GAY PEOPLE'S

CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

Chronicle

ANTHONY GLASSMAN

•

Ohio's Newspaper for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com

Volume 24, Issue 5 August 29, 2008

2,200 for 24

Attendance rises for Dancin' despite early rain squall

by Anthony Glassman

Cleveland-It was all about bodies moving on August 24, whether in front the DJ stage, on the performance stage, astride a mechanical bull or wrestling around in a kiddie pool of lube. The 24th anniversary of Dancin' in the Streets, and the fourth time it was held on Clifton Blvd., saw a small spike in attendance, but it also witnessed the introduction of a second stage for

live performances and an increased outreach to the lesbian community.

For the first two hours of the fundraiser for the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland, the beer truck was staffed by volunteers from the Nickel, one of two remaining women's bars in Cleveland.

That opening slot also saw an abbreviated show by Robin Stone and her band, which was cut short by 15 minutes of medium-strength

Continued on page 5

Ace Daniels and Xavier Alexander Jade of the Cleveland Kings prove that Emo is really quite gay on the performance stage during Dancin' in the Streets.

Out athletes win medals in Beijing

Diver Matthew Mitcham is first out man to win gold— but NBC viewers wouldn't know

by Anthony Glassman

Beijing Of 11 out athletes at the 2008 Summer Olympics, seven took medals and one made history.

Linda Bresonik of Germany took a bronze medal for soccer, while Lauren Lappin and Vicky Galindo nabbed silver medals with the United States women's softball team.

Natasha Kai of the U.S. brought home gold in soccer, while Gro Hammerseng and Katya Nyberg, who are a couple, brought gold medals home to Norway in handball.

The big gay story of the Olympics, however, was the 10-meter

platform diving by Matthew Mitcham of Australia, who garnered four perfect 10s on his last dive to shoot ahead of his Chinese competitor Zhou Luxin, denying a Chinese sweep of diving gold.

Mitcham is now the first openly gay man to win a gold medal at the Olympics.

Greg Louganis, a U.S. diver who won gold in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, came out in 1994.

Mitcham, however, came out in May before going into the competitions, becoming an icon of Australia's LGBT community. Divers there carry prestige similar to basketball players in the United States.

Mitcham, citing personal prob-

lems including a battle with depression, retired from diving two years ago, but the 20-year-old returned to the sport a few months afterwards.

After performing poorly in the 3-meter springboard event in Beijing, Mitcham said that he looked at what he had done wrong, and simply changed everything.

Along with his medal came controversy.

TV viewers in Australia and Europe saw an extended interview in the NBC feed with Mitcham, his mother and his partner Lachlan Fletcher.

Viewers in America, however, saw none of the interview, leading Continued on page 2

Is that proper dinner table conversation?

Co-chair Kevin Calhoun, Dr. Julio Aponte, Mary Beth Schwarz and Charlotte Wells chat after dinner at the People of All Colors Together-Cleveland Barbie's Summer Luau on August 23.

The third annual event was once again held on the verdant grounds of Sue and Tom Roseum's Willoughby Hills home. Friends of cochair Michael Kelley, the Roseums each year spend hours roasting, then carving a pig for their guests. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken breasts, salads, dessert and an open bar are also provided, along with a pool and hot tub, making it PACT's most decadent event of the year. Schwarz is the board president of the Cleveland LGBT Center, and Wells is its vice president. The two also became PACT Cleveland members at the event.

After hosting the National Association of Black and White Men Together's 25th anniversary convention last year, PACT Cleveland is now looking for new challenges, and reaching out to other community organizations to form partnerships is one of them. Ties to the Cleveland LGBT Center, TransFamily and the Black, Gay and Proud Celebration are already strong.

For more information about the group and its events, go to www.pactcleveland.com. Wells and Schwarz are hosting their September 27 clambake, part of the Cleveland LGBT Center's TaDa! Dinner Series. Information on that is available www.lgbtcleveland.org.

Inside This Issue

Coming out as stand-ups Page 8

www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com

-Anthony Glassman

From podium to floor,

'we are everywhere' at Dem convention

Page 4

Letters to the Editors .............

6 Charlie's Calendar................. 11

Comics............ Classifieds