In Ohio, men tell women whether or not to have an abortion

... or so a new law would have it.

Thanks to the every informative @JereKeys of www.JereKeys.com (who will be leaving and I will be at a loss for good information sources once he is gone). I'm just going to quote straight from the story and not comment, because I think the Pam's House Blenders are doing a fine job:

Led by Rep. John Adams, a group of state legislators have submitted a bill that would give fathers of unborn children a final say in whether or not an abortion can take place.

It's a measure that, supporters say, would finally give fathers a choice.

"This is important because there are always two parents and fathers should have a say in the birth or the destruction of that child," said Adams, a Republican from Sidney. "I didn't bring it up to draw attention to myself or to be controversial. In most cases, when a child is born the father has financial responsibility for that child, so he should have a say."

As written, the bill would ban women from seeking an abortion without written consent from the father of the fetus. In cases where the identity of the father is unknown, women would be required to submit a list of possible fathers. The physician would be forced to conduct a paternity test from the provided list and then seek paternal permission to abort.

Claiming to not know the father's identity is not a viable excuse, according to the proposed legislation. Simply put: no father means no abortion.

I think there is a distinct sector of society that honestly believes that the only real people are those in long-term monogamous marriages, and that shotgun weddings are the answer to all of life's sexual problems.

So much for that whole sexual revolution, and woman's reproductive rights movement we had.

Job Postings per 1,000 Residents

And Cincinnati is number 15 on the list, ranking the top 50 metro areas in the counry. Yet another "Where are you getting these numbers and are you applying them properly?" studies.

Via Joe.My.God.

And, as an addenda, thanks to The Urbanophile out of Indianapolis, here are a couple other pieces of interest you may want to check out:

• The New York Times did a piece for their Travel section entitled 36 Hours in Cincinnati, detailing what a weekend in the Queen City was like and where cool things are in our fair city. The writer checked out such great locales including the Northside Tavern, Shake It Records, the Cincinnati Ballet, Playhouse in the Park, and Over-the-Rhine. Worth a read.
• The annual city population estimates are out for 2008 by the US Census Bureau, Cincinnati has only changed by approximately 100 between 2007-2008. On the bright side, even if it is a loss, it's not that big of one. It is not, however, a reflection of the greater Cincinnati area, our metro goes from Northern Kentucky as far north as Middletown, including southeastern Indiana and possibly as far east as Allen and Brown Counties.These numbers only reflect the incorporated city of Cicninnati, which is approximately 330,000 individuals. The 2005 population estimates for the metro was about 2.1m and growing.
• Ohio has been ranked by Chief Executive as the 46th best state for business based on a variety of variables, including gross state product, civilian labor force, unemployment, and average salary.

When we get bad numbers, it's always our first instinct to find out why they are wrong and argue that we aren't that bad. I wonder if we would be so willing to fight the numbers if we were ranked in the top 10. We all know the economy is shit right now, and Ohio has a lot of room to improve. Rather than fight the individual statistics, we should, perhaps, be working to improve them as fast as possible.

EHEA Update from Equality Ohio

You know, for all my criticism of Equality Ohio, they've been very effective at getting information out about the Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA) this time around. The EHEA, as you may remember, would make Ohio the 21st possibly the 22nd state to pass employment (and housing) protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (the correction is due to the possibility of passage of a non-discrimination bill based solely on sexual orientation in Delaware).

From the email-er:

The General Assembly Session (which started back in January) was scheduled to end on June 30, 2009. However, because the budget has not been approved, Session is still on-going - for an indeterminate amount of time. As long as the House remains in Session, HB 176 (the Equal Housing and Employment Act) could get a vote at any time. We may have no more than a few hours notice. HB 176 remains on the agenda for a vote by the House, but only budget related items are actually getting attention as of this morning.

This is our best shot, right now, to get the Equal Housing and Employment Act (HB 176) passed. It will only get harder if it doesn't happen in this General Assembly (2009-2010). Opponents of HB 176 are working hard to keep equality out of reach of Ohioans. This CAN NOT be stressed enough.

So what can you do? Until the Session goes on recess or a vote occurs on the House floor this summer, keep your focus on the House Members -

Again, I cannot stress this enough -- email your state representatives to pass HB176.

Update on EHEA

Yesterday, the Government Committee of the Ohio House heard testimony from proponents for the Equal Housing and Employment Act which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in this state. It was the second day of testimony; the first was last week when Reps. Stewart and McGregor (the two sponsors) testified. Next week, on Wednesday the 11th, they will be hearing testimony from opponents.

For now, however, Equality Ohio/Progress Ohio's joint project, Do What's Right Ohio!, has logged the testimony of seven individuals who support the measure -- Equality Ohio's Lynne Bowman, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission's Michael Payton, the United Methodist Church's Bishop Ough, Cardinal Health's Ron Templin, the Miami Valley Fair Housing Coalition's Jim McCarthy, Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland, and Ohio teacher Jimmie Beall, who was fired from her job for the perception of her sexual orientation. I did not read over the testimony in great detail, but I got a chance to peruse it... but it seemed kind of dry. Nothing really outstanding or anything you probably haven't heard before. I did, however, like this bit from the Bishop:

Last year, with the election of President Obama, the world watched with awe and hope as our great country, once again, demonstrated the dynamic strength and vitality of our Constitution – a Constitution whose basic tenets are that all people are created equal and, under the law, are to be treated equally. Our Ohio State Constitution enshrines these same ideals and inalienable rights. We are slowly, but unmistakably, moving toward the full equality and robust justice our forefathers and foremothers envisioned for every citizen of this country and this state. It is time for Ohio to take the next step in this steady march toward justice and liberty for all. It is time for Ohio specifically and unequivocally to prohibit housing and employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. It is time for Ohio fully to protect its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens. It is time for Ohio to honor our Constitution and trust its inherent truths and explicit liberties. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said in reference to the United States Constitution: “It is time to take the thin paper and turn it into thick action.” With the passage of HB 176, we take another step of turning that thin paper into thick action – action that will protect the rights of Ohio citizens who have been discriminated against for too long.

You can read through all of the testimony and come up with your own thoughts.

Meanwhile, though, the Gay People's Chronicle, out of Cleveland, doesn't seem to think it's going to be as easy as we think it is to get through., though I'm confused by their thinking. They quote 38 definite yes's in the House, and 22 possible yes's. That's 60 votes, with only 50 required. In short: why is it going to be so difficult to get through the House? Seems like it may make it through at least this body easily. They are right... the Senate be more problematic, and the Republican Senate President, Bill Harris of Ashland, is not saying his piece on it. The hope is that by adding religious exemptions and exemptions to businesses smaller than 15 employees, it is likely he will allow his party to vote their conscience and not the party line. But, for now, he's quiet and will consider it when it reaches the Senate.

Jeez. This is a long process, seriously. More importantly, I can't believe we're even concerned it was going to fail -- after all, don't something like 77% of Ohioans support protections? I'm just amazed, that's all... you'd think our Representatives would be a little more, well, you'd think there's be more on our side, no questions asked, right?

Anyways, opponent testimony next week! That should be fun to follow up with!!!

Updates on Ohio Issues

Equality Ohio has put a lot of great alerts out these last few days covering what's been going in the state, and I thought I might go ahead and steal some of the news to keep everyone informed.

First, in Cleveland, thanks to the fierce activism of folks in this state -- House Dems credit the LGBT community for assisting in this decision -- Cleveland City Councilmember Roosevelt Coats will not be getting promoted to the 10th District State House of Representatives seat being exited by Rep. Eugene Miller. Coats, as you may remember, publically opposed Cleveland's Domestic Partner Registry by quoting Bible passages, angering a lot of us (and our friend Bo over at BearsLeft.com who put everyone onto the issue) and leaving us wondering whether he would be a fair-minded representative for all of his constituents... or if he may become another religious idealogue turned represenative. The House Democratic caucus, however, selected Cleveland lawyer Robin Belcher to take over. I do love me some women in politics.

Onto the Equal Housing and Employment Act (HB 176)... the first round of hearings for the sexual orientation and gender protections bill, this time in the State Government Committee in the House, was held yesterday with two primary speakers: sponsors Rep. Stewart and Rep. McGregor. Equality Ohio reports positive feedback and states that they are taking what they learned from the questions and responses to further refine their arguments and address specific concerns for folks.

I got a copy of four testimonies -- Stewart, McGregor, EO Executive Director Lynne Bowman, and Toledo resident Brandi Fasnaugh -- that will be available on Do What's Right, Ohio later today, but I thought I'd give you the most rocking-est part, thanks to Republican sponsor Rep. McGregor:

The Declaration of Independence declared before the world that in this country, ”all Men arecreated equal.‘ In the nearly two hundred and twenty-three years since that document was authored, we as a nation have worked to ensure that all People are treated equally in the eyesof the law. It has not always been an easy task, and often, it has taken government action tohelp to move that process along. The law protects citizens, regardless of race, color, religion,gender, national origin, age, ancestry, or disability from being discriminated again inemployment and housing rights. And, yet, in Ohio, people can lose their jobs or be denied housing, solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

There is no more controversial issue being debated in this nation today that that of the issue ofequal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. However in my view, the debate surrounding this legislation is not an issue of morality. Representative Stewart and I arenot asking you to vote in support of a lifestyle that you may or may not agree with. We standbefore you today to vote in support of fairness and equality. We stand before you today to vote against discrimination.

Some will argue that this legislation is not necessary because homosexuality is a choice, alifestyle that an individual chooses to subscribe to. While opinions and scientific research varyon whether or not homosexuality is a choice that is not what this debate is about. House Bill 176‘s sole intention is to protect basic constitutional rights when it comes to housing,employment and public accommodation, just as we already prevent discrimination of individuals based on religious affiliation.

Holla!!!!

The next round of testimony -- this from proponents -- will be next Wednesday at 2:30pm (Room 17 in the Statehouse) in committee. EO has been asked to keep it down to six people -- sigh -- but, hopefully, that means the next week's (June 10th? I'm losing track of days ... is that the next week or the next next week) testimony from opponents will be kept that short, as well. You'll be sure to hear from me if it isn't. EO is asking people to attend the committees as best they can; you can contact the organization by visiting their website, or through the website Do What's Right Ohio.

Looks like we may be slated to a committee vote -- and from there onto the House floor -- by the end of June. Let's get this shit done, folks, keep contacting your Representatives (and your State Senators, while you're at it... let's prime that pump!).

Equal Housing and Employment Act

StuffQueerPeopleNeedtoKnow by local fabulous Jamie Royce is reporting that the testimony in the House Committee on State Government will be hearing testimony from the two sponsors -- Rep. McGregor (R) and Rep. Stewart (D) -- on Wednesday. From SQPNtK:

Hearings on the Equal Housing and Employment Act in the Ohio House will begin on Wednesday, May 27. Representatives Stewart and McGregor will be the only people testifying on this day. Proponent testimony will begin on Wednesday, June 3 and will likely last for two weeks. As of now there are 40 secured yes votes and 22 possible yes votes, but the bill needs 50 to pass.

As of yet, the information is not confirmed on the website of the bill, and I have not received an email with this information (so I can't confirm it). I'm putting an email into Equality Ohio for the 411. For more information on the current members of the State Government Committee, click here.

Rep. Roosevelt Coats... maybe

BearsLeft.com is doing a whole series on Christopher Redferm, the Ohio Democratic Party Chairman. In the midst of the bout, an interesting story arose out of Cleveland.

State Representative Eugene Miller recently resigned from the state house. In his place? Cleveland City Council's Democrats (every last council member, btw) want Roosevelt Coats who did not vote for the domestic partner registry in that city and use the Bible as a way of justifying his decision. From Cleveland.com:

At a committee hearing, Coats cited biblical passages that he said denounce homosexuality. "Many of you may disagree," he said.

Hrm. I'm a little divided on this issue. On the one hand, the Democrats in the state are almost universally the only ones co-sponsoring the Equal Housing and Employment Act (excluding Rep. McGregor and one or two others), which means they may be fairly supportive. On the other hand, Rep. Coats does not sound like someone who is exactly "supportive" of LGBTQ rights... or, well, LGBTQ people at all. On the other hand (I have three hands, STFU), it sounds like Coats is a highly respected Cleveland politician.

It is the great rub of politics, innit? Whereas we as LGBTQ people want to demonize people like Rep. Coats because of his anti-gay background, he still is a good Representative, and probably a good person. When I lived in South Carolina, Gov. Sanford was (is) hugely popular because he's a good elected representative, despite his non-history on LGBTQ rights. I want to believe, because I liked Sanford and voted for him, that, if it came up, Sanford would go for what's right and not what's politcally expedient.

...so there's an argument to made that a good representative would be one who sees that anti-gay politics are merely political diversions.

But maybe Councilmember Coats genuinely believes in his words. Which is worse for us, better for him.

Regardless, I think the Democrats should find another person to fill Rep. Miller's seat. This one makes me feel a little dirty. (BearsLeft.com reports that Equality Ohio has forwarded Coats' testimony on the DPR to the Democratic Party ... maybe something will come of it?)

Libertarian Analysis of State Freedoms

From the Department of Pulling Numbers out of Our Ass Mercatus Center at George Mason University ...

A study was commissioned to look at the personal and economic freedoms enjoyed by the residents of all fifty states. They used two primary distinctions: personal freedoms (which includes gambling, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, campaign finance, automotive, and marriage rules) and economic freedoms (a combination score of both regulatory -- labor, health insurance, eminent domain -- and fiscal -- tax burden, state/local spending -- policies). I was intrigued by the study as MileHighGayGuy reports that Colorado rates fairly high on the index... #2 overall, in fact. I was intrigued futher when the top of the list included New Hampshire (#1), South Dakota (#3), Idaho (#4) and Texas (#5). Then I realized...

...oh, here there be libertarians. 

On the personal freedom scale, Ohio ranked #46 and #32 on the economic freedoms scale. Overall? We're #38, which is awfully low, IMHO, but I'm not sure how to "take" the study except to go, "Um, ok." This is what the study has to say about Ohio's laws:

Ohio (#32 economic, #46 personal, #38 overall)has much to improve. Adjusted government spending is over a standard deviation higher than average. Ohio is higher than average in every spending category except transportation. Gun control laws are relatively poor, though not in a class with Illinois, New Jersey, and others. Marijuana laws are liberal overall, but cultivation and sale sentencing could be reformed. Most gambling is illegal. Private and home school regulations are unreasonable, including teacher licensure and mandatory state approval of home school curricula. Asset forfeiture rules are appropriate. Eminent domain reform has not gone nearly far enough. Draconian smoking bans are in place.

I think that this is, for the most part, it's an interesting take with a bias, clearly. "True" libertarianism would indicate the abolition of the institution of marriage under civil law, as it is an unwanted involvement of the government in the private life of individuals.

I've often said that the majority of Americans are probably far more libertarian than they think... wishing for less governmental involvement, for the most part, in both their personal and economic lives. As it stands, the current Dem-Rep dichotomy allows for a progressive-conservative distinction, but little mixing of the two (and, far more often, social conservative/economic progressive candidate and, far more rarely, a social progressive/economic conservative).

Anyways, it's an interesting look at us and the US.

The picture above is the results from the World's Smallest Political Quiz at Advocates for Self Government. It's very short, but it's interesting. I think I actually agree with the results.

HB 176 -- Equal Housing and Employment Act

I had some problem following up to my previous post about the introduction of the Equal Housing and Employment Act in Ohio, but I emailed Lynne at Equality Ohio for clarification.

The EHEA was introduced, and it is House Bill number 176:

To amend sections 9.03, 124.93, 125.111, 340.12, 511.03, 717.01, 1501.012, 1751.18, 2927.03, 3113.36, 3301.53, 3304.14, 3304.50, 3313.481, 3314.06, 3332.09, 3721.13, 3905.55, 4111.17, 4112.01, 4112.02, 4112.021, 4112.04, 4112.05, 4112.08, 4117.19, 4735.16, 4735.55, 4757.07, 4758.16, 4765.18, 5104.09, 5107.26, 5111.31, 5119.61, 5123.351, 5126.07, 5515.08, and 5709.832 of the Revised Code to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

Equality Ohio and many wonderful people are up in Columbus today lobbying our state representatives to support HB176. There are at least three Tweet streams running today talking about their efforts -- Cameron Tolle of IMPACTCincinnati, Chris Geidner of Law Dork, 2.0, and Equality Ohio's Brand-Spanking New Twitter. Follow one or follow all. Cameron's has been very active so far, and he says he's been receiving very positive responses from the two Republican Representatives he's spoken to today.

Couldn't attend today? That's ok! Equality Ohio is asking you to Lobby from home tomorrow (a link will be available as soon as I get to computer that supports Facebook; link here). From the Facebook invite (transcribed from my mobile phone):

Call your legislator today and tell them why equal rights are important to you and your loved ones.

You can look up your representative's phone number by clicking here.

A conversation might sound like this:

"As your constituent and a supporter of Equality Ohio, I urge you to support the Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA). In many parts of Ohio, you can still be fired or denied housing just for being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

Twenty states and almost all Fortune 500 companies already ban this kind of discrimination, putting Ohio at a disadvantage when competing for next generation companies and workers.

No one should have to worry about being fired or losing their home just because of wh they are, so I hope I can count on you to support EHEA."

And once you've called your legislators, be sure to ask you friends, family members and colleagues to take action too. Ohio state legislators need to hear from as many supporters of equality as possible.

Make sure you check back here and tell us that you called in or emailed! On that link above you can check in for all of your elected representatives -- from President to City Council.

I'll post more information as it comes available, as well as information about Lobby Day. I have one person saying they wish to guest blog about the day, and, now doubt, Law Dork 2.0 will have a recap (I swear I've talked about that guy more today than I've ever talked about any other blogger).

Let's make 2009 the year that we pass equal protections in the state of Ohio!

Equal Housing and Employment Act -- Intro'd TOMORROW

I had heard a few rumors about this, and I got confirmation from Equality Ohio today that the Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA) will be introduced in the state House tomorrow.

Is this the year it will finally pass?

This is the fourth introduction of the bill, having failed to garner any traction in 2003, 2005, or 2007. However, each year, progressively more co-sponsors were added, from a measly 4 in 2003 to a whopping 26 co-sponsors this time around (the Ohio House is 100 people; you can do the math). Representatives Dan Stewart (D-Columbus) and Ross Stewart (R-Springfield) are the main sponsors, with the following individuals co-sponsoring:

Terry Blair (R-38)
Barbara Boyd (D-9)
Edna Brown (D-48)
John Patrick Carney (D-22)
Ted Celeste (D-24)
Kathleen Chandler (D-68)
Mike Foley (D-14)
Nancy Garland (D-20)
Robert F. Hagan (D-60)
Marian Harris (D-19)
Sandra Stabile Harwood (D-65)
Tracy Maxwell Heard (D-26)
Joseph Koziura (D-56)
Tom Letson (D-64)
Clayton R. Luckie (D-39)
Dale Mallory (D-32)
Michael Skindell (D-13)
Vernon Sykes (D-44)
Peter S. Ujvagi (D-47)
Brian G. Williams (D-41)
Sandra Williams (D-11)
Roland Winburn (D-40)
Tyrone Yates (D-33)
Kenny Yuko (D-7)

Do you not see your Representative on there? Or, do you see them and want to thank them for supporting the EHEA? Here's a comprehensive list of the House, or you can search by ZIP code, or by County. Best I can tell, the only two Cincinnati locals co-sponsoring are Mallory and Yates, and the bulk of the sponsorship comes from Franklin (6 co-sponsors) and Cuyahoga (5 co-sponsors) Counties, with two more coming from Montgomery County (Luckie and Winburn). Do What's Right, Ohio also has a great list of supporting organizations and businesses.

What, then, does the EHEA do?

1. Inserts "sexual orientation and gender identity and expression" into current statues; it also separately defines the two, thus not "hiding" gender identity and expression under sexual orientation.


2. Exempts businesses with fewer than 15 employees from requisite protections.


3. Includes a religious exemption that reads:
   
   (1) Nothing in this section shall prohibit any religious association, corporation, or society that is not organized for private profit, or any institution organized for educational purposes that is operated, supervised or controlled by such a religious association, corporation or society, from doing either of the following:
   (a) Limiting admission to or giving preference to persons of the same religion or denomination;
   (b) In matters related to sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, taking any action with respect to
   education, employment, housing and real property, or use of facilities.
   (2) Division (1) of this section SHALL NOT APPLY to secular business activities in which the religious association, corporation, or society engages if the conduct of those activities is unrelated to the religious and educational purposes for which the association, corporation, or society is organized.

That is all adapted (and, in some places, stolen :-)) from an email I got this afternoon.

Equality Ohio is hosting a lobby day this Wednesday for LGBT constituents. I can't go :-( (though I thought I was going to be able to and live-blog the event -- grr, school), but I strongly encourage you to.

Ohioans Don't Support Same-Sex Marriage

...but it's not as bad as you think.

In a poll released by UC's Institute for Policy Research, 46% of Ohioan's "Strongly Oppose" legalizing same-sex marriage. It goes on to say that 11% "Somewhat Oppose," 18% "Favor Somewhat," and 21% "Strongly Favor." 

Those numbers aren't terrible, IMHO, for Ohio as a whole. My guess is that, if you polled the urban areas, the numbers would shift in our favor. And 39% in favor... with 11% more swayable, and 3% unsure... well, I think that shows a teachable distinction, yea?

Other findings include a majority in favor of gambling and medical marijuana. 

As far as I know, this the only recent poll on the issue since Issue 1 in 2004.

Cleveland's DP Registry Opened Today

On the steps of City Hall, same-sex couples gathered to register as partners in the City of Cleveland, making it the third Ohio municipality to grant the symbolic recognition (after Cleveland Heights and Toledo). News reports indicate that approximately 75 couples registered today.

What a beautiful thing. Check out the video below from Fox8's coverage (if the video doesn't work, click here for it and the news story).


And in a somewhat unexpected endorsement, the Cleveland Plain Dealer (which, I guess, isn't all that conservative... I guess I'm just tainted by the Enquirer :-)) ran an amazing op-ed piece by columnist Regina Brett:

Those who claim the registry is only a symbol get no argument from me.

Yes, it's a symbol. So is a cross. So is a flag. A symbol carries as much power as you give it.

Not one protester showed up, not one person jeered. One man rested his hand gently on his partner's shoulder. Another man wrapped his arm around his lover's waist as a rabbi told the crowd, "It is not enough to love the people who are like us."

We must do more.

Yes, Ms. Brett, we must do more. Though I'm disappointed that we are excited by pittance and small wins, I am overwhelmed by the amazing turnout, the positive coverage, and the supporters who stood up and said, "This is right." As far as symbols go, this is a powerful one. Ohio has one of the most constricting DOMA's in the country -- not even allowing institutions that look like marriage -- so relationship recognition in the state's second largest cities, and the most high profile of the big three ("Cleveland rocks!"), is not only a coup but a powerful statement for change and equality.

It's time to start -- slowly -- welcoming Ohio into the 21st century.

And, as to be expected, the CCV sent out a nasty little call to action opposing the registry. Thanks to Wolfie at Back2Stonewall.com:

“It’s a sad day for any society when elected officials believe they are above the law,” said Miller. “The registry created by the Cleveland City Council is an obvious attempt to do exactly what the constitution says they cannot do, which is to “create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage.”

Meh. It's to be expected, and we'll deal with their hatred later.

For now, let's be happy for ourselves and our state. In the last few months that we've seen marriage equality blossom around the country, but it's good to remember that we still have a fight to win here, and that we, too, may win.

Megerle Resigns -- And there was much rejoicing

I have to admit, I haven't been following this story as closely as I should have been, but Wolfie over at Back2Stonewall.com has been doing such an excellent job, that I hope you all have been keeping up to date.

During the 2008 election, Covington City Commissioner Steve Megerle, along with two associates (Jerry Bramberger and Craig Johnson) paid for and distributed flyers out of the campaign fund outing fellow Commissioner Shawn Masters. Last week, they were found guilty of breaking Kentucky election rules that required full disclosure; that is, they did not put on the flyer that it had been paid for by the campaign. All three admitted guilt (read Megerle's and Bamberger's statements, both accepting full responsibility).

Not content to let it slide, the judge in the case dressed them down in court for their actions:

Hon. Kenneth Easterling, Kenton District Court: "To put a piece of literature in mailboxes or on cars is political bigotry. Nothing else, but political bigotry and it's shameful."

Content that justice had been served, Megerle refused to resign. Calls were made to rally at the next Commission meeting, people were making phone calls -- you know, all the good activist stuff that should be happening.

That is, until tonight, when Steve Megerle resigned via a statement.

From Back2Stonewall.com's post:

There was applause in a crowded commission chambers after his letter was read.

Megele couldn;t resist some last snipoing though wiritng in his resignation that: that he wholeheartedly believed if charges had been brought to remove him as a commissioner “I would have successfully defended them.” Megerle also wrote that he decided against fighting to stay on the commission “because I want the city to move forward without the distractions that I now realize will be created by others with obvious political agendas,”

I echo Wolfie's sentiment: BRAVO TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED HARD ON THIS!!!!

On the Ronald McDonald House

I don't get the opportunity to talk about the other job much, except to say that I'm there on Twitter. But, seeing as how it appeared on the front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer today, I thought I could take a moment to say some words about this amazing place I call "my part time job."



Ronald McDonald House's 'front' entrance -- that window on the door is filled with prisms, so that when the light is shining just right, the entire lobby is filled with rainbows.
I applied to work at the Ronald McDonald House (RMDH) in June for a full time, overnight manager position. It was the perfect fit -- night work with some responsibility and plenty of time to study. I didn't get the job, but I was impressed that they wrote me back when I emailed a follow up.

In September, we did a drag show in Oxford to benefit RMDH and they called me in for an interview for a part-time position... which I got but did not actually start until January.

When you enter the Ronald McDonald House, you are simply amazed. It is a beautiful building with an amazing layout and just a feeling of love that you can't stand but to think, "Yea, I can see people calling this place home." There are couches and tables around, along with big TVs, a library, and porches, and a huge kitchen with playroom adjacent (so parents can watch the kids while they cook). Simply put: a lot of thought and care was put into the design so that it could be a comfortable place for families.



The entrance on Erckenbrecher and Burnet -- the scupture you see on the top is known as the Angel, which was donated and placed there and should always be lit. Why? Children's is right across at that point... and it was placed there so that, at night, the kids can look across and see where their parents are staying.
I never expected to like it as much as I do. I'm not much of a person for children, but I told people that I needed to believe in humanity before I became a nurse... so I went ot RMDH to find the humanity you sometimes feel is lacking when you spend too much time in the Emergency Department.

And I did.

I tell people that I want to spend every waking moment there, find a room and curl up when I'm tired, to wake up and work again. In my five months there, I have been overwhelmed by the splendor. The staff -- who, unexpectedly, gave me a welcome basket upon my starting -- has been kind, supportive, and loving; the volunteers -- all 300+ of them -- are some of the hardest working and dedicated individuals I have ever met -- even the troupe of high school boys that volunteer work harder than most adults I know; and the families! Oh, the families!

With almost no exceptions, the families are beautiful people.

We are located next door to Children's Hospital, less than a five minute walk from the front entrance of Children's to the gate at RMDH. Every day, these families go to the hospital to sit with their kids... kids ranging from newborns to teenagers, with issues ranging from bone marrow transplantation to colorectal surgery. Some of these kids don't just spend a few days in the hospital, some of them are there for months or years, and the families stay with us for those months and years.

Imagine yourself with your child, who is near death for a hundred different reasons, and you can do nothing but sit there and hope and wait and watch. It's enough to drive a parent mad.

That's where we step in, at RMDH. We fill in the gaps of care. The families support each other, talk to each other, share tips and tricks to stay sane, and become friends... become each other's families. Volunteers bring meals -- lots of meals, and lots of baked goods -- so that the families never have to think about cooking or what crap they will buy out of the vending machine that day. A lot of siblings are running around the building -- some sick, some healthy -- and people come as entertainment (I've seen everything from the Blues Brothers to clowns from Cirque de Soleil), or they bring activities, or they bring dogs... so that the non-hospitalized kid does not feel left out or any less special. My coworkers and I, well, we don't do enough.

I suppose there is an argument to be made that we coordinate the days and make sure the trains run on time, but there's never enough time in the day, and there's never enough hands, to make sure that everything that should be done, has been.

I have made it a habit to only smoke on the designated smoking porch when there are families out there. That way, they know who I am, and I get a few moments to hear what's going on.

I wish I could tell you how beautiful it is there. I wish I was a better writer so that you could see in your mind what it's like, and how it is, and how much it means.


The bridge to the new addition is there on the left, the West Wing is the building on the right (with Cincinnati Children's in the background). The new wing boasts a new kitchen addition, a meditation/wellness room, a family room, a small stage, plenty of new seating, and a play area for the kids.
This week, we will be opening a brand-spanking new wing, with money generously donated by Children's Hospital. Our little house will grow from 48 rooms to 78, with a whole host of what we call "long-term suites," which are special rooms for the families that have to stay with us for months or years at a time. They are bigger, and they have more amenities.

We have a waiting list, on any given day, of between 15-35 families waiting to become our guests. The first people to move will be the long term families who have been cramped in our one-bed options, or in the slightly larger two-bed rooms. They will finally get the opportunity to spread out and find some comfort there. Then, we start making calls... tons and tons and tons of them. We are going to start inviting people into our workplace, our sometimes home, and we will get to take care of them.

We will get the opportunity to feed them, we will get the opportunity to listen to their stories, and we will get the opportunity to relieve some of the burden.

When I first applied, I, like I'm sure so many people out there, believed RMDH was a home for the kids. It is, for some. But it's a home for the families, which include the children. Perhaps the greatest lesson I will take away from this whole experience is that complete care does not always just involve the patient ... it involves this extended, intertwining, convoluted meshwork of people that the patient calls their own. And, so that your patient gets better, the family needs to be better, too.

And I'm glad I've had the opportunity to take care of them. It's taught me more than I thought I would ever learn, and it's brought me more joy than I thought I could have.

If you have a moment, or some extra cash, it's one of the most amazing places in the city. Stop by with a check, or books, or give them a call and ask them, What can I do? See, here, at RMDH, providing care for someone help really does bring peace to you.

I guess, in this, I am truly lucky.

Equal Housing and Employment Act is coming back!

The Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA) is back here in Ohio. It's time to get this one through, guys and gals. Really. Aren't we tired of being in a state that doesn't even protect LGBTQ folks in very basic areas like, say, employment and housing? It's time to make the change.

From an Equality Ohio e-mail alert:

In the next few days, Representative Dan Stewart (D-Columbus) and Representative Ross McGregor (R-Springfield) will introduce in the Ohio House of Representatives the Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA) a bill which will make it illegal to discriminate in Ohio in employment, housing, public accommodations and credit based on sexual orientation and gender identity . Now is the time to ask other representatives to do what’s right and lend their name to the bill as well.

Recently your representative received a request from Reps. Stewart and McGregor to join them on the bill as a cosponsor. Will you call Representative Peter Stautberg and personally ask them to do what’s right and cosponsor this important piece of legislation?

Here's what you can do right now:

Call your legislator’s office and after identifying yourself as a constituent and sharing where you live in the district, ask:

Did the legislator receive the sponsorship request for Equal Housing and Employment Act?

Has the legislator decided to join Representatives McGregor and Stewart as a cosponsor of the bill?
- If yes – thank them for their support.
- If no – share your personal story about why it is so important for the legislator to support the bill and then ask again.

They are also asking you to contact Equality Ohio by phone (614-224-0400) or by email (kim@equalityohio.org) when you do get ahold of your representative and tell them what they said. That way, they can hold each person to their word.

Now, EO has a goal this year -- last year they had 18 co-sponsors, and, this year, they want 25 co-sponsors (25% of the House). You know what? With all due respect to Equality Ohio, I have a goal, too...

How about we pass the damn thing?*
And so, here's how you find out who your representatives are, along with their contact information, and make sure you follow new developments here at QueerCincinnati.com (or at the official website -- dowhatsrightohio.com -- but wouldn't you rather just come visit me? :-)), and make sure you contact your representatives!

*I wanted to point out that, yes, I understand we have a greater chance of passing it with the greater number of co-sponsors because then we can count on their votes -- yadda yadda yadda. :-) I'm just being a hellraiser.

Voting for Marriage Equality in Ohio

From the Buckeye State Blog about the Fisher-Brunner marriage bit:

I’ve realized something. Someone who’s willing to compromise on this issue before even stepping up to the fight will accomplish absolutely nothing. I think it’s more than past time for a take no prisoners push on this issue. For too long Democrats have been able to skirt around it by taking the middle ground, while the Religious Right has shown no such tolerance on the other side of this issue. If Lee Fisher won’t come out in support of gay marriage now, you can bet he’ll only fight half-heartedly at best for civil unions.

Hoo-fuckin'-rah. Thank jeebus someone is willing to say it.

Also of note in marriage news:

• Maine takes up the marriage debate tomorrow, expecting an all-day session in a 7,000 person stadium in expectation of a large turnout. 
• A surprising poll out of Siena College tags support in New York for equal marriage to be at 53% -- with only 39% responding in the negative. Nate Silver of FivethirtyEight.com runs the numbers and finds that, even if the numbers are high, other polls all tell the same thing: a plurality of New Yorkers support equal marriage.

But, remember, according to the Dem leadership, it's not time yet.

Officer Critically Injured

My friend from work posted this on his Facebook, and I didn't understand why, at first.

The more I watched the news, the more I thought...

I don't like cops. Never have. They kind of creep me out, and, when I was driving, seeing them on the road even when I was doing nothing wrong annoyed the hell out of me. Since I started working at the Emergency Department, they've become my colleagues, of a sort. We joke, we spread gossip, we support each other, and we (meaning me and the girls) check out the cute ones in the tight cop pants. I barely even deal with them, certainly not in the same way the nurses and the doctors do, but I'm still connected. 

I didn't understand why, at first, he had posted it. I get it now. Those of us who work with them realize their humanity, and, when we take care of a hurt cop, then we're taking care of our coworker.

I have a lot more respect, these days, for our boys in blue if, for no other reason, than they deal with the same people in the same way. And, so, their loss is our loss.

My heart goes out to Officer Gehring and his family... I don't even know if I know him, but I'm sure I've seen him before.

I'm being thoughtful this morning, watching Under the Tuscan Sun.

From QRTY...

I wanted to apologize that I haven't been my usual active blogger self these last few days. I am in the midst of two weeks of hell on earth in terms of testing and sleeping patterns; this past weekend's a"gayest two days on earth" did not help at all, though I had fun.

But I'm still around, and I wanted to throw two fabulous things your way, both from QUEERTY...

In an article on "gay rights:"

This is something large LGBT groups don't seem to have grasped quite yet. For decades, their strategy was to win over straight America by convincing them that "we're just like you." It's not a bad strategy, but the protesters and grassroots groups have come up with a better one: "We don't care if you like us, but you must treat us as equals." Unfortunately, the institutional weight of large LGBT rights groups have made it difficult for them to adapt to this new environment, as we saw last week in their tepid non-responses to New York Gov. David Paterson's gay marriage bill announcement. Rather than supporting the move, most expressed a fear that it would not pass.

The underlying message was "We don't want to disappoint people when it doesn't happen." This is a well-meaning but patronizing response; even a loss would be a win for the gay community. Why?

Frankly, we have little to lose.

First of all, I have this one thing to say about Gov. Paterson: on the one hand, thank you saying it -- why not just propose the bill and lose? We try again next year. For that, he inspires me. On the other hand, I wonder if he would be such an adamant supporter of equal marriage if he weren't falling so far down in the polls.

Second of all, there's a lot of the world muttering about us having "turned a corner." A lot of pundits (including me, at times) are suggesting that the fight is being won, after so many years of loss. And, though I am heartened and excited about the great news coming in from all over the country, and though I expect we will see probably 1-3 more states go marriage-friendly before 2010 (mostly in New England), we need not get ahead of ourselves.

We live in Ohio -- in the political morass of "middle America." We are the definition of the swing state. We neither jump ahead of social change, nor do we fall too far behind. We are equally red, and we are equally blue. We have a DOMA, but no protections in employment in housing. We have a smattering of municipalities with protections and DP Registries, but infinitely more with nothing at all. We have abortion, but we don't like it. We supported the Iraq war, but now we're not so sure. Our economy got hit pretty hard, but not as bad as, say, Michigan or West Virginia. We're a lot of white, but we have a large African-American population, and growing Hispanic numbers. Meth and AIDS are here, but not so much as to be the public health disaster like Florida.

In short: we, as a national community, haven't turned the corner until Ohio turns the corner. I don't think we can honestly say we have an absolute win until we start overturning DOMA's in the Midwest. That's when we know it will be time to say, "Yes, we can."

A few wins in New England, me thinks, is equivocable to the far right pushing Intelligent Design in the schoolrooms of Alabama. It's to be expected.

---

And on a slightly lighter note, here's a fun picture of a half naked boy and a link where you can see more (some NSFW):

Deep thought, then shallow motives. You know me.

Thanks to @GeekJames for sending me to Queerty today

Two New Queer Ohio Bloggers

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I really only pay attention to new local and statewide blogs when they link to me and/or they leave a comment. Two "new" ones have linked to me in the last few days, and I wanted to give them a shout out!

Based out of Columbus, I love their stated purpose:

What inspired me to start this blog was a post on another local person's blog asking Columbus people to write more blogs about, well, anything Columbus-related. I thought it would be a good idea to start one relating to bisexuality, both in Columbus and in general. There is a very large, well-organized gay community here, but there's not a bisexual community; there's no place for bisexuals specifically to meet, chat, seek support or rally around bisexual causes - other than, of course, larger umbrella groups that include us in the increasingly long acronym of queerness. Bisexuals have long been a part of activist movements fighting oppression and we will continue to be. We also see a need, however, for setting aside a specific time and space for ourselves. Other cities have such groups. We want that space and that support. The people I have talked to are hungry for it.

Check out Cowtown Bisexual, by the Bi Avenger!!!

This one, no doubt, should raise some people's hackles, if I hear gossip right (Is it hackles or heckles? That's twice I've used hackles in the last 24 hours, and I think I'm going to stick with it.) Regardless, all blogs that post regularly are created equal. And, honestly, Bo (of new blogger friend, BearsLeft.com) and I do not disagree on a lot of issues. Check him out as well.

To all the fabulous and wonderful Ohio queer bloggers of the world -- this is your chance. Are you currently blogrolled? Do you WANT to be? Do you want a shout out? Have you already blogrolled QueerCincinnati.com and wondered why the hell that jerk hasn't blogrolled you yet? Let's work on it! Email me -- queercincinnati@gmail.com -- or leave a comment on this email and you can join the motley crew known as the QueerOhio Bloggers. You'll note the side bar has changed to reflect the state-wide focus I'm developing here.

Former Mayors Discuss Cincinnati, including LGBT Cincy

In a meeting between former mayors of Cincinnati on the city's problems, the discussion turned towards LGBT folks, much thanks to former mayor Jerry Springer, from WLWT:

Jerry Springer said the riots and votes against gay rights have left Cincinnati with reputation of intolerance, and the city has to be more welcoming.

"Come on in. Come on in with your color, come on in with your religion, come on in with your sexual orientation, come on in with your lifestyle, obey the law, but come on in," Springer said....

But Dwight Tillery seemed to agree with Springers assessment, telling the audience that new buildings downtown don't matter unless all groups fell welcome there.

It's a beautiful thing, though that term "lifestyle" raises my hackles. Details, though. Also included were former mayors Ken Blackwell (via video), Arn Bortz, and current Councilmember Roxanne Qualls (whose on her way to a quick endorsement from this blogger in the coming election!).

How valid is Springer's point? Well, I think his and Blackwell's opinions may be a little more telling, as they are the ones who get to experience Cincinnati's reputation from outside of the tri-state area. Blackwell's opinion was not featured in the article, except to say that he suggests to keep tax rates low.

He is, after all, a Republican.

Thanks to @WLWT.