PAGE 26 T Q-Notes T July 24, 1999
news notes
Compiled by Dan Van Mourik
Q-Notes Staff
Carolinas
THP director elected to board
GREENSBORO, NC—Sam Parker, execu
tive director ofTriad Health Project (THP), has
been elected to the Board of Directors of the
North Carolina Chapter of the National Asso
ciation of Social Workers. Parker will serve the
organization as treasurer-elect during the com
ing year. THP is Guilford County’s leading
AIDS service organization.
National
Church cancels all weddings
HOUSTON, TX—Bering Memorial
United Methodist Church is a “reconciling con
gregation.” Among Methodists, that means a
church that works to include everyone, whether
gay or straight. Because the United Methodist
Church prohibits clergy from officiating at
same-sex union ceremonies, the church and its
pastor, the Rev. Marilyn Meeker-Williams, have
banned all weddings — gay and straight.
Gay bank set for net
PENSACOLA, FL—The federal govern
ment has issued a federal banking charter to
G&L Bank, an Internet bank created to meet
the special and routine banking needs of gays
and lesbians. G&L Internet Bank will provide
“banking for any lifestyle” and operate solely
on the Internet. The bank will provide a full
array of consumer and business banking prod
ucts. G&L will allow customers to open ac
counts online instantly and approve online
credit applications within seconds. G&L will
commence operations on National Coming
Out Day, October 11,.and is located at
www.glbank.com.
Drag dance
SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ—A first-
grade, married teacher was dressed in drag when
township officers arrested him for asking two
security guaiWs and a truck driver if he could
“dance for them,” police said. Allan S.
Tepperman, 39, told police he had done this
several times before and asked for leniency be
cause he was “three days from getting tenure”
as a teacher. Both security guards and the truck
driver said Tepperman had not threatened them
in any way but seemed determined to dance,
police said. Tepperman was charged with dis
orderly conduct and harassment.
GOP endorses gay ban
SALEM, OR—Republican Party leaders
have quietly endorsed a proposed anti-gay bal
lot initiative despite some members’ concerns
that the party will now be associated with the
prominent anti-gay rights group that proposed
the measure. The initiative is one of two that
the Oregon Citizens Alliance is proposing for
the 2000 ballot. It would prohibit public school
instructors from “encouraging, promoting or
sanctioning” homosexuality. The Republican
state centr^ committee supported the measure
during a meeting that was off-limits to media
coverage.
Suspect gets life
AUSTIN, TX—A Travis County jury found
David Dunkin Ludwick guilty of capital mur
der in the January 1998 death of John Davis
Cavness Jr., a gay man who was robbed, beaten
and had his throat slashed in his Austin home.
Since prosecutors did not seek the death pen
alty, Ludwick, 25, was automatically sentenced
to life in prison. He must serve 40 years before
being eligible for parole. Ludwick is the first of
three men charged with capital murder in the
slaying. The other two defendants, Christopher
Kotaska and Ryan Hanson, still face trial.
Airlines lose
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—US District
Judge Claudia Wilkin has ruled that airlines
must begin offering certain domestic-partner
benefits to unmarried employees. Wilkin ruled
that United Airlines, Federal Express and sev
eral other airlines had failed to show that
nonhealth benefits — such as fare discounts.
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bereavement and family medical leave—would
hurt their bottom line or employee morale.
United has since appealed the ruling. In 1997,
San Francisco became the first city in the na
tion to require companies doing business in the
city to offer benefits to gay and lesbian couples
— just as they would for married couples. Five
members of Equd Benefits Advocates wearing
Tinky Winky costumes were arrested for clos
ing United Airlines’ downtown ticket office to
protest United’s decision to appeal. The Tinky
Winkys blocked the entrance to the office for a
half-hour during the office’s busiest period.
Booklet will help
WASHINGTON, DC—The US Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) released a 13-
page booklet aimed at helping federal employ
ees who believe they are victims of sexual ori
entation discrimination at work. The booklet,
“Addressing Sexual Orientation Discrimination
in Federal Civilian Employment: A Guide to
Employees’ Rights,” will help OPM enforce
President Clinton’s executive order prohibiting
sexual orientation discrimination in the federal
workforce. OPM has been accused of failing to
take adequate steps to fully enforce the order.
Case dropped
SACRAMENTO, CA—A judge dismissed
the case against a gay journalist accused of us
ing the Internet to solicit sex from a teenager.
The journalist had argued that he was metely
doing research for a story. On the second day
of Bruce Mirken’s trial. Judge Rudolph R.
Loncke dismissed the charge that Mirken at
tempted to perform a lewd and lascivious act
on a child. The judge agreed with the defense
that there was insufficient evidence against
Mirken, 42. Police started investigating Mirken
after he answered an electronic message they
posted in a chat room, posing as a boy named
Anthony. Anthony’s message said he was look
ing for an adult friend. Mirken was arrested last
July in a Sacramento park where he went to
meet who he thought would be the 13-year-
old. He was instead met by an undercover po
lice officer taking part in a sting operation.
Students win
MANCHESTER, NH—A group of high
school students who were initially batted from
forming a gay afterschool club filed a lawsuit
in federal court against the city school system,
saying officials violated their rights when they
were denied. In March, the students were told
to submit a formal proposal and explain the
club’s purpose. A week later, officials rejected
their request, telling the group to ask the city
school board. No other student group had ever
needed prior school board approval. The stu
dents’ attorney said school officials violated the
fedetal Equal Access Act which bans discrimi
nation against any student group based on
what’s discussed at their meetings. And the
school board agreed. The board conceded that
federal law requires it to allow formation of the
Gay Straight Alliance and authorized principal
Robert Baines to approve it.
Scouts get rent hike
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA—A politically
chatged compromise allowing the Boy.Scouts
to lease its city-owned office long enough to
build a new one was unanimously approved by
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