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Special I*^due:A Year in. Review
noted . notable . noteworthy GLBT issues
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* Las Cortes de Aragon inician la reforma
para aprobar la adopcidn por parejas
gays
A look at the year in Music
A year of Queer TV 21
ONLINE
VOLUME 18 . ISSUE 17
SINCE 1988
WWW.q-NOTES.COM
JANUARY 3 . 2004
2003: What a queer year!
In 2003 the LGBT community saw an
overturn of sodomy laws nationwide,
same-sex marriage in Canada and a
gay bishop for the Episcopal Church
by David Moore
Q-Notes staff
It has been said that as time advances, the
achievements of humanity do so exponential
ly. That point is an inarguable one when it
comes to achievements for the LGBT commu
nity worldwide in 2003. Nowhere were those
accomplishments felt stronger than in North
America and the U.S. last year.
Although 2003 slipped in quietly, a loud
noise north of the American border caught
the attention of the globe on June 10 as the
highest court in Ontario, Canada ruled that
the province’s legal definition of marriage —
one man and one woman — violates gay and
lesbian human rights as enshrined in the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The court of
appeals in Ontario changed the common-
law definition of marriage from its previous
designation to “two persons.”
■ A week later. Prime Minister Jean Chretien
announced that the government would let.
the decision stand.
Literally thousands of same-sex couples
flocked to Ontario to tie the knot there and in
British Columbia, including many U.S. citi
zens. As the year progressed, attempts to
legalize gay marriage across Canada
stymied as the country’s Supreme Court
announced it would not be able to hear
arguments until 2004. Prime Minister Jean
Chretien stepped down in December to be
replaced by Paul Martin, whose support for
same-sex marriage remains unclear. At
year’s end same-sex marriages are per
formed in Ontario, British Columbia and rec
ognized in Quebec.
While gays and lesbians in the U.S cele
brated for their brothers and sisters to the
north, another decision in favor of LGBT civil
rights exploded across the newspapers and
TV screens of middle America as the
U.S. Supreme Court delivered the most
powerful gay rights opinion in history
on June 26.
The Lawrence v. Texas case began
with the 1998 arrest of two Houston
men who were having sex in their own
bedroom when the police entered their
home on a false emergency call. The
two men. John Lawrence arid Tyron
Garner, were arrested and jailed for a
night. That arrest would eventually
lead to a 6-3 decision in Lawrence v.
Texas, written by Justice Anthony
Kennedy, which strikes down sodomy
laws throughout the country and over
turns the infamous 1986 opinion in Bowers v.
Hardwick. In Bowers, a 5-4 majority upheld
Georgia’s sodomy law on the basis of tradi
tional morality.
“Bowers was not correct when it was
decided,” wrote Kennedy, “and it is not cor
rect today. It ought not to remain binding
precedent. Bowers v. Hardwick should be, and
is now, overruled.”
The decision was lauded by humanitarians
and the LGBT community nationwide, though
negative response was quickly forthcoming
from conservatives and the orthodox religious
community.
Less than a month later the issue of gay
sexuality was again at the forefront of news
reports as openly gay Episcopalian
Minister Gene Robinson was under
consideration to become the United
States’ first Anglican bishop. After accu
sations of sexual misconduct suddenly
sprang up and were cleared, Robinson
is approved by 62 of the 107 voting
bishops on Aug. 5.
Once again, the gay and
lesbian community was
enthralled with the decison —
particularly LGBT Christians.
While Robinson enjoyed a
great deal of support from his
New Hampshire parish.
Episcopalians around the globe
were torn over his appointment.
After months of bitter infight
ing, the Episcopal Church conse
crated Robinson bishop of the
New Hampshire Diocese — the
first openly gay man to reach that
level in the Church hierarchy and
in the Anglican community
worldwide.
“You cannot imagine what an honor it is
for you to have called me,” Robinson said
afterward.
Tyron Garner, left, and John Lawrence
Despite his acceptance by a large per
centage of American Episcopalians, churches
in Africa and Asia decided to split from the
Anglican Church in protest of his election.
Nearly 40 parishes across the U.S. asked for
new bishops in protest.
But gays and lesbians still weren’t out of
the limelight just yet. On Nov. 18, the highest
court in Massachusetts ruled same-sex
couples are legally entitled to wed under the
state constitution, but stopped short of imme
diately allowing marriage licenses to be
issued to the couples who challenged the law.
In a 4-3 ruling, the court ordered the
Legislature to come up with a solution with
in 180 days.
“Marriage is a vital social institution. The
exclusive commitment of two individuals to
each other nurtures love and mutual support.
It brings stability to our society,” Chief Justice
Margaret Marshall wrote in the long-awaited
ruling. “For those who choose to marry, and
for their children, marriage provides an
abundance of legal, financial
and social benefits. In return, it
imposes weighty legal, finan
cial. and social obligations.”
The Supreme Judicial Court’s
ruling closely matches the 1999
Vermont Supreme Court deci
sion, which led there to the
Legislature’s approval in 2000 of
civil unions that give couples
^ many of the sarrie benefits of
marriage.
W - On Dec. 17, activists were con-
Bjljfl cerned the state may be back-
tracking' as the Massachusetts
Supreme Judicial Court issued a
call for briefs from “interested per
sons” who may want to have a
say in the clarification of the court’s Nov. 18
same-sex marriage decision in Coodridge v.
Department of Public Health.
Robinson