^noitK
& sout
CAROLIN
3IaJcje a. difference — volunteer!
Kemy Chesney sdys
he’s not gay
Malaysia freaks out over
transsexual’s marriage 22
2010 Gay Games set
for Germany 13
CDC releases new
HlVdata 17
NC state Baptist convention
takes aim at gay-friendly
churches 17
North and South
Carolina
North Carolina:
Shane Windmeyer's
Brotherhood’ explores gay
life in college fraternities 08
South Carolina:
Linda Ketner interviews
new SCEC director
Michael Brennan 10
Nlo^Ces
noted . notable . noteworthy GLBT issues
Q-Uving:
Holiday Gift Guide
VOLUME 20 . XSSUE 15
SINCE 1985 WWW.q-NOTES.COM
DECEMBER 3 . 2005
Same-sex marriage at risk in Massachusetts
and Canada
In Massachusetts petitioners gather
enough signatures; in Canada
conservatives threaten to use
'not withstanding' clause
BOSTON — Backers of a proposed consti
tutional amendment that would outlaw gay
marriage in Massachusetts announced on
Nov. 23 they had more than twice the num
ber of signatures needed to put the issue to
voters.
Lambda Legal, however, has threatened a
challenge to stop the ballot initiative
A coalition of conservative and Christian
groups seeking to ban same-sex marriage
had to gather at least 65,825 signatures
before state lawmakers could decide whether
to put the question to a public referendum in
2008.
On Nov. 23, as a deadline passed to sub
mit the signatures to town and city clerks
who must check their authenticity, jubilant
officials at the Massachusetts Family Institute
and other conservatives-announcecUhey had
found solid support
Massachusetts’ highest court ruled in
2003 that it was unconstitutional to ban gay
marriage, paving the way for America’s first
same-sex marriages in May the following
year.
If the signatures on the petition are
approved by Dec. 7, further approval would
be required by 25 percent of the 200-mem
ber state Legislature over two sessions — one
in 2006 and the other in 2007 — before the
issue could be put to voters in 2008.
If passed, the initiative could possibly
annul about 6,500 marriage licenses already
issued to same-sex couples.
In Canada (Ottawa) Conservative Leader
Stephen Harper has vowed to repeal same-
sex marriage rights nationwide if he is
able to take control of the government.
Public Works Mjnister Scott Brison
— the only only openly gay member of
the Liberal caucus — warned that
Harper would turn Canada’s social
clock back in time.
Brison accused Harper of being at
odds with Canadian values on multi-
culturalism, bilingualism, publicly
funded health care and the Charter of
Rights and Freedoms.
During the last week of November
two right of center MPs announced the for
mation of a group that will target candidates
who support same-sex marriage.
Ontario MP Pat O’Brien — who resigned
as a Liberal this year because of the marriage
issue — and ex-Tory MP Grant Hill said their
organization. Defend Marriage Canada will
raise money, publish letters and lobby voters
to elect candidates who oppose same-sex
marriage.
Critics note that to change the law, the
federal government would need to invoke the
Constitution’s notwithstanding clause for the
first time ever.
According to the organization, the group
will not actively campaign for any one party,
but the Conservatives will clearly get a
majority of their support.
“This is very rigidly a non-partisan cam
paign,” said O’Brien, who now sits as an
Independent MP and is not running for re-
election.
“But I can’t help but take a moment and
commend the leader of the Opposition — Mr.
Harper — for indicating his openness to hav
ing a true free vote.”
Hill added adamantly that Defend
Marriage Canada will not work for any par
ticular party. He also said the group plans to
run a positive campaign.
“We won’t be campaigning against any
one. We’ll in fact be campaigning for individ
uals (who oppose same-sex marriage).
“We’ll be encouraging Canadians in all
308 ridings to vote for pro-traditional mar
riage candidates.”
Hill, an Alberta MP who was the interim
leader of the new Conservative party, retired
from politics before the 2004 election. He
made news recently when he reiterated his
belief that “homosexuals spread disease”
and said that he believes that gays and les
bians choose their sexual orientation.
Canada’s leading gay-rights group
expressed concern about the alliance
between O’Brien and Hill.
“Mr. O’Brien Is aligning himself with
someone who has made very irresponsible
comments in the past and who is not a cred
ible ally,” said Gilles Marchildon, executive
director of Egale Canada. People need to
realize what’s at stake here. If the rights of
one minority can be trampled on, then
what’s to prevent another minority from
being the target next week — or next year?”
— Canadian Wire services contributed to this report.
Next Issue:
Holiday Experiences
Conference calls for
end to abuses
SEATTLE, Wash. — LGBT elected and appointed leaders from
across the United States and around the world passed an historic
resolution in Seattle Nov. 21 at the Gay & Lesbian Leadership
Conference calling upon “all nations
and governments to adopt a vocal,
clear and consistent policy on inter
national human rights abuses against
LGBT people that includes a call on
other countries to abolish sodomy
laws.”
Attendees, who travelled, from as
far away as Sri Lanka and Poland,
In Iran os rMnyos,Ow vowed to continue to bring attention to
been executed since 1979 horrific record of some countries
because they are gay or on this issue.
lesbian. For instance; see HUMAN on 4
Notes from a
gay soldier
Adjusting to life
in Iraq
Editor's Note: These ore the thoughts of a gay soldier — a North Corohno
native—who has been deployed to Iraq. Because of the imfitary's "Don't Ask,
Don't TeH" policy, he must remoin anonymous.
The last few weeks have been amazing. I left Kuwait on a C-130
airplane and flew to a location I can’t say. I was only at that particu
lar location for a few days. I got new orders to head south toward
Baghdad. I then jumped in a Humvee and headed to the airfield —
have to admit I was a bit nervous. 1 knew that getting on the Black
Hawk helicopter meant flying over unfriendly territory. It was a good
ride, a quick 20 minutes south. The aircraft was packeid and the diesel
fumes were nearly overwhelming; thank good
ness it was a short flight. I prayed a RPG (rock- see NOTESon 4