ONICLE

Page 2 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE April, 1989

EDITORIAL

Who are we really?

Many publications refer to our community as lesbian/gay, others use lesbian and gay and a few just say gay. Who are we, really?

Are we lesbians and gays together? Are we all just gays? Are we two separate communities as in lesbian and gay? Or are we three communities as lesbian/gay implies, meaning a lesbian community, a gay community and a lesbian/gay community?

And if we truly all belong to one community, how do we represent all of us? After all, the only thing we have in common is our homosexuality. We weren't reared the same. We don't all share ethnic or religious backgrounds. Many of us didn't even realize we were part of this community until we were well into adulthood.

Is there one symbol we all can embrace? How do we include everyone? For every ethnic, social and political group, there are lesbians and gays who are members of that group and need to be represented at any event and in any publication.

Questions such as these are dealt with by many groups in the lesbian/gay community. Beginning with what to call ourselves and continuing on to how to involve everyone and not let others feel left out. Planning an event that encompasses men and women can be difficult. Sometimes including something that is a part of the gay men's community can alienate lesbians. Too many women's issues can push away men who are uncomfortable with women. Then there are Afro-American lesbians and gay men, Asian lesbians and gay men, handicapped lesbians and gay men, gay fathers, lesbian mothers, youths, the

elderly and so on. All of these groups are important and need to be represented at all events, in every media. But this task sometimes can be impossible.

Leaving some group out can be censorship but it also can be done in deferment to another group. The National Man-Boy Love Association considers themselves a gay group, but are they gay or just pedophiles? Do they belong in our community? If we leave them out, who do we exclude next? Maybe all those who don't believe in Jesus? But if pedophilia is offensive to the average person, will inclusion of them exclude everyone else?

This dilemma is faced at the Chronicle. We publish ads for phone-sex. These businesses provide a service to gay men and sometimes lesbians and, despite any personal opinion, under the Constitution of the United States, have a right to exist and advertise their services. But what do we do about the phone calls from women who tell us these ads alienate them and make the Chronicle a "men's" paper? Since the community served by the Chronicle includes men who benefit from these services, we would be derelict in our duties not to include these ads.

On the other hand, there is much talk of the Chronicle being a "women's paper" because so many women's issues are covered and most of the staff is lesbian. Do we turn away help? How do we cover "men's issues" when no men volunteer? This also is true of coverage of people of color. How do you represent a group of people you don't belong to?

The Chronicle isn't the only lesbian/gay organization which has had to grapples with these issues recently. Out/Look, a fine lesbian/gay quarterly,

GUEST EDITORIAL

Stop the AIDS Tax!

by Steve Schocet

I'm sick and tired of the AIDS tax.

Now, I'm not insensitive to the major impact AIDS has had on all our lives. We've lost many, too many friends, lovers and other valuable people in the community to this disease (read syndrome). AIDS has had a major impact on my life and will continue to probably for the rest of my life.

AIDS has affected our lives by being the cause for a major restructuring of our sexual activity. It took a lot of adjustment on my part to give up my periodic binges of marathon sex in some of San Francisco's finest establishments.

Without a doubt we have been concerned about AIDS as a medical problem. We read the statistics and other research reports and cheer for little victories like the recent Canadian decision to make experimental drugs available to

LETTERS

Positive paper

To the Editor:

I continue to think your paper is very good and enjoy reading it when it comes to the HIC (Homosexual Information Center) for preservation in the library/archives (which hopefully we will get open when we can get the house renovated when we get funds). And it is a positive publication that the Chamber of Commerce should appreciate, since it makes me want to come visit Cleveland, so much is going on and the people are active and are doing things worthwhile.

physicians for the asking.

And AIDS is a major political problem: witness the California initiatives which supported testing, reporting and contact tracing. Perhaps as a political problem it's more insidious because its less rational. (Next time you're in San Francisco, visit Tanforan Shopping Center; previously it was a race track and before that it was an internment camp for American citizens of Japanese ancestry.)

We know AIDS is a community problem, and the gay community, at least, has reacted accordingly. Organizations like the GMHC in New York, the AIDS Emergency Fund in San Francisco and HIT, here in Cleveland, are the result of community action efforts.

So what's my beef about an AIDS tax? Well, every so often you'll see a notice in an ad for a commercial venture that "part of proceeds goes to AIDS." This is what I call the AIDS tax. The most recent

The youth group center should inspire others in other areas of the country to act. I hope the conference at Case Western went well-sorry, goes well. There is one I just learned about for the Southeast at Dallas, also in April they haven't sent a notice to some of us. I thought the editorial "AIDS, Straight On" was a good reminder to us all that it is a problem for all of us. Just as necessary however is the young people's restaurant you talked about in the editorial in the March issue. Did you see the article on the question of priorities in the Nation-February 13th, I think-about AIDS versus other work the movement

featured Tom of Finland pictures in a previous issue. The next issue was filled with letters of outrage that a magazine of Out/Look's caliber would publish pictures of nude men. Well, Tom of Finland art is a big part of our heritage, and even if pictures of penises are offensive to you, the community at large cannot ignore this part of our culture. (Out/Look stood by publication of the pictures, even when some cancelled subscriptions.)

There is no obvious solution. If there was any easy solution and we knew it, we would certainly use it. This complex issue has been debated within our community for and probably will continue for -years years to come. The only way to deal with this dilemma is to be as inclusive as possible. If every organization did everything it could to include Afro-Americans, youths, the elderly, the physically challanged, men and women, then eventually we would start to understand each other better and realize what a wonderful, diverse group of people we

are.

This isn't to say that separatism doesn't have it's place. Women-only events are a necessity, just as places men go just to be men without women around are very important to them. It is as important to support this part of our community as it is to support inclusion. But inclusion is tough and there isn't any example of anyone who does it well or "perfectly." We are a community of womenidentified women and men-identified

men.

Total integration may never be achieved, but to move closer to creating a space for all of us, there must be tolerance for each of us. ▼

example I've seen was an ad in the March 2 (San Francisco) Bay Area Reporter by Ron Zehel of Columbus selling information about photo sets of himself. The quote above was borrowed from that ad.

Now I don't mean that Mr. Zehel is misleading or does not intend to contribute as indicated. I don't mean to imply that anyone who posts that notice is lying or dishonest or trying to manipulate the reader in any way beyond that which advertising is intended to do. And I support events like “Dancing in the Streets," which are up-front benefits for AIDS-related organizations and services.

Commercial ventures which make unspecified contributions lull us into a false sense of security that we're doing enough. The resources needed for AIDS research and patient care are far greater than all the proceeds of such ventures. Since resources are so scarce, I want to

needs to be doing for the living? But Shilts also has a good article in the March Esquire. And I think the movement is helped by such book reviews as the New York Times Book Review has had in recent months-on such books as the Psychoanalytical Theory of Male Homosexuality by Kenneth Lewes (Simon & Schuster) and the Construction of Homosexuality by ? Grenberg (Univ. of Chicago Press). Both make us think, homosexual and non-homosexual. I think the first step for each of us in learning about ourselves is to learn about sex and especially homosexuality what there is to know and what is and what is

gay people's

HRONICL H

Founded by Charles Callender 1928-1986

Published by KWIR Publications Co-Owners:

Robert Downing Martha J. Pontoni

Editor-in-Chief:

Martha J. Pontoni Copy Editor:

Carlie Steen Reporters & Writers:

Martha J. Pontoni, K.D. Mahnal, Dora Forbes, Robert Downing, John Robinson, L. Kolke, Don S., Tracy Miller, Michele Smeller, Jesse Dallas, Faith Klasek. Columnists:

John Robinson, Auntie Ray, Doug Moore; Ed Santa Vicca, Patty M., Fern R. Levy, Joe Interrante. Production Staff:

Janice T., Tom P., Ray Kempski, Brian DeWitt, Michele Somerson, Denise King, Deb L. Art Director:

Christine Hahn Artists:

Pat Hughes, Tom Zav Assistants to the Editor: Dan Postotnik, Dave Volk. Distribution Chief:

Robert Downing.

The Gay People's Chronicle is dedicated to providing a space in Cleveland's lesbiangay community for all women and men to communicate and be involved with each other. This means that every Chronicle, to the best of our ability, will be equally dedicated to both men's and women's issues,as well as issues that affect all of us. Striving for this balance will not only provide the community with a forum to air grievances and express joys, but will also help all of us achieve this balance in our lives.

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be able to select where I put my contribu tions. I want to decide how much I'm giving, and I want to decide exactly to whom or to what agency the money is going.

So my approach has been usually to avoid commercial ventures where "part of proceeds goes to AIDS." This way can keep in mind that resources much greater than mine are needed in this bat tle, and I can remember that I have to do my bit with my own checkbook. I can't let someone else do it with "part of the proceeds."▼

not true, what is religious bigotry, politi cal bias, etc.

And libraries/archives, such as HIC need support from the movement since even though we tax-exempt, few people make donations and we don't have the funds to buy books or subscribe to pub lications. And we need people to send us clippings and articles on the subject.

And if you saw that the Dallas Gay Alliance building burned, you see why we must keep copies of things in several places, to preserve our history. All organizations need to preserve materials

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