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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE January, 1990

EDITORIAL

Like public TV, only no panda bears

Ever watch public television? Doesn't it seem that they save their best shows for when they get to interrupt you and ask for money?

Here at the Chronicle this month we are going to ask you for money and, in a way, we are interrupting your reading, but like public television fundraising, this is very important.

Two and a half years ago we started the Chronicle without a business plan. In fact we had no plans at all, and just thought we would try it. During the course of those 30 issues the Chronicle has become a real business. So we decided to take a look at a business plan, namely budget and outlook for future revenues. What we found out wasn't pleasant, in fact it was downright scary.

Because we are a real business now, there are some realities we must face. First, we need to hire full time staff. The latest Chronicles you have been admiring look that way because one of our staff has been working full-time. Her creditors, while happy you are enjoying the paper, wish she worked for a full-time salary, however.

Most of the ads that grace these pages come to us unsolicited, which is nice but not a great way to raise revenue. We need a sales manager. We need to pay that sales manager.

We know you enjoy the Chronicle once a month. But wouldn't you enjoy it twice as much, twice a month? To make the money we need, and be competitive with other, non-lesbian-gay papers in town we have to publish more often. It is very simple. But to publish more often we also need to hire an artist, at least part-time, maybe more.

We just can't rely solely on volunteers any more. The Chronicle is clearly a fulltime commitment for at least one person and maybe more.

Other realitics include an office. We are running out of bedrooms big enough to hold the office and roommates willing to put up with people coming and going at all hours. We suspect that our neighbors think we are running a crack house. Little do they know it's just a bunch of

gays publishing a paper.

All these projects take money. They take something called capital. Capital is something you start with so you can make money and don't have to use your capital. It takes money to make money. (That is why the rich get richer.) We don't have capital. We started with $600 we spirited away from Charlie Callander's estate. Now, we spend that much in postage every month. But, like all of you who do it every month, living from paycheck to paycheck is not so good, especially when that one paycheck is not enough.

We are proud of what we have accomplished so far, and we really believe we can do better. We don't want to stop publishing, but we have grown to a point where we need to take this thing seriously.

And so do you. Serious means we need more money to run this operation. And we need help getting that money. We need your help.

This month, and for the next two months, we are having a pledge drive. The pledge drive asks you to do one of two things: Either make a lump-sum donation, or become a sustaining donor and pledge an amount which you'll donate over the period of a year in three, six or 12 payments, for which we will remind you.

Either way will help us. Lump sums right now are good so we can pay the printer and publish an issue you won't read in two and a half minutes. Sustaining donations are great because they enable us to plan for a certain amount of income to come to us over a period of time, and allows us to make the major purchases we need.

In many ways it is hard to ask you for more monetary help then you have already given, because we wouldn't be where we are now without all your help already. Many cities, including Boston, and the entire state of Oregon, keep their papers running through donations and sustainers. We thought this would be a good idea for Cleveland.

We don't want to give the impression we are going out of business, because

A name in the paper

In the December issue of the Chronicle we had a story about the recent elections of officers at the Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center. We were pleased that for the first time we were able to attend this important board meeting of one the community's most significant organizations and report on it in a timely fashion.

What you won't see in this issue is a story on the resignation of two of the board members because one of their names appeared in the December story.

These two board members, who are lovers, have served on the board of the Center and other organizations in this community for years. They have both done a good job. They took on tasks that no one else would and have both contributed generously, not only of their time but their money.

The Chronicle's policy on printing names in the paper has always been this: We will not print your name if you ask us not to. There is one exception to that rule: If you are in a position of leadership, or are representing the lesbian-gay community, we must print your name. The community has a right to know who their leaders are, who governs their organizations, and who is speaking for them.

We have printed many people's names in the Chronicle, including many who are probably not lesbian or gay, such as

public officials, performers, police officers, and even a board member or two of a lesbian-gay organization. However, we don't point out anyone's sexual orientation, unless it has a bearing on the story, as was the case with Gary Suhadolnik last spring, or the two men arrested by Cleveland police last summer for no reason other than they were gay.

In essence, as the fine print at the right of this page says, your name appearing in the Chronicle means nothing about your sexuality.

These two board members felt otherwise. Because of their employment they were aghast that their names would appear in our paper, despite their lengthy commitment to the community. They told us that their position on the board of the Center was not public information. But when we pointed out that it was, they became even more distressed. Because of that distress, voiced most eloquently in a phone call on the day after the December issue came out, they have both resigned from the board of the Center.

They believe it is our fault. Maybe some of you do, too. We believe it is their choice, just like it was their choice to serve. With a position of power like a seat on the board of directors of the Center comes visibility, and that visibility may have consequences. The Chronicle didn't create those consequences, we merely

that is not true. What we are talking about now is the quality of the paper and sanity of the staff. If all of us have to work a full-time job in addition to running the paper, the paper will reflect that. If we can hire some full-time and part-time staff, rent an office and publish twice a month, we guarantee you will notice the difference.

One point we need to make very strongly is that the Chronicle is not a non-profit organization. We can assure you that no one is making any money, but you will not be able to deduct any donations you give us from your taxes. If we were a non-profit organization we could not endorse political candidates or take stands on political issues, and we would not be very effective as a voice of the lesbian and gay community. If you give you will be supporting your paper until it can support itself. In essence, you will be paying the salary of the staff of the paper until they can earn enough in revenue to pay themselves.

What do you get in return? One the country's highest quality newspapers. You get visibility and news. You get a forum to communicate. You get something to bitch about. You get a place to meet people and you get some support in breaking stereotypes. And you get many, many other benefits that are too intangible to list here.

Face it, this is a gamble. We aren't going to snow you and say that everything will be roses and lollipops if you send us $100 right now. We could still fail. But we have confidence that we won't fail. We have survived this long and we still have plenty of wild and great ideas to dazzle the community. We also don't want you to think that no one warned you. This is your warning. Remember what you have seen so far and decide if we are worth the gamble.

The staff of the Chronicle thanks you in advance for any help you can give. If you give and would like us to we will acknowledge your gift or we will keep you anonymous. Help us now and we will always be there for you.▼

reported the news and we will continue to do so as long as we are able.

We feel this story is news but choose to tell you about it here instead of the usual news format. Why?

The two former board members asked us not to use their names any more in our paper. Since they have resigned their

gay people's

HRONICLE

Vol. 5, Issue 7.

Founded by Charles Callender 1928-1986

Published by KWIR Publications Co-Owners:

Robert Downing Martha J. Pontoni

Editor-in-Chief:

Martha J. Pontoni Associate Editors:

Carlie Steen, Brian DeWitt. Sports Editor:

K.D. Mahnal

Reporters & Writers:

Martha J. Pontoni, K.D. Mahnal, Dora Forbes, Don S., Faith Klasek, Robert Laycock, Douglas Braun, Susan Tabell, Steven Hurt. Columnists:

Antone Feo, Fern Levy, Joe Interrante.

Art Director:

Christine Hahn Artists:

Pat Hughes, Tom Zav, Dawn Fritz.

Assistants to the Editor: Dan Postotnik, Dave Volk. Distribution Chief:

Robert Downing Database Consultant:

Jim Barcus

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.

Publication of the name, picture or other representation of an individual, organization or place of business in the Gay People's Chronicle is not indicative of his or her sexual orientation or character.

Any material submitted for publication will be subject to editing. The Gay People's Chronicle cannot guarantee the return of any such materials unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Advertisers may obtain rate sheets and other information by writing the Chronicle, Box 5426, Cleveland, OH 44101. Our phone number is 216-321-1129.

The Gay People's Chronicle is distributed free of charge in any establishment that permits its distribution.

The Gay People's Chronicle is copyrighted under federal law. Any reproduction of its contents is prohibited unless either written or verbal permission is obtained.

The Gay People's Chronicle is not reponsible for claims made by advertisers in the Chronicle

leadership positions with the Center we must honor their request.

And so, you see, without the names, there is no story. Because there is no story you could be led to believe there is no news. But this is news, and we thought you should know.▼

GUEST EDITORIAL

A resolution solution

by Dennis McMillan

aka Sister Dana Van Iquity

And now it's time to make your annual list. No, not the Christmas card list. That little task has been completed, thank God and the U.S. Postal Service, and no, it isn't the list that you make, check twice, and find out who's naughty or nice. I speak of none other than the perennial New Year's Resolution List.

Every year you write out the same tired old life-changing monumental decisions that deep in your heart you know you will never keep: “I promise to give up cigarettes, start drinking light beer only, and phone home more often."

Oh, puh-leeeeeze, Miss E.T. (Extremely Tired). How boring. It's no wonder you break your resolutinos within the week. You need a real challenge. Besides, these are the gay nineties now!

And so below I offer some new, creative resolves that you need not even write out; merely pen your name in the appropriate blanks and store this list along with all your other vital documents on your refrigerator with clever little magnetic plastic sushi replicas and happy faces.

The resolutions are broken down into three different categories, for ready ref-

erence.

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