august 15.2003 • J h a t M rtj2 3
rTTTïïïTTHInews
would play out differently elsewhere," Martin said.
“Second, the action reported is an administrative
move hy a regulatory board which has broad dis
cretion in determining ‘nonprofessional conduct.’
While an encouraging action in support of LG BT
rights to access health care and to maintain priva
cy, th e .. .hoard’s requirement that this dentist seek
psychiatric treatment does not carry the same
weight as criminal discrimination charges."
Although the American Dental Association
explicitly respects the rights of dentists to select
patients, it specifically prohibits denial of service
because of nice, creed, color, gender or national ori
gin. Martin hopes the ADA will consider adding
sexual orientation to the cixle of professional con
duct during its annual meeting in October.
NEW YORK
he Harvey Milk School— the nation’s first
full-fledged public high schixil for gay, lesbian,
bi and trans students— will open in September.
“Harvey Milk High celebrates the life and
legacy o f a pioneering civil rights activist, and
just on the heels o f the Supreme Q u irt’s recent
landmark decision overturning sodomy laws,”
said Craig Bowman, National Youth Advocacy
C oalition executive director. “T his schixil will
serve as a safe place for young people who are
committed to achieving educational excellence
and graduating with the high-quality public
schixil education to which they are entitled."
T he school has operated successfully for more
than two decades as a small alternative program
with just two classrooms. Next month it will open
in a city-renovated building with 100 students.
More than 170 kids are expected to be
enrolled by 2004. Administrators predict 95 per
cent of them will attend college.
“T his is a schixil all about inclusion,” said
Terrence Calhoun, N Y A C hoard chairman. “It
stands for fairness, equality and justice, and it
holds out the hope of an education free from
harassment, intimidation and violence. As most
L G B T Q students will never have an option like
the Harvey Milk Schixil, however, we hope that
all of our nation’s public schools will work even
harder to protect their students, including those
who are L G B T Q ."
T
and we deeply value the passion and ministry
they brought to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender community as part of the M C C fel
lowship,” said the Rev. Elder Don Eastman,
M C C vice moderator. “Though the Cathedral
o f Hope has explored options for disaffiliation in
previous years, M C C deeply regrets the loss of
relationship with the congregation.... We also
affirm the congregation’s choice to leave the
global M C C fellowship and pray G od’s abun
dant blessings on their future ministry.”
-o*
he American Civil Liberties U nion reached
an agreement Aug. 7 with officials from the
San A ntonio Independent School District to
reinstate Luther Burbank High’s Amnesty Inter
national Club, which had been banned in March
after some of its members independently took
part in a silent demonstration to raise awareness
about violence against queers.
“W e’re really happy this has all been resolved
before the new school year and that the district
understands that students have free speech
rights, too," said Blanca Bazan, a senior who will
be the leader of the club when classes begin
Aug. 18. “W hen some of our members took part
in the Day of Silence last spring, they were real
ly careful to do it in a way that didn’t disrupt
classes or break the law, and it’s great that the
district recognizes that.”
Last March, the schixil shut down the club
because some of its members had taken part in
the Day of Silence Project, an annual nation
wide action in which students take a daylong
vow of silence to illustrate the silence in which
queers often suffer when they experience dis
crim ination and violence. After talks with the
A C L U , the district agreed to reinstate the club
and allow students to participate in future Day
of Silence activities as long as students continue
to make sure they don’t interfere with instate -
tional time while doing so.
“All of this came about because one student
realized her rights had been violated and lixiked
for help," attorney Ken C h iv said. “We hope
that young people everywhere will be inspired
by this to learn about their rights and make a
positive difference in their communities."
T
TEXAS
he congregation of Cathedral of Hope— the
world’s largest liberal Christian church with a
primary outreach to gay, lesbian and trans people—
voted July 27 to disaffiliate from the Universal Fel
lowship of Metropolitan Gimmunity Churches.
The preliminary results indicate 89 percent of
the voting members opted to disaffiliate from the
denomination and becom e an independent
church. T h e church’s hoard o f directors
announced the numbers to a crowd of about 500
people assembled at the culmination of the cathe
dral’s 33rd anniversary weekend celebration.
“T he Cathedral of Hope was a vital member
of the M C C movement for more than 30 years,
T
KANSAS
esponding to a letter from the American
Civil Liberties Union, the Topeka and
Shawnee G iunty Public Library has conceded
that, under the law, it cannot forbid an employee
from talking at work about the recent historic U.S.
Supreme Q xirt mling banning sodomy statutes.
“To a large number of Americans, the court’s
decision in Lawrence vs. Texas was a shining
moment in ixir history because it’s another giant
step toward equality for all Americans,” said Dick
Kurtenhach, A CLU of Kansas and Western Mis
souri executive director. “W e’ve made certain
that the public library understands that it cannot
R
Cathedral of Hope is the world’s largest gay and lesbian church
strip Bonnie Cuevas of her constitutional right to
free speech by prohibiting her from ever talking
about this important development at work."
O n the day after the ruling, Cuevas— a long
time Topeka activist and member of Parents,
Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays— was
ordered by two managers to never again discuss
at work the decision and its impact on her fam
ily. T he A C L U sent a letter to the library, point
ing out that such an order violates her First
Amendment right to free speech, and its attor
neys have now responded that it will not restrict
her or any other employee this way in the future.
“W hen the Supreme Court struck down
sixlomy laws, it was an incredibly significant
moment for my family," said Cuevas, the mother
of a gay son who was the victim of a hate crime.
“Ordering me not to talk about a social issue like
this at such a cmcial time in history seems to me
to be completely contrary to the ideals and prin
ciples that public libraries shixild exemplify.”
COLO RADO
ennifer Veiga was elected July 17 to fill a
vacancy in the C olorad o S en ate. Sh e
becomes one of only 10 openly gay, lesbian or
bi state senators
serving in the
country.
Veiga was the
Democratic leader
in the G ilorado
House before her
move to the Sen
ate, where she now
represents portions
of Denver and
Adams counties as
the Rix:ky Moun
tain State’s first
openly queer sena
J
tor. I m thrilled to Jennifer Veiga is Colorado’s
have this opportu- first lesbian state senator
nity to move to the
Senate to continue working on behalf of G il-
orado’s working families, children and seniors," she
told The Associated Press.
As a state representative, Veiga played a key
role in defeating a bill preventing adoptions by
same-sex couples and has been a stalwart sup
porter of queer civil rights and hate crimes mea
sures. She also counts among her top concerns
funding for public education and responsible
community planning and growth.
“W e’re pnxid of Jennifer Veiga’s climb up the
ladder,” said Chuck Wolfe, Gay ik Lesbian Victiv
ry Fund executive director. “She is a shining exam
ple of the quality of openly gay and lesbian office
holders in the cixintry. There is no dixibt she is
working hard on behalf of all of her constituents.”
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FL OR ID A
he Sarasota City Council unanimously
passed an ordinance Aug. 4 that bars
employment bias based on sexual orientation.
T he measure was the idea of the Florida Tri
angle Democratic Caucus, a statewide queer
Democratic group, which worked for more than
a year to implement a successful strategy. T h e
new law goes into effect O ct. 1.
Sarasota resident the Rev. Jim Merritt, cau
cus chairman and a former national board mem
ber o f the N ational Stonew all Democrats,
helped draft the ordinance. His partner, Al
Leach, serves on N SD ’s board of directors.
“This ordinance is a testament to Demixrrat-
ic, grassroots efforts," said Dave Noble, N SD
executive director. “T he Triangle Caucus was
able to successfully convey to the city commis
sion why D em ixratic principles of inclusion are
good for Sarasota." J H
T
1 Compiled by News Editor J im R a ix ' is TA, who can
be reached at jim&justout. com.
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