by Toni Pizanie

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

Ambush Endorses Marc Morial!

E ven though our 3:30pm meeting did not start until after 5, the Mayor appeared bright and attractive in his standard uniform of pleated slacks, crisp white dress shirt, tie and woven leather suspenders. Sitting in his JFK style rocker, Mr. Morial is the personification of confidence.

Unlike other meetings I have had with the Mayor, this interview was held in the informal area behind his formal office. There is an impressive collection of certificates and awards hanging on one wall and a large law library covers another. Behind the sofa which sits out into the room to form a comfortable conversation area, is a large collection of shovels--many shine like new while others look clean yet used, many are decorated with colorful ribbons.

The Mayor has been at work since early morning and his day is only half over. As a supporter and chair of his advisory committee, he knows my motives and relaxes into our visit as if we were old friends. He yawns. There are a few off the records questions about life after City Hall.

Clearly the Mayor as no intentions of slowing his political activities after his second term as Mayor. Where his future will lead him, he can not say. He reminds me that four years before he first ran for office, Iris Kelso in her Times-Picayune article did not name him as one of the up and coming candidates for Mayor in l994. "Too many opportunities can present themselves in the next four years and I want to be open to explore where my talents can best be applied."

I ask what issues he is most proud of in his first term. "The reduction of crime. There were 200 policemen working in City Hall when I came to the job. Now there are only two policemen working in City Hall. I put police back on the street to protect the citizens. I was receiving calls requesting that police be allowed to continue working in jobs that did not use their training. I realized immediately that we needed serious changes in the Department and I made them."

"The essence of the last four years is leadership, direction and team work. I have a great staff. There are a lot of good people in City Hall today. When I leave this office, the City will be on firm ground. I tell my people not to suppress problems, find solutions."

"I remember the morning just after I took office when I received the call about the first child killed during my administration. Little James Darby was killed in a cross fire. This was a painful event. The gravity of this death compelled immediate action."

"Kids--I wanted to protect and educate the children of New Orleans. I initiated the curfew, started a summer jobs program, put NORD back on track. I offered our children an alternative to standing on the street corners and doing drugs." "Kids--they really mean a lot to me. I want to do more in my second term to continue to improve conditions for young people. They need guidance."

I questioned how he handled critism. "People like to criticize but in the end, the people of New Orleans have always been supportive. New Orleans needed guidance and leadership four years ago and they got it. New Orleans has responded well to my leadership. Government can't just sit back and expect the City to run itself. I've made some hard decisions and the people have stood with me. I don't mind controversy or defending my position."

I remarked on his shovels and said I remembered his '94 slogan and symbol: the shovel. "Yeah, you remember that? Well, we shoveled out City Hall and turned that shovel into a symbol of growth. Those are just a few of the building projects we have started during the first term."

"Mr. Mayor, I met Ellen Lee when she received the NO/AIDS Task Force award in December. That department has come a long way since the demonstration in front of City Hall two years ago." "Yes, I am very pleased with Ellen and the improvements in AIDS funding. That is one of the City's smaller grants but one of the more involved grants to write. There were no interruptions in AIDS services during that time. The problems stemmed from departmental miscommunications."

The Mayor's Public Relations Director, Denise Estopinal, gave him the "time's up" look. We both shrugged. There were so many questions and answers left unspoken. I slipped in one last question. "What is your message to the GLBT community?" "I deeply appreciate the support of the Gay community. I guess both Troy and I learned first hand how important it was in the last election to include all members of New Orleans society. Every citizen is important. Everyone's issues are important. We are all one in this Gumbo Coalition."

He rose and began a dialogue with Denise on his TV taping for which he was already late. Knowing I had been dismissed, I gathered my notebook and jacket, whispered a thank you and started for the door not wanting to stop his progress. My quiet withdrawal was halted by the Mayor's hand on my shoulder. "Take the short cut through my office. And thank you for your patience. I am sorry you had to wait." Wow! What a nice person. Strong enough to be an effective leader, human enough to be an appreciative person. You've got my vote, Mr. Mayor.

Ambush Election Endorsements

A mbush is making endorsements in the following New Orleans races:

Mayor - Marc H. Morial

City Council-at-large - Eddie Sapir and Jim Singleton

City Council, District B - Oliver Thomas

City Council, District D - Roy Glapion

City Council, District E - Ellen Hazeur-Distance

Clerk of Criminal Court - Edwin Lombard

Clerk of Civil Court - Dale Atkins

Assessor, Fourth District - Ronnie Burke

Assessor, Sixth District - Janyce Degan

Recorder of Mortgages - Michael McCrossen

Traffic Court, Division B - Bobby Jones

State Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals - David Marcello

Register of Conveyances - Gasper Schiro.

Harry Connick Announces New Task Force!

D istrict Attorney Harry Connick is announcing a new task force to consider repeal of or amendments to the Crime Against Nature statute of the Louisiana Criminal Code and to lobby for these changes. The task force will hold its first meeting on February 12th under the co-chair leadership of Forum for Equality and Louisiana Log Cabin Republicans.

LAGPAC leadership initually worked with then Candidate Connick to negociate a written committment on this issue. Leadership of Forum and Log Cabin have worked with Connick's office for over a year to lay the foundation for this task force.

In a resent press release issued by Randy Evans, it was noted that Lou Volz, an attorney and immediate past chair of Forum, and Jim Wiggins, the immediate past president of Log Cabin, will serve as co-chairs. The task force will be comprised of officials from City Hall and NOPD, LAGPAC, LEGAL and the Mayor's Advisory Committee on GLBT issues.

HRC Boycott On!!

T he Board of Directors and membership of Gulf Gender Alliance voted to initiate a boycott of the 1998 HRC Dinner to be held in May, 1998. The issue the transgender organization is asking HRC to review and change is the exclusion of transgenders in the HRC Mission Statement. Talk of a boycott started last year. Lesbians and Gay men who supported both HRC and the transgender community were responsible for deferring the boycott in hopes that HRC would take action before this year's event.

The 1997 Dinner grossed $90.000.00. The silent auction was doubled to $20,000.00 in 1997 over $10,000.00 in 1996. Supporting the 1997 event from the transgender community were GGA president, Crystal Little, and political activists, Nancy Sharp and Diane Tanner. Both Sharp and Tanner are members of the Mayor's Advisory Committee on GLTB issues.

Donna Red Wing met informally with the group after the dinner. She showed positive interest in the request for inclusion as did the other HRC employees who attended the Dinner. Unfortunately, Elizabeth Birch, HRC Director, was not as positive or compassionate to the issue.

When a letter was sent to her concerning the inclusion of transgenders in the Mission Statement by prior HRC award winners, there was no answer forthcoming.

Four prior HRC award winners are in support of the boycott presently. They are Stewart Butler, Jim Kellogg, Charleen Schneider and Skip Ward. Several Federal Club members have already canceled their pledge and , at least, two Dinner Committee members have resigned in support of the transgender boycott. [see Letters]

Robert Ripley, Co-Chair of the 1998 Dinner Committee, in a fair minded interview stated that the Dinner Committee focus was on making money for HRC on the national level. He suggested that this is not the place to debate issues and referred supporters of the boycott to the local Steering Committee which is open to all. The Louisiana HRC is inclusive, Ripley insured me. The leaders of GGA have always been welcome at the Dinner and to be a part of the Dinner Committee.

Ripley also believes that the transgender community is necessary and needed to educate the broader community as well as HRC. He invites all TGs to work with HRC to reach the goals that we are all striving for.

HRC has stated through its visiting representatives that once ENDA passes, HRC will begin work on adding TGs to ENDA. This then is the "rub". How long has ENDA been kicked about Capitol Hill? It has a good chance of passing the Senate this term but the House--not very likely.

So how long do transgenders have to wait for help from HRC?

It is true that HRC is helping transgender groups in DC. HRC is teaching these groups how to lobby and showing them around the Capitol. Is that enough? If transgenders were a part of the Mission Statement would they be better received by those they are lobbying. And, of course, there is the thought of why put TGs in the Mission Statement if we are not prepared to fight for their rights. Its enough to give any political activist a headache. Would that a simply asprine could cure this one.