~:Rhe.WORLD' IS OURS! . TALKING ABOUT the GAY"'''
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No.28 January 7, 1990 $1.95 inNYC $2.95 USA $ll'i3.9S Canada -~:rHE.WORLD' IS OURS! . TALKING ABOUT THE GAY"''' GIRL MUSICIANS QU THE GOLDEN GATI NEWS • SEXUAL POUTICS ~ HEALm' THE ARTS 346 BLEECKER ST •• CORNER W. 10lb ST.,....• ~ --WI ~ OPEN 7 DAYS TILL 9 PM I!IIH . MODERN COMPUTERIZED· PHARMACY VISA-AMEX-MASTERCARD r~~~Il""~WJf UNION & MEDICAID PLANS ACCEPTED WISHING OUR FRIENDS & CUSTOMERS A HAPPIER & HEALTHIER NEW YEAR FROM THE ONLY Cor. W. 10th St. & Bleecker - Next to CL YDES Film Blaze 55 My Left Foot 55 Bloodhounds of Broadway 56 Art Thomas Hart Benton 57 Music s.F.'s Underground Scene. 58 Video Lesbian Tongues 60 One small step for a lesbian, one giant Books The Assistance of Vice 61 step for the lesbian Nation. See p. 28. Books Being Homosexual and The Psychoana- Photo: Nina Reyes. lytic Theory of Male Homosexuality 62 HEALTH Political Science (Harrington) 32 ON THE COVER: Living with AIDS (GeL5o) 36 (I. to r.) Julie Tolentino Wood, Lola Flash, Aner Candelario, Gregg Hubbard. DEPARTMENTS Photo: Michael Wakefield. Outspoken (Editorial) 4 Letters 5 Sotomayor 5 Stonewall Riots (Natalie) 6 TAKING ON THEWORLD Blurt Out 7 From the Silly to the Serious, Some Celebrated Queers Give Good QUQte On the New Decade Jennifer Camper 8 Nightmare of the Week 9 Xeroxed 11 GLAAD Tidings 30 Sandor Katz 34 Look Out- 50 Out of My Hands (Ball) 52 Gossip Watch 53 Going Out Calendar (X) 66 Best Bets (X) 68 Bar Guide 70 Community Directory 72 Classifieds 75 Personals 86 Crossword (Greco) 98 JAI JAI NOIRE, S.F. MUSICIAN, SELF-PORTRAIT WITH RITA,1.922 See page 58 Thomas Hart Benton. See page 57 It Ain't Necessarily So he recent ordination of Reverend Robert Williams, an open- ly gay priest, by Bishop John Shelby Spong of the T Episcopal Diocese of Newark should be a cause for cele- bration not only for Episcopalian gays and lesbians, but for every- one who values justice and compassion. Coming on the heels of the ACf UP and WHAM! civil disobedience at St Patrick's Cathedral, the Episcopal ordination served to underscore the true spirit of Christianity. The contrast between Bishop Spong's loving stance of support and the rigid hatred and condemnation of Jerry Falwell, Noach Dear and John O'Connor could not be sharper. For gays waging an uphill struggle against religious anti-gay bigotry, Bishop Spong's action is a beacon of hope. Gays have long labored under the incorrect impression that Judaism and Christianity in and of themselves condemn homosexu- ality. This fallacy, nurtured for centuries by deliberate mistranslations of biblical texts, has been one of the chief pillars of homophobia. But starting in the late 1970s, and reaching a peak with the publi- cation of John Boswell's masterful Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality in 1980, the myth of inherent biblical anti-gay bigotry was demolished. Modern historians and religious scholars, accurately and objectively retranslating original biblical texts, have surprisingly shown that the Bible is often merely indifferent toward homosexuality, and frequently tolerant of gays. The story of Sodom, for example, wasn't mistakenly interpreted as a story about homosexuality until millennia after it was written. Even the proSCription in Leviticus that gay sex is an "abomination" occurs in a passage stating that the eating of pork, rabbit and shell- fish, the wearing of certain fabrics and even the cutting of the beard and hair are abominations as welL And although he lived in the gay- tolerant Greco-Roman world, Jesus, it need hardly be noted, never mentioned homosexuality at ali. As absurdly archaic as these points may seem to some, they are crucial in separating the otherwise expansive Western religious her- itage from the narrowness of homophobic hatred. The discovery of the biblical acceptance of gays opens up a new world of spiritual tol- erence in which homophobes like Falwell, Dear and O'Connor are denied the moral cornerstone of their hatred. Unfortunately, truth often travels slowly in ecclesiastical circles. The work of modern biblical scholars will take tirne to be absorbed by the more hide-bound traditions of Christianity and Judaism, just as the discovery of evolution or heliocentrism took time to be accepted. The groundbreaking ordination in New Jersey is a part of that slow but steady process. As the Episcopal Church joins others like the United Church of Christ which have already ordained gays, a fundamental pillar of homophobia crumbles. Actions like Bishop Spong's ensure that future generations of even pious Christians and Jews will look upon homo-hatred with the same sorrow and pity that we look upon witch burning and slavery. T 4 OUTTWEEK January 7, 1990 working relationship with Dig- completely false, like when LETTERS nity for the action because he stated in a radio interview of the possible application ·of that he had been a member the injunction. Hisquotations of ACT UP but left when ACT in the media were at the UPhad voted to abandon its MissionsAccomplished members of Dignity and ..... non-violent agenda: Can First.as one of the orga- members of WHAM! and someone please tell me nizersof the demonstration at ACT UP. He went about try- when that vote was taken? St. Patrick's I want to com- ing to invite individuals with Were we all on vacation? Is mend you on the brilliant and radically different opinions in Mr. Humm trying to incite on-target ~Outspoken" in order to have, in his words, more police violence your last issue,and your accu- ~sparks fly." In my opinion, against us? Mr. Humm claims rate and insightful coverage this was a direct attempt to to speak for the Coalition for of the events of 10 December deride the unity and coali- Lesbian and Gay Rights, a 1989. OutWeek has again cut tion which had been built. In ", coalition of 100 groups (of through the bullshit of the addition, because of the , which ACT UP is a member). straight media to arrive at the injunction against Dignity'" We in the community know real reasons for this demon- and the Cathedral Project, th·at CLGR is really nothing stration (of course I wouldn't any tape showing coopera- but a ragtag group of a few expect lessof you). There are tion between Dignity and members who speak for no several issuesconcerning the the demonstrators who one but themselves. demonstration I would like to chose to go inside, could ,.l\'~., .. J I also want to address Photo: Lee Snider/Photo Images address. have been used by the Dignity and its leader Robert Andy Humm is a traitor authorities to prosecute least inflammatory and at Pusillo. Never have I been and is extremely dangerous. those people under the worst possible catalysts for more proud of Dignity,than as Prior to the demonstration, injunction with more severe violence against members of I read the storiesin the papers Mr. Humm tried, unsuccess- penalties. I believe that Mr. ACT UP and the entire les- in the days that followed the fully, to have a "debate" on Humm purposely tried to set bian and gay communities. demonstration. Bob artiCUlat- his cable show between this up. This also ended our His statements were often ed the reasonsfor the demon- . , NO WAY YDU 6ETTIN IN PAL ! MAVENT YOU. ~EARD ABOUT 1\tE WAR ON DR\JG.S... .. ANb qUEE~! US. DEVI' OF IMMIGRATION aNd :NATURALIZATION January 7, 1990 OUTTWEEK 5 stration impeccably and released on the increase in gious community, which is fact that tens of thousands made it clear. while they did teen AIDS cases, an increase killingus with their fake morali- of young men and women not approve of the action caused because there were ty, but also the political com- who have died and are insidethe cathedral, they sup- no condoms in schools,thanks munity. The message is NO dying horrible deaths while in ported the reasons for the to the archdiocese. And asfor MOREBUSINESSASUSUAl!Our the prime of their lives for the action inside the cathedral. I Ed Koch, the greatest outra(ile elected officiaL and evil reli- past ten years and this soci- salute the brave women and of dL Hisreprehensible behav- gious leaders should run ety just plain doesn't give a men of the Cathedral Project ior at the cathedral was the scared. We will never be silent. damn! And that especially and Dignity who for almost final FUCKYOU to the lesbian There are no boundaries we includes the religious com- three years have opposed, and gay community from the will not cross (barring vio- munity, our so called moral through direct action, the hyp- genocidal monster himself. lence). As we move into the leaders. It's because this ocritical hierarchy that says all Freeat last indeed. second decade of AIDS we materialistic society has people are ·sinners" but some In ending Iwant to reflect will escalate the fight. We will absolutely no sanctity for life ·sinners" don't deserve the on the demonstration. Am I because we must. whatsoever but only a rever- support of the church. Dignity proud of what we did? Abso- Victor Mendolia ence for money and power issurelya friend in the struggle lutely! Never in the recent past ACT UP that this sad state of affairs to stop church interference in have people stood up to the has come to being. AIDS is our lives. church in such a powerful Freedom From Religion still largely perceived as Our elected officials way. We have stood up to. I am disappointed but being a gay disease and should be ashamed of them- save livesand to allow women not surprised at the editorials since homosexuals are con- selves.