Michigan bartender bashed
by Karen Hawkins
A 23-year-old bartender at a Traverse City, Mich., gay bar was attacked and chased by bashers brandishing baseball bats as he took out the bar's garbage earlier this month.
The man, who asked not to be identified, told the Record Eagle that he was emptying out a garbage can behind the bar, Side Traxx, when he was grabbed from behind and spun around by an attacker who yelled "faggot" at him. The victim was able to knock the assailant down with a garbage can, but two other men carrying baseball bats appeared. The bartender started to run and was chased for four blocks before he doubled back and made it into the safety of the bar. As they were chasing him, his attackers allegedly yelled, "We're gonna break your legs," the man told the Eagle. He did not sustain any injuries in the attack.
The victim, who is a strapping 6' 4", said he "shudders" when he thinks of what could have happened if one of his coworkers had taken out the trash.
"The worst part of it was I was probably the only one in the bar that could outpower them or outrun them," he said.
The man's car was also vandalized that night, he assumes by the same people who attacked him. The word "faggot" had been scratched onto his hood in 12-inch letters. His car was the only one in the parking lot that was vandalized.
The attack was the most recent in a string of incidents involving Traverse City's gay community. Last Tuesday, a lesbian was harassed outside a different bar, where men yelled anti-gay epithets at her. That same night, the tires of two cars were slashed at Side Traxx.
Delta to offer DP benefits
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines became one of the last major carriers to offer domestic-partner benefits last week, announcing that it will extend the program to its approximately 75,000 employees in the U.S. and San Juan, the Southern Voice reports. The benefits will only be open to gay employees. American Airlines, United Airlines, U.S. Airways, Continental, Northwest Airlines and Southwest Airlines already offer benefits to employees' domestic partners.
American, United and Northwest also limit their benefits to gay couples.
Lambda urges court
to uphold ADA
The U.S. Supreme court will hear arguments beginning Oct 11 in a case that could be critical for people with HIV/AIDS. The case involves a challenge to the Americans with Disabilities Act's protections for state employees.
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, along with 19 other organizations, has issued an amicus brief in the case—University of Alabama v. Garrett.
In Canada, the 'Dr.' is out
"Dr." Laura Schlessinger is on the ropes yet again this week, with TV stations across Canada dropping her show and allegations of fraud being lobbed at her by activists. Rumors are also flying that "Dr. Laura" may get moved to a middle-of-the-night time slot in New York City.
The CanWest Global Communications Corp. has dropped "Dr. Laura" from stations in Montreal, Ontario, British Columbia and Red Deer, effective last Friday. The decision was attributed to the show's low ratings.
"Our audience has voted and, unfortunately, they cast a 'nay' ballot for 'Dr. Laura' on television," said CanWest Global Vice President of National Programming Roy Gardner.
Earlier this year, the Canadian Broadcast Standard Council blasted Schlessinger for her comments about gays and lesbians, calling her "abusively discriminatory."
Back in the states, Schlessinger is under fire for allegedly putting one of her staffers on the air as a guest on two consecutive days.
"Dr. Laura" researcher San-D Duchac was on the show that aired Sept. 25 under the heading "Readin' Writin' and Cheatin'." Duchac didn't disclose to the audience that she also works for Schlessinger. Schlessinger said to her, "I'm really honored you have the courage to come here today."
Duchac also appeared the next day—in a disguise—on a show entitled "Getting to the Altar" about couples living together before getting married.
Marine official disciplined over anti-gay comments
A Marine Corps lieutenant colonel accused of making homophobic comments in an email message sent to his troops has been disciplined, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network reports. LTC Edward Melton is a former executive officer of the Marine Corps Communications Electronics School at Twenty-Nine Palms, Calif. In a message to troops about their duties under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Melton called the murder of PFC Barry Winchell "the death of a homo in the Army" and referred to gays in the military as "backside rangers." Melton was reassigned to a new position after an investigation, and he retired in July of this year.
In related news, the Army's Tort Claims Division has denied a wrongful death claim filed by Winchell's mother, Pat Kutteles. "I am very upset, disappointed and angry that the Army doesn't care enough about my son's death to even consider the merits of the claim," Kutteles said.
The Army advised Kutteles that her only recourse would be to seek damages through the Federal Tort Claims Act, an avenue that has been severely limited by the Supreme Court.
GSAs win right to
meet in two cities
High school students in two cities scored victories in their fight for Gay-Straight Alliances. In an out-of-court settlement, officials at the Orange Unified School District will allow El Modena High School's GSA to meet on campus, provided that students don't discuss sex. And in Salt Lake City, Utah, the School Board voted 6-1 to lift a four-year-old ban on nonacademic clubs. The board instituted the ban in 1996 rather than let students at East High School form a GSA.
Ex-gay leader stripped of post after gay bar outing
John Paulk, the ex-gay leader recently confronted in a Washington, D.C., gay bar, has been removed as board chair of Exodus North America, the nation's most prominent ex-gay group, the Southern Voice reports.
Exodus officials said Paulk lied both to the media and to them about not knowing that the bar, Mr. P's, catered to gays. Paulk maintained that he unwittingly wandered into the bar to use the bathroom. Paulk was photographed inside the bar by staffers from the Human Rights Campaign. Paulk could not be reached for comment. He is officially on "probationary status" with Exodus and will keep a position on the organization's board. However, he won't have voting rights and he won't be able to attend board meetings. He will also be subject to review every three months.
Parents ordered not to discuss child's gender identity issues
Two Ohio parents who have gotten international attention after their six-year-old son began wearing dresses to school have been ordered not to speak about the case in public, the Columbus Dispatch reports.
The judge told Paul and Sherry Lipscomb to stay mum on the case. The Lipscombs plan to appeal the ruling, saying they want public scrutiny of the case. Their son was taken from them by Children's Services after he started wearing dresses to classes. They maintain that he has been diagnosed with gender identity disorder.
AIDS cure study
looks promising
Researchers have succeeded in blocking reproduction of the virus that causes AIDS, a key step in finding a cure for the disease, according to a study published in the most recent Biochemistry of the American Chemical Society journal. "The implications of these findings are that inhibition of this vital process will block the replication of the virus, thereby arresting the disease," said professor Virendranath Pandey, of the New Jersey Medical School in Newark, one of the study's authors.
Adoption ban to hurt Fla.
Florida's state law prohibiting gays and lesbians from adopting not only hurts kids but will also cost the state millions in federal funds, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which has a federal lawsuit underway to overturn the adoption ban. Last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gave Florida a $2.6 million bonus for increasing the number of children moved from foster care into adoptive homes in 1998. But 1999 figures show the adoption rate declining by 12.5 percent. Florida is the only state with a gay adoption ban.
