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HIGH GEAR

NOVEMBER 1976

THE DAYTON GAY CENTER

by Matt Phillips

While Cleveland has been trying to get together a gay community center, Dayton has had one which just celebrated its first birthday. Last August I talked with Dennis Murphy, the coordinator of services and operations for the Dayton Gay Center. We discussed the formation and development of the center.

"The Dayton Gay Center Inc., is a volunteer cooperative effort of gay men and lesbians from the Miami Valley area that was given birth about a year ago. We came together out of a shared sense that we have, for too long, been denied our civil rights, been perverted as humans, and been limited in social options. But probably the main sense that brought and keeps us together is the realization that no one but ourselves will or can make any effort to reverse these oppressive conditions."

"The push for a gay center started at the end of summer 1975 with two months of gay organizational meetings. During these sessions people were asked "What is it that you want of a gay center?" The many answers were compiled and condensed into 17 objectives. These objectives were then divided into two categories, those "affecting changes in the environment, the world we live

in"

and those "affecting changes in ourselves."

Part of the first group of objectives have been fulfilled by a Speaker's Bureau which has spoken to many meetings throughout the Dayton area. There has also been coverage in the local media with participation in radio and TV talk shows, newspaper articles, and public service announcements. "We've gotten fair (in the judicial sense) treatment in the newspapers around town," said Dennis.

As a result of this publicity many people have been directed toward the center who might not have known about it. "We've developed a good reputation with social service agencies around town." One reason is

that three of the people involved with the center are "mental health professionals" with "damn good reputations. people feel comfortable referring to us."

The second group of objectives, "affecting changes in ourselves," focuses on "depropagandizing" the image of gays which a straight society has projected.

At the general meetings (7:30 p.m. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays) following the business meetings there is usually a topic of discussion around some related gay issue including "Telling Parents You're Gay," "Coming Out to Your Friends," and "Sexism and the Pecking Order in the Gay Community."

When the center was being formed many said they needed "something more than what a bar offers, more than alcohol, music, and a good time." They felt a need for more personal interaction, so some structured "experiments" were set up for that to happen. The final portion of every meeting is a time for relaxing and talking together.

The social service features of the center include a hot line (513) 278-3963, Mon., Wed., Fri. evenings from 8 to 10 p.m., peer and professional counseling, consciousness raising groups, and cooperative work with local agencies.

MONEY?

The Dayton Gay Center Inc., survives for the use of many by the dedicated efforts of a few. The center is not finished. "We are completely a volunteer organization scraping every penny to pay the rent and phone bill." When it first started, the

center was housed in the Dayton Free Clinic. Problems arose when funding for the clinic was threatened because of the presence of the Gay Center. Since then, the Dayton Gay Center Inc., has rented space from a local church (665 Salem Ave., Dayton, Ohio 45406).

During their first year of operation, the people involved with the Center have, in addition to those services already mentioned, begun a lending library of positive literature on the gay experience, developed a legal referral network, sponsored VD clinics, and laid the groundwork for city and county governments to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance.

This fall the volunteers are working on finalizing the nondiscrimination ordinance, working with the police department, and broadening social services to include other sexual minorities, parents of gay people and gay people who are parents.

When I asked Dennis how they got everything together so fast, he said: "We just started in and got it done." However, with the aid of hindsight, he feels they should have started out with one thing and let it grow." There is a perennial problem of a volunteer organization. People have a wealth of ideas and enough energy to maybe get those ideas started. But then carrying them on, they fall by the wayside."

For each that has fallen by the wayside there have been others in Dayton willing to carry on and make year number one for the Dayton Gay Center, a year with an impressive list of accomplishments.

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