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Exposed!, the 9th Annual University of California Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Association Conference and General Assembly will be held February 6-8 on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
The conference aims to critically address Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered issues facing students, staff and faculty at all levels of the UC campuses, hospitals and labs. Further, the conference theme addresses the very personal concerns of coming out, exposure of our inner-selves to build intimate relationships, and exposure of our "hidden communities", i.e., racially diverse populations, transgender persons and multiple religious groups.
Speakers and performers include Annie Sprinkle; Elizabeth Birch, Executive Director, Human Rights Campaign; Kerry Lobel, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; comedienne Marga Gomez; and Tomás Almaguer, Professor, American Culture and Sociology, University of Michigan.
A "Safer Sextravaganza!" dance will be held February 8 evening presented with UCSC's HIV Prevention/Education.
Visit http://www.porter.ucsc.edu/Exposed! for a complete schedule, registration information, and a complete list of events and speakers.
Locals with a bent for books were treated to two concerts by Bay Area solo pianist William Watson in December. Borders bookstore hosted Watson for two concerts, where he played selections from his critically acclaimed release "Fields" .
Influenced by George Winston, Watson's fluid melodies and complex arrangements are introspective yet spirited. Critic Bill Bindleman described Watson's playing as having a "sense of nostalgia without a trace of melodrama."
Williams CD entitled "Fields" is available at Borders, via Valley Records Distributors (916/661-6600), or from his Internet website (http://members.aol.com/burnhamwds/).
Watson completed his tour of the Bay Area in December. The Paper will list any upcoming local concerts by this talented pianist.
Gay educators have traditionally been afraid to come out of the closet because of fear of backlash from their employers. GLSEN (pronounced "glisten") is a national, non-profit organization that hopes to change that.
Santa Clara's chapter of GLSEN is still in its planning stages. It is receiving support from the national office, which is opening a San Francisco office early this year, and is actively recruiting members from Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. GLSEN also welcomes gay-friendly educators (the "S" in their name stands for "Straight").
For information on meeting times, topics, and locations, contact John Lindner at 408/779-9440 or send e-mail to GLSENStCla@aol.com, Website: members.aol.com/glsenstcla)
A sailor aboard a nuclear submarine has had to defend his right to privacy under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy after America Online (AOL) provided Navy investigators with his identity.
According to reports from GLAAD, The New York Times, and other sources, Senior Chief petty Officer Timothy R. McVeigh, 35, of Pearl Harbor listed "gay" under marital status in his AOL member profile. After Navy officials learned McVeigh's identity from AOL, the Chief of Naval Personnel approved discharge within 10 days, and the case (as of the time we go to press) is in appeal in U.S. District Court.
AOL admitted its wrongdoing in the case, but commented that the Navy investigators improperly sought the information. Under the Electronic Privacy Communications Act, the government cannot obtain private information without a warrant.
Gay rights activists have been working through the Internet to provide support for McVeigh. McVeigh has created a website with information about the case (www.geocities.com/Pentagon/9241/). More than 21,000 people have visited the site since December 1, 1997.
In the past 15 months, 11 servicemembers have been investigated because of Internet, e-mail, or computer use. Half of those have been dismissed.