Election Commentary

The presence of women in various political positions is more and more common; progress toward equal participation is painfully slow, but it is steady and unstoppable.

Cleveland City Council had a net loss of one female member, but the election of Fannie Lewis, a strong and activist woman, to the Ward 17 Council seat is a big plus. The number of women in Cleveland City Council is now 5 (out of a total of 33). There are several women suburban mayors, now increased by

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-From the Cleveland Business Review, September, 1979 Submitted by Ellie Hauserman

Sexual Harassment (continued from page 8)

ministrative hearings.

"In the meantime, my attorneys and I are constantly barraged with odious and specious allegations by my former supervisor-with the cooperation, if not also the encouragement, of the Justice Department-that I am a 'loose' woman, and that I welcomed, if not invited, his sexual advances which, therefore, could not be characterized as 'improper,' she said. Originally, her former supervisor disputed claims that he had made sexual advances. Now, she said, he alleges the two had an affair.

In a brief interview, Ms. Williams' supervisor said the "whole case is a farce. It's erroneous. He implied the two had had an affair, but said he didn't want to discuss the case in detail.

A Flammable Suit

(Her Say)-Nurses in the United States Air Force have filed a class action sex discrimination suit

the election of Lucille M. Heasley as the first woman mayor of North Royalton, as well as women suburban judges.

In other election matters, it is encouraging that C. Ellen Connally won her race for Cleveland Municipal Court judge and Jean Murrell Capers retained her seat on that bench. There are now 4 women among the 14 Cleveland Municipal Court judges (unfortunately, there is only one woman, Ann McManamon, on the 31-member Common Pleas bench, and one woman appeals judge in Cuyahoga County, Blanche Krupansky).

One very sad note: It appears that Ohioans will be trashing just as much as ever. Which just goes to show what a well-funded publicity campaign can do.

Interview (continued from page 7)

interpret the values of women's liberation simply in terms of freedom, without understanding the responsibility that should guide it.

During our discussion of women's liberation, I tried to hear Sandra with an open mind. Several times I felt the impulse to respond defensively, without asking her to clarify her own thoughts. I urged her to be more precise in her criticisms. Feminism has become a scapegoat for social and economic problems about which people feel helpless and angry. I have heard people couch their grievances in terms of feminism's "causing" the breakdown of morality and the deterioration of the family structure. Feminism has become, pardon the expression, the "whipping girl" for generalized frustration, when in fact the women's movement strives to promote freedom of choice for all women.

Speaking of freedom of choice, Sandra refused to discuss the pro-choice issue even though she says she believes in the right of women to choose their own directions in life. Even though many people have come to realize that reproductive freedom constitutes our most basic prerequisite to acquiring the right to choose in other matters, Sandra could not talk with me about abortion. She explained that "The Mayor will not take a public stand on the abortion issue because of his political constituency on the West Side." Whether or not Sandra believes in the right to choose, her position prevents her from expressing her views publicly and from exploring her ideas in common dialogue with women who might see the issue in a different light.

As you can guess, I still have some questions about Sandra McCarthy Kucinich. Her motivations for involvement in women's organizations are ambiguous, partly out of her own, admission: "If there's one thing I learned after graduating from college, it's that you should never let the facts get in the way of a good story." What she expects us to conclude from this message is unclear. After two interview sessions of several hours, I still did not see the woman behind the political mask; her attentive style and careful speech were punctuated by guarded hesitation on issues, i.e., busing, feminism, lesbianism, which she has not thoroughly explored or has kept to herself for political reasons. At the end of our time together, she emphasized, "I think we [women] are going in the right direction. It's just not happening fast enough. There's a gap."

There are several gaps-between the established media and the woman married to a politician, between Sandra's life and what she reveals in this interview, and between Sandra herself and her own potential.

against the Department of Defense. The complaint charges that the Air Force requires women to wear uniforms which are highly flammable, while men are issued flame retardant jumpsuits.