Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

National Roundup
by Andrew Davis
2005-04-06

This article shared 1507 times since Wed Apr 6, 2005
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


In Maine, state lawmakers gave final approval to a bill to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination, WCBS-TV reported. The state Senate approved the bill 25-10, the House voted 91-58, and there was no debate in either chamber. The bill was signed by Gov. John Baldacci, making Maine the sixth and final New England state to pass such a law. The bill would amend the Maine Human Rights Act by making it illegal to discriminate in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, and education based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Human Rights Campaign expressed concern over statements made by religious extremists about the upcoming Jerusalem WorldPride Festival. According to an HRC release, the LGBT pride event will be held in Jerusalem, Israel, on Aug. 18-28. Led by southern California evangelical Christian pastor Rev. Leo Giovinetti, extremist representatives of the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish faiths demanded that the festival, themed 'Love without Borders', not be allowed to be held in the Holy City.

Hundreds of members of the North American LGBT communities will travel to Israel on the United Jewish Communities Pride in Israel Mission, Aug. 14-21. Joining mission participants will be U.S. congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Rabbi Steven Greenberg, who was featured in the gay Jewish documentary Trembling Before G-d. The last portion of the mission coincides with the beginning of Love Without Borders: Jerusalem WorldPride 2005.

A Florida woman has denied claims by the Boy Scouts of America that a top national Scout executive who pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in Texas was only a paper pusher who never had access to children, the Miami Herald reported. Douglas Smith Jr., 61, pleaded guilty in a Fort Worth courtroom to a federal charge of possession and distribution of child pornography. The charge stemmed from an investigation in which authorities found 520 photographs and video clips of child pornography on Smith's home computer. Smith faces five to 20 years in prison. Pat Douglas, a former administrative assistant at the Boy Scouts of America's Florida High Adventure Sea Base in Islamorada, said at least once a year, Smith would visit the camp to participate in a seven-day sailing excursion during which he and another adult would supervise six youths.

The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) applauded the dramatic improvements in medical treatment and living conditions for hundreds of HIV-positive Mississippi prisoners as a result of litigation. In a statement from the organization, Margaret Winter, associate director of the ACLU's National Prison Project and lead attorney for the prisoners, said that the suit 'has accomplished its purpose of saving lives and ending discriminatory policies against prisoners with HIV/AIDS.'

Hartford ( Conn. ) Superior Court Judge Linda Priestley told two women seeking to annul a civil marriage they filed with the clerk of Provincetown, Mass., that their union was legally void, the Connecticut Law Tribune reported. In a 10-page decision, Priestley determined that Connecticut courts have no jurisdiction to rule because the state has not yet endorsed same-sex marriage.

In New York, four teens were busted for beating 35-year-old Nelson Torres in an apparent gay-bashing, the New York Daily News reported. Oscar Bautista and Manuel Mendez, both 16, and two 14-year-old boys hit the victim and screamed anti-gay insults at him, police said. The youths were arrested on criminal charges, including third-degree assault, harassment, and perpetration of a hate crime.

A retired Navy psychiatrist accused the military of not respecting the doctor-patient confidentiality of more than 65,000 lesbian and gay military personnel, according to a release from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Capt. Mike Rankin, M.D., USNR ( Ret. ) , claimed that LGBT servicemembers are being outed by healthcare providers and, as a result, being discharged under the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy.

In New York, the state's highest court declined to hear two cases contesting the state law that bars same-sex couples from getting married, the Associated Press reported. The Court of Appeals ruled it does not have the jurisdiction to hear the cases before they first go to a lower appellate court. In February, state Supreme Court Justice Doris Ling-Cohan ruled the state law is unconstitutional, ruling in favor of five same-sex couples who had been denied marriage licenses by New York City. In a statement, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said that he believes 'that marriage should be open to gay and lesbian couples, and it is my responsibility to see that when licenses are issued, they are irrevocable and backed by the full weight of the law.'

The San Francisco Superior Court judge who ruled that same-sex couples in California have a constitutional right to marry agreed to stay his orders while the appeals process gets under way, according to Bay City News. The stay, to be issued by Judge Richard Kramer, means there cannot be any same-sex weddings in the state until and unless his ruling is upheld on appeal, a process that could take one to two years.

An Alabama federal judge has announced he will not accept Yale Law School students for federal clerkships because he opposes the school's decision to limit military recruiting on its campus, according to PlanetOut.com . Yale Law School officials recently reinstated a policy restricting on-campus military recruitment because the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy violates the school's anti-discrimination policy.

Openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute released a letter signed by 40 gay and lesbian public officials that called on Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America ( PhRMA ) members to condemn what the letter called 'the gratuitous political gay bashing' by USA Next, an organization funded primarily by PhRMA. According to a release from Frank's office, USA Next 'gratuitously and inaccurately attacked' the American Association of Retired Persons as a supporter of same-sex marriage in the course of the debate on the partial privatization of Social Security.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that those who say they have been retaliated against for complaining about unlawful gender discrimination can sue under a federal law barring sex bias at schools and colleges that get federal aid. The 5-4 ruling was a victory for Roderick Jackson, a girls' basketball coach at an Alabama high school who said he lost his job after he complained that his players received less favorable treatment than the boys' teams.

An Albany County ( N.Y. ) legislator withdrew a proposal amending a county law to extend protections against discrimination to transgender individuals, the Times Union said. Democrat John Frederick of Albany's 6th District said chances for passage were slim.

In Maine, a bill that seeks to protect unborn gay children has upset many gay-rights activists but has been approved by gay pro-life advocates. The bill, LD 908, would make it illegal in Maine to abort a fetus that has the 'gay gene,' PlanetOut reported.

Many couples are reportedly opting out of California's domestic-partner registry for gays because of uncertainty over taxes and financial obligations, according to 365Gay.com . In January an expanded registry was implemented that offers most of the benefits of marriage to same-sex couples.


This article shared 1507 times since Wed Apr 6, 2005
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

ACTIVITIES Pickleball, fine eats and fun are all at SPF 2024-03-21
- Despite the fact that it was invented in 1965, pickleball has only really entered the national consciousness within the last few years. However, there really hadn't been a large indoor dedicated space in Chicago for the ...


Gay News

2024 OLYMPICS U.S. women's soccer team's opponents set 2024-03-20
- The United States women's national soccer team will face Australia, Germany, and either Morocco or Zambia in Group B at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ESPN reported. The tournament will mark the Americans' first competitive games with ...


Gay News

Alyssa Naeher wins National Women's Soccer League Impact Save of the Week 2024-03-20
--From a press release - CHICAGO (March 20, 2024) — Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher earned National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Deloitte Impact Save of the Week honors, the league announced today. Seven minutes into the eight minutes of added ...


Gay News

RuPaul finds 'Hidden Meanings' in new memoir 2024-03-18
- RuPaul Andre Charles made a rare Chicago appearance for a book tour on March 12 at The Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave. Presented by National Public Radio station WBEZ 91.5 FM, the talk coincided with ...


Gay News

Red Stars start season with 2-0 win 2024-03-17
- On March 16, the Chicago Red Stars kicked off their 2024 campaign with a 2-0 road win over Utah Royals FC in the Royals' inaugural match back in the National Women's Soccer League. Ally Schlegel and ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars release 2024 roster 2024-03-13
- CHICAGO (March 13, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars announced today their final roster ahead of the 2024 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season. The club's roster is bolstered by an array of experience brought not ...


Gay News

Howard Brown Health faces October trial if settlement isn't reached with union 2024-03-13
- Howard Brown Health could go to trial over unfair labor practice allegations if the LGBTQ+ health center doesn't reach a settlement with its agreement soon. Chicago's regional director of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars sign midfielder Leilanni Nesbeth 2024-03-06
Press release - CHICAGO (March 6, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars announced the signing of draftee and midfielder Leilanni Nesbeth. Nesbeth, Chicago's first-round and tenth overall draft pick in the 2024 National ...


Gay News

Activists and others urge removal of Oklahoma schools superintendent after Nex Benedict death 2024-02-28
- TULSA, OKLAHOMA—Today more than 350 national, state, and local organizations advocating for equality across the U.S., alongside notable public figures, issued an open letter to Oklahoma legislative leadership urging justice ...


Gay News

Brittney Griner's jersey retired at Baylor University 2024-02-20
- On Feb. 18, Baylor University retired Brittney Griner's #42 jersey. Griner—a two-time AP national player of the year, two-time Olympic gold medalist and the NCAA women's career blocks leader (with 748)—attended a Bears home game ...


Gay News

As Chicago prepares to host DNC, former delegates reflect on LGBTQ+ inclusion at previous conventions 2024-02-19
- When Mark Ishaug, now the CEO of the mental health advocacy Thresholds, was a delegate at the 1996 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, representing the larger LGBTQ+ community was "critical," he said. The convention, where ...


Gay News

'West Side Story' gets a sex-positive spin with new burlesque show 2024-02-19
- In partial observance of National Condom Day, which was Feb. 14, Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) presented A West Side Story Burlesque at the Harris Theater for two hour-long performances on Feb. 17. The show, ...


Gay News

Illinois Poor People's Campaign: National call for moral revival demands action against poverty 2024-02-15
--From a press release - Springfield, IL — The Illinois chapter of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival (ILPPC) will convene a critical press conference at the state capitol, alongside 32 other states across the nation on ...


Gay News

Tenn. legislators back bill that lets officials refuse to perform same-sex weddings 2024-02-15
- Defying a national ruling that authorized marriage equality, Tennessee lawmakers approved a measure that would allow public officials to refuse to perform weddings of same-sex couples, The Hill reported. Tennessee's House Bill 878/Senate Bill 596 says ...


Gay News

GLAAD, NFL host third annual pre-Super Bowl event 'A Night of Pride' 2024-02-08
- On Feb. 7, LGBTQ+ media-advocacy organization GLAAD, along with The National Football League (NFL), hosted the third annual "A Night of Pride" at Caesar's Palace in Super Bowl LVIII's host city of Las Vegas, a press ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.