PAGE 6 HIGH GEAR

CEAR

of the Gear Foundation

A Publication VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6

< 1980 GEAR

HIGH GEAR journal is a publication of the Gay Educational and Awareness Resources (GEAR) Foundation of Cleveland Ohio It is distributed free of charge in any establishment and with any organization that will permit die tribution We are a non-profit, federally 181 0xempl publication

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The presence of the name or picture or other representation of an organi ration place of business or person (1) in HIGH GEAR is not necessarily in dicative of the sexual orientation of such organizations, businesses, or per 1008

We welcome all contributions of written materials art work, or photography by members of the gay community All materials submitted for publication are subject to editorialization We cannot guarantee the return of materials submitted for publication, whether used by HIGH GEAR or not, unless they are accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelone

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The deadline for HIGH GEAR publication is the 15th of the month .. for ad vertising and written material. News items accepted until the date of public. ation

HIGH GEAR will not publish material in which graphic or verbal represent. ations of an ideal or idealized human body appear except in the case of a performer or work of art which is the subject of the material. We also will not publish material of a racist, sosist, or pornographic nature We reserv the right to alter and or edit material to conform to the above standards in the case of display advertising, after notifying the advertiser

HIGH GEAR Copyrighted under federal law Reproduction is granted to all other gay publications so long as credit is given to HIGH GEAR AU MIGH GEAR work is original unless otherwise noted

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inion

A disturbed peace

The New You

By Brian McNaught

To the best of my recollection. most of my post-puberty life has. been spent feeling guilty. By guilty. I mean I felt I was a "bad person that if I told others what I thought or did I would lose the love of my parents, the respect of my friends and teachers and that were to die at that moment ! would go straight to hell

Almost all of my guilt was related to sex I felt guilty for looking at pictures of Greek statues in the encyclopedia | felt guilty for wanting to get a peek at my brothers, my friends, the life guard and the camp counselors when they undressed felf guilty for wanting to sleep in the nude and for occasionally touching myself to see what my penis felt like I felt guilty for masturbating and for the accompanying fantasies fantasies which included having sex with teachers, with a priest and even once.about laying in the arms of a naked Jesus I felt guilty I got aroused while a niece or nephew was on my lap or while I was rough-housing it with the dog How was I to know all these thoughts were natural? How was ! to know that feeling guilty only made me think of these things more. frequently?

Where was Sol Gordon when I needed him? Sol says "Sexual thoughts wishes, dreams, daydreams are normal-no matter how far out Behavior can be wrong but ideas cannot He says Guilt is the energy for the repetition of unacceptable thoughts and he says "Mastur bation is a normal sexual expres. sion for all people (and) is best when accompanied by a wide range of fantasies." Sol also says It's not OK to be anti-gay

If I had listened to or read the words of Sol Gordon when I was growing up I might have smiled a lot more. I know I would have felt less guilty about my sexuality and I probably never would have drank that bottle of paint thinner.

Sol Gordon is one of the wisest and most quotable people know. Generally with one or two sentences he captures a truth 'which the rest of us have expo. rienced but have been afraid to admit. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." he says. "If you are bored, you are boring to be with," he cau tions. "Try to stand for something." he says. "otherwise you'll fall for everything."

Editorial

Self-mutilation

by R. Woodward

A common mistake among those who call themselves "straight" is supposing that gay activities and organizations exist only for the benefit of men and women who are gay and assuming that only those who are gay would be involved in a gay activity (such as putting together High Gear every month.)...

Gay people are not, in fact, the only people who should be facing reality. Gay people are certainly not the only people who should be working at developing their sense of public responsibility.

If certain individuals are working to make sure that 20 million American citizens do not have their rights as American citizens infringed upon, this does not indicate that these individuals are necessarily gay themselves.

What it does indicate is that these individuals have a decent sense of patriotic duty.

If it's a disgrace for several dozen Americans held hostage in a foreign country to be abused by strangers, how`much more of a disgrace is it for several million Americans to be abused in their own country by fellow citizens?

It seems to be generally agreed right now in the United States that a sense of unity is needed for Americans to face what is before them. Anti-gay activity is just the thing to destroy this sense of unity.

Enemies of social groups and enemies of countries frequently use divide and conquer strategies. An all too obvious way of using a divide and conquer strategy in the United States is to incite members of a group against their fellow members who happen to be gay.

There is no ethnic, racial, or religious group in the United States that does not have gay members.

Homosexuality in the United States is a mundane, everyday facto! life somewhat less unusual than left-handedness.

People who happen to be gay, functioning as integral parts of American social and political life, are everywhere.

The United States is a social and political body that needs unity; anti-gay activity by Americans is a form of self-mutilation tending towards suicide.

In times of peace anti-gay activity helps nobody. In times of conflict it helps only the enemy.

When Sol speaks to an audience about life in general and about sexuality in particular there are often demonstrators outside who carry signs like Save Our Children They think knowledge is dangerous inside. people are laughing with Sol and at themselves. They are learning. things I wish I had learned a long time ago

Dr Gordon is Director of Syracuse University's prestigious Institute for Family Research and Education As one of the world's top sex educators and one of this country s most effective spokespersons in that field. Sol leads the John Birch Society's "ene. mies fist He is also an important ally of the gay movement and he is my friend

In his new book. The New You. a paperback just released by Bantam Sol has designed a pretty comprehensive blueprint for anyone who wants to expenence the energy and excitement of a creative life" In so doing this modern day Poor Richard's Almanac advises read-

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You cannot find yourself in a mirror or by dieting, meditating getting laid. announcing. your rebirth jogging, marrying. making money or at discos, bars. churches movies. races steam baths nor in front of TV. only by letting yourself be tried and tested in relationships with people

Bantam is marketing The New You as a book of life for 16 to 25 year olds I think anyone that age would find it invaluable but that unnecessarily mits the • audience. The New You (and books like it) ought to be in high.

school libraries across the country. We ought to be giving it to our nieces and nephews. our broth ers and sisters and to each other so that we can all learn simultaneously important lessons like "It doesn't matter what the 'cos-

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metic and toothpaste industries have to say about it. No deodorant can be a substitute for selfacceptance. What really attracts other good people is being a good person."

Mailbag

Dear Editor,

As we look to the birth of the decade of the 80's, I can see many good and positive things happening in the gay movement. As the 70's matured, many gay organizations sprang up and many gay people quit worrying, fearing, and stopped being gay homophobics.

Their affectional preference was theirs and was a human right that should be accepted, not scorned. That better feeling about being gay brought 'many gays out forming these organizations to help in the gay movement to secure their rights.

In the 60's there was no High Gear, no Ohio Gay Rights Coalition, no local newspapers in Ohio's major cities, no gay churches, nor the many other gay organizations that exist today in Ohio's gay community. We even have several gay com munity centers throughout Ohio. As the 70's came to a close. many of these organizations split apart. This was a natural thing for any growing society. As we enter the 80's, I can see a stronger. unity on the horizon, better brother-and-sisterhood and a strong footing for the gay organizations formed in the 70's. As was once the motto at the Metropolitan Community Church in Akron, "caring is a way of living (CIAWOL)."

As we begin this new decade, let us all care and protect what we've gained in the 70's.

Steve Jope