^north
& sout
CAROLIN
World AIDS Day - December 1
noted . notable . noteworthy GLBT issues
Q-Living:
Celebrating
Thanksgiving
VOLUME 20 . ISSUE 14
SINCE X9aA WWW.Q-NOTES.COM NOVEMBER ±9.2005
Astronomers name
asteroid after Bulgarian
drag diva 12
North and South
Carolina
North Carolina:
Greensboro to host AIDS
WinterWalk Oi
South Carolina:
Greenvilie Tech inciudes
sexual orientetion in
non-discrimination
policy 10
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November election results a mix of
good and bad
Texas marriage amendment may
bacldire on sponsors
by Donald Miller and Steven Fisher
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Election Day
2005 produced solid and crucial victories
for equality with defeat of an anti-gay bal
lot measure in Maine, the ousting from
office of one of the most viciously anti-gay
legislators in America and the victory of the
first-ever openly gay city council person in
Columbus, Ohio.
Many openly gay candidates and officials
also won election or re-election across the
nation on Nov. 8. These victories were won
despite passage of a discriminatory constitu
tional amendment in Texas.
"Fairness took a step forward, with voters
securing equality in the law, in the statehouse
and in city hall,” said Human Rights
Campaign (HRC) President Joe Solmonese.
“Standing shoulder to shoulder with our part
ners in the states, we mobilized and educated
voters and equality triumphed.”
The Maine victory was an historic win.
The ballot measure defeated Nov. 8 would
have repealed a non-discrimination bill that
passed both houses of the Maine Legislature
in March 2005 with strong bipartisan support
and was signed into law by Democratic Gov.
John Baldacci. This was the third attempt to
repeal the measure and the first time voters
approved the law.
In Vii^inia, 32nd District Delegate Richard
Black (R-Loudoun County), one of the most
anti-gay legislators in America was defeated
by David Poisson. Delegate Black has a long
tradition of anti-gay votes and proposed leg
islation, including one that would have
required social workers to determine if par
ents seeking to adopt a child are gay.
In crucial electoral battleground state Ohio,
Mary Jo Hudson was elected as the first open
ly gay member of the Columbus City Council.
Hudson’s victory was particu
larly gratifying for HRC —. she
is a former board member with
longtime involyement in the
organization.
Despite a strong fight
waged by LGBT advocates,
voters approved a sweeping
constitutional amendment
banning not just marriage
equality but also civil unions,
domestic partnerships and
even the most basic arrange
ments to secure fairness for
Texas families
“The amendment will hurt
thousands of men, women
and children in Texas, deny
ing them basic rights and responsibilities
provided to every Texas family,” added
Solmonese. “The battle for equality is often
two steps forward and one step back and
sadly that proved true.”
One bright side to the Texas loss —
although the amendment passed, the word
ing of the bill may prove to be difficult to
defend in court.
Known as Section 32, the amendment
reads as follows;
(a) Marriage in this state shall consist only of
the union of one man and one woman,
(b) This state or a political subdivision of this
state may not create or recognize any legal
status identical or similar to marriage,
it’s that “B” in Section 32 that’s got some
activists scratching their head. Is it just a sub
tle — but potentially radical — cry for equal
ity? If gays can’t marry or enter into legally
recognized domestic partnerships, then nei
ther can heterosexuals? What could be more
identical to marriage than marriage?
By approving Section 32, Texas has effec
tively outlawed domestic partnerships for
gays and heterosexuals alike. The poorly
worded part ”B” — theoretically — could
make it all too easy for divorce lawyers to
argue that their clients-can’t be granted a
divorce because, well, they were never mar
ried in the first place.
CDC releases report
on STDs
Study shows that syphilis cases among gay men
grew from five percent
in 1999 to 64 percent
in 2004
by Sara Satinsky
ATLANTA — Five years
ago, the national syphilis
rate reached an all-time low
"and the disease seemed
well on its way to elimina
tion in the U.S. But out
breaks of syphilis among
gay and bisexual men in
several cities marked the „ „ .
. -1. II Sexually active men and
Start of a challenging new ,^omen with multiple partners
need to make STD screening a
see STD on 15 priority.
Notes from a gay soldier
Local soldier makes it to Kuwait
Editor's Note: These ore the thoughts of o gay sohfier — o North Carofina native — who
has been deployed to Iraq. Because of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" poficy, he
must remain anonymous.
The weather here is as fickle as the most frigid to hot gay man you could
ever meet. I got off the plane in Kuwait to cold weather and the smell of jet fuel
nearly knocked me over. The
drive from the airport to the
camp where I’m currently sta
tioned took about two hours and
the charter buses driven by the
locals was like riding on one of
the roller coasters at Carowinds.
The drivers are crazy and drive
with a reckless abandon, like a
bat out of hell. I thought at points
we would have an accident.
After arriving at camp things have been okay. The smells of the porta pot
ties will knock you over — it’s not the best of smells to
wake up to. Especially after a great work out or morn- se6 NOTESon 22