Newspapers / Q-notes. / Aug. 19, 2000, edition 1 / Page 1
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
The Latest Q^POLL Results Internet watchers say that the gay and lesbian community spends more time online than practically any other group. Approximately how many hours do you spend online each week?’ Less than five Six to fifteen 26°''° Sixteen and over 59“"“ The Carolinas Most Comprehensive Gay & Lesbian Newspaper Vote at www.q-notes.com Published Every Two Weeks On Recycled Paper » Volume 15, Number 7 • August 19, 2000 . FREE Gore taps Sen. Lieberman as his VP running mate by David Elliot Special to Q-Notes WASHINGTON, DC—^Vice President and Democratic party Presidential candidate A1 Gore announced August 8 that he has chosen US Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut as his running mate. In response, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) issued a report on Lieberman indicating that he has voted to end employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and hate violence against GLBT people, but he also has a decidedly mixed record overall on other issues important to the pro gressive community. “Senator Lieberman’s record is one that bears studying and watching,” said NGLTF Execu tive Director Elizabeth Toledo. “He has a gen- erally good record on issues important to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender commu nity. At the same time, Lieberman, like Clinton and like Gore, has not always proven to be a friend of the progtessive community when we needed him.” Lieberman, who is the first member of the Jewish faith to be selected for the national ticket of a major US political party, has taken several public stands that demonstrate support for is sues important to GLBT people: • He has co-sponsored the Hate Crimes Pre vention Act and this year voted for the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, whose passage in the Senate has put the hate crimes ball in the US Houses court. GLBT center project gains steam Sen. Joseph Lieberman • He has co-sponsored and voted for civil rights legislation that would prohibit discrimi nation in employment on the basis of sexual orientation. • He also has sponsored and voted in favor of the Ryan White CARE Act, has implemented a non-discrimination policy covering sexual ori entation for his office staff and supported end ing the ban on gay, lesbian and bisexual people serving openly in the military. However, at least two votes prevent Lieberman’s record from remaining completely supportive of issues important to GLBT people: • He voted in favor of the Defense of Mar riage Act, which granted states the right to refuse recognition of same-sex marriages per formed in other states. See LIEBERMAN on page 13 FL judge denies lesbians and gay men domestic violence protection Kv l-v^r^ J T> 1 111 1 I by Robert Marcus James Special to Q-Notes CHARLOTTE—It’s been talked about for years: creating a place for GLBT people to meet, share our history and heritage, and celebrate our lives. The community has been waiting, but the wait will soon be over. The Lesbian & Gay Community Center Project (serving the GLBT community of greater Charlotte) is now being driven forward by a group of community volunteers who have been meeting since Feb ruary to breathe new life into this oft-mentioned idea. Last year, OutChar- lotte hired Grassroots Leadenship to facilitate a study to determine if Charlotte was ready for and could support a community center. The overwhelming response was that the community is ready for a center. The Project Committee has done additional research and begun a strategic plan — which will be handed over to a new not-for-profit Board of Trustees in January 2001. “It’s been a long, thorough process,” said David Howard of the Planning Committee. “We are being very deliberate in our work to ensure the success of a community center. We’ve developed a mission statement and program goals based on the work of the Study Commit tee. Rooted in values of collaboration, pride, advocacy, unity, self-determination and social justice, the Community Center sees itself as enhancing existing organizations by helping Town Meetings Wednesday, August 30, 7:00pm West Boulevard Public Library 2157 West Boulevard Thursday, August 31, 7:00pm University City Regional Public Library 301 E. WT Harris Boulevard Tuesday, September 5, 7:00pm Morrison Regional Public Library 7015 Morrison Boulevard Wednesday, September 6, 7:00pm Plaza-Midwood Public Library 1623 Central Avenue coordinate administrative costs such as sharing rr* • ^ othce space and equipment.” The Mission Statement for the Center says that the “Community Center provides a home for the nurture and celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organizations, insti tutions, and culture; offers acce.ss to informa tional and educational resources and activities designed to empower individuals to achieve their fullest potential: promotes strong com munity partnerships; opposes prejudice; and increases public affir mation of LGBT indi viduals through educa tion, advocacy and out reach.” Two questions con stantly posed to Project Committee members are “Where is the Cen ter going to be?” and “Wlien will it open?” Addressing these is sues, Howard explains, “It will likely be a couple of years before we are able to have a physical location, but we ate planning to start programs at the beginning of the year. Programs will be tailored to the needs and desires of the community and will take place at various loca tions around the city. While it will take a couple ofyears to plan and execute a capital campaign, the immediate goal is to get people involved in the process and build excitement for the Cen ter.” The Project Committee has already looked at several po.ssible sites to guage costs and met with the community’s larger GLBT organiz;i- See CENTER on page 21 by Eric Ferrero Special to Q-Notes .BRADENTON, FL—-The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is investigating reports that lesbians and gay men are now considered ineligible for protection from domestic violence in parts of Florida due to an “unconstitutional and unconscionable” court decision. Circuit Judge Marc Gilner denied a domes tic violence injunction to a 27-year-old Bradenton man earlier this year because, the judge said, the domestic violence law did not apply to “roommates.” The man requesting the restraining order said he had been in a “monogamous, commit ted relationship” with his partner, who he said punched him repeatedly during an argument. In court documents, he included photos of his swollen cheek and eye. Just 89 minutes after the victim asked for a restraining order, Gilner denied it. The victim asked him to reconsider, and the judge issued a hand-written denial that said, in part, “Florida law does not recognize same-sex, live-in rela tionships as family.” Gilner’s decision was based on Florida’s law banning recognition of same-sex marriages (which are not legal in any state), as well as the state’s law preventing gay men and lesbians from adopting children. The ban on adoptions is al ready the subject of an ACLU lawsuit. In the months since the judge’s ruling, county clerks have not issued applications for domestic violence injunctions to lesbians and gay men. “The ruling was clearly unconstitutional,” said Matt Coles, Director of the ACLU Les bian and Gay Rights Project. “It would be hatd to think of a clearer denial of‘equal protection of the law’ than denying protection from vio lence because of sexual orientation.” Since they are not protected by domestic violence injunctions. Manatee County lesbians and gay men in abusive relationships can only apply for repeat violence injunctions. These in junctions are more cumbersome to obtain, have more limited effect and are available only to those who have already been abused. “This is dangerous,” Coles said. “We’ve al ready had conversations with county officials, and we are looking into the quickest way to resolve this situation and ensure equality and safety for all citizens. Our preference is to re solve this without a lawsuit.” Nothing in Florida state law on domestic violence injunctions prohibits judges from is suing restraining orders to gay men or lesbians, the ACLU said. Judges in the neighboring counties of Sarasota and Charlotte issue domes tic violence injunctions regardless of sexual ori entation. The US and Florida Constitutions mandate that all citizens be treated equally under the law, and Coles said legal precedent clearly includes lesbians and gay men as people who are en titled to equal protection. “We believe lives may be in the balance in Manatee County,” Coles said. “We aren’t talk ing about pushing for societal acceptance or for technical recognition. This involves people’s basic safety.” For more information about the ACLU Le.s- bian and Gay Rights Project, access the group’s web site at www.aclu.org. T Task Force says gays were seen but not heard at GOP convention by David Elliot Special to Q-Notes PHILADELPHIA, PA—Behind the smoke and mirrors, the Republican National Conven tion reflected a party deeply divided between moderates who want to paint a picture of tol erance and conservatives who reject the basic humanity of GLBT people, the National Cay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) charged “Viewers w ho Rep. Jim Kolbe watched [the] con vention on TV might be confused,” said NGLTF Execu tive Director Eliza beth Toledo. “Was this the first Repub lican Convention ever to discuss diver sity and inclusion? Or was it yet an other Republican Convention where GLBT people were told we do not have a voice in the political process? In fact, it was both.” According to NGLTF, lowlights and high lights of the convention for the GLBT com munity included; • Republicans adopted a party platform that barely differed on GLBT issues from the plat form adopted in 1996. This year’s platform would ban gay, lesbian and bisexual people from serving in the military; prevent the expansion of civil rights laws to include sexual orienta tion; and endorse only families with a “father and a mother.” The platform al.so includes a gratuitous reference in support of the Boy Scouts of America’s right to discriminate, and includes a total ban on abortion, even in cases of rape, incest and threats to the mother’s life. • For the first time in history, an openly gay Republican congressmait. Rep. Jim Kolbe (R- AZ) addre.ssed the convention. However, Kolbe was not introduced as a gay congressman, never mentioned the fact that he is gay and his sexual orientation was not listed in the official con vention program. During Kolbe’s speech, ap proximately 25 Texas delegates removed their hats, bowed their heads and prayed, with one delegate holding up a sign on national televi sion that read, “There is a way out.” • Many journalists focused on the role of Mary Cheney, daughter of Vice Presidential nominee Dick Cheney, who stated several years ago in a Washington Blade interview that she is lesbian. Although Mary Cheney joined her fa ther on stage during the convention’s gala fi nale, the Bush-Cheney ticket appeared to struggle over what role she would play in the general election campaign. In a nationally televised interview, Lynn Cheney stated that her daughter “has never declared” herself to be a lesbian, despite her prior interview and her stint as liaison to the GLBT community for Coors. “In the final analysis, the message sent to the GLBT community by the Republican Party was that it is okay to be seen but not heard,” said Toledo. T
Aug. 19, 2000, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75