GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE APRIL 7, 1995

COMMUNITY FORUM

No less than the best

To the Editors:

This letter is in response to Kenny Yorke's letter [March 24] on the service he received while shopping at the Clifton Web in Cleveland.

I have been a frequent shopper at the Clifton Web for over two years and have received nothing less than the best in service. Salespeople greet me by name, ask how I am as well as my lover and offer their services each time I step into the store.

They would be cutting their own throats if they treated their customers, who are predominantly gay, with gestures and snickers. Remember, we have that large, disposable income that everyone wants a piece of.

I cannot explain the actions that occurred that day. Quite possibly, they might have been having a bad day or maybe you were. It happens to the best of us, you know.

I can assure you that the Clifton Web is a strong supporter of the gay community. Whether you believe that or not is up to you.

Stuffed

To the Editors:

Michael Reinhart Lakewood

A most heartfelt thanks to the Chronicle and all its readers who came out to my new resale shop "Home Stuffers" during FACT week, March 1 through 8. We raised a total of $400 for the Facing the AIDS Challenge Together program, and it could never have happened without the help of many generous folks who contributed tons of terrific donateables, and the many friends, old and new, who stopped in for some "retail therapy," dropping a few bucks for a great cause!

To one and all, thanks a million. And if you're someone with more time than money, don't be left out! There's lots of volunteer opportunities in our community, so get involved. It's fun, it's important and you won't regret it. You can trust me on this one. Honest. I know fun.

Respect

Patty Mihalek, Proprietor Home Stuffers Lakewood

The following was sent to Montana state senator Al Bishop in response to his statement that gay sex was worse than violent crime. Bishop was speaking in support of a measure introduced in March to register violators of Montana's gay-only sodomy law, along with violent sex offenders. Dear Mr. Bishop:

I write in response to the firestorm created in the Montana Senate. Although the homosexual provision has been quickly removed, there are unresolved issues for me.

Mr. Bishop, do you know any gay people? My guess is that you do. We are legislators, executives, factory workers, teachers, and members of the clergy. We are parents, children, cousins, in-laws and spouses. We are friends, neighbors, acquaintances, dog walkers and taxpayers. So, again, my guess is that you look into the faces of gays every day of your life, as do we all.

Now send letters via E-mail! America Online: ChronOhio Internet: chronohio@aol.com

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 namecalling 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.

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OK SODOMITE I'M HERE! SAY WHAT YOU WANTED TO SAY SO I CAN GO!

ONE OF THE BOOKS I GHOST WROTE FOR YOU IS REALLY THE JOY OF GAY SEX IF READ BACKWARDS

700 LUB

MEL WHITE MEETS PAT ROBERTSON

When you pass by someone, do you often wonder how she or he acts sexually? Do you assume that everyone is sexually active? What exactly is your sexual history, Mr. Bishop? Oh, was that out of line for me to ask? Well, if you're going to dish it, please be fair and set the example by informing us. It seems to be a priority in "Big Sky Country," so lay out all the cards.

Shouldn't the voters have their inalienable right to know what legislators do in times of intimacy? Of course not. That would be ludicrous and an abominable invasion of humanity. So, why is it absolutely necessary for the Montana Senate to waste time by approaching the subject of gay sex? Is it to uphold archaic sodomy laws? Remember, sir, in many states those laws also apply to non-gay sex. Are those legislators overly concerned with what a wife and husband do to signify their love for each other?

Laws protect Americans. Why is it so im-

56-71 22220D

OPEN PRAIRIE SYNDICATE

I suggest you open your Bible [or your Koran, Torah, etc. and look for the word "love."I don't see your quote or your attitude there. If you are Christian, I don't remember Jesus preaching hate. I believe He spoke of love.

In closing, I invite you to meet me and my gay friends. Some of them are, at times, rude, crude and mean-spirited. Most are warm, loving, decent humans who could make you laugh, cry and think. It sounds like they are quite a representation of all Americans. However, I don't involve myself in their sexual behavior. All I ask is that they respect me, themselves and everyone else.

Respect: it's in any standard dictionary. J.P. Hooten Toledo

perative for two adult males to be "protected" "Killing homosexuals'

from each other if they willingly consent to what you would consider to be an act of unspeakable gall? Is it an AIDS issue? Well, hate has been here longer than HIV. Why must you involve yourself? What are your goals? This seems to be more of an issue of control over others; your forceful intrusion into what you think is moral; even your fear that human beings actually might enjoy it.

Wouldn't you agree that our country has more pressing dilemmas regarding crime, drugs, illiteracy and homelessness? Why we elect politicians to "fix" problems which don't exist remains a mystery to me. We trust you when you say "I can make it better," and instead, you ramble at the mouth about issues which do not affect the reality of what is detrimental to our society. You may think that homosexuality destroys the fabric of our lives, but to me, that is a sad, sad example of pure ignorance. And should my parents be smacked for breeding another gay human? They didn't mean it.

You quickly retracted your statement worsening gay consenting sex to acts of appalling violence. The point is, you said it. Whoops, you didn't mean that.

Yes, you did. I can't read your mind, but please don't try to convince me that what you said equals a child telling his parent "I hate you" after being punished. Have you apologized publicly to all the women whose lives have been destroyed by rape? I believe you do hate me, Mr. Bishop, and that is unfair. Ask my family and my friends. I am a decent, patriotic, God-loving, tax-paying, law-abiding citizen who would like nothing better than to be respected for who, rather than what, I am.

Please stop judging me. You have no idea how I conduct my life. Yet, knowing that I am gay, you assume I am an evil, Godless, sexual deviant, and deep down, it's okay to hate me, because that justifies your own "impurities." Unlike many, I do not judge. I have no reason to lower others to boost myself. And, I find no joy in controlling others for my own personal gain. I am not perfect, but I judge myself only against me. Have you ever received a poor test score, only to be relieved when the person next to you received a lower score? It makes you feel more superior, doesn't it? Human nature does not always travel the smoothest road, and sometimes people need their eyes opened for them.

The following was sent to the "Terms of Service" complaint department of America Online, a computer service that, like most, allows members to operate under any name that is not offensive. The service also allows users to create a "user profile" containing any information, accurate or not, as long as it is not offensive.

Dear America Online:

As the executive director of the Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Community Center, which, among other things, tracks anti-gay violence, I was deeply disturbed to be notified by a fellow America Online user that a person going by the screen name "Smknstf" had placed in his user profile that his hobby was "killing homosexuals."

I am interested in knowing if his identity

has been reported to the Poland, Ohio au-

thorities [the location listed in the profile].

Last fall, two lesbians in Canton were viciously beaten and raped by a man who kept saying that this was happening to them because they were lesbians. Other gays in the area have been the subject of violent attacks.

A person who would put "killing homosexuals" in his profile could be just a crank, or he could be a very disturbed individual. I think AOL has the responsibility to explore whether there have been attacks in the area around Poland and, if so, this user's name should be shared with the police.

More than 26 gay men have been murdered in D.C. in the last year by just such a deranged mind. We in Cleveland will be pursuing more information about hate crimes in this area. I would appreciate receiving the name and phone number of the party at America Online with whom I can discuss this matter if we discover that there has been antigay violence in the area in which this person lives. Thank you.

Judith Rainbrook, Executive Director Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Center ClevLGCSC@aol.com

The user, apparently at the request of America Online, deleted the hobby from his profile. Among the service's 2 million members, a number of similar profiles have been found. Rainbrook asks anyone in the area of Poland, or nearby Youngstown, to notify the Cleveland center at 216-522-1999 if they know of any anti-gay incidents in the area.

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Volume 10, Issue 20

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-Editors

We're fighting for the same things

To the Editors:

This letter is in regards to the rift that exists between the gay-lesbian-bisexual community and the transgender community. Many people on both sides want nothing to do with each other, but this can have negative effects for both our communities. There are people out there who would like nothing more than to have the rights of both homosexual and transgendered individuals stripped away, a v, and they are doing just that as we waste time fighting among ourselves.

To the gay-lesbian-bisexual community: We have much more in common then not, it was not that long ago that homosexuality was itself seen by people as a mental illness or perversion.

It was through the hard work of many gay, lesbian, and bisexual people that many of those beliefs have been changed. It is with this history that the transgendered community takes its strength in fighting for its own rights.

Transgendered people have many obstacles to face. We are still seen as insane in the eyes of many mental health professionals. To the best of my knowledge, Ohio still will not allow transgendered people who have successfully gone through the reassignFurther, many transgendered people often ment process to change their legal gender.

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