This course is suitable for those who have never done yoga before to those who have some experience. It will introduce body awareness, basic yoga poses and their components, breath work and relaxation techniques. Students will discover newly developed strength, flexibility and mind/body awareness at their own level in a relaxed, lighthearted atmosphere. This class is most appropriate for those who can easily get up and down from the floor.

$30 for full 6-week course, $25 for Members of the Center on High. 
Sign up now - class size is limited ! Cash or Check accepted at first class. Registration is required.

Register online at https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/stonewall/eventRegistration.jsp?event=6
or Call 614-930-2262

Questions? Call Suzie or email her at ssimpson@stonewallcolumbus.org

All clients will be seen on an appointment basis only. All appointments must be made directly with Sonny Saunders by calling 614-306-9737. No appointments may be scheduled by staff or volunteers at the Center on High.

Matt Coles has been the director of the ACLU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and AIDS Project since 1995. During his tenure, Coles wrote and helped lead the campaigns to pass many gay rights laws, including the first comprehensive law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in California, California’s law barring employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, and the nation’s first domestic partnership law. He was also one of the lead lawyers in Romer v. Evans, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down Colorado’s Amendment 2, and on important cases on adoption, AIDS, and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Community partners for the event include Equality Ohio, Center on High, Stonewall Columbus, Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO), Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio, ACLU of Ohio, and Outlook Media.

Starting April 28th  6-Week Aerobic Line Dance Class - Tuesdays at 7:00 pm
6 week class     Instructor: Mary Bova
$30, $25 for Members of the Center on High
Call Suzie Simpson at 614-930-2260 or contact us
One hour of instruction includes BOTH of these:

ZUMBA FITNESS - An aerobic exercise training to slow and fast rhythms that will sculpt and tone your body. It targets all the areas, arms, abdominals, glutes and the legs. The cardio part is excellent for your heart. It’s fun dancing to all Latin music and a style of Latin Flair and has a party atmosphere.
and
LINE DANCING WITH Pizzazz - A class of learning the latest dance in the nightclubs of line dancing.
You get plenty of exercise with good music and fun fun fun!

Starting April 30th 6-Week Ballroom Dancing Class - Thursdays at 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Beginner Ballroom at 6:30 pm. Intermediate Ballroom at 7:30 pm
Singles registering will be paired with someone, so don’t let that stop you! This class will also include Cha-Cha, Waltz and Tango!
$30 per person, $50 per couple.
Call Suzie Simpson at 614-930-2260 or contact us to register

cordially invites you to an evening with community authors on the topic of faith

April 16, 2009
7:00 PM

Susan K. Smith

Crazy Faith: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives
Get it on Amazon.com

Mark Belletini

Sonata for Voice and Silence
Get it on UUABookstore.org

Patricia Thomas

God Reveals a Mystery!
Get it on Amazon.com

Also joining us is the coordinator and one of the founding members  of
“Buddhism Central Ohio”
Seth Josephson.
Location:

Center on High
1160 N. High St 1st Floor
Columbus, OH 43201

This will also be the closing day for the SWC Food Drive!

We are giving back to the community by feeding the body and soul.
Please donate to our  food drive.  Please bring a can good or box food product…..Thank you

Is sponsoring a,

“Let’s help fight against HUNGER”

food drive.

April 13, 2009 through April 16, 2009.

You can drop your donations off at the Stonewall Columbus Center on High

1160 N. High St
Columbus, OH 43201
9 AM – 5:00PM

Late Night Drops

April 15, 2009
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

“An evening with the Community Authors”
April 16, 2009
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

All donations will be given to:

Mid Ohio Foodbank
1625 W Mound St, Columbus, OH 43223
(614) 277-3663

ZUMBA FITNESS
An aerobic exercise training to slow and fast rhythms that will sculpt and tone your body. It targets all the areas, arms, abdominals, glutes and the legs. The cardio part is excellent for your heart. It’s fun dancing to all Latin music and a style of Latin Flair and has a party atmosphere.

and

LINE DANCING WITH Pizzazz
A class of learning the latest dance in the night clubs of line dancing.
You get plenty of exercise with good music and fun fun fun!

March 5 - Ballroom - Thursdays at 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Intermediate Ballroom at 6:30 pm
Beginner 2 at 7:30 pm. This class will also include Cha-Cha, Waltz and Tango!

Even if this is your 1st time for Ballroom class, you are welcome to sign up for Beginner 2 and you will feel very comfortable and do just fine.
$30 per person, $50 per couple. Call Suzie Simpson at 614-930-2260 or email Contact Us

March 7 - Yoga - Saturdays 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
This course is suitable for those who have never done yoga before to those who have some experience. It will introduce body awareness, basic yoga poses and their components, breath work and relaxation techniques. Students will discover newly developed strength, flexibility and mind/body awareness at their own level in a relaxed, lighthearted atmosphere. This class is most appropriate for those who can easily get up and down from the floor.

$30 for full 6 week course, $25 for Members of the Center on High.
 Registration required. Cash or Check accepted at first class. Credit Card payments accepted in advance only. Call Michele Fregonas at 614-930-2262 to pay by credit card.
 Sign up now - class size is limited ! Call 614-930-2262 or email your name, address, & phone number to Contact Us

Instructor: Vanessa Schumm Welch
Vanessa has been practicing yoga for 13 years. Originally a certified aerobics instructor, she was invited to attend a yoga class with a friend, falling in love with yoga during that first class and never turning back. Her first class was taught by Marcia Miller, one of the Yoga on High founding partners, with whom she still studies today. Vanessa was skeptical at first about yoga, since her background was in aerobics where alignment and the proper do’s and don’ts applied. She was astounded and delighted that the yoga practice involved such attention to the body awareness, its placement and breathing and at a pace geared toward the individual’s ability. Her teacher was knowledgeable about the anatomy of the body and the ways in which it applied to everyday movement, individual limitations and injury prevention. Vanessa currently studies at Yoga on High with the founding partners, Marcia Miller, Martha Marcom and Linda Oshins and attributes them with her continued knowledge and growth in her practice. She has also studied with several of the guest teachers at Yoga on High including Rodney Yee, Tom Myers, and Jean Couch. Vanessa is a student of both the Hatha and Ashtanga styles of yoga and currently teaches both of these styles for Grandview Parks and Recreation. Vanessa is a certified yoga instructor through NETA (National Exercise Trainers Association).

Starting March 16 - Creative Writing - Mondays 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Creative writing class taught by award-winning writer Nancy Zafris. If possible, students should submit a piece of writing prior to the first class and indicate the areas of interest for writing instruction. If not submitted before first class, bring to the first class.

$30 for full 6-week course, $25 for Members of the Center on High. Scholarships available.
Class size is limited and Registration is required. Cash or Check accepted at first class. 

Call 614-930-2262 or email your name, address, & phone number to ssimpson@stonewallcolumbus.org  Writing submissions should also be sent to Suzie Simpson. Credit Card payments accepted in advance only. To pay by credit card, call Michele Fregonas at 614-930-2262.

About the Instructor: Nancy Zafris 

Nancy is a writer, editor, and teacher.  She has published over two dozen short stories and three books:  THE PEOPLE I KNOW, a collection of short stories that won the Flannery O’Connor award for short fiction as well the Ohioana Library Association award for short fiction; the novel THE METAL SHREDDERS, which was a New York Times notable book of the year; and the novel LUCKY STRIKE which was a Book Sense notable book.  After winning two National Endowment for the Arts grants, she served on the NEA panel.  She has won several grants from the Ohio Arts Council and Greater Columbus Arts Council.  Each summer she teaches at the Kenyon Review Writer’s Workshop for adults, for which she is also associate director.  The fiction editor of The Kenyon Review for nine years, she is currently the series editor of the Flannery O’Connor award book series.

Yoga and More with Kathleen Lewis - Ever Wednesday Drop-in Class
$10 per class - Classes are ongoing
Classes are held from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (lunchtime) each Wednesday.
No registration is necessary. Attend classes as you wish - one or more!
Instructor: Kathleen Lewis

Where: Stonewall Center on High Parking Lot
1160 N. High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43201-2411

When: January 31st

Time: 1:30 p.m.

Why: State budget cuts to the Statehouse and Parks and Recreation have caused a cut back in maintenance to sidewalks, parking lots, etc., causing these spaces to be unavailable until snow and ice melts.

Join pro-equality Ohioans from across the state to help raise awareness on issues of equality in Ohio and to learn about ways you can get involved. To learn more about the rally, contact impactcincinnati@gmail.com.

SATURDAY DEC. 27th 7:00 pm

Please join us for our 2008 Holiday Event featuring Live Music, Poetry and Holiday Cheer!

Saturday, December 27th 7:00 pm at the James’ Club 88, 55 E. Long St., (614) 223-1213. Suggested Donation is $5.

SWC Diversity and the Who So Ever Ministry also cordially invited you to attend the following events on Sunday December 28
Church Services 9AM
Christmas Concert 4PM
Advent United Church of Christ
2303 Cassady Avenue, Cols. 43219

We will reopen at 9:00 am Monday January 5th.

The Center will be available for use for groups and classes which normally meet at the Center.

General Support Group for Hearing Impaired LGBT held the 3rd Monday of every month from 7pm to 8:30pm at The Center on High, 1160 North High St.

Come be part of the group, help each other, meet new friends and have fun. If you want to talk about challenges in the LGBT community, the workplace or school, are looking for answers, or just want to hang out, please join us! Let&rsquos pull together and help one another.

Contact: Christopher at pilot_dog_boddie@yahoo.com

Offered as part of the regularly scheduled Stonewall Health Check program.

Saturday, December 13th at 11:00 am

This Workshop is FREE and NO ENROLLMENT is required!

For questions Contact: Suzie Simpson at ssimpson@stonewallcolumbus.org

Learn more about Polarity at http://www.columbuspolarity.com

Stonewall Columbus, The Center on High is looking for members for its senior programming committee, SAGENET Columbus. A commitment to working for the LGBT senior population is the only requirement. An informational meeting is being held at the Center on High on December 9th @ 5:30 pm, we are located at 1160 N. High St, 43201. If you have additional questions, please contact Letha Pugh at Letha_Pugh@yahoo.com or the The Center on High @ 614-299-7764.

Click Here to Watch on SWC TV: Dealing with the Holidays - Ask Judy

The holidays are fast approaching and things can be especially difficult for the GLBT Community. The holidays are full of contradictions - great expectations and deep disappointments. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make it the perfect holiday, but it is often hard to reproduce holidays like that.

For our community, oftentimes people can’t go home because they are not out or their family doesn’t accept their lifestyle. There are couples or partners that can’t go home together because the family doesn’t recognize the relationship or validate it. For some that are single, it can feel especially alienating and they may feel isolated.

Set your sights on how you want to manage your holiday. You don’t have to keep with old traditions. Create your own.

1. If you know of someone that may have a rough time around the holidays -  call them, connect with them, be there for them.

2. Use the Stonewall Columbus Center on High. The center is yours so consider participating in all the programs that are happening there.

3. Nurture Yourself, Take Care of Yourself - Go to the spa, get a new haircut, go to a movie. Be kind to yourself.

4. Try on a new tradition for your holiday. Invite friends over, have dinner, have a dinner giving event. Put your own signature on the holiday.

5. Give - However you want to give. Give to the community. Give a friend a call. Do something that will make giving back make you feel better about yourself.

Remember, the holidays will come and go and January will be here before you know it. Perhaps by trying some of these suggestions you will create new beginnings for yourself.

Here are some additional articles that you may find helpful:

Surviving the Holidays by Jamey Collins - GayHealth
http://www.gayhealth.com/iowa-robot/emotions/index.html?record=349

I Won’t Be Home For Christmas by Paul Martin
http://www.samesame.com.au/support/1766/I-Wont-Be-Home-For-Christmas.htm

Festival of Trees and Artisan Fair

Short North Holiday Hop

at the Center on High

1160 North High Street

Columbus, OH 43201

December 6, 2008

4pm - 10pm
Featuring:
Jazz Mary

Children’s Creation Station
and Family Photos with Santa
4pm-6pm

Cash Bar, Fun & Raffles

Handmade Gifts For Sale from Local Artists

Sponsored by:
Bud Light

Dooley and Company

Europia Wine and Spirits

Outlook Weekly

Out in Columbus

Russ enlisted and went to Boot Camp on January 30, 1977 and graduated on April 1, 1977.
He was sent to Great Lakes Recruit Training command in Great Lakes Illinois.
Russ entered a Seaman Recruit (E-1) and left a Seaman E-3).
He went on to a 20 year career in the military retiring on February 1, 1997.

Bob McNamara

Bob enlisted in the Navy in 1969, initially serving as an electronics technician.  A year later, he was selected for flight training.  His 25 year career included aircraft maintenance, personnel administration, combat operations, flight instruction, logistics support, systems engineering, and command of a carrier-based squadron.

Rupert “Twink” Starr

Columbus, Ohio World War II Veteran

Video Profile

Click here to view this video on SWCTV
Courage Under Fire, from the Liberty Eduction Forum, April 2005

In the Line of Fire by Rupert Starr

I’ve never forgotten the sound of those bullets whizzing by my head. Decades later, the sound still echoes in my mind, giving more significance to every sunrise and more meaning to every day. For more than five decades, I didn’t talk about my experience as a Prisoner of War during World War II. I wasn’t active in the American Legion. I didn’t show people my bronze star, get a special license plate, or march in Veteran’s Day parades. However, in recent years, I’ve shared my story not to get recognition, but merely to make a point. In military service, courage matters, not sexual orientation.

The gay and lesbian service members who are serving in silence and risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrate that you don’t need to be straight to shoot straight.

Facing death gives you a different perspective on life. For me, that perspective came as a 22-year-old second Lieutenant serving in the 422nd regiment of the 106th infantry division. Our unit arrived in the European theater in December 1944, less than a week before the Germans launched what became known as the Battle of the Bulge.

When the fighting started, I got sent to the frontlines. Two days later, my Colonel gathered the officers together - telling us the advancing German Army had surrounded our unit and cut us off from division headquarters. Then he asked for volunteers to go behind enemy lines to re-establish communication with division headquarters. No one volunteered, so I did.

A sergeant and I set off immediately - walking toward enemy lines through two feet of snow. I was beyond scared as we tried to avoid getting captured or shot by German soldiers. I would later learn our unit surrendered after being overrun. During three days behind enemy lines, we joined a small group of other American soldiers. Eventually, we became surrounded on all sides, so it was either die or surrender.

After a forced march into Germany, I was among 200 POWs who were jammed into boxcars and sent to a prison camp in Poland. With Russians advancing into Poland, our captor marched us back toward Germany as temperatures fell 30 degrees below zero. Our German captors finally abandoned us in a small farm town. Boarding a ship for America in April 1945, I felt pride, but I didn’t consider myself a hero because I had just done my duty. The real heroes never came home.

My experience as a POW gave me the courage to make peace with my sexual orientation. My late partner Allan and I were together for 52 years. My experience in war also gives me the courage to speak out on behalf of today’s warriors who serve in silence. The military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy weakens national defense and harms military readiness. Let me highlight a few reasons why gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly and honestly in the military.

First, we’re losing well trained and qualified service members when we most need them. Government statistics show that 12,000 service members have been kicked out since 1993, including hundreds of intelligence experts, translators, and other desperately needed personnel. Tens of thousands of other experienced service members have cut short their military careers because of this burdensome policy. Many other gay people skip military service altogether because of this policy.

Second, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy exacerbates the military’s recruiting problems. The U.S. Army, the Army Reserves, and the Army National Guard likely will miss recruiting goals this year, yet we’re excluding a huge pool of potential recruits. A recent study shows that lifting the ban could attract as many as 41,000 new recruits.

Third, the rationale used to justify the policy has been proven wrong. Research from a University of California think-tank shows our allies with openly gay service members - Great Britain, Israel, and Canada, for example - have experienced no detrimental impact on troop morale or unit cohesion.

Finally, if the military service of gay and lesbian people was actually detrimental to unit cohesion and morale, troop discharges would increase during war, when the stakes are highest. But the opposite has happened during our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The 49% drop in discharges since 2001 undermines the policy’s rationale.

During his first firefight in World War II, my best friend was evacuated from the front because he nearly lost his mind. It didn’t matter he was straight. He just couldn’t stand the heat of battle. I’m proud to say I could and there are tens of thousands of other gay Americans who also can stand up under fire. The Urban Institute used census data to estimate 65,000 gays and lesbians in the U.S. Armed Forces and a total of 1,000,000 gay and lesbian vets. I thank them for their service, and I say to our nations’ leaders, it’s time to improve our military readiness and strengthen our national defense by allowing gay and lesbian Americans to serve openly and honestly in the U.S. military.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Rupert Starr is retired and lives in Columbus Ohio.

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

at the Center on High
1160 N High St
Columbus, OH 43201