October 1986

LETTERS

OPEN LETTER TO THE

Gay Peoples Chronicle

LESBIAN/GAY COMMUNITY

For the past few years the AIDS crisis has affected all of us, either directly or indirectly. The Black and Hispanic communities have been hardest hit, since 4060% of all AIDS cases are in people of color. These communities have also suffered the greatest economic losses from increasing unemployment, rising inflation, and cuts in social services. As both the AIDS crisis and the economic crisis have deepened, homophobia and racism have escalated.

One day after the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the Supreme Court upheld Georgia's anti-sodomy law. The same Supreme Court has rendered several racist decisions in recent years, and promises to become even more conservative with each new appointment. About the same time, the Justice Department legitimized discrimination against PWAS in the workplace. The drastic cuts in AIDS research funds must be viewed as racist as well as homophobic. An increase in violence against gays and lesbians is being encouraged by an upsurge in Christian Fundamentalism.

In California, Proposition 64 is calling for the quarantine of PWAS and everyone who tests positive for the HTLV-3 virus. If it passes, can mandatory mass testing be far behind? Tatooing has been proposed as a means of identifying persons at risk for AIDS to protect the public health." This is straight out of the Nazi handbook!

In Germany during the 1920s there was a powerful gay movement that was responsible for gays' winning respect and civil rights. However, as the economic depression which followed WWI deepened, a campaign of terrifying racism was mounted against Jews, Blacks and other ethnic minorities. At the same time a campaign of virulent homophobia was waged against homosexuals. Rights were systematically taken away. Jews were quired to wear a yellow Star of David, homosexuals a pink triangle, targeting them for public humiliation and physical attacks. (Since the

re-

Nazis did not acknowledge the existence of lesbians, they were not forced the wear the hated armbands.) Minorities were blamed for all of Germany's problems and labelled "undesirable." The "final solution" was the extermination of millions of Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, Czechs, Poles, Rumanians, trade unionists, and homosexuals.

and are

Racism, homophobia, sexism keep those who "different on the fringes of society, subject to every form of discrimination, and isolated from each other. Black lesbians and gays suffer the greatest discrimination. The fact that racism also exists within our community is not only devastating for those who experience it, but dangerously destructive to the entire community.

Racism fragments our community; its very presence in any form at any level weakens our defenses against a hostile world. We cannot afford to deny our Black sisters and brothers full rights and respect within the gay community. This denial calls into question the rights of everyone in the gay community. Whether consciously or unconsciously, we can no longer afford to collaborate with the forces that would have all of us back in the darkness of pre-Stonewall closets, isolated and afraid.

Our survival as a community depends upon our ability to defend rights already won by gay and Black liberation movements, and our determination to fight for rights still denied for everyone in the gay and lesbian community. We must take a stand, in the tradition of Stonewall, in solidarity with our sisters and brothers of color. Together, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native, white, young and old, we won't go back! Together we can build the community Harvey Milk envisioned where there is no more homophobia, no more racism, no more sexism, no more hatred, no

more.

C.A.R.E. Citizens Against Racist Exclusion

gay peoples CHRONICLE

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page 5

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT GAY POLITICAL CLUB ENDORSEMENTS

US Senate

Federal

John Glenn recommends

US House of Representatives

19th District Edward F. Feighan endorsed 20th District Mary Rose Oakar recommended 21st District Louis Stokes endorsed

Ohio

Governor/Lt. Governor Richard F. Celeste/Paul Leonard endorsed Secretary of State Sherrod Brown endorsed Attorney General Anthony Celebrazze – endorsed

Ohio Senate

Ohio House

21st District Michael R. White – endorsed 23rd District Charles Butts not recommended 25th District Lee I. Fisher-endorsed

8th District James M. Petro not recommended 8th District Francine W. Panehal endorsed 11th District Barbara C. Pringle endorsed 14th District Willie Bri Britt endorsed 15th District Jane L. Campbell '– endorsed 18th District Judy B. Sheerer endorsed 19th District Ronald Suster endorsed

Cuyahoga County

County Commissioner Timothy F. Hagan endorsed ENDORSED: Candidate met or exceeded ail criteria RECOMMENDED: Candidate met some criteria and is preferred to opponent NOT RECOMMENDED: Candidate is poor on criteria

Paid for by the Eldeanor Roosevelt Lesbian/Gay Campaign Fund, James Gannon Treasurer, P.O. Box 777, Edgewater Station, Cleveland, OH 44107

A COLLEAGUE WRITES

To the Editor:

I take issue with the unsigned letter published in your September paper. I became amused when the writer a mature person," then began the letter with "I am refused to sign it. Allow me to make several points.

Point number one: The writer sounds to me like the typical bar stool sitter. You know the type. They sit on their bar stools and scream to the high heavens what is wrong with society and how things should be done. But in all reality they can't put down that cocktail or get off the bar stool long enough to make effective change. They can only criticize and ostracize others.

Point number two: The major purpose of a newspaper is to disseminate the news effectively and as accurately as possible without bias. The Gay Peoples Chronicle does that amenably. I say this as one who is not from Cleveland and reads your

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paper more objectively. The gay and lesbian people of Cleveland should be proud that they have a periodical that serves the specific needs of their community and should support the paper cities your size have no thoroughly. Many major means of communication for gays except the straight press.

Whenever I am confronted by bar stool sitters who criticize my newspaper without offering constructive solutions, I respond with what my dad used to say in like situations: "You do the best you can, with what you got, where you are." If that isn't good enough then make your presence known at staff meetings and contribute to the paper.

To the Editor and staff you do one hell of a good job. Do not be discouraged by such "mature" negativity and continue to strive to be the best you can be.

The

Zip Code

GPC P.O. Box 5426

Bill Urban Publisher Baltimore Alternative Baltimore, Md.

Cleveland, Ohio 44101