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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE August, 1990

Editorial

Serving a diverse community

The banner on the front page of every issue of this paper says "A Chronicle of the Lesbian and Gay Community." That in itself is a sweeping statement. Cleveland's daily paper, the Plain Dealer, endeavors to serve the entire community. We share similar problems with other papers in meeting the needs and covering the news of all segments of the community.

In reality this means that not every page in any paper will be entirely interesting to all readers. I personally dislike all sports. When I receive my morning paper, I usually take the sports section out and throw it on the floor, and then proceed to read the rest of the paper. I am usually mildly miffed if the comic page is in the sports section because I must retrieve it to read "Garfield." There are sections of the Plain Dealer that even offend me, such as the religious page, so I just don't read that page, unless I am particularly grouchy that day and want to further my bad mood.

The Chronicle is in a similar position in serving the lesbian and gay community. There is the same wide range of interests that exists in any segment of any society. Many (not all) gay men really do not care what the Women's Building Project is doing. Most are not concerned with the Women's Variety Show. Some . men are offended at the spelling of the word "womyn" and would not read an article that uses that spelling. Some of us are not interested in gay sports, so those pages do not interest us. Most lesbians are not interested in what the men's bars are doing, and safer-sex articles directed at men obviously would not be of interest to lesbians.

Just because an article is not of interest or even is offensive to some readers is not necessarily a reason not to print the article. To ignore the great strides the women's community has made because not all readers are interested would be unthinkable on our part. Similarly, any paper that serves gay men would be errant if not criminal to ignore discussions on safer sex.

The members of the editorial board listed at the right are solely responsible for the selection of the content of this

We ask that you please tolerate the ads, in the interest of a paper serving the entire lesbian and gay male community.

paper. In support of safer sex, this paper has welcomed advertisements for "phone sex" services. However, since these are almost entirely male-oriented we, like many other lesbian-gay publications around the country, have placed the ads in a center section when possible. Many gay men who use phone sex would rather have this pull-out by the phone. That way, the rest of the paper might be more presentable to Aunt Mathilda if she found it on the coffee table. Those who have no interest in this section may remove it from the paper.

We have heard complaints from some members of the women's community that they find these ads offensive. We ask that you please tolerate them, in their removable section, in the interest of a wellrounded (and financially healthy) paper serving the entire lesbian and gay male community. There is already a paper, What She Wants, that serves the women's community exclusively. (It once turned down an ad for a Men's Chorus concert as being too male-oriented.)

The progress that has been made in

this community in the past five years toward the men's and women's segments working together has been phenomenal. The 1989 and 1990 Pride celebrations, the Center, and Stonewall-Cleveland are all examples of both sections of the community accepting each other as we are and working toward our common goal of full civil rights for everyone.

It is the hope of the editorial staff and publishers of this paper that this progress will continue. It is our goal that this paper will continue to serve the needs of the entire community.

This editorial, written by Robert Downing reflects the views of the entire staff, editorial board and management of the Chronicle.

gay people's

HRONICLE

Vol. 6, Issue 2.

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:

Brian DeWitt, Kevin Beaney, Cyndy Williams.

Copy Editors:

Kevin Beaney, Donna Stewart Sports Editor:

Deborah K. Lanham

Wrestling with the NAMBLA issue Reporters and Writers:

At the last Chronicle editorial board meeting there was great heated debate on whether to run ads for the North American Man/Boy Love Association. Some said the ads are offensive, criminal and promote child abuse. Others said that everyone has a right to free speech and these men are not advocating child molestation, but trying to change the laws to make intergenerational sex legal.

No matter which way you look at it, this is not an easy problem to solve. The Pride '90 committee went through the same process with NAMBLA and decided to exclude the group. Some members of the Pride committee are also members of our editorial board. It was the same nightmare relived.

But after one tie vote and much discussion, the entire staff of the paper voted not to allow NAMBLA to advertise in the Chronicle. We also decided that all controversial ads would be decided upon on an individual basis.

It was after this decision was made that we received the letter from Sharon Owens. We also heard via the grapevine that there were others upset about the ads. Owen's letter was the first we received on the NAMBLA subject even

Letters

Censor NAMBLA

To the Editor:

I can't believe I have to write this letter. I can't believe how little our society values and protects our children. I was not valued and protected as a child. I experienced incest while still very little. I lost my innocence before I was even out of diapers. That's so incredibly unfair. Most of my closest friends were also abused as small children. We have to live the rest of our lives with the memories or lack of memories, the lack of trust, the stolen ability to trust ourselves because we had to believe that what was happening either was not happening at all or that as very little people we were somehow responsible.

With therapy we can all heal; our trust in ourselves will improve, but we will never be cured or be able to go back and be valued or trusted.

I love my lesbian and gay community.

though they had been advertising for several months. As a community we are famous for bitching. If you must bitchand much of this complaining is healthy and should continue please bitch to the right people.

Listening to the community has always been important to us and we think we have done a good job of it. We encourage members of the community to write to us with your suggestions, complaints or compliments. This cannot be a paper that reflects our community if our community does not participate in decisions regarding the editorial content. If you have strong views about the paper and its content, write us. Talking to your friends and complaining doesn't change anything; action does.

This doesn't mean we will change the paper to reflect every individual's complaint, (once we sent our own letter of complaint back to someone who was really far out in his views of the Chronicle) but we will listen and adjust if we all agree it is possible and needed.

Yes, the Chronicle is a privately held business with stockholders and everything, but it is also your paper for your community. Please participate. ▼

children? How many suicides and lost lives to alcohol and drugs and cases of insanity and cases of multiple personality disorder and just plain lost opportunities due to shut-down minds because the pain of remembering is too great? How long will it take us to say that the children have rights, the right to lose innocence in a process that has to do with maturity and not violence, and sexual abuse is violence no matter what the age of the minor and whether the act felt pleasurable to the minor or not. How can I look myself in the mirror and not be calling myself a liar about my own incest if I say to myself that it's no big deal if my local gay and lesbian newspaper says it's okay for pedophiles to advertise, to organize in our paper? I am deeply disturbed by these ads and know I am not alone in these feelings. I would like the Chronicle to be willing to have a community meeting to discuss this situation.

Sharon Owens

I love the part I'm starting to play in that Don't be too zealous community. I love getting the Gay People's Chronicle the first of every month. I read it, I use it for a resource, I get mad at my lover if she throws it away before the next one comes.

But the Gay People's Chronicle is not valuing or protecting children. The North American Man/Boy Love Association is allowed to use the Chronicle to organize its Cleveland and Lorain chapters. This organization makes no bones about the fact that it feels that children are fair sexual objects. I feel sick to my stomach about the classified ads in the Chronicle. How can this paper I have loved so much care so little about the protection of children?

I have been told that to say no to this organization is to deny them their rights to free speech and is discrimination. What about the discrimination of

To the Editor:

I read with some dismay the front page article in June's Chronicle about the North American Man/Boy Love Association and the Cleveland Pride Committee's decision to bar them from participating in Pride '90.

My first reaction was that the article was biased. I know that the simple mention of NAMBLA brings forth some very heated emotions among many in the lesbian-gay community. However, I feel that the Chronicle's position should be to remain neutral and simply report the facts. As I read the article I got the distinct feeling that the reporter was giving a personal opinion of NAMBLA as well as trying to influence community feelings

Martha J. Pontoni, Dora Forbes, Don S., Faith Klasek, Robert Laycock, Douglas Braun, Bob Boone, Lois Lane, Jessica Noble.

Columnists:

Antone Feo, Russ Rosen, Shana Blessing. Art Director:

Christine Hahn

Artists:

Tom Zav, Dawn Fritz, Bob Boone, Nathan Gwirtz.

Distribution Chief: Robert Downing Office Manager: Ray P. Triggs Account Executive: Steve VanGilder Editorial Board:

Martha J. Pontoni, Robert Downing, Brian DeWitt, Christine Hahn, Kevin Beaney, Cyndy Williams.

The Gay People's Chronicle is dedicated to providing a space in Cleveland's lesbian-gay 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.

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 Chronicle is distributed free of charge in any establishment that permits its distribution.

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

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, her, or their sexual orientation or character.

Advertisers may obtain rate sheets and other information by writing the Chronicle, Box 5426, Cleveland, OH 44101. Our phone number is 216-621-5280. We reserve the right to reject advertising which is unsuitable for our publication. The Gay People's Chronicle is not responsible for claims made by advertisers.

Next Chronicle comes out August 31.

The Gay People's Chronicle is published on the first Friday of the month; or the last Friday of some months with five Fridays. Items must be recieved by deadlines; mail takes several days. Call 621-5280 to inquire about hand delivery.

Deadlines:

Typed copy (first Monday) August 6 Copy on disk (second Monday) August 13 Display ads (second Monday) August 13 Camera-ready ads (third Monday) Aug. 20 Calendar events (third Monday) August 20 Classifieds, Personals (first Monday) Aug. 6 Obituaries (third Monday) August 20

Subscriptions:

Yearly subscriptions are on a sliding scale starting at $15.00. The Chronicle is sent by first-class mail-faster than the usual secondclass-in a brown envelope. Mail check or money order with address to the Chronicle, or G.P.C., P.O. Box 5426, Cleveland, Ohio 44101.

about the group. The Chronicle should make a concerted effort to avoid such tilted reporting and should especially avoid dictating community opinions. People are individuals and, as such, are perfectly capable of making their own decisions.

I must also take issue with the comments in the article made by Drew Cari, Pride '90 co-chairperson. Mr. Cari stated that anyone who would argue in favor of NAMBLA's point was, "not serious about their work in the lesbiangay movement."

There were three people on the Pride '90 committee who voted in favor of allowing NAMBLA to have a booth at the event; I was one of them. Personally I see little or no redeeming value in an organization such as NAMBLA. I tend to agree with the arguments that they engage in child molestation. I also agree that their issue of doing away with ageof-consent laws has no place on the lesContinued on next page