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SEPTEMBER 1982

Lake County Hotline Continues Growth

A new Hotline has opened its doors in Lake County. The Lake County Hotline is run by Rose, Terry and Don who give assistance and information to gay resi-. dents of the area.

Due to a conflict of interest with the previous Hotline coordinator, what had started out as a community service program had turned into a "dating" service. "That's not the way to run a professional community service. Of

course some of the calls are heart-wrenching and encourage. you to reach out, but to maintain a high degree of professionalism is of utmost importance. Especially if you wish to hold on to any credibility you may have or seek," stated Rose, the group's secretary.

The area may be isolated,.but there are residents that have a genuine need for this service. Because many live with their par-

LEFT: Don of the Men's Hotline gets Information on a new alcoholism program from A.A. coordinator Bob.

Ohio Gay Heritage Is Subject Of Study

What is our Ohio Gay heritage, and who were our forerunners in. the struggle for human dignity? Ohio's history is filled with the accounts of gay men and women who have exhibited pride and courage in one way or another.

I am in the process of compiling data for a study of Ohio's Gay heritage. This will be a collection of information pertinent to gay people all over our state back through history.

In conducting this study, I have been researching documents and family histories on record at the Ohio Historical Society Archives, but to complete the study I am

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requesting local information from those people who have their fingers on the pulse of their local communities. Never before has Ohio's gay history been compiled. under one study. When completed this study will be available to interested persons in book form.

Help contribute to a collection of our Ohio Gay heritage. To share any information, please contact:

Val Thogmartin 1405 E. Broad St. Columbus, Ohio 43205 (614) 258-2055

HIGH GEAR MAILED TO YOUR HOME

1 YEAR/$10.00covers mailing cost

New

ents, are married or come from a very strict ethnic background, many of the calls are received between the hours of 1 a.m. and 4 In the July 24th issue of the Lake County News-Herald an article appeared about the newlyformed Hotline. "We really broke in with that article," stated Don, the most recent member of the Hotline. "That Sunday we received over 300 phone calls, and most of those were logged between the hours of 4 a.m. and 11 p.m. I was surprised yet very happy. The area papers have been quite apprehensive about covering gay issues. We were pleased to see a half page article on the Hotline, more so since it was in the Saturday edition. That was a real plus in helping us get things started."

In their efforts to incorporate, the Hotline is looking for professional men and women for referrals, and someone to coordinate rap groups. In addition to giving counseling referrals, the group has been in contact with several social service agencies in Ohio and will be trained by the Ohio Department of Health in preparation for a herpes and venereal disease workshop. They are also looking for someone who will open their house for a rap group on a part-time or full-time basis. The Hotline is also looking for a permanent home.

"The straights have been very supportive of our efforts. With their cooperation and that of

LEFT: Rose and Terry log call on the Lake County Hotline.

other members of the area gay community we are hoping to put out a Newsletter," states Terry. Roller skating, picnics, and bowling are only a few of the events they hope to get going for the area gay men and women. As there aren't any gay bars in Lake County, these functions may well be the only chance some of the residents will have to get to know each other. Anyone interested in gay nightlife has to adapt him/ herself to traveling to Cleveland. That can be prohibitive, especially with the high price of gasoline.

In the future they hope to have a branch of Alcoholics Anonymous working in conjunction with the Hotline. The Hotline is a beginning for gay support in the Lake County area. Best wishes toward future growth and community involvement.

Coffeehouse Raises Funds

The August 28th Women's Open House will be a benefit fundraiser for the coffeehouse. Since the Open House is nonprofit, we operate on a tight budget and do not always have extra money to make the improvements we'd like to see. With this fundraiser we hope to add more tables, repair the ones we have, purchase a larger coffeemaker and buy other essential supplies.

Music for the evening will be provided by. Rhea, a women's band comprised of Lisa Rainsong-piano, Mudslide-bass, Leslie Fortlage-guitar, Karen

"Flash" Fort-drums, and Linda Cooper-percussion. Their music includes latin, jazz, blues and original numbers.

The Women's Open House is located at 2728 Lancashire; off Coventry near Mayfield, in Cleveland Hts. We are open the 4th Saturday of each month from 8 p.m. till midnight with music beginning at 9 p.m. A $1.50 donation is asked at the door, and all women are welcome. The coffeehouse is chemical-free, and coffee, tea, juice and snacks are available. For more information, please call the Hotline at 6213380.

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