FORUM
Knowing Who Our Friends Are
John Nosek
HR Bill 166, the proposed amendment to the Civil Rights Acts which would ban discrimination based on a person's sexual preferences, is still lying in committee for future consideration. In order to guage the positions of area congressmen on this very important issue,. .High' Gear invited five of them to give us a statement. Only two responded. The most positive reply was from Louis Stokes D-21: "As I have always supported humanitarian legislation. I am giving (HR 166) serious consideration." James Stanton D-20 neatly skirted the issue by saying, "I am not a member of the committee to which this legislation has been referred, and I have not yet had an oppurtunity to study it." Though contacted nearly two months ago, Charles Vanik D22 and Ronald Mottl D-23 have still to respond to our inquiries. More importantly,
Congressman Seiberling from Akron-Kent who sits on the committee considering HR Bill 166 not only has not responded but has gone on public record laughing off gay rights by voicing such overtly anti-gay sentiments as "I can't possibly imagine how a man-could-not be sexually-interested in a woman. It's absurd." Sporting a consistently liberal voting history, Seiberling appears to be somewhat hypocritical in his personal position. It is hoped, of course, by most gay activists that he will re-consider his stand by the time the legislation is voted upon. In any case, all prospective Northeastern Ohio gay voters should take note of their representatives' support or lack of it in gay rights. Let us not promote our foes at election time!
On other fronts of gay-non-gay relationships, The Cleveland Gay Federation has reported that The Scene has been more than cooperative in displaying CGF ads and correspondences in the classifieds and letter-to-the-editor columns. Exit, while helpful in one
media venture, has since not featured the CGF classified ad. On the air waves, WMMS-FM and WWW-FM gave no response to requests for public service time and apparently have not broadcast any gay organizational information. The Plain Dealer was also notified of the CGF formation, with a request for public disclosure. Again the correspondence was ignored.
It is appropriate to additionally mention those non-gay institutions which have permitted distribution of High Gear to the straight community, thus enabling a viable educational exchange to exist in the metropolitan area. Our thanks go out to Cleveland State University, CWRU, Cuyahoga Community College, Baldwin-Wallace, Coventry Books, RSVP, New World Haircuts, and all other businesses in the locale who have co-operated in our attempts to emit a voice in the community-at-large. High Gear and CGF wish to encourage gay patronization of non-gay enterprises that support the gay community. It is apparent that we do have prominent straight sympathizers, and in the spirit of mutual co-operation, we urge all gays to reciprocate gestures of goodwill.
99
-POETRY -
By LEON STEVENS
WET DREAM
Like a fir tree in a cloud, Or a bastion of basalt, Gorged python, well-endowed Weighty key for some huge vault.
Like a steeple, spire and tower, Pregnant Vulcan soon to blow His volcanic golden shower On the populace below,
Harboring, a tall skyscraper Chrysler eagles out of reach, Cosmic universal raper, Bloated, black sea-faring leach,
Lighthouse with a burning beacon Obelisk to hail the pharoahs Belfry with a fiery deacon, Ship too wide to breach the
narrows.
Not unlike a billiard cue, Golden bantam ear of corn Sturdy bean stalk that Jack grew, Or a nine-inch saddle-horn.
Candy cane I'd love to lick Serpent searching for his den Why not, Sir, please "flick your Bic?"
(Not the lighter but the pen)
FREE FORM EXCHANGE By ZIGGY
(With indebted gratitude to Peter Hammill for inspiration) From a Gay non-activist to a rabble-rouser:
I saw your picture in the Daily Standard
You were wearing your battle dress.
I really must confess
That I slipped a silent smile for you.
It had really thrown my mind.
i surmise, are you still so kind?
Are you still so innocent?
Denny, penny for your thoughts,
I wonder how you're thinking now.
I hesitate to visualize;
Our worlds seem much too different.
You're an author and an actor too;
I'm a model in the zoo.
I'm just contemplating
On which side of the bars I'm looking through.
If you prophesize an earthquake,
Should I wait and call your bluff?
If I give you a piece of my life,
Will you be man enough to handle my fright? One more madness is over.
Now I lay me asunder and bend my time. At the fall of the curtain, let this be my host
糖
Response from A Gay activist to a Gay brother:
Listen for the silent moment,
Only waiting to be saved.
Guard against the Man; he comes again
And bottles his barbs through honesty.
Roll him over with all possible speed!
Don't let him touch you with the revoiver of his need,
Or worse let him coldly pillage your grave.
You are emotion picture; a re-run sliding at every frame.
You are the instant playback; is there no chance for change?
Shall I roll you over before it's too late,
Before you're exposed to the leather chrome phase.
We are the automated arrows,
Screaming on the gentle beds of pain.
We are the Peacebringers; it's all so very strange.
We feast on grief and grieve through joy.
So now roll us over and turn aside.
We dare not look into the mirror of their eyes
For fear that we may steal the life
You gladly gave.....
Allegiance to ourselves is the life we grow.