Editorials


Last Updated May 12, 1998



June, 1997 July, 1997 August, 1997 September, 1997 October, 1997 January, 1988


June, 1997


There is a tiny island in the midst of a cluster of even smaller islands in the East China Sea known as Okinawa. It has been a bartering chip and prize of governments and armies for centuries. Yet the inhabitants of this small island have managed to build a unique identity and strong bonds with each other that has contributed to an average life expectancy that is longer than most of the rest of the world.
The Okinawans call it "Yuimaru". It comes from the Japanese words for "circle" and "connection".
Yuimaru is not only establishing neighborhoods and friendships. It is developing an interdependency on one another to the point that each member becomes a necessary and vital part of the community, with something important and valuable to contribute to the whole. The challenges we face in gaining acceptance and civil rights can only be met if we forge our own cohesive community. In order to do this, we must find some common ground and goals to bring us together.
> Simply identifying each other with the labels of 'gay', 'bisexual', or 'transgendered' isn't enough. Most of us agree we don't want to be 'classified' solely in that manner. The common ground we seek must be of a more human nature, transcending labels and boundaries. Three concepts put to practice will help us experience yuimaru: Helping, Healing, Hearing.
Open up; develop a giving heart; develop a willingness to speak for your neighbors and your community. From something as simple as giving a neighbor a hand with yard work; to speaking out on issues that touch us as a community.
Rifts develop in communities. Misunderstandings and outright mistakes wound others and ourselves. Every one of us knows of at least one rift in our community. Be an agent for healing those rifts.
Make an effort to listen to your brothers' and sisters' ideas and opinions. We are a diverse community; a miniature model of American society, with a multitude of races, cultures and religions among us. Taking the time to listen to one another will help draw us together, and help focus on common ground rather than differences.
Once we see yuimaru grow in our community, we can begin to plant seeds of unity out among our straight neighbors and co-workers. Those seeds will grow into the strong bridge we've been looking for to rights and acceptance. It begins with each of us.




Let this star guide you HOME

Top



July, 1997


Full swing into a new year, we find a lot of things happening on the civil rights front, and we have plenty of grist for the complaint mill. In Davenport, Roger Crow canned six employees from a nursing home-and got away with it because Iowa has yet to protect all its citizens from job discrimination, a step our esteemed Gov. Bransatd is still balking at. In North Dakota, an unbelievable law now allows a person to be detained and undergo forced testing for HIV, without due process, if another person 'reasonably' believes he or she has been exposed to HIV while interacting with the first person. These and other scenarios are good for enough head-shaking well into the next election cycle.
Believe it or not, folks, the buck doesn't stop in Washington, or Des Moines, or City Hall. If we're unhappy about the political climate, we have only one place to turn.
Hello? Didn't we just have an election? Who puts the goofballs in their office? Who has the power to take them out? More to the point, who failed to take them out?
Voter turnout in 1996 in predominantly gay areas was down 15 percent, while overall voter turnout was down only 7 percent. Americans seem to have lost faith in our democratic process, but gays felt a double-whammy, and faced a dilemma: To vote, or not, for a President who has made the White House more gay-friendly than ever before, and at the same time signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the most anti-gay law of all time?
The most important point in all this, however, is that we seem to have given more credence to the conservative fundamentalists' spin on gay rights and gay friendly candidates than it deserved. While we raced about trying to extinguish the small fires of hatred set by the conservative religious right, somehow the message was getting through. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act came within one vote of becoming law. The Supreme Court struck down an amendment in Colorado, which would have effectively prevented gays from seeking relief from the courts in the event of discrimination based on sexual orientation. A Circuit Court judge ruled that the gender-classification in Hawaii's marriage law was unconstitutional. Most telling is this statistic: Not one of the members of Congress who voted against DOMA while running for reelection lost their campaings. The hot-button issue failed to become the poison dart religious conservatives tried so desperately to make.
Once our politicians, both local and federal, realize the significance of the 1996 elections, they will hopefully be less eager to participate in such bitter gay-bashing antics as DOMA. If they fail to get that lesson, however, we must be ready to speak to them in a language they can understand. Organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign demonstrated the strength of the gay and gay-friendly vote when we are determined and organized. Think how much more effective we can be with a fresh start right now, in 1997, working toward the 1998 and 2000 election years as if they were right around the corner? Are you up to the challenge?




Let this star guide you HOME

Top



August, 1997


We urgently need protection under the Iowa Civil Rights Act
Are civil rights in Sioux City being swept under the rug? Are we being barricaded into the closet? Which is our greater enemy: homophobia or silence? Which begets the other?
In Sioux City, we are not exempt from the effects of discrimination. Many of us have experienced it first hand, including one of our brothers who lost a job, and is facing harassment at his present job. He now fears for this job. A sister's landlord suspected she was a lesbian, so he entered her apartment one day while she was out, searched for and found 'evidence' to support his suspicions, then called her employer. That sister lost her job and her home, and had custody of her child seriously threatened because of it.
"Sue 'im!" the great American battlecry rose to my lips when I heard of this outrage.
It's not as simple as that. Speaking with Tim Orwig one morning, he nodded and said, "Sure she could…if whe wanted the details of the case to come out." After the trauma of losing employment, housing and family, does one continue to roil the waters by calling attention to the fact and demanding justice?
Tim, along with others in our community, has been very outspoken on the matter of human rights violations. As a Student Advisor at Morningside College, Tim hears about harassment and threats against gay students frequently. He has communicated with members of the City Council, the Mayor, and the Human Rights Commission, underscoring the urgent need for ordinances that will protect gay Sioux City residents from discrimination.
In a reply to Tim's letter, Mayor Bob Scott stated that "I have always had strong personal and religious feelings on many subjects and feel compelled to view them in relationship to all issues." Mayor Scott pointed out his obligation to taxpayers who oppose the issue as well as to those who support it, and felt that the "overwhelming majority" do not support expanding anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation.
Richard Hayes of the Sioux City Human Rights Commission agrees that protection is necessary. "It's a ridiculous situation. There ought to be that coverage," he told me last month in a telephone conversation. In June he sent a letter to the Chairman of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, supporting the Iowa City Human Rights Commission's request to pursue legislation including sexual orientation under the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Mr. Hayes says there is nothing he can do about civil rights complaints as long as the laws do not include sexual orientation. Earlier this year, the Commissioners considered taking the issue to the City Council, but decided to table the issue. Among the Commissioners there is the concern that any proposal brought before the City Council will simply be voted down. They said that after speaking to members of the community, they felt it would be better to let the matter rest for now.
Tim Orwig feels that the City Council should have the opportunity to vote down such a proposal. "Let them take the heat for voting it down," he says. He believes the public debate which would surround a proposal to the City Council could only benefit the community. "[At this point], a strategic defeat would be a victory."
The fact remains, though, that in order for any progress to be made, the community must be behind the effort. We cannot expect councils and commissions to fight for us if we will not fight for ourselves.
I urge anyone who has experienced discrimination to contact the Sioux City Human Rights Commission, as well as the Mayor's office, and the City Council. Information found in the Community Resource Listing will help you get in touch with them.
I also urge the community at large to focus on building a support system that will help and encourage those of us who experience discrimination. We need such a system to uphold our brothers and sisters when they need help.
We need a public debate on this issue, and there is no better place for it to start than our own community. Please write or e-mail Envoy with your thoughts and suggestions at
PO Box 1465 Sioux City, IA 51102 envoy@willinet.net




Let this star guide you HOME

Top



September, 1997


Goodbye, England's Rose


by Neil Anderson and Deanne Kearns
She was the Queen of Hearts, England's Rose, Princess of Wales. But none of those titles are needed to tell who she was; all we need to say is "Di".
She was a modern fairytale princess wrapped in paradox: The upstart newcomer to the Royal Family who set Buckingham Palace on its ear, made bold strides forward for AIDS awareness, fought for the banishment of anti-personnel landmines, and at the same time suffered from a crushing lack of self-esteem. She was the jilted wife, who admitted to having a lover of her own. She was her own best PR person, using the media for her causes even as she was ruthlessly used herself. She was beautiful, supposedly living every young girl's dream of being a Princess, and acting out her loneliness and uncertainty in debilitating depression and eating disorders.
The world watched in awe in 1981, as Charles, Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in a beautiful, storybook wedding. Everyone dreams of having the life of a royal, and few are able to achieve it. But from her earliest childhood, Diana Spencer knew she would be a Princess someday.
And for a while, it seemed her vision had come true. We saw the Royal Couple's lives flash by in a series of snapshots and video clips: The Dashing Prince kissing his Lovely Princess Bride's hand as they paused outside the church, and stepped into a Cinderella carriage. The proud Heir Apparent and Princess of Wales with their newborn son, Prince William, a future King, and, a few years later, Prince Harry. But in spite of all this public bliss, the cloud of marital trouble began to gather, and the world watched a fairy tale start to crumble.
Yet Diana overcame the obstacles of depression, bulimia, and divorce. The world drew strength from the fact that someone with privilege could and did have everyday problems too. Diana was a tireless crusader for issues such as AIDS, land mines, and the homeless, using her popularity and fame to support these causes, taking every opportunity to promote her beliefs.
Her departure from us was so sudden, we had no time to say "goodbye". In the first hours after the crash, we waited patiently for the word that our friend Diana would be all right. It never came. The world wept as one of our own passed on to a better place.
The desire to canonize Diana is strong, and she was surely a champion of the 'common' people. We believed a saint had left us.
Yet in the aftermath of the loss of Diana, we wept again at the loss of another larger than life woman. Mother Teresa was lost to us as well. Here was a woman who many believed was a living saint, but was also something of a paradox. Called to minsiter to the poorest of the poor, she moved in exalted circles, raising money, chastising and exhorting us all to do our fair share of the work she had started. Having taken a vow of poverty, and lovingly regarded as the "Saint of the Gutters", Mother Teresa met with Popes, Princesses, and celebrities, raising millions for her cause, but living simply. A tiny woman, her stature in the patriarchal Roman Catholic Church was awesome. While the world wept openly and loudly at Diana's final passing, the mourning for "Ma" was more subdued as India contemplated the next life she was starting at the end of this one.
The world says the tragedy of the final chapter of Diana's life was that she was taken so young, leaving two young boys behind, while Mother Teresa lived a long and full life. But perhaps, even in their deaths, they managed to give us one last lesson: Live your life to its fullest, be true to yourself and your beliefs, never squander the few opportunities you are offered for happiness; and, if you can do that, no matter how soon you are taken, your life will have been full and complete, and a monument for others to follow.



Let this star guide you HOME

Top



October, 1997


Last month, Neil and I were asked to be on the Drive Time Live program with Mary Sorenson, to discuss gays in Sioux City. We were pleased at this opportunity to try to present a "gay" point of view to life in Siouxland.
This interview also gave us an opportunity to get a more detailed glimpse of the position of Mayor Bob Scott in relation to human rights issues facing gays in Sioux City. Had I known Ms. Sorenson planned to go to Mayor Scott for a response, I would certainly have had more to say regarding the Mayor's position. In retrospect, though, I agree with Oprah: "Just let them talk." In his own words, then, transcribed from the program, Mayor Bob Scott explains to the public why Sioux City does not protect its gay citizens from discrimination, in response to a comment that I respect the Mayor for being true to his personal beliefs, but don't think that personal religious beliefs have a place in administrating the City. Telling Ms. Sorenson that religion has nothing to do with not imposing an equal rights ordinance for gays, Mayor Scott stated:
"I don't believe that the local government ought to expand paths where the federal government is; we have enough trouble enforcing ordinances and laws and all that we have on the books, and to enforce one that goes and expands the human rights to special classes of people, whether they be gays and lesbians or whatever…whatever, ah, doesn't seem to me to make a lot of sense. We can't supposedly keep up with those issues that are already before us in the human rights area; we ought to concentrate on those that are truly protected under the federal government rules right now."
Two thoughts came to mind when I heard Mayor Scott's response. First, I thought that the Mayor had come up with a fairly pain-free method of governing…if an issue looks to cause too much difficulty, simply ignore it. Second, I couldn't help remembering his reply to a letter from Tim Orwig, in which Mayor Scott stated that he felt compelled to view all matters in relationship to his "strong personal and religious feelings".
Mr. Mayor, gays and lesbians are not a "special class" of people. We are Americans, and entitled to all the rights and protections of all other Americnaas. You cannot justify ignoring the needs of gays in Sioux City based on the proclamations of a 4,000 year old religious system. The Consititution of this country does not allow religious edicts to circumvent the freedoms and rights of any group of citizens, or individuals. You also cannot justify ignoring the needs of gays in Sioux City because they are inconvenient. You have an opportunity to be a leader in the true sense of the word, by pledging to support and defend all the citizens of Sioux City.
Gay rights in Iowa and Sioux City is a real issue that needs real attention. One needs only to observe Roger Crow in Davenport to realize that. Those six employees have absolutely no recourse in this matter, because the laws on the books now do not make any provisions for discrimination based on sexual orietnation. Iowa no longer criminalizes homosexual relations. There is no legal basis to discriminate against us, yet it happens daily, and as long as law is observed by the letter, and not the spirit, we will fight daily for the rights that all other Americans take for granted.
We challenge you to accept the notion that gays in Sioux City deserve the same rights and freedoms that you and the rest of Siouxland residents enjoy. We challenge you to accept the fact that the loves and relationships of Americans are a private matter, falling under the right to the "pursuit of happiness", and irrelevant to our work performance, and our worth as human beings. We also challenge you to open a dialogue with the gay community, get to know us, and find a way to help us retain our dignity and our rights.Knowledge and familiarity can banish many myths. Are you willing to let go of your myths, Mr. Mayor?



Let this star guide you HOME

Top



January, 1998


Standing Against Bigotry in Siouxland


Late last December, still warm from the glow of the season, no doubt; a group of citizens decided to end the year by carving another notch in their crosses.
One of our steadfast supporters, 4th Street Revue, distributed an issue in November that got some fine, upstanding Christians riled. If you read the 4th Street Revue, you know I'm talking about the "SEX" issue. Several writers took a look at the modern obsessions with sex, and attempted to put them into some sane perspective, with a little humor and a grain of salt.
Apparently, our Christian friends didn't get past the front cover. Or, they did, and were horrified that anyone had anything to say about the subject other than "Sex. Bad."
Whatever the circumstances, this group of people claiming to speak for the Christian Community in Siouxland (along with the obligatory "Family Values") went straight for the jugular, calling and complaining to all of 4th Street Revue's supporters and urging them to drop their ads. They attacked the 4th Street Revue for being "anti-Christian" (so?), for printing pornographic material (!!), for printing articles by gay writers (gasp!), and for being generally immoral and unsupportive of "traditional family values".
Through it all, Cindy and Reba did their best to let it pass, to turn the other cheek. As the results of the spiritual SWAT team's antics became apparent, though, to the tune of several hundred dollars of advertising lost, their patience began wearing thin. Finally they began looking into legal recourse against the group, and suddenly, it was all over. One leader promised to call off the dogs, and hoped everything could be nicey-nice again.
Cindy is confident this incident is over now, and the good news is that many of the advertisers that were originally persuaded to drop their ads have come back on board. It was scary, though, that a small group of people could exert so much influence over one's livelihood. Because they disagreed with the 4th Street Revue's point of view, they made a concerted effort to shut it down. "It hurt a bit," Cindy says, "but we're getting through it. We feel very strong, now."
One finds some interesting points to think about in this incident. Who was the most Christ-like? Cindy and Reba put much effort into turning the other cheek, and allowing this group to fully express their opinions and beliefs. Christ never went looking for trouble, save on one occasion: He drove the money lenders out of the Temple and confronted the Pharisees' hypocrisy in allowing the Temple to be profaned by greed. Christ never attacked anyone, with one exception: The religious leaders of his day were fair game. And what about the leaders, so suddenly backing away from their righteous attack, trying so desperately to smooth things over once legal action was threatened? What does that say about their faith? Is faith true faith when it has a price?
Envoy is glad to stand behind the 4th Street Revue as well as Bell, Book & Candle. We're proud of the bridges being built in this community, regardless of race, gender, politics, spirituality, through businesses and people like these. Thanks, Cindy and Reba, for helping make a strong foundation in Sioux City.



Let this star guide you HOME

Top

© 1998 envoy@willinet.net

WestHollywoodGet your own Free Home Page


1