18 j JUStjOUt
JANUARY 5. 2007
national
NATIONAL
Poll Shows Military Comfortable
Serving with Gays
Katrina
@0K'kofae¿.co/n • 503-335-Q8Q8
ùülriûü. 0K-kohrt¿.CObi
FANTASY
FOR’ADULTS ONLY
EvCT</oM ^A4 a ( a >4 a Jy, w £ a T 4
'
d
Tnhancing love, sex, and
everything in between aince I 985
We offer Portland's hottest selection of:
movies, games, toys, lingerie, and much more...
6 Portland area
locations to servo you
8445 SE McLoughlin Blvd • 503-238-6969
15536 SE 82nd Drive • 503-203-6969
6440 SW Coronado • 503-244-6969
3137 NE Sandy Blvd. • 503-239-6969
1512 Watt Burn aide • 503-295-6969
10720 SE Baavarton Hilladala Hwy • 503-235-691
www.fantasyforadultsonly.cem
25% Off
All App<it el. Hosiery.
Lingerie, Costumes,
and Shoes
A poll from Zogby International and the
Michael D. Palm Center revealed Dec. 19 that
U.S. military personnel are increasingly comfort
able serving with openly gay colleagues. The poll
reveals that 73 percent of military members are
comfortable with gays and lesbians. Nearly one in
four service members report knowing for sure that
someone in their unit is gay or lesbian, including 21
percent of those in combat units.
“Today’s poll is one more nail in the coffin of
‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ ” said C. Dixon Osburn, exec
utive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense
NetWork. “Those who defend rhe law have argued
that openly gay personnel harm military readiness.
This research highlights the absurdity of such a
hypothesis. Not only are there more than 65,000
lesbians and gays serving in the armed forces, but
many are serving openly. Their straight colleagues
are just fine with that.”
The poll of 545 trixaps who served in Iraq and
Afghanistan also found that, even among those
who did not know for certain if a gay colleague was
in their unit, nearly half suspected as much. Among
those who did know a gay colleague, few said their
presence undermined morale. In 1993, only 13 per
cent of enlisted personnel supported open service.
The Zogby poll is the latest in a series of polls
and public statements indicating readiness for a
chance in policy. Among the general public,
Gallup has found 79 percent support for repealing
the gay ban.
Lt. Gen. Daniel W. Christman, former superin
tendent of West Point, told The New York Times: “It
is clear that national attitudes toward this issue have
evolved considerably in the last decade. This has
been led by a new generation of service members
who take a more relaxed and tolerant view toward
homosexuality."
U.S. Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., will reintro
duce the Military Readiness Enhancement Act,
which would repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell" and allow
gays to serve openly, when Congress reconvenes in
2007. During the 109th Congress, a bipartisan
coalition of 123 lawmakers supported the bill.
CALIFORNIA
New Legislation Boosts Rights
California’s queer community rang in the new
year with more legal protections and rights.
Eight new laws affecting queer Californians
went into effect Jan. 1, including a law requiring
companies contracting with the state to provide
employees with domestic partners the same bene
fits given to employees with spouses. Authored by
state Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, the
legislation was modeled after a 1996 equal benefits
ordinance enacted in San Francisco.
In addition to the equal benefits law, domestic
partners in 2007 have the right to prepare their
California income tax returns together. Couples can
file jointly in 2008, covering the 2007 tax year.
Other new laws that went into effect on Jan. 1
reduce anti-queer bias in the courtroom, expand the
state’s nondiscrimination protections and ensure
dignity and stability for sexual minority seniors.
NEVADA
Lawsuit Settled Against
Subway Restaurants
A lawsuit was settled Dec. 20 on behalf of a
man who was fired by a Subway restaurant owner
because he is HIV-positive. The lawsuit was filed in
U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, Las
Vegas division.
“The law is very clear that employers can’t fire
people simply because they have HIV,” said Jen
Sinton, HIV Project staff attorney at Lambda
Legal. “Sound science shows if someone with HIV
is able to work, there is no reason why they can’t
work in the food service industry. Improving
science literacy around HIV transmission is crucial
to the struggle to end AIDS.”
Among other things included in the settlement,
the company agrees that its written policies will
explicitly state that it does not discriminate against
any qualified people with HIV. Additionally, all
managers and employees in supervisory roles will be
trained on how HIV is transmitted, thereby putting
to rest any concern about HIV transmission in the
food service industry, and they will be instructed
regarding the legal obligation not to discriminate
against existing or potential employees based on
H1V/AIDS. According to the
Nevada State Health Division,
although the state has the nation’s
35th largest population, it ranks
14th for the rate of adolescents
and adults living with AIDS.
Robert Hickman was hired by
Donna Curry Investments as a
store manager and began work at
Subway restaurants owned by the
company in Henderson and Las
Vegas on Nov. 3, 2004. After three
months on the job, he became
eligible for employer-sponsored
health insurance. Because the
health insurance application
requested information about his
HIV status, Hickman asked his
employer if he would be denied
insurance because he has HIV.
The owner of the company fired
him the following day, Feb. 4,
2005, because she believed he
Former West Point superintendent Lt. Gen. Daniel W. Christman posed a danger to customers.
spoke out against the banning of gays in the military.
“I’m gratified that my former