LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Speak Out |
Amusement park owners should definitely invent a roller coaster called "The Dykelone," because the ups and downs of fighting for lesbian equality sure keep us screaming through one madcap ride after another. Case in point: Home Box Office (HBO). In March, thousands of lesbians were glued to the tube watching HBO's star-studded movie, If These Walls Could Talk II. At the Mautner Project, we were especially moved by Vanessa Redgrave's true-to-life portrayal of a woman who loses her long-term lover in a tragic accident. Although the piece was set in 1961, it was an incredibly realistic account of what lesbians with cancer face every day, including the ignorance of health care providers, insensitivity of family members, and lack of legal protections. The validation of the lesbian experience in If These Walls Could Talk II was the "up" part of the HBO roller coaster ride. The "down" part came just a few weeks later when HBO purposely excluded the Mautner Project from the list of national cancer organizations they posted on their web site (www.hbo.com). Purposely, as in: Despite our calls, emails and letters and those of the hundreds of people who belong to the Mautner Project "Heed The Call" action network. Despite a phone interview where we explained to HBO's Director of Corporate Affairs that discrimination is rampant in the health care system and women-who-partner-with-women need to know there is a safe, confidential place to go to for cancer information, referrals and support. Despite documented information on the obstacles keeping lesbians from having equal access to health care and how the Mautner Project is fighting to eliminate those barriers. Despite the intervention of our friends at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and numerous articles in the media. The good thing about the Dykelone is "what comes down, must go up." The publicity and grassroots activism associated with our campaign to educate HBO has greatly increased understanding and awareness of lesbian health issues nationwide. And we've posted Mautner Project information in the discussion session of the HBO web page. Our roller coaster is on the upswing again. But fasten your seatbeltsit's gonna be a bumpy ride. Kathleen DeBold, Executive Director Mautner Project At one time not so long ago I thought that God did hate me. I was under the illusion that being gay was the worst thing that anyone could do. As I proudly marched with my life partner down Constitution Avenue we saw signs that read "God Hates Fags" and "Got AIDS Yet?", as well as "Mathew Shepherd Burn in Hell". There were people actually quoting from religious books suggesting that we were going to burn in hell. I just tried to ignore these hateful people and we happily marched on to the stage in front of the capitol. I had never marched for anything before in my life. My emotions are still spilling out. People ask me, "How was the march?" and instinctively I refer to those disgusting signs of hatred and negativity. I have been wondering why my feelings and emotions are driven towards those signs and realize, that if we continue to be denied our human rights, the only difference between the visible hate mongers and the silent majority is the hate mongers showed up! Since coming out in the spring of '96 I am fortunate and grateful to say I now live 100% gay no matter what. The short journey has not been without a tremendous amount of growth and controversy. There has been loss of friends and loss of jobs, plus I lost a discrimination case in court. After losing, my lawyer said, "We have a long way to go." I understand today that pain is the touchstone to progress. My heart and deep respect go out to the people who marched before us and who still march for us. I also understand and sympathize with those for whom the closet is their only haven. We are all marching for you as well. I once heard that only through debate are we going to have a continental shift in ideas. Our freedom and equality will come if we want it enough. Paul Redfern Thank you Camp Rehoboth for a great bus ride to the Millennium March on Washington. We enjoyed riding with old friends and making new ones. The drivers were courteous and flexible, allowing those of us who were exhausted to return to the beach early. Not only was the trip fun but it was affordable!! Thanks again for the opportunity to celebrate with thousands of other BGLT people and allies. Judy Nelson & Suzi Newton Derek and I are training for the California AIDS Ride 7, a 560 mile bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles over seven days from 4-10 June 2000. Money raised for this event will provide for direct services to persons living with HIV and AIDS. In order to participate in this ride, we must raise a combined total of $5000. As residents of Zuni Mountain Sanctuary, we have chosenin the spirit of communityto combine our efforts in training, fundraising, and the ride itself! We do, however, have some different reasons for participating in this event. For Gregory, after participating as a crew member in three D.C. AIDS Rides and one Texas AIDS Ride, this event provides the opportunity to experience the ride not from alongside a massage table, but from the view perched on a bicycle seat! For Derek, after participating in dozens of Diabetes and MS rides over the last ten years, this event is a continuing affirmation of his desire to ride in a community of people to effect positive change in our world! We are both committed to this event, not only because it raises money to provide direct services for persons challenged by HIV and AIDS, but also because the AIDS Rides raise the consciousness of not only the participants, but also raises the consciousness of those individuals who reside in the areas through which the ride travels. Training for this event is not only physical, but emotional and spiritual as well! And we know the spirit of this event will only continue to grow for us, as we will continue to grow from the opportunity to interact with individuals who share this same depth of character and growth all of which raises the experience to a magical event! Whether we know it or not, each of us has been touched by this pandemic called AIDS. For the two of us, this event allows us to participate in a ripple effect, each action spreading outward. Additionally, each of our sponsors becomes another pebble dropped in the pond of awareness that will only serve to better our understanding, our compassion, and our support for those challenged by this dis-ease. It is important to us that each one of you realize how you'll be with us, in spirit, and through your generosity, the ride becomes reality (especially to carry us up that 7 mile hill!). Derek Szteliga and Gregory Myers Bill Sievert's article "Name Game: Marital and Census Semantics" (volume 10, issue 3: April 7, 2000) was one of the best articles I have read. It was straight-forward and sincere. Bill, as long as you know in your heart that you and John have a very special relationship, who cares what the law thinks. My lover would like us to have a wedding. I feel that getting each other rings is just the same and sharing that moment with friends and family says it all. Paul Camacho If you would like to Speak Out, we would like to hear from you. Address your letters to: CAMP Rehoboth, 39 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971, or e-mail: editor@camprehoboth.com. All letters must be signed with your full name and include your phone number for verification. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 4, May 5, 2000. |