Subject: You may have seen already. If so, please excuse...
From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 2 Aug 1997 02:28:05 -0400 (EDT)

(IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE RESPOND TO MY E-MAIL ADDRESS ([email-masked]) WITH
FEEDBACK FROM YOUR PHONE CALLS.)

THANKS,
MIKHAIL BROWN, EDITOR
XENOGENY

*****
Ben West Library Stops Art Exhibits
7.31.97

Earlier this month, local "Untitled" artist Tony Teal was informed that
two of his works would need to come down from his exhibit at the Ben
West Public Library. The reason for this demand was that one painting
portrayed two men kissing good-bye in a restaurant, and the other
because one person mistakenly saw a penis in a painting with two hearts.
Most recently, the library received a complaint because Teal identified
himself as an openly-gay man.

After a conversation with Pam Reese, director of Public Relations, ACLU,
and the Lesbian & Gay Coalition for Justice, the Library Administration
announced that they would not remove the paintings in question. The show
ends today.

Yesterday, "Untitled" (a local artist group) was informed that there would
be no more art exhibits at Ben West until a policy could be established
on what is appropriate art. Three exhibits from "Unititled" were
immediately cancelled by the library.

The library has announced that it will form a new policy, but whatever
form it takes, it is clear that Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Trans art is considered
"controversial" and may not be welcomed.

Tell the library what you think. Contact Pam Reese (director of public
relations) AND Bruce Farrar (Director of the Ben West Library)  at (615)
862-5800
and let them know that exhibits responsibly portraying lesbian, gay, bi,
and transgendered life should be welcomed in the library, and that the
public library should be free of censorship.

===================

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 05:09:10 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Update on Library Situation

The following message came earlier this week from Jim Hawk concerning
Nashville's (TN) Ben West Library and its recent attempt at what appeared to
be censorship of art in the library.  We will keep you updated!

All the best,
Mikhail Brown
Xenogeny Editor
Nashville, TN

*****

Thanks for all the help!

Bill Turner, from the Lesbian & Gay Coalition for Justice, e-mailed me
this morning to let me know about his discussion with Donna Nicely from
the Ben West Public Library.

Last week, they suddenly cancelled "Untitled's" art exhibits for the rest
of the year.

This week they are now saying that they want a policy to handle
complaints about art content, as opposed to censorship of the art
itself.

Bill has asked that we STOP calling the library for the time being
because, "an open, good-faith effort at policymaking is under way, and we
need to participate in that process, rather than bombarding them with
phone calls..."

Congratulations on a victory for all of us!

JAMES HAWK