I often feel that LGBT community east of Instate 95 is being left out. I know there gays and Lesbians east of 95 that don’t let themselves be known. They want to live a simple life, not drawing much attention to themselves most of the time.
I often think the reason behind this is because they are left out.
Every LGBT Event is either held west of 95 in Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte and Ashville. Pride is always held in Charlotte and Durham and some times in Raleigh. HRC hold their events in Raleigh and Charlotte. Nothing is ever held east of 95. Why is that?
When I move to NC back in winter of 91 I remember there was three LGBT Newspapers, (at this time i can only name two) Q-notes, and the Front page.
Q-Notes is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) newspaper serving North Carolina and South Carolina. It is based in Charlotte, N.C., and publishes every other week. The paper was originally started in 1983 as the monthly newsletter of Queen City Quordinators, a Charlotte LGBT organization. In 1986, it began publishing as a monthly tabloid under the direction of C.A.N. (Charlotte Advocacy Network) Inc. The paper was bought by its current owner, Pride Publishing and Typesetting, in December 1989. Chronicling local and regional news around the Carolinas, the paper is a vital resource for the LGBT communities of the two states.
On May 12, 2006, Q-Notes merged with the Raleigh, N.C., based The Front Page, another North Carolina LGBT newspaper. Started in the 1970s as The Free Press, The Front Page began publishing under that name in 1979 in Raleigh, N.C. Jim Baxter was publisher of The Front Page, a Raleigh-based newspaper for the gay and lesbian communities of North Carolina, from October 1979 to May 2006. Beyond the basics, The Front Page tried to offer (or perhaps even create) some sense of community, some sense of history, some way to stop reinventing the wheel every couple of years, some way to build a movement for change that could mark its progress in real accomplishment. I do remember getting both Front Page and Q-notes every time I visit Raleigh, yes both had just about the same stories in them, it seem that the Front Page had more NC Coverage then Q-notes. Now days Q-notes seem more interested in what happen in Charlotte more then anywhere else in the state. Why is that?
I would have thought that our only Local LGBT Newspaper would do more to include the community in every community, not just one it is based in.
True that east of 95 there is no Major big Cities, yes mostly farmland, small town in a urban setting where everyone knows your name. These small but intimate towns have their fair share of LGBT citizens. In most of these small town crimes against LGBT is rare and far in between. They live their lives out in the opening. Some own businesses in these small town, in some cases these business are at the center of the community.
I wonder this after the National rally for Prop8, where there were protests all across America. I was lucky enough to attend the one in Greenville, where I also photograph the event and met many wonder people. I have to wonder if I didn’t email Q-notes and share my photos of this event would it have ever been mention at all in Q-notes, since the Greenville protest only turn out about 35 people, very small compare to the hundreds who turn out in Charlotte and Raleigh.
So once again I ask why is these communities left out and never discuss in our only LGBT newspaper. If Q-notes can’t equally represent the whole LGBT community of NC, then maybe, just maybe Q-notes should become Q-Charlotte, since about 70% of Q-note represent Charlotte almost exclusively.
Ok Wilmington is in Q-note all there events do get listed, I feel the only reason behind this is that its close the SC border and is a Vacation beach community.
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