News
Continued from page 26
the City Council. Under the agreement, the
group can continue to lease its office space un
til January 31, 2001, The $l-a-year rent will
jump to $800 a month beginning in February
2000. By raising the rent, the city eliminates
the stigma of subsidizing a group that openly
discriminates against homosexuals and atheists.
The vote came after more than a year of pres
sure from a wide range of organizations, includ
ing the American Civil Liberties Union and the
National Organization for Women.
Brothers accused in murders
REDDING, CA—Brothers Benjamin Mat
thew Williams, 31, and James Tyler Williams,
29, believed by police to be white supremacists,
Were arrested in the shooting deaths of a gay
couple whose car was found abandoned about
130 miles from the crime scene. The brothers
Were booked in the slayings of Gary Matson,
50, and Winfield Scott Mowder, 40, whose
bodies were found in the mobile homejhey
shared in Happy Valley, a rural community
about 15 miles southwest of Redding. There
Was no obvious sign of forced entry and noth
ing of value inside the home appeared to be
tnissing, police said. Matson’s Toyota station
Wagon was gone. The car was later found near
the airport in Oroville. Police said in a news
release that evidence in the car, along with other
leads, led to the Williams brothers. Officers
served search warrants on the brothers’ home
and found “information and literature’’ that
suggests the brothers have racist beliefs, the re
lease said. The two were arraigned on charges
of receiving stolen property. Prosecutors did not
identify the alleged stolen property, but said it
Was connected to the killings. The brothers are
also being investigated in the arson attacks at
three synagogues in Sacramento. Their arrest
|cd officials to discover a list of 32 names link
ing the brothers to the arsons.
Partners plan rejected
BOSTON, MA—The state’s highest court
has invalidated the city’s plan to give health
insurance coverage to gay partners of city work
ers. The Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled
^hat an executive'order issued last August by
hlayor Thomas Menlno was “inconsistent”
With the state law that gives cities the authority
to provide health insurance to employees, their
spouses and dependents. The SJC, in a 19-page
opinion, rejected arguments by gay activists that
ihe state law could be construed to allow the
oity to pay benefits for domestic partners.
Infant HIV prevention
WASHINGTON, DC—Researchers have
tleveloped a new low-cost, double-dose, infant
NiV prevention drug that is being hailed as the
*Uost significant medical breakthrough in AIDS
since the protease drugs.
Paimess Amendment passed
LEXINGTON, KY—The Urban/County
Government Council voted 12-3 to approve an
intendment to its human rights ordinance that
prohibits discrimination in employment, hous
ing, public accommodations, real estate trans
fers, and credit on the basis of sexual orienta-
rion and sexual identity. The ordinance is the
'nost comprehensive in Kentucky.
Skepy ^oet Stuff
SLntiyue MaXC, .
No Rhyme or Reason”
Custom furniture,
I primitives, pottery,
glass and ■
collectibles.
Estate Liquidations
“Lots of really cool stuff
all over the place.”
3609 South Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28209
~W (704) 529-6369
“““ Mon.-Sat. 10 - 5
Sun. 1-5
Missouri protects gays
JEFFERSON CITY, MO—Missouri Gov
ernor Mel Carnahan has signed into law a hate
crimes bill that includes sexual orientation, gen
der and disability, making Missouri the only
state this year to take such action. Missouri is
the 22nd state to enact a hate crimes law that
includes sexual orientation and only the fourth
to include transgendered people through the
definition of sexual orientation.
Gay man attacked
FORT WAYNE, IN—A teenager accused
of beating and robbing a gay man has been for
mally charged with aiding in a robbery. The
charge was leveled against Daniel Smasal, 19,
after the state dropped a charge of robbery. If
convicted, Smasal faces up to 20 years in prison.
Jimmie Costerlow told police Smasal and two
other young men approached him and de
manded money after he left a gay bar. When
they found he had only $2 in cash, Costerlow
said the trio attacked him, beating him uncon
scious and stripping off his clothes. Costerlow
said later he believed he was attacked because
he is gay. Police and prosecutors did not clas
sify the attack as a hate crime.
Lesbian wins, again
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—The state Su
preme Court rejected the West County school
district’s challenge to $360,000 in damages for
a lesbian who said she lost her job after telling
her supervisor she is gay. The district had ar
gued it fired Jan Overholtzer in December 1995
for improper conduct, but a jury found she had
resigned because of discriminatory treatment.
Maximum sentence
LANCASTER, PA—Two young men who
nearly stabbed to death a Franklin & Marshall
College student last year were sentenced to the
maximum penalty of 20 to 40 years in prison
in Lancaster County Court. Anthony S.
Delgado, 20, and Brian K. Byrnes, 18, attacked
Thomas Coleman while he was walking home
from a city tavern the night before his college
graduation. The two men stabbed him 21 times
in the face, neck and back. When the two sus
pects were arrested and confronted by detec
tives, police said Byrnes told them the reason
they stabbed the young man was because they
thought he was gay.
International
Heart surgeiy for Elton
LONDON, ENGLAND—Sir Elton John,
52, had surgery to fit a heart pacemaker saying
he hopes to resume a “normal lifestyle.” He had
the operation after tests revealed he had an ir
regular heartbeat. His heart condition came to
light when he was taken ill as he was flying out
to perform at Posh Spice and David Beckham’s
wedding near Dublin.
Q-Notes ▼ July 24, 1999 T PAGE 29
Rapist jailed
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND—A taxi driver
who raped a lesbian, making her pregnant, has
been sentenced to a nine-year jail term. Shafqat
Javed Ranjha, 4l, attacked the woman after
picking her up from a pub. At the High Court
in the city. Judge Lord Kingarth described the
attack as “prolonged and degrading.”
Family murdered
CLYDACH, ENGLAND—Detectives are
investigating a lesbian link in the killing of
Amanda Power, her two young daughters and
their disabled grandmother. Power, 34, had had
both male and female lovers since divorcing her
husband two years ago. Officers are searching
for a motive for the savage attack on her in
which her daughters Katy, 10, and Emily, eight,
and her 80-year-old mother, Doris Dawson,
were also battered to death before their house
was set afire. Forensic tests have shown that
Power was sexually assaulted as well as repeat
edly struck about the head with a hammer.
Power’s lesbian lover, Alison Lewis, later jumped
from a window in an apparent suicide attempt.
Lewis, 29, a former police officer and Welsh
women’s rugby player, had told friends she
could not face life without Power.
Gays run for Parliament
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND—More
out gays and lesbians will stand for Parliament
See NEIVS2 on page 30
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