LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 1998
In This Issue
NewsLetter
February 1998
W
e begin this issue by supporting the proposed expansion of the Peace
Corps q Joel Parthemore, recently arrived in Ghana, describes his initial
impressions qCarl Halverson goes back to his school in Malawi for a
joyous visit q Kevin Souza reports on recent actions taken by the NPCA q It’s time
for membership dues again q And news from our Regional Affiliates
Peace Corps Set for Expansion
In his weekly radio address on
January 3, President Clinton an-
nounced he would ask Congress to
approve a substantial increase in
funding for the Peace Corps. He
proposed that the number of Peace
Corps volunteers be increased to
10,000 by the year 2000. Currently
there are about 6500 volunteers in
more than 90 countries worldwide,
and about 150,000 Returned Volun-
teers. The President said, “Strengthen-
ing the Peace Corps, giving more
Americans opportunities to serve in
humanity’s cause, is both an opportu-
nity and an obligation we should seize
in 1998.”
Sargent Shriver, who was given the
job of first organizing the Peace Corps
by President Kennedy, recently
commented on this proposal. He
would like to see five times this
proposed number moving into
projects around the world. He argues
that if the United States can justify
having a Marine Corps of 146,000, we
should have a Peace Corps of 50,000.
Shriver said that the Peace Corps
continues to draw men and women
with variety and edge to their person-
alities. He says. “People don’t get into
the Peace Corps because they’re
satisfied with the world as it is.”
Peace Corps has long had biparti-
san support in the Congress. There are
now six former volunteers who sit in
the House of Representatives, three
“Strengthening the
Peace Corps, giving more
Americans opportunities
to serve in humanity’s
cause, is both an opportu-
nity and an obligation we
should seize in 1998.”
Democrats and three Republicans.
One Republican senator is a former
Peace Corps Director. With this year’s
ambitious Balanced Budget proposals,
there are both opportunities and
pitfalls related to increasing funds for
the Peace Corps. We urge all of you to
support the proposed increases, and
include this support in all of your
political interactions in 1998.
We plan to play an active part in
recruiting lesbians, bisexuals and gay
men into the Peace Corps in 1998,
taking advantage of these increased
1
u Peace Corps to Expand
u Our Objection to NPCA
Policy
u Impressions from
Ghana
u Return to Malawi
u Affiliate News
opportunities. We want to be involved
in as many Pride Festivals as we can
handle, and we will urge each of the
Regional Peace Corps offices to
sponsor Recruiting/Information
Tables at Gay Pride Parades/Festivals
in their communities. We agree with
Sargent Shriver that the Peace Corps
continues to draw men and women
with variety and edge to their person-
alities, and we know where to find
them.
This issue of the newsletter gives
two perspectives of Peace Corps
experience. Joel Parthemore, a new
volunteer in Ghana, tells us about his
first few months on assignment.
RPCV Carl Halverson returns to the
school in Malawi where he taught
between 1988 and 1990 with a load of
scientific goodies for the students.
Kevin Souza describes some recent
lobbying we aimed at the National
Peace Corps Association in which we
did not prevail.
We solicit annual dues with our
February newsletter. You’ll receive a
solicitation if your membership is due
now. Please support us financially in
1998. We can’t do what we do without
you and your help.•
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 1998
NPCA Freezes Out New “Interest Group” Affiliates
- by Kevin H. Souza, National Coordinator
For the past two years, the member-
ship committee of the National Peace
Corps Association (NPCA), has
debated the future of Interest Group
affiliates like the Lesbian, Gay and
Bisexual RPCVs and RPCVs for
Environment and Development. The
debate was not whether the existing
four Interest Groups could remain
affiliates, but whether additional
“interest groups” would be allowed to
affiliate in the future. The NPCA had
traditionally been organized around
groupings that were geographic or
related to country-of-service.
Several years ago a couple of
groups of Peace Corps alumni began
to organize themselves around
interests other than where they lived
or where they served. Former volun-
teers trained in environment and
development issues were geographi-
cally scattered and wanted to come
together and be identified by their
interest and expertise, thus the origin
of RPCVs for Environment and
Development. A few years later,
another group of former volunteers
who shared a very personal and
common thread began to recognize
their need to reach out to a Peace
Corps that welcomed them as volun-
teers, but usually not for their unique-
ness as human beings, and the
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual RPCVs
was organized.
The era of NPCA affiliate groups
created on the basis of interest/
experience is over. On Saturday,
January 24, the NPCA Board of
Directors voted to stop future interest
groups from affiliating with the
NPCA. Board members gave a
number of reasons for this action. The
NPCA is low on human and monetary
resources. The time and energy
involved in bringing a new affiliate
group into the NPCA family is
significant and the NPCA feels they
should concentrate their efforts on
geographic and country-of-service
groups. Some NPCA board members
are concerned about the formation of
interest groups that might have
devisive or inappropriate agendas.
Other NPCA board members feel that
a committee working within the
NPCA could meet the needs of
interest groups like the LGB RPCVs.
We strongly disagree with this
decision. We understand that the
NPCA has limited resources to
support new affiliate groups and
maintain existing groups. We also
have limited resources for tracking
our own regional chapters and
supporting them. We feel that the
...we will continue to
oppose this decision.
NPCA is shutting out the very groups
who could develop to be among the
strongest within the NPCA. In seven
years we have grown to become one
of the most productive and innovative
affiliates within the NPCA. If the
Board is concerned that future interest
groups might petition to join with a
mission in conflict with the NPCA or
Peace Corps itself, we would encour-
age the NPCA to more carefully
review its own mission and criteria for
affiliation. For those on the Board
who believe that the mission of a
group like the LGB RPCVs or RPCVs
for Environment and Development
could be met by a committee working
within the NPCA, we feel the need to
remind them that in numbers lies
strength. Our organization has reached
out to more than 200 gay and lesbian
applicants over the past two years,
linking them with gay and lesbian
RPCVs to discuss the issues they will
face as volunteers. We have a greater
than 95% success rate at matching PC
Invitees with someone of their own
gender who served in their future
country-of- service. An accomplish-
ment that comes from having over 600
RPCVs, PCVs and PC staff on our
2
mailing list.
Affiliation with the National Peace
Corps Association is not a trivial
matter. Our affiliation brings us new
members and likewise brings new
members to the NPCA. Increased
membership brings increased revenue
- revenue that allows us to print our
newsletter, maintain our web site and
support information and recruitment
efforts at national gay pride events
each year. Our affiliation with the
NPCA also brings something unique
and very important to our organization
- validation that lesbian, gay and
bisexual RPCVs, PCVs, and appli-
cants are welcome into the Peace
Corps family.
On January 24, the NPCA sent a
message to future interest groups
(whoever they might be) that they are
not welcome as members of the Peace
Corps alumni family. We feel that
such a message of exclusion is a
dangerous precedent and as a flourish-
ing affiliate of the National Peace
Corps Association we will continue to
oppose this decision.•
PO Box 14332
San Francisco CA 94114-4332
lgbrpcv@geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com/~lgbrpcv
Editor Mike Learned
Layout Kevin H. Souza
The LGB RPCV Newsletter is pub-
lished quarterly by the Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual RPCV Organization,
an affiliate of the National Peace
Corps Association. We exist to pro-
mote Peace Corps ideals and ac-
ceptance of gays and lesbians
throughout the world. Submission
of articles or graphics to be pub-
lished in the newsletter is encour-
aged. The right to use or edit ma-
terials remains with the editor.
Copyright remains with the author.
Send submissions or inquires to
the above address or e-mail.

Friends of Dorothy: A Letter from Ghana
- by Joel Parthemore, PCV
I was halfway through pre-service
training, passing through Accra on my
way back from a site visit. I had
dropped by the Internet Cafe (more a
hole in the wall than a cafe, but the
connection is usually good) to check
my e-mail and try (unsuccessfully) the
LGB RPCV listserve.
Leaving the cafe I asked a man at
random for directions to Karneshie
Station, the lorry (bus) park serving
the Central Region where the training
site is located. He gave the directions
readily enough, but asked if I
wouldn’t consider staying in town for
a day or two. He had a large house
where he lived by himself, and the two
of us could have it all to ourselves.
His implications were clear, and he
was not unattractive; but I explained
that I really did need to be back in
Salt Pond that day and excused myself
to continue somewhat regretfully on
my way.
I do not know if he recognized my
Freedom Rings (Accra is a remark-
ably cosmopolitan city) or made
assumptions about my long hair,
which is a novelty to the Ghanaians.
People will often reach out from
nowhere just to stroke it. But I was
thrilled to meet my first gay Ghanaian.
The Ghanaian trainers in Salt Pond
said at first that homosexuality does
not exist in Ghana. When pressed,
they conceded that it does exist in the
larger cities, but insisted it was
unheard of in the villages. In fact I
had been in my very small, very rural
village less than 24 hours after
training was over when I had unam-
biguous advances made: middle finger
scratching my palm during a hand
shake, combined with eye contact and
body language, and repeated requests
that I visit the man’s house. He made
similar advances again recently. I
offered no response on either occa-
sion, both because I do not find him
so attractive and because I am
frightened at the potential dangers of
having a relationship in the village. At
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 1998
the same time I would like to ask him
what it’s like to be gay here.
It seems as if each time I get
together with members of my training
group I meet yet another male
(apparently straight) volunteer who
tells me he’s had similar advances
made to him, usually in the villages. I
can only guess that for frustrated gay
men in rural Ghana, all they hear
about homosexuality has to do with
Europeans or Americans, who would
then be the only people safe to
approach.
I’ve offered to serve
as a contact and re-
source person whose
name may be freely
publicized.
It is certainly not the case that
homosexuality is not discussed. The
recent trial in Zimbabwe of Canaan
Banana (a former vice president
accused of forcing several subordi-
nates to commit sodomy) was the
subject of several heated discussions
in the staff common room at my
school: “...imagine, a minister of the
church and a pillar of the community
committing these acts” -“...they say
that in America the homosexuals even
want the right to marry” etc. One of
my colleagues (who studied in France)
offered that consenting adults should
be left to do what they wish in private.
I held back from the discussion and
chose my responses carefully when
pressed for an opinion. I may be very
“out” to Peace Corps Ghana and my
fellow PCVs, but my only concession
in my village to my identity is my
“Why I Am Part of the Lesbian and
Gay Civil Rights Movement” poster
on the wall of my bedroom. It is there
for visitors to read, but they can also
choose to ignore it. I am also painting
a Freedom Flag on the inside of my
3
bedroom door. My house is increas-
ingly filled with such artistic projects,
which must seem strange to Ghanaian
sensibilities.
I knew when I agreed to come to
Africa that I was looking at two years
of celibacy and sexual isolation. The
reality of the experience however
exceeds any ability I might have had
to imagine it. It is as if each time I
return to the village from Accra, a
fundamental part of me ceases to
exist.
My fellow PCVs and PC Ghana
have generally been quite supportive
if not always well informed. But
among the 150 other volunteers
currently in country I know of only
one bisexual male and one lesbian.
The PC Med Unit tells me there’s a
gay male volunteer in Togo (the Togo
border is perhaps a kilometer from my
house), but they have not yet facili-
tated our getting it touch and have
been noncommittal about my sugges-
tions for a regional support network.
PC Ghana seems anxious for
something to happen - evidently some
communication has arrived from
Washington. The Med Unit issued an
appeal in August for LGB volunteers
interested in forming a support group.
So far as I know, I’m the only
volunteer who responded.
I’ve offered to serve as a contact
and resource person whose name may
be freely publicized. I’ve asked the
Med Unit about getting reinforced
condoms and drawn up a provisional
list of books and videos they might
want to obtain. I’m also working with
my PCMO in revising a questionnaire
that was done here several years ago
on attitudes toward homosexuality
(see Heidi Lehmann’s article in our
August 1995 Newsletter - on the LGV
RPCV web site). I would like to see it
completed on an annual basis by
PCTs, PCVs, administrators and
trainers, just to know what attitudes
are out there. At the moment the only
Continued on page 5
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 1998
Back to the Warm Heart of Africa - by Carl Halverson, RPCV, Malawi
Most RPCVs wonder how life at
their site has changed since they left.
I’ve often dreamed of returning to
Malawi where I was a volunteer. The
dream came true last October 11 when
I once again set foot on Malawi soil.
Although Malawi has a new multi-
party government, I was pleased to
see that the citizens are still the same
friendly, outgoing and warm-hearted
people I knew seven years ago.
By the time our plane landed, I was
very excited. Prior to my departure, I
decided I would bring some scientific
calculators for my old school. After
mentioning this to some friends, they
encouraged me to send a letter to my
family and friends asking if they
wanted to donate money or items for
the school. By the time I left I
collected over $2700, which trans-
lated to 134 solar scientific calcula-
tors, 9 graphic calculators, 13 soccer/
volleyballs, a microscope, text books,
protractors, compasses and a variety
of office supplies.
The Blantyre airport had no other
planes on the ground. So we pulled
right in front of the terminal where I
could see about 200 spectators on the
“observation” roof of the building. As
I walked down the stairs from the
plane, I looked for familiar faces but
in all the excitement, I couldn’t see
anyone.
The first Malawian I greeted with a
“Mulibwanji” (How are you?) was the
passport control officer. He looked up
with a big smile when I greeted him in
Chichewa and responded “Ndilibwino,
kayainu?” (I am fine and you?). Next
I picked my bags off the luggage carts
and quickly chose the customs agent
who looked the youngest and the
friendliest. Once again I started with
“Mulibwanji ?” He replied in English
with a formal “I am fine. How much
do you wish to declare?”
I had written the value of my
luggage as $200. I explained that
everything was donated for Thyolo
Secondary School where I used to
teach. He said that I owed him 5000
kwatcha ($280) in customs fees. So I
started in on my story, hoping that he
would wear down first. And he did. I
got everything into the country
without paying any excess charges!
That meant that 100% of the money
donated would go toward school
supplies.
As I left customs, the first face I
saw was my good friend, Francis, a
fellow teacher from Thyolo. The first
thing he said was “Ah, you are so fat!”
This is Malawian for “you look
good.”
One of the greatest
rewards for me was
visiting my former stu-
dents who have now
become teachers.
I weighed only 130 lbs. when I left
Malawi, so indeed I had gained some
weight. Francis, like many Malawians,
had not aged in the least. He was the
same skinny friend with a big smile I
had missed for over seven years.
We picked up the Avis rental car
and I turned the wrong direction out
of the airport. I had forgotten the way
to town. I was very glad to have
Francis with me. I had thought so
often about returning to Malawi one
day and here I was actually living it. I
cannot describe how wonderful it felt
to be home again.
Thyolo Secondary School, my old
school, had been painted recently, so
it looked better than I remember. The
familiar sight of students hanging out
on their day off brought back many
memories. We first went to Francis’
house where I greeted his wife Grace
and son Yamakani, who was only two
years old when I had last seen him. I
also met their two daughters,
4
Chikonde and Chrissie, for the first
time. We spent a good part of the
afternoon talking about our lives for
the past seven years.
Soon the other teachers began to
come by to say hello. About a third of
the teachers I had worked with were
still there. It was great to see everyone
again and meet the new teachers. That
evening after a wonderful meal of
nsima, chicken and vegetables, we
went to the staff room to meet the
other teachers and the headmaster. I
was pleased to see that the staff room
still had signs and posters that I had
made seven years ago.
I spent a week at the school talking
to classes, visiting old friends and
enjoying the school life. Leah, the
current Peace Corps teacher at the
school, is also a good friend of
Francis and Grace and their family,
and we had lots of fun comparing
stories. The school’s population had
grown considerably from 500 to 800
students without any extra facilities or
teachers. Class size of most classes
had grown from 45 to 75. The new
government has said more students
need to be educated so they have
filled the classrooms to the brim.
When I was a volunteer, most of
my PCV friends knew I was gay. I had
been warned by the Malawian trainers
against coming out to the Malawian
teachers at my school. Culturally,
homosexuality is not accepted and is
invisible. As a result I never came out
to any Malawians. I’ve grown up a lot
since those years. I now have a lover
of seven years. I sing in the Gay
Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. My
closet door is WIDE open. But what
would happen now when I went back
to Malawi.
Although I talked with Francis
about my lover, Terry, I never felt
comfortable explaining that we were
more than just friends. Even all these
years later, there is no gay community
in Malawi. It’s still hard to be gay

there. The decency laws have recently
been changed and women can now
wear pants. So I guess gay rights will
take some time. As I traveled around
the country and met other volunteers,
I found it easy to come out and speak
openly about my life. I was surprised
that no one knew of any “out”
volunteers.
Education is still the key to
Malawians’ future. More educated
people mean a more productive
society. One of the greatest rewards
for me was visiting my former
students who have now become
teachers. Walking into their class-
rooms and seeing them sharing their
knowledge with others showed me
how life moves on and grows.
I still value my time in Malawi as
some of the best years of my life. Part
of me will always be in Malawi. Who
knows if I’ll ever come out to any of
my Malawian friends? Even if I don’t,
I will still treasure their friendship and
look forward to seeing them again.•
Carl Halverson, was a math
teacher in Malawi from 1988 - 90. He
can be reached by e-mail
carlhalverson@cheerful.com.
Newsletter Articles
We are always looking for
articles of interest to
RPCVs, PCVs in the field,
and lesbians, gay men and
bisexuals who are interested
in joining the Peace Corps.
Our editorial pen is light.
We want articles in your
voice about your experi-
ences. You can mail or
e-mail us your articles
lgbrpcv@geocities.com.
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 1998
1998 Membership Dues
A bright yellow dues solicitation sheet is enclosed with your newsletter if
your membership fee is due now. Use the table below to determine what action
to take regarding 1998 LGB RPCV membership dues.
If you are ... then...
a member of the LGB RPCVs and not please pay your dues now, using the
the National Peace Corps Association membership solicitation sent with this
(NPCA), and you have not yet paid your issue or the coupon on the last page
1998 dues of the newsletter.
a member of the National Peace Corps pay your dues when the NPCA
Association notifies you and be sure to designate
LGB RPCVs as your affiliate group.
We encourage everyone to join the
NPCA with the LGB RPCVs as you
designated affiliate.
currently a volunteer you receive the newsletter free of
charge and you need not send us any
dues, but please let us know when
you COS.
unable to pay dues at this time pay what you can afford or send
nothing, but let us know that you
want to remain on our mailing list.
unsure of your status or have other write our Membership Coordinator,
questions John Finn, at the address on the
back page, or e-mail him at
johnnfinn@aol.com.
Letter from Ghana...
Continued from page 3
profile of attitudes we have is anecdotal. And, from my experience, what people
say in public is often different from what they believe or what they do in
private.
I’m slowly rebuilding a gay identity here in Ghana - one based on activism
rather than relationship. Again from my experience, adults rarely if ever change
their minds. Change comes with the (often disempowered) youth. If I can open
the minds of the children I teach to new ideas - not necessarily in the hypersen-
sitive area of sexuality, but wherever - I’ll feel I’ve done my part for develop-
ment. After all development for me is not about money or infrastructure or
grand designs, but solidly about ideas. But sometimes I still wish my fellow
lesbian, gay and bisexual volunteers were not quite so far away.•
Joel Parthemore can be reached through Peace Corps Ghana, P.O.Box
5796, Accra - North, Ghana, West Africa.
5
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 1998

Regional Affiliates:
New England:
The New England group will dig
itself out of the snow early this spring
(winter has been hell, particularly in
Northern New England). We’ll get
together and discuss spring/summer
activities as well as gauge interest for
participation in June’s pride celebra-
tion in Boston. For information call
Brian Guse at 802-864-3789 or email:
bguse@together.net .
San Francisco Bay Area:
After a very well-attended and
enjoyable holiday party in early
December and another pleasant event
in Oakland’s Rockridge district in
January, the SF Bay Area LGB
RPCVs have a busy agenda of potluck
dinners, parties and hikes for 1998.
Thanks to all the people who have
agreed to host this full schedule of
events through the end of the year.
The next event is a potluck dinner on
Sunday, February 22. The topic of
discussion will be our participation in
June 1998’s LGBT Pride Festival. To
march or not to march is the question!
Details will be in our local newsletter.
Contact Wayne Hill for more informa-
tion on 415-695-RPCV or e-mail
wchill2rex@aol.com.
Seattle:
Nothing new to report. Looking for
someone to volunteer to host the next
get-together. To offer to host an event
or for other information e-mail Peter
Voeller at psv@u.washington.edu or
call (206) 632-6963.
Southern California:
Members of the Southern Califor-
nia group have been holding monthly
meetings and we had a nice holiday
party. Some of the local gay papers
are listing our meeting notices and
have offered to do a profile of the
group. We’re working on a profile to
submit.
We’re contacting the different
Southern California pride associations
so we can determine which festivals
(and possibly parades) we will
participate in. Since we have many
festivals in the area (Long Beach, Los
Angeles, Orange County, San Diego,
Claremont, Palm Springs), we need to
determine which ones we can staff and
afford. After we’ve determined this,
we’ll contact the Peace Corps office
in Los Angeles to coordinate our
efforts.
For information about plans and
events call Tom Duffy on 714-832-
7383 or email: thorne5352@aol.com.
Washington D.C.:
Terry Anderson (Liberia 1979-81),
one of the founding members of
Friends of Liberia, has volunteered to
be the Washington D.C. liaison and
member of the LGB RPCV Steering
Committee. He’ll schedule a get-
together at his place in Silver Spring
soon (date and information will be
sent to the D.C. members). Also mark
your calendars for the Cherry Blos-
som parade, April 11th, and the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Walk, May
3rd. Terry can be reached on 301-587-
5828 or email:
terryalan@mindspring.com.•

New Membership * Address Change Form

Name: New Member

Change of Address

Street:

City: State: Zip:

I would be happy to
Phone/Fax/E-mail:
speak with PC applicants

Country of Service: Years:

PC Project: Current Work:

Membership $15 for LGB RPCVs Only

$40 for LGB RPCV Plus the National Peace Corps Association

LGB RPCVs; PO Box 14332; San Francisco, CA 94114-4332

E-mail: lgbrpcv@geocities.com * http://www.geocities.com/~lgbrpcv
6