AUGUST 6, 1993 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 3

Colorado will appeal appeal A.2 ruling to U.S. high court

Denver-A Colorado Supreme Court decision to block an anti-gay-rights amendment from taking effect will be appealed quickly to the U.S. Supreme Court, Gov. Roy Romer said.

"We both agree we need a final decision on this," Romer said, after meeting with state attorney general Gale Norton. "An appeal needs to be now."

Norton said if the federal high court accepts the appeal and there are strong chances it won't she will argue the case herself.

The Colorado Supreme Court on July 19 upheld a judge's preliminary injunction blocking Amendment 2 from taking effect. It also said the measure probably violates the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment, which forbids states to deny legal equal rights to any person. A full trial on its constitutionality is set for October.

Legal analysts say the court's ruling represented a near-fatal legal setback for the proposal, which was approved on Nov. 4 by 53 percent of Colorado voters.

Similar anti-gay statewide referenda are in the works in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, California, Florida, Missouri, and Maine.

Boycott Colorado leaders said their controversial boycott would go on despite the court's ruling.

"We are keeping the pressure on. We feel we're sitting ducks until gays and lesbians have civil rights and protections. Even if Amendment 2 is killed, we're still only back to square one," said Terry Schleder, spokeswoman for Boycott Colorado Inc.

Schleder made her comments as she and other boycott leaders announced the Ameri-

can Public Health Association's cancellation of its 1999 meeting that would have brought up to 12,000 people to Denver.

The health group voted in April to move its convention to Chicago, but didn't disclose the action until Wednesday, said Association spokeswoman Rachel Dale. The Denver visitor's bureau said the cancellation, the city's largest, will cost the city at least $9.3 million.

Meanwhile, People for a Stronger Colorado has gathered 20,000 of the 49,279 signatures needed to force a 1994 vote on a gay civil rights measure.

Boycott Colorado is supporting the effort, but People for a Stronger Colorado spokesman Daniel Brewer-Ward said he hasn't gained endorsements from other lesbian and gay organizations.

Anti-gay referenda in Oregon will be indirectly affected by the Colorado ruling, said David Fidanque, executive director of the Oregon chapter of the ACLU.

Fidanque said he expects Oregon judges will review the Colorado decision because they are dealing with similar arguments.

"The issues considered in Colorado are the same issues we're asking Oregon courts to decide whether the people have the right to take away the rights of a class of citizens," he said.

Fidanque said he expected the ruling to further encourage lawmakers to pass an Oregon House measure aimed at invalidating the local anti-gay rights ordinances sponsored by the Oregon Citizens Alliance.

OCA chairman Lon Mabon said that the the group would continue its referendum efforts in other states.

A changing of the guard at the Center's Garden Party

Continued from page 1

An elegant brunch was served by Heck's Cafe prior to the start of the speakers and the live auction. Leigh Robertson, in her last public appearance as executive director of the Center, spoke to the crowd about the Center's many accomplishments during her term, including the acquisition of a $43,000 grant from the Gund Foundation, the first ever youth conference, and sensitivity training for new recruits in both the Cleveland and Lakewood police departments. Robertson stressed that she was "not moving on, but merely moving over," and said she would be "out, loud and proud" in her new job as Residence Hall Director at Case Western Reserve University.

Dolores Noll, the president of the board, spoke for all of us when she wished Robertson well in her new job and expressed how much she would be missed by the board and staff of the Center and the community. Noll brought a blossom from her yard and presented it to Robertson, who passed it on to Judy Rainbrook, symbolically "turning over a new leaf."

Rainbrook, the Center's new executive director, said how excited she was to be in this position at this time in the movement.

She said it was time for the Center to be at the forefront, and spoke of some immediate needs, including a new space for the Center and adequate volunteer staffing.

The live auction then began, and watching auctioneer Evelyn Hayes do her thing was mesmerizing. The bidding was lively right from the start with an autographed portrait of Kevin Costner selling for $775. There were two items in which the Center was able to earn more money due to the generosity of the donors (and the expertise of the auctioneer). One was a portrait sitting by photographer Herb Ascherman. He offered two sittings instead of one so that the two highest bidders could each purchase one. The other item was the use of a house in Key West for one week. Donor Tom Johnson extended his offer to two weeks so that each high bidder could purchase a week on the beach! Special thanks to these benefactors for their generosity.

The board, committee members and staff of the Center said they had an exciting and rewarding time putting this event together and were overwhelmed by the generosity of all the auction donors. All early indications were that the Center was successful in reaching its goal of $20,000.

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Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are for the 3rd Annual Lesbian Gay Community Service Center

Talent Show

CENTER STAGE

III

Saturday Nov. 20, 1993 The Civic

OPEN AUDITIONS:

Comics, Musicians, Singers, Dancers, Actors, Bands, Choruses, Talents of all kinds Please have 2-5 minutes of prepared material. Sundays, August 29 & September 12 & 26 12 noon 4:00 p.m.

CASH PRIZES ·

Call 522-1999 for audition appointment.

LESBIAN GAY

Community Service

Center

OF GREATER CLEVELAND

presented in cooperation with the Gay People's Chronicle