GAY PEOPLE'S

Chronicle

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

Volume 24, Issue 6 September 12, 2008

Robbers target gay man,

beat him with ball bat

by Eric Sever

Cleveland-In the second incident in the same month, a man was beaten by robbers who may have targeted him because he is gay.

During the early hours of August 30, as Edward "Eddie" Makar made his way home from the Hawk on Cleveland's west side, he was beaten and robbed by three men yelling gay slurs throughout the assault.

Around 1:30 a.m., as he walked down West 117th Street, a car pulled up alongside him shortly before he got to the corner of

ERIC SEVER

Eddie Makar, three days after he was assaulted.

Clifton Blvd. Three men, one with a baseball bat, got out of the car.

The men allegedly dragged the slight-framed Makar, 28, from the sidewalk into a nearby alley.

Police say one of the suspects told Makar, "You're white and you have everything-gimme your shit, faggot!"

Makar says he tried to call for help repeatedly, but just kept getting hit in the mouth with the bat. One of his upper front teeth was knocked out.

He crumpled to the ground, and one of the men began jumping up and down on his legs, saying, "Faggot! Faggot! You deserve this, faggot!"

Makar says he lost consciousness for several minutes.

When he awoke, no one was around.

The men had taken house keys and cell phone.

Bloody and confused, Makar stumbled around the corner to the gay bar Twist, on Clifton.

"I just collapsed on the first guy

I saw," Makar recalled.

Police say an off-duty officer assisted Makar at the bar and contacted EMS, who took the young man to Lakewood Hospital.

He was unable to give more than a vague description of the men as African American, and

Continued on page 4

ROBIN STONE

A nice day for a walk

DOUG BRAUN, EQUALITY OHIO

BRADY

AWIFER

Eva Wolkowitz gives routes to walkers in an "LGBT Canvass for Brady" on September 6. About a dozen canvassers from Cleveland Stonewall Democrats, Equality Ohio and the Human Rights Campaign went door-to-door in Rocky River to re-elect State Rep. Jennifer Brady, D-16 of Westlake. From left is Wolkowitz, who is Brady's campaign manager, Obama Pride director Lisa Hazirjian, Brady field manager Colin Malloy, Brian Tupaz and Jessica Roberts.

-Brian DeWitt

New next-of-kin registry lets partners be notified of accidents

by Anthony Glassman

Columbus-A new state law offers LGBT people another way to ensure the security of their relationships.

The Next of Kin Registry, which took effect September 8, allows anyone with an Ohio driver's license or identification card to list two people to be contacted in case of an accident or emergency.

The database, which by law is not a public record, can only be accessed by authorized Bureau of Motor Vehicles employees and law enforcement officials.

Members of same-sex couples may list their partners as their primary next-of-kin contact in case of emergency, although minors

must have at least one of the two contacts be a parent or legal guard-

ian.

"The next-of-kin registry prevents disconnected family members from overriding the wishes of the individual, which we know happens all too often," said Mika Major, director of programs for the Cleveland LGBT Center. "This is a key step to recognition of the validity of LGBT relationships.

While the registry would not

Inside This Issue

grant decision-making power in the case of a conflict between an accident victim's same-sex partner and biological family, it could ensure that the partner is the one who gets notified after the accident.

"Should someone not have the proper paperwork in place, this serves as a back-up to still have an individual's wishes carried out," Major noted.

The database was created by House Bill 392, passed in the spring. While its benefits to sameContinued on page 4

Which 11th District candidate will come

closest to Tubbs Jones' 100% rating?

Wet and wild

Michelle Matkins, left, and Rockelle Pace of Columbus take the plunge into the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean while vacationing in Key West for the 22nd annual Womenfest celebration.

The festival flourished amid threatening weather, with Hurricanes Fay, Gustav and Hanna making waves before the September 2 start of the event and Hurricane Ike coming so close on the heels of the September 7 conclusion that tourists and residents alike were ordered to evacuate the island a day early.

For Matkins and Pace, who made the trip with six other women from Columbus, the festival doubled as a birthday celebration. Pace described the week-long event filled with parasailing, snorkeling, jet skiing, live entertainment, shopping, parties and sunset sails as "a perfect paradise." "I'd love to move here," Pace added. "We'll definitely be back."

Patti Harris

www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com

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Letters to the Editors................ 6 turtle's Calendar ......... 14 Comics ........................................................................... 13

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