19th June 2003 (# 8) News Clippings Digest

1. SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS ACLU turns up the heat on Burbank
High; School thinks they can disband a gay/straight club and get
away with it
2. DETROIT NEWS Column: Gay marriages cause little fuss in
Ontario, unlike Michigan
3. THE STATE NEWS (Michigan State University) Bill could add LGBT
clause to 1968 act
4. BBC NEWS Gay bishop defends his 27-year relationship
5. ABC NEWS (Australia) The Tasmanian Government has tabled its
watered-down same sex adoption legislation
6. SEATTLE TIMES Editorial: Ontario's experiment
7. SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS San Antonio's gay and lesbian
community plans celebration for Saturday
8. WESTENDER (Vancouver, BC) Profile: An Anglican Reverend
contemplates faith after same-sex blessing controversy

San Antonio Express-News, June 19, 2003
Box 2171, San Antonio, TX, 78297-2171
(Fax: 210-351-7372 ) (E-Mail: letters@... )
( http://expressnews.com/ )
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=180&xlc=1013941
ACLU turns up the heat on Burbank High
By Bridget Gutierrez San Antonio Express-News, bgutierrez@express-
news.net
The American Civil Liberties Union has repeated its call for
the
reinstatement of a Burbank High School student club it says was
disbanded
because of an unauthorized gay rights demonstration. But campus
officials
claim the group was never formally approved and, therefore, didn't
really
exist.
ACLU officials say they are "troubled" by Principal Andrew
Rodriguez's response to their request last month to re-establish the
Amnesty
International club, whose members tried to participate in a national
event
in which people take a vow of silence to highlight abuse suffered by
gays
and lesbians.
"You at best raise concerns that are illusory and at worst
assert
facts that are untrue," ACLU attorney Ken Choe wrote in a letter
sent to
Rodriguez on Wednesday. "Your continuing refusal to respect the
constitutional and statutory rights of (students) is unacceptable."
Rodriguez was not available, and the San Antonio School
District's
spokeswoman said she was unable to comment.
In his response to the ACLU's first demand to restore the
group,
Rodriguez said the sponsor did not follow proper procedure to
establish the
club, so it was not possible to reactivate it.
"Once the organization meets the general guidelines, I will
review
for approval a local Amnesty International club," he wrote in a
letter to
the ACLU earlier this month.
Teachers and students maintain that the club had been meeting
for
several weeks before the April 9 demonstration and that those
meetings were
publicized over the public address system in announcements
administrators
must approve.
Students say Rodriguez demanded they remove their "I Support
the Day
of Silence" stickers, refused to let them participate in the
demonstration
and then disbanded the club. In response, about half of the campus's
faculty signed a petition asking him to reconsider.
"What he did was not right for the kids," said a teacher who
signed
the petition but asked not to be identified, for fear of retaliation.
"In actuality, they did make their point about tolerance," the
teacher said of the students. "In fact, he made it for them."
SASD officials had said they would investigate the matter, but
documents obtained by the San Antonio Express-News this week show
officials
have failed to interview students or issue findings of fact.
The documents show that the investigator contacted at least
three
teachers, but only statements from campus administrators were
provided.
In those statements, the administrators maintain they asked
students
to take off stickers, but did not physically remove them.
Regardless of who removed the stickers, Choe says the school
committed "gross violations" of the students' First Amendment rights
simply
by not allowing pupils to wear the stickers.
"These kids are not interested in money. They're not
interested in
monetary damages," he said of the three students he is
representing. "They
just care about the rights of students to speak freely, consistent
with the
Constitution."


Detroit News, June 19, 2003
615 W. Lafayette, Detroit, MI, 48226
(Fax: 313-222-6417 ) (E-Mail: Letters@... )
( http://detnews.com/ )
http://www.detnews.com/2003/metro/0306/19/d01-197284.htm
Gay marriages cause little fuss in Ontario, unlike Michigan
By Laura Berman, The Detroit News
Ho hum.
In Windsor, Ontario, the city clerk is issuing marriage
licenses to
same-sex couples.
In the seven working days since June 10, when such marriages
became
legal in Ontario, a dozen same-sex couples obtained marriage
licenses at
Windsor's City Hall. Of the three American couples to do so, one
couple and
half of another couple were from Michigan.
Here, gay rights ordinances are hot-button issues that produce
venomous political mail and hefty voter turnouts. Gay marriage is so
controversial that, in Michigan, a law was passed by the Legislature
to
literally "defend marriage" from what some see as an all-out assault.
Whether a license is issued by the state of Vermont, the
province of
Ontario, or the mythical kingdom of Fredonia, gay marriage is moot in
Michigan. A Canadian penny is worth more here than a Canadian
marriage
license, if you're a same-sex couple.
"Why would anyone bother to get married there?" said Rob
Fetzer, a
Canadian-born Detroiter who has lived with his partner for 15 years,
and is
acerbic about the pace of change here. "You marry there and come
back here
to have your love besmirched, defiled, trounced. ... Most weddings
I have
attended aren't about social protest."
But in Windsor the issue of legalizing marriage for gays and
lesbians
is more yawn than revolution: There is neither frenzy nor fuss, and
not
even an HIV test is required.
"HIV test? How could you require that?" asks Diane Sibley, the
executive director for licensing services at Windsor City Hall. She
is
baffled by the notion that, in Michigan, marrying couples must be
tested for
HIV before they can be issued a marriage license.
"How do you get around your privacy laws?" she asked.
Although we're separated by only a few thousand feet of
water, our
provincial and state mindsets could not be more different.
There are no pickets outside Windsor's City Hall and few
visible
signs of outrage. "A couple of letters in the newspaper is about
all," said
licensing director Sibley. "We will debate ad nauseum but Canadians
are
relatively passive."
She said that, speaking for herself, "professionally and
personally,
it's no issue to me if two people want to commit themselves in that
way."
Despite its earnest and placid ways, Canada has always been
less
socially rigid and restrictive than the United States. It banned
slavery
and legalized inter-racial marriage long before the United States
did.
Canadian newspapers over the past eight days - since Ontario
officially began permitting same-sex marriages - have been filled
with warm,
fuzzy stories celebrating unions between happy gay and lesbian
couples.
And Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chretien views the legality
of
same-sex marriage as a form of what he called "social evolution."
Will the Detroit River, once the final passage to freedom for
fleeing
slaves, become a new sort of passage to couples seeking to wed?
Diane Sibley, the marriage license director, found the
question to be
absurdly premature. "Most couples that I know plan their weddings
with
great care. I'm sure that same-sex couples will do quite the same,"
she
said.
. Laura Berman's column runs Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Reach her
at (248) 647-7221 or e-mail lberman@ detnews.com.


The State News, June 19, 2003
Michigan State University
343 Student Services Bldg., East Lansing, MI, 48824
(Fax: 517-353-2599 ) (E-Mail: opinion@... )
( http://www.statenews.com/ )
Bill could add LGBT clause to 1968 act
By Antonio Planas, The State News
A bill was introduced into the state House on Tuesday, which
would
add gender identity and sexual orientation clauses to a long-standing
anti-discrimination law - but lobbyists and legislators aren't
optimistic
about the bill's chances.
The Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1968 protects against
discrimination based on age, gender and religion. The act, which
was passed
by the state Legislature, originally included sexual orientation,
but the
clause was never signed onto the bill.
Rep. Chris Kolb, D-Ann Arbor, introduced the bill and says it
bans
discrimination in housing and employment.
"If a state like New Mexico can pass a nondiscrimination law
that
includes sexual orientation and gender identity, than there really
should be
no reason why Michigan can't as well," Kolb said. "In reality, I
think it's
just a matter of time."
Kolb said there are 14 states that have nondiscrimination
statutes
prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The bill sits at the House Judiciary Committee, and a similar
bill
will be introduced into the state Senate.
Some representatives who support the legislation in theory
might not
necessarily vote in favor of the bill, if it ever gets heard.
Rep. Lorence Wenke, R-Kalamazoo, who sits on the House
Judiciary
Committee, said he is supportive of any legislation against
discrimination,
but is not sure how his constituents would react to such a bill.
"Generally speaking, there is a lot of anti-sexual
orientation public
sentiment," Wenke said. "I'm not sure how my area feels, but I know
there
is a strong religious sector that would vigorously oppose this bill."
Todd Harcek, chief of staff for Rep. Marc Shulman, R-West
Bloomfield,
says Republicans aren't to blame for the lack of success of the bill.
"This has been introduced with Democrats as well and hasn't
fared any
better," Harcek said. "I'm not sure this is a partisan issue."
Supporters of the bill are promoting it throughout the state.
Sean Kosofsky, director of policy for the Triangle
Foundation, said
employers legally can fire workers based on sexual orientation. The
foundation, which is based in Detroit, lobbies for legislation that
benefits
the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Kosofsky said the bill has been introduced into the state
House twice
before and has never been heard. He added the bill has little
chance of
passing with a Republican-controlled Legislature.
"The bill didn't get very far in the past and probably won't
get very
far now because of the Republican run Legislature," Kosofsky
said. "The
Republican majority is not interested in advancing equal rights for
gays."
Members of the LGBT community are attempting to gain 10,000
signatures at pride festivals occurring at several places in the
state. The
signatures will be handed to the Legislature by September.
Kosofsky said there has been some encouraging signs that LGBT
issues
are advancing, such as Gov. Jennifer Granholm declaring June Gay
Pride Month
in Michigan and the hearing of anti-bullying legislation, which
specifically
includes sexual orientation in the wording of the bill, he said.
Kosofsky said his organization will continue to lobby for
equal
rights no matter what obstacles they run into.
"We're going to fight until we win," Kosofsky said. "And we
will
win."


BBC News, 19 June 2003
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3002574.stm
Gay bishop defends 27-year relationship
A gay bishop has defended his relationship with his partner
of 27
years, following calls for his resignation from senior figures in the
Anglican church.
Dr Jeffrey John, the new Bishop of Reading, said that the
relationship was "for life" and that he would not stand down.
He told the Times newspaper: "The relationship has not been
sexually
expressed for years. The love and commitment are, if anything,
greater."
Dr John's appointment has tested the tolerance of the Anglican
church, with a group of nine senior Church of England bishops
writing to
national newspapers to express their anger.
'Symbol of hope'
Dr John told the Times that there was not doubt his
relationship
would last.
He said: "It is a permanent thing. That must not be denied."
The bishop said his appointment to a senior post within the
church
would be a "symbol of hope for an awful lot of people".
Dr John said the church should bless same sex relationships,
although
he and his partner would not go through such a ceremony and he would
not
perform one himself.
'Wrestled hugely'
The bishop said it was his duty to live by the church's
demand for
celibacy among the gay clergy as it was "a matter of corporate
discipline".
But he added that it was not a rule which could "hold for
long".
Dr John also spoke about his struggle with his sexuality.
"I was conscious of it from quite an early age, and that it
was
probably going to bring problems," he said.
"I certainly resisted and fought it. I wrestled hugely with
it and
prayed about it, as I think so many gay people do."
'Admirable qualities'
The appointment of Dr John, who is currently Canon Theologian
at
Southwark Cathedral, was proposed by the Right Reverend Richard
Harries,
Bishop of Oxford.
Among those opposed were the Bishop of Winchester, the Right
Reverend
Michael Scott-Joynt, the Bishop of Carlisle, the Right Reverend
Graham Dow,
the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones and the
Bishop of
Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali.
Their letter said: "Dr John has many admirable qualities for
the work
of a bishop. But the issue is, what is acceptable sexual behaviour
in God's
sight?"
Bishop Harries said he was "saddened" by the "well organised
public
campaign against Canon Jeffrey John".


ABC News (Australia), 19 June 2003
http://www.abc.net.au/news/justin/nat/newsnat-19jun2003-45.htm
Tas Govt tables diluted same sex adoption bill
The Tasmanian Government has tabled its watered-down same sex
adoption legislation.
The altered legislation now only allows a homosexual to adopt
the
biological child of their partner.
Attorney-General Judy Jackson originally intended removing all
discrimination against same sex couples.
This would have given gay couples the right to adopt in all
circumstances.
However following community pressure and the concerns of some
of her
Labor Party colleagues the legislation was watered down to allow the
adoption of a biological child of a gay person's partner.
The Relationships Bill, which amends more than 70 pieces of
state
law, also affects the rights of carers and guardians and will give
gay
people equal access to their partner's public sector superannuation.
The bill effectively recognises same sex partners as the
equivalent
of de facto partners.
In the instance that a child is born as a result of fertility
treatment to two women, the child will be deemed the child of both
women.


Seattle Times, June 19, 2003
P. O. Box 70, Seattle, WA, 98111
(Fax: 206-382-6760 ) (E-Mail: opinion@... )
( http://www.seattletimes.com )
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?
document_id=135028780
&zsection_id=268448410&slug=gay19&date=20030619
Editorial: Ontario's experiment
In extending the legality of marriage to homosexual couples,
the
province of Ontario begins a social experiment that ought to quell
the fears
about gay civil unions.
Critics worry that extending the civil laws of marriage to
two men or
two women is fraught with danger. They say gay civil unions
undermine the
traditional marriage contract, which is designed to provide for
children.
This worry is misplaced. Many stresses have been put upon
marriage
in recent decades, from computers to gambling to pornography to
more-tolerant attitudes about adultery, and to some popular things
such as
the two-earner family and no-fault divorce. These things would have
happened whether there was a gay-rights movement or not. They are
the
problems of heterosexuals, and it is fatuous to blame them on a
population
for which marriage has been forbidden.
The Ontario ruling could mean that gays will get married
there, and
come here. They will demand rights of inheritance, divorce, and so
on. Our
legal system will have to deal with that.
We are confident that it will. In fact, the courts of
Washington
already have recognized such rights in de facto gay unions, and in a
common-sense way that recognizes for gays the same rights as may be
exercised by everyone else.


San Antonio Express-News, Box 2171, San Antonio, TX, 78297-2171
(Fax: 210-351-7372 ) (E-Mail: letters@... )
( http://expressnews.com/ )
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=180&xlc=1014323
S.A.'s gay and lesbian community plans celebration for Saturday
By Sonja Garza Express-News Staff Writer, sgarza@...
Live local bands, female impersonators and a "hot" disc jockey
serving as parade grand marshal will be featured at Pride Fest 2003
on
Saturday.
Presented by the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of San
Antonio, the
free event will kick off at noon with an ecumenical service at
Crockett Park
on North Main Avenue and continue with a daylong picnic and nighttime
parade.
Several thousand people are expected to attend the 21st
annual Pride
Fest, which has grown every year, said Nathan Javine, a community
center
board member and the event's marketing director.
The festival will occur during the city's first-ever Gay
Pride Week,
which continues through Sunday.
Mayor Ed Garza signed a proclamation designating the week
with the
understanding that "promoting awareness of the diversity in our
community
helps to build a bridge of understanding and tolerance," said Steven
Schauer, a spokesman for the mayor.
The local Pride Fest draws members of San Antonio's gay and
lesbian
community, as well as people from throughout Texas and "nongay
people that
come to support gay issues," Javine said.
This year's theme is "With Peace - With Pride," or "Con Paz -
Con
Orgullo."
The picnic will include food, arts and crafts booths, a
children's
area, beer and soda, and two stages, one featuring live bands and
another
with a female impersonators show from 4 to 8 p.m.
Money raised from food and drink sales will benefit 10
nonprofit
groups, Javine said.
The parade will begin at 9 p.m. at Main Avenue and Dewey
Place and
end at the park. "Hot Henrietta," a disc jockey for 106.7 FM, will
serve as
grand marshal.
The event traditionally is viewed as a time of celebration
rather
than a time to take stances on particular issues, although Javine
said there
will be parade entries that deal with HIV.
"Really, it's not a time to get out and preach to the world,"
Javine
said. "Really, it's a time to show unity and that we are here."


Westender, June 16-30, 2003
200-1490 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 4E8 Canada
( http://www.westender.com )
http://www.westender.com/portals-code/list.cgi?
paper=49&cat=23&id=71570
Urban Legends
By Mary Frances Hill
An Anglican Reverend contemplates faith after same-sex blessing
controversy
Who: Rev. Margaret Marquardt
What: Reverend of St. Margaret's Cedar Cottage Anglican
Church. On
May 28, Marquardt oversaw the blessing of two gay partners, Kelly
Montfort
and Michael Kalmuk, in a ceremony sanctioned by the Diocese of New
Westminster, which includes St. Margaret's.
Roots: Born and raised in Winnipeg. Studied urban studies at
University of Winnipeg, converted from Catholicism to Anglican
church; has
been ordained for 23 years. Married with one son.
Preparing for the storm: "We knew there would be a lot of
people
internationally looking at this diocese if we did sanction a same-sex
blessing. Our bishop (Michael Ingham, of the Diocese of New
Westminster)
has gotten some awful, awful, hateful reactions. People don't seem
to
realize it's the diocese (population of parishes) that said "yes" to
this.
Michael has been as supportive as he can. He withheld his assent
twice.
Each parish has to have a synod (similar to an annual general
meeting) and
your clergy and parish have to agree to have a same-sex blessing, so
there
is no coercion."
My book, your book: Seven parishes from the developing world
have
publicly censured Michael Ingham for sanctioning same-sex
marriages. "(The
parishes) are coming from the theological position of the literal
word. If
you are a literalist, it's right there, really clear. If you are a
contextualist like myself and Bishop Ingham, you try to understand
what the
context (of the Bible 's stance on relationships) was. Was it
talking about
a situation of abuse or misuse in sexuality? How did they understand
relationships then? There was no understanding of sexuality in long-
term
relationships (evident in the bible)."
Down with complacency: "To live out your faith you cannot
remain in
a fixed position. Otherwise, our rituals are dead and we end up
living in a
box. Faith requires you to ask questions, to look at the context
you live
in. The Gospel was never meant to be used literally. It's like
bludgeoning
people with the Bible when you do that - literally hitting them over
the
head with it. But we still have to deal seriously with the Bible.
There's
a tremendous amount of scripture on justice and economic equality."
No harm done: "I look at monogamous gay and lesbian
relationships,
people who have been together for a long time, and it doesn't in any
way
take away from my marriage. I look at the work they've done with no
support, and the shame they've experienced. When people still look
at them
as antithesis of what's good and sacred, it's pretty hard not to
take that
personally, no matter how well integrated you are as a human being
and as a
couple. It's rough stuff."
Embracing the grey: "I see not only religiously, but
politically and
socially that there is a desire for certitude, for things to be
really
clear, and for there not to be ambiguity around sexuality. It seems
when it
comes to sexual moral stuff, people want to make it clear what's
okay and
what's not. When you have ambiguity in life, it is harder. You are
pressed
to think through things."
Power of peace: "I look at the energy gone into the war in
Iraq and
the seemingly endless energy to rebuild; I look at AIDS in Africa.
And here
are two people, 21 years together, in a loving relationship, trying
to
affirm something that's good. Sometimes it looks as if love is not
going to
endure, because the forces against it are so powerful."
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