A JOINT
PUBLICATION
OF THE AKRON
AND CLEVELAND
CHAPTERS
PFLAG
SEPTEMBER
2016
this issue
Cleveland Pride
is Aug. 13
Chapter News
2
OutSupport
2
Events
4
Equality Ohio
5
Affordable Care Act
6
Cleveland’s PRIDE Parade will
take place at MALL C in
downtown Cleveland and will
be held on August 13. Watch
www.clevelandpride.org for
parade route details.
Join PFLAG Cleveland at their
annual PRIDE Brunch located
at the Old Stone Church on
Public Square in the basement
gathering space and begin the
long day with some
refreshment and fellowship
before the parade. We start at
10:30 am and will move to the
parade route at noon.
Game Change Conference Oct. 16
Akron PFLAG is pleased to be part of the organizing committee and a sponsor of the Game
Change Conference once again.
The Game Change Conference is a unique opportunity for you to connect with up to 250 area
professionals who work in a variety of government and private sectors.
The Game Change Conference was first held in
conjunction with the 2014 Gay Games. The
2014 Gay Games, also known as GG9, were an
international multi-sport event and cultural gathering organized by, and specifically for lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) athletes,
artists and musicians. It was held from August 9
to August 16, 2014 in Cleveland and Akron,
Ohio. An estimated 10,000 athletes from more
than 60 nations participated in 37 sports and
cultural events.
The purpose of Gay Games is to foster and
augment the self-respect of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and all sexually-fluid or gen-variant individuals (LGBT+) throughout the
world and to promote respect and understanding from others. Gay Games are held internationally every four years.
opportunity for professionals in the area to gain
that understanding so they can play a more
active role in making the greater community a
more inclusive place for LGBTQ individuals.”
The Organizing Committee is committed to engaging attendees through an energizing and
informative program of speakers, and facilitating
networking and business opportunities for sponsors through an interactive exhibition and a dynamic program.
Attendees will include social workers,
healthcare providers, educators, and local business owners and employees from a wide range
of industries.
This year's conference is brought to you by featured sponsor Kent State University, collaborating sponsorship from Equitas Health and further
support from Akron PFLAG.
We look forward to your participation!
Game Change Conference 2016 will take place
on October 13. Tickets available at
www.canapi.org/gccregistration. Early bird discount ($25) available through August 15.
In an effort to promote further inclusivity in the
greater community, a collaboration of local social service agencies and professionals hold the
annual Game Change Conference for professional development in current LGBTQ issues.
RFP submissions
“Often times, a lack of LGBTQ inclusion in the
professional arena comes not from prejudice
but from a lack of understanding,” said Rebecca
Callahan, Executive Director for Community
AIDS Network/Akron Pride Initiative (CANAPI).
“The Game Change Conference provides an
Organizers are seeking proposals focused on
the following issues: Civic Action/Leadership,
Workplace/School, Health/Health Care, Legal
Issues. Electronic RFP form available at http://
www.canapi.org/rfp. Deadline is July 31.
OutSupport Medina
Our Mission
Orlando support vigils
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
pf l a g a k r o n . o r g
[email protected]
INFO & HELPLINE:
330-342-5825
Executive Board
President-Kim Mosyjowski; VP-Bill
Libby; Secretary-Joe Mosyjowski;
Treasurer-David Horowitz; At LargeRuss and Heather Clevenger, Joe
Gardner, Kim Homsher, Marie Libby,
Ed and Audrey Kancler, Katie Miller
Committee Chairs
Membership-open, Publicity-Marie
Libby; Library-David Greene;
Hospitality-Rada Jenkins; NewsletterAudrey Kancler
CLEVELAND
CHAPTER
615 Prospect St.
Berea, OH 44017
pf l a g c l e v e l a n d . o r g
[email protected]
INFOLINE:
216-556-1701
Executive Board
President-Sharon Groh-Wargo;
VP-Tonya Young; Treasurer-Art
Thomson; Secretary-Quentin
Jamieson; At Large-Alan Cohen, Bill
Crozier, Tom Falcone, Bill Franklin,
Craig Hoffman, Brian Javor, Michele
Kit, Tonya Young; Jr. Members-Logan
Shermon, Stephen Gonska;
Newsletter-Pat Brandt; Hospitality-Bob
and Eileen MacDowell; Social MediaDenise Webb
We sincerely appreciate the
generous contribution of the
Lanci family and Consolidated
Solutions for making this full-color
newsletter possible.
2
In response to the June 11 Orlando shooting,
OutSupport Medina decided (June 12) to hold
a vigil that evening at the square in downtown
Medina. This was very impromptu and six people participated.
PFLAG Cleveland board sent this photo and a
donation to PFLAG Orlando in the wake of the
shooting at Pulse nightclub. See note below.
Cleveland chapter news
But there was great interest in holding another
vigil, so the group did it again on Monday, June
13. This time 50 people gathered, including
students from several Medina County high
schools and representatives from various
churches. In addition, people joined after seeing the vigil as they drove by; others stopped to
talk about their feelings. People brought candles and flags and donated water bottles to
those standing to show support
Orlando Support
Cleveland had a larger than normal gathering at the June 14 support group meeting, just two days following the tragic
night of murder and mayhem at the
Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
The Cleveland group felt the need to
reach out to the victims and families and
collected donations for the Orlando
chapter of PFLAG. Between the local
chapter members and the board, PFLAG
Cleveland was able to send a check for
$1000 to assist those experiencing this
calamitous situation.
Jes Sellers spoke to Susan Warren, the
president of PFLAG Orlando. She was
thrilled by the outpouring of support. Jes
then sent her the CLE Board picture with
the mock check that is attached. She
responded with the following:
June 13 vigil
And, there was some good local media coverage for what was possibly the first LGBTQ
event ever staged on Medina’s square.
The response was so positive, that OutSupport
decided to be in the July 4th parade. About 50
people marched….people from all over Medina
County as well as friends from Summit and
Lorain counties. And again, the community
was very supportive.
“That picture and check mean more than
words can say. We appreciate this very
much. Thank you. You are all welcome
to visit us here in Orlando anytime! We
will let you know how that gracious donation from your chapter will be used here.
We feel the kinship!”
PRIDE Brunch
Join PFLAG Cleveland at their annual
PRIDE Brunch located at the Old Stone
Church on Public Square in the basement gathering space for fellowship and
refreshment before the parade. We start
at 10:30 am and will move to the parade
route at noon.
4th of July parade
CORRECTION:
Last month’s cover article,
“Spring is in the Air…” was written by PFLAG
Cleveland board member Tom Falcone. We
apologize for the omission of a byline.
YOU ALW AYS H AVE A HOME AT PFL AG !
LGBT in the
workplace
discussed at
Goodyear
The “Wall of Keys” installation and PFLAG Cleveland’s key at the Circle in the Square Theater in New York City. Part of a partnership with the award-winning musical Fun Home.
Fun Home partners with PFLAG
Fun Home, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, has partnered with PFLAG, friends and allies to the LGBTQ community, with multiple initiatives both in and out of the Circle in the Square
Theatre in New York City.
Keys.” PFLAG chapters from across the country
submitted photos of special activities and events
from their groups, which were then turned into
dozens of collages in the shape of large keys,
tagged with their regions.
The partnership officially launched earlier this
summer, when Lauren Patten, who plays Medium Alison in the musical, performed at PFLAG
National’s Straight for Equality Gala on April 4.
As a cornerstone of the partnership, Fun
Home will offer discounted tickets to PFLAG
chapter members in New York City, and across
the country to the organization’s 400+ chapters
when Fun Home launches its national tour this
September.
For the next initiative, Fun Home and PFLAG
created a “Wall of Keys” installation in the theater’s lobby in June, reminiscent of one of the
show’s most well-known anthems, “Ring of
See more at: http://thebroadwayblog.com/
2016/05/10/14633-fun-home-pflag.
CANAPI benefit at Weathervane
Weathervare Playhouse has announced its annual benefit show for CANAPI. This one-nightonly performance will be Monday, Aug. 29 at
7:30 pm.
“The Secret of the Old Queen” is a parody of the
Hardy Boys mysteries, with protagonists named
This year’s festival includes multiple events,
including the Summit Pride Ride bicycle 10k
on August 19, Links and Drinks golf outing
and a Food Truck Round-up on Main St. on
August 20, and live entertainment at Lock 3
This is a series of miniseminars at which Goodyear policies on a number
of topics are discussed.
“HERO” stands for “Helping
Educate Regarding Orientation.” This time “LGBT” in
the workplace, was presented by Thomas Hawn,
President of the PLEXUS
Education Foundation.
The well attended event
was followed by those who
had questions about
PFLAG. Bill and Ed made
sure plenty of PFLAG’s
brochures and pamphlets
were available to all.
Frank and Joe. It is a musical comedy intended
for adult audiences.
Tickets available at 330-836-2626, at the
Weathervane box office (1301 Weathervane Ln.
in the Valley) or online at weathervaneplayhouse.com.
PFLAG Cleveland annual picnic
Akron Flair Fest
Flair Fest is an LGBTQ festival that started
after the success of the 2014 Gay Games in
Northeast Ohio and celebrating the welcoming, inclusive and accepting environment of
Akron.
Akron PFLAG members Bill
Watts and Ed Kancler attended Goodyear Corporation’s “HERO” meeting on
July 19.
and the Akron Civic Theatre. Proceeds benefit
CANAPI.
Flair Fest events are supported by The City
of Akron, Akron Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau, Lock3, The Cleveland Clinic, and
CANAPI.
For more info visit canapi.org/flairfest or
https://www.facebook.com/Akron-Flair-Fest490940897726101/
3
Local Youth
Groups
Honoring Orlando
Puerto Rican Parade and Latino
Culture and Arts Festival
Safe Space West Side
The West Side of Cleveland
now offers a comfortable
place for LGBTQI Hispanic
youth to hang out, be yourself, grab a snack, and talk
to friends or our center staff.
The drop-in program is held
at Archwood Ave UCC on
PFLAG Cleveland enjoys their annual
night at the Indians game on July 10
Jewish Family Svcs.
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Saturdays from 2:00-5:00
pm.
Call/text Esther Baruja 312320-1341 for more info or
find them on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/
SafeSpaceWestSide/
Dish and Dig
Macbeth at Stan Hywet
Join us for an LGBT evening with William
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” on Thursday, Aug.
18 on the historic grounds of Stan Hywet Hall
& Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron.
Gates open for private picnic gathering at 6:30
pm. Outdoor performance begins at 8:00 pm.
Seating is limited. First come first served.
Tickets $12 at www.eventbrite.com (search
“William Shakespeare’s Macbeth”). Sponsored
by The Gay Community Endowment Fund.
The LGBT Center of Greater
Cleveland offers a group for
LGBTQ+ young people ages
10-17 on Mondays from 5-
PrEP info dinner
7:30 pm.
The group splits into ages 10
-13 and 14-17, with each
group holding their meeting
at the Legacy Garden or The
Center for discussion. The
group is facilitated by Rob-
Attend a free dinner where you can enjoy wonderful food, network with local peers, and most
importantly, learn about the HIV preventative
drug called PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis.
The next dinner is Thursday, Aug. 4 at 6:30 pm
at Crop Bistro & Bar, 2537 Lorain Ave., Cleveland. RSVP to Elana Ross by July 28: eross@
lgbtcleveland.org
Event organizer, Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts
Center, plans to honor the lives of the 49 individuals murdered at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando during the annual festival parade scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 6. The tragedy is very
personal to the group as one of the youngest
victims was Omar Capo, a Cleveland native
and member of the Cultural Arts Center.
The parade organizers are looking for 49 Latino volunteers to march as a group while wearing unique t-shirts designed for that day. If
interested please contact Craig Hoffman at
[email protected]. Others are encouraged to
line the parade route to honor those who were
killed and support the Latino community
The parade steps off at noon at the corner of E
13th and Superior Ave., heads north at E 9th
and ends at Voinovich Park, the site of the
cultural festival. The cultural festival also opens
at noon. Visit www.juliadeburgos.org.
Greater Cleveland Interfaith Unity
Rally
All are invited to attend an Interfaith Unity Rally at the Old Stone Church on Cleveland’s Public Square on Sunday, Aug. 7 at 3:30 pm. This
event has been planned as an act of communal support, solidarity and advocacy in response to recent events of hate and violence
against members of the LGBTQ community.
Guest speakers are: Rev. MacArthur Flournoy,
Director for Faith Partnerships & Mobilization
for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and
Staceyann Chin, poet and LGBTQ activist.
Over two dozen faith communities and community organizations are currently partnering with
the event. For more info, contact Brynna Fish
at (216) 407-5543 or [email protected].
erta Taliaferro, a licensed
clinician from the May
Dugan Center.
Burlesque festival
To register or for more info:
Roberta at rtaliaferro@
maydugancenter.org
or Maya Simek
[email protected].
The 6th annual Ohio Burlesque Festival will be
held Aug. 4-6 at The Beachland Ballroom,
15711 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland. Proceeds benefit The LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland.
Info: www.ohioburlesque.com
Grief support
Akron General visiting nurse service offers a 3session grief support for dealing with the loss
of an LGBTQ person. They are held at Justin T
Rogers Care Hospice Care Center, 3358
Ridgewood Rd., Akron on August 15, 22 and
29, 5:30-7:30 pm. For more info, call Lorie
Lerner at 330-668-4679.
.
4
WHEN Y OU N O LO NGE R NEED PFL AG, T H AT’S WHEN PFL AG N EEDS Y OU
PFLAG Cleveland president Sharon Groh-Wargo poses with
Ed Progar, co-director of the GIFT Committee and several
of the prize pins from the GIFT Invitational Fellowship Bowling Tournament. This year PFLAG Cleveland was the recipient of approximately $500 raised from The Spare Awards,
as well as the Spinners pin (2nd from left below).
Volunteer with
Summer of
Action
Equality Ohio is teaming up
with Freedom for All Americans on a project called
Summer of Action. The
Cleveland passes trans-friendly bathroom law
By Alana Jochum, Equality Ohio executive director
Just days before the Republican National Convention, Cleveland City Council passed ordinance 1446-13 which Major Frank Jackson later
signed into law during a public ceremony at City
Hall.
With the stroke of a pen, he enacted an ordinance that removes language that allowed for
employers and business owners to discriminate
against transgender people with regard to which
restroom they can use.
When the news broke that city council passed it,
people immediately made the connection that
the Republican National Convention was being
held in a city whose values don't align with the
GOP Platform.
We sent a message to LGBTQ people across
the country: whatever the odds, equality will win.
We will end legal discrimination in Ohio, and the
country.
This took a lot of work. Nearly three years of
work. Dozens of transgender individuals and
allies sharing testimony in support. Hundreds of
one-on-one conversations with Clevelanders
about what it means to be transgender. Two
hearings. Rallies. Sit-ins. And the cooperation
and support of more than a dozen LGBTQ and
ally organizations.
purpose of this project is to
have one-on-one conversations with Ohioans in Cuyahoga County about
transgender issues.
And we need your help –
we will train you and provide you with all the resources you need to
do have these conversations yourself and see the
results.
We are mobilizing volun-
Equality Forum held during DNC
As the nation’s oldest LGBT civil rights summit,
Equality Forum 2016 convenes national leadership to discuss the state and future of the LGBT
movement during the Democratic National Convention. The summit is being held at the National
Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.
The International Role Model Award will be presented to House Democratic Leader Nancy
Pelosi. Representatives from over two dozen
LGBTQ and ally organizations are expected to
take the stage as presenters, panelists or moderators. For more info visit equalityforum.com.
teers to canvass door-todoor; we also have roles
available for data entry and
team support; plus, we will
begin phone banking in
August.
Learn more at http://
www.equalityohio.org/
Pro-equality ad airs during RNC
On the final night of the Republican National
Convention, a pro-equality ad aired nationwide
on FOX News.
Center for Lesbian Rights.
The ad launched on Monday and has already
been viewed millions of times and covered in
The ad was funded by Fairness USA, a coalition hundreds of media outlets like the New York
led by Movement Advancement Project, the
Times, NBC, and BuzzFeed.
Freedom for All Americans Education Fund, the
It features a transgender woman and addresses
National Center for Transgender Equality, and
Equality Ohio Education Fund, with support from the bathroom issue now being debated around
the country.
the Equality Federation Institute, the Human
Rights Campaign Foundation, and the National View and share the ad on http://fairnessusa.org/.
summer-of-actioncuyahoga-county/
In the wake of Orlando, this
work is more important than
ever. We hope to see you
in the field with us.
5
Thank your representatives (from PFLAG Natl.)
PFLAG CHAPTER
MEETINGS
Akron
3rd Thursdays - 7 pm
North Springfield
Presbyterian Church
671 N. Canton Rd.
Cleveland
2nd Tuesdays - 6:45 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church
2230 Euclid Ave,, 44115
1st Thursdays - 7:00 pm
Southwest UUC
6320 Royalton Rd.
N. Royalton
Elyria/Lorain
3rd Mondays - 7 pm
First Congregational Ch.
4th and Washington
Youngstown
2nd Tuesdays - 6:30 pm
St. John’s Episcopal Ch.
323 Wick Ave.
OTHER SUPPORT
GROUPS
OutSupport Medina
4th Mondays - 7 pm
Unity Church
787 Lafayette Rd./Williams
on the Lake (4th bldg.)
Sandi 330-241-1281
OutSupport.org
Infinite Rainbow
2nd Sundays - 1:00 pm
First Universalist Church
of Westfield Center
6 Park Circle
330-242-0121
[email protected]
PrideZone TV
(Tuscarawas Valley)
1st Wednesdays - 7:30pm
Outreach Center
208 N. Wooster Ave. Dover
[email protected]
Love on a Mission
3rd Sundays
Email for location / time
[email protected]
6
Thank your Senators and Representative for
approving the bill to designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 7802
37th Ave. in Jackson Heights, New York, as the
"Jeanne and Jules Manford Post Office Building.”
The bill memorializes the wonderful hard work
that PFLAG’s founder, Jeanne Manford, and her
husband Jules did to create a more inclusive and
accepting world for their son and all other members of the LGBTQ community.
While we are far from finished, this victory reminds us how far we have come towards an inclusive world thanks to the wonderful PFLAG
community.
ACA Section 1557 fact sheet
Editors note: The following information on the ACA has
been provided by the Transgender Law Center. These
excerpts are not to be considered legal advice.
The federal department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights has issued final regulations on Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
Section 1557 provides protections based on race,
color, national origin, sex, age, and disability. Protections for LGBT people come under the category
of sex discrimination, which includes gender identity and sex stereotyping. Most of the rule’s provisions went into effect July 18.
The rule prohibits discrimination on the basis of
sex, which includes “sex stereotyping, and gender
identity.” By the OCR’s definitions, this includes:
transgender and gender non-conforming people;
intersex people; lesbian, gay, and bisexual people;
The rule applies to hospitals, clinics, pharmacies,
labs, and HIV test sites. It also includes most types
of healthcare insurance and coverage, including
Medicaid and Medicare, AIDS Drug Assistant Programs (ADAP), individual insurance plans obtained
through a state or federal healthcare exchange,
and plans purchased directly through an insurance
carrier or an employer when any part of the insurance carrier receives federal financial assistance.
Under Section 1557, unlawful acts in a clinical set-
ting include refusing to treat you, refusing to pronounce your name or pronoun correctly, performing
unnecessary or aggressive genital exams, refusing
to room you according to your gender identity, or a
pharmacist refusing to fill your prescription for hormones.
In insurance settings the denial or limitation of
health care coverage for specific health services
related to gender transition is unlawful if such results in discrimination against a transgender person. Blanket exclusions for transition-related care,
which have been banned in 14 states and DC so
far, are now unlawful nationwide in private insurance as well as Medicaid programs. If a covered
health plan currently has exclusions, it has until the
first day of the first plan year beginning January 1,
2017 to remove the exclusion.
If you experience discrimination, you should file a
complaint with the HHS Office of Civil Rights, including details of what happened and when. You
may also have additional rights under state or local
laws, depending on where you live. If you’re not
sure how to put together your complaint,
Transgender Law Center’s legal helpline can help.
The Transgender Law Center is the largest national
organization dedicated to advancing the rights of
transgender and gender nonconforming people through
litigation, policy advocacy, and public education.
PFLAG Cleveland annual picnic