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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

October 16, 1992

Editorial

Come out voting!

This year, as the Chronicle's editorial board discussed proposed endorsements, we had our usual lamenting over the fact that we sound like an arm of the Democratic Party, endorsing only Democrats instead of being able to pick a bipartisan slate of candidates committed to ending the oppression of lesbians and gays in the United States.

But wait, what is this, not only did a Republican return the Stonewall questionnaire, he actually is pro-gay rights. What a joy. So, for the first time in the history of the Chronicle, we have endorsed a Republican. You'll have to read further for whom we endorsed.

We want to thank Stonewall-Cleveland for sending out their questionnaire to the candidates so we could have more information with which to base our endorsements. We have printed the results of that survey on page 20, so you can make your own judgements about each candidate.

Obviously there are a lot of candidates this election, and reaching each individual was a task too large for our mostly volunteer staff. We have based our endorsements on the Stonewall questionnaire, the Ms. Election Guide to Women Candidates, personal interviews, and past knowledge of candidates' positions on topics concerning lesbian and gay rights.

We hope what you find here is helpful. We included a handy guide on the back page so you may take it to the polls with you. If we have mis-stated candidates or districts they are running in, we got the information from the Board of Elections, and that should explain it.

There are no endorsements on judgeships, mostly because judges are not supposed to have "opinions" on political issues. Unfortunately, whether you want it to be or not, queerness is political. We didn't think we would get any answers, so we didn't ask. We also felt that our endorsement could work against a winning candidate who presided over a case with lesbians or gays, since the judge could be disqualified from hearing the case.

Whomever you vote for, Come Out Voting! It is essential that we participate in our country's election process. Change is im-

portant and only people who participate can affect change. On the average, 95 percent of lesbian and gays vote. Let's not ruin our average, in fact let's shoot for 100 percent. Get out and vote!

President of the United States Bill Clinton (D) George Bush (R) Ross Perot

The choice here is fairly obvious. No other presidential candidate has ever courted lesbians and gays as Bill Clinton has. He has included us in his national plan for change, appeared before national lesbian and gay gatherings and for the most part included us in the Democratic platform in historic proportions.

Whether or not Clinton lives up to his promises about lesbian and gay rights remains to be seen. How much pressure he can stand from the right on Capitol Hill is an unknown. What we do know is Clinton's commitment to ending the AIDS crisis. He has never failed to mention AIDS in his speeches detailing his priorities. When Clinton was in Cleveland during a September bus tour, the crowd cheered the loudest when Clinton mentioned his commitment to solving the AIDS crisis. Considering AIDS hasn't even been given lip service by our current president, any change will be for the better. Clinton represents a new generation, a generation which understands AIDS and the commitment that is needed to wipe it off the face of this earth.

The AIDS epidemic started ten years ago, since then the presidency has been negligent in its handling of the crisis. If for no other reason, vote for Bill Clinton and vote some help for all those you know who are HIV-positive so they may live to vote in another presidential election.

U.S. Senate

John Glenn (D) Mike DeWine (R)

Unfortunately, there is no overwhelming choice in this race, as far and lesbian and gay issues are concerned.

Guest Opinion

Over the last three years, Sen. Glenn's voting record on lesbian and gay issues has declined. According to the National Lesbian and Gay Task Force (NGLTF), Sen. Glenn voted only 50 percent of the time with the NGLTF position this year, unlike 1991 where he voted 90 percent of the time with NGLTF. He has also repeatedly said in letters to constituents that "unlike religion, being lesbian or gay is a choice and therefore not worthy of protection under civil rights laws." The good senator just doesn't get it. He also supports the military's ban on gays. Locally, he is very unresponsive to the community. He has yet to even reply to an invitation to Pride, much less attend.

To his credit he is pro-choice and is a better choice than his opponent, Lt. Gov. Michael De Wine. We just wish Sen. Glenn would wake up to the 90's and open a dialogue with at least 10 percent of the people he represents.

Michael DeWine, sidekick to our notorious 'homophobic ex-mayor, now governor, George Voinovich, is really scary. Mr. "Family Values" with the rabid right wing by his side, would be the worst thing that happened to Ohio in a long time.

Keep the astronaut, maybe he will come down to earth long enough to listen to us.

U.S. House, 10th District Mary Rose Oakar (D) Martin Hoke (R)

Just once in the lifetime of the Chronicle we would like to heartily and enthusiastically endorse Mary Rose Oakar. This is not the year. Once again here is the situation of an incumbent who could do better and a challenger who we don't know enough about to trust.

Through the years Oakar has voted with NGLTF positions 100 percent. She has signed on as a co-sponsor of the national gay and lesbian civil rights bill for the last three sessions of Congress, although this time it took pressure from Stonewall Cleveland. She gave the impression she wouldn't have signed on if no one had noticed. But we did, and she did. Oakar's lack of attention to our local community also makes her an unattractive candidate. We did notice

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that her ad in the new Free Times says "Family Values." Family Values, code words for "anti-gay," is odd coming from Oakar for obvious reasons, and is really insulting to this community. Too bad, Mary Rose, this could have been the year.

Martin Hoke could have been a savior but not enough is known about him. He didn't return the Stonewall survey, and his born-again supporters make him suspicious.

It is really a toss-up on this one. Remember Oakar is anti-choice, and Hoke says he is pro-choice but not too many people believe him. Good luck.

U.S. House, 11th District ★ Louis Stokes (D) Beryl Rothschild (R) Ed Gudenas

Gerald Carver Henley

This one is no contest. Our man is Louis Stokes. He has been a 100 percent supContinued on Page 20

Oakar's support for gays and lesbians isn't as strong as it seems

by Henry J. Ceslewski, Jr.

U.S. Rep. Mary Rose Oakar's recent cosponsorship of federal civil rights protections for sexual minorities is not an indication that Oakar regrets her past avoidance of queer issues, and should not be cause for celebration. Instead, Oakar should be viewed with continued suspicion and alarm.

Oakar has advanced the notion that she is a champion of so-called women's issues and that she is a voice for the disadvantaged. But, during her 16 years in office, numerous lives have become more impoverished and unbearable and Oakar has increasingly eluded any constructive debate.

Uniquely, Oakar's strong will and determination have been both an asset and a major obstacle to progressive politics. In celebrating the distinguished life of Susan B. Anthony, Oakar sought to establish ties with politically active feminist women. She rightfully deserves credit for promoting Ms. Anthony's accomplishments. Simultaneously, however, Oakar became the darling of the neo-conservatives with her steadfast opposition to abortion rights.

Queers fully appreciate the right to privacy and demand the right to determine what they do with their own bodies. Oakar

doesn't respect these concepts and has repeatedly voted to deny poor women their reproductive choices. Oakar is adamant in her refusal to support the Freedom of Choice Act and has been singled out by pro-choice groups as having one of the worst voting records on pro-choice legislation. Oakar's entrenched, uncompromising position is extremely dangerous because it supports privacy violations and seriously interferes with issues of self-determination.

On a parallel theme: When the Plain Dealer disclosed that Oakar had previously shared a condo with a female staffer, many otherwise intelligent gays engaged in futile debate about whether or not Oakar was "family."

Some have suggested that Oakar is a closeted, self-hating lesbian. But, any such speculation borders on an invasion of Oakar's privacy and will distract our attention away from issues of merit.

Unlike Oakar, I respect privacy rights and therefore decline to engage in the debate. Likewise, such theorizing can only be useful if it can demonstrate that Oakar has altered her decision-making because of internalized homophobia. And, nobody has proven anything except that Oakar isn't

what she claims to be. Notwithstanding profile events to express outrage that the Oakar's claims.

Fanatical "christians" continue to verbally attack our integrity and our communities; and queer-bashing has reached unprecedented levels throughout the country. Yet Oakar is effectively silent. Admittedly, Oakar's vote in favor of maintaining statistics on hate crimes was helpful in determining the scope of the problem. But, it wasn't enough.

Oakar may have made pronouncements against queer-bashing on the floor of the House of Representatives, but she hasn't been heard in the neighborhoods where people are suffering. Oakar hasn't been to the Clifton area to fight the bigotry; nor has she appeared on the evening news to denounce the violence and hatred. Oakar hasn't confronted the homophobia where its rampant; and partly because of her silence, the violence and degradation continue to increase.

Likewise, even though HIV infection among women is escalating at an alarming rate, Oakar has said nothing about this catastrophe at community events where it matters most. Oakar hasn't appeared at "Dancin' in the Streets" or other high-

Bush administration delayed releasing all of the Ryan White funds. Nor has Oakar joined in protest against antiquated CDC definitions of AIDS that don't fully repre-

Continued on Page 26

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