u••• the Fund's mailgrams were an extremely effective signal that the American people were urging prompt congressional action in the face of this public health epidemic." Senator Ted Kennedy Chief Sponsor Federal AIDS Policy Act efore the Speak Out pre-authorized mail program, our zealous oppone~ts flooded. Con~r~sswith mail, distorting legislators' B perception of public OpInIOn. As a result, we lost key votes on AIDS and on discrimination against lesbians and gay men. Now, by joining Speak Out you allow brief messages to be sent on your behalf to Congress at key times. They cost just $3.25. Speak Out triggers a quick response - letting Congress know you care. But we can't win without your help. Our rights, privacy, health - even our lives - are at stake daily on Capitol Hill. If you've ever meant to write Congress and just didn't get around to it ... Speak Out's for you! D 9 messages at just $3.25 each-$29.25 D 15 messages at just $3.25 each-$48.75 , D Other. I'll send (fill in the blank) messages at $3.25 each (A three message minimum enrollment required forprocessing.) NAME (PLEASE PRINT) ___ ADDRESS CITY STATE . ZIP _ HOME PHONE ( _ PAYMENT OpnONS D My check is enclosed D Bill me D I will pay by credit card. Circle (MasterCard, VISA) CREDIT CARD NO. _ EXP. DATE SIGNATURE _ rt:~~ The Human Rights Campaign Fund, Field Division, P.O. Box 1723, Washington, D.C. 20077-4392, (202) 628-4160. NighImare on Helms Stteet 18 Fust Letter FfOIIl Fust udy 24 Outing Routing 'JfJ HEAlTH Poincal Science (HarringtOn) 34 Living with AIDS (~La Cruz) 36 DEPARTMENTS Outspoken (Edt00al) 4 letters 5 . Stonewa1I Riots (Natalie) 5 Blurt Out 6 S<Xomayc.t 8 B1ufool 10 Jennifer CJ.mper 11 Obituaries 32 LiJeration Wgic (Folayan) . 38 The Doctoc Is Out (Siltmtein) 40 .- GLAAD;.TKlings 42 DRAFfING-TABLE GIRlS 44· - lookOut 54 On the cover: Cartoon by Alilon Bechde' Out of my Hands (Ball) 56 THE ARTS GOssip Watch " . 57 Out on the Town (Tmcey and PoI«Jrriy) 58 Film Last Exit /0Brooklyn 61 Going Out Calendar (X) 72 Dance New York City Ballet 62 Tuning In (X) 75 . Calmet HoIIyuood opera . 63 Baus and Troche, Sharon McNigbt Dancing Out (X) . n Theater7be Piano lt5stJn 64 Community Directory 78 Art Gilberl and G#Orge 65 Bar Guide 80 Music Consumer Guide 66 Personals 98 Books Pretending /0 Say No 68 Ctooswool (&Jysans) 114 Books CKJA Fxtension.WriteTs: Conference 69 What's in a Name? hat do "Queer Nation," Dykes To Watch Out For, "Radical Faeries" and Pansy Beat have in common? . They are all cases where proud, out lesbians and gays have appropriated tenns of anti-gay oppres- Wsion, turne_d them inside out, and infused hateful old epithets with positive new meanings. It's not a novel idea for oppressed grou~ to appropriate insul~g language and tum it to their advantage. Yet for several reasons the prac- tice remains controversial in the lesbian and gay community. OutW~k's use of queer, jag, lezzfe and dyke has generated a continuing stream of .letters objecting to what the writers perceive as ourintemalized homo- . phobia. GCN in Boston and other publications have also experienced negative reactions when they use words such as queer and Ies. Our community is rightly sensitive to the power of words. We are, in no small measure, a people who c~e into 'being when a strange Latin-Greek hybrid term-homosexuaJ....-was coined to , describe the then-novel concept of sexual orientation. Aside from its odd combination of two languages, homosexual has long been objected to by many gays because of its cold, clinical nature, its asso- ciation with mental illness, and the fact that it was coined not by us . but by our oppressors. Gay, the term preferred by early leaders of our movement, c;lerived from a medieval French phrase describing chivalric courtly love between knights, and has become the most common term describing us. But gays similarity with .the English word meaning "happy" is confusing to many, while some women have objected to any term which conflates the identity of female and male homosexu- ids. The solution to that problem has been the adoption of the term lesbian, and the formula lesbian and gay has come to be the accept- able way to denote the entiie community. But that's not the end of the story. Some are made uneasy by the word gay.·Others, including many women, feel they had nothing to do with the coinage of lesbian. Still others long for a term which would encompass the entire community' without any sexist, medical pr other oppressive connotations. Into this confusing linguistj.c quagmire stumbles a host of insulting tenns such as fairy, faggo~ dyke, queer, homo, dagger, sissy and so on. Should we continue to search for new terms to describe us? Should such'terms be cUlled from the I long list of oppressive insults or be freshly 'minted? Does the appropriation of insults signal a new pride or a capitulation to unrecognized, internalized homophobia? . These are not frivolous questions. African Americans have long recognized the power of tenns to oppress or liberate. Their fluidity in I;I1oving from colored to Negro to AfrO-American to Black to African-American reflects not confusion or indedsion, but a recogni- tion that meanings, like movements, change. We would do well to recognize the same thing. Words, after all, are what we make them. But they have. a significant power to make us as well .... 4 ·.OUTTWEEK May 30. 1990 showing even the Slightest complains that the film surpriseat the fact that writer shows the white male threat- Craig lucas has focused on ening to "walk away· from the well-to-do WASPshows a . hISHispanic buddy when In startling Ignorance of Lucas' fact he was being c:IIsmlssed. Crisis Une Crisis and dlgnJfled voice reaching work. He Is, after all, the ulti- His stern talk to the young We are writing to Inform out to those In need. mate yuppie writer In the man was right on the mark . the gay and lesbian commu- Steven L. Cantor theater today. for the situation. I don't think nity of a voice that has not . Dale Christopher By focusing on this group Bowen watched very close- often been publicized during Renee CorJombe of friends, the complete ly, and/or let his attitude the recent traumatic events Merrbets, Sfeett1g Corrrrlftee scope of AIDS and reactions blind him to what was really clouding the future of the to It would not be possible or going on on the screen. His FlJ"Idfor Human Dignity-the Companion PIeces appropriate. These men questions about the where, voice of the CrIsIs Une volun- Peter Bowen's smar- reacted the way they did for when and why of the Intend- teers. tassed superiority In his their own reasons that the ed arrests are clearly At a meeting at the Gay. review of Norman Rene's film film makes very clear. Most answered In the scene: the and lesbian' Community Longtime Companion (no. offensive Is his bleeding health department, the next Center In New York on May 46, May 16) does a disservice heart (AIn't I the most sensi- day and "to see If the mayor 10, the CrisisUne \t>lunteer's to a fine plcfure. My dear Mr. tive liberal) version of the shows up.· The missing' Association (ClVA) was cre- Bowen, this Is a movie. An characters' "distancing· scenes of street battles ~ ated by past and present entertainment. A story that themselves from the lamented by Bowen In his Crisis Line volunteers. As -Iilopefully those not painfully "social/political reality.· The review will be In the Mure, advised earlier by legal and personally aware of the film states more than once accompllshed ...hopefUly by counsel, the volunteers . horrors of .the AIDS years the problem with Insurance the audience. elected a steering commit- mght go to see. Do you real- and loss of Jobs. These guys In any case, the very tee empowered to negoti- ly think ci grim aglt/prop were too well-off, proud and large audience at Angellka ate with the executive piece would sell any tickets:? loved to be tossed on the Film Center laughed, cried committee of the board of 'Nhen accusing the filmmak- human trash heap known as and were visibly moved by directors. ers of "narrow focus· Is pre- hospitals In New York. this fine film. Whatever It's The ClVA formally cisely the point. Anyone In conclusion, Bowen faults, this Is a film with a na- requests that all volunteers withhold services, both paid { and unpaid, from the Fund srONEWAtt RIOrS BY ANDREA NATALIE for Human Dignity, until a satisfactory settlement Is reached. As cVIi.IiT()IIJ vE The ClVA reaffirms the /?£"ar I'1VJT IfE7Ec.T three demands endorsed by ,!fIVrr1l11V6 TII-1T some 30 volunteers at a fOn£ ONE C()vLp meeting on AprIl 23 and sub- IIr TE/(P,fET -15 OR mitted to the board: (/IYJ~FE PM#.' 1) that Julien Maurice, the former CrisisUne Director, be reappointed Crisis Line Director. 2) that a minimum of -~.1I)reemembers (or one-third, whichever Is greater) of the board of directors be Crisis Une volunteers. 3) that one ,of the co- chairs of the board of dlrec- . tors be chosen by the Crisis Une volunteers. The ClVA wishes to thslnk all of those Individuals throughout the diverse gay and lesbian community who have expressed their feelings to the board of directors about recent events.