fehruary 1.2002 •
nTHTTTTl news
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ually misrepresent his count a month before
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NEIM YORK
lesbian who was denied unemploy
ment benefits because she isn’t mar
ried to her partner asked a state agency to
reconsider its decision Jan. 25.
People from New York who quit their
jobs to relocate with their spouses— or even
with people they just are engaged to
marry— qualify for unemployment. But
w hen Jeanne Newland moved from
Rochester to Richmond, Va., because her
partner, Natasha Doty, took a job there, she
learned people in same-sex relationships are
ineligible.
“It didn’t matter that I had paid into the
unemployment system, that I’d spent six
months applying for more than 150 jobs in
this tight job market or that Natasha and I
Right-wing liar Michael H eath prays for forgiveness have lived together for more than four years
and are a committed couple by any defini
tion,” she said. “All that mattered is that we’re
“We don’t need a trial, because there’s no dis
lesbians and that we’re not married— because
agreement over what happened,” said Ken
Choe, Lesbian and Gay Rights Project staff we aren’t able to be.”
The American Civil Liberties Union filed
attorney. “T he only disagreement is whether it’s
papers Jan. 24 arguing that the denial violates
legal to fire someone for this.”
labor laws and the New York and U.S. constitu
Peter Oiler was fired Jan. 5, 2000, after his
tions. “The state didn’t mind that Jeanne New
supervisors and company executives learned he
land was a lesbian when they deducted unem
occasionally cross-dresses as a woman away from
work. He and his wife, Shirley, who will cele ployment taxes from her paychecks, and they
shouldn’t deny her equal benefits because of it
brate their 25th anniversary Feb. 4, lost their
now,” said James Esseks, Lesbian and Gay Rights
health insurance and nearly lost their home.
Project litigation director.
In October 2000, the ACLU filed a federal
Newland, 38, continues looking for work in
lawsuit on Oiler’s hehalf, claiming Winn-Dixie
Richmond. Doty, 34, has a job in the computer
engaged in sex stereotyping in violation of state
technology field.
and federal laws. During the past few months
The women met in Los Angeles and moved
attorneys have deposed the men who terminated
in December 1998 to Rochester, where they
him and have found no dispute requiring a trial.
bought a home together. Newland’s previous
“They are very clear that he wasn’t fired for
career as an officer with the Los Angeles Police
job performance,” C hoe said. “In fact, he
Department ended after she suffered a perma
received numerous raises and promotions.”
Michael Istre, W inn-Dixie Louisiana presi nent injury in a high-speed pursuit. In
Rochester, she worked as a technical support
dent, gave a deposition Dec. 11 saying Oiler was
fired because he didn’t conform to the compa staffer.
ny’s stereotyped notions of how a man should
MISSISSIPPI
look, dress and act. “I was concerned about my
tate S en. Patrick “A la n ” N u n n elee,
business and what kind of impact and effect that
this— this type of behavior would have on my
R-Tupelo, has introduced a resolution
th at would allow voters to decide in N ovem
business and my customer base,” he said.
Choe also cited a deposition from Oiler’s ber on am ending the state constitution to ban
same-sex m ar
supervisor, who said he was fired because members
riages, w hether
of the public who saw he cross-dressed away from
work somehow would “put two and two together” done in Missis
and associate him with Winn-Dixie. This, Grego sippi or a n o th
er state. He in
ry Miles speculated, could cause customers to
troduced simi
think the company approved of his personal life
lar legislation
and lead them to buy groceries elsewhere.
in the January
2001 session,
MAINE
but it died in
ortland Mayor Karen Geraghty has accused
the leader of a religious-political organiza com m ittee.
“It’s really rid
tion of lying to help collect signatures in an effort
iculous in 2002
to overturn her city’s domestic partner registry.
Michael Heath, Christian Civic League of that such a bill is Patrick “A lan” Nunnelee
even being con
Maine executive director, was trying to collect
sidered,” said Jody Renaldo, Equality Mississippi
42,000 signatures to force a statewide vote in
November. He told the Portland. Press-Herald executive director. “We will fight tooth and nail to
see that it dies again.”
Jan. 8 that it was unlikely for the question to be
T h e bill’s sponsor makes his hom e in the
on the ballot because petitioners only had gath
same city as the anti-gay A m erican Family
ered 5,000 signatures.
A ssociation’s national headquarters. “N u n
But the next day, Heath said in a mass
nelee should be removed from his legislative
e-mail, “I made an error this week and told a
reporter that we have less than 5,000 signa position for inciting what am ounts to public
fear,” Renaldo said.
tures.” Geraghty said she viewed the move as an
attempt to energize his troops to collect more
Compiled by News Editor J im RAPOSTA, who cm
signatures.
be reached at jim@justout.com.
"It’s disappointing to see a leader— particular-
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