gay people's

HI R

October, 1990

CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPT. PERIODICAL

N I

Volume 6

Issue 4

NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY...

National Coming Out Day is Thursday October 11, 1990.

Open house and dance at our new offices

by Marne Harris

The publishers and owners of the Gay People's Chronicle, KWIR Publications, and Mj Consulting will host an open house on Saturday, October 13 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at our new offices at 2206 Superior Viaduct.

KWIR Publications, which publishes the Chronicle, moved to the new site in August and are ready to open it to the public to help celebrate the growth of the newspaper.

Publisher Bob Downing comments, “We are really proud of our new offices and want to show them off."

Downing says that the last few months have been been spent cleaning and creating a workable atmosphere. "When we moved in, there was junk everywhere from the previous tenants. Our volunteers have really worked hard cleaning up everything. We've painted and laid carpeting, and we now have a space that anyone would want to work in."

OK. Having 88R

Mj Consulting is the mailing service branch of KWIR Publications and has taken over a large part of the office. Downing expects that business for Mj Consulting will soon overtake the work for the Chronicle. "Which is great," he adds, "because it allows us to hire more people for the Chronicle."

A dance is scheduled at 9:00 p.m. to complete the celebration. Proceeds from the dance will help cover the expenses of the move. "But also to help celebrate" stressed Downing. "We want the whole community to participate in our celebration." (It's rumored that Dora Forbes will make an appearance at the Open House.)

After the celebration, the offices will be available to community groups for meeting space. Call Ray at the Chronicle, 6215280, for details on the open house and dance or meeting space.

Cleveland, Ohio

An Independent Chronicle of the Lesbian & Gay Community

Lima judge dismisses Office bar raid case

Judge William B. Lauber of the Lima Municipal Court has dismissed all charges of "visiting a disorderly house" leveled against 41 patrons of the Office bar in Lima, Ohio. The charges were dismissed because the judge ruled that the ordinance under which the patrons were charged is unconstitutionally vague.

In dismissing the cases, on September 19, Judge Lauber said that ". . . when the ordinance as existing is vague on its face, which this Court feels the 'lewd' portion of [this ordinance] is, the Court must strike it as unconstitutional." Judge Lauber also said that the charges against the patrons violated the due process clauses of both the United States and Ohio constitutions.

On June 10, 1990, police officers entered the Office and arrested all of the patrons, the manager and a bartender, under

a Lima city ordinance prohibiting visiting or operating a "disorderly house". As used in this case, a disorderly house was a place operated for the purpose of "lewdness".

That night the Office had hired a company to provide entertainment including male dancers. According to some of the patrons, they did not even know about the entertainment and had simply gone to the bar for a drink. At the time of the raid the performer on stage was dressed in a tuxedo and had taken off his tie. Two performers has undressed down to "T-bar" briefs be-

fore the raid.

The patrons claim that many of the police officers were verbally and physically abusive. The police wore latex gloves during the raid and one of the officers referred to the bar as "an AIDS place". A non-gay patron of the bar was told by a police officer that she didn't belong in a place like this and that "you should go to church in the morning." One of the patrons told the police she had a broken pelvis but an officer pulled her out of the booth and threw her to

the floor.

All of the patrons were taken to the police station, booked and fingerprinted. Several patrons pled guilty and paid a minimal fine. The remaining patrons decided to fight the city and asked the Ohio ACLU Lesbian-Gay Rights Project to represent them. The penalty for visiting such an establishment carries a fine of $250 and up to 30 days in jail.

The ACLU charged the Lima police with discrimination. "Our society will not stand for the arbitrary violation of individual civil rights," the organization said in a statement. "Every patron at the bar was arrested for merely being there." Information on whether or not further action will be taken by the ACLU was not available at press time.

Linus Herrell, 1952-1990

Linus Herrell, 38, died September 4, 1990, due to complications from acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Born in Akron, he grew up in Barberton, graduating from Barberton High School. Linus is survived by husband Steven Schochet of Cleveland, father and mother Bart and Thelma Herrell of Barberton, and brothers William Kmitts of Washington, D.C., and Phillp Landers of Clinton, Ohio.

As a younger man Linus was active in church and missionary work. In 1984 Linus opened Body Language, a unique, adult store for gays and lesbians. At Linus' request, Steven will continue as the operator of Body Language.

Linus was an active supporter and participant in gay rights causes at the national, state and local levels. These activities included gay rights marches and demonstrations in Washington, D.C., and Columbus; testifying before

an Ohio state inquiry into violence against gays, and supporting and participating in local activities such as GayWaves on radio station WRUWFM and the Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Pride celebrations. Linus also made quite a stir with several appearances on Channel 5's Morning Exchange with Fred Griffith as well as a Kelly & Company broadcast in Detroit.

Linus planned his own cremation and requested that no funeral services be held. A Celebration of his life will be held at Trinity Cathedral at East 22nd and Euclid on Saturday, October 13 at 1:00 p.m.

Contact Body Language, 3291 West 115th Street, Cleveland, 44111 for further information.

Donations may be sent to any AIDS research or service organization.

AIDS Housing Council gets HUD grant

by Brian De Witt

The AIDS Housing Council of Greater Cleveland has been awarded a $172,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to purchase and renovate a building for an assisted living facility for persons with AIDS. The two-

year grant was received September 21.

The building, located in the DetroitLake Ave. neighborhood, is an existing group home, but needs renovation to suit its new purpose. Richard Priebe, the council's housing specialist, stressed that the HUD grant covers purchase and renovation only, and that money is still needed to operate the facility. Executive Director Louise Valentine added that the council will need to raise a matching amount from other sources, including goods and volunteer time.

Kamana Place, as the house will be called, will be a residence for PWAS who, while not needing hospitalization, are unable to

live alone. A volunteer staff will provide assistance with meal preparation, medications, and other day-to-day needs. The council hopes to have the house operational by January, 1991, according to Priebe. Kamana means "caring" in a native South American language.

The AIDS Housing Council, formed in 1987, began providing housing for people with AIDS in 1988. The non-profit organization currently has two paid staff members, Valentine and Priebe, and is preparing to move into offices in the St. John Medical Bldg. at West 79th and Detroit Ave.

Editorials. Letters.

CONTENTS

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Pride '90 $1,000 short We are Family. . . . . Help defeat Helms. Shilts seeks soldiers. Coming Out....

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Charlies Calendar. Resource Page.