FEATURES

HIGH GEAR/JUNE 1977

BUNTING OUT ON HIS OWN! 10:29

On May 7 The Cleveland Press printed a letter-to-the editor by Stan Bunting, rebutting a fundamentalist attack on gays by another Press reader. Bunting boldly had his address printed and admitted he was gay. What was unique about Bunting's action was that heretofore he had never been involved with any gay activism. His response came as that of an independent, "grass roots," gay person who was angered with the continuous linking of homosexuality with biblical "morality."

In November of 1976, Bunting was discharged from the U.S. Air Force because of his

civilian life in Cleveland in a position managing the financial accounts of General Pest Control, Inc.

Bunting actually came out in 1973, a year after he had married his wife, Sue, who gave birth to their only child, a boy who is presently three years old:

"It happened when I met Rick in the service; it was my first gay experience and I found I had

never

had the feelings with anyone that I discovered with Rick...It was bliss, but on an eleven day notice, I was transferred to Thailand and ten days later Rick went to Germany....Still the experience remained, and I knew I was

acknowledged homosexuality. gay." Stationed at Altus Base in Oklahoma as

a

non-

commissioned officer in charge of the Entomology Section, he lived in a fire house with six other enlisted men, five of them gay.

public self-

Bunting's disclosure about his gayness occurred when the seven men attended a squadron Christmas party. At the gathering an outsider made several demeaning comments about the group's sexual orientation. A fight subsequently developed and in the aftermath, when a base commander researched the causes of the disruption, Bunting was the only one of the men to admit his homosexuality. In turn, the base commander submitted a report to his superiors and Bunting was sent to Shepherd Air Force Base in Texas for "mental treatment." After six years of exemplary service, Bunting received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force because of an "inability to adapt to military life." He was also instructed "never to re-enter any U.S. military installation."

Bunting didn't fight the redischarge and quietly entered way of onixit & ed

"At the end of '73 I told Sue I needed to get out of our marriage. She understood and handled it well. To this day we still have a good relationship....My wife throughly trusts me with our son. We've always been open with each other, so there haven't been any problems."

"My family handled it well. In fact, my little sister was actually proud of me. She saw herself as the first person on the block to have a gay brother....My dad was quiet about it, but our relationship hasn't changed... My mother wanted to talk about it and has really been supportive."

After Stan's letter was published, his mother received a barrage of phone calls and attempted to reason with the callers: "She defended me and said I had the right to be what I wanted to be and to go where I wanted...I can't see how people can have problems coming out. Fortunately, for me, it's been easy."

All of the reactions to Bunting's public disclosure, however, have not been reasonably responsive. Twice, someone(s) came to his west

side apartment and spelled "Motherfuker" (sic) on the front door. The drawings were accompanied by drawings of "heads and cocks."

Said Bunting: "I'm just curious as to why they didn't come to talk to me personally. I'm willing to meet my antagonists and talk my gayness out with them, but they seem fearful."

As of May 29, Bunting had received seventeen letters, 2 pro, 15 against, the latter mostly written by "Southern Baptist fundamentalist types." An excerpt from one by a supposed medical doctor follows..

"There is NOTHING but NOTHING lower in creation than you, and your kind. How dare you speak of dignity, in God's name, how dare you. You, and your kind, is (sic) lower than an insect, lower than a bacteria, lower than a microbe. You and your kind is (sic) the lowest in the entire universe. How can you, how dare you speak of dignity, only human beings can, and you are most certainly NOT a human being. On the contrary, you are indeed a threat, a threat to the entire universe, and as such, you, and your kind should be exterminated as insects are You are sick, sick and totally abnormal...Burn in hell, you surely will."

...

Dr. Frank Morgen, M.D. 3456 Rocky River Dr. Rocky River, Ohio Bunting has no regrets for his public support of gay people: "I'm glad I did what I did. I had

some hesitation before dropped the letter in the mail box, but I have no remorse. I just want to be myself. People who 'don't know what they're talking about make me angry. Being gay hasn't hurt me at all."

Stan Bunting may be representative of a whole new movement of gay people who are not activists per se, but weary of irrational attacks on their life styles. His action was bold, his intentions unwavering.

After High Gear met with Stan Bunting, we received the following letter from his ex-wife, Sue Bunting: Editors:

I am in full support of Stan's beliefs and do not feel that he or any gay person is a threat to me or my son. Those who would consider Stan a threat must surely have doubts about their own masculinity or femininity.

I feel totally at ease in his company and for him to be with my son, for he is also my son's father. Although my marriage was not successful, I feel Stan has every right to live a free and open life, and to enjoy a relationship with his son.

It is my opinion that the child molestors and sexual psychopaths are a threat to our community, not the gay influence. Anita Bryant and others would have us believe that the two are synonymous. This is not the case.

Susan Bunting Triskett Rd. Cleveland.

BEAT ANITA!

PAGE 8

AND COUNTING

By Fred

Echoes of the emptiness as I sit amidst the flashing lights downing coffee and waiting, for a cause to get up.

A seven-seven Budweiser martini,

or perhaps a Coke Tanqueray fizz

to make those lights

do a weekend sparkle in the middle of a void wonderland-

mid-week south of Lake Erie paradise.

Ashtrays gaping, on the make like the bodies and minds perched at their sides who will feed them.

A dance of quarters make repeated sounds

of months gone by.... I'm so wasted disco baby, when will see you again.

And the palm trees sway with spotlights and stars, as the john door slams and I put down my styrofoam cup.

Ni(ght)Nth

By Laurent Apple

it is only when sleeping (dreams)

that flying

crash.

Last night you bought me a drink.

I slammed the glass in my fist and forked over.

In the struggle with the snakes

I should have realized that

I woke up with a fistful of your hair.

In the sunlight there were records

and tea with lemon for the color. those leaves and those snakes

that

bleach in the day. and music from

another mood.

in the blue haze there is

a picture of you from below your chin looking up over a straight nose to a straight forehead straight to the top of the bed hung with flowers on the pillow and vines of your hair.

in the blue haze porcelain turns to marble and you look posed and carved.

will dulac remember your color? will parrish remember your grin? will rousseau that tiger painter remember your vines?

will rafael recall your ass? only in a lullaby (dreaming)