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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 19, 2002)
ipf»ia?fln? » ■ * — 121 f77!T 7TîT 7rTI news Vacation Tro v a i Planners (Formerly Downtown Travel Services) and gagged with their throats slit. Rice was indict ed April 9 by a grand jury in Charlottesville, charged with four counts of capital murder, two of which allege that he chose his victims because of their gender and sexual orientation. “The United States maintains that the defendant hated women and lesbians and that hatred was a motive for his killing,” the indict ment says. “The defendant stated intent that he intentionally selected women to intimidate and assault ‘because they are more vulnerable than men’...that he ‘hates gays’ and that Julianne Williams and Laura Winans ‘deserved to die becau.se they were lesbian whores.’ ” If these murders had occurred in almost any other place in the United States, the act could not have been used. Passed in 1994, it directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to provide enhancements of “not less than three offense levels for offenses that the finder of fact at trial determines beyond a reasonable doubt are hate crimes.” M IS S IS S IP P I L ambda Legal Defense and Education Fund strongly denounced April 8 a letter to a newspaper by a Mississippi judge suggesting gay men and lesbians be institutionalized, and it agreed to represent a statewide civil rights group in an ethics complaint against him. “The letter is a clear statement of prejudice against gays and lesbians that calls into serious question whether the judge can decide cases fairly and impartial ly,” attorney Greg Nevins said. The George County Times published a letter to the editor March 28 from Mississippi Justice Court Judge Connie Glenn Wilkerson in which he writes, “In my opinion, gays and lesbians should he put in some type of mental institute instead of having a [domestic partnership] law like this passed for them." He was referring to a recent Associated Press article about the ability of gay and lesbian survivors to sue for the wrong ful death of their partners. “I got sick on my stomach as I read the news story,” Wilkerson wrote. He also invoked the Bible and Romans 1:32, which suggests that those who break God’s law “are worthy of death.” “Judge Wilkerson’s letter shows that the era of bias and prejudice by Mississippi judges is not yet over, particularly for gays and lesbians,” said Jody Renaldo, Equality Mississippi executive director. “The state is not served when its officials express bias against any group of people, and Judge Wilk erson needs to catch up with the times." The Mississippi Code of Judicial Conduct specifically calls on judges to avoid “expressions of bias or prejudice,” including demeaning remarks based on sexual orientation. Wilkerson’s remarks come on the heels of an opinion by Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore in which he called gay people "inher ently destructive to the natural order of society.” Lambda filed an ethics complaint against him, hut the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission reject ed it, claiming his comments are protected because they are part of a judicial opinion. “We are extremely concerned about the rash of anti-gay statements from judges who are duty- bound to give a fair hearing to all,” said Hector Vargas, Lambda Southern Regional Office director. “These kinds of statements make gays and lesbians feel that the justice system is closed off to them." N EW YO R K ..... ...V...V...V. he state Senate Judiciary Committee voted April 10 to open up family court to domestic partners, including same-sex and unmarried partners. Insiders say the 17-2 action is evidence of what might he a new openness toward this issue by members in the Re publican majority. Many victims of domestic violence are locked out of family court and its protec tions because the defi nition of “family” is limited to those who are married or share a child. Any couple who Ross Levi are not legally married or do not share a child instead must rely on criminal court, which is not nearly as well equipped for protection orders and other legal devices. According to the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, almost one in three intimate same-sex relationships experi ences some form of domestic violence— a level almost identical to heterosexual couples. “Just the fact that gay men and lesbians in abusive relationships are denied access to these services simply due to their inability to marry is an inequity the state needs to address once and for all,” said Ross Levi, Empire State Pride Agenda legislative counsel. The next step for the legislation and its com panion bill in the Assembly is a floor vote in their respective chambers. Gov. George Pataki is expected to sign the measure. “For too long now, there have been two sets of rules in New York for victims of violence in the home,” said Joe Grabarz, Empire State Pride Agenda executive director. “The state should not be in the business of picking those victims it wishes to protect and those it does not.” JH GAY GAMES VI 9nt Package— $2,275* rt air from LA, 9 nts M erchant Court 14nt Package— $3,489* 9nt pckg + Great Barrier Reef, Aboriginal Cultural Center & more! •All prices are air from LA and based upon double occupancy open 24 h o u rs Call Rip For All Your Travel Needs: (503) 223-1100 • (800) 357-3194 email: gavtravel(«>iplanvacationtravel.com www.iPlanVacationTravel.com anorpho- phallus ve .lust l i k e to Fay t h a t nane. 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