September, 1989 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Page 5

Lesbian and gay males do it differently

Lesbian couples are likely to meet under different circumstances than are gay male couples, according to preliminary results from a survey of homosexual couples.

Lesbian couples most often meet through friends or at work, while male couples most often meet at bars.

The "how they met" question was among more than 100 put to same-sex couples in a national study undertaken last year by PARTNERS: The Newsletter for Gay and Lesbian Couples. The publication has issued selected preliminary results based on 812 respondents, representing 390 lesbian couples and 273 gay male couples. The survey drew about 1,600 responses in all.

More than 20 percent of the lesbian couples met at work, but fewer than 5 percent of the men did.

While 24 percent of the men met in a bar, that venue is becoming less prominent as a meeting spot. The newer the relationship, the more likely the couple met at a social event.

Friends, an enduring source of introductions, were responsible for the meetings of 28 percent of the lesbian couples and 19 percent of the men.

The sex quotient

Male couples were far more likely than women to have met through sexually charged arenas, such as baths, cruising or classified ads. The male couples also had more sex together, but the female couples enjoyed their sex more.

Male couples had sex nine times per month on average, while lesbians averaged seven times. However, these figures were boosted by the 21 percent of men and 11 percent of women who had sex at least 15 times a month. Couples that were together one year or less were most active, having sex about twice as often as the average couple.

Half of all the gay male couples averaged sex no more than six times a month, and half the lesbian couples had sex weekly or less often.

Sex was rated "excellent" by 54 percent of the women and by 31 percent of the men. Twenty-five percent of the women and 35 percent of the men said sex was "good."

Sex outside the relationship was m common for men than women. Only 4 percent of women reported any outside sex during the previous year. On the

HOW SAME-SEX COUPLES MET

Preliminary results from a national survey of gay and lesbian couples conducted by PARTNERS: The Newsletter for Gay & Lesbian Couples. Based on 663 couples, about half the data available. Respondents answered more than 100 questions; in this case, completing the sentence "We met through:"

FRIENDS WORK

SOCIAL/SPORT EVENT

SCHOOL

RELIGIOUS EVENT POLITICAL EVENT SUPPORT GROUP BAR

ADS/DATING SERVICE PARK/PUBLIC SPACE

BATHS/CRUISING

OTHER

15 PERCENT

other hand, 27 percent of the men had some outside sex during the previous year, though only 12 percent had outside sex more than once a month. Five percent had outside sex weekly or more often.

Relationship longevity

Despite the youth of the respondents

averaging 35 years for women and 37 years for men lesbians had been together an average of 5 1/4 years and gay men averaged 7 1/2 years.

While several couples had been together longer than 40 years, many of the relationships were only recently started. Half of all the women surveyed had been together 3 1/2 years or less; half the men had been together five years or less.

The survey was directed by Stevie Bryant & Demian, who hope to publish the results. Preliminary results and comments from the respondents are regularly published in their monthly newsletter Partners.

To receive a summary of final results, when available, send a stamped, self-addressed business envelope to PARTNERS Survey Results, Box 9685, Seattle, WA 98109. ▼

Cleveland chapter hosts convention for deaf gays

by Douglas Braun

The Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, the national deaf gay and lesbian organization, held its 11th convention in Cleveland July 19-23, at the Airport

Marriott Hotel.

The convention was hosted by Cleveland's Buckeye Rainbow Society of the Deaf. This is the second time in 10 years that BRSD has hosted a RAD convention.

RAD has 15 active chapters in the United States, and 3 in Canada. There were representatives from most of the RAD chapters and, according to convention planners, more than 200 people attended.

RAD conventions are held biannually, so this was the first convention since March. The five-day symposium was a combination of meetings, workshops and social events.

One workshops was presented by Tom Kane, a well known RAD member. He was interviewed in the Aug. 15 Advocate. In his workshop, Kane talked about the 20th anniversary of Stonewall. He also showed slides and discussed RAD's

Interrante led a workshop on safer sex. As part of his presentation, he showed a videotape that was in sign language. This AIDS education tape was produced and directed by Don Bangs, the American vice president of RAD. It is available locally.

At a special memorial service, names were read of deaf people and interpreters that have died from AIDS. As part of this service, the Rainbow Quilt, patterned after the NAMES Project quilt, was displayed. Kane was instrumental in establishing the Rainbow Quilt, which will be given to the NAMES Project at the quilt display in Washington in October.

Other meetings at the convention addressed national and regional issues in RAD, as well as workshops and social events. BRSD members spent more than a year planning the convention and their efforts were very successful.

BRSD was formed in the mid-70s as a social organization for lesbian and gay deaf people. The group meets on a monthly for business meetings and social gatherings, and has more than 50 members. For more information, write to BRSD, Box 6253, Cleveland OH 44101.

WOMEN

MEN

NOCI Annual Picnic Set for Sept. 10

Make plans to come and celebrate the close of an eventful summer by attending the annual "We Are Family" Picnic, sponsored 11 years and running by The Northern Ohio Coalition Inc. (NOCI).

It's a great way to catch.up with old friends and meet new ones, dance, eat, play, take a plunge in the cool water or just relax. As in recent years, there will be a contest held on the grounds for emperor and emperess with the proceeds from that event going toward a

PARTNERS, 1989

future community AIDS hospice.

All this farewell to summer fun in the sun or shade will take place Sunday, Sept. 10, beginning at 11 a.m. and going on until dark at Wildwood Lake in Columbia Township.

Directions can be found on the back of the tickets, which are $15 in advance and can be purchased at most area bars and community establishments. Tickets also will be available for $18 at the picnic gate that day.▼

New church forms for community

Family of God Community Church, a church for all people with a special ministry within the lesbian and gay community, has recently begun services in Cleveland.

Services are held at 7 p.m. every Sunday with a coffee hour/fellowship following at 8.

Pastor of the new congregation is the Rev. Clint Anderson, who holds a bachelor's degree from Barrington College and a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He served as a pastor in the Lutheran Church in America for 10 years in several Ohio parishes. Anderson also was founding pastor of Emmanuel Metropolitan Community Church in Cleveland in 1986.

Family of God welcomes people from all backgrounds and perspectives. The entire doctrinal statement of the church is: "God is love; each of us is the infinite value to God; and each person is free to develop his/her understanding of and relationship with God as the Spirit of God leads him/her. "

The church also has a monthly social,

generally the second Saturday of each month. All birthdays and anniversaries during that month are celebrated then.

Another service the church will be providing is dinner fellowships for the community on such holidays as Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is hoped that no one in our community will have to spend these holidays alone.

Pastoral counseling and marriage/holy union services can be arranged by calling Anderson at 251-2918. Don't get discouraged if you have to talk to an answering machine. Your call will be returned as promptly as possible.

A special service will be held Sunday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m., at which time the church will affirm Anderson's ordination. A reception will follow the service. All are invited.

For meeting place and more information, call the church office at 251-2918, or write to Family of God Community Church, Box 35173, Cleveland, Ohio 44135.

Church office hours are Tuesday and Thursday, 7 to 9 p.m. ▼

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