rTiTTOTTTInecus 14 "W e'd like to get to know you" A special introduction; Mention you saw this ad in Jost Oat and CUSTOM FRAMING IS Assembly is free— You pay for the materials • Complete Projects only • Uniframes excluded ^Picture This’ FRAMING GALLERY 2801 SE Holgate • Portland • 236-1400 Plenty of FREE parking at our convienent Eastside location Mon.-Fri. 9:30 am - 6 pm • Saturday 10 am-5:30 pm Applies to complete projects only. Not to be tomheed wfb other offers J Ä K S I f * MP * C R m a *? m f'* I-- i 1 mm m i ARIZONA ailed March 13 it is legal for Pima A judge County to offer health insurance benefits to the unmarried domestic partners of county employees, reports the Arizona Daily Star. The ruling came eight months after domestic partners were to begin receiving benefits under a new county policy. Enactment of the policy was delayed by a lawsuit filed by a taxpayers’ group that opposed it. The Daily Star says 90 percent of the county employees who applied for benefits did so for partners of the opposite sex. Only 10 employees signed up for same-sex domestic partners. T HAWAII he fight for legal same-sex marriage is draw­ ing some powerful support. Oswald Stender, a trustee of Bishop Estate—one of the largest land-holding entities in the state—has joined the executive panel of Protect Our Constitution, a political action committee which aims to prevent the Legislature from amending the state constitution to allow prohi­ bition of same-sex marriage. According to the Honolulu Star'Bulletin, other prominent Hawaiians who have given their support to the PAC include Assistant U.S. Attorney Loretta Matsunaga and Wally “Famous” Amos. CALIFORNIA a quarter of the San Francisco M ore bars than n keeping with tradition, the Big Apple’s St. and restaurants that have been cited I Patrick’s Day festivities involved the wearing for violating the statewide ban on smoking since NEW YORK Jan. 1 have been gay bars, according to the Bay of green, widespread beer consumption, a mon­ umental parade and the arrests of Irish American queer-rights demonstrators. According to United Press International, an estimated two dozen folks were arrested for protesting the parade because the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization is banned from marching As of early February, inspectors had cited a behind its own banner. total of 14 establishments over their inability or The Ancient Order unwillingness to make customers comply with of Hibernians, the frater­ California’s smoking ban. Of those 14, four have nal Irish Catholic group that organizes the mostly gay clienteles: Reflections on Polk event, has suggested ILGO members march Street, Trax on Haight Street, the San Francisco with banners representing Irish counties. Eagle on Harrison Street and The Hole in the In 1995, the Hibernians won a court ruling Wall on Seventh Street. that the parade is a private religious event and The article says in all the cases the owners therefore they are not required to include any were ordered to attend administrative hearings group which asks to march. about complying with the new ban. ELLIPTICAL FITNESS CROSS- TRAINER W hy settle for 2nd best when you can have the original? Precor invented the concept. Precor holds all the patents. Precor is suing all the imitators. Precor is in all the clubs. PRECORI O nly Precor has power elevation E F X 5 .2 1 » O nly Precor is silky smooth and completely quiet. The Standard by which all others are judged O nly Precor lets you keep your foot flat throughout the range of motion. NO IMPACT Walking Running StairClimbing Crosscountry Skiing S S E S 5 R e a . P r ic e 92300 Available ^ Exclusively Ö 1 - 800 - 659-0421 À 659-4055 11211 SE 82 nd Av*. Ross Center 1206 286-1292 N. Hayden Mds Dr. Delta Park 11865 t mayors have sent letters to President F our Clinton asking him to allow, or at least ignore, medical marijuana clubs in their cities. The Associated Press reports the mayors— representing Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and West Hollywood—argued club closures would harm AIDS and can­ cer sufferers who use marijuana to combat pain and nausea. Despite voter approval of a statewide initiative allowing possession and cultivation of the drug with a doctor’s recommendation, federal prose­ cutors have targeted the clubs for violating laws against the possession and sale of drugs. o 644-061 5 2» SW Beav.-Hlllsdal* H Beaverton Town Squ - 9 - even men arrested at an adult bookstore in Livermore filed a federal lawsuit March 11 claiming they were targeted because they were perceived as gay. The plaintiffs also accuse city officials, business leaders and police of conspir­ ing to shut down the store to clean up down­ town’s image. The men were allegedly alone in video booths masturbating, visible to police only if officers looked under a partition, according to attorney Bmce W. Nickerson. City officials contend the booths are public and the arrests simply enforced decency laws. Two dozen men were arrested, including a junior high schcxd teacher who was sentenced to two years probation, fined $250 and required to register as a sex offender. Most of the arrested | men agreed to plea bargains to avoid being reg- ! istered as sex offenders. S SALE Your Fitness Experts TEXAS A judge has blocked the city of Houston from enforcing Mayor Lee Brown’s executive order banning discrimination against lesbians and gay men in city government. State District Judge Patrick W. Mizell agreed with opponents who argued the mayor lacks authority under the city charter to impose such an order. Mizell said the charter authorizes only the Houston City Council and the Civil Service Commission to make rules regarding discrimina­ tion. After a briefing by city attorneys, Brown said he is considering an appeal. Brown signed the order in January, fulfilling a campaign pledge to ban discrimination in city government on the basis of sexual orientation. UTAH club, the East High Gay/Straight A student Alliance, is fighting discrimination—and the Salt Lake City Board of Education—in a lawsuit filed March 19 by three civil rights groups on behalf of two students. The students, represented by Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union chapters of Utah and Northern California, claim the board is violat­ ing the federal Equal Access Act, which requires public secondary schcxils accepting federal funds to allow all school clubs access to school facili­ ties. The lawsuit comes more than two years after the Salt Lake City School Board voted to ban 46 noncurricular clubs rather than allow the Gay/Straight Alliance to meet as a school- sponsored club. ■ Compiled by W ill O’B ryan