10 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE MAY 16, 1997

COMMUNITY FORUM

Work within churches

To the Editors:

Mr. Bansh's anger [“Debate in churches is a waste of our time," Community Forum, May 2] toward the United Methodist Church for its treatment of its gay/lesbian/bisexual children and members is entirely understandable. It is appropriate to hold almost every mainline denomination responsible for the heterosexism and homophobia that tarnishes and decays our culture.

It is important to understand, however, that those recent articles written by the religious/political extremists that he cites are a reaction to something. That something is a small but growing band of clear-thinking United Methodists (and people from nearly every denomination) who insist on taking Christ's words of love and reconciliation to heart. We have opted not to stop attending our churches and not to leave our denominations in the hands of those who live in fear of the real 'good news' that God's creativity demands our diversity.

It is precisely because we hold our churches responsible for the sin of homophobia that we work on an uphill grade to lead the church's influence on society toward a more wholesome, more honest, and more inclusive standard.

Walter Schlosser Cleveland Heights

Clearly gaybashing

THE OPEN PRAIRIE by Joe Noover

STONEWALL

SOUP PART 2

A PRIDE DAY FAIRY TALE BY JOE HOOVER

LASTLY CAME THE VILLAGE MINISTER. WHEN HE SAW THE SOUP HE DROPPED IN SPOILED FISH HEADS INTO

IT.

ALONG CAME THE MAYOR OF THE VILLAGE WHO SAW THE SOUP AND DROPPED IN MOLDY BREAD HOPING TO RUIN IT.

ALL THREE DISAPPROVED OF OLGA &LENA'S LOVE FOR EACH OTHER SO MUCH THAT THEY THOUGHT IF THEY RUINED THE SOUP OLGA & LENA WOULD STAY AWAY FROM/ THE FESTIVAL.

time span in Franklin County alone.

The executive director, the investigators, and the board-paid hearing officer clearly have an anti-gay bias. Typically, the board does not even look at the record-basing its finding solely on the recommendation of the hearing officer. Given the anti-gay sentiment throughout this matter, I can only hope for a favorable outcome.

Gregory A. Hart Pandora

The following is from a Putnam County Bisexuality isn't 'misc.'

gay dentist who has recently been hit with three misconduct complaints, two from the last decade, and the third from a prison inmate (April 18 issue, page 1). The Ohio State Dental Board is set to decide his case on June 18 or 19.

To the Editors:

--Editors

This situation is clearly gay-bashing, in one of its worst forms because it is being sanctioned and perpetrated by a government agency. Even the inmate's filing of his complaint (which incidentally, varied substantially from his deposition) was supervised by Mr. Tom Judd who, according to May 1, 1997 Lima News, resigned for falsifying documents at the prison. Unfortunately, we did not know this until after the hearing was

over.

Under no circumstances would the Ohio State Dental Board violate such a fundamental fairness by shifting the burden of proof to the defense and expecting anyone to defend allegations from the early 1980s when no corroborating evidence exists to support the claims. There is no way the board would even look at such ludicrous allegations against a straight person.

In fact, one of the cases was thoroughly investigated and dismissed by the board in 1987. Now that evidence which supported my defense (the records of a now retired oral surgeon) are no longer available, they have caused this ridiculous allegation to raise its ugly head again. In the other case, the young man who made the allegation has apparently filed over 30 lawsuits in roughly a two-year

To the Editors:

I have enjoyed reading the Chronicle for a very long time and I appreciate its existence. Though one thing really bothers me-the Personals. You see, I am bisexual. Whenever I read the ads under the category "Bisexual," I don't see true bisexuals, but perhaps swingers trying to entice girls up to their lair, or maybe a cry for that sensual high-colonic, or even perhaps Man-dee the drag queen looking to buff a knob or two.

I am not here to judge those behaviors. Everyone has a right to private enjoyment. What bothers me is that the Chronicle doesn't seem to know what being bisexual means. To me being bisexual is having the openness to love an individual for who they are, not what organ the might be sporting between their legs.

I am 34 years old and I have loved both women and men. Don't get me wrong, I am not promiscuous, but I am open. When I speak to someone, I look into their eyes and listen to their words and appreciate who they

NEXT CAME THE MERCHANT WHO SAW THE SOUP AND DROPPED IN ROTTEN VEGETABLES.

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Volume 12, Issue 23

THE GAY

PEOPLE'S

IVIR

Email: oprairie@visi.com

A DECADE

AT THE FESTIVAL WERE THE MAYOR THE MERCHANT AND THE MINISTER. THEY WERE ASTONISHED TO SEE OLGA & LENA SERVING THE SOUP.

***

MORE...

did my friends not understand what being bisexual meant, somehow they felt that I could make that kind of choice.

Gay people know that it is not a choice for them. Why would they assume that a bisexual person should or could make such a choice? All I am asking is that the Chronicle could set a precedent for other publications by helping the image of bisexuality by not bunching the potpourri of other ads under the category Bisexual!

They say that every Yin has a Yang but that doesn't apply in the case of bisexuality. Our pie has three slices! I think a lot of bisexuals feel like sexual refugees. Straight people don't accept us, and surprisingly the group of individuals who should be most accepting, gays, well they don't really accept us either.

I have children and if bisexuality is possibly genetic I want them to have the best chance of acceptance possible. By definition the Gay People's Chronicle is “an independent chronicle of the Ohio lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community." Please be true to your mission and help bring a better understanding of what bisexuality means.

Please stop throwing bisexuals into the bucket of miscellaneous, because not everyone really understands what it means to be bisexual. As a woman and a mother I humbly request some understanding. The Chronicle can make a difference it has for the gay and lesbian community. Please keep pushing the envelope!

Alexa Sanchez Lakewood

are, not what sex they might be. Of all the Refreshing writing

places I thought acceptance would be found, your paper would or perhaps should be the best. The Chronicle should take a stand and not assume that bisexuals are "just riding the fence."

Last night I had coffee with two of my best friends, who both are gay males. I mentioned to them that I probably would never marry again. Their response was, “Oh, so you will be joining our team permanently, then?" I was speechless!

I just didn't know what to say. Not only

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To the Editors:

I would just like to say that I enjoy the refreshing writing of Bob Boone. It is great to see a local writer giving us articles of interest to the community. Also, the Chronicle has come a long way in the past few years. Keep up the fine work.

Linda Kocsis Cleveland

We have also enjoyed Bob's writing and his valuable contributions to the Gay People's Chronicle this past year. At the end of this month, Bob will be moving to San Francisco to start a new life with his partner Eric. We wish them the best as they enter into this new chapter in their lives. -Editors

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