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Page 2 HIGH GEAR

HIGH

CEAR

A Publication of the Gear Foundation

HIGH GEAR journal is a publication of the Gay Educational and Awareness Resources (GEAR) Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio. It is distributed free of charge in any establishment and with any organization that will permit distribution. We are a non-profit, federally tax-exempt publication

The presence of the name or picture or other representation of an organization, place of business or person (s) in HIGH GEAR is not necessarily indicative of the sexual orientation of such organizations, businesses, or per-

sons

We welcome all contributions of written materials, art work, or photography by members of the gay community. All materiais submitted for publication are subject to editorialization. We cannot guarantee the return of materials submitted for publication, whether used by HIGH GEAR or not, unless they are accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope.

All HIGH GEAR staff are volunteers. Anyone interested in working on the staff of HIGH GEAR should inquire by calling (216) 621-3380 or by writing to HIGH GEAR, PO Box 6177. Cleveland, Ohio 44101.

Businesses or organizations wishing to advertise in HIGH GEAR may obtain advertising rate sheets and other information by writing to the above address.

The deadline for HIGH GEAR publication is the 15th of the month -for advertising and written material. News items accepted until the date of publication

HIGH GEAR will not publish material in which graphic or verbal representations of an ideal or idealized human body appear except in the case of a performer or work of art which is the subject of the material. We also will not publish material of a racist, sexist, or pornographic nature. We reserve the right to alter and or edit material to conform to the above standards; in the case of display advertising, after notifying the advertiser.

HIGH GEAR is copyrighted under federal law. Reproduction is granted to all other gay publications so long as credit is given to HIGH GEAR. AII HIGH GEAR work is original unless otherwise noted.

Dan Miecznikowski, Editor

Terrence McCormick, Associate Editor

Steve Jobe. Akron Associate Editor

Rob Davis. Columbus Associate Editor

Feature Writers: George Brown, Dennis Highland, Brian McNaught, Mitchell Menegu. Leon Stevens. Tim Connelly

Distribution and Subscriptions: Mark Kinsley

Layout Staff: Michael Prunty, Carl Howard, Robbie Robinson, Tony Scafaro

Circulation: 11,000 throughout the United States

"If someone on the street-corners calls you queer, faggot, dyke, just keep right on going, you don't have time to wait for them. Let them stand there dripping in their own hatred."

---Leonard Matlovich "Legislation cannot change the heart, but it can restrain the hear-

tless."

--Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I am me, I am going to be me and do the things that I know are worthwhile and if you, straight world... can't accept that, then you've got a problem and you're going to have a real battle on your hands with me because I'm not fighting to just me, but I'm fighting for all those other people who may be a little too frightened or too timid, or for whatever reason haven't been lucky enough to feel good about who they are."

--from the film, "Word Is Out"

"Our world would be barren without the Gay contribution and being here is the way I can repay the Gay community for all the beauty they have given our lives... Don't retreat from this battle. Your freedom is my freedom."

--Ed Asner

"I hope that every professional gay will say 'enough', come forward and tell everybody, wear a sign, let the world know. Maybe that will help."

-Harvey Milk

Foundation President

calls for local support

By Bill Smith

Of the estimated 100,000 gay women and men living in the Cleveland/Akron/Canton area,

same rights and responsibilities that non-gays take for granted. Hopefully, in time this will happen, despite Anita Bryant, John Briggs, and others.

Thousands of us crowd into the bars and baths every weekend. We go to find a lover, a new not even .1% are members of friend, or a trick. We may or may the Gay Educational and Awarenot suceed. But at least the In the meantime, the GEAR ness Resources Foundation potential is there. At the very Foundation is trying to get 1,000 (GEAR) or make any conleast we spend a pleasant eventribution to the gay movement. ing drinking and socializing with paid members by Gay Pride Day Why? Most people are not infriends. We get something! Ask-1979. We do not ask anyone to terested in what's good for the any of these people why they risk their jobs or reputations. Members may use pseudonyms movement, rather, "What's in it are not part of some effort to if they choose. Membership fees for me?" They're not interested end discrimination against gays, in ten or even five years from and the response will probably now. They want something in rebe, "Don't bother me. I'm not inturn for their money and effort-terested in politics." Yet if one of those not interested in politics were to be arrested, fired, or become the victim of bash-a-fag, they would suddenly become very interested.

now!

Woman divorcing

woman

On November 14 a Parma woman, Beverly Irwin, 37, became the first female in Ohio history to file for a divorce from another female. She is seeking to divorce Carol Lupardus, 35, on grounds of extreme cruelty and gross neglect.

According to Irwin's lawyer, Walter Rubenstein, the relationship between the two meets all requirements for a common-law marriage. He says that they exchanged wedding vows and rings on June 7, 1972, and that they have presented themselves to the community as married.

Rubenstein said Ohio law does not require a marriage to have a heterosexual relationship, that "as a matter of fact, sex is excluded from the requirements of marriage." State requirements for a marriage, he said, involve only minimum age and kinship.

The suit asks for division of

mutually-owned property, in-

If we could effectively unite all

gay people, discrmination would

and contributions are deductible

for federal income tax purposes.

Please help us, your gay brothers and sisters, and yourself by filling out the membership application below and mailing it together with your check today. Your support is much needed and appreciated.

end quickly, not decades from Yes, almost...

now. For instance, just suppose that every gay man and woman in the nation anonymously contributed just a penny a day to the movement. In a year's time we would have 77 million dollars.

Money is power. With that kind of money we could hire a battery of lawyers in every major city to fight every case of police harrassment or discrimination. With that kind of money we could have an army of lobbyists working for our efforts in Washington.

When we unite cur people and our efforts, we will get what we want. And what is it that we want? Certainly not special privileges. We want only the

Homosexuals will not be disqualified from the priesthood on the basis of their sexuality alone according to a position approved by Bishop John M. Krumm and the 400 delegates to the 104th annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio.

Bishop Krumm stated that while he personally opposes the ordination of persons with a homosexual orientation; he would, "if someone of such an orientation is struggling against promiscuity and seriously trying to live a life of discipline and self control... be guided by pastoral principles and make a decision in individual instances on the basis of such principles."

GEAR UP-join us

cluding a house, household furYour contribution to the GEAR Foundation helps to support

nishings, and bonds.

Struck down again

Cincinnati For the second time, Ohio's law forbidding solicitation for homosexual acts has been declared unconstitutional by the 1st District Ohio Court.

The case involved a Cincinnati man, Howard Faulk, who allegedly invited a plainclothes police officer to his car May 14th at Eden Park. Faulk was then arrested and charged with the states sexual importuning law.

The judges wrote that the statute unfairly applies only to advances by homosexuals and does not afford them equal protection under the law. The opinion was signed by three judges. That reasoning means

that with homosexual sex lawful between consenting adults, the state violates the equal protection principle of the constitution if it bans homosexual solicitation without also barring heterosexual propositions.

In March, the same court, by a vote of 2 to 1, struck down the same law on the reasoning that it was an overbroad restriction of speech

HIGH GEAR, the Gay Community Center of Cleveland (GCCC), the Gay Hotline/ Switch board, and the Foundation itself.

Please mail this form, with your check or money order, to

Name.

Address..

GEAR Foundation--secretary

P.O. Box 6177 Cleveland, Ohio 44101

GEAR Foundation Registration for Membership

$100 lifetime membership .... $15 annual membership

...Phone....... (optional)

...Zip

$50 sustaining

$25 contributing

..$5 limited income membership

....... extra donation for the community center fund

Please check one:

.... Give my name, address and phone to other Foundation members who ask for them.

.... Keep my address and phone number confidential.

.... Anonymous membership

Date.............

1978

Signature...

Contributions Are deductible for www/federal income taxes.eu N N