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VOLUME TEN, NO.14-July 3,1997—July 16,1997—Issue 234 IS Give the People Light and they willfind their own way. The Wisconsin Light What's Inside The MAGIC Picnic, the Pride Parade and Festival and More Our Madison Pride Section Pages 10 t o 16 Madison Gears Up For a Big k.d. lang Interview Page 17 Wisconsin Light Exclusives Pride Weekend of Events Madison Mayor Sue Bauman By Bill Meunier Page 1 Madison— Gay and Lesbian organiza- gACVAnize CQ tions and businesses in Madison are gearing up for the biggest weekend in Pocan Prepares Assembly Bid their history. Page 5 Alligge Picnic The Madison Pride Weekend July 17 through July 20 will offer a wide variety Bette Davis In Retrospect Presents of food, fun, parties, and events. Page 18 This year for the first time there is an ef- fort to co-ordinate all of the various events 0 • La Cage Show Case Review taking place around the MAGIC picnic / /I I I and Pride celebrations. Mary McBride, Page 20 ••• Chairperson of GALVAnize is co- ordinating that effort. Porn Star Scott O'Hara "Our hope in the years to come is to promote sponsorships of this very special Page 26 weekend," said McBride. .0- The center pieces of the celebration are Madison's M.A.G.I.0 Picnic held on Sat- urday July 19 and the Madison Pride Pa- Tom Martin: A Life rade and Festival held on Sunday July 20. The M.A.G.I.C. picnic was begun as a of Pride and Service, customer appreciation party for patrons of the Backdoor Bar. It quickly grew into a A Life Dedicated to • community wide event that raises funds I 411110 411.04.• for a variety of community groups from the Community 0 lb the United to PFLAG, Apple Island and Lesbian mothers. By Terry Boughner Please See Madison Page 2 Milwaukee—Thomas E. Martin, 47, died on the evening of June 25, 1997, AIDS Activist Found ending his life in an apparent jump from 11111] Milwaukee's Hoan Bridge. According to one source, he was doing some legal work Murdered in Green for SL Luke's Hospital and was expected there that night. Bay Hotel Room Tom was a native of Milwaukee, a By Bill Meunier prominent attorney, who expended him- .oro mmlW Green Bay—Jeff Whalen, a 45 year old self in untold hours of service and support AIDS Activist was found stabbed to death to the LBGT community. He leaves be- in his hotel room on Green Bay's East hind his life partner, Gary F. Swartz, his ¶Iuly18-20 V 1997 Side on Tuesday June 24m. mother, Anna, brothers Albert and Robert, Whalen who had been working with the numerous other relatives and uncounted Madison Mayor Susan Bauman Speaks Center Project to form an AIDS Task friends. Force in Marinette County received mul- By all accounts, About Madison, the LBGT Community tiple stab wounds to his chest. He was Tom was a brilliant found lying next to his bed by the staff of man. He attended An Exclusive Her historic election as the first female the Motel 6 in the early afternoon hours. the University Wisconsin Light Interview Mayor of Madison would not have been Whalen had checked into the motel alone School of Milwau- By Mark Pocan possible without the support that she re- earlier. kee before going on Mayor Sue Bauman has been is office as ceived from the LGBT community. The He was last seen alive at Brandy's II. to graduate Phi the new Mayor of Madison for just over Mayor recognizes that one of the reasons Patrons there say that he left that bar Beta Kappa from nine weeks, and she is gaining a reputa- that she is m office is due to the support alone, in a jovial mood at about 1:30 a.ni Brown University. tion from the media, city employees, she got from community Gays and Lesbi- early Tuesday morning. There were only After which, he at- elected officials and the community in four or five other customers in the bar at tended the Univer- general for her openness and accessibility. that time. No one else left the bar until sity of Wisconsin She sat down with Mark Pocan just one Tom Martin closing time. Law School. day after returning from the U.S. Confer- Lt. Craig Schyndle of the Green Bay There are those who believe in a Provi- ence of Mayors meeting in San Francisco Police Department told The Wisconsin dence that acts in human lives. If so, to discuss Madison, the local LGBT Light that his department was pursuing a Tom's life was proof. He began his career community and other issues. number of leads but had no "solid suspect in 1975, working for the Milwaukee law In the nine short weeks that Mayor Sue at this point in time." firm of Shellow & Shellow before be- Bauman has been if office after defeating "We do not have a suspect, we have a coming a Federal prosecutor with the Jus- former Alderman Wayne Bigelow, she lot of people of interest. We are getting a tice Department. The way, Tom said one has been immersed with information and lot of information from the community time, seemed "bright and clear." advice from a wide range of people on and from his relatives and friends. As yet His life took a sharp, right angle turn. how to keep Madison the special place a solid suspect," said Schyndlc. Charges were brought. He resigned from that it is. He added, "Right now the investigation the Justice Department. After some little During this brief period which she has is very wide open. We are looking at it, as time, he began what some would call his been Mayor, she has met with city council a possible hate crime, a total stranger, an real calling, that of service to his own members, department heads, staff, media acquaintance or a friend." people in the cause of justice in which he and others. She has appointed local citi- Schyndle asked that anyone with any so strongly believed. zens to city commissions. She has hired possible lead in the case contact the De- The day alter the news of his death was her key staff. tective Deviloy or the Department by received, many phone calls came to this She has arrived on the scene of local calling (414) 448-3300. office. These were not from "prominent" fires. She is negotiating a hotel site for Whalen was a big man, 6 feet and 200 people, but from "average" Lesbians and Monona Terrace as well as arranging for Mayor Susan Bauman pounds. The Wisconsin Light received Gays who testified to Tom's unflagging the convention center's grand opening. ans. reports that an autopsy report suggested efforts on their behalf. She has approached state government She that the murder was a hate crime because For had the backing of both of the example, one women, who did not leaders for more revenue for the city. She openly Gay/Lesbian elected officials on of the number of stab wounds, but was give her name, said she "just wanted to has spoken to dozens of area groups. the city council, Alders. Mike Verveer unable to confirm this before it went to talk." She told of Tom's drawing up her And, m her spare time, she has been run- press. ning one of America's top cities. Please See Mayor Bauman Page 22 Please See Martin Page 2 Please See Murder Page 2 July 3, 1997-July 16, 1997-WISCONSIN LIGHT-2 only one who might have said this. very hard and, as reported in the Milwau- 25uninvit- remember Tom's fer- ed inscrip- In the meeting, I kee Journal Sentinel, he seemed to find Happy Puzzle vent determination that the abuse of en- it hard to cope. Wilde Oscar's tions on the consequence of lives a wall trapment and After Tom died, there were many who "All authority is quite degrading."- ruined, must stop. "The community must asked "Why?" There is no other answer 19th century Irish wit Oscar Wilde 28 scrimp know what's going on," he told us. "It than the death of a beloved parent. Many 32 in law, must stop." This was the passion of an can rip you sponsored of us have been there. That ACROSS resort on an 56 First test .... and terminer eminently decent man, a man who under- apart. abbr. by hard-core gay 1 large church island, 2 words State, (Middle English stood suffering and wanted it stopped. I None of us know what turns life may 36 seed of a 57official Postal mag with finals for 'to hear remember thinking that at the time. bring. We might say that Tom was laid 9 Postal Service in Sept. in S.F. determine,' leguminous vine Service abbr. for and Afterward, Ron Geiman, who was also low so that he could raise abbr. for islands address 'trace' 6 Perot's a hearing or trial) present, and I went for coffee in the Grand high. We might 12 7th tone 38 TIA in thought. also say that in his life of service, he shot a mirror 59 departed sit- middle name 34 makes Avenue Mall. I told him what I his arrow into the sky. It of diatonic scale He agreed. may have come 39 conglomer- com host will 7 audio-vis- lines with acid down in flames, but oh, what a glorious 14 burgh of become new ual abbr.