NEWSLETTER February 1997
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NEWSLETTER February 1997 We Are Many Parts; We Are All One Body This newsletter is a publication through which Dignity members can share their news items, thoughts, ideas, experi- ences, and feelings with each other. Opinions expressed are those of the individual writer and are not to be construed necessarily as those of the editor, Dignity/Houston, Dignity/USA, or of the Catholic Church. NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS wi e s own at Ko e Project, 1509 Dignity Houston is appy to extend t eir Fairview, at 7 pn The line-up until Dignity /USA membership by paying their Bernardin's Gay August are the charming and musically membership fee for another year! toe-tapping La Cenereniola by Rossini (Feb Remember the operating expenses of Song 7), the musically lush Romeo and Juliet by Dignity /Houston are funded solely by Gounod (Mar 7), Mozart's mesmerizing your donations. Keep up your generous According to The Washington Blade, The Magic Flute (Apr 4), Verdi's powerful support as Dignity serves the family of DC's gay newspaper, three weeks before and dramatic OteITo (May 2), the vocal lesbian and gay Catholics in Houston in the late Cardinal's death, he requested fireworks of Donizetti's light comedy Don 1997. that the Windy City Gay Chorus sing at Pasquale (june 6), and the sultry passion of And please consider further his wake. And sing they did in the Holy Bizet's Carmen in its Broadway enhancing your presence in Narre Cathedral as this man of peace and incarnation, Carmen Jones (Aug 1). (There Dignity /Houston and increasing your reconciliation lay in state. is no film July 4) participation by serving as ministers in What a loss to Catholics and non- Performances are free; contributions our liturgies, hosting social events and Catholics was this man's death! are accepted. For more information call sponsoring new members. Don't forget- According to Randy Kowalik in his recent The Kolbe Project at 713-522-8182. we will need your help in organizing the letter of [an 17 to the editor of the National 1998 regional meeting scheduled for next Catholic Review, "Cardinal Bernadin's ERROR February. Cathollic Commn Ground Initiative TWIT lists Dignity sponsoring films at showed real promise of including gay Kolbe House every Friday night .. Catholics (via Dignity USA) in a dialogue Instead, Dignity/Kolbe is doing opera King Cake Party toward understanding and healing the night every first Friday. Dignity factions within the church. We can only continues to reserve the second Friday On February 8, in hope that God raises up another leader of for films at Dignity Center. celebration of Mardi his stature and love." Gras, we will have a King Cake Party following 1996 Mass. (For even more fun, February Pot read the "King Cake Contributions Party" article in the Luck editorial section of this Thanks to all who contributed to newsletter. ) Potluck Brunch at Mike O'Donnell's Dignity /Houston in 1996 through the (793 Worthshire, 869-4543) Sunday, offertory collection, special donations and GEf OUT YOUR UTILE BLACK BOOKS February 9, at noon. Mike lives in the contributions to the St. Stephen's Fund. Enclosed with this newsletter is a sheet with Those of you who donated by check Hidden Lake Town Homes near West 11th updates for the Dignity directory Street and T.e. Jester. If you are traveling or through the stewardship envelopes west on West 11th (away from should have received your receipts by downtown) Worthshire is the last street now. If you haven't, and need a receipt for Celebrate our before you get to T.e. Jester. Turn south on your tax return, contact Mike Goertz at members with Worthshire (to the left). When Worthshire 266-1299. February birthdays ends, take the road to the right and find If you would like us to keep a record 1~-.J--:7I.llonth on the third Mike's home in the 7th unit on the left.. of your offertory contributions for 1997, Saturday of this please either donate by check or place month, February 15, right after mass. cash in an envelope with your name. Video Operas Stewardship envelopes can be found among the pamphlets next to the bulletin March Newsletter board by the entrance. Dignity Houston joins Kolbe Project Special thanks to our seventeen Submission deadline: Feb. 22 in sponsoring a filmed opera presentation members who donated the equivalent of at Publication date: Mar. 1 the first Friday of every month. The films least $7.00 a week over the past year. ------------------------------------------------------------~ ONGOING ANNOUNCEMENTS T-shirts: We have T-shirts ($10.00) Stone Soup: Place offerings of Newsletter Submissions: Please with the Dignitr,/Houston logo. Sizes L groceries at the altar weekly. Feminine continue to contribute items to make our and XL are available. hygiene items, toiletries of various kinds newsletter truly the voice of all our and paper grocer bags are very much members. First time submissions are highly Free Membership: Dignity Houston needed.Thank you! encouraged. Send your thoughts to the offers free membership in Dignity/USA editor: Bob Singleton, 4520 Stanford Ct., for those who match or exceed a pledge of Welcome, New Members: Dignity Houston, TX 77041-8840 or put them on $7.00 per week ($364.00 per year) in the members informally go to dinner in groups the recorder at 937-3310, FAX to 937- year. Keep up your stewardship and to a variety of local restaurants after the 3310 (after recorder answers dial 3, then contributions to the only organization Saturday evening liturgies. The the star button, then start your machine), which honestly and compassionately has conversation and fellowship is always or e-mail [email protected]. served lesbian and gay Catholics over 20 delightful. We also have regular social years in Houston! get-togethers. Plan to join us at more than Wish List: Dignity/Houston is need Just the liturgies. of the following items:: recycling bins, more kitchen cabinets. EDITORIALS From the pen of George Wetzel successful in his legal battles, how long At the ball, the lord of Misrule, the would it have taken for the morally leader of the revelers, led his merry band Taking up righteous to attack the freedom of of troops on a grand march through the lesbians, gays, transgendered and bisexual opera house, with four court fools persons in this country. following them carrying a huge king cake. Responsibility Freedom of speech is ganted to each The big surprise of the evening was abut and every one of us. Not just those with to occur-Carnival's first queen! youf value your freedom of speech university degrees, money, influential Borrowing a custom which originated in in this country then I strongly urge friends or family, etc. A friend of mine once pre-Medieval Europe, the king cake was Iyou to see the movie The People vs rernaked tht we will not be totally to be used to select the queen. Hidden in Larry Fb/.nt. accepted as lesbians and gays in the the cake was a golden bean. The court While I may be critical of sorre country until the least educated and cool fools were to slice the cake and hand aspects of the movie, I believe the major are accepted. Not so bright heterosexuals pieces to the ladies-in-waiting. The lady points are made quite dramatically and do not have to defend or justify their who received the piece with the bean with full bore talent. partners, lifestyle, etc., neither do we have would be queen. Freedom of speech is only as good as to be TV sitcom !?orgeous, educated, Well, fools that they were, the court it can be if it provides a Wide range of mannered, coiffed, antiqued, styled, etc. to fools, who had been partaking of the protection. And the freedom is not to be be accepted. Enjoy your first amendment liquid refreshments for the evening, mterpreted as the Rev. Jerry Falwell and privilege this month and go out and say or bungled the presentation. Rather than Charles Keating (Lincoln Savings and write somehitng truly outrageous-do it politely passin~ the slices of cake to the Loan bailout of 2+ billion dollars) would for Larry Ffynt and an protected young ladies, pieces were dropped in their hope it to be in very narrow "community speakers. laps and in some cases even thrown in standards" they attempt to manipulate. their faces. Needless to say, the ladies Freedom of speech must apply to the From the pen of Michael Goertz were rather miffed. In fact, the young lady least of us if it is to have any meaning and who received the piece with the bean if it is to be enjoyed by all. Approval of or swallowed it in l?rotest. here was no participation in the free speech of Larry King Cake Party queen this carnival, However, the Flynt is not required-but allowing him to following year, the court fools cleaned up exercise that freedom is one of the he king cake is a New Orleans their act and a queen was chosen. And to bedrocks of these United States. tradition which dates from this day, Twelfth Night Revelers still use Freedom of speech gets its malt TJanuary 6, 1870. That was the the concept of a king cake to select the publicized attention in the area of human night when the second organized krewe, queen and her maids at their ball, which is sexuality, which in our country, many the Twelfth Night Revelers, held its the official start of the Carnival season. elements conspire to repress, deny and inaugural parade and ball.