LOCAL & STATE NEWS

Montrose Cottages

The AIDS Housing Coalition Houston (AHCH) has announced the grand opening of a new transitional housing program for men and women over age 18 who are dealing with complications of AIDS infection and who are homeless or about to be.

The "Montrose Cottages Program" will open four units in June, another two units in July, and add additional units as the leases expire in the building, hoping to build to a total of 19 spaces within the next year or so.

The nonprofit AHCH has been operating since 1994 to provide on-going community shelter space and emergency motel vouchers. "Many times a new resident shows up at the door with just a bag or two across his or her back and nothing left," says AHCH director Matt Locklin.

Program residents are required to contribute to their stay (on average $250—$300 a month), and agency staff and volunteers mentor the residents on a variety of skills with the goal of working toward independence and self-sufficiency. "A helping hand up, not just a hand-out deal" is their guiding philosophy.

The Montrose Cottages AIDS transitional housing program and AHCH exist largely on donations, and they especially need unwanted household items such as TVs, radios, bath and kitchen items, even used autos. Please call AHCH at 713/521-1613 for additional information (e-mail: ahch@houston.rr.com).

Texas Hate Crimes Bill Signed into Law

AUSTIN, Texas –Texas Gov. Rick Perry has signed into law a hate crimes bill that includes sexual orientation among its covered classes.

The measure, which covers race, religion, and gender, as well as orientation, has been a sore point in the state for several years. An existing hate crimes law identifies no specific classes of people in its protections–which many have criticized as a major weakness in the existing law.

Then-Gov. George Bush, when running for the presidency, reportedly convinced state GOP lawmakers to kill an earlier version of the bill so he wouldn’t have to face signing or not signing it during his campaign.

Gov. Perry had expressed reservations about the just-passed measure, but in the end decided that refusing to sign the bill could be more problematic than signing it into law.

The new law is known as the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act after the black man who was brutally killed by being dragged by the back of a truck by three white men.

San Antonio Arts Group Wins in Court

SAN ANTONIO, Texas –A federal court has ruled that the San Antonio city council illegally refused $62,000 in funding for an arts group because it didn’t want to pay in part for a gay and lesbian film festival.

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled that the city violated the free speech rights of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center after some residents objected to the film festival being planned in 1997.

Even though Esperanza had been getting city funds each year for seven years, it was denied all city grants in 1997 after voters complained to city council members about the film festival. Several other organizations that year had their city grants reduced by 15 percent, instead of being simply cut off entirely.

"Voters cannot require the council to deny funding to an arts group merely because that group promotes a social or political viewpoint those voters find objectionable," Garcia wrote in his ruling.

Mayor Howard Peak said the city will have to consider whether to appeal the ruling or not.

NATIONAL NEWS

National Lesbian Health Conference

"Challenges of the New Millennium," a national health conference focusing on lesbian health, will be held at the University of California, San Francisco, June 22-23, sponsored by the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), the Center for Lesbian Health Research at UCSF, and Center for Gender Equity at UCSF, as well as dozens of other GLBT health organizations.

Among the subjects that physicians, researchers, and other medical and health professionals will investigate are cancer and tobacco use, substance abuse, mental health, wellness and nutrition, disability, impairment, immune disorders, family issues, access to care, and the problems faced by underserved populations. Plus, Holly Near will perform Friday night, June 22, as a benefit for the Lesbian Health Fund and The Center for Lesbian Health Research at UCSF. Registration is $75, and you can register at the GLMA website at www.glma.org.

2006 Gay Games Finalists Announced

NEW YORK– Bid groups from Atlanta, Chicago, Los
Angeles, and Montreal were named today by the Federation of Gay Games as finalists to host Gay Games VII in 2006. The announcement of the Gay Games VII host is scheduled for a live Internet broadcast on October 25.

The Gay Games has become a much sought-after event on the international calendar, with a wide range of politicians, Olympic athletes, celebrities, and community leaders now supporting local bid groups. Approximately 14,000 people take part in the Gay Games’ athletic and cultural events every four years, and tens of thousands more attend as spectators.

The economic impact at Amsterdam’s 1998 Gay Games V was estimated at 125 million guilders (U.S. $55 million) and projections by Tourism New South Wales for Sydney’s Gay Games VI in 2002 show a potential local and national benefit of at least A$100 million (U.S. $60 million).

Meanwhile, almost 2,000 people have already registered for the Sydney Gay Games, being held November 2—9, 2002. For further information, go to www.sydney2002.org.au.

The Gay Games was conceived by Dr. Tom Waddell, an Olympic decathlete, and was first held in San Francisco in 1982 with 1,350 participants. Growing from an original 1,350 participants to 14,000, subsequent Gay Games were held in Vancouver, New York, and Amsterdam. About 14,000 participants are expected to travel to Sydney in 2002 for Gay Games VI.

New Precedent Against HIV Discrimination for Healthcare Workers

NEW YORK–A federal court decision reinstating an Oregon ski patroller who was fired for refusing an HIV test will strengthen legal protections for healthcare workers and others whose employers overreact to remote risks of HIV infection, the American Civil Liberties Union said today.

"This is a victory for science over fear," said Matt Coles, director of the ACLU AIDS Project, who represented the ski patroller. "The court found that there was no real risk of transmission from emergency health workers–and that in the absence of real risk, there could be no discrimination."

A U.S. District Court judge in Eugene, Ore., ordered the man reinstated late Friday, ruling that a ski resort violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by removing the patroller from its slopes when he refused to take an HIV test once his supervisors learned that his wife has AIDS.

Based on extensive medical evidence the ACLU presented during a trial in the case earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan found that workers who are the first to respond to the scene of a medical emergency pose no significant risk of infecting others with HIV.

The decision will be one of the strongest tools yet in protecting a range of healthcare workers who often face discrimination from employers who fear that any risk of transmission–however small–forces them to remove employees from their medical duties.

"We’ve been trying to get a decision like this for more than 15 years," Coles said. "Emergency medical care is one of the last bastions of blatant job discrimination based on HIV. This ruling tells every healthcare company and medical supervisor in America that no significant risk means just that. You can’t escape the law by saying you just want to play it safe. No real risk means no discrimination."

Gay Radio in Trouble

"This Way Out" is in danger of extinction. Founded in April 1988, this wonderful GLBT radio program includes author/entertainment interviews, news feature stories, humor, gay literature, and lots of music by openly queer recording artists. We hear it here in Houston on KPFT on "Lesbian and Gay Voices," Mondays 8—10 p.m., and sometimes on "After Hours," Saturday nights, midnight—3 a.m.

Produced by a volunteer staff, "This Way Out"is in serious need of money to continue and has been sending out do-or-die appeals to the GLBT community. As Kate Clinton said in a letter appealing for donations: "Since 1988, ‘This Way Out’ has been sending a clear and compelling message to listeners all over the world that lesbians and gay men everywhere are leading valuable lives, contributing to their communities, and being admired for their accomplishments."

If you feel that you can help in any way, you can donate online at www.thiswayout.org (scroll down to the "Financial Realities" section), or by writing to "This Way Out," P.O. Box 38327, Los Angeles, CA 90038-0327, calling 818/986-4106, or e-mailing to TWOradio@aol.com.

Mexican-American Gay Man Picked to Head ACLU

NEW YORK–The ACLU’s board has unanimously picked Anthony Romero to head the public interest law organization. Romero’s selection marks the first time an openly gay man has been chosen to head the group. He also is the first Latino to head the agency.

Romero, who will begin his new job at ACLU, currently heads up the human rights and international cooperation division of the Ford Foundation.

"Leading the ACLU will be a life’s dream and aspiration come true," Romero said. "It’s the thrill of my life. The ACLU is the nation’s premier civil rights-civil liberties organization. . . . It’s the only one that defends the whole range of civil rights and civil liberties for all Americans."

Kansas Appeals Court Rejects "Simplistic" View in Trans Rulings

TOPEKA, Kan.–Rejecting a "rigid and simplistic approach," the Kansas court of appeals has ruled that courts have to take much more than gender at birth when considering the status of transgendered individuals.

The ruling sends back to a lower court the case of J’Noel Gardiner, whose marriage to her deceased husband Marshall Gardiner was being legally challenged by relatives of the man who disputed Mrs. Gardiner’s right to inherit. Their case was based on the fact that Mrs. Gardiner was born a male, regardless of her subsequent gender reassignment.

A lower court had declared the couple’s marriage invalid because Mrs. Gardiner had been a male at birth and state law prohibits marriages between members of the same sex.

The lower court will now have to reconsider the case in light of the appeals court ruling.

Home Depot Agrees to Add Anti-bias Policy

ATLANTA–In a somewhat surprising reversal, Home Depot’s management has agreed to add sexual orientation to its employment anti-bias policies.

Until early in May, the company’s management had refused to agree to adding the anti-bias policy that had been put on the agenda for the corporation’s upcoming May 30 stockholders’ meeting.

But after stockholders and rights advocates had launched a campaign to put pressure on the company, Home Depot management changed its mind and decided to add the new policy rather than face a stockholder vote.

Ellen DeGeneres Ready for New TV Series

LOS ANGELES–Ellen DeGeneres will be returning to prime-time television after a four-year hiatus. This time, DeGeneres will star on a CBS series Ellen Again this fall.

On the show, DeGeneres plays a high-tech exec who moves back to her home town after her company goes bankrupt.

According to entertainment industry reports, she will play an openly gay character on the series.

LA Sparks Basketball Club Signs Deal with Lesbian Group

LOS ANGELES–Unlike many other women’s pro sports groups, the Los Angeles Sparks basketball club has now not only acknowledged its large segment of loyal lesbian fans, but the Women’s National Basketball Association team has also set up a commercial relationship between the club and a lesbian group–a definite first in professional sports in this country.

The new partnership was the brainchild of Penny Toler, the Sparks general manager, and the new relationship was marked with an autograph-signing celebration on May 4 at Girl Bar, a West Hollywood lesbian social club.

The Sparks haven’t gotten beyond the second round in the WNBA playoffs in their four-year history, and draw about 7,000 fans at their home games with about a thousand season ticket-holders.

And Sparks manager Toler says pumping up the club’s fan-base, not social policy issues, is what the new partnership is all about. "This isn’t about marketing to sexual lifestyles," Toler told reporters. "It’s about marketing to a group of people we think will buy tickets."

Minnesota Twins to Host "Gay Day"

MINNEAPOLIS–It may bring a whole new meaning to "take me out to the ball game" when the Minnesota Twins hosts a special "Gay Day" on July 21.

The idea, known as "Out in the Stands," was suggested by the gay and lesbian paper Lavender to help raise funds for three local nonprofit groups.

A spokesman for the major league team said Twins fans "come in all shapes and sizes and lifestyles. We welcome all of them."

The spokesman said they expect the special event will draw up to 2,000 gay and lesbian fans who might not otherwise turn up.

Nun Honored for Gay Support, Apologizes for Church

PHILADELPHIA–PrideFest America, a weeklong gay pride celebration in Philadelphia, honored Sister Jeannine Gramick for her commitment to gay rights, while the Roman Catholic nun from the School Sisters of Notre Dame apologized for the church’s antigay attitudes.

"As a Roman Catholic sister, I want to ask pardon of the lesbian and gay community for my part in any oppression and the part of my church," Gramick said.

Last May, Sister Gramick was barred from publicly talking about her work with gays and lesbians, an order she had continued to defy by traveling around the U.S. to lecture about gay rights and her struggle with the church’s teachings.

"I chose not to cooperate in my own oppression," Gramick said.

Gramick was honored with the Tom Stoddard National Role Model Award. Malcolm Lazin, head of PrideFest, said, "For her to put her career in jeopardy is a remarkable act of courage."

FDA Orders AIDS Drug Ads Changed

WASHINGTON, D.C.–The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has informed eight drug manufacturers that they have to change their advertising for HIV medications.

The FDA notice says the ads are "misleading" because they depict "robust individuals engaged in strenuous physical activity" or "healthy-looking individuals" in them.

The San Francisco board of supervisors first raised the question of whether to ban the ads on municipal buses and transit stops, after hearing complaints from the city’s health department that the ads were encouraging gay men to increasingly engage in unsafe sex.

The FDA ordered the advertising changes because the "images that are not generally representative of patients with HIV" and "misleading because they imply greater efficacy" for the drugs than clinical evidence suggests.

Governor Signs Arizona Repeal Laws

PHOENIX, Ariz.–Arizona Gov. Jane Hull signed into law a bill repealing a number of the state’s outdated sex laws, including its sodomy statute and a prohibition against "open and notorious cohabitation." Activists have worked for seven years without luck to get the laws overturned, until now.

Gov. Hull had carefully avoided giving any indication of whether she would or would not sign the repeal measure as it worked its way through the state legislature, in spite of intense lobbying by conservatives to veto it.

A spokesperson for the governor’s office said that in the end, however, Hull believes "government doesn’t belong in people’s lives."

Out Editor’s Column Knocks on Sports Closets

NEW YORK–A column by Brendan Lemon, editor of Out magazine, about having a boyfriend who is a major league ballplayer has set off a uproar of media interest–hardly a surprise.

But it’s also started a controversy among gays and lesbians, many of whom have been critical of Lemon for turning a personal relationship into the subject of "a gossip column."

Lemon doesn’t actually identify the ballplayer but says only that he is "having an affair with a [closeted] pro baseball player from a major-league East Coast franchise." He says elsewhere in the piece that he "would never out him."

"I think it’s easy to say those things when you are the editor of a gay and lesbian magazine," commented former major-league baseball player Billy Bean, who came out of the closet after retiring in 1996 (and who was the speaker at this year’s HRC gala). "But if I were that ballplayer, I’d have cold sweats right now,’’ he said in an interview with Newsday. "As proud as I am that there are gay and lesbian athletes that can represent us, this is not about pushing people out on a plank and saying, ‘Jump and lead us.’"

Private School Nixes Mother’s Day

NEW YORK–The Rodeph Sholom Day School, a private school connected with a Reform Jewish temple in Manhattan, has created a storm of controversy by barring students from celebrating Mother’s Day so as not to offend gay fathers.

Cindi Samson, the school’s principal, said in a letter to parents that Mother’s Day is not "a positive experience for all children."

Samson wrote in her letter: "Holidays that serve no educational purpose and are not vital to the education need to be evaluated in terms of their importance in a school setting, as the recognition of these holidays in a social setting may not be a positive experience for all children."

Tenn. High Court Uphold Lesbian Mom’s Visitation Rights

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–The Tennessee state Supreme Court has unanimously overturned a lower court decision and ruled that there is no reason Julia Eldridge, a lesbian mom, should make her domestic partner, Lisa Franklin, leave their home during visits with her two daughters.

The high court ruled there was nothing to indicate that the two women living together caused any harm to the children. "The record does not show that [the child in the dispute] is in moral crisis because of Ms. Franklin’s presence during overnight visitation," the court declared.

A lower court had upheld Eldridge’s visitation rights, but had ruled that Franklin should not be allowed in their home during the visits. The state Supreme Court overturned that restriction.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

So. Africa Won’t Buy Cheaper AIDS Drugs

JOHANNESBURG, So. Africa–International AIDS activists who hailed South Africa’s legal victory over pharmaceutical companies that were trying to block the importation of cheap, generic AIDS drugs, were surprised when the government said it has no intention of buying the cheaper medications.

Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the country’s health minister, says the government isn’t going to purchase the HIV/AIDS drugs because the costs are still too high and South Africa, like many underdeveloped countries, simply doesn’t have the medical infrastructure necessary to effectively use the drugs.

An Indian company says it can sell the drugs at a price of $250 per person per year, compared with the cost of $10,000 per person per year for the non-generic versions the medicines cost in most Western nations.

But Tshabala-Msimang explained why even this dramatically lower price is beyond South Africa’s abilities to cope with. "It is $250 times millions of people times the infrastructure that we do not have times the health workers who are not yet trained times prevention measures," she said.

Lesbian Wins Seat in Italian Senate

ROME–Titti De Simone has been elected to the Italian senate as the nation’s first openly lesbian in that body.

"This is an important result for the [gay rights] movement," De Simone said, calling it a "signal of innovation in politics."

De Simone, 31, won her election bid even though the right-wing billionaire Silvio Berlusconi was selected as prime minister of the country in the same race.

De Simone acknowledged that the new Berlusconi government probably makes it unlikely gay rights legislation will probably face little chance of making much headway in the near future.