gay people's

HRON ICI

July 1989

PWAS: beware Canadian customs

A highly-charged press release from the Harvey Milk AIDS Education Fund warns people with AIDS that if they travel to Canada, they may have to return home without ever leaving the airport.

The release relates an incident involving Jim Landsowne, a San Francisco community activist, AIDS educator and PWA. He and Canadian-born psychologist David Lewis recently flew to Vancouver, British Columbia, for a scheduled vacation.

When they arrived, Landsowne was exhausted and sought support and assistance at a Customs window displaying the international "disabled people" sign.

The Customs officer was unsympathetic. He questioned Landsowne and Lewis about the nature of their relationship. He also asked Landsowne whether he was planning to seek medical treatment and whether he had proof of medical insurance that would cover him while he was in Canada.

The officer then sent Landsowne to the immigration counter, where he was questioned further. The immigration officer told Landsowne that his department is under pressure from the provincial governments to keep people with AIDS out of the country because they are considered to be a drain to Canada's health care system. ▼

Photo by Brian DeWitt

Volume 5 Issue 1

E

Cleveland, Ohio

An Independent Chronicle of the Lesbian & Gay Community

GAY

Rolan

Rev. Renee McCoy conducts the committment ceremony, as Diane Sarotte interprets in sign language during

Pride '89 Reving the Pride '89 street fair June 18. More photos on Page 9.

S.F. gets gay partners law

San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos recently approved precedent-setting legislation ending official discrimination based on marital status.

His action followed a unanimous vote of approval by the Board of Supervisors, San Francisco's city-county legislative body.

Supervisor Harry G. Britt, president of the board and author of the law, said, "San Francisco has once again set the pace for the nation. This law is about human rights as much as it is about anything else. No one in this country should be treated as a second-class citizen, whether it be because of their race, their religion, their beliefs, or their marital

status. We have sent a clear signal that all of us have the right to love whom we will."

The law is the first in the nation to permit official registration of “domestic partnerships" at the County Clerk's office in a process similar to that used in applications for marriage licenses. According to the law, domestic partners are "two people who have chosen to share one another's lives in an intimate and committed relationship of mutual caring." In practice, the law will accord legal recognition to unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples.

The new law will have immediate and tangible benefits for lesbian, gay and

GAY-LESBIAN PARENTING, THE DUMBEST THING EVER

Dumbest sign

LITTLE TOMMY MEET YOUR NEW PARENTS ADAM & STEVE

SPONSORED BY SUPPORTE

OF SENATE ALL 162 TO AT MORALITY BACK IN CHO

HARRY X. SYSACK SIGN CO.

FRONT

Photo by Brian DeWitt

This billboard appeared in June in front of the Harry X. Sysack Sign Co., at 4306 Pearl Rd., near the intersection of State Rd. A woman introduces a child to grotesquely stereotypical "new parents," as another woman looks on, saying, “Remember, Tommy, you'll get all the psychiatric care you'll need at taxpayer expense." The board, owned by Sysack, is frequently used for such comment, and recently came under fire for a racist cartoon. When the company was contacted, a man named Russ, who said he created the billboard, said that he fully supports State Sen. Suhadolnik's measure, that he thought homosexuality was immoral, and that he thought people with AIDS should be left to die. ▼

other unmarried couples. For example, both public and private hospitals in San Francisco will be required to accord domestic partners the same visitation rights now enjoyed by married spouses.

The legislation also calls for the development, within three months, of a plan under which city health insurance coverage may be extended to domestic partners of city employees. The same task force which is to develop the health benefits plan also will systematically examine all municipal policies and practices which discriminate against unmarried couples and propose changes to end such discrimination.

"Justice and dignity cannot be hollow philosophical notions," said "They are notions which must be applied in practice as well. We cannot legislate away discrimination overnight, but this new law is a tremendous step forward in the struggle for equal rights for all."

TWA: Cousin yes; partner no

A New York man is suing Trans World Airlines for discriminating against gay and lesbian couples in its Frequent Flyer Bonus Program.

According to program rules, members are entitled to free travel benefits for themselves and, in some instances, a companion, after they have travelled a certain number of miles on the airline. The more miles travelled, the greater the benefits awarded.

By July 1988, William Johnson had accumulated more than 100,000 mileage credits with TWA, entitling him to two free tickets to any TWA destination worldwide. Johnson requested that TWA issue two round-trip tickets for himself and William Hibsher, his partner of seven years, to travel to Istanbul,

Continued on Page 3

Chronicle marks 2nd anniversary

The Gay People's Chronicle celebrates its second anniversary with the publication of this issue.

The Chronicle, the only lesbian-gay newspaper in Northeast Ohio, will mark the occasion with a party, free personals for the community and major editorial changes.

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"It is really hard to believe that Bob and I have been doing this for two years now," said Martha Pontoni, publisher and editor-in-chief. "It has become part of our lives in ways we never dreamed it would. It is fun to look back at the first issues and see the changes that were made over the months.

"We couldn't have done any of it without the wonderful volunteers we have had the pleasure of working with over the past two years.

"I am excited by the editorial changes which I believe will bring more shape and substance to the Chronicle,"

Bob Downing, publisher and distribution chief, said. "All the goals that we initally start out with, we have accomplished. We publish on time, we provide the community with a reliable news source and we are becoming successful as a business. Now we have to set new goals."

The editorial changes include the introduction of an editorial board, whose responsibility it will be to assign stories, write editorials and comment on the direction the paper is taking.

Pontoni said, "In the past, the paper has very much reflected a limited number of viewpoints. The object of the editorial board is to broaden the perspectives of the paper, introduce new thoughts and ideas and spread some of the work around. We have just gotten to be too big for one person to be doing the majority of the work."

Continued on Page 3