Photo: Mike Ray

WE'VE GOT THE

Balls

TO GIVE HEAD!!!

CONTENTS

COVER

OHIO FESTIVAL '81

DEPARTMENTS

PERSPECTIVE

Ball

PERFECT MASON

DIRECTORY

FLASHBACK/CALENDAR

NEWS

PROFILE: ERMA HENDERSON

FEATURE: OHIO FESTIVAL '81

ENTERTAINMENT: TOSCA/ DIVINE

HEALTH

FICTION

CLASSIFIED

24 POETRY

WED. NITE BEER BUST

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PUBLISHED BY METRA INC., MEMBER, NATIONAL GAY PRESS ASSOCIATION Ferndale Center Bldg., 22750 Woodward Suite 310, Ferndale, MI 48220 (313) 543-3500 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 59

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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS....

OCTOBER 22, 1981

.Douglas A. Logan Mari Sappington Edward Stafiej Marcus

Joe DiSabato Rivendell Marketing / New York 212/242-6863

Mike Ray

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Sheffick, Mike Ray

.M. Sigmund, M. Conboy, W. Lewis

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FEEDBACK

OHIO FESTIVAL '81

Sunday, Sept. 13th was a picture-book day for the annual gay picnic for Northern Ohio. Lots of sunshine and happy faces. It was the second time at Wildwood Lake, and it was quite a turn-out. Even some of our friends from Michigan joined the festivities.

If you have never been to Wildwood Lake, it's like this: A big clean lake with lots of trees, hills, water slides, paddle boats, and other water sports. There is a huge closed-in pavillion for dancing and eating.

We danced. The DJ's from the Cleveland bars provided the music for us, although they were rather repetitious with the disco selections. Maybe next year they will be a bit more organized. There were perhaps a half dozen concessions which offers various eats. Some were pretty good, others well, some things you eat at a picnic, some you don't. I liked the Italian sausage, and the sloppy joes. And the chocolate suckers were great. One thing I must mention about the concessions, though. Festival '81 was a gay picnic. Why did the Northern Ohio Coalition allow not only the park concession to sell, but another booth with two straight guys selling very poor quality hamburgers that were the rip-off of the day!? The two guys were also part-time employees of the park: To me this was quite an insult to the gay community.

Sports were quite an event most of the day. The women's football team was going most of the day. Everyone that participated had a really good time.

On stage the gay community' showed some of its local talent. It was the first time I had experienced any of it. The Drag show was quite enjoyable and fun. I hope they are all back again next year.

Overall, the picnic was fun, and successful for the gay community. But I was disappointed in some way. The theme for Festival '81 was "We are Family." We are family, and we need to act more family than strangers. I didn't see too many people holding hands and mingling with everyone.

There was a degree of fraternizing, but there could have been so much more. Gays need to stick together and act together collectively; then we can have much more than an annual event out in the country.

The good Reverend Kahn's marriage booth could have seen a lot more marriages that Sunday than it did. I had a lovely wedding, and when it comes right. down to it, I had a wonderful day. All of the free beer helped, along with some fantastic people that I saw there, and, of course, the man I was there with!

RK Bromwell Lakewood, Ohio

CORRECTIONS: In our last issue of METRA (Vol 3, Issue 58) we incorrectedly identified Steve Endean as President, GRNL. His title is Director. Also, in our news article concerning the Detroit Area Gay Lesbian Council Elections, Gloria Beaume, not Bonet, of the Metropolitan, Community Church was elected Secretary.

CLUB TOLEDO

ISSUE 59