Second Stone #11 - July/Aug 1990

Second Stone #11 - July/Aug 1990

11

1990

July/Aug 1990

THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER FOR GAY AND LESBIAN CHRISTIANS $2.25
THE COND TONE · 8000 Readers Across The USA iSSUE #11
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T~L~PHONE FANTASY: A New H~ng-up?
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Some Callers Discover A
Hidden Toll: Addictive Behavior
By Robert McKnight
Contributing Writer
Photos of handsome,
well-built male models
serve , quite effectively, as
the attention compellers.
The full page advertisements
for telephone fantasy
lines dominate the pages of
People:
many gay magazines and
newspapers. The provocative
ads generate millions
of dollars in toll charge
profits for what is one of
the biggest businesses catering
to gay men. The
alluring names for the 900
or 976 prefix telephone
numbers promise a wide
variety of good times. "Any
scene you want!" says one
ad for a live-talk, fantasy
phone sex service.
The lure can cost - phone
bills, for example, can hlt
home with charges in the
SEE COVER STORY, Page 9
Videos:
Joe Steffan Takes The
U.S. Navy To Coun m No Need To Repent:
The Ballad of Jan Griesinger
By Peter Warn
Forces In Episcopal
Church Unite To Support
Ordaining Lesbians And Gays
NEW YORK - A gro up of
persons from a wide range of
social justice ministries have
joined together in an effort to
let the Episcopal Church 's
hierarchy know that the
ordination of known Lesbians
and gay men has long occurred
in the church and should
continue . The group, calling
itself the Task Force for
Continuing Lesbian/Gay Ordination,
is composed of
members of the Episcopal
Women's Caucus, Integrity,
the Urban Caucus and other
groups.
The Task Force's goal is io
coilect signatures from bis hops,
priests and laypersons
who have participated in
ordinations of openly lesbian .
and gay persons or who would
be willing to do so. The
signatures will be subm itted
to the Church's House of
Bishops at its annual meeting
in September. Another group,
Episcopalians United for
Revelation, Renewal and
Reformation, has submitted
3100 signatures opposing the
ordination of an openly gay
man in the Diocese of
Newark last December and
calling for the censure of The
Rt. Rev. John S. Spong,
Bishop of Newark.
The Task Force's letter said,
"It is time for Episcopalians
to stand up and insist that
the issue here is not Jack
Spong or any one ordinand.
The issu e is faithful response
to the movement of the Spirit
in ou r lives and in our Church'.'
Forms may be obtained from
the Task Force for Continuing
Lesbian/Gay Ordination,
P.O. Box 5202, New York, NY
10185, or by calling Integrity,
(718)720-3054.
No Gay Pastor, Says Western
Pennsylvania Methodists
The Board of Ordained Ministry
of the Western Pennsyl vania
Conference of the
United Methodist Church
has adopted a highly restrictive
statement that
disqualifies from ordination
any persons "who verbally
acknowledge themselves ... to
be emotionally, mentally,
spiritually or physically
practicing as a homosexual..."
including those
who are celibate .
The clergy appointment
system in the United
Methodist church guarantees
an ordained pastor a church.
A source said the board felt
that no chu rch in Western
Pennsylvania would want a
gay past o r.
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Letters
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Abortion Not A
Gay/Lesbian Issue
Dear Second Stone,
My credentials are excellent as a
gay activist and determined feminist,
who is a Catholic priest in good
standing. I say this because I am
disturbed by an article in your latest
" edition (May/June 1990). I refer to
the lead article under "Newsbriefs":
"Republican Woman Suspended From
Church Duties." The report is that a
woman politician's public role in her
Catholic parish is threatened
because of her stand in favor - of
abortion . That the article appears in
your paper indicates to me that you
include "abortion rights" among
rights guaranteed to gay and lesbian
people as homosexuals by the Gospel
of Jesus. I do not believe this is an
issue · that directly concerns
gay /lesbian rights. On the contrary,
it further divides our already
fractured community . It also Jumps
all Gays and Lesbians into one easily
identified target for those of the
Religious Right who focus on
abortion. I do not even think that
ordination of women as women is a
gay /lesbian rights issue; this is a
human and Christian rights issue.
My point is that by adding extraneous
messages to our "platform " we stray
from the basic issue: gay men and
lesbian women are acceptable to God
as we Christians understand God. I
am making a political statement, not
a theological one here - knowing full
well that I'm touching several
volatile buttons in many people.
We're awfully nervous in America
today.
Sincerely,
(Rev.) N. F. Thompson, O.F.M.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Personal Contact
Best Outreach
Dear Second Stone,
I write with two concerns. I am glad
that Rev. Grant Speece of Granville,
North Dakota (see 'Letters', TSS,
March/ April, 1990) has a special
concern for the ministry needs and
civil rights of Lesbians and gay men .
However, lesbian and gay
periodicals are not the place that
will benefit from his views on
inclusivity . We _ did not evict
ou.i:selves from Christian com-;;~
nities, the communities evicted us .
This created a need for spiritual
sanctuary. The Second Stone is one of
B
those sanctuaries . I hope and pray
that Rev. Speece in confronting
inclusivity in his denomination's
press and in his church, because until
we are welcome in all churches, we
will need our sanctuaries. I also hope
you will not dilute The Second Stone
's ministry by including concerned
heterosexuals in the masthead.
My second concern is in regard to
your analysis of the outreach efforts
of lesbian and gay ministries. I
appreciate that you bring this issue
"out of the closet." We are not
reaching enough people fast enough.
We must move from building and
maintaining sanctuaries to the
empowerment of those who have not
yet heard the Good News of our
birthright to God's grace .
Throughout your article you show
great faith in the mainstream media
as a primary ou treach tool. I do not
feel that the use of this important
tool, or lack thereof , is at the core of
· the ·problem. From the first
Christian churches to present,
organized efforts to do as Christ
commanded - make disciples of all
nations and feed God's sheep - has
been done first through hurnan contact
followed by public documentation, not
the other way around .
You are critical of UFMCC fro not
publicizing last summer 's General
Conference. Have you considered ihe
implications of such publicity?
MCC's core leadership is concentrated
in one area - thousands of
lesbian and gay Christians are all in
one hotel doing God knows what. (We
know what it is about but THEY
think we are infesting the hotel and
the city with disease and
immorality .) Stuff happens. There is
a time for risks ,!nd a time for safety.
example of organized human contact
on a large scale. Human contact is
risky, sometimes clumsy, often
frustrating. It is also energizing,
joyous and affirming . It is how a
handful of people let the world know
of the resurrection nearly 2000 years
ago. It is how our faith will become
action .
Sincerely,
Sue Read
Habitat Evaded
Homophobia Issue
Dear Second Stone,
Regarding Habitat for Humanity ...
I am surprised you published that
Jong winded letter which dances
In This Issue
FEATURES
' COVER STORY
COLUMNS
COMMENTARY
INNER PATHS
CLOSER LOOK
1RAVEL
PARTING THOUGHT
DEP ART1\1ENTS
LETTERS
NEWS BRIEFS
·PEOPLE
□ around the issue of homophobia.
' Since gay people cannot legally be
married, what does Habitat do- with
lifelong partners/lovers/mates? Must
they also remain celibate? If so, this
is the same brick wall we face
elsewhere.
Sincerely,
Jeff Halvorsen
We welcome you to share your views,
opinions, feelings and experiences
·with our readers. Send letters to:
LETTERS, The Second Stone, P. 0 .
Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182.
All letters must be original and
signed by the writer . Clearly
indicate if your name is to be
withheld. We reserve the right to
edit.
□
Page 9
Page3
Page 13
Page 14
Page 19
Page 20
Page2
Page4
Page 10
Another criticism is that MCC
draws only "out" Lesbians and gay
men, since it relies heavily on
advertising in the lesbian and gay
press . I do not recognize this from my
experience . I personally know a few
mainstream pastors who long for the
kind of passion and growth that MCC
is blessed with. Among my friends
and acquaintances, word of mouth and
personal invitations are far more
valuable than the media. I initially
heard about MCC, Dignity, Integrity,
Lutherans Concerned, etc., from
friends at a time when I had one foot
in the closet and the other in New
Age. I would never have considered
looking in a lesbian or gay paper for
church services since the concept was
so foreign to me.
CHURCH & ORGANIZATION NEWS Page 11
I find the TAG 2000 effort by the
Evangelical . Network an excellent
CALENDAR
BOOK REVIEW
VIDEOS
ESSAY
CLASSIFIEDS
THE SECOND STONE .
Page 12
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 20
Commentary □ Gay And Lesbian Couples:
Is Monogamy A Requirement?
By Sean L Avezy
Contributing Writer
The words "Sex Prophet" screamed
from the cover of Outweek Magazine,
along with a photograph of the
recently ordained, yet already
controversial, Reverend Robert
Williams .. The openly gay Episcopal
priest had come under fire for his
outspoken comments on sexuality.
The issue raised by Williams, during
a particularly sensitive time in the
history of lesbian and gay Christian
liberation, is whether or not
monogamy should be a requirement
for same-sex marriages.
As a gay man, I pray for discernment
to gain a clearer understanding of
how to express my God-given
sexuality in a manner which is
consistent with the Gospels of my
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Indeed, God created me with freedom ·
to make choices, including sexual
ones, the resulting actions which, if I
am to be honest in my spiritual
journey, must be put to the litmus test
ISSN No. 1047-3971
THE SECOND STONE Newspaper is
published every other month by Bailey
Communications, P. 0. Box 8340, New
Orleans, LA 70182. Copyright 1990 by
The Second Stone, a registered trademark.
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THE SECOND STONE, an ecumenical
Christian newspaper committed to
informing the gay, and lesbian com•
munity.
PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Jim Bailey
MARKETING DIRECTOR: Eric Hess
CONTRIBUTORS: Rev Bruce Roller,
Rev Sylvia Pennington,
Cynthia Marquard, Danni Munson,
Dr. Martin Fowler, David Rickey,
Robert McKnigh~ Jim Roche,
Michael Blankenship, Dan Grippo,
Dr. Louie Crew, John-Michael Olexy,
Dr. Buddy Truluck, Chris Glaser.
of Christianity: whether or not they
obey Jesus' commandments; ''You shall
love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with
all your mind " and "You shall love
your neighbor as yourself."
Therefore, the issue - monogamy
within a committed relationship
versus sex outside of a committed
relationship - boils down to which
position is more consistent with
Christian love - of God, self and
others.
John McNeil writes extensively on
God's will for our gay sexuality in his
theologically liberating book, Taking
A Chance On God. The former Jesuit
priest articulates his understanding
in a gentle, non-judgmental manner,
one which I feel is consistent with
Jesus' teachings.
McNeil differentiates between two
ty pes of sexual expression - Alpha
and Omega sex . He writes, "Alpha
sex involves using one's partner
selfishly to obtain one's own sexual
sat isfaction . This kind of sexua l
activity never results ·in true intimacy
and provides no escape from
loneliness; on the contrar y , it
intensifies ·loneliness . Clients h ave
told me many times that their se nse
of isolation only increased after an
all night orgy in a gay bathhouse."
He continues, "Omega sex, on the
other hand, occurs when there is a
comp~te fusion of sensual and
personal love. Each partner is a
source of pleasure for the other, and
each can experience pleasure only by
being _a source of pleasure . for the
other. Most of us find ourselv es at
some place between the two gardens,
aspiring to omega sex, practicing
alpha sex, but hopefully growing
daily in our ability to integrate our
sexual activity into our capacity for
love ."
McNeil concludes, "I still feel that
a committed, faithful loving
relationship as the ideal context for
all human sexual expression is based
in the nature of being human. I do not
see this as imposing a heterosexual
norm on gay people. I believe that we
are dealing with a fundamental need
built into human nature that has to
do with the development of trust and
love and the greatest possible
development of psychic maturity and
health. Sexual activity can only
reach its perfection as a loving, joyous ·
play within such a context."
The Reverend Canon Gene Robinson,
in his address "The Church as
Teacher ", -which was delivered to
the "Our Church Has AIDS"
Conference, sponsored by ·the
National Episcopal AIDS Coalition,
elaborates on why sex is only 'right'
within a committed relationship.
Robinson says "'Right' is shorthand
for - over time, we have discovered
that this way of doing things
preserves the spirit of 'loving self
and loving your neighbor as
yourself."' ·
He continues, "having sex outside of
marriage or a committed relationship
is 'wrong' because time has proven
that the chances are very good that
you, your sexual partner, or both, will
wind up getting hurt in some way .
Lovemaking makes you vulnerable -
in so many ways. Not just vulnerable
to diseas e, but to damage to one's
self-esteem, disappointment, and
feelings of incredible loneliness in the
midst of the most intimate physical
connection two people can have!"
Robinson concludes, "The Church
affirms and believes in abstinence ·not
because it was given as a
commandment on Sinai, but because
'love of self' and 'love of neighbor'
commend it."
On January 13, at a symposium in
Detroit, co-sponsored by the Task
Force on ~ ay and Lesbian Concerns of
the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan,
Robert Williams addressed the issue
of same-sex relationships, an already
hot topic within the Episcopal
Church . "Monogamy," he said, "is as
unnatural as celibacy. If people want
to try, OK. But the fact is, people are
not monogamous. It is crazy to hold
this ideal and pretend it's what
we're doing, and we're not!'"
Williams sentiment, sadly, is
exactly what many people want to
hear, as it justifies their unChristian
sexual behavior. Thus, it
didn't surprise me one bit to see him
glorified as a "sex prophet" in the
gay media .
The emphasis on sex ·within our
culture, a celebration of lust, not love,
is understandable - it's much easier to
focus our energies ori finding quick sex
than it is to build loving
relationships - with God, ourselves,
and others - that will ultimately
lead us out of our loneliness.
McNeil writes that "recent
psychodynamic theory recognizes
that the basic human drive is not
toward pleasure, but toward
intimacy ." Recognizing that our lust
drive is really a love drive makes us
gay men seem much gentler, indeed!
As I grow daily in Christian love -
for God, for myself, and for others, I
realize more and _m.Q_J:~. J l:i'a.t my
sexuality is a precious, and extremely
powerful, gift, one which 1 only want
to share with someone I love, within
the context of a committed
relationship. Indeed, the question is
not whether monogamy should be a
requirement for Christian lesbian and
gay marriages, but rather why that
is even an issue in the first place!
Sean L. Avery is an undergraduate
psychology major at UMASS/Boston
and is currently working on his first
novel, New Order.
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"This book should be read by anyone who takes the Bible seriously. Although this book focues on homosexuality,
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July/ August '1990 El
Newsbriefs
Educators Pass
Resolution To
Protect Gay Youth
At its 1990 annual meeting, the
Association of Supervision and
Cutriculum Development, a national
educational association of 135,000
curriculum leaders and administrators,
the membership unanimously
adopted a resolution on
student sexual orientation. In part,
the resolution reads, "Schools should
demonstrate respect for the dignity
and worth of all students and all
students should be treated equitably.
ASCD opposes discrimination and
supports policies and programs that
promote equity . Therefore, ASCD
urges its members to develop policies,
curriculum materials, and teaching
strategies that do not discriminate on
the basis of sexual orientation.
ASCD encourages schools to provide
staff development training and
materials to enable educators to
bet,ter work with this at-risk student
population."
Dr. James Sears, author of Growing
up Gay in the South and editor of
Empathy, has been working for the
past two years to insure passage of
this resolution. Following the
adoption of the resolution by
educators representing every state in
the nation, Sears stated "This is a
significant victory. For the first
time, a major educational organization
has linked the providing of
at-risk services to those students
affected by the discrimination and
harassment of gay youth."
There are now three major national
educational associations - NEA, AFT,
and · ASCD - that have passed
resolutions on this issue. According to
Sears, "These resolutions are critical.
They give educators and parents
credibility when they speak at small
town school board meetings and
parent associations. They also tell
gay youth, 'You're not alone."'
Iliff Grads Protest
At the commencement ceremony of the
-Iliff School of Theology in Colorado
many graduates, faculty, staff,
students and guests planned to carry
lavendar and white carnations in
protest of sexist ordination policies in
various denominations. White
carnations were to be carried in
solidarity with women denied
ordination in the Roman Catholic
and other churches solely on the basis
of being female. Lavendar carnations
were to be carried in solidafity with
gay and lesbian people denied
ordination in many denominations,
including the United Methodist
Church, with which Iliff is related,
A Presbyterian Promise
"We will work to increase the acceptance and
participation in the church of all persons regardless
of racial-ethnic origins, sex, class, age,
disability, marital status or sexual orientation"
- 195th General Assembly (1983),
Atlanta, Georgia
If this is your promise, too,
we invite you · to join
Presbyterians for
Lesbian/Gay Concerps
Write to Elder James D. Anderson
PLGC, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ
08903-0038, 201/846-1510
solely on the basis of their sexual
orientation.
Mark Lee, chairman of the Gay and
Lesbian Concerns Committee of
Student Senate, said, "Many students
and faculty invest themselv<?s in the
lives and training of gay people at
school, but once gay people graduate
from school...they face rigidly
homophobic denominational
policies,"
The protest was coordinated with
similar actions at other seminaries
under the umbrella sponsorship of
In-Carnation, a collective of gay and
lesbian persons from seminary
communities across the nation.
-Out Front
Women Approved
For Ordination
Leaders of the Anglican Church of
Ireland have given final approval to
the ordination of women as priests.
Anglkans in England, Scotland and
Wales do not allow women to be
priests. About 1000 women have been
ordained to the priesthood in onequarter
of the 27 Anglican churches,
most of them in the United States,
Canada and New Zealand. The
Church of Ireland has 410,000
members, most of them in the British
province nf Northern Ireland.
-Baltimore Alternative
Breakthrough
SettlementI n
Landmark AIDS
DiscriminationC ase
SAN FRANCISCO - In the first case
of its kind, a settlement has been
reached which prohibits an insurance
company from discrif!l,inating on the
basis of sexual orientation. The
Employment Law Center and
National Gays Rights Advocates
announced in a joint press conference
that the settlement was filed in San
Francisco Superior Court.
The lawsuit, National Gay Rights
Advocates v. Great Republic
Insurance Company, charged the
insurance company -with attempting
to avoid underwriting of policies for
those presumed to be at risk for AIDS
by denying coverage to unmarried men
who work in "occupations that do not
require physical exertion ... such as
florists, interior decorators , and
fashion designers." '
Under the terms of the settlement,
the company is prohibited from using
a supplemental questionnaire
targeted to single male applicants -
and specifically prohibited from
using sexual orientation . in the
determination of insurability.
II THE SECOND STONE
□· · · . . . '.
Jo Anne Frankfurt, EL'e attorney .· :
who negotiated the· s·et11ement,
stressed that "this settlement sho.tiid .
send a loud and clear message• to thi . ·
fnsurance industry that discrimc .
ination against gay males will not. be ·
tolerated."
Episcopal Left
Links Hands With
Lesbian/GayG roup
In an unusual display of solidarity
among progressive religious groups,
ten Episcopal Church organizations,
including Integrity, the lesbian and
gay justice ministry of the Episcopal
Church (and of- the Anglican
Churches of Canada and Australia)
planned to meet in St. Louis at the
end of June. Integrity was scheduled
to hold its own convention as part of
the "Under One Roof" Conference
together with various other social,.
justice and pastoral networks of the
Church.
More than 550 people attended the ·
first "Under One Roof" Conference ·
three years ago, with Integrity
having .the largest number of
participants.
MarlboroT arget
Of Boycott
Gay activists have called for a
boycott of Marlboro cigarettes, a
product of the Philip Morris
Company. The company is the
largest corporate contributor to the
re-election campaign of Senator Jesse
Helms (R-NC), the Senate's most
powerful and influential enemy of
gay causes, and a vehement opponent
of progressive AIDS legislation.
C_hurch's Participation
In Vaccine Test An
'Empty Gesture'
Archbishop Roger Mahoney of Los
Angeles sent letters .to priests and
religious asking them to volunteer in
experiments for Dr. Jonas Salk's
experimental AIDS vaccine, an act
that has been denounced by many gay
and lesbian activists as an empty
gesture that sharply contrasts with
the Catholic Church's homophobic
stance.
The Salk Institute had been seeking
nuns to volunteer for the tests. Salk
told the Chicago Tribune that there
is only an infinitesimal chance a trial
volunteer could be infected with HIV.
-Pittsburgh's OUT
Newsbriefs
Methodist
CommitteeS tudy
Continues
In its continuing research the United
Methodist Church General Conference
Committee to Study
Homosexuality has now heard
testimony from a number of groups
including the Transforming Congregations
Program (a newly founded
program in California of UMC
churches supporting Gays and
Lesbians who attempt to change to
heterosexual or celibate lifestyles),
Methodists For Social Action, the
Reconciling Congregations Program,
Affirmation, and others . The group
has also heard from scholars
regarding homosexuality and the
Bible.
National Lesbian/
Gay Health
Conference Set
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The largest
annual conference concerning lesbian
and gay health issues is expected to
draw over 2000 attendees when the
12th National Lesbian and Gay
Health Conference and 8th National
AIDS Forum convenes in Washington,
DC, July 18-22.
This year's conference will f,cature
more than 300 presentations dealing
with such issues as substance abuse,
lesbian health care, mental health
and lesbian and gay youth issues.
The AIDS Forum will be divided into
medical, educational and psychosocial
tracks.
Richard !say, MD, of Cornell
Medical School and author of Bein~
Homosexual: Gay Men and Their
Development will co-facilitate a
pre-conference institute entitled
"Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
with Gay Men."
MFSA Names 1990
Award Recipients
A prophetic North Carolina pastor,
two Baltimore Conference congregations,
and the Episcopal Initiative
on Drugs and Violence have been
chosen to receive the Methodist
Federation for Social Action's
(MFSA) annual social action awards
for 1990 .
. The Rev. Jimmy Creech, pastor of
Fairmont United Methodist Church
in Raleigh, .North Carolina, has
received wide publicity for his
leadership role in an ecumenical
clergy group which has organized to
oppose violence against the gay and
lesbian community. In 1989, other
local clergy from Raleigh banded
□ together to contribute $8000 to help
make up the shortfall in his local
church budget resulting from
withheld pledges.
The two congregations receiving the
award are Dumbarton UMC,
Washington, D.C., and St. John's
UMC, Baltimore. Both have
nationally-recognized ministries
uniting consistent social outreach
with a strong spiritual base. The two
congregations are sanctuary churches
for Central American refugees and
also Reconciling Congregations,
meaning they have openly declared
themselves to be fully inclusive in
their ministry with gay and lesbian
persons.
The award to the United Methodist
bishops' special drug-related initiative
was presented to Bishop Felton
May and the fourteen churches of the
Anacostia section of Washington,
D.C. and nearby Maryland which are
partners in the model project. Bishop
May has been given a special
assignment to coordinate this
initiative on behalf of the entire
United Methodist Council of Bishops.
Reform Group Says
Gay Rabbis OK
The Central Conference of American
Rabbis broke with 4,000 years of
Jewish tradition by approving a
resolution urging that no restri ctions
be imposed on qualified gay and
lesbian Jews who want to become
rabbis.
Conceding that Jewish tradition is
squarely against homosexual behavior,
a 17-member committee never theless
proposed the resolution on an
issue that has agonized liberalto-
mode rate churches for decades.
The recommendation came after a
four-year, sometimes contentious,
study of homosexuality and the
rabbinate . Some estimates have said
as many as 10 percent of U.S. Reform
rabbis are gay.
Reform Judaism, the largest and
most liberal of the three main
branches of Judaism, is the first
large religious body to approve
admitting Gays to their clergy.
Statewide Domestic
PartnershipL egislation
Introduced
Legislation validating Domestic
Partnership relationships has been
introduced in the Illinois General
Assembly, the first attempt to enact
such laws on a statewide basis
anywhere in the United States.
-Cruise
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City, State & Zip ................................................ ....
Checkh ereif youp refepr laine nvelopfeo rm ailingI: I Pleasea llow6 -8
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July/ August 1990
J. - - •
rNewsbriets-.,., . .-,_;,':.,-,~-.,,,,oi,·~.,..,....,.,...,)_Jf!;~';~-··- .--~"""-~-··:· --,·=·-· .. ·t· "'•.•-·---~- ·-· .... _ .• ,. □ EC/Denver Forcr·'
To Change Name
..
The St e e r i n g Co mm ittee o f
Evang elicals Conc erned/D enver has
dec ided to change the name of their
group rath er than face a legal battl e
wi th Evangelical Concern of Denver,
Inc., a fundamentalist group which
includes an ex-gay ministry among its .
programs . Responding to a ceaseand-
desist letter, EC/Denver has
adopted the new name of
Evangelicals Concerned West ern
Regional Fellowship, Inc.
Princetc . .i Jn iversity
Bars Anti-Gay
Recruiters
PRINCETON, N.J. - Organizations
that discriminate against Gays and
Lesbians, including the U. S.
military, will _ not be allowed to use
Princeton University facilities in
their recruiting drives under a new
policy announced by the school's
president.
'"The university must adhere to its
own fundamental principled ,.
commitments . with respect to equal
opportunity/' said University
President Harold Shapiro. Two
years ago the school amended its
statement on equal opportunity to
include a promise of equal treatment
for Gays.
NGL1F
Seeks Interns
WASHIN GTON, D.C. - Int erns
in tereste d in wor kin g on hard hitt
ing, fast-moving , excitin g gay
and le sbian issues in the na tion's
capital are being encouraged to apply
for a N ational Gay and Lesbian Task
Force (NGL TF) internship.
NGLTF is accepting int ern
applications for the remainder of
1990 in its Washington , D.C., office.
Interns are not paid, but they have
the opportunity to work on a variety
of projects of national importanc e,
including : legislation and lobbying,
media advocacy, demonstrations and
events, hate crimes, campus, domestic
partnership/family and other issues.
For more information, contact Mary
Martone, NGLTF Intern Coordinator,
at (202)332-6483, or write her at 1517
U St., NW , Washington, DC 20009.
Registrations F.or .
GayGamesm
Surpass Expectations
VANCOUVER - Over 5000 athletes
from 23 countries have registered to
compete in 29 different · sporting
events during Celebration '90: Gay
Games III and Cultural Festival to be
held in Vancouver from August 4-11.
People of all ages, colors and sexual
orientation will compete.
"When we began pl a nning
Celebrat ion '90 fou r years ago, we
based our pro ject ions on 4000
a thletes," said Mark Mees, executive
director of Celebration '90. " And just
to put this into pe rspective, the 1988
Calgary Winter Olymp ics r egistered
less than 2000 athl etes. That means
we've a lre ady doubled tha t figur e
and have also surpas sed the 1989
B.C. Summer Games figur e for
registe red athletes.
The Gay Games and Cultural
Festival was founded a former U.S.
Olympic decathlete, the late Dr .
Tom Waddell .
Fundamentalists
Attempt To Halt
Gay Games
Fundamentalist Christians have
opened an office in Vancouver to stop
August's Celebration '90, Gay Gam es
III, through "intercessory prayer
activity," according to Angles. In a
letter · to supporters, Robert Birch of
Burnaby Christian Fellowship said
Vancouver may be hit with an
earthquake if the games .go ahead as
planned.
- Baltimore Alternative
Sheldon Leads
Def eat Of Hate Act
Less than 24 hours after President
Ge.orge Bush signed the National
· Hate Crimes Statistics Act, funda .
mentalists convinced the Mod esto ,
Cal., City Council to reject a hate
crimes ordinance because it included
sexual orientation as one of its
protected classes.
During a hearing before council
April 24, the proposed ordinance met
opposition organized .and led by Lou
Sheldon of the Anaheim, Cal., based
Traditional Values Coalition.
Sheldon told the council that
homosexuality is a choice, "like
smoking cigarettes," and didn't
deserve legal protectiens .
HRC member Quincy Hamilton, the
principal author of the proposal,
said, "If people who smoke cigarettes
were being beaten up in our park s,
whether we agree with smokin g or
not, we'd still want to protect them
from violence.
-Pittsburgh's OUT
Bishops Open Door
For Talks With
Dignity
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Dignity/
USA has received a somewhat
favorable response to their invitation
THE SECOND STONE
to dialogue w ith the Ame ri can
Catho lic Bish ops .
In respon se to a letter from Dign ity
Preside nt Pa t Roche asking for
di a logue on impo rtant matter s of
g r a ve concern to gay a nd lesbi an
Cat holics, Archbisho p Dan iel E.
Pilarczyk expre ssed "ma ny rese rvations"
about such a mee ting du e to,
among · other things, "fundamenta l
differences between the bi shops of
th e United States and Dignity ."
Non e theless , he said in a le tter to
Roche, "I am open to the possiblity of
such a meeting ... " and requested
Dignity officials first meet with the
General Secretary of th e Natio .nal
Conference of Catholic Bishops,
Monsignor Robert N. Lynch.
Canadians Launch
Impetus Network
The Justice and Peace Committee of
Our Savior's Lutheran Church ,
Regina, has launched Impetus: A .
Justice and Peace Newsletter. The
publication introduces "a national
Canadian Lutheran network
committed to social justice, world
peace, the integrity of God's Creation
and a more just and ·inclusive church."
For information on 'the newsletter,
write to Impetus, Our Savior's
Lutheran Church, 190 Massey Road,
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canad a, 545
4N5.
New Purple Circuit
Directory Published
LOS ANGELES - Artists Confronting
AIDS announced the publication of a
new edition of The Purple Circuit
Directory, which lists ·gay and
lesbian theatres and kind red spirits
throughout the United States,
Canada, and England . Edited by Bill
Kaiser, The Directory is designed to
help playwrights , producers, and
other theatre professionals and
audience find each other . To receive
a copy of The Directory send a
contribution in any amount to ACA,
684 1/2 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles,
CA 90026 with a self-addressed
stamped legal size envelope with 25
cents postage.
Artists Confronting AIDS was
founded by Michael Kearns and James
Carroll Pickett in 1984 to respond to
the effects of AIDS on th e arts
community and art on the AIDS
community. The Purple Circuit
promotes quality gay and lesbian
theatre through networking via The
Directory and The Purple Circuit
Hotline at (213)250-1413 which lists
shows in California and other
information of interest to the gay and
lesbian theatre-going community.
.....
I
Newsbriefs
Gay Rights Protest
At Boston Church
About 1000 gay rights demonstrators
staged a noisy but peaceful protest
outside Holy Cross Cathedral as 11
priests were ordained inside. The
protest was held to oppose "Cardinal
Law's interference in public policy as
well as his opposition to AIDS
education," according to a statement.
- Associated Press
National Hotline To
Collect Data On
Hate Crimes
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A natiqnal
hate crimes hotline, set up to collect
information on crimes of bias but
which originally refused to take
"gay bashings" and religious-related
reports, is now tracking such crimes
following pressure from the National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Officials at the U. S. Department of
Justke, which operates the hotline,
had . claimed that because sexual
orientation is not included in the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, the
department was not "mandated" to
collect s1,1ch information. A bill now
in. Congress, the Federal Gay and
Lesbian Civil Rights Act, would
amend the 1964 act to include sexual
orientation.
Peri Jude Radecic, NGL TF
anti-vioJence project director said,
"We were initially outraged that the
national hate crimes hotline was
hanging up on survivors of anti-gay
attacks. Victims of bashings were
being further victimized by
bureaucratic runaround. However, we
are pleased the Justice Department
moved quickly to fix the problem and
open a dialogue with gay and lesbian
activists.
Lesbian and gay victims of hate
crimes are urged to call the national
hotline at 1-800-347-HATE. The
hotline is open 24 hours, seven days a
week. For information on the NGL TF
gay rights bill post card campaign,
call (202)332-6483.
Anthology
Announces
Call For Entries
St. Sebastion Press is now accepting
entries for its 1990 Anthology of gay
and lesbian authors and illustrators.
The Anthology will be a collection of
stories, poems, essays, illustrations
and photographs that encompass the
theme of the quality of life of Gays
and Lesbians in today's culture .
The 1990 Anthology is intended to
provide a politically sensitive and
visible forum in which the artistic
vision of Gays and Lesbians may find
expression.
All entries must be original and
previously unpublished work that
reflects the theme of the competition.
The contest has two categories:
writing and illustration. The writing
category includes prose, poetry and
essays . Manuscripts must be typed,
double spaced. The illustration
category includes any readily
reproducible two-dimensional format
such as drawing, photography,
painting, and printmaking. Entries
should be sent in a 35mm slide format.
A jury will be drawn from the St.
Sebastion editorial staff along with
independent professional writers,
artists and editors from the lesbian
and gay community. Work will be
selected for its thematic releva nee
and artistic quality. A top cash prize
of $1500 will be awarded to one work
in each entry category. A $100
honorarium and an a/p letterpress
copy of the Anthology will be
awarded to all other successful
entrants. Entries may be . sent no later
than November 15, 1990 to St.
Sebasticin' Press/ 714 Portland Ave. 5.,
Minneapolis, MN 55415.
Discipline Panel
To Review Lutheran
Church Charges
SAN FRANCISCO - Two ELCA
Lutheran churches charged with
violating church policy against
ordaining "practicing" Gays and
Lesbians as pastors are being
reviewed - by - a church discipline
committee. If the charges are
sustained, the two congregations
could be censured, suspended or
expelled from the ELCA. A decision
was by late June was expected.
Donald C. Knutson,
Co-Founder Of
NGRA, Dies
SAN FRANCISCO- Donald C.
Knutson, prominent San Francisco
attorney who co-founded National
Gay Rights Advocates and was a
co-founder of Bay Area Lawyers for
Individual Freedom, died April 19 of
complications from AIDS.
"San Francisco is a better city
· because Don Knutson made his home
here," said Mayor Art Agnos.
Knuts.on was the author of
Homosexuality and the Law. by
Haworth Press (1980), and editor of
the Journal of Homosexuality Special
Issue on Homosexuality and the Law.
He is survived by a brother,
Thomas, of St. Paul, Minnesota, a
sister, Joan Younghans, also of St.
Paul, and a large family of friends .
Gay Catholic Priest
Elected To European
Parliament
Of the 518 elected representatives to
the European Parliament from the 12
member states of the European
Community, only one, Holland's
Herman Verbeek, is openly gay,
according to Capital Gay. Vcrbeek,
who is also a Catholic priest, was
elected to office as an openly gay
candidate in June, 1989, representing
the Dutch Green Left party. "I stood
for the European Parliament
because ... the lesbian and gay
movement has to be there, at the
. center of these newly emerging .power
structures, if it wants to get our
demands accepted," Verbeek said.
-Baltimore Alternative
New Lesbian
· Periodical To Debut
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Words of Our
Own, a new quarterly magazine
making its debut in September, will
showcase works by Lesbians , for
Lesbians. The magazine will include
short stories, novellas, serials, book
reviews, interviews, poetry, humor,
essays and reviews of women's music
and vacation spots.
Words of Our Own hopes to·
encourage Lesbians to write by
publishing and by promoting their
works in a tastefully done, high
visibility magazine and to further
enhance lesbian culture and pride by
making these works available
nationwide.
Material is being accepted for the
December, 1990 edition and may be
sent 1o: Words of Our Own, P.O. Box
5131, Knoxville, TN 37928-5131. For
subscription information, write to
P.O. Box 52721, Knoxville, TN
37950-2721.
AIDS Claims
GLAAD Co-Founder
NEW YORK - Gregory Kolovakos, a
writer, translator of Latin American
lite rat ure and director of t he
literature program of the New York
State Counc.il on the Arts, died of
AIDS on April 16th at his home on
the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
He was 38 years old .
In 1985, Kolovakos co-founded
GLAAD - Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation - with a handful
of other cultural and political
leaders including Jewelle Gomez,
Barry Adkins, Allen Barnett, Bruce
July/ August 1990
□ Michael Gleber!, Hall Offen, Marcia
Pally, Darrell Yates-Rist, Arnie
Kantrowitz, Vito Russo and Jim
Owles.
Kolovakos joined the Board of
Directors of New York's Lesbian and
Gay Community Services Center in
1987 and was elected co-chair in 1990.
With writer and editor Paula
Martinac, he founded "In Our Own
Write," the Center's reading series
that showcases emerging gay and
lesbian authors, giving particular
attention to writers of color.
Kolovakos is survived by his
partner of many years, Bruce Becker.
Memorial donations can be made to
the Lesbian and Gay Community
Services Center in New York and will
go toward establishing the
Kolovakos Memorial Lectures on
Lesbian and Gay Liberation, a
quarterly program that will bring
prominent gay and lesbian speakers
from around the country.
'Common Threads'
,Video Available ,
"Common Threads: Stories From. The
Quilt", a moving film which won an
Oscar for Best Documentary is now
available in VHS format for home
use . The video can be purchased for
$49.95 from Direct Cinema, P.O. Box
69779, Los Angeles, CA 90069-9976,
(213)396-4774.
Rev. Freda Smith
Awarded Honorary
Doctorate
SACRAMENTO, Cal. - Rev. Elder
Freda Smith, Vice-Moderator of the
Universal ·Fellowship of Metropolitan
Community Churches and
pastor of River City MCC was given
an Honorary Doctorate from
Samaritan Theology Seminary, the
educational arm of the UFMCC, on
June 8th. Rev. Smith will be
celebrating her 19th year as pastor of
River City MCC, which has just
moved into a large new building to
accommodate its growing
congregation.
.Palash_Appointed
NGRAStaff
Attorney
Andrea Palash, a member of the
Board of Directors of the AIDS Legal
Referral Panel in San Francisco, has
been appointed National Gay Rights
Advocates newest staff attorney. The
announcement was made by Richard
White, Chair of NGRA's Board of
Directors ..
Ii
-. I
Gr''e at
Response!
'' 1hat's what a Second Stone advertiser
told us recently.
And we hear that more and more these days. lbat's because
The Second Stone reaches readers where many other gay and
lesbian publications can't. Like public and university libraries.
We don't carry advertising or editorial content that would put
us behind the counter. We're up front - in plain sight!
For businesses offering products and services
to the national gay and lesbian community,
we're an exciting new marketing
approach!
Reach new customers in every state across the USA. The ·
Second Stone offers a variety of in-column ad sizes with frequency
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It doesn't cost as much as you think.
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you'd pay to advertise in one local free distribution gay newspaper.
And ... to mail your insert in The Second Stone costs
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much for advertising that hasn't worked ... you're probably right!
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SECOND STONE
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Call1 -504-949-5625fo r advertising assistance.
First Lady Barbara Bush On Gays:
'We Cannot Tolerate
Discrimination
In what many are praising as the
latest in a series of indications from
the White House that freedom from
discrimination is a growing priority
for the Bush administration, First
Lady Barbara Bush has written a
supportive letter to Paulette
Goodman, President of Parents and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
Mrs. Bush, in response to a personal
letter from Goodman, wrote, "we
cannot tolerate discrimination
against any individuals or groups in
this country." The letter was written
on White House stationary. It is the
first time that any member of a first
family has spoken out against
discrimination against Gays and
Lesbians.
"Thank you for you~ letter and for
sharing your work with the
Federation of Parents and Friends of
· Lesbians and Gays, Inc.," wrote Mrs.
Bush. "You sound like a caring parent
and a compassionate citizen.
Regarding discrimination, Mrs ,
Bush wrote, "Such treatment always
brings with it pain and perpetuates
hate and intolerance. I appreciate so
much your sharing the information
about your organization and
attitudes. Your _ words speak eloquently
of your love. and compassion
for all gay Americans and their
families."
UMC Bishop Asked For Statement
Of Posit\pn On Holy Unions
Leaders of Affirmation: United
Methodists for Lesbian/Gay Concerns
and the Reconciling Congregation
Program have asked United
Methodist bishop Joseph Yeakel for a
written statement of his position
regarding a local church's blessing of
holy unions between same-sex
couples.
In a meeting with leaders of
Dumbarton UMC in Washington, D.C.
in mid-May, Bishop , Yeakel
indicated his l opinion that
Dumbarton was barred by United
Methodist Church law from
celebrating the holy union of a
lesbian couple who are members of
that congregation. Dumbarton had
earlier adopted a congregational
policy affirming holy unions between
same-sex couples.
"A number of Reconciling
Congregations and other United
Methodist congregations have been
blessing unions between gay or lesbian
couples for many years now,"
Business or
Personal...
Try a Second Stone
Classified Ad
according to Rev. Kim A. Smith,
chair of the board of the Reconcil,ing
Congregation Program. "This is the
first public indication we have heard
from a United Methodist bishop that ·
such a congregation policy is contrary
to church law. We seek to engage · in
dialogue with Bishop Yeakel and
other United Methodist bishops
concerning this important ministry in
which many congregations · are
involved."
Judy Cayot and Randy Millet;
co-spokespersons of Affir .mation:
United Methodists for Lesbian/Gay
Concerns issued a statement reading,
"The position Bishop Yeakel seems to
have taken raises grave ·concerns
among gay and lesbian United
Methodists. We have witnessed
great strides in making United
Methodist congregations a home for
Lesbians and gay men over the past
several years. We fear this situation
may only reinforce the widely-held
belief in the lesbian/ gay community
that they are not welcome in the
United Methodist Church."
The Reconciling Congregation
Program is a growing national
movement of 44 United Methodist
congregations which have publicly
declared that they welcome the full
particjpation of Lesbians and Gays.
Affirmation is a national organization
of gay and lesbian United
Methodists and their familes and
friends.
II THE SECOND STONE
Cover Story
From Pagel
hundreds of dollars, -said
Dr. Greg Lehne, a doctor of
psychology at Johns
Hopkins sexual disorders
clinic in Baltimore.
"For some men,
information that comes
through the ears is more
interesting than information
that comes in through
the eyes," said Lehne.
For those men, Lehne said,
phone sex offers a kind of
pornographic excitement.
It's not a visual medium,
but it's just as effective .as
pictures are for people who
respond to visual stimulation.
Before the video age,
people watched movies;
four-color magazines and
video tapes came next.
Now, there's the telephone
for the two-way fantasy
phone call.
"The only thing that's
changed is the technology
that conveys the fantasy,"
Lehne said.
· Getting in touch with
that fantasy is why people
call, but reasons why they
have phone-satisfied fantasies
in the first place ._
generally break down into
two types, he said ..
Some men's circumstances
make phone sex their one
apparently safe outlet,
while others turn to it
because of phsychological
factors that exclude other
outlets, Lehne said. In
either case, the patient's
problem doesn't necessarily
involve his homosexuality.
"It doesn't mean they're
~nhappy about being gay,"
Lehne said. "In some cases,
people have no sexual
outlet." A person may, for
example, fear physical
contact because of contagious
diseases, be involved
in a relationship, or live in
a small, isolated community,
he said.
Phone-sex advertising
copy often promises discreet
billing, so users don't have
to worry about the name of
the phone fantasy company
showing up on what may be
the family phone bill.
· Some men who lead
active gay sex lives may
use phone fantasies for just
another type of experience,
said Dr. Roy Berko, a
counselor in private practice
in Baltimore.
"There are some very
normal people who turn to
this outlet among other
outlets. You don't have to
be depraved, or deprived,
to turn to this. It's not
necessarily limited or
limiting," Berko said.
Indeed, for some men the
telephone experience is
virtually unlimited, he
said. "It offers people out
there willing to satisfy any
fantasy you want.
"You can say things on a
telephone which you might
not be able to say face-toface.
Even though there's a
person on the other end, the
telephone is inanimate. No
one knows who you are," he
said.
Nor do they know what
you're like Berko said. "If
you have any physical
_defo~ity, or anything you
perceive as a defect, you
can't be rejected. It's safe. it'
eliminates the possibility
of rejection," he said.
"Some people can become
very addicted to this, just
like people get addicted to
food or religion," Berko
said.
But he's careful to point
out that not everyone who
has high phone-sex bills
has a problem.
"It's not like all these
people are sick. P~ople go
to New York and spend $50,
$60, $80 to see a play. Is
that sick?" he asked.
The patients who see
three-figure bills are
"differentiated from a lot
of people who -never lose
control over that kind of
calling," said Lehne.
Whatever factors may
explain a particular individual's
behavior, he seeks
treatment for the. same
basic reason people go to
therapy: dissatisfaction.
"The main reason they
seek therapy is they go out
of control with the calling
and have very high phone
bills," Lehne said.
Treatment includes
helping the patient get
past his limiting circumstances
or solving the
deep-seated problems that
caused the behavior, Lehne
said.
"Dial-a-porn is big
business," wrote the U.S.
Supreme Court last year in
upholding a federal ban on
interstate phone-sex communications.
"While diala-
porn services are a
creature of this decade, the
medium, in its brief
history, has been the
subject of much litigation
and the object of a series of
attempts at regulation,"
commented Justice Byron
White in his majority
opinion.
The ruling didn't address
phone-sex businesses that
service callers within a
state.
In the absence of numbers
-- for example, how many
phone-sex businesses operate
around the nation, how
many callers they draw -
the volume of advertising
in most gay publications
may be more evidence that
dial-a-porn is big business.
But some Rublications have
declined sex-oriented
advertising.
"I was 'at an
International Gay Travel
Association conference in
Key West (Fla.), and
someone asked me how I
could publish without gay
sex ads," said Wayne
Whiston, publisher of Our
World, a gay travel
magazine.
Whiston carried a
full-page phone-sex ad in
two recent issues, but said
those were the only ads of
that type he had carried in
the magazine's 18 months
of publication and that he
planned not to run them
again in future issues. He
said that a number of the
magazine's male readers
complained. That was
surprising, Whiston said,
because he had expected
that if anyone would object,
it would be the magazine's
lesbian readers.
"But every one of them
was from men," he said. "'If
I want that kind of
advertising, I know what
kind of magazine to get,"'
was a typical complaint,
he said.
The response was
consistent with market
research Whiston said he
had done · on the gay
sroNEWAt.l. RIOrs
July/ August 1990
□ market.
"We decided that there
are plenty of magazines for
that advertising. We're not
prudes or anything, but the
research we'd done on gay
travel showed it has
changed drastically in the
last few years. There are a
lot more I couples, for
example," he said.
-Although phone sex is
pornography in a new form,
Lehne said that he doesn't
think it poses any substantially
new issues for
the gay community.
It probably doesn't keep
people closeted more or
make the coming-out
process any harder than
does using more traditional
f.orms of pornography,
Lehne said.
''The most important first
step is meeting other
people. You need to develop
a reference group," he said.
But fantasy phone lines,
like every type of
pornography, don't connect
with reality. "I don't think
it at all helps people come
out," he said.
BY ANDREAN ATALIE
- ,
I
People
Joe Steffan Fights Homophobia
Out Of The Navy
And Into The Courts
Under other _circumstances
Joe Steffan would be
aboard a United States
Navy submarine by now.
That's where he wanted to
be. And that's where the
Navy wanted him to be -
before he told his superior
officers that he is a gay
man.
BY PETER WARN
/ :J..ilcr :· , _,: , ,ng $110,000 to educate
Joe Steffan at the U.S . Naval
Academy in Annapolis, Md ., the
Navy expected him to be prepared
eventually to assume command of one
of its nuclear-powered submarines .
The acknowledgment that he was
gay took Steffan off the track that
was supposed to lead to his earning
th ~ u: alted rank of submarine
coff-..J, hl1 ider.
Steffan is now suing the Navy in the
federal court of appeals in
Washington, D.C. for readmission to
the Academy, which he left six
weeks short of graduating. Steffan
also is asking the appeals court to
declare unconstitutional the military's
prohibition against homo sexual
officers or enlisted personnel.
Arguments in the case are scheduled
in November.
In the suit, Steffan charges he was
forced to resign because of the
Department of Defense's policy
excluding Lesbians and gay men from
serving in any branch of the military.
The Navy maintains that Steffan's
resignation was voluntary .
Military officials defend the
exclusion of gay people, which they
say is needed -to ensure the country's
defense operations are not hampered.
"If you read the policy, the wording
is almost exactly the same wording as
was used in the memoranda the
military once used to exclude blacks
and women," Steffan said. "The
military's argument is: a -prejudice
seems to exist, so to prevent unrest we
will keep out the victims of that
prejudice . It's always been an
inherent American ideal that you
don't sacrifice the rights of one group
for another. And yet that is what's
taking place . The military doesn't
want to educate people ."
Educating people is one of Steffan's
goals in challenging the military's
policy. "I didn't anticipate the level
of publicity that would surround the
case," Steffan said . "But I think in
terms of public awareness the
attention has accomplished a Jot to
help improve public perception of
these issues. I feel good that I did it,
and we're going ahead with it
because I think it's telling people
they don't have to lie back and take
it and be ashamed for being gay."
The journey that led Steffan to
federal court and ·national publicity
started when the Naval Investigation
Services launched an inquiry
into rumors about Steffan's sexuality.
Similar investigations lead to the
discharge of about 2,000 military
personnel each year. ·
Steffan heard about the secret
inquiry and chose to discuss it with
the Academy's commandant . In the
course of their conversation, the
commandant asked Steffan is he is
gay . Steffan answered yes.
After a subsequent hearing in which
Steffan was found to have
"insufficient aptitude" to serve in the
Navy, Steffan resigned on April 1,
1987. He went from being a respected
Naval cadet entrusted to command a
battalion of 800 other cadets to being
a civilian.
Steffan, 25, has since earned his
economics degree and now works as a
computer consultant. He is preparing
a proposal for a book about his
experience and plans to attend law
school in the fall of 1991. He said he
anticipates his case taking up to six
years and reaching the United States
Supreme Court before it is settled .
Steffan said he has been prepared
for the glare of the spotlight to
which he will likely be subjected
during the long legal battle.
"The attention is very cyclical," he
said. "It's sort of like a roller coaster
in a lot of ways because it seems to hit
a peak when there's a new
development in the case and then it
drops off before peaking again . But I
think I've become a little more able
to withdraw myself from it. I'm still
involved in the case but I'm beginning
not to let it affect me one way of
another."
Steffan's parents, who live in his
□
JOE STEFFAN
hometown of Warren, Minn., also
have been helped through this
experience by the media's coverage of
the case.
"I think the overall effect of the
publicity has been positive," Steffan
said. "I don't think they realized
how accepting people are about
homosexuality and how supportive
people can be."
Steffan is convinced he will win his
case. His fellow cadets at the
Academy were supportive, and he
believes that - should he decide to
resume his career at Annapolis - his
naval comrades will respond
positively as well.
"There might be some tension at
first, but I can guarantee people are
going to do their jobs and the mission
is going to be accomplished," Steffan
said. "I think people always respect
someone who's willing to stand up for
himself."
Thrown into a glaring spotlight and
faced with the prospect that the
glare will last for several years,
Steffan remains committed to
pursuing his lawsuit as far as is
needed; He said he's encouraged by a
recent Gallup poll that showed 60
percent of Americans believe gay
people should be allowed to serve in
the military. And he said he thinks
his case has helped fuel the current
wave of controversy that has several
colleges considering whether to kick
military ROTC programs off their
campuses.
"It's not always fun, and it's not
always easy, but it's always worth
it; because what we have lo do is
educate people, and this case is
helping do that," Steffan said. 'Tm
very convinced that the military
policy will change, and on the day it
changes all this will have proven to
be worth it."
-Reprinted with pennission from
The Empty Closet
THE SECOND STONE
.... .
I
Church & Organization News
Ground Breaking
CeremoniesF or
MCC/DC
MCC of Washington, D.C;, plans to
break ground for their new church
building in late July. It is the first
time any Metropolitan Community
Church has planned and buHt its own
building . Rev. Elder Troy Perry and
Rev. Elder Don Eastman are
scheduled to participate in the
ground breaking ceremonies and
festivities.
Ex-Jehovah's
Witnesses Groups
To Meet
The leaders of two national support
netwo rks for gay and lesbian exJehovah's
Witnesses have announced
plans for their 1990 conferences.
Reach Out!, of Portland, Oregon,
will host a one-day conference on
Saturday, August 25, 1990, in
Portland. The members of "A Common
Bond", based near Pittsburgh,
will meet on Saturday, September 15,
1990 in Houston, Texas.
The groups were organized in the
late 1980's to foster a climate of
mutual support and to promote
dialogue among Gays and Lesbians
who have been excommunicated from
the Watchtower Bible and Tract
Society - the governing organization
of Jehovah's Witnesses - because of
their sexua Ji ty.
Unlike some religions who condemn
homosexuality but welcome the
homosexual, Jehovah's Witnesses
tolerate neither. Beside Gays and
Lesbians, .this strict religious order
consistently excommunicates, or disfellowships,
thousands of Witnesses
each year for offenses ranging in
severity from tobacco usage to open
disagreement with the sect's
doctrines. Witnesses who wish to
remain in good standing with the
faith - including family members -
are required to shun all those who are
disfellowshipped.
"Coming out of the Jehovah's
Witnesses was like a fantastic breath
of fresh air," says Sharon Tyner,
founder of Reach Out! 'The blessings
have been ten-fold. I read the books I
want, go into any house of worship I
want, and am free io express myself
without fear of reprisal."
"We received many favorable
comments about last year's ACB
conference," said Dan Restid, founder
of "A Common Bond". "Since
Jehovah's Witnesses are relatively
small in comparison to other
religions, the disfellowshipped Gays
and Lesbians are few and far between .
Our two groups have instilled a sense
of belonging to two hundred
disfellowshipped Gays and Lesbians.
We are no longer alone."
Participants at the conference will
have the opportunity to share their
common backgrounds. For futher
information on conferences or to
receive either group's newsletter
contact: Reach Out!, Box 1173,
Clackamus, OR 97015 or A Common
Bond, P.O. Box 405, Ellwood City, PA
16117.
First Reconciled
CongregationIn
Canada
King of Glory Lutheran Church,
Saskatoon, has become the first
Reconciled in Christ Lutheran
congregation in Canada. Pastor Jim
Halmerson said that after. a "great
discussion" more that 80 percent of
the voters said "yes."
Brethren/Mennonite
Join To 'Connecting
Families'
Mennonite, Church of the Brethren,
and other parents and family
mern_bers asked their lesbian and gay
children and siblings to join them in a
"Connecting Families" retreat
sponsored by Laurelville Mennonite
Church Center near Scottdale,
Pennsylvania. Families shared histories
of how they worked to accept
each other through the process of
"coming out."
Parents and family members have
gathered previously in two retreats
sponsored by the Mennonite Church's
Listening Committee on Homosexuality
Concerns. Gay and lesbian
Mennonites and Brethren have
gathered in conferences sponsored by
the Brethren/Mennonite Council for
Lesbian and Gay Concerns. This was
the first gathering which
intentionally brought both groups
together. A similar conference is
planned for April, 1991. Information
is available from Laurelville
Mennonite Church Center, Route 5,
Mount Pleasant, PA 15666 or
Brethren/Mennonite Council for
Lesbian and Gay Concerns, P.O. Box
65724, Washington, OC 20035.
Rev. Bruce Roller
Elected To Post
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Rev. Bruce
Roller of Reconciliation Metropolitan
Community Church has been elected
chair of the AIDS Resource Center
Board. The Center, formerly known
as the Grand Rapids AIDS Task
Force, is the oldest organization in
the city dedicated to AIDS
educational and support services.
"I am honored to be elected at this
point in the history of the Center,"
Rev. Roller said.
Agape Acres
Ministry Moves
Agape Acres Ministry (Living
Communion Ministry, Inc.) is moving
from Michigan to a new mission in
Oregon. The ministry may now be
contacted at P.O. Box.12222, Portland,
OR97212.
Healing Service At
Crescent Heights
United Methodist
Crescent Heights United Methodist
Church, a Reconciling Congregation
located at 1296 North Fairfax in
West Hollywood, Cal., has ·
announced a special monthly service
of healing following ancient
Christian liturgies .
'This is not a service seeking instant
healing of illnesses," said Rev. Torn
Griffith. "Rather, it is a time when
we gather to pray that God will give
us a wholeness and unity of our
bodies, our minds, and our souls." For
information call (213)656-5336.
New Apostolic
Church For Tucson
Casa de la Paloma Apostolic Church
has announced the opening of their
new church facilities at 1122 North
Jones Blvd. , Tucson, Ariwna.
The church, pastored by Rev. Sandy
Lewis, Elder of the West Central
District of the National Gay
Pentecostal Alliance, bills itself as a
"Bible-believing, Pentecostal
assembly with a primary outreach to
the gay and lesbian community. The
church is an affiliate of the National
Gay Pentecostal Alliance, headquartered
in Schenectady, NY.
Interested persons may contact the
church at (602)323-6855 or may write
to Casa de la Paloma Apostolic
Church, P.O. Box 14003, Tucson, AZ
85732-4003.
Mississippi Prime
Timers Meet
Prime Timers, a social/recreational
club for Gulf Coast gay men .over 40
will meet on July 14th in Biloxt Miss.
For information write to Prime
Timers, P.O. Box 59071, Jackson, MS
39284.
July/August1990
□ RedeemerM CC
Celebrates1 0th
Redeemer Metropolitan Community
Church of Flint, Michigan celebrated
its tenth anniversary in April. The
church is located at 1665 North
Chevrolet A venue.
Alpha & Omega
Announces
Challenge 2000
Alpha and Omega Christian
Fellowship, a participant in
T AG2000, is attempting to develop an
unending, international prayer chain.
The group is seeking individuals who
will commit to 15 minutes of
scheduled prayer each day. Contact
the fellowship at P.O. Box 11634,
Eugene, OR 97440.
Grace Covenant
Fellowship
Begins Ministry
Grace Covenant Fellowship, an
evangelical Christian church with a
special ministry and outreach to the
lesbian and gay community of
Allentown and the Lehigh Valley,
Pennsylvania, was scheduled to begin
services in May. The church is
located at the corner of 10th and
Chew in downtown Allentown, phone
(215)740-0247.
Bryon Rowe is pastor and Thom
Ritter is minister of music. Pastor
Rowe attended Samaritan College
and has served the Universal
Fellowship of Metropolitan Community
Churches at the local, district
and international levels. Pastor
Ritter attended United Wesleyan
College in Allentown and has.served
as Director of Music in the
Presbyterian Church.
Grace Covenant Fellowship's
church building will house a lesbian
and gay community center for
Alle~town and the surrounding area.
r ..,
~ Evangelicals
I/;;' '(/ ·1 iJgethe1I·n c.
SUPPORT
COMMUNITY
& SERVICE
FOGR a&yL esbCiahnr istians
InS outheCranl ifom..s.i ain c1e9 79
Sult" 109-Box 1,:;
7985 Santa Monica. Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90046
~ 213/656-B570 ~
m
Calendar
Thef ollowinga nnouncemenths ave
been-submittebdy sponsoringo r
affiliatedg roups.
Seventh-day
Adventist Kinship
Kampmeeting
JULY 1-8, SDA Kinship International
sponsors its 11th annual Kampmeeting.
Camp Procter Conference
Center near Columbus, Ohio, is the
setting. Featured speakers include Dr .
Sylvia Hacker. For information
contact: Kamp meeting Coordinator,
P.O. Box 292609, Columbus, OH 43229
or call (213)876-2076.
Evangelicals
ConcernedW estern
Region· Connection
JULY 6-8, San Francisco State
University is the setting for the 11th
Annual Evangelicals Concerned
Western Region gathering . Keynote
speakers are Dr. Ralph Blair,
Beverly Barbo, Michael Buffee and
Gary Cooper. "Jesus The Light Of
The World" is the theme. For
information write to: Conference
Coordinator, P.O. Box 12551, Seattle,
WA98117.
Tenth National
Gatheringo f
UCCUGC
JULY 10-15, the United Church of
Christ Coalition for Lesbian/Gay
Concerns meets at the University of
Southern California for its tenth
national gathering, themed "Spirit
Becoming Flesh Becoming Spirit".
Cynthia Winton-Henry and Phil
Porter are the keynote speakers.
Nationally respected AIDS and arts
activist Michael Kearns will perform
his one person play, "Larger Than
Life" which explores love, loss and
the unpredictability of life . . For
information write to UCCL/GC, 18 N.
College, Athens, OH 45701 or call
(614)593-7301.
ThornfieldW orkshop
on Sexuality
JULY 9-15, The highly acclaimed
annual training workshop on sexuality
at the Thornfield Conference
Center in Cazenovia, NY will focus on
gender, orientation and lifestyle and
their .relationship to sexism, heterosexism
and homophobia. Designed
as an advanced course for both individual
and professional growth, the
workshop sttracts tea_chers, students,
m
counselors, clergy, health personnel
and others.
Among the noted staff are Mary Lee
Tatum, nationally-recognized family
life educator, lecturer and consultant
from Falls Church, Va.; Brian
McNaught, consultant and author of
the book and video, On Bein& Gay;
and the Rev. Bill Stayton, author,
theologian and sex therapist . The
director of the Thornfield Workshop
on Sexuality is psychotherapist and
educator Alison Deming .
Registration is limited to 60 persons.
For further information, contact
Alison [)eming, P.O.Box 447,
Fayetteville,NY 13066, or call (315)
637-8990.
Evangelical
Women's Caucus
JULY 19-22, Challenges in the 90's
for Women of Faith: The Ninth
Biennial Cm}ference of the
Evangelical Women's Caucus. To be
held at North Park College and
Theological Seminary in Chicago .
For information contact : EWC
International, P.O. Box 209, Hadley,
NY 12835 or call (518)696-2406. ·
LutheransC oncerned
Assembly '90
JULY 19-22, Lutherans Concerned/
North America hosts the largest
group of gay and lesbian Lutherans
ever assembled. The setting is the
campus of University of Illinois at
Chicago. "I Am In Your Midst" is the
theme. Assembly '90 marks LC/NA's
sixteenth year of working for lesbian
and gay understanding within the
church.The design and intent of the
assembly is to create an atmosphere
where people can experience a
familiar yet fresh approach to
spirituality and community.
Facilitator is Rev. Linda Strohmler.
A variety of workshops will be
offered. For information write to:
Assembly '90, P.O. Box 10197, Fort
Dearborn Station, Chicago, IL 60610.
CMI's1990
Retreat
AUGUST 17-19, Codependency and
Spiritual Wholeness retreat at
Weber House, Baltimore, Maryland.
For information on Communication
Ministries' retreat, write to CMI
Retreat, P.O. Box 60125, Chicago, IL
60660-0125.
Community Gospel
Fellowship General
Conference
AUGUST 23-25, Beautiful Camp
Manison, outside .of Houston, is the
setting for Community Gospel
Fellowship's annual conference. A
great time offellowship is promised.
Cost is $68.00. For information, write
to Community Gospel Fellowship,
P.O. Box 66158, Houston, TX 77266 ·
First Annual
Rhythm Fest
AUGUST 30 • SEPTEMBER 3, Lookout
Mountain is the setting for a festival
'of women's music, art and politics.
Activities include music, comedy,
theatre, dance, crafts, sports,
workshops, camping, swimming,
square dancing, films, videos,
political tent and speakers. For
information write to Rhythm Fest,
604 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham, NC
2770!.
ReconciliationM CC
Campmeeting 1990
SEPTEMBER 13-16, Reconciliation
MCC, Grand Rapids, Michigan,
sponsors a gath1c~ng for "Powerful
and Positive Me~ ges" featuring two
dynamic speakers, Rev . Delores P.
Berry, co-founder of the National
Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays
and an organizer of the first Gay and
Lesbian March on WashhJgto,n, and
Rev. Elder Freda Smith, who has
appeared on local and national
television in the United States and
Canada as a spokesperson for
numerous gay rights activities . Cost
is $35.00. For information write to
Reconciliation MCC, P:Q. Box 1259,
Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
Brethren/Mennonite
Convention
OCTOBER 5-7, "Building Our
Community: Strategies for the 90's" is
the theme for the Brethren/Mennonite
Council for Lesbi,m and Gay
Concerns international convention to
be held in Philadelphia, Penn.
Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, author
of numerous books on theological,
feminist and gay /lesbian issues, will
keynote the conference. For more
information write: BMC Conference,
Box 65724, Washington, DC 20035.
Kansas City
GLAD Event
OCTOBER 5-8, The Gay, Lesbian and
Affirming Disciples Alliance, an
organization of laity and clergy of
the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) in the United States and
Canada, holds its 1990 conference at
the Tall Oaks Conference Center,
THE SECOND STONE
□ near metropolitan Kansas City.
Themed "Lift As We Oimb", the
event will be keynoted by Rev. Jan
Griesinger, Co-moderator of the
United Church Coalition for
Lesbian/Gay Concerns.
Optional workshops on gay and
lesbian parenting, liturgy, creative
movement, coming out, and health
and nurture are planned. Strategy
and organizational groups will
discuss regional and local GLAD
chapter development, Open and
Affirming Congregation development
and preparing for the denomination's
1991 General Assembly in Tulsa.
Early registation fee of $90.00
includes dormitory lodging and all
meals except Saturday dinner. For
more information or to register, write
to GLAD, P.O. Box 19223,
Indianapolis, IN 46219-0223 or call
Randy Palmer, (309)755-2498.
Third Annual
'CreatingC hange'
Gathering
NOVEMBER 9·12, Lesbian and gay
activists from around the nation will
meet in Minneapolis for the National .
Gay and Lesbian Task Force's third·
annual Creating Change conference,
The Holiday Inn Me.trodome is the ,, ,
setting. The conference will feature
leading activists from the national
and grassroots gay and lesbian scene,
prominent and provocative speakers ,..
42 skills-building workshops, social
events, organizing sessions and mo{e ..
Plenary speakers will be Barbara
Smith, black lesbian feminist writer
and activist, Dr. C. T. Vivian, civil
rights activist and Center for Democratic
Renewal chairman and Kate
Clinton, popular feminist humorist.
Early registration is $120.00 Contact
NGL TF, 1517 U St. NW, Washington,
DC 20009 or call (202)332-6483.
Women's
ThanksgivingC ruise
NOVEMBER 17-24, Robin Tyler
Productions presents a seven night
women's Thanksgiving cruise to the
Mexican Riviera on the SS Bermuda
Star, a magnificent luxury vessel that
has all the spaciousness and ambiance
of the classic era cruise ships . .
For furthur information,
write to Robin Tyler Productions,
15842 Chase St., Sepulveda, CA
91343 or call 1-818-893-4075.
SEND EVENT NOTICES TO:
CALENDAR, THE SECOND STONE,
P.O. BOX 8340, .
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70182
Inner Paths □ Sexuality In The Pulpit
Hy Chris Glaser
Columnist
A Jetter from friends who serve as
a clergy couple described an exchange
betw een their four year old daughter
and ' her mother . In the bathtub,
playing with squeeze toys, the girl
explained, "This one's having a
baby!" The mother, playing along,
asked, "ls is a boy or a girl?" Her
daught er replied, "Neither. It's a
minister!"
I remembered this story when I was
told the comment of a former
parishioner, a gay man who
apparently viewed me as appealing
in the pulpit. He explained to a
mutual friend that the advantage in
attending a new church led by a
homely pastor was that people never
had "those thoughts" about the
pastor and could better concentrate on
the sermon!
I believe that these stories
humorously reveal society 's need to
separate ministers from sexuality.
Despite our search for charismatic
qualities in spiritual leadership, we
ignore the . erotic component that
charisma often entails.
But we ignore it to our own pc,ril. In
her book, Is Nothing; Sacred? When
Sex Invades the Pastoral RefationSfil.
12. (Harper & Row, 1989), Rev.
Marie Fortune documents a case study
of a pastor's sexuality gone awry as
he ·' : sexually exploited and
manipulated female parishioners.
The congregation's inability to
discuss sexuality became complicity
with the minister's _ destructive
behavior.
On the other hand, we pay too much
attention to the minister's sexuality
when it comes to ordaining those
who, in a sexist and homophobic
society, seem to symbolize sexuality:
women , gay men, and Lesbians.
A male-dominated society has often
misplaced the responsibility of
heterosexual men's sexual urges upon
women. For example, in swimming
attire, why are women's breasts
considered more sexually provocative
than men's chests? Yet breasts must
be covered arid che sts need not be . As
another example, how often have
female victims of rape (whether by
strangers, dates, or husbands) been
dismissed as sexually provoking
their own victimization?
A heterosexually-dominated
society whose blatant sexual imagery
is touted in everything from
advertising to love stories frequently
condemns gay and lesbian selfdisclosure
as "flaunting." "Why do
you need to ~y an ything about y our
sexuality ?" we a r e as ked, "I d on ' t
need to talk about mine. " Even if the
Ia tter were true, the reason we ne ed
to affirm our sexuality is that it is a
minority experience less oft en
pub licly represented.
A sexphobic culture, while
titillat ed by sexuality , reacts
negatively toward affirmation or
cel ebration of it. Ordination of
women, Lesbians, and ga_y men, who
seem to incarnate sexuality, might be
perceived as an undesirable affirmation
or celebration of sexuality.
Unprovidentially, I believe that
women's ordination initially gained
acceptance in some churches by the
percept ion of female ordinands either
as "just like men" or as asexual: in
other words, abandoning the
sexuality assigned to them.
U npro vide ntiall y, I believe that
lesbian and gay ordination will gain
acceptan ce by the perception either
of homosexual ordinands as "just like
het e ro s·ex uals" or as asexual:
si mi la rly abandoning the affirma tio
n of sex uality implied by our
self-identification as "lesbian" or
"gay. "
For the sake of an inclusive ;
egalitari an church, this may be good .
But for the sake of the affirmation of
sexuality within the context o f
spirituality, this may run counter to
God's unique call of Lesbians and gay
men to incarnate the integrity of
sexuality and spirituality for the
church .
Sexuality and spirituality drink
from the same well : eros, that force
which passionately connects us - wi th
on e another, with God . Though
called as Christians to gov ern e ro s
with agape , agape is limp with out
the prim ordial urge of eros. When we
fals ely b elieve we .can separate eros
a nd ag ape is _when we give occasion
for eros to find expression outsidci the_
param e ters of agape. When we
r ecognize that eros, agape, sexuality ,
and spirituality are intergrall y
related, we can better affirm and
celebrate our own integrity.
Then the pulpit . will be less of a
closet.
Chris Glaser is a graduate of Yale
Divinity School and the author .of
two books: Uncommon Cal/ini' - A
Gay Man 's StrUi'i'le to Serve the
Qm.r£lL and Come Home! - Reclaimini'
Spirituality and Community as
Gay Men and Lesbians, both from
Harper & Row.
MFSA To Assist Gays Secure Full Pastoral Services
As an act of support for the
sponsorship of. a ho ly union of a
lesbian couple by Dumbarton United
Me thodist Church of Washington,
D.C., the Methodist Federation for
Social Action (MFSA), an
independent church-wide network of
United Methodist social activists
founded in 1907, has offered to help
link lesbian and gay Un i ted
Methodists across the denomination
with United Methodist congregations
and pastor s willing to provide them
with "full F/lstoral services ."
The Methodis f , Federation for
Social Action executive committee
made its offer public at the May 20
Sunday morning service of Dumbarton
UMC following a week of public
disagreement between Dumbarton
church and Bishop Joseph Yaekel
over the congregation's intention to
hold the holy union within the
church building .
In light of strong ep iscopal
disapproval, including the threat of
charges against the Dumbarton
pastor , Rev . Man-King Tso, the
Dumbarton congregation has worked
out an arrangement whereby the holy
union service will be held in a
Presbyterian church and will be
conducted by a lay member of the
Dumbarton church. During the
sharing time of the worship service
the lesbian couple, both members of
Dumbarton UMC, invited all other
members to their covenant service.
Federation executive George
McClain stated . to the Dumbarton
congregation that the Federation
action "was inspired .by" the public
witness of the Dumbarton church to
assist le sbian, gay and bisexual
United Methodists across the
denomination in having available to
them all pastoral services, indudin g
holy un ions and non-discriminatory
counseling.
McClain called the earlier decision
to award one of its 1990 Ball Awards
for outstanding social action to
Dumbarton during that week
"providential."
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another choice ... an ex-gay's story. More from
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set out to change church attitudes towards Gays.
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July/August1990 111
Closer Look
How Women Disciples Changed The World
B_y Dr. Buddy Truluck
. Contributing Writer
Judaism was totally a man's world.
Women in the synagogues were
neither seen nor heard. They were
required to sit behind a screen
whenever the Law was read for fear
that angels (thought always to be
present at the reading of the Law)
might be seduced.
Women could not read the Law or
speak in the synagogue or be a rabbi
or the student of a rabbi. They could
noi go to the synagogue during th e
menstrual flow. Women could not be
Priests, Pharisees, Scribes or
Sadducees. When a woman had a
baby, she was "unclean" for.a month.
If the baby was a girl, she was
"unclean" for two months! A woman
was the property of her husb and.
Jesus set women free from being
property and recogn ized them as
persons. The leap from property to
person was carried even further when
Jesus made women into partners. From
property to person to partner was the
gift of Jesus to all women who
believed and followed Jesus. Jesus
talked to women, like the woman at
the well in John 4, and touched and
healed "unclean" women, like the
woman with the flow of blood in Luke
8:43-48.
Jesus went much furth er than
talking and touching. Jesus called
women to be disciples (Luke 8:1-3),
taught Mary as a rabbi teaching a
student (Luke 10:38-42), first
appeared after the resurrection to a
woman, and gave to a woman the
glorious mission of being the first to
proclaim the gospel of th e
resurrection of Jesus from the dead
(John 20:11-18).
Women were part of the waiting
group on which the Holy Spirit came
at Pentecost (Acts 1:14; 2:1-6) and
were included among the first
preachers who gave witness to Jesus.
Women were prominent in the ear ly
churches as leaders and ministers . A
woman, Phoebe, was called by Paul in
Romans 16:1 "the minister of the
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church at Cenchrea," which is the
same word for "minister" (diakonos)
Paul used to describe himself and
Christ in Romans 15:8,25,27,31 as
"minister" to the Gentiles! The role
of women in the life and ministry of
Jesus and in the early church
literally "changed the wor ld. "
Misguided and incorrect translators
and prejudiced Bible scholars have
been able to obscure the true role of
.women in the triumphant spread of
Christianity in the first century
world. It is a story of incredible
linguistic acrobatics and astounding
willful igriorance and distortion of
the words and message of the Bible.
Simple honesty and integrity as well
as Christian love and common sense
demand that this misuse of the Bible
against women be challenged and
corrected.
From Luke 8:1-3: "Jesus began going
about from one city and village to
another, proclaiming and preaching
the rule of God; and the twelve were
with him, and also some women who
had been healed of evil spirits and
infirmities: Mary who was called
Magdalene, from whom seven demons
had gone out, and Joanna the wife of
Chuza , Herod's steward, and
Susanna, and many others who were
ministering (Greek word:
"diakonoun") to them out of their
possessions." .
In describing the crucifixion ,
Matthew 27:55-56 spoke of these
women: "And many women were there
looking on from a distance, who had
followed Jesus from Galilee,
ministering (Greek:"deaconing") to
him; among whom was Mary
Magdalene, along with Mary the
mother of James and Joseph, and the
mother of the sons of Zebedee." It is
clear that women followed Jesus,
listened to the instructions as
disciples, did their part in support of
the group, and stood with Jesus to the
end.
The most revealing passage on
women as disciples is in Luke 10:38-42
where Jesus visited the home of Mary
and Martha. "Mary was listening to
the word of Jesus, seated at Jesus '
feel." These few words announce the
most dramatic revolution in the role
of women in the history of the human
race!
Martha was busy with much serving
(Greek: "diakonos"). She complained
that her sister did not do her sha.re of
housework. Jesus replied that "Mary
had chosen the good part, .which :
shall not be taken a way from .her .. ".
Ever since, well meaing but wrong
"sisters" have tried to t<!ke i3Way
what Mary had in those few world,
changing moments! .
Mary "sitting at Jesus' feet'' .is the
most dramatic evidence that she.M'.a~
a disciple. "Sitting at . the .feet'.' , j?,
used in Acts 22:3 to describe Pa,ul as 9
discjple at the great rabbi Gamaliel:
Just as the rabbi, alway s, sat to , teach;
the student literally "sat at the feet
of" the teacher to listen and learn. as
a disciple . '
The sight of Mary in the posture of a
disciple to a rabbi was 'very
threatening to her sister Martha.
The words of Jesus to Martha were
intense: "Martha! ·Martha! You are
anxious and bothered about so many
things." Th.en Jesus added that
nobody would be allowed to take
away Mary's freedom to become a
disciple . But the church has been
trying ever since!
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m THE SECOND STONE
Angry At Bush Over 'Gay Issue'
Fundamentalists Retain Hold On Southern Baptist Convention
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Rev. Morr is
Chapman, fund amentalist pastor of
First Baptist Church of Wich ita
Falls, Texas, was e lected president of
the Sou thern Baptist Convention
during the group's annu al meeting in
mid-Jun e at the Louis iana Superdome.
Chapman garner ed 58 percent
of the more than 38,000 ballots cast.
The conservative Chapman was
elected to the dismay of moderates
and lib erals who had hopes of
stopping the denomination's 12-year
swing to the right with the election
of Rev . Daniel Vestal, moderate
pastor of Dunwoody Baptist Church
in Atlanta.
Messengers to the convention
proposed a resolution to voice opposition
to all efforts by gay activists "to
gain civil rights protection status for
homosexuals on the basis of sexual
preference ." The resolution, along
with 11 others proposed by the
Resolutions Committee could not be
considered by messengers due to lack
of a quorum on the final day of the
convention. Another proposed resolution
asked Congress and President
Bush to "set standards which would
prevent the funding of highly
offensive, morally repugnant and
sacriligious 'art,' or, if such is not
done , cease funding the National
Endowment for the Arts."
Presence Of Gays
At White House
Angered Baptists
Although the White House had
sought and received an invitation for
President George Bush to address the
South ern Baptist Convention, Bush
later declined tne invitation aft er
many Ba ptists were angered at the
presence of gay and lesbian activists
at a White House ceremony. The
activists were present to witness the
signing of the Federal Hate Crimes
Statistics Act, an event which
marked the first tim e legislation
that includes sexual orientation had
ever been signed into .law by a
president and the first time openly
gay and lesbian leaders and activists
had ever been invited to such a
White House event.
Southern Baptist Convention
Christian Life Commission Executive
Director .Richard Land reportedly
complained in a letter to Bush that
the invitation of Gays to the
ceremony "provides an implicit
White House approbation of their
lifestyle and it is something no
previous administration has done."
Urvashi Vaid, Executive Director of
the National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force said, "The fact that Pre sident
Bush invited gay and lesbian
organizations and act ivis ts into his
home to witness the signing of this
important bill is a major a dvanc e for
gay and lesb ian political vis ibility
and effectiveness ." About 150
extre mely diverse people attended
the signing, includ ing liberal
Democrats from Congres s, conservative
Republican s, gay rights
activists and advocat es for people of
color, religious and other groups.
Regarding the gay and lesbian
activists, Land complained to Bush,
"The White House should not be
giving its sanction and implicit
approval to such groups."
Before signing the bill, Bush made a
ten minute speech calling for a
"society blind to prejudice, a society
open to all." The President explained
hate crimes covered by the bill,
mentioning crimes committed because
of "sexual ·orientation ," and added,
"the faster we can find out abortt
these hideous crimes, the faster we
can track down the bigots who commit
them ."
The U.S. Senate passed the bill on
February 8, 1990, by 92 to 4 after
defeating an attempt by Jesse Helms
(R-NC) to attach an anti-gay
amendment to the law.
Former South ern Baptist
Convention President Jerry Vines and
other Baptist leaders reportedly
discussed revoking their invitation
for Bush to speak .to th e group. The
Florida Baptist Witness reported
that Vines, pastor of the First
Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla.,
asked that Bush consider the
Baptists' objections to gay issues in
his decision whether or not to speak
at the convention. Doug Wead,
Bush's liaison to religious organizations
advised the Baptists that
Bush had indeed declined the
invitation because of a schedule
conflict. Wead acknowledged that
the "gay dispute" was part of the
discussion, however.
Denomination
'Losing Momentum,'
Report Says
Membership statistics cited by the
Southern Baptist Convention are
thought to be largely inflated.
Although officials claim the
denomination has 14.9 million
members, they also acknowledge that
about half the members do not attend
church anymore. The Wall Street
Journal reported in April that
membership losses and financial
cutbacks are being attributed by many
to the continuing battle between
fundamentalists an d moderates.
Enrollment a t the six Southern
Baptist seminar ies has fallen 14
perce nt since 1985, the Journal
reported.
Rev. Daniel Vestal said that some
churc hes may leave the Southern
Baptist Conv ent ion and align
them selves with the more moder a te
American Baptists .
Postpone Altering Policy On Gays
Presbyterians Vote Against PLGC
SALT LAKE CITY - Although
Pr esbyterians were striving for unity
and harmony during their 202nd
General Assembly, the assembly
voted to take away semi-official
church status from several ·Presbyterian
organizations including
Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay
Concerns.
Newly elected Moderator Price
Henderson Gwynn III of Charlotte,
N.C., said the 2.9 million member
church must stop internal fighting if
it is to reverse the exodus which has
claimed a third of its memb ership
during the past 25 years.
The more than 600 commissioners to
the annual meeting voted to postpone
action on altering church position on
homosexuality until 1991 when a
report is due from a special task force
on human sexuality.
Several of the denomination 's 177
presbyteries introduced ov~rtur.es to .
suspend PLGC for distributing
gay-supportive phamplets to high
school and college youths at a -church
m eeting. A PLGC chapter in
Pittsburgh had unsuccessfoly fought
to block an overture from the
Redstone Presbytery saying that the
presbytery should reverse its
judgement on homosexuality as it has
reversed previous policies on slavery,
divorce and women's roles in the
church .
The vote to take away church status
from PLGC, if approv ed by a
majority of the regional presbyterie s,
would remove the right to be
officially represented at church
meetings .
PLGC Communications Secretary
James D. Anderson said, "These
overtures seek to cut off ... dialogue
and to remove people and groups who
disagree with the General Assembly
policy from the church, all in the
name of 'decency, order, peace, and
unity of the church."'
In reference to the phamplets
Anderson said that the overtures
"seem to be based ·on the ignorant
notion . that information, even
affirmation, makes people lesbian or
gay ."
After reviewing . the phamplets a
straight; 21 year old man said, "the
reaction of the church in general
distresses me greatly. It appears
that a large portion o.f the chutch
will not allow others to disagree
with them iind still remain a valid
part of the church. I celebrate
differen.:es in opinion as long as all
opinions · are respected. I condemn
intolerance."
D.C. Mayoral Candidate Slams Black Gays
WASHINGTON, D.C. - John Ray, a
black candidate for mayor of the
nation's capital, made several
anti-gay and lesbian remarks and
advocated heterosexuality for the
black community at a meeting
sponsored by the D.C. Gay and
Lesbian Activists Alliance.
In his remarks to about 30 gay and
lesbian activists, Ray, an at-large
member of the D. C. Council, said,
heterosexuality "is the best wayoc for
the black community.
Ray also said he would not
advocate for domestic partnership
legislation now being proposed for
D.C. residents.
Ray's statements were "untenable,
out rageous and a vicious assault on
Lesbians and gay men - particularly
black Lesbians and gay men - who
live in Washington, D.C." said Ivy
Young, NGLTF Families Project
director . Young likened Ray's
comments to recent anti-gay statements
made by Martin Luther King
III, who subsequently apologized to
the gay community after considerable
pressure from local activists and
widespread media attention.
"In his staunch and seemingly blind
support of 'traditional values,' Mr.
Ray has . debased and invalidated :
the family life of thousands of D.C.
residents . He suggests that if black
Lesbians and Gays live their lives ;
openly they are somehow damaging :
the African-American community,"
said Young. "Our sexual orientation
does not put us at odds with our
community's quest for freedom."
July/August1990 m
-- --- ---
Book Review
The Poisoning Of Eros
Sexual Values In Conflict
By Michael Blankenship
Contributing Writer
Rev. Raymond J. Lawrence, Jr.,
author; Limited edition (500 copies)
available from the author: 217
Mountain Ave., S.W. #11, Roanoke,
VA 24016. $19.95, hardback.
Everyone has seen those clever
Ii ttle tracts that boldly stale on th<'
front "WHAT JESUS HAD TO SAY
ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY," then
An angry young poet'S intimate discourse
with God on faith, gay love, AIDS and the
Catholic Church's controversial stand
condemning homcsexuality.
"Sardonic, sophisticated ... There is so much
to be enjoyed here, this reviewer ex.b.ons
readers to add Sex With God to their list of
gifts for special friends." - Lambda Rising
Se~ With (jocC
By Thomas O'Neil
illustrations by Ty Wil1-or1
Send $5.95 plus $1.50 for postage and handling to:
Indulgence Press, P.O. Box 965, Dept.V, N.Y.,
N.Y., 10023. Add 50¢ forN.Y. State orders.
when you open it up it's blank on the
inside. But a recent book entitled The
Poisoning of Eros by Raymond J.
Lawrence, Jr., presents the view that
perhaps Jesus did make a statement
about homosexuality in his own way.
Lawrence convincingly makes the
point that in Matthew and Luke,
Jesus is portrayed as being toleran I of
a relationship between a centurion
and his "boy." The story involves a
centurion whose "very precious" slave
or "boy" was ill and near death.
Hearing about Jesus, he sent some
Jewish elders with the request that
Jesus come and save the young man's
life. The elders pressed the request to
Jesus by saying "he deserves this
favor from you for he is a friend of our
nation, and it is he who built us our
synagogue." Jesus went with them,
but while he was still a distance from
the house the soldier sent messengers
to ask Jesus just to say the word to
make the boy better because the
centurion felt unworthy to have Jesus
under his roof, or to approach him in
person. When Jesus heard this he
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was amazed, telling the crowd that
followed, "I tell you, nowhere, not
even in Israel, have I found faith like
this." The messengers returned to the
house to find the boy in good health.
The Luke version refers to the young
man as a "slave," but the Matthew
version in each instance refers to him
as "boy" (pais), which Lawrence
emphatically states in the GrecoRoman
world connoted a catamite or
youth in a homosexual relationship.
Of course, during this period such
pederastic relationships were quite
common . They were seen as
mentor/protege relationships which
in addition to being physically
sexual, inducted the young into the
world of men, the patriarchial
culture which denigrated women.
Many men felt that love with a young
boy was purer, and better than that
with a woman. Lawrence further
states that during the early
Christian era the practice of
pederasty was declining as Roman
aristocratic families were increasingly
protective of their young men.
Hence the pederastic tradition was
increasingly assigned to slaves.
Lawrence gives his free translations
from Luke 7:2 as: "a centurion there
had a slave, a catamite who was
very precious to him ... ," this being
the way reader /hearers of the first
century, given the language used,
would have unquestionably interpreted
the story. Luke reinforces that
impression by characterizing the boy
as "very precious" to the soldier.
According to Lawrence, "it is not
enough to say that Jesus was merely
tolerant of this apparent pederastic
relationship," he was so impressed
by the man's faith that he
miraculously healed the young man,
allowing this relationship, which
must have been loving in the sight of
Jesus, to continue.
Without a doubt we can all see the
wide gulf that separates the modern
world from the world of the early
Jesus movement. Today we can
readily see the inequity and abusiveness
necessarily associated with
such relationships . In my opinion,
because in this · one instance Jesus
blessed the most common form of
homosexual relationship of his day,
it is unthinkable that today such
relationships, even with the element
fo sincere caring and love, would or
should be tolerated. But, I think this
story should give encouragement to
all gay Christians, if Jesus willingly
blessed this sort of union, how much
m THE SECOND STONE
□
more would he bless our own loving,
committed relationships between
"equals."
Lawrence also paints a picture of a
very sensuous Jesus, especially at the
last supper, where Jesus (literally
translated) disrobed and tied a towel
around his waist to wash the feet of
the disciples. The book states that
the washing of feet, rather than
being a humbling, or degrading act,
"always carried overtones of sexual
intimacy." This act "demonstrated
an appreciation for and a loving care
for each other's bodies."
While I immensly enjoyed the
liberal qualities of Lawrence's book,
which in many ways is even more
radical than Spong and Countryman,
I admit I was irritated to find on page
35 that he had translated the Greek
word "arsenokoitoi" as "those guilty
of homosexual perversion." I was
appeased somewhat to find that
later on page 98 he uses the more
appropria le (Boswell) interp'retation
of "male prostitutes" for the same
word. I decided to get to the bottom
of this, so I paid a visit to Rev.
Lawrence. When I pointed out the
conflicting interpretations he was
genuinely surprised, and apologetically
said that the first instance
was an oversight on his part, that he
had used someone else's translation.
Rev. Lawrence told me during our
conversation that he had attended
the MCC in Houston and had even
considered membership, so I know
from this personal contact that he is
both affirming and accepting of
Lesbians and Gays . Unfortunately,
this positive stance doesn't quite
come across in his section on
homosexuality. This part of the book
has more of a "tolerant" tone than
that of total acceptance . He
characterizes homosexuality as a
"beloved affliction" that is "off the
mark of what is commanded." Yet, at
the same time, I cannot deny the
numerous favorable aspects of this
portion of the book.-
Rev. Lawrence candidly admitted to
me that his book was not directed to
Gays and Lesbians, but that he
wanted "to do for the heterosexuals
what John Boswell did for the
homosexual community."
I feel that this book, with it's
well-researched documentation, has
liberating qualities that would
appeal to all Christians, regardless
of sexual orientation . It is well worth
reading and owning.
Videos
Courage, Strength and Vision
No Need To Repent: The Ballad of Rev. Jan Griesinger
By Tw Bailey ·
Editor
C .hurch has always been part of
the fabric of life for the woman who
. is the subject of the film portrait "No
Need To Repent: The Ballad of
Reverend Jan Griesinger" a well
crafted work by Ann Alter. The film
premiered at .the Berlin International
Film Festival and the Chicago
Lesbian & Gay International ·Film
Festival.
"She takes on hard
issues and she
doesn't give in very
easily.
"I grew U:p not . knowing the word
'lesbian'," says . Rev. Griesinger, an
ordained ,minister .· in the United
Church of Christ and National
Coordinator of the Unite\i Church
Coalition for Lesbian/Gay ;Concerns.
"I managed to make '. it all the way
. through . college . ··without ·ever
knowing any Lesbians."
But that changed in the autumn of
1976 when ·she .was visiting.friends in
California. "They had .some kind o·f
. women's music on the record .player.
Something about that musk ... brought
me into some kind of full awareness ...
that I had fallen in love with a
friend," says Rev. Griesinger.
"I don't feel like I
work for the church
as an institution. I
work for people."
"No Need To Repent" glimpses back
through the use of home movies to a
young woman growing up in an upper
middle class Midwestern family .
The oldest of four children, Jan
Griesinger was a gifted student and
enjoyed playing the piano in her
church. She studied religion and
philosophy at DePauw and fought in
the Civil Rights movement. And she
got married.
"I got up and cooked five days a
week," she says of .her typical
middle class marriage. "I made a
lunch for him to take to work." But
her ma.r.riage .unravelled as her
interest in social · justice grew . - a
sharp contrast to the quiet home life
her husband sought.
Of coming to terms with her
sexuality, Rev. Griesinger says, "I
went through a period I . think like
□
·Rev. Jan Griesinger .. .featured in "No Need To Repent."
Ballad's creato.r ... Ann Alter
most lesbian and gay people where
worrying about it was the most
painful thing. That let me know how
important it was to .deal with it." ·
"They belieye her
when she says 'I am
a Christian."'
Regarding her work in the United
Church of Christ and United Campus
Ministry, Rev. Griesinger says, "l
don 't feel like I work for the church
as an institution. I work focpeople."
An unidentified woman speaking of
the Ohio Conference of the United
Chur.ch of Christ says, "There are
July/ August 1990
people who see homosexuality as a
sin. And therefore they have trouble
with Jan. But even there I have not
heard anyone attack her integrity.
Or her honesty. Or even her faith.
They believe her when she says 'I am
a Christian.'"
Says Carol Kuhre~ of United Campus
Ministry, "She ta"es on hard issues
and she doesn't give in very easily."
"No Need To Repent" also offers a
personal glimpse of Rev. Jan
Griesinger's life with other women
at the "Susan B. Anthony Memorial
UnRest Hornet _her farm .in · rural
Appalachia.
Ann Alter's film features original
music composed and performed by
Jeanne Donado. The .film .is available
for sale or rental from Women Make
Movies; 225 Lafayette St., Suite· 212,
New York, NY 10012, (212)925-0606.
m
f
Essay
KeepS tandingF irm
Freedom To Love A Gift Of God
By Dr. Buddy Truluck
Columnist
Thean nual lesbian/gay pride
celebration in San Francisco is called
"Freedom Day" Parade. Close to
half a million people are in the city
for this special day. Gay men and
Lesbians fight for freedom from gay
bashing, prejudice, unjust laws,
religious persecution, job and housing
discrimination, and a long list of
other forms of homophobia. Progress
toward freedom has been slow but
steady. Freedom to love and to
express love regardless of sexual
orientation has not come easy.
Freedom from self-hate,
internalized homophobia, anger, and
the self destructive forces that have
tormented Gays and Lesbians has
been even slower to come. Jesus Christ
to the rescue! During this summer
season of focus on our national
Declaration of Independence, lesbian
and gay Christians also celebrate
personal victories and freedom in
Christ.
Jesus said: "The truth will set you
free" and "I am the truth." (John 8:22
and 14:6) Paul added: "It was for
freedom that Christ set us free:
therefore keep standing firm and do
not be subject again to a yoke of
slavery ... For you were 'called to
freedom." (Galatians 5:1 and .13) The
word "yoke" was often used by Jewish
teachers for "the Law". Jesus set us
free from the bondage of legalistic
and · destructive religion. Jesus came
"to proclaim release to the
captives ... to set free those who are
Survivors Urged To Report Attacks
downtrodden." (Luke 4:18)
David grew up in Argentina where
his parents were Southern Baptist
missionaries. While a student at
college, David drove to Mexico to get
some cheap drugs. The Mexican
police caught him and charged him
with selling drugs. David faced six
years in jail. His parents took
emergency leave from their work and
returned to the United States to try to
help David.
David was released several months
later and joined the church were I
was pastor. In jail, David realized
what a mess he had made of his life.
He turned to Christ · and committed
his life to follow and serve Jesus.
David said, "That was when I got my
freedom, not when I was released
from jail!" David went to many
'Battle Against Bashers' Pressed At Local Level
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Violence,
harassment and attacks against gay
men and Lesbians are "widespread"
and continue to "plague the nation ,"
says a national report on anti-gay
crimes released ·by ·the Nationa l Gay
and Lesbian Task Force. ·
The fifth annual NGLTF "Anti-Gay
Violence, Victimization and
Defamation" survey reports 7,031
incidents - ranging from harassment
to homicide - against gay men and
Lesbians in 1989. The incidents were
documented by 119 organizations and
individuals in 40 states and the
District of Columbia.
Of the incidents, 2,322 were acts of
vandalism, ,intimidation and physical
violence and 4,709 were verbal
harassment. ·
About one percent (75) of the
incidents reported were directed
against churches affiliated with the
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan
Community Churches. The
Where Do The States Stand On Hate Crime?
Prepared by the Narional Gay and Lesbian Task Force
May, 1990
■ Hate crime laws that include
crimes based on sexual orientation
(9 states and the Dis!rict of Columbia )
[ill Hate crime laws Iha! exclude
crimes based on sexual orientation
(13 states)
remaining 80 percent (5,627) occurred
in other contexts. Overatl, 1989's
total of 7,031 episodes is slightly
lower than the 7,248 reported in 1988.
"Last year the nation's lesbian and
gay community celebrated the 20th
anniversary of the Stonewall riots
which sparked the modern gay rights
movement .," said Kevin Berrill,
Director of NGLTF's Anti-Violence
Project and , autho r of the report.
"Although we have made
remarkable strides towards freedom
since Stonewall, we remain a
community under siege, battling an
epidemic of bigotry and violence."
The report was presented at a press
conference in a House of Representatives
office building. Bcrrill,
joined by other civil rights, law
enforcement and . Congressional
leaders, including Senator Alan
Cranston, called for a "major battle on
the state level against bashers and
bigots" to end · homophobic, racist,
anti-semitic and other hate crimes.
The NGLTF report indicated that
orily nine states, the District of
Columbia and seven cities have hate
crime laws that include sexual
orientation . Hate crime laws in
thirteen states exclude anti-gay
crimes. As of May 1990, legislation
that addresses anti-gay violence is
under considera tion in Flor ida,
Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri,
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
and Washington.
Im THE SECOND STO N E
□
churches and ·schools to give his
testimony of freedom thro.ugh Jesus
Christ from drugs and despair. He
returned to college and then to
seminary in Argentina. He is now a
career missionary in Paraguay.
Freedom to love, freedom to live a
full and meaningful life, and freedom
from despair and death are the gifts
of God through Jesus Christ. The fear
of homosexuality both against and
within Lesbians and Gays can be
conquered by the perfect love of Jesus.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect
love casts out fear, for fear is torment,
and the one who fears in not perfected
in love. We love because God first
loved us ." (1 John 4:18-19) Freedom
from fear is the freedom to love.
Every Monday morning, I help lead
a worship service for gay prisoners at
the San Francisco jail. The prisoners
sing hymns, join in prayer, share in
Bible study, and celebra te holy
commun ion. This time of Christian
fellowshi p and worship gives the
inmates a few moments of freedom
and hope in an othe rwise drab and
totally controlled existence. These
services have been offered for several
years and are part of an openly gay
chaplain ministry to the prisoners.
Every visit to the jail reminds me
that Jesus Christ gives a kind of
freedom that can be experienced in no
other way. Does your local county
jail offer Christian ministry to gay
inmates? If not, you can try to star t
something. Contact me and I will pu t
you in touch with people who can
help .
Prisons of ignorance, illiteracy, fear,
suspicion, hate and prejudice can be
opened through Jesus Christ.Freedom
from the deadly depression
and dep ~ndency often associated
with AIDS can be found in Jesus
Christ . Even freedom from sin and
death is the gift of God through Jesus.
Romans 8:2: "Life in Christ Jesus has
set you free from the law of sin and of
death." Paul declared in Romans 8:21
the ultimate hope for Christian
freedom tha t gay and lesbian
believers shar e: "The creation itself
also will be set free from slavery to
corruption into the freedom of the
glory of the children of God."
Buddy Truluck is a former Southern
Baptist pastor. Presently - this
energetic Bible scholar ·is teaching a
series entitled "The Bible As A
Friend of Lesbians and Gays" at San
Francisco's Golden Gate MCC. He was
educated at the Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary in Louisville,
Kentucky .
Travel □
Enjoying The · Hidden Hawaiis
By Cynthia A. Marquard
and Danni Munson
Contributing Writers
Part II of the Hidden Hawaiis
Kauai and Maui
The great thing about Hawaii is
that no two islands are alike. Kauai,
the Garden Island, is the lushest of
the the islands and it also has the
greatest amount of rainfall. Maui
has more of a desert island feel to it,
because it gets very little rain. Both
are delightful to visit, and both have
some spectacular hidden spots just for
gay men or lesbians.
One of the top-ranking gay resorts in
the world is located on Maui, the
remote and beautiful Hana
Plantation Houses, near the small
town of Hana . There are four
plantation houses on the main
property and two beach houses
situated on a secluded black sand
beach . These units provide various
wonderful amenities: one has a
private waterfall, another a tropical
bath garden with jacuzzi, one is a
studio cottage, another is a threebedroom
house. There is something
on this five-acre property to suit
almost everyone. Electricity is
provided by solar power, so
gentlemen take note: your hair dryer
might not work properly--but here,
who needs it anyway!
The main town on Maui is Lahaina,
once a sleepy fishing village built
around the wharf, now a busy tourist
spot. There is a gay friendly B & B
here, The Aumakua Inn. There are no
exclusively gay bars, but Bettino's at
505 Front St. hosts a predominantly
gay clientele during the mid to late
evening hours. While shopping in
Lahaina, stop by gay-owned Tropical
Art Ware at 658 Front St. for
handcrafted jewelry and crafts from
around the world, but especially for
toe rings. The owners custom-fit toe
rings, and reportedly do it very well.
On Kauai there are two secluded
gay /lesbian accommodations, both
near Anahola Bay. Mahina Kai is a
B & B beach villa with guestrooms
surrounding a beamed -ceiling living
room. There is also a two-room
apartment available. A terraced
garden with a fountain and tropical
fruits overlooks Anahola Bay. Guests
are provided with sarongs and bikes
and snorkeling equipment is also
available. So is nude sunbathing,
either on the private grounds or
nearby Donkey or Secret beaches.
The Anahola Beach Club consists of
an older Hawaiian home with three
guestrooms and a bunk house for
larger parties . The property is
located on the beach. Full breakfast
and "sunset refreshments" are
included.
Hidden Spots
On Oahu
It might seen strange to speak of
hidden Hawaiis on the island that is
home to the high-rise city of
Honolulu and the belly -to-belly
crush of Waikiki Beach. But it is
surprisingly easy to find peace and
quiet once you leave that congested
Honolulu area . Rent a car and drive
30 or 40 miles from Honolulu,
especially on the road to the
Polynesian Cultural Center. You'll
find dozens of little palm-tree
studded parks and white sand
beaches, almost deserted. Take along
a woven grass beach mat and a cooler,
and you're set for the day.
Gay men and lesbians can even find
a place to stay away from the
Waikiki crowd. The Windward
Oahu B & B is a luxurious home with
a swimming ·pool and ocean views in
Kaneohe. The one guest room rents for
$50.00 a day--a great bargain for
Oahu.
Of course, there's hidden and then
there's hidden, and there are several
gay /lesbian establishments tucked
away behind thick foliage even in
the heart of Waikiki. Since most
Write or call for brochure.
120 E. Atol St., P. 0. Box 2326
South Padre Island, Texas 78597
(512)761-L YLE
Air connections via
American Continental Southwest
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people land here coming from the
mainland, it's good to know about
these hideaways. First of all,
there's Hula's, an indoor-outdoor gay
bar dominated by an enormous banyan
tree. Stop in after dark for a mai tai
and enjoy the festive streamers of
tiny lights sparkling down from the
branches. Tucked away in one of the
little shopping "alleys" in the gay
Kuhio District is a great little shop
called Pet Boy. Here you can pick up
original-design T-shirts, gay /lesbian
books and magazines, and other
trinkets. Then have a memorable
sandwich at Hamburger Mary's. Not
only is the fare quite good, it's also
fun to watch straight tourists who
wander in suddenly realize they're
"off the beaten path." Next door is
the small men's bar, Dirty Mary's .
And . just up the street, hidden behind
a barrier of tropical foliage, is the
gay/lesbian Hotel Honolulu, a great
place to get over jet lag before moving
on to another island or to spend an
entire vacation in Oahu.
For a listing of what's currently
going on, plus up to date bar guide,
pick up copies of Hawaii's two
gay/lesbian publications: the
monthly Island Lifestyle Magazine
or Gay Community News.
Cynthia A. Marquard is the
owner/manager of Envoy Travel,
Inc., in Chicago and vice-president of
the International Gay Travel Assn.
Danni Munson is the publisher of
The Lesbian and Gay Almanac a11d'
Events of 1990.
P. 0. Box 118 SL
Bethlehem, NH 03574
(603) 869-3978
OUR WORLD
The International Gay Travel Magazine
Month by month, we invite you to explore the exciting world of
travel available to gay men and lesbians. Each month we help you to
discover the multitude of interesting hotels, inns and resorts that
welcome the gay traveler.
Enjoy articles and color photos of a
romantic hotel in Spain, a secluded retreat
in Hawaii, a manor house in the English
countryside, a Greek pension overlooking
the sea, a rustic resort in Colorado, and
more -all catering to our lifestyle!
Plus, every month, regular departments
provide you with valuable information on
gay events and festivals, travel updates
and tips, interviews, and the latest gay
trips and tours-sail the Caribbean on a
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cruise the Mediterranean on a luxury liner
or fly to Sydney for the Gay Mardi Gras.
.__ __ _____ __, Whatever you're looking for, let OUR
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1 year (12 colorful issues) only $ 44 (in the USA) - US$ 52
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Sample copy US$ 5. ·
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Daytona Beach, Florida 32117 USA
TEL: (904) 441-5367
July/ August 1990 II
Parting Thought □ But There's A Lot Of Mopping Up To Do
The Gay Revolution Is Over
l!y Larry Hallock
Contributing Writer
"I bring you fascinating news," wrote
columnist Paul Varnell a while back:
"the Gay Revolution-is over. P.S. We
won."
Varnell's optimism annoys fellow
gay activists who'"splutter and wave
their arms about wildly," citing a
litany of injustices and inequalities:
job firings, lack of protected civil
rights in many cities, denials of child
custody, anti-gay violence, people
dying of AIDS, and more. But
Varnell still claims we have won,
that the "revolution" is over, that we
should recognize ourselves and enjoy
the fact of our victory.
The columnist defines victory .
"Winning any war," he says, "means
that the power, the set of engaged ~-;~;;y" '""
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side and that your enemy has lost its
ability to initiate major new
hostilities. Winning any ideological
war, which is what the Gay
Revolution has been, means that the
intellectual impetus and moral
legitimacy has shifted to our side
and that our opponents more or ·less
know it and are intellectually and
morally maybe still operational but
running on empty. The victory has
occurred primarily in the realm of
ideas or consciousness," he says
(borrowing from Fukuyama), though
it "is as yet incomplete in the real or
material world." ·
"But the victory is real, " says
Varnell, "and the remainder,
however enormous a remaind er it
may be, is simply a sort of
mopping-up operation, solidifying
the victory."
Varnell is right .
In 1970 I wallowed in self-disgust
and apologetically phoned a Seventh
Day Adventist pastor for help to
make it through the night. Today,
with dignity and self-esteem, 1 phone
SDA pastors across the country in my
role as Kinship church liaison and I
have their ·respect. Scores . of
prominent pastors and teachers have
listened carefully and now minister to
us in ways we find nurturing.
In th e late 60s I sojourned an
emotional desert in Adv entist
schools, where in my wildest fantasy
I never dreamed of others'
affirmation, never hoped for someone
to love. During a recent AIDS
conference I wandered through the
campus of Columbia Union College
and admired the handsome young
men and women I saw in the
classrooms. All colors together.
Many of them gay. (Today they know
that!) I reminisced about my own
college days and wished for a few
romantic memories, the kind I
couldn't make then, but which those
CUC kids now can it they but create a
way. A single generation separates
the undreamable from the do-able.
When my youngest friends tell me
how hard it is to be gay on an
Adventist college campus today, I
remind them of what it was like
when they were born, and inform
Classifieds
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CHRISTIAN'NEW AGE QUARTERLY explores
the issues arising between Christians
and New Agers with authentic information,
forthright honesty and, yes, real appreciation
for both sides. Penetrating, yet fun, our
features and c;olumns forge a bridge for
genuine dialogue. SubS': $9.50/yr. Sample:
$2.50. CHRISTIAN'NEW AGE QUARTERLY,
P. 0. Box 276, Clifton, NJ
07011-0276. TF
EMERGE! A healing journal of EMERGENCE
International: Christian Scientists Supporting
Lesbians and Gay Men. For information and
subscriptions write P.O . . Box 581, Kenlfield,
CA 94914, or call (415)485-1881. 2/91
Employmer1 .
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · For growing
national organization engaged in peer support,
education and advocacy . . Candidate should
have extensive experience in fundraising,
organizational and fiscal management, program
development, media relations and familiarity
with gay/lesbian concerns. Parenting
background desirable. Send cover letter,
resume and salary requirements to: Federation
them that SDA Kinship knows
supportive staff members on nearly
every Adventist campus in North
America. From now on, I'll be more
emphatic . I'll tell them the
revolution is over ! They deserve to
know it; they deserve to understand
it . And yes, I'll also tell them they
have a lot of mopping up to help
with.
Larry Hallock writes 1or Connect ion,
the newsletter of Seventh Day
Adventists' Kinship International ,
Box 3840, Los Angeles, CA 90078
□ of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays,
P.O. Box 27605, Washington, DC 20038.
8/90 .
Friends/Relationships
GWM, 6'.2", 165 lbs., youthful 37, brown hair,
mustache, masculine, smoke and drug free,
varied interests, fun, honest, quiet, caring and
very relationship oriented. Seeking similar
Christian friends preferably in Mobile, AL or
vicinity. Rob, P.O. Box 16424, Mobile, AL
36616. 10/90
General Interest
GAY/LESBIAN CATHOLIC Traditionalists ·
Gay is great! "Dignity" is fine. BUT do you
really/secretly miss the "old" pre-Vatican II
church, liturgy, devotions, etc.? TridenlinJl/
Tradilior,alisl Gay Catholics unite, write for
support: Catholic Tradition - B. Gatzke, P.O.
Box 9631, Minneapolis, MN 55458-9631.
10/90
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