gay peoples CHRONICLE

Vol. 1 No. 9

October 1985

ERGDC BOLTS DEMS

By CHARLES CALLENDER

At its September 4 meeting the Eleanor Roosevelt Gay Democratic Club passed three constitutional amendments that changed its political affiliation and reorganized

its structure.

Two amendments ended the Club's affiliation with the Democratic party. One of these changed its name to the Eleanor Roosevelt Gay Political Club. The other amendment explicitly defines it as bipartisan.

Although the section of the Eleanor Roosevelt constitution at which these amendments are directed provides for endorsing Republican candidates if a majority of the members vote to do 50, it affiliates the Club with the Democratic party. A third amendment clears the way for establishing Republican and Democratic caucuses within the Club. The heads of these caucuses, along with the Club officers, will be members of the executive committee.

The amendments were adopted by a vote of 8 to 4, meeting the required twothirds majority for amending Nine memthe constitution. bers attended the meeting. Three mail ballots provided the margin of victory

for

those advocating the constitutional changes.

Discussion of the amendments was brief, probably because most of those at the meeting belonged to the executive committee, which had drawn them up.

Opponents of the changes questioned whether the potential losses ERGDC might experience by separating from gay Democratic clubs would be offset by the anticipated influx of new members and funds. They also pointed out that the Club's namesake, Eleanor Roosevelt, had been a prominent Democratic party leader whose career made her an inappropriate eponym for a bipartisan political organization. ERGDC president Jerry Bores presented the arguments for the amendments. Holding that bipartisan status would facilitate obtaining a gay rights ordinance in the city of Cleveland by making easier to approach Republican Mayor George Voinevich, Bores also argued that this shift would enhance the Club's credibility the political organization representing the Cleveland gay community.

as

it

While the that argument Eleanor Roosevelt was an inbiappropriate name for a Page 3. col. 3

RITZ SUIT SETTLED

By DORA FORBES

men

The lawsuit filed on June 18 by six Cleveland-area gay and women against the Ritz bar has been settled out of court. Charging the Ritz with violating their civil rights by discriminating against against black patrons, the suit was filed with the support of the Midwest Regional Discrimination Response System, Inc.

The cake Dress

allow

Chronicle plans to its November issue to October 29. This will us to distribute be-

By the terms of the out of court settlement, pending final approval by the court, the Ritz (Frank Alan Spencer, John Bengle, and Ontario Realty, Inc.) agree never to discriminate in the future. The settlement includes a small token payment by the Ritz

Hart Crane Memorial, pp 8-9

October 1985

D.C. Orient Express (L) defeat Miami Suns (R) at See p. 14 NCI Volleyball Tournament

ODH RECEIVES AIDS GRANT

By ROB DAROFF

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) announced this month that it has been

granted $300,000 to upgrade its statewide surveillance of AIDS.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the investigative branch of the Nationis al Institute of Health, appropriating the funds to in increments of the $100,000 per year for next three years.

Ohio of the plaintiffs' attorney fees. Their attorney, Carter Dodge, announced that he will contribute this money to the Discrimination Response System.

fore the November 5 election and free our staff the weekend of Halloween, the main holiday for gay people.

The grant will add another full-time AIDS worker to the ODH staff whose responsibilities will include actively surveying AIDS cases in Ohio. According to ODH epidemiologist Robert Campbell, the state has, up until now, only been able to perform

what is called "passive surveillance." Campbell said, "With passive surveillance, that means we have to wait for individual hospitals to call us before we know that they have an AIDS case." This grant will allow ODH perform active surveillance, meaning they will actively survey and investigate hospitals and and their registries, eliminating the waiting, while hopefully painting more accurate picture of trends of the disease statewide.

Campbell feels that by examing death certificates and cancer registries, the Department will be in a better position to detect suspected cases that were not reported or were covered Page 3, col. 1