August 2006 Cover
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By
Edward Hougen
Twenty two years ago when I first took over The
Guide, I knew next to nothing about putting
out a magazine. Today, thanks to the technological
advances of computers, the internet, and cell
phones, I again know next to
nothing about putting out a magazine. During the
two decade interval of moving from one level of
ignorance to another, I've had a wonderful
adventure.
As a former clergy person, and an
evangelist at heart, the appeal of publishing was
that it provided an opportunity to spread the word
of sexual liberation. The challenge was how to keep
putting out such a
confrontational and radical message and at the
same time stay in business. The success of
The Guide's being able to do that over
such a long period has been largely due to the
remarkable team that joined me in addressing this
challenge.
The core group has been present either from the
beginning or nearly so, and has been characterized
by remarkable ability, dedication, and courage.
Almost as remarkable has been their willingness to
put that ability at the
service of carrying out this mission of liberation
despite the fact that the monetary compensation
has been minimal.
I am also grateful to the many businesses
who, over the years, supported our message with
their advertising dollars. And were it not for the
continued interest and enthusiasms of you, the
readers,
The Guide would have ceased publishing
long ago.
Now that I'm retiring, I wish I could say
mission accomplished. Unfortunately, that is not
the case. Despite the many gains over the past 20
years in terms of gay people being integrated into
society at large, these
advances have often come at too high a cost. Our
reluctance to challenge traditional sexual attitudes
as the price for acceptance into the mainstream has
weakened our opposition to repression and
injustice. The hysterical response
to the reality of childhood and adolescent sexuality
has continued unabated. But where are the voices
raised in protest over the relentless sexual abuse of
our youth by bombarding them with the monstrous
lie that their
sexuality is something dangerous, something
harmful, something bad, something criminal that
they must be protected from? Where are the voices
raised in protest over the branding of almost
anyone who practices
non-traditional sexuality as a sexually dangerous
person, requiring constant surveillance, if not
incarceration?
For all the battles the gay movement has
won, it stands in danger of losing the war. The
mission of gay liberation has never been to achieve
acceptance by embracing and echoing the anti-
sexual prejudice and
oppression of the straight world. Rather it has been
to call the straight world to abandon its sexual
fears and prejudices and embrace a more loving
and humane approach.
Despite all this, I am optimistic for the
future. I am glad that
The Guide has been bought by a not-for-
profit organization that shares its mission of sexual
liberation, and that most of the present staff will
continue
their efforts. But more importantly, I believe the
future of sexual liberation does not depend upon
the future of
The Guide or any other institution. Rather
the future of sexual liberation is in the hands of
God. Whatever
powerful repressive forces seem arrayed against
our desire to express and celebrate our God-given
sexuality, these forces cannot succeed. For in the
end it is the liberating Word of God's love alone that
will prevail.
Yours truly,
Edward Hougen, Publisher
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