October 21.2005 ’ jUSt OUt21
nrnrüiiTinews
Maine Won’t Discriminate is working to
defeat Proposition 1, a ballot initiative that
would strip Maine of employment protections
recently signed into law by Democratic Gov.
John Balducci. Two groups opposed to Maines
new gay rights law are finding it difficult to raise
funds for their campaign to reverse it. Maine
Won’t Discriminate has raised more than twice
as much money.
No Nonsense in November is fighting a con
stitutional amendment that would bar marriage
equality and civil unions in Texas. The measure
has been placed on the November ballot. With
turnout in off-year elections traditionally low,
progressive activists are hoping to drive large
numbers of voters to the polls specifically to
vote against the amendment.
The Vote Against the Amendment Cam
paign, a project of the National Gay and Les
bian Task Force, announced Oct. 12 the release
of seven broadcast commercials in opposition to
the proposal. The seven television spots, which
begin airing Oct. 13, feature several Houston
gay and lesbian families talking about their love
and the need for, and importance of, marriage
equality. While many television ads have aired
in opposition to state anti-marriage constitu
tional amendments during the past few years,
this new series marks the first time same-sex
couples have spoken directly about why mar
riage matters.
According to rhe U.S. Census Bureau, 9,784
same-sex couples live in rhe Houston metropol
itan area and 42,912 same-sex couples live in
the state of Texas. Houston ranks 44th our of
the 331 metropolitan areas nationwide as hav
ing the greatest number of same-sex couples.
The Vote Against the Amendment Cam
paign and NGLTF are working in partnership
with the coalition of state and local groups in
Texas that are part of the No Nonsense in
November campaign.
“Our opponents have vastly greater resources
at their disposal and are relying on myths and
fear-mongering to hurt Texas families. We
appreciate the work of the task force to show rhe
fmrh about who we are,” said Glen Maxey, No
Nonsense in November campaign manager.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
C ommission E ndorses
M arriage A mendment
A New Hampshire commission recommend
ed Oct. 5 that the state adopt a constitutional
amendment defining marriage as being between
one man and. one woman. State Sen. Jack
Barnes, R-Raymond, proposed rhe motion and
has likely added fodder to next year’s election
cycle in rhe state, where the amendment is
expected to be a major topic of debate.
G overnor H as N o T ime
for A nti -G ay
A mendment
Investing with your Best Interest at Heart
toward gays Oct. 8 when it voted against leg
islation prohibiting discrimination based on
sexual orientation for private and public
employees. Not only did County Commission
er Kathy Castor fail to garner support for her
proposal, bur future votes concerning work
place protection of gays will require votes from
five of rhe seven commissioners to be placed
on a referendum ballot.
MASSACHUSETTS
O ut - of -S taters G et
T heir D ay in C ourt
Gay & Lesbian Advocates (Sc Defender
argued Oct. 6 before the Massachusetts
Supreme Judicial Court that the liberty and
equality provisions of the constitution protect
everyone within the state’s borders—including
same-sex couples from other stares who go
there to marry.
In Cote-Whitacre vs. Department of Pub
lic Health, attorney Michele Granda repre
sents eight couples from Maine, New Hamp
shire, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut
and Vermont who came to Massachusetts to
marry in 2004 but were told by Republican
Gov. Mitt Romney’s administration that their
marriages would not be valid—in violation of
the spirit and the letter of the 2003 Goodridge
decision.
NEW YORK
J udge : P artner C an ’ t S ue
for M alpractice
A New York court has ruled that the part
ner of a gay man who died in a hospital cannot
sue for malpractice even though rhe couple
had entered into a civil union in Vermont.
“Any contrary decision, no matter how cir
cumscribed, will be taken as judicial impri
matur of same-sex marriages,” the court said in
a 3-2 decision.
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P enn S tate W omen ’ s H oops C oach
A ccused of B ias
Pennsylvania State University said Oct. 12 it
will investigate allegations that its longtime
women’s basketball coach, Rene Portland, dis
criminated against players she thought to be les
bians. Jennifer Harris, a player who has since
transferred to another school, accused Portland
of repeatedly threatening to kick her off the
team if she found out she was a lesbian.
WASHINGTON
J udge W eighs R eleasing
M ayor ’ s G ay . com F iles
C ounty C ommission V otes A gainst
G ay W orker P rotections
Florida’s Hillsborough County Commission
did little to shed its reputation for hostility
Compiled by S arah D ougher
FLORIDA
Comprehensive Financial Planning
PENNSYLVANIA
Embattled Spokane, Wash., Mayor Jim West
is fighting media requests for access to possibly
thousands of
photo
files
found on his
city-owrted
computer,
many
of
which
are
Internet cache
files depicting
men he chat
ted with on
Gay.com.
His lawyer
described the
data as “infor
mation
on
your computer you didn’t put there.... There
are hundreds of people’s identities at stake
here.” JH
New Hampshire
Gov. John Lynch,
a Democrat, announ
ced Oct. 6 that he
opposes a proposed
state constitutional
amendment to pre
clude Iggal marriage
for gays and lesbians.
He said, “Our rime is
better spent focusing
on the real challenges facing New Hampshire
and working to unite people, not divide them.”
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