National Notes

December 18, 1992

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Page 13

State Police for refusing to hire an otherwise qualified lesbian as a state trooper.

The woman, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, applied to the Maryland State Police on May 23, 1989. She successfully passed several hurdles, including exams on physical agility and psychological tests, before the department asked if she were a lesbian. After Doe freely acknowledged her sexual orientation, she received a letter in April 1990, saying that she would "be given no consideration for employment.”

"The Maryland State Police has a legitimate need for obedience and discipline within the police department,” the letter said. "Homosexual or other socially unacceptable conduct will undoubtedly foment controversy and conflict with the department. This consideration as well as the concern of the police department to protect its public image and avoid ridicule and embarrassment, justify inquiry into the sexual preference or orientation of a trooper candidate."

Ruth E. Harlow, staff attorney for the ACLU's national Lesbian and Gay Rights Project, said the Maryland State Police have unconstitutionally deprived themselves of a potentially talented trooper who wants to serve her state.

The complaint filed with the state Circuit Court for Baltimore City says that the Maryland State Police's decision not to hire Doe was based solely on her sexual orientation and "lacked any real or substantial relationship" to her ability to perform the job of a state trooper. The complaint is based on the strong equal rights protections of the Maryland Constitution.

The complaint asks that the Court award Doe damages for lost wages and benefits and issue an injunction directing the State Police to allow Doe to enter the Maryland State Police Academy.

Huntington nixes gay rights

The city council of Huntington, West Virginia removed "sexual orientation" from a proposed amendment to the city's anti-discrimination ordinance during its October 13 meeting.

According to Jim Buresch, spokesperson for the Huntington Campaign for Human Rights, the council decided at that meeting to pass the amendment to the ordinance, which covers housing, employment and public accommodations, without any gay protection clause. However, it sent the "sexual orientation" clause back to the

city's human relations commission for further study.

One council member, Arley Johnson, who filibustered during the meeting until the clause was removed and referred, had originally told the Huntington Campaign that he would support it. Buresch believes the change in position was caused by political pressure, which was reported in the city's Herald-Dispatch.

The action, according to Buresch, may be a blessing in disguise. The human relations commission had asked the Campaign's help in preparing reports about sexual orientation discrimination and in drafting a bill that would be acceptable to businesses as well as gays.

Catholic catechism respects gays for their "ordeal"

The new catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, released on Nov. 16 in French, formally states the church's position on the issue of homosexuality and many other current-day concerns of Catholics worldwide. The catechism, last issued in 1566, summarizes the church's teachings and doctrines on a variety of subjects, but does not replace scripture or statements made by the pope.

As reported in the New York Times, the church firmly condemns homosexual acts, which are "against natural law." However the catechism indicates that gays should be treated with "respect, compassion and sensitivity." Noting that gays "do not choose their homosexual condition" and that "for most of them it is an ordeal," the book urges that “all manner of unjust discrimination should be avoided with respect to them." Having dispensed these compassionate words for the consumption of nongays, the catechism is not very satisfying for the needs of gays, simply urging them to be "chaste."

The conservative direction of the church is also reflected in its stated opposition to abortion, birth control, artificial insemination, and the ordination of women. The English translation of the new catechism is expected to be available in the spring.

Gay family books for children to remain in libraries

Over five hundred libraries, nationwide, now carry children's books that depict lesbian and gay parents, which, according to

the books' publisher, is a result of a religious-right campaign to ban them. Alyson Publications, which publishes the "Alyson Wonderland" series featuring lesbian and gay parents, began noting that right wing groups, including Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, were campaigning against the books.

These books, which include Heather Has Two Mommies and the award-winning Daddy's Roommate and The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans, began generating controversy about a year ago when they appeared on a New York City first-grade curriculum. Soon librarians were being formally petitioned to remove the books. According to publisher Sasha Alyson, “so far as we know, not a single library removed a single book." However, the publisher soon heard about Daddy's Roommate disappearing from the shelves of many libraries within a short time period.

To counteract the problem, Alyson offered free copies of Daddy's Roommate and The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beansto the first 500 libraries that requested them. All the copies have been mailed out and the Boston-based publisher is prepared to replace them as many times as necessary.

New York phone company funds PWA bulletin board

Washington, D.C.--NYNEX Corporation has awarded a $24,950 planning grant for the development of NAPWA-Link, a computerized information bulletin board available to subscribers by the National Association of People with AIDS.

Since its inception three years ago, NAPWA-Link has provided a national online AIDS information and education

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service for people with HIV disease and their service providers. NAPWA-Link assists those with HIV by keeping them upto-date through local community resource lists, a glossary of AIDS news clipping service and confidential access to a doctor for questions and referrals.

NYNEX's grant will establish an advisory board to evaluate the effectiveness of the system from the perspective of those who use it. In addition, technical telecommunications and marketing strategies will be reviewed in order to expand the system's capabilities and its reach.

As AIDS expands into rural communities, services such as NAPWA-Link have become necessary for reaching individuals and service providers who need accurate and timely information about treatment options and resources.

1993 gay and lesbian pride theme picked

"A Family of Pride" will be the theme of 1993's Gay and Lesbian Pride celebrations. More than 160 pride coordinators from the U.S., Canada and Germany chose the theme during the International Association of Gay and Lesbian Pride Coordinators Conference, held in Long Beach, California over the Oct. 9-11 weekend. Recently named Christopher Street West President Bob Gervasoni said the 1993 theme "reflects the sense of pride in "family values" the gay and lesbian community has instilled in itself." The conference was sponsored by CSW, who sponsores the Los Angeles event, and Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride.

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