Just out., April 01, 1992, Page 8, Image 8

8 ▼ a p rii 1902 ▼ ju a t out
Black lesbians and gays
weaving the future
African-American lesbians and gays come together for annual conference . Highlights include a 92-year-old lesbian attending
her first black gay conference , and Linda Villarosa, a senior editor at Essence magazine , brought her mom .
by Sidney Brinkley
▼
t the very beginning of his welcom­ 13-17.
ing address at the opening plenary
Among the diverse groups, which appeared to
of the Fifth Annual National Black be evenly divided between male and female, were
Gay and Lesbian Converence last a number of nationally known political leaders
weekend, Phil Wilson, co-chair for and cultural figures, including Dr. Majorie Hill,
liaison
to the Gay Community for New York City
the Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership
Forum
Mayor David Dinkins; poet and author Jewell
(BGLLF), took time out to thank God.
“I don’t know about you,” he said, “but in the Gomez; Seattle’s Hon. Sherrie Harris, the first
last 10 days I have discovered there is a God, and black openly lesbian elected official; Reggie
Williams of the National Task Force on AIDS
she is on our side.”
He was referring to a host of problems that had Prevention; and poet Assoto Saint. The unofficial
turned the conference into a last-minute logistical guest of honor was Ruth Ellis, a remarkable 92-
nightmare f<jr the Leadership Forum and for Unity, year-old black lesbian from Detroit, Mich., at­
tending her first black gay conference.
PHOTO BY MARC GELLER
The conference was preceded by two days of
institutes, including a daylong “AIDS Institute”
hosted by Reggie Williams which featured New
York City Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Billy
E. Jones as keynote speaker. A “Women’s Insti­
tute” was hosted by ACHli, a group of black
lesbians from the Bay area.
While the stated theme of the conference was
“Black Lesbians and Gays Weaving the Future,”
little if anything was offered to support that title.
More apparent as a theme was the relationships
black gay men and lesbians have with their par­
ents and/or children. The emphasis on family was
due in large part to the presence of Clara Villarosa,
mother of Linda Villarosa, a senior editor at
Essence magazine. Linda Villarosa publicly came
out as a lesbian in an article she and her mother co­
wrote for the 21st anniversary of Essence last
May. Since her public disclosure, she has been in
demand as a speaker at gay events. She and her
mother were on hand to deliver the keynote ad­
dress at the opening plenary.
While approximately 300 people gathered
outside the room they were to use for their speech,
they talked with a reporter about being thrust into
the public spotlight.
“I had told friends about my daughter’s sexual
Ruth Ellis
preference and wasn’t hiding it at that point,” she
the Oakland-based organization which hosted the said. “But I realized it was a coming out for me
event.
because five million people had an opportunity to
Nevertheless, as the conference wound down read it. Then I started getting phone calls and
to its final hours two days later, many of the letters from people all over the country wanting to
participants appeared to agree that they had expe­ tell me their stories. Neither of us anticipated this
rienced an empowering, affirming, and generally response.”
successful black gay conference. Nearly 600
Both say overall the response has been over­
black gay men and lesbians fVom the U.S., Canada whelmingly positive. However, Linda Villarosa
and England attended the event, which ran Feb. says there was one incident with an acquaintance
A
Clara Villarosa and her daughter Linda
that changed her perception of what she had done.
“I had a small conflict with someone who
worked at my office. We had been on good terms
before the article came out; then she changed. As
it turned out, her family was giving her a hard time
because she had appeared in a photograph with
me. She later apologized, but it showed me how
naive I was. I was thinking, 'Everything’s fine,
everything’s great. I’m this out lesbian and have
had no backlash.' That incident put me back in the
real world. There are still people out there who
are homophobic and who can be very nasty.”
The following day, the Villarosas were joined
in a workshop by Phil Wilson’s parents. Titled
“Mothers and Daughters, Fathers and Sons,” the
workshop dealt with issues around coming out to
one’s parents. The response to that workshop and
to the Villarosa’s speech prompted the Leader­
ship Forum to plan a “Parent’s Institute” for next
year’s conference which Clara Villarosa will host.
The 47 other workshops included “Under­
standing Sexual Minority Youth,” ACT UP and
AIDS Activism Among People of Color,” “An­
drogyny and Femininity,” and “Battery and Sexual
Assault in the Lesbiarf Community.” In addition,
there were a number of cultural and social events.
P H O TO BY MARC GELLER
Among those honored at the conference’s
awards banquet were Alan Bell and Sandra Lowe.
Bell, publisher of BLK magazine, received the
Black Quill Award, which is given to a person
who projects positive images about the black gay
community. Lowe, a lawyer recently appointed
director of the Office of Gay and Lesbian Con­
cerns for New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, received
the Mable Hampton Award, which is given to a
lesbian who “demonstrates outstanding contribu­
tions to the lesbian community.”
The keynote address at the closing plenary
was delivered by Dr. Tim Moragne, president of
the Association of Black Psychologists. Moragne
gave an emotional account of his reaction to his
cousin’s death from AIDS, a death that was the
catalyst for his own coming out. He also spoke of
his anger at the attempt by some members of his
Association to block him from becoming presi­
dent.
“It all comes down to three words for me,” he
said. ‘Those three words are ‘how dare they.’
How dare they try to deny any of us a position for
which we are qualified because of their preju­
dice?”
INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND BOOK SIGNING WITH
RUPERT KI N N A R D
creator of "Cathartic Comics"
and author of the new book,
B.B. and the Diva
(Alyson Publications, $6.95)
Saturday, April 18th, From 3:00-4:30 P.M.
At The Catbird Seat Bookstore
913 S.W. Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
37
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