A JOINT PUBLICATION OF THE AKRON AND CLEVELAND CHAPTERS

PFLAG
this issue
Bullying 1 2 6 6 Chapter News Transgender Letter from the Editor Events 4-5
By Ed Kancler, Akron chapter president

MAY 2012

Every student deserves a safe space

Bullying can be a big problem for LGBT students. Nearly two-thirds report feeling unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation, 85 percent reported being verbally harassed, and 40 percent reported being physically harassed. GLSEN now offers Safe Space Kits to schools and educators to help them create positive and supporting environments for LGBT students. It includes a 42-page booklet, posters and other materials. GLSEN hopes to send kits to over 60,000 middle and high schools in the United States For $20 you can help. Visit www.SafeSpaceKit.com and select the school you care most about. GLSEN will do the rest.

Progress toward ending bullying in our schools

As the school year comes to an end, its time to reflect on what did and did not occur regarding bullying of school children. First, an update on the Union-Scioto High School matter: Levi Sever was filmed by his cousin mercilessly beating up a gay classmate. It went viral on YouTube and created quite an uproar which had little effect on the schools principal, who suspended Sever for a mere three days! However, the city prosecutor did not see it that was and had Sever cited in juvenile court. The judge did not see it that way, either. In December 2011, Sever was sentenced to 90 days in the Ross County Juvenile Detention Center and ordered to undergo mental therapy. Second, our beloved Ohio General Assembly, ever concerned with abortion and making sure that Planned Parenthood receives no share of federal funding, actually did something about bullying. Effective November 4, 2012, Section 3313.666 of the Ohio Revised Code will require all city, local exempted, and joint vocational school districts to establish policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying physically as well as by electronic means. The policy is to include a statement that prohibits such conduct at the school, on school buses, and at all school events. Likewise, the policy must be in student handbooks and be made available to the students as well as to their parents or legal guardians. You can look up the law on the Internetjust click on Ohio Revised Code section 3313.666. While the old law, which will expire when the new law takes effect, contains much the same language, it is the cyber bullying section that is new. With a greater public awareness of bullying, as well as knowing a lot of school districts have not followed the old law, heres a tip for parents: On November 4, make sure to ask your kids to get a copy of their schools handbook. And, if the policy is not included, get active with the school and make sure the administration does the right thing and follows the law. P.S. Kudos to the Sioux City Journal (Iowa) for using the entire front page of its April 22 edition to take a stand against bullying. Link: http:// www.democraticunderground.com/113710207

Our sincerest appreciation

We hope you are delighted with our new, full color newsletter! This has been made possible through the generous contribution of the Lanci family and Consolidated Graphics Group. FYIChapter meetings are now listed on the back cover (page 6).

Akron chapter news

PFLAG
Kancler speaks at KSU ball 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 illinformed 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.

Chapter president Ed Kancler was the keynote speaker at the Kent Gay Liberation Front reunion ball on April 21. The semiformal event was sponsored by PRIDE! Kent and held in the KSU Student Center. In addition to Eds address, the event included a best-dressed contest, refreshments and dancing. Ed noted that his involvement in PFLAG stemmed from a desire to help straight allies become knowledgeable about LGBT issues. I know theres a lot of straight people who believe in fairness, he told attendees. Sometimes they just arent aware of LGBT issues, and thats what were here for.

AKRON CHAPTER
PO Box 5471 Akron, OH 44334
P F L A G A K RO N . O RG [email protected]

Cleveland chapter news

Sellers makes bid for PSU Board
Cleveland PFLAGer Jes Sellers, a university psychologist and active leader in LGBT issues in Northeast Ohio, is vying for a Trustee position at Penn State. In a letter to supporters, Sellers said the university is at the crossroads for significant change or continued peril after the recent child abuse scandal, and that his advocacy for inclusivity and community health initiatives would be at the forefront of his efforts on the Board. Penn State alumni receive ballots by mail or email and are eligible to vote through May 3 at 9:00 am.

State news
State meeting a success
By Marianne Buccini, Cleveland chapter secretary

INFO & HELPLINE: 330-342-5825

Executive Board
President-Ed Kancler; VP-Bill Libby; Secretary-Joe Gardner; TreasurerSue Magilavy; At Large-Chris Goldthorpe, Bob and Valerie Hempel, David Horowitz, Marie Libby, Audrey Kancler, Kim and Joe Mosyjowski, Bob Menapace, Joy Watts

PFLAG Lima hosted a very successful state meeting for both PFLAG leaders from our Ohio chapters and the Lima community. The day included break-out sessions on: Family Issues; Grants/Fundraising; Gender/ Sexual Identity; Advocacy; Telling Your Story and Involving the Media; and African American LGBTQ Story. A lunchtime panel discussion and Q&A on LGBT and Religion featured Ron Goetz, Rabbi David Horowitz, Dr. Michael Jenkins, and Rev. Becky Sunday. Deborah Wilcox provided the closing session, Bringing It All Together. Dan Tepfer facilitated updates from each chapter. Michael Ley, PFLAG Lima secretary and past chapter president, coordinated the day, along with the conference committee.

Committee Chairs
Membership-Chuck Magilavy, Publicity-Marie Libby; Library-David Greene; Hospitality-Rada Jenkins; Newsletter-Audrey Kancler

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

SAVE the DATE! Cleveland PFLAG Brunch and Pride Parade

Dont miss out on our annual brunch before the Cleveland Pride Parade and Festival on Saturday, June 23. Brunch is from 10:00 am to noon at the Old Stone Church on Public Square and is open to friends and allies.

[email protected]

INFOLINE: 216-556-1701
Executive Board
President-Sharon Groh-Wargo; VP-Jeanette Nemcek; Treasurer-Art Thomson; Secretary-Marianne Buccini; At Large-Alan Cohen, Bill Franklin, Craig Hoffman; Legislative Coord.-Tom Roese; Newsletter-Pat Brandt; Snacks-Rebecca and Carl Schultz; Technology-Corey Glaze and Quentin Jamieson

Marriage initiative lacks support

A ballot initiative to repeal Ohios 2004 samesex marriage ban will move forward, despite lack of endorsement from National Freedom to Marry, Equality Ohio, and HRC. These groups say a ballot initiative is premature and unlikely to pass.

Save the DATE! Summer Picnic

Our annual chapter picnic will be Sunday, August 12 at Harper RidgeSouth Chagrin Reservation in the Cleveland Metroparks from 1:00-5:00 pm.

Y O U AL W AY S H AV E A HO M E AT PF L AG

CALL to ACTION!
Weigh in on CF Natatorium policy
Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) Parks and Recreation Board is considering a policy change to allow gay and lesbian couples to obtain membership to its Natatorium recreational center at the same rate as other couples. The issue came to light when former resident Shane May and his husband Coty were denied a couples discount because their Washington, D.C.based marriage is not recognized by Ohio law. At a recent parks board meeting, Recreation Superintendent Bill Lohan estimated that removing spouse from the Nats membership plan would cost the city-run facility $49,000 per year in revenue losses. However, that estimate was contested by Councilwoman Diana Colavecchio. The parks board has in-

Pro-LGBT religious voices missing in media

GLAAD recently released the results of a study that analyzed national media coverage of LGBT equality and religion. Missing Voices showed that national media outlets consistently go back to the same religious representatives for input into LGBT equality issues, despite the fact that LGBT equality has grown in every religious group in the United States. A religious voice in support of LGBT equality is rare, the study showed, and that voice is most often presented without any religious identification. Three out of four religious voices heard on mainstream media talking about LGBT equality come from traditions that have formalized opposition to LGBT equality. Evangelical Christian and Roman Catholic leaders are disproportionately represented on airwaves, and their messages are negative, according to Ross Murray, director of Religion, Faith & Values at GLAAD. We are not hearing fair representation in the media from Mainline Protestants, Jews, and other religious traditions who are affirming of LGBT people, Murray said in a press release. GLAAD plans to use the study results to educate media outlets about the portrayal and the reality of religious views on LGBT equality. You can find a summary and full findings of the study at: www.glaad.org/missingvoices

Equality Express Tour needs you!

Equality Ohio is excited to announce the 2012 Equality Express Tour. This amazing event will crisscross the state and engage communities through service projects and voter registration drives. Each city will be a new experience and perspective of what it means to live together in Ohio. In addition, the tour is Stops are planned in Zanesville, Akron/Canton, Cleveland, Toledo/Bowling Green, Lima, Dayton/ Springfield, Cincinnati, Athens, Chillicothe and Columbus. seeking host families in each city. The Northeast Ohio leg of the tour is June 20-21. Housing for 10 people is needed. See contact info above to obtain details. Equality Ohio is currently accepting applications for eight college-age interns. This is a one-month paid internship, housing and meals included. Contact Lee Reinhart at [email protected] or 614-224-0400 for details.

vited the public to weigh in on the issue at its May 10 meeting at the Natatorium at 5:30 pm. Make your voice heard with an email:
PARKSANDRECREATION

@CITYOFCF.COM

2014 Gay Games planning going smoothly

With just over two years to go until the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Gay Games begin in Cleveland and Akron, organizers say things are going so well that online registration for athletes should be available in a couple of weeks.

Diversity walk & run

Diversity Center annual walk/run
The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio will host its annual Walk, Rock and Run at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd, on May 5. Registration is run/7:30 am, walk/8:00 am and includes free admission to the Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center. Run registration is $25. Walk registration is free.

HRC Events
Cinco de Mayo bowling for equality
The Human Rights Campaign will host its annual Bowling for Equality event in Cleveland on Saturday, May 5 at The Corner Alley on Euclid Avenue. VIP party begins at 5:30 pm, with three general admission bowling waves starting at 7:00 pm, 8:30 pm, and 10:00 pm. Tickets include bowling, shoes, and after party. Non-bowlers may also attend at a reduced price. For ticket info visit www.hrc.org.

GG9 is expected to draw 13,000 athletes from all over the world to compete in 30 events, as well as over 25,000 spectators, performers and volunteers. Based on previous events, it has the potential to bring tens of millions of dollars into the Northeast Ohio economy.

Gay Endowment Fund

10th Anniversary celebration
The Gay Community Endowment Fund invites you to its 10th anniversary dinner and cabaret performance, featuring Ann Hampton Callaway, on Friday, June 8 at the Akron Civic Theater. Callaway is best known for her Tonynominated performance in Swing! and for writing and singing the theme song for The Nanny. She has collaborated with Barbra Streisand, Cole Porter, and the Cleveland Orchestra. Cocktails and dinner and the cabaret will be followed by dessert and a meet and greet with Callaway. Tickets are $100-$200 and include two drinks. Full cash bar available. Dinner served tapas style. Vegetarian/gluten free option must be requested with reservation. All proceeds benefit a new education initiative of the GCEF, a fund of the Akron Community Foundation. For tickets, call 330-376-8522 or visit www.gaycommunityfund.org/tickets. In ten years, GCEF has built a permanent philanthropic endowment of over $700,000, the interest from which is awarded annually through grantmaking. It has supported over 50 organizations with nearly $160,000.

SAVE the DATE! Annual gala

The Human Rights Campaign will host its annual Cleveland gala on Saturday, August 25 at the Wolstein Center of Cleveland State University, 2000 E. Prospect Ave. This years event is titled, Make Equality Count: Its Written in the Stars. HRC is currently seeking corporate sponsors, silent auction donations, event volunteers, and ads for the gala program book. Event tickets are $175/person, $100/students. For tickets visit www.hrc.org.

Organizers are currently seeking sponsors, volunteers, and host families for athletes via its website. For information, visit online at www.2014gaygamesclevel and.com

W HEN Y O U NO L O NG ER N EED PF L AG , T HAT S W HEN PF L AG N EED S Y O U

FINAL CALL FOR LOBBY DAY

ColumbusWed., May 16
Its not too late to register for Equality Ohios Lobby Day at the state capitol. Share your story and advocate for equality with our state legislators! For details and registration: www.equalityohio.org

Ohio Scout leader ousted for being a lesbian

The Boy Scouts of America are in the media spotlight for firing a volunteer Cub Scout den mother simply because she is gay. Jennifer Tyrrell was ousted by her Bridgeport, Ohio, Cub Scout troop for being a lesbian in March. According to news reports, the Boy Scouts of America told Tyrrell she was being removed from her position as den mother because her sexual orientation "did not meet the high standards" of conduct set by the organization. "Everyone locally knew I was gay," Tyrrell told ABC News. "I was devastated. I cried for two days. Those kids were my family. All my parents were devastated." Tyrrell has since pulled her 7-year-old son out of scouting. "We can no longer support an organization that has these policies and we hope to get them changed," Tyrrell said in her interview with ABC News. "That is our main goal." She has since launched a campaign to bring awareness of the Boy Scouts anti-gay policy on Change.org. According to ABCNews.com, the petition has already garnered over 140,000 signatures and several celebrity endorsements. Tyrrell has appeared on CNN and other news outlets and was honored at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles. A 2000 U.S. Supreme Court found that a New Jersey law requiring the national organization to readmit an openly gay Scout Master infringed on the organizations First Amendment right of expressive association and that it had a constitutional right to oppose homosexuality in its ranks. The Court noted the decision was not meant to approve or condemn the Boy Scouts view on homosexuality. But Tyrrell said her son does not understand why they had to leave scouting, and ultimately she wants to see the organization accept gay leaders and scouts. "This isn't about my sexuality; this isn't about anybody's sexuality," Tyrrell told CNN. "It's about teaching children to be better adults, and we aren't doing that by teaching them to hate or discriminate."

JUNE PRIDE Parade schedule

COLUMBUSJune 15-16 This 31st annual event kicks off at Goodale Park, 120 W. Goodale Blvd. Parade Saturday steps off downtown and marches up High St. www.stonewallcolumbus.org or 614-299-7764. CLEVELANDJune 23 Parade steps off at noon from West 3rd and St. Clair, marches to Voinovich Park (East 9th and Lake Erie) for festival at 1:00 pm. 216-2260004 or www.clevelandpride.org.

Ta Da! Feasts & parties for the LGBT community

The LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland is pleased to announce its 17th year of summer parties, outings and dinners. But rememberthese events fill up fast! Visit www.LGBTcleveland.org for info. Thurs., May 10, 6:00 pmA sophisticated taste of spring at Whole Foods market. Salad varieties and select wines. Gift bag and gift drawing. $30 / 30 guests Sat., May 19, 6:30 pmAn Italian feast in an ultra contemporary Little Italy townhouse. Enjoy local specialities, wine, and the garden and view of the skyline. $50 / 40 guests Sun., May 20, 4:00 pmA traditional soul food dinner with an interfaith group of clergy and lay leaders. Fried chicken, BBQ ribs, greens, corn bread, cobbler and pie. $30 / 40 guests

NORTH COAST Mens Chorus

Brian Stokes Mitchell, star of Broadway, film and TV, joins the North Coast Mens Chorus on June 23 at 8:00 pm at the Palace Theater. Tickets: 216-241-6000 or www.playhousesquare.com.

EEOC ruling opens protection for transgender Americans

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued an opinion that employment discrimination based on gender identity violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. LGBT news magazine. According to Metro Weekly, the EEOC decision arose from a transgender womans claims that she was denied employment with the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) after the agency learned of her transition. She took her case to the Transgender Law Center (TLC), which filed a complaint with the Office of Equal Opportunity within the ATF, and then petitioned the EEOC for clarification of Title VII. Given the incredibly high rate of employment discrimination facing transgender people, this is incredibly significant for us, Masen Davis, head of the TLC, told Metro Weekly. Given that transgender people to not have employment protections in the vast majority of states, this creates a whole new fabric of legal support.

US makes travel easier for TG people

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has updated its policy manual to reflect the State Departments rules on passports, allowing for a doctor to certify gender without reassignment surgery and recognizing heterosexual marriages after a spouse transitions.

If enforced, the opinion has dramatic legal ramifications, as it is binding on all federal agencies and departments and applies to all EEOC enforcement activities, according to an article in Washington, D.C.s Metro Weekly, an

Celebrate diversity by getting active

By Pat Brandt, Editor a kit for them for $20. Maybe that kit will help a teenager who is isolated, bullied or contemplatAt the Friendraiser we heard that ing suicide. Isnt that worth your the Obamas were observing the twenty dollars? National Day of Silence by Yes, everyday we hear stories watching the movie, Bully. about the progress made. Just Wow! Eight thousand schools yesterday, I opened a welcome participated in observing the day. Fabulous!! But that is only a letter from the Office of Diversity Affairs of Miami University of small percentage in our U.S. Ohio to my daughter. In it was public school system, certainly not even 20 percent of the total. outlined the colleges programs I have been lucky enough to for new students and one of My daughters high school did take in a few of these events in those were GLBTQ Services! the last several weeks and enjoy not partake. How many other celebrations throughout the schools are like my district? Do I even have to ask that question? Still we must remember that 44 Cleveland/Akron area. There of our 50 states do not allow was the party atmosphere of the Just open the newspaper and same-sex marriages. Celebrate GLSEN Breaking the Silence read another story of school the six that do, but lets make Friendraiser held at Progressive bullying or teenage suicide. sure that it doesnt stop there. Fields Terrace Club, the glamour and buzz of 10% Cinema at State Rep. Nicky Antonio, Sen. Maybe your son or daughter is Sherrod Browns aide Max Cleveland International Film Blachman, and the national and living on their own peacefully Festival, and working the PFLAG without much controversy. But local GLSEN staff made clear booth at the Cleveland Zoos there was much hard work to be there is so much more to be Earthfest day interacting with so done. Get active. Come with a done. That much is for sure. many concerned citizens learnfriend to a PFLAG meeting, atRep. Antonio stressed that we ing about the ways that we can tend an event just for fun, write make our planet a better place to must do this hard work to beletters to your legislators or come our true selves, free to live. All of these things were be who we are and love who we make a donation. want to love. Lets not be complacent about where we are and how we need What to do? Go to safespaceTAKE NOTE! to make advances for our loved kit.com and look up your local Note new day & place high school (see page 1). Order ones. Hooray! There is so much going on in the LGBT community! Each month as I sit down to select events to include in our newsletter I am amazed by the volume of things that are happening: networking events, parties, sporting events, film showings, book clubs, bingo nights, concerts, galas, fashion shows. The list could go on and on. extremely positive experiences, but sobering as well.
for Youngstown

CHAPTER MTGS.
Akron PFLAG
May 17, June 21 - 7:00 pm
N. Springfield Presbyterian 671 N. Canton Rd.

Cleveland PFLAG
May 8, June 12 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal 2230 Euclid Ave,, 44115

Alliance PFLAG
Info: [email protected]

Wooster PFLAG
May 17, June 21 - 7:00 pm
Universalist Fellowship 3186 Burbank Rd.
Please call ahead to confirm.

Youngstown PFLAG
May 8, June 12 - 6:30 pm
St. Johns Episcopal 323 Wick Ave.