just out ▼ march 3. 1003 ▼ 7
OUR
MAINE
The Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Bos
ton-based Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defend
ers filed a lawsuit asking Maine courts to block an
expected referendum on sexual minority rights
this fall. The two groups claim the referendum is
a back-door attempt to amend the state constitu
tion, according to the Baltimore Gay Paper.
The proposed referendum, expected to appear
on the November ballot, asks voters to approve
changing state law so that classifications not
already protected under the Maine Human Rights
Act cannot be added in the future. Classifications
already protected include age, sex, religion and
race.
MASSACHUSETTS
Republican Gov. William F. Weld was pre
sented with the Flag Bearer award of the Massa
chusetts chapter of Parents, Families and Friends
of Lesbians and Gays. Weld was selected because
of his support for gay and lesbian youth.
Weld established a governor’s commission on
gay and lesbian youth that has heard testimony
throughout the state. He also signed into law the
Massachusetts student antidiscrimination law,
which added sexual orientation to existing legis
lation prohibiting exclusion or discrimination in
the public schools.
▼ ▼ ▼
In January, federal District Court Judge Rob
ert Keeton dismissed a lawsuit which contended
that a high school AIDS-prevention program vio
lated some students’ constitutional rights, re-
The sexually explicit program was conducted
at Chelmsford High School outside of Boston.
Attendance was mandatory for all students.
Although Judge Keeton took note of the fact
that some students felt humiliated and intimidated
by the presentation, he ruled that the students’
“unwilling observation” of the program “did not
constitute the sort of coercion that violates the
First Amendment.”
MARYLAND
A bill to accept federal funds for rent subsidies
for people with AIDS narrowly passed the Balti
more County Council on Jan. 17.
Concerns about accepting the money included
the fact that it is specifically for people with AIDS
and does not allow assistance to people with other
terminal illnesses, such as cancer; and fears that
when the federal grant ends after three years the
county will be unable to continue the funding.
MINNESOTA
In a 2-1 decision, the Minnesota Court of
Appeals upheld Jan. 31 Hennepin County District
Court Judge Deborah Hedlund’s -ccision that the
city of Minneapolis does not have the authority to
grant health benefits to same-sex partners of city
employees.
The court disagreed with the city’s argument
that the awarding of employee health benefits is a
purely local matter. Instead, the court took the
position that the Minnesota legislature has a his
tory of defining the scope of municipal employee’s
health benefits.
MISSISSIPPI
Memorial Day weekend has been set as the
date for the “Destination: Ovett—Gay Freedom
Riders Coalition.” Led by Metropolitan Commu
nity Church founder Rev. Troy Perry and lesbian
comic and festival producer Robin Tyler, the
interfaith coalition of lesbians and gay men plans
a weekend of work at Camp Sister Spirit. Partici
pants will help remodel bams and build fences on
the property.
Founded by Wanda and Brenda Henson, Camp
Sister Spirit has been under at
tack from the radical right in
southern Mississippi. These at
tacks have included death
threats and lawsuits. The South
ern Voice quoted Tyler as say
ing, “We need to let gay-bashers
and homophobes know that
when they attack isolated gays and lesbians, they
aren’t just taking on one or two people, they are
taking on the entire gay and lesbian community.”
MISSOURI
Gateway Heritage, the quarterly publication
of the Missouri Historical Society, published its
first lesbian and gay history article in its Novem
ber 1994 issue. The article, titled “The Seed Time
of Gay Rights: Rev. Carol Cureton, the Metro
politan Community Church and Gay St. Louis,
1969-1980,” was authored by Rodney Wilson, a
high school teacher and leader in the Gay, Lesbian
and Straight Teachers Network, reported the Mis
souri News-Telegraph.
NEW YORK
State Attorney General Dennis Vacco broke
with a 15-year tradition by revoking an executive
order that protected gay and lesbian employees in
his agency from discrimination, according to a
report in The Washington Blade.
A conservative Republican, Vacco issued a
new executive order Feb. 2 that excludes sexual
orientation from the list of protected categories in
the Department of Law.
The Blade said that some lesbian and gay
activists fear that Vacco’s actions are a "trial
balloon,” to test public response in case Republi
can Gov. George Pataki decides to revoke an
executive order protecting gay men and lesbians
from discrimination in state agencies.
anniversary
P O R T I. A N D
i
i
►
GAY MEN'S CHORUS
9^6 te maAtn^
The fifteenth season of the Portland Gay Men's Chorus
¿¡P gmc
continues with a rich shared history for our choral
family. We reflect on the rich dynamk experiences that
we have shored and look forward to the future.
We invite you to join us in our celebration!
For Portland Tickets
Please Call PGMC at 699-8586.
The Portland Gay Men's Chorus
Post Office Box 3223
Portland, Oregon
97208-3223
recaptures the jo y o f the
4 .
7 0 's ! Join us as w e return to this era
a n d h ig h lig h t the g ro w in g v is ib ility o f
the Lesbian a n d G a y C o m m u n ity d ur
ing that tim e.
W e co n clu d e the e ve n in g w ith
the m a g n ific e n t tribute to our struggle
w ith the AIDS e p id e m ic , "H id d e n
Legacies." It is an e ve ning that w ill
touch yo u r h ea rt as an a ffirm a tio n o f
our strength a n d as a c e le b ra tio n o f
our collective c o u ra g e to live.
FOR HIV POSITIVE ONLY
A S P E C I A L DE N T A L C A R E P R O J E C T TO H E L P
I M P R O V E T H E L I V E S O F P E O P L E WI T H HI V
P r o je c t D e n ta l
H e a lth at th e
OHIO
Deciding that enough is enough, activists have
formed the Toledo Gay and Lesbian Coalition. Its
first action was a March 1 protest at Toledo’s
Central Catholic High School, where a student
was given detention for wearing a T-shirt pro
claiming “Boycott Homophobia.”
Clergy, parents, students, and other organiza
tions, including the local chapter of the National
Organization for Women, are scheduled to join
the protest.
R u s s e ll S tr e e t
C lin ic n e e d s
H IV p a r t i c i p a n ts
fo r an O ra l
C a re P r o je c t
to s tu d y th e
o v e r a ll h e a lth
e f f e c ts o f r e g u la r
d e n ta l c a r e fo r
UTAH
Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats announced
it would oppose House Bill 366 and all other
attempts to change that state’s laws concerning
recognition of marriages performed by other states
and countries. HB 366 would recognize mar
riages performed in other states and countries
only if the marriage meets the same requirements
as a marriage performed in Utah.
Same-sex marriages are already prohibited
under state law.
p e o p le w i t h
HIV.
E lig ib ilty :
• HIV p o s itiv e
• 20 to 45 ye ars
of ago
• H avo a T 4 c o u n t
b o tw ee n 100
WEST VIRGINIA
Republican state Delegate Eric Blass wants to
cut funding for West Virginia University office
space used by a sexual minority student group.
According to the Associated Press, Blass said it is
“discriminatory” for the Bisexual, Gay and Les
bian Mountaineers to have space in the student
union.
“You don’t see the heterosexuals asking for
their own meeting space,” Blass said.
Blass said he wants to turn the two-person
office space into a day-care center.
1 1 1 'Cdmpiltd by Kristine Chatwoodr
and 500
To participate in the
Oral Care Project call:
Melody Scheer
Russell St. Clinic/
Project Dental Health
(5 0 3 ) 4 9 4 -6 3 0 0
• H ave at le a s t
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P a rtic ip a tio n :
• D e n tal e x a m s 3
tim e s e a c h year
___
• P o s s ib le c le a n in g
All participants will be paid $15.00 for cach exanïïnation and
a $25.00 bonus for the final exam. Participants will help in
efforts to improve the quality o f life for people with HIV.
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Usattb S ckocn liu lv a lfy , |
ovary 2 m o nth s
• P o ssib lo d aily use
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