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noted . notable . noteworthy GLBT issues
VOLUME 18 . ISSUE 21
SINCE 1988
P raTo os
Union del gay de San ^2
Francisco
Remembering Divine [^23
WWW. Q~NOTCS. COM
FEBRUARY 28.2004
Over 3,000 same-sex couples
married and counting
San Frandsco's Mayor Gavin Newsom
continues to allow marriages while New
Mexico gets in on the act
by Donald Miller
With jubilant gay and lesbian couples liter
ally dancing in the streets, the city of San
Francisco, which has sanctioned more than
3,000 gay marriages in recent days, began pro
ceedings Feb. 19 to sue the state of California
and challenge its prohibitions on same-sex
marriages on constitutional grounds.
Despite efforts by conservative groups to pre
vent the marriages, a judge for the second time
Feb. 20 refused to halt them, prompting California
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to fire off a let
ter to California Attorney General Bill Lockyer.
Schwarzenegger demanded that he “take imme
diate steps” to get a definitive court ruling, declar
ing what the city is doing to be illegal.
The frenzy surrounding the situation did
n’t stop there as Lockyer curtly reminded the
governor he has no authority over the
Attorney General. A spokesman for Lockyer
said Schwarzenegger “can direct the
Flighway Patrol. Fie can direct ‘Terminator
Four.’ But he can’t tell the attorney general
what to do.”
What the government is saying
President George W. Bush said Feb. 18 he
was “troubled” by gay weddings in San
Francisco and by legal decisions in
Massachusetts that could clear the way for
same-sex marriage. Fie declined to say
whether he was close to backing a constitu
tional ban.
Thousands
Francisco's
“1 have watched carefully what’s
happening in San Francisco, where
licenses were being issued, even
though the law states otherwise,”
Bush said. “1 have consistently stat
ed that I’ll support a law to protect
marriage between a man and a
woman. Obviously these events are
influencing my decision.”
In response to President Bush’s
statement, San Francisco Mayor
Gavin Newsom said, “The president
and I obviously don’t see the world through
the same eyes ... 1 would ask him to see
Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, who, have been
together 51 years, and explain to me why
they shouldn’t have the same things that 1
share with my wife.”
As conservative groups vowed to take
their case to higher courts. Mayor Newsom
said the weddings would continue.
“We’re still moving forward, business as
usual at city hall,” he said. “This is a long
road, and I am resolved, more resolved today
than ever.”
Surprisingly, California’s two senators,
Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, both
San Francisco Democrats, expressed opposi
tion to the city’s stand, angering gays in the
state, who until today have been staunch
supporters of the two.
“If the mayor believes that law is uncon
stitutional, the place to go is the court,”
Feinstein said. “I believe this makes the
national situation much more complicated
and gives ammunition to those who are
pushing for a constitutional amendment.”
of gay couples line up outside San
chy hall, waiting to be married.
Even openly gay Rep. Barney Frank said
San'Francisco’s decision to challenge state
law and grant marriage licenses to same-sex
couples could damage efforts by gay rights
advocates to defend the Massachusetts court
decision legalizing gay marriage.
“I was sorry to see the San Francisco
thing go forward," said Frank, “if we go for
ward in Massachusetts and get same-sex
marriage on the books, it’s going to be bind
ing and incontestable.”
New Mexico gets in on the act
A county clerk in Bernalillo, N.M., issued
marriage licenses to at least 26 gay couples,
some of whom then exchanged vows outside
the courthouse, and dozens more same-sex
couples lined up for a chance to tie the knot.
Although a county clerk announced she
would grant marriage licenses to same-sex
couples, the offer was later revoked when the
attorney general ordered the marriages
stopped. Within hours a county sheriff and
deputy moved in to block the clerk’s counter
and prevent the last 30 angry couples from
obtaining licenses.
HIV rate up among black
male college students
Health ojfidals contend young males ignoring safe sex messages
by Christopher Curtis and Donald Miller
RALEIGH, N.C. — A
sudden, surprising in
crease in HIV infections
has been discovered
among male black col
lege students in North
Carolina, and state and
federal officials fear the
same is probably hap
pening across the South.
“It’s a public health emergency,” Dr. Peter Leone, HIV medical director
at the state Health Department, told the Associated Press (AP). “I don’t
know any other Way to put it.”
Officials believe the HIV increase started in mid-2001 with young men
having risky sexual encounters with other men.
Over the past three years, researchers found 84
newly infected male college students, with 73 of see BLACKon 4
FIIV infections in African-American male college
students are reportedly on the rise.
A year later: gay
couple in exile
N.C. psychotherapist's partner denied re-entry to U.S.
two now living in Toronto
by David Moore
Q-Notes staff
It has been just over a
year since Glen Tig, a North
Carolina native, and Chitpol
Siddhivarn, a Thai citizen,
were forced to move from
Chapel Hill, N.C., to Toronto,
Canada.
The circumstances sur- Glen Tig, a North Carolina
rounding the couple’s abrupt nartve, and Chitpol Siddhivarn,
departure captured media a Thai citizen, had to move to
attention in the area — The Canada iii order to maintain
Raldglf News and Observer ran
a lengthy feature piece exploring the difficulties a same-sex cou
ple could face — especially if part of the two
some wasn’t an American citizen. see GAY on 11