LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Way I See It |
by Steve Elkins, Editor |
here we go again! this is the first issue of our tenth season of publishing Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, and I know it's going to be another good one. I have to admit, however, it's getting a little hard to remember exactly what happened in each year. I do know that along with the year 2000 and our tenth volume of Letters, comes thirteen years of SUNDANCE, twenty-two years of love, and a fiftieth birthday thrown in for good measure. That last one perhaps explains why some of the past decade is getting a little fuzzy around the edges! as camp rehoboth moves into the twenty-first century, we find ourselves at an important place in our growth and development. An examination of where we have been shows us great success, but it also shows us the areas where we still need to grow. CAMP Rehoboth has always been about community and it is for that reason that our plans are being designed to include you, the community. On page 6, Murray writes about the new CAMP Rehoboth Project Action Committee and invites the participation of anyone interested in taking part. Discussions this month will continue to focus on a CAMP Rehoboth Community Center, a youth program, participation in the Millennium March, and much more. The Project Action Committee meets the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., at Epworth United Methodist Church, 20 Baltimore Avenue. last saturday, i put aside work on this issue to sit down and watch the premiere of Showtime's original picture Common Ground. The film tells three stories of gay life in a small townone from the 50s called A Friend of Dorothy by Paula Vogel; one from the 70s called Mr. Roberts by Terrence McNally; and the final one, set in the year 2000, called Andy & Amos by Harvey Fierstein. The stellar cast includes Jason Priestley, Margot Kidder, Harvey Fierstein, Beau Bridges, Eric Stoltz, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Ed Asner. Common Ground shows us the changing face of the gay and lesbian experience over the last fifty years. It reminded me just how important it is for us to keep telling our storiesif we don't, the world will try to keep us invisible. Common Ground will air again on February 10 at 9:35 p.m.don't miss it. I think each of us can find our own "common ground" woven within its stories. as i think back over those last fifty years that i mentioned a moment ago, I can't help but consider how gay life has changed during my lifetime. When I was growing up, bars were still raided and gay and lesbian people carried to jail. Now, we're debating the pros and cons of issues such as gay marriage and adoption. Now, we are a much more visible force in the world. We really have "come a long way baby," as the saying goes, but we've still got a long way to go. One way that progress is made is to find common ground shared with our neighbors. That has always been a part of the vision of CAMP Rehoboth and will continue to be as we enter this new decade. even with the ice and snow on the ground, it's time to start making plans for the summer season. If you have beach house shares to sell, want to purchase a beach house share, or just want to join in the fun, don't miss Beach House Rush Party 2000. CAMP Rehoboth and Tom Minnuto present the party on Sunday, February 6, from 5-8 p.m. at Lizard Lounge (at Eleventh Hour), 1520 14th Street, NW in Washington, DC. valentine's day, as i have said before in these pages, has always seemed like the real start of the new year's season in Rehoboth. In fact, the Blue Moon reopening Valentine's Day weekend is not unlike the swallows returning to Capistrano. Sure we have a few more months of chilly weather, but it always seems like the turning point to me. Stay warm...and happy Valentine's Day. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 1, Feb. 4, 2000. |