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Toni Pizanie

Toni, a Scottish/Italian native of New Orleans/Old Metairie, began volunteering at 13 at Charity Hospital as a Candy Striper. During the `60s and `70s, she taught Sunday School and was a counselor for the United Methodist Youth. Off to Southeastern at age 16, she worked in various amateur theatre productions and started a Gay literature group. She continued studies in Denver where she belonged to the Recorder Society of America and the Ladies Poetry Society, a Lesbian/feminist group.

Toni attended LSU as a speech major, music history minor. She joined the Sports Car Club of America where she participated as a corner worker, then in timing and scoring for sports car races. She organized rallies and other competitions.

She moved to New Jersey in 1968, leaving school to become involved in Lesbian/feminist activities, experiencing her Italian roots and enjoying New York City. She loves the East Coast and vows to live there again. Toni returned to Metairie to assist in the care of her ill stepfather. During that time, she won a National award for publishing a newsletter. She became a racing driver in the '70s, winning awards for driving and sportsmanship. A small plaque engraved Wabnig Award is a prized possession awarded for outstanding service. At UNO, she studied accounting. She continued her education while working, driving race cars and organizing a clown ministry for Methodist youth to serve the elderly. She left the Methodist Church after confiding in her minister that she was a Lesbian. Today VCMCC is her church home.

Toni was hired as the Head of Bookkeeping for a national accounting firm and worked on the Dutch Morial campaign. This was the beginning of her active interest in politics. In 1979, she joined a discussion group with Gay males. Her close friendship with artist, writer, musician Chuck Pizanie culminated in marriage.

She took the position as Controller for a prestigious architectural firm allowing her to become more politically active. The firm's owner was a close friend of the mayor. She received Dutch's New Orleans City Flag pin directly from the mayor.

Toni and Chuck moved to Gulfport after an auto accident resulting in surgeries left her jobless. They became active in the Episcopal Church, William Carey College, Newcomers, Gulf Coast Jazz Society, the Republican Party, the Italian-American Society, the St. Andrew Society, duplicate bridge, Civitan, and the Symphony Guild. Toni was a model for Papillon Boutique and the voice of many radio commercials. She explains, "On the Gulf Coast if you weren't a Republican, you weren't active in politics." During this happy period, the couple wrote two mysteries, four plays, dozens of short stories and poems (most Gay/Lesbian themes), created more than a hundred pieces of art, composed a score of songs, gave free art lessons to pre-puberty and elderly students and entertained constantly.

They became involved in AIDS issues when best friend/best man, Douglas, tested positive for HIV and in women's health issues when Toni's former partner was diagnosed with cancer. They nursed Valerie until her death. A year later Chuck died. Toni purchased a Victorian doll house in the Marginy large enough for herself and Tom, her Great Dane. Freddie, a standard poodle and house warming gift, replaced Tom when she returned to her fire remodeled home this March. She owns Royal Tobacconist and distributes Shewolf's Directory of Wimmins Lands (a Lesbian resource).

Toni has been a dedicated worker for the NO/AIDS Task Force, NO/AIDS Walk, AIDS Candlelight Memorial, Lesbian & Gay Community Center of New Orleans, SOLOC, LAGPAC, Celebration, HRC, HRC Dinner Committee, Federal Club and Mayor's Advisory Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues. She received the LGCCNO Outstanding Volunteer Award 1993, Partnership for Life Award 1994, Political Activist of theYear 1996 and fights for human rights through her Ambush column, "Sappho Psalm."

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Stewart Butler

Stewart began his political activities while attending the University of Alaska where he was elected President of the studentbody. The Mobile, AL native then ran for office in the territorial and state legislatures. Many years later, after serving as a 2nd. Lt. in the United States Army, working in construction, engineering, as a Union business agent, owning an antique store, and coming to understand his own sexuality, he discovered politics in the Gay community.

In 1973, he was a part of the Upstairs Lounge Fire Memorial. He and his partner, Alfred, had been at the bar and left not long before the fire started. He also took part in the 1977 March and Rally against the homophobic Anita Bryant and attended events organized by the Gertrude Stein Society.

Stewart was a founding member of LAGPAC in 1980 and co-author of the by-laws. He served on the board for 10 years. He attended the Southeastern Conference for Lesbians and Gay Men in l981 at LSU. This experience opened him to the needs of women and the feminist movement. It also excited him to take part in conferences held in other locations and become a member of the board of directors. Stewart worked to bring the conference to New Orleans in 1986. He was the only individual to be a part of all three attempts to pass a New Orleans Gay Rights Ordinance in 1984, 1986, and 1991.

Through LAGPAC, he worked to develop the La. State Conference in 1981 and 1982. When the event developed into Celebration, Steward served as co-chair for three years. He saw Celebration was a means to bring the Les/Gay organizations in New Orleans together. As he served LAGPAC in the 80's, he is serving PFLAG in the 90's. He has served on the board of the local Chapter and was a chair of the International PFLAG Conference held in New Orleans in 1993. Stewart believes and has stated that PFLAG is capable of pulling together the Gay and straight communities. His interests in Gay activities led him to be an important part of the Lesbian & Gay Community Center of New Orleans. He served on the board of directors and worked on by-laws revisions in 1996.

Before settling into New Orleans in 1965, Stewart was a resident of Mobile, New Orleans, Carville, New York and Alaska. He attended the Hastings College of Law at Loyola as well as holding a degree in engineering. He lives with his long time partner Alfred Doolittle in the Fairy Playhouse on Esplanade Ave., a home always filled with friends. Here Stewart has opened his heart and home to care for friends dying with AIDS.

Stewart lives the statement he was quoted as saying in an Impact interview in 1997, I don't think the world will ever be perfect, but I believe it's incumbent on all of us to make it a better place. In this effort, Stewart has worked with LAGPAC, Celebration, Southeastern Conference for Lesbians and Gay Men, March on Washington in 1987, AIDS Memorial Candlelight Committee, GLITER, New Orleans City Ordinance Committe and PFLAG. In 1998, he began in earnest his fight for the Transgender community. Stewart's honors include LAGPAC/ACLU Gittings-Hay Award for service in 1985; Gay Appreciation Award in politics; La. Council for Equal Rights Award for outstanding achievement in politics in 1991; and the Human Rights Campaign Outstanding Leadership and Service Award in 1993.

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