News Briefs

HRC HOSTS OCT. 14 LEGAL ISSUES FORUM

With the public dialogue of GLBT civil rights heating up across the nation, the local chapter of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) will host a town hall forum on community issues on October 14.

With the theme “Families & Fairness,” the 7¯9 p.m. event will take place at Stages Repertory Theatre. Topics will include estate planning for GLBT families, adoption, and the fight for same-gender marriage.
Michael Crawford (pictured), associate field director of the HRC national office, will moderate. Panelists will include:

• Bobbie Bayless and Dalia Stokes, activists and lesbian parents
• Randall Ellis, Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas executive director
• Praveen Fernandes, HRC national public policy advocate
• Rev. Helen Havens, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church rector
• Connie Moore and Debbie Hunt, attorneys and lesbian parents.
OutSmart is a presenting sponsor of the forum, along with LGRL Texas and Stages. Based in Washington, D.C., HRC is the largest national lesbian-and-gay political organization.

DATEBOOK
• Ray Hill will present the world premiere of his new play Indictment Returned on October 12 at the Holiday Inn Select. In the drama, the audience members comprise a grand jury, which considers whether five U.S. Supreme Court justices should be indicted for their decisions in the 2000 presidential election controversy. More info: 713/867-3476 or electionreform@aol.com.

• In Galveston, the University of Texas Medical Branch AIDS Clinical Trials Unit will observe the first National Latino AIDS Awareness Day on October 15 with a 10 a.m.¯2 p.m. program at St. Vincent’s House. Activities will include health screenings, and panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be displayed.

• American Veterans for Equal Rights will host a regional conference October 17¯19 at the Houston GLBT Community Center.

• October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Montrose Counseling Center provides counseling services and advocates who can help individuals leave abusive situations. Call the center’s Gay & Lesbian Switchboard at 713/529-3211.

• The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition, chaired by Houstonian Vanessa Edwards Foster, has called on the international community to aid Honduran trans activist China (born Elkyn) Suárez Mejía, who has challenged her government to investigate a rash of murders among the GLBT population in Honduras. Suárez’s life has been threatened. The Latino/a Lesbian Gay Organization (LLEGÓ) has established a fund to provide safe passage for Suárez to another country. Online donations: https://secure.ga3.org/02/suarez.

• Rachel Hecker (“Sad and Pissed,” February 2002 OutSmart) created a dish for Pink Platter 2003, one of the fundraising programs of the Pink Ribbons Project/Dancers in Motion Against Breast Cancer. Hecker’s platter, on view at Brasil, and those of 20 other local artists will be auctioned off throughout October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Proceeds will fund breast-cancer screenings and follow-up care for under-served women in Houston.

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