DOMESTIC
National News Notes
by David Stout. Q-Notes staff
First gay congressman dead
BOSTON, Mass. — Former U.S. Rep. Gerry
Studds (pictured), 69, the first openly gay
member of Congress, passed away Oct. 14 due
to a blood clot in his lung.5tudds was first
elected in 1972 to represent his southeastern
Massachusetts district. He held the seat for 12
terms before retiring
from the House in 1997.
In 1983, Studds
^ acknowledged he was
t gay after a 27-year-old
iii I man disclosed that he
had had a sexual rela-
tionship with Studds a
-fli decade earlier, when the
man was a teenage congressional page. The
House of Representatives censured Studds for
his conduct. With a mix of humility and grace,
Studds faced his constituents in a series of
public meetings and kept their support.
Although Studds married his surviving
spouse. Dean Hara, shortly after same-sex
marriage was legalized in Massachusetts in
2004, Hara has been disqualified from receiv
ing Studds’ congressional pension benefits
under the federal Defense of Marriage Act. At
the time of his death Studds was receiving an
estimated annual pension of $114,337.
Gay marriage good for economy
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — According to a new
study, extending marriage rights to same-sex
couples will be good for the economy.
Conducted by the Williams Institute, a gay
think tank at UCLA, “The Effect of Marriage
Equality and Domestic Partnership On
Business and the Econom/’ finds that produc
tivity from happier and healthier workers will
outweigh employers’ costs for adding spousal
benefits. In addition, increased spending for
marriage ceremonies and allied services is pro
jected to be substantial.
“Spending on new weddings alone would
generate $2 billion for businesses in the wed
ding industry’ said study co-author Gary J.
Gates, senior research associate at the
Williams Institute. “Places that allow same-sex
' couples to marry have reported noticeable
boosts in business for hotels, caterers, florists
and other wedding-related businesses.”
The study notes that current differences in
states’ policies regarding same-sex couples can
be confusing and costly for businesses.
Employers also risk losing good employees to
jobs in states with more favorable laws.
Gay men named Disney Legends
BURBANK, Calif. — Since 1987 The Walt
Disney Company has honored 191 individuals
for their significant contributions to the Disney
legacy in the fields of music, journalism, art,
performance, engineering and business. On
Oct. 9 Disney Legends Awards were handed
out to 12 more recipients, including two openly
gay men: singer/songwriter Sir Elton John
(“The Lion King”) and actor Tommy Kirk (pic
tured, “Old Yeller,”“The Shaggy Dog”).
Kirk was Disney’s top young male star of
the late ’50s and early ’60s, but his sexuality
ended his career at the company. “When I was
about 17 or 18 years old, I finally admitted to
myself that I wasn’t going to change,” he said in
a 1993 interview with Filmfax magazine. “I did
n’t know what- the consequences would be, but I
had the definite feeling
that it was going to wreck
my Disney career and
maybe my whole acting
career. It was all going to
come to an end!
Eventually, I became
involved with somebody
and I was fired.”
The first recipient of the Disney Legends
Award was actor Fred MacMurray (“The Shaggy
Dog”). Additional honorees include Julie
Andrews, Steve Martin and Dick Van Dyke.
Online AIDS Quilt display planned
NEW YORK, N.Y. — On December 1, World
AIDS Day, here! Networks will unveil the first-
ever Virtual AIDS Quilt to pay tribute to the
many lives that have been lost to AIDS during
the pandemic’s first 25 years, here! is inviting
the public to visit their interactive media web
site and submit a photo or image along with a
short message or special memory.
“After 25 years, the AIDS epidemic has
become a global concern,” said Paul Colichman,
herel’s founder and CEO. “HIV/AIDS has
become a killer that does not discriminate
based on race, creed or sexual orientation, and
the Virtual AIDS Quilt will celebrate the lives of
all of those who have been taken from us while
helping to promote HIV/AIDS awareness and
prevention efforts around the globe.”
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Starting on World AIDS Day the global
online community will be able to watch the
Virtual AIDS Quilt grow with images and sto
ries posted by victims’ families and friends.
Participate or view the landmark project at
aidsquilt.heretv.com.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ actor is out
HOLLYWOOD — T.R. Knight (pictured),
33, a featured actor on ABC’s smash television
drama “Grey’s Anatomy)’ came out last month
in a statement to “People” magazine. No pre
vious actor has ever acknowledged being gay
while appearing on such a highly-rated pro
gram. Knight, a Minneapolis native, plays Dr.
George O’Malley on “Grey’s Anatomy.” His tel
evision credits also include roles on “CSI;
Crime Scene Investigation” and “Law & Order:
Criminal Intent.”
Addressing the Tinseltown scuttlebutt that
had been swirling, Knight told“People,”“I guess
there have been a few questions about my sexu
ality, and I’d like to quiet any unnecessary
rumors that may be out there. While I prefer to
keep my personal life pri
vate, I hope the fact that
I’m gay isn’t the most
interesting part of me.”
Damon Romine,
GLAAD Entertainment
Media Director, said,
“T.R. is part of a growing
trend where more and
more gay people, including celebrities, are liv
ing openly and honestly, and this has tremen
dous impact in terms of creating awareness,
understanding and acceptance.” i
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NOVEMBER 4.2006 • Q-NOTES I I