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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE March 26, 2010

www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com

Ohio Dems name Burton to head party LGBT caucus

by Eric Resnick

Columbus-The Ohio Democratic Party has named a grassroots campaign organizer to head its Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Caucus.

Collin Burton took the position March 10 and says his opportunity and challenge is to unite the "fractious" LGBT Democratic Party organizations around the state, and to connect LGBT Democrats to field organizing tools and resources.

He fills a post that was vacated when James Winnett left last year.

Burton was born in Youngstown and graduated from Westerville High School, is a co-founder of the Activist Nation, which organizes young adults and college students globally around progressive political causes, including LGBT equality. He attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, where he co-founded the Gay Straight Alliance.

"The first thing the caucus has to do is support Ted Strickland and Yvette McGee Brown at the top of the ticket in 2010 and support Democratic candidates down the

ticket. This is the way we hold the Apportionment Board," said Burton.

Ohio's Apportionment Board, which will

Collin Burton

draw new legislative districts based on the 2010 Census, is controlled by whichever party holds two of these three offices: the governor, the secretary of state and the auditor.

"The next thing to do is get LGBT candidates elected," Burton continued.

The election of LGBT candidates is one area Burton sees where the LGBT Caucus can depart from the Ohio Democratic Party's goals.

The party makes pre-primary endorsements in some statewide races, but generally avoids doing so in local races.

The LGBT Caucus, according to Burton, "will be there for LGBT candidates preprimary."

Burton draws a distinction between the LGBT Caucus and the Stonewall Democrats he will be working closely with.

"The LGBT Caucus is different because it is inside the Ohio Democratic Party," Burton said. "The Stonewall Democrats are an affinity group. They are outside, influencing the party on LGBT issues."

Burton said he wants to support existing Stonewall Democrat groups and help get more started.

"We're going to be supportive, and connect these groups to field tools and field directors," said Burton.

"It's all about education and understanding, and getting these groups to work on

campaigns that ODP has prioritized,” Burton said.

Burton said his position also has a fundraising function.

It will not, however, have a direct lobbying function in the Ohio Statehouse.

"I will have no direct influence on legislation," Burton said. "The caucus will influence legislation by electing LGBT-friendly candidates who will vote on legislation."

And, Burton said, he will be a resource to advocacy groups like Equality Ohio, which tries to pass LGBT legislation.

Burton plans to be visible throughout the state, write a monthly column, and use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to engage LGBT Democrats.

The LGBT Caucus began in 2005 as part of an initiative by ODP Chair Chris Redfern to engage LGBT voters.

The Ohio Democratic Party is the only state political party in the nation with a paid full-time staffer dedicated to the LGBT community.

The caucus is on the web at www.ohiodems.org/lgbt.

The Activist Nation is on the web at www.campusactivism.org.

3 arrested at White House during 'don't ask’

by Anthony Glassman

Washington, D.C.-The movement to repeal the military's ban on gay people serving openly saw a great deal of action over the last few weeks.

On March 18, Lt. Dan Choi, former Army Capt. Jim Pietrangelo and Equality March organizer Robin McGehee were arrested an hour after the two men chained themselves to the fence outside the White House.

The trio, along with around 100 people, had come from a Human Rights Campaignorganized rally in Freedom Plaza, where Kathy Griffin, former Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, HRC president Joe Solmonese and others spoke.

Choi, who is in the process of being discharged, asked to speak at the rally and

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was rebuffed since the program had already been set. However, when he spoke to Griffin, she said he could address the crowd.

"Repeal 'don't ask, don't tell'-not next year, not tomorrow, but now," he said, according to DC Agenda, the city's LGBT newspaper. "Now is the time."

He then urged participants at the rally to come with him to the White House. He asked Griffin if she would come, and she said yes, and when asked, Solmonese gave a "thumbsup" gesture, but neither left the Freedom Plaza event.

Park police arrested Choi and Pietrangelo, while uniformed Secret Service agents arrested McGehee, who was later released and her charges dropped after she paid a "post and forfeit" fine of $35. Choi and Pietrangelo were released without bail on March 19.

ask' protest

The same day as the rallies, the Senate Armed Services Committee held hearings on "don't ask, don't tell," which saw some of the most startlingly thoughtless testimony in recent memory.

Retired Marine Gen. John Sheehan, who was the commander of NATO prior to his retirement in 1997, blamed gay Dutch troops for the 1995 massacre of Muslims in Srebenica, Bosnia. Around 8,000 Muslim men were killed when understaffed NATO forces were overrun by the heavily-armed Serbs.

Sheehan said that gay soldiers were a contributing factor that allowed the Serbs to overcome the NATO soldiers.

He claimed that the Dutch army's former chief of staff Gen. Henk van den Breemen, who was in charge of the army at the time of

keeping score

Friday bowling standings

the massacre, told him that the gay soldiers were "part of the problem," according to the BBC.

The Dutch government was not pleased by Sheehan's comments.

"It is astonishing that a man of his stature can utter such complete nonsense," said defense ministry spokesman Roger van de Wetering. "Never was there in any way concluded that the sexual orientations of the soldiers played a role" after extensive international investigations.

Gen. van den Breemen denied ever saying that to Sheehan and called the statement nonsense, while Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende told his weekly news conference that Sheehan's comments were irresponsible. Balkenende declined to protest to President Barack Obama since Sheehan is already retired.

Cleveland-These are the standings of the North Coast Bowling Association's Friday night bowling league at the end of the games on March 19.

The Friday night league is a fun social league with plenty of openings. Both full-time bowlers as well as alternates are needed. No experience is necessary. Bowling begins at 7 pm Fridays at Ambassador Superior Lanes, 1500 Superior Ave. in downtown Cleveland, and finishes by 9:30 pm.

For more information, contact the league at 216-228-6966 or 216-481-4417, or see www.ncbafriday.org.

Team

1. Gutter Girls

3. Wicked Twistas

2. Stallions

4. Superstars

Team

11. Queens of Nines

Won

Lost

Won Lost

56 21

38 39

48 29

12. Beyond a Mess

36 41

47

30

13. Golden Boyz

35 42

44

33

14. Strike It Up

34

43

5. B.I.L.F.

43 34

15. Dead Wood

33 44

6. Tied Up & Twisted

42 35

16. 3 Black Men and a Bitch

33

44

7. Ball Busters

42 35

17. Cheap 'n' Easy

32 45

8. Hang'en on the Edge

39 38

18. Lightning Strikes

31 46

9. BFT SII

39 38

10. Triple XXX Turkeys

39 38

19. Mines in the Gutter 20. Alley Katz

30 47

29 48

April 4

Journey to the Cross

Taster

10:30 am Sunday bowling standings

Resurrection Celebration Special Musical Guests

Cleveland-These are the standings of the North Coast Bowling Association's Sunday league after the games on March 21. The Sunday league is northeast Ohio's original gay bowling league, now in its 30th season. They bowl at Freeway Lanes of Parma, 12859 Brookpark Rd. near West 130th St., at 1 pm. Practice starts at 12:45 pm. See the website at www.ncba-sunday.com or contact Greg McPherson at 216-536-6999 for more information.

Division 1

Team Flame Throwers

Liberation UNITED CHURCH Deadwood

OF CHRIST

13714 Madison Avenue Lakewood, OH 44107

216-521-5556 www.liberationucc.org

Won Lost

54 44

54 44

LGBT Ctr Buns o' Fun Cocktails

51

47

44 54

Division 2

Riding the Edge Kitsch City Hush Dianna's Deli

65

33

35585

43

41 57

40