GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

September 11, 2009

www.GayPeoples Chronicle.com

letters totheeditors

Factual but not accurate

To the Editors:

In an August 28 article by Eric Resnick entitled "TG measure may have less support in council," he reports that "If a proposed city ordinance to bar discrimination by gender identity was put to a City Council vote today, only eight council members are committed to voting for it."

Although it is a fact that the Gay People's Chronicle "asked" all 21 councilors of they would support the measure, and that councilors were told that non-responses would be viewed as intent to vote against the ordinance, Mr. Resnick left out pertinent information in his article.

A written survey was faxed to council clerk Pat Britt with a request that the questionnaire be returned within 24 hours. City Council was not in session and is officially on "summer break." Ms. Britt was not in the office when the questionnaire was faxed to her. Two days later, when Ms. Britt returned to the office, the deadline for returning the . questionnaire had already passed. Ms. Britt then called Mr. Resnick to request more time. The Gay People's Chronicle reporter then granted a one week extension. City Council was not in session with council members legislative recess.

The fact that only ten councilors returned the questionnaire is not a fair indication of support for this measure. It is more an indicator of councilor's available time than of support for the bill.

For example, Mr. Resnick assumes that Councilman Brian Cummins does not "support" the measure because he failed to return the survey. Yet, Councilman Cummins is one of the five co-sponsors of the legislation. Councilman Cummins has never wavered in his support for this measure yet because he failed to return the survey by the deadline, Mr. Resnick counts him as a "no" vote.

Over the past few months, as part of its endorsement process, the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats had questionnaires returned from many sitting city council members as well as candidates for city council.

These questionnaires includes questions directly related to the transgender non-discrimination measure as well as questions concerning domestic partner benefits for city employees, strengthening the lesbiangay non-discrimination ordinance, and other issues that are vital to the progress of the Cleveland LGBT community. These questionnaires indicate a majority of city council members support the transgender nondiscrimination measure.

Gay People's Chronicle reporters did not directly speak to members of council, did not speak to any of the five co-sponsors of the bill (except Councilman Joe Santiago), and did not interview any of the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community who have been working directly with council and the city law department on this legislation.

City council members and members of the LGBT community have been working directly with the law department on issues related to the transgender non-discrimination legislation. This measure will provide protection against discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on gender identity.

Mr. Resnick reports that "it is not clear what the law department's concerns are." This information could have been easily obtained from the law department or from the LGBT community members working directly with the law department. The "concerns" are related to the public accommodations portion of the legislation. Changes in policy, procedure and physical structures would be required for city-owned properties to prevent discrimination. This could include, but not be limited to, public restrooms and locker rooms. The law department is currently reviewing language that

communitygroups

will allow for a reasonable time for the city to be in compliance with making physical, structural changes without being subject to discrimination law suits.

In reporting on the transgender non-discrimination measure, Mr. Resnick's report was incomplete, at best. In the failure to obtain the information needed to accurately report on this issue, the Gay People's Chronicle printed an article that did not include all the facts and is clearly inaccurate.

Sue Doerfer,

LGBT Community Center of Cleveland Joe Cimperman, Cleveland City Councilman

Leslye M. Huff, Esquire Jake Nash

Lynne Bowman, Equality Ohio

Ted Wammes, City of Cleveland Community Relations Board Patrick Shepherd

Surveys were addressed to each council member by name and ward, and sent via U.S. mail to council clerk Patricia Britt on August 3. The deadline was a week later-not 24 hours and because of Britt's absence, it was put off another week..

Even with the delay, councilor Dona Brady time-stamped hers as received on August 10. The first one to be returned arrived the next day by e-mail, from councilor Matt Zone. The final one was also returned by e-mail, from councilor Kevin Kelley on August 18. No later ones have arrived.

Eric Resnick has been unable to confirm what the law department's concerns are, or why they are taking so long to resolve, because the law department has been unwilling to discuss it. -Editors

The new year 5770 is upon us

by Paul Zeitzew

Cleveland-The Jewish High Holidays of the new year 5770 are upon us.

Festivities begin with the lesser-known holiday of Selichot, which falls this year on the Saturday before Rosh Hashanah (September 12). It is an evening service of prayer and poems to get one into the mood of the holidays.

This year, Fairmount Temple in Beachwood will include the award-winning film Trembling before G-d, a documentary about gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews trying to reconcile their sexuality with their faith.

Rosh Hashanah follows a week later, starting at sundown Friday, September 18 and continuing through sundown Saturday, September 19.

(Jewish calendar days begin and end at sundown, as opposed to Gregorian calendar days which run from midnight to midnight.)

Chevrei Tikva Chavurah, the heart of the LGBT Jewish community in northeast Ohio, will hold a rabbi-led service at

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8 p.m. Friday evening in the Lelyveld Library at Fairmount Temple.

On Saturday, members of our Chavurah will join the greater Fairmount Temple congregation in a variety of services beginning at 9 a.m.

The day culminates with our festive holiday pot luck (non-dairy, please!) at approximately 4:30 p.m. in the library, for all Chevrei Tikva Chavurah members and friends.

The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are known as the "Days of Awe." It is a time to reflect on what we have accomplished and where we are going in the following year. As it is told, “On Rosh Hashanah, it is written, and on Yom Kippur, it is sealed.”

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins at sundown on Sunday, September 27. It is considered a holy fast day, where no food or water is allowed to be consumed for twenty-four hours. It is also a day of confessing all sins, both those of our own and those of all around us.

Chevrei Tikva Chavurah will have a rabbi-led erev Yom Kippur (Kol Nidre)

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service at 8p.m. that Sunday evening, also in the Lelyveld Library.

The following day, Chevrei Tikva members will again join the larger synagogue for a variety of services and discussions that will culminate with a N'eila (evening) service and a sounding of shofars (traditional rams' horns used as a call to all Jewish people) that has to be heard to be believed. The holiday concludes at approximately 6:30 p.m. with the annual break-the-fast dairy potluck, this year in a member's beautiful Pepper Pike home.

Further information on Chevrei Tikva Chavurah can be found at www.fairmounttemple.org/ Chevrei Tikva Chavurah.htm.

For more information, and to reserve space for the potlucks, call Cathy Lipton at 216-464-1330, ext. 126, or e-mail her at clipton@fairmounttemple.org.

Paul Zeitzew is a member of Chevrei Tikva Chavurah of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple.

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