Northeast Ohio
Parents, Families
A joint publication of the Akron and Cleveland chapters
Lies,
Truth &
Choices
By Ed Kancler, Akron chapter president
What a month of April,
with cold weather overcome
by good fellowship and rays
of hope, yet also listening to
the ramblings of ignorant
bigots, all in just 30 days!
The State PFLAG an-
nual meeting was hosted by
Columbus PFLAG and a
good time was had by all
attending. We had a good
monthly meeting with just
about everyone in atten-
dance writing a letter to
State Senator Bill Harris,
urging him to get HB 176
out of committee and to get
some equality going.
The Cleveland Plain
Dealer had articles about
Mark Twain and I thought
two quotes of his are worth
repeating here:
“Suppose you were an
idiot. And suppose you
were a member of Con-
gress. But I repeat myself.”
and Friends
And...
“A lie can travel half
way around the world while
the truth is putting on its
shoes.”
Compare those with
Michael Huckabee, ex-
pastor, ex-governor of Ar-
kansas, ex-presidential can-
didate, and eternal jerk,
who likened giving
“marriage rights to homo-
sexuals” (his word) to legal-
izing incest, polygamy and
drug use. No further com-
ment is needed except that,
folks, there are people out
there who believe him and
display bigotry, hatred and
ignorance on a regular ba-
sis.
On the other hand, our
president issued an order
requiring Medicare- and
Medicaid-supported hospi-
tals to permit married and
unmarried couples (my
May 2010 Vol. 41 No.
of Lesbians and Gays
Inside this issue:
About Us 2
Lobby Day 2
Membership 3
Events
Pride festivities
3-5
CHAPTER
word choice) to visit, make
MEETINGS
decisions about, and con-
tinue their love for partners Akron PFLAG
who are hospitalized. Ice- May 20, 7:00 pm
land, whose president is les- N. Springfield Presbyt.
bian, will be adopting a law 671 N. Canton Rd.
permitting marriage for all.
The repeal of Don’t Ask, Cleveland PFLAG
May 11, June 8
Don’t Tell gets closer and
closer. Rush Limbaugh gets 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal
farther and farther and far- 2230 Euclid Ave,, 44115
ther. And we have Lobby
Day coming up on May 19. Alliance PFLAG
There are times when May 25, 7:00 pm
this gets to be fun—to be on Union Ave. Methodist
the side of equality for all. S. Union Ave.
But, we have to keep work-
ing at it. Wooster PFLAG
May 20, 7:00 pm
A reminder to Akron Universalist Fellowship
members—please renew 3186 Burbank Rd.
your membership via the Please call ahead to confirm.
enclosed form (if you didn’t Youngstown PFLAG
last October). See you at May 16, 3:00 pm
Lobby Day and the regular Stonewall Comm. Ctr.
May Akron PFLAG meeting! 1523 Poland Ave.
Page 2
PFLAG
Our Mission
PFLAG promotes the health
and well-being of gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender
persons, their families and friends
through SUPPORT to cope with
an adverse society; EDUCATION
to enlighten an ill-informed public;
and ADVOCACY to end
discrimination and to secure equal
civil rights.
PFLAG provides opportunity
for dialogue about sexual
orientation and gender identity
and acts to create a society that is
healthy and respectful of human
diversity.
AKRON CHAPTER
PO Box 5471
Akron, OH 44334
W W W . P F LA G A K RO N . O RG
HELPLINE:
330-342-5825
Executive Board
President-Ed Kancler; VP-Bill Libby;
Secretary-Joe Gardner; Treasurer-
Trish Casserly; At Large-David
Horowitz, Marie Libby, Audrey
Kancler, Joy Watts, Jim Lake, Sue &
Chuck Magilavy, Bob Menapace
Committee Chairs
Membership-Trish Casserly; Program-
open; Publicity-Marie Libby; Library-
David Greene; Hospitality-Rada
Jenkins; Newsletter-Audrey Kancler
CLEVELAND CHAPTER
615 Prospect St.
Berea, OH 44017
W W W . P F LA G C LE V E LA N D . O RG
mail@pflagcleveland.org
INFOLINE:
216-556-1701
Executive Board
President-Sharon Groh-Wargo; VP-
Jes Sellers; Secretary-Marianne
Buccini; Treasurer-Art Thomson; At
Large-Alan Cohen, Diana DeForest,
Craig Hoffman; Legislative
Coordinator-Tom Roese; Newsletter-
Pat Brandt; Snacks-Gail Smith;
Librarian-Gene Ashley; Webmaster-
Quentin Jamieson
Northeast Ohio PFLAG
Lobby Day: It’s not too late
Lobby Day is always impactful, but this year HB 176, the
Equal Housing and Employment Act, has been passed by
the House and is in the Senate.
We are so close. Your elected leader should hear from
you. Register through April 30 at www.equalityohio.org.
After a day of meetings, join us for a very special Lobby
Day closing reception at the Hyatt on Capitol Square, May
19 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Tickets are $50 for general admis-
sion and $250 for community sponsor. For info, call 614-
224-0400 or email contactus@equalityohio.org.
Why Lobby Day is so important to me
By Rabbi David Horowitz, Akron PFLAG and PFLAG National Board of Directors
There is a moment during every Ohio gins. I love being exposed to speakers
State Lobby Day that you stand back who come to the opening and share a
and say, “Wow! I made a difference.” view point that excites me. I love know-
I think I have been to all of these ing that my legislator now knows, once
Lobby Days sponsored by Equality again, that his vote and co-sponsorship
Ohio, and tears come to my eyes each of various pieces of legislation make a
difference to a large part of his con-
time as I look around the room and see
gay and straight people standing tall stituency. I hate it when we are blown
for equality. I love it. off by staff of our state senator, but
love that they have to be there and
I love sharing it with the many they have to listen, pretending they
PFLAG members who join in from
care.
around the state. I love hearing the
sounds of children with their same sex In short, it is one of the most im-
parents giggling as the program be- portant days of the year.
With special thanks
PFLAG Cleveland would like to
extend our gratitude and acknowledge-
ment to Tim Leiden for his generous
donation that enabled us to sponsor a
film in the “10 Percent” cinema portion
of the Cleveland International Film
Festival for the fourth year in a row.
Leo’s Room is the touching story of
a young man’s coming to terms with
his sexuality within the confines of his Thank you, Tim, for helping us
room, and the relationships that bring this wonderful film to our commu-
brought him there. nity.
May 2010 Page 3

HRC Cleveland gala dinner dance

The Human Rights Cam-
paign of Cleveland cordially in-
vites you to its annual gala din-
ner/dance on Saturday, May 1 at
CSU’s Wolstein Center, 2000
Prospect Ave, Cleveland.
VIP reception begins at 5:30
p.m. General reception and si-
lent auction will be held at 6:00
p.m. Program beings at 7:00 with
dinner served at 8:00 p.m.
Eric Stonestreet of “Modern
Family” will make a special ap-
pearance. The Golden Globe nomi-
nated show has been called the
“funniest family comedy of the year”
by Time magazine and contains a
groundbreaking LGBT family story-
line.
Stonestreet adds to an already
exciting program with HRC Chief of
Diversity Officer Cuc Vu, retired For tickets go online to
Staff Sargeant Eric Alva, and award BoxOfficeTickets.com. ITo be a
winning musician Anne E. DeChant. sponsor, volunteer, or donate to the
This is a night that should not be auction, call 800-790-2538 or email
info@hrccleveland.org.
missed!

Our chapter membership runs from October to October each year. Your membership is important
RENEW YOUR to us. Membership fees help cover production expenses for this newsletter. Your membership also
MEMBERSHIP helps our advocacy with persons in political office. Representing an organization with 300 mem-
TODAY! bers gets a lot more attention than one with 30 members.

Akron
Chapter Membership Application
Please make any corrections to your contact information below. If you also wish to become a member, please complete the membership section
and return it with your payment. If you do not wish to become a member this year, please complete the non-membership section at the bottom.

Name Occupation

Street or PO Box Home Phone

City, State, Zip Work Phone

Membership Categories Email

Local Membership (Includes chapter newsletter)
Low Income $10.00 $ ________ I am willing to volunteer on the following committee:
Individual $25.00 $ ________ Program Library Hospitality
Household $35.00 $ ________ Membership Speakers Bureau Sale of Items
Supporting $50.00 $ ________ Publicity Greeters Special Interest
Patron $100.00 $ ________ Newsletter Public Relations
Other $ ________
Non-membership Request
National Membership (optional) $15.00 $ ________
Other Contribution $ ________ I am unable to become a member at this time. Please
continue to send me the newsletter.
Gift Membership (Includes newsletter) $10.00 $ ________
I no longer wish to receive the newsletter.
Please list names and addresses on a separate sheet of paper.

TOTAL $ ________ Make checks payable to: AKRON PFLAG.

Bring this form with payment to the next chapter meeting or mail to: PFLAG Membership, PO Box 5471, Akron, OH 44334.
Membership and contributions to PFLAG are tax deductible. All information will remain confidential.
Page 4 Northeast Ohio PFLAG

Harry Knox in More on

Cleveland
Trinity Cathedral,
2230 Euclid Ave.,
MAY National Veterans Lobby Day to rescind Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell—
Cleveland, will host Washington, DC. Info: www.veteranslobbyday.org.
11
Harry Knox, Director
of the Human Rights MAY LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland party series “TaDa! 2010”—
Campaign Religion Game night hosted by nationally known comic Karen Williams, 7:00-
15 10:00 p.m. Tickets $22/limited to 35 guests. More info on this and
and Faith Program, other parties in the series: www.lgbtcleveland.org.
on Sunday, June 20.
Knox will speak during services
JUNE Gay/Lesbian Invitational Fellowship Tournament—Bowling tour-
at 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. and at the nament at Freeway Lanes of Parma with cruise on the Goodtime III
Dean’s Forum at 10:10 a.m.
11-13 on June 12. Details at www.clevelandgift.org.

Under his leadership (2005- North Coast Men’s Chorus annual Pride concert — “Divalicious” at
JUNE
present) HRC created a national Waetjen Auditorium, 2001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Tickets and info:
19-20 www.ncmchorus.org.
speakers’ bureau that reaches more
than 10 million Americans monthly Columbus Pride Parade—See page 5 for more info.
JUNE
and a weekly preaching resource
19
that provides scriptural commentary
to ministers and lay people inter- JUNE Cleveland Pride Parade and Festival—See page 5 for more info.

ested in an ecumenical LGBT per- 26

spective of the Bible.
He has also been instrumental in
creating a national network for 22
progressive state clergy coalitions
around the country.
Knox has been featured on BBC
News, PBS, NBC, CBS and national
and local newspapers.
Did you know?
There was an 8 percent decline in the divorce rate from
2003 to 2008 in states without constitutional bans on same-sex
marriage. In Massachusetts, the first state to legalize marriage (2004)
the decline during that period was 20.7 percent.
States with a ban had a divorce rate increase of .9 percent!

A different kind of Mothers’ Day

Weathervane Community
Playhouse presents “A Different
Kind of Mothers’ Day” on Saturday,
May 8 from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
The event features stories and
excerpts by author and Northeast
Ohio native Amie Miller that every
parent can relate to. She will be
signing her book, She Looks Just
Like You: A Memoir of (Non-
biological Lesbian) Motherhood. A
social hour with continental break-
fast will follow.
This will take place on Weath-
ervane’s main stage at 1301
Weathervane Lane in Merriman
Valley, Akron. Open seating is lim-
ited to 200. For info call 330-836-
2626 or send an email to:
event@weathervaneplayhouse.com.
May 2010 Page 5

Join the PRIDE festivities Columbus

The 22nd annual
Pride parade
Cleveland Pride
Columbus will host its annual
Festival will be held
Pride parade on Saturday, June
on Saturday, June
19. We have several Northeast
26 at Voinovich Park
Ohio PFLAGers who attend this
from noon to 8:00
event.
p.m.
For information, visit:
Cleveland’s www.columbuspride.org.
Pride parade, rally
and festival is a tra-
dition attended by
LGBT and non-
LGBT community
members throughout
Equality Ohio
Northeast Ohio. We
always try to have a good PFLAG and outreach by contacting us at Pride
showing at the parade. executiveboard@clevelandpride.org.
Become a Member Every year Equality Ohio has
This event was moved back a
a presence at the major Pride
week to allow Clevelanders to also You don’t have to be LGBT to events in Ohio. We have five
attend Columbus Pride activities be a member of Cleveland Pride. weekends of Pride events in the
being held on June 19 (see box at Visit us at: www.clevelandpride.org state this summer.
right). for membership information.
If you are interested in volun-
We Need You Subscribe to Our Newsletter teering in Dayton, Toledo,
Cleveland Pride is an all- We have more exciting an- Youngstown, Cleveland, Colum-
volunteer organization that needs nouncements planned throughout bus, Akron, Bowling Green or
your support and representation. 2010. Visit our website to subscribe Cincinnati, contact us at
Get involved in planning, sponsor- to our newsletter so you won’t miss kim@equalityohio.org.
ship, entertainment, fundraising, a thing!

LGBT Art “walk” & dinner

Cleveland PFLAG is sponsoring a tour
of the Cleveland Museum of Art on
Wednesday, May 26 at 6:00 p.m., followed
by dinner in Little Italy. Take the Tour
The one-hour tour will be led by a do- The LGBT Center of Greater
cent who will concentrate on the LGBT Cleveland is back with an ex-
collection. Also see the recent renovations panded dinner tour of Cleve-
made to the museum. The tour is free of land’s finest restaurants.
charge. The over 20 restaurants on
Dinner is on your own at Primo Vino in the tour will donate a percentage
the adjacent Little Italy neighborhood. of your bill to the Center on se-
What a great opportunity to enjoy world- lect dates.
class art and a fun evening with friends For dining tour schedule and
and allies of PFLAG. details: www.lgbtcleveland.org.
Details at www.pflagcleveland.org. Bon appetit!
Page 6
“I’m from
Driftwood”
True stories from gay
people all over
From www.imfromdriftwood.com
We’ve found a new and touch-
ing site on the web called
www.imfromdriftwood.com.
The site features true, some-
times heartbreaking, stories by gay
people from all over the world.
What’s the point? There’s even a
story for that…
The morning after I watched
the Gus Van Sant-directed, Sean
Penn-starring, Dustin Lance Black-
written Milk, would you believe I
was inspired? But, funny enough,
what inspired me was Milk more so
that Milk.
An image I recalled wasn’t
even in the film. It was a photo of
supervisor Harvey Milk, one of the
first openly gay elected officials in
the U.S., riding on the hood of a
car in a San Francisco Gay Pride
march, holding a sign that read,
“I’m from Woodmere, N.Y.” The
sign was intended to show how far
people came to attend the San
Francisco rally, but it meant some-
thing more to me. It meant that
there are gay people in every small
town and every big city across
America and the world.
I was thinking about that photo
in between assaults on the snooze
button and I responded to Harvey’s
sign. I’m from Driftwood.
W h e n yo u n o l o n g e r n e e d P FL AG , t h a t ’ s w h e n P FL AG n ee d s yo u !
Northeast Ohio PFLAG
Groups & programs of note
Teen Pride
The Pride Center offers this
Keeping in Touch Men’s
Group
group for positive, motivated teens Community AIDS Network is
who are willing to become role mod- pleased to announce the return of
els for each other and the larger this group for gay/bisexual men. It
LGBTQ community. Dan McGown seeks to establish stronger relation-
is the facilitator. Teen Pride meets ships within our community. Food
at the Angel Falls Coffee Shop, 792 beverages and fun! Contact Danny
West Market St., Akron, from 6:00- at dannyboomhower@gmail.com or
7:30 p.m. every Wednesday. For 330-375-2000.
info call 330-289-6508.
Trans Pride
New Pride A group to help build respect
This support group is for indi- and understanding for all gender
viduals ages 18 and older who are issues. For info, contact Jake and
going through the coming out proc- Erin Nash at 330-240-1600 or
ess. It may be a first ever coming transactivist@sbcglobal.net.
out, or coming out to family, friends,
or at work. Meets on the first and
third Tuesdays of the month at 6:00
p.m. at the Pride Center, 895 N.
Main St., Akron. For info email us at
info@akronpridecenter.org.
Support student nondiscrimination act
Congress is considering a fed- If schools discriminate or sanc-
eral bill to give LGBT students the tion harassment in their federally
same civil rights protections as their funded programs, federal education
classmates in school, but we need agencies would be given the author-
your help to pass it. ity to terminate their funding.
HR 4530 The Student Nondis- To read the bill in its entirety,
crimination Act of 2010 was intro- show your support, or contact your
duced in January. Under this bill, no congressperson about it, go online
school program that receives public to: http://www.opencongress.org/
funding would be allowed to exclude bill/111-h4530/show.
children because of their
gender identity or sexual
orientation. Harassment
based on gender or sex-
ual orientation, defined as
“conduct that is suffi-
ciently severe, persistent,
or pervasive to limit a stu-
dent’s ability to partici-
pate,” would also not be
allowed as a sanctioned
element of a public school
program.