D ONES T I C
National News Notes
by David Stout. Q-Notes staff
Victory Fund readies 2008 slate
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Gay & Lesbian
Victory Fund has already endorsed a slate of
29 candidates seeking
office in 2008. According
to a press statement they
plan to endorse more
than 100 candidates, a
new record, before
Election Day (Nov. 4,
2008). In 2007, the
Victory Fund endorsed
71 candidates and 43 won their races.
“We are heartened not only by the increas
ing number of out individuals seeking to rep
resent their communities, but by the public’s
willingness to elect them,” said Chuck Wolfe
(pictured), president and CEO of the Victory
Fund. “Many of our endorsees are either seek
ing re-election or aspiring to higher office —
a sure sign that members of our community
are credible leaders and concerned citizens.
When they win, we all do, because they help
change the face of American politics.”
Among the 29 newly-endorsed candidates
are two from North Carolina. John Arrowood
is seeking election to the Court of Appeals
after being appointed by the governor to fill an
open seat; weU-liked Julia Boseman will be
stumping for a third term in the state Senate.
Marriage hearings wrap up
MONWELIER, Vt. — The last of six pub
lic hearings to discuss marriage for same-
sex couples took place Dec. 18 at the
Vermont Statehouse. At each of the events,
members of the Vermont Commission oh
Family Recognition and Protection found sub
stantial public support for marriage rights for
gay and lesbian couples. In fact, officials were
surprised by the change from seven years ago,
when hearings on recognizing civil unions
generated far more divided opinions.
The legislature legalized civil unions for
same-sex partners in 2000. Now, they are con
sidering full marriage equality. The
Commission on Family Recognition and
Protection is scheduled to report on their
hearings to the full legislature in April. The
earliest the legislature would move on same-
sex marriage is 2009.
A justice of the peace spoke at the final
hearing to support gay marriage. She noted
that officiating a recent civil union ceremony
for a same-sex couple felt the same as offici
ating a wedding for an opposite-sex couple.
“I had two people before me who loved each
other very much.. .and I was lucky enough
to have the honor to be officiating at their
ceremonyT
School anti-bias law in court
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Equality California
and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSAN)
filed a motion Dec. 21 in federal district court
to defend a California statute that bars dis
crimination and harassment in publicly-fund
ed schools. The groups are seeking to counter a
lawsuit filed by Advocates for Faith and
Freedom and the Alliance Defense Fund that
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would prevent enforcement of the recently-
passed Student Civil Rights Act, SB 777.
“We’re intervening in this lawsuit because
our student members advocated for SB 777
and are eager to defend it,” said GSAN
Executive Director Carolyn Laub. “Thousands
of our member^ have endured daily harass
ment at school based on their sexual orienta
tion or gender identity. It’s a shame there are
adults who don’t think all students deserve to
have a safe place to learn.”
According to the 2001 California Healthy
Kids Survey, nearly 30 percent of California
youth in grades seven to 11 report experienc
ing harassment or bullying based on their
actual or perceived race, ethnicity, religion,,
disability, gender or sexual orientation.
Lawsuit filed over prom exclusion
GARY, Ind. — Lambda Legal has filed
suit in Northern District Court of Indiana
claiming that West Side High School violat
ed Kevin “K.K.” Logan’s First Amendment
rights when it barred him from his prom for
wearing a dress. On May 19,2006, Principal
Diane Rouse turned Logan away for violat
ing a school policy that prohibits any “cloth
ing/accessories that advertise sexual orien
tation, sex, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, profani
ty, negative social or negative educational
statements.”
“The fact that sexual orientation is
lumped in with drugs and profanity in the
school’s dress code is just plain offensive,
but even more troublesome is that the whole
policy is in violation of students’ First
Amendment rights,” said James P. Madigan,
staff attorney in Lambda Legal’s Midwest
Regional Office in Chicago.
Logan attended West Side High during his
junior and senior year. Both classmates and
teachers supported him in his daily dress —
clothes typically associated with girls his age.
His peers and friends also rallied to his
defense at the prom, to no avail.
Homeless youth often LGBT
NEW YORK, N.Y. — A new study com
missioned by the New York City Council has
found that almost one-third of New York’s
homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay,
bisexual or transgender, confirming the
findings of the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force’s national study, LGBT Youth: An
Epidemic of Homelessness, released in
December 2006. The latter report noted that
between 20 and 40 percent of homeless
youth nationwide are LGBT.
“We applaud the City Council for commit
ting the resources to uncover and address this
traged)^’ said Matt Foreman, executive director
of NGLTF. “While LGBT people make up about
five percent of [New York City’s] population,
our youth constitute an overwhelming and
disproportionate percentage of those navigat
ing the dangers of life on die street.”
Trans youth face particular challenges if
they land on the streets. They are more like
ly to face discrimination in the traditional
shelter system, more likely to find it diffi
cult to obtain and hold meaningful employ
ment and are subsequently far. more likely
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JANUARY 12.2008 • Q-NOTES