The week of 11/13/95 on T H I S W A Y O U T the international gay & lesbian radio magazine * In NewsWrap: U.S. elections results November 7th were largely favorable to gays and lesbians, including Maine voters answering "no" to the anti-lesbigay "Question 1" and the election of several openly-queer candidates, notably Mike Nelson's victory as the first openly-gay mayor in North Carolina ... more than a thousand activists meet in "the motor city" for The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force's 8th Annual "Creating Change" Conference [Ron Buckmire reports from Detroit, Michigan] ... the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is mourned by gays and lesbians in Israel and France ... and several other stories [anchored by Cindy Friedman and Dean Elzinga] ... * Perhaps no professions carry the imprint of gender role expectations as do law enforcement and emergency services. Recent incidents of discriminatory practices involving transsexuals as both employees of, and citizens dependent upon, police and fire departments have proven to be career-, not to mention life-threatening. Rachel Lee talks with Michelle Cammerer and Tony Bretanetto of "TOPS", an organization for transsexual law enforcement officers and firefighters ... * Director Agnieszka Holland follows up her critically-acclaimed film "Europa Europa" with a bio-pic focusing on the turbulent love-hate relationship between French poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, portrayed respectively by Leonardo DiCaprio and David Thewlis. This Way Out's Brian Nunes has brief excerpts from the film, and provides his review of "Total Eclipse" ... ... and more! ========================*=============================== --------- ===> NewsWrap <=== --------- For the week ending November 11th, 1995 (As broadcast on THIS WAY OUT Program #398, distributed 11-13-95) [Compiled & written by CINDY FRIEDMAN, with thanks to Brian Nunes, Jason Lin, Bill Stosine, Greg Gordon, Brendon Wickham and Ron Buckmire] THE RESULTS OF U.S. ELECTIONS NOVEMBER 7TH WERE LARGELY FAVORABLE TO GAYS AND LESBIANS. MAINE VOTERS SOUNDLY DEFEATED "QUESTION 1", A BALLOT INITIATIVE THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ADDITION OF ANY NEW PROTECTED CATEGORIES TO THE STATE'S CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS. ALTHOUGH THE INITIATIVE ITSELF MADE NO SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION, IT WAS PROMOTED BY RIGHT-WING GROUPS WITH A CLEAR INTENTION TO BLOCK CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS. [Sources: REUTER NEWS SERVICE and U.S.A. TODAY] BUT IN NORTHHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- THE TOWN NICKNAMED "LESBIANVILLE" -- VOTERS REPEALED A DOMESTIC PARTNERS ORDINANCE BY A MARGIN OF LESS THAN ONE PERCENT. THE CITY BOARD OF ALDERMEN HAD UNANIMOUSLY PASSED THE MEASURE JUST A FEW WEEKS BEFORE. HOWEVER, NORTHHAMPTON VOTERS ELECTED OPEN GAY DAVID STEVENS TO THEIR COUNTY COMMISSION, AND BOTH OPEN LESBIAN MARY CLAIRE HIGGINS AND OPEN GAY MICHAEL BARDSLEY TO THEIR BOARD OF ALDERMEN. [BAY WINDOWS/Boston and VICTORY FUND press release] OTHER OPEN GAYS AND LESBIANS ELECTED TO CITY COUNCILS INCLUDED CHRISTOPHER KOLB IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN; BARBRA KAVANAUGH IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK; DAN STEWART IN PLATTSBURG, NEW YORK; AND JIM MOELLER IN VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON. IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, OPEN LESBIAN TINA PODLODOWSKI WAS ELECTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT OPEN LESBIAN INCUMBENT SHERRY HARRIS LOST HER BID FOR RE-ELECTION BY TWO PERCENT. OPEN GAY AL OERTWIG WON A SEAT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. [VICTORY FUND press release] IN MAYORAL RACES, OPENLY GAY AND LESBIAN CANDIDATES WON 2 AND LOST 2. IN CARRBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, MIKE NELSON, WHO HAD BEEN NORTH CAROLINA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY OR LESBIAN ELECTED OFFICIAL AS A CITY ALDERMAN, BECAME THE STATE'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR. IN THE TINY TOWN OF MELBOURNE, IOWA, BILL CREWS WAS RE-ELECTED MAYOR IN HIS FIRST RACE SINCE PUBLICLY COMING OUT AS A GAY MAN. IN SAN FRANCISCO, ROBERTA ACHTENBERG, FORMERLY AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY IN THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION AND THE HIGHEST-RANKING OPEN GAY OR LESBIAN EVER IN U.S. GOVERNMENT SERVICE, CAME IN THIRD AND FORCED A RUN-OFF BETWEEN THE LEADERS. MYLES BURKE LOST HIS BID TO BECOME THE MAYOR OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSSETTS. [REUTER NEWS SERVICE and VICTORY FUND press release] OVERALL, ELECTION RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE "REPUBLICAN REVOLUTION" OF 1994 HAS LOST SOME OF ITS ATTRACTION FOR VOTERS. DESPITE AN ALL-OUT REPUBLICAN EFFORT TO TAKE CONTROL OF VIRGINIA'S LEGISLATURE FOR THE FIRST TIME, DEMOCRATS ACTUALLY GAINED A SEAT IN THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES WHILE RETAINING HALF THE SENATE SEATS. DEMOCRATS ALSO REGAINED CONTROL OF THE MAINE HOUSE AND RETAINED THE GOVERNORSHIP OF KENTUCKY. [REUTER NEWS SERVICE and online postings by Lambda Rising Bookstore's DEACON MACCUBBIN] MORE THAN A THOUSAND GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER ACTIVISTS CONVERGED ON DETROIT, MICHIGAN THIS WEEK FOR THE 8th ANNUAL "CREATING CHANGE" CONFERENCE, SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE. TOUTED AS THE LARGEST ANNUAL GATHERING OF QUEER ACTIVISTS IN THE U.S., ATTENDEES DISCUSSED THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE NOVEMBER 7th U.S. ELECTIONS, HEARD A NUMBER OF NATIONALLY-PROMINENT SPEAKERS AND PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS IN THE STRUGGLE FOR LESBIGAY EQUALITY. ONE OF THE MAIN THEMES OF THE CONFERENCE WAS SELF- ANALYSIS, IN ORDER TO RECOGNIZE LINKAGES BETWEEN THE GOALS OF GAY/LESBIAN/BISEXUAL ACTIVISTS AND FEMINISTS, LABOR ORGANIZERS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR. MOVEMENT LAWYERS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT IF AFFIMATIVE ACTION IS NOT DEFENDED SUCCESSFULLY IT WILL BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO ADVANCE THE CONCEPT OF CIVIL RIGHTS IN GENERAL, WHICH HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON TRYING TO EXTEND ANTI-DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS COVERING SEXUAL ORIENTATION. INDICATIONS OF HOPE WERE DRAWN FROM EVENTS LIKE THE STATEWIDE VICTORY IN MAINE, THE EXPECTED SUPREME COURT VICTORY IN THE COLORADO AMENDMENT 2 CASE, PRESIDENT CLINTON'S DECISION TO ENDORSE THE EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMINATION ACT, AND THE FACT THAT THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN'S MEMBERSHIP HAS DOUBLED TO NEARLY 150,000 IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS. AS THE QUEER MOVEMENT LOOKS TO THE FUTURE WITH WARY AND HOPEFUL EYES, THEY SEE UNPRECEDENTED VISBILITY IN THE 1996 PRESIDENTIAL AND CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS, AND THE HAWAII MARRIAGE LAWSUIT TO LEGALIZE SAME-GENDER MARRIAGE. "CREATING CHANGE 1995" WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH ONE'S BREATH, RE-EVALUATE CURRENT STRATEGIES AND TACTICS AND PREPARE NEW ONES FOR 1996. NEXT YEAR'S CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IN WASHINGTON, D.C., JUST THREE DAYS AFTER THE NOVEMBER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. [THIS WAY OUT's RON BUCKMIRE in a phone report from Detroit] THERE ARE NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CASE OF SHARON BOTTOMS, THE LESBIAN MOTHER WHO LOST CUSTODY OF HER SON TO HER OWN MOTHER IN A DECISION THAT WAS UPHELD BY THE VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT. BOTH SHARON BOTTOMS AND HER MOTHER KAY BOTTOMS HAVE FILED NEW PETITIONS THAT WILL BE HEARD IN A LOWER COURT. SHARON BOTTOMS IS SEEKING TO REGAIN CUSTODY OF HER SON TYLER DOUSTOU ON THE GROUNDS THAT HER LIVING CONDITIONS HAVE IMPROVED WHILE HER MOTHER'S HAVE DETERIORATED. KAY BOTTOMS IS SEEKING BOTH TO RECEIVE CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS FROM SHARON AND TO DENY HER ANY FURTHER VISITATION WITH TYLER. KAY BOTTOMS CHARGES THAT SHARON HAS VIOLATED A COURT ORDER PROHIBITING ANY CONTACT BETWEEN TYLER AND SHARON'S PARTNER APRIL WADE. THOSE CHARGES ARE FLATLY DENIED BY BOTH SHARON AND HER COUNSEL FROM THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF VIRGINIA. [ASSOCIATED PRESS and BAY WINDOWS/Boston] A NEW JERSEY JUDGE IS THE LATEST TO UPHOLD THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA'S BAN ON OPEN GAYS. SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE PATRICK McGANN RULED NOVEMBER 3rd AGAINST JAMES DALE, WHO HAD BEEN AN ASSISTANT SCOUTMASTER IN THE BOY SCOUTS' MONMOUTH COUNCIL UNTIL HIS EXPULSION IN 1990 FOR BEING GAY. McGANN NOT ONLY RECOGNIZED THE SCOUTS AS A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION WITH A RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION, BUT WENT ON TO CONDEMN HOMOSEXUALITY AS A MORAL CRIME, COMPLETE WITH HIS INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE STORY OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH. [ASSOCIATED PRESS] OPENLY GAY U.S. NAVAL LIEUTENANT RICHARD SELLAND HAS WON A REPRIEVE FROM DISCHARGE. U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE JOSEPH YOUNG THIS WEEK ORDERED THE NAVY TO RETAIN SELLAND UNTIL AFTER THE RESOLUTIONS OF SELLAND'S APPEAL AND A RELATED CASE. [ASSOCIATED PRESS] U.S. WRITER ESSEX HEMPHILL DIED NOVEMBER 4TH OF AIDS-RELATED ILLNESS. HEMPHILL IS PERHAPS BEST-KNOWN FOR HIS WORK WITH THE LATE MARLON RIGGS ON "TONGUES UNTIED", A CONTROVERSIAL FILM ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICAN GAY MEN. [from an online posting by friends of Essex Hemphill] THE ASSASSINATION OF ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER YITZHAK RABIN WAS MOURNED BY GAYS AND LESBIANS IN ISRAEL AND FRANCE. RABIN WAS ACTIVELY GAY-FRIENDLY, ESPECIALLY IN HELPING TO OPEN HIGH-SECURITY MILITARY POSITIONS TO GAYS AND LESBIANS. HE ALSO HELPED A PALESTINIAN GAY MAN FROM THE GAZA STRIP TO WIN ISRAELI RESIDENCY SO HE COULD STAY WITH HIS ISRAELI PARTNER. THAT ACTION WON PRAISE FROM THE FRENCH ORGANIZATION HOMOSEXUALITIES AND SOCIALISM IN A LETTER TO ACTING ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER SHIMON PERES. [REUTER NEWS SERVICE and REX WOCKNER INTERNATIONAL NEWS] IMMIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA BY FOREIGN NATIONALS WITH GAY OR LESBIAN PARTNERS THERE WILL BE ENSURED AND STREAMLINED UNDER A BILL INTRODUCED IN THE NATIONAL PARLIAMENT. BY REMOVING A REQUIREMENT FOR APPROVAL BY THE MINISTER OF IMMIGRATION, GAYS AND LESBIANS WOULD HAVE IMMIGRATION RIGHTS EQUAL TO THOSE OF HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES. PASSAGE OF THE BILL WOULD INSULATE THE GAY-FRIENDLY REGULATIONS FROM POLITICAL CHANGE. [BROTHER SISTER/Australia] THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE STATE OF WEST AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK THAT SHE WILL NOT ACT TO ADD SEXUAL ORIENTATION AS A PROTECTED CATEGORY UNDER THE STATE'S EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ACT. WEST AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA ARE THE ONLY AUSTRALIAN STATES LACKING CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS. THE CHANGE HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED BY WEST AUSTRALIA'S EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION AND HAD BEEN OPPOSED BY ONLY 8 PERCENT OF NEARLY 400 PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS IT RECEIVED. ATTORNEY GENERAL CHERYL EDWARDES, HOWEVER, CHOSE TO DISREGARD ALMOST 300 OF THOSE SUBMISSIONS THAT WERE FORM LETTERS, AND SO CALCULATED THE OPPOSITION AT MORE THAN 25 PERCENT. THAT INDICATED TO HER THAT WEST AUSTRALIANS WERE "POLARIZED" ON THE ISSUE AND DETERMINED HER DECISION NOT TO INTRODUCE THE MEASURE. HOWEVER, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT CLIVE BROWN SAID HIS AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY WILL DO SO. [AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS] GERMANY'S GREEN PARTY IS SEEKING FULL EQUALITY FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS, AND HAS INTRODUCED A BILL TO LEGALIZE SAME-GENDER MARRIAGES. CURRENTLY, THE LACK OF MARRIAGE RIGHTS REQUIRES SAME-GENDER COUPLES TO PAY HIGHER TAXES AND DENIES THEM SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS AFTER ONE PARTNER DIES. [REUTER NEWS SERVICE] IN ZIMBABWE, THERE WAS MORE GAY-BASHING ON THE FLOOR OF THE PARLIAMENT THIS WEEK. MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND TRIBAL CHIEF NORBERT MAKONI NOT ONLY EXPRESSED HIS SUPPORT FOR THE EXTREME HOMOPHOBIC RHETORIC OF ZIMBABWE'S PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE, BUT PROPOSED THAT GAYS BE PUNISHED BY WHIPPING. [REUTER NEWS SERVICE] AND FINALLY ... APPARENTLY THERE'S AT LEAST ONE ELF WHO DOESN'T BELIEVE IN FAIRIES. THE KEEBLER COMPANY, A LARGE U.S. PRODUCER OF BAKED GOODS, HAD CONTRACTED TO PROVIDE BOTH MINI-PACKS OF ITS COOKIES FOR THE AUDIENCE AND A COSTUME OF ITS TRADEMARK ELF "ERNIE" FOR STAGE APPEARANCES IN THE CHICAGO PRODUCTION OF CHARLES BUSCH'S CAMPY COMEDY "VAMPIRE LESBIANS OF SODOM". BOTH COOKIES AND COSTUME HAD ALREADY BEEN SHIPPED TO THE PRODUCERS WHEN KEEBLER SUDDENLY BACKED OUT OF THE DEAL AND INSISTED ON TAKING IT ALL BACK. A KEEBLER SPOKESPERSON SAID, "OUR ELF CANNOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY PRODUCTION THAT HAS 'LESBIAN' IN THE TITLE." WHILE WE MAY WONDER JUST WHAT MAKES "LESBIAN" MORE OF A PROBLEM THAN "SODOM" OR EVEN "VAMPIRES", OR WHAT POSSIBLE THREAT LESBIANS COULD POSE FOR A PRESUMABLY MALE ELF, IT'S A SAFE BET THAT THE PROMOTION WAS SOME KEEBLER STAFFER'S "HALF-BAKED" IDEA. [OUTLINES/Chicago and THE NATIVE/New York City] ************************************************* Some "THIS WAY OUT" operating expenses are funded by grants from THE C.P. ESTES GUADALUPE FOUNDATION and THE ADVOCATE, the award-winning national gay and lesbian newsmagazine, and by individual donations from listeners worldwide. THIS WAY OUT is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the corporate name of OVERNIGHT PRODUCTIONS, INC. -------------------------------------------------------- THIS WAY OUT airs on over 85 public/community radio stations throughout the U.S. and Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, and on global shortwave station Radio For Peace International (RFPI). For a complete Station Carriage List and/or more information, write to THIS WAY OUT at P.O. Box 38327, Los Angeles, CA 90038-0327, or e-mail your request to: TWOradio@aol.com . ---------*----------- For a current list of participating stations and lots of other information about THIS WAY OUT (including audiocassette subscription information), you can also check out our continually-updated WORLDWIDE WEB home page! Find it on the Queer Resources Directory ... Our page is at http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/media/radio/thiswayout ************************************************* HAVE YOU SEEN THE IMPORTANT LETTER FROM LESBIAN- FEMINIST HUMORIST KATE CLINTON ABOUT THE FINANCIAL SURVIVAL OF "THIS WAY OUT" ? YOU CAN REQUEST AN E-MAIL COPY FROM TWORADIO@AOL.COM. ********************THANKS!**********************