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Is she or isn't she? Cincy mayor remains private

Cincinnati-Just days after voters rejected a gay rights ballot issue, the city's mayorelect was deflecting questions about her own sexual orientation.

Callers to a November 4 radio talk show quizzed Councilwoman Roxanne Qualls, with one asking: "Did I or did I not vote for a lesbian?"

Qualls said the question was inappropriate and refused to answer.

"It's not an issue," she said in an interview after the show. "Questions about private lives of people are really inappropriate and very clearly distract from the pressing issues for the city."

Rumors began to circulate after Qualls, who was against the anti-gay civil rights ballot issue that voters approved November 2, appeared the next day at a gay civil rights rally.

The issue never surfaced during the 40year-old Democrat's campaign for a second two-year term on the City Council. In Cincinnati, the top vote-getter in the council race becomes mayor, and Qualls won the job with just 8 percent of the vote.

The post is largely a ceremonial one; the city manager handles the city's day-to-day operation.

Pam McMichael of the group Stonewall Cincinnati said her organization endorsed Qualls, who is single, and 10 other council candidates, but none of the candidates were asked about their sexual orientation.

"We are very clear that our agenda is to make Cincinnati a fair and equal place for all of its citizens," McMichael said. "There's no hidden agenda here."

Phil Burress of Citizens for Community Values and chairman of Equal Rights, Not Special Rights, the coalition that opposed the ordinance, said Qualls "is perfectly qualified to be a mayor."

But he warned that "if she continues to promote the homosexual agenda through being a mayor... if she passes another law, we'll be back on the ballot. City Council's the one that forced the issue, not us."

Qualls was one of seven council members who voted for the human rights ordinance in November 1992. Two members voted against it.

Clinton administration is a 'friendly' place to work

Washington Forget for a moment the messy controversies that arose from Clinton's thwarted campaign pledge to end the military ban on gays.

There is a promise he has kept to the gay community which so heavily supported his candidacy—and that is to include it in his administration.

A number of gay groups, including the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, joined forces last year to find and promote gay people qualified for various government posts. The goal of Coalition '93 was five openly-gay political appointees. Already there are 22 and more are expected as the White House continues to fill slots.

Gay staffers were gathered November 2 for a breakfast reception sponsored by the Victory Fund.

Hanging over the festivities was the big pledge Clinton hasn't kept his campaign vow to end the ban on gays in the military. But even those disappointed by Clinton's retreat on that front said he deserves credit for his personnel policies.

The president's major contribution, according to several participants, has been setting a new tone. "The administration has made it comfortable" for gay people to serve, said William Waybourn, executive director of the Victory Fund. "And that says more than anything."

Hawaii starts marriage hearings

Honolulu Hundreds of people turned out October 29 for a hearing on the question of same-sex marriage and for 12 hours made emotional pleas for and against the issue.

There were some shouting matches and heated debates before the meeting started, as people with differing views walked into the Mabel Smyth Auditorium side by side. Five hundred people signed up to testify, and the hearing lasted until 10 pm

The hearing was organized by House Judiciary Chairman Terrence Tom, who says the meetings will provide voter comment that will be considered in any bills lawmakers consider next session. There are no specific bills at the moment.

The state Supreme Court has ruled that the state's ban on gay marriages is unconstitutional, but an appeal means it may be at least two years before a final decision is reached.

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