HIGH

CEAR

1978 GEAR

Vol 4 A Publication of the GEAR Foundation Issue

HIGH GEAR journal is a publication of the Gay Educational and Awareness Resources (G.E.A.R.) Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio. It is distributed free of charge in any establishment and with any organization that will permit distribution. We are non-profit publication, and all proceeds not used to pay printing costs and service fees are set aside for the Gay HotlineSwitchboard (216)-321-6632, the G.E.A.R. Foundation which sponsors the Cleveland Gay Community Center and other Ohio gay organizations.

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, businesses or persons.

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 envolope.

All HIGH GEAR staff are volunteers. Anyone interested in working on the staff of HIGH GEAR should inquire by calling (216) 321-6632 or by writing to HIGH GEAR STAFF, P.O. Box 6177, Cleveland, Ohio 44101.

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

Ine deadline for HIGH GEAR publication dates is as follows:

Advertising by the 30th of every month, camera ready and composition ads. Written material by the 5th of every month. News Hems until publication.

High Gear will not publish material in which graphic or verbal representations 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, sexist, or pornographic nature. We reserve 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 is printed the second Thursday of every month and available at bars, baths, universities, businesses and elsewhere thereafter.

HIGH GEAR is copyrighted under federal law. Reproduction is granted to all other gay publications so long as credit is given to HIGH GEAR. All HIGH GEAR work is original unless otherwise noted.

Michael Prunty Arthur Wieners!

Leon Stevens John Wagenhals Brian DeWitt

'Tony Scafaro Nell Caldwell

Ed Rawlings Robble Robinson Terry McCormick Aaron Ross

STAFF

Mark Kinsley Sadie Marat Steve Jobe,

Dan Miecznikowski Sharon Kremer

, Mitchell Menigu Pat Henderson Larry Markusic Rudi Haaken Bill Smith Dennis Highland **

Circulation.. ..12,000 plus Distribution........Akron, Athens, Barberton, Bersa, Bowling Green, Brooklyn, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Cleveland Hts., Columbus, Dayton, Fairview Park, Lakewood, Lima, Lorain, Mansfield, Middleburgh Mts., Oberlin, Painesville, Parms, Parma Hits, Piqua, Rockbridge, Rocky River, Sandusky, Toledo, Warren, Youngstown and points beyond.

The next meeting of the GEAR FOUNDATION will be held at the Gay Community Center on January 24 at 7:30 P.M.

HIGH GEAR/JANUARY 1978

GUEST EDITORIAL

MORALITY, THE PRESS, AND THE LAW

Reprinted Courtesy of Gay Community News 12/24/77

Fresh on the heels of Anita Bryant's "Save Our Children" campaign, a 6-month old investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney's office has uncovered what they, and the press, are terming a "homosexual child porno-ring." Until the facts are sorted out from the fictions, the existence of such a network remains hearsay. Yet the zeal with which the straight press has irresponsibly eaten up, and passed on, the pablum fed to them by the District Attorney's office smacks of the type of sensationalism that distorts truth and violates the rights of the indicted men.

This type of reporting, manifested through such tactics as the Boston Herald-American's front page "Who's who among the defendants in sex case," is closer in its tone to the gossip column than to responsible news reporting. Yet the egregiousness of this blatantly conclusive reportage pales in comparison to the District Attor-

nev's office's installation of a "hotline" Through such a mechanism the public-at-large is now free to call in the names of any "suspected" boy-molesters, who then become targets for police investigation. The type of hysteria and resultant paranoia let loose by such an onslaught of accusations resists both reason and any concept of due process.

As gay people we face the constant danger of being labeled outlaws, both socially and legally. As long as sodomy laws remain on the books in any state in the nation we are all potential criminals. The ease, we might even say the glee, with which the authorities and the straight press have highlighted the fact that this sex-ring is homosexual, deliberately enlarges the scope of their libelous intent to include all gay people. Such an insidious categorization serves. the purposes of homophobia all too well. There is a political undercurrent here.

The impulse of many people, who do not share the sexual patterns of the pedophile sub-culture, is to recoil, to dissociate themselves from the accused men and the immediate struggle of these men for their civil rights. To do so is to play

MOSCONE SUPPORTS GAYS

SAN FRANCISCO -Addressing 300 people at a Gay Community Forum at the California State Building, Mayor George Moscone promised his audience that "there'll be a gay police commissioner before I leave office." When asked by surprised members of the audience if this was a promise, Moscone replied, "If you don't trust me, it's not a promise." The mayor did say that he would not fill the current commission vacancy, previously held by a black, with a gay person.

Mayor Moscone also announced his support of city funding for a future Gay Community : Center, explaining that the present center is in a building

that will be torn down for con-

struction of a Performing Arts Center.

Establishing himself as his own gay liaison person, the mayor also announced that he was in favor of city funding for the Gay Freedom Day parade. Moscone indicated a willingness to try "to sell" the idea to the city's Chief Administrative Of ficer, but expressed a reluctance to do anything else to push the matter.

The parade committee in San Francisco, which Moscone called "an honest endeavor that gives publicity to the city," has applied for funds for three years in a row. In 1977, the application

was denied on the grounds that the event was "politically controversial." The budget for the Publicity and Advertising Fund, already drawn up for 1978, does not include the Gay Freedom Day parade.

Moscone's meeting with the city's gay community comes after recent months of strong criticism from activists and community leaders. Reportedly a number of the mayor's aides have suggested that Moscone is concerned about his failing strength in the face of a possible run for reelection in 1979.

Long an advocate of gay rights, Moscone has offered to appoint a gay veteran to the city's Manpower Commission in the immediate future. He also

announced that he had gay people on his staff but that they were hired "because of their ability, not because they are gay." Moscone said he "did not believe in sending out these people (his gay staff members)" as his representatives, preferring "direct contact" with the gay community.

Prior to the mayor's forum, the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club passed a resolution supporting San Francisco Police Chief Charles Gain. Moscone emphasized that he will retain Gain in office no matter what political pressures are applied for his ouster.

Page 2

into the hands of the people who have none of our interests at heart. By supporting the civil rights of the accused men we can cause this smear campaign to backfire. By educating ourselves to the needs of every subgroup within the multifarious gay community, we can serve the interest of truth and stifle those elements which would divert our attention from informed judgment. We are often hesitant to fight for that which we do not understand. Ignorance of the crucial issues at stake here will only encourage prejudice.

Too often we accept, all too readily, the definition of morality proffered by traditional authorities. An anti-sexual culture has deliberately narrowed that definition to primarily describe the sexually illegal. Before one judges the "immorality" of the indicted men, remember that in the eyes of the law that is wantonly violating the rights of individuals to build its case for massive

guilt-by-association,

we, as gay people, are all "immoral." Consider, in the same breath, the immorality, even the obscenity, of a branch of the legal system, and a straight press, that tries a man before the courts do.

EXEMPT

The Lesbian Activist Bureau, Inc., is the third homosexual group nationally to receive Internal Revenue Service tax exempt status 501 (c) (3). The granting of the status is a turnabout in IRS attitudes towards homosexual groups. Previously, the IRS denied this exemption to any gay charitable cause unless that particular cause voiced in its articles of incorporation amendments or bylaws that homosexuality "is a sickness, disturbance, or diseased pathology." This is no longer

the case and in recent months the status was also granted to the Howard Brown Memorial Fund, New York City and Lambda Services, Denver.

The Lesbian Activist Bure was granted the status on basis of its purposes as a nc profit corporation to educate the public on homosexuality and foster community acceptance and promote civil, social and economic equality for homosexuals.

The IRS has also given a year's advance ruling in which the Lesbian Activist Bureau is considered a public supported organization and all gifts and donations to LAB are tax deductible when meeting applicable provisions of the code. At the end of a year a final determination will be made on foundation status.