GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

AUGUST 2, 1996

First-class party

To the Editors:

COMMUNITY FORUM

The recent Garden Party at the Cleveland Play House is definitely an effort from which all involved should take great pride.

I attended the 1995 Garden Party and was pleased with that event. When I realized this year's party was going to be housed in the Play House, I immediately became dubious as to what could possibly be done to make an "outdoor" activity do-able within the confines of an indoor forum.

Well, my party and I were pleasantly surprised. The cabaret production was wonderful and Sheri Levy was incredible. Following the entertainment, I felt as if I had just experienced a first-class Broadway production!

The food was outstanding and the presentation and service was, again, first-class! The auction was exciting, with neat, fun items, while the auctioneers appeared to be having as much fun as the audience.

Bill Tregoning and his people clearly outdid themselves in every detail; they certainly did the community proud!

Hugh Hendry Avon Lake

High risk reporting

To the Editors:

This letter is a result of our concerns about a news report aired at 11:00 p.m. on WKYC Channel 3 on Thursday, July 11, 1996. The report, by newsman Paul Orlousky, focused on the City of Cleveland's purchase of condoms for distribution through the City's HIV prevention programs. We believe that the report trivialized the City of Cleveland's HIV prevention efforts and unfairly portrayed Cleveland's gay population. As both the fight against HIV/AIDS and the continued struggle for the civil rights of all Clevelanders, including gay and lesbian citizens, are priorities for my administration, I feel that it is my duty to call your attention to

our concerns.

As you are aware, HIV and AIDS is a subject which demands accurate and fair reporting. Since 1981, there have been over 2,100 cases of AIDS in Greater Cleveland. There are estimates that as many as six or seven thousand more people are currently HIV-positive. Recently the Center for Disease control announced that one teenager every hour is newly infected with the HIV virus. Trends in Cleveland seem to reflect this spread of HIV and AIDS to our youth. The fastest growing group of persons with AIDS is women who become infected through heterosexual sex.

The City of Cleveland Depertment of Public Health's HIV/AIDS Unit has as one of its primary missions to reduce the spread of HIV amongst all of our citizens. The use of condoms is an effective HIV risk reduction technique which is widely accepted by all major public health officials in this country. Therefore, the HIV/AIDS Unit, in its prevention programs, distributes a variety of condoms to encourage their use. The condoms

Auto

Life

Health

Home

Business

For all your insurance needs!

Betsy Warner Agent

3091 Mayfield Road #217 Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 Office (216) 932-6900

THE OPEN PRAIRIE by Joe Hoover!

15 વર્ષ છે જ . દ ધ ન પ સાંÇ

"...THE INTERNET HAS ALLOWED ME TO REACHOUT FROM THIS SMALL

TOWN OF MINE TO THE GAY AND

LESBIAN COMMUNITY WORLDWIDE

SENATOR? COME TO THE SENATE FLOOR WERE VOTING ON DOM.A

"SOUNDS INTERESTING

SO, ARE YOU A TOP OR A BOTTOM?"

CIUS 10 1 36 30K 30 31 1 2 3 ST

purchased by the City of Cleveland, along with the lubricants utilized in conjunction with the condoms, are selected based on an intentional strategy to make this use more appealing. The City's mission to reduce the spread of HIV through risk reduction techniques, such as the use of condoms, requires the City to continue to be creative and innovative in its approach to HIV prevention. If by providing non-traditional condoms the City can encourage citizens to use them, then the City will continue to provide those condoms.

Mr. Orlousky, in his report, implied that the City, in paying a few additional pennies

CI STIK

Web Site: http://www.visi.com/~oprairie

Email: oprairie@visi.com

one of them (a saved Christian) will be taken up to meet the Lord Jesus at his coming.

Of course, lying in bed together had erotic/ romantic connotations then just as it does now. Paul's credibility to our modern enlightenment is further challenged by his indirect approval of slavery in Ephesians 6:5. That scripture was the reason white American Christians in the South felt justified in their ownership of slaves. It is also the reason the Southern Baptist Convention was formed. Russel Lane Salt Lake City, Utah

per condom, was wasting the taxpayers Pro-promiscuity

money. If one could separate the cost to society from the human tragedy of HIV and AIDS, one would find that innovative and creative prevention programs are the most cost effective method of fighting AIDS. With the average cost of medical care for a person with AIDS being over $100,000, even if one person is saved from AIDS because of the additional few pennies per condom which the City spends, the taxpayers would have gained. When the human costs are added to the equation, there is no doubt that the HIV/ AIDS Unit's program is both fiscally sound and well grounded in public health practices and philosophy.

One particularly troubling aspect of Mr. Orlousky's report was the identification of AIDS with gay men and gay men with scenes of street sexual activity for hire. Although the gay male community has certainly borne the brunt of the AIDS epidemic, the continued myth that AIDS is a gay disease has hampered effective prevention massages to other segments of our population. It is dangerous and irresponsible to suggest that heterosexuals, who preactice unsafe sex, are not at risk of becoming infected with HIV. Also, it is an unfortunate aspect of our society that gay men and lesbians have often been subject of sterotypical portrayals. These portrayals add to the continued discrimination against gay men and lesbians whether it be employment or housing discrimination or worse verbal and physical assault. If Mr. Orlousky wanted to prepare a report on AIDS and gay men, he could have easily found a more representative aspect of how AIDS has affected gay men. I would hope that in the future he will be more sensitive to mischaracterizations and inaccurate sterotypes that he is perpetuating.

I am writing this letter to you and to other persons to reassure you that this type of media attention will not have a detrimental impact on the City's fight against AIDS and will not cause any retrenchment of this Administration's commitments to civil rights for all people, including gay men and lesbi-

ans.

Mayor Michael R. White Cleveland

Lying in bed

To the Editors:

Kudos to Jim Senyszyn of Charlotte, N.C. for his biblical commentary letter that appeared in the July 5 Chronicle. To his Scriptural references, I add Luke 17:34, where it says at night two men will be lying in bed and

The following was recently sent to U.S. Rep. Martin Hoke, R-10 (west Cleveland, south and west suburbs):

Dear Rep. Hoke:

I am afraid that you have made yourself the subject of a memorable story entitled "Martin Hoke vs. Martin Hoke." By supporting that so-called “Defense of Marriage Act" you have been undermining, very conspicuously, the public morality you have been claiming to reinforce.

Without being a mind-reader, I think that it is safe for me to assume that promoting promiscuity has not been one of your main legislative goals. But promoting promiscuity is the biggest practical effect that passage of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" is likely to have. This law does nothing to help any heterosexual couple, married or unmarried, with anything. And it tells gay people that their efforts to settle down into monogamous relationships will be getting no help and no respect from you in particular and from the federal government in general.

Has it not occurred to you that same-sex marriage, even if you think it's only a bad imitation of marriage, is much close to what you regard as a proper role model than the likely alternatives? Observing a particular example of monogamy does nothing to change anyone's sexual orientation. And people adapt role models to their own particular circumstances. The suggestion a heterosexual couple would get from seeing a same-sex marriage would be to get married themselves.

Has it not occurred to you that something is no longer unheard of after everyone has heard about it? The front page headlines about this bill which you have helped to produce have brought the subject of samesex marriage into homes all across America. In the past few weeks you and other supporters of this bill have done more to make the general public consider same-sex marriage than gay activists have managed to do in the past twenty years.

I have heard advocates of same-sex marriage express gratitude for how much you have done to help spread their message. If your goal was to distance young people, such as your own children, from the ideas of samesex marriage, then you have done a great job of doing less than nothing.

You might learn something from asking your own children what they have heard about same-sex marriage and where they have heard it. There does not seem to be nay reason left not to discuss this subject with

GAN PROPLES CHRONICLE

Volume 12, Issue 3

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,

Tamara Murphy, Andrea L.T. Peterson, Timothy Robson, Thom Sommers,

John Young Photographers:

Art Director: Production/Admin.:

Advertising Manager: National Advertising:

Barbara Bodemer, LeeAnn McGuire 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, bisexual, transgender 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 materials 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

Fax: 216-631-1082 Toll Free: 800-426-5947 America Online: ChronOhio Internet: chronohio@aol.com

Next Chronicle comes out Friday, August 16

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:

Call, fax, or write for rate sheets and information, to the numbers in the masthead above. 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.

them after you have done so much to introduce them to it. And it would be appropriate to ask them if they know the meaning of the phrase pyrrhic victory.

I think you should be more wary of legislation created mainly to make a statement, since you can never control exactly how any statement will be taken. You would be doing yourself and public less harm if you would spend more time examining how things actually work and less time being dazzled by symbolism.

The slogan "Hoke Promotes Promiscuity" is easy to say and easy to remember, and appears to be more accurate and truthful than the glib hyperbole you have been listening to and quoting while pushing this legislation. A public elected official conspicuously doing the opposite of what he says he wants to do is an amusing spectacle. But sooner or later voters will start to wonder what the amusing spectacle is costing.

Robert S. Woodward Lakewood

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.

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.