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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 4, 2003)
july 4 .20Q3 » J u t a u t 2 i FTTÏÏïTTm news the likelihixxl of being in prison until he was 36 years old, while he would have been released before turning 20 it he were heterosexual,” said James Esseks of the American Civil Liberties Union. “This is a great first step toward correct ing the massive injustice that has been done to Matthew Limon.” In addition to the Kansas law, sexual conduct laws that treat young gay people differently from heterosexuals remain on the Kxiks in Texas, Alabama, California, Virginia and Georgia, Esseks said. The Lawrence decision calls all such laws into question. Bill Frist ❖ S enate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R'Tenn., crit icized last months Supreme G>urt decision Hanning state sodomy laws June 29 on A B C ’s This Week, saying it could lead to increased prostitu tion and dnag dealing. He went on to say he endorsed an amendment to the U.S. Gmstitution to ban legal marriage for gay and lesbian couples in long-term, committed relationships. In his majority opinion in Lawrence vs. Texas, Justice Anthony Kennedy specifically addressed the issues raised by Frist. This case “does not involve persons who might he injured or coerced or who are situated in rela tionships w-here consent might not easily he refused. It does not involve public conduct or prostitution,” Kennedy wrote. “The petitioners are entitled to respect for their private lives. The state cannot demean their existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime." Speaking on the subject of gay marriage and a proposed constitutional amendment prohibit ing gay marriage, Frist went on to say: "I very much feel that marriage is a sacrament, and that sacrament should extend and can extend to that legal entity of a union between— what is tradi tionally in our Western values has been defined— as between a man and a woman. So 1 would support the amendment.” NEVADA ambda Legal has filed appeal papers in fed eral court on behalf of a woman who was fired from Harrah’s Casino in Reno after 21 years for not adhering to rigid sex stereotypes in its new dress axle. In August 2000, Darlene Jespersen was termi nated from her position as a bartender after the company enacted the “Personal Rest” program, requiring all women in the beverage department to wear makeup, specified as foundation or pow der, blush, lipstick and mascara. The women also were required to wear their hair teased, curled or styled and to wear nude or natural color stock- ings. Women wishing to wear nail polish were limited to clear, white, pink or red color only. “To me, wearing makeup should he a person al choice. I’m doing the same job as male bar tenders, and they don’t have to wear makeup,” Jespersen said. Tate last year, a federal judge niled against Jes- person, saying the appearance standards were applied evenhandedly to Kith sexes, and Lambda Legal stepped in to help handle her case at the U.S. Quirt of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, where papers were filed June 16. “Employers are certain ly allowed to require their workers to present a pro fessional appearance— hut Harrah’s went ttxi far by requiring women to fit extreme, burdensome stereotypies, which is exactly what federal civil rights laws forbid,” attorney Jennifer C. Pizer said. FUNDRAISING EVENT! L KANSAS. he U.S. Supreme Quart ordered the case of a yixing gay man back to a Kansas appeals court tor further consider ation June 27 in light of its historic niltng on sexual intimacy issued June 26. The decision vacat ed Matthew Lim on’s sentence and instnict- ed the Kansas Q iurt of Appieals to review his case. By doing so, the court further affirmed its mandate in Law rence vs. Texas that Harrah’s Casino in Reno, Nev., fired Darlene Jespersen because she states no longer can refused to conform to its sexist dress code penalize the sexual conduct of gay pieople differently. TEXAS Limon is appealing a 17-year prison sentence ichael Charles Hurd was shot and killed he received because shortly after he turned 18 June 19 as he drove down a street in Hous he performed consensual oral sex on a nearly 15- ton. He was dressed as a woman at the time of his death. year-old male at a residential schixil for devel- opmentally disabled youth where they Kith “ PFLA G condemns the hatred and mis lived in Miami Qiunty. If he had instead per understanding that leads to crimes against formed oral sex on a female of the same age, he those o f us who don’t appear to conform to would have received 12 months in jail under the society’s repressive norms,” said Sam Thoron, “Romeo and Juliet Law," which applies only to Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and heterosexuals. The Kansas statute stipulates that G ays national president. “T his cold-hloixled consensual oral sex between two teens is a less killing would appear to he a hate crime. If so, it is yet another chilling example of the er crime if the younger person is 14 to 16, if the older pierson is younger than 19, if the age dif violence perpetrated against transgender people.” j n ference is less than four years, if no third parties are involved and if the two teen-agers “are C (tmpiled by News Editor JlM R aposta , who can members of the oppxisite sex.” be reached at jim@just<tut.com. “Until yesterday, Matthew Limon was facing T M » ■Æ V B ig B and S wing D ance and S ilent A uction W ith dance music by R ose C ity S w in g . PCMC’s first silent auction! Featuring artwork, getaways, personal services, travel, accommo dations, jewelry, antiques and much, much more. Help the chorus sustain their cultural arts budget! Saturday, July 12, 2003 @ 8 p.m. 4 DoubleTree Hotel—Lloyd Center Ticket Prices: $35 Appetizers/Dance/Auction $75 for VIP Dinner/Dance/Auction (6:30 p.m.) Ticket are availab le by calling the PGM C
