Cleveland Vows Marriage Equality for Ohio in Mass Ceremony: VIDEO

After a rally at Cleveland City Hall this weekend organized by Equality Ohio, more than 250 people exchanged vows at the Cleveland Galleria.

The Plain Dealer reports:

Hundreds of friends and relatives of the brides and grooms joined the celebration as eight priests and ministers recited marriage vows to couples of all ages. The afternoon ceremony followed more than an hour of speeches by activists on the steps of Cleveland City Hall, where a gay pride flag flew under the American flag. One speaker, Judy Benson of Old Lesbians Organizing for Change, said the move for marital rights is not just cosmetic or symbolic...

...Promoters pointed out that even though Saturday's ceremony is not legal, it could provide some of the paperwork needed for obtaining a marriage license, if gay marriage is ever recognized in Ohio. it will provide some of the paperwork needed for obtaining a marriage license should gay marriage ever be recognized in Ohio.

Watch a great report on the rally from Vision Video and a report on the vows ceremony from FOX8, AFTER THE JUMP...

Gay Couple Files Suit, Claims Cleveland Police Beat and Humiliated Them, Called Them 'Faggots': VIDEO

Jonathan Simcox and his partner Steven Ondo have filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court claiming they were harassed, beaten, and humiliated by police in a series of events stemming from an argument with a neighbor who is an officer.

In the first incident, Simcox and Ondo said they were brought to jail in their underwear following an altercation with the neighbor. About a week later, another incident occurred:

According to the lawsuit, “6 or 7 members of the SWAT/and or Warrant Team” were on a sweep that day. Ondo and Simcox said officers then informed them they were wanted on a warrant that was issued for, “assaulting a peace officer.”
The men said each time they tried asking questions, the officers became increasingly violent.

“The officer in the glasses grabbed me by my shirt, and punched me twice in the face, after he punched me, he threw me up against the wall,” said Simcox.

Simcox says at the time of the arrest, he and his partner were wearing only underwear and t-shirts. When Simcox’s brother asked police if he could get them some pants and shoes, one of the officers allegedly responded by saying, “You can go get them shoes, but faggots don`t deserve to wear pants in jail.”

Watch FOX8's report on the charges, AFTER THE JUMP...

Breaking (Wind) News

FOX8 Cleveland anchor Tracy McCool can't keep her cool about a man arrested for passing gas in an officer's face.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

'Powder Blue Faggot'-Chanting High School in Ohio Refuses to Consider LGBT Anti-Discrimination Policy

In mid-October a video was circulated showing football fans at North High School in Eastlake, Ohio chanting "powder blue faggots" at the opposing team.

Some new developments (or rather, lack of them) from Cleveland Scene:

"In the wake of the homo taunting, two people with ties to the schools thought it would be a good time to clarify the district’s stance. Eastlake alum and lawyer Jim Helmink and Eastlake biology teacher Rhonda Kesling asked the board to amend the district’s anti-discrimination policy by including sexual orientation. Many districts across the region already include gay and lesbian students as a protected group, among them Cleveland, Mentor, Lakewood, and Lorain public schools. Willoughby-Eastlake, however, does not.But when Helmink and Kesling made their pitch, they got the cold shoulder. Superintendent Keith Miller and board president Margaret Warner refused to even discuss the matter with them, and the district’s lawyer did the same."

Watch a news report on the brush-off from WKYC in Cleveland, AFTER THE JUMP...

Cleveland Passes Transgender Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

Cleveland's City Council added transgender people to the list of those covered by the city's anti-discrimination laws in housing and employment, the Plain Dealer reports:

"Existing city codes prohibit businesses from denying jobs or housing to citizens for reasons of age, race, religion or sexual orientation. Activists in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community had lobbied for more than a year to include gender identity and expression. The unanimous vote was the latest step the council has taken to demonstrate a more tolerant atmosphere -- one that helped the city land the 2014 Gay Games, an international competition." ... Santiago, the council's first openly gay council member, urged his colleagues to continue fighting for equality. Voters recently denied his bid for a second four-year term. 'I hope the new council coming on board will help this legislation evolve,' Santiago said Monday during a meeting of the council's Finance Committee, which reviewed the measure."

Gay publication Spangle writes: "As many as 100 supporters filled the cavernous council chamber with applause — twice. President Martin Sweeney wryly explained to audience members that the first round of cheers accompanied a motion to suspend the rules, so moments later — upon actual passage — supporters upped their joyous expression with a standing ovation...But an amendment to exclude bathrooms, locker rooms and showers from the protections weakened the bill. 'It’s not perfect,' said Sue Doerfer, executive director of the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland. 'It is not a perfect piece of legislation.' That was a sentiment echoed by one of the bill’s sponsors, Councilman Joe Cimperman, who said the discrepancy regarding some public accommodations will be re-examined in 2010. Ahead of the vote, however, he spoke with his usual passion: 'It seems a wind of equality is blowing … Cleveland will continue to be a beacon for the people of Ohio.' When we spoke at the Gay Games pep rally in September, Cimperman promised that transgender legislation would pass by the end of the year — and by a larger margin than the domestic-partner registry, he reminded me tonight. He was right on both counts (the registry earned approval with a 13-7 margin)."

News: Sweden, Morrissey, Cameroon, Walmart, Kris Allen, Kenya

Straight ex-spouses speak up for marriage equality: "They are federal workers and professionals, men and women who share little except that their former spouses tried to live as heterosexuals but at some point realized they could not."

British town mourns albino squirrel.

WATCH: Morrissey storms off stage after fan hits him on head with bottle of beer.

POLL: Majority of Californians oppose putting marriage equality on the ballot in 2010. "Overall, 51% of California voters favored marriage rights for same-sex couples and 43% were opposed. Strikingly, however, almost 60% of Californians did not want to revisit the issue in 2010, just one election cycle after it last hit the ballot."

Conservatives up in arms over gay-friendly recommendations in Fort Worth Rainbow Lounge police raid report.

Asheville, NC city council to take up extending benefits to same-sex partners.

Manchester, UK closes gay village to cars in weekend experiment.

Wingnut Peter LaBarbera calls FBI on gay blogger Joe.My.God over reader comments he characterizes as "domestic terrorism".

Popular DJs Fernando and Greg back on the air in San Francisco: "Fernando Ventura and Greg Sherrell had been the most recognizable voices on KNGY's gay-themed programming schedule since 2005. Last year they received the Fall Honors award from northern California chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, and in 2007 they were named to OUT Magazine's Top 100 most influential people in gay culture."

WATCH: Kris Allen's new music video for "Live Like We're Dying".

Shortened, revised trailer "de-gays" Tom Ford's A Single Man?

Gay activist detained in Cameroon after dispute with taxi driver.

Cleveland City Council to get mass postcard delivery on transgender rights ordinance.

Male model fix: Parker Gregory.

Gay couple, twin sons banned for life from Walmart over BIC lighter dispute: "'They asked if I had Bic lighters. I said, 'Yes,' and handed them over,' Paolucci said. 'Then they asked if I had a receipt. I said, 'Yes, you're holding it.' Then this group of Wal-Mart employees started forming around us.' Paolucci and Hitchcock said the employees were threatening and that one used a vulgarity. Their accusations frightened the boys, who began 'crying, screaming and freaking out,' they said."

The Guardian profiles fashion designer Henry Holland: "I think it [being gay] makes you more experimental. There's not that whole thing of, 'I can't wear that, I'd look like a poof', because you are a poof."

Master performance: "Tardy for the Party".

Sweden's Lutheran Church ordains first openly lesbian bishop: "Eva Brunne was ordained as bishop of Stockholm's diocese in a ceremony on Sunday. She lives in a "registered partnership" with another woman, a civil union between gays used in Sweden before same-sex marriages were legalized this year. The couple also has a child. 'It is very positive that our church is setting an example here and is choosing me as bishop based on my qualifications, when they also know that they can meet resistance elsewhere,' the 55-year-old Brunne told The Associated Press by phone."

Possible gay element investigated in murder of 55-year-old man in India.

More info on Kenya's plans to conduct "census" of gays for HIV/AIDS purposes: "Initial media reports said the project, which was announced last week, would be a gay census — raising fears that gays could be exposed against their will and questions about whether such a count could possibly be accurate. But Muraguri says all information collected by the government will be kept confidential and officials will not seek to contact all men who have sex with men in Kenya. The government will also seek to interview both male and female sex workers and intravenous-drug users."