10
South Carolina
Q-NOTES • MAY 7 . 2005
etvs notes: sc
from the palmetto state
by Ed Madden
Banquet celebrates 15 years of history
COLUMBIA — Over 100 people from
across the state gathered at the Columbia
Conference Center on April 15 to celebrate
the 15th anniversary of the S.C. Gay and
Longtime activist Harriet
Hancock (above) was hon
ored at the SCGLPM banquet.
Freedom to Marry's Evan
Wolfson was featured guest.
Lesbian Pride Movement. The anniversary
banquet featured special guest Evan
Wolfson, the nation’s leading activist on
marriage equality. The ban
quet also included a special
tribute to honor longtime
activist Harriet Hancock.
Wolfson, director of
Freedom to Marry
(www.freedomtomarry.org),
discussed the current battle for marriage
equality in a historical context and he specif
ically addressed strategies for South
Carolina’s coming ballot campaign (see fol
lowing entry).
He insisted that fair-minded South
Carolinians need information, and time to
digest it.
“The information that fair-minded peo
ple need,” he added, “is local, concrete and
real.” He emphasized the need for our
movement to show South Carolina faces and
families, and he noted that the state is fourth
in the nation for the number of gay and les
bian couples raising children at home.
Harriet Hancock was recognized for
her three decades of service and activism
for gays and lesbians and people living
with HiV in South Carolina. During the
tribute the S.C. Gay and Lesbian
Community Center was officially renamed
the Harriet Hancock Center for the Gay
and Lesbian Community of South
Carolina.
Calling the evening “one of the most
happy and memorable events of my life,”
Hancock said, “I am honored and proud to
have the community center bear my name.”
Jim Blanton, one of the first co-chairs of
SCGLPM, offered a special toast to
Hancock, noting that “the history of
SCGLPM is truly herstoiy.”
Senate passes anti-gay amendment
COLUMBIA — On April 13, the S.C.
Senate passed HB 3133, the amendment to
the state constitution securing marriage
discrimination and banning all forms of
union for same-sex couples and their fam
ilies. Updated information confirms the bill
passed by a vote of 42-1. As reported last
issue, only Sen. Robert Ford (D-
Charleston) voted against the amendment.
The House version of the bill was
amended to address concerns raised during
the Senate judiciary Committee meeting, by
Sen. Glenn McConnell (R-Charleston) who
called the bill “defective, unconstitutional,
and vague.”
At issue was unclear language dis
criminating against “putative unions,”
which McConnell said could affect con
tracts made by any couple. The House bill
was amended to exclude private con
tracts, but the bill continues to prohibit
civil unions and domestic partnerships.
The amendment reads: “A marriage
between one man and one woman is the
only lawful domestic union that shall be
valid or recognized,” and it further states
that the state cannot recognize or give
any legal status to “any domestic union”
recognized by other states, whatever
name is given to that union.
During the discussion of the bill. Sen.
Ford noted that there are 400,000 gays
and lesbians in South Carolina and that it
is the responsibility of senators to repre
sent all people. The amended bill now goes
back to the House for a vote. It is expected
to appear on the Nov. 2006 general elec
tion ballot.
Picnic planned for North Augusta
. AIKEN/NORTH AUGUSTA —The CSRA
Rainbow Alliance and the Metropolitan
Community Church of our Redeemer will
hold a community Pride Picnic on June 4,
10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Riverview Park, 110
Riverview Park Dr. in North Augusta.
Activities will include carnival games and
contests for children and adults and a vol
leyball tournament. Admission is free.
MCC will be selling refreshments to raise
funds for the choir and a new kitchen.
Community organizations, including
CSRARA, SCGLPM, SCEC, Georgia
Equality, and others, will have information
tables at the picnic. For more information,
call 803-663-9375.
LGLA boycotts Charleston cruise line
CHARLESTON — The Lowcountry Gay
and Lesbian Alliance (LGLA) cancelled
their annual harbor cruise in April when
they discovered that the cruise line is
owned by anti-gay Sen. Chip Campsen
(pictured) (R-Charleston). As a matter of
principle, they didn’t want
an outspoken advocate of
discrimination to profit
from their event.
Campsen was one of
the most vocal advocates
of the anti-gay marriage
and civil unions amend
ment. in the Judiciary Committee meet
ings he expressed a desire to vote on the
amendment without giving the gay and
lesbian community a fair hearing. LGLA
more S.C. News Notes on page 12 >
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