Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 5, 2004)
1 Mil i [ihViU new s LOCALLY OWNED A OPERATED JVew ^£ecatian ---------- M am e iD clw exed----------- thaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson announced March 1 that the city would fully recognize mar riages of same-sex couples performed elsewhere and accord them the same rights as all other marriages within the jurisdiction. “Same-sex couples deserve the equal protec tion of the law, the same as any other couple,” she said. “They deserve to he able to bring their fami lies out of the status of second-class citizenship and into the full array of rights and responsibili ties that are available to married couples.” Peterson also told same-sex couples that the city would accept their applications and forward them to the New York State Department of Health for its determination rather than having Ithaca make a decision about whether to issue a license. She hopes this will secure their legal position should they wish to challenge Albany’s decision. “The mayor’s decision. ..makes for a stronger community where all families in Ithaca are treated equally by their government,” said Ross Levi, Empire State Pride Agenda public policy and government affairs director. “There are same-sex couples right now in Ithaca who are 100 percent legally married.” I O H IO leveland Heights City Councilman Jimmie Hicks Jr. filed a lawsuit Feb. 19 seeking to shut down the nation’s first voter-approved domestic partner registry. Since the registry opened Jan. 26, 56 unmar ried couples have signed up. T he suit alleges that the registry violates the O hio Constitution. List summer Hicks said he would let the vot ers decide whether they wanted to create the registry. It passed in November with 55 percent of the 14,222 votes cast. “It looks like all of that sloganeering about ‘let the people vote’ was just a smoke screen from the start,” said David Caldwell of Heights Families for Equality, which campaigned for the registry. “It was an attempt to hide Rev. Hicks’ anti-gay agenda behind a dishonest, populist pander. That didn’t work, so now he’s going to try something else.” Although the registry has no listed legal bene fits, it does offer same-sex couples a way of formaliz ing their relationships. Supporters hope it will make it easier for couples to share employment benefits, inherit property or get hospital visiting rights. “The people of Cleveland Heights asked for and voted for a simple registry, which allows same-sex couples no more bene fits than a public decree,” said Camilla Taylor of Lambda Legal. “While this registry doesn’t give committed, loving couples any government benefits, it lets them prove they are more than legal strangers. A city council man is attacking his own voters in a senseless attempt to repeal the registry. This shows how far the anti-gay movement is willing to go to banish all respect for gay and lesbian families." C “I think the actions of the president are, in my opinion, the most vile and hateful words ever spoken by a sitting president,” O ’Donnell told Good Morning America. “I am stunned and I’m horrified. I find this proposed amendment very, very, very, very shocking. A nd immoral. And, you know, if civil disobedience is the way to go about change, then I think a lot of people will be going to San Francisco. And I hope they put more people on the steps to marry as many peo ple as show up. And I hope everyone shows up.” ORGANIC 2019 SE Belmont PRODUCE WITH RETAIL SPACE Organics to You I (503)236-6496 H O M I; www.orgamcstoyou.org OKI.I V I RY OK ORO A M C GOODS It’s a you parade. IL L IN O IS he Chicago Commission on Human Rela tions unanimously adopted a resolution Feb. 18 taking a stand against marriage amend ments to the Illinois and U.S. Constitutions. “These proposed amendments would codify one religious view of marriage to the exclusion of others,” the resolution stated. “Legally preferring only one religious view in civil marriage laws threatens the freedom of religion and church-state separation guaranteed by th e.. .First Amendment.” The resolution originated with the commis sion’s Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues, which also approved the measure unanimously. “The right to legal protection including mar riage should not be limited,” commission chair man Clarence N. W<xxJ said. “T he time has come for fair-minded persons to step up and uphold everyone’s right to fully and equally par ticipate in society.” T Her^og-Meier D. Fulps/George Kettner Drivers wanted. 503-644-912 1 «cars @ henogmeier.com They j t <r< t theirs. » > Now uct y<>urs! ¿I t i r s i - l i l l H T S W i ' l u Hil l i .ill e TCI lit 1 ( 1 . 111 It lpillg [XMllll I ouse Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, told reporters Feb. 19 in Tennessee that he thinks same-sex marriage will be a “central” issue in the upcoming presidential election. “Ameri cans have been tolerant of homosexuality for years, but now it’s being stuffed down their throats and they don’t like it,” he said. “It is now clear that Tom DeLay has joined Pres ident Bush and Karl Rove in deciding that attacks against gay and lesbian families will be this year’s election strategy," said Eric J. Stem, Democratic National Committee queer outreach director. “President Bush and Tom DeLay would rather pro mote divisive policies instead of confronting the realities of 43 million Americans living without health insurance, millions of children left behind by an underfunded education policy and 2.9 million jobs lost during this administration.” J H l> ll\ III >1 lie s. H Compiled by News Editor JlM R a DOSTA, who am be reached at jim@justout.com. i S ( * ‘ || ,w II |( I.IUS t \ I K s í I r i v C< HlMllt.lt i< •!! N A T IO N A L C A L IF O R N IA fo rm e r talk show host Rosie O ’D onnell married her longtime girlfriend, Kelli C ar penter, Fch. 26 in San Francis co. Earlier that day she said President Bush’s call for the Federal Marriage A mendment inspired her to take “a proud stand” for gay rights. t T FR E SH LO CAL Rose Cit ÜM,' Mortoatie Socialists www.RoseCityNtfl.com nr c iti 5 0 3 .7 6 8 .4 248 The Finest Collision Repair. 503 232-3600 - 2454 E. Burnside • Portland, OR 97214 www.fergusonauto.com Family O w n ed & Operated Since 1952 • Collision Repair Problems Solved • Wheel Alignment • Tires • Oil Changes • Break-in Repairs PnaMvSênl*ittm 6 UTCmai&altyt 9 r 5 ir»an Don Valerio, MD Internal Medicine Fanno Creek Clinic ♦ 2400 SW Vermont ♦ Portland Sports Injury HIV Testing/Care Cancer Screening Smoking Cessation Physical Exams Hepatitis Immunization Skin Problems Anxiety/Depression STD Testing General Adult Healthcare Appointments are now available. New patients welcome. Rosie O ’Donnell (right) and Kelli Carpenter receive thunderous applause from hundreds of spectators who came to witness San Francisco’s first celebrity same-sex wedding Feb. 26 (5 0 3 )4 5 2 -0 9 1 5 Board Certified. Most insurance plans accepted. #
