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Gay Peoples Chronicle

January 1986

gay peoples CHRONICLE

Publisher

Cleveland Gay Peoples Press Associates

CLEVELAND IN 1985: SOME SIGNS OF CHANGE

1985 saw many Cleveland lesbians and gay men still clinging to an archaic past that based their relations with the non-gay world on the belief that being closeted is virtuous as well as comfortable; saw disagreement within their ranks as clashes between personalities; pursued a narcissistic hedonism without concern for the needs of other gay people; and insisted on lesbian or gay male separatism at the expense of working together. Yet this year also saw important signs of growth and change.

We will examine the Chronicle's role in these next month, when we celebrate our first anniversary. Here, we are concerned with the lesbian-gay community as a whole.

One very important factor forcing change upon us is the threat of AIDS, manifested both in the growing incidence of the disitself and in rising hysteria among the general public, which too often does not understand how AIDS is transmitted and views any kind of contact, with a person with AIDS or even a gay person as danger-

ous.

As information about safe sex techniques spreads, we suspect that deeply closeted gay men will become those who are most vulnerable to the disease. But AIDS is also making closets obsolete by ripping off their doors. That even in death some gay men (or their families) still try to hide their gayness is as tragic as the waste represented by a lifetime of hiding. The ultimate effect of AIDS as an unclošeting factor extends beyond this, with insurance companies looking for indications of a suspicious lifestyle (including failure to marry). While lesbians seem safe from AIDS itself, they are almost as vulnerable as gay men to backlash.

Yet in other ways the dangers posed by AIDS are forging gay people into communities, in Cleveland as elsewhere. Local indications include the expanded activities of the Health Issues Taskforce and the exceptional success of benefits for it. They also include the growing number of volunteers; and as last month's HIT column showed, increasing involvement by people who were once afraid of being openly gay. They include support from lesbians. And, above all, growing pride in our responsé as a community, to the threat of AIDS.

Apart from growing concern about AIDS, and increasing action to deal with its

threat, we think other trends appearing in 1985 suggest that we are developing a much stronger community in Cleveland and with that, a much stronger sense of community.

Advisory Board

Jerry Bores

Charles Callender.

Rob Daroff, Bob Downing Karen Giffen, Mark Kroboth Joy Medley, Martha Pontoni Bob Reynolds

Advertising Manager Joy Medley

Business Manager Bob Reynolds

Circulation Manager Bob Downing

Editor-in-Chief

Charles Callender

Reporters

Charles Callender Catherine Clark, Rob Daroff Dora Forbes, Joanne Frustaci Mark Kroboth Casimir Kuczinski Sebastian Melmoth Martha Pontoni

One sign is the appearance of new organizations that emerged to fill needs that had not been met, rather than representing secession after internal conflict disrupted existing groups. These include HUGS Wonderful Westside Women, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, the Unitarian-Universalist gay group, Gay Youth in GEAR, and the Gold Club. They enrich and strengthen our community rather than simpPhotographer and Cartoonist ly restructuring its members into opposing organizations.

Another good sign is the reorganization of some existing groups. Integrity, whose temporary eclipse disturbed many of us, has revitalized itself. We expect the GEAR Foundation, which has changed enormously during 1985, to emerge from its current problems a much stronger and more dynamic organization.

Progress is also evident at area universities. With the formation of its Gay/Lesbian Task Force, the University of Akron now has a gay student group. Cleveland State University quietly added a disclaimdiscrimination by sexual orientation. The gay-lesbian student task force

the University of Akron is working for a similar disclaimer, and efforts to persuade Case Western Reserve University to do the same continue.

Still another encouraging sign is the growing cooperation and the building of closer ties between the women and men of this community. Three important 1985 community undertakings, the LGSU Conference, the Navis Vigil, and Summerfest 85, drew numbers of women, who at each event made up about one-third of the participants. While the initiative shown by women who want stronger ties with gay men is impressive, we don't think that Cleveland's gay men, have really responded in kind. Very few support women's culture by attending Oven Productions concerts. As far as we know, only two men showed support for the Take Back The Night March. It's true they discovered both of them shared the same fantasy of suddenly being charged by the marchers, but their women friends made them welcome.

Most of all, we see a small but important part of this community that accepts its gayness, is comfortable with it as a vital part of themselves, and is ready to help one another and other gay people.

The Chronicle urges its readers to write. The phone calls we received when mistakenly listed as a Hotline suggest that many of you have questions about relationships. Why not ASK THE DOCTOR and get professional advice from a practicing psychologist? Some of you had very basic questions about safe sex. Unless you need answers urgently, why not write and get a response from Buck Harris? If you like or hate what we say, telling us provides guidelines. If you'd like to share an opinion with the community, write a guest editorial. Be controversial, and make Cleveland more interesting.

Rob Daroff

Columnists

Peter Beebe, Shana Blessing Larry Kölke, Jym Roe Julian Wilde

Production Staff

James Amerson, Rod Caldwell Charles Callender Rob Daroff, Joanne Frustaci Mark Kroboth

Circulation Staff Ray Davis, Bob Downing Jim Price, Nick Santone

Youngstown: Bill Smith Columbus: News of the Columbus Gay & Lesbian Community

Publication of the name, picture, or other representation of an individual Organization, or place of business 10 The Chronicle is not indicative of his/hers/its sexual orientation DI character.

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Circulation: 6,000 Distribution: northern Ohio

Telephone: 932-2195