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News Briefs

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cuff because of the raid.

According to reports, while the TABC claims its agents were engaging in a routine liquor license inspection, two of the agents were actually wearing shirts that identified them as state police and the owner was not notified of the inspection. Six people were arrested, but all charges were dropped.

Seven Ohioans on House 'phobe list

Washington, D.C.-Seven Ohio members of the United States House of Representatives joined a list of the biggest homophobes in Congress by signing on to a resolution demanding that the Obama administration defend DOMA in court.

Only one of the members represents a district containing a major city-Cincinnati-while the rest are all from rural areas.

They are Reps. Steve Austria of District 7, Steve Chabot of District 1, Bob Gibbs of District 18, Bill Johnson of District 6, Jim Jordan of District 4, Robert E. Latta of District 5, and Jean Schmidt of District 2. Schmidt and Chabot are already well-known for their anti-gay stances.

The resolution was introduced by Missouri's Vicky Hartzler, and has 94 co-sponsors.

Joe Sudbay of Americablog points out that the presence of a number of Tea Party representatives indicates that their talk of focusing on fiscal matters was just that talk.

"For some of them, rhetorical and legislative gay-bashing is a passion, even an obsession," Sudbay wrote of the list.

Panel okays first out gay federal judge

Washington, D.C.-An attorney from New York faced only "softball" questions from Democratic senators at a March 16 hearing on his nomination to a federal judge post.

J. Paul Oetken, who was nominated for the federal bench in January by Pres. Obama, opened by noting that his partner was in attendance, supporting him.

That support, however, was hardly necessary, as Oetken faced only Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York and Chris Coons of Delaware. Schumer recommended Oetken to Obama for the post last September.

If his nomination is confirmed by the Senate, Oetken will be the first openly gay man to serve as a federal judge.

The Senate Judicial Committee heard three other nominations.

Oetken might be beaten to the bench by Edward DuMont, who was nominated for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

They were both preceded as the first out LGBT federal judge by Deborah Batts, who was nominated in 1994 by President Bill Clinton.

Indiana ban amendment protested

Indianapolis—Hundreds of people rallied on March 14 in front of the Indiana statehouse, opposing a proposed anti-marriage constitutional amendment.

The amendment already passed the Indiana House of Representatives, and was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 23.

It would define marriage as an opposite-sex institution, as well as barring the state from recognizing other legal relationships, like civil unions or domestic partnerships. Its wording is similar to Ohio's marriage ban amendment, passed by voters in 2004.

The amendment must be passed by the full senate, then make it again through both houses of the legislature in the legislative session elected in November 2012 before going to the voters in

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2014. If it fails either in this session's senate or either chamber in the next session, the process resets.

Indiana law does not recognize same-sex marriage, but proponents of the amendment use the typical argument that they are trying to "protect marriage" from "judicial whim."

Irish official decries U.S. parade ban

New York City-In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore was in New York, and took the opportunity to meet with LGBT Irish groups on March 16 and criticize the ban on gay organizations in New York City's St. Patrick's Day parade.

"What these parades are about is a celebration of Ireland and Irishness," he said, according to the Irish Voice Reporter. "I think they need to celebrate Ireland as it is, not as people imagine it. Equality is very much the center of who we are in our identity in Ireland."

Gay and lesbian groups have marched for years in St. Patrick's Day parades in Irish cities.

"This issue of exclusion is not Irish, let's be clear about it," he continued. "Exclusion is not an Irish thing... I think that's the message that needs to be driven home."

Gilmore also told the activists that the government plans to lay the groundwork for samesex marriage in their new constitution, which should be in place for the Republic of Ireland's centennial in 2016.

"For the majority of Irish people, being gay is no longer an issue. That's not to say there isn't resistance. I expect that if we come to the point of same-sex marriage at the [constitutional] convention, of course the extreme right will push back against it," he noted. "But issues of equality are issues that have to be taken on."

Falling asleep may become new DADT

Charleston, S.C.-A petty officer in the Navy is facing discharge for falling asleep with another man while watching television. Opponents of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy worry that his case might be a foreshadowing of events after the policy is removed later this year.

Stephen Jones and Brian McGee were watching a television program on a computer when they dozed off. When Jones' roommate came in, they got up and went to their own

rooms.

According to the men's matching reports, Jones was wearing a T-shirt and pajama pants and was on top of the covers of his bed, while McGee in boxer shorts was beneath the blanket.

The two were cited with dereliction of duty for unprofessional conduct; McGee accepted the charges and his pay was docked, but when Jones refused to accept the penalty, he was ordered discharged. He had hoped for a court martial to prove his innocence.

None of the three men gave any indication of sexual activity in their reports, but Jones and his attorney believe homophobia is behind his imminent discharge. Because there was no evidence to support the still-in-effect "don't ask, don't tell," base officials used an end-run to achieve the same result.

"I asked several times about what was unprofessional about what I did, and every time they said it's just unprofessional. Period,” Jones said. “Guys are always playing video games, watching movies, in other people's quarters."

He noted that they woke up and returned to their rooms before the 2 am curfew on February 6, and the investigation report confirms that. It also does not say how either man exhibited unprofessionalism.

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Compiled by Brian DeWitt, Anthony Glassman and Patti Harris.

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March 25, 2011

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

11

Cold feet

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where the Judiciary Committee had voted 12-10 on March 4 to send the bill to the floor, even though committee chair Joseph F. Vallario Jr., D-Prince George's, who cast the deciding vote to do so, indicated he would not support marriage equality on the floor.

Support for the bill had already grown shakier. Committee member Sam Arora, DMontgomery, an original co-sponsor, had said March 3 he would vote against it on the floor, and he only wanted to send it to the full House so voters could have their say in a likely referendum. The state constitution allows voters to submit new laws to a referendum if they can collect the 55,736 signatures necessary to do so.

And Delegates Tiffany Alston, D-Prince George's, and Jill Carter, D-Baltimore City--both co-sponsors-were no-shows at the first scheduled committee vote. Alston said she wanted more time to weigh her decision based on diverse feedback from constituents and others. Carter said she was just trying to draw attention to other legislation. Alston eventually voted against sending the bill to the floor, but Carter voted in favor of doing so.

Sponsor Melvin Stukes, D-Baltimore City, who was not on the Judiciary Committee, announced at the end of February that he was withdrawing his sponsorship. He Isaid he had come to realize that the bill would grant full marriage equality instead of civil unions.

Three days before the full House vote, the bill was still "probably one to two short" of the 71 votes needed for passage, said Delegate Heather Mizeur, D-Montgomery, in an interview March 8, adding, "There is still a large block of undecided who will go to the floor undecided."

Democrats hold a 98 to 43 majority in the chamber.

Even Governor Martin O'Malley, D, who

Anti-bullying

Continued from page 2

actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity of students and those with whom they associate, among other attributes.

A spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Calif., said she will soon introduce a House version of the bill, as she did last session.

Senator Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., on March 10 reintroduced the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act, which establishes similar anti-bullying requirements for colleges and universities receiving federal student aid. The bill is named after a gay Rutgers University student who committed

has said he would sign the bill, appeared to shift towards the idea of a voter referendum-something equality advocates have shunned. He told reporters March 3 "We should let the people decide," according to the Baltimore Sun. After the bill was recommitted, he told the Associated Press, "I would have hoped that we could have resolved this issue and then let the people decide."

The full House vote came after nearly four hours of debate on March 9 and 11. Debate centered around religious beliefs on homosexuality, whether the LGBT community's political movement for equal rights could be compared to that of AfricanAmericans, and whether same-sex marriage would negatively impact children.

Delegate Mizeur, in one of the most personal speeches during debate, spoke of reconciling her deep Catholic faith with being a lesbian. She said that, if the bill failed, it would not stop her and her wife from loving each other, but the lack of legal protections would "make it really, really difficult for us in the worst, most challenging times."

Committee chair Vallario asked, "Where would Martin Luther King be on this issue?"

"I don't know," he said, but then introduced a motion to recommit the bill to his Judiciary Committee. The House unanimously approved.

One other bill remaining in that committee seeks to ask voters to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Spokespeople for both the bill's sponsor, Delegate Don Dwyer, R-Anne Arundel, and Vallario could not say whether that bill would receive a vote before the session ends April 11.

In the remaining states, the Rhode Island House and Senate Judiciary Committees have held hearings on marriage equality bills in recent weeks, but neither chamber has yet scheduled a vote.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, D, has said he will urge the legislature to take up marriage equality this session. He met with LGBT advocates March 9 to discuss the matter.

suicide in September 2010 after two other students videotaped him in an intimate encounter with another man and broadcast the video online.

Senator Al Franken, D-Minn., and openly gay Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., introduced the Student Nondiscrimination Act March 10, which states that elementary and secondary schools must not discriminate against students on the basis of real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in any program or activity receiving federal funds, or risk losing those funds. "Discrimination," under SNDA, includes harassment, bullying, intimidation, and violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

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