by Donalevan Maines
Chastity Bono (nka Chas) identified as a lesbian, telling OutSmart that at 13, seeing the movie Personal Best, “all the bells and whistles went off in my head.” “It’s amazing that a movie can do that,” replied interviewer Blase DiStefano. Bono was in Houston to speak to Lesbians in Business (LiB) and promote her work with the Human Rights Campaign. • The 1996 Houston Black Tie Dinner celebrated “unity, equality, and community,” with dinner, dancing, and a silent auction that benefitted 12 local nonprofit organizations and the Victory Fund. • Kim Sevier and Sue Ulu starred in Dos Lesbos, a comedy revue, at The Lovett Inn. • The Little Room Downstairs hosted the world premiere of Wilde Rush, pitting Oscar Wilde against Rush Lambaugh “in a fictional debate that touches everything from poverty and socialism to feminism, morality, and, of course, the love that dare not speak its name.” • Resurrection MCC introduced new senior pastor Rev. Dwayne Johnson. • Let Freedom Ring warned that candidates who were secretly members of the Christian Coalition were running for school boards and the State Board of Education without apprising voters of their bigotry-driven agenda to allow fundamentalist Christian control of public schools. • “OutRight” columnist Dale Carpenter touted four Republican Party candidates he identified as “non-homophobic.” They were Dolly Madison McKenna, Sergio Revino, Jeff Pynes, and Chris LaRue. He noted that LaRue screened with Log Cabin-Houston in the Republican Party primary, and received the group’s recommendation for State Representative, District 137. However, the Houston Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus Political Action Committee endorsed LaRue’s opponent, Debra Danburg, in the general election. • Some readers were relieved to find Joseph Molina getting back to the future with the return of his astrology forecast, “OutLook,” after a brief hiatus. • And two dozen boldface-types weighed in on how they thought presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Bob Dole should dress for Halloween. Some suggestions for Clinton were Mattress Mac, Ralph Cramden, the Cowardly Lion, Elvis, and the Artful Dodger. Advice for Dole ran the gamut from Little Lord Fauntleroy, Captain Hook, and Count Dracula to Phyllis Schlafly, Carmen Miranda, and a pineapple.
Donalevan Maines is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine.
