October 29, 2004

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

communitygroups

Make a difference: Help with get-out-the-vote effort

by Patrick Shepherd

Cleveland-It's hard to imagine an election more important to our lives, the people we love and the community we live in. That is

Cleveland Stonewall Democrats

why we must do everything in our power to take this country in a new direction, away from those who would divide us and toward those who would unite us.

On November 2, Ohio voters will elect the

next president and will determine whether anti-gay discrimination is written into Ohio's Constitution. It's an election that marks an opportunity to take back the White House from the dividers, the haters, the bigots and the extremists. This opportunity cannot pass us by.

At the same time this is an election of great risk. There is a wellorganized effort underway to pass an anti-gay Ohio constitutional amendment. Of course, this is nothing more than a blatant attempt to boost election-day turnout among conservative and right-wing voters.

Northeast Ohio's LGBT community—

along with our allies can make a difference in this election, but only if we have the volunteer resources to educate and mobilize the thousands of LGBT voters that have been newly identified and registered in Northeast Ohio.

With your help, we are mounting the largest local LGBT "Get Out the Vote" effort in our community's history. We are contacting LGBT and LGBT-friendly voters, not just one time, but three or more times with information about the election and the candidates. We won't take any vote for granted.

In order to implement the final stages of this "Get Out the Vote" campaign, we need your volunteer help between now and Election Day.

Please take a moment now to go online at www.clevelandstonewalldemocrats.org_and sign up for a few volunteer shifts. Or just contact Cleveland Stonewall Democrats' grassroots coordinator Emily Ingalls by phone, 216-870-3585, e-mail

volunteer@clevelandstonewalldemocrats.org. It is the single most important thing you can do to turn out Northeast Ohio voters between now and Election Day. We are counting our your support.

Patrick Shepherd is the president of the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats.

Not voting will bring you four years of bad luck

by Sandi Dubowski

So you are thinking what you should do on Election Day next Tuesday, November 2?

You wonder whether your vote will really count. You don't like waiting in line. And you don't really care about gay marriage anyway.

Fast-forward to 2008 if George Bush gets re-elected and Issue 1 passes, and paint a

Get Out the Vote Coalition

picture of what life could be like.

By 2008, there is a national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender boycott of Ohio"The Anti-Gay Hate State"-and hundreds of jobs and business relocate to other more friendly states. There is less LGBT home ownership, as unmarried people cannot jointly own property. Gay and lesbian people are sicker because thousands lose their domestic partner health care coverage. Bush opposes federal anti-discrimination laws, LGBT adoption, safe schools, and hate crime laws. Violence against LGBT people increases.

But, Tuesday is when you have a hot date and you have to get your hair cut after work, and the polls close at 7:30 pm.

By 2008, George Bush appoints three rightwing extremist Supreme Court justices. Gay people can again be thrown in prison for having sex in their homes. Diversity pro-

grams are dismantled. Roe v. Wade is overturned. A girl who is raped by her father has to get parental approval from him to get an abortion. States can only use tax money to fund abstinence-only sex education and the HIV infection rate for LGBT youth continues to go up. AIDS service organizations are in court for violating obscenity statutes. But you have to work really late Monday, and when you wake up Tuesday afternoon, it's raining.

By 2008, 5 million more people nationwide lose their health care coverage. A quarter of a million more Ohio jobs get outsourced and corporations continue to get tax benefits. There are more Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. The deficit doubles to $830 billion. Fewer LGBT students go to college as tuition costs jump another 17%, Pell grants are cut, and "No Child Left Behind" leaves thousands of children behind because it remains underfunded.

But, your vote does not really matter because Bush and Kerry, they are all the same politicians who just make promises, and neither are exactly perfect on our issues.

By 2008, Bush reinstates the draft. Six thousand Americans have been killed in Iraq, which has blown up into a holy war with no end. The U.S. has become a pariah state around the world. Bush opposes stem cell research and puts politics before science. Research is slowed on diabetes, Parkinson's,

Pool standings

Cleveland-These are the standings for the Shooters Pool League as of October 18

matches.

This is the second season of an annual pool league which shoots on Monday nights. Although it is a semi-competitive league, all skill levels can compete as matches are based on individual handicaps. Play begins at 8 pm at the home team's bar where four matches are played each week consisting of as many games as necessary for one player to win as many games as their handicap.

For more information, contact the league at 440-871-4699 or buteohawk1@comcast.net.

Matches

Team

Won Lost

Games Won Lost

Leather Stallion

47 39

Tool Shed

63 33

Union Station

49 41

Twist

37 47

Grid-Basement

40 46

Bounce Rockies Grid-Orbit

35 46

8 12

36 48

6 14

Upcoming matches

Monday, November 1 Grid-Basement at Bounce Tool Shed at Union Station Rockies at Grid-Orbit Leather Stallion at Twist

Monday, November 8

Grid-Orbit at Tool Shed

Union Station at Leather Stallion Twist at Grid-Basement Bounce at Rockies

Friday bowling standings

Cleveland-These are the standings of the North Coast Bowling Association's Friday night bowling league at the end of play October 22.

The Friday night league is a fun social league with plenty of openings. No experience is necessary. Bowling begins at 6:45 pm every Friday at Ambassador Superior Lanes, 1500 Superior Ave. in downtown Cleveland.

For more information, contact the league at 216-661-5532.

Team

Won

Lost

Team

Won

Lost

1. Thighmaster

8. Mustangs

2. Married With Children

9. The Bald and the Beautiful

3. Deco Bitter Bitches

10. Beyond a Mess

4. Decopauge

11. Finger Holes

5. Alternative Pins

12. BADGERLs

6. Oh Spare Me

13. Dixsie Chicks

7. Golden Organs

2222222

Alzheimer's, heart disease, cancer, and spinal cord injuries and families suffer. Bush refuses to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. Social Security is privatized and benefits are cut. Clean air and water protections are ignored, and sewage dumping, toxic violations and clear-cutting of forests increases.

But, this is your first time voting and you hear that there will be voting challengers who will question your right to vote and try to disrupt the election. Who needs the hassle?

A few minutes on Election Day is a small price to pay for a better future for LGBT Americans. Especially here in Ohio. Bring an

I.D. with your address to the polls-no one can stop you from exercising your power as a citizen. The stakes have never been higher for LGBT Americans.

Nothing is sexier than someone who takes action. Vote!

Volunteers interested in helping out on election day should call the America Votes hotline. In Columbus, call 614-923-3884. In Cleveland, call 216-371-9458.

Sandi DuBowski is a volunteer with the Get Out the Vote Coalition. He is the director of the film Trembling Before G-d, about LGBT Hasidic and Orthodox Jews.

Guide helps TG people deal with obstacles at the polls

by Mara Keisling

Washington, D.C.—The National Center for Transgender Equality on October 26 released a guide to help protect the voting rights

National Center for Transgender Equality

of transgender people. Overcoming Voting Obstacles: Resources for Transgender People explains and provides solutions for the most common problems that transgender people may face when voting.

This is a very significant election to trans people and it is important that every qualified voter be allowed to vote. The guide is meant to help people advocate for themselves at their polling place.

The guide covers the most common issues trans people may face:

• Having identification documents that don't match the name or face of their current gender identity;

• Facing transphobia or discrimination;

• Being inappropriately asked for multiple forms of ID that may not be consistent.

The guide also provides referrals for other types of discrimination or intimidation that transgender people might face including lan-

guage barriers, dealing with past felony conviction, racial discrimination, voting while homeless, and several others.

The guide is available on NCTE's web site at http://nctequality.org/Vote.asp. Transgender people have as much right to vote as anyone else and TG votes are vital this election. Bring appropriate ID and if anyone tells you that you can't vote for any reason, ask for a provisional ballot and immediately call 866-687-8683 (OUR-VOTE) for assistance. This is a non-partisan voter assistance line provided by the Election Protection Coalition.

For more information on the National Center for Transgender Equality, call 202-639-6331 or log onto www.nctequality.org.

Mara Keisling is the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

HALLOWEEN PARTY WEEKEND

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29

AND SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30

DJ, DANCING, DRINK SPECIALS AND COSTUME CONTEST! REGISTER BY 10PM FOR CASH AND OTHER PRIZES!

nicke

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 WATCH THE ELECTION RESULTS AT THE NICKEL!

Wear Your "I Voted" sticker for Drink Specials and Munchies!

4365 State Road in Cleveland 216-661-1314