In the light, Spring 2001

              Spring 2001. Vol.3 No. 2
In The Li
Piedmont Friends for Lesbian and Gay Concerns
Soulforce, Jerry Falwell, and me
By Ed Farthing
I am a fifty-three-year-old
White Anglo-Saxon Protestant male
who grew up in the 50's and 60's in
Greensboro, North Carolina. My parents were Methodists from Watauga
County but upon moving to Greensboro after World War II, they joined
the Presbyterian Church. From infancy,
I have spent my entire life in that
church. I have served three 3-year
terms as a Presbyterian Elder in my
local congregation. I have also been
the president of my local congregation,
taught in the Sunday School, and
served on any number of committees,
chairing several. I was a Cub Scout
and a Boy Scout. I was in the concert
and marching bands in high school. I
also discovered politics as a teenager
and was president of the North Caro
lina Teen Age Republicans as I left
high school and enrolled at Carolina. I
have been chair of the local Board of
Elections, presently serve as Republican precinct chair in my neighborhood,
and have been asked numerous times
to consider running for public office,
usually a judgeship since 1 am an attorney. Of course, I joined the usual civic
and professional organizations, serving
as legal counsel while I was in the Jay-
cees, and serving on numerous local
and state bar committees.
Born a White Anglo-Saxon
Protestant male (a WASP) 1 had no
idea what real discrimination was until.
see Soulforce
on Page 3
Inside this issue:
Working For Justice
By Rose White
2
Videos And Movies
By Robert Mers
2
Ten Myths About Homosexuality    By Willie R. Frye
5
News and Upcoming Events
4
We Are Home Again
By Agnes Frye
W. G. Ireland and Jack Carlisle met many years ago at a gospel
singing where W. G. was pianist for a
quartet. After dating for fourteen
months, they decided to commit themselves to each other in a permanent relationship, and they have been true to
that relationship for twenty-six years.
W.G., who realized that he
was gay when he was nine or ten years
old, was more fortunate than many gay
youth today. He experienced no gay
bashing at school or elsewhere, and his
mother and grandmother readily accepted his sexual orientation, he says,
"because they loved people for who
they were." Since homosexuality was a
subject that was just not discussed
when he was a youth, W. G. had no opportunity to reveal his true identity to
his friends. He feels that "it is sad for
young people who are gay not to be
able to express their emotions because
you cannot become
who you are until you
can express yourself."
Jack knew by
the time he was fourteen that he was gay
but, like many gays and
lesbians, was married
as a young person
"because it was the
thing to do," he says.
His family was disappointed at the turn his
life had taken but eventually accepted his sexual orientation. He has
a close relationship with his former
wife, his sister, his son, and his son's
family.
W. G., who is a hair stylist,
serves approximately 125 clients each
week. Jack is a chef in a drug and rehabilitation center. They own their home
W.G. Ireland and
Jack Carlisle
which is beautifully decorated and in
which they take great pride. They entertain family and friends frequently and
are highly respected in their work
places and in their community. Better neighbors are hard
to find.
Jack's son. Randy,
was very young when he became aware of his father's
sexual orientation. He says it
made no difference to him,
and he has maintained close
tics with W.G. and his dad
over the years. He, his wife,
and their two children visit
often in Jack and W.G.'s
home.
Jack's   sister,   Laura,
had a difficult time with his
homosexuality   in   the   beginning. She worried about their mother
and how she might react to Jack's being
different. She also worried about Jack
see Home Again
on page 3