Triad Advocacy Network newsletter, May 1997

              cnnra
MAY-JUNE 1997
FROM THE PRESIDENT
TAN's mission statement is to be
social and political advocates for
the    LGBT    community       TAN
specifically concentrates on the
local   political  scene.     For the
1997-1998 year TAN is exploring
strategies   that   will    help    our
community gain equal rights.
To do this we need a network of
people   willing   to   contact   their
alderman/councilman or perform
other task to achieve the goal of
equal rights. We are specifically in
need of people in Winston-Salem.
TAN has very few members from
Winston-Salem.   We need more
people and activity in Winston to
help educate and  influence the
public and elected officials.
If you can help, please contact
Ann Buffington at 294-0171 or Rob
Bilbro   at  299-6367.      We   look
forward to your involvement!!
* * * * *
Thanks to the efforts of one of TAN's
members, the Advocate magazine is
now available at the main Greensboro
Public Library.
For further information about
T.A.N., contact:
Ann Buffington - 294-0171
Rob Owens -316-3893
Newsletter editor Tom Clarke
-288-1329
e-mail:  tan95@juno.com
TAN. meets on the 4th
Monday of the month, except
there will be no meeting in May
(because of Memorial Day).
Next meeting: Monday, June
23, at 7:30 p.m. at the
Kernersville Public Library.
Triad
Network
NEWSLETTER NO. 3
Triad Town Meeting
More than 40 people came together at
the Triad Town Meeting March 24, to
discuss political issues and strategies for
lesbiaa ga>. bisexual, and transgender
residents of the Triad. This was a joint
effort of T.A.N, and NC Pride PAC.
MK CuUen of NC Pride PAC led the
discussion. A comprehensive list of
problems was compiled and then the
group voted on which issues to work on
immediately. Some of the problems
and issues identified were:
* Same-gender marriage
* Legal issues faced by same-sex
couples
* Parental rights, including adoption
and foster care
* Anti-gay churches
* Adding sexual orientation to local
non-discrimination laws
* Hate crimes
* Abstinence until marriage school
curriculum
* Domestic partner benefits
* High Point University gay group's
chater denied
* Tax-exempt status for GLASS
denied by IRS
* NC Crime Against Nature Law
* School issues, harassment in
schools
* ENDA (Are local Congress
members signed on?)
* "Don't ask. don't tell" policy in the
military
After identifying the highest priority
issues, even one was dhided into three
groups, dealing w ith (1) education and
school issues. (2) non-discrimination in
Greensboro and Winston-Salem, and (3)
state legislative issues, in particular the
N.C. CAN law.
Education and school issues
An organization called SAFE
(Sexual-orientation Awareness For
Ever} one) has been fonned SAFE is a
diversity project of PFLAG-Winston
Salem designed to provide information
concerning issues of same-sex
orientation and support services to
individuals and groups who work with
young people.
Literature is currently being created for
distribution to those in the community
who work with young people. Gay
teens are at a 2-3 times higher risk of
suicide than the general teenage
population. Feelings of isolation force
many of our gay students to drop out of
school.
SAFE lias been fonned because people
in the Triad Community care about our
children. Tax deductible contributions
may be made out to PFLAG designated
forSAFE. SendtoSAFE/PFLAG. PO
Box 15477. Winston-Salem.
27113.
Non-discrimination issues
TAN is currently laying
groundwork to explore the possibility of
introducing non-discrimination laws in
Greensboro and Winston-Salem.
Meetings with mayors of both cities are
being held and further plans are being
made.
State Legislative issues and CAN
An effort to reform North Carolina's
Crime Against Nature Law has been
introduced in the legislature. This bill
would dc-criminalize sex acts by
consenting adults in the privacy of their
own homes when not involving pay.
(This bill seems to be dead for the
current session. For a full update on
state legislative activity, see page 2.)
NC
the