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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1995)
ju s t o u t ▼ July 2 1 . 1 9 9 5 ▼ 3 national briefs LEA V E IT TO A PRO! Marvin Salles ’ Associate Broker DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Checks started rolling in this spring for four studies on lesbian health issues, reports The Wash ington Blade. Grants were awarded to the projects last fall by the National Institutes of Health. The total amount awarded is estimated at $350,000. The funded studies include: a District of Co lumbia project to determine breast-cancer-screen ing practices among lesbians and bisexual women with a family history of breast cancer; a North Carolina study to determine the most effective methods for delivering health maintenance mes sages to lesbians; a project in Miami that will study the psychological impact on lesbians of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment; and a San Fran- cisco-based project that will study the mental health conditions among lesbians who have had breast cancer surgery. ▼ ▼ ▼ According to the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm of the Republican Party, has joined the ranks of offices on Capitol Hill prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. The committee’s policy is similar to policies in many congressional offices. At the present time, 293 members of Congress have office employment policies that forbid dis crimination based on sexual orientation. GEORGIA The Centers for Disease Control and Preven tion and the Environmental Protection Agency issued a report last month advising people with compromised immune systems to boil their drink ing water. According to the report, boiling the water for one minute is the best way to kill C ryptosporidium , a parasite som etim es found in water supplies contaminated by sewage or animal waste. Alter natively, water can be filtered or one can drink bottled water. Although not usually life-threatening, the parasite can cause serious illness in people with AIDS or cancer and trans plant patients taking drugs that suppress immu nity. The parasite can cause severe diarrhea, nau sea and stomach cramps. MASSACHUSETTS Two hundred gay and lesbian organizations received donations totaling more than $100,000 from the Pride Network, a long-distance telephone service provider serving the gay and lesbian com munity. Pride Network donates 3 percent of net residential long-distance charges and 2 percent of commercial charges to gay, lesbian or HIV-related organizations. Recipients are chosen by Pride Net work customers. The Pride Network, started in February 1994, offers discount long-distance service to persons and businesses who support lesbian, gay and HIV- related causes. ▼ ▼ ▼ The town of Northampton, thought by many to be a “lesbian heaven,” is in the throes of a commu nity conflict over a domestic partnership ordi nance, according to a story in Bay Windows. The Northampton City Council unanimously passed a domestic partnership ordinance in May. One month later, a group calling itself Northampton forTradi- tional Values collected nearly 3,000 signatures on its petition to place the issue on the ballot. Accord ing to the city clerk, Christine Skorupski, this is the first time in nearly a quarter of a century that an ordinance passed by the city council has been placed on the ballot. Supporters of the petition stated they did not want to be portrayed as “anti-gay.” However, Christopher Aquadro, a member of Northampton for Traditional Values, told Bay Windows, "Mar riage is a big part of traditional values with a traditional family being made up of a man and a woman. I don’t think there should be a law on the books promoting [same-sex marriage].” OKLAHOMA At least one lesbian was among the 166 people killed in the Oklahoma City bombing in April, according to a story in the June issue of the Chicago newspaper Outlines. Sheryl Schelkun, owner of the Bunkhouse, a gay bar, said that Kathryn Rid- Buying or selling a home can be stressful even under the best of conditions. Benefit from my experience, relax! • Top selling, multi-million dollar agent •1 7 years marketing, negotiating, and sales management experience • 16-office network to serve you • 1031 tax deferred exchange specialist <> W n d e rm e re 225-1115 • pager 204-1271 2078 NW Everett St. Portland. OR 97209 early 20s, had moved back to O klahom a^ City shortly before the xfA bombing; she had pre- viously been living in SjiV Alabama with her girlfriend, Johnika Edwards. x;: A ccording to Schelkun, a numberof lesbians and gay men were displaced when their apartment building was damaged by the blast. A fund has been established to help lesbians and gay men hurt by the bombing, write: G/L Disaster Relief Fund, c/o Bunkhouse, 2800 NW 39th, Okla homa City, OK 73112. UTAH The Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats spear headed a petition drive calling for the protection of equal marriage rights of gay, lesbian and bisexual people in the state. Over 1,200 people signed the petition at the Utah Gay and Lesbian Pride ’95 celebration last month. The petition is in response to Utah’s Recogni tion of Marriages law which prohibits recognition of same-sex marriages. The Democrat group plans to challenge the law in court. WASHINGTON The Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church voted to oppose two anti-gay initiatives, according to an Associated Press story. Rejected by the 900 clergy and lay representatives from Washington and Northern Idaho were Initia tive 166, which would bar schools from portraying homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle, and Ini tiative 167, which would bar gay men and lesbians from adopting children or becoming foster par ents. Additionally, conference representatives voted to ask the church’s national board to change the Book of Discipline. That document is a set of guiding principles that describes homosexuality as incompatible with Christian teaching. ▼ ▼ ▼ Starbucks, the ever-expanding coffee company headquartered in Seattle, agreed at its February stockholders meeting to adopt a code of conduct for all of its coffee production, according to the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee new sletter La Lucha Solidaria. Active in writing the code of con duct are represen tatives from the U.S. Guatemalan Labor Education Project. That group was the main organizer of a nationwide cam paign for justice for coffee pickers that prompted the company’s decision. Picketing and leafleting at Portland Starbucks stores was coordinated by Jobs with Justice and PCASC. ^ T ravel A gents PI I nternational ® "fervin? Our Community... By IJleetinp Vour fleedf" Hawaii On Sale! 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