August 1986

LETTERS

THE 1976 PARADE

To The Editor:

I am writing about the account of the 1976 Gay Pride Parade in "Ten Years Ago" in your July issue.

Besides the regular trade at Gypsy's Restaurant, I had a large pick-up order business from the factories on St. Clair.

When they were going to have the Gay Pride Parade, somebody came to my restaurant saying that nobody wanted to collaborate with them, and asking whether they could start the Parade

there.

I pointed out that we didn't open on Saturdays, but my lover opened his big mouth. He said, "We'll come down and open, we'll have coffee and tea for you." Once he said this, I felt I had to support him.

So I made gallons of coffe, all kinds of tea, and threw in pastries and goodies. Screaming faggots like you wouldn't believe showed

up.

Wouldn't you know that the factories worked that Saturday, for the first time in six months? The workers were hanging out the windows, watching the crowd.

Monday morning the phone never rang for pick-up orders. Tuesday morning the phone never rang. Wednesday morning I got on the phone and began calling everybody: "This is Gypsy. I don't understand. Do you feel that you were cheated? Was your food spoiled? If you have any complaints I would really appreciate them."

"Oh no, we never had any complaints. The food was always delicious, the prices were right, the food was always hot."

I said, "Well, I don't understand." They answered, "Well, know." I said, But I

you "No, I don't know." did know. They thought it was contagious. So I lost that part of the restaurant business.

The very next issue of High Gear came out with a big tirade against all of the gay proprietors; every one of them, without exception. And somewhere on page 3 it said that the Parade had started at 24th and St. Clair. It didn't mention Gypsy's. Do you think I should be grateful to High Gear for anything?

Gypsy

Gay Peoples Chronicle

22 CENTS WORTH

To the Editor:

I suggest that the monthly calendar run from the 15th of one month to the 15th of the following month. My copy arrives about the 12th or 13th, when the month is half over.

I recognize the practical problem of your getting notices of meetings far enough in advance to be able to include the following month's events, but I suspect that if those planning events knew when your calendar period ran they would soon suppdates.

say that the Chronicle is a wonderful window on the world. It seems to me your coverage is broad and interesting, with a wide scope of topics and points of view. The editor and writers show a command of good writing, knowledge of syntax, grammar, and style.

Let me get my full 22-cent stamp's worth here, and also express an opinion about your pornography editorial.

It is true that the gay establishment gained its beginning about the same time that the obscenity laws were loosened by the Warren Supreme Court. It is also true that the gay community has no closer ties to smut, pornography, and obscenity than the hetero population. The dirty bookstores around town are evidence of this.

Nevertheless, a widespread perception prevails that gays dote on and have a dependency on porn. I suspect this is partly because the gay pride and liberation movement began about the same time the Supreme Court attacked the obscenity laws. Perhaps our freedom movement has its foundation in court action.

that

The gay establishment will become stronger by distancing itself from porn and smut. This will place us in a better position to attack and maybe even destroy the Falwells, Swigerts, and other TV evangelical frauds. They attack sin and weakness but cannot attack strong images.

The gay establishment has a strong image to display. Emphasis should be placed on the success gays have achieved in the fashion industry, the arts, and motion pictures, Cur support for research on AIDS and victims of AIDS is a beacon of com-

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LAST RITES

GAY RIGHTS

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE Views Cardinal Bernadin

What this means is marketing and promotion of our group's accomplishments, moving from a defensive stance to an aggressive, positive one.

Dick Cochran

WRITE DEPT OF HEALTH

and

We urge our lesbian gay sisters and brothers and all others concerned about public health and social justice to contact

Secretary Otis Bowen Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Ave., SW Washington, D.C. 20201 (202) 245-6296

to protest the Justice Department's unconscionable opinion and urge the Department of Health and Human Services to issue a clear ruling protecting the rights of people with AIDS and those perceived at risk. Copies of letters and records of phone calls should be_forwarded to:

Elected Officials Call to Action

c/o National Gay & Lesbian Task Force 1517 U Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20009 We also urge our lesbian

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LOCHER

and gay sisters and brothers and all others concerned to become involved in local efforts to secure civil rights protections for people with AIDS and those perceived at risk and to vigorously op pose attempts to foster AIDS hysteria in order to curtail civil liberties.

Harry Britt Karen Clark Brian Coyle Bob Ebersole Robert Gentry John Heilman John Laird Tim Mains Kathleen Nichols Steve Schulte David Scondras

Allan Spear Richard Wagner

A ROMAN OBSCENITY

O rem ridiculam, Cato, et iocosan, dignamque auribus et tuo cachinno.

ride, quidquid amas, Cato, Catullum:

res est ridicula et nimis

iocosa.

deprendi modo pupulum puellae

trusantem; hunc ego, si placet Dionnae,

pròtela rigida mea cecidi.

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