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NEW YORK TIMES

AFTER DARK

MCL

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY

CHURCH

P.O. BOX 563 AKRON, OHIO 44309

836-3930

"A Christian Church with a Special Outreach to the Gay Community"

Services: 7:30 PM Sunday at

3300 Morewood Road (across from Summit Mall)

Rev. Karen J. Wheeler

Rev. A. S. Umbertino

Co-Pastors

PLAYGUY MANDATE

ADVOCATE

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BLUEBOY

CHRISTOPHER STREET

HIGH GEAR/JUNE 1978

COLUMBUS NEWS

Gay Alliance, Central Ohio Gay Coalition, and Metropolitan Community Church/Columbus co-sponsored a booth at the Spring Community Festival, May 19-21, in Columbus. Since the Festival is not a Gay Festival, the choice of "Coming Out for Spring" for the theme of this year's event shows the strong support in the community for the gay populace.

The theme of this year's booth was "Someone in Your Life is Gay." Buttons with this message were sold, along with others, including one which said, "No one is free when others are oppressed."

Many members and friends of the gay community stopped by to visit and talk, and the others who came were mostly strongly supportive. All were very concerned about the recent setbacks we have suffered in

Gay Community Booth at Spring Community Festival, May 19-21

referendums and votes.

The booth was successful as a consciousness-raising effort

CENTRAL OHIO GAY COALITION

Central Ohio Gay Coalition will be changing its priorities following a recent goal-setting meeting held last month. Due to the recent setbacks in St. Paul, Wichita, and Eugene, COGC will not be working toward passage of an employment protection ordinance for Columbus. Educational programs will now be the top priority for COGC. Columbus city charter does not allow a public referendum SHORTS

Gay Alliance will be sponsoring a state-wide "Gay Day" at Cedar Point on June 24. Organizations throughout Ohio will be contacted so we can all be there the same day. We will be making meeting between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m. at the main gate. If your group has not been contacted, call Ken Phillips at 614-299-0015.

Dignity/Columbus will be sponsoring an overnight trip to

on an already-passed ordinance except for a 30-day period immediately following passage. For this reason, the housing and public accommodation protection cannot be threatened by such a vote. Moreover, with the current political climate, COGC has decided not to try to get introduced into the city council the employment protection ordinance for at least two years.

Cedar Point July 29-30. If you would like to go, call Felix at 614-274-1029.

Lesbian Peer Support is organizing a women-only "Coming Out" rap group in Columbus. First meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on June 26 at the Academy for Contemporary Problems, 1501 Neil Avenue, Columbus. For more information, call LPS at 614-2917756.

Metropolitan

Community

JUST LIKE A WEED

Gina likened the Metropolitan Community Church to a dandelion. My immediate reaction was one of surprise. After all, a dandelion is a weed, damned by all in whose yard it grows. Its roots are impossibly deep, it defies weed killers, and it grows anywhere it finds even the smallest amount of nourishment.

Then again, I thought, as children we picked the pretty yellow flowers for mother, grand mother, neighbor lady, and teacher. These "weeds" were placed ever so carefully and gratefully in vases of qater, pinned on blouses, or decorated hairdos. We also then believed that by placing these "weeds" under the dirty chins of our playmates, we would know if our friends liked butter.

The story of the dandelion is the story of the Metropolitan Community Church. From its founding in Los Angeles on October 6th, 1968, to the present, the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) has spread

across the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Nigeria, New Zealand, South Africa and now Columbus, Ohio. On May 28th, 1978, MCC Columbus introduced eight new members into the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches and baptized five of them. Rev. Howard Gaass, pastor of MCC Cincinnati, presided over the baptism of our new members and preached the sermon. Jane Carl, exhorter and Worship Coordinator for MCC Columbus Study Group, presented the memberships. Rev. Joe Sprague, pastor of our host church Summit United Methodist Church, joined us in our worship service by reading the Scripture and offering the benediction. The service was solemn in our vows to the Lord through Jesus Christ, God's son, and joyous in our spirit. I wept with my fellow parishioners for the pure joy of the moment. We had all worked arduously for this moment. We

By Rob Davis

Conaty Church

MCC

Photo By Rob Davis

and definitely increased the visibility of the organized gay community in Columbus.

COGC has recently made application for residency in the new Northend Community Center, 5 Northwood Avenue, beginning in the Fall. Plans include staffing an office with telephone referral service in the evenings. Speakers and information would be made available. People wishing to be involved with COGC can call 614-291-9114 or write P.O. Box 8393, Columbus, Ohio 43201.

Church of Columbus reports that Rev. Elder Troy Perry will be at two MCC churches in Ohio soon. June 9 and 10, at 7:00 p.m. he will be at MCC/Cincinnati, 65 East Hollister, in the Mt. Auburn area of Cincinnati. July 29, 30, 31 he will be at MCC/Akron, 3300 Morewood Road, across from Summit Mall. For further information, call MCC/Cincinnati at 513-241-8216 or MCC/Akron at 216-836-3930.

By JD Baughman

had all been anxious and impatient. We had struggled for this church of God for all people and suddenly we broke through to the light.

Come worship with us and welcome, all of you. We are a church of Jesus Christ in the true Spirit of the Lord. We discriminate against no one. We worship every Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Summit United Methodist Church on the corner of 12th Ave. and Indianola Ave. Come and hear what the Lord has truly spoken, not the selective translations of the Anita Bryants of the world.

WE ARE HERE, COLUMBUS! WE ARE GROWING! GOD BLESS THE LOWLY DANDELION!

THINK STRAIGHT

Be Gay