F.y.i.

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The exhibit, "The Long Road to Freedom: The Advocate History of the Gay and Lesbian Movement" chronicles the modern movement through photos, cartoons, covers of The Advocate, articles, interviews and more. Beginning with the Stonewall Rebellion this visual retrospective takes you through the civil rights struggle from the inside. Says Donna Redwing of GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), "The Long Road to Freedom is a testament to how far gay men and lesbians have come since the days of Stonewall."

The exhibit is at the U-M Michigan Union Art Lounge and runs from Sun. Sept. 15 through Wed. Sept. 25. You can go see it Suns from 9 am - 1 am, Mons from 7 am - 1 am and Tues thru Sat 7 am - 2 am.

GET 20/20 VISION 20/20 Vision is a national group that helps busy people take action for peace, justice and the environment. Subscribers receive a monthly postcard recommending a 20-minute action to take which has been determined by a regional core group. All the information needed to help sway a vote or change an outcome through a letter or phone call is provided. Every six months subscribers get a report on the effectiveness of these actions.

20/20 Vision is also working on a youth campaign. Their World Wide Web site is www.2020vision.org. The cost is $20/year or whatever you can afford. Write to 1828 Jefferson Place NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS! Peace Neighborhood Center needs people to provide emergency transportation, assist in after school tutoring, be a special friend to a child, help with mailings, do data entry, and give reception help. Come to a Open House, Wed. morning, Sept 18, 7-10 am, and find out about how you can fit in. There'll be delicious muffins! Call 662-3564 even if the 18th won't work for you. Performance Network needs ushers to fold programs, sell tickets, etc. See a show for free! Call 663-0696. Performance Network also has volunteer openings in set construction, set strikes and moves (on Sun. 91 at 10 am and on Sun. 929 at 9:30 pm) and mailing parties. This month's mailing party is Sat. 921 from noon to 5 pm. And by the way, the Network invites everyone to see a show on their birthday. The birthday celebrant gets in FREE.

SOS Community Crisis Center needs non-perishable food items and/or personal care items for its emergency food bank. Bring 'em on over to SOS. Or how about sponsoring a food drive and outdoing that neighbor across the street who had better Christmas lights than you did last year! Call 485-8730.

VOTE NADER FOR PREZ? The A2 Green Party is asking Michigan citizens to write in Ralph Nader for president and Gaia Kile for Washtenaw County Sheriff. Nader has achieved ballot status in 11 states but not ours and may get on 17 more ballots. The Michigan Greens' philosophy is "don't waste your vote on a corporate candidate."

Nader is a longtime advocate for consumers, workers and the environment. He has consistently worked to make the political process more democratic by monitoring corporate financing of dates and its effect on political decision-making.

Kile has been a nurse in the Washtenaw County Jail as well as an inmate for non-violent disobedience actions against the U.S. war in Central America. Kile' s program for jail reform includes provisions to stop the expansion of the jail, stop, jail overcrowding, maintain and improve programs, maintain safety for inmates and guards, focus law enforcement on prevention of violence and establish a citizen review board over the police. To get involved, cali (313) 663-3555.

PLAN NOW FOR FREEDOM FUND DINNER Save your pennies. The annual Ypsilanti-Willow Run Branch of the NAACP will be observing its annual Freedom Fund Dinner on Oct. 25 at the Ypsilanti Marriott, 1275 S. Huron St., Ypsi. This year's speaker is lecturer, actor, comedienne, singer, Dr. Bertice Berry. A $60 dinner ticket entitles you to a year's membership and one heck of an evening.

CORPORATE WELFARE WATTS According to the Aug. 19 In These Times, the Consumer's Power Company of Michigan raised electricity rates for its 1.4 million residential users by 8.2% (about $40 more a year on a typical bill) while lowering rates for the state's industrial users by an average of 4.2%. For corporate giants like GM, Dow-Corning and Upjohn, rates were slashed up to 20%.

THREE CHEERS FOR U-M Gov. John Engler recently signed two college financing bills with the provision that universities that extend medical benefits to partners of gay and lesbian employees will be penalized. U-M and Wayne State are the only state universities that offer such benefits. Out of a $300 million budget for employee and retiree benefits, U-M only spends $160,000 on about 90 partners and dependents of gay and lesbian employees. Despite the penalties, U-M is persevering in providing benefit equity for its permanent workers.

SAVE $, STARVE KIDS President Clinton signed bipartisan legislation last month that cuts $54 billion from welfare over six years and abolishes AFDC. The new law ends all federal guarantees of support to poor children. It turns over welfare funding to the states which will remain at 1997 levels throughout the phase-out. Furthermore, states will lose 5% of block grants each year that they fail to satisfy work-participation requirements that don't take the cost of living, child care, or job training into account.
Within two months of receiving benefits recipients must perform community service and must work within two years whether they can afford it or not.. More than half the cuts come from programs that help support the already-working poor. Food stamps will be cut by 20%. SSI will be cut for the elderly and disabled and legal immigrants will be prohibited from any kind of aid. The Urban Institute has calculated that our new "best hope" will throw an additional 2.6 million people into poverty.

AAOAK RALLY ON TAP On Sept. 5, local and regional groups supporting the Ann Arbor Organizing Against the Klan (AAOAK) list of demands will rally at City Hall (time of rally TBA; consult your nearest phone pole . . . ).