February 1986

Healthwise

The Health Issues Taskforce, in its continuing effort to keep abreast of the current potential for an AIDS crisis in Cleveland, made another "HIT" appearance at Patrarca Lounge on Tuesday, January 21.

Discussing health issues and answering questions from the audience was Randy Gearhart, Executive Director of HIT. Speaking to a group of fifty men and women, Gearhart discussed corect "safe sex" practices as well as providing an update on statistics.

Gay Peoples Chronicle

HIT at Petrarca

By BOB BARNES

A planned presentation by Buck Harris, Gay Health Consultant for the Ohio Department of Health, was cancelled as a result of Harris' need to be in Columbus, lobbying against the proposed Quarantine Bill sponsored by state representative Don Gilmore, which at the time this article is printed will already have been rescinded [see page 2, this issue).

Questions ranged from the use of condoms to the risk factors of heterosexual males and females. The myth facing the community, that

AIDS is a white gay male disease, was dispelled when Gearhart noted that in some American cities, such as Washington, D.C., 65% of the reported cases are black. In the greater Cleveland area, that figure drops to a ratio of approximately 60/40, black to white.

Again we were reminded that the concerns facing us are great and varied. We must remember that AIDS is nobody's fault and everyone's problem.

Bob Barnes is a member of the Health Issues Taskforce.

page 7

HIT Fundraisers

The Health Issues Taskforce plans special fundraising events in March and April.

The

through weekend of March 7 in cooperation with the Case Western Reserve Film Society, HIT will show Buddies. Produced last year, this film centers on two men, one of whom has AIDS. After each showing, HIT will offer a question period about AIDS. Showtimes are 7 and 9:30 pm Friday and Saturday (March 7 and 8 and Sunday, March 9, at 4 pm and 7 pm.

Admission is $5. All proceeds will benefit HIT.

On April 11 Hit is reserving a block of tickets for the Trockadero Ballet performance at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square.

Curtain time is 8 pm. Tickets are $18 each, the same price as box-office purchases. For information about either event, call 281-6030.

ASK THE DOCTOR

BY PETER BEEBE -

I sat down at my typewriter to prepare this month's column, and I could think only of you, my friend. I have been writing about relationships and now ours has come "center stage" for me. It consumes me.

Though we stopped talking hours ago, cut the concrete bond between us when we each said "good-bye" at the end of our phone conversation this morning, it is as though we are still togeth-

er

in one of our favorite coffee shops, discussing the day, troubles, what to do next, anything. We could talk about anything extremely well. Our relationship is live in that way.

Now, I would like a cup of coffee, the people-worn booth, cloudy or sunny day and, most of all, you. Your news broke me. I am not able to write clearly, percep tively, but only to pound but the words that come from some inner noise which nothing will silence--your words that your test was "after all not negative" and that you have been ill. No certainty that your illness vill remain mild; no certainty that your illness vill not "progress." No certainty.

And I remember our times together. I cherish everyching all over again--and again. I remember the crazy times, roller skating toJether, staying up most of Che night, driving more *proper" friends a little 'nuts": our way of showing

them this world is a wonderful place. I remember the touching times, one in particular when my youngest son left me to take your hand while we were roller skating, announcing that I didn't do it as well as you did and that you would keep him from being scared. And you did.

I remember the advice given and the advice taken and the laughs when there was nothing else to do but laugh. I remember the tough times when we would hold each other and the holding was enough.

We have never been lovers. We knew that was not our lot in life, but that we had chosen each other for something perhaps even more special: friends. We are those persons who love one another despite all our absurdity and error, who love each other because the days were somehow different knowing we were both in them. We have been strong together; we have been silly together, indeed, made fools of ourselves together; we have talked of love together, each has been by the other's side instantly at the moments of need. We have been angry together and lately we have even been able to cry together. I think of you now. I feel your presence now. I hope for you and for me and for us. And as I see you before me and hear your voice, and as I remember the two of us, I am with you and shall be

-Substance Abuse

nembers of our commuity will suffer from alcohol abuse problems and experience further oppressive conditions as they attempt to recover. The difficulty lesbians and gays experience when they attempt to develop needed coping and confidence skills is that they may confront a

sense of isolation and separation from persons and institutions charged with installing such skills.

There cannot be an effect ive alcohol abuse program for minorities, including sexual minorities, which fails to deal with the reality of growing up as a min-

Douglas McNamee

ority in this country. For policy makers to continue to believe and behave as though prejudice and oppression are insignificantly related to the drug problems of minorities is a farce.

Our society's traditional definition of health and who is healthy continues to be narrow and restricting. Society mesures health by the degree of conformity to its norms. The more in the midst of the mainstream, the healthier the person. Thus, sameness equals health. It logically follows that society has little tolerance for diversity, for differences which are unfamiliar and therefore seem strange.

This culture's definitions of health and the attitudes those definitions shape have wrongly excluded lesbians and gays--because much of culture ignorantly considers them to be at best sick, at worst immoral.

Professionals, now enlightened, define homosexuality, formerly a mental illness, as a normal expression of sexual needs, just as they now define alcoholism, formerly a morally deprived state, as a treatable disease. However, many in society still fail or refuse to accept either homosexuality as a norm or alcoholism as a disease. The homosexual

in our hearts forever

alcoholic bears a dual stigma that ignores the fact that there exist numerous happy and healthy gay men, lesbians, and recovering alcoholics.

The reason for the apparent denial surrounding the problem of gay alcohlism is not established. It may reflect ignorance on the part of some persons. It may reflect hesitancy to get involved in an issue that will have moral, social, and political implications.

Whatever the reasond for the relative lack of response to the chronic problem of alcoholism within the gay community, strong indications are that increased attention is forthcoming. The primary force at work to heighten awareness in the field is the National Association of Gay Alcoholism Professionals (NAGAP). Also the rapid growth during the last decade of special gay and lesbian groups with Alcoholics Anonymous has done much to increase our awareness. Here and there even some progress specifically designed to meet the needs of the lesbian and gay alcohol abuser spring up Few, however, have survived.

(To be continued in our next issue.]