Letters

Good riddance

To the Editor:

The first of June was also the last of Outweek magazine's publication. I hate to see another gay-lesbian publication close its doors, but they hung themselves!

I'm totally against opening other people's closets. If you want to be open (which I am), that is fine. But many people have had their lives ruined due to the selfishness of those that have exposed them.

It has never been really acceptable to be a homosexual celebrity, and now due to the AIDS epidemic, and the rude act of outing, it must be impossible. I have friends that have very conservative careers that are having to lead a double life, just to cover themselves.

I think that if Outweek would have stuck to its good reporting (AIDS, politics, homophobic assault, activism), they would have been around for many years.

Good-bye and good riddance!

Among the gifts

To the Editor:

Bill Balch

In the recent issue of the Health Issues

community at large. (Today we also make donations to benefit the gay and lesbian community as well.)

On the occasion of our fifth anniversary, the Happy Feet Dance Collective would like to acknowledge and thank the spirit, energy and efforts of the numerous women who've enabled us to exist. A giant Happy Feet Toe Wave salute to all who have supported us over the years, especially our "founding matrons," past Collective members, and our volunteers and work exchange crews. We couldn't have done it, nor would have had so much fun, without you! Thank you for being part of herstory! And a second toe wave to all of the women who have ever attended our dances-you are the reason we exist.

Because we are a non-profit organization, we ask that the next time you are able, please accept a work-exchange assignment so that our dances can continue to happen. The dances can happen only with volunteer support. Thanks in advance for making us a part of your future. Hope to see all of you through Ten! Affectionally,

The Happy Feet Collective: Barb, Miss Laura, Cindy, DJ Denise, Cris, Kathy, Diana, Mindy, Chris & Kim

Learn to accept our

Taskforce newsletter, an article appeared community's diversity

regarding the pending opening of Kamana Place by the AIDS Housing Council. In the article, written by Tom Nobbe, it states,

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... funding for the residence has come from proposal writing, HUD, the Ohio Department of Development, and gifts."

I guess is can be assumed that included in the "gifts" is the Northem Ohio Coalition's Hospice Fund grant of $51,716.23, which was widely publicized in the November 1990 issue of the Chronicle. I find is also ironic that in the July issue of the newsletter of the Lorain County gay-lesbian community center, their article concerning the opening of Kamana Place specifically cited NOCI's donation.

Perhaps the specific omission of NOCI was an honest mistake in the HIT newsletter, but it was approximately one year ago that a member of the HIT newsletter staff openly questioned, in the Chronicle, the credibility of NOCI and its fundraising efforts.

NOCI, through the support in the gay and lesbian community, is a fund-raising organization that is proud of its contributions to the gay and lesbian community of Northern Ohio. This included a $5,000 grant to HIT in its early years of formation, which, because of this local funding, made HIT eligible to receive its first grant of $26,000 from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Perhaps if we as a community can rid ourselves of the gay politics that abound, and give credit to each other rather that discredit, we as a community will have no limit on what we can accomplish.

Gene Witts, President Northern Ohio Coalition, Inc.

Five years dancing

To the Editor:

Approximately five years ago this month (September), a handful of women pooled their own resources to hold a Saturday night dance for women. That dance was so well received that additional dances were held and continued as "mini-discos."

About a year or so later, the group of women expanded and evolved into the Happy Feet Dance Collective, adopting the objectives of continuing to provide all women with an altemative source of entertainment, socializing and dancing, and to whenever possible make donations to various women's events and organizations so that they could better serve the women's

To the Editor:

I love the diversity of the greater Cleveland gay-lesbian community! As someone who has lived in smaller communities, I am amazed at the number and variety of ways and places to be "lesbian-gay." I have not, quite naturally I believe, found one single organization or individual which meets most of my needs, but I find that, with all the options available to me, most of my needs are being met.

It's wonderful that when I want to be this, I can go here, with someone, and when I feel like that, I can do something else, alone, if I want. The fluidity of the community allows for almost unlimited opportunities for personal expression and growth.

So why, as I find in these pages and in nearly every other encounter I have, is there such a sense of discontent with the community? Why are so many people so fed up so much of the time?

All of us suffer from at least one of the multitude of oppressions rampant in society. Yet is spite of our personal experiences of oppression, we continue to find others within our own community to pass judgement on. Our community, instead of being a refuge and source of empowerment, often becomes another place of distrust and struggle. This oppression takes many forms, and goes from subtle to blatant, but it seems to be always lurking. We seem to be truly "doing unto others as we have been done to."

To be fair, the issues of internal oppression are being addressed by many segments of the community. There are agents for trying to learn about each other and discover our commonalities while still valuing and honoring our diversity. Each of us can choose to define ourselves as multifaceted individuals, with some common ground, or as minorities of one, with nothing in common. I don't agree with, want to be part of, or even like everything that is happening in our community. But all of it, and more that is yet to come, is absolutely essential because it represents who "we" really are. Only in the acceptance of our diversity can we find our unity.

Ruth Miles

September, 1991 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Question of the Month

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Who is your pick for Lakewood mayor?

Each month, the Chronicle has a "Question of the Month," focusing on an event or controversy in the lesbian-gay community. Readers may call 1-900-446-KWIR (5947) to give an answer. Comments or opinions may also be recorded; we will publish excerpts of these in the following issue. The call costs 99¢ per minute.

September's Question:

This month we endorsed a Democratic candidate for Lakewood mayor, JoAnn Boscia. Do you agree with our selection? Why or why not? Who are you voting for? Are you voting at all? Call 1-900-446-KWIR and register your choice. We will publish the results in October.

Last month's Question

"Are faggot and lesbo powerful or painful even for our own use?"

The calls were overwhelmingly in favor of lesbians and gays using the words "dyke," “queer" and "fag." Some of the comments:

"I think we should claim the words and use them for our own use."

"I am a dyke, a lesbo and I am a queer. I own these words. They are my words!" "Yes, I think we should use these words. It is good for our community. It shows we are everywhere."

Hate Crime Update

compiled by the Maryann Finegan Project

Safety Tips

Anyone can be a victim of crime. Antilesbian and gay violence is random, but you can reduce your chances of becoming a victim.

Stay alert-Awareness is your best selfdefense.

Trust your instincts-If you thinks something is wrong, remove yourself from the situation.

Project confidence-Walk as if you know where you are going. Don't walk alone. Choose busy, well-lit streets; walk near the curb; avoid doorways, alleys and parks after dark.

If threatened, cross the street, change direction--Blow your whistle!

Always have money for phone calls, bus or cab.

Be vigilant to who is in front and in back of you.

Have keys in hand when you reach your

car.

Make friends aware if you leave with someone unfamiliar.

Verbal threats often come before assault. Don't answer back unless you're prepared for any consequences.

Crimes of bias reported in August

June 30-Leather Stallion Saloon. M-80 firecracker thrown from alley over the wall into patio; chair blown apart. No injuries.

June 22-Akron, Adams Street Bar. Two men attacked while leaving bar. Six assailants. Assailants knocked victims to ground and kicked them repeatedly. One victim received broken nose, injured jaw and ear, black eye, various bruises and contusions. Police report filed.

July 1 West 29th and Detroit-Three young males attempted to pull down Pride banner. They were stopped by Ohio City

Oasis owner.

July 6-W.117th & Detroit, entrance to Legends. Four males hassling patrons. Entered bar twice. Thrown out both times.

July 7-Clifton and W. 115th, National City Bank parking lot. Two males assaulted by two males. One armed with chain. Injuries consisted of nine stitches for head wound, bruises and contusions. Police report filed. The incident was classified as a felony.

August 13 and 14-Five teens harassing and physically threatening two pedestrians. Police report made.

August 8 Report of pickpocket at Keys. Keep money, cards, etc. in buttoned pockets. Keep wallets in locked cars.

Clarification-We would like to clarify that the Cleveland police were not involved in the police harassment incident at West 115 and Detroit reported in July's column. This incident involved the Lakewood Police Department and not the Cleveland police.

Updates--In July we reported the beating death near Warren of Howland Elementary School principal Larry Graber. "Children of Murder Victims," a counseling and support program, has asked for information from the Center for the children of the victim.

We have also put the prosecutor in the case in contact with NGLTF and have sent information to assist in this case. It is likely the defendant will attempt to use the "homosexual panic" defense. This defense has been successfully used in other cases but has been struck down by the courts most recently.

We also reported in July that a banner announcing Gay Pride had been torn down. A description of the truck used was given to the Cleveland police. They traced the license to the owner. The owner of the truck, the police and representatives from the Center have begun litigation.

Cadet Training--While reporting the incident of July 6, the victim, along with a representative from the Center, went to the First District police station to complete a report. The officer taking the report was very professional, sympathetic and understanding. This officer was one of the first officers to attend the cultural-awareness program which included gay and lesbian sensitivities last year.

We have just completed the second cultural-awareness program for Cleveland police cadets. There were 75 cadets in this class, which means 155 officers, or nearly ten percent of the Cleveland police force, have been through this program.

These cadets were even more receptive to the presentation than the first group. Special thanks to Jeanine, Steve, Jim, Sherry, Josh, Ray, Sharon, Ray, and Dennis for their time in organizing and presenting the program. We will have more on this in the next article.

There are plans under way to do similar training with the city and county prosecutor's office as well as the police chief's commanding officers.

If you would like to participate in preparing or presenting any of these sensitivity programs, please let us know.

We are also looking for a data-entry person who knows WordPerfect to assist in creating some of the training materials for the Buddy Program.

Now that we have a program in place with the Cleveland police, we are hoping to begin a similar program in the city of Lakewood. If any resident of Lakewood would be interested in assisting us on this,

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