April 2013 the Coastal Empire Lgbt Community News a First City Network Publication
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NETWORK NEWSV OLUME 27 ISSUE 7 - APRIL 2013 THE COASTAL EMPIRE LGBT COMMUNITY NEWS A FIRST CITY NETWORK PUBLICATION Why I Chose Savannah - p.4 DOMA Challenges - p.9 GAY People live in 50’s America - p.10 Students to Appeal Alabama Law - p13 Late Night Lesbian - p.16 Adopted Son of Two Gay men Makes Video - p.21 Horoscopes and Sudoku - p.26 T: fcnsavannah F: firstcitynetwork NAH AU *Looking for Weekly Quality Consignments AN CT *Estates and Personal Property V IO *Commercial Liquidations A N S *Bankruptcy & Foreclosures *Sellers are paid in full same day of the Auction Michael Lee Wedincamp , Auctioneer Savannah Auction Exchange,Inc First City Network invites and welcomes everyone without regard to ability, age, ancestry, beliefs, class, gender, race, 122 Pipemakers Circle Ste 200 sexual orientation or identity. Pooler,GA 31322 Direct-912-657-8319 NETWORK NEWS THE FINE PRINT GAL #AU-C002952 First City Network, Inc. is a local, private, non-profit community We hope you share our pride in 25 years of publication of the Network News. E X E service organization charted in 1985 by concerned citizens seeking a gay Production costs are borne by subscribers, advertisers and donors. C H A N G www.SavannahAuctionExchange.com and lesbian positive community. First City Network serves as a forum to share strengths and ideas, stimulate personal growth and provide so cial activities. The Network News is a product of First City Network, which does not dis- We provide national, state and local information and referral services for criminate because of ability, age, ancestry, beliefs, class, gender, race or health care, counseling, education, advocacy and mutual support. sexual orientation. NETWORK NEWS - Production Staff Comments or opinions in the Network News may not reflect the policies of Editor-In-Chief Travis Sawyer FCN, its members or board of directors. FCN policy safeguards the privacy Contributors The Community and confidentiality of all members. Mailing lists and inquiry calls are always Billing Hank Reineking confidential. Ad Manager Travis Sawyer Distribution The Board All written material (excluding Gay Guide) will use only first names, unless Photography The Community members authorize in writing the use of full names. FCN endorses and sup- ports the use of full names, but realizes that some members need to safe- FIRST CITY NETWORK - Board Officers guard their privacy. FCN respects that right. Co-Chair Travis Sawyer Co-Chair Wil Jones Submissions to the Network News become the property of FCN. A writer’s Treasurer Hank Reineking Secretary Delane McKinley name and telephone number must accompany submissions, but pseud- onyms may be used if requested. FCN does not buy submitted material, FCN BOARD OF DIRECTORS and has no obligation to use or return submissions. Material accepted may Roger S. James Q Farringer be edited. Bobby Jeffery Rob McCoy Kevin Clark Michael Wedincamp You are welcome to copy all or part of this issue to share with others. We Katie McIntyre Molly Talbot encourage other organizations and publications to reproduce articles of inter- 785 King George Blvd – Suite 102 firstcitynetwork.net | 912.236.2489 est. Please credit Network News, Savannah, Georgia. SATURDAY LESBIAN FCN Network News SOCIAL EVENING P.O. Box 2442 Hosted By: Hosted By: Savannah, Georgia 31402-2442 Under the Rainbow TBA [email protected] April 6th Are you interested All submissions become the property of FCN and your name will NOT be 7:00 - 10:00 in hosting a Lesbian printed unless we are given written permission. The editor reserves the right 106 West 38th Evening or Event. to decide what is suitable for publishing. Please note that the deadline for submission is the 20th of each month, Thank you. Savannah, GA 31401 (912) 547.6263 Please let us know. Bring a Covered Dish, [email protected] your lover, or a dear friend. NETWORK NEWS - First City Network - 912.236.CITY - firstcitynetwork.net - 3 WHY I CHOOSE SAVANNAH Gay British Teen, Dies After Being Set On Fire By Gene White At Birthday Party - Courtesy The Huffington Post I ask several FCN members and friends at the Oyster Roast what Tommy Spain, a funeral director for 33 years, a newcomer, recently A young British man has been convicted of manslaughter after was the reason they moved to Savannah. Here are their interesting relocated here with a funeral home on Bonaventure Road. A native killing a gay teen by setting him on fire. answers. (I hope I spelled all your names correctly. If you mentioned of Nashville, he also lived briefly in Houma, LA near New Orleans. a significant other, I listed them as “partner”.) Tommy is also an ordained Episcopal priest (not affiliated with a The BBC reports that 20-year-old Jordan Sheard has been parish). sentenced to three and a half years in jail for the death of Wil Jones, a native Savannian, met his partner Edd here in 1999. Steven Simpson after pleading guilty to manslaughter charges. Edd, a native Charlestonian (our sister city “with airs”) evacuated Christie Alan, lead singer with her own band, has been here since the Simpson, 18, died one day after sustaining “significant burns” the Holy City because of Hurricane Floyd and eventually landed a 2nd grade! She left for a short time in 2010, but missed Savannah so in June 2012, according to the report. job here. much she came back home. Simpson had Asperger’s syndrome, a speech impairment and Elizabeth moved to Savannah in 2008 and now lives in Pooler for Roger on the FCN Board, moved here from Wilmington, NC. He epilepsy, the Yorkshire Post noted. The teen had reportedly her job. She was tired of commuting from Statesboro. met his partner Gary, a native Savannian, in 2007. been dared to strip down to his underpants before being doused in tanning oil, after which Sheard set him aflame at the party. Pam Miller, longtime community activist moved here from Atlanta Don has been here for 25 years, coming down from Hickory, NC. Other reports said that anti-gay messages, including “gay boy” in 1999 with her partner Ginger from Bluffton, SC. He was a professional fund raiser and a professor. Three years ago and “I love d*ck,” had been found scrawled across Simpson’s he met his partner Ted in Lafayette Square. Ted was an interior body. Barry Finch was traveling between the Northeast (Boston) and designer from South Florida. They now own Joe’s Homemade Cafe Florida, like so many do. He stopped in Savannah in 1997 and never on Waters at 70th near Memorial Hospital. Detective Sean Middleton described Simpson to the BBC as left! “a very caring and likeable young man” and a “generous spirit Katie, a new FCN board member, moved to Savannah in 2010 was taken advantage of and a single thoughtless act resulted in Roger P. and his late partner Ron came from Cape Cod, MA. from Valdosta (don’t you just love the names of some GA towns!). his death.” Interestingly they looked at places to retire all over Florida and even Recently divorced and straight, she is a strong supporter of LGBT Merida, Mexico on the Yucatan peninsula (too hot in the summer!). causes! She is looking into obtaining grant money for FCN. Her A number of local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender They visited a brother-in-law here and moved in 2007. friend Carlos wants to move here from Valdosta before or after he (LGBT) rights advocates said they believed Sheard’s prison completes a technical college degree in the health field. Come on term to be too lenient, but prosecuting attorney Tim Warburton Marsha Ipsen, an active FCN volunteer, transferred here with her over, Carlos! nonetheless told The Star that the sentence was “within the job from Seattle in 1989 and now claims Savannah as home. range of what would be expected had it been considered a hate Pat G also known as Emma is also a native. She moved away for crime,” and that it would not be appealed. Mark, a West Virginia native, moved here because of the historic several years, but returned and helped start the FCN newsletter! Her preservation movement in the downtown area in 1987. He came sister Alicia lives here also. “This was a cruel case of bullying based on Steven’s sexuality here via Morgantown, WV and Orangeburg, SC. and disability,” Warburton is quoted as saying. “While we Bobby Jeffery, almost a native, was born in Syracuse, NY. In 1999 he accept Jordan did not intend to kill Steven, his actions did lead Man About Town, Scott West, traces his Georgia relatives back founded a gay group at Atlantic Armstrong U. and in 2000 organized to his death.” to 1790! He grew up in the South Georgia town of Moultrie and Savannah’s first Gay Pride. Bobby said they were expecting a small remembers dining, when he was young, in Herb Traub’s Pirate crowd yet 2,500 attended! Meanwhile, Sheard’s attorney said his client had been “deeply House Restaurant (so did I!) which is still a part of the Savannah and significantly affected by what he has done and the tragic dining scene. Scott lived in New York City for some 20 years, Everybody has a story folks, and they are all worth listening to! consequences that ensued,” which describing Simpson’s death before moving here in 2005. as a “stupid prank that went wrong in a bad way.” Please let us know how we are doing. Do you have any questions or comments or would like to write an article for the Network Newsletter? Email us at [email protected] 4 - NETWORK NEWS - First City Network - 912.236.CITY - firstcitynetwork.net NETWORK NEWS - First City Network - 912.236.CITY - firstcitynetwork.net - 5 Rob Portman commentary: Gay couples also deserve chance to get married - Columbus Dispatch Wayne Chambers Gallery Join Wayne for his Grand Opening May 5th, from 5pm-9pm I have come to believe that if two people are prepared to make a should encourage people to make long-term commitments to each lifetime commitment to love and care for each other in good times other and build families, so as to foster strong, stable communities 912.234.6899 or 912.663.5544 and in bad, the government shouldn’t deny them the opportunity to and promote personal responsibility.