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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2005)
32 Just OUt • june 17.2005 UTTTTTl news EUROPE M an ’ s D river ’ s L icense P ulled B ecause H e ’ s G ay A Sicily court June 7 overturned a decision by officials in the city of Catania to suspend a man’s driver’s license because he is gay. The man, Danilo G., had his license pulled after authorities learned he was exempted from military service because of his sexual orienta tion. The officials said they needed to investi gate the “suitability” of allowing him to drive. Danilo’s lawyer called the move “utterly scandalous and offensive” and sued for half a million Euros. “Danilo...is deeply perturbed by what has happened,” attorney Giuseppe Lipera told the Ansa news agency. “He has lost his hair and is suffering shock.” In siding with Danilo, the court declared: “It is clear that sexual pref erences do not in any way influence a person’s ability to drive motorcars safely. [Homosexuality] cannot be considered a true and proper psychi atric illness, being a mere personality disturbance." Volunteer Counselors needed for a one week camp in the end of August. zazcH Camp Starlight is a eamp for children infected or affected with HIV. Please contact Angie 503-223-5907 or araffaele-burns@cascadeaids.org www.Dharma-Rain.Org Swiss V oters OK P artner L aw Swiss voters approved a same-sex registered partnership law June 5. About 58 percent of vot ers favored the measure. Although numerous European nations have enacted such laws, this was the first time the matter was put to a public vote in Europe—and the first time in the world that voters passed a gay partnership law. The measure had passed Parliament in June 2004, but religious conserv atives then collected enough signatures to force a referendum on it. The law extends numer ous marriage rights to regis tered same-sex couples but withholds rights in the areas of adoption, in vitro fertilization and taking each other’s last name. A total of 19 of the 100,000 A ttend M ilan P ride Sexual orientation affects nation’s 26 cantons, or states, Some 100,000 people gathered the right to drive in Sicily. approved the law. The highest June 4 in Milan’s Piazza della Repúb level of support was in Base I- lica for the city’s Gay Pride parade. Stadt—68.59 percent. The lowest level was in Organizers and marchers demanded passage the small northeastern canton of Appenzell of a partnership law for same-sex couples. Innerrhoden—41.6 percent. Numerous politicians joined the parade, includ “[The result] shows that we are a pluralistic ing the president of Milan province, Filippo society that defends its minorities,” activist Penati; the openly gay Christian Verdon told president of the Puglia Swisslnfo.org. “Homosexu region, Nichi Vendóla; als have earned their place and openly gay Member in society today. [This law] of Parliament Franco will give gay couples far Grill ini. more visibility. People only fear what they don’t know.” A ctivists S tage ‘W edding ’ in N otre D ame C athedral Neighborhood Watch Welcome to Lexis on tne Park. Here in the heart of Portland's most dynamic neighborhood, your friends are your neighbors, and every day life takes on a whole new meaning Isn't it time to redefine the way you live7 Call today for an appointment to tour a furnished model. New homes start in the low 150ks to 500ks. LEXIS ON THE PARK Redejine I he wax you live. tSl CCW livetnthepearl.com I 503 237 2000 ■•’t 845 NW 11 TH Ave. I Portland Or 197209 that we are not afraid,” George lacobescu of the gay group Accept told Reuters. Accept leader Florin Buhuceanu told the French Press Agency, “We are very happy with our first historic march, which has allowed us to show ourselves to the world in broad daylight.” L ondon B orough B ans R ainbow F lags Westminster City A total of 20 mem Council has banned rain bers of ACT UP/Paris bow flags from storefronts staged a mock gay wed in London’s gay Soho dis ding June 5 inside Notre trict. Councilors declared Dame Cathedral. the flags to be advertising They chanted, “Pope rather than a symbol. Benedict XVI, homo London Mayor Ken phobe, AIDS accom Livingstone responded by plice.” The group was calling the councilors attacked by security per Filippo Penati, president of Milan, joined “Neanderthals.” sonnel, and a priest was openly gay politicians in the city's Pride “Westminster’s deci injured in the ensuing parade June 4. sion...shows that its plan melee. ning committee is com “They are savages...barbaric, odious and pletely out of touch with the needs of 21st cen scandalous,” the priest, Patrick Jacquin, told the tury London,” Livingstone said. “Lesbian and French Press Agency. “I was pushed to the gay businesses make an enormous contribution ground and trampled, kicked in the neck. It’s a to the life of this part of London. They should be scandal for these people to lash out at me and congratulated, not discriminated against.” the pope.” An ACT UP spokesman Flamed the vio MIDEAST/AFRIC A lence on the church security team’s tactics. R omania S ees F irst P ride P arade Romania’s first GayFest Parade went ahead as scheduled May 28 despite efforts by the Bucharest mayor’s office to ban it. Local officials reportedly backed down under pressure from Romanian President Traian Basescu, who received thousands of angry e-mails orchestrat ed by Metropolitan Community Churches and others. About 500 people marched, protected by not police. Passers-by btxied and yelled insults, including “Get out of Romania" and “Homosex uality is a sin.” Police detained several members of the New Right organization when they tried to cross police lines and attack the marchers. N igerian S cammers T arget G ay C hat R ooms The United Kingdom’s Gay Police Assenta tion has issued a warning about Nigerian fraud sters targeting users of various online gay chat rooms. “Many people are familiar with receiving e-mails from people hased in Nigeria asking for money and are now wise to this fraud, but it is much easier to be taken in by someone if you have spent some time chatting with them online,” said community adviser lan Saunders. “People using gay chat rooms need to.. .treat with caution any requests for money or bank details from people they have recently chatted to.” The scammers often claim to be dying of cancer or involved in chanty work, the associa tion said.
