gay peoples

CHRONICLE

Vol. 1 No. 11

Cleveland, Ohio

MOHICAN CONFERENCE BACKS ALTERNATIVE

TEST SITES

BWMT Anniversary Dinner, Page 13

December 1985

By ROB DAROFF

Stepping slightly away from the "Don't Take the Test" movement, gay political and health leaders from throughout Ohio recently agreed that at least some gay and bisexual men "may benefit from taking the test." The move came out of a meeting November 15-17 at the Mohican State Park, planned by Ohio Department of Health's Gay Health Consultant, Buck Harris.

The group recommended that the Alternative "Education/Testing Sites should continue and are the best place to make an informed decision On whether or not to take the test." (The full position statement appears separately on page 8). The decisions and recommendations represented a compromise between the largely divided local gay leaders. Some wanted to blanketly recommend Alternative Site testing for gay and bisexual men whereas others felt this would not serve to curtail

the spread of AIDS.

The group agreed unanimously that anyone desiring the test should go only to Alternative Education/Testing Sites where names are not recorded and results are kept confidential. According to Scott Walton, pastPresident of the Columbus AIDS Task Force and current Executive Director of Stonewall Columbus, the no-name policy prevents "the risk of potential discrimination against postive testers." He said, "The Alternative Sites are the only places where we be confident that the test won't be abused."

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of

Six months ago, most the argument against taking the test centered around perceived ambiguity of the test results. There were huge gaps in our understanding of the meanings of positive and negative results. Now, according to AIDS experts, we have a much clearindication of the value Page 8, col. 1

er

A scene from NBC's World Premiere Movie, "An Early Frost", which swept the Nielson Ratings for MidNovember.

Friendly Candidates Win Locally

By CHARLES CALLENDER

Nine of the 11 candidates endorsed by the Eleanor Roosevelt Lesbian/Gay Campaign Fund won November 5 in Cleveland, Lakewood, and Cleveland Heights,

GPC

P.0. Box 5426

Cleveland, OH

44101

Raymond Pianka Elected The most impressive single victory the Campaign Fund could claim was Raymond Pianka's election to Cleveland City Council from Ward which includes some heavily gay neighborhoods. With a

17,

last-minute endorsement from

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Cleveland, OH Permit No. 422

Mayor Voinevich, Pianka narrowly defeated incumbent John Lynch by a 2,217 to 1,874 vote. Pianka, who asked for Eleanor Roosevelt support, ascribed his victory to coalition-building techniques. Although Lynch sometimes given quiet support to gay organizations while in city council, he had declined any endorsement by the gay political group. Cleveland City Council Other candidates for Cleveland city council endorsed by Eleanor Roosevelt who won were Helen Smith (Ward 14), James Rokakis 15), (Ward Jay Westbrook (Ward 18), and Dale Miller (Ward 20). All were incumbents. Westbrook had no opposition, and the other three won by large margins.

The only such candidate in Cleveland who failed to win

Joseph Gilyard, in Ward 4, who lost to incumbent Kenneth Johnson in a bitterly fought campaign that included the circulation of a letter from Council President George Forbes, attacking Gilyard and endorsing Johnson.

Cleveland Heights The Campaign Fund made clean sweep in Cleveland Heights, where four at-large seats in city council were at stake. It endorsed three candidates, Carol Edwards, Leonard Horowitz, and Richard Weigand. All were incumbents, and all won handily.

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