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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2005)
20 jUSt OUt » october 21.2005 rmrrmnews Raines Globe Travel NATIONAL Person to Person Travel Planning International Specialists Vacation Packages ♦ Cruises ♦ Tours • Group Travel A mnesty I nternational : U.S. P olice F ail to P rotect Q ueers Downtown Salem Since 1948 129 Commercial NE • 503-399-1800 • 800-971-7210 Your #1 choice 24/7/365 503.227.1212 It’s a you parade. Herzog-Meier i * r 1 D. Fulps/George Kettner 503-644-9121 «cars @ herzogmeier.com _ . , , Drivers wanted. LINNTON FEED & SEED TH •w s<, -, . Garden Supplies and Hardware 10920 NW St. Helens Rd Portland, OR 97231 Phone: 503.286.1291 < Law enforcement officers across the nation are accused of abuse of power, tantamount to torture, against the queer community. This accusation came Sept. 22. from William Schultz, executive director of Amnesty Inter national USA. Schultz did not condemn all law enforce ment, hut called to account those who have misused police power and committed human rights violations against the queer community. It is a sorry state of affairs when police officers mis use their power to inflict suffering rather than prevent it, but that is precisely what Amnesty International’s new report has found. The report makes clear that if you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, certain laws and ordinances, such as vague “morals” regula tions or quality-of-life statutes, may be selective ly enforced against you. And if you are trans gender or a person of color, if you were bom out side the United States or if you are young or low-income, your chances of being abused are even greater. The report also documents incidents of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of queers during arrest and searches and while in police detention. Transgender people and indi viduals who do not conform to stereotypes about gender report that during searches police have sometimes inappropriately touched their geni tals to establish their “true” sex or conducted personal body searches in public. Amnesty International called on police departments to sign their Pledge for Profession alism, affirming that they will do the following: • Send a clear message to all officers that abuse and ill treatment of queers will not be tolerated. • Ensure that all allegations and reports of police abuse and misconduct are promptly, thor oughly and impartially investigated and that officers found responsible are held accountable. • Ensure the safety of queers while in detention. Schultz noted: “We realize that pledges and programs can easily become empty gestures without the continued vigilance of human rights advocates. For that reason, today Amnesty begins to focus its spotlight on this persistent and shameful situation. “Amnesty International will mobilize our worldwide membership to exert pressure on police and city, state and federal authorities to protect LGBT people from police abuse and mis conduct. We will issue public actions on individ ual cases of police abuse and brutality to ensure that all allegations are fully and impartially investigated and that officers found guilty are brought to justice. Our spotlight will not dim until the human rights that lesbians, gays, bi sexuals and transgender people are guaranteed in law and are also protected in the real world.” D ems D ecry GOP C ronyism F avoring A nti -G ay A ctivists The National Stonewall Democrats called on the White House and the Republican Party on Oct. 6 to meet with gay and lesbian families instead of only consulting with anti-gay activists on key issues such as judicial nominations and marriage equality. Reports have detailed the exclusive access granted by the White House to anti-gay activists while Republican appointees in New Hampshire pushed through a controver sial anti-gay recommendation Oct. 5 despite Democratic objections. “The Republican Party’s reliance on the cor rupt counsel of anti-gay activists is poisoning American policy with toxic cronyism,” said Eric Stem, National Stonewall Democrats executive director. “President Bush, [Republican National Committee chairman) Ken Mehlman and the entire Republican Party is callously out of touch with our community. In almost five years in office, the Bush administration has failed to meet with one gay family over our concerns, yet they continue to push anti-gay policy as a reward for regular meetings with anti-gay activists.” G ay P arents ’ C hildren N o D ifferent from O thers , S tudy S ays Children raised by gay and lesbian parents are as well-adjusted as other children, accord ing to research presented the week of Oct. 8 at the American Academy of Pediatrics Confer ence and Exhibition. “The vast consensus of all the studies shows that children of same-sex parents do as well as children whose parents are heterosexual in every way,” said Ellen C. Per rin, professor of pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine. L og C abin P resident A lmost G ets P ie in F ace National Coming Out Day at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the site of an attempted pie assault on Patrick Guerriero, pres ident of Log Cabin Republicans. He was there Oct. 11 to give a speech about the future of sexual poli tics when someone approached the lectern and lobbed a cream pie at his face. Guerriero dodged the pie, some of which landed on his suit. Between 100 and 200 people witnessed the event, which was then further disturbed by a prank fire alarm, forcing him to finish his speech outside. Ed McMahon When an ordinary Realtor simply won’t do... , SAVE OVER $2,100’ OnQlDEX Senso Di va Premier Digital Hearing Aids *Now through 10/28/05. Rose City taring Aids, Inc. N ational G roups P artner with O rganizations in T exas and M aine to D efeat A nti -G ay B allot I nitiatives 4006 SW Barbur Blvd. 5 minutes from Downtown Pi/rtland H ® 3144 SE Belmont Portland, OR 97214 office: 503-238-7617 I 503.226.3080 LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED Rebecca Marshall and son Nathan George Micciulla Marshall horse around Oct. 16 at Q Center's Spooktacular Pumpkin Party, enforcing findings of a study that found queer parents' children are no different from those of straight parents. National Stonewall Democrats have part nered with two statewide campaigns working to defeat anti-gay ballot initiatives this November. Their Web site, StonewallI3emocrats.org, has set up a special action center that allows people to donate, and tell their friends, about the work of these two groups.
