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OPENING CHRISTMAS DAY

THE BROADWAY SPARKLER IS THE

SCREENS MUSICAL GEM OF EM ALL!

JANE

MARILYN

RUSSELL MONROE

HOWARD HAWKS

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

TECHNICOLOR

It's those

"two little girls from Little

Rock" taking

over from

Naughty New York to Gay Paree!

HIGH GEAR

DECEMBER 1976

A CAY LIFE

VAN SAYS NO

By Van Ault

"I think the gay lifestyle is great, and why shouldn't I want to share it with others?" lesbian activist Karla Jay told Tom Snyder on the "Tomorrow" television show. "I don't regard this as a rewarding lifestyle," my father argued, in one of our heated discussions on the subject of homosexuality. From Ione point of view to another, masses of people have labeled homosexuality as a lifestyle. But is there really such a thing as the gay lifestyle?

What IS a lifestyle? A lifestyle is actually our mode of expression in our combined way of life. A person's life is composed. of countless subtle entities, as well as background, present and past environments, emotions, education, careers and among many other things, Personal Preferences. All of these are fragments and facets of our lives, varying in importance and intensity. But all of them combine to form the whole. None of these parts represent the total unit, they are only Parts. Thus, it. is our sexuality, as a personal preference, that ranks among these parts that combine to form our lifestyle.

In this context, it seems erroneous that there is really such a thing as the gay lifestyle. Such

a lifestyle would be probably impossible to find in anyone; unless, of course, that person functions solely as a sexual being and always has.

(Do you know anyone who spends All their time making love, or pursuing it?) Being gay or straight)" cannot be a total way of life! It is A Way of Love. and loving others is, again a part of our lifestyle, not the

whole.

Probably the source of this conflicting point of view can be traced to the stigma attached to sexual attraction to members of our own gender. Society, being generally ignorant and homophobic, and not understanding this personal preference of ours, sees it as repugnant, and proceeds to view and label us as strictly sexual (and repulsive) beings. I'll never forget the time a close woman friend of mine introduced me to her new lover a gentleman who obviously had little knowledge and understanding of gay people. As my friend and I were making a number of references to gay people during the conversation, her companion, I noticed, seemed uncomfortable, and avoided making any eye contact with me at all. He seemed unable to look directly into my eyes. Of course, I appraised the situation correctly, and my friend later verified it: "He has had very little exposure to homosexuals." "Is that all I am?" I groaned. "Well," she answered, "he only sees you as being gay; not like I see you as just being Van."

So it is, that society defines our whole being by this one particular preference of ours and regards our difference as a lifestyle. Of course, since heterosexuality has always been

socially accepted, it hasn't been singled out as a way of life. But because gays are frowned upon, our sexual preference becomes a Whole Identity homophobes are unable to think of us as being just People. Thus, we are supposedly living the notorious "homosexual lifestyle."

Is it not yet clear why this incorrect belief sprang up? Sexuality is never a whole lifestyle. But, as a part of our lifestyle, we know that it has considerable influence in our lives. Sexuality may affect our dress, grooming, personal habits, likes and dislikes, and certainly our interaction with all of society. We all have our own. interests, desires and careers we wish to pursue, but it is important that we keep each of these facets of our lifestyle in their proper perspective. We must transcend the slanted view of ourselves, handed down by ignorant straights, as being first and foremost gay. In order to be well balanced, we must realize that our identity is not just based. on this part of our personality, but on the sum total.

We are many things in our lives, but a broader spectrum of self-expression and identity will indicate to us that besides being gay, we are individuals, we are. people and that we are of positive human worth, regardless of what homophobic society may believe to the contrary. We should strive to realize that we are living various human lifestyles, which for us, includes the important element of loving others.. of our own sex.

CHARLES

COBURN

SOL C. SIEGEL HOWARD HAWKS CHARLES LEDERER

By Popular Demand!

The Champion Musical of Them All!

Berlin's

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STATYRONE POWER ALICE FAYE

DON AMECHE ETHEL MERMAN

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