j u s t o u t ▼ m a rc h 2 1 , 1 9 9 7 ▼ 7
national briefs
CALIFORNIA
The California Supreme Court ruled Feb. 24
that a life insurance company must pay benefits
on the policy of an HIV-positive man who lied on
his insurance application. The court ruled that
Amex Life Assurance was too late in claiming
fraud because state law makes all paid-up life
insurance policies “incontestable” two years after
they take effect, reported United Press Interna
tional. The decision also said the company could
have detected the fraud with “minimal effort.”
In his 1991 application for insurance, José
Morales denied having AIDS and two months
later sent another man— four inches taller and 30
pounds heavier than the description he submitted
in the application—to take the required medical
exam. Morales died of AIDS-related causes in
1993, shortly after obtaining a viatical settlement.
Amex must now pay the policy’s proceeds,
$180,000, to the viatical company.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) intro
duced a proposal on Jan. 7 to prohibit health
insurers from using genetic information—includ
ing tests showing a likelihood of a person’s devel
oping breast cancer—to deny or refuse to renew
a health insurance policy. According to a story in
the Washington Blade, the bill would also prevent
insurance companies from classifying genetic
predisposition for an illness as a “pre-existing
condition” which can be used to deny coverage.
In a statement in the Congressional Record,
Slaughter said the legislation is intended to enable
women to use newly developed genetic tests to
help determine their risk of breast cancer without
fear of losing their insurance. Slaughter intro
duced a similar bill two years ago that failed to
receive a hearing.
The remains of award-winning gay scientist
Todd Hawley will be among the first to rest in
peace in outer space. According to a Washington
Blade report, Hawley’s
ashes will join those of 22
other deceased persons
being blasted off, along
with a spacecraft carry
ing Spain’s first satellite,
from Gando Air Base in
the Canary Islands this
month.
•*\*
The Texas-based company Celestis made the
arrangements, under which the ashes will remain
in orbit attached to the rocket’s launcher before
burning up within 10 years. Hawley, a founding
member of the International Space University in
Strasbourg, France, requested outer space burial
shortly before his death from AIDS complica
tions in 1995.
▼ ▼ ▼
The Human Rights Campaign is looking for
people who have been denied job opportunities,
fired or otherwise discriminated against in the
workplace because of their sexual orientation.
The organization wants to use personal stories in
its ongoing lobbying and awareness-raising cam
paign to enact the federal Employment Non-
Discrimination Act, which came within one vote
of passing the Senate last September.
Anyone interested in sharing her or his expe
riences should call HRC at (202) 628-4160, ext.
4000, or write to The Human Rights Campaign,
Documenting Discrimination Project, 1101 14th
St. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005 (be
sure to include day and evening phone number
and e-mail address if available). HRC is also
accepting submissions through its Web site, http:
//www.hrcusa.org.
ILLINOIS
Rep. Larry McKeon (D-Chicago), the first
openly gay man elected to the state Legislature,
introduced a bill Feb. 28 to ban discrimination
based on sexual orientation. Thirty-six lawmak
ers are cosponsoring the measure, including House
Speaker Michael Madigan, which reportedly is
the largest number of sponsors of a sexual minor
ity rights bill in state history.
The proposed legislation would amend the
Illinois Human Rights Act to outlaw discrimina
tion based on sexual orientation in housing, em
ployment, public accommodations and credit
transactions. A similar bill in 1991 won only 40
votes in favor.
An identical bill was introduced in February in
the Illinois Senate by Bruce Farley (D-Chicago)
with 15 cosponsors.
NATIONWIDE
Lesbian Disabled Veterans of America, a non
profit group formed to address policy and plan
ning issues in the Department of Veteran Affairs
and to serve the needs of lesbian disabled former
service members, is recruiting volunteer field
representatives to assist with grass-roots organiz
ing and increas
ing community
awareness. The
group’s m is
sion is to assure
that lesbian dis
abled veterans
receive ben
efits and ser
vice on par with
male veterans,
and encounter
no discrimina
tion in their at
tempts to ac
cess those services; and to foster VA participation
in general federal initiatives focusing on lesbian
veteran and lesbian disabled veterans’ issues.
Inquiries and tax deductible donations may be
sent to Sharon Daugherty, 3124 Scranton St.,
Aurora, CO 80011. The organization’s e-mail
address is lesbian_veterans@homosexual.net;
or check out its Web site at h ttp://
www.geocities.com/index.html.
NEW YORK
On Feb. 28 at the “Inner Circle,” an annual
$400-a-plate black-tie dinner where the city’s
journalists lampoon city, state and national poli
tics, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani stole the show
when he appeared on stage wearing a blond bouf
fant wig and an evening gown and sporting a
generous bosom to perform his rendition of
Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy birthday, Mr. Presi
dent” serenade to John F. Kennedy.
After razzing City Hall reporters, he frolicked
with actress Julie Andrews, star of Victor/Victoria,
reports The Associated Press. Giuliani, who is
running for a second term this year, told the crowd
he is “a Republican pretending to be a Democrat
pretending to be a Republican.”
OHIO
The Cleveland-based United Church of Christ
recently appointed a national staff minister for
gay and lesbian concerns, the Rev. Dr. William R.
Johnson, who is believed by church officials to be
the first openly gay man ever ordained to the
Christian ministry.
Since 1990, Johnson has been the
organization’s HIV/AIDS ministries specialist,
reports the Akron Beacon Journal. He is also the
author of “Affirming Persons— Saving Lives,” a
comprehensive curriculum for AIDS prevention
and awareness designed for use in Christian edu
cational settings.
The 1.5 million-member denomination,
formed in 1957, has 6,100 congregations in the
United States and Puerto Rico. UCC’s General
Synod and the church’s national agencies support
equal rights for sexual minorities in society as
well as in the church.
North
Portland
Veterinary
Hospital
Like any family m em ber
our pets need good healthcare.
A t North Portland Veterinary
Hospital, w e provide the very
best medical care along with
big doses of tenderness
and compassion.
285-0462
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230-7723
2025 SE Hawthorne
2009 N.Killingsworth
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