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Gay Peoples Chronicle

February 1,

gay peoples CHRONICLE

Published by The Cleveland Gay Peoples Press Associates Inc.

Publisher

Lee M. Kochems Assistant to the Publisher

Rawn LaBondano Editor-In-Chief

Charles Callender Production Editor

Bill Osborn Advertising Manager Vincent Bluett Business Manager Bob Reynolds

Staff

Writing Staff

Rick Berg, Charles Callender, Dora Forbes, Lee Kochems, Mark Kroboth, Casimir Kuczynski, Sebastian Melmoth

A New Opening

With this first issue the "Gay Peoples Chronicle" becomes a reality. Be who brought this newspaper into existence are justifiably proud of our accomplishment.

In founding the "Chronicle" we were motivated by certain shared beliefs. These beliefs were strong enough to ispel five very different individual s--t NO businesssen, two anthropologists, and an undergraduate English major-tö plan and produce a newspaper. The same beliefs, shared by our staff, determined its nature.

One of our beliefs is that a reliable source of accurate information is essential for an organized gay and lesbian community, and even for a healthy one. After *High Gear" stopped publishing in 1982, the Cleveland community had to depend on organization newsletters, a women's newspaper and a radio program, and rusor wills. The newsletters are often excellent but their distribution is limited. "What She Wants" and Gay Waves are institutions in which the community can take pridej their functions are different from ours. The rumor mills do much to fragment this community and are often inaccurate.

We also believe that our gay and lesbian community needs to be stronger and much better organized. Ray O'Loughlin's report on Cleveland in the May issue of "The Advocate" accurately described us an one of the least organized communities in the United States. Perhaps, as he suggested, many of us prefer tais state. But we see growing signs that inportant sections of this community want change and are embarrassed by our contrast with the much better organized Columbus commenity. We are not arrogant enough to believe that the "Chronicle" will build a strong lesbian/gay community in Cleveland huť we think it can help this process.

Another belief, which we share with the "Gay Community News", is that as gay people we have our own culture, with our own history and our own present. We hope to express this culture, in all

Crime

American society often denies gay people equal justice under the law. Even when the laws define homosexuality as legal, those who pray on us may benefit from a persisting belief that our lives have less value than those of pongays. The very light sentences recently given the three miles who killed Charlie Howard in Bangor provide a good example.

In Cuyahoga County four murderers of gay ses recently received long prison terms whose prohibition of parolă consideration will prevent their resuming attacks on us for sany tears. Speaking for the Cleveland Lesbian/gay comamity, we want to thank homicide' units in Cleveland and Lakewood, and the County Coroner's Office whose investigative work quickly identified the murderers and led to their

its variation, by reporting the event occurring in our community and describing our belief. At the same time we will be portraying our community to the surroundinging nongay society. In pursuing this double goal we hope to express every aspect of a very diverse gay population and ask you to help us do this.

As persons who take pride in our own gayness. a community that is We favor open as far as possible, and we urge all its members who can do so to come one. We know that a gay person's employment can prevent her or his being openly gay. We also know that gay people who are closeted by necessity have contributed auch to our community. And we know

from our own experiences, that coming out is not easy. It can be very painful and its cost may be very high. But whenever its members can openly define themselves as gay, we think the community benefits.

The five members of the Board of Publishers belong to several organizations: Case Western Reserve Lesbian/Bay Student Union, the Eleanor Roosevelt Gay Democratic Club, the Cleveland Chapter of the Gay/Lesbian Academic Union, and the GEAR Foundation.

We have deliberately chosen to keep the "Chronicle" independent of any organization even though this choice deprives us of a built-in working staff.

It will probably take us a for issues to shake all the bees out of the system. The coverage of state gay and lesbian news we had planned to provide through system * of local correspondents could not be put together in time for publication. It should be ready for our next issue. We hope to add other features in the coming months.

Finally, we thank the advertisersbusinesses, organizations, and individuals gay and nongay-whose sense of community and confidence in us and our goals helped bring the "Chronicle into existence.

arrest. Assistant County Prosecutors Donald C. Nugent (recently elected Judge) and Timothy I. McGinty prepared a solid case that emphasized the innocence of the victims rather than their gayness. And in imposing the maximum sentences possible, Judges John L. Angelotta, Leo M. Spellacy, and William F. Brown treated murder as murder.

It is very important that Cleveland area lesbians and gays know crimes against us can be reported to a group of police officers in Cleveland and Lakewood who are but only unprejudiced but mensitive Es our life-styles. They want to help us, and need our cooperation. At their request we are publishing their names Later issues of The and phone numbers. Chronicle will describe their work.

Photographer and Cartoonist Rob Daroff, Jr.

Columnists

Michael Johnson, L. Kolke, Alex Liberacki, Jym Roe, Julian Wilde.

Production Staff David Boyd, Alexy Christopher, Rob Daroff, Mark Kroboth, Joy Medley, Jeff Lang Rich Tomei

Policy

or

Publication of the name, picture, organization, other representation of an place of business, or individual in the Chronicle is not indicative of their sexual orientation and may not be used as evidence of such.

Anyone interested in working on the staff of the Chronicle should call 932-2195 or write to Chronicle Staff, P.O. Box 5426, Cleveland, Ohio 44101.

Written materials, art work, or photography submitted for publication are subject to editing. Whether used by The Chronicle or not, Me cannot guarantee the return of any submitted material unless it is accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope.

Businesses or organizations wishing to advertise in The Chronicle may obtain advertising rate sheets and other information by writing to Advertising Manager, The Chronicle, P.O. Box 5426. Cleveland, Ohio 44101.

Deadlines for Chronicle publication dates are as follows:

Written material by the 13th of every @onth.

Advertising by the 15th of every month. The Chronicle is distributed free of charge in any establishment or with any organization that will perait distribution. The Chronicle is copyrighted under federal law. Any reproduction of its contents is prohibited unless either written or verbal permission is obtained.

Published by the Cleveland Gav Peoples Press Associates, Inc.. F.0. Box 5426. Cleveland, Ohio 44101.

Circulation,

6.000

Distribution, Northern Ohio

1985