GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 26, 1993

EDITORIAL

Don't depend on the courts

Good news for gays and lesbians came from the federal courts this month when two unrelated decisions were issued on the same day, striking down laws and policies which discriminate against our community.

On November 16, Judge S. Arthur Spiegel blocked enactment of Cincinnati's Issue 3. Spiegel reasoned that Issue 3 "fenced out" gays and lesbians from the political process, leaving city officials "powerless" to address the gay community's concerns.

On the same day, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a decision which found unconstitutional the old Pentagon rules under which Joseph C. Steffan, a Navy midshipman, had been discharged from the Navy because he admitted he was gay.

The news from the courts has been so favorable, some members of our community may be tempted to conclude that our interests will be inevitably upheld in the courts, and the hostile forces of the religious right can thus be beaten back once and for

all. Such a conclusion would be misguided.

History teaches us that courts are at best unreliable in upholding gay and lesbian rights. It was, after all, only seven years ago that the U.S. Supreme Court decided Bowers v Hardwick. That decision upholding Georgia's sodomy law has hovered like a cloud over all subsequent litigation in the area of gay and lesbian rights. Even in the Steffan case, the Court of Appeals strenuously emphasized a distinction between "homosexual acts" and "homosexual orientation."

If the gay and lesbian community ultimately prevails before the U.S. Supreme Court, a decision in our favor could further mobilize the right-wing opposition. Once again, we may be guided by history. When the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade in 1973, the pro-choice advocates thought the struggle was over. However, seven years later, pro-life advocates pressured Presidents Reagan and Bush to appoint pro-life judges to the Supreme Court, since these judges would then be in a position to over-

rule Roe v. Wade. At the same time, however, the consensus in society as a whole increasingly supported the pro-choice camp. Under pressure from their constituents, Democratic senators began to exercise more oversight over judicial appointments than ever before. The pro-choice movement has succeeded through its willingness to adapt, to replace a litigation-oriented strategy to a strategy which also includes lobbying and public education. Most recently, its gains have come through the political process, not the courts.

Prejudice cannot be defeated by a handful of judges and lawyers, no matter how skilled or progressive. True progress requires that we win the hearts and minds of ordinary people, including some of the people who voted for Issue 3. Homophobia must become socially unacceptable and undesirable. The challenge for our community is to shift the consensus in areas like Cincinnati, to counter the voices of fear and ignorance with our own voices. ♡

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Volume 9, Issue 11

Publisher: Martha J. Pontoni Business Manager: Patti Harris Managing Editor: Kevin Beaney Production Manager: Brian De Witt Reporters & Writers: Martha J. Pontoni,

Dora Forbes, Marne Harris, Kevin Beaney, Timothy Robson, Barry Daniels, Mike Radice, John Graves, Charlton Harper, Joseph Morris

Akron-Canton: Paul Schwitzgebel,

Richard Simonton, Jerry Kaiser

Artist: Christine Hahn Sales Manager: Patti Harris Account Executive: David A. Ebbert

The Gay People's Chronicle is dedicated to providing a space in the 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 community. This balance will provide lesbians and gay men with a forum to air grievances and express joys.

The Gay People's Chronicle is copyrighted under federal law. Any reproduction of its contents is prohibited unless permission is obtained.

Any material submitted for publication will be subject to editing. The Chronicle cannot guarantee return of any such materials unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

The Gay People's Chronicle is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. We reserve the right to reject advertising which is unsuitable for our publication.

P.O. Box 5426

Cleveland, Ohio 44101 216-621-5280 Fax 216-621-5282

SPEAK OUT

It's all the same bigotry

by Mary Francine Player "Niggers, honkies, porch monkeys, coons, faggots and bulldaggers."

It's all the same prejudice. Oppression. The oppressed always seek to become oppressors themselves.

When black people hear the word oppression, the first flag that pops up in the mind is racism. That's the only form of oppression we think of because it's always in our face. We're constantly bombarded with it in the media. We're given this picture that black people are the most oppressed group in society.

Not so.

So-called "sexual minorities" are the most despised and the most oppressed.

It is quite sad when people of color or of African descent complain about blatant racism and then practice homophobia against their own members. It is the fear of the unknown and that which is alien that stirs up such hatred and insecurity. To oppress because of differences is the same as being racist.

"But the Bible says.

This phrase is so oftentimes used as a billy club for gays, lesbians, and transgendered people, particularly in the black community.

Black people have been bred and fed on this Judeo-Christian, lopsided "theory." I do mean theory. There is no one living today who lived back then. To prove the Bible is true by the Bible is like proving the story of Goldilocks is true by the story of Goldilocks.

Spirituality is what one person feels individually when consciously or subconsciously communing with the creator or higher power as that one person understands their higher power. Religion is what people think that every person is to follow collectively by specified ethics determined by these people themselves.

Religion and spirituality are two concepts that are confused and thought to mean the same thing, but they're not. People use religious differences and religion as a weapon to batter and bash people who believe differently than they. There is the presumption, especially by the newer religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) that their religion is the only way to follow "God." Assuming that “God” is male, these reli-

gions are patriarchal and chauvinistic in nature. This supports the creation myth of Adam and Eve; Adam being first and Eve being second (women were looked upon degradingly in the early Jewish culture, so how could "Goddess" have an only begotten daughter?) which also gives credence to the ridiculous notion of male supremacy and superiority, patriarchy, and reinforces the discrimination of women and misogyny.

The structure of religion is symbolically expressed by legend, mythology, doctrine, rituals, ethics, etc. We know of Greek, Roman, Celtic, African, Nordic, Asian, and Hebrew mythology. Who decided that the mythology and the history of the Jews or Hebrews was the gospel for the entire world? The origin of religion or even the very idea of religion comes from people not knowing the origin. So we as creative creatures made up stories, like the red-horned devil, Santa Claus, and the Easter bunny. If you were to backtrack to the very roots of religion, you will find that people once believed everything, including rocks and other inanimate objects, had a soul (animism). This is where we get the idea of their being "gods," therefore polytheism. The newer religious with their self-righteous, self-centered patriarchal, imperial, male-oriented, and tyrannical ideology, forged the world to think monotheistically, most of the time, violently.

All the religious of the world are based on these principles. They are all related to each other because they all share this one notion of "I don't know what happened so I'll make it up." People have always concocted some fairy tale in an attempt to explain the beginning of time.

Every culture has its own religious concepts (hey, are you listening? everybody's not Christian, y'all!). Every culture has a creation myth, a flood story, a language development myth, they all talk of messiahs, and evil demons, retribution and reward. The Bible, for example, is a compilation of myths, legends, man-made ordinances, garbled history, and a little inspiration, but so is the Quran, the Bhagavad-gita, the Upanishads, the Tai te ching, the Dhammapada, and so on.

So children grow up with distorted thinking. Distorted by religious ideas that evolved from myth. We don't believe in the sciences of the 13th and 14th centuries, why do we continue to believe in the religious of the

13th and 14th centuries?

When people want to validate their own beliefs they will seek out ways and means to substantiate that belief, If I believe that certain individuals or human behaviors are immoral or sinful, I will search for the proper theology or fitting philosophy that will support my beliefs. I will reject any other dialogue no matter how real and true it is because I would have found that which co-signs with my distorted, toxic and hateful thinking.

The bare truth is that gays, lesbians, transgenders, bisexuals, etc. are not in the minority of any one race. The reality is they are your friends, family, ministers, teachers, husbands and wives. The truth is that society is ultimately ignorant of the experience of gay people, heterosexism and homophobia harm society as well as gays as a whole, and most gays are in the closet so who knows actually how many people are gay? Especially in the black community.

If all the gay people in the black church would come out and be killed, there would be no black church, or for that matter, any other religious organizations. Many of your ministers, rabbis, imams, priests, musicians, and choir members are closeted gays.

Get real!

Heterosexism and homophobia is the irrational fear and hatred of feelings of love one has for members of one's own sex and therefore they turn and hate others who have such feelings. It is like looking in the mirror at something that's in myself. It is called projection and introjection. Heterosexuals go to the extreme to try and prove that they are heterosexual, because it is the norm, not normal. No one wants to be identified with an oppressed group.

I talked with a young man who embraced Islam as his religion. I asked him what should be done about homosexuals. He said, "Kill them all!" I said, "Well, start with some of your friends and relatives." He said he couldn't do that. I said, "Well, go to the maternity ward of every hospital in the world or wherever else women birth children and stand there and kill every gay baby that is born. He said, "How would I be able to tell? I said, "That's the point." When we find out how people become homosexual then we'll know how they become heterosexual.

A bigot is a bigot is a bigot. Most African

Next Chronicle comes out Friday, December 10

The Gay People's Chronicle is published every other Friday. Display ad and article deadlines are 10 to 12 days before an issue comes out; call for specific dates and times. See personal, classified, and calendar deadlines in those sections. Advertisers:

Call 216-621-5280 (fax 216-621-5282) for rate sheets and information. Or, write the Chronicle at P.O. Box 5426, Cleveland, Ohio 44101. Subscriptions:

וי

Subscriptions are 13 issues for $25.00, and 25 issues (1 year) for $40.00, sent in a plain envelope. (For faster first-class delivery, add $6.50 for 13 issues, 12.50 for 25 issues to cover extra postage.) Mail check or money order with your address to the Chronicle, P.O. Box 5426, Cleveland, 44101.

Americans only think of one type of discrimination and that is racism. They have such tunnel vision when it comes to owning up to other forms of bigotry like sexism, patriarchy, heterosexism, and homophobia. To become an oppressor means to have power, and that power tries to decide who should or should not exist.

I heard that some blacks even believe that black gays and lesbians learned "how to be" homoerotic and homosexual from "Europeans." (If that is so, then the Bible was also introduced to blacks by the Europeans, and Islam was introduced by Arabic nations. What is true African or African American religion?) They insist that the mixing of our blood helped to transmit their sexuality to us. If this be the case, then just about all black people, especially in this country, must be gay! Sounds stupid, doesn't it?

I believe black people ought to stop calling their brothers and sisters "faggots." How can one rally against one form of narrowmindedness and not rally against all injustices? To hate someone for being different is the worst form of ignorance. We are blind because of incorrect traditional and fundamental beliefs-not facts; theories, not definites. It is believed that 75 percent of all lesbians have children. Many gays and lesbians marry heterosexuals because of the socialization process of this society, which is heterosexist.

Heterosexism is defined as forced heterosexuality. It is a systematic flaunt of homophobia and the imagined self righteousness of so-called "straights" in societal institutions. Heterosexism asserts that the world must be heterosexual and by any means necessary will enforce its dictates. Heterosexism along with its impious associate, homophobia, toil together to demand

Continued on Page 10