TO LIFE

“Live and Let Live.” is the theme of World AIDS Day 2003, as designated by the World AIDS Campaign. On December 1, the United Nations program (www.unaids.org) encourages individuals to focus on the stigma and discrimination that affects people living with HIV/AIDS.

In Houston, observances of the 15th World AIDS Day include the following:

• NOVEMBER 30

Religious Services. Many churches will focus on the AIDS crisis during regular services, including Grace Lutheran (2515 Waugh).

Tree of Remembrance. Last year, the Houston GLBT Community Center and the Gulf Coast Archive & Museum of GLBT History (GCAM) partnered to resume the lighting of the Tree of Remembrance, once presented annually by the now-disbanded NAMES Project Houston. The center (3400 Montrose Blvd., Suite 207) continues this community tradition with a 6 p.m. lighting ceremony. Individuals may bring ornaments in memory of loved ones and hang them on the tree, which will remain on view at the center through December. Info: 713/524-3818.

• DECEMBER 1

Television Programming. Houston MediaSource, the community access station, will present 24 hours of programming—sponsored by KPFT 90.1FM Pacifica and OutSmart—related to HIV/AIDS. Features will include a forum, simulcast on KPFT, hosted by Ray Hill.

Positive Art Workshop Exhibition. The Houston GLBT Community Center will present art created by adults with HIV/AIDS who participate in the bimonthly art program as well as paintings by workshop director Ryan Fugate, noon–9 p.m. Info: 713/524-3818.

Memorial Ornament Display. When it folded, the local NAMES Project chapter gave GCAM the ornaments that adorned the Tree of Remembrance in the past. In December, the archive will exhibit a selection of the objects in its Houston GLBT Community Center display.

World AIDS Day Luncheon. AIDS Foundation Houston will host the annual fundraising event, 11:30–1 p.m., at The Houstonian Hotel (111 N. Post Oak Lane). Individual ticket prices begin at $150, $1,500 for a table of 10. Reservations: 713/623-6796, ext. 278.

Remembrance Tree. Thomas Street Clinic (2015 Thomas) will host an 11 a.m. ceremony for individuals who want to hang ornaments on a tree in memory of loved ones. The event will include a reading of names of people lost to AIDS. Info: 713/873-4000.

Paper Quilt. Through December 5, the Montrose Counseling Center (701 Richmond) will display a memorial quilt of panels created on card stock by staff, clients, and others. Info: 713/529-0037.

Health Fair. The UH Wellness program will host an 11 a.m.–1 p.m. health fair at the University Center (4800 Calhoun). Montrose Clinic will participate. In addition, UH Wellness will display panels from the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and hold a 5 p.m. candlelight march. Info: 713/743-5455.

Candlelight Vigil. The city will organize the 5–7 p.m. event at Jones Plaza (600 Smith). Expected speakers include Mayor Lee Brown and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

The Illumination Project. DiverseWorks (1117 East Freeway), in conjunction with Dominic Walsh Dance Theater and Hope Stone Dance, will present a 7:30 p.m. performance benefiting the Pediatric AIDS Initiative of Baylor College of Medicine and A Caring Safe Place. Tickets are $35. Reservations: 713/526-1907, ext. 3.

In the Key of Hope. The nonprofit Warren Corporation and TwinPlus Productions will present a 5–6:30 p.m. health fair followed by a 7 p.m. gospel concert at St. Agnes Baptist Church (3730 South Acres). Tickets: $15–$50. Proceeds benefit the HIV-education and mentoring initiative Love Black Kids. Details: 713/541-9777, 832/419-6883.

• DECEMBER 2

Concert. Bering Omega Community Services will present a Houston Symphony chamber group in a free concert at Bering Memorial United Methodist Church (1440 Harold). Info: 713/524-9304, ext. 103.

Converging in Houston. DiverseWorks and Voices Breaking Boundaries will present an 8 p.m. program curated by artists and activists focusing on the global AIDS crisis and impact on Houston. Featured artists include Chuck Jackson, Michael Peranteau, Kris Peterson, Beena Sarwar, and Sixto Wagan. Tickets are $7, $5 for seniors. Reservations: 713/335-3445.

OFF LINE

On November 1, Brandon Wolf pulled the plug on the web community he launched on November 16, 1998.

The online chat-and-discussion group Houston Activist Network, commonly known as Han-Net, had 266 members at its demise. Its influence extended beyond numbers. Many of the netizens fell into the category once characterized by mayoral liaison Janine Brunjes as “leaders and self-appointed leaders.” Information disseminated on Han-Net often got disseminated outside the cyber bounds.

Despite the frequent flames and increasingly angry-to-irrational political sparring, Han-Net demonstrated the value of the Internet for community organizing. As Wolf’s creation ended, an interview conducted by e-mail seemed especially apt.

OutSmart: How did you come to start Han-Net?

Brandon Wolf: The idea first occurred to me in fall 1997, when I received an activist email from the late Gary Van Otteghem. He had cc’d about 50 local activists. When I hit “Reply,” it sort of blew my mind that communication could have become so quick.

In my career, I work a lot with people who are involved in process re-invention, so I am rather attuned to exactly how a process functions. And it occurred to me that Houston GLBT community had a very slow process in place for communicating across the city, which is not a reflection on the people involved, just the tools they had to work with at the time.

I was playing with the idea of a community wide email list when Matthew Shepard was murdered. That gave me the motivation to get one started, and quickly.

OS: Did you have a model?

BW: FEM-NET was already in operation by activist Deborah Bell. I joined that list and began to think more of a Houston-wide GLBT list. Deborah introduced me to a number of web tech friends, and together we shared ideas and plans. We all were on the same page that the community’s communication process was antiquated, and we needed to embrace the power that the internet was now offering to us.

OS: How did you first spread the word?

BW: I had an email list which I thinking of using for the Houston GLBT Film Festival. I was on the advisory board at the time, and they wanted to reach corporate-type people. I didn’t have time for meetings and mailings, but thought that a few emails would be within my realm of possibility.

I combed my personal emails from local activists for the cc lists, and I loaded in all the email addresses from the Houston GLBT Yellow Pages.

When Matthew Shepard died, Gary Van Otteghem asked me to join him on the rally committee that he was organizing. With only a few days to organize, I decided now was the time to unleash the power of the Internet. I held my breath the first time I aimed an activist email to an audience of about 250 local GLBT email addresses.

The list helped in organizing the rally, especially the day of the rally. With dark overcast skies, the organizers feared everyone would stay home. But early that Sunday morning, we sent another email out, assuring local GLBTs and their supporters that the rally would be held, even in pouring down rain.

After the rally, I used the list to invite activists to help me with an email list pilot. That worked fine. About 20 people helped with that for a period of a week or so.

Then Han-Net was born, and went live on November 1, 1998. The original name was Houston Activist Network, but that was too long, and it was nicked Han-Net.

Troy Christensen made some really smart looking flyers, and I took these to community meetings such as HGLPC, EPAH, the Chamber, and PFLAG. Once the word started to move across the community, it spread quickly.

Within the first three months, the membership went from 1 to over 200. In many ways, it publicized itself, with members sharing the word with friends.

Robin West, one of members, then built a really nice website, and that was the final tool that helped increase the membership up to about 250-275, which is about what it has averaged.

OS: Describe some of ways Han-Net grew and evolved.

BW: Han-Net started out as a list of local announcements. I was naïve enough to think it might just be an emergency warning type of network, connecting our community during times when we really needed to communicate quickly.

But inevitably, with the stage now provided, members of the list began to use the list for their own personal agendas. I am not making a value judgment about that, just sort of expressing what I saw happen.

I think we were all startled when Katrina Rose and Dale Carpenter were put into immediate contact with each other, as a willing audience watched. Their catfights within the first three months of Han-Net seemed to set the stage for what would follow.

Probably other moderators would have stepped in at this point and dictated what the list should do. But as a journalism graduate, I found myself too fascinated with what I was reading. The tone did get sharp, almost libelous at times. But it was hard not to look and read, because what used to take place out of sight of the greater community was now being blasted across the community. I don’t think Han-Net stirred up trouble that wasn’t already there. It just gave many of the problems a venue for expression.

The first few months were very inspirational. None of us in the community had ever had this type of reach and immediacy. Organizing the ExxonMobil rally is a good example. Probably that wouldn’t have happened except for the fact that so many activists on Han-Net focused on it.

That first year, we had an Xmas party at Angelika Bar in the new Bayou Place. That was probably the happiest and most glittering evening in the life of Han-Net. We were all still full of hope and great ideas. And the real rancor hadn’t set in yet.

Probably the reason Han-Net did so well is because, as Nancy Ford has noted, “You can read it in your bunny slippers and pajamas.”

Han-Net tried to branch out, splitting into three lists—one for announcements, one for news articles, and one for discussion. It didn’t work. Most people stayed on Han-Net because that is where the audience was. Han-Lite was moderated by Judy Reeves for almost a year, and that was intended to be more an announcement list. But the manual labor of it became intensive, and the membership never increased that much.

Han-Net also tried to sponsor on line chats. Despite the efforts, that was a colossal failure. And I realized then that Han-Net works because members can access it when they want. No one seems to have time anymore to do much when you have to be at a certain location at a certain time.

OS: Was Han-Net always a moderated list?

BW: No. I always intended not to moderate it for two reasons: one, so that there would absolutely no time wasted in getting word to the community about whatever members wanted to post; two, I wanted this not to be a party-line type of list, and I wanted members to feel free to state things as they saw them.

OS: At some point did it cease to be moderated?

BW: The list was moderated only for brief periods. I tried it for about a month, and gave up. That turned my life into a bunch of arguments, and it just wasn’t worth the effort.

Then last year when the gun control issue flooded member in boxes with dozens and dozens of emails a day, I asked Jewel Gray and Jeri Trice to moderate it. They did, for about three months, and then I just quietly removed the moderation, and it has remained relatively peaceful since.

OS: What was the high point for Han-Net? The low point?

BW: The high point was Mitchell Katine’s personal reports on the progress of the Lawrence vs. Texas case, right from the very beginning. Looking back now, it seems even more so, because the depth of the impact of the Lawrence case is now beginning to become obvious. I had thought this case might be a groundbreaking one for gay men. I had no idea it would literally re-define gay people within America.

The lowest point was probably when a member attacked the clerk of the City Council on Han-Net. She had tried to silence him during an outburst in City Council where he was sounding off as a citizen. In anger, he turned on her, and peppered the list with words and phrases that most of hope we never get exposed to again.

An additional low point was when some members signed up to Han-Net with phony identities, and began personally attacking each other. One morning I was shocked to discover that someone had joined the list using an email address that contained the name of my late partner, Michael L. Cole. They had it right down to the middle initial. Although I blocked them from posting, whoever it was sent me a personal note. Among other accusations, whoever it was suggested that I had started Han-Net so that I could more easily arrange sexual trysts for myself with members of the community. And can you believe I received that note on the morning of 9/11? But I quickly forgot about it, in the light of the horror that reigned down on America that day.

OS: What aspect of Han-Net are you most proud of?

BW: I am proud that Han-Net gave support to the whole concept of electronic communication via the web. The web alone has revolutionized our lives.

Han-Net’s greatest accomplishment is that GCAM, our local GLBT museum and archive, was born on the list. That alone makes the whole Han-Net experience incredibly rewarding.

OS: At times, the conversation on Han-Net could become argumentative and personal, even hurtful (which I would say is just a reflection of some aspects of our community). How do you/did you respond to individuals who objected to that part of Han-Net?

BW: I am a journalism graduate. I couldn’t seem to look the other way because human nature is so fascinating to me. That was probably a strength and a failing of Han-Net. And probably other moderators would have stepped in much sooner.

I have been told that Han-Net provided an important medium for community discussions to take place on, and for members to release their angst about issues.

I also note that Han-Net ended up with a broad cross section of the community. I recall when I got some offline notes at times that I should kick Republicans off the list. And I wouldn’t. It was never intended to be a Democratic list—just a lot of Democrats belong to it.

Things were said on Han-Net that I didn’t endorse, but I refused to censor them also. I know there will be some hurt feelings and some enmity because of some of my decisions. That’s still not my favorite memories of Han-Net, to be sure.

OS: Didn't you take Han-Net offline more than once to let tempers cool?

BW: Yes, on the average, about every nine months. After a week of no contact, members would return to the list with a more pleasant attitude. But it always ended up becoming a battleground once again.

OS: Why did you decide to discontinue Han-Net?

BW: It just seemed right. Han-Net spanned the years from Shepherd to Lawrence, and included the ushering in of a new millenium. As a community, we came a long way in those five years. But I see that Lawrence has changed us, too. We just can’t claim that we aren’t accepted as human beings, anymore. Six-three from a conservative court sends an amazing message. And it’s what so many activists have been working for, for so long. My favorite picture within the last year is a news photograph of John Lawrence and Tyron Garner in front of Houston City Hall, and behind them are visible Sue Null and Deborah Danburg. For me, everything came together when I saw that picture.

In the post-Lawrence world, we need new ideas as a community. And we need new leaders with those new ideas for our new times. I believe that the energy that was concentrated on Han-Net is going to move to another source. Exactly where, time will tell. But we have a lot of smart activists, and I believe they will individually and collectively work to stay informed and united.

Some things in life are very unique, but also rather impossible of re-experiencing. And Han-Net was one of those things. I like to laugh and compare it to Dynasty. When you really consider it, the two are very much alike. Power, drama, sex, deceit, inspiration—it was all there on the show and on the list.

Both also discovered that their highest ratings came with the well-publicized cat fights between the leading ladies. So how could Han-Net resist?

I hope that Han-Net will be remembered with fondness. For me, it will always represent a time of new ideas and excitement and challenges. And it will also remind me that we are all so amazingly similar at the core, and we are all so amazingly human.

OS: When did you reach that decision?

BW: Fall of 2002. The tone on the network had just gotten to the gutter level, and I decided that it was an endless battle to keep it from happening. When Han-Net began, I hoped it would be an online salon (as in Gertrude Stein). Instead, it seems that it became an online saloon (as in Gunsmoke).

OS: At one point, wasn’t OutBC going to take over Han-Net?

BW: Not exactly. I indicated that I wasn’t going to endorse a replacement. I felt the community members should pick on their own what to do. But I thought OutBC was a likely contender, because no one else had started a list at the time they did.

OS: What happened to that plan?

BW: Matt moved to California. I never did hear anything individually from him, so it may have been a quick and very private decision.

OS: Is there a plan for a successor list?

BW: HQ_Activists looked like a likely successor list. Now Lone Star Activists has been started, and Deborah Rogers has asked that HQ members subscribe to this list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoneStarActivists).

OS: What is next for Brandon Wolf?

BW: Although I still work at JPMorganChase, I am as of this spring working for IBM in their Global Services group. My job is incredibly challenging right now, and I am putting the majority of my personal focus on my career at this point in my life.

OS: Is there a next phase in this life of an activist?

BW: After 32 years of activism, I think I can say that perhaps I have done enough. It’s been incredible, watching the progress of our community, and I am glad that I had the health and fortune to be able to get involved, and to meet some very fascinating people over these past three decades.

I do think that activism for all of us changed as a result of Lawrence, but I also don’t think we have quite caught up with it yet. There is still a lot to do, but it’s going to be different. We are entering a time when acceptance of our community has never been higher, which concerns me because we do have our enemies who are feeling very threatened by Lawrence. I hope we make it through the age of “Defense of Marriage.” The name of that bill is such an insult to GLBTs.

My favorite cause will always be GCAM [Gulf Coast Archive and Museum of GLBT History], I believe. The people doing the work there are doing wonders. And they have already saved some significant items that might have just gone into Dumpsters unceremoniously. Once lost, history can never be replaced. As a community, we have a lot to be proud of, and I am so glad that GCAM is preserving this.

OS: What will happen to the Han-Net records?

BW: GCAM will take ownership on 11/01/03 at midnight.

The Houston GLBT Community Center will host a farewell reception for Han-Net on Friday, November 21, at 8 p.m.

Photo by David Lewis

DATE BOOK

Stonewall Law Association of Greater Houston presents the Alternative Family Law Seminar on Nov. 7, 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., at University of Houston Law Center. Mark Strasser, legal authority on same-sex marriage equality, is keynote speaker. Register: www.slagh.org/cle.htm.

On Nov. 8 at Montrose Clinic, Lesbian Health Initiative hosts its 2003 Rainbow Health Fair targeting LGBT women. Details: www.lhihouston.org, 713/603-0023.

Houston Tennis Club presents the HOUTEX tournament Nov. 8–10 at the Memorial Park tennis facilities and Lee LeClear Tennis Center. Register: www.houstontennisclub.org.

Representatives from the New York headquarters of Gay Lesbian & Straight Education Network will lead a Nov. 15 workshop, presented by the No-Hate group and H.A.T.C.H., for students and teachers interested in forming gay/straight alliances. Details: 713/529-3590.

On Nov. 8 at the Rhythm Room, the local stop of the cross-country tour presented by Houston-based GoGirlsMusic.com will benefit Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Oregon.

Cabaret singer Scott Winnett will perform his show I’ll Be Here Tomorrow: Songs from and for the AIDS Crisis on November 16 at Bering Memorial United Methodist Church. Winnett, who teaches voice at the University of Houston, recently presented his show in San Diego. Admission to the 7:30 show is $20. All proceeds will benefit the Bering Support Network.

The Lesbian & Gay Immigration Rights Task Force meets at 8 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month at Bering Memorial United Methodist Church, Room 230. Details: 713/426-3128.

By the time you read this, the Nov. 4 municipal elections may be history. We once more salute openly lesbian candidates Annise Parker, the city council rep (and OutSmart contributor) who stood for city controller, and Sue Lovell, who challenged for an at-large council position.

If you have any comments about this article, please email them to letters@outsmartmagazine.com.