Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 48, Ed. 1 Friday, March 29, 1996 Page: 1 of 64
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The Community Newspaper for Gay and Lesbian Dallas
FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 1996
Racist, sexist,
anti-gay —
Activist chant describes
RNC workplace, suit says
By John Solomon
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Supported by
two colleagues, a former GOP fund-
raiser has sued the Republican
National Committee for $21.5 million,
alleging party headquarters was rife
with obscenities, lewd behavior,
racism and gay-bashing.
Deborah A. Henson's lawsuit
describes in graphic detail Em environ-
ment hostile to minorities, women
and gays during her five months as a
consultant inside the finance division
at party headquarters on Capitol Hill.
"The RNC maintains a workplace
wherein sexual, racial, homophobic,
appearance-based and anti-Semitic
comments, jokes and horseplay are
commonplace, tolerated and encour-
The campaign
of GOP presi-
dential nomi-
nee Bob Dole
expressed con-
cern over the
allegations.
aged," the suit alleges.
Two other former RNC consultants,
including one who now is a fund-rais-
er for Bob Dole's presidential cam-
paign, have given similar accounts in
affidavits obtained by The Associated
Press.
The RNC disputes the allegations,
insisting they were concocted by
Henson after she was let go last
August because of complaints by her
co-workers about her own foul lan-
guage.
"We think this case was filed solely
for sensationalist purposes," said
Francis T. Coleman, the lawyer repre-
senting the RNC. "When all the facts
are laid on the table, Ms. Henson's
claims are going to be viewed for
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
VOLUME XII, NUMBER 48
DISD board panel amends anti-
harassment rule to protect gays
Initial policy covered only racial, ethnic, religious
harassment; advocates expected passage Thursday
By Tammye Nash
STAFF REPORTER OF DALLAS VOICE
The Dallas Independent School
District Board of Trustees was expected
to approve an anti-harassment policy
on Thursday that included gay and les-
bian students and employees in its pro-
tections.
The initial policy proposal, crafted
by the Intercultural Relations
Committee, did not include protections
for gays and lesbians. But Cece Cox,
president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian
Alliance, said that when the issue was
raised at a workshop on Wednesday,
"all the response was supportive" of
including sexual orientation. Language
on sexual orientation was also included
in the mission statement of the school
CONTINUED ON PAGE 13
Jose Plata, a gay DISD trustee.
Closeted QB populates Harris’ latest novel
Acclaimed author schedules stop in Dallas next week
E. Lynn Harris
By John McCoy
STAFF REPORTER OF DALLAS VOICE
"Life is good," said novelist E. Lynn
Harris from his hotel room in Detroit,
one of about 20 cities he will visit on the
promotional tour of his new novel, And
This Too Shall Pass.
Pausing for a moment to bask in the
glow of a successful novel, he nonethe-
less realizes that he has a lot of work
ahead of him.
"It's grueling but really wonderful,"
is how he describes his current hectic
schedule, noting that his Southern
upbringing compels him to make sure
each audience leaves with a good feel-
ing.
Harris visit next week to Dallas will
be a homecoming of sorts. After gradu-
ating from the University of Arkansas
in 1977 he worked for IBM here for a
few years selling computers, and he
remembers visiting his first gay bar,
Old Plantation downtown.
"I thought it was great to be moving
to the big city," he said.
Harris' has brought this experience
to the pages of And This Too Shall Pass,
as he weaves his characters through the
restaurants, locker rooms, newsrooms,
and beauty salons of Chicago. At the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 25
Inside —
METRO: Ryan White CARE funds
are cut in Dallas; Medical Center ^
rejects compromise on AIDS pre- U
vention programs; More...............................
OPINION: Richard Mohr calls for
more debate on the question of m a
just what “gay marriage” really is, | U
anyway; Letters........................................I U
LIFESTYLES: Dennis Vercher
reviews gay-themed film It's My
Party., Steve Warren reviews MWu
Flirting With Disaster, More.................tm w
CALENDAR: Events scheduled
over the next ten days; Artsnotes;
Entertainment and broadcast Mg
schedules; More.....................................mm m
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Vercher, Dennis. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 48, Ed. 1 Friday, March 29, 1996, newspaper, March 29, 1996; (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth616294/m1/1/?q=aRCHIVES: accessed May 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.