GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE JUNE 21, 1996

COMMUNITY FORUM

Good guides

To the Editors:

I would like to take issue with an untrue statement which appeared in the May 31 Pride Guide. On page C-9, in a press release from Andrew Collins, editor of the new Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA, he states, "There are few reliable gay travel guides available, and many of them run paid listings from the establishments."

Knowing this was not true, I decided to check a few of my sources before making any counter statements. The three major guides, Damron's Address Book, Gayellow Pages and Ferrari's do not accept paid listings, only paid advertising. I spoke with Howard Smith of Renaissance House in New York, the publisher of Gayellow Pages. He goes through the resource listings of every gay and lesbian newspaper in the country to find his sources. He does this periodically to make sure each issue is up to date. Damron calls many of the places listed and solicits readers to send in new information (which includes deleting old information.)

Personally, I have used Damron 's when I was on the road and found the information to be 99 percent reliable. Other people have made similar comments about Ferrari and Gayellow Pages.

We carry more than 15 different titles in gay and lesbian guides. We cannot check every one for accuracy, but we know their reputation. We are listed in every one and have never been asked for a nickel for this privilege.

Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA is a good book. But this company is a Johnny/Janeycome-lately in the business. They have recognized the gay-lesbian dollar is very spendable. However, as good as their book is, it only covers 40 areas of the United StatesOhio not included. The others that I men-

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May 17 Chronicle reveals more about Mr. Fink's personal grudges than the merits of a "gay play at the Reality Theatre." While I appreciate Mr. Fink's attempt to combat censorship and oppression, I resent his need to dump his bigotry on the gay community in the process.

Attacking a church and ridiculing its members (gay or straight) simply because it or they may think differently than Mr. Fink is inexcusable. It smacks of the oppression and censorship he so vehemently claims to oppose.

I believe Mr. Fink's points could have been more convincing if he made them without interjecting his personal prejudice and hatred.

David T. Culp Akron

tioned cover the entire country and a couple Producer was rude

specialize in overseas travel.

It's unfortunate that Mr. Collins made this statement since most publications do not have the time or staff to check the accuracy of all the information that is received.

Tool time

To the Editors:

Paul Zeitzew, Owner Body Language Cleveland

Now that it is Pride Month in Columbus and throughout the United States, I though it would be a good time for the bars in downtown Columbus to take some pride in their appearance.

While driving home from work one night I saw what appeared to be some contractors doing some work on the outside of the Columbus Eagle. After just commenting the day before to my partner about how horrible the building looked, I was happy to see that they were perhaps making the downtown blight a little less severe. I am quite sure that the bars in question (i.e. the Columbus Eagle and Tradewinds) make enough money to justify a little exterior restoration. I dare them to get off their wallets and take some pride in their establishments.

Thomas S. Diamond Columbus

Ridicule is wrong

To the Editors:

Larry Fink's letter to Father Kessler of the Columbus Catholic Times, reprinted in the

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.

To the Editors:

As many of you know, I am the nation's only out African-American lesbian comic. Today, I wear these "labels" with pride. Today [June 15] I attended the first Pride event in 13 years where I was not scheduled to perform. Today, I embrace the greater Cleveland community, my new home of five years, with pride. In a show of prideful solidarity, I even invited a few other "locals" to attend today's festivities with me. I also took pride in welcoming my comic colleague, Georgia Ragsdale, who was featured as co-emcee, to Cleveland.

I went stage-side to greet Georgia, and schmoozed with several other friends and acquaintances I had not seen in some time. Several people commented that they'd seen my perform at the National Skills Building Conference, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and other venues around the country. It always surprises my that so many lesbians and gay men are aware of my work.

It was in this warm environment and in this context that I accepted Georgia's invitation to appear on-stage as a special guest. This is a common practice at most pride events, as other performers, celebrities, dignitaries, and community activists can attest. Georgia was surrounded by backstage personnel, and appeared very much on top of the schedule as she reiterated that I only had two minutes!

I was warmly introduced by Georgia Ragsdale as a "special guest" who is a "national and local treasure" and who is "from Cleveland" (the latter I won't claim, I'm a native New Yorker) I opened my two-minute set stating that I was the "only out AfricanAmerican lesbian comic in the country!" This statement drew much attention and applause. I continued doing my comedy routine and ended to rousing laughter. As I left the stage, I was greeted by [Pride coordinator] Brynna Fish, who asked to speak to me. She shuttled me away from the stage and proceeded to address me in a hushed, angry tone. Brynna said that me being on-stage was "not cool," that "I took advantage," (of what I'm unclear); and that "I know the protocol... to check with stage managers," etc. Yet before I could respond, she continued to raise her voice and to speak to me in an

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GAY PEOPLES CHRONICLE

Volume 11, Issue 25

Publisher:

Business Manager:

Managing Editor:

Associate Editor:

Martha J. Pontoni

Patti Harris

Doreen Cudnik

Brian DeWitt

Reporters & Writers: Ken Bradley, John Graves, Nels P. Highberg, Jenny Lauro, Dawn Leach, Bruce Mann, M.T. Martone, Daniel R. Mullen,

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abusive way. Since my response to verbal abuse today is to walk away, and that's what I did; whereupon, Brynna yelled at me, "You're not welcome on our stage!" My friend, Marian, approached me in time to hear Brynna's last remark. I walked away with Marian in shock, stunned and bewildered by Brynna's viciousness.

In this stunned condition, I approached the first group of women whom I recognized and told them what had just occurred. Their comments consisted of, "Oh, that's just Brynna!" While I cannot address the attitudes of others who choose to overlook such behavior, I must, in all good conscience, issue forth a response, because I view such acceptance of unacceptable behavoir as having after-effects that are far-reaching and counter-productive to our long-range struggle for freedom, equality, and self-acceptance as lesbian and gay people.

Needless to say, I am greatly disturbed by this behavior towards me by Brynna Fish; yet, I must admit, I'd been warned that many people stay away from Pride because of Brynna's caustic manner in dealing with people. In the past, I have preferred to steer clear of such judgements, particularly since Oven Productions via Brynna Fish coordinated my initial appearances in the Cleveland area in 1991. However, there are deeper concerns regarding the use of “our” in reference to the Pride stage, as stated by Brynna. Many in this community would question who "our" refers to, generally, and in what context would such commentary relate to me, specifically.

Additionally, her blatant attempts to verbally assault me in private in a public place; to repudiate me and my reputation as a valuable member of this community; and to silence me by not permitting me to do what I do best-foster pride in our gay and lesbian selves through comedy and humor-are demeaning and insulting to my personhood, my character, and the body of work that I have contributed to the gay and lesbian community at large. I must also add that I accepted Georgia's invitation purely as the honor that I felt she intended it to be.

Finally, I will not by silenced. I will certainly not be silenced by any members of the very community that I courageously represent. My dossier of comedy, humor, and healing activities over the past thirteen years includes local, national, and international venues, awards, and honors. Today, I attended the Cleveland Pride event as a proud lesbian sister human being, and I, like every other human being present, expected to be treated with respect, certainly by the Pride coordinator. The disrespect that I received from Brynna Fish is unnacceptable to me today, and I expect to receive a public apology from her through this newspaper within one week of publication of this letter.

Cleveland is my new home. I am pursuing a personally designed major in "Humor and Healing" at Cleveland State University; my youngest son attends middle school in the area; and my oldest son is working here for the summer while he attends Clark Atlanta University.

I am an asset to the gay and lesbian community of greater Cleveland and I view myself as such, with pride. If I can muster the

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courage to be out and proud on national television, with my family of origin, and with my children, I will not be silenced by the likes of Brynna Fish. I remain,

Still out and proud in Cleveland and the universe,

Karen Williams Cleveland

The cat's patootie

To the Editors:

Notwithstanding all the "cool headed rhetoric" about voting for Clinton to avoid another conservative appointment to the Supreme Court, and about Clinton doing more than any other president for gay issues, I wonder if the so-called "gay vote," left and right, may be better served by staying home or voting third party in 1996, for the better message it would send to politicians about family and individual values and human dignity.

However, if you believe the so-called gay community should be made the Sister Soldier of 1996 by Clinton, Inc., over the issue of same sex marriages, then perhaps you will find William Jefferson Clinton the cat's patootie in 1996. Clinton will win without the gay vote, so why not take the opportunity to tell politicians that family values and human dignity are not political chips to be toyed with in America. Hmm?

Rand Knox San Rafael, California