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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 2003)
5.2003» colo w e u . BANKER □ lution. “We are very gratified the A BA has taken this step to protect children.” The resolution builds on prior ABA resolu tions regarding same-sex parent families. In 1995 it adopted a policy prohibiting the use of sexual ori entation in making child custody and visitation decisions, and in 1999 it adopted a policy calling for laws establishing that sexual orientation should not used to prohibit a person from adopting. “Support for second- parent adoptions is now official A BA policy,” said Courtney Joslin, co- chairwoman of the Sex ual Orientation and Gender Identity Com mittee of the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities. “This will send a powerful message to legislatures and courts that second- Courtney Joslin parent adoptions are sound policy and should he made available to protect children with same-sex parents.” Second-parent adoptions are available by statute or appellate court decision in 10 states and in specific counties in at least 15 other states. Courts in only four states have dis approved second-parent adoptions: Colorado, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin. Î eichen Lehmkuhl, one of the grand prize winners in the summer series The Amazing Race 4, has agreed to appear in a documentary investigating the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The film, set to start prcxluction this fall, will span the 10-year history of the policy and follow the building political momentum to overturn it. “As a former Air Force officer and graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Reichen is the ideal personality to be involved with this important issue and project," director Jonathan Baker said. The dtxumentary will fix:us on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and its impact on national securi ty, taxpayers and individual servicemembers’ lives. Since 1993, the federal ban on gay, lesbian and hi military personnel has resulted in more than 9,000 discharges. The Pentagon has also spent more than $250 million to train replacements for service- members discharged under the gay ban. “The Pentagon is firing three people every day simply because of their sexual orientation," Lehmkuhl said. “If the same thing were happen ing in corporate America, most citizens would be rightfully outraged. The fact that our nation’s largest employer discriminates against gay ■W ET Americans under the sanction of federal law is equally appalling." Lehmkuhl gained popularity this summer when he appeared on the hit television reality series The Amazing Race 4 with his spouse, Chip Amdt. The first openly gay couple to win the arduous contest, they also achieved nationwide acceptance and support as viewers tuned in each week to cheer them to victory. M IS S O U R I he Kansas City Council decided Aug. 28 to allow domestic partner benefits for unmar ried city employees. The 11-1 vote establishes a domestic partner registry for city residents and allows for city employees to take family and medical leave for their domestic partners. The council postponed a vote until the spring on whether to allow unmarried city employees to cover their domes tic partners on their health insurance plans. “The Kansas City Council is to be com mended for passing these important benefits. But we also encourage them to pass one of the most critical benefits of all for same-sex part ners— and that is the ability to cover a partner’s health insurance,” said Seth Kilboum, Human Rights Campaign national field director. “This benefit has already been granted in 163 cities and counties across the nation.” Jim McDonald, a member of a coalition of local groups headed by the LG BT Community Center of Kansas City, added: “I’m thrilled. I think the council did the right thing.” F1RC and the statewide queer rights organiza tion Promo are doing a series of town halls across Missouri to discuss employment equality, fixzusing on federal and state legislation that would add sexual orientation to the list of protected cate gories in employment nondiscrimination law. The state bill’s definition of sexual orientation also includes coverage for trans employees. LO U IS IA N A n court papers filed Aug. 14, Lambda Legal joined the city of New Orleans in defending the city’s policy extending health insurance benefits to domestic partners of its gay and les bian workers and protecting the city’s domestic partner registry. In 1997 the city of New Orleans, by execu tive order, extended insurance benefits to same- sex partners of city employees. The domestic partner benefits policy and the city’s domestic partner registry have come under attack by a right-wing conservative group, the Alliance Defense Fund, based in Scottsdale, Ariz. “The city of New Orleans tixik it upon itself to do the right thing by its gay and lesbian I T The Amazing Race 4 winner Reichen Lehmkuhl (left, with Chip Amdt) is using his newfound celebrity to raise awareness about “ don’t ask, don’t tell’’ employees and their families by giving them access to the same health insurance plans as its heterosexual employees and their families. The city is well within its rights to do so,” attorney Brian Chase said. Lambda represents Peter Sabi, who has worked in the city’s . Vieux Carre Commis- 020 sion its a senior building inspector for nine years. His partner of almost nine years, self-employed writer Philip Centanni, was paying $500 a month for health insurance before the city extended benefits to its employees’ same-sex partners. Now the couple pay $50 a month for Centanni’s coverage. Public employers in 11 states, 23 counties and 58 cities nationwide have extended health insur ance benefits to the domestic partners of gay and lesbian employees. In four states, 11 counties and 50 cities nationwide, gay and lesbian couples may sign a domestic partnership registry that may or may not carry any direct benefit. Private employ ers often use domestic partner registries as a way to identify the eligibility of domestic partners of their gay and lesbian employees for health insur ance and other benefits. HAW AII utlining a long history of discrimination against trans people, attorneys Aug. 14 urged the Supreme Quirt of Hawaii to mle that gender identity bias is against state law. The issue anise when the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission decided that trans people are covered by prohibitions against sex discrim ination in a case involving several complaints of gender bias against a company that provides inventory services to retailers. RGIS Inventory Specialist then challenged the commission’s decision in court, claiming trans people aren’t covered by sex discrimination laws. The com mission lost that case and now is appealing it to the state supreme court. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case outlining the application of sex discrimination laws to cases involving gender identity bias. It told the stories of many trans people who faced egregious dis crimination at their jobs but prevailed in court: • A female-to-male transsexual was consid ered an exemplary employee for eight years until he began his gender transition. Then his employer began calling him names and stripping him of job responsibilities. • A female-to-male transsexual who had been hired based on qualifications and experience began his gender transition and his employer gave him false, negative performance reviews, re assigned him to an office that required a much longer commute, harassed him and later fired him. • A doctor who was the medical director at an outpatient treatment facility was told, “G o back to your previous appearance!” by a supervi sor after she began transitioning from male to. female. When she refused, she was eventually fired, and her patients were told lies that she probably wasn’t practicing medicine anymore. • An editorial assistant who was transition ing from male to female was repeatedly told to stop “dressing as a woman" and then fired. • A male-to-female traassexual was grilled by supervisors who demanded “medical evidence of her sexuality” and then told her that the driver’s licease, Social Security card and notary public card she had showing her female name weren’t enough. The next day, she was fired. JH EADIE A D A M S R EA L TY 4For Your Palm Springs Place in the Sun” John W, Butler Bus: (760) 778-5500 Fax: (760) 323-7832 Cell/Pgr: (760) 774-0685 E-mail: ccsvs@aol.com 431 South Palm Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262 Auto, Home, Life, Health & Business epb&b "Your Independent Insurance Agency " insurance FJliott, Pow ell, R *d e n Sc Baker, Inc. Hartford still offers earthquake insurance on older homes • O Compiled by News Editor IIM RADOSTA, who can be reached at jim@justout.com. T H hk W / ar tfo r d M arc Baker D o w n to w n P o rtla n d (5 0 3 ) 2 2 7 -1 7 7 1 w w w .e p b b .c o m Southminster P r e s b y t e r ia n C h u r c h Member of the Community of Welcoming Congregations IS«,... .CTW mmixh. Sunday Service: 10am 12250 SW Denney Road (at Hall Blvd.) Beaverton, OR 97008 503-644-2073« www.southmin.com cW e & ts id & Our professionals u n ii arrange your delivery Don Duncan owner Teleflora ( 503 ) 642-9992 1 - 800 - 356-1884 Aloha Market Centre 20455 SW TV Highway www. wesfsideflori st. net
