The All-Ohio Lesbian-Gay Conference, an annual weekend-long LGBT+ conference, was held at the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) Thwing Center between 1981-1991. The first All-Ohio Lesbian-Gay Conference, co-sponsored by the GEAR Foundation and the CWRU Lesbian Gay Student Union, was held between April 26-27, 1981. The inaugural conference’s activities included presentations by keynote speakers, instructive workshops, and a small after-event “wine and cheese party.” Approximately 100 people attended the inaugural conference – far more than the 35 the conference’s organizers had initially anticipated. Attendance grew in subsequent years, averaging between 250-350 persons per conference weekend. The event’s format generally included a weekend of “entertainment, three sessions of instructive interactive workshops with contemporary gay and lesbian themes, and featured speakers” spread between Saturday and Sunday. A Friday evening reception, Saturday “afternoon cocktail hour,” and Saturday “evening party” granted attendees with ample time and opportunities to network and socialize with other LGBT+ attendees. For many, the All-Ohio Lesbian-Gay Conference was far more than just an annual educational and networking opportunity. As one passionate attendee reflected in a 1988 issue of the Gay People’s Chronicle, “this conference always has been more than just workshops and speakers. It has been a place, more than any place else, where Cleveland lesbians and gay men learn to celebrate themselves.” By 1989, however, the CWRU Lesbian-Gay Student Union could no longer afford to host host and manage the annual weekend conference. The following year, the Kent Gay-Lesbian Foundation stepped in to host the 1990 All-Ohio Lesbian-Gay Conference at the Kent State University Student Center. The conference returned to CWRU in 1991.
Additional information coming soon.
Resources
- “Cleveland’s New Challenge.” Gay People’s Chronicle. December 1988. Page 2.
- “C.W.R.U. Hosts Event.” High Gear. June 1982. Page 4.
- “CWRU Hosts 7th Conference.” Gay People’s Chronicle. January 1988. Page 1.
- “Eighth CWRU Lesbian/Gay Conference.” Gay People’s Chronicle. March 1989. Page 1.
- Fishman, Dianne. “Second Annual Gay/Lesbian Conference.” What She Wants. April-May 1983. Page 2.
- “Kent Gay-Lesbian Foundation to Host All-Ohio Conference This Year.” Gay People’s Chronicle. March 1990. Page 1, 3.
- Melmoth, Sebastian. “Community Congregates, Cogitates, Celebrates at CWRU.” Gay People’s Chronicle. May 1985. Page 8-9.
- Melmoth, Sebastian. “Conference Builds Unity.” Gay People’s Chronicle. May 1986. Page 1, 8-9.
- Melmoth, Sebastian. “Conference Celebrates Pride.” Gay People’s Chronicle. April 1986. Page 1, 12.
- Melmoth, Sebastian. “Conference to Feature McNaught.” Gay People’s Chronicle. February 1985. Page 1, 3.
- Melmoth, Sebastian. “Lesbian Mayor to Address Conference.” Gay People’s Chronicle. April 1985. Page 1, 3.
- Rich, Craig S. “CWRU Hosts 10th Annual All-Ohio Conference.” Gay People’s Chronicle. April 1991. Page 4.
- “The LGSU Conference.” Gay People’s Chronicle. May 1986. Page 4.