OGRC:

Structuring for the '80s

If you just read the minutes from the last Board meeting you will have noticed a mention of a new structure being established for the OGRC Board. The Board in a unanimous decision of those present at the January meeting elected its first officers. Several posts remain vacant at this time but will be filled as soon as people express an interest in filling those posts. The new president of the OGRC Board of Trustees is Rick Lange from Akron. Rick expressed his desire to have OGRC become instrumental in guiding the Gay Movement in Ohio. The vice-president is Jay Webster from Columbus. Both look forward to serving OGRC's membership in 1980. Also elected to positions were Roger Walton, Dayton as one of two Alternating Recorders; Art Kaltenborn, Kent as Treasurer: Karl Erbland, Fostoria as Newsletter Editor. Jay Webster and Karl Erbland also hold the positions of State Fair Chair and Memebrship Chair respectively. Decisions will be made at the next Board meeting whether to continue with these positions filled as they are. At the present time there is a necessity to double on some positions. Still to be filled then would be positions for Historian and 2nd Alternating Recorder. It should be noted that the Board was unanimous in all of its decisions on the fulfillment of its first officer positions.

A New Board Constitution

The board adopted its own constitution and will present its findings at the next General meeting in Dayton. Purpose of the new constitution would be to formalize responsibilities in OGRC. This would help in preparing OGRC to become the state recognized leader in the promotion of Gay Rights and Gay Rights Causes. Before, although jobs were delegated and carried out, there was no one person directly and ultimately responsible for any particular project. The group as an organization had no particular person to call on for information. The formalization of OGRC by the adoption of a constitution which lists its officials gives credence to it as a growing statewide organization.

This has already been useful in media communications. Rick Lange made an appearance on Cleveland television to speak out for OGRC and Gay Ohioans as its president. The subject was the controversial film Crulaing Another useful contact was made with the American Library Association by the Newsletter Editor, Karl Erbland. By contacting Barbara Gittings, coordinator of the ALA's Task Force on Gay Liberation (Social Responsibilties Roundtable). OGRC's newsletter is now listed in an approximately ten thousand entry bibliography on available Gay reading materials. It may not sound like much but any one who uses the bibliography for reference will be able to find The Ohio Gay Rights Coalition as a source for material and information. Both of these are events which have happened and mostly because it was the duty of that particular officer to promote OGRC and the Gay cause. Rick was able to gain a quick consensus of the OGRC Board in order to act and Karl was able to respond in his position as Newsletter Editor

The officers need your support in making OGRC the best. Attend the next meeting and let them know you support them.

Newsletter

This is the second issue of the Newsletter in its new form. There are still a lot of changes to be made but it takes time. We hope you will find time to send us information on happenings around the state so that we may report them to the OGRC Membership.

The Newsletter is in need of reporters in all parts of the state who are willing to volunteer a few hours of time each month in assembling news and information We need writers, photographers, artists, source people, organization liaisons anyone who is willing and able to work.

OGRC

Physically Challenged?

No Problem

The OGRC Newsletter is now available on request in the form of cassette tapes and an enlarged type edition. Whether you are blind. have trouble seeing or just can't read these services are available to qualified persons. To apply please send your name and address and telephone number and which edition you would like to receive to the address listed at the end of this Newsletter. The Editor will get right back with you to arrange the delivery of your edition. This service is available at this time as a subsidized program through Michael Karsamer Enterprises, Fostoria, Ohio. Karl Erbland, president of Michael Karsamer Enterprises, said he has seen the need to expand the communications services of OGRC to included the physically challenged. OGRC, by providing the availability of these forms, is one of only a handful of organizations across the United States to do so. The first part of the program is to make the service available on request. The second part, and the one which is most difficult and critical, is identifying those who need the service. Anyone with information that would help in this area is asked to write the Newsletter Editor.

Membership Campaign

It's that time of the year again to renew existing memberships. That is. previously existing memberships. Because, if you have not renewed since the first of the year or previous to that you are no longer an official member. Heaven Forbid that I should have to say that again. Your membership has expired.

So, you say, why do I still continue to receive the Newsletter? Because the board saw the need for a communications medium in order to reach you Membership doesn't cost a lot, only $15 for one year. Not bad for protecting you as a Gay person. Who else is going to look out for your rights and publicly stand up for them for only $15 per year? You are right, $15 is cheap. Renew today. A membership application appears at the end of this Newsletter. By the way, tell all of your friends, OGRC has a whale of a good program for 1980 and we wouldn't want anyone to miss out.

Our membership goal this year is 200 new members. This doesn't count your renewal. Only those who have not previously belonged will be counted. It may seem like a lot but the Membership Committee knows you can do a lot to help in reaching that goal. The official start of the campaign is set for the opening of our Weekend Workshop in Dayton on March 15. Any new member registered for the workshop will be counted in reaching our goal. The end of the campaign is tentatively set for the end of June to coincide with Gay Pride Week festivities. Wouldn't that be a hell of a way to celebrate Gay Pride? Won't you help? For further information or application forms write: OGRC Membership Campaign

Editorial

Attention: Karl Erbland

P.O. Box 86 Fostoria, OH 44830

by Karl Erbland

OGRC Newsletter Editor

I would like to introduce myself to those who read the OGRC Newsletter. I live in a small Northwestern Ohio community and I am constantly seeing the discrimination and oppression of Gay people everywhere. Especially around my own community. At twenty-nine years of age | have had the opportunity to travel, live and associate with a lot of people. Most of them have no idea of what it is like to be Gay And, those who think they do, usually have a very distorted and warped opinion of the traditional stereotypes

Business people, who you think wouldn't care about Gay and would worry only about making their business grow, are frightened of the Gay stigma. In one single town of less than thirty-eight thousand I have been turned down in three places for printing of decent and respectable materials relating to Gays Simply because they feared the stigma of Gay Their reason? If the community would ever find out that they were printing for a Gay cause they feared the loss of major business One printer though without questioning has continued to provide me with