Pride Guide 2006 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE
B-7
Film tells story of Tina's seduction and destruction
by Don Hill
Cleveland-Do you know Tina?
Not the singer with the legs for days who was married to Ike, but Tina, the club drug clinically known as crystal methamphetamine or meth. It is the second most popular illegal drug in the U.S. Last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20% of all gay men used Tina.
Meth, a powerful new film directed by Todd Ahlberg, chronicles about a dozen gay men around the country who have all struggled with an addiction to the drug. One of these is a young man who is under the influence of the drug on camera, showing the symptoms and characteristics of a user.
"I'm speaking, albeit dramatically, of the rising rates of crystal meth use within our community," says Ahlberg. "The fact is that
Meth
meth is destroying our community, one man at a time. For all her seduction and promise, 'Miss Tina' has the ability to undermine our strength, dissolve our relationships, and erase our will."
The AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland is sponsoring a free screening of Meth at Twist nightclub on Thursday, June 15, at 5:30 pm.
Ahlberg, of San Francisco, will be present
at the Cleveland screening for a question and answer session, immediately following the film.
Twist is located at 11633 Clifton Blvd. in Cleveland. For more information, contact the ManHealth program of the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland at 216-621-0766 ext. 229, or e-mail dhill@atfgc.org.
Don Hill is the Man Health coordinator for the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland.
An awesome sight: a giant rainbow flag on the church
by Jaime Bishop
Shaker Heights, Ohio-It's a typical Sunday morning and my family and I are driving to church. As I driye down
Shaker Blvd. in Shaker Heights approaching the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland, I am awestruck.
Hanging from the front portico, blowing gently in the wind, is a
larger-than-life rainbow
banner with the Unitarian
Universalists' flaming chalice logo
emblazoned on it. There are no words. Words are not needed. The banner represents the church's philosophy of "all are welcome here."
On July 27, 1993, the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland was designated a "Welcoming Congregation" by the Unitarian Universalists Association in Boston, and reinstated in June
2005. Unitarian Universalist congregations warmly and openly encourage the full participation of LGBT people in the life of the congregation.
Unitarian Universalists believe in "the inherent worth and dignity of all people" and the flaming chalice is the symbol that we must be the light we wish to see in the world. I invite you to experience the warmth and welcoming of this congregation. We'll be marching again this year at Pride. You'll notice us wearing violet T-shirts that read, "Unitarian Universalists for You." See you there!
CLEVELAND PRIDE
WEEKEND
GIRLSNIGHT
Jaime Bishop is a member of the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland, 21600 Shaker Blvd., Shaker Heights. The church's phone number is 216-751-2320 and it is online at www.firstunitariancleveland.org.
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Lesbians and their Mothers needed for Photo Project
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