July 1985.

Gay Peoples Chronicle

VIGIL UNCLOSETS CLEVELAND

continued from p. 1

Those who joined the Vigil knew that newspaper reporters and television crews were covering the event. Some of them knew their participation might jeopardize their employment. Still they came.

Vigil participants were a cross section of the Cleveland gay and lesbian community and its friends. Rather evenly divided beween women and men, they included heads of organizations and persons who had not acted publicly before. In age they ranged from those in their fifties through younger adults to high school students and small children.

Navis' parents and some other nongay couples were there. So were some of his Erieview students, a few of their parents, and one of his colleagues.

Cleveland lesbians and gay men often explain they can't take public action because their mothers might see them on television and find out that they are gay.

a

But this Vigil included number of mothers. Sone were themselves selves gay. Others, like Navis mother, came to stand with their gay children. Still others came to support a gay man whose teaching they appreciated.

Navis & an Erieview student, after the student delivered an emotional appeal to save Navis' job

Besides the number of participants in the Vigil, the Committee for Justice for Gay People drew a further show of significant community support in statements backing the Vigil from most community

organizations.

by the Plain Dealer as quiet. What else could a vigil be?

Ten organizations formally supported the event: Black White Men Together; CWRU For the Vigil, 150 people Lesbian/Gay Student Union; quietly stood on the sidewalk CWRU Minority Interests outside Erieview High School. Committee; CWRU Women's They listened to readings, Center; Cleveland Gay Peoples taken from the New Testament, Press Associates; Eleanor from the 1976 Pastoral Letter Roosevelt Gay Democratic of the American Catholic

Club; Gay Mothers Group; Bishops, and from Brian McGay/Lesbian Academic Union; Naught. They listened to GEAR Foundation; and the Gold songs or joined in the sing Club of Lorain (page 10), ing. The songs were "Morning The only gay organization Has Broken," "Be Not Afraid," that refused to support the and "Amazing Grace." They Vigil was Dignity/Cleveland, prayed or stood silently. of which Navis was a member. And yet the Vigil, masterDignity officers also tried fully conceived and organunsuccessfully to persuade ized, was militant in a very the Eleanor Roosevelt Gay quiet but unyielding way, exDemocratic Club to withold pressing sentiments that the its support. Those involved current leadership of Dignity were president Capie O'Don/Cleveland probably does not nell, the current treasurer, understand, although Dignityand former president Win /New York would. Weizer, who co-chairs the At this event the gay peoERGDC Municipal Ordinance ple of Cleveland claimed God Committee, charged with obtaining a gay civil rights

ordinance in Cleveland.

Although the diocese had already cancelled Navis' classes and made it clear that his teaching contract would be cancelled, the Dignity/Cleveland spokespersons

as their own. They appropriated St. Paul, applying to themselves a section of his Epistle to the Romans: "If God is for us, who can be against us?... Who is to condemn?... Who shall sepa-

urged ERGDC to remain neutral Ritz Suit

because the diocese had not issued a formal statement.

Nevertheless, most ERGDC members voted to support the Vigil.

Although the statement issued by the Board of Directors of Dignity-Cleveland, deploring "militant reacreactions," conjured up a line of shouting pickets storming Erieview High School, the eErieview High School, the event was accurately described

continued from p. 1

by the Fund for Human Dignity. Its purpose is to collect and document instances of discrimination within the gay/lesbian community as well as instances of discrimination against gay people by outsiders.

Charges against The Ritz were among the earliest complaints received by the DRS

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rate us from the love of Christ?"

They refused to accept gayness as a dirty secret, but affirmed it proudly and with dignity. Dignity, as a quality, belonged to those at the Vigil.

>

The Vigil was followed by a short news conference. The press packets included a statement by Navis' parents, letters to diocesan officers from the mother of his lover, Jeff Gerhardstein, and documents about Navis' teaching.

Navis' parents spoke. So did a former colleague at St Francis Elementary School, the mother of one of his students, and a student.

Will the Cleveland gay community now return to its usual state? Maybe. But at least this time it did something out of the ordinary.

Because of the bulk of the Navis case coverage, including documentation and the interview with Dignity spokespersons, we have had to postpone much material until next month. We were also forced to omit the Directory for this issue.

hotline.

The March issue of the Chronicle reported that on February 10 the president and executive director of the GEAR Foundation went to the Ritz with three hotline volunteers. When the latter were denied admission, the GEAR officers complained to the manager of the bar and were physically ejected.