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"Homosexual Jesus" Raises Eyebrows
Contributed by Elizabeth Parker
via Reuters
July 22, 1998
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - A photography exhibition depicting
Jesus as a homosexual in black stiletto heels surrounded by
leather-clad musclemen and transvestites has ruffled a few feathers
among usually broadminded Swedes. The show, part of this week's
Europride 1998, an annual gay and lesbian festival, has inspired many
protest letters to Swedish newspapers and prompted a Pentecostal
church in the south of the country to call for the police to step in.
Swedish artist Elisabeth Ohlson, mastermind of the "Ecce Homo"
(Behold Man) exhibition, was unperturbed. "My aim is to show a loving
God. One who loves, above all, when there is love," Ohlson told the
newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. A spokesman for Stockholm's Sofia
Church, where it is being held, said there had been a lot of interest
in the show, which has become the most controversial event of
Europride. But the dozen or so life-sized color photographs proved
too much for the Pilgrims' People church in Skane.
The church, which
reported Ohlson to the police, says the photographs, depicting Jesus
as a gay man or as an AIDS victim, were a perversion of the Christian
message and "gave militant homosexuals legitimacy in their struggle
against Christians." A Swedish judge ruled that no action would be
taken because the photos were artistic expressions and there was no
evidence they were intended as contempt for Christians.
DRAG QUEENS AT THE LAST SUPPER
The week-long exhibition has attracted many of the 20,000 people
visiting the Swedish capital as it hosts Europride for the first time
in its role as 1998 Cultural Capital of Europe. One photograph mimics
Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" with the 12 apostles replaced by
transvestites, one in redthigh-high boots. One shows Jesus, arms
extended to the sky, as muscular men in black leather and chains
kneel at his feet. The immaculate conception is the subject for a
work with Mary, the mother of Jesus, portrayed as a lesbian being
handed a test tube, presumably for artificial insemination, by an
angel.
Controversy was inevitable but Ohlson had not expected the
police to be involved. "I didn't think that those who would be
provoked would care that much," she said. Sweden is generally very
tolerant of homosexuality, which was decriminalized half a century
ago. In 1995 Sweden became the third country in the world to
introduce a partnership law that gives registered homosexuals the
same legal rights as other married couples. Similar laws exist in
Norway, Denmark, Iceland and the Netherlands. Since the law was
enacted in Sweden, about 900 men and 400 women have registered. One
of Sweden's most high-profile same-sex marriages was between singer
Eva Dahlgren, who is taking part in Europride, and former model Efva
Attling, who was once married to a man. "Prejudices against us still
exist and I struggle every day to break them," Attling said in an
interview in the Europride 1998 brochure. "Homosexuals from all of
Sweden who haven't come out can blend into this festival in a natural
way."
LIBERAL SWEDEN -- PARADISE OR NOT?
Although Swedish law is progressive regarding homosexual rights, the
gay community is campaigning to legalize adoption by single-sex
couples and to overturn a 1987 law, passed amid fear of AIDS, which
outlawed gay saunas. Activist Dick Erixon, who is running in Sweden's
September general election, blames a resurgence of old-fashioned,
conservative values for current bias against homosexuals. A poll of
MPs, published this week by Sweden's Federation for Gay and Lesbian
Rights, found only three of the seven parties in parliament were
positive toward gay rights. "Leading Swedish MPs with Victorian
attitudes have come to the surface. There is a lot of backlash right
now and it would be very difficult to change these laws," Erixon told
Reuters. Festival organizers are well aware of the prejudices that
remain in Sweden toward gays and have warned visitors to be wary of
possible trouble on the city's streets.
Extra security has been lined
up for the final day of Europride when Israeli transsexual singer
Dana International, winner of this year's Eurovision song contest,
will be the star attraction. "There have been death threats against
Dana International from Israel but not from Sweden. We will have
extra security but we don't expect anything," a Europride spokesman
said. The week's events also include a film festival, a men-only
beauty contest to crown Miss EuroPride '98 after evening gown,
swimsuit and talent contests, and a street parade.
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Enterertainer Sees How Other Side Lives
Contributed by Elizabeth Parker
via AAP
July 21, 1998
SYDNEY, July 21 AAP - Australian entertainer Tim Ferguson jokes that
one of his sons is booked in for therapy next century as a result of
his latest job. Ferguson hits the boards as Frank 'N' Furter in the new
stage production of The New Rocky Horror Picture Show and admits his
cross-dressing habits have caused his family some concern. He says his
wife and three sons are "a little confused" by the sight of him
parading around in ladies' underwear but they appear to be adapting
well. "The three-year-old's coping because he just figures dad's
dressing up like a girl, just like he does," Ferguson said. "But the
nine-year-old has been booked in for therapy in 2010, and apart from
all my sons wearing high heeled shoes at the moment, we haven't
noticed any side effects."
Ferguson concedes he has long harboured a
secret desire to play the transvestite in the cult stage show, which
is this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. He says his dream of
one day donning fishnet stockings, stilettos and not much else stems
from his early days of singing in front of the bathroom mirror. "I've
wanted to do this for a long time, just never had time to do it. This
year, when they gave me a bell, I thought 'Yeah, let's go live' and
here I am," he said. Ferguson says he spent six weeks mastering the art
of walking in heels and now has a brand new appreciation for the
opposite sex. "I spent six weeks thumping around in these little babies
(shoes) and gradually working out that women sacrifice a lot for the
art of making themselves look good," he said.
Return of the CDA?
Contributed by Rachelle Austin
via Reuters
July 21, 1998
Internet censorship, struck down in a series of court decisions, has reared its head again in two riders to a
Commerce Department appropriations bill which the U.S. Senate approved without debate by voice vote
on July 21. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is part of a coalition actively opposing the
measures.
One amendment introduced by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) would make Federal Communications
Commission subsidies to schools and libraries for Internet participation -- known as "e-rates" and potentially
worth a total of more than $1-billion -- dependent on their use of filtering software to restrict access for
those under age 17 to "indecent" materials. The use of software filters to block "pornographic" sites has
invariably also restricted access to some materials about homosexuality and AIDS, sometimes even on sites
specifically designed for use by teens. At the trial court level, efforts to impose software filtering on library
patrons have been struck down in several cases. In a press statement, McCain said, "Children should not be
allowed to enter school or a public library and gain access to material that their parents would never allow
them to see, and that most in society believe is inappropriate for those who are not yet adults."
The other measure, introduced by Senator Dan Coats (R-IN), targets "commercial" web site operators for
up to six months in jail and fines of up to $50,000 for allowing people under age 17 to access materials
"harmful to minors." Those are defined as any communication, image or writing containing nudity or actual or
simulated sex acts which "lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific" value.
To its opponents, that sounds suspiciously like the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which was struck
down by the U.S. Supreme Court on grounds of being overly vague and infringing adults' free speech rights.
Coats believes his measure is narrow enough to pass the courts' scrutiny, but the American Civil Liberties
Union is among those groups which believe it's essentially identical to the CDA.
A Senate vote is expected on the main legislation today, but the House has yet to act on its version, which
does not contain the censorship amendments. Unless the same changes are made and approved in the
House, the censorship measures will have their fate decided in a House-Senate conference committee.
Anti-Gay Ad Draws Fire
Contributed by Rachelle Austin
via Reuters
July 14, 1998
WASHINGTON - A full-page newspaper advertisement
by conservative Christian groups on Monday that said homosexuals
could ``overcome'' their sexual identity by accepting God
sparked outrage among gay rights supporters.
The Christian Coalition and other conservative groups took
out the advertisement in the New York Times. It is to be
followed by similar displays in the Washington Post and USA
Today later this week.
The advertisement features the testimony of Anne Paulk, a
self-described ``wife, mother and former lesbian'', who says she
was able to change her identity through a commitment to
religion.
``Leaving homosexuality was the hardest thing I've ever had
to do,'' Paulk says in the advertisement.
``As I grew in my relationship with God, I knew He had
changed me forever. Gone was the hardness. Gone was the hurt.
And gone was the shrill cry inside, replaced by God's still,
small voice,'' the advertisement quotes her as saying.
Tracey Canaty of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force,
said her organization viewed the advertising campaign as a new
attack on homosexuality.
``The bigotry, hatred and intolerance that this ad
represents is the real perversion,'' she said.
Homosexuality has recently become a hot political issue
after Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott compared it
to alcoholism, sex addition and kleptomania.
Asked in a television interview if he believed homosexuality
was a sin, Lott replied, ``It is.''
Barricaded TG Dies In Siege
Contributed by Elizabeth Parker
via Reuters
July 15, 1998
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. - A 13-hour siege at a house
booby-trapped with pipe bombs ended Wednesday when police found a man
thought to be holed up inside dressed in women's clothing and dead on
the floor.
The bizarre standoff in a quiet residential area in the Fort
Lauderdale suburb of Pembroke Pines began at 2:30 a.m. EDT Wednesday
when police and fire crews were called to douse a fire in a pickup
truck outside the home, authorities said. When police looked into the
house, they believed they saw the body of a dog on the living room
floor, and nearby the body of a woman. Special weapons teams
surrounded the house, thinking the homeowner, who was well known to
police, was still inside. They had been called to his home 14 times
in the past 10 years. Small explosions were heard inside the home,
leading police to believe the man was either firing a weapon or
setting off explosives. Neighbors were evacuated and SWAT officers
entered the house and spent hours going through it room by room,
ignoring the bodies of the dog and the woman as they cautiously
searched for explosives and the resident, police said.
They found at
least a dozen explosive devices from the ground floor to the attic,
including pipe bombs and others fashioned from gasoline, some
attached to timers. "There were explosive devices placed within that
residence ... that could have caused grave bodily injury," SWAT team
Sgt. Brad Ostroff told reporters. When the home was finally cleared
about 13 hours after the siege began, officers took a closer look at
the body and found it was a man, dressed in a "cowgirl" outfit.
Neighbors said cross-dressing was not unusual for the homeowner, whom
police identified as Thomas Whelan, 42. "I'm glad he's gone. He was
very troubled," said neighbor Olga Hidalgo. "He use to dress up like
a woman, put makeup on and drive by. He tried to hit my husband with
a two-by-four." The victim, who had a massive chest wound, was
thought to be Whelan, police said, but a positive identification was
pending.
"Southerners on New Ground"
People of Color LGBT Leadership Retreat '98
via NGTLF
July 14, 1998
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
It's our pleasure to tell you that our second annual SONG
People of Color LGBT Leadership Retreat will be held August
14th though 16th at the Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center
in Little Rock, Arkansas which will bring together lesbians,
gays, bisexuals and transgenders of color from across the
South.
Part of the work of SONG, now in our 5th year, is to hold
retreats for lesbigaytrans organizers and cultural workers to
talk about their lives and work and how to expand our organizing
work and cultural work for social justice. Our goal is to help
shift work against racism, sexism and economic injustice into
lesbigaytrans organizing and to integrate work against
homophobia into freedom struggles in the South.
This People of Color LGBT Leadership Retreat will embrace
ethnicities and communities of color for a time of work,
developing strategies, networking and socializing. Much of the
work is about sharing our truths and building bridges that
connect our fragmented communities. And all of the work is about
working together to create a movement that cuts across issues
and creates a world where all of us know justice and can live our
lives in peace with freedom and equality.
Please share this information with other lesbigaytrans organizers
and cultural workers of Asian, Pacific Islander, Latin, Native,
Middle Eastern and African descent who may want to attend.
Participation is limited to 33. We hope you are able to join us.
You can e-mail us back the Application Form.
In the Struggle,
Mandy Carter, Coordinator
POC LGBT Retreat '981
(919) 682-8094
Aida Rentas, Co-Coordinator
POC LGBT Retreat '98
Vernon Stokay,
SONG Board Member
For more information:
E-mail: MandyC1997@aol.com
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