JULY 22, 1994
GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 3
Activists gear up to fight Project Spotlight
Continued from page 1
Citizens for Justice, a now-defunct arm of Out Voice. Citizens for Justice had been created to help in the fight against Issue 3 in Cincinnati. Because of the inexperience of organizers in Ohio at fighting down a campaign like Cincinnati, Henderson says, "It became clear that Citizens for Justice wasn't going to do the job of fighting back a statewide initiative." In February, Columbus attorney Jerry Bunge was let go as leader of Citizens for Justice, and OAD was formed in March to fill the void.
The message behind Out Voice education is a simple one: Come out of the closet and into the larger community of open support. Henderson knows that's a tough challenge to accepted gay thinking. "We need to educate the lesbian-gay community and the larger community about what it is we want. We want to be free from discrimination. This means that a whole lot of closeted people are going to have to come out and tell their stories. And it's going to take years to do that. But coming out means the bogey man is gone."
Henderson points out that part of the education process must also center on the racism and sexism that will in turn be targeted by the far right as the gay Achilles heel. "There is so much work to be done in this community to get over our own racism and sexism. The radical right knows where our jugular vein is and that's what they're going for. It is very hypocritical for lesbian and gay organizations to now turn to the black community and say, 'You have to be organized because you have to be part of us,' when they haven't been welcomed in the first place. We have to get out of this self-involved mind set and realize that there's a lot more that we have in common as oppressed people fighting the right together than each other."
Out Voice has also begun the groundwork necessary to pass an Ohio gay civil rights law. Joan Burda, the legislative chair for Out Voice, will lead the effort to write such legislation.
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Her optimism for passage is tempered by practical need. "The near horizon, and this would probably happen within a year, is to have a document drafted that's quality and comprehensive, supported by the entire community and without the limitations that other documents we're now facing have. It's also critical to identify those legislators who understand the importance of timing and who will help us introduce and push this package through the state house. That's the near horizon. But overall we're talking ten years of hard work educating the public and educating legislators. It's a constant lobbying effort aimed at state civil rights for gays and lesbians."
Cozad says that OAD has not discussed the merits of any particular legislative ideas. While she says "we do in theory support the idea of legislation," she warns that a solid, supportable package is what is needed. "We don't need kneejerk legislation. We don't need to be spending political favors for vague legislation."
Current OAD efforts are instead aimed at increased fund-raising. Individual contacts, house parties and friend-to-friend letters have been the primary focus. The next major event will be a July 28 fundraiser at the Thurber House in Columbus, with Dagmar Celeste and local media personalities Colleen Marshall, Andrea Cambern, Debra Countiss and Lu Ann Stoia. OAD has also had the foresight to hire
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Cozad will also be keeping her eye on several key Ohio races this November. "I'm very concerned about the Hyatt-DeWine race. It's clear that Hyatt is better than De Wine for our community. With DeWine, we're not sure where he will come down on our issues. He has no voting record." Also important to the state gay community is Lynn Greer's campaign for a seat on the Columbus City Council. A possible win would make her the first open lesbian or gay man to be elected to office in Ohio. Cozad is careful to not tip her hand so early. Of Greer she simply says "I'm sure we will support Lynn and her campaign." Henderson and Out Voice will continue to
strategize regionally throughout Ohio. "Our focus remains in strengthening established community groups. That's our emphasis for the next five or six years. Some areas, like Oberlin and Lorain, have really gotten started and are moving along incredibly. We'll be spending time in August in Mansfield and Columbus and then on to Cincinnati. There's now a second generation of people in Cincinnati ready to move. These people have already walked the plank and they are ready to roll."
While the apparent lull in fundie activity at the state level may tempt some into complacency, Henderson has found a palatable morsel that keeps him going. "We just have to get gay people to get over themselves and see the larger picture. I firmly believe that the radical right is going to be the silver lining to this community. It will make a community of us."
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