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The ruling marks a historic step in W ash
ington, but Lambda Legal Defense and Edu
cation Fund expressed concern for Vasquez.
His case was sent back to the trial court for
further exam ination of his relationship with
Schwerzler.
Vasquez now must suffer the indignity of
“proving” his relationship through a trial
while still deeply grieving the loss of his part
ner. Jennifer C . Pizer, senior staff attorney in
Lam bda’s Western Regional Office, noted
that tragedies like an unexpected death show
why marriage is essential for lesbian and gay
couples.
“This decision affirms that lesbians and gay
men form committed, serious relationships with
or without marriage, just like heterosexuals,” she
said. “It rightly judges all unmarried couples
with the same standards. However, Frank
Vasquez would not be in the sad, painful posi
tion of having to prove the nearly 30 years of
love and commitment he and his partner shared
if they could have married. We will continue to
fight for that right.”
Vasquez shared a home and business with
Schwerzler. He died in 1995 without a will,
and two years later his relatives sued to take all
of the men’s assets, including their home in
Puyallup.
Applying a long-standing state equitable
rule, a trial court upheld Vasquez’s claim to the
property, valued about $230,000, that the two
had acquired jointly during their relationship.
An appellate court reversed that ruling.
$5,000 to hire a part-time field organizer who
will help coordinate legislative efforts includ
ing civil rights and safe schools bills. The non
profit organization was formed in 1998 to pro
tect the rights of gay, lesbian, bi and trans peo
ple in the state through lobbying in the Legis
lature and political contacts in the state and
local governments.
“The Equality Fund grants have become
an essential component in the struggle for
equality and shows H R C ’s dedication to
achieving success at the state level,” says Seth
Kilbourn, national field director. “Unlike
most of the grants that tend to be available to
organizations, the Equality Fund grants can
be used directly for lobbying purposes. This
means that G L B T groups can spend more
time working to directly impact the decisions
o f lawmakers.”
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Y outh S upport G roup
G ets to the P oint
riple Point— a support group offering
education, support and advocacy to gay,
lesbian, bi and trans and questioning youth in
southwest W ashington— is getting the word
out about its weekly meetings.
The gatherings previously were held in
downtown Vancouver at Cascade AIDS Proj
ect, but funding was cut, so now they are being
sponsored by the Children’s Home Society until
a permanent home is found. The group meets
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Triple Point co-facilitator John Furze (right) chats with teens during a recent meeting
“Many unmarried people, gay and straight
alike, procrastinate about doing a will because
none of us likes to think about death," Seattle
attorney Suzanne Thomas explained. “It’s a
tremendous victory that Frank will have the
chance to prove his case at trial, but it won’t be
pleasant. We all wish Bob had just gotten that
will prepared.”
N o state in the United States offers same-sex
couples the option of civil marriage, but in Feb
ruary legislators introduced a pair of bills that
would bring civil unions to same-sex couples in
Washington. A civil union bill also is pending
in California. Civil unions, like those in Ver
mont, would greatly expand legal protections,
rights, and responsibilities for lesbian and gay
families.
from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays in the Youth House
basement at 1112 Columbia St.
John Furze co-facilitates Triple Point with
intern Jennifer Parks, who is pursuing a mas
ter’s degree in social work at Portland State
University. He says five to eight people be
tween 13 and 21
years old-usually
show up for the
meetings.
“We’re deal
ing with harass
ment at school,
counseling ser
vices, standing
up to school offi
cials about their
rights,”
Furze
says. “T he youth
com e in with
different issues each week.”
M eetings also feature speakers from orga
nizations including Bridge 13 and Parents,
Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
The group also discusses a number of issues
such as body image and relationship prob
lems, and Furze says the results have been
positive.
'We're dealing with
harassment at
school, counseling
services, standing
up to school officials
about their rights"
— John Furze
W ashington N onprofit
R eceives $5,000 G rant
T
he Fluman Rights Cam paign announced
Oct. 31 it has awarded 23 Equality Fund
grants totaling $104,000 to lesbian, gay, bi
and trans lobby groups across the nation. The
money should help these organizations fur
ther advance equality at the state level, H R C
says.
W ashington’s Fairness Lobby received
Continued on Page 1 1
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