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The Zanzibar
(formerly Jo-Ann's)
GO GO BOYS EVERY NIGHT Monday Tuesday Wednesday Drinks at Reduced Prices
OPEN AT 5 DAILY
1630 Payne Ave. One block east of Park Centre (216) 621-3719
EED CLUB
there's plenty
--
at six-twenty
620 Frankfort Ave. Cleveland
Downtown between W. 6th and W. 9th Just steps West of Public Square and the Mall
Phone 241-9719
Free Parking Sunday Thru Thursday Attendant at All Times
JUST MINUTES FROM AKRON, CANTON, & KENT IS BABBERTON'S NEW AND EXCITING
PnG's Smoke Pit
DISCO BAR RESTAURANT
OPEN
WEEKDAYS 'TIL 1 AM WEEKENDS 'TIL 4
CLOSED TUESDAYS
JOIN US FOR DINNER, DANCING, AND/OR
BREAKFAST
AM
210 Snyder (at Van Buren), Barberton
From 1-76 follow Wooster, Turn left onto State, right onto Coventry, Left onto Fairview, and then right onto Van Buren (first street after the railroad tracks). Follow Van Buren for 1.6 miles to the corner of Synder.
SATAN'S DEN
FIRST ANNIVERSARY PAGENT & SHOW 10:30 pm, May 21 FREE ADMISSION Anyone can enter Crowning individual KING&QUEEN MALE KING&QUEEN FEMALE Kings in semiformal attire Queens in gowns 839 S. Arlington, Akron South of 1-76
HIGH GEAR
WENDY:
MAY 1976
"WHY I QUIT"
Background: Wendy resigned as KGLF co-chairperson in February, 1976 and has since been active in the Kent Women's Center.
High Gear: You resigned at a steering committee meeting in Febraury as co-chairperson of the Kent Gay Liberation Front. I wonder if you could share with us why you did so?
Wendy: One of them is that when you're in an organization like that, the only thing that bonds you, the only thing that's common with the group is that you're all gay. The organization doesn't form on the basis of anything else in your personality, just your gayness. It ends up that there are a lot of people in the organization that I don't like and that don't like me, and I can't try to work with those people anymore. The other reason was I wasn't getting the things accomplished that I needed to get accomplished. KGLF serves mostly people who are coming out, and that's an essential function, but I've been out for a year and a half now, and it's not doing anything for me. So, without putting KGLF down, I just want to move on. The orgnaization is 90% male which doesn't serve my needs; I'd rather work with women. If KGLF had had more women in it I wouldn't have been so quick to resign, but the fact is it doesn't and I'm kind of frustrated. I think most of the men understand that.
HG: You said that in KGLF there are people you dont' like and who don't like you. Could you tell us more about that?
...
W: The first office I ever held was in KGLF, first as a member of steering committee and then for half a year as COchairperson. The first time you hold high office is difficult and, whenever you hold an office, you're going to make enemies. Plus, it gets difficult in an organization working for gay liberation because it's different than other organizations in that ... people can't always be open. I'm not putting those people down; it just gets frustrating. I wouldn't want to push those people out of the closet.
HG: What do you see KGLF doing socially and politically -that's different from what you need?
W: KGLF just dealt with one part of my personality my lesbianism. The (Kent) Women's Center deals with women and the other things that effect them like rape, feminism, politics like socialism letting them see other
HON
SEXU
IS LE
politics than capitalism. It's offering workshops in mechanics and everything that's not offered to women anywhere else. It's like a school. I no longer need to deal with my gayness, So being in an organization that deals only with my gayness is futile. I do still want to be involved in KGLF as far as speeches go.
HG: What possibility do you see for KGLF in incorporating some of the needs you see the Women's Center fulfilling?
W: It's possible but not probable. The only way that could happen is for more women to be involved. Right now KGLF is competing with the Women's Center for those women, and the women automatically going to go to the Women's Center.
are
HG: That implies the women
have to belong to one of the other.
W: No. It's just a matter of whether they're going to be able to donate time to both. If they can, that's fine. I'm not sure from my own personal experience if that's going to be possible. A lot of the women involved in the Center are into separatism. The ideal would be for the women from the Women's Center to work with KGLF, but with the separatism, they're not into that.
HG: You've talked about women being turned off to KGLF because there aren't many women. Don't you feel your action worsens that problem?
W: Yea, but I just can't stay there. It doesn't do anything for me. I couldn't see that anything was gained from my staying there. I don't know that (serving the women) is the responsibility As of KGLF. soon as the Women's Center gets off the ground and publicizes its lesbianism the women will have a place to go.
HG: Some of the women resent it, but some people think that the Women's Center is a closet. It doesn't talk about its lesbianism.
W: I agree with that, but it can't right now. They want to be a Center for all women. Right now they'd be scaring away homophobic women before they could be educated. What they want to do is advertise as a "Women's" Center, and as women join, they'll see that there are members who are lesbian.
HG: It appears that there are still women who are left nowhere because they can't relate to KGLF since there aren't many women in it, and on the other hand, they won't come out through the Women Center because they don't know the of support the lesbian community is there. Where do these women go?
W: I'm not sitting here claiming to know what to do with all the women because I don't know. It's a matter of time right now because the Center is not off its feet. If maybe sounds cruel, but I don't mean it to.
HG: It seems that right now you dont' see an answer for those women but do see a process developing that will help them.
W: Yea. I'm concerned with that but don't know quite what to do. I don't want this interview to be interpreted as me all speaking for women, because I don't. I'm speaking for how I view what I'm involved in. HG: Thank you, Wendy.