This collection of the first newspaper to serve the Cleveland gay and lesbian community, High GEAR, has been assembled from the contributions of many individuals including John Nosek, one of the former editors and writers, Daniel Miecznikowski, Robert Downing and Martha Pontoni as well as partial runs from the Labadie Collection at the University of Michigan and the Henry Gerber/Pearl M. Hart Library and Archives in Chicago. Sets of this microfilm are available at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland as part of its special collection on the gay and lesbian community and at Northern Illinois University in the gay and lesbian press collection.

Researchers should be aware that some of the apparent gaps in this periodical are due to the practice of skipping publication for a month. Thus, there never were any issues created for December, 1976, January of 1980, 1981 and 1982, and several summer months during the 1970's. High GEAR (originally produced by the Gay Education, Awareness and Resources Foundation) ceased publication with the September, 1982 issue, and was succeeded in 1985 by the Gay People's Chronicle. Gaybeat, a Cincinnati paper which expanded its coverage to become Ohio's comprehensive news publication for the state gay and lesbian communities, should also be consulted for information on later development and change in Cleveland.

Robert B. Marks Ridinger Coordinator

Midwest Gay and Lesbian Press

Microfilming Project

Northern Illinois University

June 22, 1994