News Briefs

COURTING OPINION

Immediately after the announcement of the Supreme Court’s sweeping decision in the Lawrence v. Texas case, we contacted a number of individuals about their reactions and responses. Even as some conservative backlash—predicted by many pundits, including our Daryl Moore [“Left Out,” August]—tempers the initial euphoria, we share these observations of both optimism and caution:

(Pictured above are Tyron Garner [left] and John Lawrence [right] with their attorney Mitchell Katine at the June 26 rally. Photo by Todd Rainer.)

• Ray Hill

Activist

The expansion of our national understanding of privacy benefits GLBT folks and everyone else as well. It makes Roe v Wade more secure and eliminates laws against heterosexual acts in those states where specific acts were considered criminal. We are no longer criminals, and that was immediately persuasive for Wal-Mart to end a policy of discrimination. It dismissed seven cases in Missouri and opened cases in Kansas and California, likely reducing prison time of those involved.

• Kenny Sargent

President of GLOBAL, the UH student group

Being a student on summer break, 9:30 in the morning of June 26 came very early. I was still groggy when I stumbled into the living room to turn on the television. I curled up on the Lazy Boy and started to bite at my fingernails as I surfed the news channels. The quote I remember the most was from a CNN reporter, who said, “The Supreme Court has decided to strike down the sodomy laws…” As corny as it sounds, I made my hand into a fist, flexed my arm, and shouted “YES!”

The news anchor continued, “Time for your opinion. Should the U.S. government be able to make laws limiting the freedom of homosexuals?” The fact that a question like that could even be posed made my heart hurt.

Like those who worked and fought so hard for this day to come, I feel the same urge and passion to fight further and work for other freedoms that we all as Americans deserve, including the legalization of homosexual marriage, which could be argued as the pursuit of happiness, an unalienable right as defined by the Declaration of Independence.

• Shari Goldsberry

President, Log Cabin Repulicans-Houston

I was in a constitutional law class, and the professor was talking about equal protection. He mentioned in the lecture that very morning the Supreme Court had held the sodomy law in Texas unconstitutional partially on an equal protection basis. I felt queasy with happiness at first and wanted to scream, but kept it all inside until I could get to the Internet to read the entire decision myself.

After the initial glow of happiness wore off, I felt a dread about the coming backlash and political ramifications to come. Those supporting the fundamentalist agenda will not take this laying down. And we’ve seen recently loud talk of an antigay amendment to the constitution barring gay marriage. How ridiculous. How typical of social conservatives. We’ve seen their naked power grabs before, and this one trumps all.

• Matthew X. Kiernan

Matthew Travis Gallery

I am always struck by the hypocrisy of self-labeled “conservatives” who advocate government interference in the most intimate adult conduct. And I am pleased when true conservatives recognize that government has no place in the bedrooms of consenting adults.

• Mike Rogers

Galveston

Ours was a tiny rally compared to others, but three of us did appear at the steps of the county courthouse to proudly welcome the legality of our lives. It was a beautifully steamy day. My fliers had referred to a Monday rally (the Thursday announcement wasn’t too anticipated by the majority of Islanders), the getting-off-of-work-to-celebrate phenomenon was limited to the bars, and the Island’s GLBT population was comfortably welcomed in this community long ago. But we were there, and we celebrated.

• Dr. Maria C. Gonzalez

Department of English

University of Houston

We have just witnessed one of the more historic U.S. Supreme Court cases handed down in the Lawrence v. Texas decision, striking down sodomy laws. As with the Griswold case in 1965 (the right to access to contraception) that began the first serious right to privacy decision leading to the historic Roe v. Wade decision, Lawrence will become the legal decision that will eventually lead to the LGBT community’s future acceptance as full citizens of this country.

To be a full citizen of this country has been called the “radical gay agenda.” Yet, all we simply request is to be full and active members of our society. An agenda that includes a right to marry, adopt children, join the military, not be fired, have access to housing, and even join the Boy Scouts is not a radical agenda. It is the fundamental privilege of straight America denied to the LGBT community. The Lawrence decision has begun the process to address discrimination against the LGBT community.

• David Muck

Board of Directors

Human Rights Campaign

This is a huge victory that opens many doors for us. That’s why social conservatives are so freaked out. All of the legal and advocacy work that’s been done in recent years will now have a solid foundation to build on. And courts will be more empowered to rule in favor of GLBT fairness. We win from now on. It may take time, but we will win.

With the presidential election next year, social conservatives will try their best to use the decision against us—especially if we win more of the pending court cases. But 10 years, 20 years from now, the decision will expedite every piece of legislation we’re promoting today—marriage, tax fairness, immigration rights, adoption, military service, and more.

• Jen Meklenburg

Hewlett-Packard Company

While this decision has certainly lit a fire under the butts of those who are against us, I don’t really think that this will have a negative domino affect on the gay community. I think there may be more who believe that gays should be allowed to have some sort of marriage in support of equal rights. It may not be called marriage, but what we call it doesn’t matter. What counts is the right, not the label. But while I think the efforts of those right-wing Republicans will be increasing in this area, I don’t believe that those efforts will actually turn into anything.

• John Kellett

First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston

I heard the news on Lawrence v. Texas on June 26 during the annual general assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association in Boston. Association president Rev. William Sinkford announced the decision from the podium, and the thousands of delegates burst into applause. I felt this liberating news was particularly wonderful in this sea of supportive fellow church members.

• Lea Bogle

Owner, Premier Paging & Wireless

I don’t believe this one decision will lead anywhere. However, I believe the culmination of Stonewall, the AIDS epidemic, the media coverage surrounding AIDS and the gay community, Ellen’s first kiss, Will and Grace, and this historic decision all lead to increased awareness about the stupidity of some of the laws on our books today. Historically, our country takes 50–75 years to move forward on important issues. Stonewall started the gay rights movement in the ’60s, and it took 40 years for us to “legally" be allowed to have sex.

The good news is that the momentum for our rights is building, and I believe we will have the same rights and the same protections as every other American within the next 10–20 years.

• Jeff Roeske

My first reaction was It’s about time. The sexual activity between consenting adults in the privacy of our homes is simply not the government’s business, regardless of sexuality. Even though most of us have not had police banging down our doors, it’s been an affront to me personally that they could legally do so.

• Phyllis Randolph Frye

Activist and The Phyllabuster

www.transgenderlegal.com

I had just entered the house from my morning walk with my Trish and the two dogs. Turned on CNN. I had expected a 5–4 win on equal protection. I was really surprised and pleased by the 6–3 win on right to privacy.

As a 6–3 win on right to privacy, and the complete overturning of all other states’ similar laws, it will have a tremendous impact. Heretofore, the rationale for the little-to-minimum protections for LGBTs in jobs, in housing, in adoption, in don't-ask-don't-tell, and in marriage was that we were law breakers. That is, we were listed in the criminal law. With the 6–3 right to privacy removal of those criminal statutes, we can now fight in the courts and legislatures without having one hand tied behind our backs.

There is always a backlash by the haters. Let us call them what they are. They are haters.

• Jeff Shell

Director, Neal Hamil Agency As I’ve gotten older, the desire to live life confined to the gay ghetto has become less important due to the fact that gays and lesbians are less stigmatized on television, in movies, and around our city. This recent decision by the Supreme Court is, in my opinion, long overdue for our entire social movement, and has the support of many of the nation’s youth today, regardless of whether we may experience resistance by the older right-wing zealots.

• Joe Watts

Artistic Director, Theatre New West

On Friday night, June 27, the day after the decision, in my opening curtain speech at a performance of Jerker, which, bizarrely enough, deals with having phone sex in the privacy of your home, I started off with “What fabulous news from the U.S. Supreme Court. Now with yesterday’s decision, you won’t have to have sex outside anymore.”

• Jason Cryer

Assistant Director of Development

The Assistance Fund

a.k.a SoFonda St. John

Empress

Royal Sovereign & Imperial Court of the Single Star of Houston

I am very concerned [about a backlash]—not about the decision, but about how we react to it. 1. I have heard too many people refer to the fact that now we are legal. This is not the case. Our actions behind closed doors are not illegal. That does not validate our existence or our rights. It is very comparable to the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell philosophy. We as a group, society, and community have still not been validated in a public light. 2. I fear that in order to smooth waters after this decision we will suffer a refusal on other very important cases, such as same-gender marriages, that could go before the courts. This is not to invalidate the magnitude of this decision but rather to put into perspective what we could possibly be denied in the future.

• Rev. Ralph Lasher

Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church

Having been “out and about” since before Stonewall, I was and still am ecstatic about the decision. As soon as I heard the decision, I called or e-mailed the great news to friends. One straight friend cried with joy, and everyone almost shouted their happiness.

I believe that this decision will make it easier for persons who are GLBT to accept that it’s OK to be who we are and at the same time will make it easier for us to come out and live as the persons we really are.

Sure, I’m concerned about the backlash from the religious and political right extremists. We’ve already seen evidence of that in very high levels in government and churches, but this decision has removed the power and cover of respectability they had of a law that prohibited us from legally engaging in private, consensual sex with each other. I very much wish that same-gender unions would be given all of the legal rights and privileges of unions between persons of opposite genders. I am not, however, as concerned as many people are that such unions must be called marriages, but certainly don’t see any sound theological reason why they shouldn’t be. A marriage is a legal contract between two people, which may or may not be blessed by a church. By insisting that same-gender unions be called marriages, I fear that we could be giving ammunition to the religious right to drag out for years the granting to same-gender couples the same legal rights and privileges given to opposite-gender couples.

• John A. Nechman

Attorney

When the ruling was announced, I was at Mitchell Katine’s office with other attorneys and many from the press. Overjoyed, we were all running frantically from office to office to see who had the latest news. Happiness turned to exuberance as the breadth of the decision became clearer. I was in Washington for the Supreme Court oral argument on the Lawrence case and knew we were witnesses to history that day, and I cried as I read the glorious words of Justice Kennedy. Though we have a long way to go, on June 26, 2003, America took a mammoth step towards once again being a global civil rights leader, and a GLBT-equal rights juggernaut was unleashed.

• Frank York

Chair, P.R.I.D.E. Team

J.P. Morgan Chase

I think the decision will lead to what we basically all want as GLBT people—to be accepted and to be just like everyone else and a world with no need for labels, workplaces where diversity is part of the work day, and schools where our GLBT youth will never have to hear one derogatory gay remark ever from their peers.

• Alan Hurwitz

Artist

Being a painter, I wish I had something visual to share. But I sat down the other day with pencil and paper, and this poem was the result.

Generations

Twenty-five years is a long time.

“Been down so long,” the song says.

Now six wise, old, gray-haired high priests

of justice speak to a divided nation.

What you do in your castle, man to man, woman to woman,

is not our business. God’s rainbow children

will go to jail no more they say.

These rainbow children love, and they are loved.

And they are despised.

Amidst the proud masses sweating their way down

central city streets the signs appear.

You are sinners.

Marriage is for a man and a woman.

You are not God’s children.

Tonight there are ten signs.

Twenty-five years ago there were one hundred.

Twenty-five years is a short time.

I see children with their two mommies.

I see teenagers holding hands: boy/boy, girl/boy, girl/girl.

I see elderly parents in the crowd.

And for a few brief moments

I am overcome with joy, and with pride,

Goose bumps all up and down my arms.

Our cup, I think to myself, truly runneth over tonight.

Surely the ghosts and memories and visions of our past are here tonight.

For we the living do not march alone.

We march with friends and lovers long-gone.

We march with children yet to be born, whose

rainbow will one day far outshine our own,

an arch whose radiance we can only imagine this night.

Twenty-five years is a short/long time.

• Grant Martin

Martin’s firm, Grant Martin Consulting, works for the Parker and Lovell campaigns.

Like all fair-minded people, I was elated at the Lawrence decision. The greatest threat we face as a result is not a backlash by conservatives, but a sense of complacency in our own community. This November we can make history by electing Annise Parker to City Controller, and we can keep our vote at the council table by electing Sue Lovell to City Council. But it won’t happen if we don’t roll up our sleeves to make phone calls, knock on doors, and write checks. The legitimacy of our relationships is not enough by itself to achieve fair public policy for our community.

• Bruce Reeves

Gulf Coast Archive & Museum of GLBT History

I think the decision will open a lot of doors. I think immediately it forces INS to review their policies on not letting gay people in the country. I think this decision coupled with Canada’s decision to let gays marry will ultimately force the United States to at least recognize those marriages.

CHAMBER HOSTS GAY AD EXPERT, PREPARES FOR EMPOWER

Michael Wilke of the Commercial Closet Association, which tracks advertising that depicts GLBT people, will present his video compilation of good and bad TV spots at the Greater Houston GLBT Chamber of Commerce monthly dinner meeting on September 9.

Sponsored by IBM, the 6:30 event at the Holiday Inn Select is open to the public. The cost is $25 for chamber members, $35 for nonmembers.

Wilke, a business journalist, is executive director of the New York-based nonprofit Commercial Closet organization. He writes a syndicated bimonthly advertising column that appears on Gay.com, AdForum.com, and in gay newspapers nationwide.

Empower

Highlights of the September 20–21 Empower business and community expo include the following:

• Justin Nelson, co-founder of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, will speak at a Saturday-morning event.

• Marla Duckler, the Klein High School student who battled administration opposition to establish a gay/straight alliance at her school, will offer advice about starting similar groups during a forum.

• Service technicians from Randall Reed Ford will give a car-buying seminar.

Other features of the two-day event at the George R. Brown Convention Center will include an artists’ venue and musical performances. The chamber expects to top the 150 business and nonprofit group vendors that participated last year, according to executive director Coy Tow.

“We’re trying to make it more and more of a consumer show,” Tow said.

The $5 admission includes entry in a raffle of a seven-day Crystal Cruise sponsored by Aquafest.

If you have any comments about this article, please email them to letters@outsmartmagazine.com.