GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

News Briefs

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amendment barring same-sex marriage on the May, 2012 primary ballot.

The 30-16 vote came on September 13, a day after the North Carolina House of Representatives approved the measure.

Democrats lost their majority in the legislature in the 2010 elections. They had fought off attempts to pass a ban amendment, making North Carolina the only Southern state without one.

A White House spokesperson issued a statement to the Washington Blade condemning the move.

"While the president does not weight in on every single action taken by legislative bodies in our country," Shin Inouye said, "the president has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples. The president believes strongly in stopping laws designed to take rights away."

Minnesota will also have a marriage ban amendment on the ballot next year, in November. Meanwhile, a Maine group is circulating petitions to put a measure allowing same-sex marriage on that state's ballot, and activists in Oregon are looking at doing the

same.

Anti-gay group got tax money for class

Washington, D.C.-Four Republicans in the House of Representatives used office funds to send staffers to a training held by an anti-gay organization in Indiana.

The Indiana Family Institute, which held the training, is the state affiliate of the Family Research Council, which has been declared a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The House members paid a total of $2,500 for the seminar, a legal expenditure that points to one of the ways they can funnel

September 23, 2011. www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com

money to causes they support without violating the law.

The representatives were all from Indi-

ana.

Rules prohibit the use of government funds for political causes, but paying for training seminars is allowed. However, it is quite unusual for those trainings to be held by political groups, and for money to be given directly to political groups like that.

The money, though, was given to the non-profit wing of the organization, not the political action committee, which last year funded an ad attacking a Democratic congressman in the state for supporting the health care bill put forward by President Barack Obama.

Australian passports can list sex as 'X'

Canberra, Australia-Intersex people can now indicate their gender status on Australian passports, which will have three options: male, female and indeterminate.

The latter will be listed as "X" on the passports, although transgender people will not be able to use this designation. However, transgender people with a doctor's statement of support can pick either male or female.

The change removes the black-and-white dichotomy of gender for those born with genitals that do not express their sex distinctly.

The change is possible in any country that uses the International Civil Aviation Organization's guidelines for passports that can be read by machines.

The group A Gender Agenda requested the changes, which were announced September 15.

Festival

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quality, support women in alternative businesses and provide healthier food," Cozad explained. "We had great feedback and ran out of everything!"

Organizers are meeting next week to review this year's event and will be making a survey available for suggestions for future festivals.

"We want to continue to refine and improve things," noted Cozad.

The 23rd annual Ohio Lesbian Festival will fall on the same weekend after Labor Day next year, September 7-9, 2012. For more information on attending, volunteering, performing or having a booth or workshop, visit www.ohiolba.org or on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/ohiowomyns

festival.

GENERAL STORE

ROBIN STONE

Visitors to the festival's General Store found an improved and impressive selection of menu choices including locally raised free-range chicken and grass-fed beef, organically grown fruits and vegetables, along with Kosher, gluten-free and vegan selections. And of course, there were plenty of Compiled by Brian DeWitt, Anthony cookies, snacks and beverages for sale as well. Glassman and Patti Harris.

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Benefits

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likely take advantage of the benefits package if it passes. One of County Executive Ed FitzGerald's conditions for supporting the measure was having an estimate of its cost, and the surveys should provide that. FitzGerald is examining plans to save the county $2 million on its existing health care plans.

Rivera said that the committees will meet again either at the end of September or early October, once those surveys are returned.

"Obviously then, we're hoping for a final vote on this soon thereafter," Rivera said.

"We feel good. We definitely have six strong supporters, so we're letting them know we stand with them and support them when they feel pressure or opposition to doing this," he said, noting, "The strategy right now is to keep making calls, sending e-mails and letters to the five members of council that we have not received commitments from, including two Democrats that we are particularly reaching out to, but we have not given up on the three Republicans either."

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