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Compiled By Jack Nichols Gayville, Vermont
One year after the enactment of civil unions, a state commission in
Vermont has released the numbers: 2,479 civil unions were performed in the
first year. Nearly twice as many female couples as males got quasi-hitched,
and only 478 couples were from Vermont. In the central Vermont village of
Gaysville, people are always stopping to pose for pictures by the post
office sign, including many newly unioned couples…
B.J. Roche-" Civil unions are a hit in Vermont"-- Boston Globe, August 12 Taking a Break from Marriage Sometimes people have needs that have nothing to do with their marriage. They may need a spiritual quest, or have a need for adventure, or need solitude, which is a very important counterpoint to daily life. Pepper Schwartz- author of American Couples-quoted in Florida Today, August 12 Stepping Out of the Victim Role
Robert N. Minor, Ph.D.-Scared Straight-Published by HumanityWorks!-For more information: www.fairnessproject.org Nebraska is Corn Country Rod Kratochvil is not the only person leaving Nebraska feeling unwanted because he's gay…Ken Voorhees, a psychotherapist, cites a "toxic environment for gays" for his planned move to New York…Eric Beers has the same view. He said the overwhelming support for Initiative 416, a constitutional ban of same-sex marriage, "was like Nebraska posted a sign on Interstate 80: 'Gays and Lesbians, you're not wanted.'" Shannon Henson-" Feeling of Isolation Increased With Same-Sex Marriage Ban"- Omaha World-Herald, August 12 Joe Camel Goes Gay
The music was thumping at Gotham on a recent Friday night. The mostly gay crowd that filled the Chapel Hill dance club moved around the floor to the beat. Pretty boys started taking their shirts off. And up on the video screen, flashing words encouraged the crowd to
smoke more Camel cigarettes. I sipped my first ever Red Bull and vodka as I took in the scene. The dance party, "Flavors of the Exotic," was sponsored by cigarette-maker RJR-Reynolds.
Todd Morman --"Oddities Worth Noticing"-- The Spectator (alternative weekly, Raleigh, N.C.), August 10 Grace-Saying Gay Dads Hope to Adopt Join them as they say a prayer of thanks over Chinese stir-fry. Maya Bell-"State's gay adoption ban faces test"-- Orlando Sentinel, August 12 Eyeliner for the Steer?
On the gay-rodeo circuit contestants compete in horse events such as
barrel racing and pole bending; bull riding and chute dogging; team roping
and mounted breakaway calf roping; but also in "camp events" that include
steer decorating, goat dressing and the wild drag race.
Anne Constable-" Horseshoer competing in gay rodeo in Albuquerque"- Santa Fe New Mexican, August 5 'You'll Burn in Hell!' A Newark man now faces charges of assault and aggravated menacing for splashing gasoline on the head of security at the Columbus Pride Parade where he set a gay-rights flag on fire…Until this week, Charles Spingola, 45, had been charged only with open burning, a fire-code violation and first-degree misdemeanor. But city prosecutors tacked on the two additional charges Thursday after talking to Andrea Critchet, a parade-security volunteer who had accused Spingola of dousing her with gasoline before threatening that she was going to burn in hell. Encarnacion Pyle--"Anti-gay protester accused of tossing gasoline on woman"- Columbus Dispatch, August 11 Murdered Colorado Teen's Mom Ignored
Aspen C. Emmett-" Martinez's mother says Olt violating victims' rights"- Cortez Journal, August 9 Friends Down Under A new survey released by world-wide pollsters Roy-Morgan International has revealed that Australians are less homophobic that Americans…The survey also looked at the typical political allegiances of Australians who either agreed or disagreed with the statement "I believe homosexuality is immoral". Heading the list in Australia in terms of homo-friendliness are the Greens, with 90% of their supporters rejecting the statement. Second best were the Australian Democrats (79%), followed by the A.L.P. (67%), the Liberals (58%), the Nationals (45%) and One Nation (42%). M.C.V. (Australian GLBT Newspaper)-"Greens and Victorians Most Gay Friendly"--August 10 |
A call for the victimized to step out of the victim role is not a call for them to deny that they have been victimized. It is an opportunity to examine what's really going on, the actual dynamics of the systematic conditioning and its oppressions. It is an opening for creating strategies to change society so as to refuse to be victimized again…Outside the victim role one recognizes that there are no human enemies. The enemy is the system humans have created and maintained. Yet many gay people still prefer to embrace the system by valuing the straight role and not creating their own place in life, a place which also expects 'straight' people to act like unconditioned human beings. They want to conform to straight as much as possible, not realizing the damage this is doing to everyone and what they must give up of their humanity to conform.
The mother of a slain Cortez teen read the gruesome details of her
son's autopsy in the newspaper rather than being informed about it by the
district attorney's office, she recently complained to the Governor's
Victims' Compensation and Assistance Coordinating Committee in Denver.
Pauline Mitchell, the mother of Fred Martinez Jr., also alleged that
District Attorney Joe Olt failed to alert her of other important
developments in her son's case and has therefore violated her rights as a
victim…"The District Attorney's office has denied me the right to be treated
with fairness, respect and dignity and the right to be informed of and
present for all critical stages of the criminal justice process," Mitchell
wrote in the formal Request of Enforcement of Compliance with the
Requirements of the Crime Victims Constitutional Amendment.
© 1997-2002 BEI