LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Way I See It |
by Steve Elkins, Editor |
This is issue ten of the tenth season of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth and by the time it comes off the press, July will be coming to a close. I commented last issue about how busy the summer has beenI guess that's why it seems to be whizzing past at such a rapid pace. It's not over, however, here comes the magical month of August. For both locals and visitors alike, the "magic" of this summer has included the Henlopen Theater Project's Summer 2000 season. HTP Director James FitzSimmons and his staff and board have worked hard to get this year's season off the ground. Highlights for me included the wonderful staged reading of Kristen Foery's one act play Stones, and the brilliant writing and performance of Marc Wolf in Another American: Asking and Telling. Kristen, as most of you know, has shared her coming-out in-high-school process with us through her column in this magazine, (for which she won a vice versa award as best gay and lesbian youth columnist in the country). Watching the professionally acted and directed "workshop" production of her play made me realize again how fortunate we've been to be able to work with someone like Kristen. We look forward to great things from her as she leaves for her first year at Dartmouth. It's not too late to catch an HTP performance this summer: The National Players of the Olney Theater in Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona, July 26-30, and Sada Thompson, Len Cariou, Bruce Davison and Lisa Pelikan in Ancestral Voices, August 2-6. While I'm talking about cultural activities in the area, it's never too early to remind everyone to make plans to be in Rehoboth Beach this fall for the third annual Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival. The Festival, which takes place November 8-12, has quickly become an important part of the fall season here at the beach. If your Rehoboth experience includes only the summer months, I urge you to make a reservation for the Film Fest now. Festival Director Barry Becker promises it will be the best yet. On a more serious note, a recent incident reminded me that our community is not immune to the damages of prejudice and hatrednot just from outside, but inside as well. It's easy to believe that since most of us have experienced some form of queer prejudice in our lives, we would be more tolerant of those who are a little different from us. Unfortunately that's not always the case. Our queer community is made up of all colors and nationalities, of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered persons, drag queens, leather men and women, butches, femmes, muscle boys, dykes, radical fairies, Log Cabin Republicans and everything in between and beyond. Sometimes the homo homogenization that is taking place within our culture lets us forget to celebrate all aspects of our communityand keeps us from welcoming those who are different. If we lose the ability to revel in our diversity, it seems to me that we are in danger of losing an essential quality of who we are as a communityand more importantly, we are in danger of losing a piece of our heart. Speaking of heart, the CAMP Rehoboth community center project vision is to be "the heart of the community." On page 10, CRCCP co-chair Dan Goren welcomes The Gay Women's Support Group as they come under the Community Center umbrella. He also reminds us that we are committed to building a center "with and without walls." The Gay Women's Support Group, facilitated by Libby Stiff, meets every Thursday from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Sand In My Shoes B&B at Sixth and Canal Streets. A final note on the coming Sundance extravaganza labor day weekend. If you want to be a host, sponsor or supporter (and want to be included in the printed material for the event) let us know as soon as possible. Call, fax, mail or email your host information. Better yet, this year you can also do it all on our Web site. Check us out at www.sundancebenefit.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 10, July 28, 2000. |