communitygroups
Den April 7, 2000-
Second Statehouse lobby day is set for April 12
Columbus-The second annual Equality Begins at Home gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender lobby day will be held April 12 at the Ohio Statehouse.
Equality Begins at Home Ohio is one of 50 groups, one in each state, founded last spring in a national effort by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. It is a group of Ohio GLBT rights organizations, individuals and heterosexual allies working to advance the GLBT civil rights movement in the Ohio legislature.
Members communicate regularly through e-mail on matters ranging from which legislators need to be contacted to announce-
The group is successful with its lobbying because of the training lobbyists go through prior to visiting legislators.
People who have never been to the statehouse or contacted lawmakers are grouped with experienced members, so the process is not intimidating and the number of experienced GLBT lobbyists grows each year. Equality Begins at Home is also successful because it welcomes all participants.
equality Begins at home
ments and press clippings. The focus of the members is the building of an ongoing activist legislative strategy in Ohio.
In 1999, Equality Begins at Home groups around the country were funded by a grant from NGLTF to build lasting networks in each state, which could be self-supporting. The national project has remained the single largest grassroots mobilization in the history of the GLBT movement.
The Ohio group has met all the objectives originally set out by NGLTF, and continues to bring GLBT people and allies into the legislative arena.
Equality Begins at Home Ohio has a working body of 70 members and an organizing committee of seven. Affiliated organizations include Stonewall Akron, which is currently the group's fiscal agent, Stonewall Cincinnati, It's Time Ohio, Columbus Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, the Miami Valley GLBT and Supportive Community Coalition, Dignity, and the Columbus chapter of the National Organization for Women.
Most Equality Begins at Home participants are unaffiliated, and the entire community is urged to participate in the lobby day activities.
"We're not trying to portray this community as anything other than what it is," said cochair Sarah Fox of Columbus. "EBaH was
founded on the principle that legislative participation is for everyone and that everyone can do it."
Lobbyists will deliver a packet to each member of the Ohio House and Senate and meet with as many legislators and staff as can be scheduled. Lobbyists will visit their own legislators as well as House and Senate leadership.
Legislative priorities of the April 12 effort are the defeat of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Acts" introduced in the House by State Rep. Jim Jordan and in the Senate by State Sen. Jay Hottinger, the passage of State Rep. Joyce Beatty's expansion of the ethnic intimidation laws to include sexual orientation, gender, and disabilty, and the possibility of legislation to protect GLBT employees of the state from workplace discrimination.
EBaH lobbyists, who also like to tell legislators their personal stories, may also discuss matters of importance to them, such as insurance benefits for domestic partners and the harm of "abstinence only" sex education curriculums on gay youth.
EBaH has led the opposition to the Hottinger-Jordan legislation and called statewide attention to the issue during a press
conference held January 12. Having undermined the reactionary political climate spurred after the Vermont Supreme Court decision by anti-gay factions, EBaH takes some of the credit for the current stalled status of the Ohio anti-marriage bills, and is committed to defeating them, keeping Ohio one of only 17 states without such legislation.
EBaH is finacially independent and raises its money through contributions and sale of raffle tickets. People wanting to sponsor EBAH should send checks made payable to Stonewall Akron/EBaH and send them to
P.O. Box 3216, Akron, Ohio 44309. Raffle tickets can be obtained through Judy Byrd at byrd@raex.com, or 330453-2609.
People interested in lobbying on April 12 should contact either co-chairs Sarah Fox at Sarah Fox@iwaynet.net, phone 614777-9980; or visit at www.rainbowakron.com/ebah/.
Reservations for lobbyists are due April 10.
Lobbyists will meet at Studio 2 on the third floor of the Riffe Center at 8:30 am Wednesday, April 12.
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Center to close five days as it moves to Gordon Square
by Linda Malicki
Cleveland-In just a few short weeks, the Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Center will be moving into its new space at the Gordon Square Arcade. If all goes as planned we will be opening our doors at high noon on Monday, May 1. Our address will be 6600 Detroit Ave., but you'll know us by the bright purple awning above our door. We can't wait!
In order to facilitate our move we will be closing our offices at 1418 West 29th St. on Wednesday, April 26. We have notified our tenant groups of this, and we want everyone to be aware of these changes.
The new center space will be fabulous! I have viewed many of the GLBT centers throughout the Midwest. and I think our new space surpasses them in spaciousness and layout. With the new space comes new opportunities. We will have much more meeting space available. If you have an idea for a group, and are willing to follow that idea with action, please call us. Or if your existing
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The following groups will be affected by the temporary closing: Cleveland Pride, the Wednesday night youth drop-in; the Thursday night men's group Brothers Keepers; the Thursday night women's group Women's Words; the PRYSM youth group; Pride Sunday meeting; the Political Issues Project; AIDS 101; and Afro Chats.
Please call the center at 216-522-1999 for information on these groups and where they will meet April 26 through May 3.
Additionally most on-site services such as the Lesbian-Gay Hotline, HIV testing, massages, and drop-in services will not take place from April 26 to April 30.
group or organization has outgrown your present space and you'd like to try meeting at the center, call us! We hope to fill our community center with a range of community groups, social activities, and events. Contact Dan at 216522-1999.
We will also be expanding our hours of operation and need dedicated, friendly volunteers to help us better serve our community. If you are willing to commit to 3 three hour shifts per month and care about helping people please call us. We are in great need of people like you.
We can't wait for you to see the new GLBT Community Center in Cleveland.
We are proud and excited and inspired. Watch the Chronicle for the announcement of our grand opening celebration sometime in May.
Linda Malicki is executive director of the Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Center.
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