BGSU alumni

Establishing yourself in the job market after college graduation is not an easy process. It often is even more difficult for lesbians and gay men who feel they must hide their lifestyle from co-workers.

To help make adjustment to life after college an easier process, two Bowling Green State University (BGSU) graduates have formed Lesbian and Gay Alumni of BGSU (LAGA/BGSU).

Co-founder Carlie Steen said, "Coming out and staying out is a difficult process, especially after graduation brings us face-to-face with the `real world.'"

LAGA/BGSU was organized in response to National Coming Out Day, observed Oct. 11. That date was the first anniversa of the historic March on Washington. National Coming Out Day was described as a "proactive response to the silence that is strangling the lives of millions of gay men and lesbians."

"We believe that as long as lesbians and gays remain closeted, society will not have to accept the fact that we exist and that means not accepting the fact that we have a tremendous amount of resources, energy and power, as well as needs and rights," said Julie Baron..

LAGA/BGSU was formed to provide past, present and future lesbian and gay students of BGSU with social opportunities, support and networking nationwide. The group also plans to begin working with members of BGSU's lesbian and gay student organization to help their college years at

BG be fuller and more positive.

People at all stages of coming out are part of LAGA/BGSU's confidential mailing list.

"We understand the pressures and demands of the world, and the lack of knowledge of many," said Baron. "So we provide only the information each individual is willing to release to other BG grads, while encouraging people to continue to take their 'next step' by leaving the option open to people to allow more information to be released."

Both Baron, who lives near Los Angeles, and Steen, who lives in Shaker Heights, have been active in the lesbian and gay movement since their years at Bowling Green. The two 1984 BGSU graduates have been discussing formation of this group for several years.

Although separated by 3,000 miles, both see this as an opportunity to bring together hundreds of lesbians and gay alumni from BGSU.

"Julie will utilize the resources only the West Coast can offer, while I will deal with the logistics here in Cleveland, an area that boasts a large number BGSU graduates," said Steen.

The first gay and lesbian alumni group was established at Yale University. Now more than 65 groups exist nationwide for graduates of such institutions as William and Mary, University of California-Berkeley and Stanford University.

For more information, write LAGA/BGSU, Box 91992, Cleveland, OH 44101.

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CLEVELANDERS

to take pride in

by Joe Gubeno

This month's space is devoted to Jerry Bores.

Jerry, a native Clevelander, has been a driving force behind many of our organizations and events. An active man, he has been involved with High Gear, the Gay Hotline, CWRU'S Gay Student Union and the Eleanor Roosevelt Gay Political Club mention a few. Although usually an officer for these organizations, he has helped in many ways.

to

He has been politically active not only on the local level, when he testified before City Council on the Gay Housing Ordinance, but also on the national level, when he served with the Ohio Chapter's Board for Lesbian and Gay Rights for the National Organization For Women (NOW) as one of the only male members. He also has worked with Gay Rights National Lobby and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Jerry always has been the type of person who, when he saw a need, made sure it was taken care of. this Examples of include: the Federation, which coordinates events in Cleveland, making sure there are no scheduling conflicts; the Health Issues Task Force (HIT); and the Annual Gay/Lesbian Conference. Jerry has played a major role in founding all of these. HIT, which started small, now is a major social service agency in Cleveland.

Like many in our city who prefer to be involved with the

community outside the bars, Jerry has felt the need to do more. His philosophy is, "it helps a lot more if someone is there." His belief that there is life outside the bars is upheld by the fact that he met his lover of two years while working on a HIT mailing.

Jerry believes Cleveland needs to be become more unified. While several years ago lesbians and gay men worked together, now that is more the exception than the rule. His work with the Conference and Monotones prove that we can work together. He hopes that in the future, younger lesbians and gays will close this gap again.

Jerry thinks our community needs to support itself more. He said that four years ago, Cleveland was way ahead of Columbus. Today, however, we can't touch Columbus because they are so much more supportive of themselves. He cited the NAMES Project, which, when displayed in Cleveland had the lowest turnout. Yet there was a higher turnout of the gay community at the picnic and Dancin' in the Streets. He thinks Clevelanders will turn out for a party but are hesitant to become involved with projects that will not only unite our community, but also show a more positive image of ourselves to the public. He believes elected officials have a good image of the gay community but only because a few important people have been able to look like many.

We lost Jerry at the end of October, when he and John moved to Portland, Ore. Before he moved, he Isaid he was afraid much of his work over the past eight years would leave with him. He said this because he saw little success in motivating our community to crystallize into the community it could become. What is needed is to bring all the groups Continued on Page 11.

YOUR PERSONAL SPACE

by Douglas J. Moore, PhD

Do we need a quilt?

Last month in Washington D.C., the NAMES Project Quilt was displayed along side other great monuments, such as the Jefferson, Lincoln and Vietnam memorials.

The Jefferson Memorial commemorates a man who embodied this country's founding principles of equal rights and liberty for all people. Almost 100 years later, Lincoln fought to uphold these principles for blacks. In this century, U.S. soldiers have been memorialized for defending what they believed were democratic principles in Southeast Asia.

Why prominantly display a quilt representing victims of a disease next to these great monuments to equal rights and liberty? After all, monuments have not been erected for victims of other diseases.

The quilt is much more than a memorial for those who died from a disease; it is a political statement about the lack of funding for AIDS. Many believe that a primary reason for lack of funding is discrimination against those most at risk for acquiring AIDS. Why do Americans need a quilt to remind them of the plight of the victims and their lack of protection against discrimination? Shouldn't the numerous wars fought to protect our founding liberties be enough to remind us of the preciousness of basic human rights?

There are two reasons memorials such as the quilt are needed. First, they remind people of social issues and simultaneously divert their attention from themselves. It is human nature to focus on one's self. It was adaptive for the survival of the species for women and men to attend first to hunger and sexual needs, and to fight predators. These instincts have led to peculiar social interactions of discrimination and hatred against those considered a threat. When people do not understand a group different from themselves, it is human nature to

perceive the group as threatening. When threatened, instinct is to fight, overcome or disparage. These instincts combined with self-interest make it easy to lose sight of greater humanitarian and spiritual beliefs. Memorials such as the quilt serve as a reminder that one has to make the effort to be more socially conscious rather than follow the tendency to be self-engrossed.

The second reason memorials are needed is to teach people social issues they never learned. These individuals may include children, congressional representatives and presidents. Some of them have not learned that the Constitution gives certain rights to all people. They need to tour the monuments in D.C. and take to heart the inscriptions which repeatedly affirm equal rights and liberties to all people. The Vietnam Memorial poignantly reminds us that political ignorance affects all people regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity or sexual preference. The quilt provided a similar message. The political aloofness and lack of commitment surrounding AIDS affects all races, gays and straights, children and the elderly. The quilt reminds us that all people are effected by ignorance and self-serving tendencies and that equal rights have to be accorded to all people.

Two days after the quilt was removed from the Ellipse, the view from the top of the Washington Memorial revealed the outline of where the quilt had laid. The grass where people walked was matted down while the grass under the panels sprang flush. The patchwork of grass walkways symbolized that the memory of the quilt will linger, but it wil eventually fade.

The quilt and future memorials are needed to redirect our self-focused tendencies to social issues of acceptance, regardless of our differences.

Dr. Moore is a clinical psychologist in private practice. He also teaches, consults and does research at several institutions in Cleveland.▼