PAGE 14 T Q-Notes ▼ March 31, 2001
Helping you with...
• .sXi, > * - ' s
anxiety • breaking up • safe sex
moving you forward • accepting yourself
conquering fears • breaking old patterns
learning to love • illness/death
family matters • couples skills
Vndivictuals —
t^etlationship Seminats
r "Being gay and in an 12-year relationship helps me to
understand the unique needs of LGBT individuals and couples."
Licensed Prof^nnotjcounselor
Fee is $80 per 60-minute session. • Evening appointments available.
)cay^6@aol.com
Let us give you bask your
NATURAL HAIR
The latest technology in non-surgical hair transplants.
HAIR^UB
FOR MEN AND WOMEN
Now Four Locations to Better Serve You!
Call Today for a
FREE CONSULTATION
Greenville, SC:
Charlotte:
Raleigh:
(864) 421-0007
(704) 587-2649
(919) 836-8666
Prouilly
Sponsored By
Celebrating Our First Year As The Hottest
Gay & Lesbian Friday Might In the Triangle!
Come Out To Gotham NiUhtcluh
in Chapel Hill This Friday & Get insomnia!
|T1^ in
Doors Open At 10 pm
Hotwax Hariey Spins The Hottest
House/Trance Tunes Ail Nidht Londl
Check Out insomnia Drink Speciais!
(THESE DRINKS WiU KEEP YOU UP Ml NIGHT lONCI)
$6 Cover for 21$8 Cover for 18-20
A Portion « Tin Proteeds if Donated To Cay/lesUan Oiarities.
Gotham
NIGHTCLUB
306 West Rosemary Street • Chapel Hill, NC 27514 • 919^67-2852
Two Blocks From Airport Rd. • Around The Corner From W.B. Yeats
Religious
challenge to gay
rights law
dismissed by
federal court
by Eric Ferrero
Special to Q-Notes
LOUISVILLE, KY — In a resounding vic
tory for civil rights laws in general — and gay
rights laws in particular — a federal court late
today dismissed a Kentucky doctors lawsuit
that sought to strike down a local ordinance
which he claimed violated his religious liber
ties and free speech rights.
“This is a total victory for fairness,” said
Leslie Cooper, staff attorney at the American
Civil Liberties Unions Lesbian &C Gay Rights
Project, which represented the local group that
lobbied for passage of the civil rights law.
“Today’s decision says that everyone has to obey
civil rights laws.”
Dr. J. Barrett Hyman, a local gynecologist,
sued the city of Louisville and Jefferson County
two years ago. He claimed that by barring him
from discriminating on the bases of sexual ori
entation and gender identity in his medical
business, the ordinances would punish him for
his Baptist religious beliefs.
Hyman was represented by the American
Center for Law and Justice, a conservative le
gal group associated with the Reverend Pat
Robertson, in a case that quickly became a na
tional focal point in the debate over whether
individual religious beliefs “trump” gay rights
laws. Similar legal challenges were filed else
where, but courts dismissed them on technical
grounds. Last summer, the US Department of
Justice filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the
Kentucky case, siding with the ACLU and cit
ing concerns that if Hyman prevailed, the
government’s abilit}' to enforce a broad range
of civil rights laws would be jeopardized.
Like similar ordinances nationwide, the ones
in Louisville and Jefferson County include ex
emptions for religious organizations, such as
churches, that do not receive government fund
ing. Today’s decision will have no effect on these
exemptions. “Comprehensive civil rights laws
protect religious liberties by exempting pri
vately-funded religious institutions and by for
bidding discrimination against people of faith.
This lawsuit tried to use religion as a weapon
to tear down civil rights laws, which the court
saw through,” Cooper said.
The court’s 34-page decision struck down
every one of Hyman’s claims under the US
Constitution and the Kentucky Constitution,
including freedom of speech, religion and as
sociation claims. Hyman has not indicated
whether he will appeal the decision to the US
Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. ▼
[Additional information on the US Depart
ment of Justice’s brief in this case is at
WWW.aclu.org/newsl2000ln081500b.html; a
comprehensive list of city, county and state civil
rights laws that include sexual orientation and/or
gender identity may befound at www.actwin.com/
eatonohio/gay/gayri. htm. ]
Sen- Sfreedcf,
Fast, Friendly and
Courteous Service
Printing • Typesetting • High
Speed Copying • Binding •
Notary.Public • Invitations •
Laminating • Resumes •
Business Cards • Full Color
Copies • Rubber Stamps •
Union Announcements •
Much Much More!
1400 East Morehead Street
Charlotte, NC 28204
(704) 375-8349 / FAX (704) 342-1066
Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30