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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 4, 2005)
2oJuSt OUt • march 4, 2005 L’hUhk’MInews Richard Voss, gri abr Principal Broker ! Owner W estox er H eights Peninsula Realty 6110 N.Lombard St. Portland, OR 97203 Business (503) 286-5826 Cell (503) 804-9424 CLINIC •Full Service Real Estate Office •On Site Real Estate School •Full Service Property Management Se habla Español •Notary Services •Fax Machine Services •In-office Closings •Buyer and Seller Seminars •On-site Mortgage Broker Offering general internal medicine and excelling in sexual health care Serving I be community for 22 yeara 2330 NW Flanders Suite 207 richard voss(“ century21 com www.century2lpeninsula.com Each office is independently owned and operated 503-226-6678 GUV’s The Finest Upholstery for your Car Guy Recordon Jim Enger Jk* XJL • Jk* jKi JK A ■ Syphilis & Gonorrhea have increased alarmingly among rortland-area qay/bi men in the last 4 years . . . y-y lestmq by Menomar- County Testing hy Muttnormn County Tostmq by Otite«& In 03-980 3700 Multnomah Washington 503 846 8851 503 655 8471 Clackamas ror full info on metro area HIV/STD testing clinics B _ ■ It • .XX- , www.man2manpdx.us/hiv std testina/ nrr? - ___ .___ _ _ .- n ____ -Tr^.^-T-'Tn >7 Tn? V irginia L egislature D eals H arsh B low to G ay C ouples “D on ’ t A sk ” D ischarges D own The number of service members discharged The Virginia Legislature gave preliminary from the military under the anti-gay policy approval Feb. 26 to a proposed state constitu known as “don’t ask, don’t tell” continued to tional amendment that would not only restrict decline in fiscal year 2004, which ended marriage to opposite-sex couples, but would also Sept. 30. In a statement released Feb. 11, the prohibit legal protections for same-sex couples Pentagon said discharges totaled 653. and their families through civil unions or simi Discharges peaked at 1,227 during fiscal year lar relationships. 2001, the transition from the Clinton adminis “Virginia says it’s for lovers, but that slogan tration to the Bush administration, and have should be retired as false advertising,” said declined every year since then to about half the Ralph G. Neas, People for the American Way peak number. They are at their lowest level president. “In a state whose legal code is already since the policy went into effect in 1994. filled with laws discriminating against gay peo Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, ple, this proposed amendment would cement while working to overturn the ban, also has into the state constitution second-class citizen pushed hard for training and fair implementa ship for gay and lesbian Virginians.” tion of the regulations as they are written. They Neas noted that this is not the first time the credit the Pentagon for having made progress on Legislature has voted to mandate inequality. these counts during the past four years. However, it is difficult to tell how much of the drop in discharges is attributable to chang ing attitudes and practices within the military and how much of it is because of the manpower needs of the services tied to the conflict in Iraq. Historically, anti-gay administrative actions have declined during wartime only to re-emerge with the end of hostilities and a lesser demand on available personnel. That pattern was seen in World War II, Vietnam and the first Persian Gulf War. “The continued drop in ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ discharges at a time of war clearly shows that it is a law we don’t need,” said Kathi Westcott, an attorney with Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. “These numbers clearly show that military commanders value good service mem bers during a time of war, whether the service members are gay or straight.” The numbers once again lay to rest the con tention that allowing gays to serve in the mili- I tary is a threat to gixxl order, discipline and unit j cohesion. Charles Moskos, a sociologist who has stud ied the issue intensely, told The Washington Post that may be part of the explanation. Most of the discharges under “don’t ask, don’t tell” come People for the American Way president from soldiers declaring their sexual orientation; Ralph Neas calls “Virginia Is for Lovers” fewer than 20 percent are the result of investi false advertising. gations or actual sexual activity.’ Years ago the state enacted a law prohibiting It may be that in the current patriotic cli recognition of the marriages of same-sex couples mate, fewer individual soldiers—heterosexual as and declaring such marriages void. Last year’s well as homosexual—are claiming to be gay as “Marriage Affirmation Act” prohibits partner their ticket out of the military. It also may be ship contracts for same-sex couples. that fewer commanders are willing to accept In order to be adopted, the proposed consti such declarations as grounds for discharge, or tutional amendment must be passed by another that discharges are occurring under other provi session of the Legislature and then approved by sions of the regulations. a public referendum. (The approval of the gov “These falling numbers point to an erratical ernor is not required.) If the amendment passes ly enforced law that needs to go,” said David during next year’s legislative session, it could be Smith, vice president for policy and strategy at on the statewide ballot as early as November the Human Rights Campaign. 2006. Westcott concurred. “Who can support a “A bipartisan majority of Americans sup law that is irrelevant, unnecessary and harmful? port some form of legal protection for gay and The fact is that gay and lesbian service members lesbian Americans and their families,” said don’t harm unit cohesion, and the continuing Neas. “We hope Virginia legislators will reject decline in discharge numbers clearly illustrates this amendment the next time it comes before this fact.” them and will reconsider their assault on the The military has continued to discharge per basic American ideal of equality under the law sonnel who have language and technical skills for all people.” that are in short supply, which further under The proposed amendment passed the state mines the contention that “don’t ask, don’t tell” Senate 30-10 and the House 80-17: “That only is a necessary or sound policy. a union between one man and one woman may —Bob Roehr be a marriage valid in or recognized by this com monwealth and its political subdivisions. This S tate D epartment C hallenged commonwealth and its political subdivisions on D iscrimination shall not create or recognize a legal status for rela Lambda Legal has filed a federal lawsuit tionships of unmarried individuals that intends to accusing the U.S. State Department of hiring approximate the design, qualities, significance or practices that are not just antiquated, but illegal. effects of marriage. Nor shall this commonwealth A team of lawyers will argue March 4 that or its political subdivisions create or recognize the department’s ban on hiring anyone with another union, partnership or other legal status HIV as foreign service officers, regardless of the to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obliga applicant’s qualifications or health status, is tions, qualities or effects of marriage.” discriminatory. —Sarah Dougher The fight is led by Lorenzo Taylor, who