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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2003)
aprii IB. 2003 22 J ill I news Michael Paduano As a native Seattle resident, 1 have a full understanding of your Sunshine needs. Allow me the opportunity to reveal the beauty, warmth and value of Palm Springs and the entire Coachella Valley. View my listings at www.michaelpaduano.com. Email mpaduano@winderemere.com 850 N Palm Canyon Drive djt Palm Springs ^ CA 92262 760/831-3761 or 877/718-5600 ext 113 «> WiKiymoft? ( 'W tofia Valle* V isualize T our • • • • • w T (M W • ted relationship for “It was really hard seeing Angus in court, but 13 years. They have I wanted him to understand the impact of what done everything he did to us,” said Sonny Gonzales, who suffered they can to protect a fractured skull during the unprovoked attack. th eir relationship, “I hope others will think twice before they do including traveling something like this. Most of all, I hope this gives to V erm ont in other victims the courage to stand up for them February 2002 to selves when hate crimes occur.” en ter into a civil Gonzales’ boyfriend, Stephen Hair, suffered union. Between two fractures in his face, a broken ttxtth and two them , Lewis and black eyes. “This sends a message that this kind O rtiz-Taylor have of hate and the violence it produces are not five children and acceptable in this community,” said Nadine are the grandm oth Smith, Equality Florida executive director. ers to three boys and two girls. H A W A II They first applied ■ ith a vote of 39-8, the House sent Sen for residency at ate Bill 616, which adds “gender identi Wendy C handler (left, with partner Rachael Smith) smiles April 4 after W estm inster Oaks ty or expression” to the state’s hate crimes law, learning the U tah Supreme C ourt rejected a suit against her in June 1999. It to Gov. Linda Lingle’s desk April 1. T he mea denied their applica sure sailed through the Legislature this session UTAH tion, claiming it violated a policy that unmar with a series of lopsided votes: The Senate he Utah Supreme Court issued a unani ried, nonrelated couples may not live together in passed it M arch 4 with a vote of 22-3, the Sen mous ruling April 4 that brings to an end a the facility. After reapplying in 2003, Lewis and ate Judiciary C om m ittee voted 6-0, and the five-year legal battle concerning whether gay Ortiz-Taylor again were denied. House Judiciary C om m ittee voted 10-0. men and lesbians can be fit role models and o th “Although we’re both in good health right Hawaii’s existing hate crimes law covers race, erwise participate as full citizens in society. now, we applied to W estminster Oaks because religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin and T he plaintiffs in the case, a group of U tah we did not want our children to have to worry sexual orientation, providing authority to give C ounty citizens, had sought declarations that about us in our old age,” Lewis said. “I guess we longer sentences if a crime is committed because because Wendy Weaver is a lesbian, she is unfit were naive. We were surprised that we were not of hostility based on any of the covered charac to continue her successful 20 -year career as a readily accepted.” - teristics. Sexual orientation was part of the origi teacher and coach at Spanish Fork High After exhausting all other avenues, the cou nal hate crimes law that passed in 2001 . Schixd. T he court rejected their claims as ple finally decided to file discrim ination “Today from the mainland, we celebrate “im proper...at the most fundamental level.” charges against the retirement community. another victory for transgender people this leg A ttorney Stephen Clark argued that what is “Lesbian and gay elders have the same need islative session,” said Lisa Mottet, National Gay at stake in this case is whether plaintiffs and to plan for our senior years as nongay people and Lesbian Task Force Transgender Civil Rights others who share their views about homosexu do,” said Ortiz-Taylor, a noted author and Eng Project legislative lawyer. “This year may be the ality should be able to use the heavy hand of lish professor at Florida State University. “This best year yet of passing transgender-specific and the law, with its criminal and civil sanctions, to is about basic fairness and our desire to protect transgender-inclusive laws at the state level." punish what they maintain is a moral and spir our children from having to be responsible for Earlier this session, the New Mexico Legisla itual failure. “Questions about the proper role us as we age, a desire shared hy countless h et ture passed a trans-inclusive nondiscrimination of the courts often arise at the intersection of erosexual seniors. We are sh(x:ked and dis bill and a trans-inclusive hate crimes bill, Kith of ideological or cultural struggle and law. In this tressed that after the significant contributions which Gov. Bill Richardson signed April 9. case, the U tah Supreme C ourt concluded that we both have made, we would now suffer the O ther trans-inclusive bills are making favorable the courts couldn’t properly address and resolve indignity of having our relationship and in fact progress in California, Illinois and Washington. what is essentially an ideological and cultural our very lives disrespected and dismissed.” Last year, Pennsylvania passed a trans debate.” Westminster Oaks’ policy of excluding all inclusive hate crimes law and New Jersey T h e court noted that any method for reme same-sex couples, regardless of their qualifica passed a trans-inclusive safe schools law. Also dying teacher violations already exists through tions, violates a local law protecting gay and les last year, 14 local jurisdictions, with a total professional boards, the local school board or bian people against housing discrimination. The population of 18.4 million people, enacted the state Board of Education, which in this statute also prohibits discrimination in housing anti-discrim ination laws with trans protec instance had taken no action against Weaver. on the basis of marital status and gender. tions or added trans protections to existing T he court also ruled that no private right of anti-discrim ination laws. action exists for students and parents of students to enforce requirements for public school evon Angus pleaded guilty in state court TE X A S employees, that the court is not a forum for mere April 1 to three counts of aggravated bat he El Paso City Council voted April 8 to add advisory opinions and that it had no authority to tery evidencing prejudice, a hate crime, stem sexual orientation and gender identity to the fire Weaver or order the school board to do so. ming from the July 7,2002, beating of three men Municipal Code concerning discrimination. Weaver, who now goes by her original name, who were leaving the Wet Party, a Gay Pride “TxJay’s vote is a major victory for gay, lesbian, Wendy Chandler, still teaches at Spanish Fork event held at the 5 bisexual and trans- High and was given the good news at schtx)l by Florida Aquarium 2 gendered El Paso her partner, Rachel Smith. in Tampa. 5 ans and an impor- “All along, I felt that some people were vin According to $ tant sign of progress dictive toward me but were also trying to set a the sheriff’s report, I for the entire city," precedent for taking action against any teacher he yelled obsceni said Rob Knight, they didn’t like,” she said. “I’m glad that the ties and anti-gay Lambda GLBT U tah courts ruled that this was not proper. It is slurs as he punched Community Ser im portant for all teachers.” the victims, causing vices president. "El two to be hospital Paso has affirmed FLO R ID A ized. Tampa resi its commitment to 1 he National C enter for Lesbian Rights has dents were so ending all forms of filed charges against W estminster Oaks offended by the bla discrimination, and R etirem ent C o m tant display of vio for the first time in munity on behalf of lence that within this city’s history, Tallahassee resi days of the beatings Scott Boswell was one of three men who were beaten gay men and dents Joy Lewis and an anti-hate rally after a Gay Pride event last July in Tampa, Fla. women and trans- her partner, Sheila was put together gendered persons Ortiz-Taylor, whose and attended by hundreds. are no longer second-class citizens.” applications for res Angus will be sentenced April 21. In Knight praised the efforts of Mayor Ray idence were denied exchange for a maximum six-year sentence, he mond Caballero and District 1 representative because they are agreed to plead guilty to the charges and pro Jan Sumrall in passing the legislation. “Let this lesbians. vide the name of the other assailant in the ordinance serve as a reminder to everyone,” he T he couple have attack as well as two witnesses who can identi added, “that we should focus not on differences Sheila Ortiz-Taylor been in a com m it fy the other assailant. but instead emphasize our common humanity." Personal Image Design Hair & Wig Styling Specializing in Trans-Formation Professional Makeup Exp with feature film & TV Fnendly Private Salon (HRISTIUPS Authentic Chatio «g 503 2 8 6 -7 0 0 0 Auto, Home, Life, Health & Business epb&b "Your Independent Insurance Agency" s in su ra n c e * E lliott, P ow ell, B ad en Ic B aker, Inc. 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