June 18

GAY PLOI

milestones

Hawk named MCC district's 'Clergyperson of the Year'

Columbus-Rev. Margaret Hawk of New Creation Metropolitan Community Church was presented with the "Clergyperson of the Year" award for 1998 at the May 15 awards banquet of the Great Lakes District Conference of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, in Indianapolis.

The UFMCC denomination is divided

into six districts in the United States. Six states, including Ohio, comprise the Great Lakes District.

In the presentation of the award, Rev. Peter Trabaris, Great Lakes District clergy representative, said, "Rev. Hawk's faithfulness has never wavered. And because of this faithfulness, dedication and hard work, the church that she pastors continues to grow

letters tothe editor

Continued from facing page

success, the passage of the Hawaii anti-marriage initiative, or just the fact that you're hung over from Friday night, that you have nothing to celebrate.

A wise political strategist once told me that success can be measured in movement. Are you moving in the right direction? Are you building the platforms for success and succeeding as a community?

In those terms, our Cleveland community does have reason to celebrate. These success stories are directly related to the people and many fine organizations and establishments that serve our community.

Listed below is my unofficial and personal top ten "Peace, Love and Pride" list.

10. Equality Begins at Home. This statewide event attracted over 700 participants from all over the state. Linda Malicki and Cleveland's Lesbian and Gay Community Service Center coordinated the event that included a rally and a lobbying day that has set the stage for future legislative success. Tireless volunteer Lloyd Clark seemed to be everywhere doing everything that weekend.

9. The Gay People's Chronicle. Since going weekly, the Chronicle has set the example by covering statewide, regional and local stories and by becoming a beacon for rural communities and our neighbors in West Virginia who would otherwise have no source for GLBT news. Congratulations to the entire staff on a job well done.

8. Lake Effect. Finally, a full-service Cleveland restaurant to call our own. Other cities have had one for years and now we have our own thanks to Buck Harris and Michael O'Connor. The Sunday tea dances overlooking Lake Erie are becoming the talk of the North Coast. Keep up the good work, guys.

7. GayCleveland.com. Scheduled to debut on Pride Day, June 19, is Cleveland's gay community web site, GayCleveland.com. The site is a dream of web developer Cheri Morabito and banker and community leader John Farina. The two say that the site will be more than a bar listing and "will provide a monthly listing of events, features and articles written about Cleveland's gay community by Clevelanders."

Providing news and information to Cleveland's gay community is not new to this pair. Cheri is the news editor for Buck Harris's The Gay '90s radio program, while John was the former producer. Thanks to this pair for keeping Cleveland informed.

6. Mitch Dahmer. Mitch earns the "Power of One" award. When an Akron radio station refused to allow him to place a personal ad, Mitch took action. He complained to the station and through his efforts, ads for gays, lesbians and bisexuals are now included. Who says one person can't make a difference, Just ask Mitch. Looks like we need Mitch in politics fighting for us!

5 Human Rights Campaign. Raising $100,000 locally to fight the battle is not an easy effort but our Cleveland HRC committee did it. Co-chairs Tim Downing and Jean Tutolo and a cast of hundreds of volunteers, put together a grand event. And didn't all those guys and girls look so fine in their party wear? Who says we can't keep up with the coasts!

4. Donna Red Wing. While not technically a Clevelander, Donna spends so much time here that we have a right to claim her as our own. As the national field director for HRC, Donna and the local committee led the effort for HRC to support local organizations such as the Center and Cleveland Pride. Donna is a tireless, enthusiastic and extremely effective advocate and a leader for our cause.

3. Farina for Lakewood Council Campaign. History is being made here as John Farina is one of the first openly gay candidates running for public office in Cuyahoga County. A win by Farina in Lakewood Council's Ward 4 will open the door for other openly gay candidates. Congratulations, John.

2. Cleveland Pride. One could say, I'm tooting my favorite organizations own horn. Well, you would be right. In its 11th year, Cleveland Pride has grown to be the largest and oldest festival for our community. This years event includes national entertainers Crystal Waters, the Murmurs and Ferron as well as many regional and local bands. The rally will include Candace Gingrich as well as city and state officials.

1. The Lesbian Gay Community Service Center of Cleveland. Few cities in the nation have a center so active as ours. From youth groups to advocacy from the hot line to support groups, the center serves Cleveland and northeast Ohio. With a highly energized staff and hundreds of volunteers, the center has grown to one of the largest in the mid west in terms of services its provides. The center will continue that growth with their pending move to the Gordon Square area. Congratulations to director Linda Malicki, the fine staff, the board and all the volunteers for their efforts.

There you have it. Still think you don't have anything to celebrate? Get yourself down to the biggest event of the yearCleveland Pride 1999. The rally starts at 1:00 pm.at East 18th and Euclid with the parade stepping off at 2:00 pm The festival starts at 2:00 at Voinovich Park in downtown Cleveland. Be there for Peace Love and Pride. Michael H. Flickinger Cleveland

Flickinger is corporate sponsor chair of the Cleveland Pride committee.

Pats to WKDD's change

To the Editors:

Congratulations to Mitch Dahmer, the Stow man who convinced WKDD radio to include gay, lesbian and bisexual choices within their personal ads [June 4 issue]. Mitch proved that positive change sometimes starts with a simple phone call. Congratulations also to WKDD for making a swift decision to correct this injustice to their gay audience.

I also wish to defend WKDD. During the 1998 Out in Akron Queer Cultural Festival, WKDD taped and aired a 30-minute interview program discussing the festival, as well as gay issues. WKDD also provided several hundred dollars in CDs and videos that were given as prizes at the Cabaret Q Talent Night.

Sometimes, people and businesses just need a little education on our issues and about our lives, too. Thanks, Mitch, for providing that education to WKDD, and thanks

stronger with each passing year."

Hawk is currently senior pastor of New Creation, at 787 Broad Street in Columbus. She was ordained by the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches on October 4, 1997. Prior to her ordination, Hawk served as lay pastoral leader of New Creation beginning in October of 1990.

"The church and I went from them paying me $25 a week in 1990 to them essentially being able to hire me full time in 1996," Hawk said on June 11. "It was nice to be honored for sticking in there over the long haul."

to WKDD for being a good student. Thanks also to the Chronicle for reporting the story in a balanced, fair manner.

Christopher Hixson Out in Akron co-chair

HIV came from bioweapon labs

To the Editors:

Thirty years ago on June 9, 1969, the U.S. Pentagon confirmed to Congress that they were working on the development of an "offensive biological agent that would lead to world wide scourge and Black Death-type plague in certain geographical areas."

On July 1, 1969, the Pentagon returned to Congress and sought $10,000,000 for ten years to develop a synthetic biological agent that would weaken the immune system.

The HIV enzyme is the by-product of a hidden federal program entitled "Special Virus." The evidence reveals the HIV enzyme was such a high priority that "Progress Reports" were issued each year and the collaborators met yearly at Penn State to update and ensure the secrecy of the project.

My name is Ed Graves and I live each day suffering from this synthetic agent. Last September I filed suit against the Pentagon and others on behalf of people with HIV and AIDS for an apology and reparations.

Our federal court set aside the evidence and ruled this frivolous. Later this month, a rare review of the judge's actions is going to take place before the full Judicial Council (19 judges) of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

This is not a frivolous issue and I sincerely believe we are entitled to an answer to our presentation of the congressional testimony and the "progress reports" of the "Special Virus" program.

It is now I need the help of our community. I am willing to provide copies of this information to anyone who wants it. It is also interesting to note that many "lead AIDS experts" are refusing to review the "progress

New Creation Metropolitan Church is an all inclusive congregation with services on Sunday mornings at 10:30 am and Wednesday evenings at 7 pm,

at

787 Broad

Street.

Reverend Margaret Hawk

reports" of the "Special Virus" program in order to maintain their prior professional opinion of "no evidence" of the laboratory origin of the HIV enzyme.

However, I can not understand why no one is listening to Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS who confirms the "Special Virus" program as being the “many steps in laboratories" required to create the enzyme. In this fight I have been reduced to Medicaid and the basement of my sister's family. I need the impetus of our community to continue against a giant that is spending $20,000 a second.

My e-mail address is bgra365527 @aol.com, or give me a call at 216-691-9167. After thirty years it is time to see, hear and speak.

Boyd E. "Ed" Graves Cleveland

Would TV 5 run a KKK show?

The following was sent to Sanaa Julien, public relations manager at WEWS Channel 5 in Cleveland.

Dear Ms. Julien:

On a recent Sunday [May 30], I happened to catch the end of the James Kennedy/Coral Ridge Ministries show on you station. He was ranting about the dangers of the "homosexual agenda" and tied it in with the pending hate crimes bill. He warned the viewers about the power of the "homosexual agenda" and how it also endangered the American family.

Well, Mr. Kennedy can talk all he wants to about gays—that's his constitutional right.

My concern is that Channel 5 has seen fit to accept Coral Ridge's money and run their programming. If, for example, the KKK came to your station, money in hand, and wanted to broadcast hate against blacks and Jews, I truly doubt you'd choose to broadcast it.

I want to know why gays are still subjected to such lambasting on a local station? How disappointing. You owe a lot of people an explanation.

Richard C. Spangler Cleveland

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