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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE November, 1990

Coming-out stories shared at Center

by Stephanie Dlugon

The Gay and Lesbian Community Service

story, was offered encouragement because he proudly wore a pink triangle. A supportive

Dancing with

Center celebrated the recent National Coming gentleman knew the story of the symbol, and Mickey & Donald

Out Day by encouraging people to gather and share their coming out stories. The three-yearold Coming Out Day tradition, marking the anniversary of the October 11, 1987 March on Washington, received very little media coverage.

The event, which lasted about three and a half hours, attracted a small yet diverse and continually changing crowd. For the most part, the stories told were ofaserious nature, often depicting the process of coming out as a struggle.

Most speakers chose to talk from their seats or from the front of the room, ignoring the lectern and microphone. A notable exception was an obviously nervous young man who was one of the few to speak from behind the lectern. He recounted the experience of being publicly outed. He had been told by the minister of his church thathe was going to bepresented with an award for his dedicated service to the Christian community. The minister instead told the assembled congregation that he was kicking this man out because he was one of "them."He was a "sodomite."

Anotherman, who shared amore positive

related to it because as a boy he had been forced by the Nazistowearayellow starto show that he was Jewish.

One of the more humorous anecdotes of the evening was told by the Center's program director, Aubrey Wertheim. He spoke of the time he lived in New York, where he met and fell in love with an English ballet dancer. He decided to leave New York behind and follow his new-found love back to England. After the end of their relationship, Wertheim moved back to New York. He told many people of his great romantic adventure, including his dentist, a Bela Lugusi look-alike. The dentist's response was one of shock, not because of the gay relationship, but because, as he said, "The English take such terrible care of their teeth!"

The general feeling was thatnextOctober 11th will prove to be a even bigger success, and that a greater number of gay men and lesbians will come out to the Center to come out with pride.▼

Akron P-FLAG gives scholarships

by Dawn Fazzino

There sill be a new dimension to Akron Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays' annual holiday banquet. Community organizers hope to herald a new tradition as well, when four college students are recognized as the recipients of scholarships being given through the Harold Sylvester Memorial Scholarship Fund. In fact, granting a scholarship in the name of a gay man to young women and men on the basis of their work on behalf of the community sets a national precedent.

Sylvester, a musician and horticulturist, lived in Medina County. Quiet and solitary, he was the kind of activist who regularly wrote legislators and editors. Estrangement from his immediate family drew him to P-FLAG's mission: to help bridge the gap between parents and gay and lesbian children.

When approached with the idea of establishing some kind of fund, the former president of Akron's P-FLAG was responsive. The fund survived a leadership change when Ann Beebe, the founder and current president of the Akron chapter, also endorsed the concept.

So little help is available to college students who focus their extracurricular energies on gay and lesbian groups. Most awards and scholarships hinge on the merits of such activities. Then, there's discovery.

Some parents react so badly when they learn their son or daughter is gay that they withdraw all financial support. There is a definite need. This fund is one way to address that need.

The fund is a joint effort of P-FLAG and the Greater Akron Community. The selection committee is chaired by a retired educator (and parent of a gay child), and includes a gay minister and a lesbian activist. An Akron businesswoman handles fundraising. All donations go directly to the fund. There is no overhead.

Since there are no plans for endowing the fund, there will be an appeal in the early spring. True success hinges on applicants. For now, there is money. Unfortunately, because of time constraints, applicants must be attending either the University of Akron or Kent State University.

In August, John D. Ferguson, a junior at the University of Akron, was the first recipient of the scholarship. Not only is Mr. Ferguson active in Akron University GayLesbian Student Resource and Cleveland's PRYSM, he also helps to distribute the Chronicle in the Akron area, a vital link between Cleveland and the communities to the south. John participates in the Kent Gay-Lesbian Foundation's speaker's bureau, as either a panelist or supportive audience member. Three more awards will be made for the spring semester.▼

Anaheim, Calif.-Lesbians and gay men danced in Disneyland with partners of the same sex on Saturday, September 15, ten years after two gay men were ejected from the park for dancing together.

Andrew Exler, 29, of Palm Springs, said the same-sex dancing was in commemoration of the ten-year anniversary of Disneyland ejecting him and a male dance partner from the Tomorrowland Terrace on September 13, 1980, after disco dancing together. The two men sued the park and in 1984 won a lawsuit which effectively reversed Disneyland's 1957 policy barring same-sex dancing.

On September 15, Exler says twelve male couples and two female couples danced for 30 minutes at the Tomorrowland Terrace to the live band "Discovery," which played top-40 music. The

couples participated in both fast and touch dancing without any confrontations from guests or park security. However, while the couples were dancing, a Disneyland security officer ("Cheryl"-badge no. 69) was overheard telling park guests: "There was a lawsuit ten years ago; I hope they all die from AIDS-they are going to die from AIDS anyway...

Exler says that the comment from the on-duty officer was totally inexcusable and should not be tolerated by Disneyland officials. "Her comments were clearly homophobic and in very poor taste, especially since persons with AIDS were dancing that evening," he said. Exler has demanded in writing that Disneyland publicly apologize for the officer's offensive and derogatory comment, but Disney officials refuse to return his phone calls.

People travelled to the park from as far as Seattle to attend the ten-year reunion.▼

Sodom author at CPT benefit

The Cleveland Public Theatre's upcoming "Cabaret Goes Public" benefit on Saturday, November 10, offers cocktails, a sitdown dinner, dancing to the smooth music of the Eastside Blues Band and more. An auction of the 'unusual', and Cleveland's premiere improvisational comedy group "Giant Portions" will be taking a turn on the boards.

New York actor and playwright Andrew Mellen, who played one of the succubae in CPT's opening production last season, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, will be performing the Cleveland premiere of his signature piece My life as Kim Novak. Kim promises to be unlike anything you've ever seen. It is a highly entertaining look at one man's coming to terms with both his sexual and creative identities.

A series of monologues explores subjects ranging from gender definition and ethics to fame and fishnets. Song and dance team up with the investigation of sexual politics in the age of AIDS.

Mellen's performance is at once humorous, soulful and thought-provoking.

There are two ticket prices for the "Cabaret Goes Public" benefit:

'Champagne Flutes' starting at 6:30 p.m., is $50 per person, includes cocktails, dinner, auction, dancing and cabaret show.

'Swizzler Sticks' starting at 9:30 p.m., is $15 per person, includes auction, dancing and cabaret show. A cash bar will be available.

For more information call the Cleveland Public Theatre at 631-2727.

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