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The Rest of Our World
The
Rest of Our World
Dress
Code
Washington, DC - The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) applauded
the release of a new guide by the National School Boards Association (NSBA)
giving school administrators practical advice on dealing with students’
gender identity and expression, including dress guidelines.
The guide, "Dealing with Legal Matters
Surrounding Students' Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity," advises
that there is no legal justification for a restriction on boys wearing
dresses to school if doing so does not cause major disruption. The guide
also recommends that schools with sex-specific dress codes make an exception
for transgender students.
"Youth should be able to be themselves,
without fearing that they’ll be attacked by a fellow student, or
disciplined by school administrators. There’s no age limit for the
right to personal expression," said Kristin Effland, GenderPAC Youth
Program Coordinator.
Recent research has shown that 80 percent
of students that are harassed with gender-based taunts identify as heterosexual.
There Goes the Neighborhood
Westfield, MA - According to a story in a western Massachusetts newspaper,
the court ruling allowing same-sex marriages in Massachusetts is prompting
some members of the local Russian community to move out of the state.
While some families say they moving for
a warmer climate and lower real estate prices, others say that the Goodridge
ruling recognizing gay and lesbian marriages is a big factor.
The report indicated that at least 10 Pentecostal
families, mostly members of the Russian Pentecostal Hope Church, left
Greater Springfield this month, and at least another six plan to join
them in the future.
Don't Ask, Just Sue
Washington, DC - The Log Cabin Republicans, the nation's largest gay GOP
group, last month sued Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the U.S government
over the military’s ban on openly gay and lesbian personnel, reports
PlanetOut.com. The suit was filed in the U.S. Federal District Court for
the Central District of California on behalf of the gay Republican organization’s
gay and lesbian members currently serving in the military.
"A lawsuit should not be necessary
when our allies in the war on terror, including Great Britain, Israel
and Australia, all allow gays and lesbians to serve openly and honestly,"
said Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director Patrick Guerriero in a prepared
statement.
Gay Basher Executed
Austin, TX - The ringleader of a gay-bashing group was executed by lethal
injection last month after spending more than a decade on Texas' death
row. PlanetOut Network reported that Donald Aldrich, 39, convicted of
murder, was the instigator of a number of robberies and assaults on gay
men in the fall of 1993 in Tyler, Texas.
Aldrich and two teens kidnapped 23-year-old medical
clerk Nicholas West from a park known as a hangout for gay men. West was
taken to a clay pit outside of town, where he was robbed and repeatedly
shot. West's body was discovered three days after friends grew worried
by his absence.
Can't We All Swim Along?
Berlin, Germany - Berliners looking to host a major international LGBT
sports competition are hoping to get rival international gay sporting
organizations to reconcile. The sporting group Games Berlin e.V. invited
the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) and the Gay and Lesbian International
Sport Association (GLISA) to negotiate a joint event in 2009 or 2010.
The city’s openly gay mayor, Klaus Wowereit, has agreed to facilitate
the negotiations.
Sandals Ends Gay Ban
Bahamas - According to a press release and a USA Today story, a resort
chain that has been ranked at "rock bottom" as a gay destination
for over a decade because of its exclusion of gay couples has now changed
its policy. Sandals Resorts has quietly lifted the ban on same-sex couples
at its couples-only resorts. The "rock bottom" ranking had been
bestowed by the gay travel magazine Out & About, whose editor
characterized the former policy as "the most blatant form of discrimination."
More Data on Anti-Gay Violence
New York - The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) last
month released its 2003 Supplement to its report on lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender domestic violence.
The programs participating in the report
documented 6,523 cases of domestic violence, a 13 percent increase over
2002. The cases included six domestic violence-related deaths.
NCAVP representatives attributed the higher
numbers to increased program capacity, outreach, and expansion of services
at some of agencies. SafeSpace in Burlington, Vermont was one of nearly
a dozen local and regional agencies that participated in compiling data.
Of the victims in the 6,523 cases documented
by NCAVP, 44 percent were male and 36 percent were female. Two percent
of victims identified as transgender.
Strike It Down
Lincoln, NE - The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal filed
their opening trial brief last month in federal court urging it to strike
down a Nebraska constitutional amendment that bars the state and cities
from ever granting any type of legal recognition for same-sex couples
and prevents groups from advocating for such rights.
"Nebraska's Section 29 treats loving,
committed same-sex couples like strangers - and blocks them from even
advocating for basic protections for their families," said David
Buckel, senior staff attorney at Lambda Legal. "This lawsuit [is]
seeking a level playing field so that all Nebraskans are full and equal
citizens, regardless of whether they're gay or straight."
The brief asks the court to strike down
Section 29 as a violation of the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal
protection.
A D.C. Outing
Washington, DC - The Washington Blade has reported extensively on the
outing campaign of Washington gay activist Michael Rogers. Last month,
reporter Lou Chibarro identified two more high level GOP officials who
were outed on Rogers' website, Blogactive.com
One of the men is Jay Banning, the Republican National Committee's
chief financial officer and director of administration. The other is Daniel
Gurley, the RNC's national field director and deputy political director.
Both confirmed they are gay in recorded telephone conversations. According
to Chibarro's report, the outing by Rogers did not appear to have any
negative consequences for the two men in connection with their RNC jobs.
The two men were targeted for outing because of what Rogers identifies
as their hypocrisy in helping the Republicans use gay civil rights as
a wedge issue in support of its anti-gay party platform.
Raelians Protest Uganda
Uganda - The Raelian Movement (www.rael.org),
with more than 5,000 members in Africa, issued strong protests against
Ugandan authorities who told the operators of Radio Simba that it was
a criminal offense to broadcast that homosexuality was "an acceptable
way of life."
The religious group's statement noted advances
in gay civil rights around the world and said Uganda's position "goes
totally against the Charter of Human Rights and Freedom to which Uganda
has subscribed." The statement continued, "Since it is now scientifically
known that homosexuality has a genetic basis as does race, to reject a
homosexual for his sexuality is like to reject a cat for being a cat or
a Black for being a Black."
The group demanded an official apology and
called for lgbt organizations to join them in their protest.
Sharing Custody
Cincinnati, OH - An Ohio appeals court unanimously ruled that lesbian
and gay couples must be allowed to protect their relationships with children
they are raising together, in a decision that affirms state law and overturns
a lower-court ruling that barred two women from creating a shared custody
agreement, Lambda Legal said.
The ruling from the 12th District of Ohio
Appeals Court, says a child "benefits from having two caregivers,
legally responsible for his welfare. Both will have the ability to make
medical decision on his behalf and be able to interact with teachers and
school administers without executing additional documents."
Death in Moscow
Moscow, Russia - Deputies of the Russian parliament may introduce a measure
that would impose criminal penalties for homosexual activities, according
to a report on the online English version of Pravda.
The statement on the "homosexual matter"
was released from the leader of the Liberal and Democratic Party of Russia,
Vladimir Zhirinovsky. He urged the deputies to introduce the death penalty
for homosexual activities during a discussion of criminal penalties for
pederasty.
Etheridge Cancels Tour
Los Angeles - Singer Melissa Etheridge has been diagnosed with breast
cancer and has canceled upcoming tour dates to undergo treatment, her
publicist said last month.
"I am fortunate to be under a
wonderful doctor's care and thankful that this was caught early,"
Etheridge said in a statement. "I am looking forward to a quick and
full recovery."
Refunds for tickets to her upcoming shows
are available where they were bought; the entertainer's web site says
she had been scheduled to play 11 dates in seven cities.
Huffington Gets The Point
Chicago, IL - Philanthropist Michael Huffington offered his financial
and personal support to The Point Foundation in the form of a $150,000
challenge grant. The Point Foundation provides multi-year financial grants,
mentoring, and internship opportunities to young people marginalized because
of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
This donation marks the first time
the prominent business leader, former congressman, and ex-husband of political
commentator Ariana Huffing-ton has publicly supported an lgbt charitable
organization.
Hate Crimes Law Stripped
Washington, DC - The Human Rights Campaign decried the removal of the
Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (LLEEA) from the Defense Department
authorization bill. Both houses of Congress had supported the amendment
in previous votes.
"It's just five days away from the
anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death and another year will go by without
adequate hate crimes protections,” said HRC President Cheryl Jacques.
LLEEA would add real or perceived sexual
orientation, gender and disability to federal hate crime laws, thus allowing
for federal assistance in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.
Sierra Leone Activist Murdered
New York - The government of Sierra Leone should bring to justice those
responsible for the brutal murder of FannyAnn Eddy, founder of the Sierra
Leone Lesbian and Gay Association and a lesbian rights activist known
across Africa, Human Rights Watch said last month.
Eddy, 30, was found dead on the morning of September 29. While she was
working alone in organization's offices the previous night, her assailant
or assailants apparently broke in to the premises. She was raped repeatedly,
stabbed and her neck was broken.
" FannyAnn Eddy was a person of extraordinary
bravery and integrity, who literally put her life on the line for human
rights," said Scott Long, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender Rights Project at Human Rights Watch.
Eddy and her organization documented harassment,
beatings and arbitrary arrests of lesbian, gay and transgender people
in Sierra Leone. Eddy leaves a 10-year-old son.
Compiled this month by Euan Bear.