| Transcript |
Marshaling
Pride
Get to know the 2001 Pride
Parade Grand Marshals: Mitchell
Katine, Dalia Stokes and
Blake and Gordon Weisser
Page 21
ISSUE 1078 www.houstonvoice.com ALL THE NEWS FOR YOUR LIFE. AND YOUR STYLE. JUNE 22, 2001
INSIDE
Jack Valinski never expected
to spend more than a few
years in Houston, but 20
years after his arrival, he's
still here and is a driving
force behind Pride in
Houston
Page S
Ever wonder what it's like to
build one of those elaborate
Pride Parade floats? Go
behind the scenes with the
award-winning Krewe of
Olympus team as they
construct this year's entry.
Page 25
After a 5-year hiatus, the
Pride Festival returns. The
post-parade event will draw
45 vendors and live
entertainment to Garden in
the Heights. Sunday, June 24.
Page 25
Mayor's non-discrimination order upheld
Texas Supreme Court dismisses
Councilman Robb Todd's su it
challenging policy to protect
gay city employees
by\\ ENDY K. MOHO '
The Texas Supreme Court 1Ssucd .i ruhng Thursday dismissing
.i lawsu t O\ er Ma\ or Lee P Brown·s city hall poliC}
banr..ng d1.SCI1mmatton based on sexua: orientation.
The c;ise began m February 1998 '\\hen Houston City
Councilman Robb TodJ and busmessrnan Richard Hotze
su d Brown and the City m an effort to 1m alidate the
mavor's exccuh\ e 0rdcr banrung sexual onentallon discnmmation
Bi..t the ston goes back C\ en farther.
In 1984, Houston City (ounc1 apprmcd a ban on discrirninatton
based on sexu 1 onentatton m cit)' hmng, promotton
and contracting. The e\ent sp.mned an anti-gay
group known as Campaign for Houston that spearheaded a
petillon dm e for a referendum on the proposal.
An executive order banning sexual orientation discrimination issued three years
ago by Mayor Lee P. Brown, seen riding in last year's gay pride parade with wife
Frances, has been upheld by the Texas Supreme Court. A lawsuit brought by City
Councilman Robb Todd challenged the mayor's right to issue the order.
The speaal clectton drew the largest turnout up to that
point m Houston's history and the non-d1Scrimmation policy
w:is soundly defeated by a 4-1 margin.
Todd argued that Bro\rn's executive order nullified the
>- Continued on Page 10
CDC, AIDS groups def end study 011 you11g gay men
Critics say CDC data
insufficient to support
claim t hat HIV rate is
'a larming' among gay
youth
by LOU CHIBBARO JR.
WASHINGTO'.'\-The U.S. Centers for
Disea'e Control & Prevention and leaders of
some of the nation's most prominent AIDS
organizahons appeared surprised last week
when gay critics challenged the findings of
a recent COC report asserting that HIV
infections are rising at an alarming rate
among young gay men, especially young
African-Anwnc;in g.1y men.
Writers for gay newspapers in San
Fr.mcisco and Chicago iomed gay ioumal st
and comml'ntator Andrew Sullt\•an m argutng
tha t the data on which the COC based
its conclusions was inadequate
Sulli\'an, in an opinion column in the
Ntw Rrp11bllc, notl'd that the COC report
appear' to base its conclusion about the
incidence of n~w I II\ mfechons among
young gay ml'n on a sample of only 3 people
spread across six cities.
Sulli\'an also argued in his column that
the timing of the COC's rdca'e of the report
might han? been moti\•ated by politics. At
least one objecti \'e, he said, could be the
desire to secure more funds for the COC's
programs in the upcoming congressional
budget drliberahons.
Officials with local and naltonal AIDS
orgaruzahons dismissed the cntici m lcvelrd
by Sulli\·an and others, saymg they
ha\ e observrd f1rsth:md how young gay
men, in particular young African-Amencan
gay ma!~, Jppear to be affected d.:sproportionatelv
hy AIDS.
CDC off1u.1ls acknowledge the data they
used to reach their conclusions were prel.minary
But the)' insist that thctr fmdmgs are
st.1ttshc.11lv \.'lid, and they said they lelt
duty-bound to release the mfonnatton
quick) y to mable prevention programs
aimed at gay} outh to respond
Two experts in mathematics and stahshcs
11ho re\'ie\\"ed the ClX" report said the
CLX''s methodology in data analysis
appears sound and meets accepted scientific
st:mdards, although one of the two said
the COC may have mflated the significance
of the data in statements to the press.
The criticism of the COC findings so far
has come from Sullivan's commentarv and
from articles by gay journalist Bob Roehr in
the San Francisco Bay Arra Reporter, and gay
writer Paul Varnell in the Chicago Free Press.
Both are gay newspapers.
Veteran gay and AIDS activist Michael
Petrehs, a longl!me cnttc of establishment
AIDS organizations, has abo weighed in
with lu.s own criliosm of the CDC report.
Debate O\'er findings
The COC publis~~d its report June 1 in
the COC 1oumal Morbidity and Mortality
\\'cckly Report. The report statc'<i that 4.4 percent
of men betwl'C'n the agC's of 23 and 29
who ha\ e sex with other men-and 14.7 perc~
nt of Afncan-American men who have sex
"1th men m this age group-were being
infected annually With HIV in six large cities.
The report pomtcd out that the latest
> Continued on Page 10
2 JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
You won't need these at our
nighttime pride parade.
(Unless you happen to~ standing tmder the 8 ~ft disco ball.)
It's the premier pride event of the year in
Texas and the most exciting gay and lesbian
community event in the the entire Southwest.
Pride Parade 2001 is a celebration of our
community's diversity and unity. A night
when the city of Houston sparkles with joy and togetherness.
Last year, over 150,000 people gathered under the glow of an
8 1'2 ft. disco ball, raising their voices as one. This year, we
invite you to become a friend of pride and share in the vitality
of our community. See you there on Saturday, June 23rd, at
8:45 pm. The parade is on lower Westheimer between
Woodhead and Whitney.
The celebration continues on Sunday, June 24th, at 1:00
pm with the return of Pride Festival at Garden in the
Heights, 3926 Feagan. Come experience the local GLBT
culture first-hand on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Shop the
vendor bazaar, speak with club representatives, enjoy the
artists & entertainers, and be energized by motivational
speeches. Tickets are available at Basic
Brothers, 1232 Westheimer, and by mail
from the Pride Committee of Houston,
P.O. BOX 66071, Houston TX, 77266-6071.
For information call the PrideLine at
713-529-6979. www pndt'houston.org
HOUSTON VOICE • JUNE 22, 2001
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Talk to your doctor nght away 1f you:
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•Have side effects while taking SUSTJVA
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few weeks. If you have these side effects. such as diwness, 11 does not mean that you will also
JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
have severe depression, strange thoughts or angry behavior. Tell your doctor promptly 1f any of
these side ef1ects contirue or if they bother you. There 1s the poss1b1 1ty that these symptoms may
be more severe 1f SUSTIVA is used with alcohol or mood altering (street) drugs You should avoid
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doctor promptly.
Other common side effects mclude tiredness, upset stomach, vomiting, and d·3rrhea. However
this 1s not a complete l:s! of side effects reported with SUST'VA when taken with other ant HIV
d·ugs. Do not rely on this leaflet alone for mfornat1on about side ef'ects. You· doctor can discuss
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What about birth control, pregnancy, or breast-feedin11?
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your baby
Can I take other medicines with SUSTIVA?
SUSTIVA may change the effect of other medicines (mcluding ones for HIV). Your doctor may
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• Let all your doctors and pharmacists know that you take SUSTIVA.
• Tell your doctors and pharmacists about all med1cmes you take. This includes those you buy
over the-counter and herbal or natural remedies.
Brmg all your medicines when you see a doctor, or make a list of their names, how much you take,
and how often yoi; take them. This will give your doctor a complete picture of the medicmes you
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• H1smanal9 (astem1zole)
• Propuls1d {c1sapnde)
•Versed• (midazolam)
• Halc1on• (lriazolam)
• Ergot medications (for example, Wigraine• and Cafergot9)
The following medicines may need to be changed or have their dose changed when taken with
SUSTIVA••.
• C11x1van• {indinav1r)
• Fortovase9 {saquinav1r)
• B1axm• (clanthromycin)
How should I keep SUSTIVA?
SUSTIVA is available as 50 mg, JOO mg, and 200 mg capsules.
Keep SUSTIVA at room temperature (77 FJ in the bottle given to you by your pharmacist.
The temperature can range from 59'-86 F.
Keep SUSTIVA out of the reach of children.
How can I learn more about SUSTIVA?
Talk to your doctor or other healthcare provider if you have questions about either SUSTIVA or HIV.
For additional informalion you can v1s1t the SUSTIVA website at httpJ/www.susliva.com.
This medicine was prescribed for your particular condition. Do not use it for any other
condition or eive it to anybody else. Keep SUSTIVA out of the reach of children. If you
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• SUSTIVA'" 1s a trademark of DuPont Pharmaceulicals Company
•• The brands listed are the registered trademarks of their respective owners and are not
trademarks of DuPont Pharmaceuticals Company.
D1stnbuted by,
DuPont Pharma
Wilmington, DE 19880 6495-03/Rev. February, 2000
HOUSTON VOICE • JUNE 22, 2001
INSIDE
National news •• .. ..••••••.•.•. ... . 6
Texas news . . .... ... .••. •... ...... .7
Quote/unquote .....• ..• . •. . ...... . 18
Health news •••••••••••••••••••••• 37
PRIDE NEWS
Gay church groups .......... ... •...• 8
Meet the Pride Grand Marshals •. .•. .• . 21
Krewe of Olympus burtds float ......... 25
Pride Festival returns ...... . •. ..•... 25
Pride Fun Run cancelled .........•... 30
Parade route mop •.•............... 33
How is Pride funded? ............... 33
VOICES & ECHOES
Cnin: Picking gay rights botdes ....•.• .12
Aremdiieldt. felilg Pride ii Alson's wake ... 13
'Ethan Green' .................... .13
OUT ON THE BAYOU
Bayou Calendar •...•..•.••.•...... 31
On Stage: 'Oedipus Rex' and 'Night & Doy' •• . 35
Eating Out al King Biscuit .•..•.•..... 39
Community Calendar • . . . • • • . . . .42-43
Occasions •.••••••..•.....•.....• .4 6
My Stars! .....•.•..............• .47
CLASSIFIEDS .......••...•... ...... .44-45
Issue 1078
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NEWS 5
The man behind Pride
When Jack Valins~ volunteer executive
director of the Pride Committee of Houston,
moved here in the early '80s, he expected to
move on a few years later. It's been 20 years
and Va&nski has taken root in the city and its
gay pride celebration that he works to plan aD
year lang.
Jack Valinski never
expected to become a
longtime Houstonian,
nor the director of the
city's Pride Committee
by ELLA TYLER
Jack Valinski, volunteer executive
director of the Pride Committee of
Houston, came to Houston m 1981 on
"the same day Kathy Whitmire was elected
mayor."
At the time, Valinski says, he had no
idea how significant Whitmire's elechon
was. "I came to work for the ABC radio
affiliate here, which was then 97 Rock,
and planned to spend only a few years
here before going to work in New York or
L.A. I wasn't out.
"Houston grew on me,'' Valinski, a
native of Pennsylvania, admits. "I had
lived in Syracuse, Hilton Head and New
Orleans, and never expected to spend 20
years here."
Valinski says one of his favorite
aspects of Houston life is that you can
wear shorts anywhere (and he does), and
the influence of "rednecks."
"They are 'good old boys,' and so it's
not pretentious here, like Dallas," he said.
It was radio, but not his station, that
led Valinski to activism. '"When I began
to settle in, I started to listen to Ray Hill's
show, Wilde 'n Stein on KPFr. He always
sounded 'off mike' since the equipment
wasn't the best so I volunteered to 'run
the (audio] board,"' he said.
"Larry Bagneris, president of the
Political Caucus, was a frequent guest on
Ray's show, so I got involved with the
caucus and the parade."
Valinski also inherited the WUde 'n
> Continued on Page 11
Local gay group 'embrace diversity' all year
From car enthusiast to
grandmas, there's a
support network for
everyone in the
community
by KAY Y. DAYUS
Houston's large gay and lesbian community
not only celebrates pride and
diversity during the month of June, but
all year round with its many and varied
groups withm a group.
For instance, there's LOAF, HOG, TATS,
CATS, the Classic Chassis Car Club, BiNet
Houston, Asians and Friends, Mizpachat
Alizim and even the Lone Star Nudist
> Continued on Page 11
Lesbians Over Age Fifty
(below), marched in last
year's Pride parade
chanting, 'Two, four, six,
eight, haw da yo1 bow
your grandma's straight?'
The Classic Chassis Car
Club (left) offers gay
shade tree medtaniu fellows
hip and the chance to
shaw aff their wheels.
These are just two of tlit
many special interest ..t
support groups witlllil
Houston's gay co-.ity.
6 NEWS JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
around the nation
Dramatic jump seen in LA same-sex couples reported in Census figures
NEW ORLEANS-Census figures released Wednesday showed the number of samesex
partners rose by more than 650 percent m Louisiana-from 1,333 to about 8,800-
smce 1990. "There's been a pretty dramatic increase m acceptance in society in the last 10
years and a lot of people who were closeted prior to that are more open about their
lifestyle now," said Elayne Angel, a lesbian who owns a body art and piercing business
m the French Quarter. Nationally, unmarried partner homes, regardless of sexual onentation,
increased 72 percent from 3.2 million m 1990 to 5 5 m1lhon in 2000 Fewer than 5
percent of the country's unmarried partner househo.ds consisted of samc-sex couples m
1990 Comparable numbers for 2000 wil. not be known until all state figures ar( released
Other rewly released Census fi&ures showed that. ebraska's population includes 1.l12
ga)' mak couple households and 1,220 lesbian household, Direct comparable figure~
frorr 19'10 were unavailable, smce the option to md1cate same-sex households was only
a sa'Tlp .:in some forms that year
NY judge says he marries convicts so they avoid 'deviant sex' behind bars
ALBANY -An upstate New York judge allows county convicts to marry to keep them from
"grtting trapped in deviant sexual behavior" behind bars, the New fork Post reported. Last
week. shortly after Robert S. Gorghan, 51, was sentenced by another judge to 12 to 25 vears m
state pnson for raping a 21-year-old woman, he married his vtctim's mother m the d1arnbers of
State Supreme Court Justice James Canfield. The 1udge said he weds "scores" of convicts each
year to help them avoid gay experiences. "So we should tum [inmates) into homosexuals? The
courts ruled that to be cruel and unusual punishment, no offense to the homosexuals. Rnther
than getting trapped in deviant sexual behavtor, I'd rather they have heterosexual, conjugal
opportunities," said Canfield, 60, a Democrat who's been a judge since 1992. He said he does it
in part because no other 1udge in his county will perform such ceremonies.
Senate okays two amendments about Boy Scouts for education measure
WASHINGTON- Two amendments to the Senate's version of this year's education bill could
affect how the Boy Scouts of America and other groups gain acre;s to school facilities. Last week,
the Senate approved a provL~on sponsored by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C) that would withhold federal
education funds from public schools that deny
equal access to meeting space for the Scouts or other
youth groups that "prohibit the acceptance of
homosexuality." The second amendment, offered
by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), said that no organization
can be banned from using school facilities
because of its belief:. on sexual orientation. It passed
by a vote of 52-48. The bill still must go to conierencc
cornrruttce. President Bush has said he does
not favor the Helms' amendment.
A bil supporting the Boy Scouts from Sen. Jesse
Hebns (R-N.(.) was passed by the Senate last week.
U.S. Agriculture Department advertises for specialist on gay issues
WASHL'\GTO:-\-The Agnculturc Dl.'Partrnent is advertising for a "gay and lcsbia.n program
specialist" who would help improve working conditions for the agency's gay employees,
according to the N~w York Times. Gay civil rights advocates s.lld Tuesday that they believed it was
the first ttme an administration had sought to hue someone to handle gay and lesbian L%ue:. m
the federal workplace. "It's a big deal. It tah'S an enormous amount of time to affoct !hi:. kmd of
change within an administration," said E. Julian Potter, who was President Bill Clinton's gay ha1-
son. Mimicking employee relations programs now common in corporate America, the sproalist's
duties will include dealing with barriers to recruitment, hiring and career advancement. The
job posted Tuesday on the Office of Personnel Management's Web site (www.usajobs.opm.gov)
evoh·ed from a senes of employee advisory councils created last year by the secretary of agriculture,
Dan Glickman, and inherited by his successor in the Bush adrninistratmn, Ann M.
Veneman. CA·er the years, federal agencies have created special positions to handle issues con
ccming employees who are Hispanic or woml'n, for instance, but the Agriculture Department
job appears to be the first comparable position for gay workers.
Federal appeals court upholds sweeping San Fran domestic partner law
SAN FRA.:\ClSCO-Reiccting arguments by an Oluo company, the 9th U.S. Court of
Appeals said that the city's domestic partner ordinance passed in 1997 does not interfere with
interstate commerce or exceed the city's authority to regulate, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The ordinance requires companies doing business with the city to provide the unmarried
partners of employees with the same benefits they offer married spouses. The challenge was
made by S.D. Myers, Inc., an Ohio company that has performed maintenance on the city's electric
transformers, and was funded by the American Center for Law & Justice, a legal advocacy
agency controlled by Rev. Pat Robertson. Similar laws have been passed by Seattle and Los
Angrles, and laws in Berkeley and San Mateo
For more news, visit County go into effect in Jul)' A challenge to the law
www.houstonvoice.com by the Air Transport Association is still pending.
-From staff and wire reports
JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE NEWS
around texas
El Paso PD says initiative to arrest drunks won't target gay bars
EL PASO (AP)-Police will be cruising bars over the next five weeks with plans to arrest
anyone who has been drinking and appears violent or too drunk to drive. "These establishments
are producing intoxicated persons, which not only leads to DWI, but assaults
that lead to murder," said El Paso Police Chief Carlos Leon. If the program is successful, it
will be extended, Leon said. "There is, on the face of it, no civil liberties violation here," said
Melvin P. Straus, chairman of the local American Civil Liberties Union. "This assumes the
police do this impartially." Straus said the police must visit bars randomly and not focus
on a particular group, such as gay bars, bars frequented by a particular race or blue-collar
bars. "We don't want anybody to panic and think we are raiding places," El Paso County
Sheriff Leo Samaniego said. "Officers will be looking for intoxicated individuals and other
things that may be going on in the establishment such as prostitution, drug sales."
Floods destroys AIDS research at Houston Medical Center
HOUSTON (AP}-The loss of thousands of lab
animals has wiped out millions of dollars worth of
federally funded research into a broad spectrum of
ailments, including cancer and AIDS. Nearly 80
monkeys and 35 dogs drowned when flooding from
Tropical Storm Allison buried basement labs at the
University of Texas Medical School at Houston. The
school's veterinarians, researchers and staff members
said they tried to reach the animals as the pouring
rain began June 8, but Allison flared up too
quickly. The medical school has raised its estimate
of research animals lost from 2,500 to 4,700. The
other area school with major losses, Baylor College
of Medicine, says it lost 30,000 animals in the flooding,
including rabbits and dogs, but its primates
were above ground, a spokeswoman said. Nearly
all animals lost at both facilities were mice and
other rodents. However, 78 monkeys, 18 adult dogs,
17 puppies and several hundred rabbits were
among the dead in the basement of the University
of Texas Medical School at Houston, which housed
the health science center's main animal care facility.
Tropical Storm Allison created severe
flooding in several areas of Houston.
Among the hardest hit was the
Med"Kal Center where thousands of lab
animals drowned and millions of
dollars of research was destroyed by
floodwaters.
San Antonio Sheriff, councilman help celebrate Pridefest 2001
SAN ANTONIO-More than 1,000 attended San Antonio's PrideFest 2001 June 16,
which honored Sheriff Ralph Lopez and City Councilman Bobby Perez. Lopez served as
grand marshal of the parade in appreciation of his public support of Lt. Brian Lunan, a
Bexar County deputy who is transitioning from man to woman, the San Antonio Expn'SSNews
reported. Lopez is the highest-profile politician to serve as the parade's grand marshal.
"We pride ourselves on being a sensitive community," Lopez said before the parade
started. "We pride ourselves on our diversity." Lopez, dressed in street clothes, rode in the
front of a black convertible Corvette, while Christie Lee Littleton Van de Putte sat in the
back. Littleton Van de Putte has been at the forefront of battles to secure the right of transsexuals
to change their legal gender in Texas. Organizers also honored Perez for his contributions.
Despite criticism from a conservative Christian radio host and others, Perez
recently allocated $1,000 from his City Council discretionary fund to pay for the mobile
stage used during the PrideFest 2001 picnic. "! think we're all fortunate to live in a community
that celebrates multiculturalism," Perez said. "But sometimes that multiculturalism
doesn't cross the line where it needs to." The parade ended on a serious note with a candlelight
vigil to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the AIDS epidemic.
Dallas pastors divided after national Presbyterian vote on gay dergy
DALLAS-On Sunday, June 17, Presbyterians came to their churches to pray and to
hear what their pastors would say about the possibility of noncelibate gays and lesbians
serving as clergy, the Dallas Morning News reported. What they heard widely reflected
the larger divide in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) nationwide. "We have the opportunity
to be Christians at our best," said Dr. Blair Monie, pastor of Preston Hollow
Presbyterian Church. "There is a way to disagree in a way that is respectful to the people
with whom you disagree." Highland Park Presbyterian Church, one of the largest in
the denomination, heard a different message. "This is a sad day in the life of the
Presbyterian Church," the Rev. Ronald Scates, the church's pastor, said on Sunday. "This
is very disconcerting." The General Assembly, the denomination's governing body,
voted June 15 in Louisville, Ky., to open the possibility of noncelibate gays and lesbians
serving as pastors, deacons and elders. The decision won't become church policy unless
it is ratified by a majority of the denomination's 173 presbyteries, or regional districts.
The voting isn't expected to be completed before next spring. If approved, the 2.5 million-
member denomination would become the
largest Christian denomination to welcome noncelibate
gay clergy. Form.ore news,,visit
www.houstonvo1ce.com
-From staff and wire reports
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8 LOCAL NEWS JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
More local churches off er gay-friendly services, groups
Goal of many gay Gay-friendly dturches
religious groups is
to make themselves
obsolete
by ROBERT B. HENDERSON
Even though the religious community is
often the source of benign, if not open, hostility
to them, gay men and lesbians are
often deeply religious. And fortunately,
there are churches and other organizations
of religious people who welcome members
without regard to their sexual expression
Among those is the Association of
Metropolitan Community Churches. The stated
goal of MCC is to go out of busines.s when
there is no longer a need for them, when the
vanety of denominations affirm full acceptance
and full participation of gay men and lesbians.
There are two MCC congregations in
Houston. Resurrection MCC is located at
2025 West 11th St. at T C Jester. They have
Sunday worship at 9 a.m and 11 a.m. They
also have a large and vaned program to
meet the life needs of gays and lesbians.
Their telephone number is 713-861-9149.
The Maranatha Fellowship MCC IS a
more Pentecostal-focused congregation It
is located at 1311 Holman. The telephone
number IS 713-528-6746.
In addition to these churches all of the
Urutartan Universalists congregations of the
Houston Network encourage full acceptance
and participation of gay men and lesbians. It
First Unitarian Universar.st Church is one of
many local gay-friendly churches that regularly
participate In the Houston Gay Pride Parade.
1s a part of the denominational order, though
there are some congregations who find it
more difficult to aa:ept, according to Rev. Bill
Oark. pastor of the Henry David Thoreau
congregation m Stafford.
Clark 1s gay and a testimony to the
openness of the denomination. He said
since the dcnommation IS accepting there 1s
no need for an advocacy group.
Among the gay-friendly Unitarian
Uruversalists congregations in the Houston
area are First Urutarian Universalists downtown,
Thoreau in Stafford, Emerson on
Bermg St, Galveston Fellowship, Wirt
Road Fellowship, Northwest, Northwoods
m the Woodlands and Bay Area.
The Houston Chapter of Lutherans
Concerned is currently macti\'e, according
to Madeline Manning, who had been an
active member. She described the current
situallon as "awaiting interest."
Integrity /Houston is an official ministry of
the Episcopal Church, according to Rob
Rynerson, a spokesperson. They meet at Autry
LOOKING FOR
POSITIVE VOICES!
• Ryan White Planning Council is looking for volunteers to
serve on the council.
• The primary responsibility of the Council is to determine
what HIV/ AIDS services are most needed.
• This year, the council will receive over $17 million from
the federal government for HIV/ AIDS services in the
greater Houston area.
• Your participation DOES make a difference!
Contact Georgette Monaghan at 713.572.3724
or email through our website: www.rwpc.org
House, adjacent to Palmer Memonal
Episcopal Church on S. Main just north of the
Texas Medical Center The group meets the
second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. beginning
with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
"Smee 1986, Integrity has greatly influenced
what the Episcopal Church has done
with regard to gays and lesbians. We have
raised a large lobbymg process going on in
our general convention every three years,"
Rynerson said
Dignity/Houston is a Roman Catholic
organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered Catholics, their family and
fnends Dignity/Houston has their own
center at B07 Yale, Suite H in the Heights.
The telephone number 1s 713-880-2872.
Dignity has a celebration of the Mass at
7;30 p.m. every Saturday evening \\1th the
exception of the Pride Parade weekend.
Their attendance varies from 25 to 40 each
Saturday evening. The group wil. be parh::ipatc
in the Pride Parade tomorrow evening
so the Mass will be celebrated Sunday, June
24 at 4 p.m. and followed by an ice cream
social. They have a rotating roster of pnests
for Mass and pastoral care.
"The pnest are basically self-selected.
They come lo us because they want to minister
to our commuruty. We are 100 percent
assured the priests who come to us to offer
their sen•1ce5 are sympathetic to us and
anyope who would come to our organization.
Our organization is based on the belief
'It's okay to be gay, to be lesbian, to be
Catholic and active sexually as well,"' Joe
Quinn, Dignity/Houston president.
While there are many religious
congregations that arc undoubtedly
a 5afe haven for gay men and lesbians,
the following is a listing of
those who are committed enough to
have an entry in the 2001 Houston
Gay and Lesbian Yellow Pages:
Bermg Memonal United Methodist
Church,
1440 Harold St, 713-526-1017;
Buddhist Temple,
1544 Westheimer, 713-289-0058;
Central Congregational Church,
1311 Holman, 713-529-3589;
Community Gospel Church,
4305 Lilian St., 713-880-9235;
Grace Lutheran Church,
2515 Waugh Dr., 713-528-3269;
I louston Mission Church,
1505 Nevada, 713-529-8225;
Saint Stephen's Epi~copal Church,
1805 W Alabama, 713-528-6665
Zion Lutheran Church,
3606 neauchamp. 713-869-1493.
Come celebrate your pride during our
Grand Opening Weekend
Doors open Thursday 8 pm and the
action continues until Monday
morning.
For information or driving directions
visit us on the web at
www.meatrack.org
H• 0 •U • S • T• 0 • N
2915 San Jacinto • 713 528-2028
N'o T_~wels • No Tokens • No· Attitud<'
HOUSTON VOICE • JUNE 22, 2001 9
"Most deli owners go home at 8 p.m.
Mere mortals!''
KATZ'S NEVER KLOSES
10 NEWS JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
Equal Rights Rally will be held before Pride Parade
> Continued from Page 1
1985 referendum and usurped City Council's
authority. In 1998, District Judge Patrick
Mizell stopped Brown's order until the case
could be decided and said that Hotze had no
nght to sue, removing !um from the l.1wsuit.
In 1999, the 14th Court of Appeals affirmed
the d1Strict 1udge's rulmgs
Brown said despite the uutia.I defeats m
the lower courts, he was confident the order
would be upheld
"llus was more than iust a legal issue,"
Brown said. "It was my duty to put forth an
order that addressed fairness in our city. It
was the nght thing to do "
The court ruled 7-1 to dismiss the case.
Justice Craig Enoch dissented in part, arguing
that as a voter, Hotze should have been
allowed to challenge the mayoral order.
Todd's office s.i1d the councilman
ded.ned comment until he had a chance to
read the ruhng.
Annise Parker
tory for fairness and common sense."
She said having a non-discnminahon
policy m place "15 the necessary first step"
toward eventually offering domestic partner
benefits to city employees.
An Equal Rights Rally has been planned
to precede the Pride Parade with the original
intent of drawing support for an anticipated
non-discrimination ordm.ince that would
effectively enforce and replace Brown's executive
order. Organizers say they still plan to
hold the rally to celebrate the court ruling and
to gather support for other gay rights, such as
domestic partner benefil'i.
"It's still important to get elected officials
and candidates on the record as being supportive
of equal nghts," Parker, one of the
planned speakers for the rally, said.
"Politicians are not put on record enough,"
Parker said. "In the past, our community hils
been hilppy when they just showed up.
''In the early days, the parades were a
political event that evolved into a celebration,"
Parker said. "It was an integral part of
Pride in the past. We're celebrating a violent
political act in the Stonewall Riots. It's
important to look back and celebrate the
fact that we don't have to do that anvmore"
The city will close down Wcstheimer an
hour earlier than usual for the rally to precede
the parade The rally will take place at
6:30 p.m at the intersection of Montrose and
Westheimer.
Slated to speak at the event arc Brown, Parker,
Councilman and mayoral candidate Chris Bell
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston and State
Rep. Debra Danburg, D-Houston.
All speakers were required to sign a
statement of support of equal rights for gay
men and lesbians, said rally organizer,
Grant Martin.
"We're trying to get people fired up; get
people on record m support of what we do,"
Martin said.
The ruling notes that Todd's injury as a
City Counol member due to Brown's
alleged encroachment of the Council's
power "u vague and generalized, not personal
and particulanzed.
"All this lawsuit has succeeded m doing
is to waste the city's time and money,"
Brown said "I am now going to take the
next step in making this a permanent part of
city policy"
A new draft of Brown's executive order
has been prepared and is expected to be presented
to City Council as early as next week,
Brown said
Non-discrimination policies
''Todd does not and cannot challenge the
ant1-d1Scrimination policy's actual operation
because it does not apply to him," the
ruling continues. "Nor does he sue as a representative
of constituents who face actual
or threatened injury because of the policy."
Hotze and Todd claim the suit revolved
around what they believed to be an illegal
order by the mayor and had nothing to do
with gay rights.
If passed, the ordinance would proh1b1t
discnminallon based on race, color, national
origin, religion, age, marital status, gender,
disability, military service, sexual orientation
and gender identity.
Openly gay Houston City Councilwoman
Annise Parker said the timing of the
high court ruling, issued two days before
Houston's Gay Pride Parade, was
"serendipitous" and called the ruling "a vie-
More than 1,SOO employers in the
nation have non-discrimination policies
th.it protect gay men and lesbians.
Among them are·
• 21 state, including Montana,
Nevada and New Mexico
• 241 counties and cities, including
Fort Worth and Austin
• 258 Fortune 500 companies
• 325 colleges and universities,
including UT, UH and Rice
Houston-based firms with non-dis-crimination
policies include:
• Baker & Botts
• Compaq
• Conoco
• Continental Airlines
• Shell Oil
• Vinson & Elkins
-Source: Human Riglzts Campaign
AIDS groups not surprised by statistics
> Contin ued from Page 1 the confidence interval was between 2 9 umn that both the COC and AIDS orgaruzations Policy & Training Institute, said he b trou-findings
represent an update on a CDC percent and 6.7 percent; for the 2.5 percent have a \'ested interest in a possible exaggeration bled that until recently, \'irtually all AIDS
study released in February, which was part incidence among whites, the Cl was 1.4 of the seventy of the HIV infection rate activists demanded. the early release of
of an ongoing CDC research pro1ect in six percent to 4.6 percent; for the 3.5 percent "Could it be, with the 20th anniversary research data, especially when it pertained
U.S. cities between 1998 and 2000: modence among Latinos, the Cl was 1.4 of AIDS upon us, the CDC wanted to use to the development of new AIDS drugs, as
Baltimore, Dallas, Los Angeles. M1am1, percent to 8.6 percent; and for the 14.7 per- the occasion to make headlines'" he wrote. soon as such data became known.
New York and Seattle. cent inadence among African Americans, "And could it be that the vast array of AIDS
OX: saentist Lmda Valleroy and her team the Cl was 7.9 percent to 27.1 percent. organizations that need the specter of a
of researchers used a newly developed labora- Sullivan and Roehr seized on the wide resurgent epidemic to keep the dollars
tory test on blood samples taken from partici- range between the lower and higher figure in flowing were only too glad to fuel the fire?"
pants in the Young Men's Study that distin- the sample of African Americans, saying this Officials with organizations mdudmg
guishes between two types of HIV antibodies. unusually large spread indicates the CDC Washington's Whitman-Walker Oinic, the
According to the CDC report, of the 2,942 data were msufficient. The two noted that San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the
young MSMs m the study's overall sample, CDC did not disclose how many African l\.ihonal Minority AIDS Counal and the
373, or 13 percent, were HN-positive Of the Americans were in the 38 partiapants on national lobbying coal1tion AIDS Action
373 found to be HIV-positive, 290 were test- whom much of these calculations are based called such an assertion nd1culous.
ed for an antibody indicating early infection. CDC.· Release not ~olitical' Reprcsentath·es of these groups, includ-
Of that group, only 38 were found to have ing Whitman-Walker Executive Director
the "early infection" antibody. Ronald Vald.sem, deputy irector of the Cornelius Baker, said the CDC report con-
The report states that it was from this CDC's National Center for HIV, STD, & firITIS what they have observed firsthand
sample of 38 people that the CDC calculat- Tuberculosis Prevention, took strong exccp- for years-that young gay men, especially
ed a breakdown of the "incidence" of new t1on to claims that the report's release was young Afncan-American gay men, have
infections among raoal and ethnic groups. linked in any way to politics or funding. been testing posih\'e for I llV at rates much
It goes on to state that, usmg standard Valdiscrn pointed out that the 38 people higher than other population groups.
statistical methods, CDC researchers who tested positive for new HIV infections ''We don't need all the data in the world
assigned a "confidence interval," or range were part of an overall sample of nearly 3,000. to tell us there's a problem ~ere," s~id
of numbers above and below these figures, He said the preliminary findings are support- Baker "It should be to no ones surprise
which they are95 percent certain represents ed by other studies, including one conducted that [it's] black young men who are affect-the
true percentage of HN incidence for by officials in San Francisco, that show MS~ ed so heavily by this epidemic."
each of the three racial/ ethnic groups. are engaging m unprotected anal intercourse Ph II Wilson, founder of the Los
For the overall incidence of 4.4 percent, But Sullivan argued in his NroJ R.epub/zc col- Angeles-based Afncan-American AIDS
\
Gay commentator Andrew sumvan chCl'ged that
the CDC's recent release of a new HIV study
may have been timed lo help drum up func5ng.
HOUSTON VOICE • JUNE 22, 2001 NEWS 11
Valinski cast deciding vote to make parade a nighttime event
;i;.. Continued from Page 5
Stein show.
"I had b"een running the board, which
was all I wanted to do, but one day Ray
said 'I have other things to do. You do the
show."' Valinski did that show until the
end of 1993, when KPFT canceled it.
However, following protests by gay listeners,
the show, now called Lesbian and
Gay Voices, was reinstated early in 1994.
Valinski does Lesbian and Gay Voices
as a volunteer. He no longer works professionally
in radio, and is now working
with computers for a friend's answering
service.
Valinski describes his relationship
with Pride Week and the Pride Parade as
"sometimes in and sometimes outfriendly
opposition" for several years.
"I would volunteer and help with
media but nothing more, until one year in
the early '90s, when Fehx Gama, who
was a co-chair, announced that he was
It finally come down to one vote, and I voted in favor
of the nighttime parade, but I was worried.
-Jack Valinski, Pride Committee of Houston
volunteer executive director
sick and would have to resign. It was
already late spring, so I said I would be
co-chair with Carol Clark."
The pair co-managed the pride committee
for years, but Clark retired two
years ago. "She still helps, but said we
have become to 'techie,' with computers
and all, for her,'' Valinsk1 s.:iid
Smee Valinsk1 began working with the
Pnde Committee, there have been many
changes. According to Valinsk1, It became
an independent nonprofit group, separate
from the now-defunct Mo~ros~ Activity
Center and expanded to a year-round
operation. The Pride Week expanded to a
month-long celebration and the parade
has become a nighttime event.
"The parade was dying," Val nski s:l'd
"People were sick a'ld it became harder
and harder to get a crowd out m the heat
Wr were talking about mov•ng 1t to
a11other mont1', but Lee Harrini;to~ kept
saving we should make 1t mg!-itt me
parade."
The first mg!-it parade wa5 m 1997.
"It fmally come down to one vote, .ind I
voted in favor of the nighttime parade,
but I was wo"rried," Valinski said. "We
didn't even know if the city would let
us do it like this, and there were security
issues, but it has been wonderful.n
When asked what his other hobbies are,
Valinski laughs. "I'd like to go to a few more
movies, but I really have a passion for this
work. It doesn't all happen because of me.
The Pnde Committee is lucky to have a
group of volunteers who have such expertise
and pa.'sion for this work."
Valinski is excited about the parade
"It's so wonderful to see the mix of community
and corporate groups. And after
all these years, it's worth it when I hear
the young people talk about hearmg
about the parade and then coming."
Valinsk11s predicting good weather for
the parade, "We've always been very
lucky with the'' eather" but isn't quite as
opttmisttc about the mosquitoes. "Bring
ln$CCt repellent/ he said.
Asians and Friends. Houston to host international gathering this Fa~l
> Continued from Page 5
Club, to name just a few. In fact there's
something for everybody-well, just about.
LOAF, the apt acronym for Lesbians
Over Age Fifty, is a support group, but they
aren't all loafing. Take Emma Lou (Scottie)
Scott who has been in LOAF since 1989. She
has 24 medals to her name from competing
in the National Senior Games in badminton,
discus and shot.
Scott said Arden Eversmeyer and others
started LOAF about 14 years ago to find
others in their "friendship group."
Eversmeyer is still an active member
LOAF holds regular club meetings
every month and has a monthly social
event.
"We meet without fail; whether there are
three of four or 20 members," said Scott.
There are no membership fees, just
donations. "We have garage sales and
other fund-raisers to raise money for
postage for the newsletter,'' said Scott.
BINET HOUSTON is a support and
educational group for male and female
bisexuals that meets every Wednesday at
7:30 p.m.
Gigi Wilbur formed the group in 1990
and says membership is about half male
and half female of all ages.
Is there such thing as a true bisexual?
"Absolutely," said Wilbur. "But most have
a preference for one sex. Others just fall in
love with a person no ma tter what their
plumbing is,'' he added with a chuckle.
Wilbur believes that safe sex education
is important for bisexuals and he holds
workshops on the subject.
"Safe sex education is one of the real
needs in the bisexual community where
they have·sex with both genders.''
ASIANS AND FRIENDS HOUSTON
is a group that has, in the past, been reclusive
and elusive. But since Noel Boado
became president, he has been reaching
out into the community to publicize the
group and bring them more into the open.
"We've really been promoting ourselves
for ov<>r a year and this year the
International Friendship Weekend is
goil'lg to be held in Houston Aug. 31
through Sept. 3," said Boado.
The IFW is an annual international gathering
of Asians and their friends who share
a weekend of friendship and fun. "We
expect over 200 participants," said Boado.
MIZPACHAT ALIZIM, is an organization
that provides a forum for gay and lesbian
Jews, their families and friends to
help understand Jewish heritage and
roots. The group has social and educational
activities, carries out charitable works
and provides a place for Jewish worship.
THE CLASSIC CHASSIS CAR CLUB
of I louston caters to those who love old
cars or just love car and you don't even
have to have a car, said president Joe
Wilson.
The Car Club is one of four in Texasthe
others are in Austin, Dallas, and San
Antonio-with a combined membership
of around 300. Houston boasts the larg<>st
group with 110. Most are gay men, but
there are lesbians in the group and they
would like more.
"The club was traditionally male, but
we have eight female members this year.
It's been a male dominated hobby for so
long in the gay community~" said Wilson.
The Car Club meets monthly for dinner
and has a yearly Texas statt.' meet,
which is in 1 louston next year.
"It's a big deal. A national im'itational
with lots of gays and lesbians from all
over the world," Wilson said.
THE HOUSTON OUTDOOR
GROUP, or HOG as they are affectionately
called, is a group with a love of the outdoors,
said president Jon Gray.
''We do lo ts of camping and canoeing
and we have pot luck dinners every
month at a member's house. We also meet
monthly for breakfast." He said.
Ml'mbers arc lesbian and gay male, but
they'd hke more women. ''Thl'y are,, lot
more fun on C.lmpouts and they cook better,"
said Wilson.
CATS m the Gakcston arl'J and TATS
m Houston arc both support groups for
transgl'ndcrs in all stages .of transition
from male to female and vice-versa.
A group definitely not for all is the
LONE STAR NUDIST GROUP, which is,
sorry ladies, for gay men only.
Lone Star 1s a diverse group of
Houston area gay men who "enjoy sharing
nude expcnence,n according to their
hterature. Thev meet everv other month
for totally nude socials a~d every other
month for card and board games and
prospective member night.
LOAF
713.869.1482
Asians and Friends
713-626-6300
www.AsiansAndFriendsHouston.co
m
BiNet Houston
713-467-4380
www.flash.net/-bihouse.
Mizpachat Alizim
713.748.7070.
Classic Chassis Car Club
713.797 .8615
www.ClassicChassisCarClub.org
Houston Outdoor Group
713.290.0220
CATS
409.741.2501
TATS
713.780.4282.
lone Star Nudist Grpup
713.866.8847
12
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VOICES & ECHOES JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
EDITORIAL
Picking gay rights battles more wisely
by CHRIS CRAIN
Within the movement for gay avil nghts,
especially as 1t has become more orgaruzed
and monied in recent years, zealous advocacy
and calm-headed pragmalism have regularly
conflicted and often competed for the hearts
and m.mds of our actiVist orgaruzatmns.
In any given skirmish in the ongoing
Culture Wars, gay rights groups might jump
in heart-first, consequences be damned, or
opt for a more conservative strategy that
bows to some political reality, even as it
enrages the ideological purists among us.
Getting that mix of zeal and pragmatism
exactly right is probably an impossible task.
and IS always subject to second-guessing and
line-drawing. But the men and women who
are running gay civil rights organizations make
decisions of this sort every day, sometimes profoundly
affecting our movement, and our lives.
Too many of these judgment calls hap·
pen below our radar, escaping any real
scrutiny, and that's especially the case with
gay rights battles fought in the courtroom.
With the shining example of the black
civil rights movement, the temptahon is to
take to the courthouse to right every anhgay
wrong. But we live in a democratic
system, where courts ought to be reserved
for only the most important battles, where
the political system has failed us.
Usually, the capable gay rights attorneys
fighting on our behalf make the right calls,
picking our battles wisely. But not always,
and not in the case of Milagros Irizarry, an
employee in the Chicago pubhc schools.
She sued the city board of education, challenging
the constitutionality of a domestic
partner benefit plan enacted in 1999 that
extended health insurance to same-sex cou·
pies only. 1riz.arry and her male partner had
lived together for more than 20 years and
raised two children together; and they argued
that the DP program unfairly excluded them.
Most plaintiffs who challenge the legali·
ty of DP benefits find themselves up against
the talented crew of litigators at the Lambda
Legal Defense & Education Fund. But in
this case, Lambda Legal and Milagros
Irizarry made for strange bedfellows.
Lambda Legal argued to the federal
appeals court hearing Irizarry's case that
the Chicago Board of Education could not
extend DP benefits to gay couples unless
unmarried straight couples received the
same treatment. The DP program for gays,
Lambda argued, violated the constitutional
guarantee of equal protection.
The judges deciding the appeal expressed
surpnse that gay rights lawyers were claim·
mg that DP benefits for gay couples were
unconstitutional, but for Lambda Legal, the
issue was one of ideological principle, what·
ever the real-world consequences.
Lambda Legal bclieves that the whole idea
of providing one package of health benefits to
married couples, while denying such benefits
to urunarried couples, is wrongheaded and
perhaps illegal-a remarkable proposition in
itself. But if the Chicago Board of Education
chooses to fix that inequity, Lambda argued, it
is irrational and arbitrary-to the point of
offending the U.S. Constitution-for some
benefits to go to gay couples and not to
urunamed heterosexual couples as well.
The prinaple Lambda Legal was defend·
ing-that government has no business decid·
ing which of our relationships is worth
endorsmg and subsidizing--15 noble enough,
however divorced it may be from political
reality and centunes of legal tradition.
But it's worth asking. Is taking govern·
ment out of the marriage business a core
principle of the gay civil rights movement,
or do we simply favor equal treatment for
gays? Should our activists be arguing that
providing even meager benefits for gay
couples is unconstitutional unless unmar·
ried straight couples get equal treatment?
In Vermont, the answer has been dearly no.
The Republicans who control the state I louse
there have passed legislation that would open
up all the benefits of the landmark avil union
law to other l)lpeS of relationships, including
urunarrte'd heterosexual couples and others in
them to unmarried heterosexual couples.
But even if the court had taken the latter
opt10n, which Irizarry and Lambda argued
for, the Chicago school board would most
likely have repealed DP benefits entirely.
There are a lot more unmarried straight
couples out there than gay couples, and lots
of employers, in the public and private sector,
are understandably concerned about the
cost associated with extending benefits to all
unmamed couples. If Lambda Legal could
write the rules, the inevitable result would be
fewer gays with health insurance, as our ideological
foes could point to the higher cost of
meeting Lambda's hetero-fairness mandate.
This isn't the first time that gay rights
lawyers have picked their battles poorly,
letting their ideological zeal get the best of
them. In 1995, the Gay & Lesbian
Advocates & Defenders, a Boston-based
legal advocacy group, challenged the exclusion
of gay marchers from that city's annu·
al St. Patrick's Day parade.
It might surprise you to learn that gay rights lawyers are
arguing, on behalf of heterosexuals, that DP benefits for gay
couples are unconstitutional.
committed, domestic living arrangements.
Gay activists have bitterly opposed the
GOP legislation, and rightly so, as an
•attempt to weaken an historic law giving
legal validity and benefits to same-sex couples.
Thank goodness Lambda Legal's
lawyers haven't waded into that battle, testifying
before the Vermont Legislature
about how unmarried heterosexuals ought
to enjoy the same benefits as gay couples
who enter into civil unions.
In the case of Milagros Irizarry, the
appeals court rejected her claim, and the
position advocated by Lambda Legal, concluding
that the Chicago school board could
rationally draw a line between gay couples
and unmarried straight couples because
those in the latter group can always get married
and gain access to the even more prized
booty that is reserved for legal matrimony.
Of course, that rational difference js a
temporary one, as the same will be true for
homosexuals when we can legally tie the
knot in Illinois. But until that happy day,
must even interim DP benefits give way to
Lambda Legal's ideological opposition to
any sort of marital privilege?
And after we win the freedom to marry,
making special treatment for unmarried
gay couples less tenable, do we really want
a gay rights group expending precious
resources to fight the good fight on behalf
of our privileged, heterosexual brethren?
Would a little affirmative action for unmarried
homosexual couples really be such a
bad thing? That sounds like reparative
therapy we can live with.
Gays everywhere should shiver at our
near·miss in the Irizarry case. If Lambda
Legal's position had won the day, the court
would either have struck down the Chicago
DP benefits or ordered the board to extend
If the U.S. Supreme Court hadn't unanimously
ruled that the state's gay rights law
couldn't trump parade organizers' First
Amendment freedom of speech and associ·
ation, Gay Pride festival organizers nahon·
wide might have been forced to accept anyone
wanting to march, including ex-gays
and the pedophiles from the North
American Man-Boy Love Association.
Even the heroic suit filed by Boy Scout
leader James Dale, backed by Lambda
Legal. was short-sighted and wrong-headed.
The exclusion of gays from Scouting is
undeniably evil and should be challenged,
but not in court. Asking the government to
second-guess the membership standards of
private, non-profit organizations is not the
way to win fair treatment.
Today, interference from the courts
might mean removing the ban on gay
scouts. Tomorrow, the courts might force
gay youth groups to accept fundamentalist
Christians who would try to convince gay
teens to pray their way to heterosexuality,
or the Michigan Womyn's Festival might be
forced to admit men.
Even more importantly, a win for the
"gay side" in the St. Patrick's Day case and
the Boy Scout case would have made passing
gay rights laws anywhere else that
much more difficult, as opponents could
focus on these dubious applications, rather
than the core cases of anti-gay discrimination
by the government and by businesses
that are at the heart of our movement.
Fighting our battles in court ought to be
an avenue of last resort, when basic fairness
is at stake and the political process has
failed. We would be better served if our
zealou~ legal advocates kept their eyes on
that pnze, and left these more questionable
battles to the messy public arena.
HOUSTON VOICE • JUNE 22, 2001 VOICES & ECHOES 13
VIEWPOINT
~!~e:~ ni?.~,,~!.!.~"~~ .~~~,.!11~; ~~~!!~!.~"~!! i~,~.!~,~?.,'!:! .. ~!~!
It's difficult to discern
the tears from the
rain as the gentle Tum
(screen writer I excellent
massage therapist)
opens the door to his stylish Montrose
digs only to be greeted by a waterfall flow·
ing out from the inside.
Through the doorway we see sleek au
courant furnishings practically floating.
Grape colored sheetrock is sucking up
moisture like a patron hearing "last call"
at the Mining Company. Tom has the same
bewildered expression· as Grandma Bush
must have had upon hearing that her
favorite Ii'! coeds got nabbed for underage
drinking, again.
As I sec the lovely hardwood floor buckling.
I recall something I learned in eighth
grade 50ence class about water and electricity.
I become mildly concerned about the
risk of electrocution, and wonder what
would happen if I did suddenly su cumb.
Would my ashes end up m Greens Bayou
VIa some primary school toilet in east Harris
County? This would be a far cry from having
them scattered over the English hamlet
ofWhatneyplumb-on-Thames, as I originally
planned.
Fearing that my mortal remains would
combine with toilet paper used on the butt
of an 8-year-old destined to a vocabulary
of nothing but double negatives, I charted
a course for the closest dry television and
squished upstairs. The weather was worsening
and I was hoping that, in an effort to
save the downtown theater district,
Marvin Zindler's plastic surgery had been
disassembled and was now shielding our
cultural center from further destruction.
Switching on the tube, I see live television
news doing what it does best: illuminating
the obvious. After a few nanoscc·
only one who missed basic science class. Never have I seen television personalities so such as Eggs Florentine will be replaced
Newscasters by the dozen are gripping despt.>rate for a drink. by more pungent dishes. Five-curry had-electrical
equipment while standing in The strain of showing the same water dock wtth an anchovy and garlic glaze is
chest-high water. sodden video for seven hours and saying guaranteed to mask any other mildew-
! wonder if I'm watching a new game "It's raining" in 6,700 different ways was inspired odor
show, "Mediocre News Anchor Roulette" beginning to show. Makeup redos had However, one must be careful of
Trendy indoor aromatherapy candles will be replaced with
buckets of citronella placed under the dining room table ....
Deep Woods OFF® will be the powder room scent of choice,
protecting attendees' more sensitive areas.
and I keep waiting to hear some frigid
British female shout, "You ARE the weakest
link!" Perhaps tele\'ISion management
views natural calamity as an opportunity
to trim their personnel cots.
Years ago, I remembered seeing news
anchor, Sher Mm Chow as she endured
every hurricane, toxic petrochemical
explosion and nuclear meltdown within a
500-mile radius of Houston. Her coverage
of Chernobyl was hailed as "glowmg" but
I think she resides permanently m an
apartment at the now darkened \1.D.
Anderson Cancer Center.
following in that tradibon, rumor has it
that newsmen Wayne Dolccfino and Dave
Ward collided and got stuck at the exit of
Shepherd and the Southwest Freeway. This
blocked the water flow and caused most of
the resulting damage, creating the newly
manmade "Bayou .Montrose."
On the brighter side, no one had to go
to their vacation home on Lake Conroe
last weekend-they just used the Dunlavy
overpass as a boat ramp.
I sv.itch channels to see haggard looking
weather men who should have left work
long ago. At this late hour they would probably
be guzzling cocktails instead of per-reached
the max factor and I wondered if
these guys had Fiberglass bladders.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Tom vacillat·
ed between he-man, able to remove an
entire "Barbie" display case without tussling
a single synthetic hair, and disonented
Iambkm "Oh no," he procl;umed
clutching a waterlogged scrap, "My reope
for rmnbow petite fours is illegible-just
days before my annual gay pndc brunchcon!"
I feel his hostess angst The only thing
more unsettl.ng to a guest's palette than
black spore mold ts when your 15-year-old
arthntic cat takes six minutes to hack up a
hairb;ill under the buffet table while
you're serving an aspic appetizer.
1 rt.'alize that host:. all over Houston
must be facing the same disaster-related
party planning dilemma. Trendy indoor
aromatherapy candles will be replaced
with buckets of citronella placed under the
dmmg room table. This is the only way to
keep the "Yeah, we love standmg water!"
variety of muscular mosquito away from
the maior artery that crosses the bone in
your guests' ankles.
Deep Woods OFF® will be the powder
room scent of choice, protecting attendees'
mucous membrane damage, especially
smce the current trauma team at the local
hospital was burrung powdered eggs in
the dietary department a mere week ago.
After the meal. the parade festivities
will be probably be altered somewhat. The
disco ball will now be covered with flypa·
per to attract airborne pestilence of Biblical
proportions. Previously scantily dad muscle
boys will be covered in protective clothing
(unless they want to emulate that guy
in the msect repellent commercial by placing
their private parts into a Ple.x1glas box
full of gnawtng insectS).
Included m the parade will be a special
marching un;t of chromosomally confused
hermaphrodite lab rats recently escaped
from a Med Center's genetic research
facility These fumes will be easily recog·
ruzable by their dreadfully lavered make-up
and O\ ersized pumps. .
After the parade, activISt Ray Hill has
agreed to lead the gammc \'cmun to City
Hall where they will demand compensa·
tlon for undergoing forced DNA conver·
sion therapy-what they will convert back
to is not entirely clear.
Oka~" Mother Nature, you've proven
that Houston really is the "Bayou City." In
spite of flood, bugs and mold, Pride will
continue. There are lots of folks that could
use some bleach and a scrub brush (as
could their homes).
Let's give them a helping hand
Rich An:11sclueld1 is a freelance wnter u-Jzo
is currently scouring roery retail outlet m
Houston for ~ tasteful bug light chandelier.
The Mosuv Unfabulous Social life of Ethan Green
14 JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
HOUSTON VOICE • JUNE 22, 2001 15
•
16
EDICATl_DN.GUIDE
TRIZIVIR (TRY-zih-veer) Tablets
Genenc name· abacavir sulfate, lamJVUdme, and ZJdovudme
Read the Medication Gulde you get each time you fill your prescription for Trizivir. There
may be new Information since you filled your last prescription. ------ What is the .moillmJl_ortant lnformatio!l.!..!!!ould know about_Trizivir?
T"IZM conta1:is abacavir, which Is also called Z'iagerr . About 1 in 20 patients (5%) who take
abacavir (as TriZJvt or Ziagen) will have a serious allergic reaction (hypersersitiv1ty
reaction) that may cause death if the drug is not stopped right away
You mav be bavinq thrs reaction ff,·
(1) you get a skin rash, or
(2) you get 1 or more symptoms from at least 2 of the following groups:
•Fever
•Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal (stomach area) pain
• Extreme tiredness, achiness, generally Ill feeling
• Sore throat, shortness of breath, cough
If you think you may be haV1ng a reaction, STOP taking Trizivir and call your doctor right
away.
If you stop treatment with TriZJvir because of this senous reaction, NEVER take abacavir
(as Trizivir or Ziagen) again. If you take any of these medicines again after you have had
thlS senous reaction. you could die within hours.
Some patients who have stopped taking abacavir (as TrizMr or Zlagen) and who have then
started taking abacavir again have had serious or life-threatening allergic (hypersensitivity)
reactions. If you must stop treatment with TriZJVir for reasons other than symptoms of
hypersens11Jvity. do not begin taking it again without talking to your health care provider. If
I your health care provider deCJdes that you may begin taking abacavir (as Triz1vir or Ziagen)
again, you should do so only 1n a setting with other people to get access to a doctor if
needed.
1 A written list of these symptoris is on the Warning Card your pharmacist gives you. Carry
this Warning Card with you.
TrIZMr can have other senous side effects. Be sure to read the section below entitled "What
are the possible side effects of Trizivir?"
~t Jtl!!m!r!
TnzMr 1s a medicine used to treat HIV Infection. Trizlvir includes 3 medicines: Z1agen
(abaca'llr), Epivir" (lamivudine or 3TC ). and Retrovir9 (ZJdovudine. AZ'f, or ZDV).
All 3 of these medicines are called nucieos1de analogue reverse transcriptase 1nh1bitors
(NRTls). When used together, they help lower the amount of HIV in your blood. This helps
to keep your immune system as healthy as possible so it can fight infection.
Different combinations of medicines are used to treat HIV infection. You and your doctor
should discuss which combination of medicines is best for you.
Tnz1vir does not cure HIV infection or AIDS. Trizivir has not been studied long enough to
know 1f ii will help you live longer or have fewer of the medical problems that are associated
with HIV infection or AIDS. Therefore. you must see your health care provider regularly.
Who should not take Trizlvir?
Do not take Tnzivlr if you have ever had a serious allergic reaction (a hypersensitivity
reaction) to any of the medicines that make up Tnzivtr, especially Z1agen (abacavir). If you
have had such a reaction, return all of your unused TriZJvir to your doctor or pharmacist.
Do not take T rizivlr if you weigh less than 90 pounds.
How should I take Tri1lvlr1
To help make sure that your anti-HIV therapy is as effective as possible, take your TrizMr
exactly as your doctor prescribes it Do not skip any doses.
The usual dosage is 1 tablet twice a day. You can take Trizivir with food or on an
empty stomach.
JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
II you miss a dose of TrtZMr9 (abacavir sulfate, lamivudine. and zidovudine), take the
m1Ssed dose nght away. Then, take the next dose at the usual scheduled time. Do not let
your TrIZMr run out. The amount of Virus m your blood may increase 1f your anti-HIV drugs
are stopped, even for a short time. Also. the virus rn your body may become harder to treat.
Mlru!!ould I avoid while t11klng Trli!Yir?
Do not take EplVir, Retrovir. Comb1V1r9, or Ziagen while taking Tnz1vir. These medicines are
already in TnziVlr
Practice safe sex while using TnzMr Do not use or share dirty needles. Tnz1vir does not
reduce the nsk of passing HIV to others through sexual contact or blood contam1natiol'.
Talk to your doctor tf you are pregnant or ii you become pregnant while taking Trizivir. Triz1vir
has not been studied in pregnant women. It is not known whether Trizivir will harm
the unborn child.
Mothers with HIV should not breastfeed their babies because HIV 1s passed to the baby In
breast milk. Also. Trizivtr can be passed to babies m breast milk and could cause the child
to have side effects.
What are the possible side eff(!cts of TrizivlrZ
Life-threatening allergic reaction. Tnzivir contains abacavir. which is also called Ziagen.
Abacav1r has caused some people to have a life-threatening allergic reaction
(hypersensitivity reaction) that can cause death. How to recognize a possible reaction and
what to do are discussed In "What 1s the most important trformation I should krow about
TrizivirT at the beginning of this Medication Guide
Lactic acidosis and severe liver problems. The medicines in T rizivir can cause a serious
condition called lactic acidosis and, in some cases. this condition can cause death. Nausea
and tiredness that don't get better may be symptoms of lactic acidosis. Women are more
likely than men to get this serious side effect.
Blood problems. Retrovir, one of the medicines in Triz1v1r, can cause serious blood cell
problems. These include reduced numbers of white blood cells (neutropenia) and
extremely reduced numbers of red blood cells (anemia). These blood cell problems are
especially likely to happen in patients with advanced HIV disease or AIDS.
Your doctor should be checking your blood cell counts regularly while you are taking
TrizlVir. This is especially important if you have advanced HIV or AIDS. This is to make sure
that any blood cell problems are found quickly.
Muscle weakness. Retrovir. one of the medicines in Trizivir. can cause muscle weakness.
This can be a serious problem.
Other side effects. T rizivir can cause other side effects. The most common side effects
of taking the medicines in Trizivtr together are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite.
weakness or tiredness. headache, dizziness, pain or tingling of the hands or feet, and
muscle and joint pain.
This listing of side effects 1s not complete. Your doctor or pharmacist can discuss with you
a more complete list of side effects with Triziv1r.
Ask a health care professional about any concerns about Trizivir. If you want more
Information, ask your doctor or pharmacist for the labeling for Trizivir that was written for
health care professionals.
Do not use Trizivir for a condition for which 1t was not prescribed. Do not give Trizivir to
om · persons.
6/axoWellcome
Part_ NC 27709
November 2CXXJ MG-011
ThJS MedicatiOn Guiae 1ras been approved by the US Food and Drug Adm1111strallon.
Aj)ll 2001
HOUSTON VOICE •JUNE 22, 2001 17
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"I don't know that I would
want to [continue], if my lover
left .... Should I have said that,
about being your lover?"
-Matthew Broderick (far right), asked
by USA Today in a joint interview how
long he and Nathan Lane (right) would
continue in co-starring roles in the
Broadway hit "The Producers·
"It's too late. The rumors have started."
compiled from STAFF REPORTS
-Nathan Lane, responding to Broderick in the same USA Today interview
"Without him, I'm nothing."
-Nathan Lane, at the June 3 Tony Awards, after winning best actor; Lane
invited Broderick on stage to share the award with him
"You should not express your romantic desire for 'Marcus.' Unless
you believe your feelings are reciprocated, you should not make a
pass at anyone. Gay or straight doesn't really come into it."
-Randy Cohen, writer of the New York Times syndicated advice column "Everyday
Ethics,· 1n response to a gay reader interested in a man he thinks might be straight
"We started fighting the Nazis too late because we thought it was
all about Jews. This is not a discussion of black, gay men; it's a discussion
of 'World War Ill,' of which black gay men and women are a part."
-Rev. Jesse Jackson, at a Brown University meeting of Gay Men of African
Descent, blaming homophobia for spreading HIV and AIDS among blacks and
Hispanics, in the Providence Journal
"Sadly, homophobia is still a great problem
throughout America, but in the AfricanAmerican
community it is even more threatening.
This is an enormous obstacle for
everyone involved in AIDS prevention, treatment
and research .... We have to launch a
national campaign against homophobia in
the black community."
-Coretta Scott King (left), speaking June 8 at the
Nat onal Black Leadership Commission on AIDS
"I am appalled at the choice of entertainment for a community
event .... I cannot in good conscience suggest that we will provide further
support, financially or otherwise."
-Ray L. Sandhagen, chairman of SunTrust Bank-Gulf Coast, complaining about
three female impersonators who hosted a fund-raising event for the Sarasota, Fla.,
downtown association. Several members, including the president of Sarasota Bank,
resigned over the flap, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune
"There was not one vulgar word said, and there was not one vulgar
thing done. There was nothing different than if [Tina Turner, Diana Ross
and Cher] themselves did the show."
-Lynn McDonald, co-chair for the Sarasota, Fla., fund-raiser, in the
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
"I realize my life is unique and some people think it's a publicity
stunt. Well, it isn't. The relationship with Sandy, Mandy, Jessica and
Brandie was a normal one-except it
involved five people. They were my girlfriends,
and I was sleeping with all of them.
It certainly wasn't gay porn.''
-Hugh Hefner (right), Playboy founder,
responding to a Philadelphia magazine report that
he takes Viagra and that, rather than have sex
with his girlfriends, he instead "liked the girls to
pleasure each other• while h_e watched gay porn,
HOUSTON VOICE • JUNE 22, 2001
Do You Want to Quit Smoking?
Project CASSI
Smoking Cessation Research Study
Use a hand-held computer and
nicotine patch to quit smoking
Call today 713-792-2265
Congratulations
to Pride on 23
years of great
parades! Let's
light up Houston
and "Embrace
Diversity" to fight
for the rights of
the GLBT
communities.
Let Your Voice
he heard!
(713)52-DEBRA Campaign
(713 )520-8068 District
{713)463-0504 Austin
1cuw. VoteDanburg.com
Debra Danburg
TI-E lNNERSITY OF TEXAS
MDANJERSON
CANCER CENTER
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C v 11-jhdft &div M
Oft aJttotlier
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Paid for by the Annise Parker Campaign. Steve Kirkland, Treasurer
20 NATIONAL NEWS JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
Presbyterians take first step to reverse anti-gay policies
Assembly elects
moderate leader, rejects
ban on gay pastors
by RHONDA SMITH
The first sign that a gay-affi.mung policy
change might be approved al the
Presbytenan Church (U.S.A.)'s 213th
General Assembly last week was the election
of Rev Dr. Jack Rogers, a theologian
and histonan who supports ordaining gay
pastors, as the denommation's leader.
Several observers also said there were other
les.s tangible signs that this annual conference,
held m Louisville, Ky~ might be different.
"The mood was very open," said the
Rev. Dr. Jarue Spahr, the ordained minister
who in -992 was barred by the denomination's
h.bhest court from becoming pastor
at the Downtown United Presbyterian
Church in Rochester, N.Y., because she is
gay. "It just felt different."
California resident Mitzi Henderson, the
mother of a gay son and co-moderator of
More Light Presbyterians, echoed Spahr.
More Light is a coalition of about 2,000 people
and 106 congregations that want the
denomination, which has 11,178 congn.-gations,
to fully welcome all its members.
"In Louisville, there was a change in
demeanor and attitudes and 1e;s vilification.
Peq>le were thoughtful and respectful." she said.
Last Friday, delegates at the annual conference
voted 317-208 to delete an anti-gay
provision in the denomination's Book of
Order that requires pastors, deacons and
elders to practice "fidelity within the
covenant of marriage between a man and a
woman or chastity in singleness."
In place of the "fidelity and chastity"
proV151on, the delegates proposed addmg a
sentence that states local church bodies
would dctermme church officials' suitability
to hold office
The delegates, who are elected by leaders
m the denommation's 173 local presbytenes,
or regional governing bodies, also
voted to ehminate a 23-year-old "authoritative
mtcrpretation" of the church's constitutton
that prohtoits the ordmation of "selfafitrmmg
practicmg homosexuals" as
church officers.
"It was time," said Kim Rodngue, one
of eight commissioners, or delegates,
elected by members of the National
Capital Presbytery in metropolitan
Washington, D.C., to represent them at the
General Assembly.
She voted with the majority to overturn
the anti-gay policies.
Before the proposed changes can take
effect, members of each presbytery nationwide
will have an opportunity to vote on
them m the coming year If a majority. or 87,
of the presbyteries approve the gay-affirming
proposals, they would be ratified at the
denomination's General Assembly in
Columbus, Ohio, next June.
In the LAyman Online, a publication
geared toward conservative Presbyterians,
various church leaders opposed to deleting
the anti-gay policies predicted the issue
would further divide the 2.5 million-member
denomination.
"ThlS certainly will be fought and debated
in the prcsbytcnes," said Joe Rightmyer,
executive director of Presbyterians for
Renewal, a conservative group that supports
the denommation's current policies on
homosexuality
''There are many of us who are committed
to faithfulness within this denomination
for the long haul. I hope pastors will go
home and find lots of their members ready
and willing to work," he said.
In addition to the Presbyterian Lay
Committee and Presbyterians for Renewal,
other groups pushing to block the proposed
changes include the Presbyterian
Coalition, which has 5,000 subscribers on
its mailing list, and the Confessing Church
Movement, which was created in March
and represents 452 congregations and more
than 158,900 members.
The Presbytenan Church (U.S.A.) news
service reported that the Presbyterian
Coalition, a group of anti-gay ordination
organizations, described the vote last week
as "deeply distressing."
Gay Presbyterians and their supporters
said the victory at the recent General
Assembly resulted in part from a successful
effort among various gay-supportive individuals
and groups lo become more organized
nationwide. They also predicted that
the vote in various presbyteries on this issue
would be close.
''I'd be surprised if thb is ratified," said
Hamilton at Westminster Presbyterian
Church in Washington. "But to have it voted
on positively at the General Assembly
shows there's been a change, or we were
better organized."
Spahr, who also is director of That All
May Freely Serve, a coalition puslung for
full mdusion of gay people m the denomination,
said this wa~ the first General
Assembly where her group, More Light
Presbyterians, and The Shower of Stoles
Project worked closely together
The three predominantly gay groups cosponsored
a dinner, operated booths, and
shared a hospitality suite at the gathering in
Kentucky last week.
The Covenant Network, a gay-affirming,
predominantly heterosexual group for
Presbyterians who support full mclus1on of
gays in the denomination, also worked
more closely with the three groups this year.
More Light Presbyterians board member
Marco Grimaldo, a Delaware resident and
openly gay ordained elder in the denomination,
said the Covenant Network helped, in
part, by lobbying some of the most powerful
leaders in the denomination to support
the gay-affirming groups.
"They called these big churches and
said, 'Let's create something supportive,"'
he said. "They have a lot more money and
people than we do."
Another development that pro-gay
Presbyterians said signaled the denomination
was becoming more gay friendly was
the defeat in March of an anti-gay proposal
The election of Rev. Jack Rogers as head of the
Presbyterian Churdi (U.S.A.) on June 16
signaled a shift to more moderate turns dumg
the denomination's annual meeting.
known as Amendment 0. This proposal
sought to prohibit mimsters from presiding
over holy unions for same-sex couples. A
majority of the presbyteries voted against it.
Baptists close session with assault on gays
Atlanta pastor who leads
Southern Baptists calls
gays 'tumor'
by MIKE FLfMING
NFW ORLEA.llJS-The Southern Bapti<;t
Convention ended its annual meeting June 13
with a keynote address by Focus on the
Fanuly founder James Dobson, who s.iid "the
dam IS broken" on the Amcncan family due in
part to an .mcreasmgly gay-friendly culture.
"The homosexual agenda is destroying
the family, and prcscrvmg and revitalizing
the family 1s why we're called to our me<'ting
thlS year," Dobson said
And James Merritt, an Atlanta pastor who
was elected to a second term as president of
thc Southern Baptist Convention, criticil.Cd
gays, but dtd express conccm for Soulforce
leader Mel White, who organized gay protests
of the SBC dunng its meeting here List week.
"I love Mel White, and we love homosexuals,"
Merritt said. "But I believe that when a
mm goes to a doctor ¥.ith a tumor, the most
kind and loving thing that the doctor docs [is
not to) say, 'I'm okay and you're okay.' The
most loving thing that a doctor can do is say,
'Iha! tumor needs to come out.m
Some 34 protesters were arrested June
Focus on the Family founder James Dobson
closed the Southern Baptist Convention
annual meeting June 13 by asking Baptists to
commit to the restoration of the traditional
American family.
13 as they tned to carry il coffin into the
conference after staging a jazz funeral for
gays they said were hurl by Southern
Baptists teachings about gays.
Last week, Dobson s.Jid the SBC 15 "at
war with the American culture of sin." The
traditional family is disintegrating, he said,
and Christians may soon lose the ability to
win younger generations of supporters.
"The dam has broken in n.>gards to the family.
l louscholds with urunamed partners have
increased 72 percent, and shockingly, mast
respondents checkmg that field arc of the
horm=ual lifC':itylc," Dobson said of figures
rL'C.mtly released by the Census that show a nse
in the number same-sex households.
Issut:>S from last summer's controversi,
il revision of the Baptist Faith & Mission
st.itement hke declarations that women
should "submit graciously" to their husbards,
and that homosexuality 1s among
sms hke prostitullon and pornographywere
menhonC'li again this year, but not
lmahzed mto official statements.
''There is no major [controvC'rsial) issue
on the table that's grabbing evC'ryone's
attention this year," said Danny Akin,
chair of the Committee on Resolutions.
The only offiaal word regarding gays
came as ~e SB~ offered to end its boycott
of Walt Disney 1f thC' company met certain
demands, including establishing a religious
advisory committee.
D1Sney would have to stop sponsoring
"Gay Day" in its theme parks, and censor
its television programs and publicahons of
gay material to have the ban lifted, said
Richard Land, president of the Ethics &
Religious Liberty Commission.
The company said it's unlikely it will
accept the SBC proposal.
-TM Associat~ Press contributed
to this report
JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE PRIDE NEWS
Marshaling Pride
Pride Committee,
community choose
activists to serve as
Grand Marshals of
nighttime parade
by D.L. GROOVER
EDITOR'S NOTE: Each year, nominations,
then votes are solicited by the Pride Committee
of Houston for Pride Parade Grand Marshals.
The following are profiles of the Pride Parade
Grand Marshals for 2001.
DALIA STOKES
In Hebrew, "Dalia" means branch or
bough. In Arabic, "Dalia" means grapevine,
as in Daliat El Carmel, a village Southeast of
Haifa known since antiquity for the quality
of its wine.
I don't know if Dalia Stokes' mother,
Katherine, named her after Hebrew sources
or Arabic, or perhaps some family
antecedent, but "vine" suits her. A branch is
dependent upon the tree trunk, and a
bough, as we know from nursery rhymes, is
easily broken. Dalia Stokes is most independent
and not in any harm of breaking.
Whereas a vine spreads with the sun, its
many shoots send forth fruit, it intertwines
with its neighbors, it grows luxuriant with
the season and grows stronger with age.
That is Dalia Stokes, female Grand
Marshal for this year's Pride Parade.
Surprisingly, Stokes, whose name recognition
has been synonymous with grassroots
activism, is a relative newcomer to
political life. She's the first to encourage
anyone else to follow her example. You're
help is needed, she urges, and anything you
care to do as a volunteer is absolutely essential.
Don't be afraid to volunteer.
"It's really bizarre how it happened. I
was one of the people who always did what
I thought was my part: which was go vote.
You're not a good citizen unless you go
vote, and I thought, well, this is great, I'm
doing my part.
"It never occurred to me that I was needed.
I had been so encouraged when I had
gone to the polls and actually voted for people
who won, like Anne Richards and Bill
Clinton. Two elections in a row, that's so
cool. But after 1994, I was stunned, like so
many people.
"I went to try to do something, offer
some help, and the next thing I knew I was
being asked if I would please consider running
for judicial office."
A long-shot running against a very popular
Republican, Stokes lost but it didn't
stop her. Using the campaign and election
experience as her education, she saw what
one person could accomplish.
She also noticed that there were no political
clubs for her peer group, business and
professional Democrat women. In stark contrast,
the Republicans had 41 active women's
clubs in Harris County. So she floated a trial
balloon, people signed up, paid dues, and
overnight ROADWomen (River Oaks Area
Democratic Women) was born.
And what is the message people should
draw from tlus year's pnde parade'
"Stand up for your rights. People need to
be empowered, and the way to be empowered
is to realize that they just have to do it themselves.
One night a week you don't have to veg
in front of the TY. They need to get out of their
comfort zone and volunteer some time."
MITCHELL KATINE
If there's anyone comparable to the
Energizer Bunny in the gay community, he
would have to be Mitchell Katine, ceaseless
advocate for the unrepresented, champion
of equal rights, law professor at South Texas
Law College-his alma mater-and
University of Houston, public speaker,
AIDS activist, lead local attorney in the infamous
Texas sodomy case, former Texas Real
Estate Commissioner, partner in the law
firm Williams, Birnberg and Anderson, and
this year's male Grand Marshal.
Katine is a true activist: he's always moving.
He rummages through file cabinets to retrieve
the program from his first "AIDS and the Law"
seminar from 1989; he rifles the pile of gay periodicals
and newspapers under the table lamp
to find the article on discrimination he wrote;
romewhere from the crowded desk. he pulls
the flyer he Xeroxed from the Pride Guide that
he sends out with each office invoice, inviting
the client to the Pride Parade; he scans the
framed color photograph on his office wall of
German concentration camp Sachsenhausen,
pointing out the pink triangles built into the
chimney monument to the dead gays.
For being in constant motion, though,
Katine is remarkably centered. There is a
playful peace about him. He is happy where
he is. Content. Maybe it's his own inner
calm that drives him to help others unfailingly.
He's found something good and sees
the injustice in others' not having it, too.
Without his good works, though, he'd be
mighty unhappy.
"Activists. The term activists has
changed over the years. A lot of the true
activists are no longer with us, so I feel that
all of us who are here and well and capable,
should get out and be the activists for people
who used to be. I feel an obligation, a
commitment. If nobody's protesting. that
isn't right."
Katine's partner, Walter, and two fnends
will be riding down Westheimer with him,
throwing the little frisbees to the eager
crowd.
''With each parade it makes people feel
more confident, more accepting, realizing
there's a lot to be proud of as a gay and lesbian
person. We should demand respect, we
de:>erve rL>spect; that's what the parade's
about, that's what 1ust bemg out and not
being afraid to be public is about.
'' It's okay to be gay. That's the message 1t
sends. Do what you think is the best thing to
do. Be free and live your life.
"That's what is it: a celebration of freedom."
BLAKE AND GORDON WEISSER
If you've ever attended a meeting of
Parents, Families, and Fnends of Lesbians
and Gays, you're familiar with the small
group sessions that occur after the general
monthly meeting or presentation.
These intimate encounters are where the
real work of PFLAG takes place, where confidences,
tears and laughter are shared in
true bond. It's where PFLAG's magic happens,
where acceptance and knowledge fuse
to banish grief and shame.
These sessions arc known as the Heart of
PFLAG, but this label justly applies to this
year's 1 lonorary Grand Marshals, Blake and
Gordon Weisser.
This ravishingly adorable couple has been
married for 25 years. Llke most inseparable
opposill'S, they overlap each other's conversations,
fill in the blanks, tum to each other for
support, and put up with each other's foibles
with heart-affirming tolerance.
Blake talks a blue streak, Gordon
answers with careful deliberation. Blake is a
21
live wire, Gordon more muted. Together,
they're just as cute as Oscar and Felix. And
if you want a living example of what
PFLAG is all about, what incredible
strength its heart has, you need look no farther
than this loving straight couple.
Amid the chinoiserie on their coffee table
in their spacious columned living room off
Shepherd is the book "Walking a Sacred
Path," by the Reverend Laura Artress of
Grace Cathedral of San Francisco, creator of
that church's popular canvas labyrinth.
Using the idea of a labyrinth as metaphor
for a spiritual journey of self-discovery, as a
quest for inner peace and real meaning of it
all, seems appropriate for the Weissers.
They have an abiding faith that has seen
them through the trials of their grown daughter
's coming out. For them, it was a long journey,
but at the end they found not only
acceptance but a missionary zeal to advocate
for that acceptance. They are PFLAG.
To compute how long they'\•e been with
PFLAG, Blake uses her daughter's coming
out as the benchmark event it obviously was.
"She came out at age 40, and she's
almost 62, we were m the closet 11 years, so
it's about 10 years," said Blake. Gordon
nodded. Valerie is Blake's daughter from a
previous marriage.
"I didn't know she was a lesbian, and
neither did she She was married and had
three sons in lugh school when she came
out And she had not known she was a lesbian.
There' s a lot of that these days."
Apparently, going mto the closet for a
parent who dL~covers their child is gay is
standard operating procedure.
"When the child comes out, the saying
goes, the parent goes m/ Gordon said.
"It was incredible what happened," said
Blake. "We are very active at Olrist Oturch
Cathedral. At adult education hour, they had
a panel of three PFLAG parents come to
speak. Just Uunk, that was 10 years ago. It was
the first tune I had ever heard of PFLAG."
It was the first time either of them had
ever he:ird "I have a lesbian daughter" spoken
out loud and in front of strangers. They
Joined unmediately, but the closet door
hardly fell off its hinges.
"You have to learn," Blake admitted.
"PFLAG's mission is nurturing. The small
groups are called the heart of PFLAG. That's
where the sharing takes place, that's where
the listening, the understanding, that's
where you heal, that's where you gneve,
that's where you move. It took a few years
of that "
Ten years later, the Weissers have
become the epitome of activtsts. Gordon's in
his third year as treasurer, Blake's chair of
the Help Line, PFLAG's telephone support
system similar to the Gay and Lesbian
Switchbo:ird. Gordon was one of the
founders of the PFLAG/HATCH Youth
Scholarship program. They never stop their
good works. Retirement is not in their
vocabularv.
When asked what impact they hoped the
parade would have on participants and
observers, they both answered without hesitation,
''Get involved."
1ll
22 JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
HOUSTON VOICE • JUNE 22, 2001 23
24
Create the perfect meal.
l'our choice of 18 different meats & fish,
44 fresh vegetables, and 14 signature sauces
on our 35 square foot ~rrill.
JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
HOUSTON VOICE • JUNE 22, 2001
MONTHS
The Heights backyard of Anni Couch looks like Santa's workshop. Santa's gay workshop,
that is, if his elves were memliers of the Krewe of Olympus.
Renown for their philanthropJc larges e and fund·raisingaclivity within our community,
some of the Krewe might very well be Santa's elves. Theyd ertainlylmow how to
whip up the costume. But right now, you see, these elves are making themselves a float
for the Pride parade.
Tables on sawhorses e set up in
the shade under the garage awning.
Guys with X-Acto® knive cut ut the
HT
words Equality and Diversity using stencils.
A small noisy fan on the driveway
shoots a useless humid breeze into
their faces as they squint and cut
along the lines. Rainbowhued
10-foot abstract pipe
figures lean against the
side of the garage.
Even larger figures
s tand guard around a
tree. Colorful pieces of
Coroplast® are stacked
nearby, f • dy tQ;he cut
mto geometric s!1ape,;
for the figures' bod)
parts. Papier-mache
globt:'S, soon to be finials
of columns made from
heavy cardboard drum
rolls, dry on a card table
in the sun.
Inside Annie's house, Krcwe members sew fabnc paneb to be attached to the giant fi -
ures. Deni~e, surrounded by a dozen helpers, lS learning to balan.:e thr cumbersome giant
.she mu~t wear and maneuver dunng the ni~htt1mr re\ d~ this SaturdJ). fa eryone s
sweatmg, laughin~, ha\ing a good tune
<fJJriBe e;:estivat returns
After 5-~·ear nbst•ru-e. 11ost·1•· rade e' e1 • r~•n1·ns "ith
5 'Nidors. lh t• t"Hft•rfainnu•nt Suntln~ aftf"rno na
by KAYY. DAYUS
The Pride Festival returns to Houston's Pride calendar this weekend for the first time in five years and
it promises to be bigger and better than ever, said Jeffery Nea\'es, one of the festi\'al organizers.
Neaves said the festival boasts both local and national entertainers and 45 vendors and social agcncws
selling everything from food and American Express financial services to custom-made jewelry and othrr
crafts.
"We're proud of the 45 vendors who have decided to take part in the Pride Festival. They are taking a
gamble for this new festival, but they are dedicated to us," Neaves said. He added that others were not so
brave when asked to participate. "Some wanted to wait and see how it went and then maybe join next
year."
"We'll have two stages continuously featuring national and local acts of all varieties. It's a great deal
for $5. We have a nice mix; something for everyone," said Neaves.
Festival-goers will have plenty of choices: comedian Bob Smith; Suede, "a jazz artist with a sultry
voice," according to Neaves; Marcus Hutchinson and Dave West, country and western artists; the Front
Alley Girls, an Ohio-based group that does a spoof on the Back Street Boys-get it? Then there's I louston's
own Nancy Ford with her Dyke Show, True Soul, rhythm and blues, and much more.
And there will be some politicking in all likelihood, said Neaves. Invitations have been extended to
Mayor Lee P. Brown, City Councilwoman Annise Parker, State Rep. Debra Danburg, D-Houston, and U.S.
:;... Contin ued on Page 31
Pride Fest offers a casual, picnic-like mood for post·Pride celebrations. The
event returns this year, alter a 5-year hiatus, and will be held Sunday
from 1-7 p.m. at Garden in the Heights.
26
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iramaastol rrry- llllergies., U>a>ces IUC!las-modales.
mis. preseryaMs, .. dyes.
I,.. ant pngnant The e!!ec!S ol'lllACEPT en 1Jn9B11 wanen « rn
'""111Dallies1111 not ~ r,.. .. pr11J*l! « p11n., becDme
preiJ1il1I.,.. lh:Ul letl - - belcre ;:ig 'lllACEPT
.,.. .. ---.;:'bJ-dromwlllyiu-hlbesl~
.,teed -baby 'bJ nud be awn 1131 f 'f!Jl baby mes not~
-tlV 1111111 ls• clmahl l all be1r.11Srr.!11Bd lrw;#ltrel-i!l!drV-
- - llOl -·-I a.ldrm: VIW:6'T IS milallle b hll>ie JR bl!amvle HnIlV o l-2 llmq> 13
"9'S al age wllll ltl'lhero is I powder bm al VIWUI hi ca> be r.:ilalCI
wi1l1 baby lomUa. « bX!s ~ ntuc1lcns en-.,'
lllACEPT powder ca> be bnl In I laler Sl!d!Cll 1131 discusses -
'lllACEPT Oral f'llwdet - be--"
.,.. ........ -VIRACfPT Im not Deen moed in pecpe wtlll
......... ,,.._llver_,,..llhollldletl'f(Jldoc1Drbcbe
tlk>1g ww:EP'I
Olis .-.1 pr-..: c.tlin medical protJlemS may a1fec:t Ille ....
o! 'lllACEPT Some pecpe bl<!ng ~ .. llM! dM!lcped..
JID1 serbll ~ .. ~blood aigw Some peocill!willl ~
l!avetalincnlas81~1111notk:-.-h!l'*""" ritt:n
Cllmll lllese problems. ee ... ., 1e1 - 11Dc1Dr n JOU llMI hemaphJlla
!ypes A and 8, dlal>etes melli1us. «., lncn!ase n fl.irsl- fr1CJJll11
lmlllcn.
Da1QOS In body 1a1llMIbeen....,inaomepallen1S13i<ln; ~
d1btr1. Th09edaiges rrray lrdJde WICl'fa5ed S!Dlllol lal n Ille~
back and ned< ('IJu!lalo ""11>"). breasl. llll 111Uld h! 11\P. l.Jm ol 1a1
tram Ille taca, lags and sms may also,_,_ The cause and lcnQ-lerm
ei:aa. ol lhesl anlillnns 111 nol - a!'* Dme
CAN YllAC8'T IE TAICEll WITH OTHER llEDICAT10NS1
ww:El'Tmay~wll!l-O'IJ!l',ina.dngllo68jllll:!ke
·~ 'blmusltlsam wtl!t'f(JlllXUftrl~h1!1l11111
lakllg .... pBnng b l:!ke bellrt,.. tlke WlACIJ'f
--,.. - Im! laka - V1RACB'l:
~jcisair1de. bi-11Un)
C«danlne4' ~. nmoia~
==-~1119oknownas~
Etgcl-~andalllS1.blllllJ3ll10"'8!!aclle)
Halclon9~)
~..-.)
~jlovas!alln. bChDlest!rol ~
Zoc:or9 ..,,.,_-..n. b c:l1Cle::lmll ~
Taking lhe-l7\IQI w'1ll 'lllACEPT may CUI llllous-' t-
1hre&lentng - Mf11S.
Rifamptn9 llor ~. lll9o knoWn as~. Rifadn41,
RdalBr*, .. Mmite41
ThlS mug lllClJcel bJoocl -olVIW:EPT
Dom roduction 19qUlr9JI W you 11ka VIRACEPT-o ~
~. b MotoC);,.. wJll need., lake·--ol Mycollulin
A~ ol tlllflpy-bt-M '°" .. 1a1ung
VllACEPT wi1h: -~ (l)ildl4I and Olhelll
~fr~andocnors1
n.&agerUsmayraclJceh!llmlUltolVIWVTinl<U'bJoocland
nllkeftless--
Oral .......... ("111epi111
I !Ill .. llMg hi pl., preml Pl1!J1RY JOU sl'la!Ad...,. 1-.nt
1Y!)e"' Clll'l1!3C!PD« since 'lllACEPT may raclJce Ille - ol
ScnjlKli~ll- - -.,.. """'~(-..rd) WJlllWVICEI"!. ., yr;u docb'
llbout posslllle mug inleractlcn and llkle rl1llcls. "JOU - '<1ao'a and
VIW:EPT loge1!le<, JOU may be al increased rlsl< ol i;lde eftects "'Vla!1ll
!Utll as low blood'"""'· ¥isull ~and penile eredlcn lasting
llD11181 4 ho<n tt., erocllon - lcnger 1814 l>oln. JOU Jlhould
- lmmOOiats - a=tlnCe., Mid pennanent damage.,penis.
111.-doclDr can ••;Jlaln lheso ~ .,,..,
n Is not recanmended In tai<e VllW:EPT wllll lhe chaleslerol--..0
~ ~ (bWStllln) .. ia:xre (Slrrlv:lsmn) beeauoe ol pc&Sillle
mug ln!eraclJoos. There Is also ., increased risk ol mug ln1eraclMm
between 'l!RACEPT and IJplllll9 ja1Dnas1a1lrl) and~ (cert<aslalin);
lail<.,)<U'-belcrejllll:!ke-o!lheslChDlest!rolrertr:ing
J!llJgswtlllVIW:El'T.
Tal<klg St Jolll'I wort (hyper1arn porforatJn).., flerlJel irallCt sold ..
a c1otrJ ~ « proclJds ttl'llailq St Jolll's wor1 will! VllACEPT
Is not raaJJ1lll1ellde Tai< wtlh 'f!JI - I,.. ere lakllg « n lltn*V
In t1ke Sl Jolll~ lllOJt Wig St Jolll's wor1 rrray deaease WIACEPT-
1111 lead., increased vJnl )J)ad and~ re=:ne b VIW:6'T ..
cmssreslstral bOlller-ClnlgS.
lllW SltOULD VIRACS'T IE TAlllN W1TK DTltEll ANTHtlY DRUGS?
Takllg Vl'oACE'T tJgd!ler w11!1- Jllll.tlV Jt1'QS rmases llleir ll1lili1y
.,llg!llllewn&ftlll9oreclas111eqw\Ji!ytr11Sis!a'tWuses.,IJlJW
Based on,...~ ol laklng OllleJ -medicine )<U'docb wlll dlrec1,.. en-b oVIW:EPT and-dolt\' .-.a Th09e
ClnlgS.llhollldbetll<e:ilnacenalnorder«llspeclftcDmes. TlliswlD
depend en - many limes I Olly aoch meclcir>e sl'lalAd be lai<en l wJll
alsodependen_,nstmllbetlk"1....,,«wr.IUJlfood
~analogues: No mug lller3tllon problems were seen when
VllW:EPT was given wllh:
Re1n>Vlr (zidlMdne. All)
Eplvlr~3TC)
Zent ISlawdlne 04~
llldex4D !IJlanoslne, td)
d you n lal!lng botll ¥ldex (ddl) nl YUW:En
Vldelc tllOIJld be t!kell wtllwl 1ood .., ., empty l!Dmadl. Theralln ,..
tl10IJld bke VIRACEP' wtl!t food one 1111' a!ler « llD1 IWl lwO tors
lle!trejlll-'/ldex.
---~--(NNllTls):
Wilen VlllACEPT. - tJgd!ler wlllt ............ ~
The amoinlolVIW:El'T In yw blood is inclwlged. A dme ~
D nol -"'1en l'IRACEPT II US90 wllll-
Susl!v3N ~
TheS!DlllolWIACEP'T In yrultxxl rrray be i'c?aser1Atb!e ~
• not oeeded-VllW:EPT.""" wllllSUsl!Ya-
Dlner NllRlls
WlACfPT has not been llUdied wtlll - NNR'l1s.
Ottier..,-lnlllbHln:
'M>enWWVl'islal<enlng<lller-cnxiv.
ie (lndinllW)
The..wit ol tlo01 ~in 'f(JI bJoocl may be increased. Qrrenl!y, ther1!
.. nosatetynefllcacydatl..-tom 111e UMOl1hlsNJIM'N
attooaW!
The arnwtt ol WlACEP'I n yr:u bJoocl may be inalaseJI. C&mnlly ther1!
are no sa!e!y and elflCBC'f datl - lnlm hi use ol lhis CDl1llli1alJtn 111Wasa8.......,
The 111101111o1llQUi.w111 - blood m11 be inct=<d- Omr111y awn
.. no sa!el'f and e111cacy data mllallle tom h use ol lhil ~
WHAT ME THE SlllE EfftC'TS Of V1IW:O'T7
ll<e II mediciles, Yl'oACEPl' Cll1 cause llkle er..cis. Mos1 al Ille silo
e!!ec!S ex;>er1erad wllll 'lllACEPT llMI been mill., moaertte -
Is 11>! mos1 ccmmcn Sldo e!leC! n P«1Pe l:!k!ng VllAW'T, and mos1
IClll pa11en1s hid at - mild - at some poJr!I clfill) teatmenl
In dinical llldas. llx:oJI 1~20'li o1P11*!1sreceMngWWVT750 mg
(llne lalllels) !hree llmes dllJr « 1250mg(!Ivelallletsl1WO ames daily
'altu« JID1 lomell>CGI day lnoalQ111,-can be ar9tilOO
~-mediclnes.IUCllas-.neA-D~)and
Olhers. wl1Jch ere~ wtll10IJI I pmcrlpbon
Olller side e!feclS 1131 cx:amd in~ .. JID1 ol patJtnl'! 'ICe!VJng
ViRACfPT inchJle J1lllJS80. oas and ras11.
There.....- - side effects noled n dlnical ltudies ""1 cx:amd In
lesshll2%o1palltnl'!~VllW:EPT-.~llkletl!ecll
may hiMI Deen U., - M41S NI paUen!s ....- laklng «., Ille
--EJ<Cel)lbdlWrtle:l.1l1ereMrtnot11B1YddlonlXe5inllkle
elleds "lll!lenb wile lnol!WIACEl'T ailng wtl!t-~--"
wl1hlllo6ewt1olookanyh!-ClnlgS.fcra~1111o1side
cft'ecls.J1$1o.--.tu111.«"'*111ldll
JUNE 22, 2001 • HOUSTON VOICE
HOW SHOWl I TAKE VlftACa'T'7
VIW:EPT ·-any wtl!t--· preecnpllon.111.- - rrray
preocribt Ille~ tu VllACS'T T-- as 1250 mg (llYe -I
laker> two-a day« as 750 mg (llne ~ lakerl llnt trnes a day
WlACEPT Jlhould alWays be llktn W11111 meat« a~ - 'lllACEPT
- n lllnHx>al8d ., heJI> n::J<e the - easier., swallow
Taitt V1RACEPT IUC1ly as - by raur - ·Do not ncr.-«
'*'-ftrl-«lhtrunberoldoeesperOly-.lll<llhilmedlcine
tor ... mt1 pel10d ol llme ht --hll notructed Do not .....
,1a.1.u .ng. V -llA.CE-PT- nm CGNU111nt wt111 ,....-. - ~
~,... madclnt""' Im beer1 pr1ilCIYJed speclrically tor,.., Do not
'/te'lllACEPT In GllleB « - --inscrlled b-else
lhe~olVIW:EPT-bedlt!er1nllorjlllhntor-~
~ .. -. .... ,....-.IDCly•-... lhl-lhe-
ol'lllACEPT in 111e bJooclstmll ramam somewrm~
""' ""9. Mmil'IC - wlll caioe"" ccncenlralicn ol 'lllACEPT.,
--.,..-not_llJY--.d,..
mlSS I deee. jlll sl'la!Ad lal<e Ille dOCe 85IOOOIS~andlhen11111
'flJI nextlClle<Ued llO&e and lu1ln doses asOllglnally IChecUed.
Doling In - (lndudng-14,.... of ago and_,
The rec:ommended --ol l'IRACtl'T is 1250 mg (live labletsl -
lwO trnes I Olly« 750mg(llnelallletsllai<entvee1lmeS I day Each
dmelhouldbelaMnwl:hlmcal«i1111!tmek
OoNlg In - 21013 ,.... of ago
lheWIACEPT _ 11 _ de!JerlJI! on "81' we91t lhe """""1Wlde
dme ls 201D 30 mg/kg (Or 9 b 14 mg/Jlolr1d) per -. taken llWee llmes
daily wtlll a meat « tight tnaCk. 1llls cai be aomlrislered - in 1abJet
form«. in ctillhn llBble., ta1<a latllels. as VIRACEPT Oral Powder.
Dose tnstucllans wlll be provlded by Ille child's- The dme wlll be
given 1ne llmeS daily USlng Ille measirlnO 9CCOI> provided. a measirlnO
1l!8SpOm «,.. « J1D1 laDlatl del*dl10 en Ille weig1I and age al Ille
dllJl_ lheJ11110U11oloralpow<1er«lablets.,beg1Yen1Dacliklla
~in111ecller1betow -
.. ..-.,.,.- .... -_ ". .. Tll-nt1'1·-.D ally -· '-' l"'t~· J_mlTt--+ Ta-
7to<85 15.5I0<185 ' 1 -
851Dc105 1851D43 5 J,. -
105toc12 23to<?65 a 1112 -
1210<14 26510<31 7 1314 -
Uto<16 31 to<35 a 2 -
1510<18 35!0<395 9 2114 -
11to<23 395I0<505 10 2112 2
>23 ,505 15 331• 3
In '1'IOISlJlng oral pow<ler 1!>e la>DP « 1e3Sp0cn lhoukl be IJ!Vel
• 1 lewl acoop ccn1ails 50 mg ol WWVT Jse only Ille 9CC01> j)<ovJded
wl1!l)<U'VIRAW'Tbottle
t 1 IJ!Vel 1easpoon antllnS 200 mg ol WWVT Nole A maaswtng
"-' used ... dispensing medk:allon lhoukl be <JSed ""
.,,.....ng WIACEPT Oral - Ask !W' lllWmaCJSI 1D make ue ,..
- a 'l18Clcallcn 1lspenslng leaSPOOJ1
- -WIAC[pT Onl-bt-"'"
The oral powdel' may be mixed wtl!t a small llllOllll ol -
lomUa. ltl'l lomluta. ltl'I ~ llJlll)le<ncntl .. oalty loolls IUCll
aspllllling«acraam OIEo'l'llxlld lllelJ'lllrt81no1111111JS1belal<enln
obtlln111eUdDse.
DolllllmlxtrepawmwJ1hrrryaclclc1ood«julce IUdlas~«
-~μ-cs lll!JlelllCe.orlll!Jlesauco llecauselhilma-1ttoa18a Onat Ille powder ii mlxell It may be &!Dredi! JC()l11 ~ ..
~nie>1n6tnn.Donot!leatlhe-doseonce11m
been prepnl.
Donotaddwa!Br10bo11:esoloralpowder
WIACEPT powder ii IUPl>iled wllll I la>DP b measimg For help Jn
delermi*1Q Ille exact - cl powder "" - dild please ask -
-· JU'S8, .. pl1armaclsl
WWVT Oral Powder CllfltllnS ~.11ow...ione sweetener. and
ll>erefte JlhoUld nol be - by cllJldren wllll phenylkelorU1a (~
HOW SHOWl V1RACEl'T BE STORED?
~ V1RAC6'T and II Olh!r llllJdJClm out GI Ille reach ot Cl1lldrcn Kllei>
bolllB - and .:ore at JC()l11 tempera1in (between 59'f 1111 Wf)
~tram IDlJteS cl rncislln IUdl as a lllk «-damp place Heat
and .-e "8Y raclJce Ille eftllC1rtene:3 Ol l'IRACEPT
Do nol k""ll mediCre 11a1•outaldale«111at !Ill no l:nger need. Be
ueltlall!llllrowftrlmaiClne~ lisoutollhereacnot-.
DIScu9s 11 IJJISllaW abOlll jW' hell!ll wt!fl j<U'-.,.. !lave
que:tn ll>oulww:EP'I « rrry olhe< medlcaton,.. ... ~ask
jOU'docb'.JU'S8,« phannaCisl 'bJcailll9ocall 1J188.WW1PT
(1.888 &17.2237) d ~ ..
Cal 19.V1RACEP'T
'lllACEPT 1111 Agcucn .. Jl!)ISlllred '1ldem:N cl Agcucn
~Inc.
Cllpyr911C21Xr. Agcucnl'IWmaceUllcals Inc. Mr1gltsr-
A f a•r ••••r
AgcucnPIWmaceutcalslnc
La Jolla. Cl:'"'""- 92037 USA
1·\'01171-BG
HOUSTON VOICE • JUNE 22, 2001
So many CDsNideos/DVDs, so little to pay .
•
Queer As Folk
Music from the original soundtrack
Showtime/BMGIRCA Victor
On Sale $15.99
• • • •
ABsolutely FABulous
Series 1 to 3, complete box set DVD
BBC Video
$79.99
• •
Rufus Wainright
Poses
Dreamworks Records
$18.99
There's nothing like great music and movies. Especially at prices
that allow you to get as much great music and movies as possible.
So stop by Borders and listen.
Sex & the City
Complete 1st Season(VHS)-.... $39.98
(DVD)- ... $29.99
Complete 2nd Season(VHS)_._$49.92
(DVDJ-$39.99
3025 Kirby• 713.524.0200
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29
30 OUT ON THE BAYOU HOUSTON VOICE • JUNE 22, 2001
Krewe of Olympus float captured lighting award last year
:> Continued from Page 25
This year's float chairman is twinklingeyed
Anrue, who served as the Krewe's float
chairman last year and this year's Ball chairman.
She's in constant motion, supervising,
answering questions, just being there.
"We need wood," yells a Krewe member,
removing hlS bandanna to wipe his face.
"Yeah, we need to go get that," she
replies. "I can give you drrections how to get
there. Wait a minute and I'll go with you."
Althou~ float chairman is a voted-on
position with the Krewe, no one ran against
her this time after her succe55ful gu1Clance
last year.
"It's kind of who wants to do it. I'll do it
one more year, then it's somebody else's
tum."
The Krewe devotes four months to the
Pnde float, and 1t shows. They won Best
Lighting in last year's parade. As in years
past, their dCS1gner IS Sands S., whose work
begins when the National Pride Committee
selects a theme. Once he's sketched out his
design, it's up to the float comnuttee to realize
the dream. From extensive fund-raising
efforts throughout the year, the parade
budget IS fairly hefty, but Annie keeps a
tight rem on 1t nonetheless.
"It's probably a little bit more than
most," Annie agrees, then adds with a smile,
"but then we like to parade."
If you've ever been to one of their Mardi
Gras extravaganzas, you know how much
this unique group loves to strut their stuff
and have fun.
"Do you have another battery for your
drill?" shouts another Krewe worker.
"Yeah, nght inside the workroom door
To the left."
After their first meeting on April 7, the
float committee met for a few hours each
week every month, until they reached this
stage. Annie consults her war briefing manual,
a thick binder with a first page spreadsheet
of dates, times, and names of who's
attended each workshop meeting. It's filled
with checkmarks.
"My partner's a computer person, so she
does all this," she confesses. "This gives us
an idea, this decides who rides. The captain
gets thlS, because we're a very work-oriented
group, so we try to keep up with who all
shows up and works, because a lot of perks
are based on participation."
From the back yard, the group asS1Sting
Deruse with her giant green costume breaks
into laughter "Is that gonna be too tall for
Deruse?" someone says. "It's not too tall,
Dentse's too short."
"How about platform shoes," another
quips. "I've got my own, thank you."
Sands' final design, in color and partially
rendered in 30, IS taped to the wall of the
garage. Periodically, one of the workers
comes up to check out a detail. The float
itself is fashioned from a goose-neck trailer
24 feet long and 8 feet wide. Two electncal
generators to power the lights and the
sound system will be hidden inside, behind
the rows of Keith Haring-look alike figures
running along each side of the trailer.
The Krewe's royalty will stand in the
stem, inside the encircling arms of an
abstract embracing figure. This is big-time
lflas~ Mtipuon.www
Perhaps the most important considera·
tion of all is the float's modularity. All the
intncate pieces have to assemble with mini·
mum fuss and break apart simply, economically,
because Houston's not the Krewe's
only parade. This juggernaut has to travel.
"After Houston, we go to Dallas for their
Pnde parade," Annie says. uwe have two
members from Dallas, so we use theu front
yard and they live real dose to the parade
site, so we 1ust pull a big ol' truck into their
front yard, spend Saturday to rebu:.ld, and
do the parade on Sunday up there."
But right now, their sights are set on tlus
weekend, especially when they move all the
pieces down to therr space in Near Town to
complete this floating leviathan. The modules,
according to Anme's plan and Sands'
bluepnnt, neither of which has.failed them
yet, will be completely assembled Saturday
morning, in time for ultimate fine tuning
before the parade's evening start.
Two Krewe men lug a heavy 2x4 modu·
lar frame, painted hke a rainbow, tow.ird the
garage where other finished pieces are
stored.
"Hey guys, is that one done? You'll have
to store it behind the shed."
The co-workers don't bat an eye, while
they maneuver the awkward wooden platform.
As if seeing exactly where this piece
fits into the intricate jigsaw parade puzzle,
Sands watches the frame disappear behind
the garage.
"We wanted to do this one real colorful,"
he says proudly. "It's fun to do something
on paper and then see it actually come to
life. It's like, wow."
He points to a one-inch dot on his artist's
rendenng and smiles "This theoretically's
going to be a rotating globe. Of course, it
may be nothing at all. It may be just a theory."
For sure, though, what you can count on
with a Krewe float IS its stunning illumina·
tion. The plans for this one will outshine all
thcir past efforts: the figures along the sides
outlined in twinkling Christmas lights, slogans
ba |
