4 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE October 23, 2009 www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com

communitygroups

Forum to explore new changes to LGBT law

by Maya Simek

Cleveland-The movement to extend equal rights to LGBT people implicates many aspects of the law. In recent years these laws have undergone significant and often controversial transformation.

A free four-credit symposium on "The State of LGBT Rights: Ohio, America, and the World" will be held at the ClevelandMarshall College of Law Moot Court Room on Friday, October 30.

The program will explore cutting-edge legal issues that affect the daily lives of LGBT people in Ohio, nationally, and around the world.

The featured speakers are lawyers and other activists who have advocated successfully on behalf of their LGBT clients and constituents to change the laws governing marriage and domestic partnerships, parental rights related to custody, visitation, shared parenting and adoption, and nondiscrimination in employment, housing, and related areas.

Speakers will discuss specific legal cases in which they have been involved, including Varnum v. Brien, in which the Iowa Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, the 2001 Bonfield case in which the Ohio Supreme Court authorized same-sex couples to use shared custody agreements to grant both partners rights regarding raising of the couples' children, and a number of cases related to state constitution marriage ban

amendments, including Ohio's, passed in 2004.

Speakers will also discuss legislation they have been involved with to extend equal rights to LGBT people, such as last winter's Cleveland domestic partnership registry, the LGBT nondiscrimination bill that passed the Ohio House last month, and the job anti-discrimination measure that earlier passed the federal House.

The program will conclude with an overview of the legal status of LGBT people in other countries ranging from full same-sex marriage in Canada, Spain, South Africa and elsewhere to death sentences for homosexuality in other countries including Iran, Iraq and Zimbabwe.

The symposium begins at 1 pm with a welcome and introduction from Geoffrey Means, the dean of Cleveland State University's Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

Immediately following that will be a national perspective with ClevelandMarshall law professor Susan Becker, Lambda Legal attorney Camilla Taylor, and Human Rights Campaign state legislative director Sarah Warbelow.

At 3 pm, it will be time for state and local perspectives with ACLU of Ohio staff attorney Carrie Davis, Lynn Bowman of Equality Ohio, the Cleveland LGBT Center's Susan Doerfer and Cleveland City Councilor Joe Cimperman.

Paula Ettelbrick, former executive direc-

tor of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission will end the day with an international perspective. A reception will follow.

The symposium is presented by the Cleveland State University's ClevelandMarshall College of Law, CSU's Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Services, the Cleveland-Marshall Allies student organization and the Ohio ACLU.

Additional support provided by American Constitutional Society for Law and Politics Cleveland State Chapter, Cleveland State Law Review, Cleveland-Marshall Law Library, Black Students Law Association (BLSA), Student Bar Association and Womens Law Students Association.

RSVPs are appreciated, but not required. If you would like to RSVP, go to www.law.csuohio.edu/lawlibrary/re-

sources/lawpubs/lgbt.html.

Parking is available at the Cleveland State South Garage, just east of the Wolstein Center on Carnegie and East 21st street. From the South Garage the law school is a block to the north and west. For a map see www.csuohio.edu/aboutcsu/ campusmap.pdf. For special parking accommodations, e-mail

Maya.Simek@law.csuohio.edu.

♡

Maya Simek is the president of Cleveland-Marshall Allies.

Bishop Gene Robinson to speak at Oberlin

by Michael Emerson Dirda

Oberlin-The Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, Gene Robinson, widely known as the first openly gay and partnered bishop of a major Christian denomination, will speak at Oberlin College's Finney Chapel on Tuesday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Since his consecration in 2003, Bishop Robinson has been very active in working towards achieving full civil rights for LGBT people. Working at the state, national, and international levels, he has spoken and lobbied for equal protection under the.law and full civil marriage rights.

Robinson delivered the invocation at Barack Obama's kickoff inaugural event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in January. He has been honored by many LGBT organizations for this work, including the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the Equality Forum.

At Oberlin, Robinson will discuss the emerging conception of a new, major reformation in Christianity-this time over the status of LGBT people in the church-as well as his own status as a symbol of that reformation.

"Bishop Robinson has become for many the flashpoint of the debate over lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues in the Christian church, and his election and consecration as a bishop has brought to light the deep divisions in Christianity over LGBT people and sexuality,” said Rev. Gregory McGonigle, director of Oberlin's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. “The fact that his consecration has led to a major rift in the Anglican Communion called by some the Anglican Realignment-is seen by some as a type of second (or third or fourth) Reformation, similar to the ways in which Civil Rights and Women's Rights have split the Christian Church in the past."

Robinson will be speaking in Oberlin the week of "Reformation Day," a holy day in which Protestants celebrate the continual need to reassess and clarify Christian doctrine, McGonigle noted.

"Robinson's visit and lecture should be significant to all those who care about Oberlin's noble tradition of advocacy for the human rights of minorities," said McGonigle. "I hope that Finney will be filled with the religious and non-religious, LGBT people and all others, who need to engage with these issues that are at the forefront of the movement for social justice for all people today."

Robinson's visit is sponsored by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, the Multicultural Resource Center and the Donald Downs, '62 and Richard Korb Fund. ✓

Michael Emerson Dirda is in the media relations department of Oberlin College.

Find out who has the biggest load-of food

by Jim DeLong

Cleveland-The Biggest Load 2009 Food Challenge is almost in the bag. The challenge has been extended

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For all your insurance needs!

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Betsy Warner Agent

2479 Lee Boulevard Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 Office (216) 932-6900

through October 31. Organizers will then weigh in all the teams and seal the results.

You still have time to donate and help your favorite team.

Uptowne Grille

HAPPY HOUR 11am-7pm Weekdays $2 Domestics. $3 Well ⚫ $5 Martinis KITCHEN OPEN

'til 1AM 7 Nights a Week

11312 Euclid Ave Cleveland OH 44106 www.uptownegrille.com (216)229-9711

UNIVERSITY CIRCLE'S BEST PLACE FOR LIVE MUSIC & FOOD! Featuring $8 Tapas, Entrées, & A Late Night Bar Menu College Night! Thursday Nights-Kill The Keg! $1 Bud Light Drafts & $5 Eats 10pm-Close

The results and the awards will be given at Claw Nation's second annual leather dance, Saturday, November 7 at 10 pm at the View, 618 E Prospect Ave. in downtown Cleveland. For a $10 donation at the door, you can dance your hides off to '70s and '80s hits with DJ Debbie. There will be entertainment, fun, raffles, prizes and games including "Fill the Boot."

All Leather Dance proceeds will benefit Turkey Tuesday and the Jon Brittain Food Pantry at the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland.

Beverage Distributors and Guinness 250 have stepped up with prizes worth $875. There will be first, second and third place prizes as well as other awards. Come dance and cheer on the Biggest Load teams.

The food donated from the drive will help pack approximately 450 Thanksgiving food baskets. The remainder will be added to the Jon Brittain Food Pantry. Volunteers are still needed to help pack bags. If interested in volunteering, donating or sponsoring turkeys,

contact

Jim

2009foodchallenge@gmail.com.

Jim DeLong is an organizer of the Biggest Load competition.

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