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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE PRIDE GUIDE 1995

Remembering a pioneer of pride, one man who stood tall

by Charlie Dale

"Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it. Begin it now. ---Goethe

"

The Cleveland Pride March this year has been dedicated to the loving memory of one man who stood as a symbol of pride and respect in Cleveland, Timothy S. Hilyard. One man who everyone knew was gay, had a lover, was pagan and vocal.

Tim was the Pride March Coordinator from 1992 to 1993. This was a job that he took great satisfaction in doing. He was also my best friend, and I am so honored to finally put in word my deepest feelings about him, the Pride March, and what this day means to me now. It also gives me great pleasure in announcing for the first time who this year's grand marshals are: Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Hilyard, Tim's parents, who through their growth, love and nurturing stood behind Tim one hundred percent.

I first met "Timmy" though his lover Ray Newborn, who is one of my oldest friends. Tim was the one person who got me involved and vocal about many issues; politics, gay rights, and AIDS activism. Wherever Tim went or whatever he did he never hung his head in shame.

I really got to know Tim well when Ray and I worked together in Arabica. He would come down and eat lunch with us or gossip about the latest dirt. He always could make me laugh about something. He could usually come up with a funny story with great ease and style.

Ray has said of Tim, "The man I fell in love with five years ago was a fighter, a believer in making the impossible possible and standing behind what he said. His concern for me as his lover and as a scag drag dragqueen was for my safety and well being not only with the heterosexual community but the homosexual community as well. He believed in total freedom for everyone."

There were also times that he would be upset at how people in this city would interact together, treat each other, how some of us could just sit idly by and do very little or nothing. There were many things we did not understand, and those of us who are left still do not.

He wanted so desperately to have all of our individual groups represented at the Pride March. He envisioned people of all races and

creeds marching together, drag queens arm in arm with the leather community, lesbians and gay men fighting in unison, and for all of us to come together and work as a whole rather than as a fragmented people.

He wanted us to take what we do seriously and wholeheartedly, to stop playing the games and head-trips some of us do. His vision was to fill the streets with the cry that bigotry, hatred and violence will no longer be tolerated. It was his desire that we would no longer fight among ourselves, but that we would fight the true enemy-homophobia. He was a fighter and when people had the opportunity to meet him he changed their lives forever. A friend of his once said, "He impassioned our hearts as he shared in the rapture of marching in his beloved leather; for hope, a cure, and high spirits."

Tim called us to take action to bring about transformation from our old ways to the new and brighter future. He encouraged us to go through this metamorphosis together hand in hand rather than alone. He wished that as a community he would strive to better ourselves, each other, and the world. He left us the greatest gifts we ever could want: his vision of hope and peace for the future, his unending love and unwavering compassion for this city and every person in it, and his eternal pride in who he was. He gave the best parts of himself even while being afflicted with disease. We in return are required to give it back to him and each other.

"We must reach out,

And touch our brother's heart... We must put forth our hands To touch the stars... We must keep the promises we made, We must try to help

And never unburden ourselves If we are to succeed."

-Timothy Hilyard

Cleveland lost a great person when Tim died September 12, 1994, and my soul went with him.

"You were there before we came. You took the hurt, you took the shame. They built the walls to block your way. You beat them down, you won the day. Wasn't right, wasn't fair. You taught them all, you made them care. Yes, you were there and thanks to you there's a door we all walk through. And we

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Timothy S. Hilyard at the 1993 March on Washington.

are here for all to see, to be the best we can be. Yes I am here, 'cause you were there." -Michael Jackson.

He marched his entire life in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Columbus, in world AIDS protests, and in every Pride parade Cleveland has ever held. He is the prime role model of what every gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered person should be striving to be true to themselves. Yet we debate whether or not we want to be at Pride, to attend the march or even go downtown that day. We need to take the time to remember this pioneer of pride.

The Pride March has always been a special event and has been close to my heart for a long time. I can hold my head high and know that I am doing everything I can to

better myself, others, and this city by being involved to the degree I am.

"Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow is but a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope." Sanskrit proverb.

―

I am calling every gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered person to come to the Pride March this year and let our voices shake the very foundation of this city, filling our streets with hope and uniting our people for the future.

The Timothy Hilyard Pride Memorial March will be held in Cleveland June 17. We start at Trinity Cathedral across the street from Cleveland State University. We step off at 12 noon. Hope to see you there.

Stonewall Cleveland dinner set for autumn

by John Nolan

About this time of year many expect to receive an invitation to the annual Stonewall Cleveland Pride Dinner. Over the past several years this event has occurred on the Sunday evening before Cleveland's Pride Festival. This year is a little different.

One of the comments that Stonewall has

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heard over the years is that early June is already too busy with events associated with the Pride Festival. Another is that many of the people associated with Pride are gearing up for the following weekend's celebration and, therefore, are unable to attend the dinner. Further, speakers who are likely to be of interest to our dinner guests are called up in June more heavily than in other months

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because cities all over the country are celebrating Pride week at about the same time. And, finally, we've been so busy with other things that we decided to postpone the dinner until the fall of this year.

As volunteer organizations develop over time they often find that the members move in and out of active involvement with the group. As more "newer" individuals get involved it is important for them to make sure that they are consistent with their interests. We've gone through some of that process this year and the result is a more articulate statement of where we're going and what we plan to do to get there.

Another change for Stonewall Cleveland is a kind of return to our roots, at least in terms of meeting space. When the group got too large for the meeting space at the Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Center last year we decided to move our meetings to the Archwood United Church of Christ, where we have been meeting for the past several months. In the meantime, the Center has completed much of its work on the physical plant and has invited us to return to a larger meeting area within the Center. So, we're on the move again, this time back to where we started. Stonewall Cleveland meetings will still be held on the first and third Mondays of the month at 7:00 pm, but will move back to the Center beginning with the June 6 meeting. We hope to see many of you there!

Along with revisiting and returning, we have embarked on some new and exciting

projects as well. Let me tell you a little bit about one of them.

SCAN, the Stonewall Cleveland Advocacy Network, is the brainchild of a dedicated group of volunteers headed by Bob Bucklew. The purpose of the project is to facilitate contact between voters and elected officials. How, you ask? By making it easier for individuals to identify which elected officials represent them, and to provide information regarding how to reach those officials. It's more complex than that simple explanation suggests, but our hope is that it ultimately encourages people to contact their representatives more often by making it easier to do so.

You'll be hearing more about and from SCAN over the summer. Watch the Chronicle for more information regarding this important project, or call 216-741-9105.

Now, back to the Stonewall Dinner: For those of you who have attended in the past, thank you, and I hope that you will join us this fall (we'll let you know when we set the exact date). For those of you who have been unable to join us in the past, I hope that the move to the fall will make it easier for you to attend. In either case, you're all welcome and I hope that you will plan to join us.

Keep watching the Chronicle for more information on the dinner, SCAN and Stonewall Cleveland's other activities, and feel free to join us back at the Center on the first and third Mondays of the month at 7:00 pm. ✓