Canton Cops On The Spot

2.

Gays Charge Brutality And Harrassment

Federal Civil Rights violation suits and litigation have been filed against four Canton policemen and selected city administrators in the beating of a gay woman. Appeals are filed and additional civil suits will follow against the same group by four other gays brutalized in what promises to be a landmark case in gay civil rights. Seven women and one man were beaten and arrested in a Dec. 6th, 1981 raid for alleged after hours sales. The officers named in the suit are Lt. Wayne Arnold, and patrolmen Thomas Moore, Rodney Harsh and Jerry Thomas.

At

On the night of the raid a large number of gay and straight patrons were attending the traditional Sagittarius birthday party. approximately 2:20 a.m. bar owner, Bertha "Boobie" Dinsio, a cancer patient, left the party, complaining that she didn't feet well. Bar manager Larry Conrad was left in charge. At approximately 2:35 a.m. two uniformed policemen were admitted to the bar. Two individuals in street clothes followed and approached by Conrad. According to a witness, Conrad was then beaten to the floor and struck and kicked repeatedly by those individuals. One of the uniformed officers then joined them and held his foot across Conrad's throat. Several women in the crowd protested loudly and were dragged by the hair, shoved around, handcuffed.

The shouts and screams brought Ms. Dinsio downstairs. She was preceded by Chris Beadle, who was struck in the face by a uniformed officer as she entered. He then handcuffed her and shoved her into the room. Ms. Dinsio then entered, asking for an explanation and was slammed against the wall and handcuffed.

As the others were being taken outside where two backup patrol cars and a paddywagon were already waiting. Ms. Dinsio was thrown across a patrol car where Officer Thomas Moore spat numerous times on her back, screamed anti-gay obscenities at her and struck her repeatedly across the lower back and kidneys

Jim Blevins, mgr. of Stallions, looks on as Robert Toth of HIGH GEAR, accepts a Lambda Award for the G.E.A.R. Foundation from Miss D.

with his nightstick.

Kim Stringer, another bar patron, was in her car when the raid began.

Noting the commotion she went over to ask if they were alright. As she approached she was pushed to the pavement by Officer Jerry Thomas. As she tried to get up Thomas Moore struck her about the face and head with his billy club.

The eight people were then placed in the paddy wagon and taken to the Canton Jail. Kim Stringer and another woman, with a colostomy, were unconscious, the others bruised and bleeding. Their repeated requests for medical attention were denied until 4-5 hours after their incarceration.

Among the most serious injuries resulting from the brutality, Kim Stringer is left with permanent facial disfigurement and Central Nervous System The New

problems. Bertha Dinsio has required knee surgery,had kidney damage and has suffered two heart attacks which doctors felt were caused by the stress of the incident.

It is Dinsio's opinion that the raid and the police harassment are

forms of political retallation at the direction of Mayor Stanley Cmich for her support of his office rival ir the 1980 Canton elections.

Mayor Cmich has let it be knowr during his conversations that as fa as he is concerned it is "oper season on gays". Canton records show that five recent crimes involving gay victims have neither been investigated nor solved. Numerous incidents of police harassment have been reported to the Department of Internal Affairs. No action was ever taken on any ol these cases. One case is ever more disturbing than the usual taunting and name calling. It is an incident involving the

continued on page 2

Ed. Note: The allegations in the article are with respect to the incident of December 6, 1981 and are derived from documents filed in Federal Court by Attorneys C. Dodge and T. Walsh.

Kim Stringer displays disfiguring facial and head Injuries incurred at the hands of Canton Police. Civil sults have been filed against the officers responsible for the unprovoked attack.

HIGH GEAR

VOL. 10, NO. 4

OHIO'S GAY JOURNAL

SEPTEMBER 1982

Feminist Songwriter To Perform

Oberlin, OH-Pianist and vocalist/songwriter Cris Williamson will perform in concert at 8 p.m. September 29 in Oberlin College's Finney Chapel. Tick-

Community Invited to Labor Day Picnic

By popular demand the Men's Action Committee (MAC) announces its second Holiday Picnic at Edgewater on Sunday, September 5th. A special invitation is extended to all friends, members and volunteers of GEAR. If you were there on the 4th of July you may have noticed the first picnic going on near the statue at the west end of the park. One of the highlights was the volleyball game with members of the community joining the teams or cheering for their favorite player.

The Labor Day weekend picnic will start at 10:00 a.m. with lunch at noon. MAC will supply charcoal grills and the volleyball equipment. So bring your brown bag lunch, your friends and meet new friends. This MAC event is open to all. For more information call the Hotline (216) 621-3380.

ets, priced at $3 for Oberlin College students with identification and at $7 for others, will be available at the Wilder Hall Main Desk on campus (phone: 216-7758102), at Ohio Ticketron outlets, and at the door.

Her Oberlin visit is sponsored by the College's Assemblies Committee and Forum Board.

Born in South Dakota, Williamson spent much of her childhood in Wyoming; her songs "center around themes of inner strength and reverence for life and the earth," according to the Assemblies Committee and Forum Board. "In the past two years, she has shaped her songs of the earth and the elements into a powerfully moving political statement," the student organizations add. In Williamson's words, "Tremors, earthquakes, thunder, lightning -these are the elemental signs I look to, the things that seem to bring us back to humanity."

Williamson took part in the February 1981 "Water for Life" anti-nuclear tour sponsored by the Pacific Alliance and has been active in supporting the Native American movement.

Williamson records on Olivia Records and her albums include "Changer and the Changed," "Strange Paradise," "Lumiere," and "Blue Rider." Richard Harrington of the Washington Post has written of Williamson, "She

displayed optimism, insight, humor and pathos in songs of surival that spoke to anyone willing-or lucky enough to listen." Williamson will perform with fellow singer Meg Christian at New York's Carnegie Hall November 26 in honor of Olivia Records' 10th anniversary; a recording of this concert will be released.

INSIDE:

G.E.A.R. seeks referrals WomenSpace benefit "Mass Appeal opens Lake County Hotline GRNL/Dayton News

Gay Cable news Features

Interview with Frankie CWRU Gay Student

Union

LIGHT

Cleveland Ballet MAC

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