Herland Sister Resources

The Herland Board and several other interested participants met on August 1, 2004, to develop organizational goals for the next three years. As part of the process, we identified our current challenges, reviewed our mission statement, established goals, and determined the objectives and strategies to help us meet those goals. We encourage you to give us some feedback and let us know if you think there is something we have overlooked in setting these goals and priorities.

Challenges Identified:

Need more visibility (especially for younger audience) and fresh, positive, fun, socially-conscious image.

Need more leadership, commitment, and diversity (especially younger women) on board. Need more active volunteers.

Want to be open more hours/days, keep up with technological developments, keep the building in good shape and stay financially sound.

Need better definition of our focus and direction. Want to be socially-conscious, safe, and effective (always want to be more than just a social organization).

Goals and Objectives:

Visibility and Image - Goal is to increase Herland’s visibility and promote a fresh, fun, socially-conscious, positive image. Objectives: Have at least one high visibility activity (music festival, art festival, road trip) per year; Have or participate in at least one socially-conscious activity per year; Develop, revise, or create at least three promotional vehicles

Board Development - Goal is to increase board size, participation, diversity, and effectiveness. Objectives: Maintain a board of at least eight members; Proactively recruit diverse board members; Develop a well-trained board; Develop an active volunteer base and auxiliary board.

Operations - Goal is to serve our community effectively, efficiently and with fiscal responsibility. Objectives: Keep the bookstore open more hours per week; Have an active IT committee to keep up with and make the most of technological changes; Raise sufficient funds to cover our goals and objectives.

Focus - Goal is to provide resources to strengthen, enrich, and support women and to promote a world free of prejudice, oppression, and exploitation. Objectives: Increase participation by more types of women (e.g., straight); Provide resources to support marginalized women or women in need; Include consciousness-raising at Herland events.

Long-time Herland Board member Margaret Cox was the recipient this year of the Irene Tyson Memorial Award, given annually by the Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus at the Pride Festival. The award is given “for exemplary community service and pride in who you are.”

Congratulations Margaret!

On May 13th, 2004, Dawn L. McKinley and Kathy E. Reynolds, together for four years and both enrolled Cherokee citizens, began a series of step that should result in marriage. First, they requested and were issued a marriage application from the tribal court. Second, they were married by Leslie Penrose, a Tulsa-area minister. Lastly, on May 18th, they tried to take the final step to legalize their marriage - to register their marriage certificate with the tribal court.

As of this date, their marriage certificate, which legally establishes them as a married couple in the eyes of the Cherokee Nation as well as Oklahoma, has not been recorded, even though Cherokee Law stated, at the time of their application, “every person age 18 or older can be married, except those with a living husband or wife, those who are nearer of kin than first cousins, and those who are insane or idiotic.”

Their attempt to marry was blocked by a desperate and confusing series of actions taken by the Cherokee authorities:

- On May 14, Judicial Appeals Tribunal Chief Justice Darrell Dowty issues a 30-day marriage application moratorium
- A Cherokee Nation District Court judge extended a moratorium on tribal marriage applications at a June 18th hearing
- District Court Judge John Cripps extended the marriage-application freeze until a hearing could be held to determine the legal status of the Owasso couple’s marriage
- On June 11, Todd Hembree, the Tribal Council’s attorney, filed an objection to the issuance of the lesbian couple’s marriage application
- Scrambling to clarify any future marriage ambiguity, the Tribal Council unanimously voted to amend the tribe’s marriage law banning same-sex marriages along with bigamy and adultery -June 14th- without even reading it
- On June 16, Hembree also filed a petition for declaratory judgment stating that the original Cherokee marriage law implies that marriage certificates are for couples comprised of one man and one woman
- The Owasso couple’s attempt to be married in the eyes of their people has become a legal battle against the refusal of the tribe to register the marriage certificate.

Oklahoma voters will decide in November whether to amend the state constitution to permanently deny marriage equality to same-sex couples.

Herland Supper Club
The September Supper Club will be delayed a week due to the Fall Retreat occurring on our regularly scheduled Saturday. So Supper Club is moved to Saturday the 18th-meet at 5:30 at Herland where we will decide on a restaurant. After dinner, return to Herland for Video Night.

Native American Women
OKC Two-Spirit Society is having meetings for lesbian and bi-sexual women of Native American descent. Please call the OKC Two-Spirit Hotline number at (405) 317-7283 for information.

Womyn of Color
Womyn of Color group meets the 2nd Sunday of each month. Please email womynofcolor@gay.com or call (405) 842-3464 or (405) 947-7691 for more information.

September

Sunday, Sept. 5: Peggy Johnson Band - 6PM, poolside, Hollywood Hotel , 3535 NW 39th Expressway. Beer - bar - buffet - catered by Head Country BBQ

Thursday, Sept 9: Panel Discussion on Same Gender Marriage. Presented by PFLAG Norman in the sanctuary of St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church on the corner of McGee Drive and West Brooks Street in Norman at 7:00 p.m.

Friday Sept. 10 - Sun. Sept. 12: Herland Fall Retreat at Robbers Cave State Park-see page 4 for registration

Sunday, Sept 12: Womyn of Color Meeting, call 842-3464 for details
Monday, Sept 13: OGLPC Monthly Meeting at the Center, 2135 NW 39th, 7 pm

Saturday, Sept. 18: Herland Supper Club and Video Night (together) -7 pm

Saturday, Sept. 18: Miss Brown to You at the Jazz Lab,
100 E 5th Street, Edmond, 8 pm, $7.00

Sunday, Sept 19: Herland Board Meeting, 4 pm, everyone welcome

Friday Sept. 24: Miss Brown to You at Galileos, 3009 Paseo, 9 pm $5.00

Saturday, Sept. 28: Herland Scrabble Night-6 pm

October

Friday, Oct. 15: Mark your calendars for a Herland house concert with Jamie Anderson. Look for more information in the October Voice.