1 LIVI

gay people's

Cleveland, Ohio

ED WOMEN. YOU KNOW FIRMS ARE MANDATED & NMENT CAMERACTS NWR

Hard Hatted Women "Think!"

NIC

February 19, 1993

ONES THAT

Volume 8 Issue 8

60 cents

On Newsstands

An Independent Chronicle of the Lesbian & Gay Community

ORDE Gay groups scramble to WYETH catch up to military fracas THEF

Photo by Peggi Cella

Mary Briggs and Marcia Sindelar, perform Aretha Franklin's "Think" at the 18th Annual Womyn's Variety Show, at the Civic February 13. Story on Page 5.

by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.

The two national gay groups responsible for coordinating Washington lobbying on gay issues scrambled in January to respond to a groundswell of opposition to President Clinton's plan to end discrimination against gays in the military.

Although the two groups, the Human Rights Campaign Fund and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said they were activating their lobbying networks in Washington and across the country, some Capitol Hill staffers friendly to the gay community said the two groups appeared to be caught "asleep at the switch" on this issue.

A number of sources in Congress and the White House, speaking only on condition that they not be identified, said pro-gay staffers and their bosses reacted in disbelief beginning January 22, when HRCF and NGLTF officials told them their lobbying plans for January and February had cen-

Forum: Separatism, gatecrashers, low

sales plagued Center talent show

by Kevin Beaney

The community forum to discuss the results of the Center Stage II Talent Show attracted an audience that was small but intent. The concern expressed and questions raised by the group of less than ten, plus the Center representatives, created a valuable meeting. Held on Wednesday, January 27 at the Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center, the forum allowed those who were involved and the attendees to discuss how successful the Talent Show evening was and how to improve on it in the future.

Dolores Noll, Nick Palumbo and Bill Tregoning represented the Center board; the Center's executive director, Leigh Robertson, was also on hand. Most of the questions were fielded by Bluefish Productions' Brynna Fish, who was the show's producer. All the different aspects of the

undertaking were reviewed, including the planning process, the site (the Civic on Mayfield Road), the Center Spread reception, the program book, publicity, and the multiple elements that made up the show itself.

Much of the meeting's criticism arose from the article and editorial in last month's Chronicle which reported that the event made $200 plus uncollected ads, which could add another $800 to the treasury. Audience members, about evenly divided between the show's volunteers and attendees, took the organizers to task for failing to produce a larger profit. The board members stressed again what was reported from last month's board meeting, that the event was primarily to be a community-building event that would bridge separatism and would be a fun evening. On that level, the board felt they succeeded.

As the meeting progressed, it became

clearer that separatist issues held over from the first Talent Show held in 1991 contributed to the poor results of the "second annual" show. In that first year, only male acts won prizes. For 1992 the rules were changed to include male and female prize Continued on Page 12

tered around an overall federal gay civil rights bill, not the gays-in-the military question.

"They said they expected the White House would take care of the military thing," said one House staffer. "They thought Clinton would issue his order and it would sail through with little or no difficulty."

Tanya Domi, military affairs coordinator for NGLTF, did not dispute this assertion. But Domi said few people on Capitol Hill or in the Clinton White House predicted the intensity of the opposition. She said it would be unfair to blame NGLTF and HRCF for not anticipating what happened this week.

"Nobody thought Sam Nunn (chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee) would so boldly challenge the president of the United States," said Domi. "I don't think the White House was prepared for this. Everybody was gearing up for the gay civil rights bill."

But Congressional staffers supportive of gay issues said Nunn, D-Ga., made his opposition known to Clinton's plan to lift the ban shortly after the November presidential election. The staffers said that with top military officials and leading Republican Senators speaking out in opposition to rescinding the anti-gay policy, they were puzzled over why HRCF and NGLTF did not begin mobilizing their forces weeks earlier.

"I reject the suggestion that we are not Continued on Page7

Gay-studies course proposal ignites Kent State rightists

by Martha Pontoni

Akron-Canton Bureau

A demonstration sponsored by a conservative Kent State student group against a gay-studies major turned ugly earlier this month. On February 4 over 300 students stood and threw trash and jeers and comments at each other over a request from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Union for a gay-

Activists, workers gather to studies course develop Clinton AIDS plan

by Kevin Beaney

On February 8 an all-day regional meeting, part of Federal AIDS Agenda '93, was held at Cleveland State University's Convocation Centre. This meeting was part of a nationwide process to develop AIDS strategies for the Clinton administration, and was declared a success by the organizers.

About 115 people took part in the Cleveland regional conference, coming from as far as Buffalo, Toledo and Cincinnati, with a wide diversity of individuals and service organizations represented. Men and women from many ethnic groups, from major cities and rural communities

all joined for a day of discussions leading to AIDS priorities and recommendations. National organizations that were represented at the regional meeting included the National Association of People With AIDS, the National Minority AIDS Council and the Washington, D.C. based AIDS Action Council (AAC).

President's Clinton's health care transition team asked the AAC to prepare a document detailing what the administration's AIDS services and priorities should be among five categories. The AAC decided to open up the process and invite suggestions from AIDS service

Continued on Page 15

Forget King and Limbaugh!

Friends Among Nations (FAN), represented by student Richard Heinz, declared that "The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Union have their palms on your paychecks. We feel this is another way to push their lifestyle on us." Heinz was referring to tuition going to pay for a gay-studies group. Heinz also inflamed the group by suggesting that the school will eventually have a gay-studies major and that tuition would increase to support that major.

FAN is a Kent State organization that often criticizes the university on how it spends its money. "If you're a homosexual that's fine," said Heinz. "Just keep it in your bedroom and out of my wallet. Every time you speak out against them, they call you homophobic. What's next, a bestiality major?"

The gay studies course was first introduced by Damian Pisanelli, past president of LGBU. A KSU spokeswomen denied

there was a class being set up and admitted the Administration wasn't aware of any proposal.

Alyssa Lamb, current president of LGBU, said that they did send the proposal to the school's administration last year, "Our organization believes this issue is being used as a smoke screen for discrimination and homophobia."

Heinz says he may start asking foundations that give money to the university to withhold that money because gay groups on campus receive funding.

CONTENTS

5 7

Gays at the Inaugural . Center burglarized Ohio solons OK military gays 100 things to do at the March... 9 We expand to Akron.... When you knew you were gay Honesty--after unsafe sex . . . . . Opera & life blend in drama .. 24 Performance artists on the loose 26

A resource on battered lesbians 27 New Men on Men is diverse 28 Charlie's Calendar ...

We've got our own

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