DITORIAL

Glass closets

During the Black Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's there were many types of activists. Some people worked from within the white majority to help establish basic human rights for People of Color. Some worked outside of that white majority. These people held marches, sat at lunch counters, refused to ride in the back of the bus. These people were ridiculed, shot at, beaten, and sometimes murdered. But these people working from the outside, these thorns in the side of the white male system, created the confusion and turmoil needed so the activist working within the system could bring about change. Civil Rights for People of Color would not have come about without both of these groups working from their different positions.

room

gay people's

HRONI

THE GAY PEOPLES CHRONICLE Vol. 3 Issue 9.

Copyright

March 1988.

All rights reserved. Editor-in-Chief:

Martha J. Pontoni.

Founder:

E

Charles Callender, 1928-1986.

Copy Editor:

Kaija Berzins.

Production Editor:

Janice T.

and

and gay working

Reporters & Writers:

very

In the 1980's it is the turn of lesbians and gay men to fight for basic human rights and, like our brothers and sisters before us there is need for fighting from within the system and without. The lesbians men working on the board of the Western Reserve AIDS Foundation are from within in the system. They are working to educate a group wealthy and powerful people in Cleveland. They have a very tough job of them. But working from within in the system does not mean staying in the closet.

There positions of

are

some

of in front

Martha Pontoni, Tom P., Forbes, Robert Downing,

Columnists:

Dora

John

Robinson, Raymond Burton.

who hold

In fact

Buck Harris, Janice T., Moore.

John Robinson, Auntie Ray,

Doug

admit

their them

Production staff:

deep

Janice T.,

Raymond

many prominent people in the city of Cleveland power and prestige and who are also lesbian and gay. of these people are known to be lesbian or gay but they won't it. They are living in a glass closet. They believe they safe in closets hiding their deep dark secret so other people will still like and they can keep their positions of power. In fact the wall of that

dark closet are made of glass and most if not everyone already knows that deep dark secret. So who is the closet for? Could it be that what was once a place of protection has turn into a prison? When these people insist on staying in their closets when everyone straight or Gay around them knows about them, are perpetuating myths about Lesbians and Gays; the worst one being that we have something to be ashamed about. Think of the wonderful things these people could do in destroying some of those myths by coming out of their closets and staying within the system.

over.

us.

we

The Chronicle is working from outside the system. The Chronicle is dedicated to shouting the loudest in Cleveland "WE ARE LESBIAN AND GAY AND WE WILL NOT BE ASHAMED, WE WILL NOT GO BACK IN OUR CLOSETS AND WE WILL NOT BE ABUSED IN ANYMORE, ANY WAY--MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY OR SEXUALLY." We will support anyone or any movement that is willing to be a thorn in the side of the system. And we encourage all lesbians and gay men of Cleveland to join us. The time for working solely from within the system is We need to march, we need to yell, we need to say to everyone that will not accept violence and bigotry against We will not compromise our integrity by pretending to be something we are not. And most important will not accept our fellow lesbians and gay men who chose to stay in closet and by doing so create or perpetuate serious harm against fact that throughout history our greatest persecutors have been our people. It is one thing to choose to stay in the closet and another thing to stay in there and hurt and your brothers sisters who live in sunlight. If all the lesbians and gay men in Cleveland came out what would happen? Would They, could They fire all of us? Would They hate all of us? Maybe They would see that we are just people; maybe They would stop hating us. would stop hating ourselves.

a

=LETTERS

Not a lesbian

your recent

I commend you for change of policy concerning the publication of AIDS prevention information, and for your willingness to make the change.

In addition, I am intrigued by the of the letters to editing the GPC. On Jan. 19, 1988, I wrote you expressing disappointment with my your previous AIDS information policy. Although published you my entire

letter, you did mix part of my letter into someone else's letter, and you added statement of gender sexuality to my letter.

a

and

Please be aware that I am not a Lesbian; I have never been a Lesbian; and it is highly unlikely that I will Lesbian. a this without prejudice toward Lesbians and simply as a matter of record.

ever

be

I

say

Steve Schochet

Editor's Note:

us.

Burton,

Tom P., Ray Kempski, Kaija Berzins, Kathy S.

Art Director:

Dale Petersen.

Artist:

Christine H.

Distribution Chief:

Robert Downing.

of the

name,

Publication picture, or other representation of an individual, organization, or place of business in the PEOPLES CHRONICLE indicative

GAY

is

not

of his/her sexual

orientation or character.

we

the

Any material

submitted

for

It is Own

publication

will be subject

to

editing.

CHRONICLE

The GAY cannot guarantee

PEOPLES the

Maybe we

The Chronicle apologizes for the mixup which happened during lay-out.

In response to...

In response to Ms. Ananda's guest editorial "Lesbians, AIDS and Gay Men", I wish to state here and now that my remarks are not specifically directed against her but the lesbian community as a whole.

return of any such materials unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope.

Advertisers rate may obtain sheets and other information by writing the CHRONICLE, P.O. Box 5426, Cleveland, OH 44101. Our phone number is (216) 321-1129.

The GAY PEOPLES CHRONICLE is distributed free of charge in any establishment that permits its distribution.

is law.

The GAY PEOPLES CHRONICLE copyrighted under federal Any reproduction of its contents is prohibited unless either written or verbal permission obtained.

is

in

and

di-

not politically motivated Cleveland, however, most gay men can hide their sexual preference avoid any of the discrimination in rected at openly gay men. Women general, disexperion the other hand, ence the many forms of discrimination referred to in the editorial. It is this very oppression that causes people to organize and the more oppression one feels, the more apt one is to fight back. Of the many large gay meccas nationwide, it should noted that the successful political activities in Houston, and Dallas in large part as a response to Continued on Page 3.

I found the editorial to be a most eye-opening' example of reverse crimination. The editorial decried sexism and yet stated that any support from lesbians would come only at the wholesale abandonment of gay men's cultural heritage. It is also presumptuous to summarily dismiss gay men's struggles against oppression as nothing more than to

race a

nearest gay bar or bookstore.

It

is true that many gay men 2

the

arose

are

be