gay people's

H R C N I

NOVEMBER 1988

111905

VOL24 ISSUE 5

PUBLIC SORRY ISSUE 5

NAV 1-1988

LE

CLEVELAND, OHIO

A Chronicle of the Lesbian & Gay Community

Center celebrates by coming out

by K.D.Mahnal

The Lesbian/Gay Community Service Center of Greater Cleveland presented its Grand Opening on Oct. 11, in conjunction with National Coming Out Day (NCOD).

The Center, located at 1418 W. 29th St., very positively and proudly stepped out of its "local closet" with its 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony and press conference. Local media support turned out in large numbers, with three television stations, several radio stations and local paper in attendance.

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Director Aubrey Wertheim was extremely satisfied with the media coverage for the event.

"The whole point was to crossover into mainstream publicity to give The Center a face (facility) so the community can find us," he said.

Wertheim was not the only person pleased with the press conference. The general consensus of the lesbian/gay community in attendance was summed up by member Bob Boone. "I was very impressed with the news conference, with (Channels) 3, 5, and 43 being here. I think it's a very positive step for the community," Boone said.

The Center also held its Annual Board of Trustees Meeting to elect new Board members and kick-off the fall membership campaign. Reelected to the Board were Judy

Rainbrook and Dale Mach. There were two newly elected Board members. Mach kicked off the membership campaign by stressing the importance of community commitment The Center is hoping to achieve with its membership drive.

We want to be a "positive place in the community to build bridges between the lesbian and gay community," Mach said.

The Center is seeking commitment both on a physical and financial level.

"Community support, not dependent on straight resources for our funding" is the greatest need of The Center, according to Rainbrook.

Most of The Center's funding is provided by non-gay organizations that may eventually attempt influence Center decisions, policies or programs.

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The Center is a multi-faceted agency that offers a variety of support and counseling services, sponsors rap groups, the women's coffeehouse and a speakers bureau. The Center also operates a Hotline to provide information and referrals on a daily basis. For more information about The Center, contact the Hotline at 781-6737 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. Information on membership or becoming a volunteer may be obtained by contacting The Center at 522-1999. ▼

The NAMES Quilt will be displayed in six foreign countries

Project goes global

The NAMES Project and the World Health Organization have announced that they are co-sponsoring WORLD AIDS DAY Dec 1.

Portions of the Quilt will be displayed in six foreign countries and 25 U.S. cities, including Cleveland, as part of a worldwide attempt to focus attention to the global epidemic.

Dale Melsness, local NAMES chairman, said eight sections of the quilt and Cleveland signature panels will be available for a display here.

Tentative plans are for the quilt panels to be here Dec. 1-3 in a display that will move to three locations. Site being considered include the Arcade, the BP America lobby, the Ohio Bell lobby, Terminal Tower, CSU student center, a church and shopping mall.

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The intent is to bring the NAMES Project to the people of Cleveland so they, too, can "see the Quilt and understand."

Melsness said panel-making should continue, but panels should not be sent to San Francisco. They should be kept in Cleveland for this December display.

"We are hoping to look back a few years to some of our early deaths in our community," he said, "and encourage friends to now make panels for those not having panels in the quilt yet."

Completed panels should be turned in to the local chapter before Dec. 1 to be incorporated into the display.

For information concerning panelmaking or volunteering, contact the local NAMES chapter at 281-1610. ▼

"The whole point was to crossover into mainstream publicity to give the Center

a face so the community can find us." said Director Aubrey Wertheim (left) as Buck Harris looks on.

Society crowd supports WRAF

by Martha Pontoni

The Western Reserve AIDS Foundation's (WRAF) second fundraiser, "Star Night, Star Bright, A Show of Humanity" on Oct. 8, raised more than $200,000.

The gala was held in the newly renovated Grand Ball Room of Stouffer's Tower City Plaza Hotel. More than 850 people paid $200 to $1,000 to attend the event, which included a concert with Ray Charles, dancing to Peter Duchin and his orchestra and dinner.

Among the many present was U.S. Rep. Ed Feighan, the only politician to attend. Most in the crowd were society folks, a few closeted lesbians and gay men and members of the WRAF board. The out-of-thecloset lesbian/gay community had a poor showing due to ticket prices and the fact that the NAMES Project Quilt was being displayed in Washington, D.C. that weekend.

While the focus of the evening was to raise money to combat the spread of AIDS, the WRAF had to stress the rise of the incidence of AIDS

in the heterosexual population to put on a fund-raiser of this magnitude.

The invitation to the benefit read: "Today, a new case of AIDS is recorded every 13 minutes. AIDS is the leading killer of single women between the ages of 20 and 40. And among all segments of our population affected by this disease, the heterosexual population is experiencing the most rapid increase in the number of reported cases. WRAF is working to fight these figures ...."

Dianne Scaravilli, chairwoman of the event, was einphatic in explaining that this was an inclusionary, rather than exclusionary, act.

"We are not excluding the gay population but rather informing people that others besides gay men are at risk for the disease," she said.

The high point of the evening was when WRAF board members Peter Beebe and Eric Nilson took to the dance floor to jitterbug. For many in attendance, it probably was the first time they had ever seen two men dance together, and it was obvious that more than a few were shocked. But after a while, other gay men joined the pair,

Sonia Johnson to speak

by Mary Briggs & Sally Tatnall

Sonia Johnson doesn't just talk about change, she acts on it. She doesn't just write about her ideas, she commits to them.

Johnson, a passionate feminist who lives her day to day life from that perspective, will speak at the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland, 21600 Shaker Blvd, Shaker Heights, Friday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. in a benefit for HeadStrong ProDyketions.

Johnson is best known for her excommunication form the Mormon

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Church and her radical politics, including her presidential campaign in 1984. The spirit, drive and commitment that knew the Mormon Church was wrong in its attitudes, is the same spirit, drive and commitment that knows the personal is political and that women change the world.

Johnson's message is about radical change. She believes to have the kind of radical change needed to make a difference in the world one must stop doing all things associated with political change, stop the demonstrating, the resisting, and the changing of laws. She

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