Page & HIGH GEARAUGUST 1981

CEAR

OPINION

A Publication fo the GEAR Foundation VOLUME 7, ISSUE 9

1981 GEAR

HIGH GEAR 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 distribution. It is a non-profit, federally tax-exempt publication.

The presence of the name or picture or other representation of an organization, place of business or person(s) in HIGH GEAR is not necessarily indicative of the sexual orientation of such organizations or persons.

All contributions of written materials, art work or photography by members of the gay community are welcome. All materials submitted for publication are subject to editorilization. The return of materials submitted for publication, whether used by HIGH GEAR or not, cannot be guaranteed unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope.

All HIGH GEAR staff members are volunteers except the advertising manager. Anyone interested in working on the staff of HIGH GEAR should contact the paper at P.O. Box 6177 Cleveland, OH., 44101 or by calling the Hotline at 621-3380.

Business or organizations wishing to advertise in HIGH GEAR may obtain advertising rate cards and other information by writing to the above address.

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

HIGH GEAR will not publish any material of a racist, sexist, ageist or pornographic nature. HIGH GEAR reserves the right to apply the same standards to display advertising after notification is given the advertiser.

HIGH GEAR is copyrighted under Federal Law. Reproduction is granted to all other gay publications as long as credit is given to HIGH GEAR. Exception: Photographs copyrighted by Sally J. Mattson may not be reprinted nor reproduced in any way witout the written consent and/or fee paid to the photographer. All HIGH GEAR work is original unless otherwise noted.

HIGH GEAR PICTURE POLICY

Recognizable faces will not be printed in HIGH GEAR without the consent of said faces. This is to enable the patrons and entertainers of Cleveland's finest bars, clubs, entertainments and organizations to remain relaxed without fear of their “images being stolen" when the HIGH GEAR staff photographers are at work.

VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLICATIONS EDITOR-INTERIM MANAGING EDITOR

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER STAFF ARTIST WRITERS

COLUMNISTS

LAYOUT STAFF

DISTRIBUTION STAFF

SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER

Erich Andrews

Jeff Wobbecke

R. Woodward Sally Mattson

Lenny Elfers

Sally J. Mattson Photographer

Jay Stuart, Mary Stuart, Gordon Hathaway, David George M.F. Castle

Alexandria Rudin, Chris Guarnieri, Jeannette, Moonshot and Rainwalker Steve Del Nero, Rex Rode Steve Fritch, Win Welzer, Gordon Hathaway, Brian DeWitt

Barbara Lee, Gail Burlee, Marcia Perry, Lorie Cecelich, Tracey Ryan, Leslie Fortlage, Jody Gilbert Homan, Jerry Bores Dianne Fishman

Messe address all correspondence to HIGH GEAR P.O. Box 6177 Cleveland, OH. 44101 or call evenings 621-6546.

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THE CALL AND POST

Editor's column

Ending and beginning

By Jeff Wobbecke

June 28th marked a beginning and an ending. For some it was the end of active service on the board of trustees of the GEAR Foundation. For others, it was a change from private to public life. For me, it means goodbye to my involvement with HIGH GEAR.

Beginnings and endings rarely go alone some who have left the board take up other activities the title changes but the work goes on. For others, it means more responsibility a new direction a wider focus.

I can only speak of my own feelings I cannot always do that too well.

My committment is to community the gay community of Ohio. It is a belief that I have and have mentioned before in these pages.

I am not abandoning that belief, I am merely switching hats to that of a policy maker, a mover in a different manner. Serving my people whether as Interim Editor of HIGH GEAR or as a member of the Board of Trustees of the GEAR Foundation is a task I welcome. Hopefully, this world will be a better place for my having walked across it. Hopefully, I will have touched some life some where and made that person a little more open, a little more understanding, a little more accepting of what is the most underrated group of people on earth.

This will be my last issue. My thanks go out to the staff and to our readers. I hope that whoever follows will continue to receive the same support and cooperation that I have. You have been good to work with and to publish for.

Remember, this is your paper. It needs you-just as you look for it every month. Support the advertisers they pay for this.

Letters to the editor are on the

Editorial

Clay pigeons

don't write

When asked to write letters to their elected representatives, all too many men and women who are gay have been copping-out.

Too lazy or too timid to speak out in their own behalfs, these cop-out individuals usually seem to use one or both of two basic excuses -being worried about exposing themselves and not being able to write very well.

Leaving these excuses unexamined would be yet another cop-out. "Exposing" oneself

It is quite possible to express an opinion about the rights of those American citizens who are gay and the difficulties they face in exercising these rights without saying what your own sexual orientation is. When sending a letter to a Member of Congress or Senator it is not necessary to send along with it a detailed description of what you did in bed last night, signed by a notary agent you persuaded to sleep with

vou.

All too many gay individuals have not bothered to consider that self xpression might be possible without exhibitionism.

It reveals very little about your love life to remind an elected official that all men and women with homosexual orientations are human beings and that most of them in the United States are American citizens. Other individuals besides gay activists have been observed treating people decently and showing themselves to be civic minded. Your Senator and Member of Congress are regularly communicated with by many people with many different opinions. If you refrain from threatening to murder them or threatening to destroy their genitals, their responses to your letters are more likely to be polite letters of reply than late night visits from the FBI or privately hired hit-men.

If you are very inhibited about discussing your problems directly, you can always use the "I know someone who is" approach. Write about your problems from the point of view of some hypothetical concerned individual you might know. Write as if you are describing the problems of some close friend or relative.

Your elected individual is less likely to see through this approach when you are communicating by letter -when he or she will not be looking you in the eye or listening to the sound of your voice. And even if you are seen through, your elected individual will probably avoid embarrassing you by mentioning it.

Continuing to be reelected usually involves knowing how to be tactful in dealing with one's constituents.

Observing your need to use a subterfuge to express yourself might, in and of itself, impress upon your elected individual the genuineness of your problems. Inability to write

Getting in touch with an elected individual is one of the few instances where not being much of a writer might be to your advantage. Some awkwardness in your writing might very well be taken as evidence that you actually write your letters yourself.

One way in which large right-wing organizations like the Moral Majority have been making themselves obnoxious lately is by having their members flood the offices of elected officials with letters which have obviously been written according to some form letter.

Elected officials pay more attention to words from living human beings than to stock phrases copied by people on a computerized mailing list.

Appearing to have a hard time in writing letters would suggest that what you want to say is important enough to you that you are willing to undergo a hard time to say it. Your own fault

The small discomfort you might feel in writing letters now might help to save you from much greater discomforts later.

No one is more likely to take more of an interest in the continued well being of men and women who are gay than gay individuals bother to take themselves.

Some elected officials are more tolerant than others and some are more concerned about human values and human needs, but all elected officials tend to be very busy. Most of the attention of an elected official usually goes to those of his or her constituents who bother to say what they want.

If you do not say what you want, you cannot give all the blame to others for what you get stuck with.

Politicians who are regularly reminded that gay individuals are human beings who feel, think, and vote are politicians more likely to regard gay individuals as being more than just handy scapegoats. Fewer people will automatically use you for target practice if you are less passive than a clay pigeon.

inside back page opposite the Notable quote

classifieds. Robert Allan Hunterhave you any friends?

Jeannette hears lots and tells more. And Rick Berg gives his opinions.

Your suggestions and comments are appreciated.

by R. Woodward

"There are still nervous liberals who will tell you that they don't care 'what you do in bed' but wonder 'why you make such a big deal of it.' "I make such a big deal of it, I suppose, because I wearied of other people making a big deal of it behind my back...

Armistead Maupin