Quober 29,

communitygroups

Ohio Soulforce delegates bring tales from Lynchburg

Cleveland-Many people have heard by now about the historic event that took place in Lynchburg, Virginia October 22-24. Rev. Mel White and members of Soulforce Inc. met with Rev. Jerry Falwell and members of his congregation and university and discussed anti-gay hate speech.

The immediate issue in Lynchburg was Falwell's toxic rhetoric about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Falwell has been distorting the truth, causing spiritual damage and helping to create a climate that tolerates violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

On October 22, Falwell apologized on national television for mischaracterizing gays and lesbians and promised to monitor all materials that come out of his ministries to make sure that they don't contain hateful messages about gays.

How did this happen?

Mel White and members of Soulforce have been using the principles of relentless nonviolent resistance to persuade Falwell to

open dialogue about the way he talks about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. These principles, known as soulforce, are the method that Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King used in their work for human rights.

The first goal of soulforce is personal spiritual renewal. The second goal is the transformation of society.

There are two soulforce tools for changing hearts and

or her about the sincerity and seriousness of the desire to negotiate.

Using the concepts of soulforce, White and the Soulforce delegates were able to persuade Falwell to come to the negotiating table and discuss concerns about his rhetoric. Though Falwell still has much to learn about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, important, groundbreaking steps have been made. Soulforce

mind: negotiation and SOULFORCE intends to keep working

direct action. With the

goal of reconciliation, a soulforce practitioner tries to negotiate with an adversary to understand each other and reach a mutually agreeable position.

Direct action is a tool to bring the adversary to the negotiating table. Rather than attacking or shaming, the purpose is to get the adversary's attention and convince him

with Falwell, to hold him to his promises and to keep working for better understanding.

Meanwhile, Soulforce is planning its first direct action. On November 17 and 18, United Methodist minister Rev. Jimmy Creech is scheduled for a church trial in Nebraska because he performed a holy union ceremony for a same-sex couple. A recent United Meth-

odist policy forbids its clergy to perform such ceremonies. Creech told the delegates that this is "an act of spiritual violence against God's gay and lesbian people."

Soulforce is exploring the possibility of a direct action to stop the trial from happening.

A group of Ohio Soulforce delegates will be holding a forum to tell about Soulforce and share stories about what happened in Lynchburg. The forum will be at 12:15 pm Sunday, October 31 at Trinity Cathedral, East 22nd at Euclid Ave., in Cleveland, after the morning service.

Anyone who would like to attend is welcome, and participants are invited to bring brown bag lunches and eat during the forum. Afterwards, delegates will discuss Soulforce's direct action in Nebraska, and anyone who wishes to stay is welcome to join the discussion.

For more information about Soulforce Inc., go to www.soulforce.org. For more information about the forum in Cleveland, call 216771-3630 ext. 104.

Honor the present by planning for the future

by Doni Gewirtzman

Nancy and Vera had lived a long and rich life together. For forty years, they shared an apartment, expenses, and their innermost thoughts and dreams. They talked about everything, including what should happen if either of them ever became sick or incapacitated. When Nancy was hospitalized with a

There are four basic documents you should obtain and become familiar with: a health care proxy, living will, power of attorney and last will and testament.

stroke, Vera was a constant presence at her bedside, providing care, love and support as Nancy's condition slowly deteriorated.

But when Nancy was put on artificial life support, Vera was frozen out. When the doctors wanted to know Nancy's wishes about what steps Nancy would want them to take, they ignored Vera, Instead, they turned to Nancy's brother, who barely knew Vera and had never discussed the issue with Nancy. Vera watched helplessly as the doctors continued life support, despite Nancy's strong wishes to the contrary.

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Stories of this kind play out every day in hospitals, emergency rooms, and nursing homes across the country. The message is simple and direct: for lesbians and gay men of all ages, advance legal planning is an absolute necessity if your wishes about medical care and property distribution are to be honored and respected.

If you do not have a plan in place, your property after

others make clear that they are triggered only by your inability to handle your affairs yourself. This power can become extremely important should you become ill, incapacitated,

or unavailable for some reason, so you should carefully consider when you want the power to take effect and who should serve as your agent. Power of attorney forms are available at most banks and legal stationery stores.

death and, in many cases, the Finally, to ensure that your

Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund

power to make decisions about your health, welfare and finances if you become incapacitated— will be in the hands of your biological relatives. Your wishes-and your closest relationships-may be ignored.

Talking about disability or death isn't easy. These issues are difficult to confront. Prioritizing family relationships and quality of life concerns can be especially hard to do. Thus, even though many of us realize the importance of such questions, we may hesitate to make crucial choices before it's too late.

But by taking a few simple steps to document these difficult decisions, you can ensure that you control crucial choices about your quality of life, who will represent your wishes if you are incapacitated, and what happens to your property after death. Advance planning can be an empowering experience. Obtaining legal advice about estate planning and medical decision-making does not need to be expensive, and can help to avoid a lot of hardship and conflict in the long run. Many of the necessary documents are available as forms and are easy to complete. Some don't even require an attorney.

There are four basic documents you should obtain and become familiar with: a health care proxy, living will, power of attorney and last will and testament.

Health care proxies and living wills cover medical decision making if you should become incapacitated for any reason. Health care proxies allow you to appoint a trusted partner, friend, or family member (known as an "agent") to make health care decisions in the event that you are unable to express your wishes. Living wills allow you to document your preferences about end-of-life treatment and can help dictate the decisions that your agent or doctors make on your behalf

Both documents are available at no cost, through Lambda Legal Defense's web site (www.lambdalegal.org) or by calling one of our offices around the country and asking for the intake line. Be sure to complete the correct form for these documents for your state and to closely follow the instructions.

Powers of attorney allow you to appoint a trusted representative to act on your behalf in legal and financial matters. Some powers of attorney are valid as soon as you sign them;

property distribution wishes are recognized and legally enforceable, you should consult with an attorney to execute a last will and testament that meets your needs and conforms to the laws of your state. Drafting a will does not need to be expensive, even if an attorney is involved.

Without a legal will that documents your specific wishes, laws known as intestacy laws

automatically dictate that your biological family will inherit all of your property and possessions, even though you may have very different priorities for your loved ones and your community. If you need help finding an attorney to draft a will, contact one of Lambda's offices around the country and ask for the intake line.

One day, hopefully not far in the future, our laws will embrace an expansive definition of family that will provide lesbians and gay men with the same legal safety nets as our non-gay counterparts, saving people like Nancy and Vera pain and hardship. But until then, there is no substitute for careful planning and for documenting your choices.

Doni Gewirtzman is a staff attorney at the gay and lesbian Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund's headquarters in New York City.

Community rallies to produce dance parties

by Jan Cline

Cleveland-It's encouraging when the community rallies together for a great cause. That's exactly what happened to help produce a full weekend of dance parties to benefit the Lesbian-Gay Community Center of Cleveland.

On Friday, October 15, over 40 young people attended our "Divas, Dykes, and Dudes" youth dance held at Cleveland Public Theatre. The enthusiasm of the group made it clear that youth need and value social gatherings where they can be 'queer without fear'. Thanks to Rob Sherwood, regional DJ, for spinning that evening.

Company, and Lou & Eddy's Pizza for underwriting most of our production costs.

Special thanks to DJ Deb Sharp, DJ Rob Sherwood, the Rainbow Wranglers, Twiggy, Ivana Grump, Kari Nickols, Isis Tiffany Soul, Sexia Lopez, and Edie Gregory for their entertaining performances and deejaying.

I also need to thank the many businesses who gave gift certificates or prizes for our raffle, costume contest, and silent auction: the Cleveland Play House, Body Language, Body

The Center

The following evening, the adult "Divas, Dykes, and Dudes" dance and costume party, was held in the same space at the theatre. Although the attendance was not what we expected, the energy was abundant. And finally, on Sunday, October 17, the "Lost City Tea Dance" held at Club Atlantis provided a high energy outlet on a very weatherdreary day.

Along with nearly 75 volunteers, the following people and individuals helped make this party weekend possible; please let them know you appreciate their support of our community: Deepwater Productions, DJ Christian and his technical crew, Club Atlantis, Cleveland Public Theatre, Pepsi-Cola, King's Nut

Work Productions, Nicholas Jewelers, the Clifton Web, Borders Books and Music of Westlake, Off the Record, Johnny Mango World Café, High Tide-Rock Bottom, Dobama Theatre, Cabaret Dinner Theatre, BP Procare, Defined Lines Hair Care, Regal Cinemas, photographers Janet Macoska and Janice Kushner, Cleveland Rockers, Stylist John at Ladies & Gentlemen in Mentor, the Brownstone Bed and Breakfast, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, florist Stephen Tokar, and the Cleveland Police Department.

This is an incredible list of supporters, thank you all. If your business helped, and we didn't list you here, sorry for the oversight, please let us know. ♡

Jan Cline is the development director of the Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center of

Cleveland.