October 5, 2001 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

communitygroups

Most events of Out in Akron weekend are free

by Christopher Hixson

Akron-The fifth annual Out in Akron Cultural Festival will be held Thursday through Sunday, October 11-14. Quickly becoming one of the larger events of its kind in the Midwest, Out in Akron fosters awareness of the cultural contributions of gay,

Championship Poetry Slam Team. She leads audiences through her labyrinthine poems, building layer upon layer of engagingly expressed ideas until the audience is immersed in the world she's constructed.

Thursday, October 11, 9 pm, Paul Daum Theatre in Kolbe Hall, University of Akron Cámpus.

lesbian, bisexual and transgender people Queer Shorts film night

through an annual festival of film, performance and forums in Akron.

The mission of the festival is to celebrate diversity, unify our community and provide an experience that is an accurate reflection of the contributions of LGBT people to American culture.

Due to generous underwriting and fundraising, most Out in Akron events are offered free of admission charge.

Alix Olson

Alix Olson is a dynamic performer, 1999 Outwrite National Poetry Slam Champion and a member of the Nuyorican National

After receiving film entries from throughout the world, the jury has narrowed the field to a sampling of the best LGBT-themed short films being made today. The audience, however, makes the final decision. View them all and then vote for your favorite short film. Friday, October 12, 8 pm, Highland Theater, 826 W. Market Street.

'Hairspray' and shock value

John Waters' first PG-rated film is also his most sweet-natured and accessible. Based on his appreciation of a real-life 1960s Baltimore dance program, Waters' affection for

Ohio State GLBT alumni society to cheer on the Bucks

by Chad M. McCoury

Columbus-Be a part of the Ohio State Homecoming weekend fun as Columbus' own Virginia West hosts "Bring on the

Bucks," Friday, October 12 at 8 pm at Union

Station Video Café, located at 630 N. High St. in the Short North district.

Join the Ohio State University's

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Society for a pep rally

as we cheer on the Buckeyes to victory.

Some of the night's events that Virginia West and other perform-

ers will bring to the stage are OSU

said board member and scholarship chair Jack Miner. "All proceeds of this event will go towards Ohio State's first endowed scholarship targeting GLBT students."

Miner added, “A scholarship for GLBT students is long overdue at Ohio State. This will increase the university's

行

trivia, a raffle, and an auction full of exclusive OSU items such as several sets of premier football tickets, women's basketball tickets, an Archie Griffin-signed football, a teeth whitening system and more.

Beyond tons of prizes that will be handed out, a hundred OSU pom-poms donated by the OSU Alumni Association will be given out free and lapel pins with the new OSU logo will be available.

"This event will serve as the kick-off for the organization's development campaign,"

awareness of our community and

offer a chance for alums to make a difference in the lives of future Buckeyes."

The mission of the society is to promote the best interest of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender alumni of Ohio State University, as well as assisting with the educational needs of current OSU stu-

dents. The society does this by providing fellowship and professional relationships among alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends of the society and advocating for equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender alumni, students, faculty, and staff of the university.

Chad M. McCoury is the marketing coordinator for Student Gender and Sexuality Services at OSU and a board member of the OSU GLBT Alumni Society.

Chorus ensemble to sing at Coming Out Day service

by Scott Ford

Columbus-The Illuminati ensemble of the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus will be singing at St. Mark Lutheran Church during worship on Sunday, October 14, 2001 at 10:30

am.

The Illuminati ensemble concentrates on sacred music. This is the second year St. Mark has hosted the chorus for a worship service celebrating National Coming Out Day. All are welcome to attend. St. Mark Lutheran Church is located in Columbus' Victorian Village at 95 West 5th Ave., at the corner of Dennison. St. Mark is an inclusive family of faith; we welcome all people, of all ages, all races, genders, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

St. Mark Church is a "Reconciling in Christ" congregation that is engaged in ministry inclusive of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Because gay and lesbian persons are often scorned by society and alienated from the church, we wish to make known our caring and concern. It is for this reason that we affirm

that GLBT people: share with all others the worth that comes from being unique individuals created by God; are welcome within the membership of our congregation upon making the same affirmation of faith that all other people make; and that as members of St. Mark Church, are expected and encouraged to share in the sacramental and general life of St. Mark Church.

For additional information, please call the church 614-299-2514, or Scott Ford 614421-6864.

Scott Ford is the president of St. Mark Church.

Community Groups

The Community Groups columns on this page are published by the Gay People Chronicle free of charge, as a public service. They are written by members or officers of each non-profit organization, reflecting the views of their group.

If your organization would like to submit a column for this page, contact the Chronicle at 216-631-8646, toll-free 800-426-5947

or e-mail editor @chronohio.com.

the era and attention to authenticity shine through. It will be shown at a free screening, 2 pm on Saturday, October 13 at the Highland Theater.

Join John Waters later in the evening as he delivers an evening of wickedly funny social commentary on everything from bad hair to juvenile delinquency. Always entertaining and often shocking, Waters will discuss his life and work.

policy issues in the areas of health care, housing, law, finance and more. Special Guests Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon will give a keynote presentation, which will be followed by a panel discussion and question and answer period.

Outin Akron

Advance tickets are $16.50 through http:// www.boxofficetickets.com or by calling 800494-8497 (494-TIXS), and will also be available at the door. Doors will open at 7 pm, and this event is also at the Highland Theater.

Community Celebration Brunch

Returning this year is the Out in Akron Community Celebration Brunch at the restored Greystone Hall, Akron's former Masonic Temple, 103 S. High Street, 11:30 am to 2 pm on Sunday, October 14.

Brunch tickets must be purchased in advance, and are available for $15 at the Angel Falls Coffee Company, 792 W. Market Street.

Aging in the LGBT community

Following the Community Celebration Brunch, the Out in Akron Festival continues with the Out in Akron Forum, "We Are Every Age: Senior Issues in the LGBT Community" at the Highland Theater at 2:30 pm. The annual forum will focus on public

Martin and Lyon, together since 1953, cofounded the Daughters of Bilitis in 1955, and in 1972 co-authored the book Lesbian/Woman.

Cabaret Q

Out in Akron 2001 wraps up with the return of Cabaret Q, the Out in Akron variety show, at 7 pm on Sunday, October 14, celebrating Akron's own contributions to LGBT culture. The fourth annual showcase of Akron entertainers hit the Highland Theater stage with everything from amorous love songs to zany schtick. Variety is the star of this show, where classical meets Broadway and drag queens follow bassoons.

Out in Akron is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization of community volunteers. The festival is made possible through the support of Akron Community Federation, Angel Falls Coffee Company, Babylon Night Club, Northern Ohio Coalition, Inc., P-FLAG Akron and NEO Visions. All events will feature American Sign Language translation. For more information, log onto http://www.outin akron.org, or call 330-849-0725.

Christopher Hixson is a board member and the treasurer of Out in Akron.

Dayton groups to meet with Gill, identify funding needs

by Tom Wamsley

Dayton-AIDS Foundation Miami Valley is inviting members of nonprofit organizations to join them and representatives of the Gill Foundation for a community meeting to determine the level of interest and identify fundraising needs.

During this meeting, there will be a discussion of fundraising challenges, opportunities and needs.

The meeting will be held 8-10 am, Thursday, October 11 at the AIDS Foundation offices, 211 S. Main St, 10th floor, Dayton. For information on attending, contact director of development Tom Wamsley, at 937461-2437 ext. 26.

Each year, the Gill Foundation, of Denver, Colorado, uses a competitive application process to choose ten sites across the country to host its InCommunity training program. Dayton is a final candidate for the program.

If chosen, the city's nonprofits would be in a year-long partnership for 2002 with the Gill Foundation, which would help increase fundraising capacities. InCommunity provides a year of training, technical assistance and mentoring in fundraising and organizational development.

"Many of our nonprofit organizations share similar challenges, and we welcome our community as an important part of this process, ," said AIDS Foundation director Bill Hardy. "This is an opportunity to develop

skills that will lead to us becoming better fundraisers and strengthening the nonprofits throughout our community."

"The mission of the Gill Foundation is to serve as a catalyst for social change," said Gideon Fetterolf, interim director of training and technical assistance. "As we form partnerships with organizations through our InCommunity program, we want to help them enhance their role as change catalysts in their local communities."

Once a community is chosen as an InCommunity site, staff members and adjunct faculty of the Gill Foundation lead a series of workshops on fundraising strategies and board development at each site. Among the topics for the workshops are "Building a Better Board," "Fundraising Fundamentals," "Strategic Planning" and "Planned Giving."

The Gill Foundation funds organizations nationwide that serve LGBT individuals and people living with HIV and AIDS. The InCommunity Program, however, seeks to provide its resources to the broader nonprofit community.

Tim Gill, founder and former chairman and chief technology officer of Quark, Inc., started the foundation in 1994. The foundation's mission is to secure equal opportunity for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Tom Wamsley is the director of development for the AIDS Foundation Miami Valley.

LOOK!! Northeast Ohio Naturist

NEON is a social nudist group for guys.

.N.E.O.N. ... PO Box 770911 Lakewood, Ohio 44107

NEON

www.neonnaturists.com

neonline@hotmail.com