LGB RPCV NewsLetter - August 2002

In This Issue
u Expanding Peace Corps
u Questions in Malawi
u Telling Students How It Is
u Web Site Redesign
u Pride Events 2002

NewsLetter u Social Occasions

u Looking for Stories and
Mentors
August 2002

O
ur August issue begins with a discussion of plans for reinventing the Peace
Corps. q Mike Learned reports on plans for growth, demographic diversifi-
cation and security. q A current volunteer in Malawi describes the questions
he is asked about his personal life and the decisions he’s made while he remains there.
q Anna Roche writes about a recent experience meeting with lesbian and gay college
students and talking about Peace Corps service. q We have news about our website,
summer Pride events and recent social occasions. q Would you consider joining our
Mentor Program as a mentor?

Expanding, Diversifying and Making Peace Corps Safe

- Mike Learned, Editor, RPCV Malawi
Over the last couple of months I’ve
read about and listened to the goals of the
new Peace Corps Director, Gaddi
Vasquez: enlarge the Peace Corps over the
next five years, diversify the demographic
make-up of the volunteer force, and
heighten the security of volunteers around
the world. I’ve heard the new Director
speak three or four times and have spoken
to him personally. He comes across as a
polished spokesperson and strong
advocate of the Peace Corps. He has
dispelled some earlier concerns about the
Peace Corps losing some of its indepen-
dence to the newly formed and ill-defined
USA Freedom Corps. In a talk at the
World Affairs Council in San Francisco on
July 30, Vasquez unequivocally stated,
“the Peace Corps will remain an indepen-
dent agency.” He went on to explain that
the US Freedom Corps organization had a
coordinative role for all the volunteer
organizations identified by the President
in his State of the Union message last
January: Americorps, the Senior Corps,
and a new agency, the Citizen Corps.
Doubling the Size of the Peace Corps
Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and
Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) in the
House introduced the Peace Corps Charter
for the 21st Century (S2667 and HR497).
Both are former Peace Corps volunteers.
This legislation targets funding to grow the
Peace Corps in a steady and controlled
way to bring it to the goal of about 15,000
volunteers in about 5 years. It also has
several other (and very interesting)
provisions that involve RPCVs. It calls
upon the Director to utilize to the
The numbers of current
volunteers is a bit star-
tling - a decline to 5,648
during fiscal 2002. There
were about 7000 a year
ago.
maximum extent the pool and talent of
RPCVs for an expanded Crisis Corps, and
to more fully use RPCVs when opening
and reopening Peace Corps countries. This
legislation would also provide $10 million
a year for RPCVs who would develop and
promote projects to promote the
objectives of the Peace Corps. This rather
broadly worded provision would allow
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RPCVs and RPCV groups like ours to
request funding for Peace Corps related
projects. In addition the legislation keeps
the Peace Corps independent from the
USA Freedom Corps, and calls for the
creation of an Office for Strategic Planning
to evaluate existing programs and
undertake long term planning to assure
Peace Corps’ orderly expansion.
In reality getting to 15,000 volunteers
in 5 years will require the near tripling, not
just doubling, of the Peace Corps. The
numbers of current volunteers is a bit
startling - a decline to 5,648 during fiscal
2002. There were about 7000 a year ago.
Peace Corps remained essentially leader-
less during 2001and the numbers show it -
many millions in the 2002 budget were not
spent. Peace Corps was in a holding
pattern. The questions remain - can the
Peace Corps grow to the “politically
mandated” 15,000 in five years without
serious organizational disruptions and
unfocused and chaotic programs. Director
Vasquez has said that growth must be
planned, coordinated and carefully
implemented - a tough job ahead.
Passage of this legislation is not a
“slam dunk” even though the expansion of
Continued on page 4
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - August 2002
Questioning Malawi
- A Peace Corps Volunteer
“Are you married?” It was a question
I’ve been asked many times before. “No,
I’m not.” I always go for the truthful
answer. “Ah, but you are 29 years; why
are you not married?” Now here is where I
pull out one of my Standard Answers. I
have them for each of the Standard
Questions one is inevitably asked upon
making a new acquaintance in Malawi.
“Are you married?” is almost always
accompanied by “What is your denomina-
tion?” to which I always give the
perplexing answer of “I don’t have one,”
which is easier to explain than “I was
raised a Catholic, but I don’t practice
anymore.” Then there is “What are your
hobbies?” to which the best answer would
be “Watching football,” which is only true
insofar as I like watching England’s David
Beckman play.
I find it more comfortable to just say
that I’m not married, and that unmarried
29-year-olds aren’t uncommon in the
States, which is definitely true, than to
make up another story about a girlfriend
back home. A friend of mine keeps a
picture of a friend from home around so
that when he’s asked this question, he can
just pull it out and pass her off as his
fiancée. What I’m really not comfortable
doing, however, is telling my friends here
that I’m gay, homosexual, a man who for
reasons he can’t quite explain loves other
men.
I’ve read stories about gay Peace Corps
volunteers in West African countries who
seem able to live as openly gay men, at
least to a small degree, during their service.
I don’t know if that has anything to do
with a difference in cultures between West
and East Africa, or if it’s just chance that a
couple of guys there have made that bold
choice independently. I’m sure that the
laws aren’t too dissimilar. Most African
nations have similar laws against homo-
sexuality.
In fact, here in Malawi a teacher at an
international school was recently
convicted under the sodomy statues. In
truth, the man was taking street children,
tempting them with nice things like good
food, clothes, and money, and then
molesting them. It was really a case of a
pedophile, but it was portrayed in the
media as being mostly about homosexual-
ity. The teacher now spends time in a
Malawian prison, which interestingly
enough is the only place where the
Government AIDS prevention outreach
program offers outreach to men who have
sex with men.
Recently, at an In-Service Training
program attended by volunteers and our
local counterparts, we had a presentation
by a representative of the National AIDS
Control Board, who mentioned during her
presentation their outreach to prisons.
One of the gay volunteers, who was
surely just trying to cause a little rise in
the crowd, raised his hand and said, “I
don’t understand. Why are prisoners a
“What do you mean
by exercising together?”
It took him a few blush-
ing seconds to say it,
but he did say some-
thing about men having
sex together.
target community for your prevention
strategy?”
The presenter just turned the question
around to our local counterparts, wanting
one of them to answer the question. To
my mild surprise, one raised his hand. “I
believe it’s because they
are....ah...exercising together.” Well, I
thought, that’s an interesting way to say
it. But the presenter wouldn’t let it rest.
“What do you mean by exercising
together?” It took him a few blushing
seconds to say it, but he did say some-
thing about men having sex together.
I was a little surprised by this
exchange. There’s no recognizable gay
community among Malawians, only a
loose network of volunteers and aid
workers. I have never heard homosexuality
openly acknowledged among the people I
regularly interact with. Yet homosexual
activity definitely happens, even if it’s not
labeled as “sex” even by those taking part.
One of my expatriate friends acquaintan-
ces has more than a few stories of
dalliances with Malawians from all over
the country, and he reports it isn’t just
mzungus (foreigners) with local men, but
that the local people are enjoying each
other, so to speak, as well. There are also
instances of “beach boys” offering sex for
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money at certain beach resorts on Lake
Malawi. One also wonders about older
students at boarding schools who have
close relationships with some of the
younger boys.
While heterosexual transmission
officially accounts for about 92% of HIV
transmissions in Malawi, I have a hard
time believing that all homosexual
transmission is taking place in prisons.
Underreporting is sure to be a problem in
a country where male to male sexual
activity might not even be considered sex
by many. The national AIDS prevention
strategy doesn’t yet address this fact. Of
course, this is just one of many challenges
in stopping the spread of AIDS in a
country where officially 10 to 20% of the
population is infected, and unofficially up
to 30% or more have the HIV virus.
Before coming to Malawi, I have to
admit that I generally didn’t find myself
attracted to men of color. But after a year
here, my tastes have definitely changed. I
find myself more and more attracted to the
local men. However, considering the many
cultural and legal issues to consider here,
I’ve decided that there are just too many
risks associated with “exercising” locally.
Because of the topic discussed in the
article and the social stigmas related to
homosexuality in Malawi, the author
remains anonymous. If you’d like to
contact the writer, email the editor at
103571.2317@compuserve.com, and we’ll
forward your email to him in Malawi.
E-mail
Connections
Keep up with the latest LGB Peace
Corps Alumni news, information and
informal discussions, as well as the latest
from Peace Corps Washington and the
National Peace Corps Association by
subscribing to our email listserv.
The listserv is also a great way to make
contact with other LGB Peace Corps
Alumni in your area or around the world.
All you have to do to subscribe or update
your email address is send an empty email
message (no content) to:
lgbrpcv-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Telling Lesbian and Gay Students How It Is
- Anna Roche, RPCV
It’s not often that Returned Peace
Corps Volunteers get the opportunity to
talk about their experiences - especially if
you returned to the states a while ago.
Most of our friends have heard all the
stories and it isn’t always easy to find
someone new who is actually interested in
what you have to say. So, when the
opportunity to speak to a small group of
college students presented itself, it wasn’t
very hard to get a group of RPCVs to
agree to spend a few hours discussing
Peace Corps experiences. We had a captive
audience and lots of stories to tell.
Every year, the University of Califor-
nia plays host to groups that discuss
sensitivity around gay and lesbian issues.
This year’s event took place at the UC
Berkeley Campus. Our specific panel
discussed what it was like to be a gay
Peace Corps volunteer. Luckily, we had a
panel that represented Peace Corps from
its early years all the way up to a recently
returned volunteer. Interestingly, all of the
RPCVs had more or less the same advice
for the audience when it came to being
openly gay in the host country. Being out
among other volunteers was sometimes
difficult enough, but being out among
nationals was usually not a good idea. All
of the panelists thought it was better to
LGB RPCV Web Redesign
The LGB RPCV website is undergoing
a redesign and will premier later this fall.
Our site now contains more than 135
articles from our newsletters on topics
ranging from Peace Corps service to issues
facing gay and lesbian Peace Corps
applicants to gay and lesbian advocacy
within Peace Corps. The site also contains
information on our successful Mentor
Program, which matches lesbian and gay
Peace Corps applicants with former
volunteers to discuss their experiences in
Peace Corps. It has a wealth of resources
for Peace Corps recruiters, applicants and
invitees, including information on key
issues that affect gay and lesbian appli-
cants and volunteers. Visitors can also find
out about our latest activites, as well as
our mission and goals.
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - August 2002
concentrate on the reasons one would be a
volunteer and not on personal issues like
being gay. There were numerous reasons
for this advice - personal safety, cultural
We encouraged all
who were considering
joining to follow their
hearts and dreams and
to not let being gay hold
them back from such a
great adventure.
sensitivity, and in general the overall goal
of being a volunteer. Although we got
varied reactions, most students under-
stood and appreciated the realities of what
life is like in another culture. We were also
able to share our experiences within the
different types of programs that one could
participate in while a Peace Corps
volunteer - education, health, engineering,
environmental/agricultural work, business,
etc. These different programs led to
various living conditions (city versus rural
The redesigned site will bring more of
this information to the surface of the
website, making it easier to locate. The
articles will be indexed by topics and
keywords and the site will feature a new
search engine that allows user to dig for
any topic of interest. The site’s primary
content, including newsletter articles,
applicant information, the Mentor
Program, membership information and
resources for recruiters will be easily
accessable through a menu bar available
throughout the site.
Our address will remain the same,
http://www.lgbrpcv.org. Please visit us
often for the latest information about our
organization and the redesign of our
website.
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campo life) but overall the experiences
were curiously similar. The trials and
tribulations of dealing with no electricity,
water or reliable transportation seemed to
be prolific no matter where you served.
The most positive thing, however, were
the memories of the people - the relation-
ships and friendships that carried us
through the hard times. Getting to know
the people within our community and the
other volunteers was what made it all
worthwhile. We encouraged all who were
considering joining to follow their hearts
and dreams and to not let being gay hold
them back from such a great adventure.
Personally, I really enjoyed sharing my
experience and philosophy on being a gay
Peace Corps volunteer. It was exciting to
relive those years by sharing some of the
stories that made up my two years in
another culture - in another world. I
appreciated the enthusiasm and interest in
what I had to share and would welcome
the opportunity to do it again.
Anna Roche co-administers LGB
RPCVs Mentor Program. She was a
volunteer in the Dominican Republic,
1994-96. You can reach her at
anna_roche@yahoo.com.
Peace Corps at
Gay Pride Events
Again this summer many Regional
Peace Corps offices set up Recruiting and
Information tables at local Gay Pride
events. We provided newsletters and
articles as handouts to each of the 11
regional offices in May. We know that the
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and San
Francisco offices were active participants.
So thanks to the recruiters from these
offices and any others and the local LGB
RPCVs who helped staff the tables. All
reports indicate successful recruiting and
public relations events along with great
weather and a terrific response from the
community.
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - August 2002
Expanding, Diversifying...
Continued from page 1
of color to be interested in Peace Corps
the Peace Corps is a high administration service, starting in their high school years.
priority. Insider Washington “skinny” He has also gone out of his way to appear
suggests that the White House and some on ethnic radio and in the ethnic press.
congressional staff find some of the This theme is present in almost all public
provisions of the legislation excessive. appearances and media interviews that
There is broad based support for the I’m aware of.
legislation, but more attempts to solicit I’m currently serving on an NPCA
support from more senators and represen- (National Peace Corps Association) Task
tatives are needed. So Force to figure out a
contact your senators way to affiliate a
and congressional Were there were no group of mostly
representative and more than 198 African African-American
ask for their support and Hispanic RPCVs
for the Charter. We’ll American and Hispanic (a group called the
keep you up to date. women and men with Minority Peace
Corps Association)
Diversifying the college degrees and with the NPCA.
Several years ago the
Peace Corps appropriate skills who NPCA changed its
The Director has
made diversification could be recruited as bylaws to preclude
of the Peace Corps Peace Corps volunteers organizations like
ours and the RPCVs
family a major goal.
He has reiterated the in 2001? for the Environment
importance of a and Development
“cross-section of from joining the
America” represented among Peace Corps NPCA as “interest” groups. We were
volunteers. He talks about the importance allowed to stay in the organization, but
of the Peace Corps reflecting “the face of future “interest” groups would not be
America.” This is of course the argument allowed to join. Emphasis on NPCA
our group made several years ago when growth was to be with geographic and
Peace Corps finally added “sexual “country of service” groups. The Task
orientation” to its Equal Employment Force is looking at current bylaw
Opportunity statement. Diversification of interpretation or bylaw change as a way
the Peace Corps family has been an to affiliate this new group. The Minority
important goal of each Peace Corps Peace Corps Association includes
director with whom I’ve been familiar. recruitment of minority volunteers as one
Peace Corps runs several pages on its of its prime objectives. A final recommen-
dation to the NPCA Board probably
website that provides statistics on
won’t be made till shortly after we go to
participation of people of color as
volunteers. Between 1996 and 2000 press, but I am reasonably optimistic that
participation of people of color as this group can join the NPCA family in
volunteers increased from 12.8% to short order.
15.2%. In 2001 that participation rate Also on the subject of diversity, I had
declined slightly to 15.1%. In 2001 only a short conversation with Director
Vasquez at the NPCA 40/41 Conference
99 African Americans and 99 Hispanics
gala dinner in D.C. in June. He and his
joined the Peace Corps (there were of
wife were sitting at the next table. After
course other African American and
Hispanic volunteers serving during that dinner I went up to him, introduced
year who joined in previous years). Asian myself and who I represented. I told him
American participation seems relatively that although we had opposed his
representative of the overall population nomination, we now supported him and
(3.9% of all volunteers joining in 2001). his goals for the Peace Corps. I went on
It seems to me that Director Vasquez in to thank him for the email he sent to all
his speeches and appearance has placed Peace Corps staff on June 14. In this
email, the subject: Gay and Lesbian Pride
more emphasis on diversity goals than
Month, he included gays and lesbians as
previous directors. He has suggested
part of the diverse volunteer and work
several ways to encourage young people
4
force out of which the Peace Corps
strength arises. He wrote, “The Peace
Corps is committed to fostering an
environment of understanding and fair
treatment by including issues of sexual
orientation in non-discrimination policies
and diversity management programs.” As
many of our readers will recall, the
president did not sign a gay pride
proclamation for the month of June again
this year, something that President
Clinton had previously done. Federal
agencies have been handling the issue
individually with very mixed results. The
Environmental Protection Agency and the
Department of Justice both acknowledged
June as Gay Pride month with proclama-
tions and/or events. The Department of
Commerce did not. We congratulate
Director Vasquez for his proclamation and
his support for the lesbian and gay
members of the diverse Peace Corps
family.
Safety and Security
In his June speech at the World Affairs
Council in San Francisco, Director
Vasquez called the “safety and security”
of Peace Corps volunteers his first goal.
He cited his experience as a law enforce-
PO Box 14332
San Francisco CA 94114-4332
lgbrpcv@yahoo.com
http://www.lgbrpcv.org
Editor Mike Learned
Layout Kevin H. Souza
The LGB RPCV Newsletter is
published quarterly by the Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual RPCV Organization,
an affiliate of the National Peace
Corps Association. We exist to
promote Peace Corps ideals and
acceptance of gays and lesbians
throughout the world. Submission
of articles or graphics to be pub-
lished in the newsletter is encour-
aged. The right to use or edit
materials remains with the editor.
Copyright remains with the author.
Send submissions or inquires to the
above postal or e-mail address.

We Need More
Mentors
Many of you are familiar with our very
successful Mentor Program. It pairs our
members with gay and lesbian Peace
Corps applicants and invitees to discuss
issues around sexual orientation and Peace
Corps service in the developing world.
The Mentor Program operates electroni-
cally through our website. Applicants
complete a questionnaire about the kind of
program and/or country they’ve been
offered or are interested in. We then
connect them through email with mentors
(lesbian or gay returned volunteers who’ve
served in these kinds of programs and/or
countries). You can become a mentor by
going to our website www.lgbrpcv.org,
clicking on to the Mentor Program and
filling out the information on becoming a
mentor. Cary Virtue yrac@yuno.com and
Anna Roche anna_roche@yahoo.com co-
administer the Mentor Program, and can
answer questions you might have about
how it all works. Please consider being a
mentor. This is one of LGB RPCV’s most
important activities.
Expanding, Diversifying...
Continued from page 4
ment officer, and the special importance he
feels for this goal. In a question from the
audience that combined issues of diversity
and security, he was asked how he thought
racial, ethnic, and religious and gender
discrimination and homophobia that some
volunteers experience in host countries
should be handled. He gave a balanced
answer that included the importance of
effectively dealing with these issues in
training. He said that in his recent trips
abroad that he had talked with women
volunteers about the limited roles of
women in many of the countries where
volunteers serve, and even the sexual
harassment they experience. He noted
earlier in his remarks that there would be a
security manager in every Peace Corps
country who reported to the Country
Director. He also said that the Peace Corps
manager responsible for worldwide
volunteer security reported directly to
him.
There has been some concern about
security issues among the volunteer, staff
and RPCV communities about how an
increased security structure might impede
the effectiveness of volunteers in the field.
One former country director I talked with
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - August 2002
Always Looking
for Good Stories
We’re always looking for articles from
current volunteers and those now back
home. We’re looking for stories about
your experiences. Many lesbian and gay
Peace Corps applicants and invitees are
eager for information about what it’s like
for gay and lesbian volunteers in the
developing world. The articles in our
newsletter (which also go up on our
website) are wonderful sources for this
kind of information. We often publish
anonymously to protect the privacy of
volunteers in the field. We exercise a light
editorial touch and we want to hear from
those of you who have a story to tell. You
can write or email us using the contact
information on the last page of the
newsletter or email the editor, Mike
Learned, direct -
103571.2317@compuserve.com.
was particularly concerned. There are
however very real security issues that
have been heightened by world events
since last September. In one recent
instance a volunteer in Bolivia disap-
peared after assignment. According to
Peace Corps he did not follow Peace
Corps policies in finding housing and then
reporting back to his APCD. His local
congressman has been critical of the Peace
Corps’ efforts in trying to find the
volunteer. Many volunteers have been
killed over the years. Security is an
important issue. It’s an issue that our
organization deals with all the time with
lesbian and gay volunteers who receive
our newsletter and write articles for us.
The Challenge Ahead
Director Vasquez and his staff face
significant challenges. Peace Corps’
infrastructure, program proposals and
management processes will require a
major overhaul to successfully increase
the volunteer force to 15,000 in the next
five years or so.
Peace Corps can do a better job of
recruiting people of color as volunteers.
When looking at last year’s diversity
statistics, one has to asked the question,
5
A Couple of Great
Social Events
LGB RPCVs hosted two great social
events in June. In Washington D.C. on
June 22, between 40 and 50 members and
friends gathered in the front bar of the
Omni Shoreham hotel the site of the Peace
Corps 40/41 anniversary and conference.
After surveying many expensive and
unsatisfying venues for such an event, we
chose “free space” that included a hotel-
provided happy hour buffet. It was great
to see old and new friends. Thanks to
Dennis Gilligan for figuring it all out.
A week later, the Bay Area LGB
RPCVs hosted their annual summer Pride
event at Bill Erdmann’s deck and garden in
San Francisco’s Castro district. It was an
uncommonly sunny and pleasant
afternoon. At least 50 guests showed up
for food, beverages and a good time.
Thanks to Bill for hosting, and to Wayne
Hill and his crew of leprechauns for
organizing it all.
“Were there were no more than 198
African American and Hispanic women
and men with college degrees and
appropriate skills who could be recruited
as Peace Corps volunteers in 2001?” The
Director and Peace Corps can increase
recruitment of people of color and do it in
the short term.
The issues of safety and security in our
changing and troubling world are in
themselves troubling. One of the reasons
that most volunteers have remained safe
and secure in their communities has been
because of their and Peace Corps’ low
profile. Identifying the Peace Corps as an
instrument of United States foreign policy
(“we will renew the promise of the Peace
Corps, double its volunteers over the next
five years, and ask it to join a new effort
to encourage development and education
and opportunity in the Islamic world” -
the president in his State of the Union
message on January 29) raises that profile
and increases the vulnerability of
volunteers around the world.
Mike Learned was a volunteer in
Malawi. He can be reached on
103571.2317@compuserve.com
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - August 2002

Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Who are we?
We’re an organization of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and others who are former Peace Corps
volunteers, current volunteers, former and current staff members, and friends. Founded in Washington
D.C. in 1991, we have several hundred members throughout the country and around the world who
have served in the Peace Corps since its beginning in 1961.
We are composed of a national steering committee, together with regional chapters. We currently
have local chapters in San Francisco, Southern California and Washington D.C. We are an affiliate member
of the National Peace Corps Association.
What’s our purpose?
We promote Peace Corps ideals and acceptance of lesbians, gays and bisexuals throughout the
world.
What do we do?
u Provide support to our national members and current volunteers.
u Facilitate the creation of regional chapters.
u Actively involve ourselves as an affiliate of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA).
u Promote policies and projects that support Peace Corps ideals and the acceptance and active
involvement of lesbians, gays and bisexuals within the Peace Corps.
u Take an active part in Gay Pride events around the country encouraging gays, lesbians and bisexu-
als to consider the Peace Corps experience.
u Offer our members as informational resources and mentors for lesbians, gays and bisexuals who
have been offered a Peace Corps assignment.
u Host social events for our members.
u Communicate regularly with our members and others through a quarterly newsletter and our web site.

New Membership * Address Change Form

New Member
Name: Change of Address/Renewal
I would talk with applicants
Street:
about my experience.

City: State: Zip:

Phone/Fax/E-mail:

Country of Service: Years:

PC Project: Current Work: 8/02

Membership: $15 for LGB RPCV Affiliate Only or FREE to Current Volunteers
$40 for LGB RPCV Plus the National Peace Corps Association

LGB RPCVs; PO Box 14332; San Francisco, CA 94114-4332

E-mail: lgbrpcv@yahoo.com * http://www.lgbrpcv.org
6