j u s t o u t T J a n u a ry 1 7 . 1 9 « 7 T 9
Depression-Drugs-Anxiety
Nondiscrimination policy
adopted by postal service
The U.S. Postal Service’s law enforcement
branch, which employs 4,600 inspectors, police
officers and support personnel, has issued a new
code o f conduct for
bidding employees to
discriminate against
sexual minorities even
during off-duty hours.
Each employee o f the
agency is required to
sign the new code, but
some are protesting
out of belief that the
rules will intrude upon
their private lives.
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The discrimination clause states that “Em
ployees acting in an official capacity will not
directly or indirectly authorize, permit or partici
pate in discrimination based on age, gender, eth
nic origin, physical or mental disability or sexual
orientation against anyone, whether or not they
are employees. Because we are a law enforce
ment agency, off-duty conduct that demonstrates
an inability to be fair, objective and unbiased in
dealings with others will not be tolerated.”
The statement does not include religion, which
is generally protected under federal nondiscrimi
nation policies.
A U.S. Postal Inspection Service spokesman
said “the policy will only affect any action that is
a violation o f the law,” as opposed to situations,
such as speaking out against same-sex marriage,
which would be a matter o f free speech.
Dornan-Sanchez race
still not over
Nineteen people interviewed by The Los An
geles Times admitted that they inadvertently cast
illegal votes in the hotly contested Nov. 5 election
in which political novice Loretta Sanchez un
seated longtime Rep. Bob Doman.
The report links many of those noncitizen
voters to Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, an or
ganization which offers citizenship classes and
registered at least 916 people in Doman’s district
last year. Representatives o f the group conceded
that some o f its students voted before they were
sworn in as citizens, but blames misunderstand
ings and over-eagerness.
Interviewees told the Times they were encour
aged to register and vote by people they believed
were affiliated with Hermandad, and that they
were given voter registration materials and ab
sentee ballot applications immediately after pass
ing tests or interviews with immigration officials.
but before attending the swearing-in ceremony
which completes the naturalization process. They
were apparently unaware they had broken the law
by registering and voting early.
Hermandad executive director Nativo Lopez
insisted that organization staff made the guide
lines clear to students, and said he did not know
the source o f the widespread misunderstanding.
He pointed out that many people walk away from
their INS interviews in an excited state, often
believing that they have completed the process.
It is a felony under state law for someone who
is not a citizen to vote or register to vote; nonciti
zens who commit felonies are subject to deporta
tion.
The Orange County Registrar of Voters Office
has completed a review o f the election results
which found no irregularities, the district attorney ’ s
office in Orange County is conducting a criminal
investigation into the matter, and the U.S. House
of Representatives is considering its own investi
gation in response to charges levied by Dornan
that 100 people voted twice, 195 people improp
erly returned absentee ballots, and as many as
1,000 noncitizens and convicted felons voted.
Doman was accused of racism after he blamed
his defeat by 984 votes on noncitizen voting.
Trials begin on anti-HIV
gene testing
According to the San Francisco Chronicle,
biotechnology researchers have won government
approval to begin the first human gene therapy
trials in the fight against HIV. The tests, based on
a discovery made by Stanford scientists nearly a
decade ago, seek to provide patients with newly
formed and fully functioning cells created from
their own immune systems which are genetically
capable o f preventing HIV from reproducing.
Doctors plan to remove bone marrow from 60
volunteers and collect the highly specialized stem
cells, which are the pro
genitors of red blood cells,
platelets and all the differ
entiated white blood cells
that comprise the body’s
immune system— includ
ing the T cells that are at
tacked by HIV and mac
rophages that attack invad
ing viruses. Using a harm
less virus as a carrier, sci
entists will insert into the
purified stem cells a mu
tated form of the “rev gene,”
which normally makes a
protein that is essential to
the early reproductive cycle
of HI V. Each succeeding generation o f stem cells,
Tcells and macrophages produced, scientists hope,
will then be genetically resistant to HIV.
Trials were set to begin in early January at
AIDS clinics in Redwood City, Calif., and Ala
bama using participants whose infection ranges
from recently diagnosed to late-stage AIDS.
Charlotte Bunch honored
Lesbian activist, writer and international ad
vocate for the human rights o f women Charlotte
Bunch, 52, was inducted Oct. 5 into the National
Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N. Y., site
of the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1848.
Bunch, who works for the Center for Women’s
Global Leadership at Rutgers University, is a
leader in the international movement for women’s
rights, including reproductive rights, education,
freedom from violence, and adequate nutrition
and sanitation standards.
Bunch cofounded the journal Quest: A Feminist
Quarterly in 1974 and served on the board of what
was then called the National Gay Task Force.
Compiled hy Christopher D. Cuttone
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were identified by a witness, attacked Wagner
while shouting anti-gay epithets and expletives.
Police are reportedly not considering the case a
hate crime.
Wagner’s parents and many fellow students
believe the attack was motivated by homophobia.
Since coming out at age 14, Wagner has been
subjected to daily verbal and physical abuse at
school. His mother told the Times that most school
officials have refused to take action on com
plaints about the abuse. She also charged that
several teachers ignored harassment which oc
curred in the classroom.
Shortly after news o f the attack appeared in
local papers, another woman came forward to
report her frustration at the lack o f response from
school officials to the physical and verbal assaults
suffered by her 12-year-old daughter over a two-
year period. The woman, who requested anonym
ity to protect her daughter, said her daughter is
teased in school for having a lesbian mother and
has been slapped, kicked and spat upon. She also
claimed that teachers and the vice principal did
not pay attention to her daughter’s complaints.
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