After years of false starts, false promises, and false hopes we can celebrate a tremendous victory. We have succeeded in convincing both houses of the Delaware State Legislature and the Governor that the only fair and just course is to amend the states hate crime law to include "sexual orientation." When the bill is signed by Gov. Carper on July 13, a crime committed against a person because he or she is perceived to be gay/lesbian/bisexual or transgendered will be classified as a hate crimewith escalated severity of charges and potential penalties. I hope that each of you will join me and representatives of the g/l/b/t community in front of the Rehoboth Beach municipal building, Saturday, July 13 at 10:30 a.m., to witness the signing of this legislation by Delaware Gov. Tom Carper.
I had a birthday last week (not the significant over-the-hill one, but pretty darn close) and all of a sudden I am being confronted at every turn by a variety of things which remind me of the advancing calendar. For instance, in his Fitness column this month, Rick Moore (who if the truth were made known is not that much younger than me) says, "How many of you can remember your mothers ugly little tanning lamps?" What does he mean "your mothers"? I think we still have one in the hall closet. In fact, it was probably responsible for the last time I even had a tan.
Just now, to add insult to injury with regard to ageism, I mentioned to Raney and Lori that Patricia Nell Warren is going to be at Lambda Rising for a book signing, and, you guessed it, neither had a clue who I was talking about. Well, for all you others who are too young to have come out in the early seventies, Patricia Nell Warren is the author of The Front Runner. It was the defining book for many of us coming to terms with our sexuality. I seem to remember that we all saw ourselves as one of the two lead charactersmy lesbian friends simply changed the genderand we were ready to step into the role should Hollywood decide to make it into a movie. The story goes that Paul Newman at one time bought the movie rights and planned to star, with Jan-Michel Vincent, in the film. At the time, however, the climate in moviedom was not conducive to such a project, and it never got off the drawing board. Now, I am afraid even Mr. Newman is too old for the part. So for all you who lost yourselves in Ms. Warrens tales, and for those new to her adventures, stop by Lambda, Saturday, July 26 from 3-5:00 p.m. and meet her.
LOVE97 was a great success, getting the ball rolling for this summers fundraising extravaganzas in Rehoboth Beach. The next event on the circuit is PRIDE97, Sunday, July 27, at the Renegade. Sponsor tickets, $75, are available through SCAC or at the Renengade. It will be a great night, so dont miss it.
Finally, though I am not trying to rush the season, plans are underway for SUNDANCE, the annual Labor Day event at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. All of these events require a great deal of support from the year-round and summer residents and business community. We cant do it without you! If you are interested in being a host of this two-day event, call CAMP Rehoboth, 302-227-5620.
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7/11/97 Issue. Copyright 1997 by CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. All rights reserved.