| Transcript |
Starting (and Naming) Your
Own Gay Business
Peter Harrison, p.15
Van Hightower Wins Montrose but
Hall Wins City Hall
Hollis Hood, p. 7
MONTROSE v 0 I c E
The Newspaper of Montrose Dec. 2, 1983 Issue ... 152 Published Every Friday
By Robert Hyde
(This is first of a two.part story based an a
recent interview. Part two will appear next
WPf'k.)
Steven H. Shiflett is on his way out-out of
Houston, that is-t-0 establish new roots in
San Francisco. On Sunday afternoon, the
mayor, most of Cit~ Council and mOBt of
Shiflett'• friends will gather on the 60th
floor of the Texas Commerce Tower to say
farewe11 to a member of Houston's gay
community who has ~elped . sh~pe its
course since his arrival m the city 1~ 1975.
Some people will be glad to see him go.
They've thought him too vocal, _too devisive,
too autocratic, too eg~ntnc. .
Others are sorry he's l~avmg. 1'.nen~s
slip up to him in the bar with tt:ars m th~1r
eyes and hug him Some fnends w~te
notes to him in smoked-filled roo1!1s w1shina
him all the best. Adversanes who
opposed him for years can't hold their
emotions inside, perhaps feelings that
they're losing their most worthy opponent.
And in a secret moment, a Gay Polit·
ical Caucus member propositions him into
vying for his old position as president of
the GPC, a position he was elected to three
times but uJimately chose to abandon
because he had felt betrayed.
"My history can be looked at as lo_ts of
wonderful successes, lots of good bmes
and happy faces and tears and great emotion,"
he said in a recent interview. "But
everything has not been that hunky-dory
." .
Shiflett is revved-up now for his depar·
ture. His apartment is slowly bein~ emptied
of the unmoveables as gifts to friends.
His emotions are peaking over issues
which have obsessed him for yearsprimarily
the welfare of this city's gay
community which he has loved and fought
for for so long
Hf' rt"tains aome bitterness. then realizes
that there's no need for it-there's too
much potential within the community to
allow room for bitterness.
And he's assumed an attitude that a
mother hen might project over her warring
tribe of chicks, ordering them to stop
pecking at each other for the good of the
hen house, a lesson he wishes to pass on to
his brood from his personal experiences.
Then he thinks of San Francisco and
worries about what he's leaving behindnot
too concerned about what's ahead,
other than a personal career which might
put him in good stead with what is to
become an international corporation.
"I'm going to give myself a Jot of time for
my work, first ," he said of his planned
move to San Francisco, "because the reason
I'm moving is to make a career
advancement and accelerate that process
by taking this job."
But he sees himself as possibly becoming
mvolved in that city's gay politics. as
'Private
L ives'
Explodes
with Talent
and
Laughter
Billie Duncan, p .21
How's Your
Gay
Literature
IQ?
Roz Ashley's Quiz,
p.18
well, but in time-after the newness wears
off-and in an area where he can be most
effective.
"It will be like taking a jig•aw puzzle
and throwing it in the air and_ letting ,it
land " he said of his futurepolit.J.cal environm~
nt, "and then see what I'm going to
do."
And from the looks ofit, it won't be long
before he's back in the thick of it, promoting
gay rights as he feels he was born to
do.
"I was brought up in precinctorganizing,
~ginning when I was 16-
years-old," he said.
Back in Baton Rouge where he spent his
adolescence, his high school civic teacher
gave him a major project. teaching him
how to run a campaign. His dentist, whom
he mowed the lawn for, let him eavesdrop
:into his 1-ace for Citv Council. Then when
the politi"al seeds ~Pre olantt>d , a tragedy
rontmued pagt! 8
~apartof ·--.3111~1
this extn:IWglTlza rong taped fur television
by a Hdlyu,oOO production romfxlny
as 30 of the mast beautiful entertainrn
ewr ·assembled on one st~
rompete far $15,CXXJ in ca.di prizes.
~tJY
EUR0iAN
l'IU..ftY"a'YN>tlJlt <ll'\f\llJMTl
A L y s 0 N
PUBLICATIONS
0 THE MOVIE LOVER, by Richard Fnedel, $7.DO. The entenamiDg
coming-out story of Bunon Raider, wbo is so elegant that as a child he
reads Vogue in Ills playpen. "The wntmg is fresh and cnsp, the humor
often hilarious," writes the L.A. Tim&S. "The funniest gay novel of the
year," says Chn.stophu Strut.
0 ONE TEENAGER IN TEN: Writings by gay and lesbian youth, edited
by Ann Heron, $4.00. One teenager in ten is gay; here, twcnty-sllt young
people tell their stories: of comi.ng to tenm with bcins different, of the
decision how - and whether - to tell friends and parents, and what the
consequences were.
0 THE BUTTEJISCOTCH PRINCE, by Richard Hall, SS.DO. When Cordell's
best friend and ex-lover is murdered, the only clue is one that the
police seem to consider too kinky to follow up on. So Cordell decides to
track down the killer himself - with resulu far d!Hereo• from what be
had expected.
0 AJJ,-AMEllJCAN BOYS, by Frank Mosca, SS .DO. "I've known that I
was gay since I was thirteen. Does that surprise you1 It didn't me .... " So
begins All-American Boys, the story of a teenage love affair that should
have been simple - but wasn't.
0 CHINA HOUSE, by Vincent Lardo, SS.DO. A gay gothic that bas
everything: two handsome lovers, a mysterious house on the bill, sounds
in the night, and a father-son relauonship that's closer than most.
0 THE ALEXANDROS EXPEDmON, by Patricia Sitldn, $6.DO. When
Evan Talbot leaves on a mission to rescue an old schoolmate who bas
been unprisoned by fanatics in the Middle l!ast, be doesn't realize that
the trip will also involve his own coming out and the discovery of who it
is that he really loves.
0 DEATH TRICK, by Richard Stevenson, $6.DO. Meet Don Strachey, a
private eye in the classic tradition but with one difference: he's gay.
TO ORDER
Enclosed is $ _ ~· please send the books I've checked above. (Add
SI.DO postage when ordering 1ust one book; tf you order more than one,
we'll pay postage.}
0 Charge my (circle one}: Visa Mastercard
expiration date:: ___ _
signature:-------------
~~ess ---------------~
city state __ zip ____ _
ALYSON PUBLICATIONS, Dept. P-5, 40 Plympton St.,
Boston, MA 02118
DEC. 2, 1983 I MONTROSE VOICE 3
Convention Center: The Buck Stops Here
By Hollis ~~d . November electi~n. underemployment roblems and a declin-
(The follo.wing is the first of two parts giu- OneoftheJeading~l!PPOrtersofthecen· ing national econo~ cau htu with th
ing t~e h'story of the recently passed con· ter was the Gay !'ohtical Caucus, which city. Y g P e
ue.ntum center proposal and what effect it saw the convention project as a way to
wdl have on Montrose.) d.em?nstrate its political dout to the quesCivic
center convention centers espe- tionmg non-gay populace, and it did.
ciallycentersdowntown,aregoodf~rbusi· .At 75 percent, Montrose delivered the
ness, and all the surrounding downtown h.1ghest vote pe~c.entage of any area in the
areas will profit from the building of the city for Proposition A, and its estimated
new George Brown Center on the eastside. that some ~5~000 gay vo~ers supported it.
At least that's the idea that convinced . Local activist Lee J:l~ngton, who coorenough
people to vote for it in the recent :d·1m ated efforts to solicit gay support, said, want to thank the gay community for
its support of the construction of a new
downtown convention center. Our endor-
U.S. AIDS Budget
Falls Short
$9 Million
By Larry Bush
WASHINGTON-The Reagan Administration's
posture on AIDS shifted slightly
when two new pieces of information were
made public in October. Rep. Ted Weiss
(D-N.Y.) made available documents
signed by Dr. Edward Brandt, the assistant
secretary for health, showing that
health researchers and administrators
actually wanted an AIDS budget of $52
miHion last year, when the Reagan
Administration was willing to propose
outlays totaling only $41 million.
The information comes from a letter
from Brandt to Health and Human Services
secretary Margaret Heckler, and outlines
specific health programs such as
vaccine development and animal testing
that would have cost about $12 million
more than the Administration proposed.
A letter from Heckler to the Office of Management
and Budget director David Stockman
shows entire areas of Brandt's
proposal simply dropped from the budget.
The Centers for Disease Control is
undergoing a change at the top. Dr. William
Foege is leaving as director, and Dr.
James Mason will be appointed to the job.
Mason, who once worked for the Public
Health Service's venereal disease programs,
also served a stint from 1970 to
1977 as director of the Mormon Church's
health programs. The Utahheadquartered
church includes in its
health program a little-known "aversion
therapy" program to cure homosexuals.
sement of, and bloc vote for, this project
has res1;1I~ecl in several significant gains:
our pohtical clout and credibility were
enhanced citywide-we delivered what we
promised.
"We have always said that we are not a
one-issue political group," Harrington
continued. "We proved that. We raised the
consciousness level of the downtown business
establishment. Many of the Texas
Eastern and Cadillac Fairview corporate
hierarchies (many of these executives had
never before been in gay settings) in September,
with Councilmembere Greanias,
Greenwood and Tinsley, attended a Texas
Eastern-sponsored gathering at the Four
Seasons Hotel to woo the gay vote.
"It's participants still tell me how
genuinely impresseed they were with the
people they met over dinner that night. We
made it possible for every gay man and
lesbian at Texas Eastern and CadiHac
Fairview to never again have a concern
for job security because of sexual orientation.
You are to be congratulated for your
efforts once again," Harrington said.
The gay vote was important, and with
the growing importance of that vote comes
the growing importance of being responsible
fo r who gets it-beware of corporate
executives bearing cold avocado soup.
The convention center issue, like any
facing the metropolis of Houston, is com·
plicated and convoluted. It didn't start
with the Houston Sports Association peti·
tions last year, nor the year before.
As early as 1978, when theeconomy was
outrageous in Houston, which is a town
that boasts of intelligentsia that loves to
party-therefore a natural for
conventioneers-the powers that were
decided it needed more space to attract
bigger and better audiences. But Houston
attracted everybody, therefore causing
However, the convention center still
looked attractive because it would create
work.
"Houston needs-and is going to get-a
new convention center," flatly stated the
November 1980 issue of Houston.
Mayor Jim McConn appointed a com·
mittee to study existing facilities and
future options in the summer of 1979, with
Frank Horlock chairman. Houston was
not getting its fair share of the convention
market, and the revenue and business
stimulation it brought to the city, which
was going to its close competitors New
Orleans, San Antonio and Dallas.
The committee told the mayor and City
Council in September that they had
located a site in Houston Center and that
the new building should be a minimum of
500,000 square feet with meeting rooms
and arena facilities. The council voted for
a feasibility study of the 11-acre site of
which Cadillac Fairview, one of Houston
Center developers, offered to donate
264,000 square feet to the city with the
purchase of 106,000 square feet.
Other sites considered were the Buffalo
Bayou center between Memorial and
downtown, the Allen Parkway Village site
and the Astrodomain. Research began on
all alternatives.
Even at that time, then councilman
Lance Lalor often opposed the project in
council meetings and later was joined by
councilman Dale Gorzynski who questioned
exactly how it would be paid for.
Despite a declining convention market
in other major U.S. cities, Houston was
booming in 1981, and the Houston Con·
vention and Visitors Council moved into
an expanded facility at 3300 Main. The
city was setting records for convention
attendance with 661 through the end of
1981, resulting in $263 million infused into
the economy, an increase over 1980 figures
of 647 conventions and revenue of $223
mill ion.
No doubt conventions were becoming
even bigger business than they had ever
been, and Houston's need for expanded
facilities was critical, but the where and
how for a center had to be worked out, and
cloud~ of opposition we~e already forming.
(This has been the first of two articles
See the MONTROSE VOICE on Dec. 9 for
part two.)
Montrose
Mouth
Holiday Goodies
The Montrose Voice Annual Christmas
Party-for the staff and the READERS (thafs
you) of the Montrose Voice-is Tuesday night,
Dec. 20, 8pm to 1am, at the Upper Deck of the
Officer's Club. There'll be dancing with DJ
Ram Rocha and free beer
We'll be requesting $2 at the door for the
Media Fund for Human Rights, the non-profit
C?mmun1ty serv~e arm of the Gay Press Asso-c1at1on.
-a-
No sooner does the turt<ey get digested from
Thankg1Ving, than it's time to think about
Christmas and all the partying to come. Hon,
this 1s a time for events that make the little ol'
head just spin! Get out them calendars and
start dictatin'.
Those of us who are young at heart or may
have ktds who need entertaining this season
may want to drop by the Main Street Theater,
2540 Times Blvd. Lili, a wonderful play with
marionettes, is playing there at 1 :30pm on
Saturdays and Sundays until Dec. 18 in a carnival
atmosphere. It will keep the kids happy,
and th_e girls off the streets• Tickets are only $3
for children and adults Discountsand/orspe-clal
performance days are available to groups.
Call 524--6706 for info or reservations
There hasn't been this much excitement since
Andy Warhol sptlled his trifles down Liza's
dress! Douglas Holt will host a champagne
party at his Lamar Tower residence on Dec. 3
Rumor has it, the place will be teaming with
celebs from all over, and to add to the suspense,
the theme of his benefit has yet to be
announced' Those of you m the more hoityto1ty
crowd may remember his last benefit-a
Marilyn Monroe Look·Alike contest at Annabelles,
which benefitted foster children
Dou~·s parties are all for good causes Even
Marvin Zmdler approves!
For those who think of the Women's Lobby
Alliance m terms of Carne. Nation, swinging
her hatchet at every susp1c1ous-looking man,
there 1s now a wonderful opportunity to prove
you wrong . The Women's Lobby Alliance is
celebrating it's third birthdav with a big to.do
on Monday, Dec. 5 at the Houston Area
Women's Center. 4 Chelsea Place-6:30 'Iii
8 30. There will be entertainment, beer and
wme, hors d'oeuvres and birthday cake. A sug·
gested donation of $10 will be appreciated at
the door Call 52H)439 for info
-a-
It's happening whether we like 1t or not! Books
are being pu~hshed about (gasp!) gay people.
and _the publtc is even buying them• Oh well,
this 1s the latter part of the 20th century. . and
for those who are familiar with the finer pr~
ducts of the gay press. Pete Fisher is a wel·
come guest Fisher, who has written three
books of interest to gay readers. will be the
guest at a reception in his honor at Wilde &
Stein Books, 802 Westhe1mer, Saturday, Dec.
3 (THIS Saturday')from 4 to 5:30pm
HlS latest book. 0,,Jamlovers. is a wild and
sexy novel (can you 1magme a gay book without
sex?) about one man's quest to turn his
fantasy lovers into reaht1es. despite a lover, his
career and uncomprehending friends. Gee. do
you think any of us may have something in
common with the sub1ect matter of this particular
book? The reception is free and open to
the pubhc. THATS US-'
Those who live in Montrose and have not
bothered to frequent the Un1vers1ty of St. Th~
mas· campus have not truty discovered the
1oys of living in Montrose. It 1s certainly one of
those places where the city becomes a REAL
city, and the Department of Music at St. Tho.
mas is puttmg on a Feshval Concert, featuring
the UST Singers and Chamber Singers. Come
on, y'all! It's Christmas. and St Thomas is so
close, and the music is so good, and you'll feel
so great, and who knows . maybe you'll meet
someone or even learn something•
The concert starts at 8pm on Mon .• Dec. 5, at
UST's Cullen Hall, 4001 Mt Vernon. Admission
1s free. Call 522·7911 . ext. 240, for mfo
Enjoy culture at your very doorstep!
It's that time again! We can all start holding
continued on next page
4 MONTROSE VOICE I DEC. 2, 1983
Montrose
Mouth
Here's More Mouth
continued from page 3
hands and dance around the Christmas tree
and smg those old Greek songs and wax our
moustaches and carry off a wench or two in
that time-honored pagan Greek way ... Oh, I
just get so excited when I starttothinkofthose
Greek pastries, breads and appetizers that the
Annunciation Orthodox School is selling for
their Annual Holiday Bake Sale' On Fri., Dec.
9, and Sat., Dec. 10 from 9--6 p.m., the wonderful
people of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral,
3511 Yoakum, will be offering their tine ethnic
goodies for us to eat
Just go into the S.P Martel Auditorium on
the grounds of the cathedral. and help yourself
to the best food this side of the Aegean. Proceeds
will benefit the Annunciation Orthodox
Se~ . which welcomes children of all faiths
Pre-sale orders are encouraged (these goodies
go la•t'). Call 777-5504. 771-6049 or 497-
3667. and pick your eats up at the auditorium
either day of the sale
-D-A
gay bake off sounds like something between
a party scene from the movie Giant to a cerEr
monial meeting of the National Association for
the Prevention of Mass Suicide for Lemmings
But tor those of you who are yawning while
reading this paper, and wondering what to do
and where to go, the Gay Switchboard will be
sponsoring a gay bake off that will give you
plOt'lty lo do
Beg1nn1ng at 4pm at the Barn. 710 Pacific, on
Sun., Dec. 11 , the bake off will offer awards for
the best dessert in various categories-pies,
cakes. cookies. etc. The entry fee for each dessert
is $5. and all goodies will be auctioned off
or sold by the piece later m the evening There
will be plenty of celebs there. so be in your best
behavior!
The Switchboard would prefer that you call
your entry in beforehand to eliminate the possibility
of a massive pie-jam at the door, but if
you care to nsk it. just bring your goodies to
the door of the Barn and you'll betaken care of.
All proceeds will benefit Iha Gay Switchboard
Call 529-3211from6-12pm weekdays or 3-12
weekends
-o-lt's
Ebony and Ivory time. Time to focus attentton
on mutual love and understanding
between all factions of society-to show love
and Christmas cheer! The Black and White
Men Together of Houston are presenting a holiday
filled with act1vittes of cheer and socialization.
There will be movies. concerts. ornament
making. tree decorating, caroling, and numerous
parties to make up the social calendar.
If you are missing the qualities of love and
friendship in your life. check this out! Contact
the Gay Switchboard of Houston for details,
529-3211
Maybe the true sign of a city becoming a great
city 1a the unique quahties of the people who
live there. and the certain areas of the city
where such people live There's Bloomsbury in
London, SoHo in New York, Haight-Ashbury
in San Francisco. Hollywood in L.A. and Montrose
in Houston
In the myriad of people who frequOt'lt the
Montrose area. Reverend Gracie Lee 1s one of
the most notable. Her book store on Fairview
and Stanford (Gracietynn Books) has an outdoor
theater attached, and church services are
held on Sundays there. lt"s the •Little Church."
Reverend Gracie Lee named it after the Little
Portion of St. Francis of Assisi. Feeding (physically
and spiritualty). shettenng and counseling
Montrosians in need, Gracie feels she's
following in St Francis' toosteps. Services are
Sun. at 11am at Place in the Sun's outdoor
theater at 704 Fairview
-o-
"POO VIE!!" he says What is a Poo Vie? It must
be one of those Cajun phrases from across the
border. . Well, Thanksgiving weekend was a
big happening at Fantasy I in Lafayette. Our
CaJun frtends really know how to let the good
times roll. It's too bad those hot CaJuns are 200
mlles away. Oh well. we all know too much of a
good thing ain't good •. or WHO says Have
a crawf1sh on mel
Alan Pierce. acting director for the Montrose
Clinic. grves his most heart-felt thanks to those
who gave thetr time to raise money for the
clinic and the KS/Al OS Committee during Zap
Clap Review II. Especially to Danny Villa for
his idea to put on the show and NUMBERS II
for its facilities. Although the turn-out was
smaller than expected, the show was worth
seeing, and Alan is proud of the community for
its support. THANXI!
Cassandra is limping these days using Fanny's
old cane. The manager of Mary's broke her
ankle recently and will be hobbling around for
six to eight weeks
-o-
The Officers Club 1s now having 2 for 1 drinks
every Thursday. That's both call and well
drinks-ANO beer.
-o-
The Trailride, a down-home C&W bar, opens
today with Sam Bass the manager and wllh
John, Ron, Jum and Bob as bartenders. Ev~ry
Saturday will be "Crazy Day" at the bar•and
every Sunday they'lll have happy hour all day
The WesthBlmer Colony Association will be
putting up Chnstmas decorations on Westheimer
on Monday, Dec. 5. startinc 1om. with the
help of the Montrose Symphgonic Band and
Chorale
Tim's Coffeeshop has moved into their new
kitchen. increasing their capacity to serve
even more of their delicious food
The Boulevard Cafe is frequented by other
people besides whispy women in veiled hats,
contrary to popular belief. To prove it, the restaurant
is offering the public a chance to see
some exceptional works of art by Montrose
artist Tom Liddell. Imagine, being able to eat
fine food, see great local art and be able to
wear that pill-box hat you've always loved-all
in thp ""me place'
D-PARTY
ALERTS Friday is the 29th anniversary
of the day Sen. Joe McCarthy was condemned
by the U.S. Senate for his witch hunt
for communists, many of whom he claimed
were etther homosexuals or movie stars
Saturday Is the 178th anniversary of the day
Lewis, partner of Clark in the Lewis and Clark
exped1t1on of the Northwest, carved his name
MEMBER CLUB BATH CHAIN
on a Pacific Pine
Next Tuesday is the 118th anniversary of the
18th Amendment, abolishing slavery
And last but not least, the lesbian/Gay
Resource Service at U of H will meet Tues.,
Dec. 6, at 2:30pm m the Spmdletop Room, 2nd
floor University Center. LGRS is open to night
as well as day students and faculty. Anyone
interested is encouraged to write to LGRS,
P.O. Box 309 Campus Activities, Houston,
77004; or call 749-1253 and leave a message.
-D-WHEWI
what s week! Thmgs are really hopping
in Montrose st this time of the year, and if
you have anything you need to announce, just
send It lo tho VOICE, 33f7 Montrose Blvd.,
Suite 306, Houston 77000 (our favorite zip
codef). Have s good week, Reading Public,
and ramember· Most of us are staying fight
here in Montrose unless we all go at the same
time/
DEC. 2, 1983 / MONTROSE VOICE 5
Congress Looks at Important Gay Issues Atheist O'Hair
Excommunicates
Gay Atheists
By Larry Bush
WASHINGTON-Congressional panels
took up a variety of issues before their winter
recess that have important impJications
for gay people, including hearing a
proposal that the Equal Rights Amendment
legislation be amended to bar civil
rights for gays, a review of a Reagan proposal
to subject nearly four million American
workers to sporadic lie detector tests
about their reliability, a revamp of the
U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and efforts
to amend Administration proposals on
"acceptable" charities to which federal
workers may donate.
The House Judiciary Committee heard
testimony from anti-ERA crusader Phyllis
Sch a fly of the Eagle Forum asking that
the proposed Equal Rights Amendment
include a new provision that would block
any court from extending civil rights to
lesbians and gay men. The ERA, which
diP<i at the state level only three states
short of ratification in 1982, was reintroduced
in the current congress to once
again wend its way through the process.
According to Schafly, the key reason for
blocking civil rights for gays at this time is
AIDS, and in her pitch she suggests that
airline attendants who are gay be fired to
insure the safety of any passengers who
might accidently find the steward's blood
in their food as a result of a cut during the
microwave preparations.
Congressional sources indicate that
Rep. James Sensenbrunner will lead an
effort to attach Schafly's amendment dur·
ing the full Judiciary Committee proceedings.
While the amendment is expected to
fail, it is also expected to provide a forum
for heated discussions of the "threats"
gays present.
Montrose Voice
The Newspaper of Montrose
Published every Friday
3317 Montrose Boulevard #306
Houston, TX 77006
Phone (713) 529-8490
Mootr~1~~1.A'\'?c'.:ingCo
A~:.~~l~-~~==i~~
Contentscopynght 1983
Office hours: 10am-5:30pm
HenryMcClurg
ptibli&her
~~~,:;~~
Jeff Bray
gr•ph•u
Sonny Davis
eccounrmg
Robert Hyde
m1n.gmgecMor
Hollis Hood
"9W•ed1r01
Chuck Meredith
lport1ed1tCN
B1lheOuncan
Peter Derksen
Jon Cheetwood
Joel.Watts
er'lten11nmen1w"l•t11
lytHama
ec:h9f'lllMgd11«for
Mark Drago .,..,."""'"
:.,~':!!~:' GrHler Montrose Bus1neu Gu•ld. Gey
::::c:•'"'c"lnternet1on11G1yNewsAgency,Pac1l1cN8W$
Au11m811rHU C1p1tolNew1Serv1c•
~=~~:i~~::~:~!=~:!~f:$;:~~~:l~ii~i~~
McN1ugh1.JoeS1ker
POSTMASTER Send eddreucorrect1on110 3317 Montrose
ll08. Hou&ton_ TX77C>Oe
StJblcr•ploortreremUSmse.iedM1vt1lope S•9peryHr(52
i&IUMJ . $20per1111mon1h1(:i'61H.,..).or$t25perweek(leu
then:i'e .. un) Beck119U81S200e1ch
N1t/Oflel9<1~lia1ngrepttsMll•f1Ve Joe01S.blto.R1vendell
~erket•ng . e&ti6!'1A....,.ue New York 10011. (212)2•2·686.l
::=~dee<111 ,.. r~•"t' 5 JOpm. lor ruue1elffsedf1 ..
N04icetoedvert1Hrl Loaladverl•llOQr&te1ehedu1eS1•·A
"""•efteci1veJu1y1 19&3
Mpon11b,lhy MOfllro&e \loict-ll* npt uaa.tm• rnponsr
~tvfP,r•cittft•11ngC11~tR_,iie,..n~kjt1..i MonllQle
VOio4(tqant1'tC8JJl•¥e~n;
In Rep. Jack Brooks' (D-Tex.) government
operations committee, there was a
furor of activity over new Reagan Admin·
istration propasals to tighten national
security by subjecting any workers with
access to classified documents to random
lie detector tests. According to testimony
at the hearings, about four million Ameri·
can workers-1.5 federal workers and 2.5
workers in the private sector contracting
with federal departments-would be
affected by the random checks.
Each federaJ department tolfows its own
guidelines on what constitutes "reliable"
workers, with some publicly admitting
that they want to know which employees
are gay. Brooks' committee took a dim
view of the Reagan proposal, as have
senators in a counterpart committee, and
it now appears unlikely that the proposal
will swing into full effect without some
changes.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) wrung
changes out of a different Administration
department in October. The Reagan
Administration had announced. earlier
this year proposals to deny groups federal
grants or contracts if they were doing
"grass roots" lobbying with the money
they received from nonfederal sources.
That would have been an extension of the
current rules, which bar the use offederal
funds for any lobby purpose.
The Reagan propasals were written by
the Heritage Foundation, the think·tank
started by Joseph Coors of Coors Brewery,
and was meant to "d~fund the left." How·
ever, the broadly written proposals also
angered the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
as well as several major Defense Depart·
ment contractors. Among other provi·
sions, they would have had to build a
separate building and hire a separarte
staff for any work they were doing to
affect public opinion.
Several run-th roughs were tried by the
Reagan Administration to satisfy its
Defense Department contractors while
still gouging groups like Planned Parent·
hood off the Jiets, but Frank used his over·
sight subcommittee to keep the issue
visible. In late October, the Reagan
administration finally threw in the towel,
accepting a vastly watered-down version
of its first proposals.
In a closely related area, the Adminis·
tration also had sought to cut off the list of
acceptable charities any group that it
claimed was doing lobbying, again
broadly defined to include such things as
letting the public know of proposed rules
changes affecting programs. Planned
Parenthood, which has faced the strongest
hostility of any group during this
Administration, was once again the
target.
The rules change was particularly objec·
tionable in the eyes of charities, because
the issue was not federal tax dollars, but
merely whether federal employees would
be allowed to donate to such groups during
the annual Combined Federal Campaign,
which is the equivalent of the United Way
for the millions of federal workers.
Lower federal court rulings prevented
the Reagan Administration from striking
Planned Parenthood and similar groups,
and Frank's subcommittee once again
kept a close watch on the situation. Frank
now says he believes the charities who
would like information on how to be listed
as an eligible group in the Combined Fed·
eral Campaigns of the future.
The U.S. Civil Rights Commission officially
is dead atthe age of27, a casualty of
the Reagan Administration's propasal to
rid the watchdog group of its watchdogs
and replace them with lapdogs. The issue
was an effort to replace three commission·
ers with Reagan appointees, fo11owing an
earller sweep through the commission
that included firing the former Eisen·
hower cabinet officer then serving as the
Civil Rights Commission chairman ..
Congressional supporters of the com·
mission, who point to the group's origins
in 1957 as a key impetus for civil right.s
protections in the country, now are considering
measures that would take the com·
mission away from the President entirely
and make it a congressional agency. Cur·
rently the commission is charged with
answering to both congress and the Presi·
dent, with the president appointing com·
missioners and congress giving approval.
Civil rights protections for gays have
not been part of the commission's man·
date since a 1977 ruling that the comm.is·
sion can not go beyond the charter
provided by the 1964 civil rights act, aa
amended. Since the act has never been
amended to include gays, the commission
took a hands-0ff policy.
One possible consideration for a
congressionally·manda ted commission,
however, might be whether language
would be added expanding the charter
beyond the civil rights act itself to exam·
ine discrimination wherever it occurs.
International Gay New• A1ency
Madalyn Murray O'Hair, preaident of
American Atheists, haa expelled the oldest
gay atheist group in the United States,
the Gay Atheist League, from her organization
and endorsed a splinter group
called American Gay Atheist, because she
says the former has violated the tenets of
the organization.
O'Hair, who gave a keynote address at
GAL.A's convention in 1982, sent a letter
to GALA saying that because of the
schism between the two gay atheist
groups, it iS "obvious to all what we must
do."
Jeffrey D. Vow lea, President of GALA,
said he thought it preferable to "maintain
a good working relationship with alJ anti·
religious organizations. whether they des·
cribe themselves as atheist, agnostic, free
thinker, rationalist, scularist or huma·
nist."
O'Hair accused the excommunicated
group of requiring O'Hair's group to
accept the religion ofther_eligious mates of
gay atheists. Vowles: said that mem~r·
ship in his organizabon is on an indiVId·
ual basis, and that no inquiry is made
"into the religion or lack of it professed by
any member's lover or companion."
Too Many
Managers in
Nation's Firms
America's productivi ty gap is the fault of
America's business leaders, reports the
Philtuklphia Inquirer.
That's the message from University of
Southern California Management Prof es·
sor Warren Bennie. He says most U.S.
firms are underled and ovennanaged.
There are too many "managers" who only
try to do the right thing, he says, and too
few leaders who do things righl
Bennis says it's no wonder surveys
show that, while most Americans are sat·
isfied with their jobs, they don't believe
how they do their jobs makes any differ·
ence.
For Those
Happy Holidays
Let Us Cater Your
Christmas Festivities
A Division of the
Party Pro's, Inc.
A Full Service Caterer
... ____ Serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner ____ ...
.._ ______ Or5d2e1r-s1 0to1 5G o -------..
... ______ Open Weekdays 7am-11pm ------...
Weekends Ill M1dmght
1-------s"1u~J:yn.S~~";."/:,~'1'g/,:m ______ ...
ITALIAN BEEF HOUSE-CHICAGO STYLE
SANDWICHES
*ITAL/AN BEEF *ITAL/AN MEATBALL
*ITAL/AN SAUSAGE *POLISH SAUSAGE * HOTDOGS
2703 MONTROSE AT WESTHEIMER
FOR ALL YOUR REPAIR NEEDS
Foreign and Domestic
•Guaranteed Mechanical Work
•Total Transmisaion Service
•Air Conditioning Specials-Free Check
•Body Work & ~·~7~hp';.fce~ :;:~~~~~~er Tow Service
SPORTS CAR SPECIALTIES
ENGLISH AUTO REPAIR (FULL SERVICE)
WITH
RAY DORSEY
200 PIERCE
(713) 650-0591
Owneni
Tony Pegg, Lance Harrington, David Disher
WINTERIZE SPECIALS
(These Prices Good through Dec. 9)
BRAKES-COMPLETE
Front-$59.95
Rear-$69.95
Incl. parts & labor
Free Brake Inspection
& Adjustment
WINN'S RADIATOR
FLUSH & TREATMENT
$58.50
includes complete radiator &
block flush, anti-freeze &
sealant
OIL & LUBE
$18.95
Includes Labor, Oil, Filter
& Lubricant
TUNE-UPS
$39.95
Includes Labor, Plugs, Air
Filter, Gas Filter, Clean &
Adjust Garb., Set Timing,
Inspect Distributor
Wires & Rotor
FREE CAR WASH with Brake Work or Tune-Up
••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••• ••••••
DEC. 2, 1983 / MONTROSE VOICE 7
Van Hightower Carries Montrose but Hall Wins City Hall
By Hollis Hood
Anthony Hall defeated Nikki Van Hightower
in the Nov. 29 runoff for Houston
City Council At-Large Position 4, and Gay
Political Caucus president Larry Bagneris
claimed it was a setback for gay rightsbot
not an unworkable situation.
Although Montrose went about 68 percent
behind Van Hightower, Hall supporters
say there was evidence of a
splintering of the GPC bloc vote. GPC had
endorsed Van Hightower.
Van Hightower'& support was reflected
in the affulent and mid-income white vote
and in Mexican-American balloting
where she outpolled Hall 59.54 percent to
40.46 percent citywide. But she was no
match for the low and mid-income black
vote where where she got only about 3 percent
citywide.
Overall election results showed Hall
with 67 percent of the total vote to Van
Hightower'• 33 percent.
"This is not a defeat for the cause of gay
right.a," said Bagneris, "it just means it
will take longer." He noted that activist
Van Hightower would have pushed for a
non-discriminatory employment ordi·
nance, while Hall's position on the issue is
that gays are protected, with other minorities,
in an employment-related mayor's
executive order.
"We have to make sure, then, that each
new mayor approves that executive order,
instead of having our rights guaranteed
through an ordinance," Bagneris said.
Fair employment is only one of many
items thatGPC addresses through its concerted
political activities. Documentation
must begin, he said, showing proof that
discriminatory hiring and employment
practices do exist, aa well as investigation
of other areas of alledged discrimination.
''That way, when the time comes, we can
prove there ia a need for an ordinance," he
.aid.
Hall solicited the gay vote and had been
supportive of the gay community's righta
in the past. He campaigned vigqroualy in
Montrose, visiting gay clube and touring
with Mayor Kathy Whitmire in the wan·
ing days before the early November election.
However, the GPC endorsed Van Hightower
by a two to one margin, which hurt
his chances of gaining major support from
the gay community.
Jerry Mayes ofGPC said that Hall/Van
Hightower backing in the runoff compared
to the Nov. 2 balloting changed considerably,
indicating a definite split in the
GPC bloc vote, as well as fewer voters. Not
only was the overall voter turnout greatly
reduced, the percent of that turnout returning
to cast ballots for Van Hightower citywide
was lessened.
For example, if Van Hightower had 233
votes in a precinct on Nov. 2, only 115
returned to vote for her on Nov. 29. Hall,
however, may have gained only 100 votes
on Nov. 2, but all 100 returned to vote for
him on Nov. 29; thus, the radical changes
in percentages from the Nov. 29 balloting
which reflected each candidate receiving
about one-third of the votea.
Hall becomes the s.cond black to be
elected to an at-large city council position
and brin&s black representation to onefourth
of the members on city council. He
gave up his seat for District D (now filled
by Rodney Ellis) to run for the citywide
office.
He told an extremely packed headquarters
Tuesday night that the election
results prove "that even a young fellow
from Sunnyside can achieve citywide
office," thus attaining his goal of being
given an opportunity to exercise more
leadership on issues of citywide impor·
tance, such as crime and transporation.
"I'm glad that Hall was elected," said
one gay Hall supporter, "because I believe
he is better qualified because of his experience
on City Council and in the legislature.
I feel he will be in a better position to
work harmoniously with the mayor and
City Council and work more productively
with them than Van Hightower would
have. He will be just ae acceesible as ehe
would be; he has always been."
This representative noted that Van
Hightower had no particular interest in
the gay community before running for
office. and became responsive to them as a
result of gaining the GPC endorsement.
"Hall over the years has shown sup-port,"
he said.
Van Hightower's headquarters were a
much quieter scene, as the candidate made
a thank you speech and promised continued
support of the causes to which she
has been dedicated for several years.
The most gratifying aapect of her work
as director of the Houston Area Women's
Center is watching people oome from
oftentimes very depressing situations to
blossom and grow, and the campaign was
an extension of that process, she said.
"Win or lose, my commitment to work to
make Houston a better place to live, a
safer, freer place to be all we can be, won't
change," Hightower said.
After the election results indicated her
defeat, ahe telephoned Anthony Hall voicing
her support of the councilman.
In Hall's speech, he said they would be
meeting soon to discuss ways to address
needs that Van Hightower saw as unmet
in Houston.
AV an Hightower representative quoted
her as saying (at the Copa, a gay club,
later that evening), "This sure doean't feel
like losing," and that many iBSues that
needed to be in forefront had been brought
out through the campaign.
"She will be allies with the gay
community-politics or not," the Van
Hightower supporter said, "and she will
ill I I . 'fk /f.. •/ii.
•
,ANTI •
ANTI-- •
continue to be a prominent commumty
activist in a prominent activist community."
However. she could not comment on
whether or not Van Hightower would run
again.
Lee Harrington, gay community leader,
1aid "I agreed with Lance Lalor on the
GPC tour when he introduced Nikki at
each stop saying, 'We have the chance to
elect to Houston's City Council the best
You're Readmg the
MONTROSE VOICE
One of America's Ma1or
Gay Community Newspapers
person we ever had for gay rights.' If it had
been left to the gays, we would have. I was
proud of the bloc vote again-it always
sends the clearest messages, even to
friendly politicians, that lots of voters
expect attention."
"I congratulated Anthony and only
asked that he be a.a sensitive as he possibly
can be to our i88uea during the next two
yeara. I am sure he will be," Harrington
said.
8 MONTROSE VOICE I DEC-. 2 ,- 198-3 ---
THOUGHTS FROM SHIFLETT: a) "Ray (Hill) was the only one who knew how to play City Hall. b) There was tension
all alcng in the Caucus' deve/cpment as to who really sp-0ke for the gay community, and that problem still exists with us
today. c) Leaders are born, not made.
Shiflett Leaves with Strong Parting Thoughts
from page I were private and closed, were engulfed in a
occured m his life that has influenced his tidal wave of protest directed at the orange
direction to this day. juice queen, so much so that 10,000 people
.. One of my friends in high school com- participated. in a candlelight march to
milted suicide," be reflected, "It was City Hall m protest of Bryant's selfbecause
of his gayness that bis family rid· n~.hteous blasts at gay people everywh-:re.
iculed him and destroyed his concept of I was so ov~h"!!"ed with ~motion
self-worth. And ever since that day, I was and feUsomuchpnd~, Shiflett~wdofthe
very committed to making people under- candlelight march, that that s wh~n I
stand that it was okay to be gay because I first understood the meanmg of gay
knew that I was okay. ' prid~.' I had heard of the concept, but I
"So from a long time ago, I was building didn t u~ders~d it. It took Dade County
up that desire to do something about the (B~ant 8 Flonda base whe~e she led an
problem. because I sawitcomeintomylife an.ti·gay refei:endum} to enhght~ me of
and it affected me very profoundly," be this ne";, feehng that was sweep mg the
said 1adly. "And I was in high school" country. .
Shiflett' a activism. spurred by the death But despite the appearance of 10,000
of a gay friend and coupled with his natu- gai: people and the.II supporters, Housral
political bent, was further anchored by ton s and the nation s ~ews ~edia looked
the teechings ofbia family. He feels that the other way, a media ~ihon whi~h
much of his leadership ability comes from finally catapulted. ~h1flett mto the mam"
the moral strength from my family-the ·~~am of gay po!itlcs.
way I was brought up. I was commited to 8 I . was really UTlta~ at the way th~
quality oflifeandmakingsurethatjustice media handled the Aruta Bryant march,
should be done. he said angrily. "Not only did they under·
'"There were 8 lot of wrongs being done estimate the_ nu~bera ?f peopl~ w~o were
out there that J wanted to straighten out," there, they d1dn tdescnbe the oi.gnificance
he said of the gay vs. non·gay society of of ev~ts the way our com~~nity wanted
the early 70•8. "You don't get prepared for to see it-the way they felt.
that except in your upbringing. Leaders Outraged and ready to capitalize on his
are born, not made." past experience ae well as his past emo-
So with his lion's share of enthusiasm tions, Shiflett was then drawn irrevocably
and a zealot's ire at injustice, Shiflett to the organization he had watched being
returned to Houston and found the turf born-Houston's Gay Political Caucus, a
already plowed, waiting for the seeds to be group of20 or so community-oriented indiplanted
that would grow and make Hoc•- viduals who held their meetings upstairs
ton's gay community a viable political at the old Inside/ Outside (now Texas
force on the local, state and national lev- Renegades) and the Depository II.
el.e. '~e caucus at that time Wa.B somewhat
"When I moved here and saw that there email and had a feeling of fraternity, not
was a quality gay community and people really politics. People got together to make
within the community were aspiring to do each other feel good-working on press
good things with their Jives and were not releases. They really didn't have a real
justintoadrag-queenlifestyle," hesaid. "I serious agenda, and not too many people
wassoinspiredthatmylifeotartedtoblos- came to the meetings, either. It surely
som. didn't have too much money."
"I got to watch ~pherally the GPC Then using the media slight as his
organize," he said of1975, 0 because I lived jumping-off point, Shiflett became
in an apartment complex of people who involved with the caucus' Media Monitorwere
organizing it." ing Committee, the only active committee
This combination of his past and pres· within the early caucus, other than it8
ent provided the spark for Shiflett's lead· mailing committee which Shiflett felt was
ership in the community when two years the caucus' backbone.
after his arrival Anita Bryant brought her "We were able to get the media to ascer·
"Save Our Children" campaign to Houo- tain the GPC committee as a significant,
ton. constituent group that had needs to be met
Prior to her arrival. Shiflett said that under the guidelines of the FCC. And that
"there really wasn't a sense of community was an accomplishment," he said of one of
at all, but that year really gave it some his (and the GPC's) first achievement
.:'.l;l "~nd w~ also ~hli•hed connectio1Y1
~ ~·~·" '?h.,.,n•m , "!;'*, ' efii~.t 1,11( ,
and theyrealizedwhothepeoplewerethey for the star in the east.
could call for news." "But there was tension aH along in the
Then Shiflett was ready to make a little caucus' development as to who really
news of his own. spoke for the gay community, and that
The fledgling organization was under problem still exist8 with us today."
Don Hrachovy, an interim president who "Anditwasthatquick ofadecision," he
followed Gary Van Ooteghem, and a timid said of his first presidential bid. "I just felt
board, and there was no one guiding force like I had some things to offer that the
at the wheel of what Shiflett thought people downtown would respond to."
should be a much more powerful political What Shiflett felt he had to offer cengroup.
Shiflett then sized up what he saw tered around his professionalism: the way
as the community's needs and went after he asked questions, the way he got the
obtaining them, and just began to create right answen, the way he was able to get
the waves that would see him resign from people to siz~up major issues. The caucus
the GPC's presidency several years later. apparently felt 80, too, for in March of'78,
~~hl:;d::~i~::r~h;t'~~s ~~~ ~~~t; ~:n;.as el~d as the group's third presi-own
personal lives and work and really Then began the series of what Shiflett
didn't have the time to devote to a new calls "quantum leaps" which occurred
agenda for the GPC." during his administration.
Consequently a coup was organized Three months after hie election, the
against existing GPC bylaws and the GPC had manufactured an influential
Media Monitoring Committee called for a bloc vote.
special election for a new president. "J knew that I could get the caucus
Prior to the election, Shiflett was intro- involved in grass roots politics because of
duced to City Hall by gay activist Ray my background. They just didn't know the
Hill, whom he admit8 helped him in his avenue that was available to themfirst
years by st.earing him through Hous- organizing at the precinct level-and
ton 's gay political waters. that's what I wanted to do."
11Ray was the only one who really knew Then following the May Democratic
how to play City Hall," Shiflett said, primaries, Shiflett, along with Ray Hill,
remembering the times Hill took him urged the caucus to open up a Town Meetdowntown
and told him "and this is the ing, an event which Shiflett says could
way it works. mean as much to the commmunity today,
"He was a real good teacher," Shiflett if repeated, as it did back in 1978.
added. Prior to the Town Meeting which Shi-
Then a meeting was arranged by Hill, flett regards as being one of the most
whom some members of the GPC felt was important political event8 that this comout
to control the gay community, for Shi· munity h88 ever seen, he met with various
flett to meet then Mayor Jim McConn, an membera of the community six weeks
event that further pushed Shiflett toward before over 3000 people filed into the
hie goal, that of becoming president ofthe Astrodome to make their voices heard in
G~.;.asn't real pleased with the way that H?.~~a~·i:.,:ys:':'~;~:;,t about Town
meeting wont and felt like I could do a Meeting was that it really established a
good job in dealing with the kind of people serious foundation for the (gay) movement
we were dealing with downtown. I to go forward," he said of the event. "It set
informed Gregg Bell (who was running for an agenda and it gained consensus from
the GPC presidency) on the way home the community. When you have that
(from the meeting) that I was going to run many people participating in decisionfor
president. making, you can't help but come out with
Bell reacted negatively to Shiflett'• some kind or benefit.
~i:~Shffi:~~~a:rtT~~~~~B:u::!~ "And we ended up having large
the hardest worker the GPC had, accord- ~u=t~ ~iweoo"~;;:~a~?:n~~~0~}e~~;::;
~~l~~y ~~i~!~;~i~;.?sn't presidential overnight. It was amazing wha_t Anita
q ' . Bryant had done to us. It magnified 10-
But Shiflett ov.errode Bell's objection.s, fold that day (of the march), even though
as well as the obJect~on~ of others w1thm we didn't have the numbers. "After get .
the caucus, and cap1tahzed on what was ting coi:ise~\111 like that " he ~otinuj
ttn a lblllcl•rll\11. l"Oltti••l poup.htoluoex " 'we hac!'a V<!l'Y coll•sl\re ~nd uhlfietl co
'"" -~~-- .. ._ ..
munity, which is nice to look back on. It
happened to a coalition of people. It wasn't
just one group in charge of the event. It
was all groups participating in it, with a
couple of groups likeGPC being the thrusting
force in making it happen."
Shiflett recalled other major events
which occurred during his GPC presidential
history.
He is particularly proud of the national
convention that "put the GPC on the
national gay political map. Texas, as a
matter of fact, was put on the gay political
map by Houston representing Texas. California
and New York finally started to
deal with us. It (the gay movement) had
been an east coast/west coast phenomenon
up until that time.
"Then we had to force our way to the
decision-making table. They didn't really
want to include us when we got there."
But since then, all has changed, and
Houston's position in the national gay
momement has finally become entrenched
in the east/west coast minds.
"Texas is now looked at as the moderate
voice of the gay community leadership,"
Shiflett said. "We don't tend to have the
radical approach . We're pragmatic and
even-keel down here."
Shiflett is also proud of the municipal
election of '79 that displaced Frank Mann,
14the bigot of the century on City Council,"
with Eleanor Tinsley.
He said Mann's three favorite words
were "oddwads, queers, perverts," and
that he prticularly delighted in telling
Mann, "Little minds belong with little people,
and little people don't belong in big
places like City Council. We're going to
unseat you."
Conseqaently, the GPC fed Tinsley 200
to 300 volunteers, and "shesweptby," Shiflett
said.
"That's when the GPC became popular.
We were recognized. And gay baiting was
used all over."
Shiflett recounted the troubled years
with the Houston Police Department and
the confrontation with HPD Chief Caldwell,
who would not acknowledge that the
gay community had a problem with the
was so tremendous, because there really
was a camaraderie and esprit de corps,
and it was fun."
Then Shiflett reflected on the highpoint
of his two years as president of the GPC,
that of organizing, watching and participating
in Houston's first Gay Pride Week.
"It was probably the most memorable
event that I can remember during those
two years of my being president, because it
brought out so many more people. You
could see the smiles on their faces as you
drove down Westheimer in the parade. It
was an incredible feeling just to see the
sense of self-worth coming across the community.
Overnight they had decided to
come out of the closet!
"It was very emotional. I would say our
first parade had 12-13,000 people at it-an
incredible leap in one year for a community,
especially a gay community.
"It was so satisfying to see the results of
your efforts. But again, it was because everyone
was working together."
Just prior to Shiflett's election for a
third term, the GPC was at its peak of
influence.
"I had been responsible for bringing the
gay community into the mainstream of
politics and establishing its ability to per·
form and deliver what they say they can
deliver. We were riding high on a crest of
influence.
0 lt was time for our community to realize
that we could make a difference. And
when we realized that we did make a difference,
it reinforced our reason to exist
and continue to build and gave hope to a
lot of people that things can get done."
(Next week, Shiflett discusses his resignation
from the GPC and the forming of
Citizens for Human Equality (CHE), as
well as the political diuisions within the
community which could plunge it into a
dark age without leaders, wherein the current
GPC could become an extinct dinosaur.)
HPD -
issBuuet ththe apto libcer ipnrgosb letmh e" bceionmg mthuen ointye •·M -~~········
together," GPC's work with the National •
Gay Task Force, which was invited to
Houston, led to Operation Documentation
which encourged the gay community to
report actions by the police.
Shiflett recalled the frequent bar raids,
the beatings by the HPD, the shootings,
the police cars parked in front of the gay
bars with the cops inside waiting to follow
people out and arrest them on DWI
charges or for public intoxication, sometimes
10 at a time.
But what was most important to him
during hie presidency was the sense of
community and the pride he felt with so
many other gay groups besides the GPC
growing and forming in Houston.
"So many more opinion leaders were
available to work with, and the more
groups that were out there, the more people
you could put together for your efforts.
You could work together. And that's what
Clothes lor Men-5901 Westheimer
266--0.76
Inventory
Liquidation Sale
20% to 50% Off on
Slacks Jackets
Sport Coats Sweaters
Sport Shirts
Active Wear
Dress Shirts Ties
Now Open Sundays
Hours Tuesday-Friday 10 to 6
Saturday 10 to 5:30
Sunday 12 to 6
Located at Fountainview
and Westhe1mer
5 blocks West of the Galleria
TRAVEL CONSULTANTS m&~!L ~©WR
tr&~'U'$3 m&.~11 ~oo~~'il'&lf!l~ ~~
~©W~~'iJ'~[?:'.]~ m&~lb ~~~~'il'&~~
e~
Special Texas
Departure
January 31, 1984
Ca// Bruce for Details
Kay Wast/Ft. Laudardala extensions available
Houston phone 529-8464 Texas Toll Free 1-800-392-5193
DEC. 2, 1983 I MONTROSE VOICE 9
25¢ DRAFT BEER
The Only Bar in Town selling 25~ Draft Beer
ALL DAY, EVERYDAY
Open Noon, 7 Days a Week, 528-6988
POOL & VIDEO GAMES 3012 MILAM off ELGIN 3 BLOCKS from WESTHEIMER
10 MONTROSE VOICE I DEC. 2 198
I r
Coming Tuesday, Dec. 20
The Monf/to1e Voice
3NI Annual
Ch '!~!'ll~~J~~ ,., g
FREE BEER BUST
for the Readers of the Montrose ~oice
A Benefit Fol' the
Media Fund Fol' Human Riabt1
(We 'II be 11/dna lot a 12 Donation at the Doot)
Dancing
with DJ Ram Rocha
Plu1: Nou1ton Ptemiete Video Showing ol
Cag Pte11 A11ociation Film
"How the Stnigbt Media Tteat1 the (Jag Communitg"
The Ut111er Deck at
the Officer's Club
2100 Albanv
You,.
Invitation
The Monttote Voice
cotdiallg_ invitei gou to out 3td
Annual C/,,i11ma1 Pattg and
Public Spectacle
Tueidag, Decembet 20, 1983
8:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
"The Uppet Deel<"
2100 Albang
12 at tit• 'oor lor tlt1 #1dl1 Fund lor Hu1nan R11ltt1
., FHI ,,,,,, t:.16 ,,,
r
NEW YEAR'S EVE
BASH COMING
(Reservations Only)
Spirits! Your Best
Holiday Gift Value!
I $1499 ~·
~
$25
Enjoy ProblemFree
Shopping
(no size/ color7style
doubts)
GIVE THE GIFT
THEY WON'T
RETURN
Complete spirits gifts
selections
1402 Welch at Waugh
Call 529-9964,
We Deliver
Make Waugh Drive Liquor
Your ONE STOP Shop
---=~ tor ALL Your Holiday
Party Needs.
f!! • GENERAL REPAIR • AUTO
m
~
JJ
0
z
()
-i c
z
m
C:
-0 . )>
:ii * 011 Change and 8 Lube s1995
5 * Transmission § Service s2495
z z 1411 TAFT-522-2190
~AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION •
Letters
Making Sense of
the GPC Bloc Vote
From Neal Tannahill
I would Jike to offer some observations on
GPC endorsements and the bloc vote. As I
see it, there are two basic reasons for
screening and endorsing candidates.
First, we want to identify which candidates
are best qualified and most supportive
of the goals of the gay community.
Second, we want to gather political IOU's
from candidates we endorse and help
elect.
lfwe cold trust public officials always to
act on the basis of high principle and lofty
motives, then a dual endorsement would
be appropriate in races between two accep·
table candidates, such as Nikki Van
Hightower and Anthony Hall. I am afraid,
however, that the world is not like that.
Poljtical·inarriages are always marriages
of to!lvenience. Public officials support
our ngh\8 only insofar as it is in their
ih~ttit~~ iJ~r:~!e~~~s8~;'~~h1:i~ohutr:~~
of their convictions.
Am I being overly cynical? I don't think
so. Kathy Whitmire is a long time supporter
of our cause, but she didn't want to
appear with us on election night while an
NBC TV crew was there. Perhaps she
didn't want to soil her national image.
Similarly, in 1979 when George Greanias
first ran for city council against
Lance Lalor, he didn't want our endorsement.
He thought it would do more harm
than good. When Lalor trounced him, he
changed his mind and won with us in 1981
and 1983.
I admire both Whitmire and Greanias.
They have been good for Houston and
good for the gay community. They are politicians,
however, and generally act on the
basis of what they perceive to be the best
for them politically.
And so do we. We endorse candidates
and work for their election, not becau1e we
love them (although we may like some a
great deal), but because we wish to further
our own political cause. Consequently, the
concept of an enforcement and a bloc vote
makes good political sense, even when
there are two acceptable candidates in a
race.
Will Nikki Be Able
to Recoup Her
Losses?
From Neil lsbin
I write this letter with mixed feeling.
Although I have never met Nikki Van
Hightower, from listening to her I felt that
she was a decent, sincere and capable person
who would make an exceJlent addition
to the City Council. As such, I was deeply
distressed by the desperate negativity of
her run-off campaign. I had felt all along
that she was in the wrong race at the
wrong time, but that she could succeed in
another campaign. Now I am not so optimistic.
She made too many foolish mistakes.
Given the overwhelming victory of
Mayor Kathy Whitmire, it was foolish of
Nikki to attack the mayor and allow herself
to be used by her strange coalition of
supporters 88 an anti-Whitmire tool. In
addition, her ad that warned that a Hall
victory would strengthen the Lei.and
machine wreaked of camouflaged racism,
whether intentional or nol
The Houston electorate has matured
beyond most people's expectations. Sme~r
campaigns no longer succeed-they disgust
voters and backfire. I am proud that
the candidate I supported, Anthony Hall,
ran such a clean and honest campaign.
Personally, I find it difficult to blame
Nikki for her campaign mi~takes, and I
prefer to blame her campaign manageT
Shari Val en tine and others who surrounded
her. However, ultimately, it.i~ t_he
candidate that must bear respons1b1hty
for the quality and tenor of her campaign.
Will Nikki be abl• to recoup her losses,
learn from her mistakes and be a via~le
candidate again? I would like to hope sobut
it will be an uphill fight for her to
regain the credibility her campaign des·
troy ed.
Reader Not
Satisfied with
VOICE Coverage
From Steven Cuniberti
The impossible syntax of your cover story
about the mayor at Mary's (Nov. 11) left
me with no clear idea as to who did what to
whom. Considering the apparently con·
fusing circumstances, it would have
seemed to me to be of the utmost importance
that the reporting be clear. Doesn't
anyone read copy before it goes to press?
Perhaps-and I do not suggest this as a
joke-we are just reading the results of
someone's idea of creative writing. My the-sis
cannot be as outlandish 88 the R-grade
detective pulp style of the following issue's
cover story about a homicide on lower
Westheimer. I pick up a newspaper to be
informed of the news; if I wanted to read
nonsense, I would have picked up a bar
guide or a National Enquirer.
Also in issue No. 160 (Nov. 18) was a
pathetically defensive article about yet
another confrontation between the GPC
and the VOICE." ... the VOICE addressed
the caucus ... and ... the VOICE established
itself as an unbiased newspaper .... " we
read in Robert Hyde's article. Oh, really?
And in what way did the VOICE address
the crowd-by rustling its pages? If someone
spoke for the VOICE, I would have
liked to have read that attribution in the
story. And to whom did the newspaper
establish itself? Having attended more
than one GPC meeting in my life, I suspect
that it was to none of them, Ray Hill's
sense of political expediency notwithstanding.
What a sad thing it has been for me to
discover that the old childish taunts that
the GPC'ers have hurled at the MONT·
ROSE VOICE for using the Hearst publication's
tactics were more premature than
inaccurate.
(The atory dealing with the mayor at
Mary'•, as well as with the following
events of election night, was presented
chronologically and was meant to show
the diviaion and confusion within the com·
munity. We would be happy if you would
like to explain everything to the commun·
ity and tie events up into a nice little pack·
age with a bright bow-no one else has
been ab~ to do so.
And let'• hope your attitude regarding
the murder on Westheimer as "nonsense"
is not a pervasive one and indicative of
why murders in the area are so frequentwho
really gives a damn?
As for the GPC meeting addreBB, we're
sorry to disappoint you by not making the
article an editorial.)
GPC Member
Attempts to Clarify
Mary's Incident
From Annise D. Parker
Open letter to the Houston gay
community
I am sure most of you are awarethatGPC
is once again involved in controversy. Our
local gay newspaper has given front page
coverage to certain baseless rumors and
unsubstantiated allegations. I refer, of
course, to last week's (Nov. 11) lead story
in the MONTROSE VOICE.
When I first read the article, I was furious.
I ranted that it reeked of yellow journalism,
editorializing and sloppy
reporting. GPC has had disagreements
with the VOICE in the past. I was told to
ignore the story.
DEC. 2, 1983 I MONTROSE VOICE 11
For the record. In reference to alleged "Mary'1 would like to apologize to the
incidents at Mary's bar on Friday the 4th: mayor for the rudeness and actions of cer·
Fact: There were four GPC board lain membero of the GPC which occurr,,./
members at Mary's that night. They were at my bar laat Friday night.·~
=~=~rs~d0 severs! membe~r~s ;pr:e~sernTl h:::1ere~ ·---------·
Fact: Bob passed out GPC bloc vot
stickers to people in the bar. (I remind you
that's why they were printed.) We did not
put them on cars.
I am not sure what form of coercion he is
supposed to have used in forcing stickers
on people who didn't want them. If anyone
was too drunk or stupid to be able to refuse
it, I hope they don't vote.
Fact: None of the board members present
spoke to the mayor or impeded her
progress in any way. There was no "blockade"
by anyone and, consequently, no
forceful removal of it.
We weren't even standing together in
the bar. Granted, we failed to greet or
respond to the mayor as she made "'"'rounds,
hardly a radical confrontati>n. I
went outside before she reached me tnd
did not return until she had lefl
Fact: This supposed incident provided
the lightest moment in our subsequent
meeting with the mayor. We shared a
laugh about the efficiency of the rumor
mill. She pointed out that media coverage
like this has influenced her current attitude.
The mayor told the VOICE that nothing
happened at Mary's. State Rep. Debra
Danburg told the VOICE nothing happened.
GPC board members told the
VOICE it didn't happen. I think GPC has
a right to know the source of this attaclr.. If
the VOICE doesn't believe the words of
the mayor, our state Rep. or the board of
GPC, then I don't think that its (sic) GPC
which has a problem.
The VOICE responda:
It is not a question of what the VOICE
believes, a.a long aa we report ewnU as
accurately a.a poBBible. Also, no one
coerced Mary's owner, Jim Farmer, into
making the following statement (Nou. 11)
to the VOICE:
Mail to PR<MRTE RECORDS
140251\«llt'f"thwdAYcl'lUf:North
Mlnneapotis, M1meSota SS« 1
Af'atrvmofSong{PAO/PCD159)
0 AUIUM 0 CASSETlE
Sakowitz Offering
Ghost Writer
You've bought the his and hers blimps
from Neim.an·Marcus and the iguana coat
from Bergdort' s. Now you can order the
ultimate Christmas gift from SB.kowitz:
your own autobiography, reports the
Pacific News Service.
You won't have to actually write it. The
store will send a ghost writer to your door
to do it for you. You'll get 100 hardback
copies of your life story, complete with pictures
and gold lettering on the cover.
The price: a mere $63,000.
AM/PM SHIFT
EARN OVER
$300 WEEKLY
Join the hottest radio promotion to
ever run in the Houston area. We
need SO people in our promotional
office with pleasant personalities
and voice_ No experience necessary.
We wHI train. Our office has a
cheerful, comfortable atmosphere.
Plus cash bonus daily. Guys, girts,
homemakers welcome. HIRING
NOW Apply in person 10am-3pm or
5pm-7pm every Monday thru Saturday.
2727 Kirby Dr., suite 203 (on
bus route).
(61!1) 559-4166
Well, I agreed not to stand here and vent (800)3!11~!145
my initial reaction. But I don't think this
type of reporting can remain unchal·
lenged. I think VOICE coverage of GPC
improved tremendously under Hollis
Hood. I believe she is fair, and I know she
~:r~::r~~urate. Unfortui;iatel~;notall ----------------------.1•
12 MONTROSE VOICE I DEC. 2 , 1983
~ youc ecouc phone connecuon
THE TEX*5 LINEMAN v let us share your
erotic fantasy by phone
phone sex only
tele . (71 3) 960-8082
VISA, MASTERCARD,
CHECK or MONEY ORDER~ ...... 7HE ULT/MA.TE BAKED POTATO
SPUDS AREA
GIRESBEST
FRIEND!
416 Westheimer
HoU11ton, TX 77006
620-0664
O Regular Subscription $30
0 Trial Subscription $15
0 Send me more information, please.
Name ~----------------Addre~-----------------
City. _________ State __ Zip ____ _
Typeo!Compulel _________ _____ _
Clip and Mail to: GNIC NETWORK
c/o Montrose Voice Publishing
3317 Montrose #306, Houston, TX 77008
Plan Now to Attend the
Gay Press Association
Southern Regional
Conference
January 27-29
Hotel Savoy
Houston
Workshops, Speeches,
Entertainment
If you are working in the gay media or are a gay person
working in the non-gay media (either journalism. advertising
or administrative). plan to join your colleagues in
Houston.
Also. for officials of gay organizations who are NOT in the
gay media but who would like to learn hOVJ to better
influence the gay media. local and national. we'll have
a special workshop.
To Henry McClurg. vice president
Gay Press Association
3317 Montrose #306
Houston. TX 77006
Enclosed is my $25 registration fee (for GPA members) or
$30 registration fee (non-GPA members) for the Southern
Regional Conference. (Include $10 additional If postmarked
after Jan. 13) o I am in the gay media. o I work
for the non-gay media. o I do not work in the media but
would like to attend the workshop on influencing the gay
media and other events of the conference.
Name ________ _
Address
Phone(s)
I am a member of the Gay Press Association [ I am NOT
a member of the Gay Press Association
(tf arrMng in Houston .bv plane. train or bus. let us know your time of arriVol and we will
piCk you up at the 0trporl or depot)
When we receive your form. we'll send you a conference schedule
and a brochure on the Savoy Hotel so you can make reseNations.
~S:cv~: ~~ e~t~~~~n~~ ~:ar~~~~u~n~~~~
ally. busses will be available IOI' tours of Montrose nightspots Your
registration fee will include tickets for free and discounted admissions
to several clubs
Commentary
Naming a Gay Business
is Not an Easy Feat
By Peter Harrison
If you want to open a business, better
think up a name right now. One of my
oldest, dearest and best-hung friends
recently went through the trauma of going
to the county clerk's office to register a
name for his new plant store: he thought
''The Green Queen" was a good one. But,
no! Someone else somewhere else in the
state had beat him to it.
I tried to soothe him with a combination
of warm caresses and cold gin. I even suggested
a better name, I thought: "Sod 'Em
and Grow More Rye." But he went into
terminal wilt until he came up with "How
Does Your Basket Hang?" and ran off to
the courthouse to try that one.
I'm beginning to think that I should
open a business of my own, a kind of advisory
service for people like him who need
names for new enterprises. After eating at
a couple of new gay restaurants, I've come
against catchy names, too. You won't find
service stations called "Don't Pa68 Our
Gas" or 0 The Lube Your Joint Joint."
Movie moguls are very happy with
"Superman III" and "Rocky Infinity."
Hilton and Sheraton just keep on throwing
up "Hilton Hamtramcks" and "Sheraton
Sheboygan& . .,
But our people suffer from what I call
the Rumplestilskin Syndrome. You gotta
have a name or the magic's not there. Let
me tell you the true story of two men who
went to Russian River, fell in love with the
place and decided to open a gay guest
house.
After tramping around (and I emphasize
tramping) for three days, they consulted
a real-estate office and found a
charming old building with ponds, trees,
ducks an? flowers. It was going cheap,
because 1t was near a railroad siding
where two abandoned cabooses were bak-
~~~si~~i~!ub~;!~s0~~n~7:e~~ t~~~~ a~~
eyesore.
• -- Our heroes, truly creative sort.a, realized
/ y~(l / - :~:~:;~k~ao1;:':;,s:~:;~~~ye=~~~~~:t:i!
\.L ~•'• -:'\ charming (a key word in gay business) I ) '"'\ little (another key word here) weekend
1 f\ hideaways (that's called a hterary hat
C. ~ trick-three key words in one phrase).
~ They checked with the railroad-sure
new construction. Zonmg was nght. There
'
I ~ enough,caboo.seswentmorech~aplythan
j 1 ~ :~~:~li'!~:fe~ater, sewage and a ready·
~ So they sat back and started planning.
There would be little Roger & Gaillet
soaps, big bath towels and complimentary
shampoo. They started making lists· of
~ - things to check: is KY available in tiny
to the conclusion that more time was spent
planning what to can those places than on
any questions of food preparation or
decor. "A Quiche Before Dining" did offer
quiche as an appetizer, a bouncy little item
that prophesized the latex-derivative
steak to come.
0 Tomorrow's Manicotti" had papered
the wal1s with old physique magazines,
it's true, but the pasta tasted more like
yesterday's. Raw fish has never appealed
to me, so I can't honestly comment on
"Name That Tuna" and "If You Knew
Sushi."
Obviously, the gay community puts
great store in originality. Others don't
seem to care quite so much. In both New
York and San Francisco, there are "Old
Original Joe's" and I believe that there's
even an "Old Original Joe's Number Two"
in one or the other
Having lots of money seems to work
httle tubes? Can you grow watercress in a
duck pond?
And, they considered the name. "Take
The A Train," "Loose Caboose" and
0 0range Blossom Special" were all discarded.
"The Right Track" and "Club
Car" just seemed to prove that the railroad
motif wasn't the way to go. "Wanderlust"
and "Loose Ends" killed a travel theme.
Meanwhile, interest rates crept to 12 per·
cenL
0 Yo' Mama's," BB in "Where are you
staying?" "Yo' Mama's!" nearly caused
an argument. "Mother Ducks" was offered
rapturously by one of the partners and
received coolly by the other. Interest went
to 13 percent.
To cut. a long story short, by the time
they arrived at a name-11Boys R Ua"mortgage
rates had gone through the ceiling.
Instead of realizing their dreams of
welcoming hunks to their soignee orgy
parlor, they found themselves over·
whelmed with mountains of brochures for
kitchen implements, souvenir matches
and lawn furniture. Instead of happily
:~::~!ut!dir;e~~e~~;:e~rthle!a~~~~;:i~
strained relationship. ("If we'd called it
1Gandy Dancers' like I wanted, we'd be
operating now." "If we'd named it that,
we'd be out of business now.")
All of this could have been avoided if I
were in business, offering help to those
who need it. A quick consultation with
Peter Harrison, and you'd be off in a flame
with a name. Vital with a title. All systems
a-go-go with a logo.
A gay video arcade? "Shirley Booths."
Gay farm chemicals? "Weed 'Em and
Reap." Gay storage system? "Closet
Cases." Dry cleaners? "Pressing Con·
cerns." Footwear? 0 The Shoe Must Go
On."
See how easy I could make it for you? If
you're interested, keep watching this
column, and I'll let you know how to get in
touch. I'll be open for business-as soon as
I can think of a name.
Harrison liues in New Jersey. His column
appears here and in other gay publication•.
Cl 1983 Stonewall Features Syndi·
cate.
DEC. 2, 1983 I MONTROSE VOICE 13
~
The STRATFORD
~onBaldwin
Condominiums
as individual and private
as you are.
Wt offer yo11 tht privary 111ul
Jtc11rity you demand, at a prm yo11 can afford. T~ Stratford
on Baldwin condumini11m.J, 18 n&ly comtr11cttd ont and two
bedroom 11m/J are reasonably przctd Jtartmg at 149,500.
Each 11mt haJ a przvatt pa110/balcony, and mdiv1d11al
J/oragt doJetJ in th< covered parking ar<a belrJU·. Enjoy th<
eaJY accm to a centrally lrxated hot tub and lll'O reduood
Jundeck j11Jt a J/roll au·ay.
Lrxattd in the Montrose area, ;1111 offT11am, and coniwzent
to down/()WTI Ho11Jton, th< Stratford on Baldu'ln
condominium.I are not common, thty art aJ mdiv1d11al aJ
pleaJt contact:
II Laymon• Finge~ Inc.
j/j So•lh PoJJ Oak BhJ. · S•IU 162 · H'"'''"· T<Xal 77027 · 7131621-'JJjO
14 MONTROSE VOICE/ DEC. 2, 1983
'Terms of Endearment' is Rare Emotional Experience
Films
By Steve Warren
With cancer touching more of us every
day, it'• useful to have a movie that
doesn't prettify it. If that's not your idea of
entertainment. the same movie happens
to contain enough outrageous humor that
they could have named it National Lam·
poon's Love Story.
But it's called Terms of Endearment,
and it ties it.A diverse elements together in
a clichb-free portrait of a strange but real
mother (Shirley Macl.aine) and daughter
(Debra Winger). Writer-producer James L.
Brooks, the creator of The Mary Tykr
Moore Show and Taxi, makes an impressive
big·screen directing debut that should
win him an Oscar nomination.
A few early scenes establish Aurora
Greenway as a tart.tongued widow whose
outspokenness keeps even her beloved
only daughter Emma at arm's length.
("Sure would be nice to have a mother
1omebody liked.")
When Emma marries Flap (Jeff
Daniels), a blond hunk who calls her his
"sweet-ass gal," Aurora advises against it
("You're not special enough to overcome a
bad marriage!") and even boycotts the
wedding.
Still, Aurora and Emma are joined-at
least by telephone-'til death do them
part-which may not be true for Emma
and Flap, whose money troubles lead to
other marital strain, even while their love
produces three children. ("How is your life
going to get better," Mama nags, "if you
keep having children with that man?'1
Mother and daughter drift into simultaneous
affa..in. Aurora, who refuses to
grow old gracefully, accepts a longstanding
proposition hom nutdoor
neighbor Garret Breedlove (great name!),
a retired opaceman (''There's a hundred
and six astronauts in the whole fuck.in'
world, and I'm one of them!'') who lives
higher than he ever flew.
Shirky MacLaine and Debra Winger 118 mother and daughter in "Terma of
Endearment"
Emma, afraid that Flap is having
affairs, has one of her own with ahy, married
bank.et" John Lithgow (who haa the
film's funniest line, a terrific putdown of
New Yorkers, in his first scene).
It 11<>unda like aoap opera in synopaia,
especially when canoer entera the picture,
but Brooks' humor keeps it from going
that routs until a bit of tear-jerking at the
end. By that time, we've come to know and
care about the characters, despite their offputting
humanness.
It's unfortunate that the two stars don't
have more scenes together or a real acting
duel might have resulted; but while
Aurora stays home in the River Oaks section
of Houston, Emma goes with her husband
to Iowa and Nebraska.
So we get two strong individual performances.
MacLaine takes to the selfdeprecating
role like a true masochist
(who else would let herself be photographed
in such unflattering costumes?)
and is rewarded with dialogue that once
only Bette Davis could have gotten away
with. Winger has the more ordinary part,
but it has quite a range to it, and she handles
it superbly.
Jack Nicholson plays the neighbor with
the wrong stuff, and talk about selfeffacing!
He reveals a belly that's large
enough to get separate billing!
Brooks has explained his choice of the
Locke Lane location: "River Oaks is more
distinctively American than it is Texan.
The block that we were on is like Ozzie and
Harriet's house, Judy Garland and
Mickey Rooney's; it's Andy Hardy countrv."
The ingredien 18 of Terms of Endearment
don't mix easily, and its uniqueness
is such that you can't just slip into it like
an old coat. Don't expect to he overwhelmed
from the first moment. Instead,
just relax and be slowly drawn into its
spell. By the time it's over, you'll know
you've seen a fine pieceoffilmmakingand
ahared a rare emotional experience.
Maip's, the National Bai of Te•as, will
light up the
Montrose Communitp
Christmas Tree
On Sunday, Detemller n, S:JOpm
Por a PREE SHOT ...
Bring pour homemade or other Christmas
decorations to the IJar IJp Thursday, Dec. 8
-o-o-
NIGHTLY HJIPPY HOUR IOPM TILL ll:JOJIM
Naturally
IOll WesthetmH-518-8851-New DJ Wayne Barton, Hot! Hot! Hotr
Quiz
How Do You Do at Literature?
DEC. 2, 1983 I MONTROSE VOICE 15
South's Largest
Art Deco Dealer By Roz Ashley
Do you read to fall asleep, or do you read
for stimulation? What kind of stimulation?
Do you think theGreatBooksarethe
greatest, or that bestsellers are the best?
Do you read the newspaper for news, or
just to follow the adventures of Mary
Worth?
How weH-read are you? To find out this
author's opinion, finish and score the following
quiz. Circle the answer that most
truthfully completes each numbered sentence.
Skip items that do not apply to you; it
will ruin your score, but who's looking?
Answers follow the last question.
I My library is full of: a) records; b)
hardcover books; c) other people's books.
2. I read to get to the core of things, such
as: a) serious nonfiction; b) soft core; c)
hard core.
3. Your new book purchase starts out:
"Norbert's brown eyes were feverish with
longing, and he sighed deeply, enticed by
his lover's smile. He was inflammed, despairing
of triumph over this haughty
beauty's indifference." You decide to: a)
read it now; b) return it for credit; c) burn it.
4. You read the book reviews so that you
can: a) select the best books; b) avoid diffi.
cult books; c) discuss the latest books without
having to read them.
5. You've just started James Joyce's
Ulysses, and you: a) skip to the sexy parts;
b) need help and get it; c) need help, but
fake it.
' 6. You enjoy poetry: a) and read it; b) and
read it aloud; c) as long as it rhymes.
7. You buy current magazines and you
read: a) most of the artides; b) the recipes
and the ads; c) everything but the silly
quizzes.
8. You select a book because: a) it's a
bestseller; b) it's been recommended; c) it's
easy to borrow.
9. You've finally startedMoby Dick and:
a) Captain Ahab makes you nervous; b)
the whole book makes you nervous; c) you
decide to read Jaws instead.
10. You're reading a book with a lot of
long words, so you: a) look up most of
them; b) look up every other one; c) forget it
and look for the latest copy of Mandate.
11. For current news each day, you con·
suit: a) at least one newspaper; b) the news
show with the cutest anchorperson; c) the
crowd at the bar.
12. You're taking a Great Books course,
and you find: a) it's dull, but good discipline;
b) it's difficult, but exciting; c) it's
boring and you quit.
13. You've finally found the time to read
just one book. Which would you choose? a)
a Jacqueline Suzanne novel; b) a good
mystery; l') My Secret Garden.
14. Your favoril.e mysteries havea lotof·
a) well-drawn characters; b) hidden clues;
c) blood and guts.
15. Which title most appeals to you? a)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter; b) The Dev·
il's Desire; c) Tea Room Trade.
Now, get your score by adding the points
for the answers you've chosen: (1) a-2, b-5,
Drunks Forced to
Remember
'Last Night'
Scientists are working on a new way to
deal with alcoholism: making drunks
remember the experience, reports Omni.
Researchers at the National Institute
for Mental Health say a drug called zimeldine
prevents memory blackout and
causes drinkers to recall their experiences
in embarrassing detail.
But Dr. Herbert Weingartner is cautious
about its role in treating alcohol abuse. 0 A
number of drug& have already been tl'ied,"
he says, "and none has been particularly
effective."
c-1; (2) a-5, b-2, c-0; (3) a-2, b-5, c-0; (4) a-5,
b-3, c-0; (5) a-1, b-5, c-2; (6) a-5, b-5, c-0; (7)
a-5, b-1, c-5; (8) a-1, b-5, c-0; (9) a-5, b-3, c-0;
(10) a-5, b-3, c-0; (11) a-5, b-3, c-0; (12) a-3,
b-5, c-0; (13) a-1, b-5, c-5; (14) a-5, b-3, c-0;
(15) a-5, b-0, c-0.
Reading Your Score
(4-27) Your low score may indicate that
you don't read enough, or that you don't
care about what you read .As long as you
read, though, don't let it bother you.
(28-51) You're reading, and that's good.
Your choices may not have snob appeal,
but what do you care?
(52-75) With all your taste and brains,
how did you find time to take this test?
Ashley is a personal counselor. r;, 1983
Stonewall Features Syndicate.
Circa
1930
REMARKABLE!
• Art Deco Anaoires 19' to 11 O
• Art Deco Ban • 1158 A ap
• Drastts 16' A ap
~ S •nd.ay
STEVE & LEANNA
appearing thru Dec. 10
2702 Kirby - 524-6272 Dimer Mon-ThU'S 6-11
Frl &Sat6-12
re5el\/Otlons requested
Shows 9:30, 11, 12:30
16 MONTROSE VOICE/ DEC. 2, 1983
AIDS and Grief: A Personal Experience
By Michael Helquist
Reprinted from "Coming Up,'• San
Franci.co
"Michael, I thmk we need a miracle this
time."
"Mark, what if we got it? What if you
were out of th£ hospital and cured of
AIDS? We could go traveling. You know
where we would go?"
"Where?"
"First, I'd take you to the Greek islands
because I've always wanted to go there.
Then you could take me to your favorite
beach in Hawaii."
A little later.
"You know, Michael. you can still go to
tlwse places. I don't know where I'm going
from here. But I just might be there waiting
for you. n
-May 1983
SAN FRANCISCO-It's been five months
now. Already Mark Feldman died of AlDS
complications on Thursday,June 2. I have
a little time perspective on those six and a
half months from November of '82 (the
date of his diagnosis) to June of '83. It
seems like yesterday; it seems like never.
In six months' time, I came to care deeply
for Mark as a friend, a boyfriend and a
lover. And now he's gone.
Mark chose to play a very important role
in making public the personal side of an
AlDS diagnosis. He helped others see
beyond the medical reports and statistics.
There are, of course. more than AJDS diagnosis
hitting the gay male population.
Some men also face death and dying.
Even greater numbers of gay men and lesbians
confront troubling sensations of
loss and tremendous feelings of grief.
My experiences with Mark were personal
and unique. They do not necessarily
apply to others. I do think that it's important
to acknowledge the considerable pain
and grief in the community now. I believe
it's important to be sensitive and supportive
of these feelings.
Sensations of shock combined with my
fear of grief to block much of the inevitable
grieving process. Early in August of this
year, two months after Mark's death,
things began to get out of my control.
I was asked to address a new group of
hanti Project counselors about the grieving
process. The day was difficult for me. I
had successfully held back much of the
pain of loss for weeks, but the pressure for
release was building. After I spoke to the
group, there was an exercise, a sort of
guided meditation, that Shanti employs
called "letting go of grief." Even the title
scared me. I didn't know if I could handle
the pain; it seemed like too much. I also
feared that ifl let go of the grief, I would be
Jetting go of Mark. I went ahead with the
exercise: it allowed me to release just a
little bit of the pressure I felt. And I was
okay afterwards.
Soon after the Shanti training, I experienced
a great deal of pain following a
medical procedure. Itwasthemostintense
physical pain I had ever endured. These
physical problems coincided with my
growing sense of emotional pain and loss
for Mark. I was unable to hold in the feelings
any longer. With my grief for Mark,
there also occurred the withdrawal of a
new friend 's valued comfort and companionship.
The thought of the second Joss
triggered the immensity of the first. My
physical resources were at their lowest
ebb. The pain killers I was taking after my
operation altered my perspective, and I
got very depressed. I was in a sorry state.
On one of these difficult nights, I had
trouble sleeping. The pain kept me awake.
I got up to take another pain killer. I
returned to my bed, feeling lonely and sad
and hurt. I pulled up the blankets, rolled to
one side and thought of Mark. I imagined
him lying there in bed next to me. I
snuggled up closer to him and put my
arms around him. I remembered slaying
overnight at his house several nights during
the last months. We would hold each
other and feel safe for a few moments. I
n!memben!d our through-the-night converaationa,
in between hia violent coughinr
opello. We would tell sleep-tossed
stories, and I'd rub his back. And now,
during my difficult night, I felt safe and
secure with my thoughts of lying next to
him.
That evening provided me with a valuable
insight. When I called upon the
memory of sleeping near Mark, I felt I was
calling upon his spirit and energy, on our
shared love and support-all those things
still available to me. I began to realize that
only when I Jet the grief out and feel it will
I begin to get to the other side, that of
enjoying my memories of Mark. I started
to tell friends that I wanted to let go of
Mark's death. His death was tragic and
heartrendering; it hurt me more than any·
thing I had ever experienced. But his
death was an event that had passed. I
wanted to begin to cherish more fully his
life.
The actual grieving had begun many
months ago, even before Mark's death .
There had been losses along the way. In
May of 1983 after the Candlelight March,
Mark and I realized that we would not be
attending the Denver AIDS Forum
together in .lune. He would not be well
enough. Mark and I didn't have time to
take trips together. I enjoyed the stories he
and his friends would tell about past travels,
but I realized that traveli.rig would not
be part of my experience with Mark. We
would never visit, as planned, his friend's
iris beds or his favorite beach in Hawaii.
There was a loss of physical intimacy.
Sexual sharing had been curtailed many
months earlier. There were times in the
hospital when Mark and I were alone
together, and Mark would ask me to lie
next to him, just for him to be physically
close to someone. But there was also the
occasion when he suggested that we no
longer sleep together in his bed at home.
He thought he would be more comfortable
with more bed space. I felt a little loss.
Most directly I grieved while watching
his condition deteriorate. Some with AlDS
remain in stable condition; Mark wasn't
one of them. He didn't have an easy time
with any of his medical tests and treatments.
They all seemed to be hard on him.
There are what I call my "horror stories"
about which I won't write. But the horror
occurred when I saw things that made me
feel intuitively that Mark wasn't going to
be able to get over this disease.
Reviewing my journal of last year, I
noted that on Christmas Eve after dinner
with rm !ri"°'da, I came homAI feelinr
overwhelmed with sadness. Earlier that
day I had visited Mark before he departed
to visit his family in New York. A rash had
broken out all over his body. It was a reac·
tion to the medication for pneumocystis.
He seemed so vulnerable and upset.. I
hadn't seen him so shaken before. My feel ings
of sadness and incredible anger
stayed with me throughout the day. When
I returned home late that evening, I sat
next to my Christmas tree lit up in the
dark and reached for the phone. I called
my Shanti counselor and told him, "I don't
know what to do with this grief." We
talked about it for awhile, and he was both
encouraging and supportive. I was
relieved that he was available for this and
other caUs. But I still asked, "Where can I
put this grief? If Mark gets worse, there's
lots more to come." And that was only the
end of 1982.
I was with Mark when he died. So were
his mother, Ruth; his close friend , Stuart;
his Shanti counselor, Stephen; and his
doctor, Steve. We knew, but with complete
disbelief, that the end was near. Mark was
not talking; there was no eye contact. His
breathing was extremely labored. I knew I
was waiting for his last breath, and I
hated that thought. I had promised Mark
that I would stay with him throughout his
ordeal. I believe he waited until we had all
gathered around him. I think Mark had
prepared himself and was ready to let go
peacefully. But I wasn't ready; I hadn't
kept up with him.
Stephen suggested that I might want to
say good-bye to Mark. The thought was
devastating. At first I thought, "No, everything
is resolved between us." But then I
wanted to-all confusion and rebellion
inside-and I stood up, leaned over the
bed; and, as I had so often before, kissed
him on the forehead , told him I loved him
and said good-bye. Soon thereafter, his
breathing stopped. Mark had Jet go. He
had fought enough, and his peace was
well-deserved.
Mark's funeral was held in New York on
Sunday, June 5. I had given Mark's
mother a framed copy of the only photo I
have of Mark and me, taken last March.
On the reverse side of the photo I had written
to Mark some private thoughts which I
realized would never be seen again. The
photo, special items from special relatives
and friends, were buried with him, as was
the crown that a close friend had made for
him which Mark wore the niirht of the
Feature
Candlelight March
Un the day of the funeral , at the same
hour, I stayed home alone here in San
Francisco, wanting to be aware of Mark in
my thoughts and feelings. I lit a candle
and played some of his favorite music. I
re-read part of a fairy tale that I had read
to him a few days earlier in the middle of a
sleepless night. I cried for him, and I cried
for me, his family and his friends. I
remembered the special moments Mark
and l had together. Finally, I was still and
calm with just the flickering candle and
the music, and I felt some peace. The
ordeal of Mark's fight was over. I
imagined his being laid to rest, literally.
By the time of Mark's San Francisco
memorial service three days later, I felt
that I had already had my service for
Mark. This one was for the public, for the
larger family of Mark's friends. Congrega·
tion Sha'ar Zahav organized and offered a
moving and heeling service. I felt a desire
and a need then to be public myself.
As I had come to be associated with
Mark, I wanted people to realize that, of
course, we collectively move along. There
is continuity. I sensed the useful role of
widow/ widower as a Hnk between the past
and the present and as a step from the
present to the future. With the funeral and
memorial service completed, and later
with the closing of Mark's estate, there
occurred the more or less official ending to
the public grieving. For many, of course, it
was just the mid-paint for much private
grieving.
Many of us have so little experience with
grieving and with the realities of death.
We're often separated by lack of understanding
from our families. Those of us
who are younger have often allowed ourselves
to be cut off from older gays and
lesbians who could perhaps share their
insight into these life experiences. We
don't seem to have any sub-cultural,
meaning gay, traditions for our grieving.
This was certainly true before anyone
heard of AIDS. Death has not been a
stranger to our gay population, but to
many it seems death has never been so
pervasive. It is this pervasive quality that
makes AlDS grief different. Who will we
mourn next? And there are so many of us
in our 20's and 30's who now mourn the
Joss of friends, brothers and lovers-many
also of the same age.
One of my mote surprising feeling& aoon
after Mark'• death was a Oa~h of fury
directed at Jackie Kennedy 0naBSi8.
Although she had her moment of panic
during the assassination of the late president,
ahe generally is remembered as the
strong, silent widow standing tall with a
humble dignity. That wasn't the kind of
mourning I had in mind. I wanted to go out
into the dark evening and rage against the
sky and stars at whatever or whoever had
allowed this tragedy to descend.
I've been trying to find my own way
through this. I talk with my men and
women friends, my Shanti counselor, my
therapist. Weeks after Mark's death, I
would walk through my days, functioning
on a minimal level. I felt confused, alone
and very disoriented. I wondered, "Is this
part of the grief?" I would recognize grief
in my crying, but wonder about the meaning
of so much confusion and insecurity in
my life.
I thought of Mark every day; I missed
him every day. Somehow every Thursday
near 4:00 p.m. (the day and time of his
death), I would be especially reminded of
him. On a few Thursday afternoons, I
would even be driving Mark's car past
Franklin Hospital where he died.
Mark had been very skillful last winter
and spring in bringing the focus of the
media to AlDS. He gave endless interviews
to newspapers and to radio and TV
stations. His photo was featured in News·
week and the German magazine, Der Spiegel.
After his death, the legacy of Mark's
activism left me and many others in a curious
conflicted position. It was impossible
throughout the months of June and July
to pick up a gay newspaper or newsletter
without seeing a photo of Mark or reading
a reference to him. Local AIDS TV specials
featured clips of Mark's speaking from his
hospital bed or speaking from the stage
the night of the Candlelight March. I want
Mark and his courage and example toothers
to be remembered. At the time, how-
:~~~i!:e!~i;t;:adt:eu~~:~!~sj ~~~t~~
control over how or when the issues of
Mark's absence and my grief would be
thrown at me.
With the lack of any community guidelines,
I confronted a variety of responses
from individuals. Some would know just
what to do, and a quick hug would replace
any initial awkward words. Others would
avoid me, as they later explained, because
they didn't know what to say. Some would
become noticeably uncomfortable if! mentioned
Mark in casual conversation or if
sometimes I spoke of him in the present
tense.
As the weeks passed, I began to get more
messages. Now a few acquaintances
would suggest that it reaHy was time for
me "to get on with it." I was told, "Life
must go on. Get out and have some fun.
Meet someone new.'' Ironicall~. others
would wonder aloud how I could possibly
think of feeling affectionate or loving to
another man so soon. What I wanted most
at the time was for someone to understand
that I was confused, that I needed some
comfort, and that I wanted to talkfrequently
about Mark. During Mark's
last six months of being in and out of hospitals,
on and off treatment programs,
there usually Wasn't the time for any of us
to really discuss what was happening. Too
much happened too fast. There was no
normal time.
My experiences of witnessing death and
confronting grief convinces me that there
is often a lack of awareness andsensitity,
but mostly a lack of understanding,
among our gay population of what is
unfortunately going on here. That we
have immense good will and that we have
responded to the AIDS crisis with courage,
devotion and determination I don't ques·
tion for a moment. I just find that once
again, we have another need pulling at our
consciousness.
What can I say to those of you who fear
that you wi1l soon share my experience of
losing a loved one to AIDS? Or to thoae of
you who have already lost someone? What
can we say to each other? There ~ay not
be much need for words: the most intense
feelings are shared and understood. O~n ·
ing ourselves to love takes on a SJX'CIBI
meaning, to others this Ql&.Y sound !ike an
outdated clich(. . . •. o ! will sim11Jy ~ay whatI.hav1;>!1W.""'1 kl
thi8 point, five months later. My grief and
the intensity of it are very important to
me; it is a reflection of my deep feelings for
Mark. My grief is my own experience. I
won't follow anyone else's patterns or
expectations. Only I will know how long
my grieving should continue. I may, how·
ever, seek out the observations of others to
achieve some perspective. I will seek comfort
where I'm able and when I chooae. I
still have both the need and the capability
to give and receive love, to be affectionate
and intimate, to be sexual.
1 remember Mark 's telling me,
"Michael, this disease is mine. You can't
experience it the way I do." Now I think
this grieving is mine. I want and need to
share some of it with others; but it is my
own experience to feel and from which to
learn. I feel that I've reached a stage, a
phase in the process of grieving, of opening
myself to the experience of death and
to the immensity of life. AIDS and the
losses associated with it have been too
DEC. 2, 1983 I MONTROSE VOICE 17
inten•e for me to handle with my formerly
adequate self-sufficiency. I have painfully
experienced many personal limitations,
and I'm now looking in new directions. My
life feels changed, and yet I'm just standing
on the edge of the changes. It loon
pretty frightening out there. I've never felt
a greater challenge ahead of me or one
with greater opportunities.
I 'm very thankful that I'm not alone in
this process. I have good men and women
friends who understand, and we ca.re
deeply for each other. And I have an ally,
my Mark, my Jewish American Prince,
wearing his crown and nudging me forward.
If Mark is on those Greek and
Hawaiian islands someday when I travel
there, I want to be ready to open my heart
to him with joy and more love.
L'Chaim. To Life.
Helqu;;i is a California journalist living
m the San Francisco Bay area. Reprinted
from "Coming Up," September, 1983.
1983. All rwhts reserved.
Now ...
Judith ::bouc/aj
ATTORNEY AT LAW
DWI DEBT RELIEF
BANKRUPTCY
PERSONAL INJURY
FAMILY LAW
Free Consultation
Reasonable Fees & Terms
Sat. & Evening Appts.
303 W. Polk al Tall
520-1370
24 hours
Member Greater Monlrose Business Guild
Texas Trial Lawyers Association
Licensed by the Texas Supreme Court
General Practice of Law
Ride in Widebody Comfort
to Los Angeles ...
EA TE ' t- 11 isperliner
Departs Daily at 5:35 P.M.
-o-
Starting January 9
New Widebody Service to
New Orleans, Miami
and Las Vegas.
Check our Affordable Fares!
Call your travel agent or Eastern Airlines in Houston at 738-8615.
EASTERN, Houston's oldest and largest major carrier
serving you since 1936.
EASTERN
America's favorite way to fly ...
18 MONTROSE VOICE/ DEC. 2, 1983·-----------.,
Snorts • A ~ I" ~ ..,..
MSA Softball Great Christmas
League Seeks Tree Sale
Volunteers for Gay this Saturday &
World Series Sunday, Dec. 3
Houston's MSA Softball League will be
hosting the eighth annual Gay Softball
World Series next August and is currently
seeking volunteers to assist with planning
that tournament week.
Planning by the Series 8 committee is
well underway at this time, and already
the week of the tournament appears as
though it will be a great time for both tournament
participants and those who
become involved with the Series.
Tournament officials expect to be hosting
about 400 tournament participants
and another 2Q0.3()(J fans and spectators
from cities across the U.S. and Canada.
Tentative plans have been made to hold
the tournament games at Memorial Park
from August 26-30.
If you would like to become involved in
this community effort, please get in touch
with the Series 8 Committee, MSA Soft·
ball, Box 22272, Houston 77227, or call
526-7329 (evenings).
MSA Monday Night Bowling
STANDINGS
Following Nov 28 compet1tt0n
A DIVISION B DIVISION
1 Sisters of Mercy 1 MCCR I
2 B•m P1gette1 2 E/J'a Boys
3S1r1keForce 3Ch•rlotte·sHarlots
C DIVISION 0 DIVISION
1 Stell•·aFeflas 1 Ball Chasers
2 Hoty Rollers 11 2 Barnyard Hores
3 Reneged• 3 High Heel Aolfers
HIGH GAMES HIGH SERIES
Ron Johnson 22• Al MlXon 591
Larry Burnell 221 Jan 8ucow 571
JNn Bacow 220 Charlte Hurst 561
GAY OWNED
AND
OPERATED
1901 TAFT (AT WEBSTER)
523-2794
DWI
CRIMINAL DEFENSE
PERSONAL INJURY
FAMILY LAW
FREE CONSULTATION
JOHN PAUL BARNICH
ArrORNEY AT LAW
3317 MONTROSE. SUITE 318
(7131 !523-!5006
and 4, from
10am to 5pm,
by ...
in parking lot
next to Mary's.
Donations to
the Westheimer
Colony Arts
Association
529--0027
{!/'z.'ti1.tma1. ca'td1., w'tap., 9i{t1., fJ 1. and
1.WE.at 1.hi'th, mo'tE. c'titfru and frE.aH
than WE.'tff
6~6 dlawlhorn•-dlo•.ulon
'Juo• 77006-529-1'299
Dpui ,,M.,nday lhu• .S..tuJa!I llam·7pm
Dp.w tdl 9pm on "'1ifonJay 5 Clhuuda!I.
MASTERCARD & VISA ACCEPTED
Dec. 2, 1983/ MONTROSE VOICE 19
Montrose Live
'Private Lives' Explodes with Talent and Laughter
By Billie Du;,can late are only thwarted by his innate sense
Drop everything next Tuesday night and of honesty.
go see Private Lives at the Pink Elephant, Garrott's performance is one of those
1218 Leeland. If you can't make it this gems, one of those treasures against
Tuesday, go the week after. which a person can gauge any other per-
But whatever you do, do not miss the formance. He is worth seeing again and
show. again.
Noel Coward wrote the play over 50 Finally, proof that there are no small
years ago as a biting and humorous actors, only small parts: Jim Keel is Louis.
merry-go-round featuring two 0 regular" Keel is a real scene stealer in a beautifully
couples, but it works so well with an all- underplayed rendition of the disapprovmale
cast that it is a wonder that the play ing "maid."
is not done this way for gay audiences As for the other production values, the
with regularity. Basically only some pro- seUI were designed by nece88ity and the
nouns and two proper names seem to have lights were not designed at all The BOund
been changed. was good, however, with the talent on the
For those who have not seen Private tape provided by Tim Tavcar (vocals) and
Lives before, the premise of the play is Mickey Rankin (piano). The players were
simp1e. Victor and Mandi Prynne are on dressed nicely.
their honeymoon. Elyot and Cyril Chase This is the firstofaseriesofproductions
are on their honeymoon. planned by the Diversity Theatre, which
Mandi and Elyot were once married to is dedicated to bringing to gay (or nonone
another'. The two new couples wind up gay) audiences the many facets of gay life
at the same resort on the same day in as portrayed on the stage.
rooms with adjoining balconies. From If the following productions come near
there the sparks fly, passions ignite and the qua1ity of the performance of Private
the play becomes a series of explosions Lives, Houston may become known as the
~i~~:;I~~b~ith sifting through the em<>- city for excellence in gay theatre.
re~~ti!8nsa 0cr~:~a:~:r:·a:iththt~~ D Duncan's Quick Notes ~[~cx::;t:jJ(}~~fulhairatyks
uarcbt1.anone. and witty banter dominating tbe "All artista have a hope. One is to become 1!."J.~~':'/.:;ea/~":!,."::,,a head"
BILLIE DUNCAN PHOTO
Ian Tanna (Elyot) and Jerry Garrott
(Mandi) share a tender moment between
barb• in "Private Livea" at the Pink
Elephant
John Uavid Etheredge directed the production
at the P.E. with a great sense of
1tyle and an obvious love of the characten.
His use of the tiny stage space is
extremely creative, and his sense of the
rythms of the play is superb. (Please note:
thi• is done in the much larger expanded
room of the Pink Elephant.)
Bruce C. Herling is riotous as the pretty,
but pouting Cyril, a boy who could tame
lion• with his ever-present handkerchief.
Herling 1naps, primps and pouts his wa.y
through hi• role with an air of total rightousnes1.
Joe Watta (c<>-founder of the Divenity
Theatre, producen of the show) is perfection
itaelf as the stuffy, pompous, pseud<>macho
Victor. Actually, Victor is a 1oser in
thi• play, but Watta play1 him winningly.
The two characten on whom the play
focuses are Mandi and Elyot, however.
Jan Tanna as Elyot is astoundingly varied
within the perimeters of his character.
Tanna'• gamut runs from domineering
stupidity to tender introspection with complete
concentration and sensitivity.
NowwecometoJerryGarrettaeMandi.
Garrett would walk.away with.thisahow i(
~e otke aetora were not aa..ao<_>d aa I.hey
are. He is 1uperlabve as. t.h~ bnght, C?mpulsive
Mandi who.e ab1hties to man1pu-a
big star. That is not mine. I think you are
a star every time you step on stage."
With that statement, Denise Le Brun
somewhat illuminated what it is that
makes her so very special every time she
steps on a stage.
The next stage upon which she will step
is the Theatre One, 3517 Austin, in the
opening of the Houston Community
College Artist and Audience series.
Her one-woman show will play from Dec. 7
through the 11th.
Fc7rthose who have not been fonunate
enough yet to experience Le Brun, here is a
quick background: born and educated in
France, friend of Edith Piaf, coentertainer
with Jacques Brei, international
singer, presence on the American
otage from New York to Houston to Los
Ange1es, with a year at the Dunes in
Vegas.
"Vegaa?" said Le Brun, her musical
voice Jilting with the memories of France.
'1'o start with, it's not a city. It is a mecca
of :V~~7 :r°t~~~~:rican rr.ecca of theatre,
New York? 111 think it represents well the
United States."
Los Angeles: ''To live in a city where you
depend on a car .... Well, I'm a Parisian!"
However, she now resides in Houston.
Denise Le Brun ha11ived in more American
cities than mo1t Americans. "I have
been where my showe took me."
Actually, she did not plan to come to this
country and spend year• traveling around
and singing. "I came to visit for three
weeks.'' explained Le Brun. Then she
smiled. "I didn't know the country was so
big." She first entered the country in 1969.
She's still finding new places to explore.
When she got here, she spoke not a word
of English. She had studied German and
Italian in school, so she figured that English
would not be that difficult. "!thought
it wou1d take about siI months." She
laughed. "It took much longer than thal"
Her gauge for succe88 in the language
waa simpJe. "I knew I could really speak
English when I could understand the
jokea."
So now the United States is as much a
home to her as France, and she likes having
two countries. "It's like having two
husbands. I'd like to have two husbands.
Three. Four!"
Ao for her current show, she feels that
an English-speaking audience would n~t
be up to listening to two houri of son's m
French. •11 don't want to sing to an ehte. I
want to sing to people who have been
wt:~~! :~~:·~•n11•-oombinaUM...,f
things, both emotional and physical. ~he
is a tiny woman who has a commanding
Motorcyc~ madneBB was the theme of
the final creation in "Illusions a head"
presence without being overbearing. She
is expressive but not effusive. She is more
like a well than a fountain. No matter how
much she gives, there is always a secret
place kept deep inside.
She is the perfect choice to kick off
HCC's new program of entertaining
artists. For reservations or information,
call 630-7264.
Another interesting artistic experiment
came off last week. And it was quite successful.
"Illusions A Head" took to the
Nlllllbers stage on the 23rd.
It was a fashion and hair show that featured
the present, the past and the future,
as envisioned by Ken Powers and a gaggle
of mercbanta and hairdressers.
The show was to at.art at IOpm, so most
patrons expected a show by maybe 10:30
or llpm. A large crowd waited coruriderably
longer, while the lasers cut through the
smoke and the liquor flowed.
Zardoz finally stepped to the micr<>phone
to start the show (Now, please, that
really i3 the poor child's name. I know. I
asked. Would they lie to me?).
Soon we were off to see the first wizard,
Antonio Amico, who designed the
gowns for the first section: the present.
Amico has an eye for the glamorous and
the glitz. Bette Midler or Roxie Starr
would feel equally at home in his creations.
The second section was the past, with
clothes from Stop the Clock. This was a
delightful section with a variety of 50's
looks from the racks of recycled clothing
available at top the Clock
Finally, the future was revealed. Very
revealed. The first models to emerge were
basically nude with strategic bands of
co1ored cellophane wrapped around their
young and nubile bodies.
Then from the fog and colored lighta,
another image emerged. A massive black
and silver machine-motorcycle at ]east,
monster at moat-pulled on to the stage.
Seated in the passenger position was the
occupant of the coup de gras: a studded
black leather skirt and hooded top that
Mary'• Ca88andra would kill for.
The audience screamed their apprecia·
tion, and the show was over.
Later in the dressing room, producer
Powers explained with a sense of astonishment
that six hairdressers bad been
invo1ved in the hair designs for the show
with "no problems.''
The six were Powers, Suaan Van
Doorn, Annette Noland, Joni Punam,
JeffLee, andAntonioAmioo.A!lth&hair
styles in the show were a lot of fun. So were
the food trays in the dressing room provided
by Bl\ia's (everything they sa,y
about starving journalista is absolutely
true).
I was having such a good time finishing
off the food trays that I asked when
another fashion and hair show was
planned. Powers atood silent for just a
moment, then muttered, "Oh, God!" and
walked away. A lot more goes into putting
these ahows together than anyone can
imagine.
And while we're on the subjectofshows,
the Ripcord seems to be thinking of having
a coup]e of show& in the next month or
two. The tentative dates are Dec. 12 and
New Year's Eve.
Rumor has it that Vickie Vagina,
Clare Clitori1 and the Rev. Mother
Christine will appear. One never knowa
what to expect from the Ripcord, does one?
One more note. Kindered Spirits continues
its tradition of fine live music every
week. Linda Christian has the Wednesday
spot, while the incredible talenUI of
Harriet Reynolds fill the room on Thursdays.
Harriet, by the way, is part of Alexandra
Haas' group that juat clOBed at a ....
'<:'als. H~he11eet,,erf0f'lntln hannome&
and song writing abilities add immeasurably
to an already fine acl
David Eisler is HGO'• bewildered Candide in the colorful production
o HGO's 'Candide' Is
Carnival Masterpiece
Houston Grand Opera. ·cand1de' by L90nard BfHnstem.
JoHph McKH (Volt11relPanglou1etc.), O.wd
Eta'-' (Candide). Ene AMI& (Cunegonde), Merill Clement
(Paquette). William Parcher(MHimllian). Dana
Krueger (Old Lady). Chotus and Houston Symphony
Orctt.tra. John DeMam. conductor.
By Peter Derksen
If HGO keeps on presenting operas as well
done as their Barber of Seville and Canduk,
audiences here might catch on to the
po88ibility that going to the opera can be a
delight rather than a gruesome chore. The
adaptation of the Broadway musical to
the operatic stage was an unqualified sue·
cess. The dozens of subscribers who left
their seats empty, perhaps in memory of
Mr. Bernstein's less successful premiere of
A Quiet Place last season, did themselves
a great disservice. You could go a long way
before finding better singing, acting and
fun theatre.
Even by the standards of opera, Canduk's
plot is hopelessly complicated. Voltaire
wrote the original tale over 200 years
ago, taking sides in a philosophical battle
then raging, and which represented one of
the last stands of organized religion in the
mainstream of Western thought. The
i ues: "why do bad things happen to good
people?" and .. how may one attain true
happiness in life?" are of some interest
even today, and. in true French fashion.
are much too important to be treated with
anything less than comedy.
Harold Prince's direction was dazzling
Every chance he gets, he wreaks havoc
with conventional theatrical boundaries.
The stage is open to our view all the time.
Characters stroll through the audience,
pop up in the orchestra pit, dangle from
doorways. help each other with costume
changes in center stage. The entire production
i a "show within a show," presented
as a carnival attraction at a
Victorian fair, with the crowd of onlookers
doubling as the chorus. The "fairgrounds"
were the frame for Candide's 23 scenes,
which took us. among other places, to
Westphalia. Lisbon. the mid-Atlantic,
Cartagena, El Dorado, a desert island,
Constantinople, and rural France.
Everything in the opera moves at breakneck
pace. Only singers who can act and
dance well can keep up, and, with insignificant
exceptions, everyone on stage sang
the witty and tricky lyrics clearly and
understandably.
Joseph McKee did more than double
duty as Voltaire, whose narration binds
the whole plot, the eternally optimistic Dr.
Pangloss, and several lesser roles. The
transitions from his high-pitched Mr.
Magoo Voltaire voice and mellow baritone
singing in the other parts was impressive,
despite occasional vocal problems.
(Among other things. he was called upon
to pop up on the podium, lead the orchestra
for a few bars, change character, then hop
out into the audience and dash onstage.)
Erie Mills stole the show (vocally) as
Cunegonde. She tossed off the high coloratura
in Glitter and Be Gay with ease and
precision, and sang the lyric passages
smoothly and comfortably. As with
Teresa Stratas, we have a superb actress/
musician whose voice is unfortunately
too small for live performances of many of
the roles to which her talents entitle her;
the full range of her abilities will probably
be revealed only in the recording stuidio.
David Eisler, indeed the "handsome
young tenor" promised in HGO's promotions,
sang and acted the naif Candide
splendidly. His voice, pure and strong,
was well suited to the music. He underacted
perfectly, showing the appropriate
mild bewilderment and despair when
called for; this is not a role calling for bold
drama. He was the blank slate upon which
all the other characters and actions
impinge.
To give proper credit to the supporting
singers, chorus and support staff wouJd
require IO times this space.
In general, the orchestra played well,
though there were serious difficulties in
the brass during the overture. John
DeMain kept the bubbling music moving
smartly along
Whole books, and even operas(!), have
been devoted to arguing over which is
more important in opera: words or music.
With this performance of Candide, we
have a third candidate: the production. We
are reminded that opera is theatre with
music added; those who feel otherwise
have, thanks to technology, the option of
sitting home with their stereos. Candide is
great theatre with some of the most sparkling
words and music to be found in all of
opera. It is Bernstein's masterpiece, and it
is unfortunate that our culture does not
rate comedy as highly as tragedy, obliging
geniuses of the former to consolidate their
reputations by dabbling in the latter.
From Rossini to Woody Allen, the results
are not always favorable. Bernstein's
composing talent is much better suited to
the bright side of life than to the dreary.
Candide plays at Jones Hall through
Dec. 8. Don't miss it.
o 'Hamlet' and
'Macbeth' Given Bizarre
Turn at Chocolate
Bayou
By Joe L. Watts
British playwright Tom Stoppard (Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern Are Dead) has
put together more of his historical spooferies,
and Shakespeare is the target again.
In this case, it's two interrelated one-act
comedies with the unusual title Dogg's
Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth being given its
Houston premiere at Chocolate Bayou
Theatre.
Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot 's Macbeth was
first presented in 1979 for the inauguration
of Inter-Action's British American
Repertory Company (BARC). Dogg's
Hamlet extends and combines two previous
pieces, Dogg's Out Pet and The
Dogg's Troupe 15-Minute Hamlet, which
were written for Ed Berman (Prof. Dogg),
director of the Inter·Action Troupe. The
inspiration for Dogg's Hamlet came from
Stoppard's fascination with language and
an idea from the philosopher Wittgenstein
whereby two languages could, for a short
time, be happily coincident. The 15-
Minute Hamlet was originally performed
on a double-decker bus.
Dogg's Hamlet is a sometimes fun ny
skit wherein echool kide take p art in a
graduation ceremony and then perform a
crazy minute version of Hamlet, using an
absurd language called Dogg. A daffy
deliveryman called Easy comes in with a
truckload of plans, slaps and cubes and
becomes totally baffled with Dogg when
the audience discovers that plank means
"ready" and cube 11thank you."
Cahoot's Macbeth takes on a more
serious tone, combining political satire
with a hving·room performance of Macbeth.
Inspired by Stoppard's meeting with
Czechoslovakian playwright Pavel
Kohout, who through political dissent
formed a call·group, the Living-Room
Theatre, through which forbidden Czech
actors could perform. Call them, and five
people will come with one suitcase.
In Cahoot's Macbeth, the one-suitcase
troupe are giving their condensed Macbeth
in the home of a hostess when a police
inspector barges in to threaten the group.
He demands their best Macbeth, or else
he will take them all to jail. Cahoot, who
has been playing Banquo, hits all fours
and goes into his Dogg act, speech and all.
Easy, the deliveryman from Dogg's
Hamlet, comes in near the end, surprising
the audience with his fluent Dogg. The
inspector asks Cahoot how you learn
Dogg, to which Cahoot replys, "You don't
learn it; you catch it."
Whether or not you "catch the Dogg" in
this production, I'm not sure you will enjoy
it, unless you are a die-hard Shakespeare
enthusiast (punster not purest), and even
that is no guarantee.
Stoppard's intent.is rather original and
worthy; it's just that "this Dogg" ain't no
real Hoot-it might have been on a doubledecker
bus, however.
Fault does not Jie with the able direction
by Cindy Goatley or the bright I I -member
acting ensemble.
Peter Bryson as Easy was an easy stand
out and served his role with fine aplomb.
Mark Walz and Billie Duncan pair well
together and indivually with sharp performances
as Macbeth and his Lady, respectively
Pamela Donahue has some funny
momenta as Mrs. Dogg and as Gertrude in
Hamlet.
Bill O'Rourke is very fine overall in his
multiple roles as Fox Major, Hamlet and
BanquotCahoot
This production barks through Dec. 10
at Chocolate Bayou (1823 Lamar).
Tourists
Prefer Torture
This year's biggest tourist attraction in
Florence, Italy, wasn't art, it was pain,
reports Behavior Today.
Outdrawing all the masterpieces at the
Pitti Palace was an exhibit of torture
instruments used from the 15th to the 19th
centuries. The exhibit includes such old
favorites as the rack, hanging cages and
spiked interrogation chairs.
The collection was such a hit that it's
been taken on the road and may visit the
U.S. in 1985. Proceeds go to human rights
groups
Billie Duncan gives Lady Macbeth a strange tu..•ist in the Chocolate Bayou
comedy
Seven Day Calendar
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
DEC. DEC.
2 3
DEC.
4 5 6 7 8
For add1t10n1I 1ntorm11ton or phone number1 tor eventS hsted below, look for the apon10t11''1!)
Ofg1n1zation under ~organ1ul1ona·· m the Montrose Clauilied
Selected Events
through 7 Days
mFRIDA Y: Committee for
Public Health Awareness's
"Sharing Group for the Worried
Well," 7-Spm, Montrose
Counseling Center, 900 Lovett
llSATURDA Y: Choice's
Lesbian Mothers' Group meets
6:30pm Dec. 3, 210 Fairview,
apl I
llSA TU RDA Y: Lesbians &
Gay People in Medicine meet
7:30pm Dec. 3
llSUNDAY: Montrose Tennis
Club plays J0:30am-1:30pm,
MacGregor Park
mMONDA Y: AIDS victim
support group meets 6:30pm,
Montrose Counseling Center,
900 Lovett Blvd., Suite 203
mMONDA Y: MSA Bowling,
9pm at Stadium Bowl, S200
Braesmain
• TUESDAY: Lesbian/Gay
Resource Service, Univ. of
Houston, meets 2:30pm Dec. 6,
Spindletop Room, Univ. Center,
Univ. Park
•TUESDAY: Montrose
Symphonic Band meets at
Bering Church, 1440 Harold,
7:30pm
• TUESDAY: Greater
Montrose Business Guild meets
7:30pm Dec. 6, Liberty Bank
community room, 1001
Westheimer
• WEDNESDAY: Gay Political
Cauc,,. meets 4600 Main #217,
7:30pm Dec. 7
• THURSDAY: Wilde 'n Stein
gay radio show 7:3().9pm on
KPFT Radio, FM-90
• THURSDAY: MSA Mixed
Bowling League bowls, 9pm at
Stadium Bowl, S200 Braesmain
Selected Events
in Future Weeks
m!N l WEEK: Lutherans
Concerned meets Dec.13, Grace
Lutheran Church, 2515 Waugh
•IN l WEEK : Citizens for
Human Equality (CHE) meets
Dec.13
m!N l WEEK : Houston Data
Professionals meet 7:30pm
Dec. 13, East Room, Holiday
Inn Central, 4640 South Main
m!N 2 WEEKS: Choices meets
12:30pm Dec. JS
m!N 2 WEEKS: Unitarian/
Universalist Gay Ceucus meets
Dec. JS, !st Unitarian Church,
5210 Fannin
m!N 2 WEEKS: Familiee &
Friends of Gays meets 2pm
Dec. IS, Preebyterian Center
behind Jet Preebyterian
Church, 5300 Main
•IN 2 WEEKS: Winter begins
at 4:3lam, Dec. 22
m!N S WEEKS: Christmas,
Dec. 25
• INS WEEKS: Houston Area
Gay & Leobian Engineers &
Scientists meet 7pm Dec. 'J:7
m!N S WEEKS: Montrose
Civic Club (Neartown) meets
7pm Dec. 27, Bering Church,
1440 Harold
m!N S WEEKS: Interact
meeting, Bering Church, 1440
Harold, 7:30pm Dec. 28
rAIN S WEEKS: Integrity
meets Dec. 29, 4008 Wycliff
rAIN 7 WEEKS: NOW's
Lesbian Rights Conference,
Jan. 2().22, Milwaukee
rAIN 8 WEEKS: Gay Press
Association Southern Regional
Conference, Jan. 27-29, Houston
rAIN 10 WEEKS: Lincoln's
birthday, Feb. 12
•IN 10 WEEKS: Valentine's
Day, Feb. 14
• IN 11 WEEKS:
Washington's birthday, Feb. 20
rAIN lS WEEKS: Mardi Gras
Fat Tueeday, March 6
rAIN 16 WEEKS: St. Patrick's
Day, March 17
•IN 17 WEEKS: April Fool's
Day, April I
•IN 2S WEEKS: First primary
party elections in Texas and
party precinct conventions,
May5
•IN 2S WEEKS: World's Fair
opens in New Orleans, May 12,
lasting to Nov. JI
rAIN 25 WEEKS: Texas
Senatorial District Party
Conventions, May 19
• IN 26 WEEKS: Gay Press
Association 4th National
Convention, May 25-28, Los
Angeles
m!N 26 WEEKS: Memorial
Day, May 28
•IN 27 WEEKS: Run-off party
elections in Texas, June 2
m!N 29 WEEKS: Texas
Democratic Party Convention,
June 15-17, tentatively Houston
rAIN 28 WEEKS: !9S4 Gay
Pride Week begins, 15th
anniversary of Stonewall
uprising, national slogan
"United & More in '84," June
15-24
-.EARLY J ULY: Lesbian and
Gay Bands of America concert,
Loo Angeles
rAIN 28 WEEKS: National
Gay Health Education
Foundation's let International
Lesbian/Gay Health
Conference, 0 Toward
Diversity," New York, June
16·19
m!N SS WEEKS: Democratic
National Convention, San
~'rancisoo, July 16-19
mJN 87 WEEKS: Castro Street
Fair, Aug. 19, San Francisco
rAIN S8 WEEKS: Gay World
Series Softball Tournament
opens in Houston Aug. 28,
lasting to Sept. 2
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DWELLINGS &
ROOMMATES
- LARGE SHARPSTOWN CONDO
3 bedroom, 2 bath, all appliances for
sale or lease. Washer/ dryer connectio~
s. central A/C and heat huge
!;~~~:h c~!icf::1ie':~-~2~:;~
CONDO FOR RENT
1-1, security bars, dishwasher, free
cable, Marshall at Audubon. no pets
$350 per month. 436-1412
-- ROOMMATE
GWM, 27. seeks same to share 2-
bedroom. 1-bath apartment. $275+
deposit includes utilities 840-7153
GALLERIA AREA
Dramatic 1 bedroom, incredible
gourmet kitchen, gorgeous hardwood
floors, brass hardware m bath.
Galleria area. $650. 871-0602. Lynn.
RPAL.
MONTROSE/HEIGHTS
Close-in, 1 bedroom, hardwood
floors, lovely garden area in front.
$325+ utilities. 871-0602. Lynn.
RPAL.
AN INTIMATE WESTHEIMER
Boutique and/or club space; will
d1v1de 1000 to 4000 sq ft. Call 668-
6373
EMPLOYMENT &
JOBS WANTED
OUTSIDE SALES
Needed for travel agency_ Commission
only No experience necessary
Call Bruce. 529-8464
FOR SALE, MISC.
FREE CATALOG
Eel skin leather gifts tor men and
women. Christmas delivery The
Buckeye Company. Box 7653,
Houston 1n10
EROTIC VIDEO CASETTES
$25-35. Both formats, VHS, Beta
Daniel. 526-9112
HANOVER SHOES
Fii:ie quali_ty men's shoes at factory·
/ dtrect prices. Call Hank, 864-8393
(answer service)
WILD BILL'S JEANS
New and used-worn and torn•
Coats, sweaters. slacks, shirts Lots
~~:ci·~r:ad::.o ~~~"~w~~ a~~~ .. b~~
"Sonny " 880-8824 or 880-8844
(Acro |
