10 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Stonewall wimps

To the Editors:

NOVEMBER 11, 1994

COMMUNITY FORUM

I am writing to decry the action (or lack thereof) of Stonewall Cincinnati in failing to endorse the ongoing boycott of the Cincinnati convention and tourism industry. It's an especially cowardly act in light of the fact that they have twice been stabbed in the back by the Convention and Visitor's Bureau. First, pre-Issue 3 vote, when the Bureau was intimidated by the threat of boycott into negotiating, but backed out when they realized Stonewall's spineless lack of resolve. Second, when their much-ballyhooed diversity campaign (presented as a more civilized alternative to boycott) was scuttled when local businesses figured out that it was a "gay thing." This cringing attitude is complicit with our oppressors.

When attacked for being gay they sound like red-handed children fast-talking to shift the blame. They whine, "Please don't hate

cott. We can but harness this force and focus it to the greatest good. Yet Stonewall seeks to subvert even that by repeatedly mischaracterizing the nature of the boycott as city-wide instead of targeting convention and tourism (for now... specific bigoted businesses may be added as they are identified). So the oppressed become the oppres-

sors.

Stonewall's business-as-usual clandestine lobbying, buying votes and bacroom dealing-did nothing to stop the City's appeal of the Issue 3 unconstitutionality ruling. The very council member who introduced and voted for the motion to appeal sent his lackey to Stonewall's town meeting to tell them not to boycott. Yet they are so cowed that they did not even remark on the insult. They merely complied. A bad business, this complicity with bigotry. Boycott Cincinnati!

me, I'm no radical; please don't hate me, I Who ACT UP is

look just like you; please don't hate me, I live just like you (except . . . ); please don't hate me, I won't boycott."

Their response to Issue 3 reflects this attitude. They placed all of their faith in a small but slick and expensive ad campaign which amounted to nothing mare than a shriek of terror. And for fear of showing the public any real gay people, they squelched all other response. They utterly failed to answer the attack in any way; e.g., "Please don't hate us, we won't even resist."

Well, wake up, Stonewall; you are living in denial. Our enemies are not swayed by your pleas or your passivity. In reality, they already hate you. Nothing you do can stop them from hating you. It is their right to do so, so accept it; relish it. If a man be known by his enemies, then be proud that ours are among the most lame-brained and evil lowlifes on Earth. By targeting us for their hate, they elevate us to a moral high ground that they cannot hope to attain. Building bridges with them will simply pull you down to be beaten.

All we can hope to do is to intimidate them into not acting on their hatred. Intimidation by force of law, by force of money, by force of intellect and influence. This is reality. And the boycott is reality; a 19.2 million dollar reality; a reality implicit in the passage of Issue 3. Gay and Lesbian March Activists did not so much create a boycott as recognize its inevitability. Stonewall's cowardice in not doing so has led to confusion and an appearance of disunity. The Convention

To the Editors:

Terry Turner Erlanger, Ky.

I am writing this letter in response to R. Wagner's letter which appeared in the October 28 issue regarding ACT UP:

Your letter once again reinforces the lack of support which we addressed in our flyer. As evidenced by your comments we are the only ones committed to fight for the rights of people who are HIV challenged and living with AIDS. Rather than concentrating your energy on attacking ACT UP why don't you do something to support all the work we do? Also, just for clarification, ACT UP is not only comprised of angry dykes and fags, but angry straight people, some of who are HIV challenged and living with AIDS and some of who are HIV affected.

In response to your question of who do we think we are I'll tell you who we are. A group of angry, compassionate people who are working every day to save lives. We do not and have never advocated violence in our pursuit to end this crisis. We have acted

anyone cured of AIDS. I have not seen anyone who died from AIDS come back from the dead. And I have not seen our government do anything about it.

The writer might find ACT UP condemning and angry. I am condemning and angry too. Why shouldn't we be when so many of us have been condemned to die from AIDS. The bureaucratic process doesn't seem to be working. For example, the AIDS Housing Council sent Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority a housing proposal back in February. Eight months later, CMHA has not acted on this proposal in any manner. We could wait for the "system" to work. Maybe 10 years from now something will be done. But I don't have 10 years to wait. If it weren't for activists bringing AIDS to the front line, we would all be forgotten within the shuffle of paperwork. I would much rather see ACT UP fighting for me, than to see a million people wearing a red ribbon.

Since the writer of the letter digressed, I too must digress. Is the correct spelling women, wimmin, womyn, or something else? The straight white male community of long ago desided that they are women. The straight white male community also decided that I was a faggot. I chose to change the spelling of the word faggot to gay. I must support the right of persons of the femayl gender to refer to themselves in any manner they choose. If my life was filled with males who treated me as though I were subservient to them, I too would change the spelling of any word that contained male, man or other masculine connotation. Lesbians, wimmin, and wimyn have stood up and fought with gay men. We should stand by them. We are all humins.

Dallas Owens Cleveland

The last sentence of R. Wagner's October 28 letter contained a misprint. It should have read: "You have no choice but to tolerate me and my tolerance." The Chronicle regrets the error.

responsibly and in a timely manner to issues No tip today

that affect people living with AIDS. Finally, I would like to respond to your reference to womyn. Your comments are blatantly sexist and oppressive and serve to alienate and "fragment" the community. We do have a choice whether or not to tolerate you, and we don't.

Kelly Thompson ACT UP Cleveland

Bureau can now say there is no "official" Anger is needed

boycott with impunity (as though Stonewall's are the only official queers in town); it can say that the conventions that did boycott weren't really participating in a boycott, but just following their consciences (which dictated a boycott!) So why doesn't Stonewall encourage other groups to do so?

This craven display of weakness merely emboldens our enemies. This perception of our relative weakness has led the bigots to target Cincinnati in the first place. Their hatred created the natural response of a boy-

To the Editors:

Although I am not a member of ACT UP, I must disagree with the letter printed in the October 28 Chronicle Community Forum. To say the very least, ACT UP brings AIDS to the public's attention. The complacency that people are developing with regards to AIDS is disgusting. I have seen hundreds of people wearing red ribbons. I have seen hundreds of Quilt panels. And I have been to numerous memorial services. I have not seen

To the Editors:

I just want to warn anyone reading the Chronicle considering going to the Broadway Diner, 7529 Broadway Ave. in Cleveland to eat.

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Volume 10, Issue 10

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My girlfriend Carol and I had the unfortunate experience of being the target of a very blatantly homophobic remark made in the company of six other patrons-by our waitress. And out loud, too, as she conversed with two of the patrons: "... Especially fags. I hate fags; I hate lesbos, too-I guess I have Not a Democrat homophobia," she cynically added. All this was followed by a collective guffaw. My girlfriend was almost sick from disgust, and I was in a silent rage. We ate as fast as we could and got out of there, promising never to return again.

So please let it be known that if you're queer and want to dine in peace, don't do it at the Broadway Diner!

Amy Hanna Concord Township

To the Editors:

I was happy to read the coverage in the Chronicle of Buck Harris' election forum at Pilgrim Church [October 28]. I might offer a correction, however:

Third party candidate Roni McCann is

Continued on next page

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