Just days before jury selection began, Boston College and Professor Mary Daly settled her breach-of-contract lawsuit challenging her 1999 dismissal, the Mary Daly Defense Fund reports.
Daly, a longtime radical feminist and author, was removed from her tenured post at Boston College in February 1999. The controversy began in 1998 when a conservative Washington-based law firm —the Center for Individual Rights ( CIR ) —threatened to sue Boston College for "sex discrimination" because it allowed Daly to teach segregated feminist ethics classes in separate sections for men and women.
She had taught the classes in the same way for more than 20 years. Faced with the threat for CIR, the university falsely reported that Daly had agreed to retire, and she responded with a lawsuit.
The terms of the settlement are confidential. Daly is currently working on her next book, Amazon Grace, about her dealings with the college. She will also continue her speaking tour entitled Rekindling the Fires of Feminist Fury.
Washington high court to hear gay property rights case
The Washington Supreme Court was scheduled to hear arguments this week in Vasquez v. Hawthorne, a case involving a man who lost the home and business he built with his partner after his partner died without a will.
Frank Vasquez shared a home and business with his partner, Robert Schwerzler, for 27 years, until Schwerzler's death in 1995. In 1997, Schwerzler's relatives sued to take his assets, including the ones he shared with Vasquez.
After winning in a trial court, Vasquez lost on appeal in February 2000, when an appeals panel ruled that under state law, he had no right to retain the property because the men were of the same sex and couldn't marry if they'd wanted to.
Lambda Legal Defense has filed an amicus brief in the case.
Conn. upholds funding ban on Scouts
Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities has upheld its May 2000 ruling that the Boy Scouts of America cannot participate in the State Employee Charitable Campaign because of its anti-gay policy, the Associated Press reports.
The Commission ruled that including the Scouts, who last year got the right to discriminate against gays, would violate Connecticut's Gay Rights Law.
"This is an important ruling that makes clear that as long as the Boy Scouts continue to discriminate, they will not do so with the sanction and support of the State of Connecticut," said attorney Jennifer Levi of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders ( GLAD ) . The Commission issued its first ruling in May of last year, and the Boy Scouts requested a second one in the wake of the Supreme Court decision in its favor in Dale v. BSA.
Under the rulings, the BSA may "exclude persons in the exercise of its First Amendment rights; as a result, such an organization may not, however, be entitled to benefits conferred by the government if that organization discriminates. ... [ A ] constitutional right to discriminate does not equate with a right to have the government sanction or support an organization's discriminatory policies."
Philip Tegeler, legal director of the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union, told AP that the CHRO's new ruling emphasizes that the Supreme Court case was limited to volunteer leaders.
The Supreme Court case ''does not give this or any other organization a general license to discriminate,'' Tegeler said.
Wisc. court upholds
district's DP policy
A Wisconsin appeals court last week unanimously upheld the Madison Metropolitan School District's domestic-partnership policy.
In Pritchard v. Madison Metropolitan School District, the three-judge appeals panel ruled that the district has "the power to provide health insurance benefits to designated family partners, and there is no statutory prohibition against providing these benefits to these persons."
The judges ruled that the DP plan complies with state statutes defining the district's policy-making authority and regulating health insurance benefits for public employees.
Gay DNC caucus
elects new officers
The Gay and Lesbian American Caucus of the Democratic National Committee has elected new officers to four-year terms.
The new officers are: Jeff Soref, DNC At-Large member from New York, Chair; Gloria Nieto, At-Large from New Mexico, Vice Chair; and Mandy Carter, At-large from North Carolina, Secretary-Treasurer.
Soref is Co-Chair of the Board of the Empire State Pride Agenda, the nation's largest statewide gay and lesbian political and advocacy organization; Nieto is the executive director of the People of Color AIDS Foundation; and Carter is a field organizer and political activist.
The gay caucus was officially recognized by the DNC in 1999, and the chair of the Caucus automatically serves on the DNC Executive Committee.
Caucus members also met with all of the candidates for DNC office, including Terry McAuliffe, who was unanimously elected as the Party's new National Chair.
Frank blasts Cheney for changing course on same-sex marriage
Openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., is criticizing Vice President Dick Cheney for reversing his pre-election opinion on same-sex marriages, the Boston Herald reports
"There needs to be accountability here,'' said Frank in a Herald interview. "Cheney said one thing during the campaign—now we're getting a different story.''
During a debate with Democrat Joe Lieberman before the election, Cheney implied that he believes states, and not the federal government, should make the final decisions on gay unions.
During the debate, Cheney said, "People should be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to ... . I think different states are likely to come to different conclusions, and that's appropriate. I don't think there should necessarily be a federal policy in this area.''
In response, Frank filed a measure early this month that would repeal part of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which legally defines marriage in the U.S. as between a man and a woman. The measure would force the federal government to recognize gay unions if they are sanctioned by the state.
A Cheney spokeswoman said the vice president agrees with President Bush in supporting DOMA—and always has.
Openly gay Tempe
mayor faces recall
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund is throwing its support behind openly gay Tempe, Ariz., Mayor Neil Giuliano, who may face a recall election in September for motives that the Fund is calling homophobic.
"At its core, this drive to recall a great mayor is about prejudice, not principle," said Fund Executive Director Brian Bond. "It is a thinly veiled attempt to remove an outstanding public servant from office because he is openly gay."
Giuliano, re-elected in March 2000, is serving his fourth term; Tempe is the largest city in the country with an openly gay mayor.
On Jan. 30, a recall petition with 4.606 signatures was submitted to the Tempe City Clerk's office, and if at least 3,982 are validated by the end of March, Giuliano will be up for special election Sept. 11.
The recall came in the wake of Tempe's recent, unsuccessful attempt to cut its United Way funding to the Boy Scouts. Under the plan, city workers giving to Tempe's United Way campaign could not have given money to the Scouts.
Lack of public support prevented the change from being made, and the mayor's office received a torrent of anti-gay e-mails and phone calls.
The leader of the recall campaign, A.J. LaFaro, has denied that homophobia has anything to do with his efforts. He was quoted in a local newspaper as saying, "It's not about ( Giuliano's ) sexual preference, its about when he tries to push his agenda down our throats."
Camp Sister Spirit to host Sober Spring Break
Camp Sister Spirit will once again host a Sober Spring Break for GLBTs and allies, organizers report.
The dates will run from mid-February to the first week in April. The cost will be $50 per person or $10 per night ( includes meals and lodging ) , and participants will clear land, landscape, paint, and do clean-up around the camp.
There will also be evening discussions of racism, sexism, classism, regionalism and more. Features also include bon-fires, sing-a-longs and games. Contact Brenda Henson at sisterspir@aol.com; ( 601 ) 344-1411; or Camp Sister Spirit, P.O. Box 12-W, Ovett MS 39464-0012.
Gates gives $100 million to vaccine initiative
Microsoft cofounder and multimillionaire Bill Gates has donated a $100 million challenge grant to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Advocate.com reports.
The grant is not dependent on matching funds but is aimed at encouraging others to donate. The money will be released between 2002 and 2006, during which the initiative hopes to test about 25 vaccine candidates.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has raised about $230 million so far for the initiative's vaccine research.
Internet company Yahoo! also announced at the Forum that it will be the first corporate sponsor of the vaccine initiative and will give $5 million over three years to establish an AIDS vaccine awareness campaign on its Web sites.
Lesbian sorority seeks approval at Calif. college
The California State University-Northridge chapter of Lambda Delta Lambda sorority is looking to become the school's first LBT Greek organization, the Daily Sundial reports.
Lambda Delta Lambda currently has 16 members—one more than the minimum of 15 needed to be recognized as a club or organization at CSUN.
The chapter was founded by Rhyanna Britney, 42, a deaf studies major who doesn't anticipate having any problems getting university approval for the group.
According to Britney, the first chapter of Lambda Delta Lambda was founded at UCLA but the group has since folded. The only active chapter now operating is at Pennsylvania State University, which is in the process of applying to become a nationally recognized sorority.
Phelps fails to impress in Traverse City
Anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps failed to rattle many cages during his recent visit to Traverse City, Mich., AP reports.
Phelps, of Topeka, Kan., and six followers picketed a gay bar and five of the city's churches, carrying signs with anti-gay slogans. Their visit was precipitated by a recent controversy involving rainbow stickers that Traverse City officials put on city-owned vehicles. The stickers were removed after some complained that the rainbow—intended as a symbol of unity—was instead a symbol of gay rights.
Most residents ignored Phelps' group, and observers said there were very few exchanges between his followers and people entering the bar or churches. Phelps bragged to the AP that he has held anti-gay demonstrations in 45 states in the last decade, including picketing outside the funeral of Matthew Shepard.
In related news, another gay-related fight is brewing in Traverse City, with a group of residents looking to amend the city charter to prohibit ordinances that would outlaw anti-gay discrimination.
