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MARCH 10, 1987
VOL.IV NO.I
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�Our Turn
Views and opinions by TIit Nn. J'oiu staff.
The Cover
This issue's cover icpresents three
successful years for Tiu Ntw Voice.
Many artists and photographcn
contributed their work! during this
time. The collage was designed by
Larry Wiseblood, founder and edi·
tor of TM Nrw Yoiu for the past
three years. Sandy was recently
named as new editor.
A Solid Future With
Your Support
Since my assignment to editor of
TIit New J'okt, I have received a
lot of support from friends in the
community. llowevcr, some have
been concerned about the future of
the magazine. I do not >hesitate to
reassure them that TIie New Voice
will survive staff ic-structuring.
What, if anything, will be different
about the magazine? I see TIit Nn,,
Voice as a public forum for the
gay/lesbian community - not to
speak for us, but to allow individ·
uals and organizations to express
various concerns. The New Yoiu
is also a resource tool for the com·
munity: providing infonnation to
gays and lesbians and to those who
support us. I want to focus on
these objectives with your assist·
ance.
Naturally, some opinions will be
very controversial. That much will
not change. However, if something
in Tht New JIoict disturbs a reader,
I want to be sure she/he has every
opportunity 10 respond in tum.
After all, we are a diverse commu·
nity and we don't agree on every·
thing. Let's not be afraid to discuss
our differences openly and honestly.
I would like to see TIit New l'olu
facilitate such discussion.
The
magazine will only reflect what the
community puts into it.
In the meantime, I hope I can
count on your continued support.
Please don't hesitate to contact me
to discuss your needs/concerns.
We have wanted TM New Voict to
function as a forum for the
gay/lesbian community •• a publi·
cation reflecting the divcnity of in·
tcrcsU and politics within our
community. /1.s expressed, every
article and opinion should stand on
its own. This is, of course, a diffi.
cult objective.
Obviously, the
white, male, rniddlc·class ricrspec·
live has been over-represented.
New Yoiu is a •p.y male maga·
I will not hesitate to admit my
disenchantment with Tht N~w
J'olu. (I have con.~idcred leaving
the staff on numerous occasions.)
I am still participating in its publication, however, because I enjoy
working with the printed word ·•
even if I don't agree with what is
said. Also, if a gay/lesbian publi·
cation secb to accurately represent
lesbian interesu, I would rather
have a few lesbian womyn on staff,
even reluctantly, than none at all.
zinc.• I can agree with that label to
a point. While it is true that more
articles are written by and about
men, it is also true that more articles are submitted by men. We
have clearly invited womyn to submit articles on any subject, but the
response has been disappointing.
I am somewhat annoyed that a few
womyn in the community have
questioned my Lesbian Ethics be·
cause I help out with this magazine.
My penonal politics are just that:
personal; seldom does my own
philosophy agree with those ex-
--Sandy
Editor
Don't Assume
Anything
I have often bears it said the TIit
March 1987
EOOOR-Sond,I
ASSOCIAlE EOITOR-Mlto f ~ i s y l c
COPV EOITOR-Gorv c«tlf
TREASURER-Jodi
SECRETARI' ..Jam M'IOld
Ot$11ltBU1l0N-Rond>i Sowad5
TVPESETTING-Rond>i F. St- H.
F'H()TOGRAPHER$-Sondy, La,yWl5ebl00d
Jt,tr,/ Peek
OTHER Sf/lff-
The NflW V°""'ls publitlllld ond
d',sl,tbutecl eoc:h monlh b\l o decllcoted
YCiuntMI staff. 'The mogaz1ne ii
~191\1 lw"" ,oed b¥ aoc,o11oc II ond
OCMIII~
Ccpvoghl 1987 M Oght11•••'*1
l'ublleollcn of !he name ph,Aogr(ll)h
QI llc8nelo cl Otff panoon QI
QlgonlZOtloo In this p,,,t)llcalion II not to
be consl!ued m Otff 1ndlca11on ol the
MDC\IOI orienlalion QI p,81981""8 ol penon. "'Q<QOI\IZClllcn
OpiNonl &i,pi i Sled herein bf colUtM*'1'J
do not ""'*"°Y lt,e op,nlcn& QI
La,yWlseOlood
The Nt>N Vo,ce a, 111 llolf
JohnRlle\l
Golly Gllfflth
SIJt>IC:lfpl,on,. I yeor-S1200
Clc:uftecl Adl S2.00 k>r 20 words or ieo.
15C la eoc:h OddlllOnOI """"' 0;,pav
Rondl'J
PHONE CONTACISUNCOlN 47~7740 lCITV Wlseblood
OMAHA 453-{)55() Gotv Gllfflth
34$-2181 ./l8trf Peck
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P.08a<80819
l.lnCX>ln. NE ~ 1
PO 8ax3612
Omaha.1-E 68103
1
�pressed in Tht Ntw J,'oiu. Yet,
there is an assumption that if I have
my name on the staff page, I must
agree with every opinion published
in TIit New JIoict. If anyone wants
to know where l stand on the issues, just uk me. You might be
surpri~.
politi~. The blending is complex,
and the end product is indeed
unique. To find one someone who
shares your perspective in all lll'CAS
is a monumental task. For an organi7.ation to be formed to meet the
needs of any group is an even
greater task.
··AP.-S.
My hat is olT to each and every organi7.ation in this area. I cannot be
active in all groups or financially
support all groups extensively. I
can encourage those involved, attend functions that meet my needs,
and give financially as l am able. I
can be proud of their accomplishments, and offer constructive criticism. With all of its diversity, I am
proud to be part of our gay/lesbian
community which strives to provide
mutual support for those that arc
willing to accept it. The benefits
of being a part of the community
arc many, but we each have to apply for the benefits. Get involved.
It feels good!
A Diverse
Community
As gay men and lesbian, congregate
in major cilies such a~ Omaha and
l inooln, attempl• are made to ere·
ate organi,.ation, for mutual support. The greatest obstacle to lb=
organizations is tbe ncgativc attitudes from those outside of the organizations (and too often, from
within).
II is easy to critici7,e or withdraw
from the activities of a particular
organv.ation. Struggling to make
changes can cause bum-out a., can
being involved in too many organi7.ations that need your participation and support (both financial
and moral).
Before one becomes too critical of
any organiwtion they should investigate the program to search for the
positivc things that arc being done.
The organi7.ation may not meet
your particular needs at this time,
but it surely is meeting someone's
need.
Consider, too, the difficulty that
our organi7..ations face.
The
gay/lesbian community is a diverse
minority, which means that organi7.ations have a smaller number to
dmw from than the non-gay/lesbian
groups. We arc diverse in backgrounds and in present life situations. The onlr common bond
that we share entirely is our sexual
preference for lhose of our ,iame sex
(homosexuality). Not even that is
without diversity. Gay men differ
greatly from lesbians, and within
these two groups there are diverse
amiludcs a., to what is sexually acceptable. We arc all in the process
of coming out, and in different
stages of homosexual development.
As gay men and lesbians we attempt to incorporate our sexuality
with our cultural background,
emotions. philosophy, religion. and
2
lmpofled Collee. Tea
Herbs Spices and Accesso<1es
(402) 475-5522
119 Norlh 14th
Lincoln. Nebraska
68508 US.A.
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The New Voice
Needs Your
* Time
* Commitment
* Support
* Talents
* Contributions
* Feedback
* Articles & Poetry
•.••.••.. Ol1
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Contact
Box 80819,
Lincoln,Nebraeka 68501
475-7740
1325 "O'' St. li1corJ, NE
• 68S00/47&1918
�Letters
Concern About
Couples Group
Dear N~ Yoic~:
As ,o often occurs in everyday life,
situations arise which, if left unattended, can cause many hurt
feelings and misunderstandin(!$
which cannot be repaired. While
there are many who do not really
care what happened with Capitol
City Couples, there arc a few of us
who would like to clear the air.
Capitol City Couples is a wonhwbilc organization which can provide the gay/lubian community of
Lincoln with a support group
which docs no currently exist in any
organized fashion. Its goah arc to
provide a social, informative, educational atmosphere in which couples can share with other couple.,.
(So stated in a rather abbreviated
fonn.) Those of us who participated in the organizational meeting
of the group were willing to do
what ever was needed to get it going. It is a true Statement to say
that we were enthusiastic about the
concept. At that meeting, the ma·
jority who attended to take our
time with the education/informative
aspect and work to build up our
membership and get to know one
another better. However, after that
meeting, lhc wishes of the majority
were buically ignored and meetings
were scheduled and events planned
tha1 we were not a adminrn:rativc
body to do just that.
We held a meeting which was attended by the same couples whlch
participated in the organizational
meeting to air our differences. lt
became apparent at that meeting
that our goals/desires for the group
were different from those of the
couple who initialiy began the
group. As they began the group
and had very definite ideas of what
they wanted to do, we chose to
withdraw our mcmbershlp. It was
simply a matter of their objectives
differing from ours.
We do not desire the demise of
Capitot City Couples; in contrast,
we wish it the best of luck and a
long and fulfilling existence. We do
not, however, have any intention
of lying. If we arc approached by
anyone seeking information about
Capitol City Couples, we will continue to do as we have in the past,
we
state
the
group's
goals/objectives; if asked why we
no longer belong, we will say our
objectives differ from the organization's. Anything beyond that is our
peroonal opinion, which can either
be accepted or rejected. Capitol
City Couples, either as a group or
individual members, nrc entitled lo
not only their personal opinions,
but the right to voice them; so arc
we.
A IDS
IGNORANCE IS FATALGET THE FACTS
CM!f.llllfi9M.w
1.(800) 782-AlDS 0< ltt-4233
Volunteers Needed
For AIDS Hotline
Call (402) 342-4233
or write P.O. Box 3512
Omaha, NE 68103
Nebraska AIDS Project
former Members of Capitol City
Couples
Jamie Miller
Michael S. Francis
Dale Wicks
Peg Quinn
Loren Bcrtheben
Stephen Danko
Response to Letter
Capitol City Couples is a member
of Couples National Network and
is bound by the terms of the organization's guidelines.
If confu1ion was to be. it comes because
the former members either didn' t
or wouldn't understand or coofonn
to the terms.
-------
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�The New Voice Begins Fourth Year
Third Anniversary
With this issue, Tltt New Yoict be·
gins its fourth year. Th~ New lloict
has a proud put and is the
longest-running major gay publication in Nebra.•ka , Many volunteers
and rupportcrs h3ve contributed to
this magazine in the past th~ec
yeatll. We ate truly a community
publication representing Omaha,
Lincoln , Council Bluffs, and cities
and towns all over the state of
Nebraska.
The idea for starting n ~Ntw l'oict
had its roots in the summer of 1983.
I had talked to C',ary Carey, a former staff member of the defunct
Capitol Times, about the need for
re-establishing a newspaper or
magaiine for the gay/lesbian community. Gary provided a ~ t d_cal
of sound input toward cstabhsh,ng
a local publication.
In December, 1983, I distributed
llyers at the Office Lounge and at
the Sanctuary in Lincoln. I a,kcd
intcre.sted parties who felt the need
for a publication to auc:nd a meet·
ing at Commonplace U.M.11.E. on
the U NL campu~. The flJ'Sl meet·
ing was in early January, 1984, with
<ix enthusiastic people in attendance. Puture meetings were sometimes discouraging when only a few
people auended, and at that point,
I almost gave up But with persistence, the first issue was set to go to
press sometime in Pebruary, 1984.
The first major obstacle ~ having
a flll80cial b.1se to cover expenses.
I cal.led friends and asked for con·
tributions so the first issue could get
off the ground. Five people donated $25 each 10 start the maga7.ine. Delays occwml because of a
small sta:IT, a lack of articles, and
problems with layout and design.
Tom Pasco suggested the name TIit
New Yoict which was adopted by
the group. Dave Michat:l designed
the magai.Jne's logo .
The first issue was distributed on
March l l, 1984 with a cimdatioo
of 500 copies and a total of l 2
pages. The mag.,zine started .as a
Lincoln
effort ,
bul
quickly
blossomed into a •talewide publi-
4
cation. Advertising was solicited
for the first time in April, 1984 for
the second issue. lbe smaller 5.5'
x 8.5" size was u!!Cd the ftrst two
years.
Distribution ha5 increased 10 1250
copies. The magazine is financed
by advertising, fund-raiscr.s, subscriptions and donations. Tht New
llolct bas always been a volunteer
effort with oo paid staff. Many
talented artisu, photographcn and
writcn have helped the magazine.
We have faced many obstacles but
have survived. Thill includes negative atli1udes from individuals, ban
and organizations. Controversial
articles and covers have caused 115
problems. A diverse community
will have diverse opinions and it has
not been usy to represent such diversity, although we have tried to
maintain a neutral stance. We were
also embroiled in a lawsuit directed
at us from the JIoict News of
Southern Lancaster County. The
llickman publication lost in ill! attempt to stop us from using our
name. On a positive note, we received publicity from several local
newspapers, as wcU as USA Today.
Many Public ations
Have Corne & Gone
Lincoln and Omaha have seen SC·
veral publications come and go
since the early 1970's. The early
newsletters from the Lincoln Gay
Action Group were the first lo appear and had many varied titles, including 1"he N~sltrttr, Nt1<•
Ntwsl~lttr, Forum, Gay N~s.
UN-GAG LTN-AGE News, Tlrt
Gay A nswtr, and The Libtrator.
Tht Gayly Nebraskan, besides providing information about the
Lincoln Gay Action Group and
University Gay Action Group, also
had gossip and local and national
news. Toe early publications were
usually mimeographed. This lent
to their seeming Lo be poor-quality
publications that sometimes looked
as though they had bc<,n put together hastily.
G AYIL&IIIA"' 1 ,-FO IMATCOW
"" D , u,,oaT LINI
P.O. I O I
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Tht N,w l'oice will continue to be
a viable, creative effort with your
support. Recently, we were fca-
~
~
\
I Ult.• T NUI .
wll:d in Tire Ad\Jocar~ (February
17, 1987), which referred to us as a
'really good, monthly gay magazine.·
--Larry Wiscblood
~
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475-4697
··-·. .-.. . . . .fo . v~· · ··c·o·aiiifo·nf. . . . . . .. . .
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Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights
Box 94882, Lincoln, NE 68509
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�The next major gay publication to
come on the scene wa., GAIN (Gay
Awareness in Iowa and Nebraska),
which started its first issue in June
1977 and continued until late 1979.
GAIN was a political and social
group located in Omaha that bad
an emphasis on Gay Rights, locally
and nationally. GAIN, a monthly
newsletter, was the first l!ilY pubJj.
cation in Nebras.ka to accept adver·
tising and print photographs.
The U11coln Gay News started as a
monthly publication of the Lincoln
Gay Action Group, but later be·
came independent after the Lincoln
Gay Action Group folded. The
publication started in the spring of
1978 and lasted until the summer
of 1979. A special issue appeared
in July 1981. The Uncoln Gay
News cmpbuized news and events.
Photographs and colored paper
gave the Gay News a distinct flavor.
The monthly publication also was
the first to use a smaller 7' x 8.5'
size. The Uncoln Gay News will
always be remembered for its professional content and for a better
look than bad been 5ecn in Lincoln
gay publications.
Tiu Capital Timu of Lincoln wu
a short·lived monthly publication
that !!tarted in August 1981 and died
by the year's end. Articles
stressed org;mi7Ations and events.
Organizational newsletters have
also been an important part of the
gay community, with the M.C.C.
Newslt:tter being the oldest and
largest. Other organizations with
current newsletters include Dignity,
P·Flag, T.W.O.. Community of
Grace, and the Coalition for Gay
and l.c5bian Civil Rights.
-·Lan)' Wiseblood
Male Models Needed for
Advertising Promotion
Earn Cash
:.,.,........ Lesbian and Gay
Roman camorrcs
I
and Friends
Call 402-449-9343 (
leave Address and
Phone Number
Mass 7 p m. 2nd Sunc:1ly monthly
SI John's ChU'ch-Jovver l!'llel
Oe,ght()(I l.hllle!Sity Campu1
341-1460
345-9426
PO Box3131Z
Omaha68131
Delectable
Delights
A collection of favorite
recipes of Terry L Kups
qvou, ca,,, akop,
put.-nd/unp,?""' tkcu
~~<?{~,
Call for orders Omaha 571-4552
or Lincoln475-7740
Or send $4.50 to Cookbook offer,
P.O. Box 80819, Lincoln, 68501
SLOO will be contributed to
Th~ Nl!W Voice for each cookbook sold.
5
�Local Events
Gay/Lesbian
Student Month
available al Kelly's
Chcrchn la rcmme.
•
The UNL Gay/Lesbian Resource
Center has declared March 1987 as
Gay/Lesbian Student Month. The
purpose of Gay/wbian Stlldent
Month is lo educate the public on
gay/lesbian concerns, CTeate awareness oo campuses and raise funds
for the Gay/Lesbian Resource
Center.
out how well gay/lesbian couples think they know each
other. 9 - JO p.m., Kelly's, 200
S. 18th. $ I entry fee for par·
ticipants, $2 cover al the door.
Prius for the participants.
Sign up sheets wiU be available
at Kelly's and Cherch~ la
Femme.
The play is directed by Gene
Guenther. The Assistant Director is Chris Grolit7.cr. The
cast is: Kevin J. Jones as
•Arnold;
Christopher
GrolitlCr as ·Ed; Katie Boner
as ·Laurel; Scott CaxnpbcU as
•Allan; Rita Vermeulen as
•Ma; Joel Cason as "David:
and Mark Withrow as "Lady
Blues.· The play is funded in
part by a giant from the
Lincoln Arts Council.
•
Much IO (Tuesday)
"The All New Gay/Lesbian
Dating Grune' A fun altcma1ive lo •normal' boring dating
gaxoes.
7:30 - 8:30 p.m ..
Kelly's, 200 S. 18th. SI entry
fee for participants, $2 door
cover. Pri7.cs for the participanL1. Sign up sheets will be
6
•
March 6 and 7 (Friday and
Saturday)
Pforch Song Trilogy• A three
part play about 1ife• that
shows the human side of people:
humor, sadness, and
many other emotions. The
play won the Tony Awud for
1983. Curtain time: 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Nebraska Union
Ballroom. Advance tickets are
available at the Nebraska Union front desk for S4 for students and SS for non-st-udeots.
Tickets will be sold at the door
the night of the play for $4.50
for students and SS.50 for
non-students.
Refreshments
will be sold al intennissiom.
March 10 (Tuesday)
inc Gaylywed Game· rind
The following events will be held
during March 1987:
•
and
March 12 (Thursday)
Dating seminar and the video:
The Male Couple. 8 p.m.,
Nebraska Union, room 342.
•
March 15 (Sunday)
Potluck Picnic with Nebraska's
Gay/lesbian Group_•. 2 • 6
p.m. Bring table service, a
beverage, l\nd a main dish.
Call 472-5644 for location.
•
March 15 (Sunday)
"Sometimes a Fantasy· • A
benefit show displaying the
finest forms of gender illusion
in the state. 8 • IO p.m. Co,t:
$2 at the door.
Location:
Nebraska Union Ballroom
•
March 19 (Thursday)
Weax Blue Jeans if You're
Gay/Lesbian Day !!! Show
your pride.
•
March 19 (Thurroay)
·Lesbian Couples· A panel
discussion of lesbian relationships. 8 p.m., Nehraska Union, mom 142.
Couples Group
Sponsors Social
Capitol Chy Couples will host a
coffee social on March I l, 1987
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Laxnbda
I louse al 2845 R street.
Meet other couples and have fun.
Bring along other couples to join in
the festivities. For more information call Jim or Rod at 423-1374.
•
Something Familiar
Something Peculiar
This rather mteresting title describes
the second of three concerts during
the third performance year of
Omaha's River City Mixed Chorus.
The Chorus, under the direction of
Judith Bieker, presents its Spring
concert, ·Something Familiu ..
Something Peculiar; at the Strauss
Performing Arts Center Recital
Hall on the UNO campus, Sunday,
March 29, at 3:07 p.m (Yes: 3:07
p.m.)
The concert features a wide variety
of music, including selections from
Sondheim, Faure, Buber, and
Omaha composer John Coe. Parniliar, and peculiar, tunes will indeed be presented.
Advance tickets are SS.00 each,
any
Chorus member,
Brandeis, or TIX. 'Iickels at the
door are $6.00 each. Tickets for
students and seniors are SJ.00 each.
from
Weekend parking is plentiful and
free, adjacent to the Performing
Arts Center on the UNO campus.
WOMEN'S WEEKS
1
87
�Midwest Gay Arts
Festival II Planned
lleld as the kick-olT event for two
weeks of Gay Pride cclcbmlions in
Omaha, the Midwest Gay Arts
Festival II is scheduled for the
weekend ofJune 13-14, 1987, at the
Strauu Perfonnin8 /\rts Center on
the campus of the University of
Nebraska at Omaha.
Plans for the 1987 festival include:
•
•
•
•
Performance by nationally·
known singer Sut Fink
The Pride Concert of the Rivar
City Mixtd Chorus
Special guest appearance by
Kansu City's Heartland Men's
Chorus
Second annual A rt Show and
Salt
Midwestern artists are invited to
display their arts and crafts at the
art show and sale during the Festival. Por information, plcallC contact:
Art Show Chair
River City Mixed Chorus
P.0 Box 31S
Omaha, NB 68101
The Chorus would lilcc to hear
from other area organilAtions interested in the Festival . For information on tickets, accommodations,
or to be placed on lhe Festival
mailing list, please write:
Operations Chair
River City Mixed Chorus
r.o. Box31S
Omaha, NE 68101
Your response by April 15 will help
us plan for the £'estival. We hope
this Festival is a aourcc of pride and
unity for the py population of the
Midwest!
Imperial Court
Benefit for Lambda
House
On February I at Kelly's Bar in
Lincoln, perfonners from the (m.
pcrial Court of Nebraska gave a
sparkling benefit pcrfonnance to
celebrate Project Concern and
Lambda House.
For th.is reporter who has lived
m~stly on the community's fringe,
th1s perfonnance was a first-time
and exciting introduction lo
illusionist work - and I was impressed! I found the artisuy and
good taste of the performers effective, entertaining and enjoyable.
The benefit cleared Sl75, which was
enonnously welcome. Lambda
House is extremely grateful for this
generosity and effort on the part of
Imperial Court, some of whom are
planning a project in Omaha similar
to Lambda House. We wish lhem
all the luck in the world, and hope
we can be as much a part of their
su= as they are of ours.
--P.W.
New Chance House
Raises Funds
On Sunday, February 8, New
Chance House held its first fund
raise at The Max at 9:00 p.m. The
success of the event was due to the
entertainers and the support of the
crowd in attendance.
The New Chance House fund
raised over S2000 that evening by
selling raffle tickets, priz.c auction,
receipts from the door, and tips
from some of the entertainers. It
was the total of all of lhcsc elforts
that made the evening a success.
The total of funds for the project is
$2680. Early funds for the project
wen: obtained by 'The Group;
men and women who gave their
time catering dinners and parties,
giving their carning11 to this fund.
Their donation of S30S started the
New Chance House Fund. Mem·
bers of 'The Group• were Tom
Cech, Ron Minobc, Don Parks,
JoJo Morrison, JoAnne, Gary
West, and David llansen.
The New Chance House bas the
following officers: president Gary
West,
vice-president
JoJo
Morrison,
secretary
Lonnie
Peterson, and treasurer Donna.
The goal of the New Chance I louse
is to be able to have meeting rooms
and conference rooms for groups
and organization~ in the community with the primer purpose to
provide temporary housing for men
and women of the community in
their time of need. We hope that
you or someone you know or love
never needs this temporary shelter,
but it will be available if needed.
Your help will make this project
become a reality sooner. Any help
will be appreciated and can be used.
Anyone wanting to mllke donations
or wanting more information,
please feel free to contact any olli·
cer, or Gary West, 2911 Mason
Street #l, Omaha, NE 6810S.
Jesse Jackson
Speaks at the
Indian Center
The Reverend Jc.,sc Jack,on visited
Lincoln on February 11. While
here, he spoke at the Indian Center
to a large group of people including
fannm and several rninorilie~. as
weU
as members of the
Gay/1..csbian communities.
Rev. Jackson addressed many issues
which he and the Rainbow Coalition are involved with concemlng
the Midwest, including the plight
of farmers, minorities, children's
rights, and the rights of gays and
lesbians.
When confronted about his views
on the rights of gays and lesbians,
Rev. Jackson rcpUcd that •gays and
lesbians have the s.,me constitutional rights as everyone clsc" and
that •they are people, too:
.•John Riley
Play Safe
7
�Absolutely "The Max"
Benefit Held for The Chance
House
A benefit was held for 'nte Now
Chance House on February 7 al
1be Mn. The backdrop was a
the V:U10US
slide presentation
properties that arc ~ang cons,d~rcd
and people involved ,n this proJcct.
or
t attempted lo get one shot of each
perfohnanoe {except for the ~kaggdrag numbers), and my roll of 24
exposures ran out before the show
was over. (It was a looong show.)
t can not elaborate on each per·
formance, but will relate. whnt was
outstanding for me. I cn1oy a good
laugh so when Don 'Flowers·
came 'out in a mini skirt, mnxi hat
with Oags rising from bis anklet~, _I
enjoyed. Gary WC51 donned his
balloons which were burst, followed
by the removal of his frock. (~hat
a sight.) We al•o were entertained
by an impcr~Mtion of. a female
imper,ionator, impersonating Gmce
Jones. lie tends bar at The Ma.x,
and has the nicc. t stomach hrur.
,
(Docs that make it skngg-dmg?)
February 17, 1987, UNL Condom
Day, will be a day in the school
year that the UNL Gay/ Lesbian
Student Association memben, volunteers,
and
people
across
Nebraska will never forget.
GLSA planned to hand out
condoms outside of the Nebraska
Unism. Univcmty officials first argued that condom distribution w!L'
illegal and the prunphlels unswtable. Aller that excuse was found
to be ludicrous, UNL officials sent
their attorneys to court to get a
temporary l'C$lraining order. The
NCLU backed GLSA with an attorney and the condoms and prun·
pWets were distributed.
Judge
Donald Endacou refused lo issue a
restraining order, since UNL officials •failed to prc$Cnt clear and
convincing ovidcnoc that to do so
would pose a threat· and ruled that
the distribution of condoms would
fall under freedom of speech.
GLSA bad a booth in the Nebraska
Union giving out literature. UNL
Condom Day was one event in celebration of National Condom
Weck.
A fully detailed story will appear in
April's issue of Tht Ntw Yolct.
--Rodney A. Bell, H
•
S·D·R·l·n·G
8
An unexpected privilege was the
debut of the new Judy Garland. h
took me Mime time to recognize
Vince as Judy. I told him later that
all he needed to make the illu~ion
more complete wM a reputation of
being an alcoholic. Vince now hns
business cards indicating that he is
the ' Show l>ircclor· for The Max.
If he listed his titles and characters,
he'd need at least a S x 7 inch calling card.
A new performer made her appear·
anee as a male impersonator, and a
man did a male impersonation.
Dmg shows sure have changed
since I saw my first one seven years
ago •• and all for the better. "lbe
...continued
•
•
�show was for a new cause, and I'm
:rurc that every performer would
have liked to have been a part of
the show, but the show does close
at one.
--Jerry Peck
Bridget & Friends
Perform to Large
Audience
Several
hundred
enthusiastic
lesbians and gays enjoyed the original comedy and lip-sync of
Bridget and Friends on Pebn.iary
22 al The Ma~. Thi., W8$ the first
performance at The Mu for
Bridget and Friends, a Lincolnbased troupe of womyn. The event
was a fund-raiser for Tht New
I'oice, whose April issue will provide details and photos of the event.
--Larry Wiseblood
RIVER CITY
MIXED
CHORUS
Spring Concert
~
Sunday, March29
3:07 PM
Strauss Performing
Arts Center
Unlverslty of
Nebraska at Omaha
Tickets avaflable at
Brandeis, TIX, or
from any chorus
member
$5 advance
$6 atthedoor
$3 Seniors/
Students
9
�A Big Salute to Our Organizations
Stepping Stones
I laughingly call myself a 1ate
bloomer• - I was 40 years old be·
fore my first homosexual relationship. Li'lce many people I had done
a gn:at job of rcpres.,ing feelings and
desil'Cs that didn't seem ·normal.·
When I discovered the joy and sat·
isfaction of loving another woman,
I began my coming out process
immediately. I ha.rely paused at the
closet door.
All through this process, various
organi7,,ation played an essential
role.
I gradually became more
open, increased my cucle of friend,
and found more and more role
models who were happy, emotionally healthy, and comfortable
with their sexuality.
My first involvement WM with
Metropolitan Community Church.
I had been away from organiud
religion for IS yea.rs and didn't
think I would ever be actively in·
volved in church again. In MCC I
found a church that touched nc:cds
that were deeply buried. I found
people who had a deep belief in
God and a style of service that reflected this. I was most deeply
touched by the <.-ornmunion service
as I saw people going forward, singly and in couples, for communion
and a personal prayer. The bonds
of fellowship and love could be felt
throughout the congregation.
After =ml month., I began to feel
a need to also affirm that I could
be lesbian and a competent, professional penon. 1 knew no other
homosexuals in my profession and
began to feel very isolated. A close
friend encouraged me to try the
Metropolitan Club. I worked up
my couro.gc and al1ended a dance
sponsored by the group. I sat on
the sidelines for a while but then a
smiling lady asked my name and
invited me to join her and her
friends. I suddenly found that I Wall
not isolated and not the only pro·
fessional who Wall homosexual.
l
A friend and I attended a River City
Mixed Choru• concert and I discovered that a group of gay and
lesbian singers could present serious
music of high quality. I admired
those musicians so highly and was
thrilled when I passed auditions and
became a singing member.
I had also become aware of a
loosely organized group caUcd the
Womyn's Group. On a beautiful
fall day I joined 2SO other lesbians
for a riverboat cruise. I came close
to cardiac arrest as I considnrcd the
variety of ages, styles, and pro·
fcssions represented. It is true they're e<•trywhtrl!.
I've begun to repay some of the
debt I feel I owe to the organi1.ations that helped me through my
'growing up• time as a lesbian. I'm
most active in Metropolitan Community Church but I've also helped
organize a gay Al-Anon FUP and
am active with River City Mixed
Chorus and Metropolitan Club. I
attend the monthly meetings of the
Bars and Organizations of Omaha
group and will be helping with
Pride Week activities this summer.
It's important to me to participate
in tbese organi7.ations. They still
serve the original purposes l identi·
fied, allowing me to be open, in·
crease my circle of friends, and
continually find new role models
who are comfortable with their
sexuality
The various organizations have
served as stepping stones for me
throughout my coming out and
growing up process. Each new
group brought me one Step further
as did each new and more vi.$ible
activity Today I am comfortable
with myself as a woman, a lesbian,
a professional, and an active mcm·
ber of the gay and lesbian community, thanks in a large part to our
various organ.i?.ations.
--Sharon
�Adult Children of
Alcoholics Meets
in Lincoln
Adult Cltildren of A koholia,
Smale for lntilfl4CJ1, It WiU Nnu
Happen to Mr ... Perhap3 it has
happened to you, and now you're
wondering what to do. You may
be on.e of many who grew up in a
home where alcohol caused problems. Adulthood promised freedom and you were surprised when
things you said never would happen
to you, begi,n happening.
•
Maybe you are presently involved
with someone who drinks 100
much. Perhaps you're drinking too
much. Do the words 1 11 ncvu do
what dad did' or 'T d leave her in a
minute if she treated me that way•
come back to haunt you?
One way to ace if you relate to
Adult Children of AJcohollc$ is to
pick up one of the books mentioned at the beginning or this article.
If you do f1J1d younelf
identifying, it may be painful, too
painful to deal with alone, just as
life may be at times.
There are many resources available
Adult Chilcuen of Alcoholics in
the Lincoln/Omaha area.
In
Lincoln, professional services arc
offen:d by Child Guidance, as well
as by individual counselors. Several
support groups exi!l, and more are
laking off.
10
One such group is the Gay/Lesbian
Adult Children of Alcoholics meet·
ing which gathers on Sunday
evenings. This group is approaching its one-year anniversary. A
Gay/Lesbian group may provide a
more comfortable environment to
share about same-sex intimacy, as
well as other Adult Children issue5.
For more information about this
group, call 488·3190 or 477-5235.
-Chris Carroll
Al-Anon for Gay
and Lesbians
Have you ever been m a relation·
ship with someone who drinks
more than they should?
Ooes
someone in you family drink too
much or user drugs? If so, Al-Anon
may be able to help you learn a
more pe-.i.ccful way of life.
I seem to gravitate toward alcoholics. It seems I have a deep inner
conviction that I can help those
persons realr,.c their full potential
and become who they were meant
to be. As you might imagine, thot
belief ha• caused me more rain
than =med p<>••ible.
I wa., married to an alcoholic for
seven year, and lived with another
one for five years. I have gone
through
the
argument,,
the
making-up, the wild spc.nding
sprees, and the sinking feeling 1,hcn
there's not enough money to pay
the bills.
My greatest rain came from learning that my son was addicted to nlcohol and drugs. I fell thnl I had
failed as a parent and went through
things for him that I wouldn t do
for any lover. I bailed him out of
jail, believed his stories about hi•
stereo being ~olen, and didn't do
anything when loose change disap·
pearcd I le was linally arrested and
juvenile court ordered him into
treatment for his chemical depend-
ency.
'fhis marked the beginning of rny
recovery because I had to allcnd the
'Family Progmm· with other rarenlll, friend5, and lover.i of people
in treatment.
I learned that
alcoholism is a di<ea'!C •• a progrc•·
sivc, fatal disease. I nl!lll learnr<I
that the faroily and friends of the
alcoholic suffer from a disca.,c
called ·co-dependency.•
/1.s I
slowly came to understand, codependency ,imply means that we
forget lo lead our own lives as we
focus our energy on the alcoholic's
behavior. I had seen thi, in my
own life as l dealt with my husband, my lover, and then, my son
FAGWOOD~ L ONNI£
'
!. l(IIIEW Jl f.P
~A'f TllAT" !
11
�ran of my pmgram of recovery in·
volved /\I-Anon. Al·Anon is a
surron group for the family and
fnends of alcoholics. Through a
series of step~. you learn to take
care of you~lf and to find peace
and serenity even though the alcoholic my still be drinking.
/\I /\I-Anon meetings, people share
~heir ho~, strcngth, and experience
m a setting protected by traditions
of anonymity. While no one is re·
quired to speak, honest and open
sharing is a useful tool. For someone who is gay or lesbian this may
he difficult when most of the group
are <traight and you arc not •out·
to them.
Some gays or lesbians do attend
regular /\I-Anon meetings and arc
~ble to be open about their
sexu~lity. Por other, of us, it is not
pos.s,ble to be so open. We talk
about
our 'friend" or our
·roommate·
or
talk
about
"\'1ichael' whe~ her name is really
Mary. Even ,vttb these constraints
we learn from other, and grow in
the program,
Several of us felt a need for a place
where we could grow in the AJ.
Anon program and also be open
nbout our sexuality. Out of this
de~ire, a gay /\I-Anon meeting w~
formed last. summer. This m~g
dc,•cloped mto a strong, positive
group where feelings arc shared
openly We've now begun a second
meeting, so there are Al-Anon
gmups for g.1ys and lesbiam on
both Friday night and Sunday aft.
cmoon in Omaha.
You are welcome to visit our
groups any time. If you want more
information about the Al-Anon
program in general, contact your
local /\1-/\non office. Por specific
information about the gay Al-Anon
groups. call our contact person at
(402) 556-9907.
I lope to see you soon!
·-/\ Grateful Member of Al-Anon
A Look at Capitol
City Couples
Capitol City Couples is an outreach
of Couples National Network and
Couples International Network
with sister oigani7.ations across the
U.S. and overseas.
Statement of Purpose:
Capitol City Couples is an organization for self-identified gay/lesbian
couples. We bold no political or
religious affiliation. We support the
positive 83J)CCtS of a relationship
and the sense of stability thal it represents for our community and
lifestyle.
Goals: The goals are in accordance
to our statement of purpose:
I.
to provide education programs
to create the stability of the relationship
2.
to provide a social support
network to develop the positive of the relationship
3.
to provide a social outreach for
py/lesbian couples.
In the past year Capitol City Couples has done a variety of events.
We hosted a legal forum and finan.
cia! planning workshop, held
dinner/movie panics, and a wine
and cb- party.
In the up and coming months
Capitol City Couples plans to ha~
a couple's social coffee, Kansas City
social trip, a summer picnic outing,
movie night, a night 'on the town,
and a formal dance entitled "Did
you miss your prom?'.
Capitol City Couples is the only
organization that devotes it time to
the necda and wants of gay/lesbian
couples. Backed with years of na·
tional efforts, Couples Network has
worked. Couples all over the U.S.
are joining the Couples Concept
groups of Couples National Networks!
Condoms are Erotic
and Fun!
l
C.0.G.
The Community of Grace, a
womtlpping community oflesbians
and gays and those who support
them, meets regularly on Sunday
evenings at Lambda House at 7:00.
Those who feel a need for support
for their spiritual lives, and arc
~ g answer, to tough spiritual
questions, arc urged to come and
find fellowship and friends. For
funhcr information call 474-1205
and ask for Helen, Del or Pat.
Dignity Offers
Support to Gay
Catholics
•
Dignity's present officers were
elected m March 1986, including:
President, Russ Warzyn; Vice Pres·
ident,
Dao
Oswald;
and
Sccretary{frcasurer, Joe Phillips.
Although chapter by-laws arc still
pending. new elections arc schcd·
uled for March. Nominations for
officer, wcrc held at the February
Mass and gathering, and will also
be accepled following the March
Mass. The election will be held at
the social following the March
Mass, and new officers will assume
their duties at that time. Please
consider who you think can prmide
the leadership Dignity/Omaha will
need to continue its ministry to our
community.
Recently the Executive Director of
the llwnan Rights Campaign Fund
(IIRCF), Vic Basile, made a fund
raising tour through the Midwest.
H RCF Board of Governors member Don Flowers of Omaha ~ reported that as a result of Vic's
efJ'oru here, ovei: S&0,000 was raised
for the campaign fund in Omaha
alone. This makes Omaha the
community with the highest per
capita giving rate. Our community
bas the distinction of having provided the first and second largest
contributions the lJRCF has received to date. The IIRCF is a
political action committee which
obtains its suppon and funding
from the gay and lesbian commuruty and lobbies for cau..~, supponing gay rights iMUes.
...continued on page 13
12
�Jom the Dignity family in Florida
this summer al the Eighth Biennial
Convention July 23· 25 in Bal
Harbour, Fla.
Celebrate in the sun! Celebrate
with friends! Be part of the largest
lesbian/gay religious conferenoe
ever! Join MCC's national conferenoe for a joint ecumenical servioe!
The registration fee is SI 5S. Room
rates run from S64 to $75. For
registration infonnation aend a aelfaddrcs8cd stamped envelope lo
Dignity/Omaha, P.O. Box 31312,
Omaha, NE 68131.
G.L.S.A Has
Early Beginnings
The UNL Gay/Lesbian Student
Association hu a fairly old and
varied history. The group formed
in the fall of 1970 under the aus·
picea of Joe CreMon and Professor
The group's
Louis Crompton.
name was LINGAG/UNGAG
(Unooln Gay Action Group/ University of Nebraska Gay Action
Group).
The
early
formation
of
LINGAG/UNLGAG tics in with
the controversy over a 'Homophile
Course· at UNL taught by Louis
Crompton, an English Professor.
Terry Carpenter, a state legislator,
proposed legislation to outlaw
homosexuality being taught in
schools. The NU Board of Regents
proposed that the course be taught
by James Cole. The 'Homophile
Course• proposed by Professor
Crompton is the root of the lluman
Sexuality class currently taught at
UNL.
The early LINGAG/UNGAG held
its meetings in Commonplace. It
provided support for students and
non-students alike.
The UNL gay community ntcd a
formal constitution in 1983 as the
UNL Gay Student Association and
gained formal recognition. The
group continued 10 act as mainly a
support group from 1970 · 1985.
The association changed its consti·
tution in the fall of 19RS to include
'Lesbian' in the title. The orpn·
ization applied for office space in
the Nebraska Union and ffilcived it
on June of 19S4.
GLSA held a concert (Lynn
Lavner) and educational meetings
in the Spring of 1985. April 1985
was the 6.nt year of Gay Student
Month.
In the fall of 1985, GLSA
blossomed. The group provided a
telephone hotline, peer counseling,
referral, educational meetings, a
commg out support group, ~
brochures, and a Speaker's bureau.
Successes and attempts of GLSA
during the school year 1985-1986
include the protest of Paul
Cameron's speech lo the Young
Americans for Freedom, Lesbian
and
Gay
Education
Weck,
Gay/Lesbian Student Month featuring a concert, speakers, social
events, a co-sponsored safe sex
workshop, challenge of ASUN to
provide a non-discrimination policy
on sexual orientation, and asking
UNL Adminislnltion to develop an
AIDS policy.
In the fall of 1986, GLSA received
a larger space allocation and called
the spaoe 'Gay/Lesbian Resowce
Center.· The G LRC features:
telephone or drop-in referrals,
a roommate referral service,
safe
sex
products
and
condo=,
4. distribution of Tltt New Yo/ct
of NtlwMka, Gay Cltiu,o,
Eqlllll Timt, and TIie Kansas
City Alttrt111U News,
5. free brochures,
6. reporting center for antigay/lesbian violence and dis·
crimination,
7. a library,
8. peer counseling,
9. speaker's bureau, and
10. empathetic employer referral
service.
l.
2.
3.
Recent controversies are the
Lesbian/Gay Programming Committee, a survey on homosexuality
on the ASUN (UNL Student Sen·
ate) ballot, and the UNL Condom
Day. The GLSA/GLRC has re·
ccive grants, donations, and materi·
ala.
Imperial Court News
Changes all around! Many of you
in Lincoln know the Athena is now
JoJo Morrison. She made her first
presentation at Kelly's in a benefit
show for the Lambda I louse.
Congratulations to JoJo. Also, best
wishes to Barb as she continues
down new avenues in our commu·
nity.
We had a great time at Kelly's last
month. The 'Kid' and Pat allowed
w to help make some money for
the Lambda House. A special
thanks 10 Kelly, Amanda, and
Victoria for their help and support.
It was great to be in and meet new
people in Lincoln.
DcnYC1''s coronation is April 11,
1987 and many of us from the
Court will attend. Anyone wishing
to join along can contact me or
other ICON members for infonnation. Denver's theme this year is •A
the
Land
of
Journey to
Bnchantmcot· and I'm sure we'll
have an enchanting time!
Nebraska's Coronation Vil will be
June 20, 1987. We11 see a lot of
out of town guests over the weekend so plan lo attend and sec new
talent.
This year, April I, 1987, will be
Onset Ball Ill. No better day
could be chosen for this annual
event. The Max is our host. Entry
fonns and details will be out soon.
Some dates to remember:
•
•
•
•
•
April I, 1987 Closet Ball 111
May 17, 1987 The Imperials
Step Down
May 21, 1987 Introduction of
Candidates for reign VII
June 20, 1987 Coronation VU
June 27, 1987 Pride Parade
Imperially youra
--Pat Phalen
Emperor VII
Coverage of UNL Condom Day
will be featured in the April i5Slle
of Tlte Ntw Yoict
13
�Project Concern
Provides Materials
and Referrals
Where do you find information regarding Acquired Immune [)efi.
cicncy Syndrome? In 1986 a group
decided to answer the question and
Project CONCERN was organized.
CONCERN is acronym for Coalition of Nebraskans promoting a
Centralized [iducation and Referral
Network.
Project CONCERN
started with an idea of making
written material available to the gay
and lesbian community and has
since broadened it5 scope to include
the community at large. Project
CONCERN trie5 to make a visible
presence in the community by be·
ing in the gny and lesbian bars
handing out condoms as well as
safer sex information. It currently
has available some forty titles of
brochures regarding the topic; titles
for gay men, lesbians, straight men
and womyn, peoons of color (v.ith
some literature in Spanish), and
children. Project CONCERN has
acted as a liai~n between the gay
and lesbian community and the
American Rec Cross, UNMC,
N/\P, and several individual health
care professionals. Project CON·
CERN is also designed to provide
quantitic5 of materials to organ.u.1lions, meetings, and confercn~.
Originally Projcct CONCFRN was
to serve as a gift to Emperor VI of
the Imperial Court of Nebraska and
has recently considered continuing
past the reign due to a positive
community response to its <erviocs.
Financing has come from private
donations, fund drives, and from
ICON's PW/\ committee.
Lincoln's
Community Center
-Lambda House
Lambda House is entering 1987
with high hopes. A house manage·
ment committee hrus beeo fonned,
and meets on a weekly basis to dis·
cuss the operation of the house.
Among our activities are card play·
ing on Friday night, hosting,, the
Community of Grace on Sunday
night, and 11Crving as a general
meeting place for various organil.ations within the community.
A volunteer coordinator h:u re•
ccntly come on board to provide
information and referral.
If you would like to take part in
these activities or want more infor·
mation, call Gideon at 474-1205.
··RU$S
Lambda House (Call
Gideon)
l..'UTlbda 1Iouse is a Gay Commu·
nity resource ·· a comfortable older
home which does not advertise its
pre<encc in a low-key area of
I incoln •· which provided meeting
space for group, and organizations.
It bu II growing library collection
of excellent gay/lesbian reference
texts. as ,,,ell as good fictional reading. Lambda House has a wellequipped kitchen with microwave
oven for groups desiring to hold
pot-luck supper or luncheon
meeting.,. It is open from 9 to 5
daily, Monday through Friday, by
arrangement with Gideoo. Gideon
is a volunteer who gives his time to
answering phones and helping those
with work-hour needs. This includes social service workers, who
are di.'ICOvcring that confidential but
easy accessibility lo the Gay Community is a valuable resource to the
larger community.
! lou~ing, temporary or permanent,
available at Lambda H ouse.
Needs to make housing as luxuri-
is
RSCAD Rides Again!
Resource Center Supporters Anon·
ymous Disorganized, a group of invisible persons ,vith generous
hearts, once again hM helped
Lambda I louse to survive another
month. The House is debt-free (except for mortgage) and RCSAO has
vowed it will stay that way. It is a
comfort to know that caring people
arc willing to give financial support
to this worthwhile effort. Contribution: $JOO. Thank you very much.
··P.W.
ous as possible include chests,
dressers, lamps, bedside tables,
small chairs and occasional furniture for the solarium, which houses
the library. Redecorating and remodeling as,istance is badly needed
and greatly welcomed. Fees for the
use of Lambda !louse arc $5 an
evening for groups and $25 for par·
ties. Call Gideon for arrangements.
Rents for rooms arc S150 by the
month, SS (or a donation in an
emergency) a night for sleep-overs.
Omaba folks are urged not to drive
to Omaha from Lincoln under the
influence.
f'or further information you can
contact Terry
Senney
(402)
455-3701 or Dick Brown (402)
451-4737
Discover
Safe Sex
It Makes
Sense
14
NEBRASKA
CORONAT I ON V II
JUNE 20, 1987
�Lambda House bas a casual and
friendly atmosphere. It was purchased by Lambda, Inc. and is
managed by a team which meets
regularly and provides services for
the llouse. If you arc interested in
helping in the decision making for
Lambda House and have skills in
electrical maintenance, carpet laying, painting, cleaning, decorating,
etc., call Gideon.
Lambda House is listed in the
phone book, but its address is not
publicized. It can be reached by
calling 474- I 205. If no one is there,
leave a message -- pl~! We care
tha( you arc interested!
--P.W.
M .C.C. Celebrates
13th Anniversary
MCC Omaha has just celebrated its
13th annivenary of being a chartcrcc:I church in the Universal Pellowship
of
Metropolitan
Community Churches, and more
importantly, of reaching out in the
gay/lesbian
community
of
LEO
Nebraska with the good news of
God's love for all people.
One of the things that has enabled
MCC to be one of the stabilizing
influences in the gay/lesbian community and to establish a mutually
beneficial relationship with agencies
and organizations in the total community has been the tendency toward longer term pastorates. The
former pastor, Rev. Robert C.
Darst, and MCC's current pa$1or,
Rev. Jan D. Kross, have served the
church and community for ten of
its fourteen year history.
MCC Omaha is currently involved
in a program of working toward
church growth that has been suc~ul in many of our MCC's
throughout the country as well as
many main-line denominations.
Based upon a 'spiritual gifts' concept the focus is not on what arc
known as charismatic gifts, but on
what gifts God hlU given to each of
us to help build up the Body of
Christ. Being a ·grass-roots• organization, MCC is a fum believer
in the priesthood of all believers.
Discovering and developing the
GEM
CWB
341- 1013
Private Membership Club
2224 Leavenworth St.
Omaha, NE
A Simple Country Place . . . nothing
dirty going on
. . . Illusions of Grandeur
HO URS:
Fri. - Sat . O nl y
gifts God has given to each
Christian for use within the church
is enabling our lay-ministry to
grow.
We arc also continuing to search for
a church property that would enable w to increase our oulrcach with
programs and U!IC by other organizations.
Ne braska AIDS
Project Enters
Second Year
/u their second year starts, a new
group of volunteers was recruited
for the Nebraska AIDS Project.
Sunday, rebruary IS, was the day
set a.•ide for interviewing potential
volunteer candidates for the hotline.
About fifteen people showed up for
the application and interview proc-
ess.
Once the candidates were selected
they went through an intensive
training course, talcing most of a
...continued on page 16
a subscription to
the new voice
magazine of
nebraska is only
$12.00 per year!
send to
p.o. box 80819
lincoln. ne 68501
7pm - On
15
�February weekend in classes at
Creighton University, which included approximately fourteen
houn of instruction held over two
days. All sessions were video taped
by Ann Porter of I lour Long Photo
for those unable lo attend that
weekend.
The training specialized in ao indepth study of AIDS and a:Jatcd
disorders, suicide prevention, and
general attitudes against gays and
lesbians. Referrals were provided
to asfilSI in locating medical, legal,
counseling, financial, and educational AIDS services in Nebraska.
Counseling skillJI were provided,
including active listening, which
covered listening for total meaning,
responding to feeling, noting all
cues, testing for understanding, and
paraphrasing.
Telephone skills,
problem wiving techniques, and
cri~is intervention were also a part
of the counic.
11te main focus of the session was
to provide information on the pre,.
vent ion of A CDS through accurate
and honest information. Also covered are gay and lesbian issues and
life.styles.
Voluntccn were provided with the
purpose of Nebraska AIDS Project
in the areas of information, education, referrals, and philosophy. The
statement to volunteers is, 'NAP
will provide emotional and information support to pcnoru; with
ACDS, significant othm. and gay
and non-gay persons concerned
about AIDS. Volunteers will provide crisis intervention and referral
resource about AIDS-related crises
to the community in general.'
Volunteers are e-xpected to cover
phone calls at least one night per
month, from 6:00 p.m. to 11 :00
p.m., preferably foUowing a routine
schedule. Rigid guidelines regarding anonymity are adhered to.
This is a dedicated group of volunteers, both men and womyn, gay
and straight, who arc committed to
this very worthy endeavor. Over
fifiy percent of the original group
are still working for the hotline.
The Nebraska A IDS Project can
be reached by calling 342-4233 or
t-800-782-AIDS (Nebraska only),
from 6:00 p.m. to 11 :00 p.m. daily.
16
Programs Offered
by WVCA's New
Directions Center
The New Directions Center at
I incoln's YWCA began in 1980 as
a project of the Junior League. It
wa., designed to provide peer support for women in transition. The
Junior League was involved for
three ycan, at which time United
Way support began. NOC has
evolved from a peer support program to a profcMional counseling
and support service, assisting
women as they make life transitions
on issues such as career choices and
change~. parenting, lifestyle, grieving, and relationships.
NDC i!
considered
l ,incoln's displaced
homemaker center.
.... ,.,,,..trldr
MSW, ACSW
CoupleC~
Parenting & Step Paren~.
lndJvtdual Cormsellng
(depsasion, coming-out to
&tends and parents)
Om•h• phone 397-0330
MU<JSmYIN
HUMAN SEXUALITY. INC
Co 1981, the Junior League sup·
ported the beginning of a satellite
program lo NOC caUed Transcend.
Transcend was designed a., a
wholi5tic prevention program for
women at high ri!\k for alcohol and
drug abuse. Divorced, separated,
widowed women, women from alcoholic familiC$ or with addicted
partners, women who have experienced phy~cal. sexual or emotional
abuse, and lesbian women are
shown by research to be at particular risk for substance abuse. After
Junior League, Transcend wa.,
funded by slate prevention funds
and is supported c:urmnly by the
Wood's Charitable Fund and
Burlington Northern.
In 1986 the Single Parent Career
Coumeling Project, funded by fed·
eral dollars (Carl Perkins Act), expanded NOC services to help single
parents develop options for supporting themselves and their families.
Chrysalis, fonnerly Adult
Education at the YW, provides
cultural, educational and entertainment programs Wgeted for
women.
. ..continued
Se:xua.llty·Affinlina, GrcM.h·O.ntercd
Col.o\seling for Individuals and Q>uples
AetatlQIISbips Personol Growth
Cm.in& ~t
Self 1!$tAelialan and 51>1ntua11ey
J.
t.:xb4J6.ffJU
a..u--i. Roe.. D. Mt• .
, 0 Ao.lOlti
Lwalii.tiU•:.Ol
DAVE A. HUSTAK
ABTIST·
PHOTOGRAPHER
Special Gifts
for that Special Someone
Flne Art Photography
Custom Framing
Select Prints on Display
at North 20-Llncoln
374 N. 47th St .
Omaha, NE 68131
(402) 553-2084
Condoms arc Erotic
and Fun!
�The New Directions Center, Transcend, Si.ogle Parents Career Counscliog Project and Chrysalis
combine 10 provide short-term individual
courucling,
support
groups, classes, worluhops, career
iofonnation resources, job-seeking
assistance and personal growth ex·
pcricnces for women and single
parents eighteen yean of age and
older. Staff assist participants in
empowering themselves to make
changes in their lives. YW rnem·
bership is not required to participate and most services are available
oo a ,liding fee scale. Child care is
available. To schedule an appoint•
mcnt, or for more information, call
476-2802 and ask for the NOC intake person.
P.AC.T. Seeks to
Overcome Barriers
Note: NOC staff want to communicate 10 Tht Ntw JIolct readers
their positive support and sensitivity to lesbian issues, including
coming-out issues, sexual identity,
partner counseling, lesbian parenting and health issues including
alcohol/drug abuse and AIDS.
··Mary K.
~~
...
?):!?~
fn. 'WL° U,FIIJ
~
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Bring Us Your
Used PaperbjlCk Books
Is there racism in the gay/lesbian
conununity?
•
Whatever the reason, it is clear that
it's no dilTcrent here in Ncbruka
from anywhere else:
lllack,,
Ilispan.ics, Indians, /\sians all have
a harder time working their way
into the mainstream of the
g;ty/ lesbian community.
"Whenever I'm out with my
lover, it seems the stares just
won't stop! What's so unusual
about a black man and a white
man being together, anyway?'
That's why there is a group like
People of All Colors Together
(PACT).
"Ever since I came to Omaha
I have noticed these white men
here will never talk to me, they
just keep looking at me. Why
won't they at least come up to
me and say ' Iii!' instead of
looking at me like I came from
Man or something?'
Our purpose statement says it best:
-We arc a gay/]csbian interracial
organization committed to being a
support group for each other. We
arc dedicated to overcoming
racial/cultural barriers through cdu·
cational, political, cultural, and so·
cial activities.'
Those two statements alone show
then, is indeed racism in the
gay/lesbian oornmunity. It does not
make sense that people who know
what oppression is, like gay people,
will oppress others of thctr own
kind. But it happens.
PACT meets twice a month.
Members share what's going on in
our lives and then discuss some issue impacting our lives.
•
It's bard enough to have good
mendships inside the community
across racial lines. But for some
reason, cross-raci:tl relationships arc
even more difficult. Subtle and
not-so-subtle forces are oonstantly
at work to undermine the stability
of cross-racial rel;~lionships.
Why? Perhaps because people who
are oppressed can not get at their
oppressors, so they end up taking
out their fiustrations on each other.
Maybe that's why the ' general
population' of the gay community
discriminates
against
female
impersonators, those into leather,
and anybody else who doesn't fit
the 'Hi, I just bought these clothes
at the New Breed Shop in
Brandeis' mold.
lo addition, we plan frequent
social/cultural outings. Since we
fonned in October, we saw a play
at Omaha's Center Stage, feasted
on Skeets' ribs together, went to see
"'The Color Purple' one more time,
and gathered together at local bars.
The group is for individuals and for
couples. It's open to anyone who
wants to have interracial fricndslups
.. a whole lot of new fricndslupa
have bcetl forming the last few
months. We take seriously our role
of being a support group for each
other.
We arc part of the National Assa·
ciation of Black and White Men
Together (BWMT). BWMT is a
nation-wide gay/lesbian group
which incidentally is planning a
name change to include women.
...continued
3420 W. BROADWAY ST. COUNCIL BLUFFS
Just 3 Blod<S over oou91as Street Bridge
17
�The national organization tend$ to
be more activist. Local chapters
tend to be more organu.ed for social
purpose3. llowever, many local
chapters have launched boycott$ of
bars in their cities which discriminate apinst Blacks and Hispanics
in their admissiom and hiring poli·
cies.
Currently the Nebl'&lSka Chapter
has twcnty·two people who attend
meetings and events, with twelve to
fourteen who arc very active in the
group. So far all members arc from
Omaha, but we arc willing to meet
occasionally in Lincoln if there are
Uncolnites who are interested in
being a part of ihe group.
for more information, feel free to
call 895-0865, or write PACT,
ATfN: Larry, P.O. Box 3683,
Omaha, NE 68103.
--L.M.
History of The
River City Chorus
It began as a musical inspiration,
jointly shared by Ornahans who
experienced the Twin Cities Men's
Chorus in De3 Moines, in f'ebruaJY, 1984. It is now in its !hi.rd
concert sea.son, and is loday lhe
Jazgest mixed chorus in the natio:,al
GALA (Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses) network. 1lte
River City Mixed Chorus is proud
to represent Omaha, Council
Bluffs, and Lincoln.
In the spring and early Summer of
1984, a few interested people had a
goal: to start a gay/lesbian chorus
in Omaha. The fledgling group's
original name was the Mid City
local
Chorus, performing at
fundraiscrs and fur an f1&,tcr church
service.
Because the goal was 10 have equal
representation by men and women,
the founders renamed it the River
City Mixed Chorus. A purpose and
set bylaws, closcly modeled after
the Twin Cities Men's Chorus,
were created. Audition information
wu circulated around the community, Tim ~mall group worked
diligently to build the groundwork
for an autumn start.
18
The official purpose of the Chorus
was adopted:
Tht Rfrtr City Mbetd Chorus is
a voluntary community ch1>rus,
OJTani;.ed ro pro•ide the opportuniry for ray/lesbian and
ray/ftsblan-sensithe men and
,.omtn to sint togtther. TIie
primary purpou of the Chorus ls
murlcal excdltnce in ~rformanu.
With a high level of anticipation in
the air, September 21, l 984, was the
first rehearsal/audition date, at the
Unitarian First Church of Omaha.
Turnout was small, but very
The Chorm was
heartening.
underway!
Soon, the Chorus
moved to belier facilities at Lowe
Avenue
Presbyterian
Church,
where they continue to rehearse today.
The total of members for the first
concert period was eleven, including
eight singing men, one singing
woman , director Jerry Kruse, and
one non·singing member. Sweaty
palms, a lot of throat-clearing, and
words of support from friend$ and
lovers took the Chorus to the first
concert, December 16, at The Max.
The community showed up and
applauded. Afier many months of
rehearsing, the Chorus "as here to
stay.
Mer the concert, Jerry resigned as
director, and the RCMC immediately began the sean:h for a new
director.
From within iu own
ranks, John 7,eigJcr, a profe:ssional
musician, was hired as the second
director. The RCMC also hired
Dale McOole a, accompanist.
January of 1985 brought twelve
new members, including more
women . The RCMC officially became part of the Gay and Lesbian
Association of Choruses (GALA
Choruses), joining over forty gay,
lesbian, and mi~ed choruses na·
tionwide in the group. Omaha's
RCMC h:u •ince been mentioned
several times in 1'ht A d,•t>cptt.
The Choru, presented its second
concert in April, returning to lhc
beautiful san,1uary of lhc Unitarian
f'irst Church of Omahn. ln May,
they repeated that concert in
Lincoln as their fU'SI out,of•town
perfbrmancc, a joint venture be-
1wcen the Choru~ and 1'ht Nrw
Voice of Ntbra.st«, maga7.ine. The
audience was small, bul appreciative.
Wrapping up the season was the
Gay Pride Weck concert at 'The
Alley: an Omaha bar. Membership had grown to twenty-six.
Th.rough the summer of I985,
members of the Chorus took their
music lo such diverse places as a
wedding, the Imperial Court Picnic
on Labor Day, the Meatpackcn'
AIDS benefit, and tbe opening or a
new exhibit at Omaha's History
Museum . Two members alltnded
the GA LA Choruses nntionru con·
fercncc in Washington, D.C., where
Omaha made quite an impression
on the like! of choruses from New
York City, San Francisco, and
Washington D C.
i\od the 'business cod' of the
Chorus moved forward. ln may,
1985, the RCMC was officially incorporntod. ln February, 1986, the
Chorus received its rRS tax-exempt
status, eligible to receive taxdeductible contributions.
Jo the fall of 1985, 1he group totalled thirty members: twenty-eight
singen, plus music director Zeigler
and accompani,1 McDole. An inlen'tivt holiday season was underway. Prom the start, the RCMC
had planned I wo performances: on
for •the community: and one for
the general public. But, as the
AIDS health crisis became more
and more the prevailing issue, they
decided to help out in the best way
the Chorus could: to make the
"community concert' a benefit for
the Nebraska AIDS Project. Doth
concerts included aroompaniment
by Omaha Symphony harpist Mary
Waller. The members were kept
moving. The holiday season included a ·thank you' performance
for Lowe Avenue Presbyterian
Church, a holiday mini-concert at
Omaha's History Museum, caroling
in the Old Markel, a couple of
fundraiscrs, pla• a performance al
the Christmas party of The Metrorolitan Club.
...continued
�In Febnwy, 1986, the Chorus held
its first major fundraiser, a Quiche·
Off quiche baking contest and din·
oer.
It Wll! another way lhe
RCMC could share with its com·
munity. As the Chorus approached
lhe 40 member mark, the Spring
concert was set for March. Director
Zeigler planned and executed 1J1e
most ambitious program yet, ac·
companied by a number of instru·
ments.
Shortly after the spring perform-
ance, John Zeigler entered the hos·
I le was
pita! for some tests.
complaining of •honness of brcaU1
and of being very tired. I lis Friends
were concerned, and they had good
reason to be.
After a summer bru.k, the Chorus
re-convened , with Dale McOole
continuing as interim director. Several major fundnuse111 were
planned and executed, including
Monte Carlo Night, held in conjunction with six other community
orgaruzations, and Ute second
Quiche-Off. The Chorus presented
iu third lloliday Performance in
Occcmbcr, 1986, at UNO's Strauss
Performing Arts Center.
The Board of Directors decided to
·audition" directors during the year,
with the goal of hiring a permanent
director in 1986 to lead through the
next GALA Festival, in 1<189 in
Seattle.
John had AIDS.
Though many people helped build
the Chorus in its first two years, the
driving hean and soul W83 John
Zeigler. When John died in May
of 1986, the Chorus felt devastated .
Some member, were unsure
whether they could continue.
But, through the determination of
a lot of people, and bccau'!C they
knew John would have wanted it,
the RCMC did continue. Plans
were already in motion for Ute fim
Midwest Gay Arts Festival, including an original play, an art show
and sale, and the summer Pride
concert.
Accompanist Mcl)ole
~teppcd forward to lead the Chorus
in its summer performance.
Through hard work and many
tears, the summer event wa, a ,rucCC.'IS.
Then, in July, 1986, an event hap·
pencd which ~ed to mark the
Chorus's ·coming of age.· A do1.cn
members of the RCMC took part
in Ute GALA Choroses Pestival II
held in the Twin Cities. Seventeen
choruses performed individually on
stage, and were joined by twelve
additional GALA member choruses
(including the RCMq in three
commissioned works and a spectacular finale. The festival will stick
in a lot of minds forever: 1400 men
and women celebrated on stage at
Orchestra Hall, and Omaha's River
City Mixed Chorus W83 a part of it!
Many new friends were made, and
it's an understatement to describe
the event as one of 'pride.•
Currently leading a chorus of fortyI wo women and men -- the largest
mixed chorus in the GALA net·
work •· is Judith Bicker, director for
the March 29, 1987, concert.
(Judith had performed as a soloist
with the Chorus in Spring of 1986.
Kevin Jones l$ set to direct Ute
June, 1987, concert, part of the
Midwest Gay Arts l'estival II. The
Festival is scheduled to include a
joint concert with Kansas City's
Ilcartland Men's Chorus, an art
show and sale, and a performance
by nationally-known singer Sue
Pink.
River City Mixed
Chorus Auditions
The River City Mixed Chorus has
announced dates for auditions for
women and men wishing to sing
wiili the Chorus at Ute Summer
concerts.
Auditions will be held Monday,
April 6, 1987, at Lowe Avenue
Presbyterian Church, 1023 North
40th Street in Omaha. Auditions
wlU be held on a first-come, firstserved basis beginning at 7:00 p.m.
No prepared material is neces.,ary,
The Chorus invites men and
women with an interest in vocal
music to audition. This concert
preparation period will have cc·
hcarsal Monday evenings, April 13
through June I, 1987. Two major
concerts are planned: a joint concert with the Heartland Men's
Chorus in Kan'35 City on Sunday,
June 7, and tho Pride Concert, part
of Midwest Gay Arts Festival II in
Omaha, on Sunday. June 14.
For those interest but unable to
audition April 6, or for more information, please phone 342-4775.
Practice Safe Sex
Its a New Adventure
Por information about the RCMC,
plea!OC write:
River City Mixed Chorus
P.O. Box J 15
Omaha, NB 68101
or phone (402) 342-4775.
Rooms for Rent
at the
Lambda ho use
Gay/Lesbian
Resource Center
Call 474-1205.
Its Fun
Ask for Gideon.
19
�Third Culture
Develops Support
Systems
Thi.rd Culture bas a four-year history of providing peer coun!Cling
and counselor training ba~ in
transactional analysis theory. Its
groups have met continuously, fo.
cusing recently on recreation, but
ready to initiate support groups and
trans.ic:tional awan:ncss training u
needed. Its current agenda includes
a group for sero-positivc persons
and persons concerned for them,
which meets regularly at the Com·
munity Mental Health Center
{Room 140) on the fim and third
Wednesda>-3 of each month. Peer
counselors are urged to attend the5C
meetings, which serve to raise the
consciousness of those in attendance to the needs of pcnons who
arc frightened of AIDS and its potential effect on both the gay and
larger communities. By joining
forces with other, who are impacted
by this terrible di<ea.,e, we can work
for better undentanding and cooperation with funding and social
agency programs.
Third Culture i~ a therapeutic support syt<tem for rcrrons coming out
or new in Lincoln, and who need
an opportunity to share their need~
and frwtrations. Meetings (Poker
Qub) an: held on Friday evenings
at 7:30 •• a rucc !end-off to a weekend of fun. Third Culture accesses
Lambda llouse at the program
level, but no longer leases that fa.
cility. llowevcr, it doe.. support
Lambda House, both with its fi.
oanccs and its proximity to
Lambda housing {call Gideon).
You arc urged to check us out and
di3cover the exciting world of the
visible gay community in a confidential and caring program. For
more infon:natioo, contact Pat or
Gideon at 474-1205 or GUS Line.
T.W.O. Forms
Women's Auxiliary
The Two-Whcclers of Omaha, MC
is pleased to announce the fonnawomen's levis/
tioo of a
leather/motorcycle club. A club to
promote friendship and camaraderie
among women of like intcrcsts.
Any women iotcn:stcd in joining
TWO's Auxiliary please write
TWO Auxiliary, c/o TWO, Box
1292, Omaha, NB 68101-1292.
'1f only I had done
something sooner.
~
Before it was too late."
Safe Sex is for your life
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LIHCOLp,f, Hl
20
464-4090
Green Beer end lrlah Import•
on ape clel alt nltet
only at Killy' • and Cbarcbez
�Features
Legal Briefs
Employment Rights for Gays
Improving
An important case concerning sex·
ual orientation and employment
rights may be settled on February
6, 1987, in the Dmrict of
Columbia.
Killian Swift worked 33 a stenographer for a reporting company.
Swifi covered the White I louse,
transcribing the President's public
speeches and press conferences. 1lis
word required security clearance for
acce.~ to the White House.
In the fall of 1983, a man named
Dennis Sculimbrenc asked Swift's
supervisor whether Swift was gay.
The supervisor confirmed that, to
her knowledge, Swift ~ gay. In
January of 1984, the reporting
company was notified that Swift
had been determined to be a security risk and would no longer be allowed to enter the White House.
The reporting company then lmd
Swift.
Swift's mother wrote to Nancy
Reagan to fmd out why her son's
security clearance had been revoked. One can only admire this
gay man's mother who chose to
write to Nancy Reagan, who is
henclf the mother of a son who:!C
sexual orientation is a spe<:ulative
subject of bar conversation and the
presumed inspiration for the novel,
Th~ Pr,sidoit's Son, which involves
a conspiracy to hide the president's
son's se~ual oricntRtion so that the
prc,ident could be re-elected.
The mother never heard back from
Nancy, but instead received a letter
Crom the deputy counsel to tile
President. The letter stated that ·no
determination was made that your
son is a 'national security ruk."
Nonetheless, Swift could neither
regain his security clearance nor
obtain an explanation of why he
lost his clearance.
Swift then sued the United States,
alleidng that the government unreaM>nably and unlawfully denied him
access to the White I lou.,c to per·
form his duties as a stenographer,
thu5 violating among other rights
Im constitutional rights of privacy,
freedom of association, and equal
protection of the law.
Oi~rict Judge Green of the United
States District Court for the Di~trict
of Columbia (a trial court for federal chums) issued a courageous
opinion on December 5, 1986,
which refused to di!<rlli$S Swift ·s pc·
tition rui the government had aJJked.
The court di~inguished last summer's Supreme Court decision
BoK·en v. HllJ'dM"id<, 106 s. Ct.
2841 ( 1986), which found that a
bartender at a gay bar in Atlanta
had no constitutional right to per·
form oral sex on another man in the
privacy of his own bedroom, and
that the Stale of Georgia could
criminally prosecute that behavior.
The Swift court stated that Bo,.-ers
v. llll1'dwick ·wd not reach the dif·
licull issue of whether an agency of
the federal government can discriminate against individuals merely
because of their ,;exual orientation.·
The same conclusion had been
reached by the United States Court
of Appeals for the District of
Columbia (a federal appellate
court) in DOI! v. Ca.sty, 796 r.2d
1508 (D.C. Cir 1986), where the
Central lntc\ligt'llce Agency wa,
told that it could not lire an openly
gay man just because he wa.s ga,
unless the CIA explained why
man's homosuuality presented a
security risk. (rhe traditional assertion of a threat of potcnli:u
blackmail does not ciu•I where the
per.ion is out of the clo:11:t.)
The Legal Eagle
These legal highlights nre being
provided for informational purposes only. They are not intended
to be e1lhaustive of current Cll-'IC law,
and are not to be substituted for
lcg.'li advice. We will uy to present
you with interesting eJtCetpts of
court rulin~ on a regular basis, if
there are enough gay/lesbian/AJDS
n:lated issues provided through our
legal channels.
Family
The New York Supreme Court,
Suffolk County, held that unless a
direct adverse impact upon a child's
welfare is shown, the sc~ual orientation of the father should not be a
con~dcratioo in Inc custody dispute. M .A .B. ,. R.8., 13 Family
Law Reporter 1135, Dee. 2, 1986.
In Arizona, however, the Court of
Appeals
ruled
that
since
homo,;exual conduc:1 i• prohibited
by statute, that a person's
bisexuality may be a factor under
consideration when determining the
acceptability of a potential adoptive
parent. In Re Pima Counry Juvenift
Action IJ../(},t89, 12 Family Law
Reporter 1557, Aug. 11, 1986.
··Marti
the
llaving distinguished Bowe" ,.
llurdwick and relying upon Doc v.
Casty, the Swift court wrote thnt
'the government may not di•eriminate against homosexual• for the
Mice of discrimination, or for no
rea..<On al all.
If the government o;cllles the case
at the settlement conference on
February 6. Killian Swift will have
completed an important contribution to the body of sexual orientation law developing after Boivtrs
v. llllJ'dwick. If the government refuses,. to settle, further litigation and
possiole appeals will follow.
THI!
dlqesterfiellt
OMAHA
MON-,11 S PM• 1 AM
SAT·SUN Noon-1 AM
1951 ST. MAIY'S
m
=.,_
,.
•
TIie Women's ear
--Mark Wojcik
21
�River City C horus
Cookbook
Everybody loves to cat and every·
body has a favorite recipe.
Those arc the two main reasons
Omaha's River City Mixed Chorus
is planning to publish a cookbook,
scheduled to be available this sum·
mer.
The cookbook, a fundraiser for the
Chorus, will have a ·CM\py• nature
and will be of special interest to
"'our community.'
Any members of the gay and
lesbian community arc invited to
submit favorite recipes for inclusion
in the cookbook. Recipes arc wcl·
come whether they're your creation,
a favorite of yours, or from a
friend's kitchen. Please write for
detaib to:
Cookbook Chair
River City Mixed Chorus
P.O. Dox 315
Omaha, NE 68101
Be watching for complete infonna·
tion concerning purchasing copies
of the cookbook.
New Videotapes on
Lesbian Issues
Two new lesbian videotapes have
just been released by Women Make
Movies, a feminist media organization that distributes films and video
tapes by and about women. The
tapes add to ongoing discussion on
two important themes: the persist·
ence of homophobic violence, and
the growing phenomenon of
lesbians having children.
Jusr Because of Who We Are drew
capacity crowds at recent premieres
in New York City and Toronto.
The tape movingly scans the spec·
trum of violence against lesbians,
and shows how the community is
fighting back. Prom queer-bashing
to arrests, from parental rejection
to altempts at institutional ·cures;
the women in the tape recount their
experiences with warmth and
unquenchable spirit. Against this
painful background, lesbian and gay
activists face off against anti-gay
forces in vivid, open confrontations
22
over lesbillJl and gay rights.
Produced by a mulli-mcial collective, Just Buause of Who We An
reflects an unusual rcsrcct for diversity
and
help~
diverse
constituencies understand the often
rr.nvisibtc• violence lesbians face.
Alurna1i>-e Conc~ptlons takes on
the controversies sum>unding anificial insemination, an issue increasingly imponant as more
lesbians choose to have children.
Upbeat and wann, the tape
unravels 1he complex legal, medical
and social issues involved when
lesbians use donated sperm to become pregnant. Doctors, lawyers
and social workers detail questions,
snags and solutions, and lesbian
mothen tell, for eMmplc, how they
explain the facts of life to their
children.
Women Make Movies distributes
more than 75 films and tapes. The
two productions form pan of
'Lesbian Voices/Lesbian Lives,' a
special collection whi.c h includes a
hilarious lesbian sitcom, a daring
lesbian lhrillcr, an eye-opening his·
tory of women who passed a., men,
and more than 25 entertaining and
educational films on lesbian youth,
parenting and other issues.
For more information contact:
Basia Holub, 212/925-0606 or
Women Make Movies, Inc.; 22S
LaFayette Street, Suite 212; New
York, N.Y 10012.
L/G Programming
Faces Obstacles
The proposal to create a
Lesbian/Gay Programming Committee has passed the University
Program Council (UPC) City,
UPC, Executive Board, and the
Union Board. lbe proposed com·
mitteo is ailing for $882 to provide
gay/lesbian programming (e.g.,
concerts, speaken, films, etc.).
The Committee for rec Allocations
(CFA) which governs student fees
agreed the programming comrJUttce
is needed, but put the requested
student fees into l'"'o already exist·
ing UPC-City committees. The
reason CFA did this was ·rear•;
straight students would not attend
the events spomorcd by such a
committee. The Lesbian/Gay Programmirig Committee was not dis·
solved, but left with SO. UPC-City
appealed CFA's decision, but re·
ccivcd no change.
The next steps arc the Student
Senate (AS UN), Vice-Chancellor
for Student Affairs, Chancellor
Massengale, and inevitably, the NU
Board of Regents
lbe Young Americans for free·
dom, Paul Cameron, and the Citi·
1.cns Against Pornography have
organi7,ed a campaign against this.
We aced positive letters to 1hc
Board of Regents. Please voice
your support by writing:
Margaret Robinson
NU Board of Regents
Varner llaU
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NF. 68S88
--Rodney Dell, II
Prejudice and the
KKK
ln early February on the CBS
Evening News I watched a feature
Forsyth
County,
conc:crning
Georgia where Blacks marched
peacefully
in
demonstration
through an all-white section of a
town. This of course wiu countered by a demonstration march and
membership drive of the Ku Klax.
Klan. Then I saw a most appalling
s«ne: a mother held a baby in here
arms and asked him, ·ean you say
KKK? C'mon, l\aY KKK.•
lhis poor child is already being
taught prejudice, being taught to
despise those who arc different than
be is. Thi~ is a great disservice done
to a child. Being taught to htttc
during one's formative years is a
les.'IOn not easily unlearned.
The KKK originated during the
Civil War era 10 •discipline• the
Negroes freed by the war, as well
as those who supponed their freedom.
It disbanded somewhere
around 1877, but was revived in
l91S due to World War hysteria.
It dissolved again in 1928, but came
back to life with the next World
War. Since its beginning, it hM
evolved from being just anti-Black
to being anti-Jew, anti-gay; in fact,
�ii seems as if the Klan is anti·
everything excepl white /\merican
male 5tlprcmacy.
Whal a sad commentary on our
humanity in certain parts of our
country. But wrricr still is the
commentary of the mother teaching
her baby to say, 'KKK.'
/\ny of you who are grandparcoL,,
parenu, aunts or uncle,, brothers
or sis1ers, I urge you to teach the
children tolerance, that 'different·
doesn't mean bad or wrong but
merely ·not the same." It's :io easy
to team prejudice from ,ocicty that
we mw;t begin the lcs.,on of toter·
ance at home wilh they're young.
That might nelp alleviate rome or
the hatred generally fell against
Blacks, Jews, American Indians,
Russians, and the gay people we all
know and love.
able for you. You are almost as
wonderful as you think you are.
/\rics, you arc very special and you
always work at improving it.
llappy Birthday, /\ries!
--Madame 7,clda
New Voice Bowling
League Standings
I.
Sports
Welcoroe to the new wdiological
cycle. May your dreams come true,
and may you be happy.
Ariu
i\rrog;i.nce? Yes, dear, it's me. h's
bard, Aries for you to be humble.
You a.re wonderful and you know
it.
Often, it's difficult to express your
star chart to you. You're always
right, (in your opinion, anyway).
You know what you want and how
to get it. You are an animal in bed.
Aries leans toward a narcissist:ic
outlook on life. lbcy feel superior
to others and don't account for
their real qualities: loveable, de·
peodable, loyal, and great at oral
sex.
If you can get the one born in Aries
to smile early in the morning, con·
sider yourself exceptional.
Aries are very sexual individuals.
They love loving and the love being
loved. A night with one born under
this sign is truly one to remember.
Retain your cool, Aries. Being so
smug won't cut it. Smile when it
huru and life will be more enjoy·
2.
3
4.
5.
6.
7
8.
9.
Inc Chubbs (15/1)
Vanity's Other llalves ( 12/4)
Out To Lunch (10/6)
Piss & Moan (9/7)
O&J (8/8)
1+1~0(7/9)
Not Too Serious (7/9)
The Parts (6/ I0)
Roucn /\pplc~c:i,13)
lligh Team Series:
The Chubbs 1170
••Jean Mortensen
Madame Zelda's
Horoscope-Aries
This tournament will be sanctioned
by the American Bowling Congress
and the International Gay Bowling
Association (IGllO).
More information nnd entry blMks
are available from Dean at 344-3821
or Bob at 339-9913.
.:rank Miller
Omaha Team Wins
Chicago Tourney
The Omaha Gay Volleyball team
recently won the Chicago Regional
Tournament. Tlili is the second
straight year that Omaha ha, won
thi~ prc~igious tournament. Several teams from the Chicago area
also competed. The Omaha Gay
Volleyball team is cun:cntly prepar·
ing for national competition Good
luck and congr11tulations to our lo·
High Team Game:
The Chubbs 431
High Individual Series:
Scon R. 635
High Individual Game:
Scoll R. 245
River Cl1y Bowling
League News
cal team.
Kansas Ci1y Hosts
Bowling Tournament
Easter weekend will be the time for
gay and lesbian bowlers to be in
Kansas City, Missouri for the
MAKIT '87 Toumamenl.
The Mid America Kansas City In·
vitational Tournament (M/\Kll)
will be held Friday and Saturday,
April 18 and 19. Last year teams
from twenty cities participated and
this year expectations are for even
a larger tum oul lo vie for big cash
pri7..es and lots of fun.
Cost will be S50 if paid by March
10, $65 untJ1 March 17. I\ SIOO
cash prize for the best Ela.<tcr
bonnet will al.,o he givcn.
River City Bowling J,caguc
standings as of February 15, 1987:
I.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
/\&E Video (64(28)
Ultimate :1,fax (60/32)
OOG's (58/34)
Run /\ficr llours (51/35)
Maxipads II (56-36)
Si• Ralls Plus None (51/41)
JR's Diamonds (50.S/4 l.5)
Cruhcr's Crew (48/44)
Run Blue Lights (48/44)
Station WRKII (46.5/45.5)
Mona's Maulers (45/47)
Cbcstics 11 (37/55)
WUd Ones (33.5/58.5)
Belly's Bombers (32/60)
Come watch the fun on Sunday's
at 4:00 p.m., King Louie Rose
Bowl as the bowling season enters
the final weeks.
- Tank Miller
23
�Classifieds
Lambda House Rooms
Rooms for rent at Lambda I louse.
Near bus to UNL. For information,
call Gideon al 474-120S.
Roommau N~~d~d
Responsible
male
roommate
needed immediately • WcM Omaha
area. Call Dave 496-7774 after 10
p.m.
The New Voice
Needs to Fill Vacancies
Co-Editor
Omaha
Associate Editor
other Positions Also
are Available. Call
475-7740 or Write:
P.O. Box 80819
llncoln. NE 68501
,-----------------,
~
l / IL '"X l
I
! llAJJ/v"f ~!I
~Cl~
I
I
I
, Humor
'
ProseP.B. & J .
Why do I fmd it so hard
To tell you that 1 love you?
So often, I think it,
But the words Mick in my throat
Like peanut butter lo a spoon,
While my heart melts into jelly.
I
I
Order your one yeor
subscription today by
moiling $12.00 to:
New Voice of Nebraska
P.O. Box 80819
Lincoln, NE 68501
Support Our
Advertisers
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They~
I Gey ·<;c,cc;Z,p
Support
TJlf"
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AdJr.,n
You!
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Mailed discreetly in a
plain brown envelope.
~----------------The New Voice
Metropolitan
Community
Sunday Services:
(Breakfast & Bible Study)-9:10·10:10am
Worship Servlces-10:30am and 7:00pm
UPCOMING THEME ISSUES·
WE NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
APRIL-HEALTH CONCERNS
MAY-BISEXUALITY
JUNE-GAY PRIDE MONTH
Omaha Bars, Clubs, and Lounges
Tuesday: Bible Study-7:30pm
Wednesday: Mid Week Program-7:30pm
I
"This Is my commandment, that you
love one another."-John 15:12
Rev. Jan D. Krou, Paator/ 420 So. 24th
P.O. Box 3173, Omaha, NE 68103
Phona (402) 345-2563
,wM•w•w•M•w•w•w•w•w•w•w•••••••••••••••••w
---- ---------
24
The Che•l•rfl•ld, 1951 St. Mary·a Ave., 342-1244
Th• 0/emofld, 712 South 16th St., 342-9595
Th• Mex, 1417 Jackson, 348-4110
Th• Run, 1715 Leavenworth, 449-8703.
Th• $1119• Door. 1512 Howard St.,
Llncoln Bars. Clubs and Lounges
Th• S oerd•Welk, 20th & 0, 474-9741 .
Ch•rchn I• femm•, 200 So. 18th (lower level). 474-9162
Th• Club, 118 No. 20th Sl, 474-5892.
Kelly's. 200 So. 18th, 474-9962.
�Gay/Lesbian Resource Directory
Ne/Jraska Statewide
Affirmation or Nebraska Box 80122, Lincoln 68501. United Methodists ror Gay/Lesbian Concerns. Meets aUernately In Omaha and
Lincoln, second Friday of tho month. Phone 476-99 13.
CoaliHon for Cay and Lesbian Clvll Rights. Box 94822, Lincoln 68509 Advocacy group which lobbies for lesbian/gay civil rights.
provides educational presentations, publi&hes a newsloller and sponsors cultural and polillcal programs.
Imperial Coon of Nebraska. Box 3772, Omaha 68102. Social organization ror the advancement or the gay society. Omaha meeting
first Monday or each month. except holidays Phone 733-1924
Nebraska AIDS Project Box 3512. Omaha 68103. Center for Information, support, and coordination or AIDS related community el·
forts Phone Omaha 342-4233 or toll-freo statewide, 1·800-782,AIOS
The New Voice or Nebraska. Box 80819, Lincoln 68501 Monthly magazine serving tho gay/lesbian community. Stan meets In
345-2 181
Lincoln the first Wednesday of each month Phone 475-7740
UNL Cay/Lesbian Resource Center Room 342 (Mail Room 222). Nebraska Union, Lincoln 68588. Hotline: 472-5644. Social act,v•
itlos, AIDS education project, rOO<'nmate referral, support groups, and library.
°'
L
incoln
Cay/lesbian Ale<>hollca Anonymous. Group meets every Friday Phone AA central omce for location, 466-5214.
Capital City Couples. Organization to promote positive aspects of alternative lifestyle relationships, create stability In those relationships, and to share and socialize with other gay couples. Phone 423-1374.
Community of Crace Box 6881, Lincoln 68506 Interdenominational worshipping community of gays/lesbians, and those associated
Moots Sunday at 7 p.m. Phone 474·1205.
Gay/Lesbian Information and Suppon Line. Box 94882. Lincoln 68509 Referral and support phone line staffed by peer counselors
Phone 472-4697 In evenings
Cay/Lesbian Student Croup at Nebraska We1leyan Contact Or. Mary Smith, NWU. 50th and SL Paul Sis., Lincoln 68504. Phone
465-235 1
Lambda Ruource Center 2845 R St. Meeting rooms, outpatient counseling, group activities Phone 474,1205.
Lesbian Support Croup. Contact Women's Re&<>urce Center, Room 117. Nebraska Union, Lincoln 68588 Informal discussion group
for lesbians, all womyn welcome. Meels weekl y. Phone 472-2597
Lincoln Leglon ol Leebiana Box 30317, Uneoln 68503. Lesbian-rominisr collective providing a newsletter. confidential referral. and
support groups for lesbtans. Sponsors cultural and social programs
Ministry In Human Sexuality, Inc. Box 80122, Lincoln 68501 Non-prom agency providing counseling, education. and supportive
action for those seeking growth and understanding in the areas of se~uality and relationships. J. Benjamin Roa, Ex8C\Jtive Director.
Phone 476-9913
New Directions Center
Short term individunl counseling, support groups. classes, and workshops dealing with coming out. re-
lationship issues, parenting. Sliding fee sc11le. Phone 476-2802.
Open Door Ministry To provide orthodox spiritual counseling to all peoplo In need at no charge. Phone 474-3390.
Parents/Friends of Lesbians and Caya. Box 4374. Lincoln 68501 Support group for parents, friends, and relatives or lesbians/gays.
Meets fourth Tuesday of the month. Phone 435-4688.
Third Culture. Non-residentlal subculture dealing with Issues such as corning out. social behavior. the gay lifestyle, suicide, and drug
or alcohol abuse. Phone 474-1 205 (Pat)
The Wlmmln's Show. KZUM Radlo 89.5 and 99.3 FM. 12 p.m. • 3 p.m every Sunday
Woman's Journal-Advocate. Box 81226. Lincoln 68501 Monthly feminist publication
Omaha
I
•
Cay/lesbian Alcoholics Anonymous. Group moots weokly Phono 345·9916.
Dignity of Omaha.Providing common bonds lhrovgh Mass and meetings for gays and l~.shians and their friends. Regular Mass
second Sunday of the month. 7 p.m., St. John's lower level Phone 341-1460 or 345-9426.
Cay Parents Suppon Croup. Support group for gay parents who have children. Phone 553-2308
Cay/lesbian Al-Anon. Group meets Fridays at 8: 15 p.m at MCC. Phone 556-9907
Lutherans Concerned of Omaha Society or gay Christians and friends togelhl'r 10 ro~tP.r within a church climate of understanding,
Jushce, and reconciliation among all women and men Phone 592-1209.
Metropolitan Community Church of Omaha. Box 3173, Omaha 68124 Sunday worship at 10:30 am and 7 00 p.m.; Tuesday evening
Bible study at 7:30 pm , Wednesday Mid-week Prograon at 7·30 p.rn, Adult Sunday School al 910 am Phone 345,2563.
New Voice Bowling league. c/o Now Voice of Nebroska, Box 3512. Omaha 68103 Wrdnesday at 9 15 p.m Alternallvo sport at
Ames Bowling Center. Phone 345-2181
Omaha Business and Proressronel Club Box 24973, Omaha 6812•1 NNworkong organization or business and proressionat persons.
Meets third Wednesday ol each month Phone 345-2966.
PACT (People of All Colors Together) Box 3683. Omaha 68103 A gay/lesbian Interracial organization that offers educational, pol·
ilical, and social activities. Phone 8115-0865
Parents/Friends of Lesbions end Coys (P,FLAG) Box 3173, Omaha 68103 Support group for tho parents, friends. and relative• or
lesbians/gays. Phone 556-7481 (Ruth).
Presbyterians For Lesbian/Cay Concerns. Organization meeting scheduled for February 28 Phone 733· 1360 (Cleve).
ProJecf CONCERN Box 3772, Omaha 68102. AIDS related information Speakers, brochures, posters. and VCR tapes. Phone
455-3701
River City Bowling Leogue c/o Oan V., 2116 N 16th St Apt 12A, Omaha 68110. Sundays at 4 00 p.m Alternative sport at the Rose
Bowl. Phone 344-3821
River City Mixed Chorus. Box 315, On,aha 68101 Volunteer community chorus for gay/lesbian and gay/lesblan-sensltive men and
women with tho goal of musical excellonce In performance. RehMrsals Monday evening, Phone 342-4775.
Two-Wheelers of Omaha (TWO) Motorcycle Club. 305 Turner Blvd 1/8. Omaha 68131
�T
H
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Open 4 p
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Dail~ • 1417 Jackson • Omaha • 402 346 4110
A
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Ernie's Bookstore
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BRING IN THIS
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(712) 323-6477
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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The New Voice
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Title
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The New Voice, 1987, vol. 4, no.1
Subject
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Sexual minorities -- Nebraska -- Omaha
magazines
Description
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The New Voice magazine, 1987, vol.4, no.1
Date
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1987
Creator
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The New Voice of Nebraska
Publisher
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Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library
Format
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PDF
Language
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English
Type
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Text
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New_Voice_1987_Vo4_No1.pdf
Source
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Terry Sweeney and Pat Phalen Papers, Archives & Special Collections, Criss Library, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Relation
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Terry Sweeney and Pat Phalen Papers finding aid at: <a title="finding aid" href="https://archives.nebraska.edu/repositories/4/resources/558" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://archives.nebraska.edu/repositories/4/resources/558</a>
New Voice of Nebraska