Cincy Pride: Better Together

Cincy

PRIDE BETTER TOGETHER Celebrating the identity, culture and diversity of PRIDE

Honoring 50 Years of Stonewall

Celebrating Family Cincy Pride Calendar of Events Community Resources

WELCOME

C

incy Magazine is proud to launch the inaugural Cincy Pride Better Together publication, produced in partnership with Beam Suntory and Diverse Events Ohio. This special publication showcases the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer community and raises awareness to the shared and unique identities within. Nationally, June is PRIDE month and a celebration of identity, culture, diversity and the bravery that comes with living authentically.

We are excited that you will be joining us in the celebration of this beautiful and diverse community. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn Riots in New York.

LGBT Pride Month is celebrated each year in the month of June to honor that uprising.

Stonewall has special significance in the LGBTQ+ community, because it sparked an insatiable fire that lead to a movement toward equal rights and equitable participation, a movement that continues today.

Better Together is about the power we collectively share when we come together in support of our shared humanity. As Audre Lorde said, “There is no such thing as a singleissue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” Many individual identities exist under the LGBTQ+ initialism, and the way in which each person lives their truth is different based on the opportunities afforded to them. In this publication, you will have an opportunity to see families living and loving toward their best life, become familiar with some of the language used within and for the community, and find ways to connect with events and activities that support the community. We hope there’s something for everyone to learn from and connect to.

This year we are showcasing what being Better Together really means. Over 75 bars, restaurants and event spaces are working together to bring you events throughout the Cincinnati area. This collaboration of independent LGBTQ+ organizations, nonprofits and local businesses are focused on quality and diverse programming to enhance the PRIDE experience. Through these events, we hope to include all members of the LGBTQ+ community and our allies in a united celebration.

We hope you will not only join us in the month-long Celebration of Pride in Cincinnati but throughout the year.

In Solidarity, The Better Together Cincy Pride Collaboration

More than 10 million Approximately 1 in every 5

adults identify within the LGBT adults is homeless

LGBT Community

8.1%

In 2017, 5.1% of women selfidentified as LGBT; that number was 3.9% for men

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CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER :: 2019

3 Stonewall 50 Years 4 Terminology 6 Senior Spotlight 7 Cincinnati Black Pride 8 CPD Liaison 9 Celebrating Family 10 Calendar of Events 12 Parade & Festival FAQ's 13 Artswave Pride 15 Community Resources

Published in partnership with Cincy Magazine

Family & Veteran Owned

A CRITICAL CRITICAL ISSUE ISSUE DID YOU KNOW? A

of millennials selfidentify as LGBT

CONTENTS

As many as 640,000

LGBT youth are homeless.

This is 40% of all homeless youth in America

PUBLISHER: Eric Harmon PUBLICATION EDITOR: Liz Engel MANAGING EDITOR: Corinne Minard ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kevin Michell ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Eric Spangler CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Guy Kelly ART DIRECTOR: Katy Rucker DIGITAL CONTENT COORDINATOR: Danielle Cain ADVERTISING MANAGER: Laura Federle PRODUCTION MANAGER: Keith Ohmer EVENTS DIRECTOR: Hannah Jones EVENTS COORDINATOR: Alexandra Tepe CUSTOM PUBLISHER: Brad Hoicowitz ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Rick Seeney ADVERTISING SALES: Abbey Cummins, Katelynn Webb,

Anthony Rhoades and Susan Montgomery WORK-STUDY STUDENT: Esvin Bernado Perez,

Aliyah White

HISTORY

50 Years after STONEWALL I

BY SHEVONNE NELSON DILLINGHAM AND LIZ ENGEL n 1969, a resistance occurred. Emboldened by the existing liberation movements of the time and angry at the persistent harassment, brutality and the incarceration that followed police raids in bars frequented by lesbian, gay, and transgender people, patrons at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York, fought back.

These mostly Black and Latin@ LGBT persons resisted, whether it was the first punch or the first brick that was thrown, something undeniable and unchangeable happened.

They reached the point were enough was enough, and they were willing to risk it all because the alternative was continuing to have nothing For so long, LGBT individuals had been described as "an invisible population," a term coined by feminist scholar Margaret Cruikshank. Prior to the 1970s, there was little knowledge about homosexuality, except for the widely-held opinion that it was deviant and immoral. Additionally, “gay” sexuality was criminalized, which forced lesbian and gay people to conceal their sexual orientation and transgender individuals lived in constant fear.

This June, we honor the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. The beauty of honoring Stonewall is that it also honors all that came before it and all has come after it.

Stonewall is a semi-colon in the history of the Human Rights Movement. It illuminated the countless and unnamed individuals who fought their way toward progress prior to June 27, 1969. And all of those how have given their lives since, so that those identifying within the LGBTQ+ spectrum can have equality. Equality in employment,

June 28, 1969: Police raid the Stonewall Inn in New York City.

The riots that ensue catalyze a worldwide gay rights movement

1969

housing, marriage, and in health care. Equality and protections to live the fullness of life.

But Stonewall was more than an uprising. The rioting led to protests that gained bot h domest ic a nd international visibility.

The demonstrations forced people to take pause and address the disparities that they were being confronted with. It took the “invisible” and made them visible.

And it added much needed fuel to a movement that continues today.

• One year after Stonewall, activists hosted the first Pride Parade in Manhattan in honor of those who fought for their human rights. And now, in June, millions of people around the world get "loud and proud,". This year marks the 46th Pride Festival here in Cincinnati.

• President Barack Obama designated the Stonewall Inn a national monument, in June 2016, the "first national monument to tell the story of the struggle for LGBT rights."

• And there have been advancements in public policy, social discourse and education, which has increased acceptance and equality for the LGB community.

However, the trans* community has not seen the same successes. Despite the visibility and activism of individuals like Marsha P Johnson and Silva Rivera, the trans* com-

munity still faces discrimination both inside and outside of t he LGB community.

Today according to the HRC, there were 26 reported deaths of transgender people from violence in 2018, most of them were transwomen of color. The unemployment rate for trans identified individuals is three times higher than the rest of the population, and researchers estimate that as many as 42 percent of trans identified individuals have been homeless and/or experienced housing insecurity.

The trans* story in America is still being written; written into scripts for shows like Orange is the New Black, written into nondiscrimination policies, and written into the consciousness of humanity.

As we honor the past and celebrate the present, let us not forget all the work that still needs to be done to create a just and equitable society for everyone. n

June 26, 2015: The U.S. Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage in all 50 states

1973

June 22, 2019: Cincinnati Pride celebrates its 46th year as the nation celebrates the 50th anniversary of Stonewall

2015 April 6, 1973: Cincinnati Pride is born after a group of GLBT men and women gather on Fountain Square to march for gay rights awareness

2016

2019

June 24, 2016: Obama designates the Stonewall Inn a national monument

2019 :: CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER

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TERMINOLOGY

An LGBTQ+ Guide to Language is constantly changing, is culturally specific, and inherently flawed. It is continually being redefined as people find new ways to use it (or not) to describe and/or create connection. The definitions provided here are “commonly used words” – guideposts meant to provide bits of understanding rather than comprehensive truth.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION & SEXUALITY Aromantic: Experiencing little or no romantic attraction to others; romanticism exists on a continuum.

Asexual: A person who does not identify sexual attraction to any group of people. Asexual individuals may still experience emotional, social or intellectual attraction.

Bisexual: A person who is emotionally, physically, spiritually and/or sexually attracted to men and women and/or males and females.

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TERMINOLOGY Same Gender Loving (SGL): Sometimes used by some members of the African American and/ or black community to express a non-straight sexual orientation.

Sexual Behavior: The types of erotic or sexual acts a person chooses to participant in and with whom or whatever they choose.

Sexuality: The complex and varying range of components that make us sexual beings. This includes emotional, physical and sexual aspects, as well as self-identification (including but no limited to gender and sexual orientation), behavioral/sexual preferences, and practices, fantasies and feeling of affection and affinity.

Sexual Orientation: The direction of one’s attractions toward others. It is a direction based on whom a person is emotionally, physically, spiritually and sexually attracted.

PHOTO BY CATHERINE GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY

Cisgender Privilege: Advantages that come with having one’s gender identity matched with one’s biological sex, which is given preference and authority.

Drag Queen: Are performance artists, who exaggerate femininity and act in theatrical feminine gender roles.

Gay: Usually, but not always, refers to homosexual male identified individuals. Also used as an umbrella term for the LGBTQ community.

Sexual Preference: What a person likes or prefers to do sexually. It’s a conscious recognition of choice in the type of sexual behaviors a person wants to participate in.

Drag King: Are performance artists, who exaggerate masculinity and act in theatrical masculine gender roles.

Heterosexual: A person who has emotional, physical, spiritual and sexual attractions to persons of the “opposite sex.” The sexuality that is assumed “normal” by societal standards.

Fluid(ity): Acknowledges that gender and/or sexuality is not fixed for every person and an identity may change or shift over time between and/or with life circumstances.

Female: A biological designation for a person bearing two X chromosomes in the cell nuclei, who typically has a vagina, a uterus and ovaries.

At puberty, the body produces estrogen.

Homosexual: A person who has emotional, physical, spiritual and sexual attraction to persons of the “same sex.” Currently seen as more of a medical term, it is considered outdated when referring to LGBTQ+ communities.

Skoliosexual: Being primarily sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to someone who identifies as genderqueer, transgender, transsexual and/or non-binary.

Lesbian: A self-identified woman who has emotional, physical, spiritual and sexual attractions to other women.

Androgyny: A gender expression term that refers to a blended, or both masculine and feminine, appearance.

Gender: The social construction of what it means to perform and express as male/masculine/man or female/feminine/woman. It refers to the attitudes, feelings and behaviors a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex during a specific period of time. Behavior that is compatible with cultural expectations is referred to as gender-normative; behaviors viewed as incompatible with these expectations constitute gender non-conformity.

Pansexual: An individual whose attraction to others is not limited to gender, gender identity and/or biological sex.

Biological Sex: How we are identified at birth, based on hormones, sex organs and chromosomes.

Examples include male, female and intersex.

Questioning: The process of exploring one’s own gender and/or sexual identity, including but not limited to one’s upbringing, expectations from others (family, friends, church, etc.) and inner motivation.

Cisgender: An individual whose biological sex is aligned with their gender identity.

CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER :: 2019

GENDER & GENDER IDENTITY

Gender Binary: The idea there are only two sexes (male and female) and therefore only two genders (man and woman) and a person must strictly be that.

Gender Cues: Social “cues” we use to attempt to tell the gender and/or sex and/or sexual orientation of another person.

Gender Dysphoria: Clinically significant distress when a person’s assigned birth gender is not the same as the one with which they identify.

Gender Expression: The way in which we communicate our gender to others, including the way we dress, act, look and interact.

Gender Identity: How a person perceives themselves and what they call themselves in terms of their gender.

Genderqueer: A gender identity in which a person either identifies as both man and woman or neither man nor woman.

Gender Roles: The socially constructed and culturally specific behaviors and appearance expectations imposed on women (femininity) and men (masculinity).

Intersex: A general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with internal reproductive organs or external sexual anatomy that do not align with “standard” definitions of male or female. Intersexuality is fairly common and can also be defined as having a difference in hormone variation or chromosome formation.

QPOC/QTPOC: Queer People of Color, Queer and Trans* People of Color Sex Assigned At Birth: The assignment and classification of people as male, female, intersex or another sex at birth often based on physical anatomy at birth and maybe a doctor's visual inspection.

Third Gender: Refers to a person(s) who does not identify as either man or woman, but identifies with another gender. This gender designation is also used by some governments as an additional gender marker on official documents.

Trans*: An umbrella term covering a range of identities that transgress socially-defined gender norms.

Transgender: Refers someone who has transitioned (or is transitioning) from living as one gender to another and/or those who do not identify or exclusively identify with their sex assigned at birth.

Transsexual: A person who identifies psychologically as a gender/sex other than the one to which they were assigned at birth. Transsexuals often wish to transform their bodies hormonally and surgically to match their inner sense of gender/sex.

Two-spirit: A historical term traditionally associated with Native American and First Nations communities to recognize individuals who possess qualities or fulfill roles of both feminine and masculine genders.

HISTORIC AND CULTURAL TERMS Advocate: A person who actively works to end intolerance, educates others and supports LGBTQ issues, concerns, equal rights legislation, etc.

Ally: Someone who advocates for and supports members of a community other than their own.

Closeted: One who has not shared their sexual orientation and/or gender identity openly. There are many reasons a person may not choose to come out, all of which should be respected.

Coming Out: The life-long process of discovering, defining and proclaiming one’s sexuality or gender identity.

Homophobia: Fear, anger, discomfort, intolerance or lack of acceptance toward LGBTQ+ people. A person may also experience internalized homophobia.

Heteronormativity: An (often subconscious) assumption that everyone is heterosexual and in a monogamous relationship. A term used to discuss the way in which gender, gender roles, sexuality and relationship orientation are separated into hierarchically categories and perpetuated in society.

PHOTO BY CATHERINE GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY

Heterosexism: The belief that all people are heterosexual, the assumption and/or belief that heterosexual relationships and behavior are superior, and the actions based on this assumption.

Inclusive Language: The use of gender neutral or gender nonspecific language to avoid imposing the assumptions of gender and its performativity on individuals.

Mx: An honorific (e.g. Mr., Ms., Mrs., etc.) that is gender neutral. It is often the option of choice for individuals who do not identify within the gender binary. Example: Mx. Smith is a great teacher.

Outing: To declare a person’s identity publicly; people can out themselves, or someone can out them either with or without their permission.

PGPs (Preferred Gender Pronouns): Often used during introductions, included in email signatures and used on doors to denote an acknowledgement of the many gender identities. Example: she/her/ hers, he/him/his, zie,zir,zirs.

Queer: This term has been embraced and reinvented as a positive, proud, political identifier for people of marginalized gender identities and sexual orientations who are not cisgender and/ or heterosexual. This term should be used with care given its history as a painful slur.

Transphobia: The fear, intolerance or hatred of atypical gender expression or identity, or of people embodying or expressing an atypical gender identity.

2019 :: CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER

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SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

LGBTQ+ Seniors Struggle with Isolation, Bias

BY LIZ ENGEL

M

ichael Chanak Jr. spent two years in senior housing in northeast Ohio while attending to family business. It was a decent enough place, he says, but for Chanak, who is gay, it was also extremely uncomfortable.

“It was like going back in time,” he says.

“Everyone was white, straight, religious. It felt like 1945.”

He’s now back in Cincinnati, where he’s lived most his life. It’s home. But his experience is not uncommon.

In America, there are more than 1 million LGBT people 65 and older. And there is very real data when it comes to their struggles. Eighty percent of older adults hide their sexual orientation when moving to long-term care. Transgender people may

transition backward. Lesbians and people of color are more likely to live in poverty, increasing their risk for social isolation.

In his professional life, Chanak helped add sexual orientation to Procter & Gamble’s anti-discrimination policy in the ‘90s. A policy often taken for granted by younger generations. He now encounters disrespect because of his age. His friend, a Ph.D. who started the Kent Gay Liberation Front in the ‘70s, had to fight tremendous bias at her nursing home because of her relationship with her wife.

“It’s crazy that a person who was a pioneer [for LGBTQ rights] then finds themselves having to struggle in their old age, too,” Chanak says.

But there’s hope. Per a recent AARP

study, 82 percent of LGBT adults age 45 and up live in a “somewhat LGBT-friendly community.” Ninety-two percent have at least one person in their social support network in case of an emergency – mainly other gay/lesbian or bisexual friends. And 92 percent were “reasonably optimistic” about the future.

“Seniors still have something to offer,” Chanak says. n

Join us to round out Pride weekend with the biggest, most spectacular Tea Dance at the majestic Music Hall ballroom.

We honor and celebrate our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sisters and brothers who 50 years ago rose up at Stonewall and fought for our basic human rights.

Featuring dance music from 6 of our city’s best DJs: Thaddeus, Bj rg, Ben Welham, Milkshake, Gabriela Nine and Jacoby Entertainers: Penny Tration, Cin City Burlesque, International Professional Cabaret Champions Maria and Aleyenendov, Dance Fix, Elevated Aerials, more.

Sunday • June 23rd • 2019 • 4:00p.m.

Cincinnati Music Hall • 1241 Elm Street We will start promptly at 4:00p.m. with fun-packed music and entertainment.

Doors open at 3:45p.m.

Free admission and strictly 21+

VIP tickets available. Visit bettertogethercincy.com for more information

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CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER :: 2019

CINCINNATI BLACK PRIDE

Walking TOGETHER BLACK PRIDE FINDS RENEWED FOOTING IN CINCINNATI

BY LIZ ENGEL

W

hen the Cincinnati Pride Parades marches through town June 22, members of the Cincinnati Black Pride organization will walk proudly among them.

It may seem like an obvious thing—both groups aim to mobilize the LGBTQ+ community—but it hasn’t always been this way.

Cincinnati Black Pride, for one, was long dormant before its rebirth in 2018. Prior, the two functioned independently, a fact not uncommon in other cities.

But this is an important step in raising the group’s profile, says educator and activist Tim’m West.

“It’s important especially for kids in Cincinnati who are Black and LGBT,” says West.

“I talk to young people all the time, and often the sentiment is, I have to leave Cincinnati

to be myself. And historically, Cincinnati’s been a place where Black men in particular are very closeted. People feel safer to come out when there’s a community to come into.”

When West moved here in 2017—he was born in Over-the-Rhine but left at age 4— he quickly noticed the absence of a Black Pride group. It had existed here once before but lost momentum in 2009 after its main organizers moved away. So West started holding meetings at his house. Things have grown from there.

“Cincinnati has a strong LGBT community, and we have a strong African American community, but we’ll go to Black events, and they won’t speak about Black LGBT experience, or we’ll go to LGBT events, and no one wants to talk about race,” he says. “They’re only speaking to one part of my identity.

PHOTO BY CATHERINE GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY

“When we [Black Pride Cincinnati] first met, there were people in the room who lived in the same neighborhood, maybe even on the same block, but didn’t know each other,” he adds. “That tends to happen when there’s not a Black LGBT community.”

There are only 16 or 17 Black Prides nationally, West says, so he’s proud to see Cincinnati included. And unlike in other cities—where Black Pride events often run separately from “regular” Pride—he sees this as an extension.

After all, it’s not a competition. It’s about collaboration.

“I think in some ways, we’re pushing Pride to be [a] more inclusive and better Pride,” West says. “And that’s always a good thing.” n

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2019 :: CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER

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CPD LIAISON

CPD Promotes Inclusion Through LGBTQ+ Liaison I

BY JESSICA BALT ZERSEN

n 2012, the Cincinnati Police Department created a new position—a liaison to help bridge the gap with the LGBTQ+ community.

The full-time post aims to increase inclusion and to encourage all community members to call if they need help—no matter their race, gender, gender identity, sexuality and/or orientation. Officer Lisa Johnson has served as CPD’s liaison since 2017.

A liaison plays an important role. Issues like domestic violence and drug addiction are equally present in the LGBTQ+ community, but LGBTQ+ people who live in fear fail to report crimes, which can lead to increased victimization.

Johnson’s job is to build a comfort level with the LGBTQ+ community; one way is through increased visibility. She also stresses education and regularly attends LGBTQ+ events. Part of her job, after all, is to build communication and trust.

PRIDE NIGHT AT THE ZOO Join us for a Family Friendly evening at the Cincinnati Zoo. Admission includes entrance to the zoo, a private after hour party, food, cocktails and more!

Pride Night at the Zoo Cincinnati Zoo June 15, 2019 • 4pm-9pm For info and tickets visit: BetterTogetherCincy.com Presented by

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CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER :: 2019

“I need people to teach me,” Johnson says.

“When you become educated it puts a light on—‘wow I didn’t really know that, why didn’t I know that?’—and it’s because I was never taught, or people were raised to shun everything they didn’t fully understand.”

CPD is actively promoting the program and working with other cities with LGBTQ+ officers. Closer to home, the department has worked with the City of Covington to develop a model there; Covington now has two LGBTQ liaisons.

“I help everybody, and that’s the way it should be,” Johnson says. “I want people to see the police department is changing, and that piece by piece, we’re trying to break down walls.” n

CELEBRATING FAMILY

FAMILY: It's about love, connection, protection.

I

t's messy minivans. Playdates at the zoo. Movie nights each Friday, popcorn and all.

It's estimated that two million children are being raised by lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender parents – and decades of research shows those children grow up just as happy, healthy and well-adjusted as their peers.

E E G R AC

P H OTO

GR APH

Y

"It's our gang," says Ryan Messer. He and husband Jimmy Musuraca have four children via a surrogate, including newborn Rocco. "When you're a little boy who wants to be a dad, it doesn't matter if you're gay or straight. You want to be a dad. And if you're willing to work that hard – to go through the amount of work it takes to make that happen – you're going to be a pretty committed parent."

BeeJay Strickley and Nicole Testory know about commitment. They experienced five failed intrauterine insemination (IUI) attempts before Testory got pregnant with triplets. Lincoln, Nolan and Tristan were born in December.

"Getting [those] negatives was hard and emotional," Strickley says. "However, desire for those little babies kept us going."

To her, family is about balance.

"When one is down, the other brings them back up, When one is stressed, the other makes them laugh," she says. "Our overall goal is to never take life too seriously…[to] raise our boys with more love than they H E R IN B Y C AT P H OTO

could ever imagine and ensure they grow up to be respectful men."

Until a few years ago, LGBTQ people couldn't foster or adopt in some places.

But that didn't stop Chris Hensley and wife Jaclyn Ronca. Hensley, who worked in social justice/social services, saw fostering as a way to do more.

There are struggles. Their eldest identifies as transgender and is a person of color; Hensley says that makes her a target. But they protect each other. They plan to adopt all the children in their home, she says.

"We are a team," she says. "[For the kids] it doesn’t matter how long you've been in the home. It doesn't matter where you've come from. We are a unit that works together."

For siblings in the foster system, it can be difficult to maintain that unit. Kids are often separated over time. So when Afton and Charlotte Ottesen-Price had the opportunity to take in siblings Rey (9), Justice (7) and Jordan (7) in 2014, they didn't hesitate. In 2016, the family added baby brother Braxton. And on October 30, 2018, they made it "official" after a grueling four-year waiting game.

"Our kids are the light of our lives," Afton says.

It's the same sentiment Linda Boardman now shares for her grandchildren. When her daughter Emily came out as gay, that was her first concern; that she may never have them. But today, Emily, and her wife, Sandy, who live in the Boston area, have t w i n daug hters t h roug h

PHOTO BY CATHERINE GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY

BY LIZ ENGEL

IVF. The girls recently turned 4. Boardman was there to celebrate.

"Family is more than that obvious blood connection," she says. "It's loving those around you."

If anything, for Boardman, it's spurred action. She's a startup member of Oxford PFLAG. Parents are usually proud of their kids, but for Boardman, it's also the other way around.

"That has been the biggest change in my life – not necessarily having a gay daughter, but what having a gay daughter has meant to my thinking about what needs to be done in this country," Boardman says. "She's very proud of me. I'm 71, and to have my daughter, at my age, tell me she's proud of me for what I'm doing…it doesn't get better than that."

Family doesn’t have to be just about biology. It's about love, connection, protection and acceptance. Family is about the bonds that you share and the beauty you bring out in each other. n 2019 :: CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

PRE PRIDE NORTHSIDE Northside, Cincinnati May 24-26 • Multi-day event tillieslounge.com

Bear BBQ "Bear Pride" Tillie's Lounge June 2 • 4-8 p.m. tillieslounge.com

LEATHER PRIDE Bar 901 June 14 • 9 p.m.-midnight bettertogethercincy.com

Dayton Pride Dayton, Ohio May 31-June 2 • Multi-day event daytonaction.com

PUP PRIDE* Paris Alley at 14th Street June 5 • 5:30-8:30 p.m. bettertogethercincy.com

PRIDE NIGHT AT THE ZOO* Cincinnati Zoo June 15 • 4-9 p.m. bettertogethercincy.com

Patio Pride Kick-Off Tillie's Lounge May 27 • 4-7 p.m. tillieslounge.com

Big Gay Brunch Below Zero Lounge June 9 • Noon-4 p.m. belowzerolounge.com

BETTER TOGETHER MIXER* Oddfellows Liquor Bar May 31 • 5:30-7:30 p.m. bettertogethercincy.com

Drag Races Second Sunday on Main June 9 • Noon-5 p.m. secondsundayonmain.org

ODE TO THE ARTS - PRIDE EDITION* Sundry and Vice June 17 • 7-10 p.m. bettertogethercincy.com

Playhouse Pride Playhouse in the Park May 31 • 5:30-10:30 p.m. cincyplay.com

Northern Kentucky Pride Goebel Park, Covington June 9 • 10 a.m.-10 p.m. nkypride.org

Pride Night at GABP Great American Ball Park June 1 • 4-8 p.m. cincinnatipride.org

Drag Races Second Sunday on Main June 9 • Noon-5 p.m. secondsundayonmain.org

GRAND SLAM PRIDE JAM* MOTR Pub June 1 • 8 p.m.-midnight bettertogethercincy.com

Tea Dance* Rosedale June 9 • 4-8 p.m. facebook.com/ Teadancecinci.com

BEACH...PLEASE* Queen City Radio June 2 • 3-7 p.m. bettertogethercincy.com

House Pride Party Taft Museum of Art June 13 • 5-8 p.m. taftmuseum.org

= Presented in full or part by Beam Suntory

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CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER :: 2019

HEIST CHAPTER 2 Branch June 15 • 11 p.m-2 a.m.

Eatatbranch.com WIGGIN' OUT The Cabaret June 17 • 7 p.m. cabaretcincinnati.com

PHOTO BY CATHERINE GR ACE PHOTOGR APHY

* A portion of proceeds supports Artswave Pride

PRIDE KARAOKE* Tokyo Kitty June 21 • 10 p.m.-2 a.m. thattokyobar.com

TEA DANCE* Music Hall June 23 • 4-8 p.m. cincyprideevents.com

Gayest Happy Hour Below Zero Lounge June 21 • 4-8 p.m. belowzerolounge.com

Rock Hard Day Party Queen City Radio June 23 • 4-8 p.m.

Cincinnatiblackpride.com

PHOTO BY CATHERINE GR ACE PHOTOGR APHY

BLACK PRIDE KICKOFF TBD June 18 • TBD cincinnatiblackpride.com

Studio 54 Dance Party Arts OTA June 21 • 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Cincinnatiblackpride.com

The Millennial Games Mt. Airy Forest June 24 • 4-9 p.m.

Cincinnatiblackpride.com

Pride Movie Night in the Park Washington Park June 19 • 9-11 p.m. cincinnatipride.org

CINCINNATI PRIDE PARADE Starts at 7th & Central June 22 • 11 a.m.-12 p.m. cincinnatipride.org

Interfaith Services St. Peter Church of Christ June 24 • TBD Cincinnatiblackpride.com

Pride Party On The Purple Purple People Bridge June 19 • 6-10:30 p.m. partyonthepurple.com

CINCINNATI PRIDE FESTIVAL Sawyer Point June 22 • Noon-9 p.m. cincinnatipride.org

Pride Weekend Kick-Off Party 20th Century Theater June 20 • 9 p.m.-2 a.m. cincinnatipride.org

CHIC OUT SOCIAL CLUB Smale Park June 22 • 1-6 p.m. chicoutproductions.com

BETTER TOGETHER EDUCATIONAL SUMMIT* The Phoenix June 27 • 9 a.m.-6 p.m. bettertogethercincy.com

DRAG RUSH* Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey June 21 • 4-7 p.m. bettertogethercincy.com

PRIDE AFTER PARTY* OTR Live June 22 • 10 p.m.-4 a.m. cincyprideevents.com

PRIDE WEEKEND WELCOME PARTY* Contemporary Arts Center June 21 • 8-11 p.m. cincyprideevents.com

CINCY PRIDE STORIES Quincy's Mt. Adams June 28 • 6-8:30 p.m. bettertogethercincy.com PRIDE NIGHT ON THE HILL Mt. Adams Bar Crawl June 28 • 9 p.m.-1 a.m. bettertogethercincy.com GLSEN Fundraiser Cappy's Wine & Spirits June 29 • 9 a.m.-11 p.m. lovelandcappys.com

2019 :: CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER

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FAQs

Get your PRIDE on S tep to it. Saturday, June 22, marks the 46th annual Cincinnati Pride Parade. Participants will make their way through downtown before landing at Sawyer Point for the Pride Festival.

FAQ's

WHAT ABOUT THE PARADE?

BE THERE: This year's Pride Parade steps off at 11 a.m., meaning things will heat up at Sawyer Point at noon. The festival is free to attend.

The Parade will start at the intersection of Seventh and Central. It will follow Seventh to Vine, Vine past Fountain Square and around The Banks, to Freedom Way and down to the festival grounds.

DO: Stay hydrated, but leave those coolers at

IS THERE A DRESS CODE?

home. The same goes for your furry friends; organizers recommend keeping your dogs behind.

Service animals are permitted, of course.

DO: Pace yourself. There's plenty of time to enjoy all the festivities. Plan to party until 9 p.m. at Sawyer Point, at least.

DO: Have fun and make new friends. Last year's Pride drew an estimated 100,000 people. That's a lot of PRIDE!

OF NOTE: Bathrooms at The Pride Festival are

Nope. Cincinnati Pride has not instituted a dress code for the parade or festival events.

Organizers only ask participants follow city and state laws when it comes to wardrobe.

You be you!

IS THERE AN AGE LIMIT TO ATTEND PRIDE?

Absolutely not! Pride welcomes everyone from 0 to 199 to attend. If you have small children, be sure to check out the Kids Zone.

gender neutral to accommodate all attendees.

www.ChicOutProductions.com 12

CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER :: 2019

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF THIS YEAR'S PRIDE FESTIVAL AND PARADE WHERE SHOULD I PARK?

There are several lots near Sawyer Point. Pride has also partnered with Spot Hero for attendees who wish to purchase parking ahead of time.

Visit www.cincinnatipride.org for more.

HOW DID CINCINNATI PRIDE GET ITS START?

In 1973, a group of GLBT men and women gathered on Fountain Square to march for gay rights awareness, when the modern gay rights movement was in its early stages [see Page 3]. From that first march, Cincinnati Pride has grown to include a month-long celebration of LGBTQ+ diversity.

FOR MORE IN FO VISIT: CINCIN NATIPRIDE .ORG

GIVING BACK

Get ARTSY ARTSWAVE ADDS PRIDE GROUP

BY LIZ ENGEL

T

here’s a new networking group in Cincinnati, and it’s all about the arts.

In less than two years, Artswave Pride, which connects LGBTQ+ individuals and allies, has made major strides. It’s ArtsWave’s fastest growing affinity group to date.

“The whole idea is to help make the arts community more diverse and inclusive,” says Kathy Nardiello, who co-founded Artswave Pride with Brett Stover and Jennifer Damiano. “We want people who are LGBTQ+ to feel comfortable, and sometimes it can be a little intimidating. We’re here to say, ‘No, come with us. You’ll be fine.’”

While one goal is for LGBTQ’ers to network and enjoy the arts together—think cocktails before a performance or desserts

and drinks after—the group has also established a grant pool to help fund LGBTQ+ programming.

Among the 2018 recipients: Camp Washington’s Wave Pool, the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus, Ensemble Theater and more. Amanda McDonald, associate director for individual giving at ArtsWAve, said some programming may not have been possible without funding from ArtsWave Pride.

And the group is upping the ante.

ArtsWave Pride raised $263,000 in its inaugural campaign; this year’s goal is $275,000. Nardiello hopes to top 2,000 members; several are first-time ArtsWave supporters. Interested parties have until August to contribute. Those who gift at least $75 receive complimentary invitations to ArtsWave Pride events, but Nardiello says no amount is too small.

“The smallest donation you can make online is $10. So I tell everybody, we can

make a big difference if a lot of people just gave $10,” Nardiello says. “We have such an arts rich community, and we look forward to building for the future so we can do so much more.” n

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

CHECK OUT THE CALENDAR OF EVENTS ON PAGE 10-11 FOR EVENTS THAT BENEFIT ARTSWAVE PRIDE OR VISIT BETTERTOGETHERCINCY.COM TO LEARN MORE

BEAUTY.DIVERSITY.BEAM Where there is BEAUTY, there is DIVERSITY. Where there is DIVERSITY, there is BEAM. Take PRIDE in your cocktails and mix up an ice cold Pride Punch INGREDIENTS · 1 part Effen® Vodka · 1/2 part Cruzan® Coconut Rum · 1/2 part DeKuyper® Blue Curacao Liqueur · 1 part Pineapple Juice · 1 part Lemon Lime Juice · 1/2 part Sour Mix We are Beam Suntory As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory is inspiring human connections.

With a performance objective of being the world’s most admired and fastest growing premium spirits company, and a vision of Growing for Good, we’re driving growth through quality craftsmanship, consumer connections and entrepreneurial spirit.

2019 :: CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER

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PFLAG

The Future is QUEER

BY SHEVONNE NELSON DILLINGHAM AND LIZ ENGEL

A

ccord i ng to a 2017 repor t by GLADD, 20 percent of respondents 18-34 identify as LGBTQ, while 12 percent identify as either transgender or gender-nonconforming. These millennials are redefining how future generations will come to understand themselves and what’s possible for self-identification. Further, Ipsos Mori, a market research company, reports that generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2015) have a “less binary view of sexuality,” and only 66 percent identify as exclusively heterosexual.

Statistics like these highlight the importance of having supportive and affirming parents. The way parents respond to their LGBTQ+ children when they come out has a tremendous impact on their mental and physical health. PFLAG was founded to help parents do just this. PFLAG's mis-

sion is to "build on a foundation of loving families."

The idea for PFLAG began in 1972 when Jeanne Manford walked with her son, Morty, in New York's Christopher Street Liberation Day March. After gay and lesbian people asked to Jeanne to talk to their parents, she decided to begin a support group. Today, PFLAG has 400-plus chapter networks that provide confidential peer support, education and advocacy.

The Greater Cincinnati region has three chapters – Cincinnati, Oxford Area and Dayton – that, in line with the national organization, provide scholarships, rainbow reading programs and advocacy, in addition to serving as an educational resource and a support network.

Many LBGTQ+ adolescents are happy and able to thrive during these founda-

tional years. However, as a group, LGBTQ+ youth are at increased risk for bullying, suicide attempts, homelessness, alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors. Supportive parents and family members help adolescents develop the skills needed to cope and thrive.

PFLAG believes that lives are transformed by unconditional love. To find out more about how our local PFLAG chapters can support your journey, please contact them directly. n

BY THE NUMBERS

M

arriage equality was a huge victory for the LGBTQ+ community in 2015, but there's still WORK TO BE DONE. LGBTQ+ Americans continue to face high rates of violence, discrimination and poverty

UNEQUAL AND

INADEQUATE HEALTH CARE IN 37 STATES, INSURANCE COMPANIES CAN DISCRIMINATE BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY.

DISCRIMINATION

5

STATES LEGALLY ALLOW ADOPTION AGENCIES TO DENY ADOPTION TO A SAME-SEX COUPLE BECAUSE OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

14

CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER :: 2019

ECONOMIC VIOLENCE

INJUSTICE ONLY 20 STATES AND

TRANS WOMEN OF COLOR ARE AMONG THE MOST VULNERABLE MINORITIES IN THE COUNTRY, FIGHTING RACISM, SEXISM, TRANSPHOBIA, AND, FREQUENTLY, POVERTY, PUTTING THEM AT HIGHER RISK FOR VIOLENCE.

WASHINGTON, D.C., HAVE PASSED NONDISCRIMINATION LAWS. IN OTHER STATES, LGBTQ+ INDIVIDUALS CAN BE FIRED BASED ON THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION.

GENDER-NEUTRAL RESTROOMS ARE RARITY IN MOST PUBLIC SPACES AND LARGELY NONEXISTENT IN K-12 SCHOOLS.

UNDEREMPLOYED

HOMESLESSNESS

LGBTQ+ WORKERS ARE

MORE LIKELY TO EARN LESS ANNUALLY COMPARED TO THE GENERAL U.S. POPULATION.

SAFETY 40 PERCENT OF HOMELESS YOUTH IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ+ AND 65 PERCENT ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR. MANY OF THESE YOUTH END UP ON THE STREETS, BECAUSE THEY ARE REJECTED BY THEIR FAMILIES.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

COMMUNITY Resources The following list is a small sampling of LGBTQ+ organizations, support groups and places. This guide is intended to help individuals better understand what kind of resources are available – both on a local and national level.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention The nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated to those affected by suicide (800) 273-TALK (8255) https://afsp.org Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) The world’s largest online asexual community and archives aven.qa@gmail.com www.asexuality.org BRAVO The Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization provides individual and community programs for survivor advocacy and support to LGBTQ+ survivors of violence, discrimination, stalking and/ or sexual assault (513) 453-4001 info@bravo-ohio CAP Line A centralized intake system operated

by Strategies to End Homelessness; intake specialists screen, assess and refer individuals to the program most suited to their needs (513) 381-7233 or text CAP to (513) 970-1515 www.strategiestoendhomelessness.org/ what-we-do/prevention-and-shelterdiversion Caracole An HIV/AIDS service organization that provides housing and homeless prevention programs, case management, pharmacy and more (513) 761-1480 www.caracole.org Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Transgender Health Clinic For patients 5-24; medical and psychosocial support for children and their families (513) 636-4681 www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/ a/adolescent-medicine/programs/ transgender Cincinnati Frontrunners/Frontwalkers A club that meets several times a week for non-competitive social runs (513) 591-1132 www.frontrunners.org

Cincinnati Men’s Chorus A community chorus for individuals identifying as male, whether gay, bisexual, transgender or straight (513) 542-2626 www.cincinnatimenschorus.org info@cincinnatimenschorus.org

Living With Change A foundation that provides resources for families with transgender children (513) 697-5955 admin@livingwithchange.org Livingwithchange.org

Crossport Cincinnati A support group for the transgender community; caller anonymity is respected (513) 344-0116 http://crossport.org crossportcincy@yahoo.com

Mecum House Formerly Youth Crisis Center; a safe haven for youth ages 10-17 who are physically or sexually abused and/or neglected (513) 961-4080 www.lys.org/services/homeless-andrunaway-youth/youth-crisis-center

Equality Cincinnati An organization working toward full equality for LGBT people and to prevent discrimination and violence mjaym@aol.com http://equalitycincinnati.com

Miami University LGBTQ+ Services A place for support, advocacy, programming and education (513) 529-6510 https://miamioh.edu/student-life/ diversity-affairs/lgbtq-services

GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network of Cincinnati An education organization that works for safe, respectful K-12 schools for all (866) 934-9119 info@glsencincinnati.org www.glsencincinnati.org

MUSE Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir An inclusive and feminist choral community (513) 221-1118 www.musechoir.org

Greater Cincinnati Human Rights Campaign Part of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve LGBTQ equality www.hrccincinnati.org hrccincinnati@gmail.com Heartland Trans Wellness Group Cincinnati-based project working to create community and improve resources for transgender people (513) 549-4447 info@transwellness.org http://transwellness.org Homeward Bound A 24-hour emergency shelter for runaway, homeless, abused, neglected and/ or dependent youth ages 11-17 13 E. 20th St., Covington, KY 41014 (859) 491-8303, ext. 2100 www.brightoncenter.com/programs/ community_youth_services/homewardbound LGBTQ Center at the University of Cincinnati A safe space for LGBTQ students and their allies (513) 556-4329 www.uc.edu/campus-life/lgbtq.html LGBTQ Programs & Services Office at Northern Kentucky University Student Union, Suite 309 (859) 572-5835 https://inside.nku.edu/lgbtq Lighthouse Sheakley Center For Youth Offers shelter to homeless young adults ages 18-24 (513) 569-9500 www.lys.org/services

The National LGBTQ Task Force The country’s oldest national LGBTQ advocacy group www.thetaskforce.org National Suicide Prevention Lifeline A resource for local mental health services (800) 273-8255 Ohio Lesbian Archives An educational organization that preserves the history of the lives of Ohio lesbians and their struggle for equality; open by appointment at Clifton United Methodist Church olarchives@gmail.com www.facebook.com/pg/OLArchives PFLAG Cincinnati A support organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals, family and friends (513) 721-7900 www.pflagcinci.org info@pflagcinci.org PFLAG Oxford oxfordareapflag@gmail.com pflag.org/chapter/pflag-oxford

The Queen City Group An Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step recovery group (513) 546-0435 www.queencitygroup.org Safe And Supported Host Home Program A program by Lighthouse Youth Services; matches LGBTQ young adults in need of housing with community volunteers (513) 221-3350 safeandsupported@lys.org www.safeandsupported.org SAGE A support network for LGBT elders (888) 234-SAGE SAGE@GLBThotline.org www.sageusa.org Talbert House A nonprofit network of social services; addiction, housing, mental health and more (513) 281-CARE (2273) or text “Talbert” to 839863 www.talberthouse.org Trans Lifeline Hotline staffed by transgender people for transgender people (877) 565-8860 contact@translifeline.org The Trevor Project A national 24-hour, toll-free confidential suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth (866) 488-7386 or text “TREVOR” to (202) 304-1200 www.thetrevorproject.org Women Helping Women Provides crisis intervention and support services for survivors of dating violence, sexual violence, domestic violence and stalking (513) 381-5610 www.womenhelpingwomen.org Xavier University Office of Diversity & Inclusion A place for students of color, LGBTQAI+ students, first-generation college attendees and women (513) 745-3181 cdi@xavier.edu www.xavier.edu/diversity

Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Ohio A reproductive health care provider 2314 Auburn Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45219 224 N. Wilkinson St., Dayton, OH 45402 11 Ludlow St., Hamilton, OH 45011 2016 Ferguson Road, Cincinnati, OH 45238 290 Northland Boulevard, Springdale, OH 45246 1061 North Bechtle Ave., Springfield, OH 45504 (513) 721-7635 www.plannedparenthood.org/plannedparenthood-southwest-ohio 2019 :: CINCY PRIDE : BETTER TOGETHER

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THANK YOU

TO OUR SPONSORS! A huge THANK YOU to all our allies! Without your support, we would not have been able to produce this meaningful publication. It is this type of active allyship that goes a long way in advancing equity and equality in the Greater Cincinnati area. We are truly Better Together…