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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2001)
|uly 6.2001 • just Mtj23 rWTTTI news For instance, as the U.S. District Court explained, local school districts are not required to “endorse, participate or solicit oth -S- ers to participate in Boy Scouts activities.” he Human Rights Campaign praised the Gay rights advocates say the Helms amend U.S. Agriculture Department on June 20 ment seeks to intimidate school officials into continuing to offer the Boy Scouts these spe for its new effort to hire program specialists to foster workplace diversity, including a special cial privileges, even if their discriminatory ist to handle gay and lesbian issues. It is the policy conflicts with a community’s values first time a U.S. administration has sought to and standards. hire a specialist to handle such issues in the federal workplace. “The USDA’s efforts will ensure a more equitable workplace as well as help the government recruit and retain the most highly qualified and talented Americans,” said Elizabeth Birch, HRC executive director. “This bold, intelligent move mir rors the highly effective human resources practices of corporate America and will help create a more efficient and effective federal government.” The agency’s move to hire a specialist on gay-related workplace issues is part of a larger effort to attract the most quali fied workers by creating a more diverse and equitable workplace. The agency also is advertising for program specialists to represent women, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans and African Americans. The jobs are posted on the Internet site of the federal Office of Personnel Management. The career opportunities evolved from a series of employee adviso ry councils created last year by Agricul ture Secretary Dan Glickman and inher ited by Ann Veneman, his successor in the Bush administration. The “gay and lesbian program special ist” will help carry out policies recom mended by the agency’s gay and lesbian employee council and adopted by the Scout’s Honor tells the story of Steven Cozza, who is agency. Primary responsibilities involve working to overturn the organization’s anti-gay policy representation, policy development, ♦5» implementation, training and evaluation of wo anti-gay organizations launched a cam employment and workplace issues related to paign last month to stop the airing of equal opportunity for gay and lesbian employees, according to the job description posted on the Scout’s Honor on PBS’ P.O.V. program June 19. The acclaimed documentary, which chroni Internet site. cles efforts to change the Boy Scouts of Ameri -5- ca policy banning gay Scouts and Scout leaders, he U.S. Senate passed an amendment won the Audience Award for best documentary June 14 sponsored by Barbara Boxer, and the Freedom of Expression Award at this D-Calif., to offset a previous anti-gay amend year ’s Sundance Film Festival. Concerned ment offered by Jesse Helms, R-N.C. The Boxer Women for America and the American Family Association sent out action alerts calling on amendment, which passed 52-47, ensures all members to contact their local PBS stations and federally chartered organizations are guaranteed access to school facilities regardless of their pressure them not to air it. The Washington Times, a conservative news stance on sexual orientation. paper, quoted CWFA’s Peter LaBarbera as say Earlier in the day, the Senate voted 51-49 for passage of the Helms amendment, which pro ing: “It’s one thing if [the documentary’s produc hibits federal funding to schools if they "deny er, Tom Shepard] were to produce a film on his equal access” to Boy Scout troops because of the private dime. But when you bring the taxpayer national group’s discriminatory policy banning money in...to undermine the Boy Scouts of gay Scouts. Both amendments now are expected America, it changes things. Then it becomes a to go to a conference committee, where lobbyists concern of taxpaying Americans.” Joan M. Garry, Gay and Lesbian Alliance will work to remove the anti-gay Helms language Against Defamation executive director, said: from the bill. “ This is absolutely about both public broadcast The courts al ing and taxpayer funding. PBS has a mandate to ready have ruled represent the full diversity of this country, and that school dis that includes acknowledging and respecting the tricts must allow diverse community of LGBT taxpayers. Scout’s the Boy Scouts, Honor is a fair, accurate and inclusive look at the like any other divisiveness caused by one organization’s deci group, to have sion to discriminate. It’s a story that informs and equal access to educates not only the LGBT community but public facilities. also the American public, advancing the cultur But school districts al debate that has played out in the courts and still are entitled to in the media for a number of years.” JF1 deny the Boy Scouts special ben Compiled by Copy Editor JlM RADOSTA, who can efits not offered to 1 be reached at jim@justout .com. other groups. Barbara Boxer ened by violence, and 17 percent had experi enced physical attack.” T T W estoxer H eights C I I . 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