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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2004)
February 2a 2004 • Ju st out 2 1 HTinTTTiTI news S O MANY SHOES...' Calif., that was set to consider relocating to Cleveland if Taft vetoed the measure. “This bill is a giant step backward for the state of Ohio,” said Patrick Guerriero, Log Cabin Republicans executive director. “Gov. Taft, part of a legendary family in Republican history, did grave disservice to our party.” Ohio becomes the 39th state with a law banning marriage rights for same-sex couples; however, no other state prohibits the exten sion of benefits to all unmarried couples. South Carolina state Rep. G loria Haskins, a Republican, introduced a measure Jan. 29 that also would prohibit such benefits for unmarried couples. TENNESSEE he Tennessee Court of Appeals will re consider a lower court order that prevents a gay father from “exposing” his son to his partner, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ten nessee announced Feh. 9. During Joe Hogue’s divorce, the lower court judge issued a restraining order barring him from “taking the child around or other wise exposing the child to his gay lover(s) and/or his gay lifestyle." In September 2002, Hogue was found in contempt of the order and was sentenced to two days in jail after his ex-wife complained that he told his son that he was gay. The judge also significantly reduced Hogue’s visitation with his son and gave the ex-wife all decision-making power over the child. Hogue appealed the contempt charge to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, which cleared him in January because revealing his sexual orienta tion to his son was not part of the restraining order. However, the court went on to say that the restraining order was valid. Folkwing a request by the A C LU , the court has agreed to reconsider its decision. “For two years now, I have had to hide an important part of my life from my son. 1 hope the court will understand that visitation restric tions like these deny children honest relation ships with their parents,” Hogue said. “It’s hard to teach your child how to he honest and stand up for what’s right if you aren’t even allowed to be tmthful about who you are.” T A California country club denied benefits to B. Birgit Koebke and Kendall French because they are gay benefits to married couples and occasionally to engaged couples in these circumstances. The Labor Department as well as the U n employment Insurance Appeal Board initially denied Newland’s request for benefits. Last June, after the ACLU filed suit, the hoard agreed to reconsider its ruling. “The Department of Labor understands that love and commitment makes a family,” said Alan Van Capelle, Empire State Pride Agenda executive director. “We applaud the depart ment’s decision to permanently change its poli cy to recognize that all New York families need to he supported hy their government.” The Labor Department outlined its change of policy in a letter to the hoard, asking it to give Newland the benefits. It pointed out that, like married couples, unmarried couples in commit ted relationships may also have “gcxxl cause” for leaving a job to follow their partners.' Because of the change of policy, gay and les bian New Yorkers who relo cate to he with their part ners can seek unemploy ment benefits. Couples in this position will have to provide proof of a “long term committed relation ship." have been domestic partners since 1993, the club refuses to recognize their relationship and forces them to pay additional greens fees whenever French seeks to play golf as Koebke’s “guest.” Since 1995, Koebke has worked to obtain a change to the membership transfer policy, citing heterosexual couples who were not married but able to extend club privileges to their partners. By excluding Koebke and French from its membership transfer policy. Lambda Legal says, the club is in violation of state laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, marital status and sex. “Other members have their ‘better half’ rec ognized and accepted at the club, while Kendall is only my ‘guest,’ ” Koebke said. “We just want to he treated equally and play golf together. It’s not rocket science.” OHIO hio banned marriage and marriage-related benefits for same-sex and other unmarried couples Feh. 6. The law not 1 GEO R G IA only prohibits any recogni tion of marriages between .S. Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga., who has com- same-sex couples hut also mitted to campaign for the re- precludes the “recognition election of President or extension of the specific Bush, voiced support statutory benefits of a legal Feh. 9 for the anti-gay marriage” to any unmarried Federal Marriage Amend ment. He is the only couple. C A L IF O R N IA It also prevents state Democratic senator in employees from ever re favor of the proposal. A state appeals court ceiving health insurance “Sen. Miller has heard arguments Feb. 9 benefits for their unmarried turned his hack on thou in the case of a San Diego sands of Georgia families partners. Additionally, out- lesbian couple whose coun as well as his own party,” Zell Miller of-state same-sex couples try club refused to treat them who are both legal parents said Dave Noble, Nation like other committed cou of their children may see al Stonewall Democrats executive director. “In ples. Lambda Legal, which doing Si), he has joined a small fringe of politi- these adoptions invalidated represents the women, is ask or not honored when they ciaas who have chosen to trample on state rights, ing the court to order the ignore human rights and radically rewrite our come to Ohio. club to treat same-sex cou A broad range of O hio own Constitution.” ples equally and fairly. Karen Holbrook says an anti-gay law Senate Joint Resolution 26 would force ans spoke out against “Gay men and lesbians will binder Ohio State University House Bill 272— includ states to deny recognition of same-sex marital currently cannot marry from attracting top-tier researchers relationships and would require any state that ing O hio State University under California law," attor president Karen Holbrook, who urged Repub recognizes such relationships to amend their ney Jon Davidson said. “By adopting policies that own constitution. The resolution has six only give privileges to married couples, the coun lican Gov. Bob Taft to veto the legislation, Republican sponsors in the U .S. Senate. A saying it would have an “adverse impact try club automatically discriminates against les similar resolution has been introduced in the o n ...o n e of O h io ’s largest employers to bian and gay people.” U .S. House with 103 Republican and six attract and retain employees.” Several other B. Birgit Koebke and Kendall French were denied full benefit of Koebke s Bernardo Heights companies expressed opposition to the m ea Democratic sponsors. JH! sure, including Fortune 500-ranked N C R Country Club membership because they are not married. Club policy allows a spouse to be Corp., based in Dayton, and Missing Lynx, a Compiled by News Editor JlM R a d o s t a , who can be reached at jim@justnut .com. software company based in San Ramon, included in membership. Although the couple AND J U S T ONE PAIR OF G L A S S E S ? Eagle Optical PR ESC R IPT IO N EY E W EA R GLASSES & C O N T A C T S Eye exams by an independent Doctor of Optometry 2808 N E M L K Jr Blvd, Suite C Portland, O R 97212 Located next to Billy Reed’s Restaurant 503.335.7173 LO O www.eagleeyeopticalshop.com When an ordinary Realtor simply won’t do... 3144 SE Belmont mm Portland, OR 97214 office: 503-238-7617
