December6 at City Court, Part I

from tha hometown of Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Issue no. 78 After four hour public hearing City Council approves CETA grant By TIM MAINS Ufbaa LesigQe) to te-teview the applica tions, makm reconuBendations. and super A program request from the Gay vise the projects after peopte were hired. Alliance ofthe Genesee Valley, Inc. for Undaunted, Schiano threatened another $35,406 in federal job-training funds was "orange Juice war" if the Urban League finally approved at the November 22nd recommended the GAGV the second time Rochester City Council meeting.The eight around. to one affirmative vote came at the end of What surprised gay leaders was the four hours of public debate, the second army of homophobes who quickly lined up public hearing to focus on the GAGV's behind Schiano in their attacks on the request in as many months. Thirty-six GAGV CETA grant specifically and on speakers addressed the Council with homosexuality in general. Mike Macaluso, opponents outnumbering proponents 19 to national President of Citizens for a Decent 17. Community, and Marian Khona, President Despite tiie fact that the CETA approval of a local group called Women Concerned, involved 38 agencies an an allocation of represented the organizational opposition over $1 million, debate was focused only on (Ms. Khona was one of the few opponents the GAGV's $35,000 grant. to avoid slurs against the gay community in The single negative vote was cast (as her objections to CETA funding.). Funda expected) by Charles A. Schiano, the mentalist ministers and "concerned pri Council's ione Republican. Schiano had vate citizens" rounded out the ranks. At started the flack by calling the Alliance's both the September 27th and the Novem proposal **worthless" when it was first ber 22nd meetings, opponents read from slated for Council action in late September. the Bible, the dictionary (definitions of Blasting the Democrats as ** mental sodomy), and the state criminal code. morons" for even considering the GAGV, Epithets abounded. Terms such as "per Schiano's reaction was viewed as a vert," "queer," "sick." "mora! morons," partisan political pre-election swipe as "sodomite," and "criminal" were sprin much as it was viewed as an a/ :ck on the kled throughout the anti-gay speeches of gay community. One IOCAJ djtily newspaper both hearings, in addition, gay people branded Schiano*s partisan polemics as were compared to cancer victims and to the -JJ ''irresponsible." Nonetheless, a storm of cult of mass murderer Charles Manson. controversy began to blow, with winds of ChntOe ScUanet "1 wen^t vote for Though the anti-gay speakers had domi fund* thi^ wffi be uaed to pronraigpte such magnitude that the United Commu nated the first portion of the September nity Chest reneged on its recommendation hearing, pro-gay speakers held the first for the entire package of proposals. The eight slots on the roster for November's recommendations. Countering remarks I FBATUIES I Gay Book Reviews city had contracted with the Chest to public forum. that had been made at the September 8,9 n review all applications for the community meeting (and which were to be heard again I IWYReporr 7 Gay and non-gay citizens added their Election Recap service portion of CETA allocations, and voices to those of gay movement leaders that night), strong religious support for the 11 was forced to choose another agency (the who argued for approval of the CETA gay funding was read into the public record. Church support came from leaders of the Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Bulletin Board 15 i\ Church of Christ, Methodist, and Unitarian Commentary 5 denominations, as well as from a group of Cooking 5 Empire State Roundup 3 60 students at the Colgate-Rochester i< Divinity School. A physician and several Letters 4 councilors spoke eloquently about the Newsfronts 12,14,15 snu nature of gay sexuality as an ascribed Snuff fFed! condition, rather than a chosen lifestyle. if RGTF President and Empty Ooaet Asso By MAJBTHA BIOWN to D'Agostino. Demonstrators collected Ce*Eiittors signatures from passersby on a petition to ciate Editor James R. lde gave the spunkiest retort, blasting Schiano for his T. Mains M. Wells On Thursday. October 27, the film Smiff tbe Hotel Management. Police ^were pre AaaedateEdtors opened at the Holiday Cine downtown in sent aad complimented the protestors on divisiveness and the Community Chest for its cowardice. GAGV Co-President Michael Joan Giuffre James Ide Rochester. On Tuesday, November 1, their orderliness. At the peak of the Prodncthm Heads demonstration, D'AGostino himself ar Robertson summed up many people's theater manager Cesare D'Agostine an perception of the ordeal when he said: Bob B. Shirii Oemens nounced the closing of the film. For rived . and while crossing the line of CentnlNiton moving protestors called them "pi^s" and "We have learned a lot. We see a public Rochester feminists, those six days repre uneducated and mis-informed. We will not Chris Santoro. Bob B., Bill Giancur sent a time of renewed struggle during "motherfuckers." Only two press repre sio, George Mohr, M. Wells. Jim, sentatives covered the Saturday protest. sit idly by any longer. We shall—we must which many women were forced again to begin the task of educating a public so Michael Robertson. Dan W.. James face the grim reality of the way in which At 9:30 a.m. on Sunday October 30, four quick to condemn us. We shal) overcome." Ide, Daryl Clemens, Karen Hagberg, men view us. women were arrested by 2 ptainclothed But it was the brief and impassioned Bob Sweeney, Emmett McGuire, The Holiday Cine, leased from the officers of the vice squad and charged with remarks of Vicky Russo which ch=«w the SanU C, Rick D.^ Stuart A., Tun Criminal Mischief 3rd degree. The women, li Holiday inn until 1985. is part of a mall of greatest response from the pro-gay specta Mains shop^r directly facing Main Street. The Sylvia Gasoi, Martha Gever, Margaret Hall tors. Russo told the Council that she would { lurid posters for the Simlff douIHe bill were and Lee Walker, had allegedly broken a be preparing a Thanksgiving feast for 50 Bob Sweeney Keith S. visible from the street. Doe showed a window qf the theater display, and gays "who have no place to go because cioated male figiuie with dagger raised removed and destroyed a poster advertising their £amilies have turned them out. Now The name or photogn^>h of any over a screaming woman, her neck and the movie SnniE. "Riey were said to have who's really destroying the family?" she person or organization is not neces breast pierced by a red gash. The tile read spray-painted "Holiday Inn Hates Wo asked. "Think about it when you sit down sarily an indication of their sexual ''the Slasher is the sex maniac." men "across a glass door and another to your tables on Thanksgiving." orientation. Views expressed are The Smrff poster showed a photo of a window, and to have chained the main soley those of the respective authors woman, chopped up by large scissors, and theater door closed (Since no bafl can be Speeches were aj^lauded-by one faction and do not reflect the views of the read ''SmsB. the film th«t could only be set on Sunday, they remained in jail until or the other, depending on who was G.A.O.V. or the Empty Cloaet Pr^s. made in South Anwrioi where life is Monday morning. Their next heiuing wiO speaking and what was being said. Boos \ cheap." On Thursday and Friday, October beDecember6 at City Court, Part I. Judge too cound be heard when comments were Pubttshed by the Empty Closet 27 and 2S, friends wlio had seen tbe Maloy pretiding.). exceedingly objectionable. Mayor Tom Press. Owned and operated by the advertiseinents called Rodiestnr wosnen to Sunday afternoon, the number of Ryan gaveled for order on several occa Gay AtHance of the Geneaee Valley. alert them to the pmeenoe of tte film. protesters was twice that of the day before, sions as the charged atmosphere erupted Inc., with prodnction aatlatancc by Otiier women attended tiie fifan on their and local T.V., radio and newspaper into debate. At one point, a yliouting match the lirtirtii gjhiit.and tim lîHir ? own. A few quick phone cnOs eeauhed in coverage was heavy. A row of men watdteed broke out between angry spectators and a Wtmsm A membeg of tiie Gey News the assembly of a group of Aoiat 35 tiie activities, tatting and lai^hing aqio^g speaker who insisted on referring to the paper Asuociation. pfolenlont, moatiy women and ch&dieiu in themselves, joined by the Holiday Inn GAGV as the "Queer AlUance." front of tiie Holiday bm. Tliey matcned guards, who prevented demonstiators By midnight. Council had dispensed all Correspondence to: whh signs derlaring the Qbn a crime from making inquiries Inside the Hotel. with the bulk of its agenda and had heard The Empty Cloaet Press agninit women, definteelyMtenMtaining, That evening, tiie fir*^ orgartiing meeting four hoirs of testimony. With the speeches c/o 713 Monroe Avenue I Bocheater, New Ycfk 14607 and asfcing the hotel to discontinue renting a 3 l977/n» EMPTY CLOSUBT "" — <A ^€Lê^t4, <i €£€AêuUid4s ê'^cHa^ ^S^**^^'^*^ otû/iid^ ^^4ii2eM^ <>» s£s^YM^^ ô^^ ot^td :if% fewv6fv §lvcrjp 'J,--(i ».-'>Ci 157 I'yk Avenue/ HWfiJay hours: Mon - Sat 10 - 6 ^ 275-9374 '' Tue & Thu until 8, Whfa mom cnrrying ^gns to dty oonM Dad be home watching the coomHI meetings, one wond^— kids? More a.

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