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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 2004)
January 9 . 2QÛ4 ? J u s t o u t« j g news phrase “if necessary,” which brought Bush an onslaught of criticism hy anti-gay groups. • Hie article failed to include the perspec tive of gay or lesbian couples, whose fundamen tal rights are at the center of this debate. One quote solicited from the Human Rights Cam paign focused on political strategy and process. - 2 * The headline of the HRC Foundation’s ads reads: “Equality and Fairness: Fundamental American Values." The text goes on to detail public support for queer issues. According to polling, 90 percent of U.S. citizens support hos pital visitation rights for same-sex partners, 85 percent support equal treatment in the work place and 73 percent want tougher hate crimes laws, including 65 percent who want hate crimes laws to include trans people. field director. “This poli cy brings the state much closer to making sure employees get that kind of fair treatment.” A total of 10 other states have similar poli cies covering public em ployment: Alaska, Ari zona, Colorado, Dela ware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, Jennifer Granholm Pennsylvania and Wash ington. Two of those states— Kentucky and Pennsylvania— also explicitly cover gender identity in their executive orders. “This is a terrific first step in protecting from discrimination,” said Sean Kosofsky, director of policy for the Triangle Foundation, Michigan’s statewide gay, lesbian, bi and trans advtKacy group. “Triangle Foundation will continue to work diligently to ensure that all state employ ees are covered hy this policy, including prohibi tions on discrimination based on gender identi ty or expression.” he Rochester School Board unanimously adopted new language in its cixle of conduct Dec. 18 that adds protections for trans stu dents. T he change was recom mended hy a task force put together last year hy the hoard to ltx)k into the treatment of queer students. The action comes amid debate in Albany concerning legislation aimed at making schtxils safer for learning hy requiring them to rec ognize and address all types of bias- related harassment and violence. In 2002 both chambers of the Leg islature got together in an effort to ❖ resolve differences between two etroit Lions president Matt Millen has different versions of hills combat apologized for an anti-gay epithet he made ing bias harassment in schixils, hut T he Human Rights Campaign placed this public service ad to former Lions and current Kansas City Chiefs they could not come to agreement at the Union Station subway platform in Washington, D.C. player Johnnie Morton. over a small number of differences, The incident occurred Dec. 14 shortly after including the Senates failure to provide protec- i the Lions lost a game to the Chiefs. Although new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll has tions to students based on “gender identity and the comment was made in the hxtker room and i \ found that 79 percent of all U.S. citizens expression.” Morton no longer works for the Lions, the com believe gay men and lesbians should he allowed “The Rixhester Schm l Board is to be congrat ment sparked opinions all over sports talk radio to serve openly in the military. ulated for strengthening their anti-discrimination in Detroit and elsewhere. The poll, which was conducted from Dec. 5 and harassment policy,” said Ross Levi, Empire Morton and Millen had a heated exchange, to 7, surveyed 1,004 adults. Survey participants State Pride Agenda public policy director. “The and Millen responded by calling Morton a “fag were asked, “Do you think people who are open board was right to recognize that students should got." A reporter for a Kansas City paper over ly gay or homosexual should— or should not— not be taunted or attacked because they are per heard the comment. he allowed to serve in the U.S. military?” ceived ;ts not acting enough like a hoy or a girl. Millen has apologized for using the epithet, In August a Fox News poll found that 64 per New York state government should now follow stating: “Unfortunately, I retaliated with a cent of the .public believed queers should be suit and join the dozens of schcx>! districts across derogatory tenn directed at Johnnie. I apologize allowed to serve openly in the military. Previ the state by passing a statewide law to allow every if I offended anyone. It was certainly not meant ously, a 2001 survey published by M IT Press student in New York to attend school free from to do anything other than express my frustration found that 56 percent of civilian respondents bias harassment, bullying and discrimination.” and disappointment over Morton’s statement.” believed gay men and lesbians should he allowed The New York City Council also is debating The Triangle Foundation— Michigan’s lead to serve openly. passage of a hill addressing bias-related harass ing civil rights group for gay, lesbian, bi and According to Geoffrey Bateman, assistant ment and violence in schools. The Dignity in trans people— accepted Millen’s apology. director of the Center for the Study of Sexual All SchrxTs Act had a first hearing Oct. 7 before “It is always offensive and unfortunate to hear Minorities in the Military at the University of the Education Committee and is sponsored by such anti-gay language, especially from public California at Santa Barbara, the shift in public 37 of the 51 councilors. figures," policy director Scan Kosofsky said. “We opinion might reflect ongoing concern about are pleased that so many voices in the sports the firing of nine gay Arabic language specialists NATIONAL world have condemned the statements, but we during the war on terror. “After 10 years of n response to a series of misleading anti-gay feel it unnecessary to call for his resignation, as ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ the public understands public service ads appearing in the subway sys that discrimination undermines military effec some have done. He has apologized several tem in Washington, D.C., the Human Rights times, and for a visible leader in professional tiveness," he said. Campaign Foundation has launched its own series sports to apologize sends a strong signal that anti The center’s senior research fellow, of subway ads promoting equality and fairness gay epithets are never appropriate, even in the Nathaniel Frank, broke the story of the Arabic toward gay, lesbian, hi and trans U.S. citizens. lcx:ker rcxim. Sometimes we all say things we linguists in a November 2002 New Re/mhlic The ads are among the last that will he accept don’t mean. We don’t believe Millen harbors any story, but the issue resurfaced recently when The ed hy the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Washington Post reported Dec. 3 that the mili animus toward gays or lesbians.” JH Asstxiation after its board voted to end free pub tary has fired 37 linguists for being gay during lic service ads in its system. The ads are appearing Compiled hy News Editor JlM R aix ')STA, who can the past two years. in 10 lighted dioramas on subway platforms he reached at jim@justout.com. throughnit the system, which serves Washington, D.C., and the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. MICHIGAN “When we learned about the misleading and T emocratic Gov. Jen anti-gay ads Metro had accepted, we Kx)ked for nifer Granholm signed a way to counter those wrong-headed messages an executive order Dec. 23 with the truth,” said Kim I. Mills, H RC educa tion director. “Thanks largely to District Coun- ; banning state employment discrimination based on sex cil Member Jim Graham, we were able to get our ual orientation, making ads into the system just as the policy changed.” Michigan the 11 th state with In October, advertisements appeared in such a policy. Metro sponsored by Parents and Friends of Ex- “Most people already Gays, a group that promotes damaging “repara- \ agree that an employee’s live therapy" techniques, which have been performance should be mea renounced by mainstream professional organiza sured on the job they’re tions such as the American Psychological Asso doing, not hy any bias an ciation and the American Medical Ass<x:iation. employer might have," said As a result of complaints about the PFOX ads, Seth Kilbourn, Human Detroit Lions president Matt Millen called former team member the Metro board subsequently voted to end all Rights Campaign national Johnnie Morton a “faggot” during a heated locker room exchange free public service ads beginning Jan. 1. T I A u to m o tive M aintenance & Repair AT ITS BEST! ALL FOREIGN & DOMESTIC AUTOMOBILES QUALIFIED, HONEST, QUICK & FAIRLY PRICED SATISFIED CUSTOMERS TELL THEIR FRIENDS — THEY ALL COME BACK! 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