NewsWrap for the week ending August 23, 2003 (As broadcast on This Way Out program #804, distributed 8-25-03) [Written by Cindy Friedman, with thanks to Graham Underhill, Fenceberry, Rex Wockner, and Greg Gordon] Anchored by Cindy Friedman and Jon Beaupré A threat to "out" the mayor of the German city-state of Hamburg has backfired on its Interior Minister, a high-profile right-winger, but also sparked a national reconsideration of German media's traditional respect for politicians' privacy. There may be further national ramifications should Hamburg's obviously strained ruling coalition shatter, which could lead to a local resurgence of the so-called "Red/Green" coalition of Social Democrats and Greens that would also strengthen their position in Germany's now conservative-dominated upper house. It was under the Red/Green coalition that Hamburg pioneered Germany's first registered domestic partnerships for gays and lesbians in 1998. Hamburg's political profile changed in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S., because some of the terrorists involved had lived there. Fear rocketed into power Ronald Schill -- who was nicknamed Judge Merciless while on the bench -- and the new political party he founded, Law-and-Order Offensive, in partnership with the Free Democrats and the conservative Christian Democratic Union. The CDU's Ole von Beust became Hamburg's mayor -- actually governor of the city-state -- and Schill became its Interior Minister. The mess this week began when von Beust moved to fire Schill's deputy Walter Wellinghausen for possible conflict of interest, primarily due to Wellinghausen's moonlighting but in part due to his hiring of his female lover. Schill perceived a parallel conflict of interest in von Beust's appointment as Justice Minister of a long-time friend Roger Kusch. According to von Beust, Schill privately threatened that if the mayor didn't back off from firing Wellinghausen, he would make public what he believed to be a sexual relationship between the mayor and Kusch. While denying any such relationship with Kusch, the mayor told reporters that he found the outing threat so "monstrous" as to demonstrate that Schill lacks the character to serve as the city-state's top law enforcement official, and so had fired him as well as Wellinghausen. Schill immediately held his own press conference in which he said he'd had information that there was a sexual relationship between von Beust and Kusch and that he personally knew them both to be gay, but said that he had never intended to make it public or to attempt extortion. In fact he made a strong declaration in support of politicians' right to privacy in their personal lives, and added that he has no problem with homosexuals. He also announced his retirement from politics, while saying that his party -- often referred to as the Schill Party -- would nonetheless carry on in the ruling coalition. Unsurprisingly, the Social Democrats and Greens called for new elections. There was literally dancing in the streets at Schill's ouster, at least in a neighborhood with a large population of immigrants, who had been the primary victims of Schill's harsh judicial career. By contrast, von Beust's ensuing public appearances saw an outpouring of public affection, with many seeking to hug him. Polling found the incident left about a third more citizens now ready to vote for the mayor than actually did at the 2001 elections, while the Schill Party's support shrank by about two-thirds. Schill is being investigated by federal authorities on suspicion of attempted coercion. The German tabloid "Bild" followed up with headlines of Kusch's declaration, "Yes, I am gay." Kusch also denied any sexual relationship with von Beust. The mayor, in the same article, was only quoted as saying, "Whether somebody is gay or heterosexual, what somebody does in bed is his own private matter. And by the way, I am of the opinion that homosexuality is something normal." Reports make it appear that most Hamburgers believe von Beust is gay, that he should come out, and that if he did it would in no way affect his standing. But while famously gay Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit is a Social Democrat and gay Member of Parliament Volker Beck is a Green, it's quite another matter to come out in von Beust's CDU, Germany's party of so-called "family values". Nor is it an easy matter to come out in Nepal, where the first-ever gay and lesbian pride march was held last week in Katmandu. Its organizers, the Blue Diamond Society, chose the date of the Hindu Gai Jatra Festival, a holiday of remembrance of the dead with a centuries-old tradition as an occasion for Mardi Gras-like political satire and of costuming including cross-dressing. Some 200 marchers, including visitors from several other Nepalese districts and from other countries, made a grand procession in colorful dress and facepaint. They carried placards with messages including "Accept our existence" and "Sexuality is not our choice". The event won highly sympathetic coverage from the "Katmandu Post" and "Nepali Times" newspapers. Pride was also celebrated in an entirely different climate this month, as some 30,000 people turned out to watch the fifth annual march in Reykjavik, Iceland. That's believed to be about 20 times the number of gays and lesbians who actually live in Iceland, but the pride festival has become one of the nation's top tourist attractions. The prospect of too many visitors has led to the cancellation of this year's pride march in Bristol, England. This week it was officially postponed from this September until next May. Local officials believed the intended waterfront venue was far too small for the 60,000 people expected to turn out for a free festival. This year's original organizers had already dropped out as cost projections swelled, although another group took up the challenge for next year. Fiji's Lautoka Farmers Carnival this week featured "Priscilla Night," where the national Human Rights Commissioner offered words of support. Dr. Shaista Shameem declared that Fiji's 1997 Constitution affirmed gays' and lesbians' right to equal treatment before the law, and that her Commission both celebrates them and promotes their respect and dignity. She said she was honored to support them and pleased to have the opportunity to see them expressing themselves in a loving and peaceful environment. There's no such room for public expression for gay and lesbian members of the U.S. military, though. Submarine combat systems instructor Michael Jason Tiner was not only eliminated as a contestant on the Bravo cable TV network's "Boy Meets Boy" dating pool -- he was subsequently discharged from the U.S. Navy after 8 years service. Tiner told the gay and lesbian "Southern Voice" newspaper, "The reason I did the show is that I felt if anyone had a right to go on the show, then I did. ... I was comfortable enough with who I am and with my sexuality that I was ready to face the consequences." Tiner's ouster comes at a time when some distinguished military voices have called for an end to the so-called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. This week it was retired Rear Admiral John Hutson, former Judge Advocate General for the Navy, who called the policy "virtually unworkable". In June it was retired four-star General Wesley Clark, former NATO commander, who said, "I don't think it works. ... We should welcome people who want to serve." In July, one of the U.S. Army's own publications, "Parameters," included a study concluding the policy is "based on prejudice, not on military necessity." Of course Bravo's big new gay hit this summer is "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," which opened to record ratings for the cablecaster which have grown sharply with much showcasing by Bravo's owner NBC. There was an issue there too for a man in uniform, a non-gay New York Port Authority police officer who was made over by the show's "Fab Five" gay style consultants. Some complaints ensued, and apparently John Verdi had not obtained advance official permission to publicly identify himself as a police officer, much less allow two of the Fab Five to try on his uniform shirt. But Verdi didn't suffer for those lapses, as a Port Authority spokesperson said the police superintendent himself had seen the show "and enjoyed it thoroughly." "Queer Eye" is also headed for TV screens in Britain, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. But it's not just the U.S. where gays and gay characters are proliferating on TV. In New Zealand, the gay and lesbian TV magazine show "Queer Nation" this week won the New Zealand Television Award, nicknamed the "Afta," for best factual series. Britain's venerable soap "Coronation Street" will be showing a gay kiss in October for the first time in its 43 years, as young Todd Grimshaw, drunk, turns to his girlfriend's brother Nick Tilsley. For North Americans who follow the action at fictional Degrassi Community School, "Degrassi: The Next Generation" opens its third season in September with gay 10th grader Marco, an arty type who experiences discrimination and violence as well as discovering his sexuality and his first love. In Australia, Warren and Gavin didn't win the big prize but made some money while giving a hefty number of Australians a close-up look at a real-life gay couple in the popular home renovation reality contest "The Block," which wound up this week. And finally... Of course gays and lesbians have featured prominently in TV's "reality" shows since their inception, but this week it was a Los Angeles gay couple Reichen Lehmkuhl and Chip Arndt who won CBS' fourth "Amazing Race" and the one-million-dollar prize. Arndt is an arts financing consultant, while Lehmkuhl is a pilot and former U.S. Air Force officer who's now agreed to appear in a documentary on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. They celebrated their first anniversary in the course of the show's 13 episodes, which have aired while the U.S. faces an unprecedented volume of rhetoric against equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians. As they covered 44,000 miles through 24 cities on 4 continents, the competing teams called them "The Chippendales" -- but the show always referred to them as "married". Even in the news release announcing their victory, the headline was "Married Couple Reichen & Chip Win the Amazing Race!"