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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2002)
1,2002» if i n: news overturned the state’s ban on gay adoption, imple mented the New Hampshire Safe Schools Act and officially proclaimed each June as Gay Pride Month. She remains the only elected official in the nation to vote for nondiscrimination law while in the state Senate, then sign it as governor. Shaheen’s Senate opponent, John Sununu, maintains a dismal record on gay and lesbian issues. He opposes all nondiscrimination and hate crime laws that include sexual orientation. He continually has refused to sign a pledge stating he will not fire his own staff based on their sexual ori entation, and he voted to overturn President Bill Clintons 1998 executive order banning discrimi nation against gay and lesbian federal workers. MICHIGAN he Michigan Court of Appeals overturned Oct. 23 the $29 million judgment in a civil lawsuit entered against The Jenny Jones Show in 1999 stemming from the murder of a guest, Scott Amedure, by another guest, Jonathan Schmitz. It held that the program “had no duty to anticipate and prevent the act of murder committed by Schmitz three days after leaving [thej studio and hundreds of miles away.” “We are deeply gratified by the courts rul ing,” said Jim Paratore, Telepictures Productions president. “For seven years, our position consis tently and steadfastly has been that the show was not to blame for this brutal murder, and the court today affirmed that the case against us had no legal merit and should have been thrown out of court long before it ever went to trial.” Several days before the March 1995 murder, Kith men had appeared as guests on an episode of The Jenny Jones Show. During the taping, Ame dure, who was gay, revealed he had a crush on Schmitz. The two men, who were friends, flew back to Detroit together, went out drinking and made plans to go shopping the following weekend. T 1 have always believed that it was fundamentally wrong and unfair to blame the show.” -8* istory was made Oct. 21 when Lansing Community College decided to offer domes tic partner benefits to its • gay employees. The board of trustees voted 5-2 to accept a collectively bar gained union bene fits package that includes extending health care benefits to the unmarried same-sex partners of employees. The vote makes Todd Heywood Lansing the state’s first community college to offer such benefits, even though scores of other Michigan-based employers such as General Motors, University of Michigan and the city of Kalamazoo offer them. The primary advocate for the measure was trustee Todd Heywood, the first openly gay elected offi cial at a Michigan higher educational institution. “The Lansing area has always been ahead of the game on GLBT rights,” said Sean Kosofsky, Trian gle Foundation policy director. “East Lansing.. .was the first city in the country, and possibly the world, to pass a human rights law that banned discrimina tion based on sexual orientation. Now Lansing Community College is continuing that tradition by sending a clear message that all families are val ued regardless of their sexual orientation.” H OCEANSIDE “Carmel of the Oregon Coast” 9 mi. west of Tillamook. Seven units with spectacular ocean views and large private decks. Full kitchens in six units. All units are equipped with TVs, VCRs and microwaves. 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The academy’s congress of delegates passed the resolution at its annual meet ing in San Diego, calling on the group to “establish policy and be supportive of leg islation which promotes a safe and nurtur ing environment, including psychological and legal security, for all children, includ ing those of adoptive parents, regardless of the parents’ sexual orientation.” The group also supports equal rights PROGRAf, for same-sex parents through domestic TAPED ON U ARCH j partner life and health insurance and a BUT WAS NEVER B certain legal relationship to both par ents through second-parent and joint Jonathan Schmitz (center) looks toward his friend adoption. In a written statement, acad Donna Riley (left) as he is hugged by Scott Amedure emy president Warren A. Jones said the But days later, after Amedure left a blinking resolution reflected the need to protect all U.S. light and sexually suggestive note on Schmitzs children by supporting the diverse families in which they live. dexirstep, Schmitz went to Amedures home and “As family physicians who care for all ages, we killed him. Schmitz was convicted of second-degree believe the health of American’s children is one of murder and is serving a 27- to 50-year sentence. the utmost importance,” he said. “Children deserve In its eight-page ruling, the Michigan Court to be raised and protected in a safe and nurturing of Appeals found that The Jenny Jones Show had environment. This policy advocates for the family neither the ability nor the duty to predict and in all its complexities and particularly for children." prevent Amedures murder: “Schmitz gave every The resolution follows positive steps taken by appearance of being a normal, well-adjusted adult who consented to being surprised on the show by other key professional health organizations. In the Febmary issue of a peer-reviewed journal, the a secret admirer of unknown sex and identity.... American Academy of Pediatrics urged its mem Nothing in Schmitz’ demeanor, or in any of his interactions with the show, put defendants on bers to “support the right of every child and fami ly to the financial, psychological and legal security notice that he posed a risk of violence to others." that results from having legally recognized parents The court said that the case never even should who are committed to each other and the welfare have gone to the jury and that “the trial court should have ruled that the murder was not fore of their children." The statement was accompa nied by a technical report providing details from seeable as a matter of law and entered judgment in the best available scientific studies of children who favor of defendants.” It held that to find the show liable under the circumstances “would expand the grow up with same-sex parents. 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