu fountain.
But, come - to think of it, it's
sober and highly ironicnthough no less
At a point late in the siege the mythologizing--Street
Theater, the somewhat peculiar. that we celebrate-officers, whose barricades were rapidly "revolting fags" (and dykes, and felfow that is, beatify as a symbol of freedom-crumbling, actually drew their guns, but travelers) who coalesce during the play's the Stonewall Inn. Freedom--despite theby that time more police had arrived and final moments arrange themselves into a not unimportant fact that the Stonewall
the mob outside was being broken up.
continued on page 74
grouping meant, I guess, to evoke thenJune 26, 1989

our~WEEK39

T

Wall OCStone?
A Girlls
Guide toStonelNall
by Maria Maggenti
hen I came out as a le:;bianalmost seven years ago, I had
never heard of Stonewall. Not
the bar, not the riot, not the time orplace or meaning. In fact, I had nevergiven much thought to gay liberation or
gay rebellion. To me it was all about
girls, love, feminism, anti-potn, getting
rid of the white male heterosexual
power structure, having a girlfriend.
Gay meant boys and lesbian meant girls
and that seemed to be all there was toit. Now I cannot imagine not knowing
about Stonewall. It has become a partof my queer vocabulary, a kind of
landmark on the political arid social
landscape of gay and lesbian history;huge, unavoidable
and somehow

lesbians? Especially those of us whocame of age after gay liberation, during
post-feminism, Girl Bars, AIDS andReagan? It is a difficult and complex
relationship,
full of contradictory
feelings and impressions. Stonewall, inmany ways, encapsulates a number ofpast tensions between lesbian and gay
men, and yet also holds some sense ofand start doing things in the present.
'Especially lesbians," she says. "Nowthat feminism is dead, let's get
something going that's our very own!'
Everyone nods in approval. Several
other women gathered around the tableshare this opinion.
Stonewallismeaningful as a piece of gay history
and as an example of gay resistance,

promise for the present and future of
the queer nation.

but specifically to lesbians it seems"distant,' "surreal,· "more about men
than about women." One cute girl witha red bandana tied around her sleek
blond head says that she relates moreto Madonna as a symbol of lesbiansexual rebellion than to Stonewall.
This is the generation of gay 'men
and lesbians playing and working
together where lesbian resistance takes
the form of working together, or
wearing Chanel lipstick and a blackleather bra; where marching in Gay
Pride Parades and buying On Our
Backs is as common as subscribing to
Off Our Backs once was. But that can't.
be all there is to it.
Lesbian resistance certainly hasn't
been reduced to a series of fashion
statements nor have any of us managed
to get this far without the struggles ofW

We are all sitting in a bar, sipping
beers and trading our opinions about
Stonewall. We are all under thirty andmost of us have been out lesbians for atleast five years. I have asked everyone
a few questions: What do they think ofStonewall? Do they identify with it? Do
they consider it "their' moment inhistory the way that gay men seem to
do? How does it resonate?
The youngest of the women I speakwith is not yet twenty years old and. laughs out loud in response to myquestion. "I wasn't even born yet!" shehoots. "To me it will never be anything
but ancient history.' She goes on to 'saythat,
in fact, she would rather see theinevitable. But exactly what is thegaycommunity
stop looking to the pastmeaning of the Stonewall Rebellion for

40

OUTTWEEK

June 26, 1989

all 'those who went before us. So, what
are the other possible meanings ofStonewall to lesbians? What happenedon thay night that informs the lives andactions of contemporary dykes?
I am told that "a lesbian started itall." When the police commenced their
typical routine of rough arrest during
the raid on the Stonewall Inn that nightin June 1969, the drag queens waltzed
into the vans camping it up and hooting
and hollering at the boys in blue. A
dyke refused to go quietly. She started
to resist and the queens standing
nearby started to throw coins at the.police, mocking them and insulting
them. Or when the police invaded thebar, the' drag queens locked the cops
inside and started to set the place onfire and threw coins and bonles at thepolice as they tried to get out and thenpeople in the neighborhood jOined inand there was a riot and that was· thebirth. of gay liberation. Trying to findout ·what really happened"'ls like trying
to examine a small seashell under amicroscope· that is smeared with
Vaseline. You really can't see anyone
aspect very dearly and when you talkto people it is like the tale ofRashomon; everyone has a different
story. But does it ,maner if lesbians were
there or not? For most of the women I
spoke With, the actual involvement of
lesbians in the fight with the police thatnight was not a significant factor in
shaping their opinions. One woman
pointed out that if the same thing
happened at a women's bar that night(as it probably did for many nights
before and after the Stonewall Inn), we
certainly wouldn't be making such a big
deal out of it today. In fact, another
woman says, we probably would nevereven have known about it.
Part of the difficulty for thisgeneration, it seems, has to do with thecircumstances
underwhich theStonewall Rebeilion happened. Few ofus can fathom having to live throughbar raids though many of us haveengaged in protests that involved
police, police harassment and brutality,

arrest and court trials. Some of us
cannot understand what it would be
like
not to fight
back.
But
Simultaneously, the thrill of Stonewall islocated in something that most of us
know; that it is always profoundly
dangerous and miraculous when gays
and lesbians fight back at all. This is not
because the rewards of our silence areso great, for we have few rewards toshow for that experience. Instead, it isbecause few lesbians and gay men haveescaped the hovering shadow ofinternalized homophobia. That little
squeaky voice that says, ·You don't
deserve to walk down the street safely,

that, and throughout the next decade
when gay liberation and lesbian groups
flourished.
As one young woman
pointed out to me, "even the men
thought the root of gay opression was
sexism. Can you imagine how cool thatwould have been?"

I have searched my mind for alesbian "equivalent" to Stonewall. What
I have found instead is a series ofanonymous women throughout history
who refused to conform to accepted
standards of female sexual and social
behavior, and thus parted a deep sea
for the women who followed them.
This is a legacy of women who
survived and created themselves against
If the same thing
great odds so that I could defiantly face
happened
my mother and tell her that the real
sickness was her homophobia, not my\Nomen1s bar, \Nelesbianism. So that I could turn aroundprobably \Nould
with lipstick on my mouth, kiss mynever have kno\Nn .lover on the subway and believe this isa radical act. So that I could marchabout'it.
miles with other lesbians and gay men
you don't deserve to enjoy sex thatto show the world that we will always
much, you don't deserve to get the best love ourselves even if the world nevertreatment possible, you don't deserVe to will.
live the way you want."
These are the things of Stonewall -Stonewall is thus the ultimate
on the one hand, a certain amount of
fantasy, that all these people who are privilege, a sense of entitlement granted
derided and degraded not just in the and earned only because of all thosestraight
world but in our own
dykes and fags who fought in thecommunity also (the ones who "stand streets before us, and on the otherout too much," the drag queens andhand, a sense of impatience for the pastdiesel dykes) would raise up in a blaze and a desire to get\moving in theof funky, campy glory to show thepresent. Not just for the future but forworld that they're mad as hell and
NOW. In this respect Stonewall serves
they're not going to take it anymore.
as somewhat of a beacon for young gay
And in so doing create a place ·to walk men and lesbians,thoughnotwhere there was none before, a place necessarily in its details but in its
to dance where there was none before, whole, not necessarily in its facts but ina place to scream and shout and rant its mythology: fierce collective rage andand rave and write and organize and defiant self-love in the face of centuries
BE. This is the center where theo~ harassment,
brutalityandlesbians I spoke with found a sense of indifference. For lesbians, in particular,
connection. It is in the fact of fighting whose liberation as lesbians has yet toback, reSisting, rioting and standing up come, this is not a simple lesson infor yourself as a dyke or a fag tfiat is history
but rather
a complex
the real legacy. For at '-he same time intersection with it, a small piece ofthat there is a kind of distance, .there is which we each take with us everytime
an expressed desire to have "beenwe say, even to ourselves, "I am lesbian
there" that night, and the night after and proud." ...

a.t aJune 26, 1989

OUTTWEEK41

T

f\E5cLLJON OVER
Did Judy
Cause
StonelNall?
by Vito Russo
he death of Judy Garland in
London in the summer of 1969
coincided with the Stonewall
Riots in Greenwich Village. It was also
the year in which Mart Crowley's The
Boy's in the Band was brought to the big
screen, making it the first Hollywood
film in which all but one character wasgay. These two events symbolicallyhammered the final nail into the coffin ofgay self-hatred, as well as the preliberation world of star worship on a
grand scale. Garland was buried on a
Sunday, the evening of the riots, out ofFrank Cambell's chapel on Madison
Avenue, which had remained open
through the night so the more than
20,000 people waiting in line could view
the body. There was, as noted in the
Village Voiceat the time, a full moon thatnight. And the gay world was neverquite the same again. For many gay
men, Garland had embodied the good,the bad and the ugly in life up to thatpoint. If you were an unmarried young
man in his late twenties or early thirties,
and you adored Judy Garland, you werequeer.
Star worship isn't what it used to be.
Oh sure, there's a minor legion, of .cher
freaks out there and a Diana Ross claqueor two, but the days when obsessive
queens prayed to a statue of Ethel
Merman at night seem to be gone forgood. I doubt if young gay men evenknow who Judy Garland was, let alone
understandthe cult worship sheengendered
in two generations ofqueens.
I find myself saying "Poor Judy" a lot

lately. Most of my indulgent friends will
tolerate a passing reference to Judy
Garland but if I start to get that look in
my eye and begin to wax ecstatic, they
will say, as quietly as possible, "Dead,you know."Yes. I know. Judy Garland has beendead for twenty years. Yet when I went
to London a few years ago, the only twothings I wanted to see were the British

and stood in the aisles crying "We love
you, Judy~' across the footlights of the
Palace Theater. Everyone over thirty
seems to have a personal Judy Garland
story, but they've stopped telling it inpublic. It's a dead giveaway that thestoryteller is a certain kind of queer.
Listening to Judy Garland in 1989 is a
decidedly private affair. Even for a
militant Garland freak like myself, theT

42

OUT~WEEK

June 26, 1989'TONIGHT, NOBODY GOES TO THE MEN'S ROOM ALONF'
Gsrlsnd in her prime.

Museum and the little mews house on
Cadogan Lane where Judy Garland lived
and died. I still haven't seen the British
Museum.
. Despite the legend that gay men havea special affinity for the music and careerof Judy Garland, I find that most of mygay male friends shudder at the mentionof her name. The cult worship of
Garland by gay men has become an oldembarrassment
to the new gay
community, a' relic of the dark ages
when fey young men wrung their hands

old stigma gives pause. A friend told methat when the BBC screened A Star Is
Born recently, he hesitated to move his
TV set out onto his terrace as he usually
does for fear that the neighbors, hearing
Judy's voice, would sense that he is gay.
There's a good reason for all theparanoia engendered by Garland-mania.
In a 1968 article by William Goldman in
Esquire called "Judy Floats," the writer
informs his readers that the most oft
quoted comment made by straight men
in the lobby of the Palace Theater on

CRt\JN~OW
Garland's opening night in 1967 was, appearances. There was once a piece
written about her entitled "The Et.:geof"Tonight, nobody goes to the men's
room alone!" When Garland died, her Peril" in which the writer said thatdaughter, Liza Minnelli, in a moment of Garland, in performance, always walked
mirth amidst her grief, cracked that the the thin line between triumph and terror.
flags were probably flying at half mast Her audiences--and I've witnessed this-on Fire Island. She was right. One of were never sure whether she'd soar or
those flags was mine and I lowered it fall into the abyss. One wanted tomyself.
protect her because she was so fragile,
In his book The Other Side of the and to be protected by her because she
Rainbqw, singer Mel Torme quotes a was so strong. She was someone who'dtelevision producer saying that "Judy experienced hell yet continued to singGarland is queen of the fags." When I
interviewed Peter Allen for The Advocate Liza Minnelliin 1976, he said he'd first heard'
cracked that the
Garland's Carnegie Hall album at a
flags
\Nere
friend's house in Australia. "I couldn't
believe how those queens were carrying probably flying aton," said Allen. "I told them, 'Listen--allI
half mast on Firecan hear on this album is applause."
Even Garland herself was at a loss to Island. She \Nasexplain all the attention lavished upon
her by gay men. "I don't understand it," right.
she .once complained to Peter Allen. "I'llring for someone to do my hair and all I about bluebirds and happiness. Nobody
get is his problems with his lover in the could be happy like Judy Garland, but
beneath the quick wit and hesitantmost intimate personal detail. Why me?"Why her, indeed? Well, for one thing, laughter there was something hideousreflected in those large, coal black eyes.
when you ask people what fascinatedthem most about Judy Garland they A lot of people know about life, but on
usually use the word vulnerable. It was Judy Garland it showed.
Was it wrong to enjoy this ghastly yet
tremendously appealing, especially tobrilliant show? Of course not. Firstly, it
gay people, that such an obviously
strong woman could be so naked in her was more than just pathos. Garland was
public emotions. Davis and Crawford the greatest popular singer of her
When she was goodand Stanwyck were tough cookies from generation.
the outset of their careers. Garland had vocally, there was nobody who could
grown up onscreen from childhood and touch her. Ane when she was bad she
in some ways she was more America's was better 'than most good singers.
sweetheart than Shirley Temple. When, Quief consistency may be a virtue in a
in the late Forties and early Fifties, she bank teller but in an entertainer it isn'tbegan to crack, she did so publicly and enough or there would be cults
this little girl everyone loved so much surrounding Linda Rondstat. Secondly,
was suddenly attempting suicide with she wanted it the way it was or it would
have been different. People are always
the jagged edge of a broken bottle.
Garland was an iron butterfly who whining about what a miserable lifeJudy
exhibited qualities often attributed to Garland had and how she suffered at thegays. She was seemingly childlike and hands of the studio system, the record
promoters, the producers, her husbands
weak yet tough enough to havewithstood several lifetimes of misery and and her fans, hangers on and phonies.
grief. Furthermore, she allowed it to We all make deals with ourselves,
show in her screen acting and concert however, and Garland lived the life shewanted. When she was broke she stillordered a limousine because all she
knew was how to be a star.
People tend to forget that for many
years, Garland was at the very top of her
profession: rich, talented, famous andhappy. She got everything she everwanted and had a wonderful timeenjoying it. She told a story about how,at a Hollywood party in the Fifties,
Marilyn Monroe followed her from room
to room and finally said, "I don't want to
get too far away from you. I'm scared of
all this" Garland replied, "We're allscared, dear."
There's no such thing ascommonplace genius. It's not an easyride to live a life on the edge but what
you get in exchange is an extraordinary
life. Short perhaps, but special. I don't
think Garland would have exchanged
her short but brilliant life for a long,
uneventful one. Furthermore, her talentwouldn't have been as exciting had she
been ordinary. She sang in a meaningful
way about something because she knew
about something. You don't listen to hermusic as background. She commanded
attention. Listen to "Stormy Weather"sometime and you'll see what I mean.
I'm not sure people know what it means
any longer to watch a performer walkonto a stage stone cold and suddenly be
absolutely brilliant. When Garland sang
"If Love Were All" or "By Myself,'i her
whole life was on that stage. Somehow,
when gay men shout for Patti LaBelle r;r
Diana Ross, it's not the same thing.
What they're cheering is a production
company which has manufactured acertain sound. Nothing is left to chance.
Garland had the guts to take a chance on
dropping dead in front of ten thousandpeople.
Is this a particularly gay response to
Garland? Perhaps. Gays take chances
all the time in ways straights never do.
We have traditionally been forced to pUl
on one face for the world and another inprivate. It took a certain amount ofcontinued on page 56

June 26, 1989

OUT~WEEK43

J

im Fouratt was one of the original
members of the Gay Liberation
Front. He was present at theStonewall Rebellion

Q. Tell me where you were thenight of Stonewall?
A I remember coming home andhearing all this noise in the street andgoing over to the Stonewall. As I said toyou before, the Stonewall was not aplace that I frequented. It really was anawful, sleazy, Mafia-run, unlicensed,
after-hours drug drop and chicken
palace for sleazy men and the lowlife of the gay community. Let's bereal here, Julius' was around thecorner, that's where the nice boys
went.
So it's significant:whensomething happens in history it
never happens where you expect it
to happen. All of those organizedcrime places had worked out deals
with the police. Something screwed
up. Someone didn't get paid off, or
whatever.
Anyway, when I got over there,
there were a bunch of people
Dutside, a bunch of drag queens andstreet people. Certainly not the kindof people we have over there now.on a hot summer night. There was
one cop car and two cops at thetime. There were people inside theclub yelling and taunting, a lot ofverbal taunts that gay people andqueens are very good at. They don't
really fight with their fists, they fightwith their tongues. There was a lot of
taunting and baiting of the cops.
They' had pulled out thiswoman, this bull dyke, put her in thecar, and someone started rocking thepolice car from the other side. They had
called for more cops to come but they
hadn't arrived yet. So somehow she
opened the door on the other side of the
car and got out, much to the joy andapplause of those on the street. It
invigorated the people. She struttedaround like the bull dyke she was andpicked up a rock and threw it at the44

OUTTWEEK

June 26, 1989

window, not at the cop but threw it at
the building.
People started rocking the policecar, and that's when the additional police
arrived, and I remember thinking, "Oh
my God, there's a riot going on here."
I went to the phone booth and I
called every sort of 'left radical' that I
knew. If"two black people' had had anargument, there would have been asupport contingent of white radicals,
hundreds of them would show up to

support these two people having anargument. But I couldn't get a Single
friend, comrade, to. take seriously what
was going on on Christopher Street,because it was homosexuals. It wasqueers.
The second night there was a
meeting called by the Mattachine Society
at St.John's Church on Waverly Place, inwhich they proposed a candlelightmarch and that we tt,Jrnthe other cheekand show what really nice gay people
we were. I remember that I got up andsaid, "No way, there's no going back.
We're not nice people."
Later that night there were about
thirty five people who went to a meetingat the Alternative U. In that room the
Gay Liberation Front was founded. That
was made up of men and women,
people of color, drag queens. andpreppieboys. The similarities
between ACT UP and the Gay
Liberation Front in the way that it
formed and what its goals were areamazing. And then the next twonights we just went roving a'round thestreets.
Q. Did people block traffic?
A. People blocked traffic. They
took the streets. It was very
exhilirating. They were going by thebars, telling people to come out of thebars. It was the first time that gay men
and gay women had really felt a senseof empowerment. For people that had
been politically active in the left, andthere had been a lot of closeted gay
people active in the left, they didn't
have to put anyone else's revolution,anyone else's cause above their own .
That process is very liberating andvery energizing and very exhilirating
and that's what was happening.
Q. Were there a lot of lesbians
involved in the riot?
A., Yes. An interesting side
factor: among the original forty
people that started the Gay Liberation
Front, the women who were .involved
for the first year or so, a highpercentage were ex-Catholics who
had been in seminaries or nunneries,
and men who had left the church
because they were gay. It was aphenomenal thing. The men .were amajority, but there was a very strong
contingent of women.
GLF and gay liberation came in1969 after the women's movement had
started. The whole issue of sexism andmale chauvanism and patriarchy werevery critical issues for women. Radical
women and lesbians and the lesbians
who were attracted to gay liberation
came out of the women's movement
where they suffered from homophobia.
Betty Freidan was really homophobic. In
the women's liberation movement there
were a lot of dykes but they were
supposed to be quiet, because, youknow, God forbid that the men should
ever think that the women's movement
was about lesbianism.
So there was a lot of struggle in the
Gay Liberation Front for the first ten
months around sexism. You had a lot ofwhite men who were being radicalized
because of their experiences but had no
history about struggling for other issues,and they didn't want to deal with racism,
they didn't want to deal with sexism.
They just wanted to deal with a single'.issue agenda.
.
Q. When I came here in 1974 andwalked down Christopher Street thescene was incredibly
liberating,especially sexually. What do you thinkwould have happened if that one lesbianhadn't thrown that one stone andStonewall hadn't happened. What would
have happened to the movement?
A. I think at that historical timesomething someplace was going tohappen. You had the whole breadth of
the 60s that happened, which was about
self-liberation.
Q.
But the 60s had gone on foryears and gay people hadn't come out,
and the 60s were about to end. Only two
years later the whole 60s thing was over.
Did we just make it in under the wire?
A. But I'm telling you, whether it
happened at Stonewall or not, it would
have happened someplace. We werecoming to consciousness
that ourstruggle was as important as all the otherstruggles we were supporting. So it
would have happened someplace.
Q.
What was it like before
Stonewall?
A. There were some bars. There
were still rituals of romance. To get laid
you had to go to a bar and pretend you
weren't gay. There were two or three
gay bars for men in the Village andmaybe one for women, all run by the
Mafia, except for Julius'. There were nosex bars. And what you would do is, you
would go to Julius' in your Brooks
Brothers sweater and you'd pretend to

be straight all night and get drunk withsomeone and then finally get themhome, after pretending that's not what
you wanted to do, have sex with themand then maybe see them the next day
and never talk about it.
So what happened after Stonewall
was a celebration of one's sexuality
which came out of the whole sexual
revolution that was happening withheterosexuals. In many ways gay men
had already been putting into practice insecretive ways a lot of the things thatheterosexuals were trying to do withbreaking down monogamy, the right tosay yes, the right to say no.
So I would have a different point ofview than you would in 1974. At thatpoint I think we had lost the battle thatpeople in the Gay Liberation Front werefighting. We had gotten bought off. They
had figured out that if you keep them ina constant state of sexual arousal they
will not make any trouble. Turfs were
given to us. The Mafia were still runningthe bars but they now had gay
entrepreneurs who were working with
the Mafia. They gave us the trucks.
Q. To. me as a kid then the whole
point of gay liberation had nothing to dowith sexism, racism, imperialism orcapitalism. It only had to do with the factthat we could now fuck as· much as we
wanted whenever we wanted as long as
we stayed within a few square blocks of
the West Village. That was liberation.
A.
Yes, but that's not what
happened at Stonewall. Stonewall was
the lower life of the gay community, theones that no respectable gay person
would identify with: drag queens, fifteen
year old hustlers, drug addicts. And it
was almost classic in the sense that the
lumpen among us became the heros.
That really was the cutting edge. :t was
the drag queens
who became
empowered, it was the teenage hustler
who maybe didn't fight back for the rightreasons but who created that moment inhistory from which there is no goingback.
Anita Bryant certainly proved thatpoint, and AIDS has proved that poiht
also. There'S no way people can go backto what it was like before, regardless ofwhat the social conditions are. You'dhave to wipe everyone out.
I have to tell you Gabriel, I go to
ACT UP and I don't try to play aleadership role. But the first tilne I went
into that room it brought tears to myeyes, to see that many young gay men
and lesbians who were not going to go
back into the closet. Who were going tocelebrate their humanity and theirsexuality in spite of the fact that people
were being told that gay is death. And
that, to me, goes directly back to thatmoment that was not thought out, thatwas not planned, that just happened
spontaneously. 'Y

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June 26, 1989

OUTTWEEK45

--------------------------------------------------~LOOKTOUT!

0

ivine madness, having
taken over the window ofthe very festive Einstein's on• 7th Street in the East Village,
will soon sweep the toy
industry---and children may
never be the same! A Parisianmanufacturer is marketing
Divine dolls in France,complete with wigs and four
fabulous outfits. But so far thecompany's keeping hush-hushbecause West Germancompetitors are trying to rushout their own version. Vet, ourcuriosity simply cannot becalmed. Will they be targeted
to boys or girls? What kind ofgenitalia will they have? Are
the breasts built in? Will she
have a mate? When will they
hit the states? Stay tuned.

•.
0'

Photo: T.L. Litt-Michelangelo

46

OUT'YWEEK

June 26, 1989

Signorile

LOOKTOUT!

Photo: T.L. LittB

lane Mosley may well be the only
person since Josephine Baker totraverse that dreadful abyss between the. politically correct and the sociallydecadent. With a party agenda as well
as a party agenda, he's a curious crossbetween 60s rebels Abbie and Edie
(Hoffman and Sedgwick). A member of
ACT UP and a model who's seen theinside of many a Paris couture house,
Mosley meanders about town these days
with his head completely shaved except
for a triangular patch of hair dyed pink.
Last month his photo--depicting him
being carted away in chains by police-appeared in newspapers across thecountry after he and three other activists
drilled and bolted themselves inside an

office of the drug company Burroughs .
Wellcome, protesting the price of AZT. A
week later he took ~p not less than a fullpage in People, vogueing his lanky bodyonstage at Suzanne Bartsch's Love Ball.
Currently steaming in two new GMHC
safe sex porn videos, Mosely was last
seen in person onstage at the Montreal
AIDS Conference protesting fashionably
in red suede thigh-high boots, black
spandex biker shorts, gray suit jacket
sans shirt and pink sunglasses. "Fashionis an important aspect of my AIDS activist
work because I use it as an asset toreach young gay communities--which
comprise much of the fashion world--andto bring attention to people of color,"-Michelangelo

Signorile

June 26, 1989

OUTTWEEK

47

~

O
I~Y

OF
UT
M'V
HANDS
nRAIlLEYnALL

Dear Brad,
I think I did a terrible thing. I've been ina relationship with Mark for a long time,'
longer than I've ever been involved withanother person. These past several
months have been the most important in
my life, and God knows, I'm not getting
any younger, as Mark often reminds me.
But I'm afraid I'm on the verge of ruining
e~erything. There's this other guy--reallyan acquaintance--and it wasn't supposed
to mean anything and, honestly, it isn'tmuch of anything: some drinks, a few
scattered dinners, an extra ticket to atruly novel production of Phaedre (as aJazz Age comedy!). You must understand that Mark's new job involves agreat deal of travel and I'm left alone somuch of the time. I guess my question isthat if events are preor11ained,cim we beheld accountable for our actions?
WONDERING
Dear WONDERING:

That would serve as a useful opening
gambit should you find yourself in a
confrontational situation with Mark, andmight even buy some valuable time if hewill only allow himself to give it due

consideration. I think, however, thatyou would do better to reject the ideathat you have done "a terrible thing."
From the standpoint of eternity (which
is, after all, the only standpoint) "good"and "bad" and "terrible" and "fabulous"
are merely value judgements that we
impose on a possibly ineluctable courseof events.' For example, directing
Phaedre in the style of Noel Coward
coiJld be considered a "terrible thing"but obviously, for peculiar reasons,some people have thought
it aworthwhile venture. Think about thisquestion, too: Just how much younger
does Mark think he's getting, anyway?
Dear Brad,
I'm a fourteen-year-old woman with thisproblem that's kind of embarraSSing. I
just got braces and a couple of weeks
ago at lunchtime I heard these voices
telling me to go save France. I thoughtsomebody was playing a trick but it's
happened a few more times since. I
really planned to work at Dairy Queenin the summer but this thing has me
pretty confused.
Where exactly is
France? Is it in some kind of trouble?

Liz finally decided to comment on themuch talked-about relationship between
Madonna and Sandra Bernhard. She
characterized
their"public
behavior"-referring to their homoerotic bits
onstage-as "weird" and "exhibitionist." I
completely understand when she says
thiS, for Liz acts and looks highly
respectable in public. Recently, in fact, I
saw her exit a limousine with her goodfriend, the :jrchaeologist Iris Love, andboth looked oh-so-elegant in beaded
gowns (though usually you'll find herlooking suave and debonair in a
By Michelangelo Signorlle
tuxedo).
Liz went on to quote Sandra talking
I woke up one morning in early June
and, as usual, opened the wonderful, .about Madonna in People. "The way wewitty pages of The New York Daily News act together is a political statement. It's
seeking scandal, dish and deceit to to say to the world, 'Get past thebrighten my day. I turned to Liz Smith, judgements. Accept people for what
whose photo at the top of the page
they are. The rain forest is dying. Whatremarkably gets younger every day (this do you care more about, the rain forest
has nothing to do with the plastic
or our sexuality?'" But then Liz goes onsurgeon she so graciously plugged
to specul,ate that Sandra and Madonna
recently, I;:ompletewith his Los Angeles must be "kidding"and are making
address and zip code).

48

OUTTwEEK

June 26, 1989

Also, if I went and did this, would I getback in time for volleyball tryouts?
BAFFLED
Dear BAFFLED:
It's only natural at your age to have somany questions.
First, I think you
should understand that France is an
important part of a brand new economicorder and, as such, ought not to be
disturbed for the time being. (The
People's Republic of China is anothermatter altogether, but it sounds as
though these voices you hear are quite
specific,) At any rate, notwithstanding
some absolutely marvelous trans-Atlantic
flight bargains right now, the buying
power of the American dollar has been
severely weakened in Europe so you
should probably go ahead and take thatsummer job and save up some money
before making such an important
decision. In the meantime, it must be
difficult to keep a secret like this (I know
I couldn't!) Perhaps you should discuss
it with your parents or, if you don't feel
.comfortable talking to them, with yourclergy or favorite teacher. Good luck on
your finals! T"suggestions of a lesbian relationship"
because it "could be a major turn-on formany male fans."
So picture it. Madonna calls Sandraon the telephone:

Hi, I think we shouldmake believe we're lesbians?
Sandra:Wow, great ideal
Madonna.'Yeah, I mean, I need morepress.
Sandra.' I know what you mean. You
have no visibility, Madonna.
Madonna.'
You're right. But don't you
think it might hurt our careers by
intimating that we are part of one of themost oppressed groups in American
SOCiety?A hated, despised, shunned
people who most Americans think arementally ill?
Sandra:Oh, what an alarmist.
Besides, real dykes don't ever tell. Any
gossip columnist can tell you that much.
Madonna:

T

.

T.

FILM
by Karl Soehnlein
The New Festival

subversive in its message, Maedchen in
Uniform (1931) is an empowering
portrait of a girls-school uprising, as
students rally to the defense of aclassmate who has publidy declared her.crush on a female teacher.
SergioToldeo's Vera (1986) takes off where
Maedchen ends, exploring the life-longscars left by institutional regimentation.
Talesof gay and lesbian

At the beginning of Lauren Postma's
documentary, Derekjarman: You Know
What I Mean, the British filmmakermourns the lost tradition of the Hearth-the place in each home where stories
were told and traditions passed on
through generations. For the past two
weeks, a hearth of sorts has emerged for
New York's gay and lesbianco.mmunity in the form of The
International Festival of Lesbianand Gay Film. To the credit oforganizers John Lewis and Susan
Horowitz, the festival has been
diverse in scope, with over 70
offerings and a highly visible
women's presence. Though notwithout its omissions--mostnotably a lack of work by nonwestern, non-white filmmakers-the festival scores in its attention
to artists
working'in anexperimental form.
Inviting
audiencesto"Celebrate a Love Affair with theMovies," this event has been,
thankfully,
more than that.
Whether by providing a look at
early campy excess, as in Charles
Bryant's Salome (1923); or
throughtheintricate
documentation of sexual history,asinStuartMarshall's
monumental Desire (1989), thefestival schedule is a strong
argument for cinema as a crucial
means of reclaiming a heritagefor gay men and lesbians. Muchcan be' learned, even in the most
unexpected places. The Days oj
Greek Gods program--a collection THE PERFECT SCREEN KISS
" h'['1" fJannan's The Angelic Conversation (1985)
o f pre-P9rn P YSlque 1 ms rom
the 40s, 50s and 60s--is ancompanionshipare also found ininnocent, giddy artifact. These films abundance. Le jupon Rouge (1987)--a
reveal the powerful need for eroticsad; sexy story of love and sisterhood--is
expression in an era of intolerance.
an emotionally wrenching journey
Repression is a repeated theme
across the fragile boundaries
ofamong the narrative offerings. The friendship. A less successful look at
oldest film shown, Different from thesame-sex affection, the Danish Friends
Others (1919), portrays the devastating
Forever (1986) is sugar-coated teenage
effects of homphobia on one man, andsexuality, presented with all the insightpleads for greater ·tolerance.
Moreof an ABC Afterschool SpeciaL Roger

Stigliano's Fun Down There (1988) is asweet depiction of a small town boy's
sexual exploration in New York City.
Strong on specific detail, Fun captureswith hilarity both upstate family life andthe downtown gay scene.
UlrikeOttinger's johanna d'Arc of Mongolia(1989) starts out with the promise of a·lesbian adventure story but doesn'tdeliver. Contrasting the grotesqueries ofWestern Civilization with the nobel
savagery of a Mongol Princess andher tribe, johanna is an endlessstudy of the Other.
Perhaps the greatest treat of
the festival has been the chance to
see the complete work of Derek
Jarman, a group of features, shorts
and music videos marked by visualbrillianceandhomoerotic
inventiveness.
This retrospective reveals the
director as a poetic, .playful andpolitically committed artist. The
Angelic Conversation (1984) is astunning celluloid canvas. Twoyoung men--in a series of isolated,
yearning
sequences--cometogether, twisting and contorting
as if releasing a lifetime of. unfulfilled desire. , Their union
climaxes in what may be theperfect screen kiss--one of themost hypnotic and passionate
images I've ever seen.
As fierce as The Angelic'Conversation is gentle, The Last of
England (1987) is a portrait of aworld both benign and terrifying,
an unflinchingly
brutal trip
through Thatcher'S decaying
country. The· film's final image ofa bride cutting herself free of herbinding wedding gown, and performing
a wildly liberating dance along theThames, leaves hope for the future--anindividual act of breaking the bonds of
oppression.
Like the festival itself,
Jarman's work is a welcome assertion ofgay identity, and a testament to film as a
medium at the center of gay and lesbian
expression. T

June 26, 1989

OUT'YWEEK49

THEATER
by Terry Helbing
fine style, with his tour de force one-manstaged readings at the Community
rendering of Dickens' A Tale of Two Center meant to encourage new work by
Cities and the late-night ensemble
gay and lesbian playwrights, Village
R~undupproduction of Oscar Wilde's Salome.
. Playwrights moves uptown with their
Vampire Lesbiansof Sodbm
first fully staged production, a series of
ay Pride Week is like
Gay
Playhouse,
133 seven playlets, all taking place at a gay
Christmas Week: there's so much (Provincetown
Macdougal Street, 477-5048). If you and lesbian resort.
to do, you can't imagine how you'reSoul Survivor (Sanford Meisner.going to get it all .accomplished. A~ if simply can't wait for Charles Busch's
latest and funniest offering, the anti-Nazi Theater, 164 Eleventh Ave., 869-3530).
there weren't enough screenings,
memorials, discussions and social events parody, The Lady in Question, to open Anthony Bruno's play caused quite asensation when it first premiered in Los
vying for your attention, there's plenty of at the Orpheum Theater next month,
gay and lesbian theater to choose from. you might go back and see once again Angeles, and the play became bicoastala few months ago, thanks to the Glines.
Here's a sele.ction of the dozen or so how all Busch's silliness got started.
I Could Go On Lip-Synching!
A sort of gay (or perhaps gayer) Blithe
offerings playing on this week of weeks:
Spirit, the play mixes muscles with
(Theater Off Park, 224 Waverly Place,
A Tale of Two Cities and Salome(Charles Ludlam Theater, One Sheridan 279-4200). John Epperson is just dee- meaning, and now with Jack Wrangler in
Square,691-2271). Imagine the situation voon as Lypsinka, taking the art of lip- the cast, no doubt the emphasis is on theformer.
synching to unimaginably dizzy andEverett Quinton faced when his
Arrivederci Papa (Actors Playhouse,
witty heights. You've seen those lips inlongtime lover and colleague Charles
Ludlam died. Not only did he have to the opening credits of Saturday Night 100 Seventh Ave. S., 691-6226). This
cope with his personal grief and loss, Live, and now's as good a time as any to play achieved a reverse-commute ofcatch the rest of him.. .
sorts, originating at Cherry Grove andbut people looked to him to continue
Summer Affairs (Ernie Martin
then coming into New York to thethe grand tradition of the Ridiculous
Theatrical Company. After a couple of Theater 311 West 43rd Street, 718/499- Trocadero a couple of months back.
Combining drag queens and funerals,
false starts, he's done just that, and in 0497). After several years of doing
and still managing to be funny, thecomedy features Fire Island's Bella,cable lV's Razor Sharp, MCAABowling's
Thorn Hansen and is directed by· Sal
Piro, known to many as the head of The
Rocky Horror Picture Show fan club.
judas and Mexico (Bouwerie Lane
Theater, 330 Bowery, 353-1965). That
prolific playwright, Robert Patrick,frequently has several plays running in
New York at once, but this month, his
Best of Untold Decades closed just intime for the Dramatic Risks company torevive the play, judas, in modern dress
and with the author playing Pontius
Pilate. The finicky Clive Barnes opinedthat this is "a play to see," and if you do,stick around for the late show, Mark G.
Waren's Mexico, an 80s version of the"on the road" theme.
WOW Festival (WOW, 59 East 4thStreet, 460-8067). The women at WOW
turn out theater at a staggeringly rapid
rate--sometimes a new show every three
weeks!--and they've outdone themselves
GIRLS JUST WANT TO BE FRIENDS
for Pride Week, with a collection of
Neomi Ttchmen end Kete Fleming in Minus One.
readings
and(Photo: Dona Ann McAdams)
dance/theater/performancepieces on
Out of the Closet & Into the Seats:

If. Pride Week Gay and Lesbian TheaterG

continued on page 66

50

OUTTWEEK

June 26, 1989

,POP
by Patrick Rogers

Revivals are the hallmarks of popular
culture; witness the current thrills ofbilliard halls, platform shoes, celebrities
making comebacks and Madonna's
lingering patchouli oil. There's hardly a
50s pose or 60s icon yet to be fetishizedin our own day, and rare is the vintage
style that leaps to the present with muchof its politics, potency or soul intact
No so folk music. After stalling out
in the mid-70s, when its only practitioner
seemed to be Joan Baez, the classic
combination of voice and acoustic guitar
has reemerged on the charts. To be
sure, some of its current chic isnostalgia-based.
Nevertheless,contemporary folk, which is dominatedby women and their aspirations, isproving itself a worthy vessel for thepolitics of the 80s.
It was Tracy Chapman
who
reintroduced the word "revolution" into
the lexicon of pop and garnered a
handful of Grammies. A dozen folk acts-all women--have followed. Several areslick of image and mellow to the ear(Celtic stylist Enya, dark and bluesy
Tinita Tikaram, rocker Melissa Etheridge
and New Orleans-based
LucindaWilliams) but if it's music with a message
you're into, turn your attention to Two
Nice Girls and Phranc.
Bands often use the space on the'back of their albums to thank theirmoms. Two Nice Girls (actually, three
women:
Kathy Korniloff, Laurie
Freelove and Gretchen Phillips) give
credit to the entire population of theirtown. "Thank you, Austin, for being
such a beautiful town. Stay as sweet as
you are," says the band, who do indeed
owe a debt to their Texas home. Whatother town holds an annual "SweetJane"
Competition, a battle of local bands
playing covers of the Lou Reed classic ina fight for radio airtime?
The winning entry, Two Nice Girls'
version, opens their eponymous debut
album (Rough Trade). It's a sinuousintertwining of the classic "Sweet Jane"and Joan Armatrading's"Love andAffection" in which Lou's love song
floats along whimsically as Joan's
smouldering manifesto boils below the

PHOLJ(SINGER PHRANC
Perhaps the first lesbian camp classic onvinyl.
(Photo: Rocky Schenckl

surface, rising up to join the melody attantalizing intervals.
As usual, the Austin imprimatur
means lack of pretension and openness
to a variety of influences. The two- andthree-part harmonies are sisterlike in themanner of the Roches, less Sturm undDrang than the Indigo G;rls and inspiredby the sweeter side of country. Steelguitars lend occasional sentiment, there
are a few· metal riffs and somekeyboards. For the most part, though,Two Nice Girls, with their folk guitars
and colorful harmonies, remain heirs toa great American rural tradition.
Lest the cynical listenerbeunimpressedby music that strives
openly to be beautiful, Two Nice Girls
have included a few lyrical surprises.
Nice girls can be nasty. The record's
hanky-tonk finale, "I Spent My Last
$10.00 (On Birth Control & Beer)," forexample, comically catalogues the"deficiencies" of sapphic love.
c:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lQ.,

For there're certain thrills thatlesbian love
Simply cannot supply
Like paying for abortions
From sperm gone awry.
.c:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::lc:::l"It's a humoroussong," says
Phillips, who wrote it about her one
sexual encou'nter with a man. Not

everyone got the joke: a sample ofcritics have called the song everythingfrom "controversial" to "stUpitl." Perhaps
that's because to many, folk is bydefinition mirthless, and 'a lampoon ofheterosexuality in three-part harmony isa somewhat original notion of humor.
Self-styled "average, all-American
Jewish lesbian folksinger" Phranc (bornSusie Gottlieb) goes a step further in
exploiting the inherent unfunniness offolk. "I Enjoy Being a Girl" (Island
Records) is her second album and aclassicnperhaps
the first classic--oflesbian camp on vinyl. The cover is aflawless pastiche of a Ricky Nelson
publicity still, featuring Phranc, hertrademark flat-top fiercely backlit and atumpler of milk in hand. Inside, sheglorifies Martina Navratilova, completewith a neat summary of all the places theCzech pro has lived and the women
she's loved. As a comic, Phranc herself's
a pro.
Phranc's serious side is lessaccessible, partly because of the alto
deadpan that makes her funny songs
sound mightily self-righteous when
delivering a lyric like: "Bloodbath in theland of Zola Budd/Murder in the land of
the Kruggerand." Far more convincing is"Take Off Your Swastika," in which
Phranc, to whom patterns of dress are ofmore than passing importance, takes aswipe at the recklessness of Nazi chic.
"Wearing swastikas was very
popular with punks," Phranc ·says.
"Because I was Jewish, it really disturbed
me, so I wrote the song and performed iton acoustic guitar so the audience could
hear the words." She lashes out withpounding guitar, her voice ragged andedged with vulnerability, and takes her
leave with the haunting coda: "Fascism
isn't anarchy/And if it were you in thoseovens you wouldn't think it was so
cooL"
Able both to horrify and amuse,
Phranc has a musical gift ideally suited
to our times. Using humor as a weapon,
she is able to convince where plain oldearnestness might fail. T
June 26, 1989

OUTTWEEK

51

'OPERAby George Heymont" CURRENT EVENTSSEARCHING FOR A VACCINE
ne of the most frequent criticisms
leveled at the operatic art form isthat it rarely has anything to do with theworld we now live in.
For thegeneration that grew up watching MTV
and rock concerts in which fast action,lasers, strobes and fog machines
dominate the visuals, a traditional opera
production
can seem frighteningly
constipated. To make matters worse, thepolitics of Cinderella's love life and Don
Jose's fatal attraction to a gypsy slut (notto mention the burning question of whogets to marry some rich widow in orderto protect the financial health ofPetrovania)
hold pathetically little
relevance to the issues confronting
people in a world dominated by drugs,
disease and terrorism.
•
Put simply: If new audiences are to
be attracted to opera, they must be givena message which interests them. And
that message must be delivered withmusic to which they can relate. "Theprimary music of America nowadays isrock 'n' roll. Not everyone listens 'to it,
but everyone hears it (even if you go
into a restaurant, what's playing on
Musak is rock 'n' roll). If you're going
to work in the land that created music
theater for the people who live there,
you 'either have to speak their language
or else you'll fail to connect with them,"
explains Ben Krywosz, Opera Ainerica's
first project director for the Opera Into
The Eighties And Beyond program.
"Curiously
enough,the operatic
establishment
does not speak thelanguage that mOst people in America
do. As a result, there's something which
is not quite connecting to people on acore level. And that something has a lot
to do with having a different cultural
point of view."•
One recent production crossed thethreshold into contemporary culture
with stunning success. It dealt withissues that concern contemporarysociety, and had a sound which could beembraced by contemporary society.
Most importantly, it attracted young
audiences.

O

52

our.WEEK

June 26, 1989

While in Philadelphia, I attended aperformance of Power Failure at theAmerican Music Theater Festival. Thisnew "electronic thriller," with music byPaul Dresher and libretto by Rinde
Eckert,concernsacorporate
millionaire's efforts to find a remedy for
his family's strangely fatal blood disease.
When, after 20 years of research, amiraculous genetic compound capableof curing ALLdisease is developed, theaudience learns that Charles (th~rpillionaire CEO) has no intentions of
releasing the cure to the world. Instead,he plans to us~ it on himself and ransom
it off to those Similarlyafflicted wealthypeople (mostly white, corporate males)
who can afford it.
Just as he begins to receive thecurative treatment, a power failure
occurs during which the inner thoughtsof .the people
trappedin thepharmaceutical laboratory--Charles; hisnurse, Judith; a female scientist; and asecurity guard with a murky past (playedby Merle Townsend)--become known tothe audience.
Although it was tooheavily amplified for my tastes, I foundDresher's score (which uses a variety of
keyboards and tape processors) mostappealing.
Unlike many othercomposers, Dresher gives firm support
to the dramatic situation and allows eachcharacter to develop fully in musicaltheater terms.
Tenor John Duykers gave awonderfully selfish and hedonistic
performance as the crippled CEO of
Delta Chemical, while, as the security
guard, Rinde Eckert offered audiences adeliciously slimy example of blue collar. revenge in the corporate environment.
Ste.phanie Friedman (Ruth) and Sara
GanzOudith) lent strong support as thetwo women in Charles' life. .Superbly
directedby Tom O'Horgan
andstunningly designed by Michael Olich,Power Failure is a ,work which should
be seen by anyone whose life has been
touched by the insidious politics behindfunding AIDSresearch and treatment. If
you're the slightest bit interested in newmusic theaternor in finding a cure for
AIDS--make sure you get to experience
Paul Dresher'S Power Failure....

AIDS'MEETS OPERAFriedman (Ieh), Duykers and Ganz ;;1 Power Failure.
(Photo: Michael Llewellyn)

f.

CABARETby John WasserSummer's arrival used to signify a BroadwaY. If you're Steve McGraw, you with McNight singing and acting every
dropoff
in nightclub
activity.
part
including
the
Mayor
of
book Showing Off into your cabaret
Customers would head out of town for space once known as Palsson's. The' Munchkinland,
defies even MGM's
extended vacations, sending performers show, a paean to the Manhattan
imagination. The patter is witty, theinto abandoned music vaults searching lifestyle, has the wittiest lyrics this side pacing superb. Cabaret doesn't comefor new material for the autumnof Sondheim and two versatile female much better than this. "f"resurgence.
performers, VeaI:1ne Cox and Donna
Luckily for us, the tides have
Murphy. Douglas Bernstein co-wrote
turned. New York now entertains
the show and has also decided to place
tourists year round, and I for one could himself in front of the spotlight.
not be happier. Here are 'some excellent
Steve McGraw also houses thecabaret choices to see.
Monday night Equity Fights AIDSThe Ballroom offers the comedic
cabaret series. The ten dollar cover
duo of Montieth and Rand. Last seen
here in 1979, John Montieth and I
I
Suzanne Rand present a wide range of
comedic pieces ending in a hilarious
Shakespearian takeoff. There's loads of
new material and you only have till the
24th. Next week, Ira Siff and his GrandScena Opera drop in for an extended
engagement. Domestic divas, make thy
reservations!
Every Friday and Saturday night ateight, the venerable Duplex presents.:.:;:::::::.:::::::::::::::::::::.:.:::::::::::;.
Funny
Gay
Men.
These
'thirtysomething'guys--Jaffe Cohen,
Bob Smith and Danny McWilliams--offer
various comedic views of gay life.
While the act lacks a clear focus, there
are numerous laughs to be had. In
Catholic school, McWilliams had tochoose a saint, so he chose Eva Marie. I
I
On coming out: 'At the dinner table, I
asked my dad to please pass the THE 'L' WORD IS LAUGHTER
Conic KIlt. Clinton
vegetables to the homosexual.' Funny(Photo: Marion Roth)Gay Men has been extended throughthe end of July.
benefits the Equity Fights AIDS group
Kathy And Mo: Parallel Lives (West and there is no minimum. On JuneSide Arts Theater) began its incarnation 26th, Gale ('We'H Sing in the Sunshine')
at Don't Tell Mama and has made the Garnett is featured. Alan Rich and funnytheatrical transition with ease. Well- lady Marilyn Sokol are two upcoming
paced and extremely insightful, their series performers.
off-beat humor covers such topics andI must admit that nothing preparedcharacters as two Brooklyn 'Working
me for Sharon M~Night'sshow at Eighty
Girls' watching West Side Story for the Eights. Beginning her set with 'I'm Just
zillionth time. ("Gina ya know. I love a Girl From Little Rock," McNight takes
Natalie Wood. She sings real good.' Her the audience into her palms and neverfriend: 'Yeah, but it sounds like a ripoff lets go. She infuses every song with herof Romeo and Juliet) And to an aunt own lyrical style. Her voice soars on
discovering
her favorite nephew's
Roy Orbison's 'Crying' and immediately
homosexuality: 'Well, if I could get turns poignant for "Another Suitcase in
used to the microwave oven ...•
Another Hall," a rarely performed song
How do YOll follow Forbiddenfrom Evita. The Wizard of Oz medley,

June 26, 1989

OUTTWEEK

53

prepared by Rick X
with information fromThe Gay & Lesbian Switchboard of New York

AN

CAL

Editor's Note: Tbis calendar is acompendium of anything in thegreater New York area that may beof interest to gay, lesbian andbisexual people. !tems are generally
not excluded on moral,
philosophical, political or aesthetic
grounds. HQwever, commercial
ventures, espeCially those withlimited appeal or requiring large
expenditures, are included at thediscretion of the editor.
Regularly held meetings oforganizations will he listed when
they are of interest to the public
and when details about the
programs are suhmitted. Whensending an organizational
newsletter, please identify which
events should or should not be listed
in these pages; otherwise, a private
potluck dinner in an apartment
may become a public affair. Please
prOVide contact numbers which aresuitable for non-members to call.
Finally, for all the mistakes,
current andfuture, regarding
places, times and phone numbers,
and for all the lives ruined by such
errors, the editor begsforgiveness.

rtr~H4f1JJl
U

N

E

2

1

LEARNINGALLIANCEpresents
Before Stonewall, produced byJohn Scagliotti and Robbie
Rosenberg; Martin Duberman,
historian, will be present; PS 41,
11th St near 6th Ave; 7-10 pm; $10;
226-7171.
FAERIEACTIONGATHERING"100s of
faeries from across the continent
will gather to increase our visibility
through direct political action, street
theater, parades and spiritualcelebrations;" 7181789-5663
GAYMEN'S HEALTHCRISIS
Eroticizing Safer Sex WorKshop,at the Center, 208 W 13 St, 8-10 pm;
free; reservations 807-6655 (TOD
645-7470)
NYCGAYMEN'S CHORUSGay Pride
Concert, with Michael Callen, workby Ned Rorem, poem by Paul
Monette, songs from Ten Percent
Review; Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln
Center; 8 pm; $12.50 - $50 (patron);CenterCharge 874-6770
CENTERSTAGESsees NYCGAY
MEN'S CHORUSGay Pride
Concert, with Michael Cailen, ~ill; Alice Tully Hall, 8 pm; $30; 6207310
WNET-TV/13'~Homosexuality:
Nature vs. Nurture," 8:30 pm
WNET-TV/13 ''We Are Family,"
9:00 pm

Summer begins
CIRCLEOFMORELIGHTPotluck
Supper & Worship Service,remembering Stonewall 1969 andSan Diego General Assembly in
1978, at West Park Presbyterian
Church, 165 W 86 St; 6.30 pm: free
CENTERDance m Volunteer
Orientation; at least 200 volunteers
are needed to help on June 25 withthe dance on the pier; 208 W 13 St;
7-9 pm; 620-7310
COALITIONFORLESBIANANOGAYRIGHTSAnnual Awards Dinner,at Congregation Beth Simchat
Torah; awards to Bishop Paul
Moore, Katherine Herzog, Nancy
Donnarumma, Cathedral P-oject ofDignity/NY, Eleanor Cooper, An
Leonard, Alfredo Martinez. Jane.54

OUTTWEEK

SUMMERSOLSTICERITUAL&
EXTRAVAGANZA
in which "lesbian
and gay witches, pagans, faeries,
amazons, shamans, drag queens
and their friends welcome summer
in a big way ... dress magickal &come out!" to Tompkins SquarePark (7th St & Ave A); 362-7761
EAGLEBARMovie Nite: Gorillasin the Mist; 112 price drinks from
10-11 pm; fref>popcorn; movie at
11 pm; 142 11th Ave at 21st St; 6918451
GEORGESARDIand KENCHARLES
Gay Pride Television Special:"Remembering,"with memories
of Wayland Flowers and Madame,
Brandy Alexander, Casey Donovan,
Robert La Tourneaux, Lord Byron,
Johnny Savoy, Billy Blackwell, Ed

June 26, 1989

For more information or referrals, to rap, or to volunteer,

A R call the GLSB daily, noon to midnight, 212-777-1800

Rosett, Phil Zwickler; 57 Bethune St(btwn Washington and West); 7 pm;$25; 627-1398

Send calendar items to:
Rick X, Going Out
8ox790
New York, NY 10108

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END

Murphy; on Manhattan Cable'S
Channel D, 2:30 am latenight(repeats Thurs, June 22; Sat, June
24)

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Center, 593 Columbus Ave al 88 SI;
7-10 pm; $2-$12 sliding scale; 2267171

2

GEORGESAROIand KENCHARLES
Gay Pride Television Special:"Remembering,"with memories
of Wayland Flowers and Madame,
Brandy Alexander, Casey Donovan,
Robert La Toumeaux, Lord Byron,
Johnny Savoy, Billy Blackwell, Ed
Murphy; on Manhattan Cable's
Channel C, 1 pm (repeats Sat,June
24)
LESBIANTHEATERWORKSHOP
Readings at the Jefferson Market
Branch of the NY Public Library,
425 Ave/Ams at Greenwich Ave;
6:30.pm; free; 243-4334
GAYMEN'S HEALTHCRISIS
Preventive Health Seminars:
Nutrition'"
AIDS, 129 W 20 St, 3rd
FI classroom; 7-9 pm; free, 807-6655(TOD 645-7470 for hearing
impaired)
JUDITH'SROOMReadings by Irare
Sabasu andJoan Nestle, 681
Washington Street (btwn 10th &Charles); 7 pm; free; 727-7330
CENTEROrientation,
information
about gay and lesbian groups andservices, in NYC, with socializing;
208 W 13 St; 7 pm; 620-7310
COALITION
FORLESBIANANDGAYRIGHTSReception for Phil
Zwiclder andJane lippman's"Rights and Reactions,"
appearing on WNET-TV at 8 pm;
reception starts at 7 pm; $20; 6750584,627-1398 <NYC lX'litics file>. LEARNINGALLIANCEForum:
After Stonewall, with Gail Brewer,
National Women's Political Caucus
of NY; Leslie Cagan, NY March on
Washington Committee; Andy
Humm, Coalition for Lesbian and
Gay Rights; Marilyn Fitterman,
President, NOW-NYS; Craig Harris,
writer; David Rothenberg, activist;
moderated by John Scagliotti,
producer, Before Stonewall; at
Goddard Riverside Community

SANE/FREEZELESBIANANDGAYTASKFORCEDiscussion andEntertainment:"The Search for
Global Security, the role of lesbians
and gays;" at the Center, 208 W 13
St; 7 pm; 7181748-8913
INTEGRITY/NY(Episcopalians)
Lesbian '" Gay Pride Eucharist,
Feslal Votive mass for Justicecelebrated by the Rev. Janet B.
Campbell, Asst. Vicar, St. Peter's
Church, New York; with gay pride
reception following; at St. Luke in
the Fields, 497 Hudson St (btwn
Grove & Chrislopher); 7:30 pm;
7181720-3054

NINTHSTREETCENTEROpen
House and Talk by Dean
-Hannotte, with discussion, on thehistory of the Ninth Street Center
since 1973, and its current activities;}19 E 9 SI; 8 pm; free; 228-5153
HERITAGE
OFPRIDEForum:
Revolution Recalled, Voicesfrom Stonewall Generation;
Marty Robinson, Anhur Evans andother early organizers explore theradical rOOISof gay rights; at theCenter, 208 W 13 St, 8 pm; free
WNET-TV/13Rights andReactions, film by Phil Zwickler
and Jane Lippman, award-winningaccounl of the NYC lesbian & gay
rights law hearings; 8 pm
WOMEN'SALTERNATIVESCOMMUNITYCENTERPresentation:"A Lesbian Love Story," with Ruth
Berman and Connie Kurtz speaking
about gay rights and getting
political; 645 Woodfield Rd, West
Hempstead, 8:30 pm; $3; 516/4832050
SAPATONAPRODUCTIONSpresent
Minus One, a play by Harriet
Malinowitz and directed by Sara
Cytron; about lesbian friendship;
plays Fridays and Saturdays throughJune 24, also Thursday June 22,
Sunday June 18; 13th Street Theater,
50 W 13 St (btwn 5th & 6th Aves);
10 pm; $10; rsrvtns 675-6677'continued on .page 60

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CLUBSMEN. BONDAGE!
Swap experiences end fanhllies. Watch or
take part in demos. Le.rn the ropes withexperts and novicis. Write for info: NYBC,
P.O.Box 457, Midtown Station, NY,NY10018

PHOTOGRAPHY
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SARGENT ITUDIDDIIUIC. Sut~ ""tmlllUrIU
Portraitse Special Even1l. Promotions
We'll Come To YouI
Mailing Address
P.O.Box 937
Plandome, New York 11030
516-883-9372

OUT9f'WEEK

June 26, 1989

Gay Cable Network.
salutes.
the 20th Anniversaryof'Stonewall.
Turn on our programs every week
on Manhattan Cable, Channel 23 (J)Thursdays
10:30 pm

11:00 pm

Pride & Progress• Gay Week in Review• Act-Up• GCN Close-Up• Sports• Lavender Health

The Right Stuff• Naming Names• All About Women• Media Watch• Staying Out• Around the Country

Sundays
11:30 pm

Mondays
10:00 pm

Men&~ilms
Reviews of male erotica along with interviews
behind the scenes with film stars.

Be My Guest
Sybil Bruncheon hosts a panel game show with surprise guests.

Frankie Loves J~hnny An original gay soap opera.

Gay Cable Network
32 Union Square East, Suite 1217
New York, NY 10003
Phone 212/477-4220~~7~~,

••

Personals
GWM, 41.5'5, 148 lb.,
seeks companions ofroughly similar age andheight who appreciateclassical music, history,
religious ritual and art,
international affairs,
progressive politics. For
spiritual communion.
physical affection andvery safe sex. Write:
P.O. Box 7674 FOR
Station, NY NY 10150.
Real Batman Seeks
Real Robin: Holy
partner! Let's ditch
Gotham City andconcentrate on eachother! YOU: sharp mind
& looks, 20-38, a winner
who deserves the best,
enjoys cuddling,
laughing. old movies &fresh popcorn,
comfortable in jeans,
tux or a cape. ME: solid
6' showbiz pro, 185.
dirty blond/sea-greeneyes, young 44,
handsome, hung, hot,
hunky, happy. aroMANtic catch. Sharesafe adventures atdream BatCaves in NYC& P'town. Unmask thisCaped Crusader &discover your hero. top
pal, protector, defender.
teacher. lover & more.
Zap letter & photo now(BOTH required): POB
1704. Provincetown.
MA. 02657. (NOTE:
Jokers and Riddlers
please apply
elsewhere. Try
Geraldo.)Asian gay maleinterested in travel.
aesthetics and a
relationship sought bytall. serious. sensitive
GWM, early 40's.
OutWeek Box 1000
Need a spanking?
Attractive guy, 43, 6',
160 Ibs. will put you
across his knee. pull
down your pantsnand
underpants--and spankyour bare bottom till
you promise'to behave.
Am into fantasy--notpain. Good with
beginners. Box 1316
FOR Sta, NYC 10150.
Seek trim guys only.
GWM. 35;5'10. trim
,beard. balding. Mature,
together. independent
Enjoy GWM workouts,
beach. arts.
architecture. history.
looking to meet guy 3045 with similar interests
and attributes. P.O. Box,379. NY, NY 10101.
Very affectionate,
GWM, 41. 5'9,170.
stache, furry. attractive.
seeks smoother guy 3050 for relationship. You
have a great sense ofhumor, enjoy musicaltheatre. cabarets,
travel, long walks. talks.
hugs & kisses. let's get
acquainted. Send letter,phone & photo to: P.O.
Box 7116. FOR Sta .• NYC
10150-1909.
European businessman.
attractive w/m 45. 6'1.
175. commute between
Paris-NY often. will
host gdlk w/m 23-30.
educated. cleanshaved.
slim. for civilised
stimulating nights ofgood drinks. food.
conversation, (safe)
fun. POB 8324. NY
10150-1918.
White male. 38. 5'6. 140.
muscular. healthy.
discreet. youthful. attr .•seeks muscular-beefy
man for safe mutual
times. big arms a t.
prefer men 30-55. Box
783. NYC 10008.
Overzealous dyke.
young of year, firm inloin. seeks big haired
girl for a nonstop
bonanza. Psycho
bambis. hungry
monsters and dullards

need not even try.
OutWeek Box 1001
WM, 44, look 30, 5"",160, seek black,
Hispanic or Asian guy,
20's to 40's for fun
times. let's shareaffectionate
experiences, safe
mutual i/o. light s/mscenes or whatever we
can improvise. If you're
muscular, a plus. filo
drugs. OutWeek Box
1002
Old-fashioned. safe.
sensuous & erotic"daddy-enemas: assplay & more given with
I cater to shy guys
& beginners. Also want
to share your childhood
experiences. Rick. P.O.
Box 45. Caldwell, NJ
07006.

nc.

LOOK NO FURTHER.
GWM. experienced
friend and lover
seeking same. I'measy-going. sensitive.
romantic. intelligent
and witty. 44 years
young. 5'7". 1421bs.
Beautiful blue eyes.
curly brn hair,
moustache. I'm
sensual. sexually vers
and into safe sex.
Interested in perf. arts.
film. books. dancing.
music. Jogger. People
watcher and nature
lover. Yourph/photo/letter getsmine. Box 2004. NYC
10009.
GWM 29 brlbr healthy.
good shape. romantic.
many interests seeks
younger GM for friend.
poss. relatnshp. BDM
Box 305 Blkn. 11240.
Send letter & phone. All
answered.
Are you an animal
during sex? Wanttobe? (I mean literally)
Hypnosis might give thefeeling. let me changeyou. letter/photo to
D.H. Box 350-148,
Booklyn NY 11235-0003.
After-the-Office:Handsome. healthy.
trim. 5'10". 145,40
Brooks Bros. type livingin midtown wishes tomeet male exec. forsafe sensual fun after
the office or atlunchtime. POB 1197
NYC 10156.
Team Coach: do you
wantto act out yoursweaty locker room frat
hazing, foot and otherfantasies with a hot
WM, 33. 6'1".185. very
handsome, masculine.
and works out? Thentall guys write to meetfor your real explosive
action. Bobby. P.O. Box
304. Village Station. NY
NY 10014.
Chubby-chasers wtd.
by tall. handsome
chubby with lots tooffer--into all safe
scenes--from latins toslaves. wanted photoand pix. P.O. Box 430 NY
NY 10018.
Strict discipline soughtfrom someone who
knows its value. Spank.
strap. paddle. whip.
crop or switch my buns
to a good red color
while I'm tied down
crying like a child.
GWM 38. 5'1". 183.
br/br. good shape. SS.
no drugs. Can
reciprocate. OutWeek
Box 1003
Mildly Kinky: GWM.
52. attractive, 5'10".
145. versatile. risktaking. seeks hot sex.
fun. relationship.
friends. enjoys politics.
conversation. walks.
movies. much more.
P.O.Box 173. NY NY
10023.

Marrlbilgays: Getting
enough/any? Meneitherl Masc, ripe,
hlthy guy sks ss. M-Th
NYC daytim/early pm
mutual fun; wkend
Hamptons outdoor
woods & beach romps.
Write your hlthy
fantasies/needs to Bob.
Box 871, SAG Harbor.
NY 11963. Cum on, let's
go for itl
White male couple
early 40's healthy. fit.
nonsmokers. looking to
expand social circles
seek other male
couples (ageunimportant). We enjoy
the theatre. restaurant
dining. traveling and,most important,friendship. Please
reply to ,~O. Box 1636
NY, NY 10185-0014.

Complicated guy wants
simple life. Me: 5'6".
130 Ibs .• blondish,passionate. You: smart.
funny. honest. Beard at. Any race. any
temperament OutWeek
Box 1004
Female: to spend timegoing to shows.
country. just being
friendly. etc. I am 49. 5',

June 26. 1989

1005
Fantastic Romantic!
Handsome, intellectual
and witty man, 34, darkbrown hair & eyes(slavic!. moustache. 170
Ibs .• 5'8". Into arts &honesty. Seeking dating
relationship witn man.
25-42. Open topossibilities. Write P.O.
Box 8272. FOR Station.
NY NY 10150.

Low mileage GM; 1951,
5'10". 140 Ibs .• nonsmoker/drinker. live
outside city. work-NYC.
Seeks slowly evolving
friendship/lover.
.
Davies. Box 1055.
Chelsea Station, NY NY
10011.

-

Hot. hanBsome. GWM. .
47.5'9".155. br/br.
moustache. healthy,
youthful. smart.
masculine. muscular.
Seeks attr .• bright.
health-consc. well-built
men for hot safe sex.
Send phone & photo to
Jim. P.O. Box 20100, NY
NY 10017-9992.
Tall. slim. cute GWM,
23. activist. tv
personality. writerseeks radical hunkcomrade. Interests:
films. reading. cable tv
and the Pyramid on
Sundays. Photo/phone:
OutWeek Box 1006

I 1351bs. OutWeek Box

Address all
responses tooutWeek Box # s:out Week Box
17 Lexington Ave
NY. NY 10010

LLI

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C'-)
OUT"YWEEKcontinued

J.

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NY PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTSNew York Symposium: "A Better
Understanding of Your Patientswith AIDS," a multidisciplinary
survey of problems and needs;
speakers from government,
law,
medicine, AIDS support groups; atBeth Israel Medical Cel]ter, Podell
Auditorium,
1st Ave & 16 St; 1-4:30
pm; register before June 16931-

O6OOx2600
CHRISTOPHER STREET FESTIVAL
COMMITIEE Candlelight AIDS
Vigil in Sheridan Square, honoring
Ed Murphy; forming at Sheridan
Square and proceeding
down
Chl'istopher
St; 7 pm (sponsoredby
Heritage of Pride and theChristopher
Street Festival
Committee)
PARTICULAR PROOUCTIONS

Lavender Jane in Concert: Katy
,Gardner, Allx Dobkin, at
Washington
Square Methodist
Church, 135 West 4th St; 7:30 pm;$15; info 718/643-3284
CENTER SPORTS gcx;s to Mets vs.
Phillles; 7:35 pm; 620-7310
GAYANO LESBIAN YOUTH OF NEWYORK International Lesbian and
Gay Youth Cooferem,e, at theCenter, 8-10 pm; free; 718n45-371O
VILLAGE PLAYWRIGHTS presents
Summer Affairs, a production
consisting of seven interrelated
short plays by seven different gay
and lesbian playwrights,
encompassing
murder, love,friendship,
fun and sex at a summer
resort; at Ernie Martin Theater, 311
W 43 St, 5th FI; 8 pm; $10; 718/4990497 for reservations(also 6/24,
6/30,711)
STONEWALL CHORALE and NYC GAY
MEN'S CHORUS Share the Pride
Concert, performing BachMagnificat, at Alice Tully Hall,
Lincoln Center; 8 pm; $12.50 - $50(patron); Center Charge 874-6770
WOMEN'S ALTERNATIVESCOMMUNITY CENTER Herstory on

FUm: a movie depicting our gay
herstory, with refreshments;
675
Woodfield Road, West Hempstead,LI, 8:30 pm; $5; 516/483-2050
RAOICAL FAERIES Mock Funeralfor Judy Gariand, whose death60

OUTTWEEK

was one of the catalysts for the
Stonewall Rebellion; at Stonewall
Place in front of the Stonewall Inn,by Sheridan Square Park; info 334-

8044
SPECTRUM OISCO presents Brenda
K. starT, singing "What You See is
What You Get," and "I Still Believe;"
802 64th Street, Brooklyn (N train to
8th Ave stop in Bay Ridge);
718/238-8213
OOWNSTAIRS AT TROCAOERO
LaugbJog All the Way, with
comedians
Danny McWilliams, Lisa
Kron,Jane
Stroll, Rick Burd, Tom
Babbit on pianQ; benefits theCenter; 368 Bleecker St (nearChristopher);
10 pm, $8 + 2-drink
min.; 242-0636
SAPATONA PROOUCTIONS present
Minus One, a play by Harriet
Malinowitz and directed by Sara
Cytron; about lesbian friendship;
plays Fridays, and Saturdays throughJune 24, also Thursday June 22,
Sunday June 18; 13th Street Theater,
50 W 13 St (btwn 5th & 6th Aves);
10 pm; $10; rsrvtns 675-6677
MEN OF ALL COLORS TOGETHER
presents The United Fruit

Company, gay theater troupe, in
their first NYC performance;at theCenter, 208 W 13 St, 11 pm; $10; .
reservation. required 245-6366, 222-

VILLAGE BOWLING LEAGUE Big
Apple Stonewall Invitational
Classic '89, Singles tournament,high series handicap,
high gamehandicap; at Bowlmor Lanes, 110
University Place (255-8188); noonand 2 pm; $30 per person entry fee(part goes to Gay & Lesbian
Switchboard);
info from Gutter
George, wk)546-2384,h)873-0154
PARTICULAR PROOUCTIONSWomen's Music and Spirituality
Workshop with Kay Gardner; allwomen welcome; at the Center; 208
W 13 St; 2-4 pm; $15-$25 sliding
scale; pre-registerat 718/643-3284
GAYANO LESBIAN YOUTH OF NY
at 59thStreet/Columbus
Circle entrance toCentral Park; info 337-8875

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WOMEN ABOUT Hook Mountainhike and dloner at the Coven,
Nyack, NY; 9 am NYC start
PARTICULAR PROOUCTIONS Belly
Dancing for Lesbians, with
Morgana, ritual dance workshop
with slide, ritual dance demo, andimprov ritual dance by partiCipants;
no dance training required; preregistrationa must; at the Center,
208 W 13 St; 11 am to 1:30 pm; $I5$25 sliding scale; register with
718/643-3284
ACT UP March to the Gay Pride
Rally, meet 11 am at Stonewall(Stonewall Place between 7th Ave &W 4th St); march up 6th Ave toCentral Park and the Great Lawn;
533-8888
NOW ALLIANCE PAC OF LONGISLANO Luncheon with author
Sonia Johnson, at the Salty Dog
Restaurant in Sag Harbor,. noon - 3

June 26, 1989

PARTICULAR PROOUCTIONS

Concert: Lucie Blue Tremblay,
Heather Bishop, James Aire, at
Washington Square Methodist.
Church, 135 West 4 St; 7:30 pm; $15;
info 718/643-3284(see 5 pm, above
for newly scheduled
show)
OIGNITY/BIG APPLE Annual Prideliturgy for the Lesbian and Gay
Community; with guest homilist,
Brooke Bushong, President,
Integrity/NY;
at the Center, 208 W
13 St; 8 pm (reception
follows); $2
Center fee; 924-0632
OUPLEX presents

Funny Gay

Males, stand-up

comedy trio, every
Friday and Saturday throughout
June; 55 Grove Street, 8 pm; rsrvtns
255-5438

Picnic, meeting

HERITAGE OF PRIDE Gay Pride
Rally in Central Park, on the
Great Lawn (enter west side of parkat 81st St, B or C to CPW /81 St; oreast side at 79th St, #6 to lex/77thSI); with Everett QUinton, Joan
. Nestle, Boy Bar Beauties. Ronald
Johnson,Kate Clinton MC, Michelle
Shocked, Virginia Apuzzo, Hany
Hay, Barbara Smith, Harvey
Fierstein, others; 2-6 pm; 691-1774
PEOPLE WITH AIDS COALITION
Singles' Tea, for PWAs, PWArcs,
HIV+s; 222 W 11 St, 3-5:30 pm; 5320568

9794

J

pm; 516/331-3033(Box 1558,
Selden, NY 11784)

VILLAGE PLAYWRIGHTS presents
Summer Affairs, a production
consisting of seven interrelated
short plays by seven different gay
and lesbian playwrights,
encompassing
murder, love,friendship, fun and sex at a summer
resort; at Ernie Martin Theater, 311
W 43 St, 5th FI; 8 pm; $10; 718/4990497 for reservations(also 6/24,

6/30,711)
NYC GAY MEN'S CHORUS Gay Pride
Concert with the Chamber Choirand Uptown Express, Alice Tully
Hall, Lincoln Center; 8 pm; $12.50S50 (patron); CenterCharge
8746770
GIRTH ANO MIRTH CLUB OF NY

PARTICULAR PROOUCTIONS

Concert: Lucie Blue Trembay,
Allee Dobkin, James AIre, at
Washington
Square Methodist
Church, 135 West 4 St; 5 pm; $15;
info 718/643-3284

THE BACKROOM: COMMUNITYCOMPUTER BULLETIN BOARO
Celebration of gay hackers'
contribution
to the industry; at
Breadstix, 113-24 Queens Blvd.,
Forest Hills; Queens; free (F,R to75th Avenue stop)

Benefit Party and Review of
GAM's ll-Year History, benefits
SAGE's AIDS educationand services
to the elderly; please bring gifts(new, inexpensive,
wrapped,contents noted, for persons over 50;
for SAG E's annual picnic foor
homeboundclients); pany is at theCenter, 208 W 13 St; 8:30 pm; $10;
620-7310
WOMANEWS Lesbian Pride Danceat Downtown,
666 Broadway (atBond); 8:30 pm; $10; 989-7963
LAS BUENAS AMIGAS Latina
Lesbian Dance, with music by

OIGNITY/SUFFOLK Wine andCheese Party, with Gay PrideLitu,gy tomorrow, June 25; 516/4620159
OIGNITY/NY Gay &: Lesbian Prideliturgy and Social at SI. John
Episcopal Church, 224 Waverly
Place; 7':30 Roman Catholic
Liturgical, 9:30 social; 718/877-3100

Latina Lesbians, Las Buenas Amigas;
with photo and literature exhibit;
drug and alcohol free; at the Center,
208 W 13 St; 9 pm-l am; $5; 6207310
CONGREGATION BETH SIMCHATTORAH & DIGNITY/NY co-sponsor
Pride Dance, at 57 Bethune Sta\"Dial Direct On'6400"
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continued from page 60(near West), 9 pm - 1 am; $6
advance/$8 door; 929-9498
GAYFRIENDSANDNEIGHBORSandLAMBDAINDEPENDENTDEMOCRATSGay Day '89 'Dance in. Brooklyn, at Camp Friendship, 8 St
off 6th Avenue in Park Slope; 9 pm·
to-2 am; $8; F train to 7th Ave; 718894-3791
DOWNSTAIRSATTROCADERO
uughing
All the Way, with
comedians Danny McWilliams, Lisa
Kron, Jane Stroll, Rick Burd, Tom
Babbit·on piano; benefits theCenter; 368 Bleecker St (nearChristopher); 10 pm; $8 + 2-drink
min.; 242-0636
SAPATONAPRODUCTIONSpresents
Minus One, a play by Harriet
Malinowitz and directed by Sara
Cytron; about lesbian friendship;
plays Fridays and Saturdays throughJune 24, also Thursday June 22,
Sunday June 18; 13 Street Theater,
5.0W 13 St (btwn 5th & 6th Aves);
Ie pm; $10; ISrvtnS 675-6677
SAINTATLARGEHeritage of Pride"Rainbow Party~" in the lower
level of Grand Central Station; 10
pm, $35 advance/$45 qoor; tickets
307-7171, info 675-8541
GEORGESARDIand KENCHARLES
Gay Pride Television Special:"Remembering,"with memories
of Wayland Flowers and Madame,
Brandy Alexander, Casey Donovan,
Roben La Tourneaux, Lord Byron,
Johnny Savoy, Billy Blackwell, Ed
Murphy; on Manhattan Cable'S
Channel C, 10:30 pm

GAYANDLESBIANALLIANCE
AGAINSTDEFAMATION
Stonewall
20 Stamp Cancellation; at which
Keith Haring commemorative
postcards and cachet covers with
first-ever US Postal Service
cancellation to openly refer tolesbian and gay community; all mailto anywhere in the world can becanceled at the US Postal Service
Mobile Van unit in Sheridan Square;lOam to 5 pm
HERITAGE
OFPRIDEj\larshal
Training before the parade; YMCA,
5 W 63 St off Central Park West;
10:45; orientation for independentand group Marshals from 'out of
town
METROPOLITANCOMMUNITY
CHURCHPride Day Services at thesouthwest corner of Central Park,
before the paraCle; 11 am; 242-1212

2'

MARANATHA
Gay/Lesbian Pride
89 Breakfast, at Riverside Church,
9th Floor Tower Lounge, 9 am sharp
to 10:15 am; $6; 866-4043
PRESBYTERIANSFORLESBIANANDGAYCONCERNSWorship Service
before the March, at West Park
Presbyterian Church, 165 W 86 St;
9:30 am; free64

OUTTWEEKPARTICULARPRODUCTIONSLesbianCabaret, at the Women's
Coffeehouse, the Center, 208 W 13
St, 4 pm (after the March); $10; info
718/643-3284.
NE1WORKOFGAYANDLESBIANALUMNI/AEASSOCIATIONS(NETGALA)
Post-March Reception
for members of all GALAs (gay andlesbian alumnilae associations) andtheir friends; at M'leCenter, 208 W 13
St; 5-7 pm; $3; 860-9758

SHESCAPEhosts Offlcial\Women's
Tea Dance at the Palladitlm, withspecial guest performer; 126 E 14 St;
4-10 pm; $8 before 6 pm/$lO after;
stay all night for HOP Liberation
Day Ball (10 pm below), (wpmenpreferred before 10)\

WBAI 99.5 FMCoverage of theStonewall 20 march and events;
9amt07pm

E

J

WOMENABOUTGay Pride Brunch& March, no-smoking brunch at 10
am, Upper West Side, $3; then join
Women About at the Parade at 64 St& CPW, 1l:30 am

PWACOALITIONand HERITAGE
OF
PRIDEGreat Balloon Release,during the parade, 2:30 pm,
accompanied by a moment ofsilenceN

IDENTITYHOUSEOpen House for
all women and men in thecommunity to come and socialize
after the march; at 544 Ave/ Arns
(btwn 14 & 15 Sts)DIGNITY/BROOKLYN
12th
Anniversary Celebration, at
Church of the Gethsemane, 8th
Avenue at 10th Street, Brooklyn;
6:30 pm; free5Ubenefit GMHC, The Works at 428
Columbus Ave (81 St), The Break at
232 8th Ave (22 St); bars close at 4
am

LEATHER-S/M
CONTINGENT
Formation for the Pride Marchincludes Gay Male S/M Activists,
Hot Ash, Lesbian Sex Mafia,
Eulenspiegel Society, The New York
Eagle, The Spike, and out of town
groups; gathering at 62 St andCentral Park West, 1l.30 am;
motorcycle clubs must register with
Heritage ofPride,,691-1774

HERITAGE
OFPRIDE20th Annual
Lesbian and'Gay Pride March,celebrating the 20th anniversary of
Stonewall, gathers at Columbus
Circle at 11 am, kicks off down 5th
Avenue at 12:30 pm sharp, turns
right at Washington Square Arch,goes down Waverly, thenChristopher, dispersing on Hudson

J

Pier, benefits the Center, 4-10:30
pm; fireworks display at 10:30 pm;$7 advance/$10 at the pier (in andout privileges, beer $2); 691-1774

MARSNEEDSMEN T Dance, club
opens 3 pm, today only; see thefireworks over the Hudson from theroof at 10:30; pan o'f proceeds go to
Community Health Project; parrycontinues as long as "you keep
dancing;" Westside Highway & 13thStreet, 3 pm- ??; 691-6262
THECENTERand HERITAGEOFPRIDE
Dance m, on the Christopher Street

June 26, 1989

METROPOLITANCOMMUNITY
CHURCHPride Day Services at 135
West 4 St (at 6th Ave); after theparade; 7 pm; 242-1212\

WNET-TV/13"Whoever Says theTruth Shall Die," 10.00 pm \PALLADIUM
and HERITAGEOFPRIDEliberation
Day Ball at Palladium(follows the women's Tea Dance);
music by Michael Fierman; 10 pm to 10 am Monday morning; 126 E 14
St; $7 advance/$lO door; tix 3.tHOP
office, 57 W 16 ST, 2nd FI, M-F,
noon to 5 pm; or at HOP table
Saturdays, Sundays at
Christopher/Hudson from 1-6 pm;
free to all Marshals who helped with
the March; 691-1774
HERITAGE
OFPRIDEFireworks
Display, following Dance III on thePier; by Garden State
FIreworks/Santore Bros.; 10:45 pm;
visible at the Hudson River by
Christopher St
THEWORKSand THEBREAKGay
Pride Beer Blast, pa nia I proceeds

U

N FE

2

6

FREDERICK
TlMM presents a Staged
Reading of his New Love, a new
comedy by the award-Winningplaywrig'lt, about David and Leslie's
struggle to get boyfriends; at theCenter, 208 W 13 St; 8 pm; $2; 620:
7310 (also June 27)
THECLOSETCASESHOWFifth
Anniversary Show, politics andsafe erotica on Manhattan Cable's
Channel C (16); midnight

FI/ES'Ar

J

U

N

E

2

7

MENOFALLCOLORSTOGETHERBoatride around Manhattan, with music,
dancing and 'cash bar; an alcoholfree space on upper deck; dinner
available for $12; leaves 42nd St Pieron the Hudson, 7:30 pm sharp,
returns 10:30 pm; $20; 245-6366
PEOPLEWITHAIDS COALITION
Forum: uwrence
LeShan, clinicalpsychologist and author of Cancer
as a Turning POint, discusses his
work; at the Center, 208 W 13 St;
7:30 pm; free; 532-0290
HETRICK-MARTIN
INSTITUTEandHERITAGE
OFPRIDEBenefit
Reading of Doric Wilson's Street
Theater, the acclaimed play about
the Stonewall Riots; call HOP for
info, 691-1774
FREDERICK
TIMM presents a Staged
Reading. of his New Love, a new
comedy by the award-winningplaywright, about David and Leslie's
struggle to get boyfriends; at theCenter, 208 W 13 St; 8 pm; $2; 620-'
7310 ...

THEATER continued from page 50

women in horror movies, stripteaseartists, the roots of rural America, etc.
Call for details.
.
Little Women: The Tragedy (Interart
Theater, 549 West 52nd Street, 246-1050)'
Peggy Shaw, Lois Weaver and Deborah
Margolin, collectively known as Split
Britches, were involved with WOW fromthe beginning, and as a company, they're
known for shows like Dress Suits to Hireand Patience and Sarah.
They've
adapted another classic here, whichfeatures "additional text" by Louisa May
Alcott.
Minus One (13th Street Theater, 50
West 13th St., 675-6677). Still otherWOW women are involved in Harriet
Malinowitz's
play' about
lesbianfriendship .. The sho:w's press release getsa little heavy'with jargon, talking aboutthe "normativeness" of the characters,
and indicating that the play deals with"love and loss, commitment
a'nddependency, intimacy ~nd autonomy,
addiction' and codependence."
But
despite this and the superficial similarity
to the late Jane Chambers' well known
play, Last Summer at Blue-fish Cove-both concern a lesbian dying' of a brain
tumor--this show is terrific! This is its lastweekend, but hopefully there'll be a
future life for the work.
Ruffian on the Stair (Prometheus
Theatre, 239 East 5th St., 477-8689).
Playwright Joe Orton is rapidly becoming
a gay icon, and in recent years, it's beenpossible to see virtually all of his small
but substantial body of work performedin New York. This Pinteresque play is
one of his earliest efforts, but still
demonstrates
his great command of
language.
As if all of these weren't enough,you only have a few more days to seethat Triple Crown winner (Outer Critic's
Circle, Drama Desk and Tony awards),
the delightful P!l.uline Collins, in Shirley
Valentine before she returns to England.
You could even see Rita McKenzie's onewoman tribute, Call Me Ethel, and we
don't think she means Mertz, at Jewish
Repertory Theatre.
So what are you
waiting for? .Pick out a couple of thesethat sound the most intriguing to you andmake some reservations! ""ALL-MALEMINI THEATER(lower level)

Mon.-Sat.: 11am-11pm I Sun.: 10am-7pm

Ann Street
Adult Entertainment Center~t Ann Street (btwn. Broadway & Nassau St.)New York City I (212) 267-9760
Mon.-Fri.: 7am-11pm I Sat.: 10am-11pm
Sun.: 1Dam-7pm

LARGE SELECTION OF ALL-MALE
VIDEOS I MAGAZINES I SCREENING BOOTHSNOVELTIES
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Mon.-Fri.: 7am-11pm I Sat.: 10am-11pm
Sun.: 10am-7pm
66

OUT~WEEK

June 26, 1989

1

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I

COPS continued

from page 2S

appearance
at these actions, has led
many activists
to assume that their
meetings or telephone conversations arebeing monitored.
Some groups have hard data on
this: The Cathedral Project, a gay andlesbian Catholic group, says police havebeen illegally photographing
Project
members
who peacefully
enter St.
Patric:;k's Cathedral between services.
(The group holds monthly "alternative
masses· outside the church, and somemembers quietly go inside before theirprotest.)According to spokesperson
Joanne Still, 20 to 30 'men in dark suits
andsunglasses"
have
been
conspicuously
photographing
Project
members in the Cathedral since January
1987. Still says the photographers haveshown members identification from thepolice Downtown Intelligence Division.
Tosano Simonetti of the NYPD, Chief ofthe Divfsion,
says this can'tbe

REBELLION continued

from page 43

courage just to be gay before 1969. It'ssignificant that Judy Garland was buriedon the night that the Stonewall Riots gavebirth to the modern
gay liberation
movement.
It was an ironic symbol ofthe end of the old gay subculture which
existedonly in shadow
and thebeginning of a new militancy. I've had afoot in both worlds ever since, constantly
trying to balance the old and the new.
To me, disco wasn't music; it was noise.
I love Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. I
bar.ely tolerate Liza Minnelli who will
never be the man her mother was. I ~Io
not tolerate Madonna. I like the fact that
Judy Garland was, in a sense, adopt~d by
gay men 'as their own.
She was aninternationaHy
famous singer whose
talent spoke to everyone.
But not'
equally,
it wouldseem.
It wasconvenient in the 60s to advance the ideathat Judy Garland's gay cult following
was parasitic. In People magazine, comk
Paul Lynde said, "Gay people killed Judy
Garland." The fact is that Judy Garland
was exploited during her lifetime by aseries of heterosexual men including

70

oUrYWEEK

June 26, 1989

commissioner Stephen Joseph.
(Underhappening.
"We don't take videos orlaw, only a court or grand jury canstill photos unless some violation of thecompel testimony.). '.
law is being committed."
For police
Thirty one women arrested during
training
purposes,
Simonetti
adds,the. ACf UP demo at City Hall last"sometimes we will videotape at long
March are suing the city for what police
distances,
so that no activists can behave conceded
were improper
strip
recognized."
But the Cathedral Project
searches. Many felt the searches, like a
has received a letter from the Handschu
long list of irregular NYPD activities at
Authority,which
oversees
policethe demo, were designed to intimidate
surveillanceof politicalgroups,them into toning down their activism.
confirmingthat the group is in fact
The police originallysaid that only
being monitored ..
civilian matrons were responsible
forPolice cameras and plainclothes
the strip searches, but Chief Simonetti
officershavefrequently
been
in
says
the
Departmentisnowevidence at ACf UP actions of all types,
interviewing sergeants, lieutenants, andbut what really irked the group was acaptains at the two precincts involved invisit to member Steve Quester's homeorder
todeterminewhowaslast September
by the Major Case
responsible.
Squad. The elite police ,unit arrived .at
Vanessa Ferro, an openly lesbian
six in the morning, threatening to arrest
police officer, was recently appointed
everyone in the apartment, and to notify
the police department's
first liaison to
Quester's
employer,if he refused to
the gay and lesbian community:
But
answer'questions
about
allegedtel phoneharassmentof
healthI while her appointment may show thatmost of her husbands who saw dollar
signs when they gazed into her eyes.
Gay men saw something else and if theattraction was fatal, it was also mutual.
In a film called Save The Tiger, Jack
Lemmonplays a man approaching
middle age who cannot quite cope withthe modern world. He picks up a young
hippie woman hitchhiking and they havea contentious conversation.
She finallyasks him, "What is it that you want,anyway?" He answers, 'fJ want to be at
the Cotton Club in Harlem listening to.
Billie Holliday sing "Fine and Mellow." Ifeel like that.
I don't understandentertainment
in the Eighties when any
slime bucket can be called a star. The
world has changed and I am in favor ofmost of those changes.
I fought forthem. But as one age discards the thingsof another, the· culture shock becomes
tough to live with. We need to keep
certain familiar friends and comforting
rituals to warm us in a world grown coldand impersonal.
I'm keeping
Judy
Garland to remind myself of a time whenstars really shone.
When I say "Poor
Judy," it's really myself I'm feeling sorryfor. ...

the NYPD is now unembarrassed tohave open lesbians and gay men in thedepartment, the precise significance ofher appointment
remains unclear.
OUtWeek reporters saw Ferro, wearing
plainclothes and a labyris, place her
hands on the chests of ACT UP
members at the June 1st Stonewall
ceremonies and shove them backwards
just as Ed Koch began speaking. The
shoving ~y Ferro and other officers
provoked chants from .ACf UP, which
had resolved to remain silent for theduration of Koch's proclamation. .
But Ferro claims that she pushed

1988. But Police Commissioner Ben
Ward recently told a group of gay andlesbian activists that queerbashing is'not the 'kind of crime for which we'reg<?nna put people in undercover.
Itdoesn't have priority, not when we're
3,000 [officers) short." Apparently, gay,lesbian and AIDS protests do havepriority....

no one, and was merely helping. otherpolice "maintain order' by moving ACf
UP back. The liaison says she simply
asked ACf UP ·members to move, thenwithdrewfrom the scene whenreinforcements arrived. It's my job tomediate between the community andthe police officers that are invovled,'
Ferro said. "I was there to mediate.'
Meanwhile, anti-gay violence inthis city is at its highest recorded level.
According to the Gay and Lesbian AntiViolence Project's Nina Kaminski,
reported incidents of anti-gay violence
have increased 300% between 1984 and

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NEW YORKSTRIFE continued from page 39

was one of the few places wheretransvestites were tolerated by the
management --had precious little to· dowith the Stonewall's modus operandi,
given that it was in all probability moboperated(as were most illegal
establishments of the time) and that thebuilding's fabric was so far below codethat entering the joint was only
infinitesimally safer than descending intoe. West Virginia coal mine. In fact, someof the outcry raised during the week
following the riot was directed against
the Stonewall itself. An interesting
leaflet issued by an organization called
the Homophile Youth Movement decried
the "hell-hole atmosphere of places
typified by the Stonewall."Which brings me, in a roundaboutway, to the subject of what hqppened on
the nights following the riot. Yes, theanger evidenced at the Stonewall on
Friday night was inchoate, largely
unpoliticized.
What was so mindboggling was that it dared show itself at
alL And it's really astonishing how
extremely quickly that amorphouscombination of excitement and rage
took on a definite,and highly
politicized, . form.
From Saturday
through Tuesday nights Christopher
Street provided the mise-en-scene for asmall-scale revolution that was to lead,in fairly short order, to a sizeable
revolution in consciousness.
How sizeable? Many who were
there (or thereabouts), whether they
took part in the riots or not, credit theevents of that week with having
radicalized them, or with having firstplanted the idea in their minds thatbeing gay might have a politicalimperative attached.
Such gay rights
organizations
as did exist took
advantage of the unrest, hurriedly
publishing fliers to advertise the cause,
soapboxing, and signing up members.
Within a year after Stonewall, threeorganizations that were to mold gay andlesbianpolitical
consciousness
throughout
the early 70s--the Gay
Liberation Front, the Gay Activists
Alliance, and Radicalesbians--had sprung
into existence, hammering together
platforms and staging actions that went
far beyond what we might refer to as the"constructive engagement" tactics of the
Mattachine Society and the Daughters of74

OUTTWEEK

June 26, 1989

Bilitis. This isn't to demean those earlierorganizations nor to underrate theircourage, but simply to underscore thesea change that gay politics underwent
on account of the Stonewall Riot's
having happened.
Michael Scherker, who is at work on
a book on the riots and who has so far
interviewed dozens of people who took
some part in them, admits that it's only
hindsight that allows us to see historicalnecessity in the Stonewall's happening
when it did, or in the fact that something
significant--rather than nothing at all-came of it. It's his impression that those
who were there, who threw bricks,
camped it up in full view of the generalpublic, set fires, and who brazenly risked
getting their. teeth knocked out by apoliceman's nightstick, had fOl\the mostpart very little in the way of a political
agenda going through their heads when
they were deciding to act so untidily. In
fact, he emphasizes that those who did
have political agendas ready at handreacted to the riots, as· a group, in a
decidedly mixed way. The phrase
quoted above from that Homophile
Youth Movement leaflet shouldn't beread as a criticism merely of the
oppressive conditions that institutions
like the Stonewall helped enforce. In
the minds of some, places like theStonewall Inn were "hell-holes" becauseof the riff-raffthey tended to attract. The
unwholesomeness of the environment
they provided was mirrored by theseaminess of the clientele .. In the mindsof some, this riot--which'was after all thehandiwork of drag queens, diesel dykes,
hippified queers and sundry others
among society's marginalia--was quite as
likely to bring on a police backlash as toinspire anything positive.
A bartender I know who worked on
Christopher Street at the time and who
happened
onto the scene of the
disturbance that first night just as things
were being broken apart by the Tactical
Police Force, remembers that some years
later
he
was
marchingwithacquaintances in some gay liberation
demonstration or other when a certain
very famous black street queen sashayed
past their little group. My bartender'scompanions reacted to the epiphany she
presented with· laughter and expressionsof revulsion. He was infuriated: "Don't
you know who that is?"he chided them,"If she hadn't been there, you fellows
certainly wouldn't be here!" Whether or
not they took his chastisement to heart
can't, of course, be known, but itwouldn't be much of a surprise if they
did not. It's no news to anyone thattwenty years later--even in an era when
lip-synching drag queen shows areexperiencing
aninexplicablerenaissance--the gay "community" still
exhibits mixed feelings concerning thoseof its elements who seem, by their very
existence, to work against the so-called
political wisdom that says that we shalltriumph by proving to nice, ordinary
people how nice and ordinary we are
too. There are kits of us who think that
our sufferings ought to be modeled on
those of the Boy in the Bubble anddefmitely not on the rantings and ravingsof some self-consciously ersatz, cranky,
not-at-all-nice Camille of the Streets.
But, dear reader, I'm not being astendentious as I might seem: I must
admit that, had I been there on that
historic night, I personally would havehightailed it away as soon as the cops letme go. Worse, I have to confess that theevent that I, to~, am eager tocommemorate was the creation of abunch of people most of whom I guess I
wouldn't really like to hang out with.
Which gives me a feeling I'll loosely
describe as sort of creepy.
But putting that guilty personal noteaside, let me spend the last few
sentences giving a rapid precis of whatwent on dul'in'g the nights following theinitial outburst. The Tactical Police
Force was moved en masse out of what
was its more usual beat on the Lower
East Side to the disordersthat,
incomprehensibly it must have seemed,
continued to rage in the West Village.'
Some accounts impose an -individual
quality on each successive night of theuprising: Saturday was carnival-like, on
Sunday things got much more
confrontational, and so on. But Scherker
says that the interviews he's conductedso far make it seem a bit blurrier: theexcitement that accompanied the riots-coupled with the time that's passed--hastended to erase memory's neater
distinctions. Neither was the resistancethat was. so vigorously evidencing itself"organized"
exceptin the mostephemeral, organic sense: bands ofcontinued on page 76

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--.a

STRIFE continued

from page 74

people formed on the street, catcalled
the cops or tossed things at them, werebroken up, and then reformed. It does
seem to Scherker that Tuesday, July 1,
was somewhat different in character-more intense than the preceding nights:
a few cars were set afire and more than afew protesters
were injured by theflailing nightsticks of the TPF, who
conducted a full-scale sweep of thestreet. I noticed when going throughpress clips from the time that Tuesdaynight's goings-on
earned as manycolumn inches in the next day's Times as
had the original, Friday-night riot.
And then things calmed down. It
can't be said, though, that they returned

to normal. Just three weeks later, on July
19, the newly organized GLF, whichmodeled its name after the official nameof the Vietcong (a.k.a. the National
Liberation Front) and whose broad-based
politics of social change dispensed withthe politesse of the earlier generation ofactivism, held its first gay power
demonstrationin Washington Square
Park.
Some four hundred people
participated. And just one year later, on
June 28, 1970, the first of New York's
annual Gay Pride Parades drew morethan 10,000 marchers from all over thenortheastern U.S. That figµre sounds alittle more muscular. T

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Rich' at Star.
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Dan at the Eagle(right).
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Tony Danna andStephen Naas at
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Frankie Piano of
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. June 26, 1989

ourTWEEK

81

Sports

DRIVE BEGINS FORGAY GAM~ES III
TThis year a whole new aspect of thegames will begin with the inclusion ofcultural events in the program. Film,dance, painting, musical bands andchoruses, and cuisine will rival athletics
for attention, .making the games agenuine internatfonal festival for gay andlesbian culture. It's expected that as
many people will take part in thecultural events as in the athletic events,
making this year's games almost Jwiee
the size of the previous one.
"This is something that celebrates thehealth and well-being of our entire."
community,"
said Tom Cracovia,
treasurerof Team NY, which isconsidering making a bid for New Yorkto host the games in 1994, the twentyfifth anniversary of Stonew'1lll.He notedthat there exist hardly any groups toaddress discrimination and persecution
on a worldwide level. "This is going togrow," he said, "The global gay andlesbian community' has been looking forsomething to bring us. all together."Obviously, that something has beenfound in the form of the Gay Games.
Anyone wanting more information on
how to participate 'can contact Tom
Cracovia at 212-732-3612....

his week's Lesbian and Gay Prideeven the Dog Olympics. Since that
March will contain a new sight: A unfortunate ruling, the event has beencalled the Gay Games.
large contingent 'of athletes marchingunder the banner of Team New York.
Anyone can apply to participate in
Their walk down Fifth Avenue heralds
the games as an individual, but many
the start of a much longer journey; one cities field metropolitan teams. This yearthat will bring them and thousands like the New York effort is being organizedthem from nations around the world to by 'a group called Team New York,
Vancouver; British Columbia, on August which will coordinate
publicity,
4, 1990. There, the largest lesbian-gay
uniforms and transportation, and willinternational event in history will unfold: . serve as a 'general clearing house for
The Gay Games.
athletes from our area. There are no
Formerly known as th~ Gay tryouts for Team NY, which expects to
Olympics, the Gay Games are in their send 400 people to the games, up fromthird olympiad. Begun in 1982 in San 188 in 1986. Among the local groups
Fransisco, they originally attracted 1,300 contributing to the Team NY effort are
participants. Four years later more than MCAA(volleyball, softball and bowling),
Knights Wrestling,
3,000 people participated, and for the MTA (tennis),
Women's Soccer, Women's Softball,1990 games, organizers expect over
6,000 athletes from 35 nations to take NYAH (swimming), and a new group,part, thus rivalling the straight Olympics Gay Women's Athletic Club. Applications
for participation will be accepted fromin size and complexity.
This huge event was the vision of one July 1, 1989 to May 31, 1990, and areman. Tom Waddell was a member of the open to everyone.
American team at the Mexico City
Olympics in 1968, placing fifth in the
decathlon. Waddell had a philosophy
based on breaking down stereotypes, anideal he practiced in his own. life,
moving from athletics to medicine, andrnarrying a lesbian with whom' hefathered a child. He disliked theexclusivity of the straight Olympics, andfounded the Gay Olympics as a way ofletting all athletes, regardless of previous
experienceor abi·lity, join in the
excitement of the games. Waddell diedof AIDS in 1987, but his vision has
grown into one of the lesbian and gay
community's greatest accomplishments:
a bridge across nations.
After the first Gay Olympics, a lawsuit
was filed by the US Olympic Committee
to prevent the use of the word Olympic
in the gay games' title. This was upheldby the Supreme Court, despite thecontinued use of the word by such GAYS GO GLOBAL - SWIMMERS AT GAY GAMES /lIN 1986.
groups as the Special Olympics and82

OUTTWEEK

June 26, 1989 .