Northeast Ohio

October 2011 Vol. 42 No. 10

Parents,

Families

and

Friends

of

Lesbians

and

Gays

A joint publication of the Akron and Cleveland chapters

Ignorance, glorious ignorance!

By Ed Kancler, Akron chapter president

Inside this issue:

About Us Chapter news Events Reports and more 2 3 4-5 6

as glorifying ignorance become a way of life in our country? A gay Iraqi war veteran was booed by the Tea Party folks at the Florida Straw Vote event. His question was about the repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell and was answered amid cheers by a candidate who doesnt approve of social engineering. There are people out there who honestly believe that all we have to do to right the course of the United States is to return to the principles of our Founding Fathers. Those principles included no rights for women

stitution (which, by the way, was the second onethe Articles of Confederation having failed) did not believe in compromise. This, despite the fact (voting or property, once mar- that most, if not all, scholars riedyou can look it up), few believe the Founders viewed compromise as essential to rights for men who owned no governingnot My way or the property, slavery for those of color, and non-personhood for highwayeven if it meant native Indians. And curiously, closing things down. even though slaves couldnt Given all that, from my vote, there were regarded as simple point of view, it is a 3/5 of a person for determining miracle that the cause for congressional districts. LGBT rights has made the gains it has, even with setSimply said, if you want that package, you have to take backs. In this atmosphere, the whole thing, good and bad. imagine what it would be like if Worse, these people thing African-Americans were seekthat the founders of our Con(Continued on page 2)

CHAPTER MTGS.
Akron PFLAG
Oct. 20, Nov. 17 - 7 pm
N. Springfield Presbyt. 671 N. Canton Rd.

Cleveland PFLAG
Oct. 11, Nov. 8 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal 2230 Euclid Ave,, 44115

Raise your voice for EHEA

COLUMBUSThe steps of the state capitol building were a little more crowded than normal on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 27. The crowd that was interfering with the flow of traffic into and out of the Statehouse was there to hear our own LGBT Rep. Nickie Antonio (D) of Lakewood and her colleague, Rep. Ross McGregor (R) speak. They were about to introduce HB 355, also known as EHEA (Equal Housing, Employment and Accommodations Act), into the legislature this session. This bill was known previously as HB 176 in 2009 and was able to pass the House at that time, but did not make it to the Senate floor for consideration.
(Continued on page 2)

Alliance PFLAG
Info: a_cromwel@yahoo.com

Wooster PFLAG
Oct. 20, Nov. 17 - 7 pm
Universalist Fellowship 3186 Burbank Rd.
Please call ahead to confirm.

Youngstown PFLAG
Oct. 16, Nov. 20 - 3 pm
Stonewall Comm. Ctr. 1523 Poland Ave.

Page 2

Northeast Ohio PFLAG

IGNORANCE (Continued from page 1)

PFLAG
Our Mission
PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons, their families and friends through SUPPORT to cope with an adverse society; EDUCATION to enlighten an ill-informed public; and ADVOCACY to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.

ing equality today (social engineering), or if women wanted the right to vote (Dont they know their place?), and if native Indians wanted more than those wonderful out west, desert reservations (How dare they infringe on our rights!). So, why are we making progress in this kind of atmosphere? I see two rea-

sons: First, we keep pushing for equality, making people aware and not backing away from the fray. Second, good reasonable people see the inherent wrongness of inequality. But, woe to us if we let up! There are those out there whose misguided, uneducated beliefs want to eliminate LGBT equality. So, lets do our thing and keep advocating, educating, and supporting. Its our mission!

EHEA (Continued from page 1)

Reps. Antonio and McGregor both touched on the financial impact that the passage of this legislation would have on the economy of Ohio, making us a better competitor nationally. They also spoke about the individual civil rights the bill addresses. Six other House members along with Reps. Antonio and McGregor were on the steps for this press conference and this was but a portion of the total cosponsors of the current bill. We were happy to hear that Senators Skindell of Cleveland and Tavares of Columbus are sponsoring a parallel bill in the Senate and one of Senator Skindells aides was there to testify to his commitment. As Ed Mullen of Equality Ohio brought to our attention, there are hundreds of thousands of Ohioans that would be impacted by the passage of this bill. They are our teachers, mailmen, hairdressers and police and firefighters. They are our brothers, sisters, parents, children, friends and partners. They are you and me. We must make our legislators know that we are not invisible and we voted

them into office to hear our voices and carry out their jobs in our best interest. Pick up the phone and call your legislatore-mail, twitter or text. Dont let him/her forget how or why they are in Columbus! That aide on the other end of the line will most often be on your side and be an ally for you when it comes time for your legislator to vote. We cannot allow any more witch hunts to be carried out on our citizens. Listen to the story of Bonnie McGinness @ http://blogs.dixcdn.com/ capitalblog/2011/09/equality-ohio who spoke that Tuesday afternoon. Hear how she had to give up the career of her dreams as an outstanding teacher of high school English, mentoring students and growing her love of literature with them, because she was outed as a lesbian. Her life was ripped out from under her and her children because there was no law in place to protect her or her job. All of us should be able to leave a job of our choosing, go home to the house that we share with our loved one of any gender in a neighborhood that we choose. This is where we should live without fear. Let us make our voices heard now!

AKRON CHAPTER
PO Box 5471 Akron, OH 44334
W W W . P F LA G A K RO N . O RG

HELPLINE: 330-342-5825
Executive Board
President-Ed Kancler; VP-Bill Libby; Secretary-Joe Gardner; Treasurer-Sue Magilavy; At Large-Chris Goldthorpe, David Horowitz, Marie Libby, Audrey Kancler, Joy Watts, Jim Lake, Chuck Magilavy, Bob Menapace

Committee Chairs
Membership-Trish Casserly; Programopen; Publicity-Marie Libby; LibraryDavid Greene; Hospitality-Rada Jenkins; Newsletter-Audrey Kancler

CLEVELAND CHAPTER
615 Prospect St. Berea, OH 44017
W W W . P F LA G C LE V E LA N D . O RG

mail@pflagcleveland.org

INFOLINE: 216-556-1701
Executive Board
President-Sharon Groh-Wargo; VP-Jes Sellers; Secretary-Marianne Buccini; Treasurer-Art Thomson; At Large-Alan Cohen, Diana DeForest, Craig Hoffman; Legislative Coordinator-Tom Roese; Newsletter-Pat Brandt; Snacks-Gail Smith; Webmaster-Quentin Jamieson

Snowbirding? Let us know!

We know it won't be long before the "snowbirds" start heading south for a few months. If you will be away but would like to get the Newsletter, please let us know your temporary address. If you just prefer your Newsletter stopped, please let us know how long you will be gone. It costs us 44 cents for every returned Newsletter, and after awhile it adds up. You can email your request to akancler@windstream.net or call 330-963-7758.

October 2011

Page 3

Lancis honored at HRC dinner

HRC Gala Dinners are known to have high profile politicians and award recipients speak as part of the evenings program. The 18th Annual Cleveland Dinner and Auction held August 27 at the Wolstein Center on CSUs campus was no exception. Local politicians like Cleveland City Council member Joe Cimperman and State Senator Sherrod Brown spoke on the progress that has been made at the local and state levels for LGBT rights. HRC president, Joe Solmonese, spoke about his 7-year tenure at the helm of HRC, his recent resignation and what he hopes to accomplish in years to come. Excitement and sparkle filled the air when Chrissie Hynde of the rock group The Pretenders took the stage to accept the Ally for Equality Award. However, nothing was more moving for the audience, especially to the group of PFLAG Cleveland members, than to hear the story of the Lanci family, longtime members and generous donors to our local chapter. Mr. Lanci, spoke with pride about his son, Wally, who introduced his dad before his speech about the Federal Club membership. Mr. Lanci shared the emotional story of his family and their unwavering support of the young man who was wracked with anguish during his coming out, to the point of contemplating suicide. He described the confusion and worry that his family experienced as they watched Wally spiral downward before revealing his sexual orientation. Mr. Lanci spoke of the desperation and fear they felt on finding a suicide note that preceded his sons disappearance. Fortunately, the rally of support that welcomed Wally after his coming out gave way to the happy ending of a whole and healthy family. Mr. and Mrs. Lanci and Wally attended the dinner to give witness to what happens when we choose love over hate. A resounding standing ovation of love was given back to the family on the stage that evening. PFLAG members were front and center clapping the loudest!

Akron PFLAG Oct. Meeting Program

Akron PFLAG will host a showing of the documentary film, Bullied: A Student, a School, and a Case that Made History at its regular meeting on Thurs., October 20 at North Springfield Presbyterian Church, 671 N. Canton Road, at 7:00 p.m. The 40-minute film chronicles Jamie Naboznys torment at the hands of anti-gay bullies. After years of unrelenting bullying at school, Jamie took his case to court. His inspiring story offers hope for millions of LGBT students who still dont feel safe at school. It also offers ideas for parents who face bullying issues with their children. This showing is made possible by Teaching Tolerance, the anti-bias education project of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Discussion will follow.

Doggie Pride Daya good time for all

Cookie dough sale

Colors of Pride, a nonprofit to bridge racial divides between LGBT and straight communities of color, is sponsoring a cookie dough sale through October 31. Resealable 2 lb. tubs sell for $10. Flavors are: chocolate chunk, sugar, peanut butter, snickerdoodle, oatmeal raisin, and white chocolate.

info@colorsofclevelandpride.org Some rainbow-decked canines and their humans enjoy Cleveland PFLAGs Doggie Pride Day at Tremont Dog Park on September 17. We hope to make this an annual event!

Page 4

Northeast Ohio PFLAG

Kent Trumbull hosts Laramie

Kent Trumbull Theatre is partnering with the departments of LGBT Studies and Criminology and Justice Studies as well as the Trumbull Campus Diversity Council, Mahoning Valley Pride Center and PFLAG to produce The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. Show dates are October 7-9, 14-16 (Saturdays 8:00 p.m., Sundays 3:00 p.m.) at Kent Trumbull Theatre, 4314 Mahoning Avenue NW, Warren. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, $6 for children, and free to KSU students, faculty and staff. After the opening show on Oct. 9, there will be a talk-back session featuring Kents Howard Markert, who has personal knowledge of Laramie, and Dr. Dolores Noll, who pioneered gay studies at KSU and now advises the gay student group. In Laramie: Ten Years Later the Tectonic Theater Project returns to the small Wyoming town where Matthew Shepard was brutally tortured and murdered in 1998. The original Laramie Project interviewed members of the community on how this hate crime impacted their town. The follow-up, Ten Years Later, asks if the impact has changed the community in any long-term way and what life in Laramie tells us about life in America ten years later. For tickets: 330-847-0571.

Cleveland PFLAG hosts

Cleveland PFLAG will host an outing to the Hanna Theater, 2067 E. 14th St., for a matinee performance of the Tony Award-winning musical Cabaret on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 3:00 p.m. We have a block of discounted tickets available and PFLAG will participate in a community panel after the performance. Visit www.pflagcleveland.org for more information.

More events
PLEXUS Connections NightInformal night for art lovers at MOCA, 8501 Euclid Ave., October 12, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Cocktails and music free; donations appreciated. www.mocaclevelad.org. CANAPI Drag Bingofundraiser and drag show, with appetizers, and cash bar. 5:00 p.m. at Greystone Hall, 103 S. High St., Akron on Oct. 30 and Nov. 20. Tickets $20. Call 330-252-1559. Humanitarian Award DinnerThe Diversity Center will honor people of outstanding dedication and community service in our region on Tues., Nov. 15, Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. Reception 6:00 p.m., Dinner 7:00 p.m. www.diversitycenterneo.org. Boys in the Bandclassic queer play about a birthday party gone awry, convergence-Continuum Theater, The Liminis Theater, 2438 Scranton Rd. www.convergence-continuum.org or 216-687-0074.

GLSEN Ally Week, NEO youth conference

Ally Week
GLSEN and students across the country, often as members of a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), will celebrate Ally Week on October 1721 in schools and communities nationwide. Ally Week is a time for students to organize events that serve to identify, support and celebrate allies against anti-LGBT language, bullying and harassment in school. GLSEN also encourages students to sign the Ally Week pledge: I believe all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, deserve to feel safe and supported. That means I pledge to: 1. 2. Not use anti-LGBT language and slurs; Intervene, if I safely can, in situations 3. where other students are being harassed; Support efforts to end bullying and harassment.

Take the pledge at allyweek.org.

NEO Youth Conference

GLSEN NEO will host its 5th annual youth conference on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Cleveland State University from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. The conference is for high school students who are working with their schools or communitys GSA or diversity club. Registration required by Oct. 31. To register visit http:// glsenneo5yc.eventbrite.com. For more info: gsaneo@yahoo.com.

October 2011

Page 5

PFLAG National
CONVENTION
Join us in our nations capital for the 2011 PFLAG National Convention Nov. 3-6, when we bring the message home from our house to the White House. Events include: five skillsbuilding workshops; three expert-led plenary sessions; networking with PFLAGers from across the country; and Lobby Day on Capitol Hill. Visit www.pflag.org/convention for a full schedule and registration.

World Team Tennis Smash Hits

Elton John and Billie Jean King bring this world-class charity event to Cleveland
Longtime friends Elton John and Billie Jean King are bringing their annual celebrity tennis charity event to Cleveland for the first time in its 19-year history. Tennis greats Andy Roddick, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe and more will join other top players for one night of co-ed team tennis to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland. The event is being presented by GEICO on Thurs., Oct. 27, at Public Hall, 500 Lakeside Avenue East. A VIP reception and live auction will include mingling with the celebrities. Elton John will also play in a celebrity doubles match to open the event.

LGBT Older Adults

The Cleveland LGBT Center will host All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, a McGregor PACE Program presentation for Senior Out & About at 1:00 p.m. The LGBT Center is located at 6600 Detroit Ave., Cleveland. For info: 216-651-5428 x.24 or www.lgbtcleveland.org. The American Society of Aging offers resources specific to the needs of older LGBT adults, including services and programs, and issues such as health and socioeconomic disparities. ASA can be found at asaging.org. The LGBT Aging Issues Network is hosting a web seminar that outlines the needs of LGBT older adults, including barriers to affordable housing and senior services, on October 13 at 10:00 a.m. Info: www.asaging.org/ october-13-2011.

Billie Jean King and Elton John

For tickets: www.WTT.com/ SmashHits. The event is produced by World Team Tennis in association with the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.

Natl. Coming Out Day event

Mark your calendars for the Cleveland LGBT Heritage Day Celebration on October 11 at Cleveland City Hall Rotunda, 601 Lakeside Ave., starting at 5:30 p.m. A cross-section of the citys civic leaders will gather to honor the vibrancy and diversity of Clevelands LGBT community. Several LGBT leaders and supporters will also be honored.

Sugar Plum Tour Dec. 4

Save the date! December 4 is the 10th annual Sugar Plum Tour of Homes in Akron. This event will be held from 2:00-5:30 p.m., followed by a patron party from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Tour chair Steve Williams says, The homes that were selected for this tour are exquisite and extraordinary and will give the viewer great ideas and dreams for their own homes. Tickets go on sale Nov. 7 at 10:00 a.m. and range from $25-$150. This is a sell-out event, so dont wait! Proceeds benefit the Gay Community Endowment Fund.

Page 6

Northeast Ohio PFLAG

Seeking research survey participants

Spouses of Transgendered
A researcher at the University of Akron is seeking spouses/partners of transgender individuals to participate in a study examining their experiences during gender transition of their spouse/partner. Participants must be 18 year or older and be partners/spouses of transgender individuals. This is a 60minute interview. Contact Dr. Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich at 330-972-6851 or vfs@uakron.edu. mation will be anonymous. For more information, send an email to lco0001@auburn.edu.

Student wins national award

Choice USA has recognized a local teen for his efforts to protect sexual rights for young people. Daniel Sparks, 17, was honored with the Choice USA Excellence in Leadership Award. Danny is a founding member of the Ohio Advocates for Youth Leadership Council, a project of the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland. Danny was recognized for being the driving force behind eliminating abstinence-only programs from Parmas schools. In an essay about his efforts, he wrote: In a school district where there is only one semester of health education, and only one week for sexual health, Operation Keepsake was allowed to spend countless minutes describing a keepsake or the benefits of marriage, all-thewhile leaving out relevant information regarding our health. As a gay student, I felt ostracized, and as a teenager, I felt deprived Operation Keepsakes curriculum sounds good, but it fails to provide the whole picture, and what it lacks or misconstrues, comprehensive sex education provides. Im about nothing more than simply providing young people with accurate information in an honest atmosphere so that we, as the next generation of leaders, can take our health/sexual health into our own hands; so that we, as responsible young people, can reduce in our futures unplanned pregnancies and STIs, and, in doing so, increase our access to a better future. Danny was also honored this year as the grand marshal in the 2011 Cleveland Pride parade.

Same-Sex Couples
A researcher at Auburn University invites you to participate in a study on the social support and relationship satisfaction in same-sex couples. Participants must be of legal age in their state of residence, be currently involved in a romantic same-sex relationship, and be out to at least one parent or parental figure. Parents of individuals involved in a same-sex relationship are also eligible to participate. Study involves a demographic questionnaire and online survey, taking approximately 15-25 minutes. All infor-

National Gay Man Survey

Researchers at John Carroll University are seeking gay men to participate in a national, online survey study on reasons for gay mens relationship satisfaction and stability. Participants should be gay men in either a dating or committed relationship. The survey takes 20-30 minutes to complete. All information is completely anonymous and participants are eligible to win $10-$50 in gift cards. To access the survey, visit: www.surveymonkey.com/s/ Togetherness_Survey.

ACLU reports on banned LGBT websites

Public schools across the country are largely receptive to removing web filters that block educational content related to the LGBT community, according to a new report released by the American Civil Liberties Union LGBT Project. The report summarized the results of the ACLUs Dont Filter Me initiative to combat censorship of LGBT web content in public schools. Once schools are alerted to the fact that their filters may be blocking LGBT-supportive content, the overwhelming majority have voluntarily changed their policies to provide their students with viewpoint-neutral Internet access, said Joshua Block, staff attorney with the ACLU/LGBT Project. This includes access to sites that have information on scholarships and educational resources for LGBT students. Five out of six software companies targeted by the initiative changed their software to distinguish educational LGBT content from adult content.

Yo u a l way s h ave a h o m e a t P FL AG !