www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com April 9, 2010

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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 3

newsbriefs

General is sorry for blaming massacre on gay soldiers

Washington, D.C.-A retired general who testified before Congress that the Srebenica massacre in Bosnia was caused, in part, by gay Dutch soldiers has apologized to the government of the Netherlands.

Gen. John Sheehan told a Senate hearing last month that Henk van den Breemen, the Dutch chief of staff, had told him that 15 years earlier. However, van den Breemen denied ever saying that to him.

Sheehan e-mailed van den Breemen with his apology, and the Dutch leader is satisfied with the apology. In the e-mail, Sheehan emphasized that no individual soldiers were responsible for the massacre.

In the July, 1995 massacre, Srebenica, which had been declared a safe haven by the United Nations and was under the protection of Dutch peacekeeping forces, was overrun by Bosnian Serbs, who slaughtered the Muslims inside the city, dumping thousands of bodies in mass graves.

Ban on TG therapy in prison overruled

Milwaukee Transgender prisoners can receive gender reassignment treatment in prison, a federal district court ruled on March 31.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin threw out a 2005 law that prevents prison doctors from prescribing hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgery for pris-

oners.

The law was passed by the legislature over the protests of Department of Corrections medical personnel.

The court's decision stated that the ban was "deliberate indifference to the plaintiff's serious medical needs in violation of the Eighth Amendment * inasmuch as enforcement of the statute results in the denial of hormone therapy without regard for the individual medical needs of inmates and the medical judgment of their health care provid-

ers.'

The law was unique in the nation. The attorneys representing transgender prisoners, some of whom received hormone treatments for years before the law took effect, came from the ACLU, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and an independent law firm.

Marine's dad must pay Phelps' fees

Baltimore-The father of a Marine killed in Iraq has been ordered to pay legal fees for Westboro Baptist Church's anti-gay picketers.

Fred Phelps' church picketed the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder in 2006. Albert Snyder, the slain Marine's father, sued Phelps and his

church, comprised primarily of his close family members, for violating his right to privacy and freedom of religion.

Snyder was granted $10 million by a jury in the case, but the award was thrown out by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ordered him to pay $16,510 for Phelps' legal bills.

The appellate court ruled that, no matter how repugnant the exercise of free speech, it trumped Snyder's right to privacy and to bury his son in peace.

A number of states and municipalities began passing statutes barring protests near cemeteries following Phelps' decision to picket the funerals of military personnel. Previously, he picketed funerals of gays and lesbians, and people who died of AIDS. Phelps claims that God allows soldiers to be killed because of America's tolerance for homosexuality.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Snyder's appeal, and he is currently raising funds to file briefs for the case.

Canceling prom is unconstitutional

Aberdeen, Miss.-A federal court ruled on March 23 that canceling a prom to keep a lesbian student from attending with her girlfriend violates her constitutional rights.

Constance McMillen went to the ACLU of Mississippi when the Itawamba County. School District barred her from attending the prom with her girlfriend. In response, the district canceled the prom, hoping that a private citizen would throw it instead. A private prom could legally bar McMillen and her girlfriend from attending.

The court did not order the school

district to reinstate its prom after being assured that the private prom would be open to all students.

McMillen, who was given a college scholarship by Ellen DeGeneres after the controversy broke out, will also attend the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition's Second Chance Prom, open to all LGBT and allied students in the state. It is being sponsored by the band Green Day, Iron Chef Cat Cora and former boy-band member Lance Bass, among others.

Ricky Martin comes out

New York City-Singer Ricky Martin ended years of speculation and nondenial on March 29, issuing a tweet in both English and Spanish acknowledging that he is a "fortunate homosexual man."

The former teen heartthrob, who first rocketed to stardom in the band Menudo, is working on his memoirs and realized that he could now unbur-

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den himself of all the secrets he has kept during his career.

"Many people told me: 'Ricky it's not important,' 'It's not worth it,' 'All the years you've worked and everything you've built will collapse,' 'Many people in the world are not ready to accept your truth, your reality, your nature, he noted. "Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage."

" ""

"Today I take full responsiblity for my decisions and my actions," Martin continued, noting that he is no longer afraid of public reaction, instead he is afraid of "the blood that runs through the streets of countries at war . . . ... child slavery, terrorism . . . the cynicism of some people in positions of power, the misinterpretation of faith."

"I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," he concluded. "I am very blessed to be who I am."

Anna Paquin comes out

New York City-The star of HBO's True Blood has come out in a public service announcement for Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund Project.

As part of the "We Give a Damn" series of PSAs promoting LGBT equality, Anna Paquin identifies herself as bisexual.

The piece also includes Lauper, Clay Aiken, Wanda Sykes, Sir Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, Jason Mraz, Eric Roberts and others talking about why they "give a damn" about equality..

The campaign is affiliated with Lauper's True Colors Fund, which started with her national LGBT and allied recording artists tour.

Texas can't stop women's divorce

Houston-The Texas attorney general's attempts to block the divorce of a same-sex couple were shot down on April 1.

District Judge Scott Jenkins refused to halt the divorce, noting that any delay would affect the former couple's four-year-old son.

Angelique Naylor and Sabina Daly were married in Massachusetts in 2004. Attorney General Greg Abbott sought to intervene in the case, but Naylor and Daly's lawyers argued that Jenkins had rendered his decision before Abbott's attempt to intervene, meaning he no longer had legal standing in the case.

Jenkins questioned Abbott's decision, pointing out that a similar case involving two gay men is under appeal in Dallas, and that it will provide precedent. Abbott's office is involved in that case as well.

ROCH

U. Michigan elects gay student leader

Ann Arbor, Mich.-The University of Michigan installed its first openly gay student body leader on March 29 as junior Chris Armstrong was sworn into office as the Michigan Student Assembly president.

Armstrong also founded MForward, a student leadership organization at the school pushing for student activism through the MSA and trying to amplify student voices throughout the community.

Mayor's order bars the use of slurs

Houston, Texas-The city's new, openly lesbian Mayor Annise Parker issued a major non-discrimination order on March 25.

The order is believed to be the most comprehensive in the country, and bars discrimination in city employment based on gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. Her predecessor's order only included sexual orientation.

The order includes stadiums, museums and parks that are run by the city.

A second order prohibits the use of gender, ethnic, racial and other slurs both verbally and in posters, cartoons, drawings and screen savers. Violations could result in indefinite suspensions, and managers who fail to act on complaints could be penalized as well.

Compiled by Brian DeWitt, Anthony Glassman and Patti Harris.

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