When Studio West 117 posted on social media on Monday that they would be closing their doors on their Fieldhouse for good on December 28, it was the first time many were hearing the news.
Among those learning about the shuttering of the massive Cleveland entertainment complex: several LGBTQ+ nonprofits that regularly used the space for their activities.
Now these organizations are having to quickly pivot their plans to make sure their services go uninterrupted.
The Haus of Transcendent (HOT), an nonprofit connecting LGBTQ+ adults to community resources that address the social drivers of health, held a monthly event where they distributed free groceries to those in need.
“We will [now] have to find a new space to continue to store the food donated to us,” said Jordi Luke, chief executive officer of HOT.
Luke also highlighted that some of HOT’s volunteers are now experiencing job loss due to the closure.
“We will be exploring ways to support these individuals as they navigate this crisis,” Luke said.
Stonewall Sports Cleveland, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit sports organization, was set to kick off its upcoming dodgeball season on January 18 in Studio West 117’s Fieldhouse. 365 people were registered, all paying a $40 registration fee.
In an email to dodgeball registrants on Tuesday, Stonewall Sports leadership expressed commitment to “ensuring a successful, safe, and enjoyable season,” tempered with uncertainty about where the season would actually take place.
“To be prepared should we need to pivot to an alternate venue, we’d appreciate your help!,” wrote Rachel Louie, commissioner for Stonewall Sports. “If you know of any venues that would accommodate our league of 365 players on Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm, from January to March, please email us.”
The Cleveland Stonewall Democrats (CSD), the “voice of Greater Cleveland LGBTQ+ Democrats,” used the Studio West 117 space for their monthly membership meetings.
“Since the announcement, our Executive Board has been in discussions to find a new location for such meetings,” said Brooks Boron, president of CSD. “We look forward to finding an LGBTQIA+ affirming space where our members can gather, organize and help elect pro-equality Democrats up and down the ballot.”
B. Riley House, an organization offering inclusive, progressive and enduring recovery programs, described Studio West 117 as a “natural partner” that served as an “LGBTQ+ third space centered on wellness, belonging, and community enrichment.”
“For our community, Studio West 117 wasn’t ‘a bar,’” said Ty Stimpert, board president of B. Riley, “It was one of the few intentionally designed LGBTQ+ environments where people in recovery could learn, celebrate, move, and build meaningful relationships in a space created with their wellbeing in mind.”
“Beyond events, Studio West 117 opened its space to the community for health literacy workshops, offered sober-friendly game nights and comedy shows, maintained free community meals, and upheld a thoughtfully crafted mocktail menu that helped make the space accessible to people navigating sobriety,” Stimpert said of the programs that will no longer be offered there.
B. Riley leadership also highlighted that Studio West 117’s closure means the loss of job opportunities for their clients.
“Studio West 117 hired a number of B. Riley clients to work in the space, giving them special accommodations in their schedule to attend sobriety meetings and to work in areas that were not exposed to alcohol (the pizza kitchen, for example),” said Tony Correa, executive director of B. Riley.
Studio West 117 was also a frequent gathering space for the Rainbow Pioneers — a social support group that serves LGBTQ+ individuals ages 50+ — and the home for the past two years to the official Pride in the CLE after-party. The Buckeye Flame reached out to the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland to inquire about the future of that event, and this piece will be updated if a response is received.
Originally published by the Buckeye Flame. Republished here with permission.