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THE NEWS page 3
Commentary
Smell the roses, but mind the thorns
by Melvin Ross
Melvin Ross has been involved with
community concerns for many years
including work with AID Atlanta, the
Atlanta Gay Center, BWMT/Atlanta, the
Atlanta Campaign for Human Rights (a
Gay Political Action Committee), and the
Southern Christian Leadership
Conference.
I write this article not as a letter of
doom, but just as a cautionary word to my
gay sisters and brothers. It comes from the
heart, with both apprehension and hope.
There seems to be a' growing feeling in
our community of complacency, a feeling
that things aren't that bad, and that if we
.just wait, things will get better. Many of us
have prospered and have achieved a level
of comfort by today's standards, but we
need to be reminded that even with
unlimited resources at our disposal we are
still only second-class citizens.
In the 1930's, our Jewish brothers and
sisters watched thje rise of a right-wing
movement called Nazism. Few among
them took seriously the ravings of Adolph
Hitler; few foresaw the grim years that
would sweep their culture from Europe
and claim the lives of their loved ones and
themselves. It is said that history repeats
itself. I pray that it does not.
Yes, in the midst of plenty, we are
second-class. Take your lover or close
friend to dinner, for example, and look
around the room. Do you see that straight
couple kissing and showing affection?
Now you do the same and see what sort of
reception you are given.
Some would say that it's not important
to have the right to show affection in
public without fear; we sit around instead
at our dinner parties mocking "straight
people," pretending to enjoy ourselves,
keeping our anger and our fear under tight
control.
Many of us have managed to escape the
perennial hardships that face the visible
minorities. We can hide ourselves from
the world in a way that is unavailable to
our black sisters and brothers, simply by
pretending to be something we are not,
that is "straight acting"- whatever that is.
(those of us who are gay AND black most
richly appreciate the irony.)
What hurts most in all of this, of course,
is to hear the vile words of racism drip so
freely from the tongues' of white gay
people. That we who have suffered so
greatly could have learned so little is bone-
chilling.
Look around you, my friend. Who do
you suppose is the best natural ally to the
gay community? It's not straight white
men or women. No, our closest natural
alliance lies with the people of the black
community and other people of color. And
we should waste no time in building
bridges to that community while there is
still time to build.
"So what can I do?" you may be asking
yourself. Well, this is still America, at least
it was the last time I looked around. And if
there are 250 million Americans, there
must be at least 25 million gay Americans,
25 million gay votes. My vote may seem
insignificant, but mine-and yours and
yours and yours - is a force to be reckoned
with.
In the last municipal election cycle
there were several candidates who were
not only supportive, but would truly have
been friends to our community. One
candidate received a total of only 3,000
city-wide votes, hardly a show of electoral
strength. And where the hell were we -
planning our next dinner party?
A dear friend of mine said, "I can't get
involved because of my job.” I reminded
him that he worked so as to provide
himself with material comforts and an
enjoyable quality of life. But, I asked my
friend, what value will any of his labors
have had if it all is swept away? Is there any
real security for any of us to truly enjoy the
fruits of our hard work?
One by one, we must all draw the line
for involvement. Where will! begin, when
will I say, "Enough!" Who can help me and
how? What gifts do I have to offer?
The answers to those questions are not
easy and they are very personal, but who
do we think will fight our battles if we
don't fight them ourselves?
For my fellow gay sisters and brothers, I
have only this to say: Now is the time to
give before it's too late to give, to those
organizations that are serving our
community's interests and needs every
day. Organizations like the Atlanta Cay
Center, the Human Rights Campaign
Fund, the Atlanta Campaign for Human
Rights, the ACLU. It's time to give as we've
never given before of hours, energy, ideas,
and resources. It's time to give until it
hurts because the rose, as lovely as it has
been for many of us, still holds thorns
which can cut us and hurt us and make us
bleed.
In Love, Peace, and Unity in the
struggle for equality of all people.
1987 AGC BUDGET
Rent
$9,100.00
Development Fund
10,000.00
Telephone
3,411.00
Electricity
1,307.00
Heat/Gas
1,169.76
Water/Sewer
220.00
Dues
25.00
Subscriptions
20.00
Outside Services
935.00
Office Expense
330.00
Typesetting Eq. Lease(Current)
3,264.00
Typesetting Eq. Lease(Past)
1,956.00
NEWS Printing/Supplies
14,501.00
Postage
2,761.66
Repairs
516.70
Consulting Fees
2,500.00
Supplies
384.85
Miscellaneous
959.42
Total Expenses
$53,363.06
ALL SAINTS MCC
a growing church family invites you 1/
to join us in worship and fellowship! [/
Sundays at 5 o’clock p.m.
575 Boulevard S.E.
636-3507
The Reverend H. Byron Hilbun, Pastor
P.O. Box 13968, Atlanta, GA 30324
TELEPHONE 634-0872
/
EDWARD O. NIX, HD.
General Adult ftrcMaby
Group Therapy - Hypnods, Imagery
nycnoMMyooBiyuncnicq nycnoowrapy
OFFICE HOURS
BY APPOINTMENT
3756 LA VISTA ROAD
SUITE 100
TUCKER, GE6fi8>A SOQM
HOWARD S. COHEN
JUDITH C. COHE
m
INTERNATIONAL RECORDS
PEACHTREE CENTER
231 PEACHTREE STREET
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303
(404) 584-5490
STEVE GREENBERG INSURANCE
378-0674 (office)
373-8984 (home)
who serves the community.
f AUTO—HOME—HEALTH —UFE—BUSINESS—PERSONAL
P.O.Box 5557 Atlanta, GA 30307
