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{\noindent\parskip=0pt\obeylines

2 April 1990

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New Pacific Alliance
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Tom Jennings
HOMOCORE Zine / Fido Software
164 Shipley
San Francisco CA 94107
(415)-764-1688 (w)
(415)-882-9832 (h)
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I first met Ray in 1986 at Gilman Street Project, a 
(default-straight) punk/all-ages, volunteer-operated club in
Berkeley. I was one of the main coordinators there at the time.
During the year and a half I worked there, Ray and I were the
only two ``out'' gay people. Both of us were quite aware of our
positions there; we were basically the only gay role models for
most of the crowd, which was predominantly 16 to 22 year olds. We
made a point of holding hands, confronting minor bullshit (of the
``hey you fag'' type stuff from unknowing kids) in a constructive
manner. We would find the younger ones circling us from a safe
distance watching our every move. On a number of occasions we'd
get very basic and frank questions about gay people, especially
from the younger ones.

Since I have known him, Ray has been politically active, out and
comfortable in ``gay'' and ``straight'' environments and bringing
an up front and definitely out gay presence to everything he's
done.

Ray has also been instrumental in producing HOMOCORE zine, not
only writing articles for publication, but more basic, 
un-glamorous ``shit work'' that made publication possible. His
ability to think clearly and write down the results is apparent
form his writings.

To not include Ray in the program would a serious mistake.

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Sincerely,
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Tom Jennings
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