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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2001)
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Infin ity Outdoor approved the series created by the Bronx Lesbian and Gay Consortium to help edu cate men who have sex with men, and women who have sex with women, about sympathetic health care providers in the community. The ads were displayed for less than two days of an expected four-week stint before one was replaced. Although Infinity Outdoor will not disclose the specific nature of the complaints, they also will not deny that homophobia played a part in its decision. Furthermore, the only ad removed featured two frilly clothed men standing side by side, one with his arm around the other. The two other ads had a single man or a single woman. “Infinity Outdoor’s decision to remove these ads is both rash and irresponsible and will weak en efforts to combat the spread of infectious dis eases like HIV, hepatitis and gonorrhea and the management of chronic health problems like depression, drug use and suicide in the Bronx,” the joint statement said. “Allowing random com plaints about the ad to cause its removal makes access to quality health education and HIV pre vention education in New York City subject to the ‘heckler’s veto.’ This cannot be permitted.” According to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the city unabashedly sup ported Infinity Outdoors decision. Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall said, “We feel that good taste can supersede the First Amendment.” •5“ he leading Latino H1V/AIDS agency in New York effectively was forced out of Jackson Heights, Queens—an epicenter of the AIDS epidemic in U.S. Latino communities— because of prejudice against the agency’s trans clients, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a lawsuit filed June 26. The Hispanic AIDS Forum was forced to leave Jackson Heights after the landlord at the office building that housed the agency for 10 years acquiesced to complaints from another tenant that trans clients were using the “wrong” restrooms. (For example, people who identified and expressed themselves as women—but who were not bom anatomically female—used the women’s restroom.) The landlord was unwilling to discuss ways to accommodate the trans clients, refused to renew the agency’s lease and began eviction proceedings. “This is unlawful discrimination—and prejudice with the highest of prices," said Tamara Lange, ACLU AIDS Project staff attorney. “This landlord has made it much harder for the Hispanic AIDS Forum to reach the people who need HIV/AIDS services most, and this organization has been forced to pay higher rent and moving costs. That money could have been used to help more Latinos affected by HIV/AIDS.” n a case in which a les bian brought a claim of harassment against her same-sex supervisor, the Supreme Judicial Court cau tioned trial courts June 27 against using “prejudicial or inflammatory" references in jury instructions. Susan Muzzy sued her former employer, Cahillane Motors, charging that her boss had sexually harassed her. Juries are required to determine whether “a rea sonable person in the plain tiff’s position, considering all the circum stances,” would have found the alleged conduct to be hostile or abusive. Taking into account this objective standard, some courts have asked juries to consider whether a reasonable person of the employee’s race or sex would have found certain conduct to be hostile or abusive. In this case, the judge asked whether a lesbian in Muzzy’s position would have found the super visor’s conduct offensive. On appeal, she argued that the jury verdict against her should be over turned because the reference to a “reasonable les bian” could have prejudiced the jury against her. Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, which did not side with either party, advised that some context relating to plaintiffs might be appropriate or even necessary because of juries’ historical tendency to overlook the experiences of minorities in the workplace. On the other hand, some references to personal characteris tics might be prejudicial because of negative stereotypes associated with certain groups. The court agreed. The decision, which upheld the jury verdict for technical reasons, admonished that judges should not allow irrele vant personal characteristics to be considered and that particular attention should be paid to objections by plaintiffs to instructions referenc ing particulars of an employee’s race, gender, sex, ethnicity or sexual orientation. NATIONAL urgeon General David Satcher released a comprehensive report on sex education June 28 and urged U.S. leaders to let science guide the country’s public policy. The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Pro mote Sexual Health and Responsible Behavior calls on the United States to respect the “diversity of sexual values within ahy community” and rec ommends a “mature and thoughtful discussion about sexuality.” It advises that sex education begin early, be wide ranging and be available throughout one’s life. No evidence indicates “abstinence-only” pro grams are effective, ac cording to the report. It also says sex education programs should explain how to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Improving access to reproductive health care services for all people is recommended. Addition ally, it discusses the consequences of harassment on the mental health of gay men and lesbians and says no scientific evidence indicates one’s sexual orientation can be changed. “In their extreme form, anti-homosexual attitudes lead to anti-gay violence,” the report says. “Averaged over two dozen studies, 80 per cent of gay men and lesbians had experienced verbal or physical harassment on the basis of sexual orientation, 45 percent had been threat- S
