Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2002)
c iM U ich yn n e w s | Loomis was a senior at his Califor- o nia high school when one of his ? teachers, referring to the boys ear- z ring, told his class, “Only two kinds | | of guys wear earrings, pirates and § faggots, and I don’t see any water | around here.” During the next few weeks the teacher continued mak ing such remarks about him in class, sparking a wave of harassment and threats from other kids and staff members that eventually drove the honor student from school. - 2 - S! Derek Henkle endured years of anti-gay verbal abuse in Reno high schools names, shoved against lockers and spit on. A group of boys even threw a lasso around Henkle’s neck and threatened to drag him behind their pickup. He escaped, only to have a teacher laugh at him for being so upset. He was transferred to a schm l for students with behav- ioral or academic problems where the principal warned him against “acting like a fag.” After Henkle was transferred to yet a third high schtxil, the harassment continued, and campus police officers stixxl by while a student repeatedly punched him in the face. He finally was forced to enroll in adult education classes where a high schcxil diploma was impossible to obtain. “I’m signing this agreement tixlay on behalf of the 84 percent of my peers who are assaulted daily while trying to go to schcml," said Henkle, now 21 and a resident of San Francisco. “This settlement will help make sure other students don’t go through what 1 did in Reno.” CALIFORNIA an Leandro High School Eng lish teacher Karl Debro ended a more than four-year battle with his district Aug. 27, settling his civil rights claim for $1,155,000. He filed the complaint in February 1999 after being reprimanded for discussing “controversial” subjects and physical in his classroom, including racism and homophobia. A jury awarded Debro $500,000 in emotion al stress damages Aug. 8. The additional $1.5 million award will cover legal fees and case costs and includes more than $600,000 in punitive damages because the district’s superintendent, Thom as Himmelberg, was found to have engaged in “oppression, malice or fraud.” Everything Photographic W e have-a knowledgeable, I friendly stall helping you find the right camera, binoculars, or photographic accessories. ^ t T x E Inc. ^ B o ard in g & G ro o m in g for D o g s & C a ts A ‘family’ owned and operated business since 1997. -2- he California Alliance for Pride and Equal- ity announced Aug. 22 that the Assembly has given final approval to a measure extending inheritance rights to domestic partners who have registered with the state. It now will go to Gov. Gray Davis for his signature. U nder current law, a surviving domestic partner is not entitled to receive any portion of a deceased partner’s estate. The measure will provide registered domestic partners the right to inherit a specified portion of a partner’s estate automatically should one partner die without a will. The bill also directs the California secretary of state to notify domestic partners of the change in the inheritance formula. “This disparity was brought home for many people after the tragic events of Sept. 11,” explained Geoffrey Kors, CAPE interim execu tive director. “Many individuals in long-term relationships who lost their same-sex partners were left with no legal right to any of their part- ner’s possessions or assets. This financial crisis { only added to the trauma of losing a life partner.” he Visalia Unified Schtxil District has agreed to adopt sweeping reforms to address anti-gay harassment, including groundbreaking measures to train staff and students with the goal of preventing harassment before it happens, the American Civil Liberties U nion announced Aug. 13. The settlement ends a federal lawsuit concerning routine harassment of queer youth, some of whom then were forced into a special program for students with behavioral problems. “This milestone settlement shows schixils he Assembly tixrk the final step to approve how to meet their legal obligation to not only a landmark bill protecting queer youth in respond to anti-gay harassment but to actively foster care Aug. 19. It now will go to Gov. Gray work to prevent it,” attorney A nn Brick said. “Anti-gay harassment is a particularly big prob Davis’ desk for his signature. T he bill would prohibit discrimination and lem in schixils outside major.urban centers, like harassment against foster youth, fos those in Visalia. Students there will ter parents, other foster household now have a shot at being treated members and staff based on a number equally, and the rest of California of factors including sexual orienta and the nation will have a strong tion, gender identity and HIV/AIDS rruxlel for addressing these issues.” status. It also allows nonmandatory The settlement requires manda training for foster parents to include tory training for all high schtxil education on teen-age sexual health, staff and students to promote toler the challenges faced by queer youth ance. Employees will leam how to and sensitivity to kids who have been intervene and remedy acts of sexually or physically abused. harassment and how to prevent The bill directs the Department of them from txxurring in the future. George Loomis Social Services to expand recruitment “No student should have to go through the kind of harassment I did. A nd par activities directed at gay, lesbian, bi and trans indi viduals who are interested in caring for queer fas ent? deserve to know their children will be safe ter ytxith. Finally, it requires the Office of the when they’re at schixil," plaintiff George State Foster Care Ombudsperson to address com Ltximis said. “This settlem ent will have a major impact on the lives of students and their fami plaints about care, placement and services. lies. I’m really glad to see such a positive out come to this case.” Continued on Page 2 1 T egon Camera “Individual Lave and Attention " 582 SW Adams Avenue (541) 753-2653 Corvallis, OR 97333 www.oregoncamera.com 720 SW Wake Robin Ave Corvallis, OR 97330 (541) 757-9089 Larry & Marlene McNeill — -----------— — ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... ' ' ■ ' - ' - ’ 2 * * > >v ,s , ' , U - ' - V ................... ' - < ....................................... .............................................................................................. ............................................................................................................. , ■■■■ \ i ? - <- - - «-A v - ■V '.^ - — > — in ................................. - ——— — — iifth priesbess piercih com wi hu Monthly specials 0 discounts Hospital sterilization methods 24 hour emergency Services Safe C professional procedures Largest selection of top quaRty body jew8h'y Experienced male E female piercers 1 Natural jew elry from Bali State licensed and regulated ^ Half price apprentice pieremgs every Wed. in Eugene sis licirin eigene mag monroe corvaBs 961-348 6965 961 738-719 ......................................- ............ .............................. ; * ' / ' ' x ....................... .... ............. ....................................... ...... T YOUR WILLAMETTE VALLEY FAMILY REAL ESTATE C O NN ECTIO N J>na I su p p o rt GALA chorusesl Contact Clark to list your upcoming GALA C h o ru s E v e n t (Free public service provided by Clark) % GM AC (541) 758-1234 x 21 1 CLARK HOUSE Sales Associate e-mail: clarkshouses@aol.com __ (Willamette Your Ad Here K y Inc." - TllRx«-:»; 15 7 5 riw 9 th S treet • Corvallis. OR 9 7 3 5 0 _________________________ ^fvertisers Call 503-236-1253 for special ad ----- I— . » N mmm M m NMI w