•w *»/* '*;<; 4>: _ r* _5^-v' #1 l.f<-V%&» -1 g » Bs-a ^&&«!_3$5 g ifel ."•: T *_a -•___rc-K. *-"/.*••--.*$»*R • > OK*- /< PR *_v* •n *--'_? l :» Transgender Day of Reme'mb'ranc._ • Preferred Pronouns =1 y • Cincinnati's Evolution*, • Honorirf^Ohio's LGBT Veterans • Colum^rCouncil Makes History • Findnce:vPopping the Question • Business: The little Gay Corner' • Books: Grotesaue • Entertainment: Holiday Concerts "^ • Interview: Andrew Scott • Your November Horoscope yf / • Dan Savage polisigh WW*"*"'"?! I .. ''/ i«ii£|"/ * I y :fi*::- Cities i^^^Bffl^^wn by Kristen Spicker Since voters in Cincinnati repealed an anti- medical procedures for transgender city em­ It stopped the city from doing what many oth­ gay amendment to the city charter a decade ployees. ers have done: barring discrimination in hous­ The streets of Cincinnati were bright with ago this month, Ohio's third-largest city has ing and employment, extending family color, music and smiles on May 31. At the end shed its LGBT-unfriendly reputation and more "It's hard for me to say much about the last 10 benefits to government workers in same-sex of a weeklong schedule of movies, fashion recently has assumed its place among the na­ years, and that's a good thing," said Anthony relationships, taking a stand against hate shows, pub crawls and even religious services, tion's more progressive communities: Noschang, 40, who grew up during the era crimes or creating a domestic partner registry. people continued to swarm 7th Street as pa­ when Cincinnati rade floats rolled by and community groups • As Columbus- garnered attention "It was a hateful law," said City Council mem­ marched on. based political for all the wrong ber Chris Seelbach (pictured at left), who is groups bickered reasons. Noschang openly gay. That final day in May looked a lot like other over the strategy was raised in sub­ Cincinnati festivals, but the sea of rainbows and timing of an urban Milford, Cincinnati had other moments, too, that cre­ earned his degree signified one thing. Pride. initiative to undo ated its national reputation as an uptight at the University of Ohio's marriage town. In the 1970s, local prosecutors took on Cincinnati, works And while Cincinnati's Pride Week embodied ban, lawyers and Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt. In Downtown and exactly what the annual LGBT celebration is plaintiffs in 1990, police raided the city's Contemporary lives in the city's about - openness, respect, diversity and, most Cincinnati filed Arts Center on the opening day of an exhibition j gay-friendly importantly, equality-the Queen City didn't two federal chal­ of photographs by the late Robert Map- Clifton neighbor- always have a reputation for treating all of its lenges that are plethorpe. A jury acquitted its director of ob­ subjects well. an appeals-court scenity charges, but it was believed to be the decision away from state recognition and pos­ first time an art museum was prosecuted over Historically a more socially and politically con­ sibly full marriage equality. A third case in­ The years before that are a different story. And the contents of an artistic exhibition. servative corner of Ohio, many neighborhoods volving six Cincinnati couples is pending. although the origins of its homophobic reputa­ of Cincinnati have more churches than fire tion are arguable, civil-rights activists agree Although those battles mobilized civil libertari­ houses, police stations and hospitals com­ • Cincinnati was named an LGBT-friendly on Cincinnati's low in point in tolerance: Arti­ ans, activists didn't stop fighting Article 12 bined. Civil rights for LGBT people - accept­ honorable mention in The Advocate's 2013 cle 12. The local ballot initiative approved by after its adoption. Cincinnati attorney Al Ger­ ance, even - was a foreign pill some Gayest Cities in America, and the city scored a voters in 1993 added to the city charter - the hardstein challenged the measure on equal Cincinnatians were too terrified to swallow. 90 (out of 100) in the Human Rights Cam­ local version of a government constitution - protection grounds. He won in court but lost on paign's 2014 Municipal Equality Index. language barring Cincinnati from adopting appeal. That's all changed now, say those who've anti-discrimination legislation or other poli­ watched the city's evolution from the front • Cincinnati's city government expanded its cies that conferred "special class" status The loss was especially frustrating, said law lines. employee health benefits in August to cover based on residents' sexual orientation. partner Jennifer Branch, who's been working 10 november2014 If you haven't checked out Over the Rhine lately, you should. It's awesome. outlookohio.com *> I_p ^T'7!!,-- " wiw^' -••*"_;— rup^niriT^iiiiiiin'i'T on current challenges to Ohio's marriage ban, cussing LGBT issues, they might eventually across Ohio wrote into the state constitu­ because a later US Supreme Court decision support equality. tion an amendment that restricted mar­ struck down a similar amendment in Colorado riage rights only to opposite-sex couples, forthe very constitutional reasons people in As Seelbach was pleading the LGBT case on Cincinnatians voted to repeal Article 12. Cincinnati argued against it. the streets, Branch was arguing in the court­ who's gay, and it didn't change anything.' It room. "They figured out that it wasn't about special just made it personal to everybody instead of a "That was heartbreaking because Cincinnati rights, it was about equal rights," said Ian generalized phobia against a group of people became the only city in the entire country that In 2003, she and Gerhardstein filed a gender James, the founder and head of FreedomOhio, that were unknown." was allowed to discriminate against gays," discrimination lawsuit against the city on be­ a statewide marriage-equality and civil rights Branch said. half of a transgender police officer who felt group. "I really think that the people that came out she was denied a promotion during her transi­ early were courageous, because that's the best Seelbach said Cincinnati took more than an tion from male to female. They won the case, "When we make decisions for a law that dif­ education of the citizens." image hit during its discriminatory years. The and Branch said she also felt happy about the ferentiates between marriages and says this city's convention and visitors bureau esti­ attitudes discovered while selecting a jury. American has more rights than this other While the city's progression legally is a sign of mated that $25 million in convention business American, or this person is less equal or infe­ hope, Seelbach knows acceptance isn't as steered clear of Cincinnati. Even local compa­ "The jury pool - I'm going to say we had 40, rior to another, because of whatever reason, simple as rescinding bad legislation. nies like Procter & Gamble, didn't want to be maybe 60 people in the pool - was fascinat­ the voters turned around and said, 'You know associated with Cincinnati's anti-gay image. ing. Absolutely fascinating," she said. "We that's not what I signed up for, that's not the Less than a month after Cincinnati Pride, a asked them lots of questions to gauge where America or Cincinnati that I want.'" 28-year-old transgender woman named How did things change? they were on this discrimination issue, and it Tiffany Edwards was found shot to death in was eye-opening. We got a great jury." In 2006, Cincinnati passed another human the middle of a city street. In 2013, a Catholic "It was getting people comfortable saying rights ordinance, this time protecting LGBT high school dean was fired for supporting gay," said Seelbach, who took part in a grass­ A few knew people who were transgender, residents from discrimination. marriage equality on his personal blog, and roots effort to repeal the charter amendment. Branch said. But many knew people - and the Cincinnati Archdiocese made school em­ Activists conducted 20,000 to 30,000 door-to- loved people - who were gay, lesbian or bisex­ What happened in the interim, Branch said, is ployees sign contracts this year that prohibit door discussions of LGBT rights with their fel­ ual. what happened all around the country. speaking out even for acceptance of gay peo­ low Cincinnatians. ple. "The jury was very open-minded to the issue, "I think people came out," she said. "They The effort took LGBT topics out of the closet and it was a great experience because we came out to their colleagues at work, to their "The laws will change," Seelbach said. "But and made them more visible throughout the weren't expecting that," she said. friends at school, their parents, their cousins. homophobia and anti-gay discrimination is city, he said. The strategy behind the conver­ And it made people realize, 'Hey, I actually love going to exist for a long time. So we have a lot sations: If people felt more comfortable dis­ In November 2004, on the same day voters somebody I know somebody I respect some- of work to do." outlookohio.com You should also listen to the band by the same name. november 2014 11 A SEAT AT THE TABLE Shannon Hardin Makes History on Columbus City Council by Bob Vitale Like Obama, who was too young to be in then sometimes I was showing quarter the middle of the civil rights movement, horses in Kentucky," he said. As a student at Columbus Alternative Hardin represents a new generation of High School after the 2004 elections, LGBT leaders who have come of age He also has navigated sometimes-con­ Shannon Hardin took a challenge from after the 1980s AIDS epidemic.