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.
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mpaduano@winderemere.com
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djt
Palm Springs ^
CA 92262
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or 877/718-5600
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WiKiymoft?
( 'W tofia Valle*
V isualize T our
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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."
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