Transcript |
FRIDAV. DECEMBER 1.
/MONTROSEVOICE 5
Give too much? Here are stress tips for 'people pleasers'
By SHERI COHEN DARBONNE
Monlrose Voice Editor
Because gay and lesbian people
tend to be more in touch with their
feelings, as well as more i
of and involved in their (
ty, some gays may also be overwhelmed by the "spirit of giving"
and suffer their own brand of seasonal stress, according a Montrose
counselor who specializes in addictions.
Along with the increased stress
of overcommitting—to which commercial promotions during the
holidays contribute greatly—
comes an increased tendency to
abuse alcohol or substances.
And although "holiday depression" is a universally recognized
hazard of this time of year that
can happen to anyone, the experiences of being gay or lesbian—often including alienation from family along with an increased sense
of commitment to a much wider
"family" of friends and acquaintances—lead many in the community to overentend themselves,
said Uarrell Wood, staff member
at the newly-opened New Focus,
600 West Gray in the Boardwalk.
New Focus, a non-profit outpatient counselling center, opened its
doors Monday. For the center's official grand opening Wednesday,
Dec, 19, the staff will host an open
house from ll:00a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
"During the holidays, there is so
much emphasis on giving, that we
forget to be good to ourselves,"
said Wood. And, while in some
groups, depression can result from
a materialistic view of the season,
gays give more of themselves; the
result, Wood said, is "we get
caught up in the joy of giving to
others, the need to reach out and
touch other people...we're kind of
programmed to do that."
There is more of this pressure
for people in alternative lifestyles,
who are also grappling with a different type of relationship with
their own relatives; some have
been completely alienated by their
traditional "families," he noted.
As a result, the importance of giving everything we can—or even
more—to those who returned love
and acceptance, as well the general spirit of charity and community-consciousness—can become exaggerated. The tendency to over-
commit can, in fact, reduce one's
ability to give, and the emotional
conflict can lead to depression.
"We try to be the people
pleasers, without realizing that
we actually can't give as much if
we are overspent, and overtired.
"I think this community can offer (insight) to the outside community, because most people have forgotten how to touch each other...not just physically, but psychi
cally, spiritually and emotionally
as well. But I think that same
openness makes (gays and lesbians) more prone to take on too
much," Wood said.
The answer, said Wood, is simple: slow down, take stock of how
much you're putting out in relation to how much you're getting
back, get organized, and do exactly what you can. New Focus outlines ten specific steps that can
get "people-pleasers" through the
holidays.
To reduce holiday stress, according to New Focus: "Allow
yourself time at the beginning of
each day. Avoid anxiety be planning your holiday shopping on
days when you don't have social
functions to attend. Avoid close
. the Bi
eday.
The staff of New Focus counselling renter. HOO West Gray, urge "people
pleasers " in the community to slow down to avoid holiday stress. The new
center will host an open house at its office, 600 West Gray, this Wednesday
"Plan all holiday travel well in
advance; make sure that you get
plenty of rest and proper nutrition.
Know your boundaries and limits
for alcohol consumption.
"Budget wisely so that overspending does not become a
stressor. Make a wish list of gift
items and stick to that list."
Most important, said Wood and
counselor Nancy Hopwood,
"Don't forget that the most important gift of the season is taking
time out to be good to yourself. Remember to slow down and enjoy
the poinsettias!"
New Focus counselling center
operates on a philosophy of "treating the whole person," Baid
Hopwood. Their approach is a
combination of traditional and
holistic methods: programs include workshops, biofeedback and
employment assistance as well as
group and one-on-one counselling
for chemical dependency, stress
management, referrals and HIV
testing and counselling.
Though the center has a special
interest in the alternative lifestyle
and HIV community and the
Montrose area, staff members include "a broad range of people and
talents" and full family
are available, said Woud.
Several ofthe New Focus previously worked at I'ri-Cor, a private
re-entry counselling program for
ex-offenders, which recently
closed its doors after loBing a contract with the stale Board of Pardons and Paroles, Hopwood said.
The center has a special emphasis
on the treatment of addictions and
relapse prevention.
Other staff members are Ellen
Abidin (program director), Paul
Jones, Robert Dotson, Brad Smith
and Jimmy Richards.
Kids replace
gay men as
fastest-
growing
AIDS group
LITTLE ROCK (AP)—It's
children, not gay men, who
represent the fastest-growing
segment ot the population with
AIDS, the state Health
Department said.
The reason for the increase of
the disease in children is related
to intravenous drug use by
women of child-bearing age, said
Dr. James Buehler,
epidemiologist tor the national
Centers for Disease Control in
Atlanta.
Bueler and Dr. Henry Masters,
medical director for the AIDS
and sexually transmitted
diseases program at the
Arkansas Health Department,
addressed about 70 people
Friday. Dec. 7, at a health-care
workshop at the St. Vincent
Center for Health Education.
Children are intected with the
Human Immunodeficiency
Virus—which causes Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome-
while still in the womb, at the
time of delivery or during breast
feeding, according to a report
Masters wrote for the
department's December HIV-
AIDS bulletin.
Masters s
ethat
Univ. of Texas grapples with multicultural curriculum issue
By DARKYLEWING
AUSTIN (AP)—Multicultural
studies will be integral to education in the '90s, say administrators whoback such a curriculum at
the University of Texas.
multicultural curriculum haven't
been without opponents, who say
some courses are a subterfuge for
professors wishing to push narrow
political agendas.
Multicultural ism as applied to
the college curriculum means ensuring that courses in each college
and school reflect an appreciation
of the contributions that all cultures have made to civilization,
said Texas Vice Provost George C.
Wright.
"I see multiculturalism as the
belief that there are a wide range
of perspectives in history and in
any discipline that must be acknowledged," Wright said.
He says he's been incorporating
multicultural themes into his history classes for years.
"It surprises me when people
Pastor
steamed over
sex sounds
on cable TV
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. {API-
Cable television subscribers
should not have to make sure
ihilt
Bobby K. Collins, pastor of
Denbigh Church of God. is
threatening to organize a boycott
ot the cable television franchise.
Collins discovered recently that
while the picture for the movies
was scrambled tor those who
don't buy the service, the steamy
sound was perfectly clear
"You didn't ask for it. you
didn't buy it, you don't want it,"
he said. "I don't see why the
burden should be on the public
to get rid of it. I think the burden
should be on the provider to
provide it if someone does want
"It's as bad or worse than
Playboy,' Collins said. "I feel it is
pom. period I mean anything
and everything goes on. Kids
could get up at midnight and
The adult-oriented programs
"Bimbo Bowlers" and "Ladies in
Heat." They are available after
10:00 p.m. on Newport News
CableVision.
The programs were put on the
air about nine months ago The
company's general manager.
Steven Santamaria, said they
began airing after a marketing
survey found 70 percent of city
residents contacted said they
had no objection to adult-
oriented programs. They cost
S3.95 per movie.
Collins said he is not satisfied
with the company's solution
providing subscribers with a
parental control" feature
enabling them to lock out
ob|ectionable channels.
talk about this as if it were something new," he said. "Some of us
have been telling our kids all
along that the history they've
been taught has, to a large extent,
excluded contributions of several
groups—minorities, women.
"(Multiculturalism) makes us
sensitive to other groups and their
history, and shows a commonality
in humankind."
The call for racial sensitivity at
Texas was sounded in April when
several hundred students gathered on the West Mall and
marched to the Capitol to protest
racial slurs found painted on a car
at the Delta Tau Delta house and a
"Sambo" caricature on Phi Gamma Delta T-shirts.
"In a
] this s:
have so many people of all types
and persuasions" Wright said.
"When we have incidents like the
ones last spring, that calls for us
to make a strong statement
against that type of behavior; to
find a way to challenge those
things bo that they do not con-
One way has been a
multicultural educational program for the entire Greek system
introduced in February, said program coordinator Susan Mitchell.
All of the sororities and about a
third ofthe fraternities participate
in the meetings on issues such as
understanding the concerns ofthe
disabled, American Indians or
gay men and lesbians.
"A lot of students come up to me
after the meetings and say, 'Some
of the things that the black students said—that really hurt me. I
didn't mean to treat other people
that way|" Ms. Mitchell said.
"I say that's what this is all
about—helping them understand
how others feel."
A univereity committee was
formed to establish guidelines for
a multicultural curriculum following months of controversy in the
English department over an undergraduate writing course.
The course, "Writing About Dif.
ferencer was designed to heighten
of race and gender is-
proponents said. But
Standish Meacham, dean of the
liberal arts college, in July postponed implementation ofthe class
amid disputes over the course's
Its staunches! opponent, English professor Alan Gribben, accused the department faculty of
politicizing the class and attempting to indoctrinate students with
radical views.
Gribben said he feared some
professors would subordinate
grammar, clarity and writing
style to the discussion of racism
"The readings in the course
were tremendously slanted,"
Gribben said. "The.su 18-year-old
students in a compulsory course
would have to look at nothing but
literature that said America was a
racist, sexist, homophobic society.
"I think special responsibilities
of balance are attached tocompul-
Gribben said that after he examined the course's syllabus, "1 could
not honestly say that it was much
of an English course"
An English department committee finally approved a "standardized syllabus" for the course in
September, though it won't be implemented until fall 1991 instead
ofthe scheduled fall 1990 start.
"Multiculturalism will be the
key word for education," said
Glenn Maloney, assistant dean of
students. "I believe that will be the
of the university in the
>out 21 percent of the children
iorn to HIV-infected mothers will
lie in their first year, compared
o 3.8 percent of children born to
minfected mothers.
"(Students will) need to leave
tuniversities) knowing how to deal
with other cultures. They'll have
to work with diverse groups."
According to predictions by the
U.S. Department of Labor, blacks,
Hispanics and other minorities
will comprise 29 percent ofthe net
additions to the labor force between 1985 and the year 2000.
"We're asking for a diverse curriculum." said junior Jason Bugg.
"We're asking that the university
take a position and that they actually support a change that will include all cultures in the curricu-
Gay/Lesbian Pride "Week logo to be chosen Tuesday
The official logo for Houston Gay/ is planned for dan. 19.
LssbianPride Week: 1991 willbede- _phTrfHrTTiaa nT Ttardntf
elded at the pride week committee Umstinas at Jttring
meeting Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Spending Christmas Day at
Metropolitan Multi-Service Center. Bering Methodist Church has be-
Nominatlons for grand marshals come auction for many. Forthe
of the 1991 Gay/Lesbian Pride Pa- i*51 th*"6*1 years, the Bering Care
rade will also be taken at, the Dec. Center has hosted, a family style
meeting, according to Felix Garcia, Christmas dinner for anyone who
pride week male co-chair. The meet- Is HTV positive or has ARC ■
ing begins at TOO pjn.
Twelve logo designs
were previewed at pride
week's annual holiday
fundraiser. "Night Under
the Mistletoe" last Friday,
Dec. 7, Garcia said. Finalists selected by a panel of
community Judges at that
event will be shown Tues-
Montroie
Neighborhood
Iventi
AIDS. Eveiyone Is encouraged to
bring family and
friends.
This year, the celebration will begin at
10:00 am. at Bering
Care Center, located at
1440 Harold, with a
continental breaWast.
The festivities will con.-
12:00 noon In the Fellow-
day, but artiste had until 6:00 pro. t"™6
yesterday (Dec. 13) to submit, en- ship HB-a of ^rhig Church,
tries, he noted. The Bering Care Center will pro-
Garcla noted that four of the de- ""^ *" the ^key, ham. dressing,
signs shown at the fundraiser Fn- rollfl' condiments and beverages
day were submitted by out-of-town for Uie dinner. Those attending are
i. unprecedented in the bis- invited to bring a vegetable side
plans; assessing efficacy of distribution of funds, and assessing
health providers shortages in Inpatient care. Comments should be
limited to these issues.
The Ryan White Health Care
Planning Council is responsible for
assessing needs in Harris County
and the surrounding counties relative to AIDS and for requesting
funds under the Ryan White Comprehensive ADDS Resource Emergency (CARE) Act passed by Congress this year. The meeting,which
is open to the public, is an informal
meeting for community Input.
—Harrington
gets honor
Eugene Harrington has been
named the first Thurgood Marshall
Fellow under a new program for
faculty research at Te-xas Southern
University's Thurgood Marshall
School of Law. The program, to be
instituted in January, will select
one faculty member each year, who
will be given the opportunity to
spend from six to twelve months
on a study project.
Harrington said he will use his
released tuna for AIDS planning
advocacy.
Harrington is the founder and
president of the AIDS Equity
League.
Photographers
Wanted
Community Publishing
Company seeks professional photographers
who have photos for
sale of male models for
varied use In advertisements and promotions.
• Advertising for assorted display accounts in the
Crescent City Star,
Montrose Voice and Texas
Gay Press.
• Display advertising in
other gay publications
that subscribe to our photo
and art feature service.
We currently need photos with
Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras
themes [i.e., a Mardi Gras photo
might show two men in costume,
holding hands). Come up with
your own ideas Photos should be
black and white but color prints
will be considered Unable to use
Submit somple photos to
Jerry Mulhollond, 363 Co-
nal, suite 2300, New Orleans, LA 70130. (304) 524-
1408. Or to Henry
McClurg, 408 Avondale,
Houston, TX 77006. (713)
529-8490. If we choose to
use your work, we will
make you an offer te buy
Your work will be used in the Cres-
toiy of the local pride celebration.
dish.
ra dessert
The executive committee had pre- Persons who wish to attend are
viously decided not to exclude any- asked to RSVP by Friday, Dec. 21 by
one from the design competition, calling the Bering Care Center at
Garcia said.
520-7070. If transportation
needed, the staff should be told
then so arrangements can be
-Ryan White council
Two designs were received from
Dallas, and another two from Austin artists.
The fundraiser's "dream date
auotion"raisedatotaiof»2,630f0r community meeting
Gay/Lesbian pnde week, Garcia _. _. _„ _ . ,_
said. "Night Under the Mistletoe's" t^Tt,^ sponsored by
top bid was el jooo for ^hoer f*^*™?™ ^ m
day, Dec. 17. at the Metropolitan
Multi-Service Center at 6:00 pm.
Frank Mlrandola of Miss Kitty's.
The second place bid of S350 was
received by the pride committee'i
own marketing chair, Bobby Miller
The purpose of the meeting ii
low specific communities affected
by HTV/AIDS to have input Into the
Anyone who attended either the healthcare planning process 1--
OctoberorMovembermeetinglsel- Harris County
Wbto to vote on the logo design. Member or ^ ^^ wno
Garcia reminded. ^^ ^locua to represent tbe in-
The official dates for Houston terests of the affected oommuiu-
Gay lesbian Pride Week 1991, ties specifically will be present to
adopted last month, are June 14- hear community concerns
23.1991.TheparadewillDeheldon t^bucs to be addreBsed by the
June 23. health council are limited to the
An Intensive etrategy meeting following: establishing funding
for executive committee members priorities; developing county-wide
Frank Mirandola got the high bid at the HGLPW '91 benefit -Night Under
the Mistletoe" last Frtday, raising SI.000 for pride week
Free-Lance
Graphic
Artists
Wanted
Community Publishing
Company seeks free-lance
artists to prepare gay-themed
"clipper-style" ad layouts. We
are now working on Mardi
Gras and Valentine's Day
events. Layouts should reflect
these events from a gay
perspective (i.e.. a Valentine's
layout might show gay men
holding hands surrounded by
hearts). Come up with your
own ideas. Work can be in any
Submit rough-sketch ideas or
completed art work to Jerry
Mutholland. 365 Canal, suite
2300, New Orleans, LA 70130.
(504) 524-1408. Or to Henry
McClurg. 408 Avondale,
Houston. TX 77006. (713) 529-
8490. We will pay per piece,
S25 and up. Possibly way up.
Your work will be used in the
Crescent City Star, the
Montrose Voice. Texas Gay
Press and as part ot our photo
and art clipper service to other
gay publications.
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