14 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE AUGUST 29, 1997

IN BOX

Stonewall hires two new outreach coordinators

by Doreen Cudnik

Columbus-After conducting an extensive search, Stonewall Columbus has hired two people to fill the positions of people of color outreach coordinator and education and outreach coordinator.

James Chapmyn is the new people of color outreach coordinator, replacing Donna Link, who served in the position for more than a year. Link will continue to volunteer with the project.

Chapmyn's credentials are extensive. He is the founder and producing director of Living the Dream, Inc., a nationally recognized African American theater troupe in Columbus. Prior to Living the Dream, he was an AIDS education specialist with the Columbus Urban League.

Chapmyn has also hosted In the Life Socials, a monthly gathering for gay men of color, and produces a monthly newsletter for gay men of color. He hopes to begin a monthly social gathering for women of color in the near future.

""I want to be a voice in the wilderness of homophobia and racism," Chapmyn said. "I want to make a difference."

Stephen Collingsworth takes the helm as education and outreach coordinator. His responsibilities will include coordinating and marketing the Stonewall educational speakers bureau, coordinating media education efforts on lesbigay issues, organizing community outreach efforts towards the heterosexual community, and producing educational materials.

Collingsworth holds an M.A. in education policy and leadership from Ohio State. As a resident director at OSU, he created a mentoring program for gay, lesbian and bisexual students; provided training on

homophobia and heterosexism for the Residence Life staff, and produced newsletters and other programming for the residence halls.

While at the OSU Lima campus, Collingsworth was the co-editor of the Buckeye newsletter. He created a speakers' bureau built around LesBiGay issues, and helped create BIGLOBAL, the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Organization Bringing Awareness to Lima.

Collingsworth said he is “looking forward to reaching out to the heterosexual community about lesbigay issues."

Sandra canceled; still desperate

Cleveland-Even though Sandra Bernhard canceled all of her August Midwest dates, including her August 19 show at the Agora Theater in Cleveland, because of a conflict with the filming of her new movie, the Chronicle still wants to thank the brave souls who responded to our "Desperately Seeking Sandra" contest.

In the July 18 issue, we asked readers what desperate act they would be willing to do in order to get two tickets to the show along with backstage passes. Some of the responses demonstrated a desperation that truly boggled the mind!

Tina Cyrus of Cleveland wrote that she was a big fan of Bernhard's because "she is a woman who is open about her sexuality in a world full of ignorance." Cyrus said she was willing to "lick the sidewalk-all of it-in front of the Cleveland Agora in rush hour if I have to." We were thinking of all sorts of things that she could lick instead if she won, so she wouldn't spend the night of the concert in the Cleveland Clinic.

THE GAY & LESBIAN COMMUNITY CENTER:

of GREATER CINCINNATI

invites you to

an

evening

OF

family fun

AT

Paramount

the

PARK

IS

*KINGS ISLAND

We've reserved

the ENTIRE Park for a big LESBIGAY party!

Tickets $25.00

OUT

($20 for members of The Center)

On Sale Now!

For more information call 888-264-2879 or stop by The Community Center at

214 EAST 9TH STREET in downtown Cincy

www

COMMUNITY CENTER

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19th

gates open at 5pm (park open until 11pm) Paramount's King's Island will be closed to the public for this event!!

Marc Edward Heuck of Columbus said he is "a better man" having been exposed to Sandra Bernhard's words of wisdom.

"Therefore," he wrote, "I want to have her words written on all parts of my body that can be legally naked. (Preferably pages 48 or 65 from her book Love, Love and Love.) I will stand before the Agora crowd, decorated in her prose, so they may see how her thoughts have become, both mentally and physically, part of my being." Now there's a visual ...

But the hands down favorite came from Vince Morvatz of Akron, who said he would show up at whatever public location chosen by the Chronicle staff dressed in a "big pink dress with big, brown buffalo appliqués around the lower bodice." He added that he would also be wearing "bright pink pumps" and have his hair fixed in a "country-western square dance style."

He wrote, "While dancing around in my big pink square-dance style dress I'll be singing "I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No" from Oklahoma. If this isn't outrageous enough to get in the contest, I don't know what is."

Vince, we definitely agree! Thanks to everyone who wrote.

Gay religious journal begins

Manassas, Va.-A new journal devoted to gay Christians and Jews will be started by Mentor Press in September. Gay Theological Journal: Homosexual Hermeneutics on Religion & The Scriptures will include news, information and treatises from United Church of Christ, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Evangelical, Methodist, Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist, Brethren/ Mennonite and Jewish spokespeople who are advocates for the full inclusion of gays and lesbians in their respective churches and synagogues.

66

The journal will also feature papers such as "Homosexuality: Not a Sin, Not a Sickness, "The Welcoming Churches Movement," " 'Ex-Gay' Ministries Exposed,” “Deciphering the Holiness Code," and "Wedding Hastens New Day for Gays and Lesbians."

A distinguished editorial advisory board has been recruited to work on the journal.

A feather only falls wher

it's destined. And you a

never given a wish also being given the to make it

Kim Knapp

Wish Therapy

come true

Glenn Koury Transformational Tarot

216/752-6055

fulfill it.

They represent the leading scholars, theologians and organizational leaders working to advance acceptance of gays and lesbians within their respective denominations. Bruce H. Joffe, Ph.D. serves as editor and publisher of Gay Theological Journal. Joffe teaches "Foundations of Gay and Lesbian Studies" and is a professor of communications at George Mason University in Fairfax, V.a.

The journal will have a cover price of $7.50 per issue and will be available at gay and lesbian bookstores around the country. Subscriptions to the journal will be published three times per year, are $20 for individuals and $30 for institutions and organizations. Joffe said that they have received as many subscriptions from mainstream seminaries and theological libraries as from those known to be gay and lesbian oriented.

"Either they're genuinely interested in our scholarship,” he laughed, “or, as Episcopal Bishop John Spong noted, the religious establishment houses the world's biggest closet."

For more information about Gay Theological Journal, contact Bruce H. Joffe at Publishing Partners: 8571-B Sudley Road, Manassas, Va.; 703-330-5600; e-mail gaytheojrn@aol.com.

Meet candidates at picnic

Columbus-The Central Ohio Gay and Lesbian Democratic Club is sponsoring a picnic on Sunday September 14, to give members of the lesbigay community an opportunity to meet and talk with Democratic candidates running for office in Franklin County. The picnic will take place between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. at the shelterhouse at Goodale Park, between Goodale and Buttles Streets in the Short North.

"Gays and lesbians need to make informed voting choices," said club president Steve Shellabarger. "This event offers an opportunity for candidates to meet our community."

The club will provide food and drink at the picnic, which is open to all interested persons. For more information, call 614265-7444.

don't wait for

someone

special to just "drop" into your life...

...check out the personals and you do the dropping!

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

NICHOLAS JEWELERS, INC.

•

Fine Jewelry ⚫ Diamonds • Unique Giftware Commitment Rings Watch & Jewelry repair

We buy unwanted jewelry

(216) 381-3075

At Cedar & Green

Nicholas & Gary Grunwald, Proprietors

2161 S. Green Road, University Heights, Ohio 44121