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NO/AIDS Walk Date Changed
The Ninth Annual NO/AIDS WALK has been rescheduled for Sun., Sept. 20, one week later than previously planned. According to co-chairs JoAnn Moinet and Gabe Nassar, the decision was based on the release of the Saints 1998 schedule. Instead of people having to make a choice of which event they would be participating in, the co-chairs decided to move the Walk one week later to a day when the Saints will not be playing.
The Walk begins in Audubon Park at 10:30am following a short lineup of gospel music and stretching exercises. The three-mile walk winds through uptown New Orleans and culminates back in the park with food, music and children's activities.
Last year's event raised $350,000 in proceeds for NO/AIDS Task Force. This year's committee anticipates more than 10,000 walkers will participate in the event. The committee hopes to raise $400,000.
For more information on the Walk, corporate sponsorship, team or individual participation, please call Mark McKeown at 504.945.4000.
Foot Stompin' Fun
In Baton RougeJoin the Joie de Vivre MCC congregation in Baton Rouge as they gather on Sun., May 24 for their outdoor worship and barbecue.
In observance of Memorial Day the Joie de Vivre MCC will have its regular worship service out on the lawn of the church located in Baton Rouge at 333 E. Chimes St. (at The Uniting Campus Ministries Bldg.). Bring your blankets and wear your shorts.
During the informal worship celebration, enjoy country and contemporary gospel music, hear a "rip roarin'" message from pastor Rev. Dr. Don B. Clarke, and experience Holy Communion in the out-of-doors.
The worship celebration will begin at 11am and end at noon. A barbecue will immediately follow. Please bring $2 to cover the cost of the meat being prepared by the church and one additional food item such as: baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, potato chips, buns, or drinks. The barbeque will end at 1pm. Volunteers are needed to serve and clean up. Please call the church office at 504.383.0450 to volunteer.
French Fest 98
Fete d'Amerique Francaise is scheduled for May 16 & 17 from noon til at Dutch Alley (900 Decatur-between the French Market and the River). The two day event is free and features music, food, crafts and children's festival.
A jazz contest is being held. There will also be the best in Jazz, Zydeco and Cajun music. Special guests will be the Houma Indians of South Louisiana, one of the seven important French speaking communities in this area.
Additional information can be obtained by calling, 504.581.9569.
NCLR Dinner & Awards Ceremony
Honors Cammermeyer,
Achtenberg & ScholinskiThe National Center for Lesbian Rights Celebrates their 21st Anniversary with a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony in San Francisco May 30, by recognizing Col. Grethe Cammermeyer, The Hon. Roberta Achtenberg, and author Daphne Scholinski.
Lesbians, their families and friends from across the country will come to San Francisco May 29 - 31 to honor the nations' premier legal organization devoted to advocating for the rights and safety of Lesbians and their families. The National Center For Lesbian Rights is using the occasion of the 21st Anniversary to honor three outstanding women at an awards ceremony featuring a dinner and dancing.
NCLR's Executive Director, Kate Kendell, Esq. will deliver the keynote address. As an attorney, advocate, and national spokeswoman, Kendell is regarded as one of the country's experts on Lesbian legal issues. Over the past few years, Kendell has raised the nations's consciousness on Lesbian and Gay issues by adding a compelling, incisive and very personal voice to the public debate.
Following Kendell's remarks, the evening will be centered around three remarkable women, all of whom continue to be at the forefront in the struggle for Lesbian civil rights.
Col. Grethe Cammermeyer will receive the NCLR's Community Commitment Award in honor of her successful challenge to the discriminatory policy banning Lesbian and Gay service members. Serving in Silence, her acclaimed book and award-winning television movie based on her story, brought her courageous battle to national attention. Her continuing community activism, as well as her current candidacy for the U.S. House of Representations, has inspired us all.
The Hon. Roberta Achtenberg will receive NCLR's Founders Award. Achtenberg's accomplishments are many and include her pioneering work in helping to establish the nation's first legal protection for Lesbian families, her service as NCLR's Executive Director throughout the 1980's, and her political leadership on San Francisco's Board of Supervisors. In addition, Achtenberg's tenure in the Clinton White House as Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, made her the highest ranking out Lesbian ever to serve in federal government. She will be honored for her long-standing work in helping to make our country a safer place for Lesbians and their families.
Author/activist/artist Daphne Scholinski will receive NCLR's Justice Award in honor of her international advocacy defending the rights of queer youth, and her recent book, The Last Time I Wore A Dress, (Riverhead Books). This heralded autobiography recounts the story of Daphne's institutionalization during adolescence due to her nonconforming gender identity. Beautifully and poignantly written, Scholinski's words are a critical reminder to all of us to celebrate, not punish, those who are different. Her courage and activism are vital to all those who ever question celebrating their true selves.
For reservations and additional information, contact SPL Group, event producer: Tel. 415. 864.8523; Fax 415.864.8582; or E-mail nclr98@splgroupsf.com. For travel arrangements, Whitney-Roberts Travel of San Francisco: Tel: 1.888.853.7242; Fax: 415.440.1605; E-mail julie@Whitney-Roberts.com.
For information about NCLR: NCLR, 870 Market Street, Suite 570, San Francisco, CA 94102. Tel: 415.392.6257; Fax: 415.392.8442; E-mail NCLRSF@aol.com; Web site: www.nclrights.org.
For the past 21 years, The National Center for Lesbian Rights has been at the forefront of historic litigation advancing the civil rights of Lesbians, Gay men, and Bisexual parents involved in custody, adoption, domestic partnership, same-gender marriage, and alternative insemination cases. NCLR also focuses on queer youth issues, immigration and asylum advocacy, and civil rights for Transgendered individuals.
Federation Announces
A Week Of Action
In State CapitolsAfter many national and state wide discussions and after conducting a state-by-state assessment of its members, the Federation of Statewide Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Political Organizations has decided it is time to focus energy on our home states. Under the theme "Equality Begins at Home," each state is called upon to plan an activity - a march, rally, lobby day, press conference, or any other visibility campaign - in their state capital during the week of Mar. 21-27, 1999.
"Equality Begins at Home" will provide an opportunity to focus the national spotlight on the organizing challenges and legislative battles faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people in state houses across the nation. The goal is to build statewide organizing capability across the nation and promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender equal rights in every state.
"The 'Equality Begins at Home' actions enable us to focus our energy on organizing and educating at the state level. Clearly, more and more battles are fought in the states. With anti-Gay initiatives and referendums from Colorado to Maine, and the right wing organizing against our families; we must build a stronger grassroots movement in every state," explained Paula Ettelbrick, Co-Chair of the Federation and Legislative Director of New York's Empire State Pride Agenda.
"The 'Equality Begins at Home' actions give us a tremendous opportunity to strengthen our efforts in the states and create a more powerful network across our country," stated Dianne Hardy-Garcia, Co-Chair of the Federation and Executive Director of the Lesbian and Gay Rights Lobby of Texas. "More states than ever before are facing anti-Gay measures and/or are fighting for pro-Gay civil rights protections. Nearly every state has faced a bill banning the recognition of same-sex marriages in the last two years. Over thirty states have groups actively working on pro-Gay pieces of legislation."
The "Equality Begins at Home" actions will be organized by each of the existing 36 political organizations active in the Federation. Each state will design an action that best fits with their state and their political goals. Each state will develop a plan for integrating local groups and our allies into the action.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force will help to organize the states that do not have existing statewide political groups. The "Equality Begins at Home" actions have been given office space in the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force office.
Kerry Lobel, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said "The political center of gravity is in the states. 'Equality Begins at Home' will allow organizers to focus their energy on building the movement in all fifty states. At this critical time in our movement, NGLTF is fully committed to the Federation and the state actions. We urge our colleague organizations to join with us in supporting this important political work."
Several national and local groups have joined in supporting the "Equality Begins at Home" actions by helping with resources, fundraising, publicity, organizing, promotion and expertise. There will also be a powerful effort to make sure that both the "Equality Begins at Home" actions and the Millennium March complement each other and share resources.
"The 'Equality Begins at Home' action enjoys the full and enthusiastic support of the organizers of the Millennium March," said Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign. "It's imperative that we focus our energies as a movement at both the state and federal level. These two events will complement each other as together we build the momentum to achieve equality in the next century."
"Each state capitol must hear voices of every color that make up the LGBT community. LLEGO will make sure that Latina/os are active in this event and looks forward to making a forceful manifestation of unity and inclusiveness. Our movement will be raised to a new level with the success of 'Equality Begins at Home'," said Martin Ornelas-Quintero, Executive Director of LLEGO, The National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Organization.
Millennium March Update
Organizers for the GLBT community's fourth March on Washington announced the event will be held on April 30, 2000. Organizers also expressed enthusiastic support for "Equality Begins at Home" state actions scheduled for March, 2000.
Founder of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches and long time Gay activist, the Rev. Troy D. Perry said, "we expect one million of my GLBT sisters and brothers and our enlightened allies to stand on the Mall and call upon our nation to live out the promise of equality under the law."
A non-profit corporation is being formed to handle planning, production and financial arrangements. This will be a democratic process and all segments of the community will be represented. Martin Ornelas-Quintero, executive director of Latino Latina/o LGBT Organization, is working for full participation from all people of color. "This is a positive sign of progress," said Jubi Headley, executive director of National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum. Kerry Lobel, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Dianne Hard-Garcia, executive director of Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas; Paula Ettelbrick of Empire State Pride Agenda and Dr. Mel White, UFMCC's Minister of Justice, stand together to support the Millennium March and "Equality Begins at Home."
Dianne and Paula are the co-chairs of Federation of Statewide Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Organizations which sponsors and will organize "Equality Begins at Home." Dr. White encourages us to employ the principles of militant nonviolent resistance to injustice which gave moral authority to the civil rights movements of Gandhi and King.
For info regarding accommodations, E-mail MMOV2000@aol.com or call 818.891.1748.
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