Mass gay marriage makes history in Cleveland with over 2,000 wedding guests! [PHOTOS] [VIDEOS]

Photo by Vision Video Productions

The Ohio Street Protest for Full Equality took over yet another city in Ohio, this time invading Cleveland this past Saturday (March 24). (Check out this post and this post for details on similar protest last year.) But the protest did more than just disrupt traffic. It made history. After the rally on the steps of Cleveland’s City Hall, near Willard Park at the corner of 9th Street and Lakeside Avenue, participants marched down the street to the Galleria to witness a mass wedding featuring over 250 straight and gay couples. A first for the state, and made even the region.

It was also a historic day for me personally as it was my first pro-gay marriage/equality protest! It was definitely a life changing experience. I was the first speaker (introduced by rally MC Ed Mullen, director of Equality Ohio) and spoke about bullying on behalf of the It Gets Better Project and the Make it Better Foundation. I made a host of new friends (thanks Shannon Glatz, Liberty Manos and Tom Morgan!) and bonded with people from all over the state about issues that I’m passionate about.

It will definitely go down as one of the greatest days of my life. I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself. In that moment in a crowd of 2,000 I felt like I could truly make a difference. I was a very powerful experience that I’ll never forget.

Several organizations came together to plan this amazing event including Equality Ohio, GetEQUAL, Freedom to Marry. And there were several amazing speakers including Captain Steve Snyder-Hill, who is the plaintiff, along with his partner, in a high profile DOMA case and the soldier who was booed at the Republican debate in September; former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan, who is a leader of Freedom to Marry Ohio, which is collecting petitions to have gay marriage added to the 2013 ballot; and a surprise visit from former Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy, a long time advocate for gay rights, she’s was just named the new CEO of Freedom to Marry Ohio.

Robert and Joyce Strommen

All the speeches were amazing, but I have my favorite was from Pastor Robert and Joyce Strommen (pictured above) who are a part of the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats but were mainly there representing the Cleveland branch of PFLAG (Parents and Families of Lesbians and Gays). They were an older couple who gave a tear-jerking speech about the importance of acceptance. I kept think about my own grandparents and parents and wishing they were as accepting as the Strommens.

The rally also garnered lots of press coverage. Check out videos from Cleveland’s local ABC, NBC and Fox news affiliates. and since I was there my journalism bug kicked in I took a few pictures and video (video #1, video #2) of my own.

Here are a couple amazing videos of Vision Video Productions. Overall I think they have the best coverage of the event that I’ve seen.

VVP has been posting video and photos of the event on their Facebook page all week. Here are the ones they’ve posted so far. You can continue to follow their videos on their YouTube page.

Ohio Street Protest for Full Equality in Cleveland will feature historic mass gay wedding March 24

Equality Ohio and GetEQUAL Ohio are teaming up for the Ohio Street Protest for Full Equality taking over Cleveland March 24. This is the third rally of its kind, with average crowd of 400 taking over the downtowns of Cincinnati and Columbus late last year.

The protest’s organizers are expecting a slightly bigger turnout in Cleveland, since this time they’ll be staging a mass wedding featuring 200 couples, the first of it’s kind in Ohio. A rally highlighting speakers from both of the sponsoring organizations along with community leaders from around the state (including yours truly) will be followed by the biggest gay wedding Ohioans have ever seen.

Ed Mullen (Equality Ohio’s executive director) and Tom Morgan (director of GetEQUAL Ohio) both spoke to The Plain Dealer about the protest:

Rallies were held late last year in Columbus and Cincinnati, but Ed Mullen, executive director of Equality Ohio, said this may be the first such event in the Midwest, featuring a mass wedding.

“The more people see what same-sex couples look like and who they are, it enables us to change people’s minds about stereotypes they might have about these couples,” he said.

Mullen noted that this “soft” approach to the issue was a deliberate way of showing how these couples view marriage as “a continuation of loving relationships, and committing yourself to be with someone for the rest of their life.”

He added, “It’s more effective than shouting through a bullhorn, ‘You’re oppressing us.’ If you don’t put people on the defensive from the outset, they might be more willing to listen and learn.”

He believed this rally and similar public events such as the 2014 Gay Games in Northeast Ohio could change attitudes about the gay community and provide “the ability to get the civil rights that we do not have in Ohio.”

Tom Morgan, state lead organizer for GetEQUAL Ohio, said, “Everyone knows they’re not really getting married. This is a tangible representation of the rights we are not afforded, a physical demonstration of the state of inequality in the country and within Ohio.”

Morgan said part of the event also will include collecting signatures on petitions to legally re-define marriage in Ohio.

The protest is set to take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Willard Park located on E. 9th Street and Lakeside Ave. Over 2,400 people have RSVP’d on Facebook. I hope you all can join us, it’s going to be a great day for equality!

Ohio Queers: 400+ pack downtown Cincy for marriage equality rally…is Columbus next? [PHOTOS] [VIDEO]

Local news reports, photos and video are pouring in all over the Web from Saturday’s pro marriage equality protest in Cincinnati. The event was heavily covered by the local news and the final number of participants was a whopping 417.

As planned, Ed Mullen of Equality Ohio and openly gay candidate for Cincinnati City Council Chris Seelbach were the event’s main speakers. The protest mostly took place at the Four Square Plaza in downtown Cincinnati. Here’s a quick Facebook video of the massive crowd. Marchers at one point did go past Occupy Cincinnati protesters, which produced this pretty powerful moment. (If you’re interested in a minute-by-minute breakdown of the day visit Tom Morgan’s Facebook page. He’s GetEQUAL‘s State Lead Organizer in Ohio and he has literally documented every moment of yesterday’s festivities.)

It looks like Columbus may be next on the list for a horde of marriage equality love. A Facebook event page already has nearly 300 “attendees” and it looks like the speakers will be Michael Loch, president of NKY Equality Now at Northern Kentucky University, and GetEQUAL Ohio’s Tom Morgan.

Check out more photos and video from Facebook and YouTube below.

Here’s a YouTube slide show of photos taken by a participant:

This is a speech by Michael Loch, president of NKY Equality Now at Northern Kentucky University:

Ed Mullen of Equality Ohio

Tom Morgan of GetEQUAL Ohio

Chris Seelbach

Ohio Queers: Pro gay marriage protest taking over Cincinnati Saturday

Chris Seelbach

According to Facebook downtown Cincinnati is going to be packed on Saturday.

The Facebook event, Ohio Street Protest For Gay Marriage!, has well over 2,500 “attendees” that plan to take over the Fountain Square (520 Vine Street) in Cincinnati this weekend. The event is slated for 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, just three days before the election, and will feature speeches from Chris Seelbach, an openly gay candidate running for Cincy’s City Council, and Ed Mullen, executive director of Equality Ohio.

And, according to Equality Ohio, it’s all been planned by 17-year-old Adam Hoover of Harrison, Ohio.

Here’s more from EO:

Seventeen-year-old Adam Hoover of Harrison, OH, has organized a rally in support of same-sex marriage set to begin at 11a.m., Saturday, November 5, 2011, in the city’s Fountain Square. Hundreds of people have indicated on Facebook that they will attend.

The rally will feature a lineup of speakers including openly gay candidate for Cincinnati City Council, Chris Seelbach, and Equality Ohio Executive Director, Ed Mullen.

Hoover was motivated by Ohio’s constitutional amendment and state law prohibiting same-sex marriages. The constitutional amendment passed by ballot initiative in November 2004. Ohio law prohibits same-sex marriage and does not recognize same-sex marriages from others states. Iowa, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriages to be performed under state law.

Ed Mullen of Equality Ohio says:  “The attention this rally has garnered among the press and public is a strong indicator that opinion on same-sex marriage is changing rapidly in Ohio. As other states legalize same-sex marriage, people around the country see loving, same-sex couples make lifetime commitments and realize that those couples deserve the same rights and responsibilities of any other committed couple.”

I so wish I was heading down to Cincy this weekend for all the excitement. Hit up the comments and let me know if you’ll be there.

Ohio Queers: Attack on gay 15-yo in Chillicothe sparks national call-to-action

Mother of attacked 15-year-old in Chillicothe tells the local media her son was the victim of a hate crime while at school.

UPDATE (10/30): The Chillicothe Gazette is now reporting that the student who attacked the 15-year-old at Union-Scioto High School for being gay may face a harsher punishment. Principal Jim Osborne told the paper, “the discipline has been revisited based on the ongoing investigation and in light of the new evidence.” The evidence, no doubt, is the video of the attack that has gone viral. The paper also reports that the female student who took the video may also face disciplinary action. I hope there will actually be some real consequences for the attacker, and this isn’t just some way to pacify the media and the general public.

As for the criminal chargers pressed by the victims mother, the case is currently under investigation. According to the Gazette, “the extent of the injury and the medical records are needed for [Ross County Prosecutor Matt Schmidt] to help determine if the assault meets the criteria to be considered a felony. His office is waiting on charging the juvenile until the additional investigation is completed.” I don’t quite understand why this is necessary. A full classroom of witnesses and video of someone beating you up isn’t enough proof to charge someone a felony???

And this tidbit in the last part of the story was interesting: “Since the story went viral, Schmidt, [Sheriff George Lavender] and Osborne reported they have been inundated with phone calls and emails….Osborne said Friday he came into the office to 40 voice mail messages and 500 emails.” Looks like the call-to-action is working.

–

Thursday morning the Columbus ABC News affiliate posted video of their story about of a 15-year-old at Union-Scioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio, who was brutally beaten in the classroom because he was gay. The horrific incident was captured on a bystander’s cell phone and posted on Facebook. (You can watch the video below.)

The unidentified gay student suffered a possible concussion and a chipped tooth, but the shocking, and very unfortunate twist, came at the end of the report when it was revealed that the bully was only suspended for three days. The teenager’s mother called what happened to her son and hate crime and has vowed to press charges.

Less than 24 hours after ABC6 On Your Side ran their feature, nearly every gay or gay-friendly journalist/blogger in the country, and beyond, had picked up the story, including Perez Hilton, Queerty, Towleroad, The Huffington Post, The New Civil Rights Movement, Dan Savage’s SLOG and even The Daily Mail in the U.K. Many of them have featured contact information from the school, referencing a call to action, started by Equality Ohio and GetEQUAL Ohio, for people for contact the school and call for the student to be expelled.

Equality Ohio Executive Director Ed Mullen (a man I’ve met and consider one of my local heroes) posted this on his Facebook page: ”Disheartening that it takes a video of a 15-year old gay youth being beaten at school for people to stand up and take notice of bullying and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. 9% of youth reported to GLSEN being physically assaulted in school. Unconscionable.”

Equality Ohio is also calling for supporters to contact members of Ohio’s House Education Committee to lobby for the passage of Ohio House Bill 208, a bill that would add “sexual orientation” to the state’s anti-bullying law, which is currently going through Ohio’s Congress. Here’s more from Equality Ohio:

Union-Scioto has no policy in place that specifically protects students from being bullied or attacked based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The Union-Scioto Local School District does have a policy that prohibits harassment based on sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, among others, but it does not specifically protect against harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Ohio House Bill 208 would add sexual orientation, gender identity, and other enumerated protections to Ohio’s anti-bullying law without changing the general prohibition against any bullying or harassment.  Research demonstrates that students feel safer and actually are safer in schools that have enumerated anti-bullying policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity. Proponents of the bill are seeking testimony in the House Education Committee, but the bill has not been a priority of the committee.

CLICK HERE for contact information to each of the legislatures on the House Education Committee. And below is contact information for the school and local authorities:

Union-Scioto Local Schools District Administration:
Superintendent: Dwight Garrett dgarrett@mail.gsn.k12.oh.us
High School Principal: James Osborne josborne@mail.gsn.k12.oh.us
Unioto High School Asst. Principal: Wilma Gillott wgillott@mail.gsn.k12.oh.us

Union-Scioto
Administration Office
1565 Egypt Pike
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601
740-773-4102

Unioto High School
14193 Pleasant Valley Road
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601
740-773-4105

Sheriffs Department: 740-773-1185
Prosecutors Office: 740-702-3115

Let’s hope that the outcry and the flooding of the school’s phones will lead to some positive change in Chillicothe. As someone who’s from Ohio and has been to Chillicothe on several occasions, I can say that, unfortunately, this kind of behavior is not unexpected from the that town. It’s a very conservative area that’s known for its institutionalized bigotry.

It’s hostile environments in school’s like this that lead to the suicides of students like Jamey Rodemyer and Jamie Hubley. This is exactly the reason why I’ve started the Make It Better Foundation. This happened in a classroom. The school can’t even give the typically used excuse of “it’s not our responsibility because it happened off school grounds.” If this bully had beat up a kid because he was black or Latino or disabled he would have been expelled. No question.

Ohio Queers: Delaware Christian School shuns gay alum; response from another gay former student

David Emerson (left) with a fellow protester outside Delaware Christian School

Last week it hit the news-waves that an out and proud Columbus DJ at Rewind 103.5/104.3 was removed from the Delaware Christian School’s alumni page on their Web site because it was “discovered” that his Facebook page listed him as gay.

David Emerson is a 2002 graduate of DCS and had been profiled on their alumni page for years, applauding him for is accomplishments in radio. It wasn’t until this past April that they pulled Emerson’s profile. And when Emerson found out last week he thankfully didn’t take the news lightly and took action.

He was interview by local Columbus affiliates Fox28/ABC6 and NBC4 about the travesty. The gay blogosphere has also picked up the story at Towleroad and Lez Get Real among others.

Emerson told ABC that when he called the school and spoke to DCS Principal Gordon McDonald, he simply responded with, ”you are a gross and immoral representation of my school.” And when NBC spoke with McDonald directly he had this to say:

“David Emerson is a fine young man of whom I think very highly. I am very proud of his professional accomplishments. I regret the deep differences that have occurred. However, speaking for Delaware Christian School I cannot approve of the lifestyle that he has chosen to endorse as posted for public viewing on his Facebook site. Based on David’s posting last April I removed David’s photo and comments from our alumni website. He has publicly chosen to identify himself with a lifestyle that is not in keeping with the biblical belief taught at Delaware Christian. I respect his right to choose and live out his belief but do not want to convey the message that I approve that lifestyle.”

It’s become obvious to me that Mr. McDonald is more of a “gross and immoral reprsenation” of the school than Emerson could ever be. When did it become O.K. for school principals (be it at public or private schools) to condone hate?

Emerson held a protest at the school on Friday, calling for the principal to reinstate his profile on the site. (The photo above in from said protest.) Oh, how, I wish I could have been there.

Many of you may not know this, but I also attended Delaware Christian School. It was during my 7th and 8th grade years. And it was by far the worst two years of my K-12 experience. As a student there I was relentlessly bullied for being “feminine,” and when I told the administration it was suggested that I change my “gay actions” if I wanted the bullying to stop. The bullies were never punished. If it weren’t for my transferring to another school I’m not sure I would have survived the hate.

My experiences at DCS are actually the memories I reference most, as examples of the hate I experienced growing up, when I’m writing or speaking out against anti-gay bullying on behalf of the It Gets Better Project.

It is principals like Mr. McDonald who run schools under this type of bigotry who are causing gay youth to kill themselves. His ludicrous actions are basically teaching his students that disregarding those who are different is a principle to live by. Ultimately, the school is producing bigots and standardizing hate. Is this really the type of administrator we want running a school?

Happy National Coming Out Day! Celebrate those who can be themselves and remember those who can’t

Wouldn't this be perfect for a Coming Out Party! I must find a cupcake shop that makes these.

Today is National Coming Out Day, a day that recognizes the courage it takes to live openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual, and reminds us that there are many out there who still can’t be open because of the intolerant communities in which they live. It is more important now more than ever for the lgbt community to stand up and be counted. I’ve always had the same philosophy as the great Harvey Milk: If they know us they are more likely to vote for us.

I do recognize that each individual should come out in their own time and there are many communities where coming out can be down right deadly, such as in Uganda, where they are still considering the Kill the Gays Bill or Jamaica, where it is socially acceptable for citizens to abuse gays openly in the streets. But now more than ever, those who can need to stand up for those who can’t.

Today I’m going to be speaking at a Coming Out Day event at West Virginia University in Parkersburg, a city that I’ve heard is less than accepting. I’ve had many people ask me, “Why are you going down there? You aren’t going to change their minds, and it seems dangerous.” My mother has been trying to talk me out of it all week. She did finally convince me to a least take someone with me. (Being her baby boy has these occasional consequences.)

I’m going because small town communities in states like West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Utah, Colorado, Texas, Minnesota, are where the most closeted of us live. If we don’t start creating communities of inclusion in the most conservative of areas we’ll never win at the ballots, we’ll never see true equality.

That’s why I’ll continue to go to areas that aren’t the most accepting, to encourage their gay citizens to stand up together and be counted, to show the bigoted that we’re not the monsters they think we are. We have families we love, we have jobs, we’re dealing with this shitty economy just like you. Because if I can convince one person to help make their community safer for lgbt people, if I can make one parent see that there’s nothing wrong with their kid, if I can make one preacher come to the realization that we’re not an abomination, then any of the ugliness that I ever endured because of coming out will all be worth it.

 

Ohio Queers: ‘Brothers in Blood’ event sheds light on blood bank discrimination

Next week Columbusis going to be host to an extremely exciting and very important event that I’ve been dying to talk about for weeks. Outlook Weekly and the American Red Cross are boldly joining forces to present a positive protest against the age-old ban against gays donating blood.

For 30 years now, if a man makes it known during the donation screening process that he’s slept with another man at any point after 1977 he is put on the “permanent deferral” list and banned from donating blood ever again.

The policy is based on outdated HIV/AIDS statistics that no longer hold water. A gay man in a monogamous relationship is far less likely to be infected than a straight female in an open marriage, but under the policy, the blood of the female would be readily accepted.

Brothers in Blood is definitely unprecedented. For many years the response to the ban has been for gays and gay allies to simply ban Blood Drives, which seems silly when you think about the fact that each donation saves three lives. Those dying from blood bank shortages would be the only people affected by a boycott. It’s a sentiment Mackenzie “Ken” Worrall, the main organizer behind Brothers in Blood, latched on to and ran with.

I spoke with Ken, a fellow journalist and friend (who wrote an amazing piece, titled “Do we not bleed,” for Outlook this month), about the event and how it came to be.

“I went to [Michael Daniels, Outlook co-owner/publisher] when I was still interning at Outlook and told him I wanted to plan some kind of activism event that gays, especially gay youth, could get involved with and excited about,” he said. “Olga Kooi, a friend of mine from high school, who used to work with Outlook, told Michael she was moving on to work for the American Red Cross…that’s when Michael got this great idea and I just ran with it.”

“I’m calling it a positive impact event,” he said. “Instead of having my friends boycott blood drives, and keeping people from saving lives, why not gather a bunch of people to donate for me.”

And that’s the main premise of BIB. Though, it is a blood drive (at which out gay men can still not give blood) it gets gays and allies in a room to discuss this issue and start a continuing conversation on how in can be changed.

Ken also said the event will not just be a blood drive. Another amazing thing about this event is the support it’s getting from the city. The list of sponsors is too long to print. There will be free food from various local vendors, including brownies from Sugar Daddies, a fact Ken is particularly excited about. (“You can’t have a blood drive without brownies.”) Also he’s got some live jazz planned and is in the process of adding a live band or some other live music element to the mix.

“It is an event,” he said. “Want people to socialize and talk. Those who can’t donate can sign up for our listserv and we’ll contact them to donate once the ban is lifted, those who can donate can go to another line and prepare to donate, then everyone meets in the food area to discuss the ban. I’m all about breaking down barriers.”

The Columbus Dispatch ran an article yesterday about the event and the ban, in which it mentioned an interesting fact I was unaware of. Apparently the FDA is looking at alternatives to the band and one alternative is to replace the “permanent deferral” with a “12-month deferral,” which means a man is unable to donate for a year after a sexual encounter with another man.

I still think this stinks of discrimination (like civil unions instead of gay marriage), but as Ken said, “I think they should definitely look at how they judge that, because there actually a lot of gay men who are monogamous. But I do think it’s a goods step in the right direction.”

There are other strides being made. The American Red Cross of Central Ohio is completely backing Brothers in Blood and its efforts, and heads of the national American Red Cross have also gone on record supporting a change to the ban. Ken also mentioned that Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius had just recently set out concrete steps to reevaluating the ban.

I’m so excited for this event. Kudos to Ken and Outlook for revolutionizing the way we respond to this very important dilemma.

Brothers in Blood is 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13 at the King Arts Complex, 867 Mt. Vernon Ave, Columbus. This is a free event! Get more information at the Brothers in Blood Facebook event page. 

Queer Film Spotlight: ‘The Lavender Scare’

I know it’s extremely early to be talking about next summer, but as the weather gets colder here in Ohio, I’m already starting to long for Summer 2012. And for more reasons than one, as it’s also the slated release date for the new documentary “The Lavender Scare,” a real life suspense thriller about the men and woman effected by  Executive Order 10450, which prohibited gays and lesbians from working for the federal government in the ’50s and ’60s.

Here’s a synopsis from the film’s Web site:

“The Lavender Scare” is the first feature-length documentary film to tell the story of the U.S. government’s ruthless campaign in the 1950s and ’60s to hunt down and fire every Federal employee it suspected was gay.

While the McCarthy Era is remembered as the time of the Red Scare, the headline-grabbing hunt for Communists in the United States, it was the Lavender Scare, a vicious and vehement purge of homosexuals, which lasted longer and ruined many more lives.

Before it was over, more than 10,000 Federal employees lost their jobs. Based on the award-winning book by historian David K. Johnson, ”The Lavender Scare” shines a light on a chapter of American history that has never received the attention it deserves.

It examines the tactics used by the government to identify homosexuals, and takes audiences inside interrogation rooms where gay men and women were subjected to grueling questioning. These stories are told through the first-hand accounts of the people who experienced them.

“The Lavender Scare” shows how the government’s actions ignited an anti-gay frenzy that spread throughout the country, in an era in which The New York Times used the words “homosexual” and “pervert” interchangeably, and public service films warned that homosexuality was a dangerous, contagious disease.

While the story is at times infuriating and heartbreaking, its underlying message is uplifting and inspiring. Instead of destroying American homosexuals, the actions of the government had the opposite effect: they stirred a sense of outrage and activism that helped ignite the gay rights movement.

I know it makes me a huge nerd, but I’m too excited about this film. I’ve heard Johnson’s book (which you can purchase here) is pretty amazing, but I think it’s going to be pretty powerful to hear about this massive injustice from the mouths of those who actually lived it. The film also includes annonymous interviews with some of the bigoted officials who actually did the ousting, which I think is an extremely interesting side of the story to highlight. And also featured is famed gay rights activist Dr. Franklin Kameny who was honored by President Obama just a few years ago for his work fighting to have Executive Order 10450 repealed (which it was in 1995).

The film’s creators, led by writer/director Josh Howard, released a full length trailer for the documentary back in July. You can check it out below:

For updates on “The Lavender Scare” follow the documentary on Facebook and Twitter.

Ohio Queers: GetEQUAL held protest at Statehouse Friday [PHOTOS], Equality Ohio holding EHEA Rally Sept. 27

As planned, the local branch of GetEQUAL hosted a protest outside the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus Friday afternoon. A small but mighty group of activists stood along Broad Street downtown with signs that said things like “I can loose my job for being transgender.” It was an effort to educate the city on the inequalities faced by Ohio’s LGBT citizens, in preparation for the Equal Housing and Employment Act, which is set to be discussed in Ohio’s legislature starting next month.

Here’s a statement about the event (exclusive to Queer Corner) from Tom Morgan, State Lead Organizer for GetEQUAL in Ohio:

Concerned “queer” activists showed up on Broad Street at the Statehouse on Friday to help get the word out about the EHEA or Equal Housing Employment Act that will be introduced, again, next month. They came with bull horns, signs, banners, and a clear message. WE ARE NOT YET EQUAL! A similar bill was introduced in the last Ohio session, but was stopped in it’s tracks by Senate Republican President Bill Harris. Now retired. Ohio is an “at will” employment state, however bigotry is written into these laws as well. Persons may be fired here with little effort. However, there is still a list of things that a person cannot be fired for: race, creed, religion, etc. “Queers” need to be ON that list as well, or possibly fall prey to it’s subtle bigotry. We also believe it’s wrong to be denied housing just for being true to yourself.

Equality Ohio is also planning to host a rally, press conference and Lobby Day at the Statehouse in honor of the Equal Housing and Employment Act Sept. 27 at 1:30 p.m. It’s the same day Representatives Ross McGregor and Nickie Antonio will introduce EHEA in the House.  For more information visit www.equalityohio.org.

Below are a few more photos from the GetEQUAL protest, courtesy of Morgan. For more on GetEQUAL visit www.getequal.org.

Ohio Queers: GetEQUAL planning protest outside Statehouse Aug. 26

The Ohio branch of GetEQUAL is putting together an “educational demonstration” to take place outside the Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, to protest the fact that Ohio is still one of 29 states in the union where gays can be fired or denied housing for being gay (37 if you consider transgenders alone).

The Ohio legislator will be considering the popular Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA) when they return to session in the fall. GetEQUAL is hoping this protest will help educate Ohioans and reinvigorate the debate on this very important topic.

The protest is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. t0 5:3o p.m. Friday, August 26 on Broadway Street between Third and High Streets. The group is expecting a large turnout and plan to line that block of Broad Street (which is on the north side of the Statehouse) with protesters.

This is also the same day that’s been deemed the annual GLBT Call Off Work Day by gay rights activists across the nation. A protest that has gays not show up to work to show our presence and impact in the workplace.

For more information visit the protest’s event page on Facebook and the GetEQUAL OH Facebook page.

UPDATE (7/31): Looks like GetEQUAL has started a trend. First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus will be hosting a rally at the Statehouse in support of EHEA 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27.

Ohio Queers: Columbus Pride Festival 2011 [PHOTOS] [VIDEO]

This year the Columbus Pride Festival celebrated it’s 30th year and took on the theme “Trailblazers,” honoring those who came and fought the fight for equality before us. The grand marshals at the parade were 70 lgbt seniors over 70. The 2-day festival at Goodale Park this year was also headlined by Chely Wright, a country music star and budding gay rights activist who came out in a very public way last year.

For me, this was definitely my best experience at Pride yet. I marched in the parade with the Kaleidoscope Youth Center right behind the Trailblazers float that led the parade (the order was a where-we’ve-been-where-were-going kind of thing). I also helped out at the KYC and the AIDS Resource of Ohio (formerly the Columbus AIDS Task Force) booths and of course partook of the following festivities in the Short North. It was definitely a weekend to remember.

In case you missed it, here are some photos and video from the parade, festival and the 5k Jaeger Run for Pride.

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Photos from various accounts on Flickr.com. 

Head to the comments and leave a thought on your 2011 Columbus Pride experience!

Ohio Queers: Wondering how Lobby Day 2011 went?

Here’s an official statement from Equality Ohio on the results of this year’s annual Lobby Day for Equality that took place May 18 this year:

Yesterday, hundreds of fair-minded Ohioans were in Columbus for the sixth annual Lobby Day for Equality.  More than 200 citizen lobbyists met with 122 legislators (out of 132 — only 10 were unwilling to hear from us).  All 33 Senate districts were lobbied, and 31 of those districts were lobbied by constituents who live in the district.  155 additional people lobbied from home, sending 318 messages to 89 legislators.  More than 100 people attended the closing reception, including dozens of legislators and legislative aides from both parties.

Congrats to Equality Ohio and all of this year’s Lobby Day particpants!

You can read the full statement here.

Ohio Queers: Ohioans marching into Statehouse today for Lobby Day

Equality Ohio is hosting their sixth annual Lobby Day for Equality at the State Capitol today in Columbus. Ohioans from all over the state will be converging on the Statehouse to meet with Ohio Senators and urge them to vote for equality.

The two issues EO is focusing on this year are the Equal Housing and Employment Act and the Safe Schools Act. The EHEA is a bill that would make it illegal for discrimination based on sexual orientation in when applying for housing or while at work. It failed when trying to get through Congress a couple years ago, but we’re hoping it’s reintroduced this year. Currently LGBT people can legally be fired and refused housing for being gay. The Safe Schools Act is a bill that would mandate all schools have policies in the would specifically protect kids from anti-gay bullying.

In order to participate in Lobby Day to day you had to register and go through a short training, but even if you didn’t make the registration deadlines you can still help out by contacting your senator today to help keep the momentum going. Click here and enter your zip code to find out which senator you need to contact.

EO is also holding a reception later today from 5 p.m. t0 7 p.m. in the Ohio Statehouse Atrium for participants to share stories from their experiences at the Statehouse and to generally celebrate the day’s events. Leaders from Ohio’s pro-equality community, Ohio lawmakers, special guests and other supporters of Equality Ohio will be attendance. The reception was also a pre-registered event.

Join the fight and make your voice heard. Contact your senator today!

Uganda update: ‘Kill the Gays’ Bill put on hold

It’s unclear what exactly prompted the response, but the “Kill the Gays” Bill in Uganada that was supposed to be voted on during their Parliment’s Wednesday meeting was abruptly dropped from the schedule. Some are saying it’s because of the international social media outcry that mounted over the past couple days against the bill. This doesn’t mean it’s off the table completely, but it has been tabled for now.

365Gay.com reports:

Uganda’s parliament appeared Wednesday to have dropped plans to debate a controversial bill that once proposed the death penalty for some gays and lesbians following an outcry from U.S. leaders and rights groups. The bill was first proposed in 2009 but wasn’t debated until last Friday. It had been scheduled to be debated before the full parliament on Wednesday but was dropped from the schedule.

The future of the bill remained murky as Wednesday was parliament’s last scheduled day of session. It wasn’t clear if the proposed legislation could be carried forward to the next session or if the author would have to offer a new bill, which he has said he will do if needed.

The original bill would mandate a death sentence in some cases, part of the reason it attracted global attention. The bill’s author, David Bahati, has said a new version would not contain the death penalty, but no amended version has been released publicly.

One member of parliament, John Arumadri, said Wednesday that the bill may have been dropped from the agenda because of the worldwide outcry against it.

Online petitions from the groups Avaaz and Allout said they had gathered more than 1.4 million signatures. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called the bill’s progress deeply alarming. A U.S. congressman said if the bill passes he would urge huge cuts in international aid, and the U.S. State Department again voiced its opposition.

“If adopted, a bill further criminalizing homosexuality would constitute a significant step backwards for the protection of human rights in Uganda,” said Hilary Fuller Renner, a spokeswoman for the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs. “Respect for human rights is key to Uganda’s long-term political stability and democratic development, as well as its public health and economic prosperity.”

Gay rights groups say that the harassment of gays has increased in Uganda since the introduction of the bill in October 2009.

As The Guardian reports, this doesn’t mean the bill is off the table completely, but it has been tabled for now. Our voice is being heard!

UPDATE (5-12): The L.A. Times is reporting that the death penalty has officially been dropped form the bill, but homosexual acts would still be punishable with prison time if passed. The Uganda Parliament has scheduled a special session to meet tomorrow, when the bill will likely be voted on.