HIGH GEAR

Rikki's: Another New Bar Toasts Cleveland

Ray Unger

July, 1975

On June 26th, Cleveland was treated to the grand opening of Rikki's, formerly Joanne's, on Payne Avenue. Under both new management and ownership, Rikki's is a small, intimate club with a clean, well-lit interior. It is open from 7:00 P.M. to 2:30 A.M. seven days a week except on Sundays when the bar begins its festivities at 1:00 P.M. On Sundays from 1:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. all beers are 25g, mixed drinks 694, and exotic drinks 99%. There is a dance floor, a 90 foot long bar, a jukebox encased in a floor stereo, and possibly in the near future a disc jockey on weekends. Rikki's sports a bartender's appreciation night every evening. are half price for all bartenders from brother bars in Cleveland. So if you're 21 or over and either a man or woman, stop in and give Rikki's a gander.

Drinks

Club Baths' Tenth Anniversary Ray Unger

At the Bayou Landing, Wednesday, July 9th, the Tenth aniversary of the Club Baths Chain was celebrated. Ten years ago last month, Jack Campbell opened the first Club Baths, at 1448 West 32nd St. From there he branch out, and has built the Club Baths Chain into probably the best known, richest gay business in the country.

The celebration included a show by the fantastic Tiffany

MCC Annual Conference

The Sixth Annual General Conference of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches will be held this month in Dallas, Texas. Starting on July 27th, and continuing until August 3rd, the General Conference will draw representatives from almost 90 congregations around the world, and will be representative of approximately 20,000 members. Ohio has three Mtropolitan Community Church groups, in Cincinatti, Akron, and Cleveland. The Cleveland Study Group will be sending their worship coordinator, Art MacDonald, and the Akron Mission will be sending their worship coordinator, and a lay delegate. Stan Roberts, the worship Coordinator, is being recommended for licensing in the U.F.M.C.C., and if licensed, will become the Rev. Stan Roberts. Akron hopes to apply for chartering as a church in the U.F.M.G.C. at the next District Conference, with Cleveland applying for Mission status.

Civil Service Says Yes

Staff

The Federal Civil Service Commission has issued a statement that homosexuality will no longer be a determining factor in the hiring or firing of Civil Service Employees. There were several qualifying statements issued as well, but these were unavailable at our press time.

MCC Harassed

Staff

Fellowship Metropolitan Community Church recently faced a week of harrassing and threatening telephone calls. On June 15th, a female member of the church went into the parkin lot in back of the church building that the MCC meets in on the near west side. As she left the parking lot to return to the building, two young men attacked her, sexually exposing themselves, and rubbing dirt into her face and arms. They threatened her, and instructed her to return to the building, and show "the rest of those fucking queers what will happen to them unless they stop meeting here". The police were immediately called, and a full report was filed with the second precinct. Following the service, the woman who had been assaulted recieved several telephone calls of an obscene and threatening nature. While informing the church office of the telephone calls, she also contacted the Ohio Bell business office, and filed a complaint. Later in the week, several othe other members of the congregation recieved similar calls, threatening them with death or harm, if they returned to "that queer church".

Despite the telephone harrassment that included two bomb threats, the church office maintained its full functions during the week, and attendance was high at the Gay Pride service in the Park. Support was offered by several of the gay businesses and organizations in Cleveland, and Mr. MacDonald, the worship coordinator, delivered a strong sermon the next sunday to the effect that "MCC is not dead!"

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HIGH GEAR

July

VOLUME I

Convicted Rapists Sentenced

1975

Issue 11

Ethan Erikson

The five men convicted last month of raping an inmate of the Cuyahoga County jail, were sentenced this nast week. The leader of the group was convicted on three counts of rape, and was sentenced to three consecutive terms of from four to twent five years, in addition to the sentence he was serving at the time of the rape. Two of the five were convicted on two counts of rape apiece, and sentenced to from four to twenty-five year. for each count. The remaining two men were convicted of one count each, and were sentenced to from four to twenty-five years apiece.

High Gear PGN Merger?

Staff

The GEAR Foundation, Inc., has made tentative contact with the Pittsburgh Gay News, Inc., to consider syndication of the HIGH GEAR newspaper. Interested in providing Cleveland with a professional publication, but unable to provide the necessary facilities to their newspaper staff, the Foundation considers the potential syndication as a positive move, if the terms of the contract can be worked out. At this point, the Board of Directors of the Foundation have returned the contract offered by PGN Inc., until an agreement concerning the name of the publication can be reached.

"It is important that the Clevland community be able to feel a sense of continuity with the HIGH GEAR publication. Too many times, the gay community has seen attempts made for local communications, and too many times, those attempts have failed," said Art MacDonald, the acting secretary for the Gear Foundation. "We would like to have a quality newspaper, but not at the xpense of the pride of making this something from the local community, and for the local community. We really need to be concerned about the reaction of the local community. Since money is not the object of this publication, then we are not concerned about selling ourselves. Therefore, --we have a great deal more latitude in considering the PGN syndication."

Since the contract was returned, the earliest the HIGH GEAR could syndicate would be for the September, 1975 issue.

CONTENTS✶✶✶*

CALENDAR.... CLASSIFIEDS.... CONSTANCE COMMENTS. EDITORIAL PACE. ENTERTAINMENT..

FORUM.

GAY HOROSCOPE.. GAY PRIDE. LETTERS.... LOCAL NEWS.. XAP..... POETRY... PROFILE......

QUEEN ANNE'S LACE. FEATURES:

An Interview With Cleveland's Bar Managers.. Are Homosexuals Superior To Non-Gays?....... The sayou Landing: A Shot

In The Arm For Cleveland.. Butca Is Beautiful (Too).. Loners Anonymous... FICTION:

Lamoda: A News Report From The Future....