gay peoples CHRONICLE

Vol. 2 No. 2

Cleveland, Ohio

GEARHART RESIGNS

By CHARLES CALLENDER

Randy Gearhart resigned as Executive Director of the Health Issues Taskforce on February 28.

Emphasizing his reluctance to make this decision, Gearhart said the work for HIT threatened to interfere with his educational program. Gearhart is working for a Master of Social Work degree at the Case Western Reserve University School of Applied Social Sciences.

In an open letter to the Cleveland lesbian and gay community (page 8) Gearhart thanked its members for support and friendship during his term of office and asked them to give his successor the same support. He also thanked the Health Issues Taskforce directors and volunteers for allowing him to serve the community.

Hit Plans New Search Jeff Swindler, the Taskforce's Chairperson-Elect, said it is looking for an interim director, to hold office for a maximum of 90 days while HIT conducts a search for a permanent director. Like the original search that led to the appointment of Gearhart, it will be publicly advertised.

Swindler said the Executive Director's position is DOW funded through June

Gearhart Interview, p. 8 Variety Show, p. 6

Randy Gearhart, Executive Director of Health Issues Taskforce

that date the contingent

1986. After salary will be upon current fund-raising

VARIETY SHOW PACKS CIVIC

By BARBARA SIEGEL

The

a

its Eleventh Annual Women's Variety Show to a standingWhere can you find some of room-only crowd of nearly Cleveland's most formidable seven hundred women packed lesbians donning evening into Assembly Hall in the gowns, panty hose and pumps? Civic. gala evening Need another clue? When can opened with Lesbutante you see, in the course of Ball featuring a "coming three hours on the same out" ceremony that would stage, a sex therapist remelt the mascara of the socommending a NERF Bondage ciety page's cotillion mothKit to novice S&Mers, Patsy ers. Cline serenading a bewigged Other highlights included lover with "Back in Baby's the ever-popular and obArms Again," and a homicidal scenely tasteful Moral Choir Homecoming Queen? The ans singing "Why Can't You Girls wer, of course, is the WomBe Nice?;" Stevie Wonder and en's Variety Show. Paul McCartney. David Bowie This year, on February 15, and Mick Jagger, Boy George, Oven Productions page 6, col. 1

presented

activities HIT is conducting. He voiced guarded optimism that these will raise

March 1986

enough money. The Taskforce also plans to approach fundpage 9, col. 1

Conference Takes Shape

By SEBASTIAN MELMOTH

The opening night keynoter is still uncertain but in other respects the Fifth Annual All-Ohio Lesbian/Gay/ Feminist Conference is rapidly taking shape.

Presented by the Case Western Reserve Lesbian/Gay Student Union, the Conference this year is titled "A Celebration of Pride" to accord with the planning committee's preference for an upbeat theme.

Even at this stage of the Conference planning, shows significant signs of growing cooperation between lesbians and gay men. These are evident in the Committee

composition, the growing number of Workshops with male and female coordinators, and Oven Productions' scheduling men and women entertainers.

The Conference will be held April 25-27 on the CWRU campus. While the Committee expressed regret about scheduling it so close to Passover, this was the only available weekend.

Keynote Speakers Harvey Fierstein, originally scheduled as the Friday night keynoter, is unable to come. Negotiations are continuing for a replacement. The other featured speakers Jeff Levi, Director of Governmental and Political

are

page 3, col. 1