Amethyst SYOL Newsletter - August 1989 - v2i1

Gay Pride _Impression

I WILL REMEMBER

6 - 69 The Stonewall Riot

9 - 72 A young ex - serviceman, closeted , fearful and hopeful , moves to New York to begin four years of higher education and life. Stonewall means nothing to him

6 - 89 The same ex - serviceman marches in his first Gay Pride March commemorating the 20 th anniversary of Stonewall. In the city where years before he came out, grew up, lost his virginity and met his first lover (still a good friend)_ He had hoped, and expected, to share the experience with a man he cared for deeply and wanted as his lover who said goodbye three weeks before. His way of wishing a happy 40th birthdayno explanations but, ''I'ts for the best..•"

LIFE"S A BEACH! PART

August 19

2:30 PM 6 - 25 - 89

THE MOMENT OF SILENCE

You cannot comprehend the awesome power and emotional significance of standing in the middle of New York City's 5th Avenue surrounded by some of the world's most exclusive real estate, half a million Gay men and women - proud and cohesive, hands raised in the" I Love You" sign - thumb, pointer and pinky fingers outstreched, and utter silence. Balloons drifted out of the shadowy canyon into the clear blue sky, arms were wrapped around shoulders, heads were bowed and some lips moved silently.

The moment of silence embodied the march's theme "WE REMEMBER"It held, in the spirit of community and communion, reverence and perhaps a portion of rage. The power of those two minutes was patience and pathos.

For me there was pride and pain. I was tired - bundled in excitement. I was alone- literally surrounded by walls of humanity. In the depth of the silence I prayed - for the people I did not know, for some I do, and for those I can now never know. I recalled the idyllic youth on that same street ; _the innocence of a past we can never reclaim. I prayed for myselfand cried. B.S.

A Conversation with Bob Fancher

Amethyst: Tell us about yourself.

Dob:My marriage ended fourteen years ago, around the time that I came out of the closet .I opened Lenny's not long after that, my present lover and I have been together for eight years .

Amethyst: Tell us about your kids.

Dob:I have two boys and their ages are 20 and 21.

Amethyst: Do you have any hobbies?

Dob:Yes. I love theatre, racket ball and going on bike rides wilh my lover. I like to travel and particularly enjoy topical areas. Editors note: {Bob neglected to mention that he also owns the definitive pink flamingo collection in the area.} ·

Amethyst: Do you have any pets?,

Bob:We have a four year old dog named Grace who is very much a part of the family. ·

Amethyst: How long have you been in the bar business?

lJob:Before I opened Lenny's I owned a bar in Johnson City called the Office and before·that I worked for IBM. People have asked me why I stay in the business and I tell them that it's because I like show business but can't sing and dance so this is the closest I can get. '

Amethyst: Why did you change the name of your bar froin Lenny's to Risky Business? '

Bob:OnJanuary 19, 1987Ichanged the name to try to breathe new life into the bar and at the time I added video to bring a fresh image to the place.

Amethyst: TG\lus about the building your bar is in.

,Bob: It was built in the late 1800s. Downstairs was a sheet metal shop and upstairs I am told was a brothel.

Amethyst: Tell us about the upstairs now.

Bob: I called it the Blue Penguin when I started it as a Gay hotel and though most of the people who live there are permanent residents, I still keep three rooms to rent out on a nightly basis. I also have rented to people with AIDS as long as five years ago, at that time they had no where else to go, I will continue to rent to PWA's.

Amethyst: What type of music does your DJ play?

Bob: I subscribe to a video service and they send two types of tapes monthly: dance and progressive. We try to mix them, we also have a new computerized system that allows us to find a video to play (if we have it) by title or artist, upon request.

Amethyst: Do you feel a responsibility to the Gay and Lesbian community to distribute newsletters, flyers and other news of interest?

AMETHYST PRODUCTION COMMITTEE :

Patrick McHugh, John Hollister, Dan Schaffer, Tom, Gary Miller, B.S., Brian, Don, Paul, Scott.. ·

The purpose of SYOL is building the Gay community in the S6uthe~ Tier and meeting its needs through the participation and commitment of its members. These include organizing social activities; providing information and resources to the community; informing the community about safer-sex.and survival in the health crisis; providing any possible assistance to victims of homophobia and discrimination; making the Southern Tier a better place for Gay people.

Amethyst is distributed free. If you would like to subscribe, or havn't recieved your copy ,just write to the SYOL PO box, or talk to anyone on the production committee. A donation of $7 will cover the cost of a year's subscription. Pleasesend your donations to the above address.

Amethy t

SowhydidthevenerableOnZ tt ohnnoho,11111111 '/

Have the editors taken to heart JudyOruhn'sw 11~11111 book of gay myth, Another MotherTongtto,wh ,t HJH writes that the amethyst is an ancient gay symb IYIf 1tt a lavender gem, of course. There are so few imn Hth11 I apply both to gay men and to lesbians. The lambl 1u1tl the piajc triangle are about all, and the amethyst 1 1111 image that we will see more and more as a gaysy l;, J1 Judy Grahn argues that it symbolizes transformntl n, which we all know our community so desperately need, I asked people who keep track of such infonnation fl r second opinions. One said that it symbolizes chastity, Forge chastity; we definitely do not havethat in mind! Hot pleasure with condoms for the guys is still on th agenda. Someone else said the amethyst symbolizes sobriety. That is relevant, perhaps, given how so many of us wash out our closets and low self-esteem with too much beer. If you find all those butch consonants unpronouncable: it is a mathist.

Save Your Own Lives (to be incorporated) is working for a happier, stronger, proud~r gay community. The Amethyst is our banner.

Advertising for events, services, products and/or places in the newsletter does notnecessarily imply endorsement by SYOL or Amethyst. Publication of anyone's name in this publication is not to be construed as any indication of their sexual orientation. Ar_ticles,letters, announcements, and notices may be sent to the above address. We reserve the right to edit. Letters to the editor must be signed, although names will be withheld on request. Any manuscript submitted for publication should include name, address, and telephone number. Manuscripts will be returned on request, if return postage is enclosed. All letters to the editor become property of Ametnyst. Letters and manuscripts should be typewritten, but are acceptable if legibly written. Absolute privacy for individuals submitting materials is assured, if requested. The deadline for Amethyst is 9pm on the 12th of the month. All OJ)lnlonsexpressedin Amethystal'ethoseof theauthol'Sand do not necessaril ••eflectthoseof tho staff or ubllshors,

Stonewall Anniversary: SYOL Minutes

What a Riot!

M1NuTEs oF JUNE 9, 1989 orREcrroNAL MnnT1No

A vast crowd of Gay people flowed through New Held at 48 Court st.,Binghamton due to a complication of room availability at Opportunities for Broome offices (a sign was placed York City on gay pride day, some marching, some ontheOFBdoortoguidcattendcestothetemporarymeetingplacc), partying, some demonstrating, some dancing, some the meeting began at 8:40 pm. Treasurer B.S.reported that we are in strolling. I was in the radical faerie contingent, which good shape,that the books are being computerised and that the need the New York Times report juxtaposed with the Gay and for a checking account rather than a savings account is now Lesbian Alumni of the Harvard Business School as the overwhelming if we are going to keep good track of our finances. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as printed in the outrageous and respectable extremes of the parade. For MAY, 1989 GAZETTE issue. us, the parade was the last in a series of dramatic events GA y PRIDE DA y BUS The current status of the numbersof that included re-enactments of Judy Garland's funeral people signed up for the NYC GAY PRIDE DAY bus was and the Stonewall riot. What stands most in my memory discussed. A fonathon will be held during the next few days to fill and in the press reports is how o_ur play riot turn_ed into . the seats. Another parade marshall is needed for those who are going to march in NYC. Patrick will serve as one of the marshalls. the real thing. BY-LA w revisions, as printed in the May GaZette were approved We began our gathering in the woods outside of as printed. · · Ithaca. Among faeries in an isolated spot, the only ACCOUNTING: The treasurer, President and Vice-President will obstacle to wearing a skirt and wings is the internalized change our-sa~ings a~c~unt to·a checking account at the. !~st homophobia in your he~d .. If you can rela~ enough so possible cost to allow for the most accounting accuracy as soon as · possible. . . . that your identity does not demand that you wear · GAZETTE: Articles are continually needed. Positive comments on confonning straight attire, then you begin to feel free. the May issue were extended to Patrick and John for its continually Harry Hay , who founded the qay niovemerrt in improving look'and content. · · the United States in Los Angeles in the early 1950s~ also SYRACUSE: It was noted that the Syracuse Gay community is started the radical faeries ten years ago to explore what it becoming much more obvious and coordinated in the last year; new leadership and concerned citizens J)eing the primary.boost. means to be gay. and what special contribution gay Meeting adjourned at 10:20 PM. people might have to contribute to humanity as a whole. ~iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;;;;;;;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;;;;;;;;;;; We are rural in heart, and in our gatherings we camp in · · · both senses of the word: the streets to ·Stuyves·ent Park to. sing and dance. As.for the name, we turn the derogatory name of Afteiwards, I felt at ease. faeries into a positive one that can no longer hurt us, with A contingent went to the Vince Lombardi Rest resonances of a mythic gay history dating back to ancient Area in New Jersey to stage a kiss-in. There was a history times. of police entrapment there. The cops would cruise the

In the city, among strangers in the street, this outrageous garb takes on a a new significance. We play into the role of sacred clowns while enjoying the tremendous feeling of solidarity among men wearing dresses. Our mere prese~ce forces straights to confront their own homophobia.

We are merciles slypla ying with our stereotypes. If straight people see us, the most extreme of the gay tribe, then everyone else seems n.ormal. If the most outrageous flaming faeries with wings and skirts are real, breathing human beings, then so too are all Gay people.

We moved our gathering to Greenwich Village. We stayed in a community center in Loisada, near Tompkins Square Park, the site of last years police riot. The neighborhood seemed tense. Anarchist squatters resisted cops and landlords. Buildings were burning down suspiciously.

Our first action terrified me. We walked down

·bathroom, and· if anyone seemed remotely interested, they would arrest them and put through the court system and charge heavy fin~s with no possibility of defense. Pure police corruption. A legal battle against the police entrapment is in preparation.

In the evening, we stagedamockfuneral for Judy Garland. Her hits came out of a boom box concealed in a casket. Of course, we had ruby slippers. The police were kind arid plowed a path through the traffic for us. We stopped at Sheridan square and a man dressed as Judy threw a yellow. brick (foam rubber, actually) to symbolically begin our commemoration of the Stonewall riot.

On Saturday, there was an ACT-UP march (ACT UP is the AIDS committee to Unleash Power, which stages rowdy protests to urge the powers that be to move much faster in dealing with the AIDS crisis.) We walked

Gay and Lesbian Address Book

The following organizations have come to the attention , of SYOL. If any details are incorrect, if an organization was omitted, does not serve the gay community, or no longer exists, please inform Amethyst.

For businesses that cater to the gay community, other than by providing a place to socialize, please refer to our advertisers. For non-commercial places to meet, you must rely on' word-of-mouth or Bob Damron's Address Book.

The following notice was found in the Boston Gay Community News:

. " Binghamton, NY - The new Broome County Gay Alliance is now forming and all interested in becoming 'Founding' members are encouraged to become involved. Broome County encompasses over 250, 000 residents, and although there was a BCGA years ago, it has dwindled away. The new BCGA will be a nonprofit group which will assist, educate and support lesbian and gay county residents. For more information, contact Richard Thomas, PO Box 424 S.V.S., Binghamton, NY 13903."

ORGANIZATIONS

Herizon

Private women's club, includes Lesbian Discussion Group, 213 state st. Binghamton 724-3462

National Association of People With AIDS -Twin Tiers (NAPWATT)

Monthly meeting 2nd Saturday at 7pmat 48 Court St. in Binghamton

Save Your Own Lives (SYOL)

Box 728 Westview Station, Binghamton,N.Y. 13905 State St. Binghamton

SUPPORT GROUPS/ SPECIAL INTEREST

Gay Alcoholics Anonymous Saturdays 7pm, Washington Street Mall Salvation Army. Open Meeting

Gay/Lesbian Businesspersons Meets Monthly. Contact Paul 722-4203

RIDS HOTLINE. (can be collect) •• 723-0 ti 1 Outside Broome County (toll free)

1- 800-333-0892

GHY RESOURCELI NE. •••••••••••••••••••722--891

WOMEN'S EUENT LI NE ................. 724-5462

GHY PEOPLES' UN I ON .................. 777-2202

Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) PO Box 728, Westview Station, Bing. 13905 Contact Lillian at 729-5616

Gay and Lesbian Support Group (formerly Gay Catholics) PO Box 597, Binghamton, NY 13905

RESOURCES

Broome County Health Department STD/VD Clinic 772-2857 Confidential Treatment by Appt.

Rape and Abuse Crisis Center 722-4256 Serves men and women S.O.S. Shelter for Battered Women 754-4240 PO Box 393, Binghamton 13902

Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) 122 Baldwin St. Johnson City NY 13790, 798-1706 Anonymous HIV Testing 315-428-4736 (collect OK)

BARS

Numbers

Upper Court Street in Kirkwood, 775-3300

Risky Business 201 State st. Binghamton, 723-1507

Squiggy's '34 Chenango st. Binghamton

January's (Tumble On Inn)

76 Lake Ave. Binghamton

Common Ground 1230 Danby Rd (Route 96B), Ithaca

CAMPGROUNDS

Hillside Campgrounds PO Box 726, Binghamton, NY 13902 (717) 756• 2833

Oneida Camp Po Box 537, New Milford, PA 18834

up to Central Park where there was a rally. Singers of the

Fancher- Con'td

Bob: Yes I do. I was disLurbed by the policyof LileOUI,F speakers spoke the usual speeches about gay pride. Gayzette, in Utica because they would no longer accept That evening, we held our re-enactment of the advertisements from Gay businesses but expect Lhosebusinesses LO Stonewall riot. Our play riot somehow turned into the support thier efforts. I think that Gay businesses and organizfltions real thing. Leathermen played the role of cops, and drag can and should work toge ther.

hits you might here at Numbers played. In between,

Amethyst: Do you have any plans for your bar this summer? queens threw the yellow foam bricks. We rented the Bob: Yes, I am going to start opening at 5pm to give people a basement where the bar used to be, which is now a place to go after work. I will be having barbeques on the patio and boutique. An artistic rendition of gay history was set up atea dance once a month. in the basement. Harry Hay remarked to me that our Amethyst: Tell us about your new store. recreation of the Stonewall would have gotten the place Bob: 1 wanted to have a place to sell gay books. I th ink there are a lot of people who feel funny about picking up reading material closed down much earlier. in a book store and I would like to tell your readers that if they have But someone yelled to take 7th avenue, and our abookinmindtheyareinterestedinbuying,Iwouldbegledtoorder crowd ran towards it, still throwing the yellow bricks. it for them. They picked up police barricades, there for blocking Amethyst:Wouldyouliketosayanythingelsetoourreaders? traffic the next day' and ran up the. road. At the police Bob: I would like to thank all the people who have supported us over the years. precinct, a window was broken and flags were

dramatically burned. The higher-ups came out and S==================~ yelled through a megaphone. As it turned out, the crowd of about 1000 was upset because two men (one naked) were found murdered at the end of a pier off Christopher street, and the police were denying that it was an act of anti-gay violence, and seemed slow in dealing with it. The crowd then took over the West Side Highway.

I left to scope out the neighborhood (lots of people were headed towards the commotion) and went to see the Stonewall exhibit. Besides, I felt that we are protesting homophobia, not traffic laws, so why block streets?

I went back outside. The crowd returned to Sheridan Square, screaming "out of the bars and into the street." There was an ambulance. I asked what happened, and learned that a car plowed into the marchers and ran people over. The drivers screamed that faggots should die of AIDS. The crowd chased the car down. A young punk named Cynthia Vicious claimed credit for flattening the tires and breaking the windows. The police arrested the drivers, but only for resisting arrest. The New York Post headline the next morning: GAYS BASH BACK! (The New York Native headline was "The Car that Launched the Third Decade of the Gay Movement!) A mayoral candidate, David Dinkins, appeared on the scene; reporters interviewed him.

My feet were very tired the next day, but I marched anyway. No. Marching is the wrong word. We danced and skipped and partied down Fifth A venue in a river of hundreds of thousands of people.

At night, I stood on a roof near Christopher Street and watched the fireworks and the people dancing on the pier. A Gay 4th of July.

THE FOLLOWING WERE THE MOST REQUESTED DANCE/

Gary Miller & Patrick McHugh

~The Gay and Lesbian News in Review)

New York, July 6 The New York State Supreme Court ruled that a gay man must be allowed to assume the lease of his deceased lover's rent-controlled apartment in Manhattan. Although it only applies to rent-controlled apartments in New York, it sets an important precedent in defining family by its function and nature, rather than by its. structure. The judge defined 'family' according to "exclusivity and longevity, the level of emotional and financial commitment, a couple's reliance placed on one another for daily family services, [and how they] conducted their everyday lives and held themselves out to society."

GCN

ACT-UP, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, made a dramatic entrance at the Fifth International Conference on AIDS in Montreal on June 4. They took the stage, received a standing ovation from many of the delegates, and opened the conference for them. They spoke for the participation of People With AIDS in organizations which serve them. The slow response of the Canadian government was highlighted. Afterwards, Prime Minister Mulroney spoke for the first time about the issue.

A British PWA was.detained at the Bostori airport, strip-searched, jailed overnight, and deported. There is an attempt to move future conferences on AIDS out of the UnitedStates in protest of US policies excluding PWAs.

GCNandCBC

TEXAS: The Texas commission on Judicial .Conduct charged that Judge Jack Hampton acted with "blatant prejudice" when he gave a relatively Bght sentence to the killer of two gay men.

SAN-FRANCISCO: San Francisco adopted a Domestic Partnership legislation which allows . unmarried couples, including those of the same gender, to register their relationships with the city. This does not include any ben:efits, such as spousal health insurance, however. Implementation is delayed because a petition is putting the law •on the November ballot for a referendum.

GCN

FLORIDA: Tom Woodard, a deputy sherriff in Orlando, Florida, was fired on May 4 because he is gay. He went publicwith the story and is taking legal action. The Orlandogay community organized a rally of some 200 people to support him, and a Florida police association has also supported him.

PRINCETON :Princeton University refused access to recruiters from the CIA because ofthe CIA's policy of anti-Gay discrimination.

HATE CRIMES

BILLS: Minnesota joins California and Wisconsin as states with legislation raising the penalties for bias-related violence. Republican leaders blocked similar legislation from coming to a vote in New York State. It was also defeated in Iowa and Texas, but was adopted in the city of St. Louis.

TEXAS: On April 30, some 30,000 gay Texans marched on the state capital for gay rights.

NEW YORK: Mayor Koch renamed the block of Christopher Street along Sheridan Square, "StQnewall Place."

ART: The Corcoran Gallery in D.C. cancelled an exhibit of Ro_bertMapplethorpe's photographs. The· gallery directors apparently feared that Congress will cut off funds to the gallery for showing art that portrays gay men, including some engaged in sado-masochism. Gay activists picketed the gallery and projected slides of: Mapplethorpe's work on the front of the museum. The Washington Project for the Arts is displaying the exhibit.

NGLTF: Urvashi Vaid is replacing Jeff Levi as the executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

NEW YORK: A large Gay contingent marched for the first time in the Puerto Rican parade.

Bob Damron of the Address Book died on June 20 <1:tthe age of 61 from AIDS-related illness.

BEGINNING JULY 10, RISKY BUSINESS WILL OPEN AT 5:00 P,M, MON• FRI,(8:00SAT/SUN) ~UMMER AT LAST !!! The Patio at RISKY BUSINESS is open nigh~ly 'or your enjoyment, with food being served from t~e grill Thurs thru Sund Y from 10 pm till.closing. THE FOLLOWING NIGHTLY SPECIALS WILL START AT 9:00 P,M.

MONDAY : BEER NITE. CHEAP BEER DART TOURNAMENT STARTING AT 10 P,M. SIGN UP AT THE BAR~ C TUESDAY: LIQUOR NITE. $1.00 WELL ITEMS ALL NIGHT. WEDNESDAY: SCHNAPPS NITE. ALL SCHNAPPS A MERE 75¢ ALL NITE LONG ! POOL TOURNAMENT STARTING AT 10:00 P.M. SIGN UP AT BAR. THURiDAY : 2 for 1 iROM 9:00 TILL 11:00P.M. WELL ITEMS AND DRAFT BEER ONLY. .. DRINK TICKETS GOOD ALt NITE ! FRIDAY SUNDAY COCKTAIL HOUR FROM 5 to 7 ! ·50¢ OFF MIXED DRINKS AND BOTTLED

Anti-Gay/Lesbian Episodes Widespread at SUNYBinghamton and Nationally

(Binghamton) Incidents of harassment and violence against lesbian and gay people were a serious problem at SUNY-Binghamton and across the country. A report by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) documented 7,248 anti-gay episodes ranging from harassment to homicide in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Of 1988's total, 53 were documented by the Gay Peoples' Union at SUNY. Directed against persons because they are lesbian or gay or perceived to be so, these include one act of vandalism, one threat of violence, and 51 acts of verbal harassment.

The Gay Peoples' Union reported 53 acts of harassment against gays and lesbians to the NGL TF

Anti-gay and lesbian violence is prevalent on college campuses mationwide. A total of 1411 incidents were reported to NGL TF for 1988 by 34 lesbiari and gay student groups across the US. Anti-gay harassment and violence occur·at hundreds of other campuses, but most do not have gay and lesbian groups to document such

episodes. Even where such groups exist, most do not document anti-gay incidents and report them to NGL TF. Consequently, campus victimization data in the report show only a small part of the problem.

Of the 1,411 incidents reported, verbal harassment was the most widespread (accounting for 80% of the episodes) followed by vandalism (13%), threats (7%), and assault (less than 1% ).

"Because

According to the NGLTF, incidents documented in 1988 account for only a very small fraction of the actual total. Fear of reporting by victims, and lack of systematic data collection locally and across the country, prevent an accurate measurement of the problem's full scope and make it difficult to gauge whether the problem has increased, decreased or remained constant. "Because local incidents are seriously underreported, our figures represent just the tip of theiceberg," said Sarah K. Masters, corttactperson for

GPU. "Nevertheless, our figures are cause for rea concern."

Although legislation requiring the federal collectio of statistics on anti-gay violence passe overwhelmingly in the US House of Representatives equivalent legislation in the Senate was stymied b Senator Jesse Helms, an ardent foe of civil rights for ga people and other minorities. Bills have been introduce in the New York legislature aimed at tracking an punishing homophobic crimes and those motivated b hate for other minorities, but have been stalled by anti gay legislators. N GLTF has called for a concerted effo by government on every level to combat hate violence and urges all Americans to lobby for passage of th federal Hate Crimes Statistics Act (HR1048, S419).

Founded in 1982, the NGL TF Anti-violence Projec is America's only national program to research document, publicize and combat violence against th lesbian and gay community. This report is the fourth o its kind by NGLTF. Copies of Anti-Ga Violence Victimization & Defamation in 1988 can be ordere from NGLTF. Gay Spac

Local incidents are seriously underreported, our figures represent just the tip of the iceberg"

Gays Must Come Out of the Closet To Help Change Public Attitude

Twenty years ago this week, New York City police raided a bar that catered to a gay clientele, for no other reason than to harass those present (in keeping with the custom of the time). One patron was a South American exchange student. So fearful was he of deportation that he risked death rather than be discovered in a gay bar: he leapt out a second-story wondow and was impaled on a iron-spiked fence below.

A few nights later, police raided another gay bar. With news of the young man's death still fresh in their minds, the patrons spontaneously decried that this was the last straw. For the first time, gays would resist en masse. The fracas grew into a riot that lasted two days. Just as Rosa Park's refusal to relinquish her bus seat to a white person sparked the black civil-rights movement, the Stonewall Inn confrontations.parked thegay-rights movement.

of State March Fong Eu remarked in 1984 that "the closet stands in the way of progress more than any hate groups, religious animosities or unfair laws." Further, "gays and lesbians must come out of that closet...Even if that means losing jobs, losing family ties or losing socalled friends, you must make a concerted effort to stand up and say, 'I am.' "

Th.rsmonth, gay people all over the United States are celebratintf the Stonewall riot and the progress that gays have mad~ since 1969. While it is true that gays have made ·significant strides tward full civil-rights, there is still a long way to go .. Gays still suffer from from discrimination and violence that would be unthinkable if perpetrated against a ioman or a person of color.

Why has progress been limited? Because most gays as indiv1.duals have done little to change society's perception of them.

Many gays keep their sexual-orientation secret because they fear discrimination. But they perpetuate discrimination by not taking· the small but significant steps that would challenge the stereotypes at the root of that discrimination.

The privacy gays seek, the privacy of the closet, is a two-edged sword. True, it can protect them by providing invisibility. It can also be used against them, for example to support the belief that gays are susceptible to blackmail, or as proof that their lives must be sordid or they wouldn't shroud them.

Paradoxically, some loss of privacy might be necessary to guarantee civil rights. California Secretary

Merely by being more open about their private lives, gays "come out.'' Non-gays then discover that they unknowingly have been dealing with gays in every phase of their lives. The stereotypes will begin to crack when non-gays learn that respected public figures and their own friends, neighbors and co-workers are gay.

And non-gays may become an important support in this civil-rights struggle when they see gays in a different light - when they knowingly lunch with gays, work with them, are led in worship by them, play volleyball with them, consult them at tax time, agonize with them at parents night, recruit them for neighborhood watch.

Gays who don't talk as freely about their personal lives as do heterosexuals only reinforce the belief that ·their lives are not respectable. Until the respected lawyer puts her life partner's picture on her office credenza for all to see, nothing will change. Until the successful stockbroker summons the courage to join the lunchtime banter to describe the vacation he took with his boyfriend, nothing will change. Until Grammywinning rock stars and NFL quarterbacks answer persistent rumors by unashamedly saying, ttYes, I amso what?" nothing will change:·

This article was written byb Andrew G. Webb, Webb was a former military officer and congressional staffer. He was forced to resign as a government intelligence analyst because he is gay. The article was originally printed in the Los Angles Times.

"Many gays keep their sexual ori~ntation secret because they fear discrimination. But they perpetuate discrimination by not [coming out]"

"Non-gays ... discover that they unknowingly have been dealing with gays in every phase of their lives. The stereotypes will begin to crack when non-gays learn that respected public figures and their , own friends, neighbors and coworkers are gay."

SYOL CALENDAR

Etlday,August 11 Olrectlonal Meeting8 pm Opportunitiesfor Broome, S6 Whitney Ave. Saturday.August19

LIE~'§!A13EACH ! PARTY at 48 Court st. Binghamton,3rd floor call 722 8913 for details/ directions

Erlday,September a Directional Meeting 8 pm

Opportunitiesfor Broome, 56 Whitney Ave. .J'liePjcnicscheduledfor Au~. 6 is Cancelled.

©ll.Jl~~OIPO&@® -- "Personals " GM• PWA seeks one final fling! More if you can carry on a conversation over breakfast. Call Doug at 724 - 7371

GM, 30, 5'8, 140#, intelligent, likes cinema,classic cars,politics,KGB - FM. Seeks unconventional GM. Social consciousness a must. reply c/o this paper attn. personals

Half bald lesbian seeks 3rd World Womyn for potluck suppers and more! Call Rocky at 724 - 7371

"Organizations"

GAY WRESTLING -- action the '80s way!! For fun/fantasy/hot action - much more! 500+ healthy, hot men (New York/nat'I). All sizes/all scenes. Uncensored infopixpax $3: NYWC, 59 W. 10th, NYC 10011 ..................................................................................... ~,.

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