GAY SWITCHBOARD REPLACES HOTLINE

CLEVELAND -During the past month training for volunteers to answer the Gay Switchboard and Hotline was held. The result is that about a dozen qualified phone workers will be answering the phone from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sundays thru Thursdays and 8 pm to 4 am on Fridays and Saturdays. The Switchboard is currently coordinated by David Holleb and assisted by David Donovan, In the past the phone was attempted to be answered all the time by a limited staff, and resulted in people calling and frequently getting no answer. Now it will always be answered during the above hours, and a tape recorded message with information will hopefully be heard during the daytime, starting soon.

In order for the Switchboard to operate most effectively, and during longer hours MORE VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED. New training sessions will be held soon and anyone interested should immediately contact the Switchboard number, at 6965330 for information. Remember

that this is a gay people's service, and not just a gay men's switchboard .. Women volunteers are needed!

The main purpose of the switchboard is to help people that have an emergency or crisis situation, or some personal problem that they wish to talk over. Additional services include providing information on 'social, political, and educational activities in the gay community; referrals to medical, social service, and gay counseling alternatives and any other gay related function.

which

The Gay Switchboard is a first step, funded now by the GEAR Foundation, toward establishing a Community Services Center, will hopefully accommodate all gay groups in Cleveland, and include counseling (for all sexual minorities), medical, educational and job placement services; an artists guild, a library, rap groups, a social meeting room, and a coffee house. If you have any suggestions and want to help, please call the Switchboard.

Rap Group Expands to Sundays

CLEVELAND -Due to a large attendance and positive response in recent weeks at the Friday Gay Rap group, another group will begin meeting on Sundays from 7-9 p.m. at the Free Clinic, effective this Sunday. There have been about 25 people coming to the Friday group, which will remain from 210:30 p.m. The organizers have been pleased with the large turn out and asked David Roth, director of the Free Clinic, for additional time on Sunday evenings. The Free Clinic is located at 12201 Euclid Ave., across the street from the Euclid 120th Rapid transit stop.

Because of the different needs of gays in the community, the Friday Rap group's theme will be personal growth and interpersonal communication.

Issues of coming out, relationships, sexuality, and personal problems, etc. will be discussed. This group will be led by a gay counselor from the Clinic. Sunday's group will be general discussion on any area, including politics, the arts, news and media, etc. and will be unstructured in order to provide a positive atmosphere for gays to get together to talk and meet informally.

Hopefully this differentiation will meet the needs of most people. Anyone with questions, alternatives, suggestions, and feedback about the groups are asked to call the Gay Switchboard during

the

evenings at 696-5330, and of course tell us at either or both of the meetings! See you there

soon.

VATICAN MODIFIES GAY STAND

VATICAN CITY On January 15 the Vatican reasserted the Roman Catholic Church's condemnation of sex outside of marriage but said "incurable homosexuals should be treated with understanding and judged with prudence." The Church document on sex aiso describes masturbation as a seriously disordered act.

On homosexuality, the declaration was more explicit and understanding than any previous public Vatican document. Without discrediting what the Church considers the gravity of all homosexuals acts, it presented a distinction between homosexuals "whose tendency comes from a false education, from a lack of normal sexual development, from habit, from bad example or from other similar causes" and a second

group "who are definitely such because of some kind of innate instinct or a pathological constitution judged to be incurable."

This latter group, the Vatican said, must be "treated with understanding and sustained in the hope of overcoming their personal difficulties and their inability to fit into society."

It added that Scripture does "not permit us to conclude that all those who suffer from this anomaly are personally responsible for it, but it does attest to the fact that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and can in no case be approved of." In the past, the American Catholic Encyclopedia says gays were often depicted by the Church as "moral monsters for whom God had selected special punishment."

David Holleb, Gear Gay Community

Center Coordinator

THE GAY

SWITCH BOARD

WORKS WHEN

YOU DO

696-5330

GEAR Foundation

Moves on Community Center

ted that with the February issue, the journal will be able to channel profits to the gay community center. High Gear is presently paying the bill for the gay hotline and rental fee for office space to the MCC.

CLEVELAND At its January meeting the GEAR Foundation board of trustees accepted the resignations of incorporating trustees Ethan Eriksen and Michael Madigan and appointed four new members. At present the board is comprised of John Nosek, chairman and co-editor of High Gear, Leon Stevens, coeditor of High Gear, David Holleb, newly appointed GEAR Community Services Director, John Vogel, co-ordinator of Radio Lambda, David Donovan, local activist, David Goodenough, local editor of Ohio East Gay News, Art MacDonald, sec-of retary of GEAR (MacDonald's resignation is expected shortly due to his forthcoming move to Chicago), and Peter Zelmer, treasurer.

The High Gear editors repor-

Future objectives and plans were discussed at the meeting: To facilitate their realization, a committee was enacted to investigate and outline grant proposal potential at both state and federal levels; fund-raising benefits at local bars; and at, tainment of separate rented facilities solely for the operation

a community center.

A by-laws committee was also appointed to review the Foundation's Articles of Incorporation. it is hoped that Northeastern Ohio will have an operating community center by June.

Gear Members Folding Bee

MACDONALD RESIGNS MCC-RICHMOND IN

CLEVELAND Art MacDonald, Worship Coordinator of Cleveland's Metropolitan Community Church, has submitted his resignation to the governing body, effective February 1, 1976. Dan Richmond, minister from Philadelphia MCC has been named as the new pastor.

MacDonald gave plans for continuing his education in the professional ministry as reason for the withdrawal. In addition. he stated; "The church needs a better qualified minister. Our organization has grown; programs must now expand, and policies have to change. A professional minister is needed to make the group a chartered church in the fellowship... I just don't have the experience yet to pastor."

MacDonald intends a move to

Chicago in March to enroll at the group of seminaries known as The Cluster. He has also been informed by the Reverend Ken Martin of Chicago MCC that "There is space to function in the handicapped ministry there."

Asked what personal objectives he had attained while in Cleveland, MacDonald said, "The church. There was a great need for an MCC in the community and someone had to start the ball rolling. Back in early 1974 we couldn't get recognition by the Fellowship as a study group so we formed our own independent organization that lasted a year. On February 17, 1975 we were finally recognized as a legitimate study group anc are now ready for full chartered status."

MacDonald continued, "I'm also fulfilled in having been able to find people outside the church who are now doing what needs to be done for the Cleveland gay community. I wish them the best."

"I think Dan Richmond is a highly qualified minister and will cooperate with other segments of the gay community "

Dan Richmond, 36, comes to Cleveland with an extensive background in the ministry A former exhortor at Philadelphia MCC, Richmond was also a member of Governor Shapp's task force on prison reform and

Director of Prison Ministries for the state of Pennsylvania.

Trained at the Assembly of; God School in Butler, Pa., Richmond's record shows participation in the Youth Outreach program of Pittsburgh's juvenile courts. He is licensed and or: dained by the Calvery Christian Church in Columbus.

Richmond had originally planned on leaving Philadelphia for a ministerial position in California; however he visited the Great Lakes area on an invitation by MCC District Coordinator Beau McDaniels and I decided to make his move to Cleveland. Asked why. Richmond responded; "Because of ny experiences in Philadelphia, I feel I can provide a more needed service to this area."

Richmond's major goal is to "unify Cleveland MCC which in turn will help to unify the local gay community. We want to see lives changed to where people can be free human beings." Richmond also said his church I will answer its social and political obligations as well as its spiritual.

MCC's worship services are now held every Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at 6415 W. Clinton St. (1/2 block south of Detroit and W. 65th St.) Services on Cleveland's east side are being temporarily suspended. For further information call 696-3649.