GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 21, 1997

SPEAK OUT

Nice speech, but spare us the lovefest

by Mubarak S. Dahir

On November 8, Bill Clinton became the first president ever to publicly address a gay and lesbian civil rights group when he spoke at a fundraiser for the Human Rights Campaign.

His appearance there has been trumpeted as a landmark by gay and lesbian leaders. But while listening to a radio broadcast of his speech, I noticed something extremely disturbing, something that poses a real threat to the political progress of gay and lesbian civil rights.

It started from the very beginning of Clinton's speech, and continued unmercifully throughout it: He was constantly interrupted during his talk. The interrup-

tions were so frequent, they almost made it difficult for him to get through the speech.

Most of those interruptions were not hecklers in the crowd, or skeptics questioning Clinton's many missteps to date in his complicated relationship with the gay and lesbian community. No, those interruptions were nothing but sheer applause and ovations that bordered on blind idol worship.

At one point, thundering applause silenced the president for minutes after he delivered nothing more than the stock political opener, "I'm delighted to be here." And that symbolizes my concern about the unchecked euphoria the gay and lesbian audience that night-and much of the gay and lesbian community around the country-indulged in over the mere fact that Clinton spoke to a bunch of gay and lesbian people assembled together in the same

room.

Clinton could have been reading from the phone book, and still he would have

received deafening applause from a gay and lesbian community seduced by the presence of a president and the desire to be part of mainstream politics. They seem to have forgotten that delivering a speech and delivering tangible civil rights progress are two quite different things.

Of course, Clinton, being the superb politician he is, delivered a better-thanaverage speech that touched on many im-

Clinton's address doesn't deserve the kind of hysterical, goo-goo eyed fawning that our leaders have given it.

portant themes involving gay and lesbian civil rights. Some of his words even deserved applause.

As do some of his actions to date: It is true that under Clinton, federal money for AIDS has increased; he has appointed some openly gay and lesbian people to office; he was the first president to court the gay and lesbian vote as a candidate back in 1987; and he supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, that would outlaw job discrimination based on sexual orientation.

But Clinton is hardly a purist when it comes to standing up for gay and lesbian civil rights. When he realized how badly he bungled his promise to end discrimination against gays and lesbians in the military, he forever backed away from it. He has routinely ignored the recommendations of his own national advisory council

Kick Back & Relax In West Virginia Mountains!

CATERING TO GAY

•

MEN

Hot Tub Hiking Secluded Mountaintop Evenings by the Fire

• •

ROSELAND Cleveland 3.5 hours. Charleston 2.5 hours.

GUEST HOUSE BARRACKS CAMPGROUND

OPEN YEAR 'ROUND

Columbus 2.5 hours. Cincinnati 4 hours. Gay owned & operated. VISA/MasterCard.

304/455-3838

e-mail: roseland rcvideo.com

RD 1. Box 185B

Proctor. West Virginia 26055

Don't Wait Around for Mr. Right to Find You...

...Go find him in the Gay People's Chronicle Personals.

on AIDS; and, in the most disappointing move of all-one which underscores that his support of gays and lesbians is not based on a true sense of our equality-he signed the hateful Defense of Marriage Act, and has stated he believes marriage is valid only for a man and a woman.

My point here is not to demonize the president. The truth is that he has a mixed record on gay and lesbian issues. When he takes a step in favor of them, he should be encouraged and commended, and indeed, his speech to the Human Rights Campaign deserves a nod of approval.

But it does not deserve the kind of hysterical, goo-goo eyed fawning that our gay and lesbian leaders have accorded it.

This same kind of dangerously naive optimism followed Clinton's first election to the White House, and it was not long before the gay and lesbian community had a bitter awakening. That should have taught us an important lesson, not only about the limitations of Bill Clinton, but also about how blind support of even a somewhat sympathetic politician can, in the long run, hurt rather than help the advancement of gay and lesbian civil rights. Bill Clinton epitomizes the arrogant belief, present particularly among Democrats, that we as gay and lesbian people have no political alternative to them. Therefore, it is easy for them to believe that even if they don't produce much political gain for us, we still support them.

That could only have been reinforced on November 8, when a bunch of supposed gay and lesbian leaders slapped down $250 per couple simply to cheer wildly at Clinton's most mundane pronouncements.

♡

Mubarak S. Dahir is a syndicated columnist living in Philadelphia.

MASSAGE THERAPY

Brian Keating 3052 West Boulevard Cleveland, Ohio 44111 671-0663

GAY PEOPLES CHRONICLE

Volume 13, Issue 11

Founded by Charles Callender, 1928-1986

PUBLISH

THE BAY PEOPLE'S

KVIR

A DECADE

CHRONICLE

Published by

KWIR Publications, Inc. ISSN 1070-177X

Publisher:

Business Manager: Managing Editor: Associate Editor: Senior Staff Writer: Reporters & Writers:

Martha J. Pontoni Patti Harris Doreen Cudnik Brian De Witt Dawn Leach

John Graves,

Nels P. Highberg, Eric W. Hunter, Kaizaad Kotwal, M.T. Martone, Eric Resnick

Art Director: Production Assistant: Photographers: Advertising Manager: National Advertising:

Christine Hahn Lynn Williamson LeeAnn McGuire,

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 cditing. 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: 216-631-1052

Toll Free: 800-426-5947

E-mail: chronicle@chronohio.com

Next Chronicle comes out Friday, December 5

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.

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 or fax to the addresses in the masthead above, or by Email to letters@chronohio.com

Fiscally conservative? Socially tolerant?

You may be a libertarian!

Please call 1-800-868-0005 for information.

Paid for by the Libertarian Party of Ohio,

Ann Leech, Treasurer, 415 Pinebluff Drive, Loveland, Ohio 45140

Heights Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network

in celebration of

WORLD AIDS DAY

Give Children Hope in a World with AIDS

Annual Worship Service

of Memory and Hope

Sunday, November 30, 1997 4:00 PM

Christ the King Church 1862 Noble Road East Cleveland, Ohio

Reception Following

you dord

"DO IT"

For your hai

SALON

11116 Clifton Blvd. Cleveland, Ohio (216) 634-0030