Welcome to Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio!
Welcome and thank you for visiting the official web site of the Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio. 2010 promises to be a busy but exciting year. We have two LGBT candidates running for local offices in Central Ohio. John Sowers is running for a House seat in the 25th District and Terry Brown is running for Franklin County Auditor. Stonewall Dems plans to do all we can to get both of these candidates elected to public office. And, as always, Stonewall Dems plans to support the state-wide candidates who support us.
2010 monthly meetings will include a wide variety of speakers. In addition, each month presents us with a new way to give back to the community-- in March, Bowling for Equality through HRC and in July, the Central Ohio AIDS walk. These are but a few of the activities in which Stonewall Dems plans to take part.
The month of May will be an important one for Stonewall Dems, as we host our annual wine tasting event in the Short North. I encourage each and every one of you to "Get on the Blue Train" in 2010.
Of course, the highlight of the year for the LGBT community is the 2-day Pride Festival at Goodale Park. Look for Stonewall Dems to take part in the Pride parade, host a booth at the festival, and also host a new kick-off event, details of which will be forthcoming.
Let us get behind our Democratic brothers and sisters in this all-important election year. Let us continue to serve the candidates who serve us. As always, I welcome suggestions and feedback from Stonewall Dems members. Feel free to e-mail me at fmellissia@hotmail.com. Sincerely,
Mel Fuhrmann
President, Stonewall Dems of Central Ohio
2010
Are you a member of Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio? Now is the time to join or to renew if you've let your membership lapse. Joining is simple and easy, just go to our contribution page. There are various membership options:
Sustaining Member: $100.00
Couples Membership: $60.00
General Membership: $35.00
Student or Hardship Membership: $20.00
Please consider joining or renewing today! We are only as strong as our membership.
_______________________________________________
Need a new HOODIE or Ball Cap for the WINTER? Check our our new online store at clicking here! SDCO Logo T-Shirts, Polo Shirts, Tanks, Buttons, Mugs and more are available! Check us out! All proceeds go to Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio
Recent News Items
March 10, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2010
Contact: Press Office
614-221-6563 ext. 145
press@ohiodems.org
Ohio Democratic Party Names Collin Burton As LGBT Caucus Director
COLUMBUS - Today, the Ohio Democratic Party announced Collin Burton has joined its team as LGBT Caucus Director. In his new role, Burton will facilitate outreach to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community as part of the Ohio Democratic Party's continued efforts to reach diverse constituencies throughout the Buckeye State.
Born in Youngstown and raised in Westerville, Burton is a proud Ohio native. He's a graduate of Westerville South High School and Marquette University, with time spent at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. An early activist, Burton participated in a local city council campaign at age 12. While at Marquette, he was a founding member of the MU Gay Straight Alliance and became President of the group during his junior year. Most recently, Burton served as the co-founder of an organization called The Activist Nation, which focuses on organizing young adults to participate in global activism. Burton's passion for open dialogue, relationship building and community engagement will be an asset to the Ohio Democratic Party.
"I am excited about this opportunity to engage the LGBT community in the work of the Ohio Democratic Party," said Burton. "The party is moving forward with incredible momentum toward the 2010 elections, and the LGBT community has many amazing opportunities to elect progressive leaders who will advance pro-LGBT legislation at all levels in Ohio. Let's get to work!"
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern added, "In 2005, soon after being elected Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, I decided we would build the strongest LGBT Caucus in the nation. Under James Winnett's leadership, we achieved historic success, electing a record number of openly-gay and lesbian Ohioans at the local and county level. With Collin Burton now at the helm of our outreach to the LGBT community, we will continue to grow as a Party and be stronger than ever."
The Ohio Democratic Party is the only known State Party in the country to have a full-time staffer dedicated to outreach to the LGBT community. In the 2009 municipal elections, ODP supported thirteen openly-LGBT candidates, electing a record ten of those candidates to office. ODP also celebrated last year's historic passage in the Ohio House of Representatives of H.B. 176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act. All Democrats supported the bill, and we look forward to the day that Ohioans can no longer be legally fired from their jobs or kicked out of their homes because of who they are or who they love. In addition, Governor Ted Strickland was the first governor in Ohio history to appoint openly-gay and lesbian judges to the bench. He celebrated this landmark during his 2010 State of the State Address.
Collin can be reached at lgbt@ohiodems.org.
For more information about the Ohio Democratic Party's LGBT Caucus, visit: http://www.ohiodems.org/networks/lgbt_caucus/.
Follow ODP's LGBT Caucus on Twitter at twitter.com/ohioLGBTdems or fan the Caucus on Facebook.
______________________________________________________________________
It's 2010, and in most of the country, it's legal to be fired for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender!
Protect LGBT workers and their families by helping to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a federal bill that will ban job discrimination nationwide on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. We have the votes in Congress, we have a president who will sign the bill... now we need to keep the momentum going strong!
These basic protections are long overdue. Join us to set the standard for fairness and equality in 2010 by working to mobilize supporters for this historic legislation.
What: Friendly phone calls to LGBT supporters in Ohio
When: Over the next two weeks
Upcoming phone banks:
Sunday, March 14
Wednesday, March 17
Thursday, March 18
Tuesday, March 23
Wednesday, March 24
Where: Equality Ohio, 50 W. Broad St., Suite 1970, Columbus, OH 43215
Why: To move ENDA through Congress to a vote!
How: We'll provide scripts and training
Questions? Contact Kim Welter at kim@equalityohio.org for more information!
