Cleveland Pride

Looking for something fun to break-up the monotony of your week?

Then join us Wednesday, May 20 at Johnny Mango (www.jmango.com) for a fun-filled fundraiser (try saying that three times fast!).

On Wednesday, May 20, Johnny Mango (at 3120 Bridge Ave. in Ohio City) will host a fundraiser/get-together for Cleveland Pride, with proceeds benefiting Cleveland Pride, which means we can provide better educational programming, resources and a top-notch pride festival for you!

Join us any time between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. that day, and give your server this special Johnny Mango Flyer!!!

To learn more about Johnny Mango go to http://businessfinder.cleveland.com/1019900/Johnny-Mango-Cleveland-OH

Looking forward to seeing you then!

Johnny Mango
(216) 575-1919
3120 Bridge Ave
Cleveland, OH 44113
(Ohio City)

source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/07/dc-council-votes-recognize-gay-marriages-performed-states/

WASHINGTON — The D.C. Council has voted to recognize gay marriages performed in other states.

Lawmakers say Tuesday’s unanimous vote moves the city a step closer to eventually allowing same-sex marriages to be performed in the nation’s capital.

Gay couples married in other states are currently recognized as domestic partners when they move to Washington.

The council will hold a final vote on the measure next month.

The D.C. Council’s action comes the same day that Vermont became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage, joining Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa.

Council member David Catania, who is gay, lauded the D.C. vote as “the march toward human rights and equality.”

source: http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/8/in_historic_move_vermont_legislature_legalizes

The Vermont legislature made history Tuesday by becoming the first in the nation to vote in favor of gay marriage. Vermont lawmakers had voted for a same-sex marriage bill last week but it was short of a veto-overriding majority and Governor Jim Douglas vetoed the bill Monday. But on Tuesday enough house members switched sides to override the veto and voted 100 to 49 to make gay marriage legal. House Speaker Shap Smith announced the final tally to resounding applause. We speak with Vermont state legislator, Bill Lippert and Beth Robinson, an attorney who has led the struggle to legalize gay marriage for years.

The Vermont legislature made history Tuesday by becoming the first in the nation to vote in favor of gay marriage. Vermont lawmakers had voted for a same-sex marriage bill last week but it was short of a veto-overriding majority and Governor Jim Douglas vetoed the bill Monday. But on Tuesday enough house members switched sides to override the veto and voted 100 to 49 to make gay marriage legal. House Speaker Shap Smith announced the final tally to resounding applause.

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source: Posted by Robert L. Smith/Plain Dealer Reporter April 07, 2009 00:39AM
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/04/seventyfive_people_rally_to_cr.html

The song is titled “Till the End,” but the mood of a choir singing the ballad in Cleveland on Monday was “We are the world.”

About 75 people — young and old, gay and straight — mustered together downtown to sing a song that has become an anthem in the gay community of Northeast Ohio and America.

They rallied to create a music video that organizers hope will shed positive light on gay life and maybe support Cleveland’s new domestic partner registry.

“Love is love,” said Earl Pike, executive director of the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland and the day’s impresario. “This is a musical Cleveland expression of the idea, ‘When two people love each other, is there any harm in letting them register as partners?’ ”

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PETCO and Cleveland Pride are pleased to announce they will be working together as partners for this year’s Cleveland Pride celebration in Voinovich Park on June 20. PETCO becomes another of Cleveland Pride’s national sponsors this year.

By partnering, Cleveland Pride and PETCO will promote a worthy cause—to bring awareness and acceptance of the LGBT community to the Northeast Ohio region, as well as putting Cleveland Pride’s “Equality through Unity” theme into practice.

“Cleveland Pride is pleased to announce PETCO as one of our chief sponsors for 2009. This alignment will help to reinforce the message to the straight community that the LGBT population is a real, viable and vital segment of the overall Cleveland community,” observed Todd Saporito, 2009 Cleveland Pride Board President/CEO.

“The gay and lesbian community has the ultimate pet-pampering parents, and PETCO plans to celebrate that bond with Pet Pride,” said Karen Werthwein, PETCO Regional Marketing Coordinator.

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FINAL UPDATE and DETAILS – PLEASE READ

WHEN: Monday, April 6th, 2009, from 4-5 p.m.

WHERE: AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland, 3210 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH MAP

(not, as announced last week, at the Free Stamp).

WHO: We have had a fantastic response to this announcement, made just a week ago, and are expecting anywhere from 100-150 people, from all walks of life.

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Join hE said (S)hE said on Friday June 5, 2009 at 9:00pm for a sock-hop style Cleveland Pride Fundraiser at Twist Social Club. Raffle prizes including Indian’s box seats, Pride giveaways and much much more. Be sure to check out our kissing booth and wet t-shirt contest!

Roll up your sleeves and peg your pants in support of Cleveland Pride.

http://www.myspace.com/hesaidshesaidtroupe

Be there, don’t be a square!

source: http://www.thetaskforce.org/

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force hails today’s Iowa Supreme Court unanimous ruling in Varnum v. Brien saying that same-sex couples are legally entitled to marry. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force was a signatory to a larger amicus brief supporting the marriage equality position. Additionally, Task Force organizers were recently sent to Iowa where they worked with One Iowa’s field staff to grow the group’s volunteer base that was active with One Iowa’s legislative advocacy in support of the freedom to marry.

Statement by Rea Carey, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

“This ruling marks another watershed moment in the struggle for full equality. No longer will same-sex couples have their relationships treated as less than equal by the state. The court rightly affirmed that no loving committed couple should be denied marriage and the critical protections only marriage can provide. This ruling also affirms our common humanity by providing same-sex couples with the opportunity to participate in the shared hopes and dreams of making a public commitment to the person they love. We are thrilled that equality has come to Iowa!

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the plaintiffs and groups that made today’s victory possible, especially to Lambda Legal for serving as lead legal counsel, and One Iowa for its statewide public education and advocacy to promote the freedom to marry. We know that many fair-minded Iowans — and fair-minded people across the country — will be celebrating with us in response to today’s decision.”

To learn more about the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, visit http://www.theTaskForce.org.

Are you a gay, lesbian bisexual or transgendered individual of faith who is deeply involved/active participant in your religion? Cleveland Pride needs your help.

LGBT individuals who are active in their faith-based organizations are an important segment of our community. We want to include more individuals from faith-based organizations as part of our culture of change that Cleveland Pride is undertaking, which is to ensure inclusion of LGBT persons from all walks of life.

Our theme for this year’s event is “Equality Through Unity”. In recognition of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (which marks the formal beginning of the LGBT community’s fight for equal rights), we are organizing and galvanizing all areas of the LGBT population in Northeast Ohio, including members who are integral parts/members of their respective religious communities.

We want to hear from you! We are in need of volunteers for our pride event to be held June 20.

We need volunteers to participate/march in the gay pride parade; we need vendors for our festival after the parade, and we also need volunteers to help staff/run the event. This is a great way to integrate, to meet new friends, and to have fun at the same time.

Please complete the following form BECOME A VOLUNTEER and MARCH IN OUR PARADE one of our volunteer members will be in touch with you shortly.

Monday, April 6th, 2009, from 4-5, @ the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland

We need your help for a fantastic, one-time, one-hour event. We’re making a video!

Please watch the following music video (it’s three minutes), and then come back to this message to get the details.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5r4Oz4Nt20

So, Tom Goss is a gay singer/songwriter living in DC, who wrote this song and produced this video as a simple message to underline the fact that “love is love”—whether you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or straight. He’s generously allowed us to use the video freely here in Cleveland to promote a defense of Cleveland’s Domestic Partner Registry—as you know, Cleveland City Council authorized a Registry back in December, which would permit any two persons (gay or straight) to register as domestic partners with the City. Even though it doesn’t have “legal” force—registering as domestic partners does not mean that one can get domestic partner benefits from an employer, for example—a group of individuals, opposed to any expression of “gay rights,” has mobilized to put the issue on the ballot, in an attempt to get the legislation overturned. We believe that the Registry must be protected.

Tom will be in town on Monday, April 6th to perform at the Barking Spider Tavern. We are planning to gather 100 or more people at the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland to sing, as a chorus, Tom’s song, “Till the End,” and videotape the event for distribution across town (to create our own “music video”).  Tom will be there, and will lead us in the singing (he’s thrilled to participate.) This would NOT be a “rally”—just a group of people coming together to sing a simple song that communicates the message, “love is love,” and to remind people that a wide cross-section of Clevelanders supports the Domestic Partner Registry. We want a WIDE VARIETY of people (like the video): gay, straight, African American, Latino(a), Asian, white, young, old—everybody.

Can you join us on April 6th, from 4-5, to sing a song—and help create change?
(Do you have to be able to sing?—not at all: we’ll have sheet music, and will rehearse it a few times with Tom before we videotape.)

You interested? Just RSVP to

epike@atfgc.org.