Human Rights Campaign Endorses President Barack Obama for Reelection

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 26, 2011
Michael Cole-Schwartz

Human Rights Campaign Endorses President Barack Obama for Reelection

“President Obama has improved the lives of LGBT Americans more than any President in history,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, today announced its endorsement of President Barack Obama for reelection. The decision was made based on the President’s demonstrated commitment to LGBT equality and his record of accomplishment, from major legislative victories to critical administrative reforms.

“President Obama has improved the lives of LGBT Americans more than any President in history,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “In 2008 we were promised change and profound change is what we got. More remains to be done and ensuring that President Obama is able to continue the forward momentum toward equality for another term is an absolute priority of the Human Rights Campaign.”

President Obama’s Administration’s record of accomplishment for the LGBT community includes:

· Pressing for passage and signing legislation to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that bans openly lesbian, gay and bisexual servicemembers.

· Pressing for passage and signing an inclusive hate crimes law – the first federal statute to explicitly protect LGBT individuals.

· Determining that the administration believes Section 3 of DOMA to be unconstitutional and refusing to defend the discriminatory law in court.

· Requiring hospitals nationwide to adopt LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination policies regarding visitation.

In addition, the administration’s policies: added gender identity to the equal employment opportunity policy governing all federal jobs; permitted married same-sex couples to use their marriage licenses as evidence of a name change for passports and instituted more reasonable standards for changing a gender marker on passports; allowed the Census Bureau to release data on married same-sex couples; extended a number of benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees possible under existing authority; launched a National HIV/AIDS Strategy and efforts to target populations most at risk; required abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education programs be inclusive of and non-stigmatizing toward LGBT youth; and recognized LGBT families are protected under a host of laws from the Violence Against Women Act to family and medical leave regulations to housing programs.

More information on the President’s LGBT record is available at: www.hrc.org/ObamaEndorsement.

“The records of the other candidates seeking the presidency should be a wake-up call to fair-minded Americans,” said Solmonese. “As the fight for equality moves forward, President Obama is marching with us while the alternatives would stop us in our tracks.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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Pro-SB 5 State Senator Resigns; Avoids Facing Voters Next Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 24, 2011 Pro-SB 5 State Senator Resigns; Avoids Facing Voters Next Year Sen. Jimmy Stewart Called "Casualty" of Senate Bill 5 COLUMBUS—Tonight, the Ohio Democratic Party responded to the announcement that State Sen. Jimmy Stewart will resign from his seat. Stewart, who cast a deciding vote in favor of Senate Bill 5, faced a tough re-election next year. "Sen. Stewart must have seen the writing on the wall and decided he would rather leave the Senate than face the wrath of the voters next year," said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Seth Bringman. "His district's widespread, bipartisan opposition to Senate Bill 5 was a clear indication that he would not be re-elected." In rural Meigs County, 250 signatures to repeal Senate Bill 5 were collected on a single Saturday. In Athens County, a few young activists have collected nearly 1,500 signatures and are still going. 7 in 10 voters in Southeast Ohio would vote to repeal Senate Bill 5, according to the latest Quinnipiac Poll. Bringman continued, "It's unfortunate that Jimmy Stewart won't have to answer to the voters for his attacks on worker rights and worker safety, but many others will. John Kasich and extremist legislators will rue the day they defied the will of the people of Ohio. We have now seen the first casualty of the national Republican overreach of 2011. It won't be the last." On Twitter tonight, Jim Heath of the Ohio News Network declared, "SB 5 may have its first Republican casualty." -30- Make sure you receive news releases from the Ohio Democratic Party. Add press@ohiodems.org to your approved senders list. This email was sent to: terry.penrod@gmail.com. Click here to unsubscribe from email sent by the Ohio Democratic Party. Paid for and authorized by the Ohio Democratic Party, not authorized by any federal candidate or campaign committee. Chris Redfern, Chairman, 340 East Fulton St, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Powered by ARCOS | Design by Plus Three

HRC Celebrates Fathers’ Day, Recognizes GBT and Ally Dads with “Father of the Year” Contest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

HRC Celebrates Fathers’ Day, Recognizes GBT and Ally Dads with “Father of the Year” Contest

Send in nominations for the special dad in your life by June 14

WASHINGTON – In an effort to recognize loving and supportive fathers across the country this Fathers’ Day, the Family Project at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest civil rights organization dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality, has launched the “Father of the Year” Award contest. The contest will recognize both GBT and ally dads and is open online at www.hrc.org/fatheroftheyear.

“A parent’s love and support is so important for all children, and particularly in the LGBT community,” said HRC Family Project Director Ellen Kahn. “We are excited to celebrate that love this Fathers’ Day with the Father of the Year contest. Whether they are GBT dads, or a supportive dad of an LGBT child, we want to recognize and them.”

To participate, visit the campaign site at www.hrc.org/fatheroftheyear. You can submit a photo of the nominee and write a brief story (maximum 500 characters) telling us why the LGBT community should know about this outstanding parent. And of course, if you have two dads, please feel free to nominate both, either separately or together.

A panel of judges that includes HRC President Joe Solmonese and HRC Foundation Family Project Director Ellen Kahn will choose one winner and two runners-up. In addition to the distinction of being named “HRC’s Father of the Year,” the winner will be featured in Equality magazine, on HRC’s website and on the Back Story blog. Runners-up will have their names printed in Equality magazine and on the Back Story blog.

Nominations must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, June 14. Winners will be announced on Friday, June 17.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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Columbus Dispatch: Boutique hotel for Short North gets conditional OKs

An artist's rendering of the Joseph, the Pizzuti Cos.' planned 135-room boutique hotel in the Short North

The story is here

Boutique hotel for Short North gets conditional OKs

Sunday, May 22, 2011 03:19 AM

By Marla Matzer Rose

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A long-planned Short North boutique-hotel project from the Pizzuti Cos. has taken an important step forward.

The Italian Village Commission last week gave conditional approval to the conceptual plans for the hotel, called the Joseph. That followed a similar thumbs-up from the Victorian Village Commission a few weeks ago.

Final approvals will be sought later this year from the commissions and the city zoning office before Pizzuti can begin construction. If all goes well, the hotel could open in 2013.

The $50 million project is to produce a 135-room hotel on the east side of N. High Street and, across N. High, a building offering about 55,000 square feet of office space, plus retail space on the ground floor and a parking garage. The hotel project is planned for property just north of the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Pizzuti originally announced plans for the hotel in early 2008. It faced neighborhood concerns about its size and parking issues; then it was shelved for a time as the recession made it unrealistic to move forward.

"We don't typically underwrite 31/2 years of development," said Joel Pizzuti. "To be fair," he said, "if the recession hadn't occurred, it wouldn't have taken this long."

He considers the project as it stands now - slightly scaled back from what originally was envisioned - as "better today than when we started."

The plan also preserves the majority of a limestone-faced United Commercial Travelers building that fronts Goodale Park; neighborhood preservationists had wanted it to remain. It will house a collection of art assembled by the Pizzuti family over the years.

Pizzuti said the Joseph, named after his late grandfather, is being designed for a clientele different from that of the publicly financed Hilton Columbus Downtown, which is being built directly across from the convention center. That hotel is expected to open in September 2012.

"We're not going after convention business," Pizzuti said. "We're targeting the individual business traveler, the leisure traveler, people coming to Columbus for work and pleasure."

Pizzuti said he's seen real-estate financing loosen up in 2011 compared with the clamp-down that occurred after the recession hit. He said his company is talking to "a number of capital providers" about financing the Joseph.

Another Downtown boutique hotel, this one across from the Statehouse, remains in the planning stages. Rob Willard of Indiana-based Midas Hospitality said he remains optimistic about striking a deal soon to renovate two historic Broad Street buildings into a Hotel Indigo-branded hotel with the aid of tax credits.

"Hotel financing is difficult in general, (but) Columbus' Downtown is a great hotel market, especially for the size and type of hotel we are building," Willard said.

Matt MacLaren, executive vice president of the Ohio Hotel and Lodging Association, agreed that financing for new hotel projects "remains difficult for the whole state of Ohio."

He, too, is hopeful that there is room for several new hotels Downtown.

"If the marketing is done right, we'll grow the market overall," MacLaren said. "If we're able to grow the number of visitors, even with a few new hotels coming, occupancy overall will go up."

HRC: History in the Making: Gallup Poll Shows Support for Marriage Equality Exceeds ‘Symbolic’ 50% Mark

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 20, 2011

History in the Making: Gallup Poll Shows Support for Marriage Equality Exceeds ‘Symbolic’ 50% Mark

Marriage Advocates Can “Take Heart” the American People Are With Them

WASHINGTON – This morning Gallup released a groundbreaking poll showing a majority of the American people (53%) support the marriage of committed gay and lesbian couples. This is one of several major polls to confirm the sea change in public opinion on the issue of marriage equality.

“This year marks a significant uptick in support for legalizing same-sex marriage, exceeding the symbolic 50% mark for the first time in Gallup’s history,” noted the polling organization.

The poll found Democratic and Independent support for marriage equality increased by more than 10 points over the past year. 69% of Democrats, 59% of Independents, and 28% of Republicans support marriage equality.

“The verdict is in,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “The trend toward marriage equality is undeniable-- and irreversible. Marriage for committed, loving couples continues to be an important value of the American people.”

Previous polls by CNN, Associated Press, and Washington Post registered majority support of marriage equality.

“At the moment,” writes Gallup, “those advocating changes in constitutions and laws to allow same-sex marriage in additional states can take heart in the apparent shift in national sentiment in their direction.”

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Columbus Dispatch: Fewer homes for sale in April [in Central Ohio]

The story is here

Fewer homes for sale in April

Experts hope lower inventory means prices will start rising again, but they haven't yet

Friday, May 20, 2011 03:07 AM

By Jim Weiker

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Central Ohio home sellers have vanished with the sun this spring.

In April, 3,940 central Ohioans put a for-sale sign in front of their home, a big drop from the 4,640 who did so a year ago.

Those who track the central Ohio housing market are glad those 700 stayed home.

As the string of discouraging housing news continued yesterday, the only bright spot is the declining number of unsold homes.

Slightly more than 15,000 homes are for sale in central Ohio, compared with almost 19,000 a year ago. Experts hope home prices will finally start to rise again as inventory continues to decline.

"Housing follows the basic economic principle of supply and demand," said Columbus Board of Realtors President Rick Benjamin. "If inventory levels continue to drop, we'll see the price of homes begin to rise again."

Benjamin and others believe "recreational sellers" - those simply exploring the idea of a sale - have largely left the market, contributing to a decline in for-sale signs.

"You're going to see only the serious people out there right now," he said. "The recreational listers are underground. They're not doing anything."

In addition, some buyers have been scared from the market because of what they think their home will fetch. Average sale prices for central Ohio homes are down more than 13 percent from the $177,978 peak in 2007.

"There are sellers who have maybe tried over the past two years to sell who have just given up and are staying put," said Real Living HER agent Terry Penrod.

"And there are probably a certain number who are saying, 'It's just not a good time to sell, so I'm not going to bother.' And then there are a number of others, like those I see all the time, who aren't going to be able to sell without bringing money to the closing."

The inventory figures were released with April housing statistics that otherwise showed Ohio's long housing slump continuing.

In the Columbus area, home sales fell 25.9 percent to 1,620 units from the previous April. The average sale price fell 2.7 percent, to $154,205.

Statewide, sales were down 12.5 percent, to 9,119 units. The average sale price declined 4.6 percent, to $124,219.

Nationally, sales of previously occupied homes in April fell 12.9 percent from April 2010 and 0.8 percent from the seasonally adjusted March total, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Last year's sales were boosted by the federal home-buying tax credit.

jweiker@dispatch.com

Positive Signs For Central Ohio Housing

Home Prices rise as inventory drops - positive signs for Central Ohio housing

(May 19, 2011) The number of homes listed for sale this year is lower than the previous year suggesting the central Ohio housing market is continuing its steady recovery. The 3,940 homes added to the market in April represent a 15.1 decrease compared to April of 2010 and the 3,886 new listings in March were almost 22 percent lower than the previous year according to the Columbus Board of REALTORS®. The number of new listings January through April (13,247) is almost 20 percent lower than the same period last year.

“Sales prices have reflected the surplus inventory on the market for the last few years,” says Rick Benjamin, 2011 President of the Columbus Board of REALTORS®. “And housing follows the basic economic principal of supply and demand. When there are more homes on the market than buyers, the price of the home may have to drop to compete.”

“However, if inventory levels continue to drop, we’ll see the price of homes begin to rise again. For instance, the median price of homes added to the market last month - $157,900 – is 5.3 percent higher than inventory added in April of 2010.”

Currently, there are approximately 15,146 residential homes available for sale in the central Ohio area – 12,322 single family homes and 2,824 condominiums.

Home sales in April were 8.9 percent ahead of the month prior (1,487); but trailed last year by 25.9 percent. Year to date sales (January through April) are 13.2 percent lower than the same period last year.

“We didn’t expect April sales to come close to that of last year,” offers Benjamin. “Last year, the home buyer tax credit deadline was April 30 so buyers were breaking down the doors to get an approved contract.”

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage was 4.84 percent in April which is the same rate as March; the rate was 5.10 percent in April 2010.

Click here to view the March sortable housing market report by area.

Click here to view the entire central Ohio Local Market Update.

The Columbus Board of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway and Union Counties and parts of Champagne, Clark, Hocking, Licking, Fairfield, Knox, Logan, Marion, Muskingham, Perry and Ross Counties.