October, 1990 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE Page 13

Bits & Pieces

Continued from Page 12

become a community tradition, just like Gay Pride marches."

Boston's historic Faneuil Hall will be the principal site of the kiss-in. Faneuil Hall, a traditional meeting place since Revolutionary times, was chosen as an appropriate place to express acts of gay and lesbian independence.

Promoting gay and lesbian visibility in high-profile public places and forcing society to confront its heterosexual biases is a major focus of the direct action group Queer Nation. "Kissing in public shows that we're not afraid to be who we are," asserted David Martin of Queer NationRhode Island. "It's the first exposure for many straight people to affection between people of the same sex."

Gay rights activists have made significant gains in New England in recent years. Major milestones include passage of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Law in 1989, Hate Crimes Laws in Vermont, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, and the formation of direct action groups in Maine, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

*

NGLTF seeks board applicants. The National Gay and Lesbian Task force (NGLTF) invites interested activists to consider serving on its 24-member board of directors. The NGLTF Board will be elected by all Task Force members this December/January. Ten seats-five men and five women--are open.

The NGLTF board oversees the financial management of the Task Force and is actively involved in long-term planning and setting of policy directions for the organization. NGLTF's board is committed by its by-laws to reflect gender parity, racial and geographic diversity. The board recently voted to increase the number of people of co on the board to 50 percent over the next couple of elections.

Board members commit to raise funds for the organization, to attend quarterly board meetings held around the country, and to work on a variety of programs.

"Working on our board provides an excellent opportunity to contribute skills and vision to the national gay and lesbian rights movement, and to strengthen and expand support for NGLTF in local communities," notes Gregory Fisher, co-chair of the board nominations committee.

Interested individuals should send a letter and resume to NGLTF Board Nominations Committee, NGLTF, 1517 U St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20009. All nominations must be received by October 15, 1990. People of color are encouraged to

apply. Nominees will be contacted by the Board Nominations Committee. * *

*

Seeking only human billboards. Syzygy's maiden non-pornographic gay video, Jeff Hagedorn's Should Have Been a Love Song needs walking advertisements who want to show off their hearts and help a good cause at the same time. As part of the promotional campaign for their late September release, Syzygy is offering the official cast and crew T-shirt for just $7.50 including shipping and handling. Syzygy will donate $1.00 for every shirt ordered to the Gay and Lesbian Press Association.

Syzygy is dedicated to creating gay images specifically for gay audiences, and this video, adapted from an International Gay Playwriting Award winner, is the first in their planned series of gay-themed videos. "It's time we started defining ourselves for ourselves, not for or in relation to a straight would," says author Hagedorn. Syzygy believes a healthy gay and lesbian press is one of the main tools we have to create and maintain our gay identity. So, since what we really want is human advertising space, our $1.00 margin on these fun and functional shirts will go to the GLPA.

The 50-50 cotton-poly blend shirts come in classic white with a red heart sporting a band-aid and red lettering. Easy to take on and off, with no fancy buttons or bows and only one hole big enough to fit your head, these shirts are perfect for all occasions. To order, send check or money order for $7.50 to Syzygy, P.O. Box 3003, No. Hollywood, CA 91609. Please specify size (there are three: medium, large and extra large no small) or we'll have to guess from your handwriting just how big you are. The Should Have Been a Love Song videos are also available for the reduced pre-release price of $19.95 plus $3.00 shipping and handling.

Joey Amatio and his lover Peter Grandin looked forward to moving to the small town of Allansville. Away from New York's distractions, Joey, a novelist, expected to write more, while Peter created even more masterful paintings. But Peter's inspiration has dried up as the pair contends daily with small town bigotry.

Restless, Peter spends his days at the town library, discovering hints of Allansville's dark past. Inspired by an ancient book, he persuades Joey to join him on a midnight outing. The lark turns serious when they revive Jeremy Thorpe, a vampire who has grievances of his own against Allansville. Peter is drawn to this

creature of darkness; and to save him, Joey agrees to provide other victims. But how long can their agreement last? Will his relationship with Peter survive the strain?

Will Allansville survive at all?

Scott Edelman was editor of the highly acclaimed magazine Last Wave. He has written for the television series Tales from the Darkside. His short stories and poems have appeared in Twilight Zone, Fantasy Book, Amazing, Asimov's, and other publications. This is his first novel.

The Gift can be ordered direct from the publisher (add $1.25 for shipping; New York residents also add sales tax) or through your favorite dealer.

* * *

Ganymede Gallery presents first catalogue. Ganymede Gallery, created to fill a need of both the fine artist and fine art collector, presented its first catalogue of fine art works celebrating the male form in September.

In a period of government pressure and censorship of the arts, both galleries and institutions are shying away from the depiction of the male form in the fine arts. Ganymede Gallery provides an opportunity for artists to have their portfolios viewed in their entirety. While the gallery's repertoire will be inclined towards the depiction of the male form, once accepted into the gallery an artist's entire portfolio will be available within the gal-

lery's collection.

Ganymede Gallery accepts for review works which represent the fine arts of varied media including: oil, sculpture, acrylic, photography, stained glass, and pen-and-ink.

Future plans for the gallery include a permanent, in-house installation in Amsterdam.

The full-color 24-page catalogue will be available from the address below at the price of $9.95 (U.S.) per copy, postpaid. (You must state that you are over 21 years of age when ordering.) Mr. Ralph Parks, Prudential P.O. Box 66, Boston, MA 02199, 617-437-9598.

I.G.P. (International Gay Penpals) launches their first quarterly newsletter September 15. The newsletter offers gay men and lesbians throughout the world an opportunity to make friends, exchange ideas, practice another language, pave the way for a foreign visit, or perhaps even start a romance by mail.

The listings, which now exceed 200, include contacts in the U.S., India, Malaysia, Germany, Australia, Thailand, Israel, Canada, France, Spain, Rio, Ghana, and even one each from the USSR, Poland, and Czechoslovakia.

For information about IGP, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: I.G.P. (International Gay Penpals), Ste. 320, Box 7304, North Hollywood, Calif. 91603.▼

Court scratches Helms phone-sex ban

A federal judge in New York has ordered the government not to enforce a law aimed at significantly restricting adult information telephone services, so-called "phone sex" and "chat lines", on the grounds that the law violated the First and Fifth Amendments.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert P. Patterson, Jr. held that the federal law, sponsored in Congress by Senator Jesse Helms, R-N.C., unduly burdened people's right to speak freely over the phones, as well as the companies' right to provide services without such restrictions as prepayment, credit cards, or presubscription. The law, which would have come into effect on August 15, would have required customers to "presubscribe" by requesting such services of the phone company in writing.

Civil libertarians were quick to applaud the court's ruling, including its rejection of the law's restriction of "indecent speech" as unconstitutionally vague. Lambda staff attorney Even Wolfson said, "This law would make it a crime for adults to say on the telephone what they are free to say on the street." Wolfson also cited the importance of chat lines and adult telephone services to gay men and lesbians as means of expression and association, and as tools in the fight for safer sex and AIDS education and prevention.

This is the second time a federal judge has acted to prevent this law from taking effect. A California court issued a similar ruling against the law. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar law last year.▼

Chaz

HAIR

PERMS. COLORS, BARBERING,

CREATIVE DESIGN, SKIN & HAND CARE FOR MEN & WOMEN 521-1199

Come Experience Autumn in New England

Call now to make a reservation at any one of New England's beautiful bed & breakfasts before they're all booked up!

Start Planning Now For The Ski Season! All Gay Resorts • Deluxe Accomodations 7 Nights for the Price of 5 Call David Some Restrictions Apply For More Info: 1-800-368-TRIP

CORNERS PEE WORLD

A division of

hunt Internal

106 Bridge St. & Coe Berea, OH 44107