May 1, 1985
Gay Peoples Chronicle
page 3
BODY LANGUAGE
when your love is more
than words.
BY RICK BERG
Store Celebrates
First Anniversary
Ray Burton and Linus Herrell celebrate their first anniversary as gay businessmen when their shop, Body Language, becomes a year old on May 10.
The store is located at 3291 W. 115th St., at the corner of W. 115th and Lorain. It carries an array of products for enhancing sexual pleasure. In addition, Body Language stocks a number of lesbian and gay books, including serious literature as well as erotic titles.
Located in a remodeled doctor's office, the fourroom store is comfortable and understated. The flashing lights, blaring music, and bored clerks found in most sex-toy stores are missing from Body Language.
Co-own our ton and
Herrell personally greet first-time customers at the door and proudly escort them on a tour of their store. Cracking jokes and obviously enjoying themselves, the working owners show off their 13 styles of vibrators, 14 kinds of lubri-
cants, 6 brands of poppers, 12 styles of cock-rings, 26 clamps, 5 different paddles, 11 types of restraints, 69 book titles, and 4 rooms. In addition to selling products, Body Language offers organized monthly discussions on various aspects of sexuality and a body piercing service. Herrell leads the discussions and performs the piercing.
'We want to encourage sexuality and sell products to elevate the style of sexual encounters," said Herrell. Burton added, "We try to demystify our products. Too often sex-toys have been shrouded in mystery and only the initiated felt comfortable with them. We make these products accessible to anyone who wants to discover and enjoy them."
Body Language is open Monday through Saturday from noon to nine o'clock. The telephone number is 251-3330 and is equipped with a TTD machine for the deaf and hearing impaired. Seniors receive a 10% discount with a Golden Buckeye Card.
GPC reporter Rick Berg all caught up in some of the Body Language accessories.
Ordinance Committee
Unveils Plan
By RICK BERG
A plan for enacting a Cleveland ordinance to outlaw discrimination against lesbians and gay men was presented to the Eleanor Roosevelt Gay Democraic Club (ERGDC) at its April meeting at Exedra.
The plan was conceived by members of the club's City Ordinance Committee, Jeff Swindler and Win Weizer. ERGDC members approved the plan. The proposed legisla tion would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, public accomodations, employment, and credit. It would require a majority vote of Cleveland City Council and the signature of the mayor to become law. If
passed, the ordinance would apply within the city of Cleveland.
The committee's plan calls for identifying and electing at least two sympathetic council members in the 1985 city elections. Exact language of the ordinance would be written after the election. Target date for passage is June, 1987.
ERGDC will present this plan to the Federation, an informal coalition of Cleveland area lesbian and gay organizations, at a meeting in May. Weizer said that Federation support is essential since ERGDC does not have sufficient resources to implement a plan of this scope. She expressed confidence that the plan can succeed with broad based community support.
Reporter and Companion, all dressed up with no place to go.
Hotline Hankers For Your Help
Volunteers are needed for the GEAR Foundation's Lesbian/Gay Hotline and the Ohio Department of Health AIDS Hotline, operating out of the Gay Comunity Center at 2100 Fulton Road. Both the afternoon (4 to 7 pm) and evening (7 to 11 pm) shifts need people to handle
the many calls. If you are interested in contributing to this essential community service, call the Gay Hotline (651-7111) or the GEAR Foundation line (6511999) and leave your name and telephone number. Someone will return your call within 48 hours to schedule you for training.
!! Come to the COLUMBUS PARADE June 30!!