communitygroups

'Back to school' means back to taunts for many

by John Zeh

Cincinnati-As they return to classrooms over the next few weeks, teenagers will hear anti-gay epithets nearly 25 times a day. Teachers overhearing those put-downs will fail to respond 97 percent of the time. No wonder, since more than threefourths of U.S. schools fail to train teachers about issues facing gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students.

non-gay peers to be threatened with a weapon while at school, GLSEN warns.

GLSEN's report documents the same statistics for kids skipping school because they feel unsafe at or en route to classes. Ha-

GLSEN

teaching respect for all in our schools

That's the frightening prognosis for the new school year from the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Educators Network. GLBT youth are more than four times as likely as their

rassed youth are also more than four times as likely to report having made a suicide attempt serious enough to seek a medical professional's help.

The group's work to protect GLBT students-and urging more teachers to speak out for their rights-was the topic at the Cincinnati Gay and Lesbian Center's monthly "Saturday Social" on August 14.

ASC has new hours, renewed commitment

by Rocky Morrison

Columbus-The AIDS Service Connection, central Ohio's leading grassroots AIDS service organization, has new service hours. ASC is now open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

churches and groups sponsor each dinner.

ASC's residential program, in operation since 1993, has had a change in focus. ASC's board of trustees recently declined a partial grant from the Columbus Health Department

for the operation of a transitional housing program. The decision by the health department not to fund the supportive services component of this program made it impossible for ASC to operate a safe and effective transitional housing program. The residential program now provides permanent subsidized housing and has been fully occupied since last month.

ASC

ASC continues to offer the HIV community several supportive services despite recent government funding cuts. These services include house cleaning, laundry, transportation and a food pantry. ASC's food pantry is the oldest HIV-specific food pantry in Franklin County and provides approximately 14,000 meals each year.

ASC also continues to offer free community dinners on the fourth Saturday of each month at 7:00 pm at the North Broadway United Methodist Church, 48 E. North Broadway in Columbus. Various community

For more information about ASC's services and volunteer opportunities, please call 614-221-7979.

"I have zero tolerance within my earshot for any harassing comments about sexuality," said third grade teacher and local GLSEN chapter head Jeff Bixby. He's a Cleveland native who was the center's guest presenter at its new Northside storefront office space.

"I'm going to deal with it on the spot, saying, 'Whoa, time out. We need to talk about this'," Bixby said.

GLSEN works to help teachers who may be reluctant to be pro-gay in classes. "Some are so afraid of speaking out," said Bixby, co-chair of the American Federation of Teachers union gay and lesbian caucus. "But we help them realize that we're talking about children's safetyand in a positive learning environment."

To that end, GLSEN stalwarts Jan Smith and Kathy Laufman, who recently retired from the Cincinnati school system, have visited local colleges' teacher-training classes.

"We might as well catch them as they're becoming teachers," said Bixby, “and give them the power to speak out and understand that their job is to create a safe, positive learning environment."

Such training also offers teachers ammunition with school administrators, who must be told that they cannot say no to protecting GLBT children, Bixby said. He noted an eastern Clermont County suburban principal who has “a huge problem" with GLBT rights.

Bixby, who moved here in 1978 from Cleveland, stressed the importance of coalition building. He cited GLSEN's work with Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and with Stonewall Cincinnati, saying, "Networking makes your job easier when you want to achieve goals with others."

He's excited about the center's work to rebuild the dissolved Greater Cincinnati Gay and Lesbian Coalition at a 10 am Sept. 4 meeting at Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church. "We've lost the community's cohesiveness over the years. We need to know what Rocky Morrison is executive director of each other is doing. We are a team here, but the AIDS Service Connection.

we've lost that.”

GISEN

chapters in Ohio

Central Ohlo 216 Hamilton Ave. Columbus, Ohio 432034 614-233-5033

Cincinnati PO Box 19856

Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 CLSENCincy@aol.com 513-624-6963, 513-221-1670

Cleveland

P.O. Box 433

Berea, Ohio 44017 glsencleve@aol.com http://www.geocities.com/ WestHollywood/9600

Dayton

572 Towncrest Dr. Dayton, Ohio 45434 937-427-1578

Notional office

121 West 27th St., Suite 804 New York, NY 10001

212-727-0135 glsen@glsen.org http://www.GLSEN.org

GLSEN works to end the cycle of anti-gay bigotry in K-12 schools. Through its growing network of 85 chapters in 35 states, it strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The organization combats anti-gay bias in schools by community organizing, distributing educational resources, and lobbying federal, state and local governments.

Columbus Pride parade to be on Saturday next year

Columbus-Stonewall Columbus announced August 19 the dates for Pride Holiday 2000, the annual celebration for Columbus' gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.

While events will be scheduled throughout June, the date of the Pride Parade and Festival, the most participated in event of the month, will be held on Saturday, June 24, with the kick-off occurring in mid afternoon. The Pride parade and festival have occurred in recent years on a Sunday.

A Saturday Pride parade spreads out the festivities and events that have usually been packed into a one-day format on Sunday. The official kick-off location is being negotiated, and the route will pass by the Ohio Statehouse. The festival that follows the parade will again occur in Bicentennial Park and will last longer and into the evening.

Since May, Stonewall Columbus has been gathering feedback, conducting surveys, and exploring the issues related to the dates and timing of their annual Pride Holiday celebration. Stonewall Columbus is excited about the increased opportunities allowed for in the Pride Holiday 2000 plans.

"We want Pride Holiday and the festival to be a true community event," said Jeff Redfield, executive director of Stonewall Columbus. "The day change helps the timing of the parade and festival to allow for people to hang out and to have more of a festival and carnival type atmosphere."

"Pride should be about everyone, all the organizations and the diversity in our community coming together, enjoying each other's company, and celebrating," Redfield

continued. "We hope the festival will draw more people together for a very fun-filled, entertaining event."

Stonewall Columbus plans on expanding the festival along Civic Center Drive and reorganizing the use of Bicentennial Park to better accommodate the display of the parade floats and the sizeable crowds. The festival will also have a stron-

people's preference for tradition and familiarity with the need to reorganize the festivities to handle many behind the scenes and organizational issues that have come with the growing size of the event.

Longer festival hours are also a way to

Stonewall

recruit additional vendors, sponsors, and merchants which are needed to help defray the costs of the entire

ger local flair with more time COLUMBUS Pride Holiday.

for entertainers, speakers, and performers from central Ohio.

The next Pride 2000 committee meeting will be on Tuesday, September 7 at 7:00 pm at the Stonewall Community Center, 1160 N. High Street. For more infor-

C

mation on the committee, contact Stonewall at 614-299-7764 or via e-mail at stnwall@ix.netcom.com.

With all the changes to both the schedule and the Pride parade, Stonewall Columbus encourages all GLBT and friendly community organizations and businesses to have a representative serve on the Pride committee. Stonewall is exploring ways to provide benefits to both businesses and which join in the planning.

"We feel that communication of the changes will be critical to everyone's enjoyment," said Redfield. "By having someone there, no only will groups have great opportunities for input and decision making, but they will also be able to get accurate and upto-date information to their organization." Having the parade on Saturday balances

"

A slogan has been created to help explain the changes for 2000 and share the excitement. The first part of the slogan, "Too Much Pride for Just One Day," refers to the expansion of events throughout the weekend. This includes Friday and Saturday nights for events, such as Dancing in the Streets in 1999, which was co-sponsored by Ohio AIDS Coalition and Stonewall Columbus and held in the parking lot of Axis nightclub. It spaces out events held on Sunday this past year, including official Pride events, such as the first Pride Brunch, held this year at Lindey's restaurant.

It also explores the opportunities to work more with a number of organizations, such as the Columbus Gay and Lesbian Softball League, sponsors of the Bat 'n' Rouge drag softball game, to create a weekend schedule that allows people to participate in more

events.

The second half of the slogan, "Too Much Spirit for Just One Week," refers to the commitment to making all of the month of June an official part of Pride Holiday 2000.

Stonewall Columbus and the Pride committee hopes to build even stronger relationships with local businesses to have events and fundraisers all month long. Coordinating dates with the annual Human Rights Campaign dinner, which will be held on Saturday, June 10, 2000, is another example.

Showing a commitment to month-long events even after the Pride parade, the anniversary of the Stonewall riots will be commemorated on June 28 with a candlelight vigil.

Efforts are already underway to establish corporate sponsorships. Last year's success can be attributed to the large financial and inkind contribution support of Bud Light, Absolut, Remo's, the Westin, Holiday Inn, Out on Main, OutLook, www.outincolumbus, and the Columbus City Center.

The committee welcomes information and contacts for additional sponsors and the involvement of local businesses for Pride Holiday 2000.

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