gay people's
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Volume 5 Issue 10
Cleveland, Ohio
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April, 1990
An Independent Chronicle of the Lesbian & Gay Community
Senate rejects anti-gay amendment 2nd time
Washington, D.C.-For the second time in less than a month, the U.S. Senate on March 1 turned down an anti-gay amendment. The amendment, offered by Sen. William Armstrong, R-Colo., would have allowed organizations in the District of Columbia to bar any lesbian or gay man from serving as "role model, mentor or companion to any minor."
Armstrong sought to weaken the strong protections for lesbians and gays included in the Washington, D.C. human rights ordinance. He said the law is being used to "force Big Brothers and other similar organizations to admit homosexuals into their programs as consolers and role models."
The Senate voted 50 to 47 to kill the amendment. Three weeks earlier, an attempt by Sen Jesse Helms, R-N.C., to attach a homophobic amendment to the Hate Crimes Statistics Act was defeated, 77 to 19. The Hate Crimes act, requiring the Justice Department to keep records of bias-motivated crimes against lesbians, gays and other minorities, then passed 92 to 4.
The more recent amendment arose during consideration of a bill by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., to encourage national volunteer service. There was nothing in the bill specifically directed to lesbians and gays or to the District of Columbia. Armstrong offered his amendment because the District's
Big Brothers/Big Sisters programs recently have been pressured into complying with local lesbian and gay civil rights law.
Armstrong stated that the District of Columbia "should not be able to impose a requirement that these organizations accept people who historically have been deemed not suitable for that kind of work."
The amendment, however, was drafted broadly and would have applied to all institutions that serve children in Washington. For example, lesbians and gays could have been fired from schools, refused positions in volunteer organizations and prohibited from treating young patients in hospitals.
Sen. Kennedy, working closely with the lobbyists from the Human Rights Campaign Fund, devised the strategy and led the floor fight that defeated the Armstrong amendment. Kennedy offered alternative language that would allow organizations to deny positions to heterosexuals, gays and bisexuals who have been charged or convicted of sexual offenses with minors.
The critical vote came on an Armstrong move to table the Kennedy substitute amendment. The Senate rejected Armstrong's attempt 50 to 47. It then went on to adopt the Kennedy language.
We disapprove These fearsome-looking church ladies are the Moral Chorale, who made another
appearence at the 15th annual Women's Variety Show at the Civic. The show is held each year to benefit the women's music production group Oven Productions. About 1,200 women attended this year's show.
Photo by Pat Young
Suhadolnik's adoption bill hasn't moved
by Jessica Noble
Almost a year after he first introduced it, State Senator Gary Suhadolnik, of Parma, said his anti-gay adoption bill is stalled in committee.
"I can't figure out what's taking so long with the bill," said Suhadolnik. "I am convinced that it would pass the General Assembly if it came to a vote."
Currently, the bill, SB 162, would prohibit lesbians and gays from adopting children. "The bill hasn't had any hearings," Suhadolnik added, and "Paul Pfifer [the head of the Judiciary Committee] has not scheduled any hearings." Suhadolnik believes that other legislators "don't want to talk about homosexual issues."
"I don't condone homosexuality," said Suhadolnik, "no one thinks it's a powerful political force, it's just a force" that legislators have to deal with.
Most legislators don't talk about it and Suhadolnik believes others think "that's the best place to be."
Suhadolnik cited a recent article in
Stonewall-Cleveland political group forms Glamour magazine indicating support
by Marne Harris
A group of lesbian and gay activists has announced a meeting to form Stonewall Cleveland, a political organization patterned after the Stonewall groups in Columbus and Cincinnati. The first meeting of Stonewall Cleveland is being called for next Thursday, April 5, at 6:00 p.m. (call 781-6276 for location). The purpose of this meeting is to start a political organization in Cleveland, especially to help in this year's elections.
cludes Lakewood and adjacent areas of Cleveland with large gay populations.
"Charlie Butts is homophobic and I would like nothing else than to show him that he can't treat our community with disrespect and still stay in office. As a
"If we are ever
Organizers feel that a group of this kind going to get an
has been needed in Cleveland for a long time, and more so now, with the mayor's office meeting with lesbian and gay leaders as early as last December.
"We thought that if we call a meeting, enough people would show up who could be part of the group," says Loretta Mikolaj. "We have no idea what will happen but something definitely needs to."
Martha Pontoni, another organizer, feels that the lesbian and gay community can be a factor in several upcoming races including the Ohio Senate race in District 23 and the governor's race. The Senate District 23 seat is being campaigned for by Councilman Dale Miller of Cleveland and State Senator Charles Butts. the incumbent. The district in-
ordinance passed protecting our rights in Cleveland, then we need to be organized."
community we can be influential in any race that we decided to participate in," says Pontoni.
Senator Butts once fired an openly gay aide because he didn't want to be closely associated with a gay person. At the time
reports were that Butts was worried about working long hours with the man and what people might think. The aide, Jeff Levi, went on to become the director of the National Lesbian and Gay Task Force in Washington, D.C., and is now a lobbyist for the Gay Men's Health Crisis of New York.
Both Mikolaj and Pontoni point out that this meeting is a fact finding mission. "We want to find out what is out there, who can and will be involved," comments Pontoni.
"We need this group now," says Mikolaj. "If we are ever going to get an ordinance passed protecting our rights in Cleveland, then we need to be organized."
Cleveland's only other lesbian-gay political group, the Eleanor Roosevelt Political Club, was dissolved in October, 1988. It was founded in the late 1970s as a Democratic Party club.
For further information, and the location of the first Stonewall meeting, call Loretta Mikolaj at 781-6276 ▼
for anti-gay adoption
The article, a survey on whether gays should be allowed to adopt showed "75 to 80 percent of the readers in favor of a bill like mine," said Suhadolnik.
If the bill doesn't get to the floor for a vote this session, Suhadolnik indicated, "I'll re-introduce the bill next session, then next session, then next session."
When asked about possibly mounting a state-wide initiative (referendum petition), the state senator said that he has thought about it.
Such an initiative would create “legal hurdles, but not that difficult to carry Continued on Page 3
Editorials Letters
CONTENTS
Big-time at Pride '90
New gay films at festival Art censorship debate Erasure at Music Hall Just Jocks
Bits and Pieces
All-Ohio Conference Classifieds
Charlie's Calendar Resource Guide Personals
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