Gay Peoples Chronicle

LETTERS

Support Gay Youth in GEAR

To the Editor:

After hearing and reading about the formation of the Gay Youth in GEAR group, I would like to comment that this is possibly one of the best things that has happened in the gay community in several years.

Too often young people are not recognized as valid members of the gay community, and their feelings and ideas are seldom addressed. Yet all of us who now constitute the lesbian/gay culture were at one time or another in our youth lonely or fearful about our sexual preference,

Young people often search out their sexual identity by confiding in members of the traditional helping professions, and are often not given the support that every gay and lesbian needs when forming their identity. This and similar groups can be a

Sex Toys and Censorship

To the Editor:

G.P.C.

The June issue of carried a letter from John Glassborn about an article in the May issue on Body Language, a store that sells sex toys. Without any difficulty, one can surmise that Mr. Glassborn disapproves of the gaining of sexual gratification through the employment of sexual aids.

However, one is also given the distinct impression that he also disapproves of the fact that the subject has been brought to the gay community in print, and that he would' like it left the unexplored in even vaguest details. At one he asks, "Do you point honestly feel that all gay are interested in people such stories?" To answer his ridiculous question, "No they certainly are not." But merely because all gay people are not interested is no reason to hide the subject of sexual aids or any other subject that is not of interest to all readers. (No subject can fit such a description.)

To decline to publish materials based on likes, dislikes, discomforts, etc., which is what Mr. Glassborn seems to imply is prudent journalistic practice, would be blatant censorship. However, the world in which we live is one that is complicated and many-faceted. Mr. Glassborn as well as the rest of the gay community, is proof of this fact. While there are many things that we may or may not like-opinions, ideas institutions--it does not logically follow that they should be censored. There is enough censorship of gay people without self-inflicting it. Mr. Glassborn goes on to "And the gay community say wonders why the non-gay community won't accept our lifestyle!" Here he gives page 12

lifesaver to young people who live in a society that has no gay or lesbian role models, and a culture that still is often destructive to those who do not conform.

Director Randy Goodman and all the participants in this project should be highly praised for the work they are doing. If gays and lesbians are ever to be free in this nation, then we must all work together to help form a new future. The first step is giving support to young gays and lesbians, the future of our community.

All social service groups should work with Gay Youth in GEAR to ensure that this project reaches its potential.

Michael S. Belusko Director, Akron Gay Lesbian Crisis Infoline

Commentary

Why the deserved concern now for providing financial and moral support for AIDS patients? The answer is simple. Many people feel guilt shame, or just an earnest desire to be helpful. Hurray!

Do we forget everything else in the stampede to obtain personal satisfaction or recognition? Let us hope not.

Qur community needs to be absorbed by the goal of living proudly in a free society, not in the shadow of the fear of death and concentration camps.

That can't happen in America today, you say? A judge didn't want to "contaminate" the Marion County prison

it was discovered that a prisoneer had been treated for AIDS. Society has no moral conscience when it feels fear. We had better

our friends, families, and neighbors become "informed" or we can share the wrath of this fear.

If our community had gathered the money needed to_educate the public, lobby Congress and the state houses, and provide support services

the past, today's crises would pass with only ripple.

Have we learned? Not really. Throw a party, give the money to AIDS, and we can raise thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of dollars. Ask for a dollar to reach out to those struggling in the closet or to lobby, and the response is What? Who? Why? and "I gave at the office." Maybe Maybe we will all give a lot more if we don't wake up.

Bob

Reynolds

Capie's Corner

page '5

by Rob Daroff

THIS TIME THE "CHRONICLE" HAS REALLY GONE TOO FAR!

SS GOODTIME II

DAROFF/GPC

Criticism Threatens Unity

To the editor:

As the director of Dignity's Region V (Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky and Ohio) I had occasion to receive and read your July, 1985 issue of the Gay Peoples Chronicle. Given the fact that this issue spends considerable amounts of space. dealing with the matter of the non-renewal of Bob Navis contract within the Cleveland Catholic Diocese, a matter in which one of the chapters of my region (Dignity/Cleveland) has been significantly involved, I feel constrained to write this letter of response. am motivated, however, by considerably more than that involvement of Dignity/Cleveland in this matter. There are two points which I believe should be made for your readers.

First, I doubt that anyone would question the fact that the plight of gay and lesbian people in this country and elsewhere is due, to à large extent, to the traditional teachings of the Christian faith, regardless of denominational orientation. The Church has, through hundreds, even thousands of years, been the primary author of those attitudes within peoples' minds and hearts which has caused the discrimination which we experience. In so far as that is the case, I would suggest that the cause of those who continue the ongoing battle to change that time-honored situation is of utmost value to gays and lesbians everywhere. No one knows better than they how best to facilitate that battle, and thus it strikes me as terribly unfortunate that you have chosen to take such a church-oriented group (Dignity/Cleveland) to task because of an approach they have chosen to take in relationship to that church body within which they struggle to change beliefs, atti-

and

traditional

tudes, teachings. Second, it continues to amaze and sadden me that we, whose cause depends so very much on internal unity and mutual support, nevertheless expend the amount of time and energy we do on attacking one another, thereby thwarting our common cause. Please be reminded that Dignity/Cleveland's cause as a gay and lesbian organization is not different than that of any other religious or secular organization within the Cleveland community. They struggle for the total assimilation of gays and lesbians into all levels and aspects of our society. While there are those who may disagree with or question the ways in which they pursue that goal, they bevertheless deserve the support of the greater Cleveland gay/lesbian community--just as every other such organization deserves that support. Let's struggle to remember that unity does not depend on likemindedness--there must be room for diversity within our unity. The extent to which we, individually or organizationally, fail to provide mutual support and unity, is directly proportionate to the amount of time it will take us to promote that cause which is so important and often crucial to us all. Sincerely,

Nate Gruel Director

Dignity Region V

[Mr. Gruel expounds some excellent principles, which we wish the Dignity/Cleveland leadership had observed. Ed.]

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