Despite the protests of dozens of anti-death penalty, GLBT and civil-rights organizations, and a last-minute visit by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the state of Oklahoma executed Wanda Jean Allen Thursday, Jan. 11.
Allen, 41, was an African-American, mentally disabled lesbian who received the death penalty after being convicted of killing her lover of two years, Gloria Leathers, in 1988. She was executed by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
Just before she died, the Associated Press reports, Allen smiled and wept. During her final words, she recited Christ's words as he was crucified: "Father forgive them. They know not what they do.''
Activists claimed that Allen's conviction came after inadequate legal counsel and prosecution efforts to use her sexual orientation against her at trial. Jurors also were never told of her mental condition, which her lawyers argue is in the range of mental retardation.
She was the first Black woman executed in the U.S. since 1954.
Trans organizations issue report on transpeople
Gender Education and Advocacy ( GEA ) and Transgender Health Empowerment have released the Final Report of the Washington Transgender Needs Assessment Survey ( WTNAS ) , a two-year project funded by the Administration for HIV/AIDS of the District of Columbia.
The survey involving 252 transgendered and gender-variant people has been touted as the first in-depth look at the health and housing concerns of transpeople in Washington, D.C. It is the second-largest study of its kind in the U.S.
The WTNAS sample was 24% Female-to-Male transpeople, 75% Male-to-Female and 1% Intersexed. People of color made up 95% of those surveyed, with 69% African-American and 22% Latino/a.
Of the 252, 40% lack a high school degree, 32% are unemployed, 29% have no income, 47% have no health insurance, and 43% had been a victim of violence or crime. Twenty-five percent were HIV-positive, with a 32% rate for MTFs; 18% have never been tested for HIV. High rates of unsafe sexual behaviors were reported, including 42% unprotected genital-anal contact, 43% unprotected oral-anal contact and 67% unprotected genital-genital contact. Two-thirds of the HIV-positive participants reported unprotected sex with men as their means of contracting the virus.
One-third of the sample reported drug or alcohol abuse issues, but only 36% ( alcohol abuse ) and 58% ( drug abuse ) had sought treatment. Thirty-five percent had contemplated suicide, with most surveyed cited their gender issues as the motivation. Sixteen percent had attempted suicide. The homelessness rate was about 19%.
The Final Report also details researchers' belief that transgendered populations should be separated from Men who have Sex with Men ( MSM ) populations when considering HIV/AIDS funding and prevention strategies.
See www.gender.org/vaults/wtnas. html.
Gay-cott of AOL falls flat
The planned Jan. 1, 2001, gay boycott of Internet Service Provider AOL is DOA, the Webmagazine Salon.com reports.
Gay activists had called for the boycott after word surfaced of an $8.35 million gift given by AOL founder Steve Case and his wife, Jean, to the latter's alma mater, a school affiliated with an anti-gay church.
But the gay-cotters never materialized, and Salon reports that not even the boycott's organizer, Jerry Van Nostrand, dropped his AOL account.
"I'm sure that AOL didn't even notice a blip," he said.
Van Nostrand said he only knows of 10 to 15 AOL users who dropped their service, and many of them did so as a symbolic gesture and planned to rejoin under different screen names after a few days.
Despite the lackluster result, Van Nostrand said he does feel the boycott did accomplish something important.
"I think it got people thinking, and I would be surprised if the Cases ever did anything so blatant again. But you never know."
Georgia investigates beating of gay man
Georgia Bureau of Investigations workers intensified their search earlier this month for the assailants responsible for the near-fatal attack on a gay man in Turner County in South Georgia, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Robert Martin, 32, is in critical condition after being found unconscious in the breezeway of an abandoned school earlier this month.
Though Martin was openly gay and often wore dresses and wigs, investigators are not yet sure that the attack on him was a hate crime. He had been beaten with a blunt instrument and has not regained consciousness since the attack.
While residents described Martin as well-liked, he was reportedly often taunted by teens. He had been beaten in the past and was occasionally harassed, relatives said.
Portland: the 'Dr.' is out
Portland, Oregon's KGW-TV has replaced Dr. Laura Schlessinger's TV talk show with infomercials, reports StopDrLaura.com .
Weeks after pushing the low-rated program to a 1 a.m. timeslot, the station has given up and has decided to air infomercials in its place for the rest of the season.
NGLTF launches 'W Watch' website
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force this week unveiled a "W Watch" website, an informational page tracking George W. Bush's nominees and record on issues that are relevant to the GLBT community.
The site will also feature a "Bush-O-Meter," which will tally the number of openly GLBT people picked for Bush's administration and the number of GLBT-supportive initiatives that Bush launches. ( Both counters are currently at zero. )
It will also include information on inauguration protests and on the process of vote-counting in Florida.
To visit W Watch, go to www.ngltf.org and click on the "George W. Watch" button.
Marine Corps investigates gay porn
The Marine Corps is investigating allegations that Marines have posed naked for gay pornography being sold on the Internet, The Los Angeles Times reported last week.
The investigation was launched after an anonymous letter and pornographic pictures were sent to Commandant Gen. James Jones, the paper said. The letter alleged that Marines stationed at the Twentynine Palms, Calif., base were being recruited by other Marines and offered money to pose.
Base spokesman Capt. Rob Crum said participation in pornographic activities is "incompatible with the ideals upheld by the United States Marine Corps.''
According to the Drudge Report, posing naked is a criminal offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The website in question is registered to a San Francisco company and touts that the men pictured are active-duty Marines. It also mentions Twentynine Palms specifically and uses the Marine Corps logo, insignia and colors.
Calif. governor appoints openly gay judge
Late last year, California Gov. Gray Davis announced the appointment of attorney Robert Sandoval to fill a vacancy on the Superior Court, marking the first time in 18 years an openly gay person has received such an appointment, Frontiers magazine reports.
Sandoval was sworn in on the same day—Dec. 29—with his son and longtime partner at his side.
Sandoval, 50, has worked as a prosecutor and court commissioner for over 23 years. In November 2000, he received the "Outstanding Judicial Officer" Award from the Juvenile Courts Bar Association.
He lives in Glendale with his partner, William Martin, 51, and their son, Harrison, whom they adopted immediately after his birth in 1992.
Nebraska court hears 'Boys Don't Cry' case
The Nebraska Supreme Court heard arguments beginning last Friday in an appeal by the mother of Brandon Teena against a Richardson County, Neb., sheriff.
Joann Brandon sued the now former sheriff because he failed to protect her child after he had been raped and threatened. The trial court found the sheriff negligent but awarded Brandon just $17,360.97 in damages.
Brandon Teena's short life and tragic death were the subject of the 1999 film Boys Don't Cry. After being raped by two male acquaintances, Teena was interviewed by the sheriff, who was reportedly abusive and accusatory and did not allow deputies to arrest the attackers. The two later tracked Teena down and shot him and his friends.
His mother is appealing to the Supreme Court for a more sizable award and to hold the sheriff more accountable.
For more information, visit Lambda Legal Defense at www.lambdalegal.org .
