| Transcript |
Prompted by the
violent murder of
a soldier believed
to be gay, Vice
President Al Gore
said he would seek
to overturn the
ban on openly gay
service members,
falling in line with
a host of other
Democrats.
Page 3
The intensity,
passion and sexual
tension of Simone
Cunningham come
through in the hip
new work of this
bold, lesbian poet
who recently
self-published
'Suite 69,'
a collection of
erotica.
Page 17
ISSUE 999 ALL THE NEWS FOR YOUR LIFE . AND YOUR STYLE. DECEMBER 17, 1999
new 1-a.icts en the net
A crop of 'virtual' gay rights groups are clamoring for attention, but
should it take more than 'dot-com' to earn legit imacy?
by PA!GL PARVIN
No members, no budget, no full-time staff,
not a single offkl• or meeting.
A flurry of on-line activist groups have
come on the scene in the last year, and many
are garnering attention inside and outsidl•
the gay community. But docs is "dot-com" or
"dot-org" by itself a substitute for a constituency,
bylaws and the other traditional
me,1sures of an organization's legitimacy?
In ,1 recent controversy involving whether
America Online was discriminating against
gay users, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation and National Gay
l.obby.Org were referenced side-by-side in
many mainstream and gay press news
Jccounts, with both groups treated as equals.
Gl.AAD, founded in 1985, has 15,000
members, an annual budget of $3.7 million,
and offices in six U.S. cities.
1':.1hunal Gay Lobby.Org was foundl'<i earlier
this w.u, claims a thousand members, no annual
b~dgd ,md 1s solely Internet-based.
While gay organizations of all sizes, shape:;
and cause. have co-existed for decades, the
Internet has sp.iwnl'<i a slew of new group
namt-:;, raL~ing questions about organization
accountability, credibility and what exactly it
means to be a "gay rights group."
Online activist Michael Romanello, who co·
founded National Gay Lobby.Org and recently
look on America Online and called for a boycott
The fact that 1ust about anyone with a
mouse and a modem can think up a name,
put up a web-site and create a gay rights
"organization" presents ups and downs,
according to some gay activists.
The good, the bad
and the Net
"It's a good thing and a bad thing,"
observed Internet acti\ist John Aravosis, himself
a part of this growing ''virtual" activism.
"In a sense, I think the Internet will make
you better known by name .... It makes you
become an organization. It's very odd, people
do perceive me as a gay organization,"
said Aravosis, the president and sole staff
member of Wired Strategies, his on-line
advocacy consulting business.
Aravosis has earned this perception primarily
by taking a stand on issues of interest
to gays, including AOL's policies; posting
inform.1tion on his web-site; and, as he has
emerged as an on-line source, speaking with
the press when contacted. He doesn't hide
the fact that for now, he's a one-man show.
But reporters don't always ask, either.
Not all aspiring gay rights activists and
groups are totally Internet-based. But the
Net can often level the playing field for those
seeking publicity, creating a realm where one
person si tting in front of a computer can
maintain a web-site and churn out press
releases as effectively as a large national
organization like Human Rights Campaign.
"I think it's a good thing. Our movement
is big enough to accommodate all who wish
to participate," said HRC spokesman David
Smith. "Everybody who wishes to be politically
active should be, and can be, in whatever
form they choose."
Smith deflected the question of whether
media references to such groups can be misleading
to many, including gay men and le<bians.
"This is a democratic country, and nobody
should be denied access to the mainstream
media to get their viewpoints across," Smith
said. "It's up to the journalist to determine a
point of view and whether that point of View
is represented by a constituency or not.
Often, the gay press will quote a person who
has a constituency of one just to put a contrary
view out there."
:- Continued on Page 10
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A weapon of
homophobia?
Park rangers in San Antonio
have arrested more than 500
men on sex charges in two
years, sometimes releasing t heir
arrest records to employers and
the media, prompting an outcry
from local gay activists
by GIP PLASTER
Once every 36 hours for the last two years, on average,
park rangers arrest a man on misdemeanor sex chargl>s
in one of San Antonio's dozl"ns of city parks.
Authorities say the men are hunting for sex in public
places, flashing their groins and gropmg what, most
often, turns out to be an undercover park ranger m the
midst of a covert sting to rid the parks of men seeking sex
with other men.
~fore than 500 men ha\·e arrested during a two-year
operation by a team o underco\·er park rangers, aty
official~ and gay activists sJJd.
Some gay leaBers are P'\'lllg fOul; fid:ti811 the city and
its park systeqi of targeting only gay men'fuid entrapping
them in the newl'St demonstration o the region's longtime
hostility toward gay men and women.
"It's like a wl"apon of homophobia they're wielding
here in San Antonio;'' said Michael lcGowan director
of the ci\,Y's Gay and Le.Qian Community Center We're
really P.is~ about this. We're angry"
The h1gti number of arrests prompted MCGowan and
the comm ·center last week to take the unusual step
of issuing a press release warning gay men planning to
travel to S.in.Antoruo to rethink their trip.
The center also accuses the city of entrapment and of
arresting men simply for being ga}
The community cen issued the strongly-worded
travel warning after attempts tD negotiate with the parks
department failed, t-.kGowan said,
'Unwilling to negotiate'
City of S.in Antonio Parks and Recreation Department
officials met with commuruty center representatives in
early November and admitted that they send park
rangers wearing plain clothes to more than 20 of the
aty's parks specifically to make arrests based on indecent
exposure and other related offenses.
"I had the distinct feeling that [the community c~'nter]
thought we were doing thL' as a moral i.s~ue," ~td Don
:- Continued on Page 13
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DECEMBER 17, 1999 •HOUSTON VOICE
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HOUSTON VOICE• DECEMBER 17, 1999 NEWS 3
INSIDE
NEWS
Around the South . . ••. . . ... . ...•..... . 5
Judge sides with schools in HIV suit .. •. . .. . 5
Bush aide soys gay GOP too critical •. ••... .5
Ky. legislature, courts to rule on
gay rights lows • . • • • . • .. . .. . • . .. .. .. 5
Goy prosecutor to face well-funded challenger 5
Sheriff criticized for anti-gay views .• . ... •. 5
Around the Notion . . •.. •• .. ....•..•.• .7
Judge allows death penalty in boy's murder . .7
l.Jmy recommends discharge for legislator . . .7
\Yells forgo Bonk charged with discrimination .7
Cbunty negligent in Brandon Teena's death • .7
FDA fries to hall ahernative remedies . . . .7
Police looking for jewelty in Big Easy murder 10
Hawmi court rules against guy marriage .. 13
VOICES & ECHOES
Editorial: 'Don I Ask. Don't Tell' don't wo .. 8
Alvear: LCR ~oys the ciV11 nghls doormat ... 9
l tiers Gore, Bradley 1111d lesbians .. . 9
OUT ON THE BAYOU
ting wllh Simone • . . . . . .. . ... 17
Pop culture crash course . . . . .. 17
Out m Print: 'Stiffed' • . . . . • . • • . . . .... 18
Bestsellers . • .. . . . . . . • . • • . . • . ..18
Stage: Reworking Sonny ond Cher ..•.. 19
feting Oul: Plucking o ~ate in o comfy place 23
COMMUHllY
CA
K Pride in lull swing .. • . ...... .
Post Ou!: Astronomer turned adivisl .. .
mmunity Calendar . . . .. ... ... .
cosions
Storst
.24
. . 25
.. 26
.. 27
.. 31
CLASSll:IEDS . . . . . ••
BUSINBs DIRECTORY .
.27
..28
• . 30
Issue 999
A matorlal hi Hous1on Voice JS pootectecl y
I ral copyrrgh1 k•w and may not be mpr •
d eel wtthout lho wnrtcn =ent ol Ho n
V ice The s xual onen1alion of advertiser
P tographers wrctms and car100ncSI$ pt •
I fled herein IS netther lnlerrnd or 1mpl1ed
T o appearance of names or pcciorlal repr •
s nkllmn does not necessanly nd<cato th
s ual ori0111a11on of thal person 0/ per
U!lon VOK:C lli:Copts unsobc1ted editor
teroal but canno1 lak0 rcspoos1bchty for
retciro Tho editor reserves U>e tgh! to ace
rewC1 or l'd1t any submJS5100
Alf rights revert 10 authors upon
plftllication Guidelrnes for lreelance
tributors are avadable upoo i6QU0SI
Houston. Voice
500 Lovett Blvd., SI.lite 200
Houston, TX 77006
713-529-8490
First Bradley, then Hillary, then Bill, then Gore
The nation's Democrats
line up against the
military ban as a jury
convicts an Army private
of murdering a fellow
soldier believed to be gay
by LAURA BROWN
Prompted by the violent murder of a sol·
<lier believed to be gay, Vice President Al
Gore announced Monday he would seek to
overturn the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on
openly gay service members, meaning both
Democratic presidential candidates now
oppose the policy.
Former Sen. Bill Bradley, Gore's opponent
in the Democratic primary, said in
September he would work to overturn the
ban. In an interview that same month, Gore
said only that he supported a more "com·
passionate" enforcement of DADT.
Gore's announcement several days of
mounting political criticism of the "Don't
Ask Don't Tell" policy, including shots from
President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary
Clinton, who has announced her intent to
run for the U.S. Senate seat from New York.
But Congressional Republicans and military
leaders quickly warned that all the talk
doesn't mean the policy faces repeal in the
near future.
Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), chair of the
Senate Armed Services Committee, told the
Associated Press Tuesday that revisiting
the policy should not take place "in the
heated rhetoric of an election year."
Warner, who backed DADT and whose
committee would oversee efforts to change
the policy, said he was concerned about the
soldier's murder and discrimination
against gays in the military.
But, he added, "the wise and fair course
for future congressional action, particularly
in view of the profound impact of these
issues on mili tary readiness," would be for
Congress to "await a complete review by
the next administration, and then promptly
consider any specific recommendations for
legislative action."
On Tuesday, the White House acknowledged
Congress was unlikely to overturn
DADT, and said the admistration's "time
and energy" would be better spent working
to improve implementation of the policy.
DADT called a 'failure'
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue"
was passed in 1993 as a compromise when
Congress refused to support President
Clinton's campaign goal of overturning the
ban on gay soldiers altogether.
The DADT compromise, which allows
gays to serve in the military so long as
they do not disclose their sexual orienta·
tion or engage in homosexual acts, was
designed in part to help prevent witch
hunts aimed at rooting out gay soldiers.
But critics have long contended the poli·
cy fails to protect gay soldiers from witch·
Bill Bradley, Hillary Ointon, BiD Clinton and Al Gore in recent days have all criticized the mifitary's
bun on openly gay members.
hunts, discrimination and harassment, and
discharges of gay service members have
risen every year since DADT was implemented-
increasing from 617 in 1994 to
1,149 last year.
On the campaign trail in ~cw York,
Hillary Clinton told a group of gay contributors
Dec. 7 that she would advocate over·
turning the ban on gays in the military. The
First Lady, a candidate for U.S. Senate in
New York, declared the policy a "failure,"
those attending the private fund-raiser said.
On Saturday, President Clinton told CBS
News he was "quite sympathetic" with his
wife's views. "What I'd like to do is focus
on trying to make the policy we announced
back in '93 work the way it was intended
to, 'cause it's way out of whack now, and I
don't think any serious person can say it's
not," Clinton said.
On Thursday, Clinton told leading gay
and lesbian Democrats during a
Democratic National Committee luncheon
that the best way to bring about change in
the controversial policy on gays in the U.S.
military was through the ballot box.
"The president said we had made a lot of
progress in changing attitudes in the coun·
try but there was a still a long way to go,"
an administration official said after the
closed-door question and answer session .
"He urged them to get involved in winning
the hearts and minds of candidates for
Congress in the upcoming election cycle."
A 'sobering' murder
After deliberating for less than two hours
Ot.>c. 8, a military jury found Anny Pvl CalVUl
N. Glover, 18, guilty of premeditated murder
in the July 5 death of Pfc. Barry Winchell.
Winchell died after being beaten with a
baseball bat as he slept in his barracks at
Fort Campbell. Rumors that Winchell was
gay had circulated on the base, military
officials testified during Glover's trial, and
he was viciously harassed in the weeks
leading up to his killing. But his superiors
testified that the DADT policy had inter·
fered with their ability to investigate
harassment against him.
In a statement released Monday, Gore
cited the case as the impetus for the
change in his public opinion on DADT.
In the wake of the murder, the
Pentagon said Monday it would order an
investigation at major military bases over
the next 90 days to determine if gay soldiers
were being harassed
But two days later, Defense Secretary
William Cohen said he did not expect the
Pentagon to change its controversial policy
toward gay~ in the C.S. military, and e~pecially
not during President Clinton's
remaining year in office.
"I do not expect the policy to be
changed-certainly not during this admin·
istration," Cohen said at a press conference
during a \'isit to Dover Air Force Base m
Delaware.
But the secretary said he was determined
to sec that the "()(;n't Ask, Don't Tell" poli·
cy on lesbians and gays in the military be
implemented fairly and that was why he
ordered the Penta1;on's inspector general to
conduct a spot im·estigation at major mili·
tary bases on the issue.
Advocates for gay senice members said
they question whether the sun·ey will produce
valid results, since a soldier would
violate the DADT policy and be subject to
discharge 1ust by acknowledging their sexual
orientation to investigators or dis·
cussing harassment because of it.
'The big question is can gay people participate
in this survey \\ithout getting fired from
their jobs," C. Dixon Osburn, co-executi\'e
director of the Senicemembers Legal Defense
Network in Washington, told the New York
Times. "How do you trust anyone, especially at
a base where an anbi;ay murder took place?"
Pentagon officials said those conducting
will be charged with investigating those
who commit the harassment, not those who
report it. Yet anything short of removing
the ban won't end the discrimination,
Osburn said
GOP opposition
George W Bush, the Republican front·
runner, has said he supports the ban on
openly gay sen·1ce members. Sen. John
McCain (R-Ariz.), Bush's closest competitor
for the GOP nomination, also supports
DADT, and has critiazed Clinton and Gore
for attacking the policy without discussing
the issues with militarv leaders.
Another GOP pr~sidential hopeful,
Gary Bauer, also criticized Clinton and
Gore for their views on gays in the military
Tuesday during a campaign stop in
New Hampshire. Bauer said the military
shouldn' t be used to "try out some liberal
idea"-whether it was women in combat,
co-ed training or allowing openly
gay soldiers.
"The purpose of the military 15 to win
wars and defend the United States of
America," he said. "It's not to be a sociological
playground for either Bill Clinton's
theories or anybody else's theories."
4
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Sunday Dec. 19
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Saturday Dec. 25
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Office closed
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HOUSTON VOICE• DECEMBER 17, 1999 NEWS
Around the South
Judge sides with Houston school district in HIV discrimination suit
HOUSTON-A federal judge has ruled that an applicant for a teacher's position in the
Houston Independent School District was rejected because of a low test score, not because
he was HIV-positive, the Ho11ston Chronicle reported Dec. 10. U.S. District Judge Vanessa
Gilmore, in ii written decision, said applicant William Ellsworth "did not disclose his HIV
status to the district at any time" during his application process. "We're very pleased with
the outcome of the court case," HISD spokesman Terry Abbott said. "He was not hired
because he fell for below our minimum test-score requirement. We didn't know that he
was llIV {pos1ti\'C)." During a two-day trial last week, Ellsworth, 51, tried to convince
Gilmore that HISD discriminated against him and violated the Americans with
Disabilities Act. Ellsworth, who has a master's degree and taught in HISD for five years
in the 1980s, }!aimed I IISD did know about his medical condition because a principal was
aw•.ue he is gay and that his partner died of AIDS.
Bush aide says Log Cabin Republicans too critical of candidate
WASHINGTON-Texas Gov. George W. Bush's top
campaign strategist defended the Republican presidential
front runner's decision to snub leaders of the Log Cabin
Republicans, asserting that the gay Republican group had
been critical of Bush on several issues, the Nl"w York Times
reported 0('(". 10. The strategist, Karl Rove, said the group's
leaders have asked for meetings with Bush "with the stated
purpose of coming in and explaining why Governor Bush is
wrong on gay <1doption or why he is wrong on broadening
the Texas hate-crimes bill." Rove added that the governor
has "a limited amount of time, and we're just not going to
set ilside right now a time to meet with [Log Cabin leaders)
and talk about their dialogue," Rove said. Rich Tafel, the Log
C<1bin's executive director, said Bush "has created what has
become a confrontational situation. We have now heard five
different reasons why they won't meet with us."
An aide to Texas
Gov. George W. Bush says
gay Repubficans have been
too critical of the GOP
presidential frontrunner
Kentucky legislature, federal courts to rule on gay rights laws
I OUISVILl.E-Two Northern Kentucky lawmakers have announced a bipartisan push to
prohibit local governments from en.1cting ordinances designed to prevent discrimination
agilinst gays, the C111c11111at1 E11q11ira reported Dec. 10. Reps. Tom Kerr, a Democrat. and Joe
Fischer, a Republican, say they will co-sponsor the bill during the General Assembly session
that begins Jan .J. Meanwhile, the ACLU has petitioned a federal court in Louisville to join
in defending against a lawsuit to overturn gay righ ts laws in Louisville and Jefferson
County. Dr. J Harrett Hyman, the doctor who filed the suits, is being represented by the
American Center for Law and Justice, founded by conservati\'e televangelist Pat Robertson.
l lyman contends that complying with the ord inance interfrrl's with his Christian bl'liefs.
The ACLU said similar religious arguments were used to fight federal and state ci\'il-rights
laws in the 1960s and '70s
Openly gay S.C. prosecutor to face well-funded GOP challenger
Cl IARLESTON (AP)-Republican challenger Ralph l loisington has amassed a campaign
war chest of more than $50,000 to run against openly gay incumbent prosecutor David
Schwacke, who has accumulated only $1,600 for next June's primary. It will be Schwacke's
first rl'-elec twn effort since acknowledging he is gay after he was charged with using his
office compuh'r during business hours to solicit sex on the Internet. After an investigation,
a grand 1ury refused to indict Schwacke. I lobington said he has no intention of making
Schwacke's Sl'Xual orientation a ci1mpa1gn issue. At least two Democrats are also considering
entering the rnce.
Sheriff criticized again for anti-gay views on county web-site
FOR I' \tYFRS, Fla (AP)-Lee County Sheriff John
\tc1Jougall 1s undl•r fire again for po~ting conservative personal
views on the officl' web-site, this timl' Wl'ighing in on
the alll'gl·d murder of a tl'l'n-Jger by two gily men and China
taking owr thl• P.rnama Canal. The text comp.ires the publicity
generall'd by the death of Matthew Shepard Jnd the
r.1pe, torture and murder of a 13-yeilr-old Arkans.is boy,
Jesse Dirkhising, <1llcgedly ,it the hands of two gay men.
"Are the libl·ral media and their pro-homoSl'Xual agl•nda
trying to pl'rsuade us mto believing that a hate aime 1s only
a hate crime when the victim is gay?" ~kDougall's first letter
posted on the Internet in October criticiLl'd the ACLU,
gay groups and pro-choice supporters.
- from staff and wire n·110rts
Florida Sheriff John McDougall
has again drawn fire for posting
his anti-gay views on the
sheriff's department web-site.
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HOUSTON VOICE• DECEMBER 17, 1999 NEWS
Around the Nation
Art<. judge pennits death penalty against gay men in boy's murder
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP)-A judge said Dec. 10 that prosecutors may seek the death
penalty against two men charged with raping and killing a 13-year-old boy. Davis
Carpenter, 38, and Joshua Brown, 22, are charged with capital murder and six counts of rape
in the death of Jesse Dirkhising, who was found near death in the men's home at Rogers,
Ark. in September. The pair is being held without bond in the Benton County jail pending
their April 10 trial. At the time of Brown's arrest, he told police he had sex with the boy.
Police say they were called to the men's home Sept. 26 and found Jesse nude and unconscious
on the floor. According to court records, Brown said he and Carpenter had tied
Dirkhising's hands behind his back, placed a pair of underwear in his mouth and secured
it with duct tape. Brown then repeatedly raped the boy while Carpenter watched, police
said An autopsy indicated Dirkhising died of positional asphyxia, the inability to breathe
while in restrictive positions. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13.
Anny investigator recommends discharge for gay Ariz. legislator
PI IOENIX (AP) ·A military investigator is recommending
the Army discharge a gay reserve lieutenant despite the
fact that he discussed being gay in his role as an Arizona
~talc legislator and during a time when he was not on
active duty. The Army began investigating Lt. Steve May,
28, after he discussed his homosexuality while addressing il
lcgisliltive commitlt'C in his role as a stilte representative. "It
appears the immediate commander has not an option but
to rt'Commend initiation of a separation action to higher
ht'.1dquartt>rs," Maj. fileen Norton wrote in her final report.
If a !-t:paration hearing board votes to discharge May, the
dt•dsion would have to be approved by the St-cretary of the
Army, a process that could take several months. If May is
ktcked out of the ,1rmy, he intends to challenge his disch;
irge in court, arguing the Army cannot limit his free
spl't'ch rights as a civilian or interfere with his ability to reprL'Sl'nt
his constituents as a state legislator May is also being
considered for promotion to the rank of captain.
Lt. Steve May plans lo sue if
he's removed from the military
for publicly acknowledging
his homosexuality during
a legislative debate.
Wells Fargo Bank charged with anti-gay discrimination
LAS VEGAS-A gay man and his str,1ight busine:;s partner sued their former employer,
Wells Fargo Bank, alleging they were forced to rL>sign after the bank discriminated against
them because of the g;iy man':, sexual orientation, the I.as \'l'gas Sun reported Dec. 10. In a
ft•deral lawsuit, Geoffery A Vanderpal and Michael Gordon accused Ralph Pierro, theu former
supervisor ;ind regional sales manager of Wl'lls Fargo Securities, of defamation, and of
allegl·dly sabotaging their training and employment opportunities. The two men were
hired in February as securities sales representatives and ll'ft on June 10. The lawsuit charges
that Pierro v1olatl'd employment policies on sexual har,1s~ment when he allegedly referred
to gays ,is "quel'rs" and made derogatory remarks concerning gay sex acts.
County negligent, but small judgment in Brandon Teena's death
FA1.1$ CITY l\Jeb. -A judge has awarded the mother of Brandon Teena a $17,360
judgment .1gainst tht' county for failing to ,1rrest the two men who would later kill
"lel>n.l, who lived as a man, the Omaha World-1 lerald reported Dec. 8. Attorney Herbert
Fnedman s,1id th;it the small award tn\'ialiZl•d Teena's dt•ath. "We're disappointed and
will prob.1bly file an appeal regarding damages, but we're glad he found that the coun·
t} w.1s negligent," said frit•dman. District Court Judge Orville Coady's found that the
two men, John 1.ottl'r and Mar\'in "Tom" Nissl'n, bore 85 percent of the responsibility
for the murder, Teena one percl'nt, and the remaining 14 percent belonged to the coun·
ty. Fourtt•en percent of the $200,000 the judge ,1warded JoAnn Brandon, plus funeral
expenses, equalled $17,360. Tcl'nil was one of thrl'l' people murdered New Year's E\"e
1993 in ,1 I lumboldt, /\:eb. farmhouse by l.oltl'r and Nissen, who had raped Teena a
week earlier, t•nragt·d that Trena was dating local girls. The story has become the subject
of two films, including the .KclJimed "Boys Don't Cry."
FDA tries to halt sale of alternative remedies for AIDS and cancer
WAS! IINGTON (AP)-The government asked ,1 fedl•ral judge on Dec. 9 to stop sales
of thrcl' altern.1li\'e reml'd1es that claim to treat cann•r and AIDS. The products include
~1CN-3, a rin•-bran extract claimed to tn•;it both cann'r and AIDS; Benefin, a form of
sh.irk c,1rhlagc; and SJ...ini\nswer, a skin cream that claims to treat skin cancer. All three
products .irl' from New Jcrsey-b.1sed Lane l ... ibs-t.:SA, whJCh now faces a permanent
in1unclion sought by the FOA. "People should not bt' misled into thinking bogus reme·
dies are going to be effecti\'c," said Dr Janet Woodcock, the FDA's drug chief.
From staff and wire. reparls
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VOICES AND ECHOES DECEMBER 17, 1999 • HOUSTON VOICE
Ask, Don't Tell' don't work
It was a remarkable week for gay and
lesbian Americans, as three of the nation's
most powerful political figures announced
within a few days span that the seven-yearold
policy called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
didn't work and ought to be 1unked.
Ever since a newly-elected President
Clinton first felt political heat for his campaign
promise to end the ban on gays in
the military, we have searched in vain for a
voice in the White House that would make
our c.ise to the Amencan people.
Instead, the Clinton-Gore administration,
terrified the new president's "honeymoon"
would be squandered, caved to
conservattves from both parties m
Congress Most Democrats, including
admrnistrallon lapdogs like Barney
Frank, accepted the resulting compromise,
an unpnnc1pled beast c.illed "Don't
Ask, Don't Tell."
Seven years of compelling constituhonal
challenges left the policy largely in
tact. Lower federal Judges would strike
OADT down as a v10lahon of equal protect10n
and the First Amendment, only to
see more consen·ative appeal courts
restore the policy. deferring to Congre:.s
on milit.iry matters.
Seven years of painstaking evidencegathering
from an unsung gay rights lobby
called the Servicemembers Legal Defense
1etwork laid out in detail how the policy,
which was supposed to have facilitated
closeted service by gay men and lesbians,
h.is in fact resulted in harassment, witch
hunts and a steady increase in discharges.
Memories of the 1993 political nightmare
shll fresh m their minds, the Clinton-Gore
administration did nothing in the face of
SLl)>J's evidence except apprO\'e a report
that suggested the rise in discharges came
about because of fake claims of homosexuality,
like that claimed by Corporal Klinger
on "M•A•s•H."
Only in the last 12 months has the
Defense Department made any significant
promises to improve DADT enforcement
and correct abuses.
Those efforts were too little and too late
for Pvt. Barry Winchell. After weeks of
vicious abuse from his squadron-harassment
that a fellow soldier testified was
enjoyed as "good fun" by all-Winchell
was bludgeoned to death with a baseball
bat by another soldier embarrassed that a
homo had bested him in a fist fight; a fight
Winchell had not started
If there were any doubt that DADT and
1ts proponents share some blame for
Winchell's death, it was removed by further
testimony, from a sergeant overseeing
Winchell's unit, who said he was advised
that under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," he could
do nothmg about anti-gay harJssment.
It was the blood of Barry Winchell, much
like the scarecrow image of M.itthew
Shepard before him, that finally moved official
Washington. Or was it electoral politics?
Hillary Clinton came first. Appearing
before a gay group, she called for the repeal
of DADT. "There are already gay and Jes·
bian Americans who serve with distinction
in the military. They should be able to do so
without discnmination and harassment,"
she would say two days later
The president, put on the defensive by
I Iillary's attack and making note of
Winchell's murder, took the unusual t.ict of
cond!.'mning his own policy, admitting "it's
wav out of whack now, and I don't think any senous person can s.iy it's not."
Then along came the vice president, who
up to this point had only gone so far as to
urge a more "compassionate enforcement"
of DADT, sounding every bit like the "compassionate
conservative" leading the polls
for the GOP presidential nomination.
By Gore was soon boxed in on DADT.
His opponent, Bill Bradley, had voted
against DADT in 1993 and had forcefully
restated during the fall campaign his belief
that gays should be allowed to serve openly
in the military. Even Barney Frank, und!.'r
questioning from :vtichelangelo Signorile,
called for the veep to reconsider his stand.
Finally Gore relented, returning to the
position his aides claim he had argued
behind closed doors at the White House
since 1993.
"In light of the Winchell case and other
evidence," Gore said on Monday, "I
believe the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy
should be eliminated Gays and lesbians
should be allowed to serve their country
without discrimination."
The dominoes had fallen, and the
Democrats were on board. The
Republicans, meanwhile, are staying quiet
but standing firm. No GOP candid,1te for
president favors repealmg DADT, except
that several would reinstate an outright
ban on service by gays.
That means the debate over DADT is far
from over, especially since President
Clinton has again decided he's got no
political capital to expend on behalf of gay
civil rights, even when 1t costs lives. The
White House announced late Tuesday that
although DADT was broken, Clinton
would prefer tinkering with it to facing
down Republicans in Congress.
That's the political cowardice we\·e
come to expect over seven painful years of
rhetoric without action- at least where It
might have a political cost. Can we expect
bett!.'r from the likes of Gore and Bradl!.'y,
not to mention Hillary Rodham Clinton?
Will they put our case to the American
people, or will they restate their position
and hope the conversation changes, the
way the president has to date?
If they choose the latter course, they will
deserve the inevi table criticism that their
position on DADT is political pandering, a
bone to throw to an important Democratic
party constituency.
It's the same sort of special interest politics
that Republicans have practiced for
years with the religious right: talk a good
game, do little, and remind them they've
got nowhere else to go with their vot6.
Or will they step up to the challenge and
stare down the opposition'
Only time will tell whether our new
champions will put our case to the people
with that much force. But there's more reason
than ever for hope.
In their first debate, at Dartmouth
College in New Hampshire, Bradley and
Gore both made eloquent appe,1ls to the
cause of gay nghts, putting our cl,1im to a
place at the table in the historical context
of other proud civil rights b.ittles.
lhose hvo New Hampshil\' speeches went
miles down the road first trod by candidate
Clinton eight ymr:; ago. With luck, we'll move
even further down that road, and be tre.1ted to
more weeks like we have sem recently.
HOUSTON VOICE• DECEMBER 10, 1999 VOICES AND ECHOES 9
VIEWPOINT
Log Cabin Republicans play the civil rights doormat
by MIC! IAEL Al VEAR
Beating up on the Log
Cabm Republicans 1s
addicti\'e. Like eating potato chips, you
can't iust stop at one punch. 1 foci guilty,
though, because the organization does a
certain amount of good In a lurching,
I rankenstem sort of way.
Recently, LCR's Georgia chapter was
instrumental in throwing a fund-raiser
for George W. Bush. Attendees estimated
that as much as 80 percent of the crowd
was gay. Yet the speakers, including U.S.
Sen. Paul Coverdell (R-Ga.), never once
acknowledged that fact; never once
uttered the word "gay"; and never once
addressed a single gay issue, pro or con.
Coverdell appeared again at Georgia
LCR's Dec. 1 meeting, and again he never
uttered the g-word.
What kind of a loser do you have to be
to give your money to a candidate that
won't even acknowledge your existence?
What kind of doormat would sit at a
function and not ask the recipients of tens
of thousands of dollars to acknowledge
the contributor's presence? I've had
LETTERS
cheap tricks before, but ne\'er anyone
willing to bend over so quickly.
Well, not without dinner, anvwav.
George W. Bush has gone 'on ;ecord
saying he won't e\'en meet with Log
Cabin Republicans, and that he would
not appoint anyone to his administration
if he knew they were gay. So what d()('s
LCR do? Throw a party for him.
A friend once told me that the
Republican philosophy can be summed
up in a two-sentence cheer-" Hooray for
me1 fuck you!" If that's true, the Log
Cabin cht'er should be "Hooray for them!
Fuck us1"
LCR should be taken to the woodshed.
Or we could whack them right where
they are, since their pants are perpetually
around their ankles anyway.
Though 1 don't consider myself conservative
or Republican, I actually
believe in LCR's mission. I've given them
money, supported their concept (if not its
execution), and I believe Rich Tafel, the
LCR national executive director, is one of
the most articulate spokesmen of the gay
movement, conservative or liberal.
In a way, LCR is poised to make more
important gains for gays than groups
on the Left. Republicans are in control of
the House and Senate. Loathing and
re\'iling them makes for good sport, but
poor strategy
Even if the Democrats v.in back both
hou,es, we're still left v. 1th a big problem-
no relatmnship with half of the US
power base. And that's where lCR
comes m. Common sense, which is a
completely foreign concept to the I dt, 1s
an LCR tenet: The best way to !>lop your
enemy is to make him your friend.
But whate\·er horse sense Rich Tafel
and his well-intentioned band of neocons
started out with, they fritter it away
with some of the most asinine strategic
moves I've seen since the Left burdened
us with the weight of "LGBTQ."
The Left may be a bunch of disrespectful,
back-biting PC mongers who prefer
perpetual victimhood over incremental
victory, but at least they've managed to
hold on to their dignity. Sort of.
Moderating the Republican party
through dialogue and influence 1s an
admirable goal. Giving up your dignity
in the process is not. LCR's preferred
strategy in the face of abuse and ingratitude
is silence. It's their version of "Don't
Prosecutors should
prosecute, not advocate
umented and should' have been more accurately
reflected in this editorial.
kept rather mum about Bradley's ex1Stence
and his plans for comprehensive gay rights
To the I:d1tor:
We fervently disagrt·e with the Ho11sto11
Voice's editorial expressing displeasure
with the outcome of the Matthew Shepherd
trial ("The defense got it nght in the
Shepard case," l\m'. 12). The Ho11sto11 Voice
unnecessarily criticized prosecutor Cal
Rl'ru(ha for making the trial more about "a
robbery gone bad" than the fact that 1t was
an anti·gay hate crime. There was a logical
reason for this. A prosecutor's )Ob is to prosecutl'
and pursue justice, not be a gay rights
advocate.
A guilty \'erd1ct that assures McKinney
will never ll',1\'e prison and have the opportunity
to terrorize another Matthew
Shepherd should not bother the Ho11sto11
Voice. McKinney was punished to the
fullest extent of the law, justice was ser\'ed
and for this we are grateful. It is clear that
any would-be gay basher who saw the outcome
would realize that there is a heavy
price to pay for his or her actions. This
point is incontrovertible
Perhaps the most specious part of the
editorial is the section that accuses gay
organizations of "whitewashing" the hate
thilt killed Matthew Shepherd HRC has
addressed this fact in every maier media
outlet m the nation. We have produced two
television public service announcements
with Judy Shl·pard and ha\e held numerous
press conferences to lobby for hate
crime legislation where we discussed
Matthew Shepherd's sexual orientation.
I IRC's outspokenness on the Shepard murder
ilS an anti-gay hate crime is clearly doc-
Anabd £. Evora
Human Riglzts Campaign
Bradley bests Gore
but gets no respect
To thl• Editor:
l'rrsidl'nhal candidate Bill Bradley has the
best stands on gay bsues in this election and
possibly in the history of presidential politics.
Democratic ri\·al Al Gore places a dLstant second.
("Gore, Bradley spar over gay rights,"
news, Nov. 26).
Bradley proposes non-discrimination in
employment, housing. and public accommodallons;
GorL~mployment only.
Bradky's health care program specifically
prov1dl'S for gay and lesbian families; Gore':-,
to tl1e b0.it of my research, d0t.>s not.
Although, neithN candidate supports gay
marriage, Bradley proposes ugay unions"
with all the benefits and rights of marriage;
Gore's DP plan is still being fonnulated.
With these stellar gay positions, you would
think Bradley would be welcomed with open
arms by our gay and lesbian leadership. It's
been quite the opposite, however.
Rep. Barney Frank publicly bashes
Bradley over differences on how to achieve
gay civil rights, our national organizations
simply ignore Bradley, and the Human
Righb Campaign misrepresents him in comparison
to Gore on its web-site.
Just as our national organizations have not
informed us about the other gay civil rights
bill currently in Congress, e\·en though it
would grant full civil rights. so too have they
This silence contrast.~ sharply with pre\ious
Democratic primaries, when the same
organi1.ations made sure e\·ery candidate's
pro-gay statements were publicized from
coast to coast.
Most disturbing howe\·er, HRC's web-site
comparing Y2K presidential candidates on
gay bsues fails to mention most of Bradley's
pnrgay positions, and then suggest~ Gore IS
the better candidall• on gay L'5UCS.
Attacking a prcrgay candidate, inaccurately
l'l.'portmg his p~itims, silencing his mL'!is.
1gc, or just plain pretending he doesn't exist
are all strategies we might exf)L~t from our
right-wing adversaries, but certainly not from
our friends and Icade~.
Don George
Atla11t.1
Lesbicm club opens its doors
To the Editor:
Recent critimm of a policy at Club
Rainbow has promptl'CI my businL~" paruwr
and I to offer an explanation of our intent to
ameliorate the misunderstanding.
We would like to clarify that we do not
hate men in any capacity. We strongly belie\'e
Ask, Don't Tell " Don't ask the
Republicans to acknowledge you, and
they don't have to tell anyone they did.
It doesn't bother me that Sen
CO\erdell, who's ne\·er ~en a gay issue
he didn't vote down, addres~ed an LCR
meeting I applaud it. It's the begmning
of construch\ e dialogue.
What bothers me 1s that the lCR leadership
doe.~n't pull him aside and sa}~
"Look, I know we're miles apart on many
bsues but even Arafat acknowledged
brae!\ right to exist. We don't expect you
to come out swinging for ENDA and
against DOMA, but we do expect you to
at least say the word 'gay' and express
some gratitude to the gay community for
its support of Republican causes."
It seems like such a pitiful thing to ask
for in exchange for the hundreds of thousands
of dollars that gay Republicans
donate to the party. But LCR apparently
doesn't behe\'e it can rise to the level of
pity.
~1ichael Al\'ear lives with his liberal
boyfriend, his libertanan Labrador and
republican Viszla, who refuses to
acknowledge him when he gets fed. He
can be reached at mikealvear@aol.com
in the concept of unity. It was never our
intention to discnminate or offend anyone in
the community
Club Rainbow's tagline "Exclusively for
C.ay \\'omen" was ongmated for two rrosons:
Marketing. It was our intent to inform the lesbian
community that there was an establishment
that cate~ to their niche Safety. From
the club's mception we wanted to ensure that
\\e prm1ded a 1><1fe em1ronment where lesbians
could conpesate and sooa!.ize ,,,thout
fear of har~ment from het<'rosexual males
\\ho prey on lesbian women.
While our methodology in obtaining our
goals may s.."'em msensiti\'e, we a sure you it
was merely na1\·ete If we had the fores1i;ht to
comprehend the brouhaha that has ensued,
I assure you we would have conwy,•d
our message in a different manner
Consequently, we ha\·e a taken steps to
accomplish our goals and maintam a
Sl'.'mblance of commuruty unity.
Ke...tJ m nund that we are nonces m the
realm of O\mmg and operating a nightclub. It
b our first foray into the world of busme:-_.;.
Although Club Rainbow is a lesbian establbhmrnt,
we have retired our tagline becau..-e we
welcome any and all patrons who are willing
to respt>et the clientele of our establishment.
Alexis Wa,;ifiuldm
Club Rainrow
10 NEWS DECEMBER 17, 1999 •HOUSTON VOICE
Police looking for jewelry in New Orleans murder case
by ~1ELINDA SHELTO:-.J
:\EW ORLEA:"iS--Almost a month after
fnends discovered the body of L.5t..: professor
David Sexton m his comfortable Bayou
St. John home, police still have no solid
leads in the puzzling case.'
Sexton, 51, was found ov. 22 just ms1de
his front door, st.ibbed at least 16 tames by .i
perpetrator pohce believe may h.ive been
mjured m a struggle with Sexton
There were no signs of forced entry mto
Sexton's 1 lagan Avenue home, but police
now say they believe several pieces of 1ewelry
are m1ssmg from Sexton's home. Also
m1ssmg are Sexton's wallet and keys,
although his car was found m hb driveway.
Pohce released a photograph of bracelets
similar to that Sexton and a friend, Steve
Loria, bought on a trip to Greece in
September. The photograph shows several
bracelets with distinctive Greek designs in
multi-toned metals.
Police also released the drawing of an
ornate cross that is mbsing from Sexton's
home The cross hung on a rope cham and
may h;ive a c1rculJr design s1mi!Jr to a
crown of thorns, although friends could not
s;iy for sure, said \Jew Orleans Police
Department Oct. lim Allen.
uWe've had no new developments in the
case," Allen s.i1d, "We're hoping someone
will see this jewelry and maybe remember
seeing someone weanng something s1mil.ir,
or trying to sell it. And maybe a pawn shop
owner will recognize it and remember who
tried to sell it or did sell it."
The grisly murder of Sexton, a distmgu1shed
scholar and researcher in early
childhood development at the I.SU 1 lealth
Sciences Center, has left police, family and
friends baffled.
Followmg an autopsy, Orleans Parish
Coroner Dr Frank Mmyard determined that
Sexton died ~ometime after 1:30 a.m. on
Nov. 20. He "aid Sexton suffered long, deep
gashes to his arms, suggesting that he
attempted to fend off his attacker.
days of newspapers on the porch, saw his
car in the driveway, but still got no answer
at the door, she called Loria.
Loria and Scott retrieved a set of extra
house keys, unlocked a security gate, and
found bloodied footprints on the porch.
When they unlocked the front door, they
found Sexton's body on the other side m a
pool of blood.
Loria descnbed his friend of a dozen
years as tall, 6-3, and physically fit. "He
must have put up quite a struggle," he told
l.\11'ACT News.
Mm yard also said he believes Sexton was
killed "by someone who knew Sexton and
who he let in his house [or] possibly
returned with to his home. This was not a
random murder."
I.aria and another friend, Randy Scott,
were the last known people to ha~e seen
Sexton before the murder. The trio went to
dmner and a play on Friday, Nov. 19, and
ended the evening with cocktails at the
Friendly Bar, a smaU, neighborhood establishment
in the Marigny.
Police fanned out across the Marigny
and into the French Quarter, targeting
gay bars Sexton occasionally frequented .
Allen said that thus far no one rl•members
seeing Sexton after he dropped off Loria
and Scott
Authorities mitially released limited
mformation about the perpetrator, saying
it was possible he was injured
New Orleans police released a drawing of
an ornate cross that is missing from
David Sexton's home. The cross hung on
"We think he may have been injured in
the course of the struggle," Allen said He
said the person could have had cuts or
scratches to the face, head, neck and arms,
and may have gone "underground" for a
few days after the attack or may have been
seen wearing bandages.
a rope chain and may have a circular design
similar to a crown of thorns. Sexton was
murdered Nov. 22.
Afterwards, Sexton dropped the two off
at their homes near his at about I a.m., and
Loria said he assumed Sexton was turning
in for the night. By releasing new information about the
bracelets and cross, Allen said police hope
to develop leads to a suspect.
!..SU Health Sciences Center m New Orleans.
He was co-director of the E.irly Intervention
Institute at the center's Human Development
Center, and once served as head of the UNO
~pt.'Cial education department, friends said
When Sexton failed to appear at a meetmg
that Monday morning, Nov. 22, a colle.
1gue first repeatedly called and then went
to Sexton's home. When she found three
Sexton was a researcher and professor in
the School of Allied I-te;ilth Professions at
l le was nationally recognized as an expert
in early childhood development and was
president of the Council for Exceptional
Children's Division of Early Childhood.
S an Antomo is a speaal place during the holidays. It's transformed
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O.C.S·7, ll·14, & 19 21 from S pm to 10
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Riverwalk Holiday Arts Fair
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~~reholiday ~ information V .
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HOUSTON VOICE• DECEMBER 17, 1999
WHAT YOUR PROTEASE
INHIBITOR CAN BE:
VIRACEPT IS POWERFUL It's tough on HIV. 1n many people, VIRACEPT lowered the
amount of HIV in the blood to levels below the limit of detection of the test used,
and substantially increased CD4 cell counts after 24 weeks of triple combination
for the treatment of HIV mfection when anti-HIV drug therapy is warranted It is
not yet known whether taking VIRACEPT will help you live longer or reduce the
number of infections or other illnesses that can occur with HIV Some corimon
therapy. (The clinical significance of changes in viral ried1cat1ons and some HIV related medications
RNA levels in blood has not been established. The
virus may still be present in other organ systems.)
VIRACEPT IS EASY TO LIVE WITH Take it three
VIRACEPT
nelfinavir mesylate
should not be taken with VIRACEPT. For some
people, protease inhibitors have been associated
tablets and oral powder with the onset or worsening of diabetes mellitus
times a day with your normal meals or light
snacks. VIRACEPT IS GENERALLY WELL TOLERATED People treated with VIRACEPT
may experience some side effects; the most common is diarrhea of moderate or
greater Intensity in 20% of people In clinical trials. VIRACEPT WORKS It's Indicated
*IMS NPA Prescription Data 8/98 - 5/99
and hyperglycemia, and with increased bleeding
in patients with hemophilia. Ask your doctor. For more information, call
toll free 1-888-VIRACEPT or visit www.agouron.com. .-~
!
(Refer to the important miormavon on the O!lt page)
11
12
VIRACEPT
nelfinavir rnesylate
w d c- r
Information for Patients About VIRACEPT9 (Vl-ra-cept)
Generic Name: nelfinavir (nel·FIN-na-veer) mesylate
For the Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection
Please read this 111!ormation carefully before taking VIRACEPT. Also, please read this leaflet each time
you renew the prescnptiOn, just In case anything has changed nus 1s a summary and not a replacement
for a careful dtSCuss on with your doctor. You and your doctor should discuss VIRACEPT when you start
tilt no this med1caticn and at regular checkups. You should remain under a docto(s care when laking
VIRACEPT and should not chanoe or stop treatment without rust tall< no with your doctor
WHAT IS VlRACEPT AHO HOW DOES IT WORK?
VIRACEPT is usell in the treatment of people with human Immunodeficiency wus (HIV) lnlsct1on.
lnlectiOn with HIV leads to the destruction ol CD4 T cells, which are important to the immune system.
After a large number ol C04 cells have beln destroyed, the Infected person develops acquired unmune
deficiency svndrome (AIDS).
VIRACEPI worlcs by bloelcng HIV protease (a protein-cuttmg enzyme). which 1s required tor HIV to
multiply. VIRACEPT has beln shown to significantly reduce the amount of HIV 111 lhe blood You should
be aware, however, Iha! the effect of VIRACEPT on HIV in the blood has not been correlated with long·
term health benefits. Patients wbo took VIRACEPT also had signtfteant increases m their CD4 cell count
VlRACEPT is usually bhn together with other antiretrovlral drugs such as Retrovi,. (z1dovudlne,
AZT), EpM,. (lamivud1ne, 3TC), or Zent" jslavuduie, d4T). Talong VIRACEPT m combination .with other
antiretrowal drugs reduces the amount o HIV In the body (Viral load) and raises CD4 counts
VJRACEPT may be tllten by adults, adolescents, and children 2 years of age or older. Studies in infants
younger than 2 years of age are now talung place.
DOES VIRACEPT CURE HIV OR AIDS?
VJ RACE Pl •s not a cure for HIV infection or AIDS. The long-term effects of VIRACEPT are not known at
this bme. People laking VIRACEPT mar sttll develop opportunislle infecbons or other condrt1ons
associated with HIV infection. Some o these cond1bons are pneumonia. herpes Virus infections.
Myrobactenum avwm complex (MAC) infections, and Kaposi's sartoma.
It Is not known whether VIRACEPT will help you live longer or reduce the number of infections or other
illnesses that may OCCIJr.
There ts no proof that VIRACEPT can reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others through sexual
contact or blood contammat1on.
WHO SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT TAKE VIRACEPT7
Together with your doctor, you need to decide whether VIRACEPT 1s appropriate for you. In making
your decision. tile following should be considered:
All1f11111: H you have bad 1 serious allef11IC raaalon to VlRACEPT, you must not take VIRACEPT.
You should ilso mlorrn youf doctor, nurse, or pharmaCtSt of any known allergies to substances such as
other med1cmes. foods. preservatives. or dyes.
H you arw prwgnant The eHects of VIRACEPT on pregnant women or !hear unborn babies are not rJ;mF./Jr!°u are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, you should tell your doctor before laking
If you arw braast-feedlng; You should discuss with your doctor the best way to feed your baby You
should be aware that H your baby does not already have HIV. there 1s a chance that rt can be transmitted
through breast-feeding. Women should not breast-feed II they have HIV.
Childrwn: VIRACEPT is available for the treatment of children 2 through 13 years of age with HIV There
is a powder form of VIRACEPT that can be mixed with mtlk. baby formula. or foods ltke pudding.
lnstructJons on how to lake VIRACEPT powder can be found in a later section that discusses how
VIRACEPT Oral Powder should be prepared.
H you ~aY1 liv1r diuau: VIRACEPT has not been studied 1n people with liver disease II you have liver
drsease. you should ten your doctor before !along VIRACEPT.
Otlttr medical problems: Certain medical problems may affect ttie use of VIRACEPT. Some people
taking protease tnh1brtors have developed new or more senous diabetes or high blood sugar. Some
people with hemophilia have had increased bleeding It Is not known whether the protease 1nh1bttors
caused tllese problems Be sure to ten your doctor If you have hemophitia types A and 8, diabetes
men tus, or an Increase In thirst and/or frequent urinallon.
CAN VlRACEPT BE TAKEN WITH OTHER MEDICATIONS?
VlRACEPT may Interact with other drugs, Including those you take without a prescription You must
dlSCUSS with your doctor any drugs that you are laking or are planning to take before you tllte Vi RACE PT.
Dnigs you should 11ot take with VIRACEPT;
• Seklarie" (terlenad1ne, for allergies)
• Hismanal" (astemtZole. for allergies)
• Proputstd" (cisapride, for heartburn)
• Cordarone" (arrnodarone, for irregular heartbeat)
• Ou mdtne (for lfregular heartbeat), also known as Oulnaglute~Cardioqu1n~Oumide~and others
• Ergot denvatiVes (Calergot" and others, for migraine headache)
• HaJcion• (trlazolam)
• Versed9 (midazolam)
Taking the above drugs with VIRACEPT may cause serious and/or ltte-threatenmg adverse events
• Rttampm (tor tuberculosis). also known as R1mactane". Rrlad1n", R1tate,., or R1famate•
Thts drug reduces blood levels of VIRACEPT.
00111'9duaion raquirtd II you t1k1 VIRACEPT with:
MycoblJ!Jn" (ntabutm, for MAC); you will need to lake a tower dose of Mycobut1n.
A dlanoe of lll1rapy should be cansld119d II you '" bking VIRACEPT with:
• Phenol>arb1lal
• Phenytom (01lantin" and others)
• Cart>amazep1ne (Tegretol" and otliers)
These agents may reduce the amount of VIRACEPT In your blood and mak! rt less effective
• Oral contraceptr;es ("the pd!")
H you are tilting lite p1U to prevent pregnancy, you should use a different type of contraceplion since
VIRACEPT may reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptJvaS
HOW SHOULD VlRACEPT BE TAKEN WITH OTHER ANTI-HIV DRUGS?
Taking VIRACEPT together with other anti-HIV drugs Increases their abifrty to fight tile Virus It alSO
reduces the opportunity for resistant viruses to grow Based on your htStory of taking other anti-HIV
medtetne. your doctor will direct you on how to lake VIRACEPT and other anti-HIV medteines These
drugs should be taken in a certain order or at specific times. This will depend on how many times a day
each med1C1ne should be taken. It will also depend on whether It should be taken wrth or witMut food
Nucleosld11nalogu11: No drug interaction problems were seen when VIRACEPT was given wrth:
• Retrow (z1dovud1ne. AZT)
• EpMr (lamr;udme. 3TC)
• Zent (slavudine. d4n
• Vid~(didanosine. ddl)
II you are bking botfl Vld11 (ddl) and VIRACEPT: Videx should be taken wrthout food, on an empty
stomach. Therefore, you should lake VIRACEPT with food one hour after or more than two hours before
you take Vldex.
Na•nucteoside reverse tnnscripl111 Inhibitors (NNRTls):
When VIRACEPT is taken together with:
• Viramurie" (nev1rap1ne)
The alllOIJnt of VIRACEPT m your blood may be reduced Studies are now laking place to tum about
the safety of combining VIRACEPT with V1ramune.
• Otlter NNRTls
VIRACEPT has not been stud ed With other l<NRTls.
DECEMBER 17, 1999 •HOUSTON VOICE
Other prot1111 lnhlblto11:
When VIRACEPT <S taken together with:
• Criluvan• (1ndinav11)
The amount of both drugs in your blood. may be Increased Currently, there are no safety and efficacy
data available from the use of this combination.
• Norm"' (rrtonavlr)
The amount of VIAACEPT In your blood may be Increased Currently, there are no safety and efficacy
data available from the use of this combinalton.
• lnvlrase" (saquinav11)
The amount of saquinaVlr in your blood may be increased. If used m combination with saquinavlr hard
gelatin capsules at 600 mg three times daily. no dose adjustments are needed. Currently, there are no
safety and efficacy data available from the use of this combination.
WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF VIRACEPT?
Like all medicines. VIRACEPT can cause side effects. Most of the side effects experienced with
VIRACEPT have been mild to moderate. Diarrhea Is the most common side effect in people taking
VIRACEPT, and most adult patients had at least mild diarrllea at some point dunnQ treatment In clinical
studies, about 20% of patients receMng VIRACEPT 750 mo (three tablets) three times daily had four or
more loose stools a day. In most cases, diarrhea can be controlled using ant1diarrheal medicines, such
as lmodium• A-0 (loperamide) and others. which are available without a prescription.
Othel side effects that occurred m 2% or more of palients receMng VIRACEPT include abdominal pain,
aslhenia, nausea, flatutence. and rash
There were other side effects noted In cUnlcal studies that occurred In less than 2% of patients receMng
VIRACEPT. However, these side effects may have been due to other drugs that patients were taking or to
the illness 1tsen. Except tor diarrhea. there were not many differences In SJde effects In patients who took
VI RACE PT along with other drugs compared with thOse who took only the other drugs. For a complete list
of side effects, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist
HOW SHOULD I TAKE VIRACEPT?
VIRACEPT 1s available only with your doctor's prescription. The light blue VIRACEPT Tablets should be
taken three times a day. VIRACEPT shoutd always be taken with a meal or a light snack. You do not have
to lake VIRACEPT exactly every 8 hours Instead. you can lake rt at normal limes when you are eating
Tak• VIRACEPT 11actly 11 dl1'9ded by your doctor. Do not Increase or decrease any dose or the
number of doses per day. Also, lake this medtelne for the exact period ol time that your doctor has
instructed. Do not stop taking VIRACEPT without first consulting with your doaar, even If you are
feeling belier.
Only lake medicine that has been prescribed specd1cally for you. Do not grve VIRACEPT lo others or
take medicine prescribed for someone else
The dosmg of VIRACEPT may be d1Herent for you than for other patients. Fallow the dl19alons from
your doaar, 111aly 11 written an the label. The amount of VIRACEPT m the blood should remain
somewhat consistent over bme. M1SS1ng doses will cause the concentration of VIRACEPT to decrease;
therefore. you should not mist any doses. Howt"er. if you miss a dose, you should lake the dose as
soon as possrble and then lake your next scheduled dose and future doses as onginally scheduled.
D01ing I• adults (Including chlldran 14[1111of1g1 and older)
The recommended adutt dose of VIRAC PT is 750 mg (three tablets) taken three limes a day. Each
dose should be taken with a meal or light snack.
Dosing 11 children 2 through 13 y1111 of age
The VIRACEPT dose in children depends on their weight The recommended dose is 20 to 30 mg/kg (or
9 to 14 mg/pound) per dose. taken three trmes daily wrtn a meal or light snack. This can be administered
either In tablet form or. in children unable to lake tablets. as VIRACEPT Oral Powder.
Dose lnstrucbons will be provided by the ch1kfs doctor The dose will be given three bmes daily using the
measunng scoop provided, a measuring teaspoon. or one or more tablets depending on the weight and
age of the child. The amount of oral powder or tablets to be grven to a child is descnbed in the chart below
Pediatric Dose to Be Administered Three Times Dally
Body W•iglit Number Number Number
aflntl ofln•I of
Kg Lb Scoops• TtllpoonS' Tabltts
7 10 < 8.5 15.5 to <18.5 4
8.S to <10.5 18.5 to <23 5 . l'/4
10.5 to <12 23 to <26.5 6 l'h
12 to <14 26.5 to <3 t H•
14 10 <t6 31 to <35 8 2
16 10 <18 35 to <39.5 9 21/4
18 10 <23 39.5 to <.50.S 10 2'h
~3 ~50.5 15 3¥·
In measur111g oral powder. the scoop or teaspoon should be level.
• 1 level scoop contains 50 mg of VIRACEPT. Use only the scoop provided with your VIRACEPT bottle.
1 1 level teaspoon contains 200 mo of VIRACEPT_ N'ote A measuring teaspoon used for dispensing
medication should be used for measunno VIRACEPT Oral Powder. Ask your pharmacist to make sure
you have a medication dispensing teaspoon.
How should VIRACEPT Oral Powd1r bt p11p119d?
The oral powder may be mixed with a small amount of water. milk, formula. soy formula. soy milk,
dietary supplements, or dairy foods such as pudding or ice cream. Once mixed, the entire amount must
be taken to obtain the fuQ dose.
Do not mix the powder wrth any acidte food or jutee, such as orange or grapefruit juice, apple juice, or
apple sauce, because this may create a bitter laste.
Once the powder 1s mrxed. It may be stored at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 6 hours. Do
not heat the mur.ed dose once 11 has been prepared.
Do not add water to bottles of oral powder.
VIRACEPT powder is supplied with a scoop for measunng For help lfl determining the exact dose of
powder for your child, please ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
VIRACEPT Oral Powder conlams aspartame, a low-calone sweetener, and therefore should not be
tllten by children with phenylketonuria (PKU).
HOW SHOULD VIRACEPT BE STORED?
Keep VIRACEPT and an other med!Cines out of the reach of children. Keep bottle closed and store at
room temperature (_between 59°F and 86°F) away lrom sourtes of moisture such as a sink or other damp
place. Heat and moisture may reduce the eHectiveness ot VIRACEPT.
Do not keep medteme that is out of date or that you no longer need. Be sure that d you throw any
medicine away, 1t Is out of the reach of children.
Discuss all questions about your health with your doctor. If you have questions about VIRACEPT
or any olher medication you are taking. ask your doctor, nurse. or pharmacist. You can also call
1.888VIRACEPT (1.888.847.2237) toll free.
The following are registered trademarks of thear respective manufacturers: Relrovlr, Eplv1r/Glaxo
WeJlcome Oncology/HIV; Zent. Videx/Bnstol-Myers Squibb Oncology; l11V1rase. Versed/Roche Laboratones
Inc; Seldane, R1fadin, R1famate, R1fater/Hoechst Marion Roussel; . H1smanal. Propuls1d/Janssen
Pllarmaceut1ca Inc; Halcron, MycobuliNPharmacia & Up1ohn Co; R1mactane. TegretoVC1baGeneva
Pharmaceu!Jcals; V1ramune/Roxane Laboratories. Inc; D1Jantm/Parke-Dav1s; C11x1van1Merck & Co. Inc;
lmod1umA·D/McNeU Consumer Products Co. CordaronelWYeth-Ayerst Laboratories; OumaglutefBerlex
la!>Oratories. Card1oqu1rvThe Purdue Frederick Co, OulnrdexlA.H. Robins Co. Inc; CafergoVNovart1s
Pharmaceuticals Corp t>omr 1s a trademark of Abbott Laboratories
Issued 11113197
CALL 1.W.VlRACEPT
VIRACEPT I& a rwglsUrtd trlOlmlrt at Agour-on -·ln C
Copyright 01199 Agou""' -.In c w. "°"" raeMd
•--<......,.
La Jolla. Caldomia. 92037, USA
HOUSTON VOICE • DECEMBER 17, 1999 NEWS 13
Hawaii court rules against gay marriage
HONOLULU-Hawaii's Supreme Court
upheld a 1998 constitutional amendment
against gay marriage last Thursday, closing
the door on three gay couples who had sued
the st,1te for the right lo marry.
But gay rights activists say the decision
does not reverse the high court's 1993 ruling
that failure to rl.'cognize same-sex marriage
amounts to gender discrimination, and that
gay couples arc l'ntitled to the same rights
and benefits as heterosexual couples.
The 1998 aml.'ndment gave state legislators
the power to determine whether marriage
licmscs should only recognize unions
between a man and a woman. The Hawaii
court ruled that the amendment protected
the ban from scrutiny under the equal protection
clause of the state constitution, so
the law, passed in 1994, must now be given
full force.
Still, gay rights advocates said the ruling
applies only to the issuance of marriage
licenses and not to other legal recognition
for same-sex couples.
"Unless the legislature passes a comprehensive
doml•stic partnership law, there arc
going to be hundreds of lawsuits" demandmg
marriage-like benefits under the court's
1993 ruling, according to Dan Foley, the gay
couples' attorney.
Last we~k's decision did not bar future
cases seeking the same benefits that come
with civil marriage, agreed Evan Wolfson of
Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund
"Although raw power politics and the
fierce, sustained campaign of our opponents
may have prevented this case from getting
us all the way to equality this century, the
historic case has left us in a transformed
position to fight on," Wolfson said.
Hawaii became the hope of gay marriage
advocates m 1990, when three gay couples
were denied marriage licenses by the state
health department and sued the slate.
Later that year, the case was thrown out
by a lower court iudge.
But the Hawaii Supreme Court's historic
1993 decision reinstated the lawsuit, saying
the ban violated the state's constitution
unless the state could show compelling reason
to justify it.
The ruling set off preemptive legislating
around the nation. At least 30 slates banned
gay marriage, and Congress passed the
Defense of Marriage Act, which denied federal
recognition of same-sex marriage and
allowed states lo ignore same-sex unions
licensed elsewhere.
In an effort to clarify the state's position,
the Hawaii legislature passed a law in 1994
limiting marriage lo opposite-sex couples.
In 1996, Circuit Court Judge Kevin Chang
said the state could not justify that limitation
and ordered it lo grant licenses to the couples.
But he suspended his decision pending
an appeal to the l lawaii Supreme Court.
In the intervening two years, voters
approved a 1998 constitutional amendment
Chat I Personals I News I Travel I Entertainment I People
~ Planetout:com
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giving legislators the authority to limit
state-recognized marriages to opposite-sex
couples, which they had already done.
The couples were "de\·astated" by the
court's decision, Foley said.
Of the three, Tammy Rodrigues and
Antoinne Pregil. and Pat Lagin and Joseph
Melillo remain in Hawaii and still want to
marry, Foley said, :\inia Baehr and Gcnora
Dancel have separated and are li\'lng on the
mainland.
Melillo said the Supreme Court decision
was more upsetting than the public
approval of the constitutional amendment
because he expected the court to be a
guardian of civil rights.
'We have never lost a court case until this
memo was issued by the Supreme Court today,"
he said. "It's very difficult to see how they
anived at this decision. It's really a cop-out."
Sue Reardon, a teacher al Kalahco High
School, cried when she was told of the ruling.
"Oh, God, this is awful." said Reardon, an
activist who was hoping to marry her
female partner. "It's just scary. If you can
help create laws to segregate and discriminate,
then no group is safe."
Opponents of gay marriage cheered the
Hawaii decision.
"Thank you to the Hawaii Supreme Court
for affirming what we've known all alongthat
marriage, by God's definition, is
between opposite-sex couples," said Mike
Gabbard, chairman of the Alli.mce for
Evan Wolfson of lambda legal said that even
with the Hawaii court defeat, gay couples are
entitled to all marriage rights short of a license.
Traditional Marriage.
Vermont a possibility
Vermont is the only state whose top court
1s currently considering gay marriage.
Three gay couples sued there for the nght
to marry in 1997, but a Superior Court judge
dismissed the case, ruling that there i;, no
fundamental nght to gay marriage. The
couples appealed
The Vermont Supreme Court is expected
to rule soon on the case.
aQP),
~ loin us in our excitement as we anticipate
the coming of our Lord and Saviour,
the Baby Jesus at
MARANATHA FELLOWSHIP MCC
3400 Montrose, Suite 600
(Comer of :-.tontrosc and Hawthorne)
!l~1lecf:~~~~~~~
An evening of l ive praise & worship, coffee-shop style.
$5 Cover charge • $1. Flavored coffees and desserts.
This event benefits the Maranatha's Building Fund.
Emmanuel, God ivith Us!
December 19 at 10:30am
Special Worship Service in Story and Song
to conclude the Advent season.
Candle Light Service
Sunday, December 24 at 7pm
Reception to follow.
14 NEWS DECEMBER 17, 1999 •HOUSTON VOICE
new J.a.icts en the net
Wired Strategies' John Aravosis has created a
one-man, online activist effort through his
web-site.
::.- Continued from Page 1
Aravosis agreed, but indicated that a
source's credibilitv, and value, should not
necessarily depend on a long membership
lbt or a large staff. .
"Any web-site can pretend to be anything
they want, but ultimately they have to put up
or shut up," agreed DaVJd Goldman, executive
director of HateWatch, an Internet hate watchdog
group. "You offer up data, and if it shows
itself to be honest, true and insightful, it will
grow and be helpful to people"
Like Ara\'OSIS, Goldman's HatcWatch,
currently made up of six volunteers, has
made a name for itself by taking up the
issue of on-line bigotry-including the
enforcement of AOL's policy against hate
spet.'Ch-and has become a web source for
information and discussion on the topic.
Goldman expects HateWatch to ilt!aln nonprofit
status in a few weeks, and plans to grow
the orgaruz.ation to include a membership and
full-time staff. Goldman takes a kind of
Darwinian approoch to on-line adV001cy work.
"Hatewatch has a very i;ood name ni;ht
now," he said rnattcr-<>f-factly. "I think we have
offered a good voice on on-line hate and bigotiy,
. . but no organization has the. ~ghl to
exist forever. If HateWatch loses credibility. or
loses popularity. and it's time for us to go away.
!hilt's what \\ill happen. We are part of pubhc
trust. U people like what we' re doing. and they
support us, we will be h 're "
Few voices, loud noise
One recent example of a small group
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making a big statement, Aravosis pointed
out, 15 the publicity generated by the group
Queerwatch when it vocally opposed the
death penalty during the trial of Aaron
McKinney, one of two men charged with
the murder of Matthew Shepard.
"But in the end, they raised a legitimate Lc,.~uc
in the community It reflected a debate that's
really gomg on," he noted.
Michael Petrelis, one of the founders of
Quecrwatch, described the group as a loose
network of about two dozen activists all
over the country, with no formal structure
or m1SS1on. He believes this flexible strcctactivist
approach allows the group to work
most effectively.
"We don't represent a large consl!tuency,
which I think is good," he said. "A handful of
people can change the world."
Bill Dobbs, a member of Quecrwatch and a
leader of the Ad Hoc Committee for an Open
l'roccs.s, a similar network fonncd in opposition
to the Millcnruum Mardi on Washington,
also claims an "ad hoc" is.5uc-bascd appro.1ch
eliminates wasteful bureaucratic process and
gets results. The Ad Hoc Committee won't
e\"en exist after the mardt is over, Dobbs said.
Shaping an image
"Dealing with the Democratic Party is
very similar to getting fucked m the ass, the
first time 1s usually the most painful,"
began a press release circulated last month
by National Gay Lobby.Org. "But, after several
good screwings, almost everyone gets
comfortable with the experience."
The commentary, about the failure of the
I late Crimes Prevention Act, was penned by
Michael Romanello, a founder of NGL
The group afuacted attention recmtly when
Romanello called for a boycott of AOL on the
NGL web-site; the group alc,o threatened to
send street hustlers and transsexuals to prott'St
outside the suburban Washington home:> of
AOL executives.
With a core volunteer staff of about
four, Romanello said they plan to grow
NGL mto a full-fledged gay rights
organization with a non-profit arm and
a registered political action committee.
The group asks voluntary foes from
members to cover operating expenses.
Romanello acknowledges he is more
outspoken than some other activists.
"Because we are not politicians, and
have no vested interest in keeping our
jobs, we can say things the way we see
them," he said
He defended the effectiveness of profanity
and extreme language in NGL's
public statements. "It was meant to get
attention, and it did," he said.
Another Internet group has taken a
very different approach.
The Stonewall Society was founded by
Codi Penance in Baton Rouge to comb.11
what he views as destructive infighting
among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
people The Stonewall Society consists
of a web-site where supporters can log
on and sign a pledge that they will seek to
end ~eparatism and discrimination and $eek
to promote acceptance among gays.
"The organization is more conceptual
than bureaucratic," he said, saying th.it
69 people have taken the pledge The
Stonewall Society may develop local
chapters, he said, but the web-site will
remain the center of the organization .
Employers told
of park arrests
.- Continued from Page 1
Smudy, the city's assistant parks din'Ctor
who was acting dm.'Ctor of the parks department
when the covert operation was startt'Ci
m August 1997.
"This 15 not a moral issues. Everyone is
welcome m our parks, but anyone that
breaks the law will be punished," he said.
Bui when park rangers arrest a man during
the operation, details of the arrest will
be shared with the media and his employer
if he JS an elected official or a city, county
or school system employee, Smudy said.
If the person works for a private company,
officials don't rule out notification of
the arrest to the employer, Sumdy said.
And Smudy and, other park officials
don't n.'Call a woman ever being arrested
during the string, which uses a team of
five, male-<>nly park rangers.
The tra\'el warning, patterned after
U.S. State Department notices about dangerous
conditions US. citizens could
encounter in other countries, accuses
park rangers of incitement to commit illegal
acts, entrapment, false arrest and falsification
of arrest reports.
"Gay men living in and around San
Antonio, Texas and those contemplating
tra\'el to that location are warned that the
City of San Antonio operates a covert operation
that targel~ gay men.'' said the sixparagraph
warning, issued primarily to
media outlets outside San Antonio.
McGowan said the community center has
a contract to use workers who have been scntenm:
I to community service by the courts.
The center has potential workers fill out a
questionnaire !hilt, among other items, asks
ilbout treatment by law enforcement officers.
Through that questionnaire, the center
learned of a large number of people arrested
for indecent expo:;ure and related as.•;ault
ch.1rgcs, McGowan said.
That prompted a meeting ~ith city
officials m which they admitted the
undercover operation. Parks director
Malcolm Ma s as well as Smudy
and others from the department attended
the meeting, along with a city attorney
and a representative for the mayor.
"We were attempting to negotiate
with them," he said. "~ut two thmgs
happened that made 1.t a~pear they
were not going to negotiate.
McGowan sent a letter to Matthews
with suggestions for other ways to
cle,m up parks and decrease indecent
exposure incidents. But McGowiln said
the response he received focused on the
tone of his letter, rather than the
attempts to end the undercover operation
Sepilrately, McGowan submitted a
Freedom of Information Act request
to the city to acquire records related
to the operation to help substantiate
that could prove some of the center's
allegations. City officials hedged at
the request, but later said they would
consider it.
McGowan then issued the travel warning.
::- Continued on Page 15
HOUSTON VOICE • DECEMBER 17, 1999 NEWS 15
San Antonio park sting nets more than 500 arrests
_. Continued from Page 14
'Community outcry'
Parks department officials said the undercover
operation started in 1997 after comp!
Jints from the public and a report on a local
TV news program about public sex in city
parks, Smudy said.
While offici,1ls confinn that more than 500
men h,1\'e been arrested during the sting,
allegations that the sting targets gay men or
entraps thl·m an• false, he said.
"I'd s.1y it's an accurate number. There was
a tremendous community outcry to stop indl'Cl'nt
exposure 111 parks," Smudy said. "My sister
uses the parks quite often to wall.; her dog.
She has s.11d she has seen people having sex
and pl'ople n111ning naked for can;."
During tht• sting, Smudy said a pair of
p.irk rangers will pose as park users, but
won't make contact with others in the park.
"TI1ey arc forbidden from making contact.
If someone approaches them and makes con\'
l'rsation, they will make comwsation,"
Smudy said.
What often follows, he said, 1s the person
who talkt•d with the undercover officer than
e\f:>OSCS his genit.1ls and sometimes grabs thl•
crotch of the park ranger
Most of the men arc handcuffed and
.mestcd, rather th,m tid.cted. because grabb111g
an offICer 1s Cllns1dered an assault,
Sumdy s.ud. fhl' r,mgt•rs don't haw time to
stop thl• incidl·nt and issue a ticket bdorl' it
esc,1l,1ll•s, he s,1id
"Norm.illy tlwy try to [write a citation],"
Smudy said.
In San Antonio, the city's park rangers are
charged with handling minor offenses that
occur in parks. They are certified peace officers
and rl>cei ,.e special training from the San
Antonio Police Department's vice squad to
conduct undercover operations.
Park rangers patrol the city's 160 parks
and its well-known river walk. Five of the
city's 101 rangers are 1m·oh·ed 111 the operation,
whICh uses only male officers and concentr.
1te:-. on two-dozen city parks, said
Richard Honn, chief of the city's park rangers.
Although Honn said he has a ~ million
budgl'I, he would not say how much money
has been spent on the two-year-old sting.
&inn said no women have been arreskd for
indcn•nt exposure since the operation began.
"We've had some that were dressed hke
women, but none of them I know of were
actually women," he said.
Smudy !«1id that many parks have warning
signs near arl'as where indecent exposure
incidenb have occurrl'<l. The signs caul!on
users that parks are patrolled by unifonned
and underco\'er rangers.
But ~mudy could not explain the !ugh
number of arrests m l.ght of the wam111gs
and publicity of the shng operation.
"We ha\'e made thb public knowledge,"
he s.1id "\Vp ,1lmost compll'll'ly blew thl•
CO\'l'rt shadow of this operation."
Bonn s.11d the covert operation v.-.1s started
at thl• request of the San Antonio Police
Department, which had predously organ-w~
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ized vice operations m parks.
The warning signs were also erected at the
request of city police, Bonn said.
Sumdy decided to use the undercoH·r
operation rather than close some of the most
troubled parks, which was what the pohce
department had addsed, Bonn said
An arrested man speaks out
But one of the men arre;ted in the opl at on
chalknges the statements of at\' olhciab that
they don't target gay men. ·
"It was clcarlv a "'t up and dearly wa'
entrapment," s.1id Doyle Bridger, \\'ho wa'
arrested in March at a San Antonio park for
indecent exposure and assault.
Despite the arrest, Bridger "'1id it was time
to speak out because something nl'l'ds to be
done about the stmg operation.
"I've been going to this one park e\·eryday
for Sl'Ven years and I cat my lunch then.•
e\·eryday. On this particular day I had to go to
the restroom," Bridger said.
I le said he h,1s Sl'l.'n and taken part in sex in
city p.1rk.,, but wasn't cruising for SC\ when he
was arrl~ted nine months ago.
Bridger said he saw a gray-haired \\ hite
m.rn and a l hsp.m1c man outside the restroom
rubbing themsch·es as he
appro.1ched The gray-ham·d man followed
him into the n•stroom and looked o\'er the
stall at Bridger three times, Bridger said
The other man also walked into the
restroom.
Afll'r the third attempt by the gra)-haircd
man to look o\·er the stall at Bridger, he
shmn'Cl the man his genitals.
'']said, 'Okay, you old queen, if you want
to see II here 1t is,"' Bridger said
The men were park rangen; and part of the
covert operation.
Bridger was arrested, handcuffed and
stood b\· the n.':'troom tor 15 minull's before
being transported to a nearby parking lot and
seated m a patrol car for two hours, he ~1d.
Bridger said he never touched either one
of the officers, though he was later charged
with assault.
County court records confirm that
Bridger was charged with indecent exposurt.',
a Class B misdemeanor, and \\ ith
assault for h1tt1ng thl' Hispanic off1ct•r, a
Cl.1ss C misdemeanor
A 1udg<' !'U"ltenced Bndger to one Y<'ilf of pn~
bahon, hundm:ls of dollars in
rml~.md :;4 hours of commurut\' ;.en ice, he said.
\\'hen asked why he exposed himself to
thl' ofhcl'r», Bndgcr ;.aid the men _played
their roles Wl'Il. ~
"My response 1s thcsl' guy;. are good,"
lw ;.a1d. 'They \\ere \'cry good l\0 1th_ the
body language.."
Dan Ca,tor, co-chairman of the San
Antonio &qual Rights Polittral <;aucus,
called the two-year !-lmg "atrocious "
"It 1s dangcrou~ for anyone to bt.> doing
an) thing in a park in San Antonio,
because we ha\•e a longtime issue with
over zealou' entrapment by law cnforccmt•
nt," ca~tor said.
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DECEMBER 17, 1999 • HOUSTON VOICE
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Houston, Texas 77034 ~
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HOUSTON VOICE • DECEMBER 17, 1999
A GUIDE FOR YOUR LEISURE TIME
Chattin
Simone Cunningham's charm and intensity are
easy to SH in 'Suite 69,' her new work of erotk
ltsbi111 poetry.
WITH
The intensity, passion and sexual
tension of Simone Cunningham
come through in the hip new
work of this bold, lesbian poet
by KAY DAYUS
For starters, she's had O\ er 25 lo\ ers-not counting
the men, she spent 10 years in accounting, and she's
been a prolific writer of poetry and
prose smcc the age of nine.
And she's only 26.
Simone A. Cunningham, a charming
but deep and intense author, says
she has only just begun.
"Suite 69," her self-published book
of black lesbian erotica, is mostly
steamy, sometimes soft and sad, and
often angry. It's easy to see why.
In "I've fucked dicks," she writes,
"l'\e fucked dicks in my time/ls! at
the tender age of 9/violated, mutilated
by hands of black man some call
uncle .:ousm and step dad.'
Cunningham \\as raped, she Sa} s
in a matter-of-fact tone, se\cral limes by male mem
hers of her family
"I was introduced to men at an early age and I grew
to hke sex with them until I went with a woman,
C'unnmgham says
"Suite 69" fir t sa\\ the hght of d.iy on
( unnmgham's self-des1~ned web 11 'Lrbanlo\
suites." It w.is thcr she fir~! sh.ired hu work with
oth r md, he \HII a \\el med
"The s st.is wd omc:d m 1\ 1th opm arms F r the f rst
time m my lrfe, I began to take my gift senousJy, she says
But Cunningham was only able to share her gift for
about six months before her Jnternet provider pulled
the site because of its conllnl She admits that many
people view erotica as "tasteless porn, but
Cunningham argues otherwise.
"So many women, particularly Afncan-American
women, arc oftentimes left unsatisfied after sexual
encounters. Millions of women have yet to explore their
full sexual curiosity. Women need to take time to find
out what they wani in a sexual relationship," she says.
And Cunningham says that erotica can help.
> Continued on page 20
The founders of New York's Paper
and its dishiest column ist) are
celebrating the style bible's 15th
anniversary and its new guide to
what's cool
by DAVID GOID~1A'.'\
It was 1984. Ron and Nancy twirled mernly in the
White House, ignoring the new dbease slaughtering Its
way through the nahon's gay male populahon.
Computers were high-priced and clunky and ;.till outnumbered
by typewriters in most office;..
The activation of the World Wide Web was f11 e years
away Busy people kept m touch usmg call forwarding: If
you'd fished a tiny phone from your bag and begun babbling
mto 1t on the street, you would have been clocked as
a dangerous, delu~1on lunatic.
And m ~ew York, Oa\id Hershko\"its and Kim Hastrciter
founded Paper, yet another flake in a flurry of funky 'zmcs
founded to chart the cultural ~s-rnrrents in ever-cvohing
do1mtown ~lanhattan.
Today Paper is an extraordillary publishing success story. ~ot
only is it still in print after a decade and a half, it al'-0 has an international
following (70,000 readers monthly) and a hugely popular
web-site (650,000 page views per month). It has been
crowned "the hippe;t magazine on earth" by the Los Angeles
Tunes and "the magazine of culture information among the seri-
> Continued on page 21
18 OUT ON THE BAYOU DECEMBER 17, 1999 • HOUSTON VOICE
Out In Print BOOK NEWS
Men caught in the patriarchy, too
by JAY VANASCO
Ever smce her book "Backlash," feminist
Susan Falud1 has been plagued with a question:
Why don't men abolish the patriarchy
that is keeping women down?
The .inswer Faludi has come up with
.ifter six wars of research 1s detailed m
STIFFED'. THE BETRAYAL OF THE
A.\.1ERICA:-.: MA'.'\-men can't abolish the
patnarchy because they're trapped by it, too.
Falud1 in ten 1ewed dozens of men on the
fringe and in the loop, from the editor of
Det.i1ls to astron.iut Buzz Aldrin, from
Promise Keepers le.ider Bill ~1cCutncy to
the abusive boy::. of the Citadel She asked
them about rehgion, entertainment, work,
family .ind recreation. She was expecting a
d1vers1ty of\ 1ewpomts, a collcct1on of travesties
of individual circumstance.
But evcrv question she asked seemed to
have the same .1nswer-mcn .:ict the way
they do ~ause their World War II fathers
made them a prom•sc that they would be
useful and mstcad, men of the post·w.:ir
generabon.s fmd themselves caught up man
medi.:i-dnven soctety "drained of context."
Falud1's most starthm; theory 1s that men
today arc locked m the 5,1me box as housewives
bdore Betty Friedan Thnr lives are
out of their control. Thev are downsized,
their societal utility is d~valued, they are
left to be nothing more than a pretty body
to sell a product. Yet they are deeply invested
m learning to "act hke a man."
But being a man m the 1990s, Faludi says,
is different from being a man prior to World
War II. Back then, she says, they didn't need
to "be masculine; they were seeking something
worthwhile to do. Their sense of their
own manhood flowed out of their utility in
society, not the other way around.
Conceiving of masculinity as something to
be turns m,:mlincss mto a detachable entitv,
at which point it instantly becomes orn~mental.
and about as innately 'masculine' as
false eyelashes .:in.' inherently 'feminine."'
Faludi spends some time talking about
ornamentation in gay male culture. She
secs the Stonewall-era Jrag queens ,1s the
true heroes of the gay movement, noting
that they dn~ssed as women both to wink .:it
the strict gender rules of society and to
identify with the opprcss10n that women
felt under male Jomination
She mourns those days. Though Falud1
lauds gay male mobili.1:ation arounJ the
AIDS cmis as a "monumental social movement"
that has generated "in this homophobic
nation a wellspring of admiration
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and respect" and masculinized gay men in
the eyes of America, she believes the gay
movement has sold out.
Gav men have lost their sub\-ersiveness,
she s:i'ys, m favor of Ikea. "Shopping h.1s been
redefined as a form of activism," Faludi says.
Gay men have submitted tothecorpor.:iteculture
m order to have designer couches.
Additionally, she womes about gay men
who we,u Ihm hair like M.uincs and who
have enveloped themselve~ in the leather
scene. This "aggressively macho pose," she
fears, is an obse~sive search for masculinity.
In other words, gay men-who originally
escaped the trap of the masculinity crisis
through the sarcasm of camp-fell prey to
the very "culturally dictated masculinity"
that tyrannized and betrayed them.
Faludi could probablr write a book on gay
male culture-and she should. The short
pages on the gay movement arc some of the
most interesting in the book. Still, Faludi is
interesting throughout, drawing us dt·ep mto
the individual lives of men so that 660 pages
whiz by. It gets a little tinng, though, to read
anecdote after ,inecdote of man-as-victim.
Aren't there any empowered men out
there? You begin to wonder how representative
her chosen men arc. And, sifting
through 11 chapters of md1vidual stones
you might well wish for a little less amusing
detail and a little more heavyweight theory.
You can not help but ask a question that
reflects Falud1's own: If men are not the
problem, and women are not the problem,
then who exactly is controlling the culture
that we're all imprisoned in? If Falud1
can't answer that one in her next tome,
maybe we'll need to turn somewhere
else-like the "X-Fib."
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HOUSTON VOICE• DECEMBER 17, 1999 OUT ON THE BAYOU
On Stage THEATER NEWS & REVIEWS
Reworking Carol, Sonny and Cher
by D.L. GROOVER
Stages' premiere of the off-Broadway hit
musical I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT,
NOW CHANGE, still running in New York
City, possesses grace and charm. The cast
showcases Its considerable musical comedy
talents with delight, the staging is clever
and polished; the score hummable.
So, why did I
begin to tune out?
Because this show
is something I've
sc·en one time too
many, for years.
Comprised of
ment in her now-empty life, revealing much
more than she intends. Bonasso delivers
this monologue with quiet, unassuming
power.
Casey Burden is all cute and huggable in
his various roles, and anv mother in the
audience would be pleased to have him as a
son·in-law. He comes into his own with the
haunting ballad, "Shouldn't I Be Less m
sketches highlighting
the trials and
tribulations of the
dating/mating
game (Act I) followed
by the joys
and pitfalls of marriage
(Act II), this
musical has been
resurrected and
recycled from variJoanne
Bonasso, Pippa Winslow, Casey Burden and Jeffrey Gimble in the
TV variety-show-like ' I love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.'
ety·show favorites like Carol Burnett, Andy
Williams, Sonny and Cher and even "The
Bell Telephone Hour."
The play attempts to be up-to-date with a
smattering of "shits" and the plaintive cry
of "she won't go down on me," but you
could take your aunt to see this show and
rest assured ~he wouldn't need a blindfold
or car plugs. It's too sweet and old-fashioned
to shock. Toothless as a teddy bear
and just as cuddly, ''I Love You" is so harmless
and willing to please it's almost quaint.
In this day and age when most musicals
are rated PG-13, a breezy, entirely weightless
romp should be eminently embraceable.
All we ask is that it entertain without
reminding us of chamber musicals like
"You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" or
"The Fantastics."
But the exceedingly pleasant actors hold
the show together by their sheer exuberance.
They sing up a storm, mug like
vaudeville troopers and even manage a few
smooth dance steps. They make this show
eJsier to sit through, even when two full
acts of this run-of·the-mill variety show
shtkk is one act too many.
As written, the quartet plays a kaleidoscope
of char.icteri.. Each vignette finds
them in a different guise, and they all play
some v.iriation on the stereotypical guy and
gal, husband and wife, widow and widower
joJnne Bonasso is the show's Imogene
Coca. Whether she's the much put-upon
single girl caught in the "Single Man
Drought," or the quintessential Jewish
mother hen-pecking her husband and
whining kids, she's wonderfully versatile.
Her shining moment is the "Very First
Dating Video of Rose Ritz," a poignant and
well-written cameo, in which this 40-something
di\'Orcee attl'mpts to find a replace-
Love With You?" Sung to his wife over a
breakfast routine they've accepted over the
years, the temptation to stray just doesn't
seem all that important, or interesting, anymore.
It's a subtle moment that Burden
sings from the heart.
Jeffrey Gimble possesses· a polished,
effortless voice. With his rich baritone, he
can belt o~ croon with the best of them. He
certainly makes the pseudo-pop numbers
written by Jimmy Roberts and Joe DiPietro
sound better than they are.
Leggy and lithe, Pippa Winslow sings the
show-stopping number "Always a
Bridesmaid" to perfection. Winslow makes
the most of this country-western anthem to
staying single.
With a primary-colored storybook set
consisting of house fronts and a garage
door, part of the steps might flip down to
reveal a restaurant table already set for dinner,
or a bed might materialize out of the
porch stoop. Most of the time these scenic
changes, accomplished by the actors, are
more intriguing than the scenes themselves.
The performance I attended was sold out,
and the audience heartily enjoyed itself, so
1t obviously appeals to a great many.
Perhaps it's because there aren't any variety
shows on TV anymore that something so
tame and uninspired as "I Love You, You're
Perfect, Now Change" can strike a nerve.
I Love You, You're
Perfect, Now Change
Stages Repertory Theatre
Through Jan. 2
3201 Allen Parkway
713·52-STAGES
www.stagestheatre.com
19
20
Chatting
§11111 SIMONE
.- Continued from page 17
She sits erect in a straight back chair
and her face 1s serious durmg a recent
interview in a Houston coffee shop, but
she often flashes a big smile and sometimes
even appears embarrassed by her
own boldness.
But she must be bold to write the way
she does-without shame, without fear,
fully confident of her power with words.
"I am lost m the wetness of your
body/the sweetness of your mouth and
tongue/dancing against mine/the sweat
on your neck and breasts/ as it dampens
my fingertips," she writes in "Suite 69."
It's easy to see Cunningham's passwn
for poetry and prose. And she doesn't
write only erotica. Jn the works is a book
about the trial and tribulations of two
Texas girls.
Within the passion and boldness of
Cunningham's writing can be a softness
when she discusses love and life.
"I am loving her like I once loved
you/kissing her hps gently caressing her
breasts/just ,is you caressed mine that
very first time resting her head on my
shoulder/hiding behind closet doors and
between satin sheel~/I am loving her and
she 1s IO\·ing me," she wntes in "Suite 69 "
But to fmd her voice m writing,
Cunningham has had to overcome trou-
OUT ON THE BAYOU DECEMBER 17, 1999 • HOUSTON VOICE
bles at home, which started at age 9 with
the effects of domestic violence among
her parents.
"I was there when mv mother killed
my father," she says, adding quickly it
was in self-defense "I loved my father
and he was good to me, but he abused
my mother I never blamed my mother
for what happened."
Despite that tragedy, Cunningham
remains close to her mother, even if she
doesn't like her daughter's writings
of crollca.
"My mother's pissed. She w.ints to be
able to show my work, but she says,
'How can I show this,"' the younger
Cunningham says.
Passion also strikes Cunningham
when talk turns to feminism and her
African-American heritage.
"Women should be seen and I don't
think we're seen," she says.
Cunningham wants to help put
women in the forefront where she
believes they should be and hopes one
day to become .i filmmaker to help. She
wants to make films "that need to be
seen so that people feel more comfortable
with their sexuahtv."
Although she's ·been in relationships
with a few men, Cunningham says she
has never been confused about her sexuality.
She shared her fi rst kiss with a girlfriend
when she was four; her first sex
with a woman when she was 14. She
exudes a boyish charm and says her
young father "raised me like .:t tomboy.
lie treated me like his brother."
Some poems in "Suite 69" are short a
result, Cunningham says, from the little
thoughts that constantly pop into her
head. For instance, about a one-night
stand, she pens: "When I said good-bye
and kissed you on your cheek with your
body on my breath, did you cry?"
Another poem, "U So Fine," 1s the
product of pulling alongside an attractive
woman at a traffic light. She looked
over, shamelessly flirted, daring the
woman to look her way. Immediately, her
poet's mind went to ~ork: ·
"lJ so fine and I can tell by the way you
smile you know ti. I see it in your eyes as
they hide behind your ray-ban tinted
shades/I wish you'd pull over so I can
get your name and perhaps a number or
two cause I'm really digging you/Shittt,
I want to get to know you and possibly
gain a touch or two."
Yes, she wanted to get to know that woman.
'Tm a big flirt, but it's pretty harmless
nowadays," says Cunningham, a reference
to her year-old relationship.
Uke her mother, Cunningham's girlfriend ~
isn't too pleased with her erotic writings. But I!: ..._....i...._ ....... ....:11-.:...:..t.::..r...~;u;.;._..u...:.-. ....
she'll have to get used to it, Cunningham says. Simone Cunningham is passionate when talk
Admittedly preoccupied with sex, turns to feminism, her heritage and sexuafity.
Cunningham easily admits that her work is
laced with the undercum'l'lt of sexual prowess.
But mu lti-faceted in life and conversation,
Cunningham shifts gears to her
enjoyment of dressing in drag and hitting
gay bars for blacks.
"When I really want to step out of
Simone's shoes, I dress up like a boy and
lip sync," she says.
Cunningham enjoys the tips, but most
of all, the a ttention.
"I like being seen," she says.
For more information about Simone
Cunninslram's work, call 713-601-0455, or
write Urban P11blislrm, P.O. Box 300635,
Houston, Texas 77230-0635.
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HOUSTON VOICE • DECEMBER 17, 1999
;... Continued from page 17
ously hip" by Time. RuPaul, Leonardo
DiCaprio, Todd Oldham and Courtney Love
all benefited from early ink in its pages.
But most incredibly. Paper is still edited and
owned by the same two trend-spotters who
ran off its first copies. "It's almost our claim to
fame at this point: that we've managed to stay
in business, stay independent, yet still remain
competitive in content and ideas with th~
other [large publishing] companies,"
I !ershkovits said last week from New York.
This year in celebration of Paper's success,
1 !ershkovits and Hastreiter have pub·
lished a book, "From AbFab to Zen: Paper's
Guide to Pop Culture."
Why a book?
"We always wanted to do a book,"
I lcrshkovits said. "When it came time for this
15th anniversary, we wanted to do something
that would reference the past and everything
we did, but was still new."
Hershkovits sees the book filling a historical
niche.
"Today young people tend to take it for
granted that things were always like this. It
became even more important to try and
point your finger at history and tell people,
'This was John Sex. He was this really
amazing guy. And he influenced Keith
1 laring and Ann Magnuson, and she influ-
OUT ON THE BAYOU 21
enced Joey Arias and Joey influenced
Madonna. It's like this great chain."
Hershkovits and Hastreiter met while
working at Village Voice rival SoHo Werkly
News, which eventually folded. Some News
staffers formed Details, which has since been
sold and reformatted as a men's magazine.
1 lershkovits and Hastreiter soon abandoned
their lofty plans to raise big bucks for a slick
magazine, choosing instead to publish the
best product they could at the time. The first
is.'iUl'S of Papi:r were printed as a fold-out
poster that sold for 50 cents.
"Everything was based on not having
money." said Hastreiter. But today Hastreiter
m.'Clil!i this financial realism \\;th being "the
reason why we're still here."
Through the years, the magazine has
changed repeall'Clly. Its logo is still redesigned
for every issue. Its leadership takes seriously
the cover tagline "Where Things Start."
Somctiml'S, Papt'r has moved too fast even for
its super-hip market.
"People were horrified when we put a girl
with tattoos on our cover," Hastreiter said.
"We lost advertising. People were gagging
over it-ma bad way. not a good way."
The rise of AIDS was tragically concurrent
with the ascent of Paper.
"The magazine suffered during those
years of the late '80s when AIDS was at its
peak," Hershkovits :;aid. "Those were dark
days for the magazine and for New York.
You were going to memorial services
instead of restaurants."
Another story was especially difficult to
cover: the fall of "club kid" ringmaster
Michael Alig. After reigning for years as the
undisputt'Cl king of the downtown scene, Alig
Papers founders: David Hershkovits and Kim Hastreiter
slid mto a hellish world dominated by
"Special K," cocaine and other drugs. I~
1997 he pleaded guilty to murdering his
drug dealer and is now serving a 10- to 20-
year sentence.
"You can't really believe it when somebody
you know is m a situation like that,"
Hershkovits said. ''That's what happened
with Alig. having known him as this great creative
force that arrived in New York and took
the town by storm. I cannot really believe it
now, even though I'm sure he was guilty."
Both editor /publishers are straight.
"One thing that Paper did, which I'm
really proud of, was I think we were one of
the first magazines that was a tossed
:;alad-like a mixture. We have a really
large gay readership and a really di\·erse
multi-cultural readership."
In 1991, Paper inaugurated Joey Arias'
"Chitchat" column, m which the noted
actor and Billie Holiday impressiomst presents
a transcribed phone interview with a
star. An image of Arias as Lady Liberty was
chosen to represent "A" at the book's
beginning. How did that make Joey foe!?
"I was like, oh my God! My heart started
pounding. I started feeling very sensual
and excited, very Statue of Liberty.
Like, 'Welcome to my world, bitches! I'm
the queen! The goddess!'" Anas said
from New York.
Arias is currently on screen with Robert De
Niro in "Flawless."
Paper, Arias said, "is almost like a crystal
ball for the hip. It's so quick and so
current. People always pick up Paper
magazine to find out what's going on.
Especially," Arias added with a wicked
laugh, "if they want to get down!"
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DECEMBER 17, 1999 • HOUSTON VOICE
Experience the
Art of Dining
"If my husband would ever meet a woman on the street who
looked like the women in his paintings, he would fall over in a
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Mon-Thu
Friday
Saturday
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Lunch 11 OOam until 2 OOpm Dinner 5:00pm unt1110·oopm
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Dinner 5 30pm until 11 :OOpm
Sunday Brunch Buffet 10 30am until 2 30pm
905 TAFT
HOUSTON, T£XAS 77019-2613
713.523.5fOX
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Enjoy exquisite culinary creations at
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Every Sunday, 10:30am , 2:00pm
Adults: $22.50; Seniors: $20.50;
Children 5-11: $12.50
HOUSTON VOICE • DECEMBER 17, 1999 OUT ON THE BAYOU 23
Eating Out RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Plucking a plate in a comfy place
by TRAYCE DISKIN
I have to admit, I first stumbled into
BENJY'S, an eatery serving "modem
Amencan cuisine" as an act of desperation on
a recent Sunday. A friend and I found ourselves
approaching the doors of several
I louston st.mdbys, only to be turned away by
closed doors or private Christmas parties.
We were in no position to be choosy,
but I longed for a comfortable, casual, Sunday
night kind of place-an establishment
that invites you to reach over to your
The House Smoked Salmon Shortstack
($7.95) offered uneven slivers of salmon
between roasted com cakes, with grapefruit
and avocado on the side. Although I
got the California-like mode of the dish, it
was a strange combination. The com cakes
were Oavorless and doughy-a dose of
shredded scallions might have done the
trick. The salmon was suspiciously nonfishy
and added to the problem of too
many different mingling tastes.
The Smoked Shrimp Spring Rolls
($4.95) were nearly exquisite, with succucompanion's
plate to
pluck a roastt>d tomato
from !'Ome star dish.
Who would have
thought our prayers
would be answert>d at the
classy and comfy Benjy's?
Nestled betwCt.>n a brewery
pub and Italian spe-
- ~
benjy s
lent, • soy-soaked
shrimp hidden in a
crusty, baked wrap.
The habanero sauce
drizzled in zig-zags
along the plate made a
piquant dip-imagine
a sharp pepper laced
with maple syrup and
oa!ty store in Rice Village,
1
N T H E
Benjy's atmosphere is
minimalist and soothing
with its sleek metal and Formica tables.
While the downstairs bar seems lodged
awkwardly in the middle of the spacious
dining room. The lovely, fist-sized glass bulbs,
tl'ardrop-shaped and hung on long rods,
provide a homey elegance.
A basket of dry French bread and small
com muffin..~ appeared as soon as we were
seated Thl• muffins were fresh and boasted
slivers of peppl'r. The humus, served
as dipping s.1uce, didn't exactly fit with
these starters, but the greaseless muffins
stood alone.
Our server was friendly and informed, and
rattled off a list of specials that made ordering
an ordeal. I opted for the special soup, Crab
and Com BisqUl' ($4.95), which featured
seamll'S..~ly blended tomatOt'S, com and crab
for J wlwty texture and spicy, rich taste
Benjy's
2424 Dunstan • 713-522-7602
Food: t>t>'t>'t>
Service: t;> 't> S> S>
Value: t>S S>t
Scene: 't> 't> S> S> t
l> Opt for bread, water at home
,,,S>oK, 11 you really must
t, &~, & Worth the drive, so live a little
b ., ~.,~, As good as 1t gets
V 1 L L A G E tomato. The shredded
apple slaw was
impressive as a garnish
and included shredded radishes, zucchini
and pecans, which made us wonder why
this wet and crunchy salad didn't earn
itself its own place on the menu.
Often minimalism errs on the side of
being too minimal. Such was the case with
the Spinach Pizza ($7.95), which consisted
of barely steamed spinach on a thin, wheat
tortilla, with scattered calamata olives and
conservJtive dollops of feta cheese. While
I appreciatt>d the frl'Shness of the spinach,
this dish was more like a salad on tortilla-
a little too simple and plain for
someone who at least requires the decadence
of more cht.-ese or a rich olive 'aute
The Asian Salad ($8.95) was huge and
although the generous portions of chicken
were tender, there seemed to be nothing
especially Asian except for the over<ibundance
of fried wanton noodles. The ginger-
lime dressing was likable, but didn't
do much for a fairly pedestrian salad.
The dishes we didn't have room to try
will tl•mpt us to return. The Wild
Mushroom Enchiladas with charred corn
relish ($7.50) or the full dinner items such
.is Corn Crusted Chilean Sea Bass ($19.50)
or Wood Oven roasted Duck Breast
($17.95) all sound scrumptious. One of the
big turn ons of Benjy's is its ability
to sl'rVl' diners who want a calm, relaxing
place to munch on quality fare, to
those who prefer a dining experience
replete with hearty entrees and any number
of good wines.
Then then• was the two of us, one lazv
Sunday night, who chose to finish a
promising, 1f uneven, dinner with a devi·
ously rich p1en• of three chocolate mousse
c.ike, featuring a layer each of dark, milk
Jnd white chocolate on a graham cracker
crust. Although Benjy's may not be perfect
on e\'ery dish, the highlights arl'
enough to make it one of the first plaCl'S
on my list an} dJy of the week.
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community DECEMBER 17, 1999 •HOUSTON VOICE
PAST OUT • COMMUNITY CALENDAR
OCCASIONS • CARMART • CLASSIFIEDS
BUSINESS DIRECTORY • MY STARS
Y2K Pride in full swing as hunt for logo continues
by ROBERT B. HE\JDERSO.
The Pride Comrr.:ttec of Houston hopes to
select a logo for next year's festivities on
Tuesd.ry, marking the start of a busy season of
orgaruzmg for the armual event.
Organizers are also SCl'king nom:nations for
four grand marshals, which will be armounccd
March 9 after community-wide voting.
The Pride committee also has adopted a
motto for th<? 2000 e\·cnt, drawing on international
organizers for some hclp. "Take PrideTake
Joy-Take Action," the motto for international
organizer~, will abo serve as
Houston's motto, said Jack Valin~ki. executive
director of Pnde Committee of Houston.
"This is one of the first years we've actually
gone |
