NEWS BRIEFS

Summer newsletter #1

Mass Peace March Organizes

"A feminist world is a nuclear free zone". This will be the theme of a special feminist walk organized by the New York City Women's Pen. tagon Action as part of a mass march and rally on June 12 coinciding with the U.N. Special Session on Disarmament. On that day demonstrators from all over the world will gather in New York Ci. ty to express their opposition to the arms race and growing world militarism. The feminist walk will begin at Bryant Park (42nd Street and Avenue of the Americas) at 9:30 a.m. and make its way to Central Park to form the Women's Gon. tingent of the larger march. The feminist walk is planned to embody our positive vision of a feminist world: a loving, egalitarian, cooperative world free from male violence, racism, heterosexism, and exploitation. All women are encouraged to join the walk and bring their own signs, banners, or other creations expressing their own vision of a feminist world. Interested women should call the Women's Pentagon Action at (212) 254-4961 for updates, as police permits are not final.

The NYC Women's Pentagon Action is part of a network of women' from the Lesbian, peace, feminist, ecology, and anti-nuclear movements who went to the Pentagon in 1980 and 1981. They chose the Pentagon as a visible symbol of patriarchal violence. The New York City group continues to work in the same spirit to connect

issues of male violence, racism, and ecology.

Numerous events organized by hundreds of different organizations will take place during the week of June 7-14 during the U.N. Special Session on Disarmament, including some events with a women's focus. On Monday, June 14, a non-violent civil disobedience campaign will attempt to "Blockade the Bombmakers" at the U.N. Missions of the five major nuclear powers: U.S.,

USSR, China, Britain, and France. Non-violence training is required. The campaign encourages the formation of all-women's affinity groups and will hold all-women's non-violence training sessions. For women in New York on Sunday, June 13, the campaign is sponsoring an evening women's gathering, and women-only housing will also be available. For information and housing arrangements, call (212) 777-4737.

Ohio Gay Pride March Grows

Plans for the 1982 Ohio Gay Pride Parade have been finalized and the parade and rally to be held in Columbus on June 26 promise to be the largest gay and lesbian event of this kind ever held in Ohio. The parade and rally have been endorsed by over forty gay and non-gay organizations from throughout Ohio. In addition, we expect contingents from Detroit, Bloomington, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Kentucky and West Virginia, Entertainment at the rally to be held at the Ohio Statehouse will include Labyris, a feminist band from the Detroit area. This group is very popular in northern Ohio and Michigan and will be performing at 3:00 p.m. at the Statehouse and that evening at a special concert held by the Metropolitan Community Church. The Lambda Men's Chorus will also perform at the parade and

ERA Rallies for Ratification

Time is running out to show your support for the ERA. On June 6, there will be massive marches and rallies at the capitals of the key unratified states-Springfield, Illinois; Raleigh, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Tallahassee, Florida. If you can't be there, support the ERA by lighting up the capitals' switchboards. Call person-to-person: you'll be sure to get your message through. If you can't phone, write.

Raleigh, North Carolina

Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr.

State Capitol

Raleigh, N.C. 27611

(919) 733-5811

Olkahoma City, Oklahoma

Gov. George Nigh

State Capitol

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105 (405) 521-2342

Columbia, South Carolina

Gov. Richard W. Riley

Statehouse

P.O. Box 11450.

Columbia, S.C. 29211

(803) 758-3208

Tallahassee, Florida

Gov. D. Robert Grahm The Capitol

Tallahassee, Florida 32301 (904) 488-2050 Springfield, Illinois

Gov. James Thompson State House Springfield, III. 62706 (217) 782-6830

Senator Philip J. Rock President of Senate Statehouse, Rm. 327

Springfield, Ill. 62706 (217) 782-3905

House Speaker George Ryan State House

Springfield, IlI. 62706 (217) 782-4014

(Ask the Illinois officials to change the 3/5th rule to a simple majority, and ratify the ERA.)

For more information on the rally in Springfield, call 696-3100.

rally. This chorus was formed several months ago and now has twenty-five singers who have developed a large following in Columbus.

The events of June 26 are open to everyone. The Stonewall office has received several calls from persons interested in marching in the parade who are not gay. Both the parade and rally are open to the public, and Stonewall does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, age, or any other reason. So if you want to bring your friends or family and march for freedom and unity, please come.

The parade will begin staging at Goodale Park at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 26. The parade will leave the park with a police escort at about 2:00 p.m., will follow Park Street south for several blocks and will then turn west over to Marconi. It will proceed south on Marconi past the AEP building and on up to Broad Street. There we will turn left and pass on Broad Street past the front of City Hall and then on up to High Street, where we turn right and march to the front steps of the capital for the rally. The rally should be over by 4:30 and the assembly will be invited to the Garage for a celebration party. Special parties will be held that night at the gay bars, and other events will be held throughout Columbus.

Stonewall is requesting that people bring banners, signs, and American flags. Interested persons are also invited who desire to drive antique cars and convertibles in the parade. If anyone wishes to enter a float or vehicle in the parade, let Stonewall Union know before the parade or at the park by noon on Saturday, June 26.

Sponsor a Feminist Home

At the feminist conference held in May 1981, one of the primary needs of the women's com. munity was identified as being a women's building. The lack of an adequate and/or affordable physical space has been an enormous energy drain on women's organizations as they attempt to provide services and achieve the goals for which they were formed. Further, a centralized space would provide the opportunity for shared planning and use of resources.

In response to this need, the Women's Building Fund is being started. The purpose of the Fund is to raise and administer funds to acquire space in the Cleveland Heights area for the women's organizations that operate in this area. Such groups are Oven Productions, The Women's Growth Cooperative, What She Wants, The Women's Coffeehouse, and others.

The fund will operate as follows: Sponsors will be solicited to pledge $60 or more annually, payable in a lump sum or monthly. The initial drive will aim for a minimum of 100 sponsors. The funds will be used initially to rent, and perhaps eventually buy, space that will be allocated fairly to any and all feminist organiza.

tions who want it. Organizations will be asked to help pay for the space as they are able-the Fund will make up the difference. The Fund will be nonprofit and tax-exempt, and pledges will be taxdeductible. It will be administered by a board of women's community women.

We have recently submitted a proposal to the Civic (the old Temple on the Heights) to rent several rooms there, and are optimistic that something can be worked out in the near future. The possibilities are exciting! And the cost to any individual woman is very small.

More detailed information will be available at the June-12 party at the Civic, when the drive will officially begin.

Plan to become a charter sponsor!

Women's Building Fund Committee: Rita Coriell Debra Hirshberg Jamie Hecker Jean Hrichus Becky Levin Gail Crawford