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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE February, 1990

WE ARE EVERYWHERE

by John Hubert

Irish law repeal ordered. The European Court of Human Rights, located in Strasbourg, France, has ordered the Republic of Ireland to rescind its laws penalizing homosexual acts because they constitute a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. A panel of 14 judges from different European countries heard the case. Six of the 14 judges (from Greece, Turkey, Austria, Ireland, West Germany, and Spain) dissented from the majority judgement

According to Irish law, "buggery" carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and "acts of gross indecency between male persons" a sentence of two years imprisonment.

The Court commented that "Although who persons regard homosexuality as immoral may be offended by private homosexual acts, this cannot on its own warrant the application of penal sanctions when only consenting adults are involved."

The decision of the European Court is final, and the effect is that the law must be changed. This process will be monitored by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. This favorable decision after six years of litigation may mean that Cyprus, the only other country in the Council of Europe which imposes a total ban on homosexual acts, may now be forced to repeal its anti-gay laws.

Irish gay activists are concerned that the Irish Parliament will delay introducing the necessary legislation to comply with the European Court decision and are asking for letters from outside the country to pressure the government to speed up the process. Write to Prime Minister Charles Haughey, Government Palace, Upper Merrion St., Dublin 2, Ireland.

For those interested in corresponding with Irish lesbians and gays, you can write to the National Gay Federation, P. O. Box 931 Dublin, 4, Ireland. They have a national gay archive, a gay switchboard (Tel-A-Friend), a youth group, a transvestite group and a gay health clinic.

A first in Indonesian film. Gaya Nusantara, the Indonesian lesbian and gay publication reports that thew first

film with openly gay male characters received six nominations for Indonesia's national film awards, of which it won the award for the best male actor of the year.

The film, Istana Kecantikan, is now playing throughout Indonesia. While not a perfect film from the point of view of a gay activist, it does serve to let gay viewers who think that they are the only one know that a gay world really exists. It also helps make the non-gay community aware that there are gay people around them.

Argentine group expands. The Comunidad Homosexual Argentina (CHA), the principal Argentine group, based in Buenos Aires, has just formed a group in Cordoba. Their Stop SIDA (AIDS) project has produced a colorful "What is AIDS" brochure and the campaign now covers the states of Cordoba, Buenos Aires, Mendoza, San Juan, Tucuman, Chaco and Corrientes.

Presently, CHA is organizing a campaign called "Sexual Freedom is a Human Right" to raise the consciousness of the general public as well as of gays and lesbians.

CHA reports that repression at the hands of the federal police and their Morality Division continues but they hope that the situation will be improving shortly with the new government.

Funding available. The Kimeta Society of Toronto, Canada is accepting funding applications with the next deadlines being March 1 and June 1, 1990. The Kimeta Society's objective is the support of efforts advancing the struggle of lesbians and gays for their liberation. The Society has an international perspective and a particular interest in Third World countries. Some projects funded in 1989 included several AIDSrelated educational campaigns in Central and South America, helping to establish a lesbian center in Mexico and the Latin American ILGA Bulletin. Other grants included a lesbian booklet publication program for Latin America and Asia and support for a South African anti-apartheid gay and lesbian group in Capetown. They also consider projects in the USA and Canada if alternate funding is not available. For a grant application ($500 to $4000), write to the Kimeta Society, 290 Ontario St., Apt 5, Toronto

Dykes to Watch Out For

the COMERY

1990 BY ALISON BECHDEL

JEEZ, SPARROW. I'VE ONLY HAD ONE SESSION! I'D PROBABLY BE FEELING BETTER BY NOW EVEN IF I HADN'T STARTED THERAPY

A GUY SLAUGHTERS 14 WOMEN WITH A HUNTING RIFLE BECAUSE HE "HATES FEMINISTS!" I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

20 MG3 o

Baby Thoney

BARTY

USINVADE

WEITE AN HEMY

YES, BUT WOULD GEORGE BUSH HAVE INVADED PANAMA IF YOU HADN'T STARTED THERAPY? ASK YOURSELF THAT, MO!

YEAH. NOW JUST WATCH EVERYONE SIT BACK AND PRETEND IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT...THAT IT SAYS NOTHING ABOUT HOW WOMANHATING OUR CULTURE IS.

LEAVE HER ALONE, LOIS!

WHAT'S THAT WEIRD TOXIC SMELL?

THE PAPER HARDLY COVERED ITAT ALL. IT'S A CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE! CAN YOU IMAGINE IF IT WAS A FEMINIST BLOWING AWAY A DOZEN MEN! WE'D NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT.

1990ION

ARE YOU REFERRING TO MY PERSONALIZED SEDUCTION SCENT? ONE PART PATCHOULI, ONE PART CHANEL N° 5, AND ONE PART OLD SPICE SWEEPS WOMEN OFF THEIR FEET.

M5A 2V8, Canada.

Jamaica becoming dormant. The ten year old Jamaica Gaily News has ceased publication, and at present there are no gay organizations at all in Jamaica. Apparently the AIDS scare has contributed to this situation. Recently, however, there was a Mr. Gay Jamaica contest which caused quite a sensation in the press.

International pen friends. Some people would like penfriends in the USA include:

Jamaican man seeks penpals from all over the U.S. Teaching is his profession and he hopes to get a summer job in the U.S. next summer. Write Michael McGrath, 4 Chalmers Ave, Kingston 10, The American Civil Liberties Union

This space has been donated to the ACLU Gay Rights Project by the Chronicle & does not necessarily reflect the views of the Chronicle staff or management.

by Loretta Mikolaj

A Cleveland Rights Ordinance

I hope that all of you had an enjoyable holiday season.

I would like to extend a warm thank you to all of you who donated to the ACLU during our recent fund-raising campaign. Your contributions are noted as coming from the Gay Rights Project and help keep the Project going.

There are some exciting things happening for gay people in the city of Cleveland. Aubrey Wertheim, Bob Laycock, Dolores Noll and myself have met with Ken Ilg from Mayor Mike White's transition team and discussed a variety of concerns of our community. Ken drafted a memo to present to the mayor based on that conversation.

Aubrey and I had a second meeting with Ken a few weeks later to look at the memo and to have some follow-up discussion. The mayor has said that he is willing to back anti-discrimination legislation if we put it before the city council. This is a very significant development, and bodes well for the future relation-

MAYBE IT'S JUST BECAUSE IT HAPPENED IN CANADA. IF ALIENS INVADED QUEBEC, THE U.S. PRESS WOULD GIVE IT TWO INCHES IN THE ENTERTAINMENT SECTION.

LOIS, YOU CAN'T GO OUT IN PUBLIC LIKE THAT! WHAT ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGIES? YOU'RE A WALKING HEALTH HAZARD!

Jamaica

THAT'S NO EXCUSE! "OH, IT HAPPENED 40 MILES OVER THE BORDER SO IT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM." WHEN IS HUMANITY GOING TO REALIZE? EVERYTHING IS OUR PROBLEM!!

I'M SO GLAD THE OLD MO IS BACK! UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN'T STAY AND CHAT. EMMA JUST GOT BACK FROM MEXICO WITH DOROTHY, AND SHE'S MAKING DINNER FOR ME

⚫ Sri Lankan woman, 26, would like to travel abroad for a few years. Seeks pen friends in USA and Europe. Miss K.T. Subadra, Bogahena, Athgalmulla, Vitharandeniya, Sri Lanka.

Peruvian, 19, with Italian ancestry, living in the U.S., would like to correspond with gays 15-22 in the U.S. and abroad. In English or Spanish. Luigi Battistini, P.O. Box 160715, Miami, Florida 33116.

East German couple (30 & 41) are looking for well-educated penfriends with broad interests in the U.S. and Canada. Write in English or German. Andreas Herziger, PSF 382, Berlin 1060, East Germany.

ship between the new mayor's administration and the gay and lesbian community.

Now it is time for us to act. The mayor has opened the door to us just a crackand he needs to hear a roaring crowd outside. The ACLU Gay Rights Project's Legislative Committee has collected many sample ordinances (the paperwork is measurable by the ton) on which we may be able to base a Cleveland ordinance. Do any of you out there have any experience in drafting ordinances? If so, your help will be invaluable. Also, once the legislation does come before the council, people will (most probably) have to go before the council and testify as to why such a piece of legislation is necessary. People would need to contact their city council representatives and voice support for the legislation. These are just a few of the things that will have to be done in order to make this dream a reality.

The whole community needs to work together if we want to get such a piece of legislation passed. Do any of you out there have any other ideas as to things that we as a community could do to help get the legislation off the ground? Please share your ideas with me, at the ACLU office, 781-6276, or with Aubrey Wertheim at the Center, 522-1999.

The next meeting of the ACLU of Ohio Gay Rights Project will be February 19, 1990 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center at 1418 West 29th St.. All are invited to attend. ▼

HEY! GLAD TO SEE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER, MO!

HOW COME EMMA GETS I GUESS YOU'RE TWO LOVERS JUST TOO WELL ANDI ADJUSTED DON'T HAVE ANY?

I DUNNO, GINGER!

AMAZING, ISN'T IT? SEE, THERAPY REALLY WORKS.

POSSIBLE RA

AAGH!

LOIS, WHAT 'RE

YOU DOING?

TAKE IT BACK OR I'LL SMOTHER

YOU WITH OLD SPICE FUMES.

RUB

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