Subject: soc.motss FAQ : Monthly Posting
Newsgroups: soc.motss,soc.answers,news.answers

Archive-name: motss/faq
Last-modified: 05 Mar 1994

This list is largely a collection of hearsay: I'm depending on
information from others.  Please don't make decisions based on anything
here without first checking out the facts for yourself.

(A "+" indicates a new question, and a "*" indicates a change from
the last edition of this FAQ.  When you see a question number in 
this list, you can probably use your newsreader to search the rest of this
article for that question number.)

soc.motss, Other Newsgroups, and Mailing Lists
101. (*) Who reads soc.motss?
102. When was soc.motss created?
103. What subjects are legitimate in soc.motss?
104. Can you give any more specific guidelines about posting?
105. What will happen to me if I post in soc.motss?
106. Can I post anonymously to soc.motss?
107. (*) I don't seem to have access to soc.motss anymore, what can I do?
108. What will happen to me if I read soc.motss?
109. What are those numbers and letters in some signatures?
110. What are those "twinks", "smurfs", etc.?
111. What is motss.con?
121. I saw something in another newsgroup that everyone in soc.motss
       should read.
122. What about crossposting from soc.motss to other groups?
123. How do I add {person's name} to my kill file?
124. How do I make my newsreader do <desired function>?
125. How do I find someone's email address?
131. Are there other motss-related newsgroups I'd be interested in?
132. Are there mailing lists I can subscribe to?
133. Are there LGBO*-oriented bulletin board systems that I could
       subscribe to directly?
134. What is the "QRD"?

Science and Medicine
201. What is the Kinsey scale?
202. What is the origin of the "10% gay" figure?
203. What else did Kinsey find?
211. Is HIV the same as AIDS?
212. What is the "AIDS test"?
213. Since my partner and I are both HIV negative, we don't have to
     bother with safer sex, do we
214. Where can I get more information?
221. What's all this about brain differences in gay men?
222. Wasn't that an awfully small sample?
223. Weren't there some exceptions?
224. What exactly does this study prove?

Grab bag
301. What's the origin of the pink triangle?
302. Does the pink triangle point up or down?
303. When is National Coming Out Day (NCOD)?
304. When is the Pride March in <U.S. city name>?
305. Who was Harvey Milk?
306. Was he the first openly gay or lesbian elected official in the U.S.?
321. Does "gay" imply "male"?
322. What's the right term to include everyone?
323. Is "gay" a noun or an adjective?
324. When the grammar books tell me to say "he", "him", or "his" in
       referring to a person of unspecified gender, what should I do?
325. Is it "sexual orientation" or "sexual preference"?
331. How do I get motss pictures via FTP?
332. Can I get pictures by email?
333. Where do I find GIF viewers?
341. Where can I buy stuff by mail order?
342. I'm/we're going to Europe and want to know which hotels and
       restaurants are gay-friendly.
343. Who is Orson Scott Card?
344. I saw an 800 number that is maintained by <homophobic group>.
       Should I post it so everyone can call and tie up the line?
345. What is GLAAD?
346. What is NAMBLA?
347. What gay/lesbian organizations exist for persons in the
       high-technology industries?
348. What is "After the Ball"?

Civil Rights and The Law
401. Which governments have laws against discrimination on the basis
       of sexual orientation?
402. What about discrimination by private employers?
403. Where is same-gender sex legal?
404. Didn't the U.S. Supreme Court say sodomy was a crime even in private?
405. What is Amendment 2?
 
About this newsgroup
====================
 
101. (*) Who reads soc.motss?
    Usenet aribtron usage figures consistently show more than 100,000
readers worldwide. soc.motss appears regularly on the list of "Top 40 News
Groups".  For the month of November 1993, there were 5513 messages
(averaging one article every 7 minutes and 48 seconds), for a total of 9.2
megabytes.  Soc.motss propogates to 76% of all news servers on the
network, and it is estimated that slightly more than 3% of everyone who
reads news, reads soc.motss.  Figures for December 1993 were not released 
at the time of this posting
 
102. When was soc.motss created?
    October 7, 1983, as 'net.motss'.  Steve Dyer's initial posting:

   Net.motss is a forum for the discussion of gay-related
   issues of interest to all members of USENET.  Its name is
   an acronym for "members of the same sex", coined by
   contributors to net.singles as an analogue to
   MOTOS--"member of the opposite sex."  It is therefore,
   unfortunately, a euphemism of sorts--an alternative to the
   preferred 'net.gay'.  Nevertheless, the proponents of the
   group have gladly passed on this minor issue so that the
   group should be swiftly formed. [After a year of
   operation, it was suggested that net.motss change its name
   to net.gay, in recognition of its success which confounded
   even its staunchest critics.  However, by that time, the
   acronym 'motss' was pretty well established in the USENET
   community. --SD]

   Net.motss is designed to foster discussion on a wide
   variety of topics, such as health problems, parenting,
   relationships, clearances, job security and many others.
   Gay members of USENET will find this a supportive
   environment for the discussion of issues which have
   immediate impact on their everyday lives.  Those who
   aren't gay have an opportunity to be informed by the
   discussion, and are encouraged to read the news items and
   contribute their own questions and opinions.

   Net.motss is emphatically NOT a newsgroup for the
   discussion of whether homosexuality is good or bad,
   natural or unnatural.  Nor is it a place where conduct
   unsuitable for the net will be allowed or condoned.
   Rather, like every USENET news group, it is an opportunity
   for people all across the world to express their opinions,
   exchange ideas, and come to appreciate the diversity
   within the USENET membership.
 
   /Steve Dyer
 
103. What subjects are legitimate in soc.motss?
    Anything motss-related that's on your mind is fair game, with one
major exception: condemnations or "justifications" of homosexuality do
not belong in soc.motss.  They can go in alt.politics.homosexuality or
talk.politics.misc.
 
104. Can you give any more specific guidelines about posting?
    Follow normal netiquette.  Some special "hot buttons" for many of us
are any kind of sexist language; statements like "I'm straight, but..."
or "I think what you do is gross"; referring to people with AIDS as
"victims".
    The traffic is huge and many of us are supposed to be working, so
please think about using email rather than posting; or if you post a
follow-up, please edit ruthlessly to pare the quoted bits down to the
bare minimum -- but don't scramble the attributions.
    If you see something particularly outrageous and homophobic, the
advice many of us will give is "sit on your hands": i.e., ignore it.
The 'phobes typically leave soon UNLESS they have an audience.  If
you absolutely feel you must respond, and email isn't good enough,
please at least edit "soc.motss" out of the Newsgroups: line so the
rest of us don't have to see any repetition of it.
 
105. What will happen to me if I post in soc.motss?
    The answer is, in general, nothing.  Lots of people of all orienta-
tions read and write to soc.motss, so strictly speaking you're not
coming out by posting.  Even so, some people will draw conclusions about
your sexual orientation from the fact that you post here.
    However: Assume that any posting in net news is in the public
domain and could end **anywhere**:  the general media, a police file, a
Fundie's hate list, an entrepeneur's sales contact list, etc.  If you
can't stand by your posting, then don't post.

106. Can I post anonymously to soc.motss?
    Don't underestimate the sense of liberty and self-esteem that may
come from posting an article under your own name.  Nevertheless, many
of us are sensitive to the difficulties this may pose for some people,
especially those of us whose first articles were posted by someone
else protecting our identity.  You have two good options:

    1. Use an "anonymity server".  The most widely used system is currently
       anon.penet.fi, and anonymous posts can be sent to soc.motss by sending
       mail to [email-masked].  You will be assigned a double-blind
       anonymous ID if you do not already have one.

    2. The following people have offered to re-post submissions after 
       removing any identifying headers, and forward email responses back to 
       you:

	David Casti		[email-masked]
	Bradley Clymer		[email-masked]
	Laura Creighton		[email-masked]
	Andrew Gollan		[email-masked]
	Roger Klorese		[email-masked]
	Neil Perret-Green	[email-masked]
	Cindy Tittle Moore	[email-masked]

        Please provide a valid name and email address so that this person can
        get follow-up mail back to you.  These names and addresses will be
        kept confidential.

107. (*) I don't seem to have access to soc.motss anymore, what can I do?
    Sometimes the unthinkable happens: after you've become used to reading
soc.motss daily, you lose network news service.  Maybe you've changed jobs
and your new employer doesn't carry soc.motss, or maybe your site has
experienced a serious hardware failure and you know news will be down for
a week or more.  Fortunately, there are still options.
    If you have access to a newsreader, but your site isn't carrying 
soc.motss, you can gain read-only access through a public news server.  
One of the most popular servers is umd5.umd.edu.  Simply tell your 
newsreader to go there to get news instead.  If you don't know how to 
tell your news reader to do that, ask your system administrator.
    To post to soc.motss, you can send email to [email-masked] or 
[email-masked].  Your mail message will be transformed 
into a news article and posted to soc.motss.
    If you don't even have a newsreader, but you do have email, Jimmy 
Aitken <[email-masked]> has a program which digests soc.motss and will 
send you regular installments via email.  Be aware that soc.motss is a 
heavily travelled news group, and subscribing to soc.motss via email will 
generate a LOT of email!
    Or you may want to subscribe to a public access site or a commercial
service provider.  The semi-official list of public access UNIX sites
(nixpub) is available from lgnp1 (+1 215 348 9727) (login:guest) and is
posted periodically in the comp.misc newsgroup. 
 
108. What will happen to me if I read soc.motss?
    In general, nothing.  (You may be informed or infuriated, of course;
but that's a standard Usenet hazard.) If you're extremely concerned, you
should be aware that most system software leaves your 'newsrc' file
unprotected by default.  There are system-dependent commands to protect
it, but none are airtight.  As in other areas of life, you have to
decide whether this is an acceptable risk for you.
 
109. What are those numbers and letters in some signatures?
    A string of letters and numbers beginning with a B and a number
are the "bear codes", which refer to the poster's build, furriness,
etc.  An article explaining the bear codes is available via FTP from
spdcc.com; the filename is "pub/NBCS.V1.9".  (Refer to question 331
for some information on FTP.)  Other cryptic letter/number
combinations appearing in signatures usually indicate one of the many
"codes" developed in response to the original bear code.
 
110. What are these "twinks", "smurfs", etc?
    Here's a quick lexicon of some of the "unusual" terms you'll see
on soc.motss.  Some of these are specific to the motss world, and others
aren't.

bears:  Persons, usually men, whose physical characteristics tend
        toward the husky and hirsute.

biscuit:  Non-gay persons on soc.motss, sometimes used for non-posters
          (analogous to muffin), but not always.

LGBO*:  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual people, Others, and Anyone Still
        Left Out.  (Also GLBO*, BGLO*, and other permutations.)

muffin:  A member of the soc.motss community who reads but has never
         posted an article, or at least not under their own name.  Usually
         used to refer to gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons.

smurf:  Usually indicates an irreverent, silly, *cute* poster.  Some
        soc.motss participants have formed a loose organization called the
        "Smurf Gang".  Never take a Smurf Gang posting at face value.  
        (Etymology: the cartoon characters.)

twink, twinkie:  Generally, a cute young (male) thing (CYT).  Known as
                 "golden, cream-filled, and ready to be eaten."  
                 (Etymology:  In the US, Twinkies(tm) are snack cakes 
                 with these same properties.)

111. What is motss.con?
    In San Francisco during 1988, an informal gathering for a few days
took place to take advantage of the opportunity for people to meet each
other face-to-face ("you don't look anything like your posts").  Everyone
had so much fun, it was repeated in 1989 in Boston; 1990 in Denver; 1991
in Toronto; 1992 in Portland, Oregon; and 1993 in Boston. 
    Generally, the decision of when and where the con is held is made
up by competing groups of people in different locals vying for the
honor based on proposals submitted near the beginning of the year.
The group as a whole votes on the set of proposals, picking one.
Traditionally, there is one "official" motss.con per year, usually in
the early summer.  Several "mini-cons" are held every year worldwide,
and regional dinners, events, get-togethers, etc. are very common.

Crossposting and net usage
==========================
 
121. I saw something in another newsgroup that everyone in soc.motss
should read.
    No, you probably didn't.  It is generally bad manners to crosspost
or duplicate post something from another newsgroup to soc.motss just
because you think soc.motssers should read it.  It is _especially_ bad
manners to crosspost condemnations of homosexuality (see "What subjects
are legitimate", above); and the best thing to do with such posts is to
ignore them or, if you feel you must, to reply by email.  It _is_
acceptable to post a brief note on soc.motss only, saying "In newsgroup
a.b.c there's a thread called blah-blah.  Check it out if you're
interested."
 
122. What about crossposting from soc.motss to other groups?
    Again, there can't be a hard rule, but it's generally not a good
idea.  Say there was a TV show with some motss interest, and you feel
moved to post about it.  At first thought it might seem reasonable to
crosspost to soc.motss,rec.arts.tv.  But the two groups are separate
because they serve generally separate interests.  The thread could
develop in different directions, and it's not really a service to either
group to force its members to read stuff they're not interested in, or
edit their kill files yet again.
 
123. How do I add {person's name} to my kill file?
    This varies according to which newsreader you use.  Many of us are
on rn or trn, where the answer is "type Ctrl-K while in soc.motss,
then edit in the line /evilpersonsname/h:j substituting the actual
name between the slashes."  For other newsreaders, and for lots of
Usenet help in general, subscribe to the group news.newusers.questions.
 
124. How do I make my newsreader do <desired function>?
    Check the user's manual, if there is one.  Ask somebody at your site
who knows.  If all else fails, you can post a question in the group
news.newusers.questions.  Be sure to mention the operating system and
newsreader program you use, with version numbers if possible.
    Remember that it is good manners to read a group for a while before
you post.  Your question may be frequently asked, and you'll have the
answer without posting.
 
125. How do I find someone's email address?
    This is answered in weekly FAQ postings in news.newusers.questions.

Other resources
===============
 
131. Are there other motss-related newsgroups I'd be interested in?
    - alt.sex.bondage and rec.arts.bodyart carry topics of interest
      to some specific motss sub-communities.
    - alt.sex.motss carries sexually explicit discussion and stories for
      MOTSS folks.
    - alt.politics.homosexuality and talk.politics.misc tend to a
      higher level of flamage about LGBO* issues.
    - ba.motss is a San Francisco Bay Area regional newsgroup.
    - can.motss is a Canada national newsgroup.
    - clari.news.group.gays:  This is part of Clarinet, a commercial
      subscription service carried by some Usenet sites.  Carries UPI
      newswire stories relating to lesbian/gay issues.
    - ne.motss is a New England (northeastern US) regional newsgroup.
    - pnw.motss is a newsgroup for the Pacific Northwest region of
      the US.
    - sci.med.aids for AIDS issues
    - soc.bi: for discussions of bisexuality
    - uc.motss is a local newsgroup for the University of California
Of course, We Are Everywhere (TM), so you will also see LGBO* viewpoints
in many newsgroups.
    If you're new to Usenet, or even if you're not, you may find lots of
interesting stuff in news.newusers.questions and news.announce.newusers.
The group news.answers is collecting FAQ lists from all newsgroups.
 
132. Are there mailing lists I can subscribe to?
    Yes; more than 50.  A current listing of all GLBO* mailing lists is
available in the QRD (Queer Resource Directory; see question 134), in the
/pub/QRD/electronic/email directory.  This listing is maintained by the
QRD staff. 
    To obtain a full listing of all the current GLBO* lists, send a mail
message to [email-masked] with the following four lines: 

----------clip here--------
open
cd /pub/QRD/electronic/email
get lgbt.list.of.lists
quit
---------clip here---------

133. Are there LGBO*-oriented bulletin board systems that I could
subscribe to directly?
    Again, Yes.  Lots -- about 500.  Policies vary regarding access and 
fees.  Some are networked via Fidonet or Gaycom or other 
store-and-forward networks, and some are accessible via Starlink or 
PC-Pursuit.  The current list is maintained by Leedell J. Miller 
<[email-masked]>, and posted to soc.motss and alt.bbs.lists monthly.  
The latest copy is also available from the QRD.

134. What is the QRD?
    The Queer Resources Directory (QRD) is a library with about 4500 files
of interest to MOTSS folks.  It started out as an archive site for ACT-UP
in the late 1980s and has grown to encompass news clippings, media kits,
resource lists, contact information, and everything else.  Currently, the
QRD lives at vector.casti.com, and is run as an all-volunteer operation on
donated hardware and network access.  All files are accessible via email,
FTP, gopher, WAIS, and Mosaic.  Send mail to [email-masked] for
more information. 
 
The Kinsey scale
================
 
201. What is the Kinsey scale?
    In the 1948 book {Sexual Behavior in the Human Male}, the Kinsey
researchers made the (then) startling assertion that homosexual behavior
was not restricted to identified homosexuals.  (The book was based on
an in-depth survey of thousands of men.) The authors said that it made
more sense to look at a person's behavior and psychological response as
being at some point on a spectrum or scale:
     0 = entirely heterosexual
     1 = largely heterosexual, but with incidental homosexual history
     2 = largely heterosexual, but with a distinct homosexual history
     3 = equally heterosexual and homosexual
     4 = largely homosexual, but with a distinct heterosexual history
     5 = largely homosexual, but with incidental heterosexual history
     6 = entirely homosexual
    (Someone posted excerpts from "Incidence, Frequency, and the Kinsey
0-6 Scale" by C A Tripp, from {The Encyclopedia of Homosexuality}.  This
answer and the next two are adapted from that posting.)
 
202. What is the origin of the "10% gay" figure?
    In the same book (see previous answer), Kinsey published survey
results that over the past three years 4% of the men were Kinsey 6's
(exclusively homosexual experiences) and 6% were Kinsey 5's (homosexual
with only incidental hetereosexual experience); 4% + 6% = 10%.  The
parallel statistic for women in the same studies is 3 to 8% (scale 4 to
6).  The works don't really match exactly in what they were measuring.
Like any sociological study, Kinsey's has been challenged on a number of
grounds.  More recent studies have generated statistics far above or
below these numbers (especially for women), but nothing more
authoritative has been published.
 
203. What else did Kinsey find?
    Well there are two whole books, but here are a few numerical
excerpts.  "[A]t least 37% of the male population has some homosexual
experience between the beginning of adolescence and old age....  This is
more than one male in three of the persons that one may meet as he
passes along a city street." In addition, 13% of males react erotically
to other males without having overt homosexual contacts after the onset
of adolescence.  (This 13 percent, coupled with the 37 percent who do
have overt homosexual experience, means that a full 50 percent of males
have at least some sexual response to other males after adolescence --
and conversely, that only the other 50 percent of the male population is
entirely heterosexual throughout life.)
    4% of males are exclusively homosexual throughout their lives after
the onset of adolescence.
    8% of males are exclusively homosexual (scale 6) for at least three
years between the ages of 16 and 55.
    13% of males have more homo than hetero experience (scale 4-6) for at
least three years between the ages of 16 and 55.
    18% percent of males have at least as much homo as hetero in their
histories (scale 3-6) for at least three years between ages 16 and 55.
    25% percent of the male population has more than incidental
homosexual experience or reactions (scale 2-6) for at least three years
between the ages of 16 and 55.
    On the other hand, these Kinsey findings are beside the point in a
way.  Even if the figure was 1%, or a fraction of a percent, discrimina-
tion would still be wrong.
    (By the way, equivalent figures are not available for women because
"equivalent female data often cannot be understood without extensive
additional explanation", according to Tripp's article.)

AIDS and HIV
============
 
211. Is HIV the same as AIDS?
    In a word, no.  HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the name of a
virus that is almost universally believed to be the cause of AIDS.  A
person may be "asymptomatic" (having no symptoms, feeling perfectly
well) for months or years while HIV positive.
    Technically, AIDS is not the name of a disease but rather of a
syndrome, a collection of symptoms indicative of an advanced stage of
HIV disease, in which case HIV has destroyed enough of the immune system
that opportunistic infections have been able to set in.  Oh yes-- a
person diagnosed with AIDS is not an "AIDS victim" but a "person with
AIDS" or "PWA".
 
212. What is the "AIDS test"?
    The so-called AIDS test is actually a test for the presence or
absence of antibodies in the bloodstream.  These are created by the body
in response to the HIV infection.  There is no test at this time to
detect the presence of HIV directly.  A person who is infected will
still test negative in "HIV tests" (so-called "AIDS tests") for a period
of time.  To be "HIV positive" means that the antibodies have been found
in the blood.
    There are two tests currently in use: the ELISA for initial
screening, and the Western blot to confirm a positive ELISA.
    Tests sometimes produce "false negatives"; i.e., the person has the
HIV antibodies, but the test does not detect them.  For that reason (and
others), any claims that a person (especially a medical practitioner)
are "certified HIV-negative" should be viewed with skepticism.
 
213. Since my partner and I are both HIV negative, we don't have to
bother with safer sex, do we?
    Yes, you do.  First, a negative test does not _necessarily_ mean you
are not HIV infected (see previous Q).  Second, even if you are not now
infected one of you could become infected in the future.  Otherwise you
are betting your life on a possibly illusory belief in your safety.
 
214. Where can I get more information?
    If you have specific questions, your best bet is to subscribe to
sci.med.aids or contact your local AIDS service organization.

Biology of sexual orientation
=============================
 
221. What's all this about brain differences in gay men?
    A brief article in the 30 Aug 1991 issue of {Science} magazine
(published in U.S.) reported research by Dr Simon LeVay.  Levay
autopsied the brains of 41 persons:
    - homosexual men: 19 (including 1 bisexual) who had died of AIDS;
    - heterosexual men: 16, assumed to be heterosexual, including
        - 6 died of AIDS (including 2 who "denied homosexual activity"
          and 4 who had no sexual orientation recorded)
        - 10 died of other causes and had no sexual orientation recorded
    - women: 6, also assumed to be heterosexual.
    LeVay found that a tiny cell group called INAH 3, part of the
anterior hypothalamus, was more than twice as large in the presumed
heterosexual men (0.12 +/- 0.01 mm^3) as in either the homosexual men
(0.051 +/- 0.01) or the presumed heterosexual women (0.056 +/- 0.02).
(INAH = interstitial nuclei of the anterior hypothalmus.)  He found no
differences in INAH 1, 2, or 4.
 
222. Wasn't that an awfully small sample?
    Statistical analysis takes into account the sample size and the
differences between results for the two groups.
    The probability that this result reflects a true difference in the
general population was 99.9% as between homo and presumed hetero men,
99.1% as between presumed hetero men and presumed hetero women.  When
the 19 homosexual men were compared against only the presumed hetero men
who had died of AIDS, the same difference was found, with a probability
of 97.2% that this reflects a true difference in the general population.
    There was no statistically significant difference between the size
of INAH 3 between the homosexual men and the women, nor between the
presumed heterosexual men who died of AIDS and those who died of other
causes.
 
223. Weren't there some exceptions?
    The results were not uniform:  some presumed heterosexual men had
small INAH 3 nuclei, and some homosexual men had large nuclei.  LeVay
says this could mean that sexual orientation, though important, "may
not be the sole determinant of INAH 3 size" or that some subjects were
assigned to the wrong groups.
    Note that the statistical results in the preceding Q take these
exceptions into account.
 
224. What exactly does this study prove?
    LeVay (who is himself gay) said that the study shows that sexual
orientation in men "is amenable to study at the biological level".  It
does not show whether the size differences cause or result from differ-
ences in sexual orientation, or both are caused by some third factor as
yet unidentified.  The article did not mention genetic influences.

History and politics
====================
 
301. What's the origin of the pink triangle?
    In the 1930's and 1940's, the Nazis used various colored geometrical
figures to identify various classes of prisoners in concentration camps.
The pink triangle was used for homosexual men.  There was no badge
specifically for lesbians:  the Nazis used a black triangle for female
"sex offenders", which (to them) included lesbians, prostitutes, and
women who refused to bear children for the Reich.
 
302. Does the pink triangle point up or down?
    The Nazis made homosexuals wear the triangle with the point facing
down.  ACT-UP flipped the symbol and made it their own.  Both ways are
correct.
 
303. When is National Coming-Out Day (NCOD)?
    October 11, every year starting in 1988.  (This is U.S.-based, and
the date commemorates the march on Washington DC, October 11, 1987.)
 
304. When is the Pride March in <U.S. city name>?
    Typically these are in the last two weeks of June, but they vary
from city to city.  The timing commemorates our movement's "Boston Tea
Party":  On June 28, 1969, New York City police pulled yet another raid
on the Stonewall Inn, a bar in Sheridan Square.  This time, instead of
meekly submitting, the patrons (most of them stereotypically effem-
inate drag queens) fought back with pride, and the modern gay-rights
struggle sprang up in cities across the U.S. and in other nations.
    During the spring every year, substantial traffic about gay pride 
marches is generated in soc.motss.  If you have information about a march 
in your town, please post it for the rest of us!
 
305. Who was Harvey Milk?
    In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected supervisor of San Francisco (equiv-
alent to city councilor and county councilor since San Francisco is a
combined city/county government).  He appealed to a coalition of gay men
and lesbians, non-gay working people, and the elderly.  In November
1978, Milk and Mayor George Moscone were shot to death in City Hall by
former Supervisor Dan White.  In the trial, White's lawyer pleaded the
"twinkie defense":  White should not be held responsible for
premeditated murder because he was strung out on sugar from eating
Hostess Twinkies.  The jury apparently agreed, and convicted him of a
lesser crime.  For murdering two human beings, White was sentenced to
seven years in Jail.  The gay and lesbian community erupted in several
nights of riots.  White was later paroled, and committed suicide.
A good book on Milk's career is {The Mayor of Castro Street} by
Randy Shilts; a good movie is {The Times of Harvey Milk}.  {The Mayor
of Castro Street} is being developed as a film to be directed by Gus
Van Sant.  Representatives from the GLBO* community have been meeting
with the film's producers to discuss issues related to the film.
Filming should begin in early 1993 in San Francisco.  "At this writing,
no concrete decisions have been made as to who will play Harvey Milk,
through Robin Williams is a likely candidate." [SF Sentinel, 23-Jul-1992]
 
306. Was he the first openly gay or lesbian elected official in U.S.?
    No.  In 1974, Elaine Noble was elected to the Massachusetts
legislature.  She served a few terms and then decided to pursue
interests outside of elective politics.  In 1991 she ran an unsuccessful
campaign to gain a seat on the Cambridge MA city council.  [This chronology
is currently under some debate.]

Language
========
 
321. (*) Does "gay" imply "male"?
    You'll get different answers from different people.  In general it is
safe to assume that some persons will feel excluded by the term "gay".
 
322. (*) What's the right term to include everyone?
    There is no one right answer.  A growing number of people use "queer",
but some others are uncomfortable with that.  You will also see references
to "LGBO*", lesbian-gay-bisexual-other.  "motsseurs" or "motssers" or even
"motsketeers" is often used, but that includes persons of any sexual
orientation who read this newsgroup.  As a rule, someone will feel
excluded by any term you use.  In general, it's usually safe to use
whatever term an author has self-identified with. 
 
323. Is "gay" a noun or an adjective?
    Some persons are offended by the use of "gay" as a noun in sentences
like "Bar the door, Martha, the gays are coming."  This useage should 
probably be avoided on soc.motss.
 
324. When the grammar books tell me to say "he", "him", "his" in
referring to a person of unspecified gender, what should I do?
    There's no one right answer.  You can use "they", "them", and
"their"; or you can use "she", "her", and "her"; or you can use
combinations like "s/he", "him/her", "his/her"; or you can make up
pronouns like "sie" or "cos".  Any of these will offend someone.

325.  Is it "sexual orientation" or "sexual preference"?
    Although both terms have been widely used, "sexual orientation" is
emerging as the preferred term for most.  This is because "sexual
preference" implies sexuality is a *chosen* trait, and this implication
(which most believe to be false) sometimes causes problems when persons
try to gain equal rights based on "preference" instead of "orientation".

 
Pictures (from a post by Steve Dyer)
======== (with additions by others)
 
331. How do I get motss pictures via FTP?
    The soc.motss picture archive contains digitized images in GIF form.
GIF is a popular format for the distribution of color and gray scale
images of up to 8 bits in depth.
    To obtain photos of motsseurs over the Internet, do the following:
 
% ftp ursa-major.spdcc.com     -OR-     ftp 140.186.80.3
Connected to ursa-major.spdcc.com.
220 ursa-major.spdcc.com FTP server
(Version 4.172 Sun Dec 4 17:20:50 EST 1988) ready.
Name (your.hostand.domain:yourname): anonymous
331 Guest login ok, send ident as password.
Password:
230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
ftp> cd /pub/motss.pix
250 CWD command successful.
ftp> dir
[directory listing with each letter of the alphabet and an index file or two]
ftp> cd k
[for example]
ftp> bin
[this is ESSENTIAL]
200 Type set to I.
ftp> get kurisuto.gif
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for kurisuto.gif (97477 bytes).
226 Transfer complete.
local: kurisuto.gif remote: kurisuto.gif
97477 bytes received in 1.1 seconds (84 Kbytes/s)
ftp> get another.gif
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for another.gif (65535 bytes).
226 Transfer complete.
local: another.gif remote: another.gif
65535 bytes received in 1.0 seconds (66 Kbytes/s)
ftp> bye
221 Goodbye.
 
The archive is mirrored monthly on vector.casti.com.  All gif files are
converted to jpeg format to conserve disk space.
 
332. Can I get pictures by email?
    Not directly from spdcc.com.  However, many sites around the Internet
provide an "FTP-via-email" facility.  To obtain an index to the motss.pix 
archive, send the following message to [email-masked]:
	connect spdcc.com
	cd pub/motss.pix
	get INDEX
	quit
    When transferring gif or jpeg files, you will need to include the
keywords "binary" and "uuencode" before the get command.  For more help,
send a message to [email-masked] containing only the word
"help" for directions on using the service. 
 
333. Where do I find GIF viewers?
    - Sun and X11 programs can be found on ursa-major.spdcc.com under
      the directory /pub/progs.
    - For Silicon Graphics workstations, a program called 'pxdraw' (part
      of a suite of programs 'pxtools') is available via anonymous ftp
      from gauguin.princeton.edu.  This and the other programs all read
      a variety of formats, and allow conversion to grayscale and among
      the different formats, including postscript so you can print it
      out if you've got the PS printer.
    - MS-DOS: get CSHOW.EXE from the wustl archive via FTP, or see these
      files in PD: on SIMTEL:
        FASTGIF.ARC 37K  880306  View GIF format files. EGA/VGA only
        GDS109.ZIP 138K  910521  Displ GIFs with unlimited zoom, SVGA/VGA
    - Macintosh GIF viewers are available from sumex-aim.stanford.edu in
      /info-mac/apps and called Giffer 1.1.2 and GIFConverter 2.2.9.
Also check the FAQ in comp.graphics for a complete list.

Miscellaneous
=============
 
341. (*) Where can I buy stuff by mail order?
    Most local and national LGBO*-oriented magazines have advertisements
that will lead you to merchandise you want to buy.  Because this _is_ a
frequently asked question, I'm listing a few sources that have been
posted or advertised.  I have no financial interest in any of the 
listings that follow.
    - Queer Nation Boston sells QN stickers by mail.  Send email with
      your U.S. mail address to "[email-masked]" and they will
      send you their information packet.  Sorry, I don't know their
      policy for non-U.S. mailings.
    - Don't Panic, 8721 Santa Monica Blvd #13, Los Angeles CA 90069, USA
      sells buttons and T-shirts (800 457 2642 in the US).  Source:
      advertisement in Oct 22 {Advocate}; I have no personal knowledge
      of this place.
    - Many LGBO* booksellers do a large business by mail.  One such is
      Lambda Rising, +1 800 621 6969 in U.S. and Canada, +1 202 462 6969
      from other countries.  (I called 14 Oct 1991 to verify they will
      fill orders from outside the U.S.)  Disclaimer: I have not actually
      needed to make a purchase from Lambda Rising in some years.
    - Gifts of Athena, 2199 Lee Rd, Cleveland OH 44118, USA, lesbian
      owned and operated, sells rainbow flags, women's music, mehn's
      music, T-shirts, and jewelry.  Phone: +1 216 371 1937 (Mon, Wed,
      Thur, Fri 10-8; Sat 10-6; Sun 12-5).  They will ship to US and
      Canada on Visa and MC but you'll need to tell them about Canadian
      customs regulations that may apply.
    - Body Language, 3291 West 115 St, Cleveland OH 44111, USA sells
      books, magazines, videotapes, and novelties/toys.  Phone: +1 216
      251 3330 (Mon-Sat 12-9 pm, Sun 12-5 pm Eastern), or email the
      owner at [email-masked].  He will ship out of the US
      "as long as I'm not stuck with a lot of administrivia."
    - NOW Products (National Organization for Women) has a small
      catalog/flyer (one page of newsprint) of jewelry, T-shirts, bumper
      stickers, stationery, etc., which are woman-positive and gay-
      friendly.  NOW Products, 1000 16th St NW #700, Washington DC
      20036.  A retail store is at 1615 K St NW in Washington.
    - "Shocking Gray", 1216 East Euclid, San Antonio TX 78212, (800)
      788-4729.  SG produce an upscale, "Sharper Image"-style catalog
      specifically targeted at the gay and lesbian market.
    - Dan Kaufman Graphics in DC does buttons, t-shirts, bumper-stickers,
      magnets and other small items.  For a free catalog, phone: 
      (202) I'M OUT-RU? [466-8878]; FAX: (202) 466-8879; e-mail:
      [email-masked]; or mail: Catalog Request, Dan Kaufman Graphics, Dept. 
      X, PO Box 4901, Washington, DC 20008.
 
342. I'm/we're going to Europe and want to know which hotels and
restaurants are gay-friendly.
    Long before you leave, pick up a copy of {Are You Two...Together?}
(1991, Random, ISBN 0-394-58454-6).  In it, co-authors Lindsy van Gelder
and Pamela Brandt travel through the U.K., Belgium, the Netherlands, France,
Spain, Germany, Italy, and Greece.  They give you lots of historical
background on attractions of interest, especially those with a gay or
lesbian connection.  They also list hotels, bed & breakfasts, and
restaurants that welcome gay and lesbian couples.  They also mention LGB
organizations and a few bars.
    There are other bar guides, but this is the best _travel book_ with
an LGBO* slant that I've seen.  It's fun to read even if you're not going
to Europe.
 
343. Who is Orson Scott Card?
    A science fiction writer of books including Ender's Game, Card has
been the subject of frequent flamefests on rec.arts.sf-lovers and the
object of demonstrations by Queer Nation.  Card is a Mormon, and has
expressed some strongly negative views of homosexuality.  If you want to
explore his views, please post a request for people to email you.  Those
of us who have been around for a while would rather not go over the same
ground again. 
    Mr. Card has issued warnings that unauthorized reproductions of
his work -- including electronic postings and transmissions of them --
will be dealt with harshly.  This *includes* his Mormon writings on
homosexuality, which he claims were written specifically for a Mormon
audience and must be read in their original context in order to be
meaningful.  If you're searching for electronic versions of these
articles, consider yourself warned.
 
344. I saw an 800 number that is maintained by <homophobic group>.
Should I post it so everyone can call and tie up the line?
    You may or may not want to post it as a matter of information.
    However, you should be aware that owners of 800 numbers get a log
that shows the time, duration, and calling number for every call.  This
is true even if caller ID is not available in your area.  You should
also be aware that your home phone service can be cut off if you make
repeated harassing calls from your home phone.
 
345. What is GLAAD? 
    The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has its national
offices at 80 Varick St, suite 3E, New York NY 10013 U.S.A.; +1 212
966 1700 (voice).  Local chapters also exist in many major cities
across the US. GLAAD publishes the GLAAD bulletin, and wants reports
of defamation.
 
346. What is NAMBLA?
    The North American Man-Boy Love Association "support[s] men and boys
in consensual relationships with one another and help[s] educate society
about the nature of such relationships," according to a posting by one
of its members.  For info:  NAMBLA Info, Dept RR, P.O.Box 174, Midtown
Station, NYC NY 10018, or email [email-masked].  Discussion of NAMBLA's
goals via postings to soc.motss and in the LGBO* community often stirs
sharp controversy.
 
347. What gay/lesbian organizations exist for persons in the
high-technology industries?
    - High Tech Gays (HTG) is a group based in San Jose, California,
which has many social activities for its local members (although HTG's
members hail from across the USA).  HTG has been active in opposing
the U.S. government's reluctance to give security clearances to
lesbians and gays, and in other local and regional gay-rights issues.
    HTG can be reached at P.O. Box 6777, San Jose, California 95150.
Their voicemail is at (408) 993-3830, and they can be reached via BBS
at (415) 572-9594.
    - The National Organization of Gay/Lesbian Scientists and Technical
Professionals (NOGLSTP) is a non-profit corporation, and can be
reached at PO Box 91803, Pasadena, CA 91109-9813.  Their phone number
is (818) 791-7689, and they can be reached via Internet at
[email-masked].
    - Digital Queers is a group that works closely with the National 
Gay and Lesbian Task Force in Washington D.C.  They have started to open 
chapters in several cities around the US.  For more information, send 
email to [email-masked].

348. What is "After the Ball"?
    ATB is a book, written in 1989 by Hunter Madsden and Marshall
Kirk, that offered strategies for gay culture to be accepted by, and
incorporated into, mainstream American culture, and offered a "code of
conduct" for members of the gay community.  Because of the authors'
ideas and the way in which they were presented, ATB became the subject
of much controversy in soc.motss and other forums.  Chances are that,
pro or con, your "compelling statement" about ATB has probably been
made here before, and all it will do is to stir up the same arguments
one more time.

Civil Rights and the Law
========================
 
401. Which governments have laws against discrimination on the basis
of sexual orientation ("a/d laws")?
    - Australia: no national a/d law.  New South Wales and Queensland 
      both have them.
    - Canada:  At the provincial level, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec,
      New Brunswick, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia, have 
      a/d laws, as does the Yukon.  There is no Federal a/d law; recent court
      decisions and appeals have somewhat confused the question of
      whether or not sexual orientation is already covered by Federal law.
    - Denmark:  A/d laws for service to customers include sexual
      orientation.  (My correspondent believed that a/d laws prohibited
      discrimination in employment and housing, but could not track them
      down.) The criminal code also prohibits public statements that
      promote hatred against recognized groups including sexual
      minorities; but the in only case to date--antigay letter to a
      newspaper--the defendant was acquitted.  Registered partnership is
      available to persons of the same gender if one or both are Danish
      citizens resident in Denmark, and is done by mayors but not
      priests.  Registered partnership (unlike marriage) does not give
      the right to adopt children.
    - Italy: The age of consent is 16; however, if neither partner is      
      18 or over, the age of consent is 14.                                
    - New Zealand: New law will go into effect Feb 1, 1994 and cover
      the military, police, housing, employment, and may even require
      religious groups to comply.
    - Norway:  General a/d laws against discrimination on race,
      religion, political view, and sexual preference.  A law proposal
      concerning "registered partnership" is under discussion in the
      Parliament.  This law will not give the right to adopt children.
    - U.S.A.:  nothing at the Federal level, except a/d rules in the
      Federal civil service.  (The military does discharge lesbians and
      gays.) The states of Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Hawaii, New
      Jersey, Vermont, California, and Connecticut have comprehensive a/d
      laws.  Many U.S. cities and counties do also, and some governors have
      issued executive orders that affect employees of their state
      governments.  The NGLTF (National Gay and Lesbian Task Force) in
      Washington DC maintains a list.  Colorado has a consitutional
      provision *prohibiting* anti-discrimination ordinances (see #405).
 
402. What about discrimination by private employers?
    Many employers and unions in a number of countries have also
established non-discrimination policies.  A separate list, covering
North American organizations, is posted approximately once every   
month.  Persons wishing an email copy of the list may contact the
list maintainer, Larry Stratton ([email-masked]). 
 
403. (*) Where is same-gender sex legal?
    - Australia: in every state except Tasmania.
    - Canada:  A person 18 or older may consent to sex with anyone else.
      A person 14 or older may consent to sex with a person not in a
      position of authority over them, not for money, and not if it is
      anal sex.  A person 12 or older may consent to sex with a person
      not in a position of authority over them, not more than two years
      older than them, and not if it is anal sex.  Anal sex is illegal
      unless the two immediate participants are both over 18 or married
      to each other.  A court recently struck down the exception in the
      above law regarding anal sex.  This would make anal sex legal under
      the same conditions as sex in general.  This may be appealed by the
      Federal government.
    - Denmark: The general age of consent is 15.  There is an 18-
      year limit for relations with "children given into your care for
      upbringing or education"; that is, adopted-children or teacher-
      pupil relationships.  All of these rules are part of the criminal
      code, which applies only to people of age 15 or older.  This means 
      that you cannot break them whatever you do, if you are younger
      than 15.
    - Ireland: The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 1988 that 
      Irish law contravened the European Convention for the Protection of 
      Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.  In 1990 the Irish Minister 
      for Justice announced that a bill to reform Irish law in line with 
      the ECHR decision would be presented to the Oireachtas (Irish 
      parliament).  This bill became law in 1993, making same-sex legal
      for adult men and women.
    - New Zealand: gay sex is legal for consenting males and females 16
      and over.
    - Norway: age of consent is uniformly 16.
    - U.K.: legal in private for males over 21 who are not in the armed
      forces. Legal in private for females over 16, because British law
      does not recognise the existence of lesbianism.  Homosexual activity
      of any kind is prohibited in the British armed forces.  The Special
      Investigation Branch of the MPs have draconian powers to search
      through private possessions, letters, etc.  Thus, they often follow
      "chains" of gay and lesbian people through the forces.  The Ministry
      of Defence has recently decided that homosexual acts in the armed
      forces will no longer be considered criminal offences and subject
      to courts-martial.  Homosexuality, though, remains "incompatible with
      military life", and those discovered to be homosexual are subject
      to discharge.
    - U.S.A:  this varies at the state level.  Roughly half the states
      have reformed their laws (by legislative or judicial action) to
      remove restrictions on sexual activity between consenting adults
      in private.  The D.C. council passed a reform law but it was
      overridden by Congress.
 
404. Didn't the U.S. Supreme Court say sodomy was a crime even in private?
    Not exactly.  By a 5-4 decision in the 1986 case of {Bowers v
Hardwick}, the Court ruled that a state could pass a law criminalizing
homosexual behavior even in private because the Constitutional right to
privacy did not extend to sexual relations between members of the same
sex.  An analysis of why this was a bad decision (not just for us, but
for the U.S. Constitution) may be found in Laurence Tribe, {On Reading
the Constitution}.
 
405. What is Amendment 2?
    In the November 1992 election in the US state of Colorado, voters
approved by a 53-47 percent margin the following amendment to the
state's constitution:
                             ------

Be it Enacted by the People of the State of Colorado:

Article 2, of the Colorado Constitution is amended by the
addition of Section 30, which shall state as follows:

NO PROTECTION STATUS BASED ON HOMOSEXUAL, LESBIAN, OR
BISEXUAL ORIENTATION.  

Neither the State of Colorado, through any of its branches
or departments, nor any of its agencies, political
subdivisions, municipalities or school districts, shall
enact, adopt or enforce any statute, regulation, ordinance
or policy whereby homosexual, lesbian or bisexual
orientation, conduct, practices or relationships shall
constitute or otherwise be the basis of, or entitle any
person or class of persons to have or claim any minority
status, quota preferences, protected status or claim of
discrimination.  This Section of the Constitution shall be in
all respects self-executing.

                             ------
In January 1993, a judge in Colorado granted an injunction *preventing*
Amendment 2 from becoming effective, pending the outcome of a court
challenge.  In the judge's ruling, he said there was a "reasonable"
chance that Amendment 2 would ultimately be found unconstitutional.

Several groups are working to repeal Amendment 2.  Here is a partial
list:

	Equality Colorado
	PO Box 300476
	Denver, Colorado 80203
	(303) 839-5540 office
	(303) 839-1361 fax

	CLIP (Colorado Legal Initiative Project)
	PO Box 44447
	Denver, Colorado 80201

	Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Colorado (GLCCC)
	PO Drawer E
	Denver, Colorado 80218
	(303) 831-6268
	(303) 837-1598

	Boycott Colorado
	PO Box 300158
	Denver, Colorado 80203-0158

The newsgroups co.politics.amend2.{info,discuss} may be available
at your site.

Acknowledgements:  (If you've made a contribution and wish to be
acknowledged, let me know.)
    FAQ list originally by Stan Brown
    Lexicon originally by D. Daniel Sternbergh

Corrections and suggestions:  please email to [email-masked]