GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE MARCH 10, 1995

Welcome aboard

COMMUNITY FORUM

The following was sent to Marvin Liebman in response to his column in the February 10

Issue.

Dear Mr. Liebman,

This is a reaction to your "Independently Speaking" column recently published in the Gay People's Chronicle. Welcome aboard. I am glad that you have at last recognized the negative extremism of many conservatives, many Christians, and many Republicans.

However, I think you are somewhat extreme yourself in thinking that you had "no competition," that you were a voice in the wilderness among conservative, Christian Republicans who were also gay and who also opposed Communism.

Of course, people like Joe McCarthy and his sidekick Roy Cohn tried desperately from their closets to destroy everyone who did not agree with their social concepts by accusing them of being Communists or queers. Why did it take the likes of Rush Limbaugh to wake you up? There were lots of clear-cut examples long before him.

It seems to me that you were also extreme as a former conservative Christian Republican in your inferred notion that liberals, nonChristians, and Democrats were all alike, especially that they did not see the evil and impracticality of Communism, and did not oppose it. It seems to me that the extremists

SEEING RED INSTEAD OF GREEN OVER BOSTONS.....

ST.

PATRICKS DAY PARADE

BANNED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN, IRISH CULTURE'S QUEER INFLUENCE'S ARE PRESENT RAINBOWS

Kiss Me You FOOL!

NOT

ONLY CAN YOU FIND A POT-O-GOLD, BUT IF YOU'RE LUCKY, SHE OR HE MAY ASK YOU OUT.

SHAMROCKS LEPRECHAUNS

740

ON SH BASIC

NY) MOH OS DE H BADAN.

ASHL *

ST. PATRICK (WHO WAS GAY")

USED SHAMROCKS TO TEACH ABOUT THE TRINITY BECAUSE OF THEIR NEAT AND CONVENIENT TRIANGLE SHAPES.

Hoover OPEN PRAIRIE SINDICATE

It took you more than 70 years to become independent of these people? Pin on your pink triangle and wear it proudly. Better late than never. I'm proud of you.

Gilbert Cantlin Rocky River

among conservatives, Christians, and ReMake your voice heard

publicans have been at least as totalitarian as the Communists they have rallied against, even downright fascist.

It is easy at advanced ages like 68 to come out of the closet. One no longer needs to be concerned about loss of employment, less concerned about rejection by family and socalled friends, Of course, if the extremists among conservative, Christian Republicans had their way-and they are having their way in many places-gay people would have no protection at all against discrimination of any kind, not even so-called constitutional rights. As it is, the gay haters are plainly urging their would-be followers to perform hateful acts against us.

The ugliness of homophobia is no different than the historical and continuing ugliness shown toward women or any racial or cultural sub-divisions of the human race. One wonders if any nation deserves to be called civilized with all the prejudice, discrimination, and evil that overwhelm this earth.

Few of those Republicans who presently dominate our Congress display any concern for that ugliness or any of the evil that must be suffered by minorities. The rich get richer, undeservedly, the middle class loses its buying power and dwindles, and the class of the poor grows larger and more pitiful within higher, more solidly built ghetto walls. It's class warfare plain and simple. For all the Republican talk about opportunity, they persist in squandering most opportunity for their already privileged club members.

Republicans like Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey, Phil Gramm, and their religious right friends, and some Democrats like gay-slanderer Sam Nunn, don't even recognize the relationship between poverty, ignorance, and crime. Their long-term cure is more and more prisons of hateful punishment and less and less effort toward real prevention or genuine correction.

Community Forum

The Chronicle encourages everyone to write and express your opinion about the community or the paper. Please, however, keep letters constructive, and avoid name-calling and personal attacks. Please be brief. We reserve the right to edit letters. We will print your name unless you specifically ask us not to.

Address letters to: Chronicle Editors, P.O. Box 5426, Cleveland, Ohio 44101; or P.O. Box 12235, Columbus, Ohio 43212; or e-mail ChronOhio@aol.com; or fax to 216-631-1082 (24 hours) or 614-253-1367. Include your address and phone so we may contact you to verify the letter.

To the Editors:

I recently went to a meeting of Inter Weave, a Unitarian-Universalist program which supports gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. A speaker told about the activities of the Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center, and then several people told how they started this group, and the evolution of the idea of the Welcoming Congregation.

And it made me wonder: what would happen if more people would join welcoming churches, go to meetings, join interest groups such as Sierra Club or an Utne Salon, and make a greater effort to make their voices heard? Estimates are that the Religious Right consists of a maximum of 10 percent of Americans-and they are currently running the country.

How did they achieve that? By joining and working with organizations and interest groups; by standing up for what they believe. Members of the Religious Right go to meetings, write letters, send money. They work diligently for their goals.

Recently, in a small New Hampshire town, the school election attracted few voters, resulting in the new school board having a majority of conservative Christian members. The new board established a daily "moment of silence" (prayer) in the local public schools, and are now planning the teaching of "creation science" along with the story of evolution in science classes. This was the result of voter inattention and non-participation.

Members of the Religious Right could teach the rest of Americans how to successfully achieve their own political agendas.

The Dick Armeys of America have learned that they cannot afford to alienate gay voters, but the Freudian slips may reveal their underlying views on such issues as brotherly love and acceptance of diversity. People need to work together to promote political and social agendas which include all Americans.

Mary Ellen Wobbecke Cleveland Heights

Jammin' junk

To the Editors:

I would like to alert all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other people who may read this letter of an experience I recently had with radio station 92.3 FM, "Jammin' 92" in Cleveland, and their morning show hosted by Johnny D. and Lee Ann.

I called the station to respond to a trivia question on the morning of Thursday, February 23. When I went on the air, I gave the answer and then Johnny D. decided to tell a joke. As much as I hate repeating it, I must in order to make my point. The joke was worded similar to this: "Do you know whay Greg

NOBODY KNOWS

RADKAL FAIRIES

IMA

FAIRY

LEPRECHAUNS ARE, OF COURSE, JUST A TYPE OF FAIRY.

Louganis' new name is? Greg Loose Anus." I responded, "That's not funny!" Unfortunately, I did not have time to say anything else regarding this extremely homophobic joke. How cruel and ignorant to tell a joke like that in light of this American hero's public announcement that he has AIDS! All day long all I could think about was this awful joke and I progressively became more and more infuriated.

The next morning I sent a letter to Lynn Tolliver, the station manager of 92.3 FM, voicing my disgust at this exhibit of blatant homophobia. I stated that I, along with many friends would be seriously considering other alternatives for our listening.

I hope this incident prompts others in Cleveland's gay community to consider listening to this radio station no longer, and to let Lynn Tolliver at 92.3 FM know how much they too are angered by this event.

We, as lesbian, gay, and bisexual radio consumers should demand and expect no less than a public apology from Johnny D. and Lynn Tolliver for the homophobia and the myths that their radio station is perpetuating.

Dirty graffiti

Shari L. Weiner South Euclid

The following was sent to radio station WTVN in Columbus:

On February 23 the news media reported that Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis revealed that he is HIV positive. A caller to "Graffiti" on the 5:00 to 5:30 pm segment on that same day made the following comment on the air which I am paraphrasing:

"Our young people should stay away from homosexuality and it's lifestyle or they'll end up like Greg Louganis."

The announcer made no attempt to disconnect the caller even though he did disconnect other people. Had the caller made a racial slur or slur towards women the caller would have been censored, and WTVN would not permit such insults. Yet WTVN seems to allow callers to speak homophobic and AIDSphobic slurs and insults over the air.

The rules of "Graffiti" as described by the announcer are "keep it clean, and keep it legal."

This is not clean! How do you think your listeners who are HIV positive felt about that? How do you think the parents, sisters, brothers, and children of people with AIDS and people who have died of AIDS felt? Do you think they will continue to listen to WTVN? Do you think they will patronize businesses that advertise on WTVN? How about young people who are gay and lesbian? The suicide rate among lesbian and gay youth is alarmingly high. Comments such as the one above do not help. The smearing of gay people and people with AIDS on "Graffiti" must stop. It is wrong, it is immoral, and it is beneath WTVN's reputation of community service to allow callers to exercise bigotry and obscenity.

If you had been to the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus Christmas concert you would

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Volume 10, Issue 18

Publisher:

Business Manager:

Managing Editor:

Associate Editor: Columbus Coordinator:

Martha J. Pontoni

Patti Harris

Doreen Cudnik

Brian De Witt

Darryl Holbrook

Reporters & Writers: John Carey, Barry Daniels, Brynna Fish, John Graves, Jeff Hirst, Jerry Kaiser, Michael M. Lederman, Stu Koblentz, M.T. Martone, Diane Moor, Tamara Murphy, Timothy Robson, Paul Schwitzgebel, Jerry Semas

Photographer: Barbara Bodemer Christine Hahn

Art Director: Production/Admin.:

Advertising Manager: Columbus Sales:

National Advertising:

Gina Adkins David A. Ebbert Brad Burget, Darryl Holbrook Rivendell Marketing 908-232-2021 David A. Ebbert 216-631-8646

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 materi als 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, OH 44101 216-631-8646

P.O. Box 12235 Columbus, OH 43212 614-253-4038 Fax 614-253-1367 E-mail ChronOhio@AOL.com

Fax 216-631-1082

Next Chronicle comes out Friday, March 24

The Gay People's Chronicle is published every other Friday, except the first January issue. Display ad and article deadlines are 10 to 12 days before an issue comes out. Call for specific dates and times. Calendar, Classified, and Personal deadlines are earlier, and are shown in each of those sections. Advertisers:

Call for rate sheets and information, in Cleveland, 216-631-8646; in Columbus, 614-253-4038. Or, write the Chronicle at Box 5426, Cleveland, OH 44101; or Box 12235, Columbus, OH 43212. Subscriptions:

Subscriptions are 13 issues for $15.00, and 25 issues (1 year) for $30.00, 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.

Correction

Calendar listings in both February issues showed an incorrect March 6 date for the Lorain County AIDS Walk. The pledge walk is on Saturday, May 6, with registration beginning at 8 am at Lakeview Park.

have seen a row of poinsettias at the front of the stage. Each poinsettia represents a member of the Chorus who has been killed by AIDS. It's a very sobering sight. Perhaps you should go to a concert and see it for yourself.

Perhaps you should have gone to see the AIDS Memorial Quilt when part of it was at OSU. Had you been there you would have seen a small boy sobbing uncontrollably beside a loved one's quilt. So, do you think this boy and his parents will listen to WTVN if you lalow "Graffiti" callers to smear people with AIDS?

The evening before this "Graffiti" comment aired I found out that a friend from my church is HIV positive. To say that the next day was miserable was an understatement. And then on the way home from work WTVN allows its "Graffiti" callers to smear people with AIDS. WTVN should be serving the community by providing accurate information about AIDS instead of allowing thugs and bums to promote hatred and bigotry over the air.

WTVN should prevent slurs and bigotry from being broadcast on "Graffiti," or "Graffiti" should be taken off the air.

Daniel Erwin Westerville