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Articles had attitude

To the Editors:

I'd like to respond to two articles written

by Kevin Beaney. The first is his coverage

of the fishbowl sponsored by the People of

Color of the Center and SOAR. [Sept. 17]I

think his choice of words and use of punctuation indicate an attitude about the intent of the meeting.

For example, the use of quotation marks with words like fishbowl, well intentioned, and ins and outs set those words apart as foreign or peculiar. The use of the word frustration in the headline to describe the fishbowl reduced the scope of the events and interactions leading up to and described in the fishbowl to the level of an emotional response. The use of the word black to describe the fishbowl participants is an example of our white tendency to lump all people of color into one category for white convenience.

I think that both the use of punctuation and the choice of words lent a subtle tone of

condescension to the article. The belittling and dismissing Beaney refers to seemed to block some literal comprehension on his part to what was said to the people listening. The process for the listeners was intended to deal with the barriers experienced by the listeners to really hearing accurately what was said. Hopefully Beaney learned something and at some point will write about that process that he did not choose to share in this article.

I had a problem with his coverage in the October 1 issue of the Center's decision to cancel the 1993 talent show. Why did he have to include comments at the end of the article about the women's community? The reasons stated at the beginning of the article about the Center board's intention to deal with racism as a priority was a clear statement of my understanding of the issues. The board clearly took responsibility for the decision. The addition of distorted comments about Judy Rainbrook's meeting with some lesbians is not constructive or helpful to her as the new director of the Center to lesbians, or the lesbian and gay people of color. The lesbian community, including separatists, is not responsible for the problems with the talent show and we will not share the implied blame assigned by Beaney to lesbians and people of color for the difficulties with that event.

Susan Woodworth

Racism thrives at the Chronicle

To the Editors:

I am writing in response to the Chronicle's editorial addressing racism in our community. The editorial offers more reasons for maintaining the status quo and doing nothing about racism, than ways to confront racism in our community.

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Statements such as "it isn't our fault," "... we are never going to end racism," "it's all of Cleveland's problem," are statements made by white people defending the racist status quo. They all imply that there is a problem that has no solution or is too big for us to do anything about. This is particularly offensive journalism since it was written in response to efforts by the People of Color at the Lesbian and Gay Center, the Women of SOAR, the Lesbian and Gay Center board, staff, and volunteers, and many other organizations who had representatives at the recent fishbowl process-a process in which a notable effort was made to challenge the very status quo that the Chronicle implies will always exist. If you check your notes from the fishbowl, you will find that the People of Color very clearly stated what it will take to create a multicultural community. The solutions are staring us in the face. Are we up to the challenge of implementing them?

We invite the Chronicle to join us in the

OCTOBER 15, 1993

COMMUNITY FORUM

work of anti-racism. Send a representative

to the anti-racism workshop, October 30,

1993. See the ad [in this issue] for more

information.

Phyllis Balcerzak S.O.A.R.

Start challenging your racism

To the Editors:

It seems to me from your editorial on racism in our community that you think whites and people of color are equally responsible for the creation of our racist organizations. It even seems as if you want some credit for the struggle it has been to get people of color involved in white organizations. You make it sound as if the People of Color are the problem and you are the great solver, needing to be pitied because you can't find the solution. Then you say you can't find the solution because of personalities.

You might start by getting a personality that wants to create a welcoming environment to different cultures. Then get a world view that sees how yourself and other whites participate in racism. Then start challenging those parts of your personality and others that contribute to the racist world view.

Your struggle to drag People of Color into your hostile environment can be nothing compared to the struggle of People of Color walking out of the door every morning into this racist country.

Irene Orski S.O.A.R.

Fighting the demons

To the Editors:

I was appalled to read the Chronicle editorial on racism in our community. The editorial supports a white supremacist world view. It appears that some clarification is in order. The following are examples.

The editorial states that "Attempts to get People Of Color involved don't work because personalities throw the movement off track."

Clarification: This statement denies the influence of racism in our judgements about which personalities will be tolerated and which will not. Furthermore, the instituion of racism in this country benefits white people-not white people with certain personalities.

The editorial states that, "No one likes to be racist and no one likes to be excluded by what they feel are racist attitudes."

Clarification: "No one likes to be racist" meaning, white people don't like to be racist and no one likes to be excluded... meaning, People Of Color don't like to be excluded by what they "feel" is racism. The "fact" that whites don't like to be racist followed by the "feeling" that People Of Color are excluded by racist attitudes is a white supremacist expression. In a white world, statements of fact are believable and feelings are questionable. So, once again whites are right and People Of Color, maybe, maybe not.

And true to the double talk of the white patriarchs, the content of the statement of fact, is a lie. There are plenty of people who like to be racist. They don't like to be caught. Well, we've all been caught being racist. It's time we were caught being anti-racist.

We invite the Gay People's Chronicle to join us in fighting the demons of white supremacy.

Jane Atomes S.O.A.R.

Editors' note-The Sept. 17 editorial reads as follows (italics added):

"As a community we keep making efforts like the Lambda Leadership council, the short-lived Racism Forum, and the recently held Fishbowl meeting, but personalities on both sides keep throwing the movement off track. Anger and resentment inflame the issues. No one likes to be called racist, and no one likes to be excluded by what they feel are racist attitudes."

Play House criticism is unwarranted

To the Editors:

We hope we speak for many gay men and women in the Cleveland area when we say that in the year that the Gay People's Chronicle has been publishing it has come to fill a much-needed role in terms of important news and thoughtful reporting. Therefore it was doubly offensive to us and to many of our co-workers who have come to look upon your publication as a voice of reason and fairness to our community to see the Cleveland Play House labeled as "discreetly homophobic" in the Entertainment section of the September 3 issue. Such an ignorant and unwarranted comment cannot go unanswered.

In his critique of all Cleveland-area theaters, reporter Barry Daniels made a number of disparaging comments about the Play House. This is not the basis for our complaint this is his right as a theater critic, and he is entitled to his opinion. However, when he uses his position to display his ignorance and to label as homophobic an institution that we believe is one of the Cleveland gay community's best friends, we must protest in the strongest terms available. Such shoddy journalism is not worthy of your publication.

Looking at Mr. Daniels' article in its entirety, we can only assume that he based such an ignorant statement on our season brochure's description of the title character in Cheryl West's Holiday Heart as "wise, unabashedly flamboyant and a female impersonator by trade" (a description that is all true, by the way). He felt compelled to add that he hoped "we're really going to be dealing with a transvestite." While Mr. Daniels is entitled to make any comment he wishes about our press materials, to cite a marketing brochure that is trying to create interest in a play among an entire population as diverse as Cleveland as evidence of homophobia is simply ludicrous-particularly in light of his statement that Ms. West's Jar the Floor was "the Play House's one merited success last year." Since one of the major issues discussed throughout that play is whether the daughter and her woman friend are lesbians, it makes us wonder whether Mr. Daniels saw the same show we did. He then goes on to classify which theaters of Cleveland he considers gay friendly, affixing the Play House with what amounts to a "Scarlet H" homophobia tag. Such labels can be terribly hard to dispel. We who work at (and are Out at) the Play House know such a statement to be patently false. Believing that the only way to answer innuendo and rumor is with facts, we would like to add a little truth to this discussion.

Let us first begin with our repertoire. A quick perusal of the last few years will show a wide variety of gay authors or plays dealing with gay characters and concerns: As Is by William Hoffman; Hugh Whitemore's Breaking the Code; Reynolds Price's trilogy New Music; The Heidi Chronicles by Wendy Wasserstein; Man of the Moment by Alan Ayckbourn; Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana, Fugue by Leonora Thuna, The Lion in Winter and Ms. West's Jar the Floor and Holiday Heart. Plays with gay concerns first explored in our DiscoveRead new play development series include James Duff's A Quarrel of Sparrows which moved to a mainstage production; Homeward Bound by Elliot Hayes, and two plays by Lydia Stryk, Monte Carlo and The Fine Things in Life. Also this year, our Lab Company season will include Paula Vogel's Obie award winning play about AIDS, The Baltimore Waltz.

At the heart of our mission to serve the full Cleveland community is our obligation to open our doors to everyone. To those ends we have made a firm commitment to the work of African-American playwright Cheryl West. In all of her plays, Ms. West has consistently featured gay characters and issues, and Holiday Heart is no exception. Regardless of what Mr. Daniels may think

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 15

of our advertising copy, we think he will find few examples in Cleveland of other major arts institutions presenting their middle-of-the-road subscriber base with such alternative views of the contemporary family as Ms. West's play which features a gaypositive role model as the primary caregiver.

The true measure of a gay friendly institution, however, is not merely reflected in its repertoire, but is shown in its positive attitudes toward gay employees in the work environment and in its commitment to serve a leading role in issues that are of importance to our community. In these areas we know the Play House takes a back seat to no one. Allow us to list some of the events we have been involved with since the artistic leadership changed in 1988:

1. World AIDS Day. The Play House complex, including the Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, was the site of Cleveland's first World AIDS Day observance in 1990, as it has been every year since. Each year, members of the Play House Lab Company and permanent staff have presented a new Lab production as our contribution to the day-long observance.

2. The Names Project. The Play House first displayed panels of Cleveland's AIDS Quilt in our lobbies during our 1989 production of As Is. Each World AIDS Day since, the Quilt has been displayed as part of our observance (including last year when December 1st was the opening night of our annual holiday production). Need we mention that for many Clevelanders when they walk through or around it in our lobbies this is the first and only contact they've ever had (or will have) with the Quilt. We have also shown the award-winning film, Common Threads, in our lobbies as part of each year's observance.

3. Take a Stand AIDS Benefit, 1993. The Play House Lab Company under the direction of artistic associate Leslie Swakhamer presented the premiere of A Country Beyond Tears, a reading adapted from the works of gay author Paul Monette (including Becoming a Man, Love Alone & On Borrowed Time). The Play House offered its facilities, and all personnel worked, free of charge. Last week Take a Stand received the Northern Ohio Live Award for 199293's Best Benefit.

4. Love and Science, a radical response to AIDS. Written by gay playwright-in-residence K.C. Davis, this Lab Company production was premiered free-of charge during the 1991-92 season. It then toured to six area colleges at minimal cost.

5. AIDS writing workshops. Gay playwright K.C. Davis and artistic associate Leslie Swackhamer hosted writing workshops for PWAs at the Living Room throughout the 1991-92 season.

6. Mix and Match. This play which toured to area high schools was created from student writings developed in in-school writing workshops conducted by Lab Company writers and actors. The script featured a gay high school student and dealt with AIDS attitudes among gay and straight youth. (A number of high school bookings were canceled because of subject matter.)

7. Elegy for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens by Bill Russell. Play presented to the public free-of-charge by the Lab Company as part of World AIDS Day 1991. Additional performances included a presentation to Play House Trustees, and at both the Take a Stand I and the Health Issues Taskforce benefits. Again, Play House personnel and staff donated their talents and services.

8. Benefits. Various Play House productions have been used to host benefits for the Health Issues Task Force and the Living Room, including As Is and The Heidi Chronicles.

We could go on and on-the Play House team at the AIDS Walk, our series of latenight fund-raising cabarets for Equity Fights AIDS-but hope the point has been made. Such a commitment of time and effort from

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