Gay Educational Awareness Resources Foundation.

The Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center of Greater Cleveland (LGCSC) (f.1974), began as The Gay Education and Awareness Resource Foundation (Gear Foundation). The Gear Foundation was created to serve the Lesbian and Gay community in Cleveland through social, political and cultural events, counseling and support groups, and to empower and raise the community's level of visibility. The Gear Foundation was incorporated as a non profit organization in 1975, and given tax exempt status in 1978. The first activities of the Gear Foundation were the operation of a Gay Hotline Switchboard and the publication of High Gear, a monthly paper covering news and events of interest in the Gay community. Both the Hotline and High Gear were operated and produced by volunteers from the Gear Foundation's membership. High Gear served as a unifying element in the growing Lesbian and Gay community in Cleveland during the "Gay Liberation" movement of the mid 1970s. The publication's articles included coverage of Gay civil rights issues and political rallies, Lesbian Gay oriented literature, theater and film reviews, creative writing and editorials. In addition to High Gear and the Hotline, the Gear Foundation served as an umbrella organization for other groups and activities, including a Rap Group and Speakers Bureau.

In March of 1977, the Gear Foundation opened Cleveland's first Lesbian Gay Community Center, to serve as a base of operations for its activities. This first Center was located on Cleveland's east side, and over the years has relocate several times. In 1992, it was located at 1418 West 29th Street on the city's near west side.

Throughout the early 1980s the Gear Foundation increased its visibility throughout northeast Ohio. As the decade progressed, the foundation helped to form a cohesive Lesbian Gay community despite a national politically conservative milieu. A stronger feminist element was nurtured in the organization with such committees as Lesbians in Gear Hanging Together (LIGHT). With Governor Richard Celeste's approval of the Anti Discrimination ordinance of January, 1983, the foundation became more earnestly involved in activism and lobbying for the community's civil rights. Gear Foundation members were consistently in the forefront of legal issues which involved entrapment, job discrimination, anti-Gay violence and other legal battles in the community.

With the discovery of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) the Gear Foundation began spearheading and assisting with numerous fundraising and education services to help fight both the disease and the public misunderstanding surrounding it. To raise awareness, educate and provide counseling services, an AIDS Hotline was established in 1983. Throughout the decade, the Foundation increasingly became involved with the medical community, the Health Issues Task Force, the National Gay Task Force and the NAMES Project (The Quilt), in the fight against AIDS. Cleveland's participation in numerous marches on Washington D.C. advocating for more funding and attention to be paid to AIDS research, was greatly organized by the Gear Foundation.

Due to financial and organizational difficulties, High Gear was reduced to an advertisement publication in 1982 under the title Ohio Pride . This publication lasted only a short time. It was succeeded by the independently produced Gay Peoples Chronicle which became the city's main Lesbian Gay publication in 1984.

In the Spring of 1988, the Gear Foundation elected to officially change its name to The Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center of Greater Cleveland. Since that time, the center has continued many of the Gear Foundations activities while initiating many others. The Living Room Project was founded to help in supporting and nurturing persons infected with the HIV (AIDS) virus. A Gay Youth Group has also been maintained by the center, along with the Speakers Bureau and various entertainment and social events, including organizing the yearly Lesbian Gay Pride Day and march.

In 1991 The Center agreed to have its records and other archival material pertaining to the Lesbian and Gay community preserved at the library of The Western Reserve Historical Society.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center of Greater Cleveland

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Gay Community in Cleveland and northeast Ohio

From the guide to the Gay Educational Awareness Resources Foundation Records, 1973-1984, (Western Reserve Historical Society)