Celebration of Diversity
By KELLY ADAMS, Columbian staff writer

Esther Short Park was awash in rainbows Saturday.

    Instead of arching across the sky, rainbows a traditional symbol of gay pride were splashed on banners, flags and even on scarves tied around dogs' necks at the 10th annual Saturday in the Park. The event celebrates gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender pride.

    Matti, a white 16-year-old Lhasa Apso-mix, was among the canines wearing rainbow bandannas. Her owner, Jerry Robinson of Vancouver, spread out a blanket to listen to music and eat lunch after visiting the Vancouver Farmers Market.


~

Activists seek repeal of roadblock to gay rights
By JAMES DREW
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF


CINCINNATI — This city is the only one nationwide with a section in its charter that prohibits city council from adopting a gay-rights law.

Activists want that to change.

Gay-rights supporters have collected petition signatures to put an issue on the Nov. 2 ballot that would repeal Article 12 of the City Charter.

In 1992, the Cincinnati City Council approved a law to prohibit discrimination in housing and the workplace based on race, age, ethnic origin, disability, marital status — and sexual orientation


~

Gay Pride Picnic

Today kicks off Gay Pride Week in Rochester.  The local Gay Alliance is hosting a number of events. Today the group held a picnic at Genesee Valley Park.  There was lots of food, craft vendors, and entertainment. Organizers say the theme of this year's event is family, with lots of activities for children.

"We want to let people know we have families like everyone else, so that's part of what we're doing," says Chuck Bowen of the Gay Alliance.  "It's a celebratory event for us, but it's also an important opportunity for us to educate the community about the gay and lesbian community."


~

Homosexuality issue 'could overwhelm Church'
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent


The Church was in danger of being overwhelmed by the issue of homosexuality, the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, warned the General Synod at the weekend.

He used a Bible exposition to argue that the controversy, which threatens to split the Church, was seriously distracting it from its main aim of spreading the Gospel. "What I plead for is not that we shall not have opinions and views, but that the tenor and tone of the way we both handle and debate deeply disputed issues ought to be such that honour the Saviour in our midst," he said.

The archbishop said the Church had been torn by seismic disputes since its early days, some of which threatened its very existence, and they had eventually blown over. But he rebuked members of the Synod for what he characterised as a breakdown of trust between people and groups who should be united by their common purpose.

While trust seemed to work well within dioceses it seemed to take "a nose-dive" for no apparent reason when it came to the Synod and its committees and groups, he said. "Why is it, I wonder, that we seem to be so suspicious, to be ready to think the worst rather than the best of each other?" he asked.


~

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS
Registry stirs debate over same-sex pairs
By JAMES DREW
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF


CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — This city is the only one nationwide with a domestic partners registry that resulted from an issue that citizens put on the ballot.

Some residents want to eliminate that registry, saying it is a step toward same-sex marriage. It is the only registry in Ohio.

“If people don’t speak out, this issue will not go away,” said Councilman Jimmie Hicks, who has sued to try to wipe out the domestic partners registry that opened Jan. 26.

“When people wake up, it will be decided and decided without them,” he said.