JULY 23, 1993 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 9

PSYCHED OUT

Psychological and spiritual health: one in the same?

by Mike Radice

But if you have strong moral values and believe in God, these people (abortionrights proponents) say you're a religious fanatic," commented Heidi Zavrl, an antiabortion supporter, in an interview with a Plain Dealer reporter during the recent visit of Operation Rescue.

Well, she's right about the "believe in God" part. Pro-choice demonstrators mocked the spiritual beliefs and religious practices of the anti-choice side. "Pray, you need it. Your cause has been defeated," chanted pro-choice demonstrators, as the other side recited the Hail Mary.

Of course, she's wrong about the mockery of strong moral values.

The stand-off between the groups was supposed to be about a woman's legal right to a safe abortion. However, when Operation Rescue decided not to threaten that right, the issue mutated into a one-sided, and often spiteful, forum on the issue of religious expression. As anti-choice demonstrators attempted to exercise their constitutionally protected right to spiritual expression, the pro-choicers worked to deny them that right.

"I'm angry, and I want them to know it," was the response of one pro-choicer, while explaining to a television reporter her reason for shouting to distract anti-choicers from engaging in a group worship activity. This woman understood the relationship between spirituality and psychological health, and exploited an opportunity to create psychological discomfort in her oppo-

nents by attempting to deny them spiritual connection.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm just as ticked-off as the next homo about the oppressive and intrusive agenda of fundie Christians, and I don't want them to legislate how I use my body either, but I'd never consider denying them their fundamental right to individual spiritual expression and connection. Denying this right damages their psychological health, as spirituality and mental health are interdependent. I'm not into "people damaging".

The field of psychology has only recently recognized the relationship between the two, and have coined it "psychospirituality." Several Cleveland area psychological practices, catering to the gay and lesbian community, currently offer some form of psychospiritual therapy.

Gays and lesbians have also been catching on to the need for spiritual reconnection. There's now a religious group for gays and lesbians in almost every religion practicing in this country, including Mormons. Lesbians and gays are returning to their churches and synagogues and are reclaiming their right to spiritual expression. Two area churches have openly gay ministers, and HIV support agencies have been offering workshops on spiritual awareness and connection. The tide is rolling in on this religious stuff, and gays and lesbians are hopping on the boat. The boat has a diverse crowd which includes Unitarian Universalists, Christians, Jews, Pagans, and New Agers (to name a few).

COMMUNITY FORUM

The downside of all this is that the spiritual stuff that has been providing the psychological healing is also on the verge of pulling us apart. Gay and lesbian communities, nationwide, have discovered a new source of division: religious expression.

At the last OutWrite Conference in Boston (an educational gathering of homo writers), the opening session included a religious ceremony sponsored by Native Americans. Non-Native Americans were excluded from participation, but were permitted to observe the ritual. Although many of us were fascinated by the ceremony, controversy emerged over the expectation that "Non-Native" Americans would have to sit through a religious ceremony at a writer's conference, and then be likewise systematically excluded from participation. Even the Advocate took a swipe at this situation.

Religion has historically pulled communities and countries apart, and has been used as an excuse to destroy entire groups of people. Just ask a Jew. The reasons for many of the controversies have been based more on differences in religious practices and rituals versus any real differences in basic beliefs, as there is more commonality between these religions than there are differences.

The Greater Cleveland gay and lesbian

community has had its own religious earthquakes. Unitarian Universalists have endured regular slams for their celebrating the diversity of religious beliefs among their members. Christians have been belittled because many community members believe that the religion is designed around a patriarchal model (which isn't true). Pagans have been the butt of many a joke.

Psychological health and spirituality are not oil and water. They do mix, and are critical for securing the long-term well being of our community and its members. However, unfortunately, we are beginning to divide along religious lines; and the division is emerging just when we're beginning to show signs of coming together.

We're already bitterly divided along sex, race, ethnic, economic, geographic, and political lines. If we likewise divide along religious lines, the camel's back will surely snap and our efforts to secure our human rights will stall.

Next column: Local homosexual-toheterosexual factories.

Mike Radice is a Cleveland psychologist, specializing in working with children.

Jeffrey J. Gerhardstein, L.I.S.W., A.C.C.

Individual and Group Psychotherapy

✩male survivors of sexual abuse

◇ oppressions recovery

addictions recovery ✩mens liberation work

20800 Center Ridge Rd., Suite 202 Rocky River OH 44116 356-9885

Continued from previous page

helped me feel good about being gay.

When I received the July 9 issue, I asked myself, what happened? The headlines, front page picture and story were all negative. Worst, there was a sarcastic comment about an anti-gay billboard (pictured on the front page) telling us the anti-gay billboard was tasteful. And, news of the record-breaking attendance and mainstream political support at the Stonewall Dinner was hidden on page two. The Chronicle looked more like the anti-gay people's chronicle than the fabulous Gay People's Chronicle which I was looking forward to.

I understand that journalistic ethics require reporting to be neutral and that newspapers often sell more issues with sensational and negative headlines (just look at the Plain Dealer). In the Chronicle's case, I would hope that positive, pro-gay headlines and balanced, well-written articles would sell more papers.

I am not suggesting you become blind to religious extremists and naive in your reporting; I am suggesting you bring us a ray of positive light in our quest to be who we

are.

By giving our headlines away to religious extremists and anti-gay groups you are giving them credence and continuing

society's abuse and oppression of us as lesbians, gays & bisexuals. By showing us only the negative side of issues like the recent Oregon elections (some in Oregon felt the results were positive), you may be squelching our gusto to stand up for our rights. I want to know the facts (positive and negative), but I don't want to be oppressed by others in my own community.

My experience at gay rallies and marches is that if we ignore anti-gay protesters, they just go away. When we fight them and give them our power, they stay and shout and yell and ruin our parade. Please don't give our power away to the anti-gay groups.

I love being gay. I wish you would support me in that. I hope the Chronicle can be an energizing ray of hope for our community.

Patrick McNamara

The Chronicle encourages everyone to write and express their opinion about the paper or life in general. Please be brief. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. We will print your name unless you specifically ask us not to.

Address letters to the Chronicle, P.O. Box 5426, Cleveland, Ohio, 44101, or fax to 216621-5282. Include your address and phone number so we may contact you to verify the letter.

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