LGB RPCV NewsLetter - May 1999

In This Issue

X An RPCV Goes
Political
X Being a Mentor
X Letter from Romania

NewsLetter X Return to India

X Pride Events
X NPCA Conference
May 1999

T
he May issue begins with an interview of Atlanta City Council member,
Cathy Woolard. Suzanne Marks asks her about Peace Corps’ influence on
her life and political career. Anna Roche writes about her experiences as a
mentor for lesbian and gay Peace Corps applicants. Tudor Kovacs writes to us from
Romania. After thinking about it for years, Joe Eckberg goes back to India. News of
Pride events and the NPCA conference in Minneapolis in August.

Reaching Out and Bringing In

As early summer arrives, so does
Gay Pride season. Once again lesbian,
gay and bisexual RPCVs will be
involved in a wide array of Pride
events around the country: parades,
festivals, AIDS rides and walks, panel
discussions, arts and film festivals,
parties, and social gatherings. And
once again, Peace Corps will be at
many of these events providing
recruiting and other information.
We’ll have the opportunity to reach
out as former Peace Corps volunteers
to the women and men of our commu-
nity who are curious about the Peace
Corps experience, wondering if it’s
right for them. We’re an extraordinar-
ily rich resource for Peace Corps
assignments, and Peace Corps has
come to realize that.
Peace Corps’ budget is growing
again, and it’s actively recruiting for a
wide range of skills and projects. It’s a
perfect time for gay men and women
to learn more about Peace Corps
opportunities, and to consider taking
part in this unique experience. There’s
information about Pride and related
events in this issue.
Speaking of reaching out, two
recent messages, “out of the blue” and
from different parts of the world,
illustrate the way our web site
“It’s a perfect time for
gay men and women to
learn more about Peace
Corps opportunities, and
to consider taking part in
this unique experience. ”
“reaches out” to the world. About a
month ago Tudor Kovacs, a gay man
in Romania who also works for Peace
Corps as a language instructor during
volunteer training, discovered our web
site and contacted us. He told us about
his life and what’s going on with
human rights in Romania. This cyber
connection has resulted in an article
by Tudor about life in Romania and
how Peace Corps has affected his life.
A couple of weeks later, Roberto from
Central America e-mailed to tell us
that he also had discovered our web
site. He described how contact with
gay Peace Corps volunteers had
positively influenced his life by
helping him cope with his sexuality in
a homophobic culture. He told us that
he is happily committed in a long-
term gay relationship today, which
wouldn’t have happened if he had not
met these Peace Corps friends. He
concluded with, “I just want to
congratulate you all for a great job
and the great people you are.” The
Internet is everywhere and thanks to
our Webmaster, Kevin Souza, we’re
out there on it.
This issue begins with an interview
with Atlanta lesbian politician and
RPCV, Cathy Woolard. The Peace
Corps experience has encouraged
many to take on political and leader-
ship roles. In another article Anna
Roche describes her experiences as a
mentor in LGB RPCV’s Mentor
Program and writes about the ques-
tions she’s asked. Joe Eckberg was so
spurred on by articles in recent
newsletters by RPCVs describing their
return to their volunteer sites that he
got moving and went back to India
where he served twenty-seven years
ago. He tells us what it was like. •

1
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - May 1999
An RPCV Politician
Cathy Woolard joined the Atlanta
City Council last year as the first
openly gay candidate to be elected to
public office in Georgia. And,
surprise, surprise, she just happens to
be an RPCV. Cathy served in Truk,
Micronesia from 1980 to 1982,
working as a counselor and promoting
recreational activities for high school
students. Possibly, the same courage
that prompted her to join the Peace
Corps led her to seek political office
without hiding her identity. But, is she
a lesbian politician, an RPCV
politician, an RPCV lesbian politician,
or none of the above? In a recent
showdown with the Mayor of Atlanta
over budgeting for community
development, she firmly sided with
the constituents of the district that she
represents, despite a ploy by the
Mayor to make it appear she was
going against her lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
constituents. She continues to
command the respect and support of
Atlanta’s LGBT community. I was
lucky to have the opportunity to
interview her for the LGBRPCV
newsletter.
SM: Tell me about your back-
ground, where you grew up, went to
school, etc.
CW: I was born in Georgia, but
also lived in Guam, Texas, Germany,
and Washington, DC because my dad
was in the Air Force. I graduated from
high school in Northern Virginia. I
went to Berry College and then to the
University of Georgia, where I
graduated with a BA in psychology.
SM: What made you decide to join
the Peace Corps?
CW: I decided to join the Peace
Corps when I was in junior high
school. We lived in Germany, where
one of our neighbors was a photogra-
pher for National Geographic. He and
his wife, who were in Nepal for a few
years working on a story, sent very
exciting and beautiful pictures home
to be developed and safeguarded. I
- by Suzanne Marks, RPCV
thought Joel and Anna were very
exotic and adventurous. I wanted to be
just like them. Joining the Peace
Corps was one way to go to very
remote places to live and work.
SM: Why didn’t you join the
military, like your father?
CW: I was aware of the military
policy of discrimination based on
sexual orientation. I was also rather
non-compliant with virtually any type
of regimentation, so I figured I would
be a better candidate for the Peace
Corps rather than the military.
SM: Did you think of Peace Corps
as preparation for a political career
prior to joining?
I think Peace Corps
gave me a lot of self-
confidence in my ability
to deal with different
kinds of people and to
see different perspec-
tives—cultural sensitiv-
ity, if you will.
CW: No. I thought of Peace Corps
as preparation for a career in interna-
tional economic development. I was
very focused on that as a career goal.
SM: What happened to your career
plans in international economic
development?
CW: I went to the School of
International Affairs at the University
of Denver for a master’s degree in
economic development and completed
nearly all the requirements. I returned
to Atlanta to finish the degree, but
never did. I became involved in gay
politics and the rest is history.
SM: Tell me how similar or
dissimilar your Peace Corps job was
to your current position on the Atlanta
City Council. Were there any lessons
learned from your Peace Corps
experience that you can or have
2
applied to development work in the
US?
CW: I don’t really see any similari-
ties, but I was just out of college when
I was in the Peace Corps and have
grown a lot since then. I think Peace
Corps gave me a lot of self-confi-
dence in my ability to deal with
different kinds of people and to see
different perspectives—cultural
sensitivity, if you will. Perhaps I do
use insight gained from my Peace
Corps experience more than I thought.
SM: Were you “out” as a PCV?
CW: I wasn’t at first. I was on a
small island with about a dozen PCVs.
I feared that some would reject me. It
was a lonely place, even if everyone
accepted me. Later on, I did come out
to some people, which was fine.
SM: As you may know, Peace
Corps has had a policy since 1993
prohibiting discrimination against
employees on the basis of sexual
orientation. What would have made it
easier for you to be “out” to more
people as a PCV?
CW: Having that policy in place
would have helped somewhat. Having
Peace Corps staff talk about gay
issues during the screening process
and in training would have made it
safer for me to ask questions about my
country and would have alleviated my
fears of being terminated if I were
“outed.”
SM: Do you feel that all PCVs
should be able to be “out” at their
Peace Corps posts?
CW:: I think that all PCVs have to
develop a keen awareness of the
culture in which they live to determine
what is appropriate. I was aware of
lesbian and gay Micronesians and, in
fact, came out to some gay
Micronesian men who had spent time
in the US. I did not come out to any
women I suspected of being gay
because they were students. Also, I
felt coming out might be disruptive to
my role in the community, since I
lived on a remote island. I never felt it

was my role to stand out anymore than
I already did as a PCV.
SM: Would you join the Peace
Corps again?
CW: I may join again
in my retirement years,
if my partner will also
go.
SM: How has being
an “out” lesbian
influenced your
relationship with others
on the Council and your
perceived job perfor-
mance?
CW: There have
been occasional awkward moments,
but I feel I’m accepted and respected
for being a capable and well-prepared
Council member.
SM: Have you ever experienced
any discrimination in your current or
past jobs?
CW: I think that I was denied job
interviews because of my prior work
with the Human Rights Campaign. For
one position, I know that my sexual
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
published quarterly by the Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual RPCV Organization, an
affiliate of the National Peace Corps
Association. We exist to promote
Peace Corps ideals and acceptance of
gays and lesbians throughout the
world. Submission of articles or
graphics to be published in the
newsletter is encouraged. The right to
use or edit materials remains with the
editor. Copyright remains with the
author. Send submissions or inquires
to the above address or e-mail.
orientation was heavily discussed
before a job offer was made. Dis-
crimination against gay people is
alive and well in America.
SM: I understand that
you are an advocate for
hate crimes prevention
and employment
nondiscrimination
legislation. How
important will these laws
be to LGBT civil rights?
CW: I think they are
very important, espe-
cially on the federal
level. We still have not
passed federal legislation protecting
us from discrimination. These are
important milestones for us as a
community and we should stay
focused on achieving these goals,
even if things seem so much better
than they did just a few years ago.
SM: What advice do you have for
current PCVs who have political
aspirations?
CW: You can’t win if you don’t
run. I’ve very much enjoyed my time
NPCA Conference - August 13-15,
St. Paul, Minnesota - We’ll Be There
Every two years the National Peace
Corps Association (NPCA), the Peace
Corps’ official alumni association,
holds a big get-together. We’ve been
at the last four conferences, and on the
last two occasions hosted great
parties. We’re going to do it again this
year. Charlie Rounds, one of our
members and the president of RSVP
Productions in Minneapolis, is hosting
a reception between 5:00 and 7:00 on
Friday evening the 13th (Friday the
13th?) near the Conference site. We’re
still planning the details. We’re also
planning an Information Table at the
Conference’s Grand Bazaar. We did
this at the conferences in Austin in ‘95
and San Diego in ‘97. These were
3
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - May 1999
on the City Council and encourage
anyone with political aspirations to
become involved in whatever issues
about which you feel passionate. I
also encourage you to take advantage
of any opportunities for responsibility
and for project leadership so you can
gain experience and perspective when
the right time comes for you to enter
politics.
SM: What are your future political
aspirations?
CW: I plan to do a great job as an
Atlanta City Council member.
SM: How can RPCVs help you
achieve your goals?
CW: Vote. Work in campaigns.
Move to District 6. (Not necessarily in
that order).
If you would like to contact Cathy,
please email her at
cwoolard@atlanta.org. •
Suzanne Marks served in Togo
from 1983 - 1985. She is our South-
east Representative and can be
reached on sqm3@cdc.gov.
very successful events, and we’re
ready to do it again.
There is still a lot of planning to be
done. We’re looking for people
coming to the conference and those
living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul
areas to help staff the information
table, and of course we’re looking for
mobs of Peace Corps people to come
to our party.
If you’d like to help out, call or e-
mail Mike Learned, (415) 564-5998
or 103571.2317@compuserve.com.
Access our web site after July 1
and we’ll have updated news about
events at the conference. We want to
see you there. •
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - May 1999
Why Being a Mentor is Important - by Anna Roche
A very good friend of mine once
said, “There have been two major
events in my life, (1) coming out and
(2) my Peace Corps experience.” As
luck would have it, I experienced both
of those events simultaneously. During
my experience, not only was I dealing
with a new language, a different culture,
and various health problems, but I was
also discovering my sexuality. Certainly
I had questioned my sexuality prior to
Peace Corps, but this new reality forced
me to question many things about my
capabilities and myself. Could I finish
these two years? Could I learn another
language? Could I be a part of a
community even though I was a
foreigner? Could I do something
positive for the community in which I
had been placed? Could I be who I
wanted to be? All of these questions
and challenges were like the nourish-
ment necessary for growth. I grew a lot
during those two years and encourage
others to consider trying Peace Corps
for those same reasons.
Upon returning to the states, San
Francisco became my new home (from
Pennsylvania) and being gay became a
part of my identity. However, I knew
that I didn’t want the experience that I
had had overseas to end. Sharing my
experience was very important and
becoming part of a Returned Peace
Corps Volunteer group was the best
way for me to accomplish that goal.
Last year was my first meeting with
the LGBRPCV group. Since that time I
have become an active member.
Promoting my Peace Corps experience,
re-living it, and sharing it with others
who are considering trying it has been
very rewarding. It has allowed me to
bring my experience home and
encourage others to make that same
commitment.
Organizing the Peace Corps
information booth for Gay Pride was
my first official duty with the group. It
was really exciting to talk to Peace
Corps hopefuls about their fears,
expectations, and perceptions of the
Peace Corps experience. I also traveled
to UC Santa Cruz to discuss my
experience with college students and I
serve as a Mentor, which allows
interested men and women to contact
me to hear about my experience in the
Dominican Republic (94-96).
I find that most people don’t really
know what a Peace Corps assignment is
all about, but they get excited just
talking about the possibility. “What was
it like?” is the most common question
(after “Where were you?”). There is no
easy way to explain it. How can one
sum up two years of what I considered
an entirely different world? There are
Because it was such a
powerful event in my
life it is important for
me to share my experi-
ence...
so many distinct aspects to Peace Corps
life. There are the relationships with
other volunteers, the native people,
friends and family back home, and with
yourself. All of these relationships grew
and transformed as I grew and trans-
formed. Everyday was a challenge and
a learning experience. The person I was
when I left was not the person who
came home nearly two and a half years
later.
“Did you like your experience?” has
to be the second most asked question.
Again, that is not so easy to answer.
Overall it is a resounding yes, but I
don’t want to give people a false
impression. Peace Corps was wonderful
in various ways, but many situations
were difficult. Dealing with different
cultures, lifestyles, and language(s)
[some countries have more than one
language] makes everyday simple tasks
quite a bit more complex. How one
manages those differences is what
shapes your experience.
“What was it like to be gay in the
4
Dominican Republic?” is always an
important question for people involved
with this particular group. My personal
experience was somewhat limited since
I was discovering that part of myself,
but the capital certainly had gay
culture...albeit underground. Latino
cultures are not very accepting of
homosexuality, but it exists there like it
does in every corner of the world.
Being gay in many cultures is not easy,
but it is manageable if one is willing to
concentrate on all the other facets of
being a Peace Corps volunteer.
“Would you make the same decision
to go again if you could go back
knowing what it was like?” This one is
always the easiest question since the
answer is a simple yes. Peace Corps
was indeed one of the most powerful
experiences of my life. Not a day
passes that I am not reminded of my
two years in the Peace Corps. It had
such a powerful affect on me and on
how I view life.
Because it was such a powerful
event in my life, it is important for me
to share my experience and encourage
others to set off on this incredible
experience. Being a Mentor for the
group allows me to do this. Most
interested people don’t really know
what to expect. All they seem to be sure
of is that it will be an adventure. An
adventure it is and it is exhilarating to
discuss my experience with those who
are truly interested. It evokes excite-
ment on both sides. Everyone should
have such an adventure in their lives.
The world is a big place that offers so
much diversity. We must not be afraid
to step outside our familiar boundaries
and experience life through the eyes of
another culture. •
Steering Committee member, Anna
Roche served in the Dominican
Republic from 1994 - 1996. She can be
reached at [anna_roche@yahoo.com].

Peace Corps Romania and Me
Peace Corps Romania is indeed
about change. Besides all the big
meaning given to this commonplace
utterance, I have changed a lot since I
met Peace Corps.
I have worked as a language
instructor during the last two in-
country training sessions for new
volunteers and I will be there for a
third. I had had a few years experi-
ence teaching adults and I know its
not only about teaching. Considering
the special situation of the American
trainees, a language instructor is a
confidant, shrink, friend, teacher,
fortune-teller and professional liar.
After becoming very close friends
with many trainees, I realized that
coming out to American people is
essentially different from coming out
to my own folk. After having become
more and more involved with the gay
rights group in Romania, I felt
comfortable enough to try to set up a
cross-cultural session on LGBT issues
in Romania. To my surprise, none of
my Romanian colleagues on the
training staff objected (this shows
other depths of the change I first
mentioned). What’s more, I received a
lot of support from my direct supervi-
sor, the language coordinator and
members of the Peace Corps staff.
The speaker at the session was a close
friend from ACCEPT, the Romanian
gay rights group here in Bucharest.
Not only did the trainees attend with
great interest, but they also came up
with some valuable lobbying sugges-
tions. Some time before this, one of
the trainees and I tried to organize a
GLB evening. It wasn’t that success-
ful, but I hope it’ll get better this
coming training.
When the Peace Corps training
started, I was already a member of
ACCEPT. Since then I have also
worked as the editor of ACCEPT’s
monthly newsletter. There are some
Peace Corps volunteers who receive
the newsletter at their sites. ACCEPT
is a human rights non-governmental
organization that fights for the rights
of sexual minorities in Romania. We
are a human rights organization
because all forms of association of gay
people are still banned by law. This is
why one may say that some of the
activities we support are actually
illegal. The Dutch government,
through Program Matra, finances our
organization. ACCEPT is acting for
the repeal of Article 200 of the
Criminal Code that impedes gays from
attaining their political and human
rights. In addition to publishing our
monthly newsletter, we’re setting up a
documentation center. We also run two
weekly informal get-togethers at our
Safe House.
After becoming very
close friends with many
trainees, I realized that
coming out to Ameri-
can people is essentially
different from coming
out to my own folk.
The greatest concern for gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered
Romanians is the current version of
Article 200 of the Penal Code. It
states, among other things, that same-
sex relations are punished if perpe-
trated in public or if they produce
“public scandal.” By Romanian law,
“public” is your own personal flat if
someone peeps through the curtains
from the building across the street. In
the same tone, “public scandal” is
nowhere defined in Romanian law, so
it can mean everything, and it was
actually shown to mean everything by
the report of Human Rights Watch and
the International Gay and Lesbian
Human Rights Commission
(IGLHRC). ACCEPT has published
this report and distributed it to
government bodies in Romania. By
5
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - May 1999
- by Tudor Kovacs
virtue of the same article, any form or
association or proselytism by gay
people is punishable under the law.
As for ordinary Romanian people,
many support these laws that their
elective representatives pass. It is only
the young generation in more urban
communities, and people who have
been exposed to the ideas of human
rights that are more liberal and
accepting.
By comparison the situation is
different in other parts of Central
Europe. Gay people walk hand in
hand in the center of Prague. Hungary
decriminalized homosexuality years
ago. The gay bar in Sofia, Bulgaria, is
famous. We have our underground gay
life in Romania—don’t worry. But,
the concept of “gay-friendly” in the
States is not the same as in Romania.
Many volunteers here in Romania
know that. I can’t remember how
many of them came to me and said a
simple and treasureable “keep up the
fight.”•
Tudor Kovacs can be reached by
email on tudork@hotmail.com.
ACCEPT can be reached at
accept@fx.ro. Thier web site is at
http://accept.ong.ro/. Other resources
on the Gay and Lesbian community in
Romania can be found on Romanian
LesBiGay on the Internet at http://
www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/
1811 and Romania Action for Gay
Men, Lesbians and Bisexuals at
http://www.raglb.org.uk/.
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - May 1999
A Return to India
During 1998 I read many stories in
this newsletter by former volunteers
describing their experiences and the
emotions they felt when they went
back to visit their Peace Corps sites.
These articles strengthened my
resolve and spurred me on to go back
to India where I served as a volunteer
in the late 60s and early 70s. I had
thought about returning to Madras in
Southern India for years, but had
always postponed the trip for one
reason or another. Finally late last
year, I decided to go.
When I went into the Peace Corps,
I was very much in the closet. I would
not admit, even to myself, that I was
queer. I played the straight role during
my tour. After completing my
assignment I had trouble readjusting
to American Society. With the passage
of time and some good therapy I not
only reentered life here, but later flew
out of the closet with gusto, “mar-
ried,” and settled down to middle-
class gay life.
Over the years I kept up a steady
correspondence with the Indian
friends I had worked with. Later these
friends started asking when I planned
to return for a visit. When I decided to
return, a great debate raged within me
about how much I should reveal of my
personal life. I decided to just let
things happen, and if there were
opportunities, I would share my gay
life with them, particularly with my
closest Indian friend.
This special friend was one of the
employees at the food cooperative
where I was assigned. We had hit if
off when we first met. After we got to
know each other and become good
friends, P.L. took me home to his
“native place” (his village), where I
was introduced to rural Indian life.
Because of my Italian heritage and
appearance, I was able to pass as an
Indian from the north. We were full of
adventure back then. P.L. covered for
me so that I was able to enter temples
where only Hindus were allowed. He
- by Joe Eckberg
helped me in other ways as well. I was
slow in picking up the local language,
Tamil, so he would act as my transla-
tor when I needed help.
Because of this friendship I was
able to experience much more of India
than I would have on my own. When I
planned to visit Varanasi (also called
Benares) which is the holiest of Hindu
places, I paid his expenses to accom-
pany me. In return he acted as my
translator, tour guide and traveling
Memories came as a
flood. I began to re-
member the Tamil
language and use it...
companion. One of the most moving
experiences during my stay in India
took place during this trip. Varanasi is
on the River Ganges. As P.L. and I
arrived at the steps leading down into
the river, he underwent a religious
ecstasy. I stepped aside and watched
as he entered the river and began to
purify himself. I sat in a state of
fascination as I watched him and the
other pilgrims perform their ablutions.
I am still moved by the memory of
that sight.
I brought several gifts with me that
P.L. and his family had requested.
After a four-day holiday in Bali to rest
up and prepare for what I knew would
be an emotional encounter, I arrived
in Madras. I was very warmly greeted
by my friend, his family and other
friends, and checked into my hotel. It
was the week before Diwali, which is
a feast day that closely resembles our
Christmas season. Families exchange
gifts. I was prepared.
Many years ago P.L. married a
woman from his caste. It was an
arranged marriage. He and Yasothai
did not meet until the day before the
wedding. They now have a fourteen-
year-old son. The three live in an
6
apartment that is one small room that
serves as kitchen, bedroom and living
room. The toilet is in a separate area
and is shared by five other families.
Water comes from a well in the inner
courtyard. This is also where all the
tenants bathe.
India is a land of extreme contra-
dictions: rich and poor, beauty and
ugliness, hot and cold, and generous
to a fault and completely indifferent to
suffering and death. My observation is
that India suffers from a split person-
ality. One foot is in its rich cultural
past, the other in the twentieth
century. Women in saris staff modern
computers. Trucks and oxen battle
with water buffalo driven oxcarts on
main roads. Superstition and rigid
rules of behavior exist side by side
with modern science and the ability to
explode an atomic bomb.
During my ten-day stay, we went to
all the places where I worked and
played. In the last twenty-seven years,
there was not much change in the
infrastructure. The city is more
crowded, polluted, and noisy. Memo-
ries came as a flood. I began to
remember the Tamil language and use
it, much to the amusement of the
Indians we met at various social
gatherings.
Many times I was asked why I did
not marry. I replied that I was in a
long-term relationship. But then I was
asked “who will take care of you in
your old age?” To an Indian this is a
very important question, because the
older generation depends on their
offspring to provide for them. We
talked a bit about this, but there were
no more questions about my private
life. In truth I did not talk about my
sexuality. What was the point? They
had accepted me for who I was. My
sexual life was as private as theirs.
Life for most of them was just getting
through the day.
It seems to me that my friend has a
difficult life with lots of struggles. I
am very concerned about his health.

India...
He talks about an early death so that
he can get out of the nightmare of life
he lives. Over the years, he sent so
many letters begging me to work some
magic so he could come to the U.S.
One day we went to an ATM machine
and I used my credit card to withdraw
rupees so that he could buy clothes for
himself and his family. P.L. stood and
looked at the machine in shock as the
money poured out. He whispered to
me asking if there was a person
behind the machine counting the
money. He could not believe how
issuing money without someone in
authority counting it out was possible.
The experiences of my gift giving
say so much about what life is like in
India. One of the gifts I brought with
me was a necklace for Yasothai. A
few days after I gave it to her, P.L.
informed me that she could not wear it
because the chain was silver and her
caste only wears gold. I found out
after I had returned to the States that
this and most of the other gifts I’d left
with them had been stolen.
As my day of departure came
closer, my friend and his family
wanted me to extend my stay, but I
was ready to go. Most of the romantic
images I had carried of India since I
left had dissipated during my short
visit. I told my friends that if their son
earns good grades in high school and
is admitted to a school of higher
education, I would help with his
tuition. Even though we will write and
stay connected, I now have no desire
to return again, but I’m so glad I went
back. It was something I’d thought
about for so long. Now it’s settled,
accomplished. I feel closure about this
part of my life.•
Joe Eckberg served in India in the
early 1970’s. He can be reached by
e-mail on jeckberg@concentric.net.
Pride Events - 1999
Over the last three years, Regional
Peace Corps offices have had infor-
mation/recruiting tables at Gay Pride
events around the country. LGB
RPCV members have helped staff
these tables. This is what we know so
far about what’s happening in 1999.
Atlanta: Peace Corps will have a
recruiting/information table at Atlanta
Parade and Festival June 26 and 27.
Peace Corps is sharing a table with
CDC GLOBE. A recruiter from the
CDC (Center for Disease Control)
will also be there on Sunday -
recruiters from two federal agencies.
Suzanne Marks and other local
RPCVs will help staff the table. We’re
looking for more RPCVs to help with
staffing the table and to attend a get-
together. Suzanne is planning a dinner
on the Saturday evening. There’ll be a
sign and information about location at
the Peace Corps table. She can be
reached on (404) 624-3469 or by e-
mail: sqm3@cdc.gov.
New York: The New York Peace
Corps office will be involved in New
York Pride events. Recruiter Robert
Greenan (Russian Far East, 95-97) is
heading up recruiting/information
efforts. There is the possibility of a
panel discussion of RPCVs at the Gay
Community Service Center during
Pride Week. Robert can be reached at
the New York City Peace Corps office
or by e-mail:
rgreenan@mailserver.peacecorps.gov
AIDS Rides and Walks
We’ve all been reading about the
decrease in funding from corpora-
tions, foundations, and government
agencies for AIDS related programs.
Because of the successes of the new
drug therapies and the reduction of
AIDS-related death rates, the imme-
diacy of the AIDS crisis is receding
from view. But AIDS continues to
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - May 1999
San Francisco: The Bay Area
affiliate of LGB RPCVs is going to do
something different this year - march
as a group in the low-key Santa Cruz
Pride Parade on June 6. Bill Erdmann
will again host a pre-parade (San
Francisco Pride Parade) barbecue on
June 26 on his deck in the Castro. The
San Francisco Peace Corps office will
have a recruiting/information table at
the Pride Festival in Civic Center on
June 26 and 27, and local RPCV
members will help staff. Contact
Wayne Hill for more information.
Phone: (415) 695-RPCV or email:
wchill2rex@aol.com.
Southern California: LGB
RPCV’s Southern California affiliate
is planning involvement at Pride
events in Los Angeles and San Diego
this summer and next fall in Palm
Springs. Contact Tom Duffy for more
information. Phone (714) 836-8261 or
e-mail: thorne5352@aol.com.
Washington, D.C.: The D.C. LGB
RPCV affiliate plans a parade
contingent with Peace Corps’ employ-
ees on Sunday June 13. A social event
is being planned for the evening
before, Saturday June 12. Contact
Dennis Gilligan at (202) 332-1114 or
e-mail: dhgilligan@aol.com.
Watch our web site for the most
current news and contacts:
http://www.geocities.com/~lgbrpcv.•
spread, devastate peoples’ lives, and
kill. Early summer has been the
traditional time each year for AIDS
bike rides and walks around the
country. Support our sisters and
brothers who are participating in
these important events. Contribute to
their efforts. The end of this night-
mare is not yet in sight. •