Cleveland Pride

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE
April 20, 2009

Contact:  Chris Cheuvront, Director of Marketing, Cleveland Pride
216.226.0004
executiveboard@clevelandpride.org
chris.cheuvront@clevelandpride.org

Local City Council Domestic Partner Registry Advocates to serve as Grand Marshals in Cleveland Gay Pride Parade

CLEVELAND—Twelve local city council members who are advocates of the city’s Domestic Partner Registry will lend additional support to Northeast Ohio’s gay community by serving as Grand Marshals of Cleveland’s 21st annual Gay Pride Parade, to be held June 20 in Voinovich Park.

On Monday, April 27, 2009, Cleveland Pride will meet with these individuals to bestow upon them an official certificate of participation and recognition.

With the passage of restrictions on LGBT rights in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida and most notably, California, LGBT communities and advocates nationwide have galvanized and organized to continue to pursue their civil rights and equality under the law.

“Cleveland Pride’s mission is to unite, educate and inform Northeast Ohioans of progress made by the LGBT community for full recognition of our culture and pursuit of equal rights,” explained Todd J. Saporito, Board President and CEO.

“These city council members have been at the forefront of LGBT civil rights in Cleveland. We are honored to stand behind these courageous members, who are pursuing fairness for all residents in Cleveland.”

Cleveland’s Domestic Partner Registry, which has been officially recognized and ratified by the city council, is one step in the fight for equal rights that the gay community has been pursuing visibly since the July 1969 Stonewall Riots in NYC.

“These City Council members deserve to be recognized for voting affirmatively for Cleveland’s Domestic Partner Registry. We feel truly honored to be acknowledged by Cleveland Pride as the Grand Marshals of their 21st annual parade and festival,” remarked Councilmember Joe Cimperman.

“We are proud of our stance in helping the LGBT community to make progress in its pursuit of equal rights,” he added.

By serving as Grand Marshals of the Cleveland Gay Pride parade, these city council members will help the entire Northeast Ohio community at-large to realize that equal rights for all is just and fair. Their visibility as Grand Marshals lends further evidence to the evolution of our society, and helps to put Northeast Ohio on the map as a forward-thinking, safe and welcoming community.

The following individuals will serve as Grand Marshals:
Dona Brady
Tony Brancatelli
Joe Cimperman
Kevin Conwell
Brian Cummins
Martin Keane
Kevin Kelley
Mamie Mitchell
Michael Polensek
Joe Santiago
Jay Westbrook
Matt Zone

Please support the city council, the Domestic Partner Registry and your local community by joining in the pride celebration at Voinovich Park on Saturday, June 20, 2009 beginning at noon.

Founded in 1989, Cleveland Pride has been an integral part of the Northeastern Ohio region for the past 21 years. Cleveland’s Pride celebration is among the first half-dozen such events launched in the U.S., making our Parade and Festival among the longest continuing Pride events in the country.

On an ongoing basis, Cleveland Pride brings awareness, education and knowledge of the queer community to the general public to discourage/eliminate prejudice and discrimination on the basis of a person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Cleveland Pride openly recognizes and embraces all individuals of the queer community who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer questioning, intersex and straight allies, while understanding that each group identified exists in all ages, races, national origins and physical abilities.

Please visit www.clevelandpride.org for more information.

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