GAY PEOPLE'S

Chronicle

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

Volume 24, Issue 8 October 10, 2008

BRIAN DEWITT

The Camp Sunrise contingent carries a banner as the AIDS Walk leaves the art museum's lagoon, passing Severance Hall on the way to University Hospitals.

New route pleases AIDS walkers

by Anthony Glassman

Cleveland-A new route showing off more of the University Circle area highlighted the 18th annual John T. Carey Memorial AIDS Walk on September 4.

In past years, the walk circled Wade Oval and headed through the University Circle area. This year it detoured west on Chester Ave., looping through the Cleveland Clinic and back to University Hospitals before returning to Wade Oval.

The walk, which benefits ten organizations in northeast Ohio, was led by Suzanne Africa Engo, the founder of the New York AIDS Film Festival. Engo is running from New York City to Chicago to raise awareness on AIDS.

While no estimate of money raised was available by press time. AIDS Walk coordinator Jill Rembrandt said 1,500 had registered.

Of those, 611 were counted passing the corner of East 105th St. and Chester Ave. on the first leg of the walk.

Donations are still being mailed, delivered to the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland and entered on the website, www.cleveland.com/ aids walk.

Rembrandt believes that, when the final tally comes, it will show a slight decrease from last year's figures because of the difficult economy.

Inside This Issue

'I would like to be remembered

"I wouldn't say it's that much," she noted of the decline.

The new route, however, was a winner, bringing compliments from many of the participants. "It was great, people had a really good time," she said. "I think people enjoyed seeing more of University Circle than just Wade Oval.

"The thing I would say about the walk this year is it had a lot of spirit and a lot of energy," Rembrandt continued. "I was really happy to see lot of younger people. The campuses were really involved in volunteering."

Rembrandt said that it is important to see a continued commitment from the older, more established contingent while they continue to pass the torch to younger people "who are starting to care a lot about this issue. I think we're getting back to a place where people realize it's not going away any time soon."

She also looks at the AIDS Walk as community outreach as much as a fundraising event, and that was made strikingly clear with a getout-the-vote rally after the walk was completed.

While nobody came to represent the McCain campaign, organizers for Barack Obama spoke

and also had a booth there.

Next year's AIDS Walk will likely be even larger than this one, said Rembrandt. "There will be a buzz," she noted.

Citizen patrols and cameras are proposed in the wake of summer attacks

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Community Groups .................. 6 Charlie's Calendar

Comics

Classifieds

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Calif. marriage ban pulls ahead in polls

by kala Rosalcie

San Francisco-We are going to lose this campaign if we don't find the resources to compete," said Geoff Kors, director of Equality California and spokesperson for the campaign opposing California's marriage ban amendment.

Kors joined pollster Celinda Lake and campaign manager Steve Smith on a national conference call October 7 to discuss the latest poll results, showing that a lack of money is endangering marriage equality in the nation's most populous state.

It's complacency," said Kors. People just think we're going

to win.

A statewide poll conducted September 29 through October 2 showed the race ton close to call, but with the trend toward the ban amendment's passage. It is on the ballot as Proposition 8. A majority "yes" vote overturns the landmark California Supreme Court decision for full marriage in May. Nearly 12,000 same-sex couples have married since then,

The Lake poll shows 47% of voters would vote yes and 43% of voters would vote no. This represents a change from roughly two weeks ago when 44% of voters said they would vote yes and 45% said they would vote no.

These results track other polls done by CBS and Survey USA also showing the shift.

"The problem is that their side has raised more money than anticipated," Smith said, referring to the success of the campaign against marriage equality.

Continued on page 4

ANTHONY GLASSMAN

I'm Matt, I'll be your server . . .

Cleveland City Councilor Matt Zone and his sister Beth Zone prepare to wait tables at the Parkview Nite Club on September 26 for the family's annual AIDS Walk fundraiser.

Every year, the entire Zone family marches in the John T. Carey Memorial AIDS Walk in honor of their brother Marty Zone, who succumbed to the disease 14 years ago.

The guest-bartending stint each year is perhaps the only time a resident could have their councilman clear their table while the lieutenant governor, Lee Fisher, pours out a frosty cold brew. Fisher is married to Zone sister Peggy.

The family raised $4,000 that night for the AIDS Walk, and Beth Zone, assistant regional sales manager for the Ohio Lottery, said that they are mailing in another $1,000 in checks.

Marty Zone was living in New York with his partner Tony Mendez when he discovered that he was HIV-positive. Zone made his mark on network television handling cue cards for Saturday Night Live and later for David Letterman, who would not let Zone go after he filled in for a vacationing cue card-holder.

When he fell ill, Letterman hired Mendez at Zone's behest.

as a good person."

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-Anthony Glassman