Stand Up Speak Out: Anti-

Bullying Symposium

Raleigh GLBT Report

Published Weekly Friday, March 18, 2011 - Volume V - Issue 10 Free by e-mail
______________________________________________________________________________

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Raleigh

North Carolina Legislature

In This Issue
Moving Forward to Amend
 North Carolina anti-Gay
marriage Constitutional the State Constitution with
Amendment Proposal,


p.1- 2 & 9-14;
FAQ’s about the
Constitutional
an Anti-Gay Marriage Ban
Amendment Proposal
and WHAT WE CAN DO
NOW, p. 15 - 17 "Defense of Marriage"?
 STAND UP SPEAK OUT:
Finding Opportunities
to Protect Youth Raleigh – We at the Report hope that by now most of you know that on
Against Bullying
Symposium at NCSU,
February 22, 2011 a group of 23 North Carolina State Senators introduced
p.2-4 Senate Bill 106, the "Defense of Marriage Act. The bill would amend the
 In Recognition of state's constitution to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying. Sen. Neal
Raleigh’s Gay Parents p.
5-7 Hunt (R-Wake) is a co-sponsor. Below, we are providing information to bring
 Point Foundation’s our readers and the residence in the Greater Raleigh area up to date on this
National Scholarship
information for GLBT ―Defense of Marriage‖ Legislation and hopefully direct each and everyone
Students, p. 7 within North Carolina toward action that needs to be taken immediately on
 Clothing Line Launched
this matter.
to address Adolescent
Bullying, p. 8
 PROFILE / Public Legislation outlawing gay marriage is a perennial cause for some
Appearance : Dr. Steve
V. Sprinkle will be at conservative Republican lawmakers in North Carolina and across the USA.
Duke to release new Thirty other U.S. states have such laws on their books; North Carolina is the
book – UNFINISHED
LIVES: Reviving
only state in the Southeast USA without one.
the Memories of
LGBTQ Hate Crime North Carolina law (General Statute 51-1.2) already clearly states,
Victims, p. 17 - 23
 African Advocates "Marriages, whether created by common law, contracted or performed
Against AIDS outside of North Carolina, between individuals of the same gender are not
conference in valid in North Carolina."
Raleigh, p. 23-25
 TRAVEL to Wilmington
for live Theater: Little
Dog Laughed or to
Durham for Wanda 1|Page
Sykes or to a Pride
event , p 25 - 32
But conservatives, both Republican and Democrat, argue an amendment to the state constitution is
necessary because North Carolina state law could be overturned in the courts.

Opponents of the legislation say that, in addition to depriving same-sex couples of the right to marry, the
bill is written so broadly that it could also

prohibit civil unions and domestic partnerships,
and could even prevent private companies from
extending benefits to employees' domestic
partners.
The North Carolina Religious Coalition for
Marriage Equality, an interfaith organization of
more than 200 clergy from across the state,
plans to join the gay and lesbian human rights
group Equality North Carolina for joint efforts to
methodically develop a strategy to attempt to
stop this anti-gay legislation. For more
information, visit equalitync.org.
state’s constitution and create a hostile
environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender (GLBT) citizens in North Carolina."
"Such an amendment would not only deny equal
marriage rights, which are already denied to gay
North Carolinians, but could also prohibit any
recognition of civil unions, domestic
partnerships, or similar relationships in the state.
The language of the bill is so broad it could
prevent private companies from extending
domestic partner benefits to their employees,"
he continued.

In a emailed statement, Baptist Minister
Reverend Jack McKinney of Raleigh, Co-chair of
the North Carolina Religious Coalition for
Marriage Equality, said: "We are saddened that
some of our legislators continue to use the issue
of same-sex marriage to try and re-write our
Go to page 9 – 17 to read more about the proposed North
Carolina Constitutional Amendment and further learn what
we all need to do. This is our Legal Rights the Republican
led Legislature is working to end … if we do not fight it and
start now, we lose.

STAND UP, SPEAK OUT

Anti-Bullying Symposium
STAND UP, SPEAK OUT:

Finding Opportunities to Protect Our Youth Against Bullying

A Symposium for Social Workers, Educators, Administrators,

Human Services Professionals and Community Members
~~~
This training is co-sponsored by the NC State University Counseling Center/Student Health Services,
the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Counselor Education,
the Department of Social Work and the NC State GLBT Center

Continuing Education Credits and Certificate of Attendance Available

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

9:00 am - 4:30 pm

2|Page
 NCSU’s McKimmon Center
1101 Gorman Street
Raleigh, North Carolina
------------

Facing the Issue: Information on Bullying

This symposium includes a keynote presentation by Jamie Nabozny followed by breakout sessions and a
moderated panel discussion.

Jamie Nabozny was featured in the film Bullied: A Student, a School, and a Case That Made History - a
documentary produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nabozny was the plaintiff in a landmark Federal Court
case, Nabozny v. Podlesny, in which a Federal Appeals Court held that schools can be held liable for deliberately
ignoring anti-gay harassment

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Participants may register for two of the

following breakout sessions:
Bullying Prevention & Intervention in Schools:
Best Practices. Schools nationwide are hostile
environments for a distressing number of students.
This session will cover the core components of a
school prevention and intervention program at the
school-wide, classroom and individual levels. We
will include how to structure environments to protect
students, as well as how to measure a program‘s
effectiveness.
The School Violence Prevention Act gives students,
parents, teachers, administrators, and community
partners a powerful tool to address bullying and
harassment. Tools are only helpful when they are put
to use. To really improve the lives of students who
face harassment we must make sure that the new law
is being used in every school in our state. This
session will cover critical information to ensure
schools are living up to their obligations under the
new law and doing everything in their power to
create a safe place to learn.

Presenter: Marlene Synder, Ph. D. is the Director of
Development for the Olweus Bullying Prevention
Program - US, Institute on Family and
Neighborhood Life, Clemson University, Clemson,
South Carolina. Dr. Snyder is a co-author of the
Olweus Bullying Prevention Programs‘ School wide
Guide, and Teacher Guide and the related program
CDs and DVDs , Class Meetings that Matter: Grades
K-5; Class Meetings That Matter: Grades 6-8,
Individual and Class Meetings Training Video, and
Bullying. Presently she is working on Class Meetings
that Matter for High Schools. She serves as a national
and international consultant in the areas of bullying
prevention and intervention, mental health, child
welfare, and juvenile justice issues.
Implementing Anti-Bullying Legislation.
Presenter: Ian Palmquist, Executive Director,
Equality NC. Equality NC is a statewide group
dedicated to securing equal rights and justice for gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people.
Under Ian's leadership, Equality NC has expanded its
outreach across the state, strengthened its political
clout in the legislature, doubled its expenditures to
elect pro-GLBT candidates, and built strategic
relationships with non-GLBT allies through coalition
work. In 2009, Ian led the organization's successful
campaign to pass the School Violence Prevention
Act, the first GLBT-inclusive bill in state history.
Cyber bullying & Professional Ethics.
Addressing the nature, extent, causes and
consequences of cyber bullying and the responsibility

3|Page
of professionals to address school based cyber
bullying.
Presenters : Al Toney III and Keith Toney, AK
Consulting Services, INC. AK Consulting Services
offers education, diversity training, and anti-bullying
workshops as a means of creating healthier and more
effective learning and working environments. Since
1993, Al Toney has provided diversity and awareness
education consulting services and cultural
competency workshops throughout the country where
he challenges his colleagues and constituents to be
aware of their internalized stereotypes and myths. A
sample of his past and present clients include Human
What is the climate like for the gay, lesbian, bisexual,
and transgender (GLBT) community? Research has
shown that individuals dealing with coming out
issues (sexual orientation and/or gender identity) are
at a much higher risk of suicide and other self-
destructive behaviors. This session will share
information about issues and concerns facing the
GLBT community, particularly youth. We will also
cover programs, services, and resources available to
better meet the needs of the community.
Presenter: Justine Hollingshead, Director of the NC
State University GLBT Center. Justine has been the
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Rights Campaign (HRC), The Child Welfare League
of America, schools, nonprofit agencies, law
enforcement agencies and public and private
corporations. Keith Toney, Vice President of AK
Consulting Services, works with non-profit
organizations, corporations, universities and faith-
based institutions to educate society about the many
aspects of living in a diverse community.
Addressing Gender Identity and Sexual
Orientation Issues Facing Youth.
Director of the GLBT Center at NC State University
since it first opened in January of 2008. She has been
a part of a grassroots effort here on campus to help
change the climate and make sure that NC State
University is welcoming for everyone. Given her
work with the GLBT community on and off campus
she has been able to garner a thorough understanding
of the impact discrimination and bullying has on our
young people. Justine has done extensive work and
education as it relates to bullying, creating numerous
presentations on the topic that have been presented to
local community groups, at conferences, and on
college campuses.

Registered participants will be provided with lunch and refreshments throughout the day. Continuing education
credits will be offered for this event.

Symposium participants are invited to also register for an alumni reception from 5:00 - 6:30 pm for NC State
Department of Social Work alumni and friends. Join us for wine and hors d‘oeuvres , alumni award presentations
and the opportunity to meet with Jamie Nabozny.

Symposium Registration Fee = $40 *

Optional Wine Reception = $15

(Free to all NC State Department of Social Work Alumni. Participants must be 21 or older)
* Discount rates available for NC State Department of Social Work students and affiliates (faculty, field instructors,
advisory council members, etc.), and for the NC State GLBT-Community Alliance. Contact
socialworkevents@ncsu.edu for details. Unfortunately all Registration closed March 15 - Event has
reached capacity

N.C. State University Counseling Center/

Student Health Services
N.C. State University Counselor Education Program

4|Page
In Recognition of Raleigh’s GLBT Parents
Were you recently shocked to learn
that Raleigh not only has a large
percentage of Gay parents but that
a nationally respected survey
ranked Raleigh third for Gay
parents?
Raleigh, N.C. - There was a time, not too long
ago in Raleigh that just being a gay person was a
lonely and isolating experience. Today, many of
us native and long term GBT citizens who grew
up tending feeling forced to keep our sexual
orientation to ourselves sometimes are surprised
and happy at the beneficial social and legal
changes that have taken place within our City of
Oaks and within the USA in recent years. The
recently released information reporting that
Raleigh, in a respected national survey, has a
very high percentage of Gay parents not only
surprised some of our older local residents and
GLBT people who moved away from Raleigh
over several past decades, but set tongues
wagging about this new view of Raleigh‘s
diverse population of 2011.
In February it was reported around the USA that
Raleigh is one of the highest-ranked
metropolitan areas in the nation for gay parents.
According to the information found in an article
within The News and Observer of Raleigh,
nearly one-third of the same-sex couples who
live here are raising children under the age of
18.
The American Community Survey, which is an
ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. Census
Bureau, sent to approximately 250, 000
addresses monthly, says Raleigh has the third-
highest percentage of same-sex couples with
kids among metro areas that have a population
of more than 1 million. San Antonio is reported
as first, with 33.9 percent of same-sex couples
raising children, and Jacksonville, Fla., is
reported as second, with 32.4 percent.
According to the information, Southern region
U.S. cities tended to rank high in the survey,
which was conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau
and used population and housing data collected
between 2005 and 2009.
The N.C. Marriage / Adoption
Penalty
Married same-sex parents face legal hurdles.
North Carolina does not recognize same-sex
marriage, and the State Legislature is currently
considering a law that would place into North
Carolina‘s Constitution a ban on Homosexual
Marriage and its domestic partnership
recognition, while growing, is an uneven
patchwork, and still leaves many same sex
spouses uninsured.
Even when employers agree to cover domestic
partners, those couples pay higher taxes, because
without federal recognition of their status, health
coverage is considered income and is taxable.
Resources for GLBT Families and
Parents
Raleigh Area Gay Parents
5|Page

Meet other local LGBT parents and wannabe
parents and their families. Discuss important
topics, such as coming out to your children,
handling your child's peer concerns, separation
and/or divorce, school activism, playgroups,
issues encountered in mostly straight
neighborhoods, bridging the gap for kids, etc.
Get together for regular social, fun, and
informational events and activities.
Contact Shawn Long at zenguin@usa.net for
more details about Raleigh Area Gay Parents.
Family Equality Council
http://www.familyequality.org
http://www.gayparentmag.com
Why gay parents are good
parents
Commentary By Jennifer Chrisler
Jennifer Chrisler is executive director of Family
Equality Council, an advocacy group for lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender parents and
guardians.
We should acknowledge that lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender people do what every
other American tries to do. They want to pursue
life, liberty, happiness, love and marry the
person of their choice, go to work without fear of
being fired, and have access to health benefits
and hospital visitation rights. And, like their
straight friends, they also want to sometimes
create families.
There are 1 million lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender parents raising about 2 million
children in the U.S., according to figures
analyzed by UCLA's Williams Institute. Good
parents are good parents, no matter their sexual
orientation.
I am one half of a lesbian parenting team, and
my twin 8-year-old boys are excelling both in
school and Little League. They just finished
reading the "Harry Potter" series and are
obsessed with Legos. They set and clear the
dinner table and are beginning to remember
their manners (finally)! They're happy and
productive boys.
But don't believe me, a doting, biased mother.
The Child Welfare League of America, in the
business of protecting children since 1920, has
been unequivocal: "Any attempt to preclude or
prevent gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals or
couples from parenting, based solely on their
sexual orientation, is not in the best interest of
children."
The National Adoption Center, American
Academy of Pediatrics and the American
Medical Association agree. Thirty years of
research says the same, including a new 17-
year study published this month in Pediatrics,
the official journal of the American Academy of
Pediatrics, concluding that children raised by
lesbian parents do better academically, are
more confident than their peers and have fewer
behavioral problems.
Yet critics still dismiss what child welfare experts
say. The state of Florida, which bans adoptions
by gay people, believes Martin Gill is an unfit
parent. The state is refusing to allow Gill, who is
gay, to adopt the two brothers he has loved as a
foster parent for more than five years.
(Florida's ban has been kept in place since 1977
with the help of testimony from now discredited
and disgraced George Rekers, an anti-gay rights
activist who recently toured Europe with a male
escort and who has been the star witness for the
small but vocal group of anti-gay adoption
activists. Florida testimony also invoked the
6|Page
writings of Dr. Paul Cameron, another anti-gay
adoption "expert" whose credibility has been
recently decimated: He was dropped from the
American Psychological Association for failing to
cooperate with an ethics investigation and
censured by the American Sociological
Association, which condemned him for
misrepresentation of sociological research.)
He told the Family Equality Council in 2008 that
more needs to be done "to support and
strengthen LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender] families. Because equality in
relationship, family, and adoption rights is not
some abstract principle; it's about whether
millions of LGBT Americans can finally live lives
marked by dignity and freedom."

Foster children need loving parents and stable
homes. Many of the 120,000 kids that the
Department of Health and Human Services says
are in the foster care system, up for adoption,
could have permanent homes if gay people
could adopt them. For every child available and
waiting for adoption, there are 16 lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender people wanting to
adopt, according to the Williams Institute
analysis. The supply of parents dwarfs demand -
- not a bad problem to have.
It's wrong to let all those prospective parents sit
on the sidelines while kids are bouncing from
one temporary foster home to another. Many
states apparently think it's healthier and more
productive if foster children remain wards of the
states, without parents, than to let them be
raised in so-called nontraditional families.
That's why we call on the president publicly to
endorse the Every Child Deserves a Family Act,
legislation in Congress that would open the
doors for LGBT people to adopt. The bill takes
into consideration the best interests of each
individual child, rather than excluding potential
parents based on personal bias or bigotry.
It's up to LGBT parents to define the perception
of parenting and not let those opposed do it for
us. We speak a common language with other
parents from bedtime to bath time. And over
time, more people will realize that LGBT families
have a lot in common with traditional families.
Until then, however, the foster kids are waiting.
The opinions expressed in this commentary
are solely those of Jennifer Chrisler.

President Obama said recently that loving

families come in many forms.
___

Scholarship to assist GLBT students

Submitted by Jeff on Fri, 03/11/2011

Point Foundation, which is the largest provider of GLBT college scholarships in the country, recently
announced the addition of a new scholarship to its program. The scholarship is named after Tyler
Clementi, the Rutgers student who committed suicide after being bullied by other students about his
sexual orientation. It was created with the help of Tyler’s parents and will help bring awareness to the
abuse that many young GLBT students around the country face on a daily basis. Students who receive
the Point Foundation scholarship will be able to use the funds to pay for tuition, books, supplies, room
and board, transportation and living expenses. The scholarship will be set up with the student’s school so
that everything will be taken care of for them. Since 2000, the Point Foundation has awarded more than
$5.3 million to 160 students, easily making it the largest scholarship provider of GLBT scholarships.

7|Page
Clothing Line Launched to Address
Adolescent Bullying
Released: 3/14/2011 3:00 PM EDT
Source: MMConsulting Group, LLC DBA Be a
Friend Clothing
help children and families find fun, comfortable
ways to talk about these serious issues.‖
Research released by the U.S. Department of
Justice and Gallup News Services has shown
that approximately one-third of parents fear for
their child’s physical safety when the child is at
school – while 1 in 4 children is bullied at school
and 1 in 5 admits to bullying others. Research
has also shown that those who bully and those

who are bullied appear to be at greatest risk of

experiencing loneliness, trouble making friends,
lack of success in school, and involvement in
problem behaviors such as smoking and
drinking.

―Our hope is for schools to be caring and bully-

Newswise — Carrboro, NC – In response to
free communities where kindness is cool, cruelty
growing national concerns about adolescent
is not, and students know that standing up for
bullying, two North Carolina mothers have
someone being bullied or mistreated is not
launched a new clothing line – Be a Friend
tattling but is the right thing to do,‖ says Weiss.
custom clothing, designed to generate dialogue
about the importance of being a friend and For more information, visit
standing up for anyone who is bullied or http://www.beafriendclothing.com or on
mistreated. Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/BeAFriendClothing.
Be a Friend™ clothing features graphics of
Follow us on twitter at @BeAFriendCloth.
animated, diverse friendships that children and
adults alike will find appealing. Clothing is
available online, through school and nonprofit
fundraisers, at festivals and in retail stores. A --
percentage of each sale is donated to
organizations that work on bullying prevention or
those that help children with special needs.

Be a Friend™ was co-founded by Melissa and

Meredith Weiss and the clothing lines can be
used by parents, educators and organizations to
engage dialogue about the importance of being
a friend. ―We are two mothers who have seen
the effects that bullying can have on children
and communities,‖ says Weiss, ―and we wanted
to help increase awareness of the issue and

8|Page
(continued from page 2)

Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Filed in

North Carolina Senate
Legislation related to an anti-gay marriage amendment has been filed in the North Carolina senate.

Equality North Carolina reports:

Gaston County Sen. James Forrester filed on his anti-GLBT constitutional amendment on marriage.

The text of the proposed amendment, which has not yet been filed in the House, would ban any recognition
of any “domestic legal union” other than a marriage between an opposite-sex couple. If approved by the
legislature, the amendment would appear on the November 2012 ballot. Three-fifths of both the House and
Senate must approve the amendment before it can appear on the ballot; the governor has no veto authority
on amendments.

Forrester was joined as sponsor by "Jerry W. Tillman (R-Montgomery, Randolph) and Dan Soucek (R-
Alexander, Ashe, Watauga, Wilkes). Twenty other senators, all Republican, are co-sponsoring the bill."

Equality North Carolina tweets that "Anti-gay SB 106 is most extreme version possible. Could even prevent
businesses from offering partner health coverage!"

9|Page
JOIN US "IN ACTION!" Equality NC Launches Statewide
EQUALITY IN ACTION Tour
Raleigh - 3/16/2011 - Wondering what you
can do to make a real difference in our fight
against GLBT discrimination? This spring,
join other fair-minded North Carolinians "in
action." Equality North Carolina invites you
to get informed and involved through a
series of statewide town hall meetings
devoted to discussing the latest happenings
from the General Assembly--including the
proposed anti-LGBT constitutional
amendment. Mobilize with us "on tour" as
we seek your much-needed help in what
could become the largest campaign for
GLBT rights in our state's history!
The EQUALITY IN ACTION Tour kicked
off Thursday, March 17, at the Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship of Winston-Salem
(4055Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem,
27106). Equality NC Executive Director Ian
Palmquist and Director of Community
Organizing and Outreach Rebecca Mann
lead participants through the ins and outs of
the proposed anti-GLBT constitutional
amendment, as well as other local legislation
that could potentially impact all who care
Anti-GLBT Amendment Proponents
Reveal Their True Purpose
about equal rights and what you can do right
now to make a real difference.
"With the anti-LGBT amendment pending in
the General Assembly, now is the time for
fair-minded North Carolinians to step up and
take action," said Ian Palmquist, Executive
Director. "The Equality in Action tour is a
great opportunity for our supporters to come
together to fight this attempt to put bigotry
and discrimination into our state
constitution."
Other upcoming stops on the ―Equality in
Action‖ Tour include:
Tuesday, March 22, at 7 p.m.
Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
4907 Garrett Road, Durham, 27707
Thursday, March 24, at 7 p.m.
Lesbian and Gay Community Center of
Charlotte
820 Hamilton Street, Suite B11, Charlotte,
28206
As part of this tour tackling the true bigotry
behind harmful anti-GLBT legislation,
Equality NC representatives will travel the
length of the state in similar events slated for
Asheville, Greensboro, Raleigh, Greenville
and Wilmington.
10 | P a g e
Raleigh - 3/1/2011 - In the News &
Observer, Mecklenburg County
Commissioner Bill James dropped the usual
right-wing talking points and revealed the
real purpose behind the proposed anti-gay
amendment: making GLBT people
unwelcome in the Tar Heel State. "We don't
want them here," James said.
Mecklenburg County Commissioner Bill James made yet another
anti-GLBT comment
"The anti-gay amendment has never been
about defending anyone's family," said Ian
Palmquist, Equality NC's Executive
Director. "It's about writing discrimination
into our state constitution and making GLBT
people second class citizens in our own
state. It's time for North Carolina's leaders to
take a stand against the intolerance put
North Carolina Republican Lead
Legislature Working toward marriage
ban in state's Constitution
By Lynn Bonner, The (Raleigh) News & Observer
Supporters of a bill that would ask
voters to write a ban on same-sex
marriage into the state Constitution say
forward by Bill James and the anti-gay
industry."
James said Senate Bill 106, the anti-gay
constitutional amendment, had a moral
purpose. "The purpose is not just to prevent
Massachusetts people coming down," he
told the paper. "It's also to put a big letter of
shame on the behavior. We don't want them
here. We don't want them marrying. If
you're going to do it in San Francisco, it's
your own business.
Palmquist said James's comments reveal the
real motivations behind the bill. "Bill James,
Sen. Jim Forrester and the Family Policy
Council want to force their particular
religious interpretation on the people of
North Carolina. Using religious
interpretation to justify bigotry and
discrimination has a long history in our
country, but I believe most North
Carolinians are fair-minded people who
don't want to cause harm to their GLBT
neighbors."
Click here for the full story at the News &
Observer.
it has its best chance at passage since
they started pushing for it in 2004.
11 | P a g e
Sen. James Forrester, a Gaston County
Republican, has filed the bill consistently
for nearly a decade, but the proposal
never made it to a full vote. Democrats
held control of both the House and
Senate for most of those years.
With Republicans now controlling the
North Carolina legislature, Forrester is
looking forward to hearings and a
victory.
"I think we have enough votes to get it
passed," he said. Republicans hold
majorities in both chambers, and similar
bills in past years have drawn bi-
partisan support.
The proposed amendment would go on
the 2012 ballot if three-fifths of the
House and Senate vote in favor. The
governor cannot veto proposed
constitutional amendments.
In 2007, a House bill calling for a same-
sex marriage constitutional ban had 66
sponsors and co-sponsors - just six
people short of the votes needed to
pass - in a year when Republicans were
in the minority. The bill made it out of a
House committee, but then House-
Speaker Joe Hackney, an Orange
NC GOP hopes to pass anti-gay marriage amendment
By The Associated Press
11.12.2010
County Democrat, used the power of his
office to kill the proposal.
This year's Senate bill has 23 sponsors.
If it gets to the Senate floor, it can pass
even if only the chamber's 30
Republicans vote for it.
Senate leader Phil Berger, an Eden
Republican, has co-sponsored same-
sex ban bills in past years, including in
2007, 2008 and 2009. He said last week
that hearings on the new bill haven't
been scheduled because the Senate will
deal with the budget and redistricting
first.
"I'd say later rather than sooner," Berger
said. "No decision has been made."
The state already has a law banning
same-sex marriage, but supporters of
the constitutional amendment said the
law isn't enough. The law is vulnerable
to changes by future legislatures,
Forrester said, or to a judge who thinks
it's wrong.
The amendment "prevents a liberal
judge from saying 'no,' " Forrester said.
To read the complete article, visit
www.newsobserver.com.
12 | P a g e
(Raleigh, NC) The economy dominated the fall
campaign, but leaders among North Carolina’s social
conservatives believe the Republican sweep at the
legislature should finally permit a vote on a state
constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
North Carolina is the only state in the
Southeast that hasn’t approved an
amendment restricting marriage to one man
and one woman. In the past Democratic
leadership in the legislature have refused to
consider GOP-penned bills on the issue for
several years, and gay rights organizations
have offered strong opposition to what it
called imprinting discrimination permanently
into state law.
Now, with Republicans solidly in the majority in the N.
C. General Assembly starting with the opening
Legislative session in January 2011 for the first time
in more than a century, chances for a vote in the
House and Senate are fairly strong, GOP lawmakers
said.
Until now, legislative leaders “have just turned a deaf
ear,” said the Rev. Ron Baity, senior pastor of Berean
Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. He has helped lead
rallies of thousands of Christian conservatives in
Raleigh asking lawmakers to vote on a marriage
amendment.
“This election should send a signal to our elected
State officials that maybe they should stop and listen
to the voices of the people and allow the people of
North Carolina to vote up or down on the issue,” he
said.
Gay rights advocates plan to fight hard against
bringing the question to the floors of the House and
Senate, where three-fifths majorities are needed to
approve an amendment to bring it to voters in a
statewide referendum. Republicans will have that in
the 50-seat Senate but will likely fall four seats short
in the 120-member House. Some Democratic
lawmakers have co-sponsored marriage ban
amendments in the past.
“We are definitely concerned that the new leadership
is far more likely to bring up a vote,” said Ian
Palmquist, executive director of Equality North
Carolina. “People are definitely looking to North
Carolina because we have been so successful at
blocking an amendment in the past.”
But Rep. Justin Burr, R-Stanly, an amendment
supporter, said many Republican voters want action
on social issues after seeing Democrats push through
laws last year such as anti-school bullying law
designed in part to protect gay and lesbian students
and a school sex education law that teaches more
about contraception.
“If you look at the last two years when the Democrats
and the liberals here have pushed their ultraliberal
social agenda in Raleigh, that’s what really pushed
the grass roots to fight back here and helped us win a
majority,” Burr said.
In North Carolina, a marriage amendment bill was co-
sponsored by 66 House members in 2009, but past N.
C. House Speaker Joe Hackney, D-Orange,
essentially derailed it by requiring it go through four
committees. Hackney and Senate leader Marc
Basnight, D-Dare, repeatedly said an amendment
wasn’t needed because state law already identifies a
valid marriage as one “created by the consent of a
male and female person.” But neither of these
gentlemen are in charge of the new North Carolina
Legislature.
Paul Stam, R-Wake, said a ban needs to be
embossed into the constitution, as it’s been done in
29 other states, to protect the statute from legal
challenges as same-sex couples married in other
states move to North Carolina. While a 2009 Elon
University Poll showed about half of North Carolina
adults oppose an amendment that would prohibit
13 | P a g e
same-sex marriage, supporters point to surveys
showing more than 70 percent like the amendment.
The legislature “needs to let the people of North
Carolina vote on it,” said Stam, R-Wake.
Democrat Marcus Brandon, who won a House seat in
Guilford County last year and is the second openly
gay lawmaker elected in North Carolina history, said
the tea party Republicans who talk of protecting
personal liberties is incongruent with efforts to restrict
marriage.
Human Rights Campaign Gives Funds To Equality North
Carolina to Fight Gay Marriage Ban Proposal To North
Carolina Constitution
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
RALEIGH – One of the leading national gay-
rights organizations has given money to the
leading North Carolina group opposing efforts
to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot
that would ban marriage for same-sex couples.
The Human Rights Campaign awarded a
$10,000 grant to Equality North Carolina - two
days after a proposed amendment was filed in
the state Senate.
Similar measures have gone nowhere for years
at the General Assembly. Social conservatives
are hopeful it will be voted on now at some
point since Republicans have majorities in both
chambers.
“I would like them to know that I don’t want the
government in my life, just like they don’t want the
government in theirs,” Brandon said.
Since some conservative Democrats who supported
the amendment idea were defeated last election, its
passage could depend upon the viewpoints of newly
elected Republicans and veteran moderate GOP
lawmakers such as Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, R-
Cabarrus. He declined for this interview to say
specifically how he feels about an amendment.
“I think we need to focus on jobs and the economy,”
Hartsell said. “That is consistent with the message
that we were elected to address.”
North Carolina is the only state in the Southeast
that hasn't approved an amendment restricting
marriage to one man and one woman.
The Human Rights Campaign's annual North
Carolina awards dinner was held at the Raleigh
Convention Center February 26, 2011.
As many as 800 people attended the event,
which featured Academy Award-winner and
longtime gay-rights supporter Marlee Matlin as
keynote speaker.
For the first time in U.S history, the event was
co-chaired by a married, heterosexual couple,
Kathy and Jeffrey G. Marsocci of Raleigh, along
with gay activist Keith Hayes.
14 | P a g e
North Carolina Anti-Gay Marriage
Constitutional Amendment FAQ
Raleigh - 2/24/2011 - You've got questions about Senate Bill 106, the anti-gay constitutional
amendment. We've got answers! Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Legislative Building in Raleigh

What does the anti-gay* amendment say?

The bill would amend the state constitution to include a new section that reads "Marriage
between a man and a woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in
this State." Click here to see the full text on the legislature's website.

What would the anti-gay amendment do?

The language proposed is the most extreme version of an anti-gay amendment. In addition to
limiting marriage to opposite sex couples, as state statute already does, it would prohibit any
other form of relationship recognition, such as civil union or domestic partnership. This kind of
language has been used in other states to take away private benefits such as health insurance for
LGBT couples, unmarried opposite-sex couples, and their children. This is a not a hypothetical
issue but a very real one. These amendments have also been used to challenge other private
contracts between couples.

The amendment would not only write the current discriminatory marriage law into the
constitution, it would actually take away rights and responsibilities that are currently available to
some couples.

Who sponsored the anti-gay amendment?

Primary: James Forrester; Jerry W. Tillman; Dan Soucek;

Tom Apodaca; Harris Blake; Andrew C. Brock; Harry Brown; Warren Daniel; Jim
Davis; Don East; Thom Goolsby; Rick Gunn; Kathy Harrington; Ralph Hise; Neal
Co:
Hunt; Brent Jackson; Wesley Meredith; E. S. (Buck) Newton; Louis Pate; Jean
Preston; David Rouzer; Bob Rucho; Tommy Tucker;

15 | P a g e
(Click here to look up who your senator is if you don't know.)

What is the process to amend the constitution?

The bill must pass both the House and Senate by a 3/5ths margin (that's 30 of 50 votes in the
Senate and 72 of 120 votes in the House). It would then be placed on the ballot in November
2012 where it would need a simple majority of voters to become part of the constitution. The
governor does not have veto authority on constitutional amendments.

What do we call it?

Call SB 106 what it is: "the anti-gay amendment." It's not about "defending" anyone's marriage.
It's an attack on GLBT North Carolinians.

What are our key arguments against the amendment?

1. The anti-gay amendment causes real harm. It harms couples who will be denied even
the most basic protections and it harms vulnerable GLBT young people by sending a
terrible message that their state and their neighbors consider them second-class citizens
unworthy of basic dignity and fair treatment, a message which exacerbates the epidemic
of GLBT young people committing suicide.
2. The anti-gay amendment is bad for business. It intrudes on businesses' right to provide
competitive benefits to their employees and it signals to major employers that our state is
not welcoming of the diverse, creative workforce that is needed to compete in the global
economy.
3. The anti-gay amendment is a distraction from the voters' priorities. The legislature
was sent to Raleigh to tackle jobs, the economy, and the state budget, not to advance a
divisive social agenda.
4. Marriage is already denied same-sex couples by state law. The amendment doesn't
change marriage in any way. It simply attacks GLBT North Carolinians and puts their
basic rights up for a vote.
5. Amending the constitution is an extreme act, not a conservative one. Constitutions
are designed to protect rights and not to take them away. The rights of a minority should
never be put to a majority vote.

What can I do right now to make a difference?

 Join Equality NC's online action network to get alerts on how you can help.
 Call you state senator and your state representative today and let them know you oppose
Senate Bill 106, the anti-gay amendment. (You can find their phone numbers here.)
 Make a contribution to Equality NC to fund our lobbying and community organizing to
stop the anti-gay amendment.
 Help us send a message to the legislature by volunteering to get people in your
community to complete postcards to their legislators in opposition to the anti-gay
amendment. We'll make it easy and send you a kit with everything you need. Just email

16 | P a g e
 postcards@equalitync.org for more information or to sign up to help! Please include in
the e-mail your mailing address and the number of postcards you'll commit to get signed.
 Talk to your friends, family, and co-workers about the anti-gay amendment and why it
must not pass. Tell them a story about how anti-LGBT discrimination has affected you or
someone you love.
 Copy and post the following link on Facebook and Twitter, or email it to your friends to
share this FAQ with them: http://bit.ly/eDG2Vv

* We sometimes use "gay" in our public messaging when we mean LGBT (lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender) because not enough people know what GLBT means. We're starting
with what's familiar to most North Carolinian residents so we reach as many folks as possible.

-------------

Raleigh's Non-Traditional Family Store

Click to view The Green Monkey Channel
http://www.thegreenmonkeyonline.com
---------------

The information in this PROFILE was brought to our attention by

Reverend Phil Jones, who is a Disciple pastor serving a congregation in north Raleigh and the wife of an attorney and father of two teenagers.
She is a friend of Dr. Steve Sprinkle.

Dr. Steve V. Sprinkle: “Unfinished Lives” the Book and the Project, will be in the Raleigh, North Carolina
area, April 9-12, to do appearances and book-signings in Durham, Wilmington and in Raleigh for his recent book Unfinished
Lives. He has recently been asked to also help re-write the chaplain's curriculum in Washington, D.C. and will be on a national
tour in the fall to other major U.S. cities.

 DURHAM - Dr. Sprinkle is scheduled to appear at Duke University in Durham on Tuesday, April 12, at the
Cokesbury Book Store, 12 noon till 2 p.m. outside the refectory at the Divinity School, for his signing books. Rebecca
Turner, Cokesbury‘s manager can be reached at rturner@cokesbury.com for details.

17 | P a g e
  WILMINGTON - The appearance and book signing in Wilmington is Sunday, April 10, 2011 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm.
at Two Sisters Bookery in downtown Wilmington … Confirmed. Brooks Preik, (one of the stores owners) can be
reached at bpreik@att.net. Dr. Sprinkle is also preaching that morning at St. Jude‘s Metropolitan Community Church
on Market Street.
 RALEIGH - Dr. Steve Sprinkle will be speaking in Raleigh at a noon-brown-bag lunch event in Talley Student
Center on the campus of NC State Univ., Monday, April 11, 2011 from 12:00--1:15 pm. He will sign books from
1:15-1:45 pm. Justine Hollingshead, Director of the GLBT Center at NC State is our contact person for this
event. The public is invited. I haven't been able to nail down additional appearance and book signing details in
Raleigh at Borders north, and/or Pullen Memorial Baptist Church for Monday, April 11, 2011, but will hopefully do
so before the next edition of the Report.

ABOUT The Book

Unfinished Lives: Reviving the Memories of LGBTQ Hate

Crimes Victims. By Stephen V. Sprinkle.
Book Description from the publisher Wipf and Stock:
Over 13,000 Americans have been murdered in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries
because of their sexual orientation and gender presentation. In Unfinished Lives: Reviving the
Memory of LGBTQ Hate Crimes Victims, Stephen Sprinkle puts a human face on the outrage
and loss suffered when people die from anti-gay hatred. Beginning with new developments in the
story of Matthew Shepard‘s murder in Laramie, Wyoming, Sprinkle tells the stories of fourteen
representative LGBTQ victims whose lives were savagely cut short due to homophobia and
transphobia. These are stories about people, who could be your neighbor, classmate, co-worker,
or friend-real, everyday people whose love was foreclosed, relationships brutally terminated, and
future contributions stolen from us by outrageous, irrational hatred.

18 | P a g e
Told lovingly yet unflinchingly, Unfinished Lives lifts the stories of these LGBTQ victims from
undeserved obscurity, allowing their memory to live again. Relying on personal interviews and
visits to the locations where these people lived, loved, and died, Sprinkle records the raw
emotions, powerful movements for social change, and unexpectedly hopeful communities that
arise from the ruins of those people whose only ―offense‖ was to live as they were born to be.

Part portraiture, part crime narrative, and part ethnography, Unfinished Lives is poised to change
the conversation on hate crimes in the United States.

BOOK Endorsements and Reviews:

―Unfinished Lives cries out to be read . . . It speaks to the systematic

denigration of LGBTQ people in the United States . . . and it offers hope that the cycles of abuse
and hatred and violence can be broken—one person, one family, one community at a time.‖
—from the Foreword by Harry Knox
Director of the Religion and Faith Program Human Rights Campaign, Washington, DC

―In telling these ‗stories that trouble the soul‘ about the hateful murders of fourteen
LBGTQ people who were selected for execution simply because of their non-conforming sexual
orientation and gender presentation, Stephen Sprinkle has courageously refused to bury the
victims in silence or go along with the cultural amnesia that tries to suggest ‗it was all a mistake‘
and ‗they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.‘ No, anti-gay violence is an
intentionally employed weapon of mass terror, and religion is often its accomplice. With a fierce
determination to honor our dead by telling the truth out loud and proud, Sprinkle calls the
community to take up the queer theological tasks of, yes, remembering and mourning, but also of
community resistance and organizing to end the violence against us, against all peoples.‖ —
Marvin M. Ellison
Bangor Theological Seminary
editor of Sexuality and the Sacred: Sources for Theological Reflection

19 | P a g e
 ―Stephen Sprinkle takes on one of the most profound questions of our time: When
fear and hate and judgment result in violence and murder of non-gender conforming people,
what is the right response of civil society? While we struggle to find the answer, he reminds us
that the clock is ticking and lives are being lost. He honors the lives of those who have either
been taken from us or grievously injured by our collective inaction. He labors at the leading edge
of love, healing, and inclusion for all people, providing ‗a walking systemtic intervention‘ where
injustice resides.‖
—Cindi Love
Executive Director of Soulforce
Member of the Religion and Faith Program
Human Rights Campaign, Washington, DC

Unfinished Lives Project: http://unfinishedlivesblog.com/

Remembering LGBT Hate Crime Victims
Welcome to the Unfinished Lives Project, a place to remember and honor LGBT hate crime victims.

Our mission is to reveal the reality of unseen violence perpetrated against people whose only ―offense‖ is their
sexual orientation; to make anti-LGBT hate crime statistics available to our communities; to educate about the
nature of hate crimes and how it affects LGBT and other communities; and to eliminate hate crime through social
justice and awareness activities. On our website, we‘ve dedicated pages and posts to achieve our mission:

 The Unfinished Lives Home Page

 LGBT Hate Crime Victims
 Statistics about Hate Crimes in America
 The Miscarriage of Justice for LGBT Victims
 How the Media Contribute to the Invisibility of Hate Crime
 Our Project‘s Efforts to Eliminate Hate Crime
 Our Presentation for Community Education and Awareness
 The Groups and Organizations Who Support Our Mission

A near brush with anti-gay hate crime in the late 1990‘s in Fort Worth, Texas, shocked me awake to the reality of
violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people across America. As a graduate school professor,
my pursuits are usually quiet ones, preparing for class, and doing my research. But my quest to understand the
effects and causes of hatred against people because of their difference has made me stare into the face of radical
evil: the sort that kills.

Because of my work and research, I have learned how much all of us need each other–especially all of us who are
members of racial/ethnic, religious, differently-abled, female, and LGBT communities. I have learned how vital the
work of advocacy is. I have learned how precious life itself is, and how fragile. For this project, I have interviewed
relatives, bereaved lovers, co-workers, neighbors and friends, journalists, and law enforcement officers who had
direct knowledge about the women and men who died so brutally because of ignorance, prejudice and fear. It has

20 | P a g e
 been the journey of a lifetime, and in a strange way, though I am a teacher, these deceased LGBT people have
become my teachers.

I want to convey to anyone who will listen that it is possible by hope to bring something beautiful and meaningful
out of the ugliest realities of American life. Every time I meet a mother or lover, a friend or an advocate of one of
these murdered LGBT people and share their stories, the intentions of the killers and the haters are frustrated, and
the hope for a better, more just society somehow springs to life from the ashes.

I dedicate this website to the victims and to all those working for a better world. Thank you for visiting with us, and
for joining us in our pursuit for a world free of violence and fear.

I hope you will visit us often.

Sincerely,

Stephen V. Sprinkle
Director
The Unfinished Lives Project

Introduction to Dr. Steven V. Sprinkle:

Stephen V. Sprinkle is Director of Field Education and Supervised Ministry, and Associate Professor of Practical
Theology at Brite Divinity School, Fort Worth, Texas, a post he has held since 1994. An ordained Baptist minister, he
is the first open and out Gay scholar in the history of the Divinity School, and the first open and out LGBT person to
be tenured there.

Dr. Sprinkle, M.Div. Yale University Divinity School, and Ph.D. Duke University Graduate School, is the author of two
books and numerous articles on theology, church polity, LGBT and Queer studies. His current research focuses on
the stories of LGBT hate crimes murder victims in the United States. The book is entitled, Unfinished Lives: Reviving
the Memories of LGBT Hate Crimes Victims, and is currently in the writing stage. He is a member of the Association
of Theological Field Education, the Academy of Religious Leadership, the Association of Welcoming and Affirming
Baptists, is a trainer for the Welcoming Church Program of the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce, and holds a seat
on the national Board of Directors of the Alliance of Baptists. Sprinkle also serves on the Military Chaplains Forum of
the Service members’ Legal Defense Network. In 2008 he received the prestigious Catherine Saylor Hill Award for
Excellence in Teaching, Scholarship, and Service by vote of his colleagues at Brite. He is the only Field Educator
ever to receive the award. In 2009, Sprinkle was chosen as one of ten academics in the nation to participate in the
Carpenter Foundation’s LGBT scholarly program, ―Beyond Advocacy.‖

A widely sought speaker, panelist, and lecturer, Sprinkle has spoken and taught in 28 states as well as the United
Kingdom and Canada. Most recently, he has presented The Unfinished Lives Project in Dallas, Arlington, Fort Worth,
Austin and Houston, Texas, to the Polk County (Florida) PFLAG, to the GLBT Center at NC State University in
Raleigh, NC, at the Grief and Loss Seminar in Wilmington, NC, at the annual meeting of the Forum on the Military
Chaplaincy, to youth at the National Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, and to Alabama Against Hate in
Birmingham. He served as Hate Crimes Panelist at the 2008 Equality Texas State-of-the-State Conference at the
Texas State Capital Building in Austin. A coalition of Texas human rights organizations called him to keynote the
state ―Hope-Not Hate‖ Conference commemorating the 10th anniversary of the deaths of Matthew Shepard and
James Byrd, Jr. He is a regular contributor to the Human Rights Campaign’s Out in Scripture project, and a
participant in the 2007 and 2009 Clergy Call Lobby Day efforts on Capitol Hill.

Occupation
Activist, Writer, Practical Theologian, Theologian, Document LGBT Hate Crimes

Employment

 Brite Divinity School

21 | P a g e
 Activist, Writer, Practical Theologian, Theologian, Document LGBT Hate Crimes

To present
Education

 Barton College

 Yale Divinity School

 Duke University

NC Gay Couple Harassed for a Year, Then Burned Out of

Home an excerpt below from the Unfinished Lives Web Site

WRAL photo and graphic

Clayton, NC – A gay couple anonymously hiding in a motel out of fear for their safety, were
burned out of house and home on Friday. Neighbors say the gay men suffered at least three
deliberate acts of anti-gay harassment for over a year – but the neighbors are too scared to
identify themselves, either. So Johnston County law enforcement, working from a state arson
statute that doesn‘t allow for violence against gay men as a hate crime, have determined that the
burnout was ―just arson.‖ Like 9/11 was ―just some plane crashes.‖ Or like the murder of
Ugandan gay activist David Kato was ―just a robbery gone bad.‖ North Carolina has not seen fit
to include sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression as protected classes in its
existing hate crimes laws. So, an act of blatant hate crime terror that holds a gay couple and their
whole neighborhood in fear is playing with matches. That is all this deed will remain officially
unless the U.S. Justice Department invokes the Matthew Shepard Act to rectify neglectful
conduct by the Johnston County Sheriff‘s Department. WRAL.com interviewed a frightened,
anonymous neighbor, who is sure that the three incidents of harassment were related to anti-gay
hatred: ―A note with derogatory language was left in the mailbox, an anti-gay slur was written on
the house with marker, and the tires of a car parked in the garage were slashed.‖ The gay men‘s
friend and neighbor continued, ‖I felt sick to my stomach. I felt so sorry for the two gentlemen.
They lost everything. We do believe that this is a hate crime.‖ The couple was out of town when
other residents in the Winston Pointe subdivision discovered the fire belching from the brick
veneer home at 1:30 a.m. Friday and called the alarm in. Flames quickly engulfed the structure,

22 | P a g e
gutting it and destroying all the couple‘s possessions. The American Red Cross has stepped in to
offer food, clothing, and insurance contacts to the victims. Johnston County Sheriff Steve
Bizzell, a Republican, says that the investigation has turned up no suspects yet. Bizzell
acknowledged that he knew of two out of the three incidents of harassment against the gay men
this past year, but he would not say which two.

African Decent Leadership Meeting – Raleigh:

Sponsored by
African Advocates Against AIDS

23 | P a g e
 African Advocates Against AIDS
http://www.africanadvocates.com/index.html
1100 Navaho Dr.
Woodoak building, suite 124
Raleigh, NC,27609
Tel: 919-876-8121
1-866-456-AIDS
Fax: 919-876-8122
webmaster@africanadvocates.com

Raleigh - African Advocates Against AIDS is a non-profit 501(c) using a culturally appropriate approach to creating HIV/AIDS awareness and
education to the African and African-American community in the USA, because of the language and culture differences as well as helping the
general minorities‘ population access to prevention and treatment services.

• We provide prevention education through community workshops, presentations, and one-on-one outreach.

• We link people to testing as well as HIV/AIDS and related services.

• We support people who want to know their HIV status and people who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.

We will also provide abstinence presentations for youth as well as training for parents. We believe education starts in the home and that education
is always more effective than the incorrect information that youth may get on the streets. We want to make sure children are receiving the facts
about AIDS so they can more effectively protect themselves.

Carine Siltz
African Advocates Against AIDS was started by Carine Siltz. Her objective was to coordinate community outreach projects for prevention and
education of HIV/AIDS within African communities in the USA.

Carine studied Journalism, Communication and Public Relations at The Faculty University of Science and Technique of Information, in Kinshasa
Congo, 1995-1999.

Carine's motivation for this fight is because, at the age of 13, she lost both her parents to the HIV/AIDS virus.

Some of her other accomplishments are as follows:

■ Founder & Exe. Director of African Advocates Against AIDS Inc. Established and developed the African Advocates Against Aids,
Incorporation in order to outreach to the African community in the North Carolina Wake County area for prevention and education of HIV/AIDS.
Develops strategies, implement plans and develop monthly outreaches in conjunction with the Board of Directors. Coordinates and delegates
authority to a staff team of seven. Establishes the goals and direction of the organization.

■ Conference and Event Coordinator Plans and coordinates conferences and events that educate and promote public awareness on HIV/AIDS.
Conducted a citywide marketing strategy in order to promote the conference ―Church and the Fight against Aids" in addition to "Mothers in the
Fight against Aids." Collaborates and works extensively with corporate businesses and nonprofit organizations in order to sponsor conferences
and educational events.

■ Public Relations Coordinator of African Women Against Aids, Kinshasa Congo, 1998-2000 Participated in a support service outreach program
that educated widows and families of AIDS victims on how to survive physically, emotionally, and financially. Coordinated with hospitals and
homeless shelters on how to develop and implement support services.
■ Public Relations Coordinator, The Faculty University of Science and Technique of Information, Kinshasa Congo, 1998 -2000 Screenwriter and
coordinator of "Planet Academia Movies" which were created to educate college students on a wareness and transmission of HIV/AIDS on the
college campus. Promoted educational programs on the national television network and radio stations throughout the capitol city of Kinshasa.

■ Language and Travel Experience Fluent in French and the following African tribal languages: Kikongo, Lingala, Shiluha, Kisakata. Is skilled in
conversational English, Spanish, and Swahili. Has traveled throughout France, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Italy, and North America.

24 | P a g e
BOARD OFFICERS 1. Executive Director: Dr. John-Peter Mukendi
1. Chairperson: Dr. Samuel Yemey 2. Assistant Executive Director: Chai Mungani
2. Vice Chairperson: Vacant 3. Executive Secretary: Mr. Jean-Paul Nseka
3. Secretary: Ms. Agatha Kariisa 4. Director of Finance and Budget: Ms. Nina Sims
4. Treasurer: Vacant 5. Webmaster and Public Information Director:
Mr. Justin Mbuyi
6. Office Assistant: Ms. Beddie Hunt
EXECUTIVE.COMMITTEE

Read additional Articles about African Advocates Against AIDS:

http://www.africanadvocates.com/articles.html

TRAVEL: Wilmington, N.C.

Theater – City Stage

Little Dog Laughed

March 17-20 & 24-27

Written By: Douglas Carter Beane

Directed By: Mike O‟Neil

Story: Yes, we love the cinema for its great auteurs, its glorious faces and its daring
images. But in this tabloid age where big stars go on Oprah and jump
around like heartsick schoolboys, what we really love is all that dish! The

25 | P a g e
 players here include a hard-driving Hollywood agent, her budding screen
idol client, a sexy young drifter, and the drifter's naive, needy girlfriend.
THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED follows the adventures of Mitchell Green, a
movie star who could hit big if it weren't for one teensy-weensy problem.
His agent, Diane, can't seem to keep him in the closet. Trying to help him
navigate Hollywood's choppy waters, the devilish Diane is doing all she
can to keep Mitchell away from the cute rent boy who's caught his eye
and the rent boy's girlfriend (wait, the rent boy has a girlfriend?). Will
there be a happy ending as the final credit roll?
Phone:
Notices
-The Little Dog Laughed tickets available now!
Click here for tickets.
CONTACT US:

Theatre:
21 N. Front St.
Wilmington, NC 28401

Phone:
910.264.2602 910.264.2602

Email:
contact@citystagenc.com

ABOUT City Stage in Wilmington:

Nestled high in the heart of Wilmington, City Stage is a 220 capacity,
century-old theatre that now offers a full season of contemporary
musicals and plays for a unique entertainment experience. The fifth
floor of the building was converted to the present theatre around 1914.
It was occupied by the Scottish Rite Bodies from 1909 to 1981. The
robing room for the Masons is now the dressing room for the actors.
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Not Your Children’s Nursery Rhyme:
„The Little Dog Laughed‟ opens at City Stage In
Wilmington
by: Rachael Carscaddon

The Little Dog Laughed

City Stage • 21 N. Front St.
3/10-27, Thurs-Sun, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $12-$18
www.citystagenc.com

Adam Poole as Mitchell and Henry Phillip Blanton as Alex in City Stage‟s „The Little Dog Laughed,‟ opening
Thursday. Courtesy photo

scarce in Tinseltown. It was nominated in 2007

for the Tony Award for Best Play, and also won
“H ey diddle diddle/The cat and the a Tony for best actress, compliments to the
role of Diane (played by Julie White in the
fiddle/The cow jumped over the moon/The 2006 production).
little dog laughed to see such sport/And the
dish ran away with the spoon!” The absurdity
The plot revolves around making dreams come
of this rhyme leaves children in smiles, but for
true and falling in love, and what each person
playwright Douglas Carter Beane, it left him
is willing to risk for it. The main characters in
pondering a deeper question: What is the price
the play are a rising film star, his agent, a rent
worth paying for happiness?
boy and the rent boy‟s girlfriend; all of whom
are vital to the outcome of the play. Set in
Originally produced off Broadway in 2006,
New York, the show reveals life-changing
Beane‟s “Little Dog” is a satire on Hollywood‟s
situations and the decisions made to get
unchanging hypocrisy about sex. For those
through them. Though inspired by a nursery
who never noticed, openly gay leading men are
rhyme, this is not children‟s theatre—quite the

27 | P a g e
opposite, as the show contains adult
language/situations and nudity.
Directed by Mike O‟Neil at City Stage, the show
opens March 10th and runs through the 27th.
O‟Neil gratefully took time out from preparing
the play to answer some questions about the
upcoming production.
e: What made you decide to direct this
play? Did anything in particular catch your
attention?
MO: It actually started a year ago when City
Stage had an open slot. They wanted to know
if I had anything to fill it and they needed
something right away. So a couple friends
gave me [“The Little Dog Laughed”] to read; I
loved it, they loved it. We sat on it a while and
thought that maybe we would do it, and then
[City Stage‟s artistic director] Justin Smith
came late summer, and said he wanted to do it
and make it part of the season.
The basic premise of the story is that one of
Diane‟s (Barbara Weetman) top clients is a
rising film star. Mitchell (Adam Poole) just won
an award, something like a Golden Globe, and
he and Diane are in New York for the
ceremony. Diane becomes aware of a play that
she thinks has a great role for Mitchell. But if
they buy this property, Diane suggests that it‟s
best to keep Mitchell‟s sexuality in the closet in
order to get all the accolades she feels would
launch him. While there to get the property,
Mitchell gets drunk and calls Alex, the rent boy
(Henry Phillip Blanton). Though they don‟t
consummate their relationship, Alex leaves
with Mitchell‟s heart. This is the first time
Mitchell has been able to talk openly about his
sexuality with someone. However, Diane finds
out about it and is at first angry, and Alex gets
his girlfriend Ellen (Morganna Bridgers)
pregnant. Eventually, Diane is the one who
tries to find a solution to make everyone
happy.

e: Tell me about the title. How does a

The thing that attracted me from the beginning
children’s nursery rhyme relate to the
was the writing. It was very witty and stylish.
overall play?
The writer, Douglas Carter Beane, is inspired
MO: We‟ve tried to figure out how this relates
by the 1930s and „40s-style comedy, and that
other than near the end of the play when
really comes through. [All the characters] are
Diane references it. We think it has something
sharp, everyone has a quick wit. They seem to
to do with the desire for a happy ending no
be able to come up with that one line the rest
matter how absurd that ending may be. I think
of us only think of on the way home. The play
we‟re close to what [the relation] is. I haven‟t
just grabbed us right from the beginning.
read anything from the playwright as to what it
means, but I think we are kind of close.
e: The cast for this production is really
small—only four people, in fact. Tell me
e: What do you expect to get from this
about the characters and how the actors
play?
are fulfilling the roles.
MO: Well, we don‟t know what to expect from
MO: When we read the play, we had a short
the play. Sometimes you‟re asked to do
list of people we thought should do it, even
something, and you discover that you really
without ever seeing them play this kind of
like it. Sometimes you long to do something,
role—maybe people we‟ve only really seen in a
and this is one of those things we longed to do.
musical. But, by how they looked and what
It‟s not so much the message that spoke to us,
they gave off when they were on stage, we
but the writing and the really wonderful
knew they were well-suited.
characters. What we want is to work with a
group of wonderful actors on a wonderfully

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written script. Of course, the main thing is, we
hope to entertain people who come to see it.
---
Durham- Comedy Live
Lesbian Comedian Wanda Sykes will perform in Durham.
Wanda Sykes stand-up comedy at the
Durham Performing Arts Center, 123
Vivian St. at 8:00 pm Tuesday, March
22, 2011. Ticket Cost $28 - $58. Contact
919-680-2787, www.dpacnc.com .
Wanda Sykes is an American actress, comedienne
and author. She plays Barb on the CBS sitcom The
New Adventures of Old Christine.
---
Find more things to do www.visitraleigh.com/glbt/.
We want people to love it.
Sykes came out of the closet as a lesbian in 2008 and
married her girlfriend Alexandra. The couple
welcomed a pair of twins on April 27, 2009. Alexandra
gave birth to a girl and a boy: Olivia Lou (6 lbs., 7 oz.)
1
and Lucas Claude (7 lbs., 9 oz.). The news went
unreported by Sykes' publicist until May 13, four days
after Sykes' roasting of President Obama at the White
House Correspondents Dinner.
Read article in The News and Observer
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/03/18/10
58146/shes-one-to-talk.html
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GLBT Community Pride Events 2011 – North Carolina:

OUTRALEIGH Festival

Saturday, May 14, 2011

2nd Annual Triangle Black Pride (2011)

Thursday, July 28 – Monday, August 1, 2011

Marriott Crabtree – Raleigh

http://triangleblackpride.org/index.html

Contact:
Shades of Pride
5000 Sedgewick Drive
Suite C
Raleigh, N.C. 27616
Email: info@TriangleBlackPride.org

In Nags Head, North Carolina

Hickory, North Carolina

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 Salisbury PRIDE
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Salisbury, North Carolina

Blue Ridge Pride

Downtown Asheville, North Carolina
Pack Square
Saturday, October 1, 2011
12 noon – 6:00 pm

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Around Town and UP-Coming Events:

UPCOMING EVENTS:
MARCH 19
CMF LEGENDS NIGHT
with special guest DJ Joe Gauthreux
Legends in downtown Raleigh

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 Crape Myrtle Festival (CMF) is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 nonprofit that raises money and
supports education and outreach for organizations within and beyond the local LGBT
community.

Crape Myrtle Festival, Inc.

P.O. Box 12201
Raleigh, NC 27605-2201

www.crapemyrtlefest.org

316 West Cabarrus Street

Raleigh, NC 27601
web: www.lgbtcenterofraleigh.com
email: info@lgbtcenterofraleigh.com
phone: 919.832.4484
fax: 919.832.4483
HELPLINE: 919.747.4123

March
Mid-March Event Update
2011

Call for Vendors and Sponsors for our OutRaleigh Festival

Quick Links

DONATE NOW

Volunteer

Resources
Raleigh's first ever LGBT street festival is coming on Saturday, May 14 to and Referrals
Downtown Plaza and Fayetteville Street. Now is the time to reserve your space
for what will be a historic and truly fun event. For information and pricing go to
www.outraleigh.squarespace.com
OutRaleigh

Our Sponsors

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 Please patronize our loyal
Coming Next Month: Friday, April 1st, 2011, 7PM at the Galaxy Cinema, Sponsors and tell them
Cary how much you appreciate
their support
We will be screening the groundbreaking documentary Gen Silent, by Stu
Maddox. This moving film shows with humor and heartbreak the lives of a
number of mature members of the LGBT community in Boston and how they
are dealing with a world that is not always sympathetic to them. We will be
bringing Mr. Maddox to town so that he can particpate in a Q&A after the
showing. Our hope is that the social work, healthcare and eldercare community
will attend, as well as anyone who is concerned with the welfare of our older
brothers and sisters. For a preview of this eye-opening movie, go to
http://stumaddux.com/GEN_SILENT.html . Tickets are available now online,
and at the Galaxy Cinema box office. [We are offering a limited number of
very reasonably priced advertising opportunities in our program booklet
for this screening. To be included in the program please contact Les
Geller (lgeller@lgbtcenterofraleigh.com) as soon as possible. If you are
interested in reaching out to the mature LGBT population this is a great
opportunity to find your audience; if you simply want to support the work
we are doing this is a great way to do so.]

Events for March, 2011

Thursday, March 10
Fashion Show and Shopping Event

Saks Fifth Avenue

Menswear on One
Triangle Town Center
Raleigh
$10 per person

You are invited to join us for a fashion show and shopping event, learn the new
rules of business dressing and enjoy 15% off shopping (conditions apply). 5% of
the proceeds will benefit the Crape Myrtle Festival, the Alliance of Aids Services
Carolina, and the LGBT Center of Raleigh. For questions call 919-792-9100 ext.
5380. Ticket proceeds benefit CMF, AAS-C and LGBT Center.

Sunday, March 13
Gay & Gray & Green All Over

A St. Patrick's Day social for LGBT folks 50+ and their guests. From 3 - 6 PM at
the Four Points by Sheraton Durham at Southpoint, featuring free food, a cash
bar and music from the 50's, 60's and 70's. Tickets are $5 at the door, or to
purchase with a credit card click here:

Monday, March 14
Toastmasters Meeting

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Toastmasters will be meeting at the Center for the first time, from 7 to 9 PM.
Come and improve your public speaking skills.

Friday, March 18
LGBT Game Night

Free and open to all ages, this is a smoke-free, alcohol-free social event. If you
enjoy playing board games and card games in a relaxed, fun atmosphere, then
this is the place to be!

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, 3313 Wade Ave.

7:30 - 11 PM.

Friday, March 25
Second Annual Women's Night

Join the ladies at our Second Annual Q-Nights fundraiser at Durham's Club Steel
Blue, 711 Rigsbee Ave. Lez give back to the community Shake your booty for
booty! This will be an evening of high energy music and dance, plus a fabulous
raffle. All proceeds from the $10 cover will benefit the LGBT Center of Raleigh.

The LGBT Center of Raleigh is partnering with Accenture in an exciting new

initiative focused on helping members of the local community - LGBT, Ally, and
otherwise - develop the skills needed to gain meaningful employment. This
survey is designed to allow us to determine the exact needs of the local
community. Please help us by answering the questions as openly as possible.
Your response by March 11 is greatly appreciated.

http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-
survey.php?surveyID=IIOHGI_c1b074da

Wish List

Below are some ot the items that we currently need. Please consider making a
donation of one of the following to the Center so that we can fuction better and
more efficiently:

 Flip video camera

 Lockable file cabinet

The LGBT Center of Raleigh, Inc. is a 501-c-3 non-profit corporation. All

donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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Thank you for your support of the Raleigh GLBT Report

Willie D. Pilkington
Publisher / Editor
Raleigh GLBT Report
RaleighGLBTReport@att.net

LET ALL OUR GLBT VOICES BE HEARD AND RESPECTED...

Please pass this Raleigh GLBT Report along to all your friends, no matter where they may live. Do not assume
that everyone you know is aware of the local Raleigh GLBT Community news … share a copy and ask them to
contact us for a subscription.

If you have any information, business announcement, organization announcement, classified information,
apartment rentals, job offerings, Church services, festivals, parties, entertainment, or community news that you
want placed in the Raleigh GLBT Report, contact us … we publish weekly on Fridays … information can be sent at
any time for inclusion.

If you would like to post a copy of the Report on your web site, let us know and then go ahead. Tweet your
friends about us, make a reference to us on your Facebook page, mention us in your newsletters and at your
organizational meetings … in other words help us continue to spread the word about this Raleigh GLBt
Community News Source.

Public Notice: This newsletter may contain copyrighted material, the use of which has not
always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available in
an effort to advance knowledge and understanding. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any
such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In
accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this newsletter is distributed for free
to all without any fee charged for the placement of advertisements or any other profit source, for
research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for
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