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Whispers
Involvement in GayLife ...
2001-05-09

This article shared 1189 times since Wed May 9, 2001
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"In 1978 I was working in the evangelical Vatican ...the Carol Stream/Wheaton area, working for an evangelical missionary organization ( of all things! ) . At that time Chicago GayLife was advertising for a typesetter. Since I wanted to escape the Christian ghetto I applied for the job and was hired. We were using a pre-computer typesetting machine where you used small rolls of paper to capture the data. I started with typesetting but I soon moved on to writing as well.

"I wrote the first exposés on the so-called ex-gay movement which Grant ( Ford ) published, entitled Homosexuality and the Miracle Makers. I also infiltrated the Anita Bryant concert in Fort Wayne, Ind., and spent the afternoon with Anita and her then husband, Bob Greene. I wrote about that for Gay Life as well. On another occasion I covered a Jerry Falwell rally in Indianapolis and debated the vice president of the Moral Majority, Greg Dixon, on radio.

"Grant was quite singularly responsible for changing my views on things though I have no idea if they changed in his direction or not. One winter morning, on the way to the office, he found a wet, tattered copy of the magazine Libertarian Review. He and I had talked politics a bit so he had some idea where I stood on matters. He brought the magazine into the office and handed it to me saying, 'Here, I think this would interest you.' He was right. I ended up subscribing.

"I then started writing a regular column for GayLife under the name Jon Paul ( long before the Pope adopted a similar nom de plume ) . I think the column was misnamed, as it was called A View from the Right. Lesbian activist Christine Riddiough wrote an opposing column called, of course, A View from the Left. But by this time, due in large part to Grant's gift of Libertarian Review, my views were no longer conservative but libertarian in nature.

"As a result of writing and researching for GayLife I ended up writing an exposé of the Moral Majority which appeared in the magazine Grant gave me: Libertarian Review. I continued writing for GayLife until shortly before I ran for State Representative in the Lincoln Park/New Town area. I was the first openly gay man to be on the ballot for state office in Illinois. Grant was supportive of me but unfortunately sold GayLife shortly before the election. The new owner was the owner of Man's Country bathhouse and a would-be mover and shaker in the Democratic Party. So I did not get GayLife's endorsement and was specifically disendorsed because my views on gay rights were allegedly 'too narrow.'

"Since GayLife published some of my first research I have gone on to write on numerous subjects, though I still periodically write on issues important to gay men and women. I have authored six books since those day including an analysis of the first term of ANC rule in South Africa and a book on the destruction of Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe.

"I moved to South Africa in 1990. I started a monthly gay newspaper here called Esteem. We published for three years and were the first publication to include male centrefolds ( tame by U.S. standards ) . After the ANC took power the censorship laws were changed and actually made it more difficult for me to continue publishing.

"Esteem, though clearly not an 'adult' publication was confined to registered Adult Shops only. But the publication didn't sell well there. Meanwhile the general book stores where it sold very well were off limits unless we removed our centrefold. The new law was written in such a manner that publications like Playboy could still be sold in general bookstores. At the time the only publication banned from general distribution by the wording of the law was Esteem. So I closed the magazine ( as it had evolved into ) and opened up Esteem Books which was a gay bookstore.

"A few months ago my lover and I closed the bookstore because we are now attempting to leave South Africa for New Zealand. Neither one of us wish to remain in this country any longer due to the terrible decline in the country. The final straw for us was an attack by a gang of armed men that we suffered through one year ago. Since my lover is South African we are limited on where we can move. Our relationship is not recognized by the U.S. so he can't come to the U.S. as my spouse. New Zealand is the only English-speaking country that will recognize our relationship so it our only option.

"We have run into a problem there since the appraiser of our joint application has specifically attacked me because I am a libertarian. She said that in her opinion it is questionable whether any libertarian should be allowed in New Zealand and she rejected the application. The issue is currently on appeal and a member of Parliament has taken up our cause. So now we wait."


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