18 Just
sut- July¿2004
Coutil minster
f5resbi^terian (2-burch
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Beaverton, OR 97008
www southmin.com I 503.644.2073
The ACLU initially brought a discrimina
I ordered them to take action, they’d do the best
tion claim against the university before the job they could.”
He also recalls meetings with members of the
Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations.
Trying to avoid a hearing on the bias charges,
influential Senate Armed Services Committee,
Pitt brought this lawsuit in the Court of Com many of whom also opposed lifting the ban,
including Chairman Sam Nunn. Clinton writes
mon Pleas seeking an injunction to bar the com
that he believed the Georgia Democrat’s argu
mission from hearing the case. The court sided
ments, and the opinions of others opposed to
with Pitt. The case is now before the Common
allowing open service, “could have been used
wealth Court, which will decide whether the
with equal force against [President HarryJ Tru-.
commission can hear the case.
“It’s astonishing how much time and
man’s order on integration.”
While Clintori notes that a slim majority of
Attorney Mary Bonauto is fighting a racist
resources the university has sunk into this law
U.S. citizens backed his position on lifting the
1913 law that prevents out-of-state same-sex
suit, just so it can cheat a small percentage of its
ban, most members of Congress viewed the sup
couples from marrying in Massachusetts
employees out of the compensation they’re
due,” attorney Witold “Vic” Walczak said. “It’s
port as insufficient.
“Congress thought it was a dead-bang loser
MASSACHUSETTS
precisely this type of behavior that proves why *
for them,” he writes. “With congressional defeat
day after the one-month anniversary of the
we need ordinances like the one in Pittsburgh
inevitable, [Defense Secretary] Les Aspin
first same-sex marriages in Massachusetts,
that protect gay people from discrimination.”
worked
with Colin Powell and the Joint Chiefs
two lawsuits were filed June 18 in Suffolk Coun
on a compromise,” which became known as
ty Superior Court challenging the constitution
NATIONAL
ality and discriminatory enforcement of a 1913
resident Bush gave a lengthy HIV/AIDS
“don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Though not stated specifically in My Life,
law denying licenses to out-of-state couples.
speech June 23 in Philadelphia that made
Clinton’s opposition on the policy has only
Section 11 of Chapter 207 is being used to no mention of men who have sex with men.
strengthened since leaving office. In October
prohibit clerks from issuing licenses to out-of-
The Human Rights Campaign, while heartened
2003 he said, “Simply put, there is no evidence
state same-sex couples. Both suits charge that it
that he acknowledged the urgency of the
is unconstitutional as applied to gay and lesbian domestic crisis, emphasized that the only way to
to support a ban on gays in the military.”
couples.
stop the epidemic is to give people—especially
One lawsuit represents 12 cities and towns,
youth and communities of color—the truth
and the other represents eight out-of-state cou about prevention.
new 39-page draft report shows that
ples. According to the legal action, the state
“The president supports abstinence-only-
despite official Defense Department asser
directive issued to clerks as well as the attorney until-marriage education—programs that time
tions that the military takes anti-gay harassment
general’s May 21 cease-and-desist order are
and again have been proven ineffective in stop as seriously as bias against women and racial
unenforceable because the law is being discrim-
minorities, policies and practices reveal marked
ping the spread of sexually trar«smitted diseases,”
inatorily enforced against same-sex couples.
HRC president Cheryl Jacques said. “Even the
ly different enforcement and deterrent efforts for
“We believe that Section 11 violates both
Ugandan programs that President Bush cited
these three forms of abuse.
the liberty and equality provisions of the Massa
Senior Pentagon officials
chusetts Constitution,” said Mary Bonauto, Gay
repeatedly have insisted that
& Lesbian Advocates &. Defenders civil rights
the military seeks to deter
director. “This was a law that clerks were
and punish all forms of abuse.
instructed to ignore for decades, yet the gover
Former Assistant Defense
nor pulled it off the shelves just to deny marriage
Secretary Kenneth Bacon,
to some gay and lesbian couples.”
for example, noted in 1999:
In addition, the suits charge that the 1913
“There’s no room for harass
law was passed in an era of race discrimination
ment in the military. And
to prohibit out-of-state interracial couples from
this applies to harassment
coming to Massachusetts to marry and is being
based on race, harassment
used in the same manner today against gay and
based on sex and harassment
lesbian couples.
based on sexual orienta
“This 1913 law was enacted to prevent the
tion.... Just as racial harass
state from becoming a haven for interracial cou
ment
is
inappropriate,
ples attempting to escape anti-miscegenation
harassment based on sexual
laws in their home states,” said Randall
orientation is inappropriate.”
Kennedy, a professor at Harvard Law School
However, the Pentagon’s
President Bill Clinton reflects on “don’t ask, don’t tell
and the author of Interracial Intimacies: Sex,
policies and practices regard
autobiography, My Life
Marriage, Identity and Adoption. “That authori
ing training and education,
ties today would seek to cabin the Supreme Judi today incorporated information about condoms
measurement, reporting, processing of com
cial Courts landmark Goodridge ruling by re as an essential part of the A-B-C model—that
plaints, anti-retaliation and accountability all
suscitating a statute tainted by racism is pro
is, Abstain, Be Faithful, Condoms.”
demonstrate far more meaningful efforts to pre
foundly disturbing and regrettable.”
Bush promised to immediately release $20
vent racial and sexual harassment than anti-gay
million to alleviate the crisis conditions that
bias. In the report, titled The Practical and Con
PENNSYLVANIA
exist in many state AIDS Drugs Assistance Pro ceptual Problems with Regulating Harassment in a
he American Civil Liberties Union has grams. Jacques applauded the provision of these
Discriminatory Institution, author Sharon Terman
denounced University of Pittsburgh for critically needed funds.
shows that regardless of military leaders’ inten
asking a Pennsylvania court to strike down all “We hope that this is just the beginning of tions, the gay ban itself prevents the armed forces
laws in the state against sexual orientation dis
increased financial support for state ADAPs,” she
from deterring anti-gay abuse.
crimination. The ACLU’s statement came as it
said. “Experts estimate that more than double
According to Tobias Barrington Wolff, assis
filed a brief June 24 in Commonwealth Court of that sum is needed to eliminate the emergency
tant professor at University of California at Davis
Pennsylvania in a suit related to its litigation conditions faced by thousands nationwide who
Law School, the findings are “disturbing but not
against the university
are on wait lists for lifesaving drug therapies.”
surprising. Harassment is a form of discrimina
for equal employment
tion, and the military continues to pursue an offi
benefits
for
gay
-5-
cial policy of discrimination toward soldiers who
employees.
n his new autobiography, My Life, President
are gay or lesbian. We won’t eliminate the harass
In its brief, Pitt
Bill Clinton recalls the public and congres
ment until we eliminate the inequality.”
argues that the city did
sional debate concerning his promise to the lift
not have the authority
the military’s ban on gay, lesbian and bi service-
to ban anti-gay bias
members.
prominent right-wing group has attacked
because sexual orienta
He writes that he met with the Joint Chiefs
Shrek 2 for what it says are “subtle sexual
tion was not covered
of Staff, all of whom opposed changing the pol messages.”
by state civil rights
icy. “They maintained that letting [queers] serve
The Traditional Values Coalition recommends
protections. Such rea
openly would be, in Gen. [Colin] Powell’s
that parents reconsider taking their children to see
soning would invali
words, ‘prejudicial to good order and disci
the animated movie, denouncing Dreamworks for
date civil rights ordinances in other cities— pline,’ ” Clinton writes. In a new revelation,
what it calls “promoting cross-dressing and trans
including Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Lancaster, however, he adds that the chiefs, despite their genderism." Specific ally cited are scenes featuring
York and Erie—that also cover sexual orientation.
personal opposition, “made it clear that if Cinderella’s “ugly sister” depicted as a hefty bar-
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