GAY PEOPLE'S

Chronicle

•

Ohio's Newspaper for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com

COMMUNITY CENTER

BRIAN DEWITT

Cleveland LGBT Heritage Day award winners pose with their presenters after the ceremony. From left in the back row are honorees Brian Tupaz, Scott Rosenstein, Maya Simek, Nickie Antonio, Sherry Bowman, Mary Beth Schwartz, Matthew Walsh, Brian Thornton and Allen V. Harris. In front of them are presenters Bob Sferra, Brooke Willis, Rob Rivera, John Farina, Sue Doerfer and George Hrbek.

Nine honored at City Hall LGBT Heritage Day event

by Anthony Glassman

Cleveland-Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocates took over the rotunda at City Hall on October 11, honoring those

who have made a difference in the community.

The third annual LGBT Heritage Day Celebration, organized by the Cleveland LGBT Center,

was accompanied by a demonstration outside at the Free Stamp on East 9th Street and Lakeside Avenue put on by the center's Spiritual

continued on page 11

Article 12 conqueror seeks council seat

by Anthony Glassman

Cincinnati-One of the most steadfast crusaders that fought for the repeal of Cincinnati's anti-gay Article 12 may be the city's first openly gay council member.

Chris Seelbach, 31, founded the gay-straight alliance at Xavier University, served on the board of Stonewall Cincinnati and worked as the campaign manager for late vice-mayor and council member David Crowley. He also led the anti-Article 12 campaign in 2003,

which removed a city charter provision forbidding council from passing any protections for gay men and lesbians.

He is one of six candidates under the age of 35, and is considered one of the most visible Democratic candidates in the race.

All nine seats on the Cincinnati City Council are up continued on page 5

Chris Seelbach

Volume 27, Issue 9 October 21, 2011

Frank Kameny,

a father of the LGBT

movement, dies at 86

by Anthony Glassman

Washington, D.C.-Frank Kameny, one of the founding fathers of the LGBT equal rights movement, was found dead in his home on October 11, National Coming Out Day.

Kameny's housemate found his body in bed at around 5:30 pm. The 86-year-old icon died in his sleep.

His history of gay advocacy began after being fired from the Army Map Service in 1957 because of his homosexuality. He took the case all the way to the Supreme Court, but was unsuccessful in challenging his dismissal.

He co-founded the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Mattachine Society and in 1965, four years after the group's founding, picketed the White House.

Kameny was one of the movers behind the removal of homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association's list of mental disorders in 1973. He and Barbara Gittings successfully worked in 1974 to keep a gay Defense Department employee from losing his security clearance.

Kameny's house has been denoted an historical landmark, and efforts are underway to introduce his papers into the Library of Congress. In 2009, his years of struggle were belatedly vindicated when he received a government apology for his firing.

John Berry, the director of the Office of Personnel Management said, "Dr. Frank Kameny was an American hero who transformed our nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. His courage, his brilliance, his force of will led to victory in a decadeslong fight for equality. He helped make it possible for countless of patriotic Americans to hold security clearances and high government positions, including me. And in so doing, he showed everyone what was possible for every employer in our country."

"I am grateful for his life, his service to his nation in World War II, and his passion and persistence in helping build a more perfect

Inside This Issue

union," concluded Berry, who is openly gay himself. "He was a great man, and I will sorely miss him."

"America has lost a hero today," said American Foundation for Equal Rights board president Chad Griffin. "Out and proud, Frank Kameny was fighting for equality long before the rest of us knew we could. Because there was one Frank Kameny, trailblazing

DC VIRAGO

FIFTEEN MILLION

OSEXUALS

PRO

AL SERVICE

ENT

Frank Kameny

and honest enough to speak out 50 years ago, there are now millions of Americans, coming out, speaking out and fighting for their basic civil rights. His is a legacy of bravery and tremendous impact and will live on in the hearts and minds of every American who values equality and justice."

The Human Rights Campaign's Joe Solmonese opined, "Frank Kameny led an extraordinary life marked by heroic activism that set a path for the modern LGBT civil rights movement. From his early days fighting institutionalized discrimination in the federal workforce, Dr. Kameny taught us all that 'Gay is Good.' As we say goodbye to this trailblazer on National Coming Out Day, we remember the remarkable power we all have to change the world by living our lives like Frankopenly, honestly and authentically.

"The death of Frank Kameny is a profound loss and he will be greatly missed. No Washington continued on page 2

Paula Ettlebrick, who fought many battles, has lost one

News Briefs

Page 2

October is LGBT History

Charlie's Calendar .... Resource Directory ... Classifieds ........

Month

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