April '04 NEWSLETTER
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April '04 NEWSLETTER MARK YOUR CALENDAR Columbus, Ohio. Ed Hoar is a long time active member of the Methodist Church and founder of the Good Neighbor April 25 Sunday. General Meeting, 2 p.m. First Project, which seeks to demonstrate that Christians are called Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. to support the personhood of gay, lesbian, bisexual and Weisheimer transgender people. May 13 Thursday. Board meeting at Martha's home, PFLAG Columbus is pleased to offer this panel and invites all 921 Lynbrook Rd., 7 pm. Open to all members community members and allies to participate. This will be an excellent opportunity for folks to hear from the panelists and May 23 Sunday. General Meeting, 2 p.m. First learn about what is happening within the spiritual Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. communities. Weisheimer. This is the 4th Sunday, not the th 5 • This is the Sunday BEFORE Memorial Day Weekend. ADVOCACY CORNER June 27 Sunday. General Meeting, 2 p.m. First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer. Peg Allemang July 25 Sunday. General Meeting, 2 p.m. First FEDERALMARRIAGE AMENDMENT Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. On March 20th, Stonewall CAN, the political action Weisheimer. arm of Stonewall Columbus hosted a GLBT Community Pelitical Summit open to GLBT organizations in central Ohio. August 22 Sunday. General Meeting, 2 p.m. First Representatives from HRC, BRAVO, Stonewall Democrats, Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Log-Cabin Republicans, OSU Fusion, Westerville High th Weisheimer. This is the 4 Sunday, not the School GSA, GIFT, ACLU, Planned Parenthood, PFLAG and 111 5 • This is the Sunday BEFORE Memorial several interested parties were among those attending. The Day Weekend. goa! of the event was to develop a community-wide strategy to defeat the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment. APRIL MEETING, SUNDAY APRIL 26 In addition to Kate Anderson, presenters included Mary Jo Hudson, Ariana Adams, Ian James, and Karen GAYS AND RELIGION: Hamm. Everyone agreed that the community must band HOW DOES IT FIT TOGETHER? together and present a united front against this threat. Many of us believe that members of the mainstream community can be educated if we can just reach them. We all pledged to The April PFLAG meeting will be an exciting one, featuring, start with our own friends and neighbors. The Human Rights local religious leaders and activists, Pastor Margaret Hawk, Campaign website is an excellent source for suggested Reverend Phil Hart of Sanctorum and Ed Hoar. Please join talking points that may influence your straight friendS and us on Sunday, April 25th at 2 PM as the panel presents on neighbors. www.hrc.org their personal experiences and convictions, their activism We discussed arguments we could use when the within the religious communities and discusses the "marriage subject arises in conversation which it does frequently" issue" in the context of spirituality. Margaret Hawk, Pastor of Each person was urged to return to his/her organization and New Creation MCC Church in Columbus, received her Master find aut how we can commit to this project. If any of you of Theological Studies from the The Methodist Theological would J1ke more information on how you can be a part of this School in Ohio and has served the MCC congregation for 14 project, please e-mail [email protected]. years. Also joining the panel is the Reverend Phil Hart who has served as a community religious leader and reverend, as well as, the Director of the Sanctorum program in When you no longer n"eed PFLAG, PFLAG needs youll Page 1 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS: was sixteen, first with clubs in high school and the local community;. then Since 1997, Columbus PFLAG with the Latin Business Commumty In Central Florida. She now concentrates Meetings: Fourth Sunday has awarded a single Ohio State much of her energy on the LGBT University GIUBIT scholarship in of every month, 2:00 community in OSU and Columbus. memory of Eric Kohring, a member of 4:00 PM The 2004 PFLAG committee PFLAG and a former OSU student, who members are: Don Brennan, Bill was truly dedicated to the creation and First Unitarian maintenance of a scholarship fund for Randolph, Bruce Beckman, Emily Fogel, Duan Cannon and Peg Allemang. Universalist Church GIUBIT students at OSU. He worked 93 Weisheimer Road several years with other PFLAG 614-227-9355 (VoiceMail) members to bring this idea to fruition. Sadly, Eric died in 1997, but so strong SPEAK OUT NEWS - APRIL was his commitment to this cause that EDITION , he bequeathed a part of his estate to the Contact: Cheri Meyers n' PFLAG scholarship fund which now 15 ¢ I i- I bears his name. Galvanized by this It hardly seems possible that an entire ! bequest, the surviving members of the month has passed since my Imtlal Weisheimer scholarship committee worked along column. The past few weeks have been ~I with the GIUBIT student group at OSU Dominion exciting ones for Speak OUT. Our to fulfill Eric's dream. They carefully and membership continues to grow on a - intelligently managed the funds..into a daily basis. The press that our group IS solvent account, while still awarding an Schreyer receiVing is phenomenal. From Eric Kohring/PFLAG scholarship to a i meetups to press releases,. April really deserving GIUBIT OSU student every has been a whirl wind of activity! I have year. This award was the first of its kind been very pleased with the enthusiastic at OSU. Now, thanks to the PFLAGers response that Speak OUT IS receiving m Officers / Committee Heads who laid the ground work, and donations both the straight and gay communities. from the Kohring family, the Columbus We are qUickly establishing a reputation Foundation, the OSU GIUBIT Alumni Martha Boadt, President throughout the community as a group [email protected] Society, and a recent bequest from the that is ready and willing to help. Harold Mcintosh estate, the scholarship Bruce Beckman, Vice has grown way beyond Eric's dream. It On April 3rd, Speak OUT hosted a table is now the largest GIUBIT scholarship President at the Gallery Hop to spread the word endowment in the country. In all, five about our new group, hand out literature scholarships were awarded this year. Don Brennan, Treasurer on the FMA and register citizens to vote. PFLAG scholarship committee [email protected] I'm happy to report back to the (listed below) chose two outstanding I Columbus chapter members that I also applicants for the Ene Kohrmg PFLAG Dan ElWin, SecretarylEditor spoke with and gave information to two Scholarship award. They are Chandra [email protected] people about PFLAG as well. Currently I Geyser and Nadja Ramos:Felliciano. am busy preparing for our first meetlOg These young women are so Impressive Kellye Pinkleton, Coordinator which will be held on April 17th at the and so close in academic achievement Stonewall Community Center. I have [email protected] that tl1e committee decided to split the also discussed plans with HRC's Get PFLAG award. Both women also Out the Vote organizers to enlist the help Denny & Peg Allemang, received Mcintosh scholarships. Both of our Speak OUT members to help in Political Advocacy have not only excelled academically but upcoming voter registration drives [email protected] have already proved themselves to be I throughout Columbus. I advocates in the GLBT community, I Bill Randolph serving such organizations as: BRAVO, I As I look fOlWard to the month of May, I Hotline Coordinator Stonewall, OSU Fusion, and the GLBT see even more challenges ahead. With Speakers Bureau. Chandra, who will DOMA taking effect in the State of Ohio Dwight Moody graduate with an MS in Health Sciences, on May 6th and the same-sex right to i Public Relations has been involved in HIV and AIDs ,I marry law beginning on May 17th In the , education since high school. She now State of Massachusetts, we have much Emily Fogel: PFtAGIOSU volunteers as an HIV test counselor at to mourn and to celebrate as a ScholarshipRep. the Student Wellness Center. Nadja's j community. Sometimes we can get so fooel.1 ®mindsprina.com major is Business Administration with a discouraged when we take a step back concentration in accounting. She has that we fail to notice when we move a been doing volunteer work since she step fOlWard, yet we need to stay Wh n you no longer need PFLAG, PFLAG need you!! page 2 positive and remain focused on the goals that must be met some of those winnings back to the Cols eh t in the next six months. Over the past few weeks, I have of PFLAG ... or just me!) . ap er had the privilege of meeting and working with dozens of other volunteers from a variety of GLBT/Ally organizations 3. If you do find yourself in the casinos too often my and I can tell you that we are all determined to win this wish for you is that you will remember these w~rds fight. Everyone needs to get involved and stay involved. If from a wise man (aka Kenny Rodgers)... "You got you know of anyone who might be interested in joining to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em Speak OUT, please have them contact me via email know when to walk away, and know when t~ ([email protected]) or they can leave me a run .. ." message for me at Stonewall Columbus (299-7764). 4. Get involved in the PFLAG chapter there- if we Don't forget that I will be at the next chapter meeting. If can't have you... at least Vegas families can you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop by and talk benefit from your experience, knowledge, to me.