15
cmíiihvninews
to dream to protect our entire LGBT communi
ty with one hill to cover everyone, legislators
respond. The activists in Illinois have done a
tremendous job.”
Illinois becomes the fifth state to pass
explicit transgender-inclusive language in
its discrimination law, joining California,
Minnesota, New Mexico and Rhode Island.
In addition, 72 cities and counties have
transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination
laws on the btxiks. With the addition of Illinois,
27 percent of the U.S. population now lives in
a jurisdiction with transgender discrimination
protection. Eight states have enacted trans
gender-inclusive hate crime laws.
In addition, 10 states ban anti-gay discrimi
nation—Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Connecti
cut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Vermont, New Hamp
shire, Nevada, Maryland and New York.
—SD
S ocial C onservative C laude A llen
to W hite H ouse
Portland Metro Real Estate
attitude within the administration. We are
troubled by this appointment.”
Bill Arnold of the ADAP Working Group
added: “There is widespread concern since the
position can be a great ‘bully pulpit’ and it’s
assumed that this is payback to neocons and
conservatives who worked very hard on voter
turnout for Bush. On the other hand, this
administration keeps a very tight control on
what its people say, so I guess we wait and see.”
—Bob Roehr
.
Steve Buchert
L
Residential Real
Estate Broker
C ourt D eclines to H ear
F lorida A doption C ase
503.970.3801
Buchert@Hasson.com
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to
hear a case challenging Florida’s ban on gay cou
ples adopting children. The state does allow gays
to be foster parents.
The case was known as Lofton vs. Secretary
of the Florida Department of Children and Fam
ilies. Talk show host Rosie O’Donnell brought it
national attention when she went to bat for
plaintiffs Steve Lofton and Roger Croteau and
Claude Allen will become the
chief domestic policy adviser in
the Bush White House, accord
ing to an announcement made
Jan. 5. Gay and AIDS advocates
are concerned by the possible
implications for community
issues.
Allen, 44, is a social conserva
tive and African American. He
has served the past four years as
the No. 2 person at the Depart
ment of Health and Human
Services, where he was a strong
supporter of abstinence-only HIV
prevention programs and restric
The Lofton-Croteau family enjoys a day out at Oaks Park
tions on abortions.
The agency also has conducted
“audits” of AIDS services organizations and
their five kids. The Portland couple wanted to
activities that many within the community have
adopt 13-year-old Bert, whom they had cared for
characterized as harassing in nature.
as foster parents since his birth.
Allen was nominated to be a federal judge on
Observers were not surprised, as the court
the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2003.
declines to hear the vast majority of cases that
But Maryland’s two Democratic senators
are appealed to it. In action Jan. 10, it accepted
blocked the nomination because the seat tradi
no cases, remanded one back to a lower court
tionally had been filled by a Marylander. Other and declined to hear 469 appeals.
Democrats supported their claim, as they did not
“The plain and well-underst<xxl purpose of
wish to see yet another strong conservative vote
the ban [by Florida on gays adopting] was to tell
added to what many observers see as the most
gay people to go back into the closet,” said Matt
right-wing federal circuit court in the country.
Coles, who heads the Lesbian and Gay Rights
Allen served as Virginias sec
Project at the Ameri
retary of health in the 1990s. In
can Civil Liberties
the 1980s he was one of the first
Union.
black staffers for conservative
• Patricia Logue, an
U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C. As
attorney with Lambda
press secretary during die 1984
Legal, which filed a
election, Allen said Helms’ oppo
brief in support of the
nent had ties to “queers” and
appeal, added: “This
“radical feminists.”
case deserved to be
Allen was asked about those
heard. Florida’s law
remarks during his judicial con
keeps thousands of
firmation hearing. He said he
children in state care
did not believe the words were
and out of permanent,
derogatory, nor had he intended
loving homes—solely
to use them in a derogatory
because the state
wants to express disap
manner.
That has not allayed the con
proval of gay people.”
cerns of community advocates.
Winnie Stachel-
They remember that Gary Bauer
berg, political direc
tor of the Human
used that position to influence
Rights Campaign,
policy decisions during the Rea
said, “The Supreme
gan administration.
Social conservative Claude Allen,
“I hope it is not a sign of social appointed chief domestic policy adviser Court’s refusal to
hear this case marks
policy for this administration,”
its refusal to heed the advice of all major child
said Terje Anderson, executive director of the
welfare organizations and health care profes
National Association of People with AIDS.
sionals who say that gay parents are no differ
Dave Noble, executive director of National
ent from other loving parents.”
Stonewall Democrats, said: “Claude Allen has
—BR |m
advanced ideological extremes in family policy
that have endangered the health of gay youth.
Compiled by News Editor S arah DOUGHER,
His record indicates that he would prompt the
White House to promote anti-gay policy and
who can be reached at sarah@justout.com.
HASSON
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