Page 6 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE September, 1989
Pastor Williams joins MCC
by Faith Klasek
After almost a year without a pastor, the Emmanuel Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) has signed a covenant with Kathi Jo Williams-Smith. MCC will be celebrating with an installation weekend which begins on September 23.
MCC began in Cleveland as Emmanuel Christian Church. A little over two years ago, the church became Emmanuel Metropolitan Community Church when it joined the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. This fellowship was started in 1968 by Troy Perry. Perry, who was excommunicated from his church because
Nominations for Callender award being accepted
The Charlie Callender Award is an annual award given to a volunteer of The Lesbian/Gay Community Service Center, or a group of volunteers working in cooperation with the Center.
This person or persons will have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the gay community in general, and the LGCSC in particular, and through their accomplishments will have effectively benefited the Greater Cleveland lesbian and gay community.
The award is named for Charlie Callender, founder of the GPC, friend and longtime member of GEAR and an outstanding model of a volunteer.
Criteria for award:
Must be a volunteer associated with the Center.
•Must have been active during the year of the award.
Must have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the lesbian and gay community.
The recipient of The Charlie Callender Award is named by the Center's board of trustees. In addition to receiving the award, the recipient will have his
he was gay, felt compelled to start a church where all people, including Gays and Lesbians could feel welcome.
Perry's first service was held in his home in Los Angeles and drew a crowd of 12 people. Today there are 286 churches in nine countries with a total membership of 35,000 people. Cleveland's congregation, which meets at the Lesbian/Gay Community Service Center every Sunday at 10:45 am, has an average attendance of 30-35 people. MCC hopes to see an increase in attendance due to the installation of the new pastor. During the last year, the church's board of directors has served as worship coor-
dinator, often relying on guest speakers.
Kathi Jo Williams-Smith has been serving Cleveland's congregation since August 1. She has been involved in the Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches for six years, part of which she has spent on staff at MCC Springfield Family in Springfield Missouri. She became a licensed Clergy person this July.
Williams-Smith moved from her home in Clinton Iowa in order to serve MCC. Her family which includes her life partner "Smitty" Williams-Smith, daughter Angela Williams, and dog Sappho have joined her.
The American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU Gay Rights Project seeks to protect and defend the rights of
lesbians and gay men.
In May, the project conducted a survey to determine the needs of the Cleveland gay and lesbian community and to establish priorities. Based on the results of the survey, the project formed three committees: the legislative committee, the anti-gay violence committee and the legal resources committee.
The legislative committee's goal is to see lobby for local and state legislation aimed at protecting gay men and lesbians against discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The committee is in the informationgathering stage. It is examining statutes, ordinances and executive orders enacted in other states and municipalities to find models. It is also exploring governments in the Cleveland area to determine which would be the best targets for such legislation.
The legislative committee also is in-
vestigating the feasibility of enacting legislation that would recognize domestic partnership rights and benefits.
The anti-gay violence committee has drafted a survey to send to all greater Cleveland police departments. The survey seeks information on reports of antigay violence in their area and on policies and procedures for handling such incidents. It also asks if the communities have a liaison to the gay community and offers police and personnel training on dealing with this problem.
The committee also is encouraging victims of anti-gay violence to contact the ACLU or the Lesbian and Gay Community Center. Not only will this allow the project to better assess the severity of the problem in the area, but more important, the project may be able to offer the victim legal assistance. In addition, the committee asks that any incidents of police brutality be reported.
The legal resources committee is attempting to find "gay-friendly” attorneys
Installation weekend activities are open to all, and include the following: September 23 Banquet. "An evening of fine food and entertainment." Tickets must be purchased by September 18.
September 24-Installation Service 10:45 am. The Center. Speakers include Rev. LaPaula Turner, Rev. Lin Stoner, and Rev. Bruce Brown September 24 Installation Service 7:00 pm at Geppeto's on Warren Road.▼
For more information call 651-0129.
in the area. It has sent a letter to members of the ACLU's legal committee seeking attorneys who are willing to provide legal assistance in cases brought by the ACLU and/or have their names included on an attorney-referral list to be supplied to the gay hot line and the Free Clinic.
The committee also is preparing a pamphlet explaining some of the major legal issues of concern to the gay community, such as employment and housing discrimination, hospital visitation rights, domestic partnership rights and insurance benefits.
The ACLU Gay Rights Project meets every third Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Lesbian and Gay Community Center. The next meeting will be Sept. 18. Anyone interested in becoming involved with the project is invited to attend.
For more information, call Loretta at 781-6276.▼
or her name placed on a plaque at the New House leadership backs gay rights
Center.
This year's award, for 1988, will be presented at the October membership meeting. The board is opening nominations to the public through the GPC. Please submit your nomination in writing, including a short statement explaining your choice, and your name and phone number. Send nominations to the Center, Attn: Callender Committee, Box 6177 Cleveland, Ohio 44101.
Last year's recipients were Bob Reynolds, past president of GEAR, and The March on Washington Cleveland Committee.▼
AN UNUSUAL SEARCH FOR ROMANTIC LOVE
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WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY
MONIKA TREUT
Back by Popular Demand! One Show Only! Sat., 9/16 at 9:30 pm
The Cleveland Cinematheque at the Cleveland Institute of Art * East Blvd. at Bellflower in University Circle Free, secure parking * Admission $4 * 229-0982
Recent elections of strongly pro-gay people to leadership positions in the U.S. House are being hailed by the Human Rights Campaign Fund as important gains for the lesbian and gay community and the fight against AIDS.
HRCF political strategists praised the election of Rep. Vic Fazio to vice-chair of the Democratic Party Caucus, and the election Rep. Steny Hoyer as Caucus chair. Both are long-time supporters of gay-related legislation.
"The appointments of Fazio and Hoyer, along with earlier elections of Congressmen Richard Gephardt, Tom Foley and Bill Gray, will give the gay and lesbian movement a considerably favorable position in the 101st and future congresses," said Tim McFeeley, HRCF executive director.
are:
New House leaders and their records
Steny Hoyer, co-sponsor of the Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights Bill, serves on the Appropriations Committee and on the subcommittees for Health and Human Services and the District of Columbia. He has been instrumental in increasing federal funding for AIDS programs and in ending government censorship of AIDS education. Hoyer fought the Armstrong amendment, authored by anti-gay Sen. William Armstrong (R-Colo.), that attempted to change the D.C. Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights law.
Perhaps Hoyer's most important role, however, was in the 100th Congress as chair of the Whip's Task Force on AIDS. The task force created the floor strategy that passed the Federal AIDS Policy Act of 1988, easily defeating every hostile amendment in the process.
Last week Hoyer became the new prime sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, succeeding former Rep.
Tony Coelho. The act would ban discrimination against people with disabilities, including AIDS and HIV, in the workplace and in other public and private sectors. Hoyer received more than $5,300 from HRCF's political action committee during the last election cycle.
"The appointments of Fazio and Hoyer, along with earlier elections of ConRichard
gressmen Gephardt, Tom Foley and Bill Gray, will give the gay and lesbian movement a considerably favorable position in the 101st and future congresses," said Tim McFeeley, HRCF executive director.
Vic Fazio, (D-Calif.), another cosponsor of the Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights Bill, also serves on the Appropriations Committee, where he has advocated increased AIDS funding over the years. He was one of the first members of Congress to call attention to the need for greater federal response to the AIDS crisis. Fazio received $3,500 in HRCF PAC contributions in the past election cycle.
Dick Gephardt (D-MO), majority leader, took progressive positions on AIDS issues as a presidential candidate
in 1988 and has a pro-gay voting record. HRCF credits him with working behind the scenes to help build strong House support for the historic Federal AIDS Policy Act of 1988, later passed as the Health Programs Extension Act. Gephardt received $3,000 from HRCF in the last election cycle.
Bill Gray (D-Pa.), majority whip, has co-sponsored the Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Bill many times in the past. As chairman of the House Budget Committee in the mid-1980s, Gray consistently supported large increases in AIDS funding over Reagan administration requests. He received $3,000 from HRCF in the last election cycle.
Tom Foley (D-Wash.), speaker of the House, has voted the "pro-gay" position every time but once in the last two years. His key pro-gay votes include the Hate Crimes Statistics Act of 1988, the
Federal AIDS Policy Act of 1988 and last year's Fair Housing Act, which banned discrimination against people with AIDS and HIV in housing and apartment rentals.
"Steny Hoyer and Vic Fazio are among our very best friends in the U.S. Congress," said Stephen Smith, HRCF lobbyist. "With them and the other House leadership in place, our community is assured of a strong voice in key deliberations, which determine the agenda of the House and strongly influence the votes of many members."
"HRCF already has working relationships with the new House leadership," said HRCF political director Eric Rosenthal. "We will begin immediately to make up ground lost with the resignation of former Whip Tony Coelho of California the first House leader to recognize the gay and lesbian community as part of the mainstream national political process."