8 GAY PEOPLE's ChroniclE JULY 10, 1998

Black Out grows with added events in its second year

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Many of the people who attended for the first time said they would definitely bring others next year, Barnett said.

The Brother Circle of Akron got involved in the weekend by sponsoring a group to Akron's fireworks display on the evening of the 4th, followed by a night of dancing at the Interbelt nightclub.

The weekend closed on Sunday, July 5, when a group of about 30 people chartered a bus to Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky.

"We couldn't have ordered a better day," Barnett said. "Because of the holiday weekend, there were not the usual long lines for rides. The trip out there was fun too-the bus trip itself was a party."

And for those for whom roller coasters were not enough excitement, a post-Fourth of July weekend bash was held at the Coliseum Party Center on Sunday evening, featuring DJ Cedric of Washington, D.C.

Barnett said that the year ahead will be full of new challenges for Black Out Productions, but that the group will continue to make headway.

"Our goal is to be a conduit between the African-American same gender loving community and the greater African-American community," Barnett said. “We're working to foster closer ties between the two communities, hence our efforts to work with the mayor's office and the mainstream African-

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Dexter Buckhanon, left, and Wayne Toles share a laugh at the kickoff party to BlackOut '98 weekend.

American press as well as the gay and lesbian press.”

Black Out Productions recently unveiled TNL (The Next Level), a publication specifically geared towards Ohio's AfricanAmerican lesbian and gay community. In

the fall, they plan to host Cleveland's first African-American lesbian and gay film festival. And Club 1722, a youth mentoring program, is in the works for spring of 1999. It's a lot of work, Barnett and Webb both say, but work that is necessary to bring about

DOREEN CUDNIK

a "new age" for gay and lesbian AfricanAmericans in Cleveland.

"This is the type of commitment we have to our community," Barnett said. “We're about plugging people in and making sure that we get taken along for the ride." ♡

Bishops' letter weakened by changes, group fears

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However, Dignity also said that the document was "not perfect" since it reiterated current Catholic Church doctrine which draws clear distinctions between samesex orientation and sexual activity. According to church teaching, all sex outside of marriage—including genital sexual activity between same-sex partners—is immoral.

The original letter said that homosexuality was innate, rather than something that was "freely chosen," and urged parents to "do everything possible to continue demonstrating love for your child." It also suggested that priests and pastoral ministers welcome gays and lesbians into parishes, establish or promote support groups for parents and gay children and let people know from the pulpit and elsewhere that they are willing to talk about lesbian and gay issues.

Not all U.S. bishops supported the document when it was released. Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska, said at the time, "Most of the Catholic bishops in the United States were not consulted nor involved in its production."

But last November, the bishops' office reported they had received over 500 let-

ters in support of the statement and hardly any against.

"It is regrettable that the American bishops, who only last October felt free to release 'Always Our Children' on their own, now feel compelled to consult with the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on these matters," Miailovich said. "Conservative voices [within the church] have shown their power by getting the CDF to intervene, and pressuring the bishops to make certain changes.

Some of the changes included changing the definition of sexual orientation from “a fundamental dimension of one's personality" to " a deep-seated dimension of one's personality" and removing a sentence about speaking "from the pulpit" about gay and lesbian issues from a section aimed at priests.

One addition to the document, which says, "Parents can look into appropriate intervention," caused significant concern for Dignity-USA executive director Charles L. Cox.

Cox fears that the statement may be interpreted as advocating for “reparative therapies" like Exodus International, which claims to be able to change a person's sexual orientation.

"People in the church that I've spoken to see nothing wrong with that language, and say that they do not mean to encourage re-

parative therapy,” Cox said. “However, that statement could potentially open the door to reparative therapy. That sentence can be interpreted in a variety of ways."

Cox also was distressed over the addition of footnotes in a few areas, which cite Vatican documents. One example is a section of "Always Our Children" that says, "Discrimination is against everything the church teaches." The footnote directs readers to documents which say that there are times when it is appropriate and justifiable to discriminate.

"You could infer from that [church leaders] don't want to see gays and lesbians in the classroom, or in similar situations," Cox said. "They think these are minor changes, but they are really substantive changes that have wide repercussions and really change the tone, and dilute the spirit and message of 'Always Our Children'."

Miailovich added that Dignity-USA would work to ensure that the original message of the bishops' letter is "retained and fully implemented."

"Our hope is that the work started because of 'Always Our Children' by bishops, priests and pastoral counselors will continue," Miailovich said. “Let us see now if they will make good on their revised commitment to ministry."

Commission may stop hearing anti-gay bias complaints

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Cooper's plans to introduce changes without discussing them with current commission members. Commissioners scheduled talks with the council to discuss the plans, but council members cancelled the meetings. While copies of the proposal had been sent to the NAACP, the Urban League, and other organizations, commissioners never received a copy, Waits said.

The board announced its decision to resign en masse in a letter on June 25. Eight commissioners later decided to stay to "stick it out and try to do what we can to serve the citizens of Cincinnati," Waits said.

The remaining commissioners have officially resigned.

While Cooper and Tillery did not return phone calls by press time, the proposal contains a "rationale statement” explaining why they feel the changes are necessary.

"In recent years, it appears that CHRC [the commission] has been an organization going in many different directions, attempting to be all things to all human problems," it says. The statement goes on to say that this approach has "diluted the commission's focus on race relations" and "raised serious concerns about the value of the organization."

The original articles of incorporation said the board was "to do everything practicable" to eliminate discrimination based on "race, color, creed, national origin or ancestry."

Waits said that the city's population has changed since the commission was formed in 1943, and there are discrimination concerns now that didn't exist at that time.

"There are certain groups that we are the only voice or ear that they have, and we feel a responsibility to that," Waits said.

Stonewall Cincinnati director Lycette Nelson said that she feels it is valuable for one organization to hear bias complaints

from a broad group of people in order to see similarities in the problems faced by different minority groups.

"Discrimination is discrimination," Nelson said. "A lot of those issues intersect." While the Human Relations Commission has not always provided the help Nelson might have hoped for, "it's been at least open to hearing grievances for gays and lesbians," she said. "I think that there's basically nowhere else to go with those complaints if there's no such body."

Waits said that organizations like Stonewall have provided strong support for the Human Relations Commission as it has tried to broaden its scope.

"I do know that there has never been a greater need for a body like the CHRC," Waits said. “I hope that the gay community will join us in trying to save it. It needs to be truly representative of all the citizens of Cincinnati."