OHIO IWY STATE MEETING IN COLUMBUS:

FEMINIST REPORT

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"We are being attacked"

الجرود

The first of a series of meetings concerning the Ohlo IWY conference was held Tuesday, June 21, 1977 at the "White House". This meeting was billed as a report back to the community from the women who attended the conference in Columbus, June 10 and 11th. A wide variety of women's organizations was represented by the thirty or so women who attended the June 21st meeting.

Those women who attended the Columbus conference shared their feelings and observations of the weekend. The key points were:

1. that the hlerarchial coalition of Right to Lifers, the Eagle Forum, the John Birch Society, the DAR, and others was exceptionally well-planned, tactically and strategically. They carried written instructions, telling them how and who to vote for on issues of concern to them. Their delegation appeared ignor ant of large national economic issues such as day care, welfare rights, job and housing rights for lesbians, racism, and affirmative action programs for handicapped women.

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2. that the anti-everything coalition mobilized and manipulated the emotions of their people to protect and maintain the traditional role of women in a patriarchal society.

3. that the unity of the opposition brought together many feminists who began to understand that all of their issues are interrelated: the right to choose.

4. that the communication and trust among feminists in Cleveland and across the state of Ohio is poor.

5. that little effective pre-conference planning was done due to the lack of political expertise.

6. that most women have little experience with parliamentary procedure which resulted in confusion on the floor during the plenary session at the conference.

7. that despite the fiasco involved in delegate choice, it was clear the feminists had a majority at the conference, because every resolution that came from workshops (except one) was feminist in origin, intent, and wording. The top vote-getters, although too few in number, were feminists.

Out of fifty-six delegates, forty-five of those elected were anti-abortion; only eleven were Right to Choose (feminists). This has resulted in a coaliton of Cincinnati women's groups filing suit against the Ohio IWY Commission charging election irregular. ities. The charges are:

1. non-secrecy of balloting

2. the polls not open for the time allotted

3. some of the nominations from the floor were not made over Public-Adress System

4. the Ohio slate does not represent the cultural and economic diversity of Ohio women

5. the residency requirements for voting were questionable

After the filing of the Cincinnati suit, Columbus women met in support and suggested all Ohio feminist organizations join the list of plaintiffs in this case. A statewide meeting has tentatively been scheduled for July 16, 1977 in Columbus as a move toward solidarity and a statewide Ohio feminist net. Details will be available through Women.

Space.

In Cleveland work has begun on the organization of a telephone network which will connect women and organizations with each other, as issues become critical. WomanSpace is compiling a list of contact people. If you want to be on the list, or if you have information to share with the community, Woman. Space can be reached at 696-3100. WomanSpace will activate the phone network.

The women present at the June 21st meeting suggested that the eleven Ohio Right to Choose delegates contact the National IWY Commission ask. ing them to warn feminists of the "Right to Life" tactics expected at future state meetings and request that the Commission organize a coalition of feminist delegates before the National Conference In Houston In November of 1977.

It was agreed that feminists are being attacked on three fronts: anti-ERA, anti-abortion, and anti-gay rights. Feminists must stand together on all of these Issues; if we loose ground in one area, it effects the others, since all involve the right to choose.

A WOMAN SPEAKS OUT

The thoughts expressed in the following article were printed in the Letters-to-the-Editor column of the Plain Dealer on June 21, In response to the way in which their reporter wrote about the IWY Conference held in Columbus on June 11 and 12.

I found later, during the week that followed the Conference, that many other feminists resented that article as much as I did. It gave a completely wrong impression to many Cleveland women of what occur. red during those two days. Which is precisely why I was moved to write it.

Hopefully, many women who did not attend the Conference have a better idea, and more respect for the feminists in Ohio who did take time to attend. All women in Ohio could have participated, but so many did not realize it was even happening. My hope is that some of the women "out there", who are Just beginning to have their consciousness risen, will join with us...it's going to be a long road ahead, and we need more sisters actively with us!

Mr. Murray Frymer

The Cleveland Plain Dealer 1801 Superior Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Dear Sir:

I am a feminist who attended the IWY Conference in Columbus, that your reporter Richard C. Widman wrote about in your paper on Monday, June 13, and I am personally insulted by the manner in which this reporting was done. I really don't think he and I were at the same meeting,

The title of his article "I W Why?", gives the wrong impression to women interested in reading the results of that historic conference. This being the first time in my life that I have ever attended an event like this, I really wanted to read about some of the things that I might have missed. Needless to say, I was really amazed to learn that we were "frac tured", "bogged down" and "exhausted". Exhausted was the only correct description of most women in the last few moments of the meeting.

This conference was fought for, made a reality. and organized by women who have for many years worked hard in the fields of interest to women. All of us who attended, from so many diverse backgrounds, went to Columbus in the hopes of discussing and working on solutions to problems shared by many women in this country, i.e. jobs, health, child care, economics, education, media, mature women, rape, reproductive freedom and women in politics, plus hold a mini political convention--all in two days! The facilities in which we were meeting were not designed to hold three or four simultaneous meetings. Another reason for the early adjournment was the fact that on Sunday at 5 p.m. the food facilities and child care centers closed, and the chartered buses would start costing $15 per bus, per hour beyond 5 o'clock.

Early Saturday, the realization was made that the Pro-Life and Anti-ERA blocs were insistant upon discussing, in practically all the workshops, their own, very narrow interests. They came to the conference with men in tow, who even spoke for them at times. They carried candidate lists and written Instructions on how to vote. They also signed writ ten affadavits swearing that they voted the ProLife and ?Anti-Everything Else slate!

But, on that historic Sunday, I was part of and help. ed with the coalition of women who fought for the two resolutions that came out of that conference. We recognized our side by the lavendar arm bands that most of us were sporting at this point. The lesbian groups supplied them to any woman there who was "Pro-Women". I saw Black Women, Hispanic Women, Union Women, Rape Crisis Workers, Women Educators, Young Women and mature Women, all of us who are concerned and working for things of interest to women, stand together against a commen enemy, For me, it was an Informative and splendid "together" occasion.

Sincerely,

Ms. Sandra L. Coster

July, 1977/What She Wants/page 1