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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 16, 2004)
J U S I O U I . apnl lfi.2004 Hawthorne --------------- ------------------------- Hawthorne ---------------------------------------------, w m m rnrn I k’ f i l 1 U J k ’ m Hawthorne Hawthorne R _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ NATIONAL he federal agency responsible for investigat ing workplace discrimination issued a state ment April 8 saying that discrimination based on sexual orientation is prohibited in federal work places. Gay rights activists were deeply concerned with recent reports that the U.S. Office of Special Counsel was retreating from its long-established policy of investigating and enforcing disciplinary action against sexual orientation-based emp|py- ment discrimination against federal workers. The O S C removed references to sexual ori entation-based discrimination from its com plaint form, its basic brochure, training slides and a two-page flier titled “Your Rights as a Fed eral Employee.” It also removed from its Web site a June 2003 press release that announced the settlement of a case involving discrimina tion based on sexual orientation against an applicant to the Internal Revenue Service. According to the April 8 statement, the office “intends to review and revise those materials.” In a recent interview, O S C head Scott Bloch created a distinction between “conduct" and “status” as a gay man or lesbian, claiming a fed eral employee could legally be fired or demoted based solely on sexual orientation. In response to questions from congressional Democrats, a White House spokesperson March 31 said Pres ident Bush does not support discrimination but refused to say what action would be taken to address the problem. “The president should stop ducking behind empty rhetoric,” said Terry McAuliffe, Democrat ic National Committee chairman. “His appointee has announced he will reverse 30 years of rights for lesbian and gay Americans— and the president has done nothing.... It’s time for this president to stop winking at his right-wing base and start act ing to protect the rights of all Americans.” T "Fufruitane W ith a OPEN 11- 6 EVERYDAY 1310 Hawthorne Blvd. 503-232-7575 C oventry Cycle (V Works Proferì io n al Service Com fortable Bikeo Recumbantv a Specialty! (COME SEE WHY!) 130 F R A G R A N C E S custom scented bath & bo Hotel director Oneida Garcia (left) and police officer Alice Muniz are among the couples seeking marriage equality in New York i:s( i :\ iiai 710 NW 23rd Avenue • 503.248-9748 3638 SI Howthorne- 503.236 7976 S M O O T H ¿v ( lit A M Y • MAD! 1 R L S H D A I L Y • S M O O T H is: C R E A M Y H & CR EA MY • MADI Indulgence Has Arrived Com e join us at Cold Stone Cream ery*, where you can invent your own ice cream Creation™. Start with your favorite flavor o f fresh-made, smooth and creamy ice cream. Then choose mix-ins that match your mood and add a fresh-baked waffle cone or bowl. It's the ultimate indulgence. COLD STOWE c B E A M E R V 3420 SE Hawthorne Blvd. 34th & SE Hawthorne • 3 blocks down from the Bagdad Theater Portland • (503) 235-1900 Oetfom CokJ Stone Ongnah CfMNon names and image* S M O O T H £c C R E A M Y are rradwnartt* rfi CokJ Stone Creamery me ttXKU-XKH ww»n • M AD E FRESH DAILY • S M O O TH & CREAMY NEWT YORK T he American Civil Liberties Union sued New York state April 7 seeking to strike down as unconstitutional a law that denies same-sex couples the right to marry. “Same-sex couples who commit to each other and build a life together need the protec tion of the law just as straight couples do,” attor ney Matt Coles said. “The lives of the couples in this case show all too vividly how unfair it is to deny them that protection.” The lawsuit, filed in state court in Albany, charges that the law violates the equal protection, privacy and due process provisions of the New York Constitution. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 13 gay and lesbian couples, many of whom had hoped to be married by New Paltz Mayor Jason West but were unable to do so after he was forced to stop performing same-sex marriages. The couples come from all walks of life, rang ing from a state assemblyman (Rosie O ’Don nell’s brother Danny) and a New York City police officer to a shipping clerk and an artist. Many have been together for decades, and some are raising children together. One couple has grandchildren. “After being together for 34 years, we’ve learned a lot about love and commitment,” said plaintiff Regina Cicchetti, who lives with Susan Zimmer in Port Jervis. “I don’t know that I could have made it through two life-threatening ill nesses without the support of Susan. As we face getting older, we see more and more how the state disadvantages us by not letting us marry.” Georgia’s only openly gay assembly member, Karla Lee Drenner, tried to stop a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage GEORGIA he Georgia House passed an amendment to the state constitution March 31 that denies same-sex couples and their children the basic pro tections and equal rights of marriage. Voters will face the question on the state ballot in November. “N o constitution should be used to discrim inate," said Cheryl Jacques, Human Rights Campaign president. “The people of Georgia deserve to be protected equally under their guiding document.” The amendment needed a two-thirds major ity— or 120 votes— to pass. Although the House defeated the measure in February, it returned to the floor last month and passed by a vote of 122-52. “The whole debate has really transformed the lives of many gays and lesbians in Georgia,” Allen Thomell, executive director of Georgia Equality, told The New York Times. “For the first time, they’ve decided to stand up for them selves, be honest about who they are and say why their families deserve protection.” The only openly gay assembly member, state Rep. Karla Lee Drenner, D-Avondale Estates, was a strong advocate against the measure. Even former U .S. Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., who authored the federal Defense of Marriage Act, voiced his disapproval of the measure and is fighting a change to the U .S. Constitution. T FLORIDA S ix same-sex couples filed suit April 15 in Key West demanding an end to marriage dis crimination in Florida. “Today...is a day when millions of same-sex couples across the nation take on our responsi bility as citizens and pay our taxes. Yet our government fails to take on its responsibility to provide us equal protection under the law,” said Stratton Pollitzer, Equality Horida southern regional director. “Tax day is a particularly poignant day to file this suit because it also marks the first time in our nation’s history that same-sex couples, having been legally married in Canada and in cities throughout the nation, are being asked by our government to lie and file as ‘single’ on their tax returns.”
