Letters

Angry with straights

To the Editor:

Hooray for the person who wrote the powerful, angry piece reprinted in the September issue of the Chronicle under "Queers read this: I hate straights". He or she doesn't seem to hate straight people per se, but rather their attitudes and behavior which form so much of this society we are all forced to cope with. I strongly identify with the writer's anger and the reasons for it.

For most of my life, without realizing it until more recent years, I have been reacting out of disguised rage over "the way things are". The monumental challenge of AIDS among us has been primarily responsible for forcing into the open aspects of myself which I had previously tried to cover for in one way or another. It has not been pretty. I find that words alone prove to be woefully inadequate when trying to describe the feelings that I must deal with in a culture whose standards are sometimes subtle, often harsh, but always there letting you know that in it's judgement you are an undesirable misfit. It is an additional, excruciatingly painful burden to endure in the course of a person's lifetime which already includes more than enough trials and tribulations.

The complex self-loathing that this creates is in itself liable to destroy many of us, and has. I'm so sick of the conflict of values and the desperation that this society has pumped into my existence. Damn them for that!

The heterosexual majority-from those who are silent to those who are violenthas no right to dictate the terms of our lives (and deaths), other than the ones they so smugly and automatically bestow on themselves. We must increasingly empower ourselves with this right, and let it be known with every means at our disposal that we will no longer tolerate "the way things are".

F. Carmen

Friday rap an asset

To the Lesbian and Gay Community:

The weekly Friday-night rap group at the Center is more than just an historical part of the lesbian-gay organizations in Cleveland. Formed originally as the Gay Men's Rap in 1973, the impetus for creating a community center originated within the rap and its membership. The rap sessions, now held on Friday evenings, 8:15 p.m. at the Center, originated at the Free Clinic, and have met over the years at Coventryard Mall, Sumner Court, W. 14th St., Fulton Rd., and now on W. 29th St. Being continuous, the raps give Cleveland the distinction of having the secondoldest Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center in continuous operation in the United States. From the people introduced to the Center through the raps have come hotline operators, founders of the first youth group (which met at Trinity Cathedral), Chronicle editors, writers and photographers, Center board members, the founders of the Health Issues Taskforce, and volunteers and workers in other lesbian-gay organizations.

Among the founders of the raps are David Holleb, Marlon, Ron Z., and Jim Price.

In the past, the rap has been facilitated by well known leaders such as Fred Allen (Ahmed Evans) and Mr. Community Center

(Thom David Gianfagna).

Under the guidance of Tom Tamasi, Jim Price, Richard Priebe, Joe Imburgia, and Tom M., the raps cover a wide range of topics from "coming out" to personal growth and occasional bitch sessions. It is the only Center activity open to all members of the lesbian-gay community and outside guests. The rap is for all men and women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, and is an open forum where people can exchange, in a non-threatening non-alcoholic atmosphere, ideas and feelings, and receive support, wherever they are in the "coming out" process.

The raps average from 20 to 26 members each week, and donate to the Center approximately $19 per week, from a hat passed, which indicates the support the raps have from the community and are giving to the Center. We are not sure that many of the members of our community know of the existence of these raps nor of the support they might receive or give.

Anyone interested may attend: 1418 W. 29th St., at Detroit, (#26 bus) Friday evenings, 8:15 p.m. There is not an overabundance of parking, so be early if possible.

Scott Wyer Martha Tony Couture Bruce Horn Mike Michaels

Dale Richard

Joe Baisden Terri Karlis Dinbergs H. J. Plato Robert Harris

Cleveland's Best

Scott Jim

In the September issue, the Chronicle mistakely gave credit to Victory News for sponsoring the Cleveland Best Awards. The credit goes to Michael Capri and LR.P. Productions. We apologize for any trouble we may have caused. The following is a letter written by Michael about how the awards got started. The Chronicle salutes Michael and all the work he has done for the Cleveland community.

Ed.

The Cleveland Best Awards were started back in 1985. Michael Capri and Lena Parker-Capri started a group called L.R.P. Productions. At first all we were doing was booking entertainment in Cleveland and Akron nightclubs. After going from club to club, meeting employees and entertainers, and seeing the hard work they do night after night, year after year, we saw a need to bring recognition to the people.

This is where the hard work came into the picture. We wanted to do something positive, there was and now still is a need for positivity, not negativity.

With so much downing and degrading going on in our community, we wanted to bring all the bar owners, employees and entertainers together in a very positive atmosphere even if it's only for one night, and that's what the Cleveland Best Awards are all about!

It would seem with all the downing and degrading going on about gay people in the straight community, that the lesbiangay community would be a very close family. We found that this was not true at all. It would also seem that after coming out of the closet, and losing some of your real family, you could turn to the community for support. This also was not true. We saw and still see lesbians and gays talking about each other, downing each other. This cannot be tolerated! The more we looked for support for this event, the

October, 1990 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE Page 3

more we saw the division in the community.

Men and women separate. Blacks and whites separate. This is something we could not stand for. This just drove us harder. We knew there was a need for this event!

I guess what the Best Awards come down to are two very important points.

1. There are no losers at the Best Awards. Just being an active part of the lesbian-gay community makes you a real winner.

2. There is no room in our community for separation. We must come together as a family; we must learn to respect each other's differences. There is only one fight in our community to be fought: that's the fight against AIDS.

At the first Best Awards we saw all our work come together. Every bar owner came out to support the pursuit of excellence in the community. And they still do. My wife and I do not put this whole thing together by ourselves. There are a lot of very positive people out there who help us; not for the recognition, but because they believe in our community. There are also those who try to stop us. We realize these people are afraid to confront what's really wrong with them and to seek help for their problems.

We would like to take time to thank those positive people who have been with us since the beginning. With people like this in our community, there are no goals the lesbian-gay community cannot reach! Thanks so much to: Jon Brittian, Kim and Dale from Over the Rainbow, Brian and Norm from the Leather Stallion, Kevin

from Keys, Ben Gore and Bill from Attraxxions, and, most recently, someone who is teaching us no matter how many times they kick you, get back up and go for it, thanks to Jake from Numbers Nite Club.

Here is a list of the 1990 Cleveland Best Award winners:

Best Men's Bar Best Cocktail Best Male Bartenders

Leather Stallion Bar Memoirs Rick from Legends

& Marty from Memoirs

Best Female Bartender M.J. from Over the Rainbow and Numbers

Best Bar Back ●Danny from Numbers Best Door Person Sheldon from Keys Best D.J. Greg from Keys and Numbers Best Dance Bar U4ia Best Female Impersonator Brittnay Fox Best Overall Entertainer Melissa Ross Best Show Production Mona Desmond Live

D.I.T.S.'89

Best Event Dancin' in the Streets '89 Best Place to Work Out Club Body Center Best Lesbian-Gay Publication (tie) Gay People's Chronicle and the Valentine News Rising Star Desiré

Best Overall Staff Numbers Nite Club L.R.P. Production Award of Excellence Health Issues Taskforce Humanitarian of the Year Rocky of the Leather Stallion

We will be back next year!

Michael Capri

Adult-child sex is

serious

To the Editor:

After reading David Lansaw's letter in Continued on Page 4

even productions

PRESENTS

Last Summer

at

Bluefish Cove

A Play by Jane Chambers

Performed by the Oberlin Students Theater Association Directed by Jane Latman FRIDAY, October 12th SATURDAY, October 13th

8:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.

Cleveland Public Theatre 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio TICKETS: $8.00 in Advance $10.00 at the Door

Sliding Scale available at the Door Tickets available at:

Gifts of Athena, 2199 Lee Rd. 321-7799 The Bookstore on West 25th, 1921 West 25th St. 566-8897

For more information call 321-7799