HIGH GEAR/JULY 1978

TROY PERRY IN AKRON

The Rev. Elder Troy D. Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Churches and known internationally as a leader in the struggle for gay rights, will be in Akron on July 28, 29 & 30. Rev. Perry will be one of the featured speakers during MCC-Akron's Spiritual Renewal. Joining him for the weekend long program will be the Rev. Elder Freda Smith, Pastor of MCC-Sacramento and a leading feminist spokesper-

son.

The schedule fo activities for the Renewal are: Friday nite at 8 p.m. a worship service, then on Saturday from 10 a.m. 4 p.m. will be workshops and an evening worship service at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, there will be an outside worship service and then a picnic in one of the Sand Run Metropolitan Parks beginning at 11 a.m., and later at 7:30 p.rr.. the final worship service. All services and workshops will be at 3300 Morewood Dr. (across from Summit Mall) where MCC-Akron usually meets. The entire community is invited to come and hear both of these outstanding preachers and to participate in the workshops and picnic.

Rev. Troy Perry is a frequent guest on talk shows, and his famous autobiography "The Lord is my Shepherd and He Knows I'm Gay" is a best seller.

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Gift to Hotlines

The Rev. Troy Perry, right, leader of the international Metropolitan Community Church, present for a fund raiser in Cincinnati for the Ohio and Cincinnati Gay Rights Coalitions, took time out to raise extra money needed by the Lesbian and Gay (phone) Hotlines in Cincinnati. Giving to the hotline cause is Marilyn Bufton, coordinator of the Ohio Gay Right Coalition, center. At left is Diane Delahunty, communications coordinator for the OGRC. $328.00 was raised for the hotline during the 15-minute fund raising drive. The Cincinnati groups had a promise of matching funds which would take them over the needed $500 to keep both services in operation.

AKRON LEGAL RIGHTS

A new group has recently been formed named The Akron Coalition for Legal Rights. Heading the group are two Akron attorneys, Brian Stormer and Edward Sawan. Several cases of gay legal rights prompted the group's formation.

On Monday, August 14, the two attorneys will provide a forum for the Akron gay community to surface community questions concerning legal rights. At that time, results of work on current problems in the community will be discussed. The forum will be held at The

Akron Civic Theater at 8 p.m. and will be open to the Akron gay community. Representatives of gay organizations in the area are urged to attend. Any person

seeking legal help before that date should contact David Gellatly at 216-867-3354 or Steve Jobe at 216-733-5612.

On June 28th, Stormer and Sawan spoke with several gay organization representatives and members of the Cascade Community Church at the Church's meeting room in downtown Akron. One of the subjects discussed was a living contract drawn up by the attorneys specifically for gay people. At the current time, The State of Ohio does not recognize two members of the same sex as

being married; therefore, the marriage contract could not apply to gay people. The living contract was written to alleviate problems that gay couples might

incur while living together or splitting up.

Attorney John Wolf, representing the child custody case of Judy Fluharty, spoke briefly to the group concerning the case. The court ruled against Miss Fluharty having child custody after her admitting to homosexual acts. Previous to the ruling, it was discovered that Miss Fluharty's phone had been tapped for a period of six months. Friends of Miss Fluharty testified that they felt she was not a homosexual. On July 22nd, a benefit to help Miss Fluharty

sustain the legal fees will be held at Satan's Den at 839 South Arlington Street in Akron around 10 p.m. Miss Fluharty's case is currently being appealed.

WOODS TO ADDRESS MEETING

The Rev. Richard Woods, a Dominican priest, will speak at a joint meeting of the Cleveland chapters of Dignity and Integrity at the Newman Center, CWRU (Hallinan Center), 11303 Euclid Avenue, at 8 p.m. August 10. The public is invited. Dignity, a national organization for Gay Catholics and friends, will join with Integrity, a national organization for Gay Episcopalians and others, to present Father Woods.

Father Woods, who serves on the faculty of the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University in Chicago, has published several books in the area of spirituality, including

Another Kind of Love: Homosexuality and Spirituality. He has ministered to the gay Christian community in Chicago for more than six years.

For more information about Dignity/Cleveland and future programs, call 631-0844 or 7910942; for more information about Integrity / Cleveland, call 8678854 (Akron) or 932-5635 (Cleveland).

Integrity/Cleveland meets on the first and third Thursdays of every month at 8 p.m. in the Chapter Room of Trinity Cathedral, E. 22nd and Euclid Avenues. Dignity / Cleveland meets on the second and fourth Thursdays or every month at 8

REV. RICHARD WOODS

p.m. in the Newman Center for CWRU (Hallinan Center) 11303 Euclid Avenue.

G.E.A.R.

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of the G.E.A.R. Foundation (Gay Educational and Awareness Resources) was held on June 25 at 3 p.m. at the Gay Community Center of Cleveland at 1012 Sumner Court.

Four trustees, Chuck Mosberger, David Holleb, Bill Smith and L.J. Hershkoff, whose terms expired as of the meeting date, were re-elected as trustees of the Foundation. Two new trustees were also elected: Reverend C. Shawn Farrell of

Akror.'s Cascade Community Church and Max McLarty, Editor of this region's Dignity newsletter. Both new trustees filled vacant positions on the board. Associate Editor of High Gear newspaper Terrence McCormick did not choose to run for re-

election.

Of the three bylaw changes that were proposed and approved at the meeting, one has significant impact for the community: The Foundation's annual membership dues were raised from $5.00 to $15.00; the waiver of dues was deleted and a $5.00 membership was provided for those people on limited income.

BOARD ELECTION

At the Junie 27 meeting of the trustees of the Gay Educational and Awareness Resources Foundation (GEAR), the following new officers of the

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He presently serves as General Moderator of the Board of Elders of the denomination he founded in 1968. The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches presently has over 30,000 members world-wide and has over 125 church bodies in 8 countries. Rev. Perry was recently honored by the American Civil Liberties Union by receiving its Humanitarian Award at a dinner given in his honor at the Hollywood Palladium. Naturally he is also in the forefront of opposing the Briggs Initiative which is on the California state ballot in November.

Also well known for her work as a feminist and gay rights leader, is the Rev. Elder Frede Smith. A frequent lecturer and speaker at universities and colleges, Rev. Smith has worked long and hard for sexual law reform and has testified before various legislative committees. In 1973, she became the first woman elected to serve on the Board of Elders of the UFMCC. She has recently returned from a visit to MCC's in Europe and the United Kingdom. Rev. Smith is famous for her upbeat and witty style of delivery, and is truly an exceptional speaker.

For further information about the Spiritual Renewal on July 28, 29 and 30th, contact the church office at 836-3930.

board were elected: Bill Smith President; Michael Prunty, Secretary; and Steve Jobe, Treasurer. All ran unopposed.

Smith, prior to accepting nomination to the presidency. announced that he would be resigning his positions as treasurer of the Foundation and business manager for High Gear newspaper. In accepting his election as president, he had this to say: "In the short span of its existence, the GEAR Foundation has made slow but steady progress towards the accomplishment of its many goals. However, at present, all but the most informed gays remain

oblivious to the work being performed on their behalf. One of the main challenges in the year ahead will be to not only continue the steady progress of the past, but to keep the community more informed."

We'll see you in September ... It seems a long way off, at least to those of us who watch the month go by with dizzying speed as we approach another publication day for High Gear.

We will be publishing the September issue and all subsequent editions of High Gear approximately one week earlier. You'll be able to get your copy at your favorite pick up spot by the first week-end of every month.