ELAND PUBLIC DRARY DEPT.

gay people SCIAL SCIENCES PA

PERIODICAL

March, 1991

State lesbian-gay action

Volume 6 Issue 9

report issued after delays

by Martha Pontoni

Admit controversy, the State of Ohio Advisory Committee on Gay and Lesbian Issues (SACGLI) issued their final report on January 11, the last day of Governor Richard Celeste's administration. The report was issued two years after the original deadline date, and left out much important public testimony about the harassment and discrimination that Ohio lesbians and gay men face on a daily basis.

Doug Van Auken, an active member of the Cleveland lesbian and gay community and a member of the SACGLI committee, expressed dismay and frustration with the committee and the report. Van Auken, in an interview with the Chronicle, spoke out against the disorganization of SACGLI's leadership, delays in publishing the report, and the editing of the report by non-gay people.

Van Auken said this may have resulted in loss of the potential effectiveness of the SACGLI committee and worth of the report, now that George Voinovich is governor. "The report could have been more. useful if published before Voinovich came into office," he said.

Governor Celeste established the SACGLI committee on December 30, 1983 through Executive Order 83-64. In addition to banning sexual-orientation discrimination in state employment, the order directed the establishment of a statewide committee to make recommendations regarding the treatment of Ohio's lesbians and gay men.

According to Van Auken, the SACGLI committee was originally comprised of over 30 people and ended with only six. The original members included representatives from Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Toledo. The remaining represen-

tatives were primarily from Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.

Within the committee, Van Auken explained, there was disagreement as to their focus and purpose.

Cleveland Public Library.

ClMAR and 199Dhio

An Independent Chronicle of the Lesbian & Gay Community

As one of the few non-attorney activists on the committee, Van Auken sought to create a far-reaching report that covered discrimination in housing and health benefits, as well as employment. Further, Van Auken had hoped to use the report to publicize the growing incidences of hate motivated violence against Ohio's lesbian and Founding fathers

gay men. Van Auken says that "the breadth of the report is good," but added that the final report is more narrowly focused, and deals primarily with employment discrimination, mainly covering only state employ-

ees.

According to Van Auken, governor's aides sought the SACGLI report last June to soften the biting criticism levied on the Celeste administration after Dagmar Celeste's supportive remarks to a Cincinnati lesbian and gay community awards benefit. However, seven years after establishing the committee, the final report had not even been typed. Committee members unnecessarily delayed the production of the report after the conclusion of the statewide public hearings.

Photo by Bob Downing

On February 7, Cleveland Gay Fathers celebrated their 12th anniversary of continuous operation. Pictured are founding members Chuck Newman, Dan Filer, and Jim Price (l to r), all still affiliated with the group.

"We have had several hundred men call us and receive help over the years,” said Price. "We serve as a peer group to discuss various issues and problems one may face such as divorce, custody, dealing with ex-wives, employers and children. We very often are the first contact a divorcing gay man just coming to terms with himself and the gay community has."

The group meets on the first Thursday of every month. The meeting consists of a 7:30 potluck, then either a speaker from the gay community or a round table discussion is had. For information and meeting locations, call 621-0228 any evening.

Rep. Cain discusses arrests

The delay in completing the report priat Edgewater Park

marily rests on the SACGLI committee, says Van Auken. “As a group, we relied too much on people inside the state government to do our work." Often, these politicians had a different agenda than the members of the committee.

Continued on page 6

March to support lesbian and

by Martha Pontoni

State Representative Madeline Cain, D8, met with representatives of the lesbian and gay community on February 22 to look into complaints of harassment by park rangers at Edgewater Park.

Meeting with Cain was Center services director Aubrey Wertheim, who also directs their Maryann Finegan anti-violence and harassment project; Susan Weaver, an attorney who has been representing some

gay troops, decry 'no-gays' rule of the men arrested at Edgewater, and this

A public march and rally in downtown

ety. The records are filled with incidents of Cleveland is being planned to draw public discharge resulting from the discovery of a attention to anti-lesbian and gay military policies and to support the thousands of lesbian and gay troops involved in Operation Desert Storm.

Although military policy mandates to dismissal of anyone known to be gay or lesbian, there are many in the services who are, but are tightly closeted because of the policy. It has also come to light that the military is delaying "gay" discharges so the soldier or sailor may serve in the Gulf first.

On March 23, Stonewall Cleveland is sponsoring a march from the Federal Building, at East 9th and Lakeside, to Public Square. It will start off at 11:30 a.m.

and a rally will be held at 12:30 p.m. at the southwest quadrant of Public Square. National and state lesbian and gay rights activists, local politicians, lesbian and gay veterans, and family members of the lesbian and gay soldiers in the Gulf will speak. Stonewall Cleveland unanimously agreed at their February general membership meeting to actively oppose the antilesbian and gay military policy, Department of Defense Directive 1332.14(H).

According to Stonewall Cleveland's formal policy statement, "The armed services have traditionally been, and continue to be, some of the most homophobic and intolerant institutions existing in our soci-

service man's or woman's same-sex sexual orientation. Even with these facts understood by most individuals, there are some in our community who still serve or wish to serve in the military."

Stonewall Cleveland's opposition to the military policy is on behalf of "those individuals, and the scores of others who have ... yet to discover their sexual orientation while on active duty."

The group believes that the military policy homosexuals must change. "Sexual orientation should not be the deciding crteria, or even a factor, in determining an individual's suitability for service in the

U.S. armed forces."

Stonewall advocates the military change these policies and remove "homosexuality" as grounds for discharge and disqualification from military service."

The Persian Gulf war has made the issue

particularly relevant. The Pentagon insists there has been no change in the military anti-gay policy since the war began on January 16. Stonewall Cleveland and national gay veterans groups and gay rights organizations claim the military has relaxed its ban on lesbians and gay men to meet personnel needs.

Continued on page 10

reporter. Cain, whose district includes the park, listened to the complaints from Wertheim and Weaver and received back-

ground information about the lesbian and gay community in Cleveland.

Cain requested the meeting after seeing last month's Chronicle article about stepped-up arrests for 'indecency' at the park, which is part of Cleveland Lakefront State Park. She said she wanted to better understand the problems at the park, and know the best way to help the community.

Both Wertheim and Weaver told of numerous complaints of harassment of gay public indency when the man was in his men at the park. These include an arrest for car, arrest of gay men while heterosexual couples obviously engaging in sex nearby were not disturbed, and name-calling and rough treatment given the arrested men.

Cain was then presented with four action requests for the park rangers:

Cease unequal enforcement of the law for gay men and lesbians immediately; stop entrapment and harassment in all stateparks immediately; institute a system of warning people first to stop activity which might lead to arrest, including referral lists of alternatives, within 30 days; and institute a special gay and lesbian sensitivity training for all park rangers, within 60 days.

Cain agreed to work with Wertheim and the Maryann Finegan Project to establish a training for the rangers, and work on a

referral card of alternative sites for meeting other gay men, including safer-sex information.

Metroparks entrapment up

Wertheim also said that rangers have also stepped up entrapment activites in all of the Cuyahoga County Metroparks. The Maryann Finegan Project has gotten reports from Solon, Bedford Heights, Rocky River, and Berea. Rangers have been following gay men for an extended period of time, manipulating them into asking for sex, then arresting.

According to Wertheim, the Metroparks rangers have a wide latitude in getting a man to offer them sex-they can even offer to have sex with a target, and arrest when their offer is accepted.

If you have been a victim of the Metroparks rangers, Wertheim asks that you get in touch with him at 522-1999 days. Anonymous reporting is allowed, and every case that is reported will be followed up on. Wertheim and others are working to meet with the Metroparks authorities about the entrapment.

CONTENTS

Editorials, opinions

Letters

.....

AIDS bias charged in Akron U.N. almost admits gay group.. Stonewall Union head arrested. 4 5 Sears sides with AFA bigots Military ban on gays cracking.. 10 Openly-gay GIs sent to Gulf Gay Steppers

4 4

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