GAY PEOPLE'S

Chronicle

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Ohio's Newspaper for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com Volume 24, Issue 10 November 7, 2008

Marriage lost

Historic presidential election also brought three ban amendments

by Anthony Glassman

While many LGBT people were cheering the historic landslide election of Barack Obama, they vere slapped by voters who passed inti-gay constitutional amendnents and ballot issues in four states.

Three out of four gay or lesbian candidates for Congress also won seats in Tuesday's election, which saw the approval of three amendnents to bar same-sex marriage ind a law prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting or fosterng children.

The most crushing news was the Proposition 8 win in California. At press time, it appeared that by a our percent margin, 52 to 48, the state passed a constitutional mendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman.

The measure effectively overurned May's California Supreme Court ruling that has allowed over 12,000 gay and lesbian couples to narry there.

The effort, led primarily by religious groups, see-sawed with the opposition in pre-election polls. Even prominent Republicans came out against the amendment, in:luding Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Attorney General Jerry Brown changed the wording of the ballot ssue to make it clear that it would ake away an existing right to narry. He also opined last summer hat if it passed, it probably would not affect couples already maried, although it ends gay and lesbian weddings in the state.

Proposition 8 became the most expensive issue campaign in hisory, bringing in over $70 million between the two sides, including

$22 million from individual Mormons, led by the church, to push for its passage.

With three to four million absentee ballots yet to be counted, the No on 8 campaign refused to concede defeat on Wednesday afternoon, but most of those are from areas of the state with lower support for marriage equality.

Full marriage remains available to lesbian and gay couples in Massachusetts and in Connecticut, where a constitutional convention aimed at passing a marriage ban was also defeated at the polls. Neither state has a residency requirement, nor does Canada, where same-sex couples may also marry.

An Arizona constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage passed by a slightly larger margin, 56 to 44 percent.

It was the second attempt to amend the state's constitution. The first failed two years ago, primarily because the 'language barred domestic partnerships as well, and opposition forces pointed out that it could deny benefits to heterosexual couples who were not married.

This time, with narrower language, it passed handily.

In Florida, where 60 percent of the vote is necessary to amend the state constitution, anti-gay groups mustered a 62-38 win for their antimarriage amendment, although the state already has a law against same-sex marriage and no pending court cases that could have overturned it.

The three measures bring to 30 the number of states that have passed marriage ban amendments since Hawaii and Continued on page 4

Inside This Issue

The O word

BRYNNA FISH

Patti Harris, owner of the Nickel, introduces The L Word creator Ilene Chaiken and star Jennifer Beals to the crowd there on October 25.

They were the latest celebrities to travel through Ohio stumping for Barack Obama, cramming their days with speaking engagements, photo ops and ad hoc voting rallies.

Chaiken and Beals had earlier traipsed up and down Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights, visited a gallery on Waterloo Road and hit a Cleveland Women's Network event and Bounce.

Eleven days earlier, Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon also swung through Cleveland on a similarly tight schedule, followed by a day in Columbus.

Melissa Etheridge came out on October 22 to support Rep. Dennis Kucinich's reelection campaign, and Holly Near organized a statewide touring music festival to turn Ohio into a blue state.

The influx of celebrity mirrored events four years ago, when Chad Lowe, Hillary Swank, Julianna Margulies, Willie Garvin, Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell all took the stage to urge a vote for John Kerry.

Unlike four years ago, however, the vote this year swung in favor of the Democratic nominee, giving Obama a 51-47 victory over John McCain in Ohio, primarily in the northeast corner and in the counties with larger cities, like Lucas, Summit, Hamilton and Franklin.

ERIC RESNICK

-Anthony Glassman

Gay-friendly campus is aim of new scholarship

'Boys in the Band' still stings Page 8

Ohio seats go

to lesbian, gay and friendly candidates Page 3

Community Groups ......

Charlie's Calendar.......

Comics

Classifieds

Sarah Gollwitzer of Lakewood receives the College of Wooster's first John Plummer Memorial Scholarship from its founder Hans Johnson.

Wooster, Ohio-To honor a longtime gay employee, the College of Wooster has created a scholarship for students who work to make the campus more LGBT welcoming.

The John Plummer Memorial Scholarship, currently $1,500, is open to any sophomore, junior or senior student, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Plummer, an out gay man, was Wooster's deputy comptroller for nearly 40 years before he died in 2006. He graduated from the college in 1964.

"[Plummer] showed generosity Continued on page 2