GAY PEOPLE'S

Chronicle

We did it!

City lands 2014 Gay Games

by Anthony Glassman

Cleveland-After a year of planning, coalition-building, negotiating and bidding, northeast Ohio was selected as the site for the 2014 Gay Games.

The Federation of Gay Games announced on September 27 that Cleveland's bid to secure the Gay Games was successful, and that the city had beaten out Washington, D.C. and Boston.

Two other cities that were in the early running, London and Miami, either dropped out or never submitted a formal bid.

The Games will be held here from August 9 to 16, 2014.

The site selection committee spent the end of July and the beginning of August visiting each of the three prospective host cities. Each town held rallies in their honor. Cleveland's took the form of a massive community celebration centered around the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which stands to see a major increase in traffic during the Games.

Cleveland's bid was bolstered by a last-minute pledge of $700,000 to help the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission put on the event, in addition to another $1.3 million in in-kind donations like police support and access to facilities across the area.

Spearheaded by the Cleveland Synergy Foundation, the effort to bring the Gay Games to northeast Ohio united Cleveland City Council, Mayor Frank Jackson's office, the Akron-Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Cleveland +, as well as the sports commission.

Akron's involvement will net the city the golfing events, which will be held at Firestone Country Club, the site of the Bridgestone Invitational world golf championships, and a ro-

deo at the Summit County Fairgrounds. Cleveland's bid was the only one of the three to include rodeo.

"The city of Cleveland is prepared to roll out the welcome mat to the LGBT athletes, their families and spectators from around the world, said Jackson. "Fans of the Gay Games will find that Cleveland is a great place to celebrate sports and culture and that we have tremendous assets and amenities for them to enjoy." "The sports and cultural environment here is truly a uniquely Cleveland experience, one they will cherish for years to come," he concluded.

While Cleveland may not have the reputation of Washington, D.C. or Boston, its Playhouse Square theater district is the largest performing arts complex in the nation, outside of New York City.

It also boasts top culinary talents like Michael Symon, who won the Food Network's Next Iron Chef competition.

Long a stronghold of leftwing politics, in part because of its strong labor ties, the city has spent the last few years trying harder and harder to make a name for itself as a queer-friendly locale, beginning with outreach from both Cleveland + and the Akron-

Volume 25, Issue 8 October 9, 2009

BRIAN DEWITT

My Games Rea

2014

ากฯ

Mayor Frank Jackson shares a laugh with Jamie Moore of the Cleveland Synergy Council after autographing the 2014 Gay Games poster behind him. Moments earlier, Jackson crossed off the poster's line naming Cleveland a "candidate" city, replacing it with "host." Jackson spoke to a capacity crowd in Union Station on October 4, celebrating the Games coming to Cleveland.

Bowman to leave Equality Ohio for post with national federation

Summit CVB to LGBT visiSearch for new director will be thoughtful, but not long'

tors. The election in 2005 of openly gay councilors in Cleveland, Lakewood and Cleveland Heights also bolsters that image.

Last December, the Cleveland City Council passed a domestic partner registry, five years after voters in Cleveland Heights instituted one.

Five years from now, as many as 12,000 athletes and 100,000 spectators will flock to the shores of Lake Erie, and they will be witness to Cleveland's strides in transforming itself

Continued on page 2

Inside This Issue

by Eric Resnick

Columbus Equality Ohio's founder and first executive director is stepping down December 11 to take a position with a national LGBT organization.

Lynne Bowman, who has led Ohio's largest LGBT advocacy group for nearly five years, will become the director of programs and services for the Equality Federation.

The federation provides resources for statewide organizations like Equality Ohio in

Ohio makes it easier to change gender on licenses

Letters to the Editors.......

Charlle's Calendar

Resource Directory

Walter Conkite was

Classifieds

ahead of his time

Page 6

Page 3

......

fundraising, building capacity, peer support, data management, mentoring, and building professional relationships.

In her new position, Bowman will be responsible for much of that activity.

The Equality Federation is 12 years old. Equality Ohio is nearly five years old, and has grown to be one of the largest statewide LGBT operations.

Bowman worked to organize the core team of LGBT leaders that formed Equality Ohio shortly after voters passed a constitutional ban on marriage equality in 2004. Repealing that amendment remains one of its core missions.

She is one of the longestserving directors of a statewide equality organization in the nation.

In her new position, Bowman will still live in the Columbus suburb of New Albany with her wife Nancy. The new position will require her to travel about 30 percent of the time.

"This gives me the opportunity to break from the 24/7 of running a statewide organization," Bowman said. "My mind and body need the break, but I am still going

to be working in the movement.

Bowman has served as the federation's co-chair since 2007.

"It's painful to leave Equality Ohio behind," Bowman said, "but it's time for me and the organization to grow, which won't happen if the founder sticks around forever."

Bowman will, however, be advising Equality Ohio on its biggest current project, passing the Equal Housing and Employment Act. She will also be an active lobbyist for the

measure.

The LGBT equal rights bill passed the Ohio House on September 15, but it faces an uphill battle in the Senate.

"I will stay around for [EHEA] strategy, and will have direct conversations with legislators," Bowman said.

She will also serve as an advisor to the Equality Ohio board as they choose her replacement, though she will not be part of the interview process, nor the selection.

Equality Ohio board chair Rev. Mike Castle of Dayton said he expects the transition process to a new executive director to be "thoughtful but not long."

Continued on page 5