What's Up

    As I sit in the bars of Akron, I ponder the thought that no
one cares what happens to our community. I wonder if we have
all been conditioned to live our lives in the bars. Do we stand up
outside and say yes, we are Gay and we are not going to be
oppressed as a community any more? Or is it true that the only
thing we care about is who we can score with that night?

    Why are we not rallying around the community as united we
stand, divided we fall? For example, about a year ago, two
lesbians were raped in their own home by a man that followed
them home from a bar, and the police did not consider this
heinous act a hate crime. We should have been at the steps of
the police station. Or what about the Texas shootings? The list
goes on. We sit in the bars and we have the impression "Oh,
this could never happen to me." Bullshit people! They hurt my
brother or sister, and they hurt me. But I am only one person.
Is there anyone else that hurts for our communitie's victims?

    We are considered to be weak by the "right wing
heterosexual community". Are they right? Are we afraid to
take a punch?

    Don't get me wrong. We have achieved outstanding progress
in the last decade. But because we have done so, let us not
forget that we must continue the fight. Come out of the bars.
Stop hiding. What are we afraid of? Persecution?

    Let us talk about one man who overcame the worst of
persecution. His own people beat him, spat upon him and finally
put him to death. Do you not know he is with us in our struggle.
Do you not know he spoke of love and this is what he expects
of us. Can we all be a unity of love and faith to fight the hate
that surrounds us? No person in this world can argue with
John 3:16. "For God so loved the world He gave His only Son
and whom shall believe in Him shall never perish but have
eternal life." Use this on someone who attacks you. It works.
I do not believe that violence is the answer in fighting the
government, like some of our community believes. And, I hate
to say it; but, where have they led us? We need to grow up and
act accordingly; not like children. On gay marches, we should
not strip our clothes off and curse at the religious folks. Instead,
we should ask to break bread with them. We can not fight evil
with evil. The only way we can win is fighting light against dark.

    First thing we have to do is clean up our community and our
reputation. Whether we like it or not, we are considered to be
sluts, drunks, and drug addicts. Are we really attracted to all the
pornography in gay magazines we read? Or, are we hungry for
intelligent, articulate articles that will help our community?

    People: Think of the power we could possess if we all came
out of the bars and rose up. My God, what we could do... Can
we stop throwing condoms on the White House lawn and grow
up? I have a lot of questions being thrown at you to make you
think. Here's another for you to ponder: What would happen if
the government made a law "No gays allowed in our country.
Whoever is found to be gay or lesbian will be shot." Guess what.
This already happens in other countries. What is to stop this
madness from entering our country? We can!

    If you have any comments, feel free to write to Ms. Clarice
Sky, care of What's Up.