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Violence at Gay Youth
New York – Lambda Legal reported last month that it is expanding
its youth rights educational campaign to communities where students have
faced antigay actions in the aftermath of the election.
At a Salt Lake City high school, a
policy now requires students to get permission from their parents if they
want to take a same-sex date to a school dance. A Missouri school punished
a student for wearing a gay pride shirt although antigay clothing is common
at the school. The Texas Board of Education wouldn't approve health textbooks
unless the text was changed to define marriage as between a man and a
woman. A school board in Pleasant Valley, Iowa, passed a policy that prevents
teachers from reading books with gay characters in class.
"We're alarmed by a noticeable increase
in gay youth facing discrimination or hostility in just the last month
since the election. While we've just been through a very contentious national
election that focused a great deal on the rights of gay couples, that
can't be allowed to threaten the well established rights of gay youth
to be out, safe and respected in schools," said Michael Adams, Director
of Education and Public Affairs at Lambda Legal.
TWIRP Day Banned
Houston – According to an Associated Press report, a tiny Texas
school district has scrapped plans to hold a homecoming tradition in which
boys dress like girls and vice versa, thanks to a parent's complaint about
the event's "homosexual overtones."
Instead of corrupting malleable young
minds with the gender-role switching "TWIRP Day," the elementary
to senior high schools held "Camo Day" for the militarily inclined
or indoctrinated, with black boots and Army camouflage to be worn by everyone
who wants to participate.
TWIRP stands for "The Woman Is
Requested to Pay," a switch on traditional roles wherein the man
pays for date expenses. Spurger schools had celebrated the event, a kind
of "Sadie Hawkins" celebration, for years during Homecoming
Week.
Delana Davies, 33, said she complained
after reading a school notice about TWIRP Day. "It's like experimenting
with drugs," said Davies, whose 9-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter
attend Spurger schools. "You just keep playing with it and it becomes
customary. ... If it's OK to dress like a girl today, then why is it not
OK in the future?"
Hoosiers Expand Gay Parents' Rights
Bloomington – The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled late last year
that lesbian partners in Indiana who agree to conceive a child through
artificial insemination are both the legal parents of any children born
to them. According to the Associated Press, in a unanimous ruling, the
court chided state lawmakers for being slow to deal with advances in reproductive
technology and urged the General Assembly to address the "current
social reality" of unconventional families.
"No (legitimate) reason exists to provide
the children born to lesbian parents through the use of reproductive technology
with less security and protection than that given to children born to
heterosexual parents through artificial insemination," Judge Ezra
H. Friedlander wrote.
The court's decision overturns a ruling
by a Circuit Court judge who found that a Bloomington woman, Dawn King,
had no legal standing with the girl born to her former partner, Stephanie
Benham, because King was not a biological parent.
Previously in Indiana, the only way
for same-sex partners to each attain legal parent status was through a
"second-parent adoption," a costly undertaking that grants parental
rights to a non-biological parent. Some judges in Indiana have refused
to allow second-parent adoptions for same-sex partners.
Official Cohabitation
Los Angeles – The Housing Authority of Santa Monica agreed, after
ACLU intervention, to allow a gay man on disability to live with his partner
of ten years.
Gene Boccia, disabled since a 1974
hate crime, learned this fall, that he could apply to the Housing Authority
to have his life partner Brett Crowley, a disabled vet, share his apartment
with him. Although the couple has been together over ten years, they had
always lived apart for fear of violating rules and jeopardizing their
public assistance.
The Housing Authority failed to act
on the couple's request until the ACLU intervened, pointing out that state
and local law prohibit housing discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Last month, the Housing Authority notified Boccia that his request to
share his apartment with Crowley was approved.
Because the two men could not live
together, they were unable to apply to the state to become domestic partners.
Now, they plan to register with the state and take advantage of the expanded
protections afforded to domestic partners that are scheduled to take place
on January 1, 2005.
Let's Get Married, Eh?
Toronto – Canada's highest court said early last month the government
can redefine marriage to include same-sex couples, but it added that religious
officials cannot be forced to perform unions against their beliefs. As
reported by the Associated Press, the ruling by the court in Ottawa brings
to the final stages a long, bitter fight over whether gays and lesbians
should be allowed to marry in Canada.
Judges in six provinces and one territory
had already overturned the traditional definition, allowing thousands
of same-sex weddings. Canada would join Belgium and the Netherlands in
allowing gay marriage if the government acts to make it legal nationwide.
To pass in the House of Commons, the legislation needs the approval of
about 44 of the 95 Liberal members of Parliament to obtain the necessary
majority.
One top Liberal predicted the legislation
should pass easily after its introduction, likely early next year.
Mega Church March
Washington – The National Black Justice Coalition, the nation's
only national African American gay and lesbian advocacy organization,
condemned an anti-gay march led by the Atlanta-based mega church, New
Birth, under the leadership of Bishop Eddie L. Long. The focus of the
march was to oppose the right of gays and lesbians to marry.
"Gay and lesbian couples deserve
the same freedoms afforded to heterosexual couples in this country and
African American gay and lesbian couples are no different." stated
NBJC Board Member Jasmyne Cannick. "Black ministers should be marching
to help garner more HIV/AIDS funding from the Bush Administration as a
way of protecting the family instead of pushing a right-wing agenda designed
to divide the black community."
The march was scheduled to start at
the King Center. "To march from the King Center against the rights
of gays is a slap in the face to the legacy of Dr. King," said NBJC
President Keith Boykin. "Dr. King said injustice anywhere is a threat
to justice everywhere," added Boykin, "but Bishop Long seems
to think that injustice against gays and lesbians is perfectly fine."
Boykin noted that Coretta Scott King and many other civil rights veterans
have spoken out in favor of marriage equality.
Put Out Your Dyke Shoes
Zurich – Get your shoes out of the closet because the world's largest
lesbian online community – www.shoe.org
– celebrates the second "International SHOE Day" on March
4, 2005.
On that day, lesbians from all over
the world will hang their shoes outside the window to show their lesbian
pride and promote lesbian visibility.
The "International SHOE Day" idea
was born from the basic need to know that you are not the only one. According
to the press release, "Not all lesbians have a fully functioning
gaydar and for many women it can get very lonely. Most probably have just
one simple wish: that all lesbians woke up with green hair! Just for one
day."
The organization behind the celebration
claims 100,000 members across the globe.
Oklahoma to OK Gay Adoptions?
Oklahoma City – In an order made public early last month, a federal
judge gave the green light to Lambda Legal's lawsuit seeking to strike
down Oklahoma's new antigay adoption law. The state had asked the court
to dismiss the lawsuit filed against Oklahoma's Governor Brad Henry and
Attorney General Drew Edmondson.
The law in question, passed hastily in the
last legislative session, says that Oklahoma, "shall not recognize
an adoption by more than one individual of the same sex from any other
state or foreign jurisdiction." Lambda Legal represents same-sex
couples who adopted children while living in other states and later moved
to Oklahoma with their children or want to visit the state with their
adopted children.
"The judge clearly sees how dangerous
this law is for families in Oklahoma. The legislature singled out these
families and tried to strip them of all legal protections, and that's
unconstitutional," said Brian Chase, Staff Attorney with Lambda Legal.
'Bama Book Ban
Montgomery – An Alabama lawmaker who sought to ban gay marriages
now wants to ban novels with gay characters from all public libraries.
As reported in the Birmingham News last month, Republican Rep. Gerald
Allen's proposed legislation would prohibit the use of public funds for
"the purchase of textbooks or library materials that recognize or
promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle." Allen said he
filed the bill to protect children from the "homosexual agenda."
If this bill passes, Allen stated that novels
with gay protagonists and college textbooks suggesting homosexuality is
natural would have to be removed from all public and university library
shelves and destroyed. Asked about Tennessee Williams' classic "Cat
on a Hot Tin Roof," Allen said the play probably couldn't be performed
by university theater groups.
A spokesman for the Montgomery-based Southern
Poverty Law Center called the bill censorship. "It sounds like Nazi
book burning to me," said SPLC spokesman Mark Potok.
Michigan Workers Lose Benefits
Washington, DC – The Human Rights Campaign denounced the decision
to strip domestic partner benefits from Michigan state workers’
contracts due to the passage of Proposal 2, an amendment to the Constitution
that denies marriage to same-sex couples.
"We're deeply disappointed about
this decision," remarked HRC National Field Director Seth Kilborn.
"This is a dangerous move for thousands of families who are working
just as hard as their co-workers but receiving no health insurance for
their families."
Pope: Gay Destroys
Vatican City – Pope John Paul launched a new assault on same-sex
marriage, accusing gays of an "aggressive attempt to legally undermine
the family," as reported by 365Gay.com last month."Attacks on
marriage and the family, from an ideological and legal aspect, are becoming
stronger and more radical every day."
The Pope also attacked couples who live together, abortion and artificial
insemination.
Compiled this month by Susan McMillan.