Starting August 12, Dr. Ken Schneck, editor of the Buckeye Flame and host of the weekly podcast This News Is So Gay, will join The Gaily Show every second Wednesday of the month to share in-depth reporting from The Buckeye Flame.
Schneck spent 25 years in higher education as a dean of students and tenured professor of education before dedicating his career to LGBTQ newsroom leadership. In recognition of his work, he received the Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for National LGBTQ+ Journalist of the Year.
The Buckeye Flame is a scrappy queer nonprofit newsroom with a mission of amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ Ohioans to support community and civic empowerment through the creation of engaging content that chronicles our triumphs, struggles, and lived experiences.
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Ramaswamy Campaign Draws F Rating From Equality Ohio
While there has been extensive media attention surrounding gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton’s shocking dismissal of trans rights, The Buckeye Flame in partnership with GLAAD has taken a long look at the MAGA candidate in the race: Vivek Ramaswamy. Ohio’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Ohio has issued Ramaswamy an F rating on their recent report card.
“He has called trans people a cult. He has called it a mental illness, being trans a mental illness. I mean, he’s said just horrible, horrible things,” Schneck said. “In being critical of Dr. Acton, it is not to say that Vivek Ramaswamy is better. He is indeed not.”
Ramaswamy’s involvement extends beyond campaign rhetoric. The Buckeye Flame and GLAAD reported on his integral role in creating DOGE, a joint initiative with Elon Musk at the start of President Trump’s second term. DOGE eliminated federal funding tied to both the LGBTQ community and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“[For example], funding was set aside for 10 new LGBTQ+ historical markers, and that funding was just completely wiped away in addition to so much research,” Schneck reported.
Ramaswamy continues to prominently feature endorsements from several Ohio figures on his campaign website, including State Representative Max Miller and Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue.
Lebanon City Councilman Sparks Concern Over Pride Surveillance
Between Cincinnati and Dayton, a different kind of threat emerged at Lebanon Pride. Lebanon City Councilman Mike Cope attended this year’s Pride festival and documented attendees by filming them on his phone. He claimed he did so for monitoring purposes. Cope also posted a message on Facebook urging locals to assist in what he characterized as identifying nefarious activities at the event.
“We love Councilman Cope because he keeps responding to us and each response is more unhinged than the last,” Schneck said. “He truly is a gift that keeps on giving.”
Local police indicated they had the situation covered and identified no security threats except for the councilman himself.
Cope’s actions align with House Bill 249 currently under consideration in the Ohio legislature, which would effectively ban drag performances outside cabaret venues. Critics argue it criminalizes free speech.
Maple Heights Achieves Pride Resolution After Years of Struggle
In the Cleveland suburb of Maple Heights, the LGBTQ community secured a hard-fought Pride resolution after years of persistent advocacy. The city council member primarily opposing the measure was Edwina Agee, who publicly stated that “being gay and being Black are mutually exclusive” during 2021 proceedings. Maple Heights’ population is predominantly Black, African-American, and African.
Agee employed unconventional legislative tactics when challenged, including referring to herself in the third person and even conducting her own survey on the issue, without releasing the results. The Buckeye Flame got hold of the results through a FOIA request and they indicated the opposite of what Agee had been claiming.
Her argument against the resolution this year, which carried no mandate or funding, centered on timing: the resolution came up in June, but she noted meetings wouldn’t resume until July—after Pride Month had concluded. Any resolution required three hearings at council Agee commented. She then advised that supporters should start the process earlier if they wanted approval.
Councilperson Toni Jones, the bill sponsor, did just that. Between the June and July meetings, she amended the date from “June 2026” to “June 2027,” effectively voting on the measure ten months before the designated timeframe. When Jones brought the resolution back before the council in July, Agee was left at a loss.
“She raised her hand. She said, ‘Is this a typo?’ And Toni said no, and Edwina did not know what to do, and it passed,” Schneck explained.
The resolution carries no funding requirements or mandated events—it simply recognizes June as Pride Month, something the Ohio State Legislature continues to decline passing statewide.
Connect With The Buckeye Flame
Read more at thebuckeyeflame.com. The publication also offers The Spark, a free weekly email digest providing updates on Ohio LGBTQ news and advocacy efforts.
New episodes of This News Is So Gay drop every Wednesday. Find them everywhere you get your podcasts or at thebuckeyeflame.com
