\input zine.sty \centerline{\hl Letters For You} {\rightskip=1in I try to publish all letters I receive other than¨ ``here's a buck, gimme zine'' and such. Unfortunately, there are¨ too many letters lately to include them all. If you don't want a¨ letter published, please say so. Include your name and address as¨ you'd like to see it appear.\par} Also\dots yes it's mainly guys who write, and the women who do¨ write mainly say ``don't publish this!'' so that's why it's the¨ way it is. Only you can do something about this\dots \bar \begindoublecolumns \parindent=18pt %\raggedright %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% % \noindent Dear so and so % % message body % % \noindent byline % % \bar % % {\noindent\it reply...} % %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% \noindent Dear Homocore, My name is Bryan Holten, I'm 16, from Indiana, and in a band¨ called RADIATION SICKNESS. I have a problem. Me and the members¨ of my band are gay, but have an agreement not to get involved to¨ avoid emotional problems within the band. I am really close to my¨ drummer Mike Harold, but now I want to be more than just friends.¨ If anyone has any solutions, they are \underbar{begged} to write¨ me at -- \noindent Bryan Holten, 4609 Shelbyville Rd, Indianapolis IN¨ 46237. P.S. Homosexual penpals are also desired. \bar \noindent Hi, this is Marcos, I've got your address from Alex (BSB-H). I play drums for ENERGY INDUCTION (straightedge hardcore) and¨ together with our singer I publish a H.C. fanzine which comes out¨ in english. We're finishing our second issue. Here in Brazil there isn't too much happening in terms of H.C.¨ Gigs rarely happen, most people have a self-centered attitudes¨ and narrow minds, and too much skins for my liking. There are¨ some good bands though, but not with too good ideas and¨ propositions, most guys are wankers. I have sent several letters¨ to the States, only a few people answered m eand those that¨ answered ripped me off. I think people from our scene don't¨ differ too much from Americans in that\dots Could you help me out with the fanzine? I need some¨ contributions. If you're too busy with your mailing, please give¨ my address to someone else who's interested. Anyway, I'd like interviews (or addresses) from U.S.H.C bands,¨ scene reports, etc. Perhaps we could also swap some records. Please tell me if you¨ are interested. Thanx and By! \noindent Marcos Moraes Suarez, R. Tenente Mauro De Miranda, 217¨ AP23-CEPO4345, Sao Paulo SP, BRAZIL \bar \noindent Hello Tom (Hi Ray, how's things?) July 2nd, 1989 First off I must say I've quite enjoyed all 4 issues of HOMOCORE¨ and I look forward to many future issues. Keep up the good work!¨ Oh, and ya don't have to put it in a plain brown wrap if ya don't¨ want to, I could fuckin care less what some federal jerk is gonna¨ think of my getting homo stuff in the mail\dots I'm sending along¨ a tape, review it if ya like, some of it is very bad recordings¨ but we've no others as of yet, like ``Billy'', my homocore song¨ is on here but, I wish ya could hear vocals better, I'll send the¨ words along\dots I'd never written a ``love song'' before, I like¨ the way it came out tho' the feeling is expressed. We'd still --¨ and always will -- love to play a HOMOCORE benefit anytime, just¨ give us some advance notice. Some friends and I are going to see¨ if we could possibly put together a HOMOCORE benefit here in¨ Sacramento. There's a cool club where shows happen that is a gay¨ bar part of the week, it's a cool place for shows, there's never¨ been any ``problems'' there that I know of\dots we'll be looking¨ further into it and hopefully something will come of it\dots THE APOSTLES interview was real interesting to read. I've always¨ had kind of mixed feelings about them (I don't mean to slag¨ anyone here and I'm not so I hope I don't come off that way.) My¨ first experience of them was a tape I bought with THE MOB and¨ THE APOSTLES live, I got the tape cos THE MOB were and are always¨ one of my favorite bands, THE MOB side was great, though¨ recording wasn't too hot and vocals are virtually inaudible, same¨ with THE APOSTLES side except a few spots and between songs, one¨ of the bits is an intro to the song ``Fucking Queer'' something¨ -- like this one's all about the joys of fag bashing, I couldn't¨ make out the words but at the time I thought it was serious,¨ generally I liked the music and I did enjoy it except for¨ wondering about the lyrics -- no written words were¨ obviously\dots The next I heard from them was ``Punk Obituary''¨ which I got used for cheap, I like the record a lot, the words,¨ the music, but, in the insert story there's a bit I also though¨ was confusing and also pissed me off to some extent, it seems¨ that in their history all kinds of intense things went on but, at¨ one point where he ``realizes'' that he is homosexual, he talks¨ of it like from a christian viewpoint, that it's some terrible¨ sickness that one needs to be cured of, I believe he even went so¨ far as to suggest that if one has homosexual feelings not to act¨ on them, but to seek ``help''. That's how it came off to me, I'm¨ gonna read it again and I'm probably gonna feel like a total¨ asshole, but, maybe not\dots Now, ``Hymn To Pan'', I like it¨ again, and this time he seems to have come to terms with his¨ sexuality, hmmm, to say the least it's been confusing to me, not¨ that someones sexuality matters, I could care less, who someone¨ chooses to love/fuck, but, THE APOSTLES seemed to be putting out¨ their views on such things often so it seems to come natural to¨ have some view on it. I agree with them on a whole lot on what¨ they say, then I disagree with 'em too, but, that's only natural¨ for us humyn beings\dots I wish I'd have seen the homocore ``float'' in the [S.F.] Gay¨ Pride Day Parade, I was up with ACT-UP and when we got down¨ around City Hall we just tripped out on all the people, etc\dots¨ and danced like fools -- it was really a great time! I heard it¨ was wild tho', right on! I've never seen so many faggots in my¨ life, it was truly a wonderful experience, the high point of the¨ day must've been the ``kiss-in'' in front of the bible-thumpers¨ 'n everyone yelling ``We're here, we're queer, we're not reading¨ the bible!'' Also it was nice to see a lot of punk-looking¨ faggots (I don't exclude dykes in my use of this word\dots) out¨ there too, yee haw! Well, gosh, I guess that's about it for now, y'all take real good¨ care of yourselves now, \noindent Todd/POLLUTION CIRCUS, 1008 Tenth St \#729, Sacramento¨ CA 95814 {\noindent\it The plain brown wrapper isn't for the P.O. but for¨ parents, roommates, nosy neighbors, that sort of thing. Umm\dots after reading the copies of THE APOSTLES' ``literature''¨ from their ``Punk Obituary'' record you sent, you are being very¨ kind to them\dots that's really homophobic stuff. Sounds like¨ they umm worked some things out since that record\dots I only¨ wish they'd refer to that umm period of their existence in their¨ later stuff like ``Hymn To Pan'' so's we could get the picture.¨ Though I am sure they are embarrassed to hell by it, as well they¨ should. (Sample: ``Should anyone reading this discover they have¨ homosexual tendencies: don't tell anyone. \dots [the Gay¨ Switchboard] actually encourage sexual perversity! Such an¨ attitude is akin to telling someone who is crippled that he/she¨ should be proud to be in a wheelchair.'' Aargh.) Well this explains the seemingly contradictory stuff I've heard¨ about these guys. It's really common, to be self-homophobic,¨ until you work it out enough to like yourself. Like lots of¨ people, I did that a little bit too, but not so loudly and I¨ wasn't publishing my confusion! Alas, I missed the homocore float (a battered police car on a tow¨ truck -- the crowd along the way got into it and smashed it up!¨ And the ``Parade Committee'' almost didn't let it in!) Michael \&¨ I didn't get up til 1PM, then we took the subway to City Hall,¨ then didn't stay long. A burn-out weekend for us. Oh well! } \bar \noindent Dear homocore people, I'd like to thank you for sending your magazine, and to respond¨ to one of the letters you printed. In his letter, Henry Bowers¨ mentions his ``Carnifex Network''. I support any organization¨ that aims to put isolated people in touch with others in similar¨ positions, but for Henry to include pedophiles and beastialists¨ in his network is outrageously distateful. Surely, anyone who is¨ concerned in sexual liberation must be concerned with eliminating¨ rape? Well what the fuck is beastiality?!! Can you honestly¨ imagine a cow, dog or sheep etc. consenting to a sexual¨ relationship with a human? As for pedophiles, I had a run in with¨ one of those when I was 10 years old and I'm still trying to get¨ over it, I honestly don't think I ever will. Children are¨ interested in sexual matters but they lack the experience and¨ knowledge to willingly enter into a sexual relationship in a¨ position where they fully know and understand what it means and¨ involves. Pedophile activity is about the most vile thing I can¨ think of, and if anyone thinks that means {\it I've} got a¨ problem then they ought to jump in from of the first moving bus¨ they see, it'd do the world a favor. I find the categorizing of¨ beastialists with lesbians and gays to be offensive and more akin¨ to the sort of categorizing I'd expect from right-wing christian¨ moralists than a sexually liberated person. Then again, Henry¨ isn't liberated, is he? I mean, hos can he be when he thinks that¨ someone else's career in a rock band is more important than his¨ right to openly live his life honestly? I've heard many reasons¨ for not being open about sexuality, many of which are very valid¨ unfortunately, but Henry's are just fucking ridiculuous. Wise¨ up!! That's it then, I hope you print this as I'd be interested to see¨ if it generates any feedback. Feel free to write and discuss any¨ of this or anything else! \noindent Stu, 10 Willow Ave, Elderslie, Renfrewshire, SCOTLAND¨ PA5 9LQ {\noindent\it ``\dots lack the experience and knowledge to¨ willingly enter into a sexual relationship\dots fully know and¨ understand what it means\dots'', well, you've defined yourself in¨ a corner, like that impossible-to-get job cuz ``you lack¨ experience'', and besides, most ``adults'' I know don't pass that¨ test anyways\dots might I also suggest what you experienced at 10¨ was, simply, RAPE. (Interesting stat: nearly 90\% of sexual¨ molestation of children is done by adult males (usually parents)¨ against female children.) By the way, have you ever actually {\it¨ read} anything by NAMBLA, etc? BUT ANYWAYS -- See my unfortunate review of CARNI\-FEX NETWORK in¨ the ZINES section. (And I would never have sex with dogs -- their claws rip the¨ sheets, they bite too hard, and they are through so quickly!¨ (They only let you do it so's you'll open the cans for 'em¨ anyways\dots) --tj } \bar \noindent Regi, I just read your response and I will tackle each issue as it¨ comes along. I should apologize about my statement about Lydia¨ Lunch. When I lived in the Central Valley, I examined others'¨ responses to anything ``sexually explicit'' and saw that a lot of¨ people who were exposed to Lydia's work would say ``nice ass'' or¨ ``I'd like to fuck her brains out'' without acknowledging the¨ artistic value of what she's doing. At the time I wrote that¨ letter, I was pissed off at the fact that sex, or anything in¨ reference to sex, was a major distraction. I felt and still feel¨ that artists such as Lydia Lunch should be more responsible when¨ it comes to the public. I'm not talking about censorship. I'm¨ talking about what Lydia is doing and what she's trying to get¨ across when she writes, films, etc. This not only goes for sex,¨ it goes for everything (rap music and gang violence, for¨ example). Apathy is tearing this world apart as well as¨ ignorance. I've had a fucked childhood as well, but I grew beyond¨ it and rejected it. Who am I to say porno is sick? I'll tell you. I'm the one that¨ sees men with low opinions of women going for that 6-pack of¨ Coors, a set of power tools, a bag of Doritos because they saw¨ some dolled up ``plaything'' on some poster. Sex sells¨ everything, even art and that's fucking sick! You are right,¨ people abuse it, but isn't it about time for something to be done¨ on the behalf of the distributors of such things? In Black¨ neighborhoods, all the rap music has sunk in deep. I know that¨ the music is a reflection of ones lifestyle, but a lot of it just¨ talks about how superior the rap group is and how much money,¨ women etc. The Black community has become a slave to vices, and¨ their music condones it. That goes for a lot of other things as¨ well. As far as people being like me, there is no one who has a clue¨ what the fuck it is to be me! Nobody supports me and I scare the¨ shit out of the people who know me because I've done away with¨ most of the bullshit that society feeds me. No one is willing to¨ sacrifice, everyone is selfish and it's really sad that being¨ selfless will lead to being swallowed alive by society. I'm¨ fighting, but my army is too small to do anything immediately.¨ I'm still weak, so I have no choice but to live amongst my own in¨ order to survive. Society has made me this way but I have broken¨ many chains and I will continue until I am totally free. You talk¨ about me being downgraded while at the same time I downgrade¨ others? Everybody's saying that we've got to unite. When they say¨ that, they most likely mean people that have been injusticed. ¨ What about the animals that are injusticed? They have been pushed¨ aside to make the struggle easier. Animals are niggers too. They¨ are the biggest niggers of all because they aren't like us. They¨ get no respect. They are products of a humanist society (humanism¨ to me runs along the same lines as racism, sexism, chauvinism,¨ monetarism, materialism, etc). To me it is either all or none.¨ Anyone who can't have sympathy and respect for other living¨ beings don't deserve sympathy or respect. I try to live by these¨ morals. Every little once in a while I'll soften up and¨ sympathize with a certain movement, but that's just my weakness¨ and I will grow beyond that as well. American society was molded¨ by some bunch of assholes who said women are inferior as well as¨ blacks, animals, Indians, and American were superior. So far that¨ has been the accepted norm, until it inconvenience someone. Then¨ comes the bullshit halfass movement. But yet humans are¨ supposedly superior beings. When there is something in your way¨ that keeps you from being ``normal'', you wither believe you are¨ inferior or start some bullshit movement to correct your sector¨ of norms. (The homosexual movement on your behalf.) Other than¨ that, you were raised to conform to society and you may have¨ shaken a few bad habits but you are still a honky (Honky:¨ Superficial person giving in to the norms of a while bullshit¨ society no matter how wrong it is. -- from Kendon's dictionary.),¨ you still smoke, litter, use aerosols, pay taxes, etc. Well I'm a¨ honky too, but I'm worse than you because although I know how¨ full of shit humans are, I still live in this society. Someday¨ I'll be free from hotdogs, microwaves, telephones, electricity,¨ etc. The reason I mention these things is that somehow, they are¨ all connected to the destruction of the planet and every time I¨ use anything from this place, such as the bus system, money, I am¨ another contributor to this madness. You wouldn't buy anything¨ from a racist, homophobe would you? Well I don't want to buy into¨ a society of lemmings. Nobody rules my thoughts. I'm sailing with¨ a ship of fools and I want off!! \noindent Kendon Smith \noindent P.S. The homocore movement will hopefully look beyond¨ itself and see that they aren't the only niggers! \bar \noindent Dear Tom and Friends, Not even 1/4th way through \#4 and I had to stop and give the¨ obligatory, redundant ``It's about time'' and the sincere ``Thank¨ you''. I discovered punk around the same time I discovered my own¨ queerness so the two are forever intertwined, providing days of¨ endless euphoria and frustration. In my foolish younger years I¨ believed that any guy who sucked cock was cool, just cuz it made¨ him a faggot. I found out pretty quick that you didn't have to be¨ het to be expendable. Look around you. There are almost as many¨ boring stupid homosexuals as there are heterosexuals. Look at¨ every major city, see the result of the gay rights movement in¨ 1989: gay clubs. These places are usually characterized by loud¨ disco and/or MTV-inspired decor. Lots of pretty flashing lights¨ to remind you you're having fun. And there are no breeders¨ allowed. Todays faggot is not concerned that homophobia and¨ oppression is getting worse. He doesn't care. He has his drink,¨ his cocaine, or worse, his BANANARAMA. And he has his bar. There,¨ homophobia and oppression are nonexistent. And they need not ever¨ exist because he can go to the bar every night. This is why I think HOMOCORE is the greatest fucking thing in the¨ world these days. Being an outcast amongst outcasts may be cool¨ in my book, but there are times it sucks. Thankfully, people¨ reading HOMOCORE are (\underbar{must} be) generally smarter, more¨ ambitious and creative than the disco masses. It's important that¨ we stick together (or at least \underbar{get} together and¨ destroy reality for those who think that punk shouldn't mix with¨ gays and gays shouldn't mix with the human race. You've got a great letter section and that's a good sign. I¨ really hope lots of people send in classifieds hoping to find¨ homopunks in their town. Think of the bands they could form!¨ Though I don't recommend violence, there's always the possibility¨ of forming a posse and going disco-bashing. The possibilities are¨ endless. That's why I love HOMOCORE. As long as you keep doing such a good¨ job, the rag will get bigger, better and the scene will continue¨ to rise. Thank you thank you thank you XXX OOO and keep it the¨ fuck up! \noindent Marc Klapper, 31 Altamont Rd, Fucking Edison NJ, 08817 \noindent P.S. I love you but \#4's music section was a little¨ lame, not as in content but as in length. Tomorrow I will send¨ some reviews (if you want) and a copy of CROW and who knows what¨ else??? {\noindent\it Do I detect a bit of cynicism there?! There {\it¨ are} just as many gay assholes as straight ones, though I have to¨ admit I thought this ratio might have been better, if for no¨ other reason that just to survive you have to get over a certain¨ amount of internal shit, you might extend that to include other¨ stupid shit out there, but I suppose that's not necessarily¨ true\dots I don't rule out violence as a tool but disco-bashing might not¨ help things much. (Though party-crashing might be fun!) Maybe¨ fag-basher-bashing would be more useful\dots And thanks A LOT! for the CROW\dots } \bar \noindent Yo, fellow butt-pirates \& bush leaguers! I picked up your zine while visiting Frisco and almost shit my¨ pants. What a great rag! Please send issues \#5 and \#6 as soon¨ as they come out. Living out here on Guam I'm a bit isolated from any kind of homo¨ counter-culture. (The only skinheads out here are jars and¨ swabs.) Regrettably, U.S. popular kultur has conquered this¨ beautiful little rock; everyone here aspires to be ``just like¨ the mainland''. Fuck, that's what I came out here to get away¨ from! Anyway, with the aid of your zine I hope to keep in touch¨ with all the headbangers and other ``thinking'' queens back in¨ the states. You're probably wondering what the hell I'm doing out here in the¨ middle of nowhere (1500 miles south of Tokyo and east of Manila).¨ I came to get away from the idiocy of Yuppie Amerika. I got¨ burned out on trying to convert disco bunnies and misty-eyed Dan¨ Fogelberg queens into fellow travelers. Worse yet, I got sick and¨ tired of seeing idiocy treated as normality. With Reagan in the¨ white house I thought it would only be a matter of time before¨ folks discovered that the emperor was naked. That's a laugh! When¨ that fucker got re-elected I said ``Fuck you, assholes; if you're¨ that stupid you deserve what you get!'' I suppose the last straw was when fellow poofters started turning¨ their backs on P.W.A's with an ``only old trolls get it''¨ attitude. I suppose I'm a coward cuz I ran away from a fight and started to¨ concentrate on making money instead of saving the world. Now I'm¨ a ``Yippie'' (Young Island Professional) but I still think of¨ myself as a closet homopunk. If only your zine had been around a few years ago, you might have¨ saved me from ``American Burn-Out Syndrome''. Anyway, keep up the¨ good work. Incidentally, I'd be interested in hearing from like-minded folk¨ out here in the Pacific or on the ``frozen mainland''. \noindent Rhet Asphalt, Box 1861, Agana, GUAM, 96910 \bar \noindent Dear Tim \& Homocore Hi! I'm an overzealous kumquat! Homocore rules the produce¨ section! \#4 was so yummy, so here's a buck, gimme a \#5, on rye¨ bread please. Lotsa mayo. Enough of my silly patter, I got some¨ shit to say\dots While in Los Angeles, which is a Rancid Fucken¨ Trash can, me and my friend got fag-bashed! See, cuz we wuz¨ holdin hands and baby, that just ain't the cool (dude) thing to¨ do! 7 nazi skins, out for a night of fun. These fuckheads told us¨ ``they were the cure for AIDS'' and they we're gonna save our¨ lives by beating the AIDS out of us! They thought they were¨ really fucking funny. They fucked us up pretty bad too and the¨ anger I feel scares the hell out outta me, like I wanna bash¨ their brains onto the pavement like they did me. Of course, the¨ LAPD were no help at all! Fucken pigs! One thing I wanna bring to¨ your attention is that \underbar{all} these skins were wearing¨ S.H.A.R.P. (SKIN HEADS AGAINST RACIAL PREJUDICE) T-shirts and/or¨ buttons, so they were not racist and are supposedly against nazi¨ skins. Well if any of you S.H.A.R.P. skins are reading this (I¨ doubt it!) I got news for you! Homophobia, like racism and¨ sexism, is a form of HATE! So even if you ain't racist, if you go¨ out fag-bashing, then yer still a fucken nazi! So, Oi! Oi! Oi!¨ Fuck you! Hey, I know this letter is no fun, I'm sure everyone is sick to¨ death of skinhead letters, especially is you read MRR! I am¨ fucken pissed tho', I had to get this off my chest! We are fags¨ and dykes and we are punks. We are therefore targets for¨ violence. This violence is inexcusable! Me and my friends will¨ not tolerate homophobia anymore! Not even fag jokes, cuz they are¨ \underbar{not} funny, whether yer serious or not! Well, that's¨ it! Next time I write I promise too be more cheery! \noindent Gulairmoe, Box 186, Boise ID 83701 {\noindent\it Fuck I wish there was something we could do after¨ the fact\dots don't be afraid of your anger, it's there for a¨ good reason! Bigots are bigots, no matter what clich\'e shit they¨ say about their anti-nazi ``beliefs''. It's action that matters.¨ I hope someone beats the fuck out of them. Maybe they'll get hit¨ by a car or get shot by a cop!} \bar \noindent Dear Tom, Thanks for sending me latest H.C., plus your very ``colorful''¨ letter. I've not read H.C. yet, so later about that. I'm glad you're so strong with your opinions on homo stuff,¨ though you approach the ``chip on the shoulder'' point. How can¨ you deny various forms of humor -- ethnic jokes, homo jokes,¨ cripple jokes -- gallows humor. And to do so would only suppress¨ inner feelings and yield a fucked up society (vs. our present¨ fucked up society). And certainly humor is used to show/stress¨ faults of society and meant for change to occur. So maybe you¨ should ``lighten'' up, though my guess is that you've been on the¨ receiving end of lots jokes. Glad you called Morton Downey an asshole, but to call me the same¨ (because I wrote that I acted gay just to make people face up to¨ the fact that there's gays out there) is kinda extreme. I¨ consider myself liberal and feel gays should not be discriminated¨ against (and all that rot) so please get off my back. You and I¨ are on the same side. Al the New Music Seminar, Jim Fouratt asked a bunch of press guys¨ why many remarks putting down fags (by rap guys, for instance)¨ were seemingly glossed over, yet if it was about blacks or women¨ it gets written up and ``exposed''. They wouldn't give a¨ reasonable answer. Anyways, I'll give H.C. a read (or a glance, there's lotsa boring¨ mags around) and report back later. Take care. \noindent Herb Jue, 144 Hester St \#8, New York NY 10073 {\noindent\it Getting pissed off at people who make ``fag'' or¨ nigger jokes is not ``denying'' them -- it's confronting them.¨ ``Suppress inner feelings'' gimme a fucking break. You're simply¨ not used to taking other peoples lives into account if it's not¨ convenient for you. Isn't it funny how it's always nice normal¨ straight guys who get upset at being criticized. Gee, I guess¨ you're beyond criticism now that you've declared yourself¨ liberal, huh? Thinking my criticism of you was ``extreme'' is an example of how¨ arrogant and out of touch you are. Asshole. } \bar \noindent homocore, I'm crying. Well I'm not. I'm jumping, aching, dying and whining.¨ I'm in love with another man. I'm flippy, trippy -- totally crazy¨ (man) Ga ga moo moo in a psychedelic zoo (I'm not on drugs).¨ Well, well, well. This zine has brought, sought, caught me, me,¨ me wunderful W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L. life, comcumfort to my groaney¨ stinking lonely mind, inside, it's greatness fills, thrills me me¨ my depressive, manic, neurotic, heart to start (no I won't fart)¨ to believe, conceive, achieve, hope, not the pope, don't smoke¨ dope, ain't livin' in Stanhope that I ``sigh'' want to thank you¨ guys, rather wise, open eyes, open minds, common ideals, it's¨ fantastic it's real, but I'm broke, broke, in this town, I won't¨ frowm can't be down, because I want to travel to Crisco? I mean¨ Frisco, and do something I miss, I mean give you guys a big kiss¨ from a looney looney damned to hell, hey I won't tell, gay¨ eighteen year old, the gold ain't sold. So send me issue \#3 if¨ it's still around, laying in the ground, please! I hope four door¨ hunch back uh uh, stamps of my parents will be enough. I've always wanted to write to you guys about my homosexuality¨ but I just can't get the feelings correctly on paper, uh I mean¨ some of my experiences. It just doesn't seem to come out right.¨ I'll just say again, that you guys are doing a great job. I look¨ through issues \#1 and \#2 every time I feel depressed and¨ lonely. They really pick me up. Maybe sometime soon I'll send you¨ guys some artwork I've done. Anyways, I hope there are still¨ \#3's still around for me. Love, \noindent Larry \bar \noindent Homocore, Please send me info on your zine. How much when where how. I'm 29 -- male -- [white (unfortunately)] -- 5'9" -- 190 lbs. --¨ green-blue eyes -- light brown hair. I like many styles of music. Prefer heavy hard crunchy grinding¨ rough fast slow stuff. I like everything but classical, opera and¨ Newage Shirley McClane shit. I am politically aware and disgusted. I am a RCP supporter. I'm a homo too -- I like black, brown, colors favor foreskin. I¨ dig porno mags, photos, tapes and used underwear and socks. I'm a horny nasty guy. I jack off a lot and would like to check¨ out your zine -- and would dig any porno mags, photos tapes or¨ used underwear and socks you want to send me. \noindent Ben Blenkle, Box 961, Santa Monica CA 90406 \bar \noindent Hello Homocore, I just got \#3 in the mail today, and I figured that my one liner¨ that I sent you people the first time around wasn't enough, so¨ here goes\dots I came out (or started to) last year, and the thing that really¨ got to me was the, uh, ``gay community'' up here was almost¨ completely devoid of intelligent life. So, I suppose to relieve my frustration, I wrote an article to¨ the ``mainstream'' paper that caters to the local ``gay¨ community''. Well, what happened, is that I submitted in August,¨ and they published in December. (Their normal turnaround is one¨ month.) In this article, I wrote what it was like to come out to such a¨ lame community of brain dead yuppies and airhead disco creatures. I ended the article, essay, column, whatever on an upbeat note,¨ stating that I knew that there is intelligent life in the gay¨ community. Anyways I think I spoke too soon, because last November, a couple¨ of gay people got bashed by what they said were skinheads. So all of a sudden our new ``community oriented'' police chief¨ decides to make his first brilliant move to mark the dawning of¨ the new error or his reign. He goes to the FBI computer and looks¨ up ``skinhead'', we can all probably guess what the FBI has to¨ say about them. I suppose it would have wasted his time in being¨ community oriented, for him to see the local skinheads himself. Well cops no matter how intelligent they say they are, are still¨ cops. If they had bothered checking into things, they would have¨ found out that except for two individuals, none of the Portland¨ skinheads were nazis. What happened is that the piggies cracked¨ down not only on skinheads, but many weird-looking people as¨ well. This whole spiel was brought on, not by the police department,¨ but by our wonderful friends, the mainstream ``gay community''.¨ They were the ones responsible for dropping the story onto the¨ media, where the incident was immediately blown out of¨ proportion. I heard that ``what really happened'' from another homo punk, and¨ it made sense. She said it was a football jock and a coast-guard¨ sailor that did the bashing. Needless to say, I want no part of a gay community who's¨ ``radical acts'' (or for that matter, act) consists of bashing on¨ a minority because they happen to be different. (Does this sound¨ a bit fucked up to you?? -- it does to me.) SO stay tuned, something fun is bound to happen sooner or later.¨ Hint, Hint. Thanks and take it sleazy. \noindent Shawn (NoXious) Jeffcoat, c/o Sandi Alter, 13¨ Waterville St, Portland ME 04101 {\noindent\it Was this the same story related in a¨ MAXIMUMROCKNROLL scene-report for Maine (I forget which issue)? When I or my friends walk through the Castro (``mainstream gay''¨ neighborhood) in punk type drag we get nasty looks and under-the-breath muttering, like I'm a fag basher or something.¨ It is assumed that ``all gay people'' look a certain way, and if¨ you don't you start out at a severe disadvantage -- whether¨ you're ``punk'', too fat/old/skinny/etc or just plain weird.¨ (Hmm, now that I think of it, not much different than the rest of¨ the world!) } \bar \noindent Dear friends, hello! I am sending you this letter in the occasion of issuing a new¨ number of ``homocore zine'' which is important to me on account¨ of further ordering of different zines, by the way. I wish¨ ``homocore zine'' to carry on like that even in the times which¨ are coming, and I wish it to be as good as it is now. The main point is that I would like to have the ``homocore zine''¨ and I think the only way possible is this one by writing you. So,¨ I would be very happy if you can, please, send me that zine. I am thanking you in advance! \noindent Bruno Galich, Cetinjska 11, 71000 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia \bar \noindent Homocore -- Saw your ad in MAXIMUMROCKNROLL, and it's gotten me totally¨ psyched! Sometimes I feel like such an island. All my hardcore¨ friends (male) are straight, and although some of them are cool¨ it would be really great to connect with people like me. None of¨ my gay male friends are into rock 'n' roll. They listen to¨ Madonna and Information Society. Pretty typical. I guess I should tell you about myself. I'm 22, male, play¨ guitar, bass and sing. I also write songs. During the last 4 or 5¨ years, I've lived in Boston, Los Angeles, Berkeley and Tampa.¨ I've been trying to get a band together for some time now. I'm¨ politically radical and socially conscious. I've been in the¨ scene since I was 12 or 13. Some bands I like are: CRASS, AU¨ PAIRS, GANG OF 4, SLITS, TSOL, RUNAWAYS, GERMS, JETT, TOM¨ ROBINSON, AGENT ORANGE, LYDIA LUNCH, MDC, STOOGES, GIRLSCHOOL,¨ ALLEYCATS, DKs, X, DEAD BOYS, VENTURES, BLACK FLAG, NUNS, CLASH,¨ FLIPPER, POISON GIRLS, BUZZCOCKS, SONIC YOUTH, THE SWANS, THE¨ AVENGERS, GO GOS, SIOUXIE, EXPLOITED, CASTRATION SQUAD, SHE-DEVILS, FEMININE PROTECTION, and more! I would like to meet some new friends and possible make some¨ contacts for a band. Male of female, it doesn't matter.¨ Concerning the band\dots attitude over ability (you don't have to¨ play that good), be dependable and have your shit together. Also,¨ I'm willing to relocate, so get in touch. Have I forgotten anything? Oh yeah, thanx to you (and your zine)¨ for getting of fyer ass and doing something! \noindent Eden Felt, 1849 Brightwaters Blvd, St. Petersburg FL¨ 33704 \bar I've felt really, really alone being a ``gay'' punk, especially¨ because most gays are not at all into alternative stuff and most¨ alternative sorts aren't gay. I wrote for a zine called J.D.s but¨ I didn't like it because it placed such a high premium on looks¨ and violent sex with bleeding, as if all gay punks are supposed¨ to have painful sex. If people want to, it's fine with me and I¨ like weird sex too, but seeing nothing but this stereotyped,¨ violent sex makes me feel even more alone and hopeless. Do other¨ people who write feel like this? Where are the artistic/creative¨ sorts who like sex but don't see it as the only thing in a¨ friendship? So far I've been really sad and scared cause so many¨ gays cling to one gay stereotype or another and I don't feel like¨ part of any of them. Please write if you have the time, whoever¨ reads this or whoever may have similar views. \noindent Ken Carps, 1647 Linden, E. Lansing MI 48823 \bar \noindent Dearest Tom, Hmm\dots where to start? I've been wanting to write you a letter¨ ever since I ordered my first issue of HOMOCORE (\#3 I think). I¨ just read your piece in Sprouse's THREAT BY EXAMPLE, and that¨ finally made me do it. Let me introduce myself: I'm a radical¨ feminist lesbian cello-playing mathematician punk born in¨ Pennsylvania, raised in Birmingham AL and transplanted to Boulder¨ CO (is that enough labels?). I originally came out west to go to¨ grad school on this groovy teaching assistanceship that CU¨ offered me, which turned out to be not-so-groovy. Eighteen-hour¨ days are for the birds, or at least for geeks who don't have¨ anything else to do. \underbar{This} geek had plenty else to do¨ other than eat, sleep, study, and teach (eating and sleeping¨ optional). In particular, I play my cello a lot, read a bunch of¨ books and figure out that I was in fact gay and not bisexual, as¨ I had been claiming since I was sixteen or so. Since high school I've felt totally caught in the middle between¨ my groups of friends, my college-type intellectual friends were¨ usually \underbar{anti-}intellectual. And of course, none of them¨ would have ever admitted it if they were gay. I didn't even feel¨ comfortable admitting that I'd ever slept with a woman, much less¨ that I'd rather be having all my relationships with them. And¨ there just aren't that many punk dykes in Birmingham AL, to hang¨ around with, you know? Not even that many mathematician dykes¨ either. All the lesbians I knew inhabited an entirely different¨ world than I did, and I thought I'd have to change too much of¨ myself to ever find a girlfriend. So I didn't. I hid my gayness,¨ had what I consider to be a number of relatively successful¨ hetero relationships (with an occasional female-to-female fling¨ thrown in on the side), and held my ground with elbows extended¨ to the edge of the pit at punk shows -- all the while getting my¨ BS finished up. When I came to Colorado, I decided it was time to be everything I¨ was, and be free from the hometown restraints -- escape the¨ pigeon-holes my friends thought of me in and see what happened.¨ But here I was once again a slave of Academentia, working my butt¨ off, wanting all the while to be playing more music and loving¨ women instead of men. I was an emotional wreck -- really¨ depressed. I lost almost 20 pounds in three months. Then last¨ October my sister was diagnosed with leukemia, and I just¨ couldn't put my life on hold anymore. I dropped out of grad¨ school and got a job making tempeh at a tofu factory (tr\^es¨ Boulder, eh?). I spent all of January hating myself for¨ continuing to have hetero relationships, but by the end of¨ February ,I was totally comfortable with calling myself a lesbian¨ -- being one, and admitting it. Now I'm a muscular 140 lbs. on a 5'9" tattooed working-class dyke¨ frame, and like myself better than I ever have in my life. My¨ problem? I'm still caught totally in the middle between my groups¨ of friends. My college-type intellectual friends think I'm a¨ total freak -- a lot of furrowed brows and ``whatever makes you¨ happy''{'}s. My punk friends are anti-intellectual, think the¨ music I do and the poetry I write is too artsy-fartsy, and are¨ generally homophobic (some of them without realizing it). And of¨ course, I'm a total weirdo in the gay community. Like you said, a¨ lot of folks in the gay lib movement just want the right to be¨ Republican, home-owning, BMW-driving, social-climbing, over-dressed scumbags like the rest of mainstream Generica. Either¨ that, or the right to be Coors-drinking, chain-smoking cussing¨ racist christian rednecks (I worked for one in Alabama one¨ summer). All I have to say is, thank god for really radical feminist¨ lesbians who would also like to change amerikkka -- at least they¨ have slightly unusual haircuts, and will actually speak to me.¨ But then again most of them are really outside the punk thing,¨ too, and see it as a very male-dominated thing. Frankly, I'm¨ beginning to agree with that an awful lot. I haven't been able to¨ bring myself to go to a show in about four months now, because I¨ feel so alone at them. And I really get sick of getting elbowed¨ in the kidneys all night by a bunch of hormone cases who are¨ there to be rowdy and sweaty and getting into fights. I don't¨ know, maybe I'm just getting old -- after all, it seems like the¨ only thing I read consistently anymore is Lawrence Livermore's¨ column in MRR. So what do I do? Nothing usually. Work. Sleep. Think about ex-lovers. Write letters. I haven't even had the money to buy myself¨ a cup of coffee lately, so I stay home. I get a fair amount of¨ playing done, but I'm not meeting anybody new -- especially not¨ anyone like me. So I thought I'd write you -- another intelligent punk¨ homosexual. How about that? \noindent Trish McCarl, Box 4690, Boulder CO 80306-4690 {\noindent\it Sheesh -- change all the physical things (places,¨ interests, sex) and you could be me. This is awful! I mean that¨ things are like this -- not you! I live a couple of totally¨ separate lives also. Almost nothing overlaps. It used to bother¨ me, now it seems normal. Who knows where it will go from here!¨ And the ``punk'' things here are about the same --de facto homophobic and duh thug-like macho. Trapped in their own personal¨ styles. You will probably run into Richard Loranger there¨ somewhere -- lucky you! (Tell 'em I said hi\dots we miss him!)} \bar \noindent Howdy, You may remember me I'm the sicko who wrote Americana and Leech¨ skin pants. Sorry I've fallen out of touch but I'm a terrible¨ letter writer and I'm always distracted. Once again you get to here someone say I've enclosed a dollar¨ send me the latest issue. (Anything past issue \#3 in my case.) Actually I've been out of touch so long I don't even know if¨ you're still printing HOMOCORE. If you're not well take the¨ dollar and get yourself a cup of coffee or whatever. Been hanging out around ``ROCKY HORROR'' in Fremont it's a groovy¨ tolerant scene. Actually tolerance isn't the word, embracing,¨ groovy whatever. I'd have to suggest to anyone who is stuck in a¨ hostile homophobic environment to seek out the nearest Rocky¨ theater. Loved the article on Drag in \#3. Effeminate or ``obvious''¨ homosexuals tend to get a bad rap as it is, and having worn drag¨ to some of life's better social events I can say with complete¨ conviction it is a blast. Drag can be better than acid. Drag is better than acid.¨ Unfortunately drag is expensive. Even with thrift stores. Besides¨ I always have a bitch of a time finding womens' clothes in my¨ size. But drag (I always use the term in regard to cross-gender¨ dressing, I'm an old-fashioned guy) also allows a freedom of¨ liberation that you can't get anywhere else. Missed the gay parade, had some friends who went though (I've had¨ mono so moving is out of the question) they said it was great and¨ there should be one every week. Keep in touch or whatever, \noindent Kevin Fitzsimmons, 1692 Montecito Circle, Livermore CA¨ 94550 \bar \noindent Yo dudes! I recently got issues 3 and 4 of HOMOCORE and they were fuckin¨ great! It's really inspiring to know that there are punks out¨ there that aren't into the macho/he-man/``hard straight proud and¨ fighting in the streets'' attitudes that (many) punks seem to¨ have developed. I myself am not gay, but I'm not straight either.¨ For some weird reason, I'm attracted to punk girls with bizarre¨ makeup and hairdos. Speaking of which, if any of you homocore¨ readers out there happen to have any photos of¨ makeup/hairstyle/tattoo victims laying around your house, please¨ send me a few! But if anyone is going to send me a picture (and I¨ doubt it), please keep the pictures well-concealed in envelopes¨ and don't send any nude pics. This ain't no desperate plea for¨ jerk off material. Anyway, there's something I'd like to complain about. Why is it¨ that, when a punk goes around looking ridiculous, he/she gets put¨ down (lots of times) even by other punks? I don't know, maybe¨ that doesn't happen in California (best state in the country' haven for weirdos of all kinds) but most people I've written to¨ and everyone I know that looks strange have said that they've¨ been laughed at not only by ``normal'' people but by older punks¨ who've ``outgrown being a fashion statement''. They'll¨ automatically assume that you're some kind of rich suburbanite¨ shithead. This kind of stereotyping is just as stupid as assuming¨ that every kid with a shaved head is a nazi, or that every gay¨ person is out to butt rape you. Homocore readers, please write dammit! I'm terribly lonely\dots \noindent Jai Smith, 3400 North St, Ettrick VA 23803 {\noindent\it Well, I don't know if I'd complain if someone sent¨ me nude pictures! (Good luck.)} \bar \noindent Tom \& gang, I just got issue \#4. I found it to be very interesting. 'Spect¨ it will (hopefully) help me understand a little better the¨ growing (?) and dividing (definitely) punk/hardcore scene, as¨ well as homosexuality. Me being a former Brit (god save the queen!) I only have a little¨ understanding about the sex part, (whilst being a bloke in¨ Liverpool, me and a few of me mates would examine and play with¨ each other willies and while we did it in secret coops). We¨ didn't have much guilt about it being it happened all the time,¨ but I don't really understand what it is to be homosexual. I¨ realize it isn't any bloody different than being hetero, but, I'm¨ sure besides the prejudice and fuckin' hatred closed-minded¨ bastards give the homos, there must be something different, eh?¨ Like the upbringing of blacks and whites? Anyways, I like what you're doing and I wish you a hell of a¨ crock of luck. I sincerely hope it will help to unite all punks¨ gay, straight or bi, cause we shouldn't conform to ``their''¨ standards, after all, wasn't punk founded on non-conformity and¨ the union of all punks? I do admit I was a bit surprised to see the nude pix of the¨ unnamed bloke wanking, especially since he wasn't a stuck up on¨ himself steroid bastard of a bloody old fart like you see in¨ these ``swingers'' adverts. He seemed proud of his gayness and¨ his cock (yep, the old penis-size envy is showing). I was also¨ surprised/please(?) to read you solicit erotic stories/art/pix¨ from readers! Since my ``safe sex'' technique has been no-sex or¨ me right hand, perhaps this could help me understand homosex and¨ even get me off at the same time, so this is OK! I also want to tell Jeremy, (the 15 year old who is still¨ exploring his sexual identity) to go for it! PLEASE PRACTICE SAFE¨ SEX but go ahead and experiment with both sexes (someone clean¨ and AIDS free!) and enjoy it! I'd like him to keep us posted on¨ his discoveries. I'm most certainly interested in it. Perhaps¨ I'll try it oneday, meself. Oh about meself, I'm 24, and a producer/song\-writer/mus\-ician.¨ I've got one song I'm getting published, I let G.G. Allen us it,¨ (I know, I know, publish it first then let it be recorded, but¨ hey, I didn't send him the music just the lyrics, and I've added¨ three verses since then, so, no problem, methinks?) If I didn't¨ mention it I'm hetero, but curious, and I'm not ashamed of me¨ curiosity, I'm just concerned about the dangers involved with¨ unsafe sex, any kind, and I also don't want BIG BROTHER to think¨ I'm gay and place me in a bloody fucking concentration camp, so¨ yeah I'm a bit afraid about writing, but what the hell, I trust¨ you blokes. \noindent Johnny Rythym, Box 8728, Shreveport LA 71148 P.S. If any gay or hetero curious blokes wish to be penpals,¨ write. I'll reply ASAP, so allow me a bit of time, I do have a¨ day job, so patience PLEASE. P.P.S. Anyone willing to make me copies of \#1 and \#2? \bar \noindent Hello Tom you fag, Yar! I'm doin' pretty OK and have 3 homocore pins now. I'm in English class right now. Yar! Actually it sux. My mother¨ and I had a fight last night cause I came home with eyeliner on.¨ She said, ``Are you a cross dresser? Are you gonna start wearing¨ dresses.'' At the time I just said ``no'' pissed-offedly, but¨ later that night it really hit me, and I felt like a piece of¨ fried shit. Today me and my friend Paolo were walking around outside of¨ school during lunch and we walked by these 2 kids. One of them¨ said ``There's too many faggots around here.'' I said ``fuck¨ you'' etc. No fighting involved -- you know the story. That shit¨ really pisses me off. Around school I wear dangly earrings (I got 3 holes now!) and¨ baggy clothes and have painted nails. On my left hand they're¨ short and black -- on my right they're long and bring red. Yar, I get much shit -- I've gotten especially a lot today. Oh¨ well. No I don't have a boyfriend right now, though I won't say I don't¨ want one. Actually, I did get together with a male friend a while¨ ago -- it was really neat. We don't have a relationship -- he's¨ much older than me; it wouldn't work out. Can I write a column for your zine. Actually I'll just send it in¨ the mail soon. So you'd better print it. Well that's all I'd like to say. Wearing nail polish freaks the¨ shit out of people. I'm lucky I can get away with it. I'm gonna¨ have to start being more careful though cause people are getting¨ pissed. Anyways, please send HOMOCORE 4 sometime soon. I got two¨ letters in response to that letter I had in 4 but I don't even¨ know what I said. Aaargh! \noindent Jeremy Piper, 3 Beacon St, Reading MA 01867 \bar \noindent Hey! I'm Anthony, and I'm writing from Auburn Hills MI. A while back I¨ order some stuff from BLACKLIST MAILORDER, and when I got my¨ records somebody at BLACKLIST had stuffed a copy of HOMOCORE \#1¨ in my package. Well, I read it, and I thought it was pretty cool.¨ So enclosed is \$2.00, could you please send me HOMOCORE \#3 and¨ \#4? Just in case you're wondering, I'm straight, but I totally¨ support gay and lesbian liberation. One thing I read in your zine¨ that I really agree with is that you don't like the machoism of¨ hardcore. I agree, I don't thin there's any place in an¨ enlightened, positive scene for those closed--minded, anti-gay¨ jock attitudes. Anyways, this letter is so short, but I gotta¨ split. Hope to hear from you soon. \noindent Anthony, 3120 Bloomfield Lane Apt \#1011, Auburn Hills¨ MI 48057 \bar \noindent Dear Tom, Many greetings from the gulag. This is a letter to let you know¨ that I've been transferred to a new kamp. I was transferred here¨ in retaliation for having participated in a class action suit¨ against bad conditions and over crowding at the prison in Monroe.¨ To justify my repression (I have a clean disciplinary record) I¨ was accused of various ``subversive and revolutionary''¨ activities, including, but not limited to ``actively developing¨ an international revolutionary network that advocates `armed¨ resistance' to the U.S. government'', with no evidence or proof¨ of course. \input zine.sty \begindoublecolumns \parindent=18pt In any case I am in the process of litigating a return to Monroe.¨ In the mean time I would like to receive the next issue of¨ HOMOCORE when it comes out. Due to a more repressive/restrictive¨ mail policy here please be sure to have the return address¨ plainly marked on the outside and that it is from the publisher. Do you have a lot of prison readers? If you do can you give a¨ blurb to the Prisoners Rights Union, Prison Discipline Study,¨ (1909 6th St, Sacramento CA 95814). They are conducting a survey¨ on the prevalence of violence against prisoners by guards. If¨ there is a pattern of abuse, etc in prisons around the country,¨ and if any groupings of prisoners (by race, AIDS, political¨ prisoners, gays, jailhouse lawyers, etc) are singled out for¨ worse treatment or not. I would suggest all prisoners would be¨ interested in this, as well as outside prison activists,¨ supporters family members, clergy, etc. Well, that's it for now. Please note my new address. \noindent Paul Wright \#930783, Box 520 8-C-14, Walla Walla WA¨ 99362 \bar Thanks very much for HOMOCORE, it is what I could call an¨ inspiration, I suppose -- but it's ALWAYS a real stiff kick in¨ the butt. I'm the type of person who drifts between two¨ completely polarized attitudes about my sexuality, one being that¨ everything's great as long as I mind my own business and don't¨ get too loud that's the way things will stay. (ie. let remarks¨ pass without putting up and argument, just sorta lean back and¨ don't do anything at all, etc) The other attitude is the ``say it¨ loud, gay and proud'' stance, which obviously takes more guts and¨ energy but more often than not leaves one feeling stronger or¨ more purposeful. Reading HOMOCORE always seems to make me feel the latter, so¨ thanks. \noindent Michael Fahy, Box 1732, Philadelphia PA 19105 \bar \noindent Dear HOMOCORE, I have just been made aware of the fact that for gays (I'm¨ heterosexual) to have sex is illegal in 25 states. Added to the¨ recent calls for a constitutional amendment against flag burning,¨ and the supreme court ruling on abortion, it has presented itself¨ that 99\% of america is against at least one constitutional¨ right. Anyway I'm trying to start a political zine and it would¨ help if you could send me some info on the governments cruelty to¨ gays. \noindent Dan Murphy, 2301 3rd Ave, Sacramento CA 95818 {\noindent\it I don't have anything like that handy, maybe¨ someone else does?} \bar \noindent Shred of Diginity/Homocore, Yo -- like I've got this great idea: it's called SKATE BACK THE¨ NIGHT. It's basically a loosely disorganized anti-rape (\& other¨ crime) coalition. The basic idea is this: a bunch of guilty white¨ folk get together, skate around at night in dimly illuminated¨ parks (\& other places which common sense says they got no right¨ to be), raise a bunch of ruckus, \& scare some of the spooky¨ types who prey on nice decent welfare cheat types like us. I got the idea one night when me \& a bunch of my buddys got¨ together dropped acid and skated from Delores Park to the beach.¨ It was supposed to be a night of male bonding, but of course one¨ dude had to bring a girl, but it turned out OK. Anyways cuz she¨ could skate better than any of us, so we made her an honorary guy¨ for the night. Anyways some lady cop stopped us \& took away our beer. I told¨ her we were ``SKATE BACK THE NIGHT -- AN ANTI-RAPE¨ ORGANIZATION!'', she said ``Yeah, but you can still go to jail.''¨ I figured this was cuz there were only 7 of us \& she had a gun¨ \& was a cop. But I imagine if 50 or a hundred ``SKATE BACK THE¨ NIGHT'' types starting making regular rat pack attacks on the¨ night, what could they do then? I think it is an idea whose time¨ has come. \noindent Jill the Witch, Box 1210, San Francisco CA 94101 \noindent P.S. The gradually sloping path above the swings in¨ Dolores Park is a great place to skate. {\small\it\noindent Yeah, the cops get pissed when you mess¨ around with their turf, and as you astutely noticed they have¨ guns and are cops. But I think it's a good idea, especially if¨ you remember to inform any people you terrify when you skate by¨ them\dots I know that people always seem to be terrified when I¨ skate near them, when I'm out of high traffic areas. I never thought to do that skate run while tripping! The run down¨ JFK Drive through Golden Gate Park is great! About 4 miles of¨ slight downhill, and there's the N-JUDAH line to take you back¨ uphill for 80\cents\dots I think I will do it on shrooms! } \bar \noindent Hey Butt! What the fuck?! And please print this even though it's very long. Sorry for my last scathing letter, but I hadn't received and¨ words from you folkses, and I was wondering what was up. Now that¨ you wrote me, I have some theories. And thanks for sending me \#3¨ \& \#4 in compensation for the \#1 -- \#3 that was ``lost'' by¨ our friendly fascistos at the U.S. Postal Service. You mentioned¨ that in your entire history of mail order work, almost nothing¨ had disappeared UNTIL you started mailing out HOMOCORE issues.¨ This should tell you something about the U.S.P.S. in this¨ wonderful free country of ours. I don't know the particulars, but¨ I seem to recall that mail censorship and wire tapping became¨ slightly more real during the Raygun/Bush era, especially¨ anything deemed to be of ``subversive'' nature. I know I sent you¨ my correct address and I seriously doubt that any of my next-door¨ neighbors have been fucking up my mailbox. Just keep careful¨ track of these problems you encounter with posting HOMOCORE. The¨ U.S.P.S. is a federal entity, and individual mail carriers can be¨ just as biased and bastardly as any human. I'm still waiting for¨ an order of porn I made from S.F. back in May. It all makes me¨ wonder. And I'm pissed that I never got to see issue \#1. Okay, now for the real stuff. FUGAZI played last night near¨ Albany. Totally ass-kicking! Only one guy at the show was a¨ raving stupid asshole. He couldn't deal when Ian was trying to¨ make a point about rape. This person was bald, but so were many¨ others there -- and they were acting human. I know that skin¨ scenes/temperaments vary from region to region, but stop¨ typecasting all skins as being intolerant and racist and¨ homophobic. It makes me want to throw this zine in the garbage.¨ The stereotypes exist, but so do non-sexist, non-homophobic, non-racist skins. There are even some gay skins, in and out of¨ the closet, even though their existence is not sanctioned by¨ Mykel Board. Just recently joined the 6 month old Albany chapter of ACT-UP. Am¨ heading down to Wash. DC on 10/7 for the final display of the¨ AIDS Quilt and the March to End Homelessness. ACT-UP chapters¨ exist nationwide and they need your help. Join them. Fuck apathy.¨ For those of you that don't know of ACT-UP, we are a coalition of¨ persons, gay men AND women and anyone/everyone concerned with¨ AIDS issues, united in anger to bring about an end to the AIDS¨ crisis. The government won't do it, and the pharmaceutical¨ companies won't do it until there scheme out how to make the max¨ profit possible, so\dots Members of many ACT-UP chapters nationwide put up a good show at¨ the Justice Building down in D.C. last May at the Womens' Rights¨ March. Unfortunately, the Albany group is dominated by earth-mother folk-music peace-activists who don't want the group to get¨ a bad name locally, and they aren't used to me yet. Maybe they¨ are afraid of combat boots. I don't know. I hate¨ establishmentarianism that rises out of protest/counter-culture¨ movements. But we are planning some kind of action to get media¨ attention on Halloween night here at the State Capitol Building.¨ But I shut up now. May as well leave some space for the next¨ human. Has anyone been to Taiwan? I'm moving there maybe next September.¨ WO JIANG DE PU-TONE-HUA JIANG DE HAO. QU-NIAN ZAI SHANG-HAI FU-DAN DA-XUE LIU-XUE. What western companies besides U.P.S operate¨ in Taiwan? I'll need a job. Die You Stay Pretty -- \noindent Peter Jones, 342 MADison Ave \#3, Albany NY 12210 \noindent P.S. Any love or sex mail will be appreciated. Talk to¨ me. No gays here in Albany will. I need HCORE \#1. {\noindent\small\it I'm still not convinced that the Postal¨ Storage Service is doing it. I also get lots of returned mail --¨ see the Editorial page. I think my Fido Software biz type¨ customers are more ``stable'', P.O. wise. They don't move often,¨ and when they do, they inform the P.O. etc. (Otherwise they'd be¨ out of business!) I don't flatter myself that HOMOCORE is all¨ that ``subversive''. And I'm one of the most paranoid people I¨ know! But you may be right, I suppose\dots Skins: I know of two (count 'em -- 2) skins that are not violent¨ homophobe assholes. And there's lots of skins here. Read about G-Moe getting bashed by SHARP skins. No, not all skins are bad --¨ but so fucking many are, like 9 out of 10 or more -- that it's¨ generally safe to assume the one approaching you is a shithead.¨ (By that I mean I watch out, not that I say or do anything. I¨ try, but don't always succeed, in treating people based on how¨ they act.) And I know what you mean by the ``earth mother peace punks'' --¨ it is an icky thing to watch. } \bar \noindent Hey, It's great to see a zine that's from a gay \& lesbian point of¨ view. Now I have something to show my mom. You see, my mom is a¨ lesbian and one time she saw that movie SUBURBIA and that one kid¨ runs away from his dad's because he's gay, so my mom thought¨ punks were against gays until I explained it to her (she's very¨ open minded) and she understood. But once I get your zine I can¨ show her that there are a lot of punks who support or who are Gay¨ or Lesbian so please send me your latest issue. And good luck¨ with the zine. \noindent Rob Henry, 1650 Glenview \#77D, Seal Beach CA 90740 \bar \centerline{Ran out of Room!} This issue is extremely tight for space, and I left these letters¨ under a pile and discovered them only at the last minute -- too¨ late to run them! I am very sorry. They will run in \#6, I¨ promise! {\obeylines\parskip=0pt Jennifuck, Farmingdale NY Kenn Grooms, Florence AZ Shell 63, Darwin Australia Gibby, Darnley, Scotland (sorry Gibby!) Geoff Tuck, Altadena CA Michael Priborsky, Baltimore MD } \enddoublecolumns \bar \bye