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10 MONTROSE VOICE/DECEMBER 30, 1986
Take it Easy?
The Thought Connection
By Christine Burton
You've seen it on beautified bumper
stickers: Easy does it. Also we hear take
it easy, and we parrot it until it benumbs
the brain. However, those words can
have subliminal impact, something like
the image of a hammock, a symbol of
inaction.
It may be argued that they refer to
every human's requirement for rest,
relaxation, renewal and fun. I posit take
it easy expresses an idle longing for no
work and all play, ignoring challenges
and threats—a bassinet situation. Peo-
which emerged many divorcees and lesbians.
How do you think that hit the heterosexual male ego? You guessed it. Force
women back under the domination of
men. Keep them barefoot (pay them
less). Keep them pregnant (abortion is
murder). Why are homosexuals on the
hit-list? They are heretics: Gay males
don't dominate women, and lesbians
don't submit to men. When Falwell
promised he'd '"turn this country
around for God," homophobic and
antiwoman heterosexuals knew what
he meant: corral women and kill the
queers. Politic.>s observed the influx of
The fact that the Supreme Court would
eventually heed the bleatings of a Bible Belt
small-town preacher, amplified by repetition,
proves that government does listen. Our
lavender 10 percent opinion must extend itself
into a powerful majority.
pie do stay alive by taking it easy. Justice does not exist except by intense
concentration and constant effort by
those who want the liberty to exercise
their human rights.
Simplistically the human species can
be divided into two categories: 1. Those
peaceful persons who want to live and
let live; 2. Those persons who want to
control others.
When dominating persons threaten
peaceful persons, those who want peace
hope the threat will go away. They take
it easy, like your pet cat; she doesn't
move until she becomes uncomfortable.
When attacked, she'll flee rather than
fight. Only when cornered, will she turn
to face her enemy.
Domineering persons are predatory.
Because their appetite for power is
insatiable, they never go away. They
never take it easy; they know that's not
the way to achieve and maintain control.
The lesbian and gay community
wants to live and let live. We are peaceable. In the beginning of 1986, the Funda-
mentalist Right attacked the
homosexual community as though it
were the world's worst enemy. Print
media, electronic media, sermons, all
full of hatred and scorn for lesbians and
gay men—on and on, until the workplace is nasty with homophobia. The
language of children reflects it.
We've never been the most popular
citizens, but the 1986 onslaught evinced
the malevolent enthusiasm of born
again bigotry. Our first tendency was to
crawl back into the closet. The attack
intensified. We became more visible and
more political. But we've never really
turned on them.
In spite of Jerry Falwell's recurrent,
junk mail whine that Satan has almost
destroyed his "ministry," he and his followers will continue to act true to his
nature, which apparently is to extirpate
everything he doesn't like. The recent
sodomy ruling hy the Supreme Court is
Falwellism in action. That should fire
us. We dare not take it easy.
Our resolve will be strengthened if we
comprehend the why and wherefore of
the most highly organized assault on
homosexual women and men the world
has ever seen. In 1966, Masters and
Johnson, announced: The vagina has
almost no nerve endings, the clitoris
has far more nerve endings than the
penis or any other part of the male sex
ual aparatus, and the most intense
orgasms in women are produced by
masturbation. The women's movement
added: If you want a man, go ahead; hut
now you know you have options.
Consciousness-raising workshops
millions of dollars to the cause, and followed the scent.
Rut institutionalized hatred against a
large and peace-loving segment of
society, and the anti-woman blitz constitute a cruel force that can hardly be
called godly. This current wave of caustic homophobia is more than tribal fear
of something different. It is the [nquisi-
tor's malice toward the heretic. And itis
the battle cry of the most primeval heterosexual male dynamic: I want my
woman under my total control.
For hundreds of years, sodomy
referred only to anal copulation. Now
the Fundamentalist Right has extended
its meaning to include all sexual activity that is not penile-vaginal inter
course. It is clear that heterosexual male
is territorial and the vagina is his
imperative. Not all heterosexual males
are misogynist and/ or homophobic,
but enough of them are to have driven
the Supreme Court into the bedrooms
and between the sheets of all Americans. It's time we stand up and be
counted.
Public opinion is the prime source of
political power. The fact that the
Supreme Court would eventually heed
the bleatings of a Bible Belt small-town
preacher, amplified by repetition,
proves that government does listen. Our
lavender 10 percent opinion must
extend itself into a powerful majority.
This country is full of people who
ignore Falwell as a religious fanatic.
And they don't realize we are
everywhere—they've never known one
of us. Such people are the "undecided"
in every poll.
Because humans evolved from a primate species that survived by not destroying its own members, most people
are good. If they saw us as humans
working to survive, eager to love and be
loved, unhappy when we're not, even as
they; if they knew us outside the closet,
most ofthe undecided would follow their
human instincts and would support us
in our efforts to obtain justice.
In October 1987, lesbian women and
gay men from all across America will
March on Wasington. Let us show our
government and the whole country,
how numerous we are, that we come
from everywhere, and that lesbian
women and gay men are oul ofthe closet
for good. Visibility is our most effective
weapon. Respect for the rights of tin-
individual is at slake, the constitutional
core upon which this nation was built.
When we win. all Americans will be
freer
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Fortunes
Taurus Should Make
Long-Range 1987
Plans
By Mark Orion
For Tuesday evening. Dec 30. 1986.
through Tuesday morning. Jan. 6, 1987
ARIES—Excitement, fun and fantasy
join to create a hassle-free first of the new
year with no disappointments. You could
make a new friend. You could make old
friendships stronger. You could make
just about anything, come to think of it.
You're flying.
TAURUS—Think of the new year.
Quietly make long-range plans, keeping
them to yourself for now. New faces and
new chances for group involvement provide stimulation and winter fun. This time
of the year ends with two pots at a boil.
GEMINI You and another can come
to a valuable meeting of the minds these
holidays. Some compromise will be
necessary, but not as much as you might
think. Days hold a confidential story, an
unwanted piece of mail and end with
grins.
CANCER—Hard as it is to remember,
silence can be golden. As much as you
think you have to say, even a simple discussion could lead to a real argument and
a nasty fight. Be more playful. Try a softer
touch. That's your New Year's resolution
LEO—Your potential is enormous,
especially for any development along
creative lines in 1987, Focus your energies on one or two strong possibilities
and stick to 'em. It's better to be master of
one trade than Jack of all!
VIRGO—Your resolution; "I will make
the most of romatic and creative possibilities." Someone in a position of authority
can be of great help to you. Think positively. You're not taking a chance when
you bet on yourself in 1987, as you're a
sure thing!
LIBRA—It would be a crime to let yourself become someone's victim. "Don't
take nothin' from nobody" are words to
live by in 1987. Be the subject, not the
object. Don't get up on a pedestal or
under a thumb. Happy New Year.
SCORPIO—A number of pressures
may make you feel as if your time is not
your own. While it is true that certain
responsibilities do take much of your
efforts, you do have opportunity to do
your own thing in 1987. Do it with vigor.
SAGITTARIUS—Normally, you're not
one for making waves. You prefer to stick
with the status quo or the traditional,
especially during New Year's Week
Someone may be counting on your staying true to form. Wouldn't it be interesting
to surprise?!
CAPRICORN—If you promise not to
promise more than you can deliver and if
you don't interfere in someone else's love
life, you can take the craziest idea you
had in all of 1986 and turn it into something very real in 1987.
AQUARIUS—You could be involved
with others every minute of the new year,
but you may do better to tend to some
items by yourself, to foster your own
resources, and in general, todo your own
thing. (Except for several duets with
Cupid.)
PISCES—Although you like to run the
whole show, this New Year's week you'd
do well to take only one major role. This
will give others a chance and keep you
from being overloaded. The holidays cast
romantic glows and days will end quietly.
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