10 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE JUNE 23, 1995

COMMUNITY FORUM

The big lie

To the Editors,

The Christian Coalition's recent "Contract with the American Family" is a big-lie misrepresentation of Jesus Christ's scriptural teachings, which are actually quite antifamily. In Matthew 10:35-38 Jesus said he had come to bring intra-family discord and urged people to leave their families and follow him. In Luke 14:26 he demanded that his disciples "hate" their families. In Matthew 19:29 he urged his followers to "forsake" their families. In Mark 3:32-35 and in Luke 8:20-21 Jesus snubbed his biological family who had come to see him and claimed that the assembled crowd, rather than his mother and brothers, were his family.

Partly based on the false prophecy that the Second Coming was imminent (Matthew 16:28, Mark 9:1, and Luke 9:27, 21:32), early Christians such as St. Paul (1 Corinthians 7:7-9, 29, 32-34) frowned upon marriage but patronizingly granted “permission" for it to the weak willed since it was "better to marry than to burn." This anti-sex, anti-marriage ascetic bias lives on today in strict celibacy rules for the ruling hierarchy of the largest Christian sect, the Roman Catholic Church. Clearly they believe that having a family is detrimental to religious life.

Jim Senyszyn Highland Park, NJ

We were silenced

To the Editors,

In October, Doreen Cudnik, Managing Editor of the Gay People's Chronicle had done an interview of myself and PLAGAL— The Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians. Obviously it did not get into print. Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Doreen. She had told me because of space she could not print it. I would have accepted that reply had she let it go at that. She went further. She had told me that the more she thought about it, the more she thought of not doing the article because it would have meant her stamp of approval on our organization. She added the fact that "This is a feminist newspaper."

I was under the impression that this paper was for all Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people. As a paper are you not

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.

Letters must include a street address and phone, for verification only. They can be sent via U.S. mail, fax, or E-mail to the addresses in the masthead above.

OPEN PRAIRIE SYNDICATE 21-95

Glovver

GRRRR

obligated to print all news that pertains to the community whether you agree with it or not? I did get the impression from Doreen that yes, we could put things into the letter to the editor section as well as the speak out section (without our logo of course because she refuses to print it) but anything other than that would be non-existant. Talk about censorship. She has the nerve to talk about homophobes when she herself is using the same tactics to silence a group she does not agree with. For shame Doreen! We are one of the fastest growing Lesbian and Gay organizations, half of our membership in Cleveland are women and we have news for you. We're here! We're Queer! We're Pro-Life! And we won't go away!

Cecilia Holesovsky PLAGAL Cleveland area coordinator

The interview with Cecelia Holesovsky was, like many, cut because of space and time limitations, and the lack of news value. The subject matter and any editor's personal opinions are not a factor. PLAGAL, like any other group, is welcome to submit a letter or a "Speak Out" column to express an opinion, or a "Community Groups" column to inform readers of its existence and events, within deadline and space limits. The "Groups" column can be run with a logo if a camera-ready one is submitted.-Editors

There's a gay press?

The following was sent to the Chronicle by the organizers of the Akron AIDS memorial ceremony, in response to a reader's letter questioning why the gay-lesbian community and its publications are not included in their publicity (Community Forum, June 9). In-

QUEER CREDIT

CHRISTIAN

CREDIT

SNORT

LESBIAN GAY SUPPORTIVE BUSINESS

RADICAL CHRISTIAN RIGHT SUPPORTIVE BUSINESS

ACTIVISM FOR THE 90' ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS

ACCEPTED!!

wwwwww....

cluded was a set of clippings from the Akron Beacon Journal.

Dear C.A. Bertison and P.A. Thomas:

On behalf of the Akron Area Ryan White Consortium, Inc., we would like to respond to your correspondence of Tuesday, May 30, 1995. We have enclosed examples for you to see the kinds of publicity utilized to promote the Akron Area's Sixth Annual AIDS International Memorial and Mobilization Ceremony.

As an organization, we have made every effort to publicize this event in the Akron Beacon Journal, the West Side Leader, etc., and other media sources that target the general public. In addition, it was the charge of each member of the Consortium to circulate flyers to their particular clientele. Lastly, posters were hung in various locales and mailings sent to the community. We will willingly accept any recommendations or suggestions that may enhance our efforts to publicize this important international event.

Although attendance at the Vigil may seem low to you, it has been steadily increasing over the past years. A Vigil celebrating a person's transition is intensely personal, and not everyone is comfortable making a public acknowledgement of their grief.

The Akron Area Ryan White Consortium, Inc. is committed to serving all those infected and affected with HIV/AIDS regardless of race, creed, sex, sexual preference, age, religion, handicap or national origin. Certainly, the composition of this organization accurately reflects this commitment.

The Consortium is mandated by the State to oversee the distribution of the Ryan White Emergency Care program. The composition includes representation from each of the AIDS

SPEAK OUT

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Volume 10, Issue 25

Publisher:

Business Manager:

Managing Editor:

Associate Editor:

Martha J. Pontoni

Patti Harris

Doreen Cudnik Brian De Witt

Reporters & Writers: Barry Daniels,

John Graves, Jeff Hirst,

Michael M. Lederman, Nancy Marcus,

M.T. Martone, Michael Miller, Daniel Mullen, Timothy Robson, Paul Schwitzgebel, John Young Photographers:

Art Director: Production/Admin.:

Advertising Manager: National Advertising:

Barbara Bodemer, Beth Leonard Christine Hahn Gina Adkins David A. Ebbert Rivendell Marketing 212-242-6863 David A. Ebbert 800-426-5947

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 cach 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.

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Next Chronicle comes out Friday, July 7

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

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specific organizations, as well as nurses, doctors, social workers and educators who serve the HIV/AIDS infected and affected population of Summit, Medina and Portage Counties. Our meetings are open to the public and you may attend at any time.

If you desire additional information, please call the Vice-Chairperson at 216-375-2159. We appreciate you bringing your concerns to our attention.

Rozell Duncan, Chairperson Jackie Figler, Vice-Chairperson

Never mind how it was organized: Go to Toledo Pride

by Eleanor Belle

Toledo's first ever Gay Pride March on June 25 is not an occasion that many in the gay, lesbian and bisexual community are proud of. The reason is not as simple as it

seems.

On first glance, it appears that the motive for the planned boycott of the parade by a great majority of the community is irritation at this media event being organized by the 'Lone Ranger.' They say he is an arrogant newcomer who has appointed himself spokesperson for the entire community, without having ever attended a single meeting of any of the dozen gay and lesbian groups in the Toledo area.

For some, the problem with this rabblerouser is not his activism, but his deceithis many false claims about who he represents, how big "his" organization is, etc. But many other gay and lesbian Toledo natives are p.o.'d that someone would organize a Pride parade without them, and rightly so. But just because they didn't think of it first doesn't have to mean that they quit before the ball gets rolling.

Why is it such a big deal whether the Pride parade is organized according to good diplomacy? So what? The fact is, Toledo is having a Pride parade-a city that needs it probably more than any other.

That is the real reason for the boycott: The gay, lesbian and bisexual community in

Toledo has the closet door shut very tightly. Many are afraid that the least crack of visibility would threaten their coveted victim

status.

So, to avoid associating with people who believe that the community will never find public acceptance until they are willing to be gay and lesbian in their public persona, the closeted in Toledo have scheduled their own event to mark Pride Day-a quiet, safe picnic behind the bushes of a gay-operated facility. One of the organizers of the picnic announced it "as an alternative for those who aren't quite ready to be in public view yet."

If the number of picnics historically is any indication, then Toledo, the picnic capital of the world, hasn't been "quite ready" to

be out for a very long time.

Okay, folks, you can't complain about what someone else is doing if you're not doing anything. Forget about the quirks of the self-appointed gay leader whom no one has met. Write off his lying as an outgrowth of his immaturity, and for goodness sake, pick up your hot dog at the picnic and get out to that parade and show Toledo that you are not ashamed to be gay.

Eleanor Belle is director of Empowerment Enterprises, a Toledo non-profit agency that designs materials and presents workshops to raise awareness about gay and lesbian identity. She is also the co-founder of the Organization for Minority Empowerment.