FEBRUARY 1976
ODDS AND ENDE
by Jerry Juszczyk
Janis lan recently came out publicly in a December interview with the Village Voice. After acknowledging she has had a female lover, Ms. Ian was asked why she did not write more openly gay lyrics. Her reply: "I've never written a song saying, "Hello World. I'm bisexual... But beyond that bisexual, heterosexual, homosexual; it's all love. It's all relationships. When you get down to the nitty gritty, it doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman, unless you're fucked-up about it.... "
Religious quirks: The President of the Rabbinic Council (which represents 1000 Orthodox rabbis in North America) praised the Vatican for its recent statement on sexual morality. Rabbi Fabian Schoenfeld said the Vatican statement was "rooted in traditional Jewish religious teaching which condemns deviant forms of sexuality, such as pre and extra-marital relations and homosexuality.” ...
Father Kornelian commented on the syndicated ethnic "Rosary Hour" radio prograrn on WXEN that "fornicators, adulterers, people with queer tendencies, pornographers, and others reflecting decadent modern morality cannot expect to escape heaven's eternal wrath."
Allen Ginsberg, gay poet, is credited as Co-Director on Bob Dylan's latest work Desire, one of the more significant albums of our time...
It seems that several gay journals and organizations are lashing out at the Advocate following its editorial branding some gay leaders as "emotionally distrubed" and encouraging gays to main in the closet. The Advocate is currently orchestrating a conference to raise cash for a lobbying agency which it will control. The conference is to be presided over by editor David B. Boodstein, who will permit no debate, no voting, and no discussion of gay civil rights or other gay issues.....
Interested in gay fiction or poetry? An excellent journal titled Gay Literature came our way from California State University edited by Daniel Curzon, national 'gay literary figure. It is available for $2.00 per issue or $8.00 for four. Write Daniel Curzon, English Dept. State Univ. of Calif., Fresno, Calif. 93740.
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Local press corp. crazies dept, Get this clip from Howard Preston's Plain Dealer column: 'Good friend' has fallen into disrepute just as the word 'gay' has bitten the dust. Gay is an excellent word or was until modern usage connected it irrevocably with homosexuality. Do you think today that an author could get away with titling a book 'Our Hearts Were Young and Gay'? Could you call a man a gay blade without causing some people in the audience to snicker? Gay no longer is respectable and if a person linked 'gay' with 'good friend' the inference might be doubly salacious. We progress back. ward socially, I think."
Of the presidential candidates presently battling it out on the political circuit, the following have come out (to some extent) in support of HR 5452, gay civil rights: Fred Harris, Milton Shapp, and Birch Bayh. Morris
BED CLOS
there's plenty -at six-twenty 620 Frankfort Ave. Cleveland
Downtown between W. 6th and W. 9th Just steps West of Public Square and the Mall
Phone 241-9719
Free Parking Sunday Thru Thursday Attendant at ¡¡ Times
Udall said he still had to "study Spless, Austrian downhill skiier; the bill"...
A Bovigo, Italy state prosecutor ordered the confiscation of February 2nd's edition of the magazine Oggi, because it featured an article about homosexuality in the U.S. He said the article was offensive to the Roman Catholic Church....Oui vey!.....
The Chicago Gay Crusader reports the accused murderer of italian film maker and activist Pier Paolo Pasolini may get a light sentence because of psychiatrists' conclusions that he is "immature." ......
The Devil's Doing... Minister Charles Boykin, "Brother Charlie," of Tallahassee Florida has taken on a heated campaign against rock music. He is convinced that rock is performed with an adrenalin high, and that its "medical knowledge" too much adrenalin produces female characteristics in the male and the opposite in the female. To date well over $2000 worth of records have been burned at bonfires by Boykin and his youth group who gathered the music and initiated the action. Among those pegged for eternal damnation are Elton John who is an "admitted bisexual," the Rolling Stones, for "debauchery on stage," and The Staple Singers for "Let's Do It 'Sex) Again."...
challenging
Rudolf Nureyv plays Rudolph Valentino in a Ken RussellJirected United Artists movie slated for sometime in 1976 More and more gay military people are dismissals from the service because of their homosexuality. The latest are Lt. Joseph G. Hathaway, 26, a Green Beret officer and Ensign Vernon Berg III, 24, who is an avowed bisexual....No doubt, the military execs are running scared these days....
International sexism is running rampant at the Winter Olympics. Subjected to demeaning sex laboratory tests to assess if they have a preponderance of male hormones, women athletes are loudly objecting that men are not required to take similair examinations. Said Nicola
"If a girl is a boy, it makes a lot of difference; but if a boy is a girl, it doesn't matter." Dr. Dan Hanley, head of the U.S. Olympic team medical force responded to the complaints: "It's a matter of philosophy. Men are more muscular and stronger. A man with feminine tendencies would not have an advantage. A woman with male tendencies definitely would."...
December's Psychology Today ran an excellent sketch of psychologist Evelyn Hooker called, "The Darling of the Gay Community." Evelyn Hooker has long been an advocate of gay civil rights and undertook the first major studies to prove that homosexuality is not a mental illness...the article is well worth reading...
From the Pacific Coast Times: Caroline Kennedy, recently dating a gay young Iman, while in the company of his boyfriends waited at their table while he danced with his friends. Caroline said of her gay friends that they "truly care for me as a person and not simply because I'm supposed to look like some hot number."
On a recent Tonight show segment, Johnny Carson satirized Tom Snyder's Tomorrow show in which he caricatured,
"Tonight's
Tomorrow show will be on homosexuality," whereupon Carson caught himself and sheepishly added, "We'll probably receive some angry letters from the gay rap group about this." Ed McMahon then asked, "What's the gay rap group?" Carson shrugged his shoulders and said, "Uh, you know, the Bi-centennial.".....
The Local Beat: WLY? 92 on he FM dial in Cleveland has gone completely disco twentyfour hours a day.....Question of the month: Chester's on Coventry. Is it or isn't it?..... Leon Stevens, co-editor of High Gear will be making an appearance on WKYC'TV's (Channel 3) Sunday Magazine program on March 7th.....
Hey now, The Vaults i hopping. Each Friday night i dress up night for the bar tenders... So far, one nigh
they've dressed up in full tuxedo regalia, another all in white from the tips of their shoes to the gardenias of their lapels.
... Also at The Vaults the outrageous Scaggnolia returns to Cleveland from Feb, 26 to 29th with two one hour shows each night, one at eleven, the other at one. There will be a $2.00 cover charge. Scaggnolia brands the show as a "new cosmic cabaret show, live with no mime." ... This is one drag person you've gotta see...
The Rainbow is closed for remodeling from February 9th to 16th......
Sunday February 15, the Zanzibar is having a Miss Valentine Contest emceed by Eric Boroush.....
How's this for a hot item....Doug Mowery will be playing the piano at the bar in Bayou's Lower Landing every Friday and Saturday night. Another Cleveland first......
Ann's bar in Warren is now open at noon serving a fantastic bowl of chili...... Out Alpine way a mirror ball has been added as part of that bar's continuing development project......
A gracious bow goes to Cleveland State University's student newspaper the Cauldron for printing that High Gear is the most popular new newspaper on campus....
Emore' will be returning to the Shaker Club, March 3rd in the upstairs lounge, Wednesday through Sundays. No cover and no minimum....
We at Gear send get well wishes to Norman, manager of Bel-Air, who recently suffered a major heart attack. Hang in there, Norm,.....
Superstar chef Weldon of the Vaults whips up one great brunch every Sunday at 2 p.m. A recent meal featured boneless chicken breasts with almond wine gravy, yams, a Mediterranean salad, stuffing, a choice of fresh fruit, and drink or champagne, all for one reasonably low price...tres gourmet.....
Godmother's II anniversary party has been moved to Febuary 28th. Free food and champagne will be served; no cover..
Better Midler was superb in concert. She loved Cleveland and promised a quick return. Midler also videotaped the Friday and Saturday concerts for an upcoming television special The woman shows good taste as do most Northeastern Ohioans...
Brief reminder. Don't forget to tune in on the Walt Whiteman special on CBS (Channel 8) Tuesday, March 9th at 10 p.m....You won't be sorry....
The December 19th benefit show sponsored by the Outpost in Warren collected $365.00 plus private donations for ALSAC, St. Jude's Children's Hospital. N.E. Ohio and especially Warren gays should be right proud....Until next time.....