Archive for December, 2010

TWENTYNINE PALMS – In an effort to draw attention to the urgency of repealing the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy against gays and lesbians serving openly, Richard Noble marched nearly 60 miles from Palm Springs reaching the Marine Air Ground Combat Center on Dec. 6.

The six day trek garnered front page coverage in newspapers here and across the county; however, it failed to win demonstrable support from LGBT communities in the Morongo Basin.

Fewer than five LGBT locals came forward to offer the 45-year-old gay activist a meal or place to lay his head. Fortunately a handful of straight allies stepped in to pick up the slack.

Unhampered by local apathy, Noble forged ahead to the main entrance to the base where he was joined by former Marine Corporal Evelyn Thomas who was discharged under DADT and now runs The Sanctuary Project which advocates for an end to the policy. Also joining Noble for the end of the march was 80-year-old Petty Officer 1st Class Mel Tips, Army/Navy retired and founder of American Veterans for Equal Rights.

The three laid a wreath as a gesture of reconciliation and reparation for the deep wounds suffered by enlisted personnel under the policy which forces LGBT service members to conceal their sexual orientation and family relationships or face discharge. They were joined by a half dozen LGBT veterans who gathered to support efforts of the triumvirate.

Earlier hopes that a representative from the base would be on hand to exchange a flag with the LGBT contingent never came to pass despite promising talks earlier in the week.

Lack of community support no doubt emboldened the decisions makers at Community Relations to shrug off plans for a symbolic exchange, opting instead to ignore the small group of assembled veterans.

I am at a crossroads with publication of Hi-Desert LGBT News and so want to put out the word that a new editor is needed.

My motivation for publishing this newsletter has been the goal of bringing together the LGBT people here, and our allies, for the purpose of creating a real community. Such a community would be able and willing to make a unified response to threats and attacks.

Surely all of us are aware that there has been no shortage of anti-LGBT threats and attacks in the Morongo Basin. A handful of others share my conviction that these not be allowed to go unanswered. Yet I find it difficult to respond to such threats and turn out this newsletter each month.

Ideally, someone will come forward to carry on and I will be free to devote more energy to equality issues in new ways such as creating a database of locals who could be a first line defense, capable of rapid mobilization in response to threats and attacks such as the “Hate Van” that participated in this year’s Pioneer Days Parade in 29 Palms.

Perhaps there is someone out there who would like to have a shot at putting out this publication. Certainly I would do whatever necessary to make for a smooth transition. If no one responds this could be the final issue.

If that comes to pass, then gratitude goes out to the advertisers and to those who have taken a stand for the greater good, notably Rev. Louis Gerhardt, Donald Krouse, Jim Babb, Krista Blevins, RJ Howard, Shari Elf, Fritz Koenig, Andy Woods, and all who have served on the Out & About Steering Committee, also Phyllis Lozano and Pepper Blakeley in Victor Valley.

– Mike Lipsitz Editor/ Publisher 760-449-4048

By Rev. Dr. Louis Gerhardt

2010 has been a very good year for me. I have enjoyed good health, a loving family, many friends, and worthwhile tasks that challenge me.

I am an ordained minister and I officiated at several weddings including two same sex ceremonies. I delivered a number of talks at Rotary, Kiwanis, and other service groups, and of course, I offered a total of more than 60 positive living seminars. I also did considerable family counseling, blessings of homes, adult and child baptisms, etc.

My point is that at the age of 85 I have a pretty good perspective on our society and its individual citizens.

So as we begin a new year I give you the words of a world-renowned historian Will Durant speaking from the pulpit of the Church I served in Los Angeles.

“I was once challenged to sum up civilization in a half hour. I did it in less than a minute. Civilization is a stream with banks. The stream is sometimes filled with blood from people killing, stealing, shooting and doing things that historians usually record. While on the banks, unnoticed, people are building homes and making love, raising children, singing songs, writing poetry and even whittling statues. And the story of civilization is the story of what happens on the banks. Too often historians are pessimists because they ignore the banks and write about the rivers.”

Rev. Dr. Louis Gerhardt is a minister, counselor and author. His weekly column, Tough Minded Optimism, appears in the Hi-Desert Star, Desert Trail & Observation Post. He counsels those of all religions or no religion.

Contact Rev. Lou at 760-367-4627 or 800-995-1620 or res19mxc@verizon.net.

MORONGO BASIN – Suffering a leadership vacuum, the Out & About men’s social group is effectively disbanded.

While the group has traditionally characterized itself as “loosely organized,” it has run successfully with a minimum of governance from a Steering Committee. The unraveling follows a year of high turnover in the Committee which led to three or four members carrying the burden of planning and arranging the last few events.

Most recently, these few found themselves burdened with putting on the annual Holiday Party. Although a very few volunteered to assist with the event, there was no shortage of members eager to criticize. Demoralized and holding only a few RSVPs for the dinner committee members requested a cancellation notice go out in this newsletter. Plans for the remaining treasury have yet to be determined.

By Donald Krouse

The mid term elections brought mixed results, but it certainly isn’t the result of Morongo Basin citizens sitting back and doing nothing. Some of us are startled at the willingness of so many to participate in the electoral process. I’ve always been told that Morongo Basin voters won’t do anything. That is now proven wrong. Thank you everyone who voted and volunteered either publicly or in your own way.

Granted we lost two elections that local Democrats had worked so hard to get elected. Pat Meagher and Carl Wood both lost and that is certainly a disappointment for the liberal community. In the near future we may have a different configuration for the Congressional and Assembly districts. There is hope we will elect a good representative in the future, especially if we are separated from the Redlands conservative voting block.

One of the most startling election results occurred in Iowa. It should give everyone reason to be concerned. The other side is working very hard to deny and even reverse policies that strengthen LGBT rights. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) targeted the three judges on the Iowa Supreme Court who were on the ballot for voter confirmation. Unanimously, the Iowa Supreme Court had decided that same sex marriage was a constitutional right. NOM succeeded in getting all three justices removed from the court at the ballot box. What does that tell us about the consequences of action and inaction?

I invite all of you to join the newly re-chartered Morongo Basin Democratic Club. It is a diverse group interested in electing liberal candidates. If you are Republican then I encourage you to join the Log Cabin Club. In any event, keep your eyes open to the forces that are working successfully to take away our rights.

Donald Krouse is a retired financial planner living in Morongo Valley. Write to Don at CallToActionMB@aol.com.

VICTORVILLE – San Bernardino County’s oldest continuously run gay bar, Westside 15, closed its doors last month after a 30-year run.

Owners Ed and Jim, both generous and gracious supporters of the LGBT communities, say that recent declines in business left them no other choice but to close.

They say do what you Love, so here I am with my 2 cents worth.  I’ve always wanted to say what I really think, so YOU dear readers are the lucky firsts to reap my sometimes funny, and always unique musings, ramblings really.

Hello LADIES!  Hello…Hello….  Are you out there?  Anywhere?  Starbucks?  The Library?  The Mojave Preserve?  Chish!  Now that I have your attention, I thought I’d throw out a few ideas in an effort to establish some COMMUNITY!  Remember? A PLACE we all used to go, such as a local women’s bookstore?  Current information was posted on a bulletin board and we could sip coffee, read the latest lesbian mystery novel, or our own local newsletter telling us what the haps were for the month?

The idea was tossed around a few months ago then literally disappeared.  Someone thought there might be some interest in forming a group just for the ladies, for the sheer enjoyment of getting together and doing what we all do so well, talk, bake, make plans, build dreams and CAVORT.  There, I said it!

I’d like to give it another try, something along the lines of a monthly mixer, get together,

Howdy Doody, or old fashioned Coffee Clutch.  Is anyone else interested in forming a group of local lesbians to take on the challenges of living in a rural area?

Why don’t YOU send YOUR ideas for our local desert denizens and see if we can reinvent the wheel for a ladies meet and greet?

I’d really like to hear your thoughts, especially since we may not have this newsletter to keep us up to date.

Contact me, Lez N. Dez , at rt.renishe@yahoo.com.