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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 4, 1997)
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R eeves , Legal Secretary national news Legal ties further bind lesbian family Eighteen months ago, the New York Court of Appeals chose to recognize the right of unmarried couples, whether homo- or heterosexual, to adopt children together. That decision paved the way for Dee Hoole and Robin Shlakman of Hunting- ton to cross-adopt each other’s daughters—who were conceived via artificial insemination using sperm from the same donor—without a protracted legal battle. The women, both 33, have been living together for six years and, according to a Newsday article, petitioned for the cross-adop tion to avert future legal problems should one of them die. The couple’s lawyer said this is the first cross-adoption in the United States by lesbians whose children are half-siblings. Suffolk Family Court Judge William Kent signed the adoption papers March 7. The girls’ biological father agreed to the adoption, however he was not present in court because he wanted to remain anonymous. New York is the third state, after Vermont and Massachusetts, to allow un married couples to adopt children. Mid-Atlantic or medieval? out any major catastrophes. Activists participat ing in the event included Stonewall riot veterans Sylvia Rivera, Bob Kohler and CRUF founder Randolfe Wicker. Although it initially encountered resistance and hostil ity, the group is con tinuing its bid to le galize cloning as a method of same-sex reproduction, accord ing to a report on the Internet news site Badpuppy/ Gay Today. Wicker told reporters that CRUF has made progress in convincing others that cloning is a gay and lesbian issue and a matter of reproductive rights. Although not a member of the organization, Ann Northrop, co-host of the weekly cable news show Gay USA and LGNY columnist, gave her full support, as an independent lesbian spokes woman, to the pro-cloning demonstrators. She told Gay Today that cloning is not only an oppor tunity to make more gay people—assuming there is a genetic basis for homosexuality— but also a feminist jackpot that could lead to the eventual obsolescence of men. On the other hand, longtime gay activist Dr. Franklin E. Kameny, also a supporter of cloning rights, foresees cloning taking place outside of female wombs. He said that cloning technology may require minor governmental regulation, but will continue to advance until it will be possible to stimulate any body cell into cloning-related em- bryogenesis and to complete gestation in vitro. Hertford County, Va., school officials ordered the destruction and disposal of nearly 30,000 donated books March 2, after a visiting grandpar ent found a copy of The Gay Handbook at C.S. Brown Elementary School, which houses pre kindergarten through fifth grade. According to the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, Lynell Eure and an unidentified friend complained to the school board, the board contacted school system administra tors, and ultimately all of the books—which re- j Workplace fairness portedly included cookbooks, history books, con temporary novels and sports stories, as well as a j rides again few lesbian and gay titles—were sent to the land fill. On March 6, U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R- Although a 30-member media advisory com Calif.) reintroduced the Workplace Fairness Act, mittee had already reviewed the materials and which would prohibit employment discrimina removed about 400 “objectionable” volumes, tion on any basis other than “qualities pertaining Schools Superintendent Andrew Carrington de to job performance” for all workers, including fended the drastic action, saying the district chose gay men and lesbians. Cosponsors of the bill, to err on the side of caution in order to “safeguard which was originally proposed last year, include the interests of our children and our community.” openly gay Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) and Rep. The books were being stored at Brown Elemen Albert Wynn (D-Md.), a member of the Congres tary until they could be distributed to other schools, sional Black Caucus. libraries and colleges throughput the region and Bilbray’s bill is an innovative, broad-based were not meant to be • approach that would fight discrimination in gen seen by the students] " eral without adding new protected classes under there, but Eure claims! the traditional civil rights model. The proposal she learned that stu lists "qualities pertaining to job performance,” dents had access to the ] including employment history, ability, willing books and had been] ness to work, educational background, criminal privately circulating] record, conflicts of interest and other items. some o f them fo r| WFA would not limit, amend or repeal any months. protected-class civil rights laws currently in force. The books werej donated to the] Anti-queer violence rises; Hertford County school system by Communities In Schools, a nonprofit organization based in administration calls meeting Alexandria, Va., that provides services for drop outs and routinely give surplus materials to needy The 12th “Anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, communities. Dr. Ronald Lewis, who helped ar Transgendered Violence” report, issued by the range the donation, said such gifts are accompa National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs on nied by a disclaimer that some materials may not March 11, shows a rise in hate crimes against be suitable for some communities and may be queers nationwide. The finding prompted Attor destroyed. The group, which began in Harlem in ney General Janet Reno and other Clinton admin the 1960s and now has chapters in 28 states and istration officials to schedule an ad hoc meeting, England, with plans soon to expand to South to be held within two weeks of the report’s re Africa, had not encountered a similar situation lease, with sexual minority leaders and anti-vio before. lence activists from around the country, accord ing to a Washington Blade story. The report includes statistics from 14 U.S. Queers demand metropolitan areas and indicates a 6 percent in crease over the number of bias crimes reported in right to clone 1995. While the increase may seem slight, Chris Thanks to assistance from the Anti-Violence Quinn of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Project and cooperative police, a March 1 demon- ! Anti-Violence Project, which prepares the annual stration in New York City’s West Village by the report, said it should be viewed in contrast to the Clone Rights United Front was carried off with- number of crimes overall—which went down in