Page 2 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE February 19, 1993

Editorials

What is Pride worth to you?

Four years ago busy preparations were being put together for the first Pride celebration. Pride '89 was something this town had never seen before in many different ways. Men and women working together to produce a very "out of the closet" event; not thinking of themselves but of the community and how it would prosper with this new-found "Pride."

This year it is hard to get people to come to Pride meetings. Most of the original organizers have burned out and dropped out and the present ones are crispy. The first organizational meeting, which in the past has drawn 50-plus men and women, drew a smaller number of men this year... and no women. The enthusiasm that marks a Pride celebration is now present in only a few of the members of our vast community.

Our question to you: is Pride worth it? Maybe there shouldn't be a Pride celebration. Having only 400 to 500 people march-

ing in a community of thousands can be embarrassing, don't you think?

Maybe we should go back to closeted, quiet days in Cleveland when our community center was in a run-down house, there was no pride march or celebration, and no lesbians or gays were seen or heard in this town. It would certainly be easier.

At the Chronicle we think that Pride is one of the most important lesbian and gay institutions in this town. That is why we support it with adverting space, staff time, computer facilities and anything else we can do. But what does Pride mean to you, and how can you support it?

According to the Pride board, if Pride is going to survive, there is going to have to be an outpouring of support from the community. Chairpeople need to step forward, committees need to formed and start their work and most importantly, money must be raised to afford a new site. All of this must

The fight's not over yet

The controversy in January over Clinton's end to the military gay ban didn't just happen by itself. The avalanche of anti-gay calls to House and Senate offices wasn't spontaneous. We know the religious right was on TV and in their pulpits, exhorting their followers to call, call, call!

Our senators and representatives--and the president--know this, too. But they can't ignore the 9-to-1 tilt against us. Nor is it easy

Bill Clinton

President of the United States 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20500

202-456-1414 (main) 202-456-2883 (fax) 202-456-1111 (comment line to express opinion) 202-456-2226 (after a bill is signed or vetoed)

Albert Gore

Vice President of the United States 202-456-2326

202-456-7125

Les Aspin

Secretary of Defense

703-695-5261

for them to turn away from the disinformation campaign being waged in lobbies, corridors, and talk shows by the Pentagon.

We need to help them all we can. Both Ohio senators favor Clinton's plan (see page 7). Some of our representatives do, also. But this support can wither during the six months of "careful consideration" (read: intense lobbying, circulation of defamatory videotapes, etc.). They need to hear from us.' They

Who to call and write:

Address for all senators: Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Sen. George Mitchell Majority Leader 202-224-5344

Sen. Robert Dole Minority Leader 202-224-6521

Sen. Sam Nunn

Chairman, Senate Armed

Services Committee

202-224-3871 202-224-9231 (fax)

Sen. Howard Metzenbaum 522-7272 (Cleveland) 202-224-2315

Guest Opinion

Sen. John Glenn 522-7095 (Cleveland) 202-224-3353

come from the community, which means all of you who are reading this editorial.

You must decide what you can do. How many hours of volunteer work is this institution worth to you? How many dollars? Is it important to you that we have a march and celebration of our existence against the forces that would destroy us? If it is not important enough to you to help then you won't mind if there is no march or festival this year. And so there won't be.

If it is important to you then you must help. It would certainly be quite an irony that in this year where lesbians and gays are more visible then ever before, Cleveland opts to be hidden once more. The next Pride general meetings are scheduled for February 22 and March 15, at 7:30 pm at the Chronicle offices. Call 621-5280 for directions.

Think about it: What is Pride worth to you?

need to be able to say they've gotten X number of calls supporting an end to the ban--calls that didn't all arrive on Monday morning from the same small town. Our opponents in Congress also need to hear from us--don't write them off.

The media spotlight may have moved away from this issue, but the Hill staffers are still counting calls. And reading letters. Call. Write. We can't afford to lose this one.

Address for representatives: House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Rep. Ron Dellums

Chairman, House Armed Services Committee 202-225-9077

Rep. Martin Hoke 331-9318 (Cleveland) 202-225-5871

Rep. Louis Stokes

522-4900 or 522-4907 (Cleve.) 202-225-7032

Gay and lesbian hypocrites

Come out of denial

This commentary offers the perspective of an African-American gay man in recognition of Black History Month. Ron is a business executive who, wrestling with his internalized homophobia and acceptance issues, is not yet ready to identify himself.

by Ron X.

We Americans have a race problem. We also have a sexuality problem. We have race and sexuality problems in many of the same ways alcoholics have drinking problems... and we are in denial.

Persons who live with abusive alcoholics must always be prepared for the times the alcoholic comes home in a destructive state. Quite similarly African-American people, gay and lesbian people, live in an abusive society and must be prepared to withstand the destruction that such a society generates.

As a black gay male I have found that being both gay and black opens your life

experience to more occasions of destructive actions against you. Some of these actions are intentional; others are the product of a society that is designed to exclude people like us. Our gay neighborhoods and our African-American neighborhoods provide a safer space where there are fewer attacks against our human dignity; in them we encounter people who nurture and understand us.

When you are black and gay, however, this is more difficult. You are often rejected by both communities. I do not believe that the African-American community is significantly more homophobic than other ethnic communities at comparable socioeconomic levels. Gay and lesbian sons and daughters of blue collar, religious, ethnic families face as much rejection as gay and lesbian sons and daughters of blue collar, religious, African-American families.

These gay and lesbian sons and daughters who do not go on to acquire a broader perspective either through a well-rounded

Rep. Sherrod Brown 202-225-3401

Rep. Eric Fingerhut 943-1919 (Cuyahoga County) 202-225-5731

Department of Defense Public Affairs 703-697-5737

Gen. Colin L. Powell

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Pentagon Washington, DC 203015000

703-697-9121 703-697-5737 703-697-8758 (fax)

higher education that provides historical psychological and social perspective, or through personal introspection, are more likely to perpetuate the views of their parents--sexuality and race notwithstanding.

When we continue to practice lifestyles that exclude people based upon race or sex we are co-dependents wed to the society that oppresses us. When we make disparaging remarks about African-American, white or Hispanic people, about lesbians, straights, gays, transvestites, or even Republicans, we perpetuate a spirit of intolerance in the world. The fact that we are ourselves victims of oppression does not entitle us to oppress.

Here are a few practical things each of us do.

Begin fixing the race and sexuality prob-

in our country by looking within-yourself. Black History Month is a good time for each of us to reflect upon ways one group of people overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve many occasions

gay people's

HR CONICLE

Vol. 8, Issue 8

Founded by Charles Callender, 1928-1986 Published by KWIR Publications

Publisher:

Martha J. Pontoni Business Manager:

Patti Harris Managing Editor:

Kevin Beaney Production Manager: Brian De Witt Associate Editor:

Scott C. Hare Reporters and Writers:

Martha J. Pontoni, Dora Forbes, Marne Harris Kevin Beaney, Douglas Braun

Timothy Robson, S.K. Bair.

Akron-Canton Bureau:

Ted Wammes, Jerry Kaiser, Paul Schwitzgebel, Richard Simonton, Heather Steenrod. Artist:

Christine Hahn

Circulation Manager:

Shawn Kyle Johnson

Sales Manager:

Patti Harris

Editorial Board:

Martha J. Pontoni, Patti Harris, Kevin Beaney, Brian De Witt, Scott Hare.

The Gay People's Chronicle is dedicated to providing a space in the northeast Ohio lesbian-gay community for all of its members to communicate and be involved with each other. This means that every Chronicle, to the best of its ability, will be equally dedicated to both men's and women's issues, as well as issues that affect the entire commmity. This balance will provide lesbians and gay men with a forum to air grievances and express joys.

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of greatness. You only have to read the newspaper to realize that we have tremendous obstacles to overcome. Find ways to identify with that struggle.

Look critically at your circle of friends. Ask yourself, why is there so little racial and sexual diversity amongst that circle? Take responsibility for broadening it--today. How can we expect the straight community to accept sexual diversity when we avoid diversity ourselves? Is it because we feel that straight people are superior to us? We too "just don't feel comfortable around those kind of people."

Don't say anything racist or tolerate the speaking of it in your presence--today. Use your mouth and ears for better things.

I too, a great-great grandson of slaves, have a dream. I dream of a day when people of all races, creeds, sexes, and sexual orien tations live together in a way that none of these things makes any difference at all. I am going to try to live out that dream just for today--one day at a time.