Finding the Sacred in Meth Addiction

As part of its groundbreaking efforts to help stem the tide of local and national crystal meth addiction within the LGBT community, the city of West Hollywood held the third in a series of innovative town hall forums on June 29. Titled Healing Our Minds, Bodies and Souls, this installment highlighted the spiritual and mental health aspects of meth use and addiction via a panel of clergy, mental health experts and former meth users. As with the first two forums, the discussion was moderated by West Hollywood City Councilmember John Duran, who eloquently pointed out that if the theme of the previous forum (the link between meth abuse and sex) could be thought of as a focus on the profane, this forum could well be considered its polar opposite: underscoring the correlation between meth addiction and the sacred.

Many addiction experts and various 12-step programs have long understood that a connection -- or rather a disconnection -- between drug abuse and spirituality, while not overtly obvious, is clearly bubbling beneath the surface. "In every culture and in every historical epoch, human beings have felt the need for ecstatic experience -- for a kind of joy that transcends everyday reality," writes Deepak Chopra in his 1997 book Overcoming Addictions: The Spiritual Solution. "Various cultures have tried to satisfy this need in many different ways, and some have been more spiritually oriented than others." Chopra suggests that the prevalence of addictive behaviors in our modern Western world can be traced directly to the spiritual emptiness wrought by our unprecedented bounty of -- and resulting hyper-focus upon -- material goods. "Rather than seeing addicts as simply weak or even criminal human beings," he writes, "I choose to see them as people who are responding self-destructively, but still quite understandably, to the spiritual vacuum that exists amid our material abundance."

On a less esoteric level, it's also been widely accepted -- and perhaps more readily grasped -- that on a mental health level, a key root of addictive behavior is a void of self esteem, and the resulting overriding sense of inability to deal with the rigors of modern life. "Crystal meth, drugs, and alcohol were never my problem -- they were always my solution," said panelist singer/musician Erin Hamilton at the forum's onset. "The other things in my life were the problem that I didn't know how to deal with, that I didn't want to deal with, that I didn't want to look at." Despite her huge successes on the dance music scene and a large and loyal gay fan base, Hamilton says major among those life issues that led her to drug use was an underlying lack of self-worth.

For LGBT people, and particularly those living in America, the link between spirituality and self-esteem seems especially poignant. A steady and ceaseless stream of rhetoric spewing from conservative Christian religious circles has created massive hurdles in the face of our collective ability to feel worthy as human beings, much less worthy of the divine realm of spirituality -- which many of the forum's panelists agreed is a great contributing factor of drug addiction. "There's something when it comes to gay people about walking around in life with the information that's been given to you at an earlier age about what your place is in life, and that ever-burning eternal furnace that's waiting for you if you happen to be gay," said panelist Nathan Metcalf, a local artist and former meth user.

"How do people come to talk to us, when we're seen so often as the problem?" Rev. Neil Thomas, senior pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles, wondered aloud. "I wish I could sit up here today and apologize for every religious leader around the world that has used our name in vain. I mean, I could do that, but you wouldn't believe me, because tomorrow [Lou] Sheldon or Pat Robertson or one of the others is going to say that I'm a liar. But I do believe that what we have specifically here in America -- and I do have another context of course [being] from the United Kingdom -- but one of the things I've noticed about this country is that the religion that we have today is a civic religion and not a real religion, not a religion based on the values of God or values of self-worth. I truly believe that religion has been hijacked in this country and stolen away from us."

"Why do we let them be the ones to define our higher power -- our God -- for our country and all of us?" asked Rabbi Denise Eger from Congregation Kol Ami. "That's one thing I never understood about our community." The Rev. Canon Malcolm Boyd, an Episcopal priest, concurred. "I never knew why we gave God and morality to the right wing," he said. "It was a stupid mistake -- arrogant, and politically ridiculous."

"Over the years if you look back specifically on the LGBT community, historically we've seen how gay people have been the shamans, the healers, the ones who walked between worlds," Thomas pointed out. "We've had a tradition in our community where we've been the forerunners around spirituality, and we have somehow given up that power to somebody who now defines who God is for us. Well, it's time for us to reclaim who God is now, today. We have that work to do."

Toward that end, Eger pointed to the coalition of local interfaith LBGT-friendly leaders who have recently come together to stress their presence as voices -- or perhaps more importantly in terms of dealing with crystal meth and other addictions, as readily available and non-judgmental ears. "This is about finding a spiritual community in which you can connect," said Eger. "Because if you're in isolation, that's all the more reason to hear those other voices, to lower your self esteem. I hope some of you will risk it a little bit in terms of stepping out from behind the computers and lying on the couches, and come out in a different way -- to come out spiritually. In that way, I know our community will be strengthened and lifted up."

"Our spirituality is so important for us -- call it self-worth, call it mental health, whatever you wish to -- I choose to call it spirituality," said Thomas. "It really behooves each and every one of us to find the inner beauty that is there for us, and to allow that to be created into this universe. Because once it's created into this universe, the universe becomes more beautiful, and we starve this universe by not allowing our real bounty to come out."

"I also want to tell you that the best sex that I have is after I've celebrated Mass on Sunday," Thomas added, to resounding laughter. "And I do wait till I get home to make sure that that happens."

Duran announced that no further crystal meth forums have been planned for the immediate future, as he and other organizers have decided to take a yearlong break before reassessing the need for additional installments. Meanwhile, an array of addiction-fighting resources can be found on a dedicated page of the West Hollywood city government Web site, at www.weho.org/meth. -- Dan Allen

ACLU and LAUSD Settle Discrimination Lawsuit

The ACLU announced June 30 that it settled its eight-month-long federal lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District for failing to prevent the harassment of LGBT students at one of its high schools

The settlement requires the school district to provide mandatory anti-discrimination training for students and staff at Washington Preparatory High School in South Los Angeles. The suit alleged that administrators and teachers created a climate rife with hostility, with teachers calling students such epithets as "sinner" and "faggot."

ACLU attorney Christine Sun says the mandatory training will provide a model for the rest of the state, which has 460 local Gay-Straight Alliances. "Other school districts have tried to hide sexual orientation and gender identity issues as too controversial, so we are pleased that LAUSD has chosen to face these issues head on and is working to create a better environment for students at Washington Prep," said Sun.

School District spokesperson Deanne Neiman says the settlement augments the comprehensive training and activities already underway at the school.

"Things have gotten better since we stood up for gay students and I think they'll improve even more now," said David Ramirez, a Washington Prep senior who the ACLU says was punished for kissing a boy. -- Karen Ocamb

L.A. City Commemorates First Pride Parade

On June 28, 1970, courageous LGBT people and straight allies gathered on the corner of McCadden Place and Hollywood Boulevard and marched down the famous avenue of the stars to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion. The Los Angeles march, dubbed Christopher Street West, coincided with a similar march in New York City. By the time the L.A. marched ended, about 700 people had joined their ranks, emboldening the LGBT community in Southern California to shun shame and fill themselves with gay pride.

On the exact day 35 years later, Los Angeles City Councilmember Eric Garcetti, representing the city, dedicated a bronze plaque to the founders of the Pride parade: Rev. Troy Perry, the late Morris Kight, and Rev. Bob Humphries. Pat Rocco, founder of the United States Mission/Hudson House and an activist whose original film of the parade is in the UCLA Film Archive, flew in from Hawaii for the ceremony.

"Today is a celebration of love," said Garcetti, "and pride is just an expression of love."

"I'm so honored. This is better than a funeral," Perry joked, acknowledging the crowd of people gathered to salute him as the last surviving co-founder. Perry, who founded the now worldwide Metropolitan Community Church in 1968, intends to retire this year. -- Karen Ocamb

Los Angeles Black Pride At The Beach

For 17 years, the Los Angeles-based At The Beach party has featured a mix of Fourth of July celebrations, fun, networking, HIV/AIDS education, and economic marketing opportunities for LGBT African Americans from around the country. ABT's Los Angeles Black Pride weeklong event hosted about 5,000 people at the beach party at Point Dune State Beach in Malibu on July 2.

About 150 people attended a July 1 town hall forum on the "State of Black LGBT America" at the LAX Westin Airport Hotel. The 2000 U.S. Census counts 3,421 black gay and lesbian couples in the L.A. area, according to a 2004 report issued by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC). That figure represents 4.1 percent of all black same-sex couples in the nation. Black gay couples also represent about 6 percent of all same-sex households around the L. A. area.

At the panel discussion, and briefly at a later reception attended by about 1,000 people, political notables such as openly gay California Assemblymember Mark Leno, his colleague Karen Bass, and Alice Huffman, president of the California chapter of the NAACP, talked about such controversial issues as Leno's marriage equality bill that was recently resurrected in the Senate after a defeat in the Assembly.

Also at the reception was LAPD Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell, who pitched for recruits. Overcoming the LAPD's reputation poised a "significant challenge," he conceded. But "fortunately, we have a new mayor and we're very happy."

In a interview about his bill, Leno told IN, "We all need to be judicious with our financial support so we can assist those running in the Democratic primary who are with us." Bass concurred, adding "We should add this bill to our list of demands every time we see [Gov.] Arnold" Schwarzenegger.

Huffman became an LGBT heroine by continuing to support marriage equality even as NAACP members threatened to quit. An appeal to gay Democrats at the state party convention yielded 100 new members, she told IN. For more information, go to www.ca-naacp.org.

Working with the NAACP and other mainstream groups is critical to LGBT equality, NBJC Executive Director H. Alexander Robinson told IN. "Our first priority is to bridge what we see is a real gap between social justice, civil rights, and racial justice [organizations] and those of us African Americans who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender who work on LGBT rights. We make the point that we have long been a part of those other struggles," he said, "and then we begin to build bridges."

Wendell Carmichael, president of ATB Los Angeles Black Pride and vice-president of the National Federation of Black Prides, told IN that the forums are becoming important features of the Pride events because "we're seeing a reduction of funding [to HIV/AIDS and LGBT organizations] and our basic human rights are being taken away. These partnerships [with NBJC and NAACP] are lending themselves to power." -- Karen Ocamb

Jean O'Leary Memorial Open to the Public

A memorial for the late Los Angeles-based LGBT political activist Jean O'Leary will be open to the public, says her longtime friend and business associate, Palm Springs City Councilmember Ginny Foat. The service will be held on Sunday, July 24, at 3 p.m. at the Renberg Theater at The Village, 1125 N. McCadden Pl., Los Angeles.

Speakers slated to appear include California Treasurer and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides; former Assistant to President Jimmy Carter Midge Costanza, who helped organize the first LGBT meeting in the White House with O'Leary; POZ Magazine founder Sean Strub; Liberty Hill Executive Director Torie Osborn; and Eric Bauman, president of the L.A. County Democratic Party, among others. Notables such as L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Congressmember Maxine Waters may also appear.

Though a prominent LGBT force within the Democratic Party and several LGTB organizations, O'Leary may be best remembered as the lesbian who co-founded National Coming Out Day with the late Rob Eichberg and created Women's Night so she could meet lesbians. Women's Night is now an annual gala thrown by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. O'Leary died on June 4 of lung cancer. She was 57. -- Karen Ocamb