Page 4 Community Connections, September, 1991
CLOSER Begins
1991-92 Season
C.L.O.S.E.R. stands for Community
Liaison Organization for Support,
Education, and Reform, Inc. CLOSER is
a gay-affirming group for gay men and
lesbians which offers education on topics
of interest to lesbians and gays, as well as
social and psychological support.
CLOSER provides a safe place for people
to be themselves, without the pressures
associated with other gay spots.
This year’s programs begin with the
Welcome Back Potluck on September 3,
and include a three-part series on
Recovery, a Candidates Forum (see page
1), a square dance, a game show, the
popular program Profiles (interviews with
lesbians and gay men), and of course
monthly potlucks.
Continued from previous page
started having lesbian socials once a
month on a Sunday. We did that for
awhile, and then three women got together
took the responsibility for starting a real
organization," McLean said.
LETSA meets twice a month on the
first and third Tuesdays. "On the first
Tuesday we either have a discussion
group, and it’s been various topics, such
as coming out, or dealing with being gay
at work.... Sometimes we’ll have a spe
cial program, and bring somebody in....
A rap group for gay and lesbian
singles will meet again this year, with the
first meeting being held on Tuesday,
September 17, at 6:30 PM, before the
regular program.
CLOSER’s Annual Anniversary
Dinner has drawn such crowds in the last
few years that it was decided to spread the
activities out over two meetings.
The week of October 15-22 has been
designated as the Anniversary Celebration.
CLOSER’s twelfth anniversary will be
marked with a guest speaker on October
15, and CLOSER’s Service Awards (and
possibly its Humanitarian Award, see
page 8) will be presented at a festive
Twelfth Anniversary Dinner on October
22. Mark your calendars now!
On the third Tuesday night we always
have a potluck and we play games after
wards, like board games or cards,"
McLean reported.
Meeting size averages around eight
women, and the most they ever had was
19. "We thought that was phenomenal,"
McLean commented.
Any woman wanting more informa
tion about the group can write LETSA at
PO Box 905, Mountain Home, TN
37684. If you include your phone num
ber, someone will call you back with the
time and location of meetings. ▼
The 1991-92 officers are John Rider,
President; Nancy Snead, Vice-President;
Jim Fowler, Secretary; and Rick Wooley,
Treasurer.
Rider, Wooley, Kisha Anderson and
Kelly Finn were elected to the Board of
Directors in May to serve two-year terms.
When Finn moved out-of-state in June,
the Board selected Dan Marshall to
replace her. Fowler, Snead, Charlotte
Goedsche and Betsy Mayers are serving
the second and last year of their terms on
the Board.
CLOSER meetings begin at 7 PM
with socializing and light (non-alcoholic)
refreshments. At 7:45 we gather in a
circle of chairs for announcements. The
program itself starts at 8 and lasts about
an hour. Many people stay afterwards to
talk.
CLOSER meets in the parish hall of
All Souls Episcopal Church, Biltmore.
CLOSER is not affiliated with All Souls,
and is not a religious organization.
Many CLOSER members remember
the first time they walked through the
door of the Parish Hall, where all
CLOSER meetings are held. Some of us
were scared, for it was the first time we
had ever attended a gay/lesbian group.
But many of us also remember the
friendly greeting that awaited us there and
kept us coming back week and week.
Won’t you join us? We can promise you
interesting programs, some serious, some
just plain fun. And we would love to
greet you, be it for the first or the
umpteenth time. For more information,
call Joan or Dan Marshall at 277-7815. ▼
Purposes of CLOSER
"To provide, free of charge, social
drjd psy ; stipjibrt services
to gay or to
persons who are coming o terms
Ac b ian id e ity. ?
"To conduct, free of charge,
educational trograms that will
increase the cultural, .3!. and
psychological well-being of the gay
and le
"To provide the public with
accurst ation about gay
prejudice and the likelihood of hate-
violence against gay men , and,
lesbians.”
-
"Any p is to
and/or the
purposes of the corporation and is
eighteendS) pr more years old is
eligible for membership.
Membership shall b active
upon payment of the annual dues
established by the Board of
Directors." ::::
LAMBDA CONNECTIONS
presents the
WINTER/HOLIDAY
BUSINESS/CRAFTS EXPO
Saturday, November 2 11 AM - 6 PM
Sunday, November3 1 PM - 5 PM
Masters Inn 3815 . Tryon St., Charlotte, NC
Come enjoy this free, entertaining afternoon, buying your
holiday gifts, finding out about different Lesbian and Gay
owned and supportive businesses, and supporting different
community organizations. There will be businesses and crafts
from all over the South displaying their products and services.
\ LAMBDA CONNECTIONS /
\ P.O. Box 12072 /
\ Charlotle, NC 28220 /
\ 1‘704'535‘8435 /
West Productions Presents:
MR. ERST COASTHSR
fi NEW BEGINNING
A Preliminary to Mr. Gay (ISfl on Friday. September 13
Categories Include:
Creative Formalwear
Interview
Talent
Swimwear
Prize $300 Cash to Winner
Please contact Rick for details at (919) 724-4644
BOURBON STREET
916 Burke Street
Winston-Salem, NC
OFFICIAL USA
PRCLIMINARV