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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE APRIL 21, 1995
In Memoriam Of Our Founder, Cecil Ray deLoach (1952-1991)
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COMMUNITY GROUPS
'The Good Old Days'— or were they?
by Melvin Foote Board Trustee
In commencement of the Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Center's twentieth anniversary, I would like to say that I was part of nineteen years of it. And oh, what a nineteen years it has been.
I, like others, can remember the old bar scenes and the partying in the dark alleys of Cleveland before anyone in the straight community really realized that there was a gay scene in the city. I do recall getting together with my friends, a.k.a. "girl friends," or "M.T."-Miss Thing or Miss Thang, and getting ourselves all done up for a night on the disco floor. We arrived at the clubs to see people standing in
lines as if we were trying to get into Studio 54 in New York. Seeing all the cars and hearing the loud bass of the music, you automatically thought it was going to be a wonderful night. As we waited in line to drop
a few bucks to get into
the clubs, we would
do what gay people
don't get our house in order, how can we expect to have our rights respected? 20th Anniversary Celebration
May 8 marks the Center's 20th anniversary. A celebration will be held at the Western Reserve Historical Society, which is the home of the Northeast Ohio Lesbian and Gay Archives. Speakers will share their involvement with the Lesbian and Gay Archives. Celebrants will be able to view several special displays from the current Lesbian and Gay Archives collection.
LESBIAN GAY
Incorporated in 1975, the Center began as a research and educational foundation. Through the vision and courage of its three incorporators, Michael Madigan, E.A. Erickson, and Arthur MacDonald; and the work of hundreds of volunteers since that time, the Center is now a well respected member of the non-profit service sector in Northeast Ohio.
Community Service Center
do-we would "read" and make fun of the other people in line. And you know, they did the same about us.
Finally, our turn would come to get into the club. And by the look on the face of the door person, well, you have an idea what happened next. First, it was "Do you have a membership?" and if you by chance said yes, then the next question was "Do you have three pieces of I.D.?" which was two more than the normal request. Okay, let's say you had all the necessary I.D. The next response would be "Sorry, this is a private party." All the while you are looking for all the stuff that was asked of you, everyone else is walking past and gaining entry without any questions.
By now, you should have an idea that I am an African-American and what I'm talking about is discrimination. My point is that after 19 years in the community, I still see plenty of discrimination our bars and think how nice it would be if over the next twenty years, our community would be more accepting of everyone. In closing, I would also like to say to the lesbian and gay community that if we
OF GREATER CLEVELAND
Located at 1418 West 29th Street in
Cleveland, the Center is home to over 50 diverse programs and services, from square dancing to recovery networks, from bowling teams to HIV support groups. Through the telephone hotline, resource center, and program speakers bureaus, the Center provides information and outreach services to the entire community.
The Northeast Ohio Lesbian and Gay Archives was established in 1991 and is a collaborative project of the Center and the Historical Society, dedicated to preserving the lives, culture and community of the thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons in Northeast Ohio.
The May 8 celebration begins at 6:30p.m. with a wine reception. A keynote address by John Grabowski and Kermit Pike is at 7:30 p.m., and patron dinner is at 8:30 p.m.
Reception, program, and patron dinner is $55.00 per person. Reception and program is $10.00 per person ($15.00 at the door). For more information or reservations, call 216522-1999. Reservation must be made by April 30.
HOUSE
HI-NRG
EURO
TECHN TRA
Asians and Friends now meeting in Cleveland
Asians and Friends Cleveland is a social support group for gay Asian man and women in the Northeastern Ohio area, and for nonAsian man and women interested in becom-
WE'RE BACK ing better acquainted with their Asian coun-
WITH A
VENGENCE!
terparts. Its main objective is to establish a cross-cultural interaction between Asians and other nationalities.
Started in January on the grass roots level with some 12 members, the group has already grown to include about 20 members representing several nationalities. "Similar groups exist in many other ma-
AND. THIS TIME jor cities throughout the country" said
WE MEAN BUSINESS!
11508 Clifton Blvd.. Cleveland, OH 44102 (216) 231.6611
founder Dr. Rollie Santos of the Philippines. "But Cleveland didn't have one. Certainly with the local Asian population I knew that the demand existed. We in the group want to offer people this positive and solid basis of support locally so that they will not have to commute to Pittsburgh or Columbus to find it. There is national umbrella organization which offers networking, and other benefits
for chartered groups, and we're in the process of gaining our charter now."
All interested men and women are encouraged to attend the meetings which are held on the fourth Sunday of each month. "We welcome your ideas, your inputs, and contributions" said Santos. Various members in the group speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay, Japanese, Tagalog and Urdu. "People requiring language assistance to find out more about the organization should let us know. Though your initial contact will have to be either in English or Tagalog, we can arrange to have one of the members call you back and speak with you in one of the other languages if necessary."
Asians and Friends Cleveland is growing, and has plans for activities during the coming months. The next meeting will be held Sunday, April 30, at 6:30 pm, and is potluck so please bring food and drinks to share. For more information call Santos at 216-460-0563.