MARCH 11, 1994 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 3

Klan rally met by large, diverse opposing force

by Charlton Harper

Painesville-Though the Ku Klux Klan rallied as promised in Painesville's Veterans Memorial Park March 5 at 2:30 pm, their meager turnout of 15 was well met by a diverse crowd of more than 1,000 antiKlan demonstrators. Anti-Klan protestors included gay and lesbian groups, communist organizations, the Detroit-based National Women's Rights Organizing Coalition, civil rights activists and local labor and religious groups. Over 350 police from throughout Lake County were called on to protect the free-speech rights of the Klansmen.

While many gathered in peaceful protest, some were prepared to meet the Klan with force. Fights broke out frequently as anti-Klan supporters hunted down wouldbe Klan sympathizers. Anti-rally organizers had said earlier that force would not be ruled out. "We're not pacifists," said Lisa

Weltman, a Detroit member of the Communist League. "We believe in self-defense and driving the Klan off the street is selfdefense." Weltman was not the only out-oftown protestor in Cleveland for the weekend. Others came from Pennsylvania, Michigan and Indiana.

For Frances and Ted Dostal, Cleveland members of the People's Fightback Center, the Klan's ability to mobilize and recruit followers is part of an economic-political struggle based on fear. "These are bad economic times,” said Frances Dostal. "People are looking for scapegoats rather than looking for who is to blame. The powers that be prefer working people who are divided. Racism is built on economic issues. The Klan has to start recruiting now for the future."

The police made four arrests of anti-Klan supporters. Painesville officials estimated the cost of the rally at over $100,000. They intend to bill the KKK for the expenses.

Hawaii senate struggles with marriage issue

Honolulu-The Hawaii Senate Judiciary Committee's decision on the same-sex marriage issue again has been delayed and may not happen until early April.

The committee was scheduled to make a decision on the issue March 4, but Chairman Rey Graulty said he needs more time to find a position that a majority of the 10member committee will support.

In the meantime, Graulty killed a proposed constitutional amendment to clarify that licensed marriages in Hawaii are restricted to couples of the opposite sex. He also killed a Senate bill that provided for domestic partnerships that would have given same-sex couples many of the same financial and legal benefits of licensed heterosexual marriages. Graulty said he didn't have sufficient support on the committee to advance either proposal.

He personally opposed the constitutional amendment which would have put the issue to Hawaii's voters because it "would so polarize and divide our society that we would never be the same again."

That leaves the House-passed bill intended to "clarify" in state law that the intent of the Legislature is that marriage licenses are only for opposite-sex couples. The Senate committee's deadline for acting on House bills is April 8.

Graulty said that he's still working on expanding the elements of the "compelling state interest" required by the state supreme court for restricting licensed marriages to heterosexual couples. He declined to elaborate on those added elements, saying he wanted to work on it privately with the committee members.

The court, in a decision last year, struck down Hawaii's existing straight-only marriage law, similar to ones in all 50 states. Worldwide, only Denmark sanctions samesex marriages.

The House bill identifies the compelling state interest as the protection of children who likely will result from heterosexual marriages, but Graulty said he's not sure that is sufficient to meet the Supreme Court's criteria.

Washington rights bill dies despite heroic effort

Olympia, Wash.-Legislation to protect gays and lesbians under the state's antidiscrimination laws has died a quiet death in the state senate, leaving supporters bitterly disappointed and anti-gay forces buoyed.

Backers, including Gov. Mike Lowry and openly-gay Rep. Cal Anderson, worked feverishly March 4 to try to pick up the last two votes they needed.

But it was not to be.

The 5 pm deadline for consideration passed and the bill died in the Rules Committee. Leaders had sidelined it there while sponsors tried to find the 25 votes needed

for passage.

Two Republican moderates, John Moyer of Spokane and Shirley Winsley of Fircrest, had been heavily courted by both sides. Winsley said she'd been lobbied by "everybody but the pope." But their efforts to get substantial amendments or a year-long study were rebuffed and they declined to support the bill.

It was the third defeat in the Senate in as many years. The bill has been introduced in the House for the past 17 years.

Backers were crushed. They had hoped that the presence of two anti-gay initiatives

and strong Democratic control of both houses and the governor's office would make this the year of victory.

"I am extremely disappointed,” Anderson said softly. "The effort was nothing short of impressive and I had hoped this would be the year we could guarantee protection for gays and lesbians in this state. We will be back, and we will prevail."

The same day, Anderson, the state's only openly gay legislator, confirmed his intentions to run for the state Senate seat vacated by his ally Janice Niemi, who is not seeking re-election.

Ed Murray, the president of the Privacy Fund that fought for the bill, blamed "political cowardice."

Lowry had done some arm-twisting, and spent the final minutes before the deadline in the Senate wings. He said he was deeply disappointed.

There was no organized opposition, although conservative churches flooded lawmakers with letters and phone calls.

The Senate decision will buoy the rightwing groups gathering signatures to put two anti-gay initiatives on the Washington ballot, Lowry said. ♡

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