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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE October, 1989

Gay group at U. of Akron

by John Smith

The Gay-Lesbian Student Resource of the University of Akron is an organization that was started in 1986. It was dedicated to educating the community about gay and lesbian life styles, providing social and emotional support, helping with advocacy issues and promoting the Akron area as a great place to live for gay men and lesbians.

Dawn Fazzino, who has been president of the group since April 1988, was

quick to point out that there are alternatives to the bar scene, such as bowling leagues, softball and other functions sponsored by the GLSR. She hopes people will call her to find out what is happening in the Akron area. Fazzino said the group, which is open to the entire gay community, has about 40 members. Fazzino emphasized that the organization does not provide counseling services, but it does make referrals. The GLSR is funded by the University

of Akron, and the office is located on the campus.

Fazzino considers the number one problem in the gay community to be a lack of communication and vision. She explained that, although the Akron-area gay men and lesbians have big hearts, it is a small community divided by differences. She also expressed concern over gay youths who are unable to find gay adults to relate to or gay resources. "Programs should exist for youths, and better

Last display of entire Quilt.

More than 2,500 volunteers will converge on Washington, DC this Columbus Day Weekend, October 6-8, to make possible the final display of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt in its entirety. The display will include more than 10,000 individual 3' x 6' panels, nearly six times the size of the inaugural Quilt display in October 1987.

The volunteers are expected to come from all over North America, including the 19 U.S. and Canadian cities where major sections of the Quilt have been displayed during the recently completed 1989 tour. The tour, the second across the continent, has travelled for four months, raising awareness and funds in each of the communities the Quilt visited. $200,000 was raised for agencies providing direct care services to people living with AIDS in cities from Birmingham, Alabama to Calgary, Alberta.

The focus for volunteers nationwide now shifts to the Washington, DC display, the third and last such display of the Quilt in its entirety.

According to Cleve Jones, executive director of the NAMES Project, "The Quilt is simply growing too large to continue to be spread out in any one place. However, the NAMES Project is by no means finished," stated Jones. "We are increasing the focus on outreach and education in communities all over the country. We will continue to accept panels and display them, but in smaller, more manageable and cost-efficient displays. And, we look upon this as a time to reaffirm our original commitment, to continue the Project until the last person who wishes to create a panel has done so, and until that last panel is sewn into place."

There is no end in sight to the need for the grief support, educational, or fundraising aspects of the Quilt. And according to Nancy Katz, director of education and outreach for the NAMES Project, the potential for reaching people through the Quilt is tremendous. "The Quilt is a non-threatening approach to AIDS education-education

that leads to prevention. In addition to looking back, as a memorial, the Foundation also looks forward, as an educational tool, to reach those currently at highest risk: racial and ethnic minorities, IV drug users, and sexually active young adults of junior high school through college age."

President Bush Invited to Attend. This year, for the first time, the President of the United States has received a special appeal from the NAMES Project to attend the Quilt display, to join with the tens of thousands of Americans in mourning their loved ones lost to AIDS. Said Jones, "We challenge President Bush to stand with us on the Quilt. Decisions about AIDS made in the coming months will help decide whether the ultimate death toll from the pandemic is measured in the tens of thousands or the tens of millions. It is imperative that those decisions be made with compassion, and we know that seeing the Quilt opens hearts and minds to the reality of this epidemic and the need for the immediate and compassionate response."▼

They're gonna hear from us

The results are in from an unprecedented drive to make gay and lesbian voices heard on Capitol Hill, and the Human Rights Campaign Fund (HRCF) Field Division has now signed up thousands of people nationwide for its Speak Out message campaign.

HRCF signed up more than 15,000 individuals for the Speak Out program at 1989 Gay and Lesbian Pride events around the country and at Names Project Quilt appearances. Approximately 400 canvassers covered between 30-40 Pride events in more than 20 states.

In Cleveland, canvassers were present at both Pride '89 and at Dancin' in the Street.

ANGER

A Complete Retrospective of His Works

Speak Out is a massive constituent mobilization effort that is generating tens of thousands of hard-hitting constituent messages to the U.S. Congress on gay and lesbian-related legislation.

By joining the Speak Out campaign, gays and lesbians and their supporters authorize HRCF to send one-day Western Union messages to their senators or representatives as critical legislation arises.

Speak Out currently has between 20,00 and 25,000 people enrolled in the programs. Every state has Speak Out participants.

HRCF has sent messages to Congress on several important bills, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Hate Crimes Statistics Act and the Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights bill. Mailgrams have also been used to counter various anti-gay amendments, including Jesse Helms' "no promo homo❞ amendment.

"We've been able to translate grassroots pressure from rhetoric to reality," said Steve Endean, HRCF Field Division director. "So often people mean to write to Congress but don't get around to it. Speak Out allows concerned individuals to bridge this gap of good in-

Oct 15 at 7:30 pm PROGRAM I Oct 20 at 10:45 pm See BOTH Programs for only $6 Oct 15 at 9 pm PROGRAM II Oct 21 at 10:45 pm tentions."

JOSEPHINE BAKER

IN TWO NEWLY-REDISCOVERED

FRENCH CLASSICS OF THE 1930s PRINCESS TAM TAM

Oct 20 & 21 at 7:30 pm ZOU ZOU Oct 20 & 21 at 9 pm See BOTH Films for only $6 The Cleveland Cinematheque at the Cleveland Institute of Art * East Blvd. at Bellflower in University Circle Free, secure parking Admission $4 229-0982

"The impact on Capitol Hill has been truly amazing," added Endean. "The

programs should be devised," she said.

Fazzino's wish is that gay men and lesbians "learn that the community is there and not just there when you need

us."

Meetings are held every Monday at 8:00 p.m. in the Elm Room of Gardner Student Center at the University of Akron. Students and nonstudents are welcome to attend. Dues are $5 for students and $10 for others. For further information, please call (216) 923-3729 or 375-7082.

The NAMES Project Foundation, sponsor of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, was established in June of 1987 in the heart of San Francisco's Castro district. The Quilt began as a response by lesbians and gay men and their friends, to the devastation of their community by AIDS. From this beginning, the organization seeks to reach out to all communities affected by the epidemic. The NAMES Project has three goals:

To confront individuals and governments with the urgency and enormity of the AIDS pandemic and the need for an immediate and compassionate response, by revealing the names and the lives behind the global statistics.

To build a powerful, positive, creative symbol of remembrance and hope, linking diverse peoples worldwide in the shared expression of our common grief, pain, and rage in response to AIDS.

To encourage donations in every community where the Quilt is displayed, thereby raising the desperately needed funds for people living with AIDS and their caregivers. To date, $750,00 has been raised in on-Quilt donations and distributed to direct care service agencies in communities throughout North America.▼

Serenity

current enrollment of 20,000-25,000 is founder to

staggering compared to our community's previous one-time high of just 500 letters on a specific AIDS or lesbian and gay right bill."

The phenomenal increase in messages can be attributed to the unprecedented canvassing undertaken at Pride and other events. HRCF plans to continue its canvassing operations, and is inviting people interested in canvassing to call

HRCF at 202 628-4160 for more information.

In addition to canvassing, HRCF has produced and distributed more than 1.5 million Speak Out brochures. The brochures, sponsored by local gay and lesbian businesses, were inserted in more than 100 gay newspapers and magazines around the country and were distributed along with mailings of other national and local groups.

For maximum visibility, 3,000 Speak Out "take one" displays are being distributed to gay and lesbian bars and businesses nationwide.▼

HUGS East Sponsored Dance

"Turkey Hop with Casual Dressing"

November 18th 8 PM to 12 Midnight At the East Shore Unitarian Universalists Church 8181 South Center Rd. □ Mentor Non-Alcoholic Beverages & Snacks Provided Tickets are $5.00 at the Door, More if you can Less if you can't.

For more information contact Mary @ 639-1053, Wendy @ 951-9837, or Dale @ 974-8628

speak

The Gay and Lesbian Information Center of Lorain County has announced that Jim McCarthy will be the speaker for this year's volunteer appreciation dinner. McCarthy is founder and executive director of Serenity, a Dayton-based gay and lesbian rights organization.

Serenity was formed in 1988 in response to the refusal of Dennis Shere, then-publisher of the Dayton Daily News, to print the classified advertising submitted by the Dayton Lesbian-Gay Center. McCarthy took his complaints directly to David Easterly, president of Atlanta-based Cox Newspapers, which owns the Daily News. In a major victory for the Dayton lesbian and gay community, Easterly dismissed Shere and promptly printed the advertisements submitted by the lesbian and gay groups.

The dinner will be held Sunday, October 15, at Court Street Cafe on the square in Elyria. Cocktails begin at 6:00 p.m. with dinner at 7:00 and the awards ceremony at 8:00. This year's celebration marks the fourth year of incorporation for the Ohio Human Interest Organization, Inc., which operates the Gay and Lesbian Information Center in Lorain County. The present board of trustees has decided to honor the original incorporating officers. Without them, none of the present services to the Lorain county lesbian and gay community would be possible.

Those receiving recognition are Danny Daniels, Charles Ellis, Tom Horton, Donald McGillivary, Tom Schubert, Harry Wagner and John White.

For more information about tickets call 1-800-447-7163.