Monthly Archives: September 2007

DIFFA gives grants to 18 groups

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By Staff Reports

The Dallas chapter of the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS recently presented grants to 18 AIDS service organizations in North Texas.

Greg Haynes Johnson, chairman of the DIFFA/Dallas Board of Trustees, said the number of organizations receiving grants has risen steadily since 1988, when DIFFA/Dallas began. That increase, he said, is due in part to federal cutbacks in funding.

He said that the success of DIFFA/Dallas’ popular, long-time event, the annual Jacket Collection show and auction, and a newer event, Dining By Design, allowed his organization this year to “grant even more money to supplement these organizations that make such an incredible difference in the lives of those living with HIV and AIDS.”

He added, “We recognize and thank all of our volunteers and sponsors that made these grants possible.”

AIDS service organizations receiving grants included AIDS Arms, White Rock Friends, Legacy Counseling, AIDS Services of Dallas, AIDS Services of North Texas, AIDS Interfaith Network, Resource Center of Dallas, AIDS Resources of Rural Texas, Sister’s Gift, AIDS Outreach Center, Tyler AIDS Services, Dallas Legal Hospice, Tarrant County AIDS Interfaith, JPS Partners Together for Health foundation, Children’s Medical Center, Catholic Charities of Fort Worth, Urban League and Bryan’s House.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 28, 2007

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Deaths

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Andre “Rip” Corley of Whitesboro, Texas, died of heart failure at his home on Sept. 22.

Corley was born Nov. 15, 1946, in Lubbock and grew up in Hereford, Texas, before graduating from high school in Rocky Ford, Colo. He received his bachelor of science degree in nursing from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo., and then moved to Dallas where he worked as a nurse and EMT. He was awarded the Citizen’s Merit Award by the Dallas Police Department in 1972 for voluntarily working to save the life of a police office injured in an accident in the line of duty.

Corley later received his master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington, began a private practice and published “The Final Closet: The Gay Parents’ Guide to Coming Out to Their Children.”

He was a founding member of the Cathedral of Hope and served on the church’s board of directors for several years.

Corley also began a specialized program, with his sister Deborah, for addiction treatment in psychiatric hospitals. In 1996 he and his sister opened Sante Center for Healing, a residential treatment center in Argyle, Texas.

Corley enjoyed cooking and gardening, and was working on his second book.
He is survived by his life partner of 32 years, George W. Straw Jr. of Whitesboro; his mother and father, Marvel E. and Clifton D. Corley of Whitesboro; his brother, Clifton D. Corley Jr. of Lamar, Colo.; and his sister, Deborah Corley of Little Elm, Texas.

A memorial service for friends and family will be held at Cathedral of Hope, 5910 Cedar Springs Road in Dallas at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30. Memorials may be made in Corley’s name to the Hope for Peace and Justice Ministries, Cathedral of Hope, P. O. Box 35466, Dallas, TX. 75235.

Arrangements are under the direction of Huff Funeral Home in Whitesboro.



Jerry “Scott” Lawson, 38, died on Aug. 23 in Church Hill, Tenn., where he had lived since leaving Dallas in 2001.

Lawson lived in Dallas for a more than a decade in the 1990s. He returned to his home state in 2001 where he was the operator of Premier Hair Salon for many years.

Lawson was born on March 16, 1969, in Sullivan County, Tenn. He attended Liberty University and the University of Tennessee.

He is survived by his mother, Jackie Wallace Lawson, who was by his side when he died. He is also survived by his father, Jerry E. Lawson; stepmother, Gail Lawson; three sisters, a brother and his friends and family in Dallas, including his beloved “Aunt Madge.”

A memorial service was held in Tennessee.

Memorials can be made to any Humane Society in his name.

Patrick Louis Kurtz, 51, a native of Victoria, Texas, died at his home in Dallas in the early morning hours of Sept. 20.

Kurtz was born April 17, 1956 to Edward and Gussie Opela Kurtz. He was a graduate of St. Joseph High School in Victoria where he lived for the first 30 years of his life before moving to Dallas, where he worked as an interior designer and horticulturalist. He had a love of beautiful things and of nature. He was fiercely loyal to his countless friends and generous to a fault, and he will be missed by those who knew and loved him.

He is survived by his parents; his sister, Jeanette Kurtz Henke, and her husband, Bob, of Hallettsville Texas; and his long-time companion, partner and loving friend, Bruce Wiggs of Dallas.

Services are being handled by Forest Lawn Funeral Home, 3204 Fairmount St., in Dallas (telephone: 214-953-0363, online at www.dallasforestlawn.com).

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 28, 2007

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Deaths

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Andre “Rip” Corley of Whitesboro, Texas, died of heart failure at his home on Sept. 22.

Corley was born Nov. 15, 1946, in Lubbock and grew up in Hereford, Texas, before graduating from high school in Rocky Ford, Colo. He received his bachelor of science degree in nursing from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo., and then moved to Dallas where he worked as a nurse and EMT. He was awarded the Citizen’s Merit Award by the Dallas Police Department in 1972 for voluntarily working to save the life of a police office injured in an accident in the line of duty.

Corley later received his master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington, began a private practice and published “The Final Closet: The Gay Parents’ Guide to Coming Out to Their Children.”

He was a founding member of the Cathedral of Hope and served on the church’s board of directors for several years.

Corley also began a specialized program, with his sister Deborah, for addiction treatment in psychiatric hospitals. In 1996 he and his sister opened Sante Center for Healing, a residential treatment center in Argyle, Texas.

Corley enjoyed cooking and gardening, and was working on his second book.
He is survived by his life partner of 32 years, George W. Straw Jr. of Whitesboro; his mother and father, Marvel E. and Clifton D. Corley of Whitesboro; his brother, Clifton D. Corley Jr. of Lamar, Colo.; and his sister, Deborah Corley of Little Elm, Texas.

A memorial service for friends and family will be held at Cathedral of Hope, 5910 Cedar Springs Road in Dallas at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30. Memorials may be made in Corley’s name to the Hope for Peace and Justice Ministries, Cathedral of Hope, P. O. Box 35466, Dallas, TX. 75235.

Arrangements are under the direction of Huff Funeral Home in Whitesboro.

Jerry “Scott” Lawson, 38, died on Aug. 23 in Church Hill, Tenn., where he had lived since leaving Dallas in 2001.

Lawson lived in Dallas for a more than a decade in the 1990s. He returned to his home state in 2001 where he was the operator of Premier Hair Salon for many years.

Lawson was born on March 16, 1969, in Sullivan County, Tenn. He attended Liberty University and the University of Tennessee.

He is survived by his mother, Jackie Wallace Lawson, who was by his side when he died. He is also survived by his father, Jerry E. Lawson; stepmother, Gail Lawson; three sisters, a brother and his friends and family in Dallas, including his beloved “Aunt Madge.”

A memorial service was held in Tennessee.

Memorials can be made to any Humane Society in his name.

Patrick Louis Kurtz, 51, a native of Victoria, Texas, died at his home in Dallas in the early morning hours of Sept. 20.

Kurtz was born April 17, 1956 to Edward and Gussie Opela Kurtz. He was a graduate of St. Joseph High School in Victoria where he lived for the first 30 years of his life before moving to Dallas, where he worked as an interior designer and horticulturalist. He had a love of beautiful things and of nature. He was fiercely loyal to his countless friends and generous to a fault, and he will be missed by those who knew and loved him.

He is survived by his parents; his sister, Jeanette Kurtz Henke, and her husband, Bob, of Hallettsville Texas; and his long-time companion, partner and loving friend, Bruce Wiggs of Dallas.

Services are being handled by Forest Lawn Funeral Home, 3204 Fairmount St., in Dallas (telephone: 214-953-0363, online at www.dallasforestlawn.com).

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 28, 2007

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Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS to kick off 7th annual festival

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By Staff Reports

Participants in the seventh annual Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS are scheduled to set off Saturday morning, Sept. 29, on a 150-mile-plus trek around North Texas to raise money for three Metroplex area AIDS service organizations.

The Resource Center of Dallas, AIDS Services of Dallas and the Tarrant County AIDS Outreach Center are the beneficiaries.

Organizers said this week that about 130 riders are signed up to participate in the bike rally, which has given away more than $1.4 million in its first six years. They leave Dallas at sunrise on Saturday morning and will spend the first day riding 85 miles to Glen Rose where they will camp overnight.

Many of the riders will leave Glen Rose the following morning for a 65-mile ride back to Fort Worth and closing ceremonies, planned for about 4:30 p.m., in the Fort Worth Arts District.

Hundreds of volunteers will also be participating by providing road support, medical support, refreshments and bike tech help. Pit stops offering food, beverages, massages and encouragement will be set up every 10 to 15 miles along the route.

Organizers noted that Lone Star Ride has a history of getting all the costs of producing the event underwritten, so that 100 percent of the pledge dollars raised by riders go to the beneficiaries.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 28, 2007

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Soundout

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By David Webb

5 Questions with Sergio Chapa



Sergio Chapa is a reporter for Al Dia, a Spanish-language newspaper created by The Dallas Morning News. He grew up in Harlingen in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. He moved to Oak Cliff in 2006. He recently produced the mini-documentary, Fuera del Closet: Gay Hispanic Immigrants in Dallas. It can be viewed at www.youtube.com/TXReporter or www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVv5qD1zRmE.

How did you come up with the idea for your mini-documentary?
Our mini-documentary was just supposed to be a short video collage specifically made for a panel discussion about gay immigrants at the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association’s conference in San Diego. I received help and support from photojournalist Ben Torres Jr. and his girlfriend, Wendy Salinas. We all worked on the project together.

What do you hope to accomplish with it?
Our original intent was just to give viewers a quick glimpse into the Latino side of Dallas’ LGBT community. I think the film does that, but also provides some context and history and leaves the viewer wanting to see and know more.

What did you learn that you did not know before you took on the project?
My background is in print journalism, so this project was a very quick lesson on how film has different needs and rules. For example, print interviews are more like conversations between two people, whereas film needs to be more one-way communication. We also had to learn some fairly technical software but got the hang of it to put in subtitles, music and lay video over audio. It was fun, like back in college working on an all-nighter project.

What sort of reaction have you had from the LGBT community and others?
As it turns out, this was the first film about the LGBT Hispanic community in Dallas. We have received strong support and encouragement from the LGBT community. More than anything else, we have received requests to do a longer, more in-depth piece. LGBT Latinos were recently featured in a special on LOGO-TV, and I hear another local filmaker is doing another documentary about gay Hispanic immigrants. Obviously, interest in the subject is high, and this short film came in ahead of the crest.

What’s your next step? Do you have other projects in mind?
I would like to try to enter this project in a short film contest or maybe do the expanded version. We are definitely working with Gabi and the other entertainers featured in the documentary on another piece at the end of the month. Also, it has been in my heart to make a documentary about the “cheese” heroin epidemic that has claimed the lives of almost 30 area teenagers.

Soundout is a weekly column featuring people whose jobs and interests have an impact on the daily lives of members of the LGBT community. It features those who often go unnoticed by the press and community. If you’d like to recommend someone to cover in this column, editor@dallasvoice.com.

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Query of the Week

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By John Wright Staff Writer

Are the Dallas Cowboys at 3-0 , sitting atop the NFC East and coming off a win over the reigning NFC Champion Chicago Bears the real deal?

“Of course they are. This team is the perfect package. If anyone thinks differently, don’t be jumping on the bandwagon during playoff time. I could coach this team.”

Jasper Lightsey,
office manager

“No. I believe that nobody has really tested their defense. I think when they go against a good offense and a good defense, that’s when you’ll see what type of team they really are.”

Sheldon Dunlap
Sales representative

“I think they could be. I don’t think anybody knows right now.”

Harold Smith
Bartender

“Hell no. I think the Bears just had a terrible night, and the Cowboys got really lucky.”

Jennifer McEvoy
Custodial worker

“I think so. I think that Bears game made a statement. The Bears are the defending champions. They supposively have a good defense, and we basically picked it apart.”

Stacy Murphree
Patient care technician

Have a suggestion for a question you’d like us to ask? E-mail it to editor@dallasvoice.com.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 28, 2007

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Pet of the Week

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Nick is a 3-year-old rat terrier available for adoption from Operation Kindness. He’s a sweet-natured and friendly little dog who’s good with children, cats and other dogs. Nick is playful and affectionate. He’s neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and on heartworm preventive.

Dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are available for adoption from Operation Kindness, 3201 Earhart Drive (near Keller Springs Road and Midway Road), Carrollton. The no-kill shelter is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until 8 p.m. Thursday) and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Cost to adopt is $110 for cats and kittens and $135 for dogs and puppies. The cost includes spay or neuter surgery, microchipping, vaccinations and other tests. Those 65 and above and those who adopt two pets at the same time get a $20 discount. For more information call 972-418-PAWS, or visit www.operationkindness.org.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 28, 2007

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Local Briefs

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Gay rights advocates question Clinton’s “‘choice’ of words

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Pace suggests he might support repeal of military’s ban on gays

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