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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 1994)
e J im t o r n i r o r t o b T 2 1 . I t M T 7 esbians and gay men in Colorado hope a recent state Supreme Court ruling will help them begin a long overdue healing process. "There was so much pain and divi siveness after Amendment 2 passed,” explains Cheryl Schwartz, acting executive director of the Denver-based Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Com munity Center of Colorado. “There was a great deal of disagreement in the community about how to respond, like whether to support a boycott of our state. Hopefully now we can begin to get past some of the pain.” On Oct. 10 the Colorado Supreme Court over turned Amendment 2, a controversial discrimina tory amendment approved by voters in 1992. Pas sage of the initiative stunned civil rights activists and spawned a nationwide boycott costing Colo rado at least $20 million in canceled conventions and conferences. In upholding a permanent injunction against the amendment, the court rejected an argument that Amendment 2 was a constitutionally valid exercise of state power. Amendment 2, which was passed by a 53 percent majority, would have pro hibited state and local governments from enacting sexual minority rights ordinances. In a 34-page majority decision, the court said: "The state has failed to establish that Amendment 2 is necessary to serve any compelling governmental interest in a narrowly tailored way.” It was a 6-1 decision. According to the Oct. 4 issue of the national City ordinance becomes inclusive The West Palm Beach, Fla., City Commission has passed an ordinance which prohibits discrimi nation based on sexual orientation in housing, employment and public accommodations. Accord ing to The Washington Blade, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council worked closely over the past year with Mayor Nancy Graham to pass the ordinance. The ordinance also prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, marital status, familial status or age. Safer-sex ads instruct and challenge A series of bold, small-format posters have been produced by the San Francisco AIDS Foun dation that target gay and bisexual men with frank, responsible condom-use messages. They are in tended for posting in restroom stalls, where captive Am endm ent 2 sh o t deem Activists in Colorado want the healing to begin T by Inga Sorensen newsmagazine The Advocate, several lesbian and Schwartz admits, “Colorado’s gay community gay rights activists who were involved in the has had a very difficult two years. In the wake of campaign against Amendment 2 have since moved Amendment 2, we experienced a wave of violence out of state. never before seen in such a short time.... Our “I’ll never be able to work in Colorado,” said victory is a terrific step in the healing process for Teny Schleder, former our community.” head of Boycott Colo Colorado state of “Colorado’s gay community ficials rado. According to the say they will article, S chleder’s appeal the ruling to has had a very difficult two group “angered Colo the U.S. Supreme years. In the wake of rado public officials by Court. Portland attor advocating a nation Amendment 2, we experienced ney Charlie Hinkle, wide boycott of the how ever, says he state’s tourism industry a wave o f violence never before doubts if the court will and left gays and lesbi choose to review the seen in such a short time. ” ans divided over its con case. frontational tactics.” “The U.S. Su She says, “The gay establishment wouldn’t em preme Court is accepting fewer and fewer cases for ploy me, and the straight world sees me as public review,” he says. “Also, this is a moderatc-to- enemy number one.” Schleder now lives in New centrist court that works hard to avoid controversy. York City. I doubt they will review the case for those reasons, audiences will get a small dose of practical infor mation for reducing their risk for HIV infection. The posters show attractive men enjoying three- ways, water sports and fellatio. The messages are “Safe Sucks,” and “Use Us.” The ads offer sugges tions for staying safe in a variety of situations and supply referrals to participating HIV/AIDS agen cies. CDC initiative discriminates against gay men of color Incidents of discrimination have been reported in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Community Prevention Planning Initiative. The initiative was instituted to provide a way to involve disenfranchised communities in developing HIV prevention strategies. At a Campaign for Fairness meeting held in conjunction with the annual Gay Men of Color AIDS Institute, these incidents gave rise to con cern and anger. “We received several reports of exclusion and marginalization of our participation in this process,” stated Richard La Fortune, an cathartic comics I AIDS activist and one of the CFF co-chairs. “Ev erything from outright exclusion to nonvoting membership is being used to dilute the impact of our advocacy for gay men of color." “We are putting the CDC and individual com munity planning groups on notice,” said CFF co chair Mario Solis-Marich. “Across the country alarming numbers of gay men of color are con tracting HIV, progressing to AIDS, and dying faster than our white counterparts. We will not sit by idly and watch our communities be destroyed by apathy and prejudice.” National phone company to help fight 13 The long distance company Working Assets included an insert in its October billing that men tions Oregon’s homophobic right wing and Ballot Measure 13. It says, “If Initiative 13 passes, the government could be required to fire gays and lesbians, censor them from speaking freely, and deny them basic services.” The bill states that “every time you call long plus the fact that they may wait to see how other lower courts handle these cases. They won’t want to jump into this issue too soon.” If the court does choose to review the case, Hinkle says there is ample legal precedent bolster ing the belief that segments of the population cannot be “fenced out of the political process.” Writing for the majority, Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Luis Rovira said. “The right to participate equally in the political process is clearly affected by Amendment 2 [and, it would effec tively bar gay men and lesbians] from having an effective voice in government affairs.” "There is solid legal precedent that says people cannot be fenced out of the political process,” says Hinkle. “We’re not talking only on the basis of race or sex, but whether one is homeless, on welfare, or mentally disabled. The courts have been very sym pathetic toward ensuring that people have access to the political process.” Colorado officials say defending the case has already cost taxpayers more than $300,000. Julie Davis, campaign manager for Oregon’s No on 13 Committee, says she hopes the Colorado ruling will persuade voters here to vote against Ballot Measure 13. “Measure 13 will permanently legalize dis crimination in Oregon,” she says. “I certainly think that is reason enough to vote against it, but if voters need another reason, they may want to think about how much it’s going to cost in litigation if this measure passes.” distance, a percentage of your charge goes to nonprofit action groups that are working for a better world.” According to this bill, Oregon’s fight against Ballot Measure 13 will be aided by a donation from Working Assets. Justice department praised The Human Rights Campaign Fund praised the U.S. Justice Department for its action leading to a $100,000 settlement against a Houston, Texas, dental office that refused to treat an HIV-positive patient. The Justice Department sued the office under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against people living with HIV or AIDS. The office must also institute a policy to this effect and train its staff about the policy. “This settlement is a welcome example of ef fective action against discrimination,” said HRCF spokesman Daniel Zingale. “Our community is realizing the benefits of all the hard work we did to help pass the ADA.” Compiled by Jann Gilbert featuring The Brown Bomber and Diva Touché Flambé b y P rof. I.B . Gittendow ne UH...GAYLORD YOURt BEING A BIT H A RSH I CAN ONLY HOPE THOSE EMBARRASSING) HMWWM.... ACCORDING TO THIS A R T IC L E 'S ] PH0T05 WILL fcE DISPOSED Of SOON! I < THE NODE B E A R S K IN RO G PHOTOS l W A S l > CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANT TO BE POT IN ) FORCED INTO A COUPLE OF W EEKS AGO. MIGHT b e CONSIDERED CHILD PORNOGRAPHY» THE POSITION OF HAVING. 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