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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 2004)
te J u s t M t * decomber 17.2004 news MEW & USED CARS & TRUCKS STD S tats S how R ise A mong M en W ho H ave S ex with M en JOHN MYERS C O L D U IG L L B A N K eR Q FERNANDO RUIZ M ulti-M illion Dollar Producer REALTOR (760) 325-4500 BUSINESS (760) 831-2798 CELLULAR (760) 325-4578 FAX ( 888 ) 453-3414 TOLL FREE RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE 1555 S. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92264 ps4good@aol.com V iô fô extraordinary flora A^jVvy P a y R e t z / '/ j Save up to 50% 1019 nw 11th ave p 503.228.1558 30-day Full Money Back Guarantee www.pawntalk.com 2122 NE Sandy Blvd 503.813.9273 Portland Metro Real Estate Steve Bucheri Residential Real Estate Broker 503 . 970.3801 Buchert@Hasson.com The Centers for Disease Control and Pre vention have published new national data on reportable sexually transmitted diseases— chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. While the data represent only a small pro portion of the overall toll of STDs, the report reinforces that STDs continue to be a major health threat in the United States, with an estimated 19 mil lion cases occur ring annually. The report notes that chlamydia remains the most commonly reported STD, with more than 877,000 cases recorded in 2003. However, because many cases are not report ed or even diagnosed, the actual number of new chlamydial infections is estimated to he 2.8 mil lion each year. Gonorrhea cases are at an all- time low in the United States, with some 335,000 cases reported in 2003. Racial disparities and growing drug resis tance in some populations and states remain key concerns. The U.S. syphilis rate increased again in 2003, rising 19 percent over a three-year peri od. Despite decreases seen among women and African Americans, the rate among men who have sex with men rase 13.5 percent between 2002 and 2003, and a whopping 68 percent between 2000 and 2003. N ew O nline F orum for the B lack Q ueer C ommunity A new online forum has been founded to serve the black same- gender-loving and transgender com munity. Leaders from around the country have come together and developed a members-only e-mail and bulletin board discussion group for members of the black queer community as well as pro gressive people of all ethnicities. It is designed to focus on topics of interest to black queers and share information about politics, entertain ment, jobs, community events and more. To join, visit groups.yah<x).com/group/nationalhlacks. C ustody C ase T ests S ame -S ex P arenting O ptions Kahns Wild West g a¡h erv The Elrniin Pair Rings, IXk gol.I by Lillian Piit STILL A PROUD SUPPORTER OF GAY MARRIAGE Q _______________________ www. bonm eka hngal lery com Bonnie Kahn's Wild West Gallery. LLC 1524 NW 23'* Avenue #2 Portland. OR 97210 503-293-9414 In a friend-of-the-court brief filed Dec. 8 the American Civil Liberties Union urged the West Virginia Supreme Court not to separate a 4-year-old boy from his surviving mother after the unexpected death of his biological mother. After falling in love and committing to each other, Tina Burch and Christina Smarr decided to have a child together. The couple agreed that Smarr would carry their child. On Dec. 25, 1999, Smarr gave birth to Zachary. The couple raised Zachary together as a family until Smarr was killed in an automobile accident June 1, 2002 . After Smarr s death, her parents, Paul and Janet Smarr, sought to take custody of Zachary. The trial court sided with Burch and awarded her primary custody, with visitation rights to the grandparents. T he court found Burch to lie Zachary’s “psychological parent”— one who, while not related to a child biologically or through adoption, has func tioned as a parent in every way. West Virginia appeals courts have recognized psychological parents in the past, but never involving gay couples. The circuit court reversed the trial judges ruling, deciding to remove Zachary from a parent he has lived with since birth and give custody instead to his grandparents. The case is now before the West Virginia Supreme Court on appeal. Burch has been allowed to maintain custixly of Zachary pending a decision by the high court. Oral arguments before the West Virginia Supreme Court are expected to take place in early spring. S ame -S ex M arriage S till A gainst the L aw A trial court judge issued a decision Dec. 7 finding that the New York Constitution allows the state to continue to exclude same-sex cou ples from marriage. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit in Albany on behalf of 13 couples from throughout New York who wish to marry in the state. The court decision was issued in response to a motion filed by the ACLU ask ing the court to strike down New York marriage laws because they violate the state con- stitutional guarantees of equality, liberty and freedom of speech. Believing that it was hound by an 11-year-old case decided by a New York appeals court, the court allowed the mar riage laws to stand. The ACLU is evaluating its legal options for an appeal. B igots P ush F orward in C alifornia T he Anaheim-based Traditional Values C oalition announced Dec. 6 that it would push hills to amend the California Constitu tion to specify that “the rights, responsibili ties, benefits and obligations of a marriage shall only he granted, bestowed and co n ferred upon a man and a woman joined in a valid marriage and may not he conferred upon any other union or partnership." The hills were introduced in the Assembly by Ray Haynes, R-Riverside, and in the Senate by Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside. T he National Gay and Lesbian Task Force responded to the bills by stating: “T he Tradi tional Values Coalition has a history of try ing to hurt hardworking, taxpaying families simply because they don’t fit their narrow definition o f ‘family.’ Fortunately, the T V C is way out of touch with the values o f Califor nians and most Americans. In the last elec tion, national exit polls showed that more than 60 percent of voters support legal recog nition o f gay and lesbian relationships through marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships."