14 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

OCTOBER 14, 1994

COMMUNITY FORUM

Kudos to walkers

To the Editors:

Kudos to the thousands of walkers, volunteers, civic leaders and corporate sponsers

the spread of HIV, and we look forward to continued collaboration in the future.

Betsey C. Kaufman, Executive Director Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland

who participated in the AIDS Walk CleveNo drinks for PWAS

land '94 on Sunday September 25. It was inspirational to look out and see all those committed individuals take time out of their busy scheduals to take "A Step in the Right Direction" in spite of the rainy weather.

The mission of AIDS Walk Cleveland is to raise money for social services and education programs and to increase community awareness. We all accomplished a great deal on Sunday over $500,000 was pledged and donated for the walk. More importantly, we took a big step towards reducing the discrimination and bias often experienced by those in the spectrum of HIV/AIDS. It is a daunting task, but by working together we can change the way our community responds this deadly health crisis.

Thanks again to the 3,000 participants who made it all possible. We look forward to seeing you all again next year. In the meantime, keep the faith, spread the word and recruit friends and family for AIDS Walk Cleveland '95.

Michael J. Readinger Chair, Steering Committee AIDS Walk Cleveland '94

Walk had nothing to do with abortion

To the Editors:

Cecilia Holesovsky's letter [October 1] from the Pro-Life Alliance of Lesbians and

To the Editors:

I am writing this letter to express my extreme outrage regarding an inexcusable incident which occurred at AIDS Walk Cleveland on September 25. My friend Zak Haley, who is a person living with AIDS, told me about an encounter he had with a volunteer at the refreshment stand.

Zak asked for a glass of iced tea and the volunteer promptly replied, "The refreshments are only for the people who walked." Zak responded by saying, "I'm one of the reasons they have this walk." to which the volunteer replied, "I'm sorry the refreshments are for those who walked." Zak was dumbfounded and walked away. Well, I can't walk away without expressing my feelings of rage and hurt over the way that this volunteer treated Zak.

I have racked my brain trying to understand why this happened. As volunteers, we can't let details of our specific tasks detour us from why we're at the AIDS Walk. We are there to support people who are HIV challenged and living with AIDS, not subject them to abusive treatment.

Kelly L. Thompson

Zak Haley died on Friday, September 30, after a long battle with AIDS.

Gays used rather convoluted logic in her More from Japan

arguments against supporting "Step in the Right Direction: AIDS Walk Cleveland." Contrary to her assertions, funds raised from the walk aren't being used by any of the recipients (Planned Parenthood included) to address either the "pro-life" or "pro-choice" position on abortion. Instead these funds are being used to benefit badly needed HIV/ AIDS care and eduction programs.

Every year, through our four medical centers. Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland provides HIV prevention information to literally thousands of women and their partners. Recently we were awarded a grant from the Lakewood Jaycees to expand our anonymous HIV testing program at our Lakewood Center. In addition, we've provided HIV/ AIDS prevention programs and information for thousands of adolescents and their par-

ents.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland is proud of its past record of working together with Cleveland's lesbian, gay, and bisexual communities and others to prevent

To the Editors:

I would like to respond to the remarks made by Dallas Owens [letter, October 1] about the coverage from [the world AIDS conference in] Japan. He is totally correct in stating that it only amounted to a word from Japan. There were many facts edited out of the article which was submitted. This was due to the lack of space available in the Chronicle issue it appeared in.

There was more information submitted which should have been included. The fact that 6,000 people are infected each day with the HIV virus, 3 million people worldwide tested positive for HIV last month alone, and that there are over 1 million children infected. Also that by the year 2,000, they are now expecting 50 to 55 million people infected which was raised from the original estimate of 40 million people.

Another point the article did not cover was the fact that I was not directly criticizing our

local agencies. I was pointing out that other areas have gotten further than we had in a hopes to empower our PWAs to help push for better services. No one should expect anything to be handed to them. But I also disagree with the lack of funds. There are many sources available to obtain funds from if the agencies are willing to find them out. There are grants available from outside the Cleveland area, but it requires work to research them, submit the requests and concentrate on the funding process. I personally have five notebooks full of organizations making grants available, which I have offered to agencies to have access to. All they need to do is ask when they are ready.

There is a very big misconception in the Cleveland area. The fact is everyone living with the virus and the people providing services need to work together instead of fighting each other. Yes I was somewhat critical, but in the original article for every negative point I stressed, I also stressed how we could empower ourselves and each other to turn the negative points into positive points for the benefit of everyone.

Also I would like to point out that Charles Dale did not just offer to write the article. He was asked to by Chuck [Harper, managing editor] at the Chronicle, because they were short-staffed and they wanted it included in the next issue. This was not the fault of the Chronicle or ours, it was a matter of timing and the people available at the time. I am not criticizing the Chronicle in any way either. When they have limited space, they can only work with what space they have available. Possibly we should have made it a two-part article, maybe not.

Let me state this for the record. I am not attacking anyone, any agency directly or any individual. I only want to empower our community to work together for the end of this disease which is extremely affecting our community and the other communities in the Cleveland area. If anyone else can do it better, more power to them. I still have all the information available and anyone who would like to see it is more than welcome to do so. Ronald G. Rooy

Community Forum

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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Volume 10, Issue 8

ISSN

Publisher:

Business Manager: Managing Editor: Associate Editor: Columbus Editor:

Martha J. Pontoni Patti Harris Doreen Cudnik Brian De Witt Brad Burget

Reporters & Writers: Keith Arnold, Cesar Chaves, Barry Daniels, Brynna Fish,

Joe Graham, John Graves, Charlton Harper, Taylor Hart, Jeff Hirst, Jerry Kaiser, Stu Koblentz, Troy May, Keith A. Oliver, Carol Patzkowsky, Timothy Robson, Paul Schwitzgebel, Jerry Semas, Steven St. James, Rich Warren Barbara Bodemer, Photographers: Sandra Grotsky, Lee Ann McGuire, James Stennies Jr., Pat Young Art Director: Production Artist: Sales Manager: Account Executives:

Christine Hahn Gina Adkins Patti Harris

David A. Ebbert, Lisa Pruett, Tami Turner

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SPEAK OUT

Why gays and lesbains should vote for Joel Hyatt

By Timothy J. Downing

It's the morning of November 9. The election is over. Victory and concession speeches have been made. Workers are busy cleaning up confetti-strewn ballrooms.

As you awaken, you think you hear the wicked sound of Bob Dole's voice piercing the airwaves on the morning news programs. He triumphantly proclaims his glee in becoming the new majority leader of the United States Senate and brags that he will be assisted in his ever-rightward march by the new senator from Ohio, Mike DeWine.

Delightedly, he announces that notorious homosexual-hater Jesse Helms will take control of the Senate subcommittee making decisions on AIDS funding and the funding of women's health issues. He trumpets the elevation of octogenarian, former segregationist, and avowed homophobe Strom Thurmond as the new chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where virtually all legislation

affecting the human and civil rights of gays and lesbians is initiated.

You pull yourself out of bed and ask "How did this happen?" How could the people of Ohio elect a man to the United States Senate whose only claim to fame as a member of Congress for 18 years was falling asleep during the Iran-contra hearings? Then you realize you've had a nightmare and that election day is still several weeks away.

What can we all do to prevent this frightening scenario from becoming a reality? On election day, vote for (and urge your family, friends and neighbors to vote for) the only candidate running for United States Senate in Ohio who unabashedly supports the issues of critical importance to the gay and lesbian community-Joel Hyatt.

I realize that many in our community are not excited about Hyatt's Senate bid. Some are cool towards him because they strongly supported Cuyahoga County Commissioner

Mary Boyle in the Democratic primary. Others don't like the appearance of his quest, since the seat he seeks is currently held by his father in law. Still others think that he is nothing more than a slick television lawyer who can't be trusted because of accusations that several years ago his law firm discriminated against an employee with AIDS.

Regardless of your feelings about Joel Hyatt, the fact is we must elect him if for no other reason than to prevent the extremists who currently reign in the Republican Party from taking control of the United States Senate. If the Republicans gain a majority, Jesse Helms will become the chair of the Senate subcommittee that makes decisions on AIDS funding and other health issues. Strom Thurmond will become the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the first stop in the Senate for virtually all legislation affecting the human rights of gays and lesbi-

ans

I doubt that my friends in the Log Cabin Club even believe that it would be in the best interests of gays and lesbians for Helms and Thurmond to be in charge of the two Senate committees which most often address the issues of such importance to our community. So even if you don't like Hyatt or did not previously support him, to help prevent radical right-wing Republicans from taking control of key Senate committees, we must elect him to the United States Senate.

More importantly though, of the three people running for the United States Senate in Ohio, Hyatt is the only one who wholeheartedly supports the gay and lesbian community and the issues that should be important to us. For example, while DeWine and the even more radical Joe Slovenic have been out spouting the tired, bigoted and legally incorrect "special rights" rhetoric (and pan-

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