gay people's

Volume 5 Issue 4

ONI

CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPT.

Octo Be P11989

Cleveland, Ohio

An Independent Chronicle of the Lesbian & Gay Community

U4ia opening marred by protesters

by Martha Pontoni

U4ia, Cleveland's newest dance club, opened with a bang August 24. More than 1,200 lesbians, gay men and straight people attended the gala.

Rob Farinacci, manager of U4ia, said the opening was a "tremendous success. The enthusiasm and excitement as shown be the community was an incredible reward to all of us who have worked so hard on this project."

U4ia's owners spent $250,000 to renovate the space.

About 20 lesbians and gay men also attended the opening to protest U4ia's policy of admitting only women who are dressed in skirts and dresses. The protesters said the dress policy was just

a way to keep lesbians out of the club. Protester Jeannine Petti said, "They let in men in drag, T-shirts and jeans, and shorts, but they won't let women in [the club] in pants. If they want an all-men's club, just say so, don't discriminate against lesbians."

Farinacci said the dress code was only for the opening weekend and from now on would be "fashionable attire."

"I don't mind them (the protesters) being there, carrying signs or voicing options. I just didn't want traffic disrupted," he said.

Farinacci has great plans for the club. U4ia is the first club in Cleveland to have its own house cast for shows on Wednesday nights. Sunday night is progressive night and Thursday is House Music with Cookie Banks. ▼

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'Callboy' in Frank fracas has history of trouble

by Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Rep. Barney Frank's friendship with a male prostitute two years ago has become the subject of Washington's latest sex scandal, as Republicans call for Frank's resignation and Frank apologizes to the gay community.

"I want to tell the gay community I'm terribly sorry," Frank told the Washington Blade.

Frank said his personal judgment obviously was not as good as his political judgment when he paid for sex with prostitute Stephen L. Gobie in the spring of 1985 and later hired Gobie as a personal driver and household aide.

Frank's relationship with Gobie surfaced in a front page story in the Washington Times. The newspaper, which identified Gobie only by his pseudonym, Greg Davis, quoted him as saying he operated a prostitution service out of Frank's apartment on Capitol Hill from late 1985 to August 1987 during periods when Frank was out of town.

Gobie continued to create a stir by telling reporters he plans to write a book and to appear on television talk shows to discuss his experiences with Frank and other clients.

Although there were no reports that any publisher had contacted Gobie to discuss a potential book contract, Gobie

Director named

The Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center of Cleveland has named David Cordova its executive director.

Cordova, a Clevelander, will begin work Monday, Oct. 2.

Aubrey Wertheim will remain in his current position as director of services.

A statement from the Center's board said, "Mr. Cordova's strong background in fiscal and administrative management in the non-profit social service field will help strengthen the center's continuing program expansion.”

Cordova worked for the Playhouse Square Foundation from 1980-1989, and was helped budget funds for the restoration of Playhouse Square theatres. He currently is volunteering with the allocations division of United Way. ▼

said he intends to publish an expose similar to the one told by the woman best known as the "Mayflower Madam."

Credibility disputed. Police records show Gobie, 32, has a criminal record dating back to 1975. Court records show he has been arrested at least 11 times since 1975 in the District, Fairfax County, and Alexandria, Va., on charges ranging from narcotics possession and sales, burglary, assault, driving with a revoked or suspended license, shoplifting and having sexual relations with and taking obscene photographs of a 15-year-old girl.

The Blade tried repeatedly to reach Gobie by calling a telephone answering machine that takes messages for a "total pleasure" massage ad he placed in the City Paper and by calling an apartment in Alexandria where he was believed to be staying with a friend. Gobie returned the reporter's call twice to the Blade office but at times when the reporter was not there.

Gobie's credibility is expected to be a critical factor should the House Ethics Committee decide to investigate the relationship between Gobie and Frank. Frank is credited with taking pressure off his Democratic colleagues in the House by calling for such an investigation himself, amid criticism by House Republicans that his actions have brought embarrassment to his home district and to Congress.

Frank has rejected calls for his resignation by Republican leaders in his district. Democratic supporters point to the strong support he is receiving by most constituent leaders, who consider him an excellent Congressman.

"I was suckered". Frank, in a press conference in his district the day the Washington Times broke the story, said he did not know Gobie operated a

done it, he never objected. Frank calls this assertion a "total lie."

Reports of Gobie's activities in the Washington area created a further sensation when the Washington Times reported he operated a prostitution service in late 1987 out of Chevy Chase Elementary School. The newspaper said

Gabriel A. Massaro, the school's principal, allowed Gobie to use a guidance counselor's office and telephone to make calls for his prostitution service.

Massaro, who told the Times he had a four-year relationship with Gobie, con-

ceded that he let Gobie use the school office while children were in classes at other locations in the building.

School officials have suspended Massaro pending an investigation into the

matter.

Meanwhile, the Times revealed that Gobie claimed to have helped Alexandria police arrest political consultant John E. Ashford, one of Gobie's regular clients, on a charge of solicitation to take indecent liberties with a young girl.

Continued on Page 4

Bigots drive gay couple from home

More than 50 demonstrators picketed August 22 at the Franklin County Municipal Courthouse in downtown Columbus during a lunchtime demonstration against anti-lesbian and gay violence.

The protest coincided with the arraignment of Frank Elias, a man who has been charged under the city's new ethnic intimidation ordinance for harassing a neighboring gay couple that has been forced to move because of the harassment. The ethnic intimidation ordinance enhances penalties for crimes motivated by ethnicity, race, religion, and sexual orientation. As a city ordinance it is enforceable only at the misdemeanor level

of offenses.

The charge against Elias is the first use of the ethnic intimidation ordinance on behalf of a gay person since its passage eight months ago.

Michael McFadden, executive director of Stonewall Union, a Columbus lesbian-gay organization, said the purpose of the demonstration is to put additional pressure on the city to deal effectively with anti-lesbian and gay violence. "We're glad the city has brought this charge against Elias, but it's far too little, too late The fact remains that for four months a gay couple endured daily antiharassment while law enforcement Continued on Page 4

gay

Pride '89 a financial

titution service from his apartment and success, organizers say

that he fired Gobie as soon as his two landlords informed him for the second time that "people were coming and going" from the apartment while he was out of town.

"He had a great setup," Frank said. "His job was to drive me to the airport, and he had my schedule. I was suckered."

Gobie has insisted in newspaper and television interviews that Frank knew a prostitution ring was operating from his apartment and, while Frank did not con-

The Cleveland Pride Committee is pleased to announce that it came away from Pride '89 with a $975 surplus.

The committee is releasing the financial figures to keep the community informed of where the community's money was spent and to encourage further support.

Committee members said the money left after Pride '89 might be used to attract a national entertainment act for Pride '90.

Co-chair Martha Pontoni said, "We learned many things last year. This year we can work with our mistakes and triumphs of last year and put on an even better festival."

Pontoni said the next meeting is important. "We will be deciding on the theme for the Pride '90 festival, the date, the format and other important details which form the basis for the festival.

"We encourage everyone to attend and give us feedback on what they would like to see in 1990." Continued on Page 4