Gay Peoples Chronicle

February 1, 1985

page 11

E.R.G.D.C.

Endorsements Overview...

Congressman Louis Stokes watches Mary Boyle's inauguration as Cuyahoga County Commissioner. Both were endorsed by E.R.G.D.C.

Archives Seeks Materials

1. High Gear issues from 1974-1976

by Rick Berg

Cleveland's Eleanor Roosevelt Gay Democratic Club (ERGDC) ended its most extensive and costly campaign last November, when 70% of its endorsees came in as winners on election night, 1984. The club made ten endorsements and contributed to the campaigns of six of those candidat-

es.

The victory of State Representatives Mary Boyle in her bid to unseat Cuyahoga County Commissioner Vincent Campanella was among ERGDC's most important successes. Boyle's upset win gave Democrats a majority on the County Commission, raising the possibility of Commission action to protect lesbians and gays against discrimination in county hiring. ERGDC members are already lobbying Commissioners Boyle, Virgil Brown, and Timothy Hagan to adopt hiring protections for lesbians and gays.

ERGDC gave its nod to C.J. Prentiss in her bid to unseat Steven Schechter from the State Board of Education. She came out upset winner in a hard-fought contest.

At the top of the three unsuccessful endorsees was the Hondale-Ferraro ticket, which the club had endorsed last August. The presidential ticket did carry Cuyahoga County. Also on the losers list was County Recorder Benny Bonnano's bid to become a county commissioner.

ERGDC asked voters to reject Issue 2, a tax levy increase for the Metroparks System. This request for a "no" vote was a response to the Metroparks systesatic entrapment of gay men, which is currently undergoing a legal challenge. Voters passed the levy be a wide margin.

The Eleanor Roosevelt Lesbian/Gay CasAmong other successful endorsees was paign Fund, ERGDC's political arm, contriCongressman Louis Stokes, long-time sup-buted funds to the campaigns of Bonnano, porter of the Gay Civil Rights Bill and Boyle, Panehal, Prentiss, Stokes, and increased funding for AIDS research. White. Funding decisions were based Stokes faced only token opposition in on the campaign's need and the candidate's the 21st Congressional District. enthusiasm for gay issues.

Four endorsements were issued in state legislative contests and all four won. State Senator Michael White (21st district); and State Representatives Jane Campbell (15th district), Francine Panehal (8th district), and Judy Sheerer (18th district) beat their opponents handily.

All the endorsed candidates were Democrats, although ERGDC members did interview and consider Republican opponents in all the reviewed races. "The Democratic Party has a much stronger record of support for lesbians and gays than the Republicans," explained ERGOC President Jerry Bores.

Bores also commented that the club's high level of activity and visibility during the 1984 election campaign impressed any members of the Democratic Party establishment. "This will make it far easier to gain access to those politicians who have the power to insure civil rights as gay people," he said.

Workshop Planned for Feb. 6

The Cleveland Lesbian/Gay Archives ately receiving tapes of the interviews Former Congressman Ron Nottl, outspoken were established in 1983 to collect and now being conducted as part of the Cleve-critic of gay rights, went down to defeat land Gay History Project. Anonymity for State Senator From the 24th district. preserve material relevant to the history of the informants will be carefully safe-ERGDC, however, was unable to make an of the lesbian/gay community in the Cleveendorsement in that race. Mottl's opponland metropolitan area. Besides preservingguarded. ent, State Senator Gary Suhadolnik, adopted our history, the Archives will eventually be an important resource for research Noting some of the sore important gaps a very unacceptable position on gay rights by gay people. the collections, Archivist Max McLarty and no endorsement was made. asked that any persons who can donate Their present holdings represent donathe following items do so. tions from Charles Callender, Diane Fishman, Shane McConnell, Max McLarty, and Bob Reynolds. These include a file of High Gear, running (with a few gapsi from Volume 2, Issue 4, December 1975. to its final issue; and a complete file of Pride Magazine. Holdings of othe: local publications, including organizatio newsletters, are very incomplete. The Archives also have files documenting the history of a few organizations, particularly the CWRU Lesbian/Gay Student Union and the Cleveland chapter of the Gay/Lesbian Academic Union, as well as the Cleveland chapter of the Gay/Lesbian Academic Union, as well as the Cleveland Gay Peoples Press Associates, Inc. Other holdings include a variety of miscellaneous memorabilia and some items that are not yet catalogued.

2.

3.

etc.,

Gay Activist Alliance: Any minutes, reports, and copies of their newsletter, The Lavender Pages.

Familiar Faces, Hidden Lives, by Howard Brown.

4. Voyager, by John Unterecker.

5.

All issues of Action, Now Cleveland, What She Wants, and Z-Trash.

The historical value of the Archives Those wishing to donate any of these will be greatly increased by their ulti-items may call 791-0942

Substance Task Force Created

or 932-2195.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland is presenting a workshop for school personnel on Onderstanding Homosexuality, Workshop participants will explore their attitudes about homosexuality.

includes a showing of The workshop "Whispers," a film about, adolescent homosexuality.

Held in Suite 300 of the Bulkley Buildruns from 9 am until 12 noon, February ing, 1501 Euclid Avenue, the workshop

An analysis of research on the subject, including that by Kinsey, will be present-6.

ed.

The fee is $15. Registration is required. To register, call 781-0410.

Obituaries

LORD WOLFENDEN Lord Wolfenden, British educator and social reformer whose work eventually legalized sale homosexuality in England, died January 18 at the age of 78.

Sexual Offenses Act followed the Wolfendes Report.

LYNNE CARTER Lynne Carter, described by the New or reactions of other people. Examples In 1954 he was appointed chairman of York Times as a pre-eminent female impersof how the codependent learns not to a government committee to investigate onator, died of pneumonia in New York do for chemically dependent persons what male homosexuality and female prostion January 10, 1985. A former resident they should do for themselves are alse tution. welcomed.

Dignity/Region 5 has created a Substance by alcoholism or chemical addiction learns Abuse Task Force to help promote alcohol not to suffer because of the actions and drug education within the gay and lesbian community. As part of this effort it is attempting to collect stories from gay men and lesbians who live "drug free" or who live with the chemically dependent.

of course,

The committee's conclusions,

of the Cleveland area named Eddie Atkins, he once lived in the Masonic Temple Building on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. By collecting and circulating these The Task Force is particularly interested stories, the Substance Abuse Task Forca known Mr. Carter began his career as an imperson in stories from the day-to-day lives hopes to promote dependency. All stories as the Wolfenden Report, were issued ator at the Verdone's 1943 Halloween of people who are recovering. They would submitted to the Force will, in 1957. The Report recommended that party, where he impersonated a popular like to hear how you or someone you know be circulated anonymously. Also, names private sexual relations between consenting singer of the time called The Incomparable Mr. Carter, who used his deals with party invitations, being offered of specific organizations will be deleted adult males be legalized. (English law Hildegarde. own voice, appeared mostly in cabarets an alcoholic drink in a restaurant or from the stories unless their work could had never forbidden lesbianism). and clubs, besides making one movie, at a social function, friends who still serve as a model for others to follow. drink, or family members. Although it advocated the prohibition he played in two off-Broadway revues, of street soliciting, it recommended His last appearance was in a revue in Besides stories from the individuals send it to the Substance Abuse Task Force, If you have a story to tell, please that prostitution remain legal. Wolfenden January, 1984 The Times described his who are alcoholic or drug dependent, P.D. Box 1431, East Lansing, MI 48823-6431-worked vigorously to have these recommenda-characterizations as having authenticity the Task Force is looking for stories If we don't tell our stories, no one tions enacted into law, but it was ten and depth as well as humor. His death about detachment: how the person affected lelse will. years before this occurred. The 1967 was described as AIDS-related.