Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 19, 2003)
19.2003 < rTÎT7Tî77TîTI news pro-gay diversity education program agreed Sept. 4 to dismiss the lawsuit, ending nearly two years of litigation. The lawsuit attacked the district tor presenting a play titled Cootie Shots: Theatrical Inoculations Against Bigotry in two elementary schixils. “The plaintiffs’ decision to walk away at this stage of the case shows that their claims were baseless,” attorney Julia Harumi Mass said. “It shows that schixils have the authority to require attendance at tolerance-building and diversity education programs that include teaching toler ance for lesbian and gay students.” The play, which was performed by the edu cational theater company Fringe Benefits, tack les stereotypes and discrimination in an age- appropriate way through short plays, songs and ptx;ms. Students, parents and educators in more than 100 schix>ls throughout California and other states have enthusiastically received Cootie Shots. The lawsuit, which was touted in a Jan. 31, 2002, press release by the right-wing Pacific Jus tice Institute as the “first in a major litigation campaign,” said parents had a right to prevent their children from watching the play because it constituted “sex education." They also claimed that showing Cootie Shots to their kids violated their religious freedoms. “Teaching tolerance for lesbian and gay stu dents has nothing to do sex education or reli gious freedom,” attorney Tamara Lange said. “This lawsuit was a mean-spirited and vicious attack on lesbian and gay people that aimed to destroy an outstanding tix>l for teaching toler ance for all students.” ov. Gray Davis signed a hill Sept. 11 that allows school districts to receive grants to train teachers in hatred and intolerance prevention. H Si “This new law will m encourage schixils to U» *} - j embrace the increasing g*& r v diversity of California’s population and to better address prejudice and big- otry," said Geoffrey Kors, I Equality California execu John Laird tive director. “This is espe- dally important for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, who experience a high dropout rate due to harassment they experience at school.” Assembly Rill 1250 is the first measure hy John Laird, D-Santa Cniz, to he signed hy Davis. Laird, along with Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, made history last fall as the first out gay men ever elected to the Legislature. Leno’s first hill, a measure prohibiting housing and employment discrimination based on gender identity, received the governors signature in August. Jt ov. Gray Davis signed legislation Sept. 8 that will protect foster children and caretakers from bias based on a range o f fac tors including sexual orientation, gender identity and F1IV/A1DS status. Assembly Bill 458 provides that foster parents and staff will receive information on the nondiscrimi nation requirement in the course of existing training hours. “This hill will ensure that at-risk youth— including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgen der youth— are better protected while in C al ifornia’s foster care system,” said Geoffrey Kors, Equality California executive director. “This is not a complicated or controversial issue: We have an obligation to protect our most vulnerable foster children from harass ment and discrimination.” C P E N N S Y L V A N IA $100,000 settlement in the case of a teen ager who committed suicide after two police officers threatened to “out” him to his family sends a clear message to government officials to stay out of the private lives of queer youth, the American Civil Liberties Union said Sept. 12. “No amount of money can replace what our client lost because of the actions of the police, hut in paying this settlement the police department is acknowledging the role it played in Marcus Wayman’s death," said David Rudovsky, who represented the 18-year-old’s mother, Madonna Sterling. “And an important part of Marcus' legacy is the message that his case sends to government officials that they must respect young people’s privacy about their sexual orientation.” Wayman, a rural Pennsylvania high schixil fixithall player, was in a parked car with a 17- year-old male friend when police questioned the two, found condoms while searching the vehicle and arrested them for underage drinking. At the Minersville police station, officers lectured the two teens about the Bible’s condemnation of homosexuality and threatened to tell Wayman’s grandfather that he was gay. After Wayman was released from custcxly, he went home and shot himself in the head. Sterling sued the town and the officers tor misconduct, dis crimination and violation of the right to privacy. In an earlier ruling in Sterling’s case, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled that police violated Wayman’s constitu tional rights when they threatened to tell his family that he was gay. 'The court rejected the argument that gay men and lesbians are not pro tected hy the right to privacy and ruled instead that “it is difficult to imagine a more private matter than one’s sexuality.” The officers had asked the federal appeals court to let them out of the case on the basis that it was not clear that the right to privacy protects queers. The appeals court denied that request and sent the case hack to the lower court for a trial, which resulted in the settlement. "Although the police have taken our son, destroyed our family and caused irreparable damages, we have proven that our elected offi cials must he held accountable for their actions," Sterling said. “We now call upon the public to support our crusade to remove these dangerous rogue police from Minersville and Borough— we demand that its police officers he adequately trained in sensitivity to sexual minority issues and that a written policy he adopted. Rest assured, this is only the beginning." M ICHIGAN n arrest has been made in the abduction and murder of an 18-year-old from Grand Rapids. Justin Bogdanik had been discovered in a ditch in Livingston County two weeks prior to his death July 8. The suspect, James Mixire, is implicated in sev eral sexual assaults of young men. Bogdanik is the only known homicide tied to Mixire at this time. “Perhaps with this arrest, those who knew and loved Justin can find some solace,” said Jeffrey Montgomery, Triangle Foundation executive director. “Pickup crimes are an ever-present threat in the gay community, leaving innocent people vulnerable to danger and death at the hand of opportunists and unstable people who are often conflicted about their own sexuality and who often stalk and bait their potential victims." jF I Compiled hy News Editor JlM R a ixista , who can he reached at jim@justout .com. MOR Canadian [ pharmaceutical bjupply ER V I CES A new face with some new ideas for the community! iave up to 85 % on Medication from Canada • 107% Financing owner occupied • 100 % Eugene Office: 541-461-Home (4663) Financing on investor loans 6et A Price Quote • He make Home (alls • Mortgage consulting on tax shelter loll Fret: t-SÄd-DRD 6604 ( IJ J - j j J M ) • BeneFits of real estate investing www.myCPSupply.iom • Licensed in all high growth states • Huge network of realtors, property ‘P u r a management team s & lenders to meet V id a A pure life experience everyone’s Financial needs Creating ami 'Maintaining Outdoor Spaces With an Organic Tlair • Property buy back program • Rental subsidy program Landscapes ♦ ‘H a rd sc ayes gardens * Containers ♦ Wafer Systems 5 0 3 -2 4 5 -7 2 5 8 Ask for Don, Joe, Jay or Christine ‘Annie Wroblewski £ kensed/Bondtd/lns u red 5 0 3 -8 0 7 -9 1 7 8 luewuni/bondeJ/iiiiured LCb #14373 SALE Storewide Solid Hardwood M IS S IO N STYLE 10 0 End Table e 00 Coffee Table $1 Eucalyptus BENCH ________ , 11 C lear Finish Only 1 kOO 44" kOO Pine Framed Mirror FR EE $55°° Appliance Hutch Top with ANY purchase iW Æ 59” Appliance Cabinet and Hutch cabinet 28"W x 40" H Kitchen Set Solid Hardwood, C lear Finish Table $ 0 Chair $ 0 00 36"H x 28.5"W x 16.5”D $ 4 A A O O 199 hutch 23 3/4”H x 27 5/8"W x 10 3/4"D >* FREE Hurry—Some items limited to stock on hand! N atural F u rn itu re "Ready lo Finish Situe 1975 ” \ P o rtla n d T ig a rd 800 NE Broadway (near Lloyd Center) 503-284-0655 11606 SW Pacific Hwy (near Tigard Cinemas) 503-684-4099 O P EN 7 DAYS!
