GAY PEOPLE's Chronicle JUNE 20, 1997

NEWS BRIEFS

Democrats give partner benefits to party workers

Washington, D.C.-The Democratic National Committee will offer same-sex partners the same health benefits available to spouses of its employees, starting July 3.

"It's a way to attract and retain a talented staff," said DNC spokeswoman Melissa Bonney. "We're following the lead of the business communities that already do this."

"The Democratic National Committee is joining some of the smartest and most successful U.S. employers by deciding to treat its workers fairly," said Elizabeth Birch, director of the Human Rights Campaign.

Tim Fitzpatrick, spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, commented that they had no plans to provide same-sex partners of their employees similar benefits.

"This is not something we're offering at this time," he said.

The DNC also appointed Tony Winnicker as director of gay and lesbian outreach. Winnicker assumed his new role in May following his work for Citizen Action, where he directed national issue and nonpartisan campaign efforts.

Winnicker said that the Democrats' realization of gay and lesbian electoral importance occurred during the first election of President Clinton.

"Politicians listen to groups that help them out," he said. "Exit polls showed gay support for the president as high as 66% in 1992 and 72% in 1997. This is as high as any group."

New rights law may face vote

Bangor, Maine-The Christian Civic League of Maine decided on June 13 that it would mount a voter campaign to repeal the state's new lesbian-gay civil rights law.

Michael Heath, the league's executive director, said his group plans to collect more than 51,000 signatures to block the bill from becoming law and force a referendum.

Gov. Angus King, who signed the measure into law in late May, met with Heath and other league leaders on June 6 to try to persuade them not to go forward with their repeal campaign, but the board voted unanimously to seek a referendum.

Foes of the gay rights bill will have 90 days after the legislature officially adjourns this week to collect the necessary signatures.

Police will look for fliers' source Westland, Mich.-The gay president of the school board in this Detroit suburb said she will file a complaint with police to have them find the author of an unsigned, anti-gay flier that may have cost her re-election.

Trish Brown, 33, lost the election Monday, June 9, after campaign literature labeling her as a "butch” and “dyke” was sent to homes within the school district.

Brown said a particularly vicious onepage flier, labeled "Take a Hike, Dyke," may violate state laws since it is unsigned and it urged voters to toss her from the job because

she's gay.

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with ruining someone's life," Brown said. "People have to be held accountable."

"Yep, I'm not"

Chicago-Amid speculation fueled by a gossip column, Oprah Winfrey issued a statement on June 4: "I am not in the closet. I am not coming out of the closet. I am not gay."

The rumors started in early May when New York gossip columnist Liz Smith wrote, "One of the biggest and longest-running TV stars is seriously contemplating making the same move that put Ellen DeGeneres on the cover of every magazine in the country and in the nation's newspapers. But-okay, if— this announcement occurs, it will make the seismic tremors of DeGeneres' 'Yep, I'm gay' statement look like small potatoes. It will be the furor to end all furors."

"This celeb is an icon and role model to millions," Smith added.

Smith's statement, coupled with Winfrey's appearance on ABC's now famous coming out episode of Ellen, got the rumor mill turning.

At press time, Smith's celebrity has yet to step out of the closet.

Dalai Lama meets with gays

San Francisco-The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibet and millions of Buddhists worldwide, met privately with gay Buddhists to discuss his views on homosexuality.

The gay Buddhists, all from the San Francisco Bay Area, requested the June 11 meeting because of their concern about the Dalai Lama's past statements, which deem oral and anal sex to be improper, but on the other hand, seem to approve of same-sex love.

The Dalai Lama clearly voiced his opposition to discrimination and violence against lesbians and gays, and expressed his support for full human rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation.

"From a Buddhist point of view, men-tomen and woman-to-woman is generally considered sexual misconduct. From society's viewpoint, mutually agreeable homosexual relations can be of mutual benefit, enjoyable and harmless," the Dalai Lama told the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Dalai Lama went on to express that he is willing to consider that the Buddhist teachings in this area may be specific to a particular cultural and historical context.

"When it comes to interpreting scripture, I can't undertake that on my own,” he said. "We would need to have consultation with other Buddhist traditions."

He also urged Buddhists to build a consensus among other Buddhist traditions and communities to change the understanding of the text for contemporary society.

Governor signs 11th rights law

Manchester, N.H.-On June 6, with Governor Jeanne Shaheen's signature, New Hampshire officially became the 11th state

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to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

With the addition of New Hampshire, all of the New England states have laws that say it is wrong to discriminate against lesbians and gay men in employment, housing, public accommodations and credit.

"The momentum has begun," said Kerry Lobel, director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "The action for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender legislation has shifted from Washington, D.C. to the states. Add Hawaii, Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia to the list, and nearly one out of four people in the country live where discrimination based on sexual orientation is outlawed."

Klan didn't come to Montana Pride

"We need to define what are the circumstances."

The idea is to give the drugs for a month to stop the virus from gaining that first foothold-if it has invaded the body. But there's not one study to prove it works and some doctors feel it's too early to even address it. Some believe that it could discourage people from practicing safe-sex.

"We believe this will save some lives, but if it sends the wrong message to the community and people practice less safe sex, we could undo the good," said Dr. Julie Gerberding of the University of California at San Francisco.

Doctors, state health officials and AIDS awareness advocates will convene next month in Atlanta to talk about the idea, and possibly make a recommendation, Janssen said.

Bozeman, Mont.—The Gay Pride parade Pro-gay initiative gets signatures

in Montana came and went on Saturday June 7 without any of the violence many feared.

To ensure participants' safety, a police squad car led the parade, and two more brought up the rear. Several officers patrolled on bicycles. Some watched from rooftops while others mingled with the crowd in plain clothes.

Fliers bearing the return address of a Ku Klux Klan activist from Great Falls were distributed last month around Bozeman urging residents to "stay inside at all times" to avoid exposure to HIV during the three-day celebration of gay Pride.

Over 300 people from around the state marched, including several elected officials.

Man yells he's not gay; kills two

Los Angeles-An inspector at a Santa Fe Springs plastics factory opened fire on fellow employees, killing two, because he apparently believed they thought he was gay and were ridiculing him, police said June 6.

"He was heard yelling ‘I am not gay!' in a very angry manner, so that appears to be the motive for the shooting," said Chuck Drylie, spokesman for the Whittier Police Depart-

ment.

Two employees of Omni Plastics, located 10 miles southeast of Los Angeles, were killed. Three other employees and a visiting supplier were wounded.

Police and witnesses said Daniel S. Marsden seemed to fire at anyone in his path.

A co-worker said that Marsden had approached them in recent weeks and announced to them that he was gay.

After fleeing the scene, Marsden drove into Los Angeles and shot himself to death with a 9mm Baretta semiautomatic.

CDC mulls 'morning after' pill

Atlanta-The government knows that some doctors are prescribing AIDS drugs as a morning-after approach for people who fear they have caught HIV during risky sex, and is trying to decide whether to endorse the practice.

"There may be some situations where it might be appropriate," said Dr. Robert Janssen, director of AIDS prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Tacoma, Wash.-Backers of a ballot initiative to ban job discrimination against gays and lesbians have until July 3 to round up 179,248 valid signatures, and state officials suggest submitting at least 215,000 to allow for duplicates or invalid signatures.

Hands Off Washington, a citizen group proposing the measure, announced June 11 it has sent paid signature-gathers into the field, primarily in populous Pierce and Snohomish counties (Tacoma and Everett), to augment volunteer efforts.

Volunteers have collected about 120,000 signatures for Initiative 677, and will continue their work until the July 3 deadline, said spokeswoman Michelle Ackermann.

"I feel very confident we will be on the November ballot," she said.

Oregon rights bill dies

Salem, Ore.--A gay civil rights bill appears headed for the legislative landfill after Senate President Brady Adams said he would not let the bill go to committee because it lacked support in the Senate.

As a June 6 deadline came and went, supporters had rounded up just 14 of the needed 16 signatures.

The measure was introduced by Sen. Kate Brown, D-Portland, after a similar measure passed the House but became lodged in a Senate committee.

At one time Rep. Chuck Carpenter, RPortland, who sponsored the House version, had secured 15 (of 30) Senate votes, but Sen. Tom Hartung, R-Beaverton, withdrew his support when Brown's alternate bill was introduced.

Carpenter, who is gay, angered Adams by joining forces with Democrats and another moderate Republican to force the anti-discrimination bill through the House.

Carpenter said he isn't giving up, maintaining that the bill would pass if it went before the full Senate.

Imus chills ice cream maker

New York-Radio host Don Imus got a cold reception for his on-air remarks from ice cream makers Ben & Jerry's.

Imus urged listeners during an ad on his show, "Don't be a fairy, buy some Ben & Jerry's."

This didn't sit well with the lactose tolerant counterculture company, which takes pride in having an accepting attitude towards gays and lesbians.

When phones started ringing at the corporate headquarters, Ben & Jerry's CEO Perry Odak hopped a plane to New York to meet with Imus and the general manager of his flagship radio station, WFAN-AM.

"We're letting people know that's not reflective of what we're all about," said Ben & Jerry's spokesman Rob Michalak.

The company and Imus ironed out their differences, and Imus will continue to prö mote the product. ♡

Compiled by Tom Rappa, Doreen Cudnik, Brian DeWitt and Eric Resnick, from wire reports.