.north
& sout
CAROLIN
Stanewa.ll Rememhrance Day: Jime 27
Charlotte transgender
woman drowns 28
Gay college student
murdered in Missouri 19
Jamaican Activist killed 21
NorOi Carolina:
Charlotte Gay and
Lesbian center seeks
newdimctor
South Carolina:
SCGLPM to issue
voter guide
ONLINE
Q.POLL ^
vtfww.cl'notes.com
you considering
^marrying your
noted . notable . noteworthy GLBT issues
Sfwcia! Gay
marriage section
in Q^Living
VOLUME ±9 . ISSUE 03
SINCE
WWW.9-NOTES.COM
June ±9
S.C. celebrates as anti-gay, marriage
efforts die in Legislature
state is ninth to reject attempt to
write discnmination into Constitution
by Lina Roberts
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Despite feverish
last-minute efforts, the S.C. state legisla
ture ended its regular session on Friday,
June 4 without approving proposed legisla
tion that sought to prohibit not only the
recognition of same-sex marriages per
formed in any other jurisdiction but void
“any public act, record, or judicial proceed
ing” that extends benefits to “non-marital
relationships” such as domestic partner
ships or civil unions. One of these so-called
“Super DOMA” (Defense of Marriage Act) bills
passed the state House of Representatives
on Mar. 17 by 93 to 7, but stalled in the
Senate.
“We are celebrating.” announced
lohanna Hayes, the director of South
Carolina’s Lesbian + Gay Business Guild.
“Lots of things came together to make this
happen. People in S.C. worked together writ
ing letters and cards and making phone calls
to their representives and senators.
“GLBT people stepped out like never
before talking to family and friends about
what it is really like being gay. This coura
geous step helped mobilize and build
straight friends.and” allies in our fight, many
of whom were, prior to this, silent in their
support. Organizations all across the state
worked together mobilizing their members in
these efforts.”
“This is a major victory for the nation’s
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender com
munity,” said Matt Foreman, NGLTF’s exec
utive director. “It shows that determined
leaders can win against incredible odds.
Every gay American is in debt to Linda Ketner
and Warren Redman-Gress of the Alliance
For Full Acceptance (AFFA), the South
Carolina Equality Coalition and the South
Carolina Gay & Lesbian Pride Movement for
their courage and tenacity.”,
Hayes was quick to confirm the number
of individuals, activists, private citizens and
This makes S.C. the only southern state
with no anti-gay legislation passing this
year so far/ days SCBG Director Johanna
Hayes.
politicians that stepped out on behalf of the
LGBT community.
see MARRIAGE on 9
.POLL RESULTS:
Jury says gay
Rock Hill man
not guilty in
partner's death
Richard Hinton was reportedly abused
frequently during his two year relationship
with Tyrone Hammonds
A Yorl«: County jury found Richard Lee Hinton
not guilty of murder May 27 for the October
stabbing death of Tyrone
Hammonds.
Hinton, 38. testified he
stabbed Hammonds, who he
acknowledged as his romantic
partner, in self-defense after
Hammonds attacked him with
his fists and a knife.
Witnesses and friends indi
cated during the proceedings
that Hinton was a frequent vic
tim of Hammond’s violent out
bursts. Hinton had apparently
never fought back until the incidents leading to
Hammond’s death.
Both the defense and prosecutors agreed it
was Hammonds who chased Hinton down Pond
St., in Rock Hill on Oct. 5, but prosecutors
argued in court Hinton stabbed Hammonds then
fled afterward to avoid
arrest. see ROCK on 6
Free man:
Richard
Hinton was
released
May 27.
LGBT Community reacts to
Reagan's death
Democrats and liberals point to his
inactivity on AIDS while Log Cabin
Republicans praise his efforts with
1977 anti-gay 'Briggs Initiative'
by Donald Miller
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — As America
mourned Ronald Reagan, gay activists
struck a discordant note, lamenting his
alleged insensitivity to AIDS when it struck
devastatingly during his presidency.
Ironically, they noted, Reagan, 93, died
of Alzheimer’s disease on the 21 st anniver
sary of the first official report of what
would only later be called the AIDS virus.
The report was issued on June 5, 1981
by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
“That is ironic. It certainly will forever
tie those two issues together,” said Jeffrey
Prang, a city councillor in West Hollywood,
a gay-dominated Los Angeles-area city.
Jon Beaupre, a gay journalist and Los
Angeles radio talk show host who is HIV
positive, said Reagan’s death “brought
mixed feelings”.
“The fact that he reflected the values of a
lot of people was unmistakable. Clearly,
Ronald Reagan was a man of principle and
integrity,” the 51 -year old said. “But he did as
much as any man on the planet to hold back
social progress for lesbians and gay men.
Former President Ronald Reagan in 1984.
“We wonder today how far we would
be in solving the AIDS crisis if Reagan had
both recognized the scope of the tragedy
and had more respect for the plight of gay
men who were dying by the thousands
from AIDS,” he said.
“I have a feeling that an awful lot of gay
people are going to be cheering, that ‘Ding-
dong! The Wicked Witch is Dead,”’ he said.
Reagan, president from 1981 to 1989,
came under intense fire from gay activists in
see LGBTSon 7