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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

An Independent Chronicle of the Ohio Lesbian and Gay Community

Volume 9, Issue 15 January 28, 1994

Cincinnati council retains human rights ordinance

Cincinnati-The City Council on January 12 decided not to repeal a law that provides equal-rights protections for lesbians and gay men.

The council voted 5-4 to postpone action on a proposal that would revoke the city's entire human-rights ordinance, part of which grants the protections to gays.

The ordinance, enacted in 1992, prohibits discrimination in jobs and housing on the basis of race, sex, national origin, physical disability or sexual orientation.

The council also voted 9-0 to postpone acting on a separate proposal that would

Court to reconsider Steffan case

Washington-A federal appellate court will reconsider a ruling that ordered the Pentagon to grant an officer's commission to Joseph Steffan, a midshipman ousted from the U.S. Naval Academy after revealing he is gay.

The full U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said January 8 it will reconsider the ruling issued by three of its judges last November in the case of Steffan, who resigned under pressure from the academy in 1987.

The Clinton administration had sought only a limited review of the November 16 ruling, which said the Navy could not expel

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delete the ordinance's reference to sexual orientation.

Mayor Roxanne Qualls, who heads the council, said the votes mean that the proposals, in effect, are dead.

The issue arose in council after voters in November approved a city charter amendment barring the council from enacting or enforcing laws that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

A federal judge, however, blocked implementation of the amendment pending trial of a lawsuit by gay-rights advocates. The trial is scheduled for June 20 in U.S. District Court.

At least 200 people packed the council chambers to hear the debate.

One resident, Jennifer Thomas, said Qualls should not be allowed to vote on the issue because of questions about her sexual orientation.

The night after her election in November, Qualls attended a lesbian and gay rally. The next night, she appeared on a local radio call-in show and was besieged with questions about whether she was a lesbian.

Boycott continues

In a related matter, the American Historical Association decided in mid-January to cancel its January 1995 conference in Cincinnati. Chicago and New York were listed as possible alternate sites for the January 1995 meeting. In December, the city also lost the American Library Association's 1995 convention. Both groups cited the November vote as the reason for their cancellations.

Gay & Lesbian March Activists/ACT UP Cincinnati began the economic boycott in

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Full frame feedback

ROBERT METZGER

Columbus media artist Robert Metzger's works have been exhibited in Cleveland, Chicago and Boston. Shown here is "Revelation Looming,” (1992) a 30 x 40 inch laminated Cibachrome print. See page B-1 for a profile of the artist.

In a 'bizarre' ruling, Texas court ducks sodomy case

by Lisa Keen

In a decision that gay legal activists are characterizing as a bit bizarre but beneficial, the Texas Supreme Court on January 12 said it has no authority to declare the state's sodomy statute unconstitutional.

After taking more than a year to consider the oral arguments made in the case, the Texas court voted 5 to 4 to order that the case, Texas v. Morales, be dismissed. Voting with the majority were three Republicans and two Democrats; voting in dissent were three Democrats and one Republican.

State Supreme Court justices in Texas, unlike in most states, are elected. Three of the nine justices are running election campaigns this year; all three voted to dismiss the case, including both Democrats.

"They ducked big time," quipped Bill Rubenstein, director of the ACLU's National Lesbian and Gay Rights Project in New York. "It strikes me as odd that a state court system wouldn't have jurisdiction to consider the constitutionality of a state statute."

"The bottom line for me-born out by the Continued on Page 2

Stonewall

4 Clevel's 6 Tales of the

new president talks about rights lawn & Town Hall meetings

City is well received here, and gets high ratings nationwide

15 ok

Cleveland Center board grows to a diverse 15

by Kevin Beaney

On January 12, Cleveland's Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center held its annual elections for the board of trustees and all eight candidates recommended by the Nominating Committee were approved by the membership.

Elections are normally held during the annual membership meeting in October, but at last year's October 27 meeting, thenacting board president Joan Organ proposed to the membership that elections be delayed until January. At that time the board was regrouping after the resignation of its president, Dolores Noll, and the retirement of other board members. It also was addressing

INSIDE

Oak and Ivy, now playing at Karamu, edes African American struggle in its poetry

The Oakland Theater in Youngstown has staged a powerful production of Bent

its racism and planning to invite a more diverse slate of candidates to run for board trustee positions. The membership approved the waiver of the bylaws and a special election meeting was scheduled for January 12.

News Briefs

The Nominating Committee, comprised of selected trustees and Center members, proposed a culturally diverse group of eight candidates: Phyllis Balcerzak, Mary Brigid, Melvin Foote, Dan Geslin, Frank Lowery, Jr., Leigh Robertson, Calvin Stokes, and Sumica M. Williams.

In the weeks leading up to the election, rumors persisted of an organized effort by those disheartened with the Center's direcContinued on Page 5

Editorial, Community Forum

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Calendar.. 20 Resource.. 22 Personals.. B-4