************************************************* The week of 8/21/95 on T H I S W A Y O U T the international gay & lesbian radio magazine * In NewsWrap: Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe threatens to have all gays and lesbians there arrested ... Argentine activists demonstrate against Buenos Aires police bar raids ... the retired Episcopal Bishop of Iowa faces heresy charges for ordaining a gay man ... and several other stories [anchored by Cindy Friedman and Brian Nunes]; * A BBC TV documentary recently explored the connections between a small town's Christian community and the tragic suicide of gay teenager Simon Harvey; in London, Justine Buchanan talks with the film's director Christopher O'Hara ... * "PlanetOut" is the lesbigay area on the new Microsoft Network -- both are set to launch on August 24th; This Way Out's Greg Gordon talks with its president and guiding force TOM RIELLY about what queer "planetoids" can expect when they visit this exciting new area in cyberspace ... ... and more! ========================*============================= --------- ===> NewsWrap <=== --------- For the week ending August 19, 1995 (As broadcast on THIS WAY OUT Program #386, distributed 8-21-95) [Compiled & written by CINDY FRIEDMAN, with thanks to Brian Nunes, Jason Lin, Greg Gordon, Bill Stosine and Ron Buckmire] ZIMBABWE'S PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE HAS THREATENED TO ARREST GAYS AND LESBIANS THERE. MUGABE CREATED A STORM OF INTERNATIONAL PROTEST EARLIER THIS MONTH, WHEN HE FIRST BARRED THE GAYS AND LESBIANS OF ZIMBABWE GROUP FROM EXHIBITING AT THE ZIMBABWE INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR AND THEN CONDEMNED BOTH THE GROUP AND THEIR SUPPORTERS AT THE FAIR'S OPENING CEREMONIES. ON AUGUST 11TH, AT A CEREMONY HONORING HIS COUNTRY'S HEROES, MUGABE DEVIATED FROM HIS PREPARED SPEECH TO SAY OF GAYS AND LESBIANS, "WHAT WE ARE BEING PERSUADED TO ACCEPT IS SUB-ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND WE WILL NEVER EVER ALLOW IT HERE. IF YOU SEE PEOPLE IN YOUR AREAS PARADING THEMSELVES AS LESBIANS AND GAYS, ARREST THEM AND HAND THEM OVER TO THE POLICE." ON AUGUST 16TH, AFTER RECEIVING NEWS OF PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS AT ZIMBABWE'S DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN BRITAIN AND SOUTH AFRICA, HE TOLD AN ANGLICAN WOMEN'S GROUP, "THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE, BUT IF THEY COME HERE, WE WILL THROW THEM IN JAIL." THE ONLY CLEAR BASIS FOR ARRESTING GAYS AND LESBIANS UNDER ZIMBABWE LAW IS THE "UNNATURAL SEXUAL ACTS" STATUTE, WHICH PROVIDES FOR PRISON SENTENCES OF UP TO 10 YEARS. ON AUGUST 18TH, MUGABE RESPONDED TO A LETTER FROM 70 U.S. CONGRESSMEMBERS PROTESTING WHAT THEY CALLED HIS BIGOTRY. ADDRESSING A CROWD OF 500 MEMBERS OF HIS OWN ZANU-PF PARTY WHO WERE DEMONSTRATING IN SUPPORT OF HIS POSITION, MUGABE ACCUSED THE U.S. POLITICIANS OF SELLING OUT FOR GAY AND LESBIAN VOTES. HE SAID, "LET THE AMERICANS KEEP THEIR SODOMY, BESTIALITY, STUPID AND FOOLISH WAYS TO THEMSELVES, OUT OF ZIMBABWE ... LET THEM BE GAY IN THE U.S., EUROPE AND ELSEWHERE ... THEY SHALL BE SAD PEOPLE HERE." MUGABE BELIEVES THAT HOMOSEXUALITY IS AN ARTIFACT OF BRITISH COLONIAL RULE THAT CLASHES WITH ZIMBABWE'S OWN TRADITIONAL CULTURE. [ASSOCIATED PRESS and REUTER NEWS SERVICE] IN ARGENTINA, GAYS, LESBIANS AND TRANSVESTITES DEMONSTRATED THIS WEEK AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY IN BUENOS AIRES IN RESPONSE TO TWO RECENT RAIDS ON GAY BARS. IN BOTH CASES, MEDIA HAD APPARENTLY BEEN NOTIFIED IN ADVANCE AND WERE PRESENT TO FILM THE PATRONS, MANY OF WHOM HAD BEEN CLOSETED. ON AUGUST 11TH, 30 POLICE RAIDED THE GAY PUB GAS OIL. THEY ARRESTED 130 MEN, ABOUT HALF OF WHOM WERE QUICKLY RELEASED, WHILE THE OTHER HALF SPENT ABOUT 10 HOURS CROWDED IN THE JAIL AND WERE ALLEGEDLY SUBJECTED TO VERBAL ABUSE BY POLICE. ON AUGUST 12TH, POLICE RAIDED THE GAY AND LESBIAN DISCO PETROLEO, ARRESTING 60 PEOPLE. PATRONS WERE STRIP-SEARCHED AND ALLEGEDLY VERBALLY ABUSED. ACTIVISTS ALSO ALLEGE THAT POLICE PLANTED THE 30 PACKETS OF COCAINE THEY CLAIM TO HAVE FOUND THERE. [per correspondent ALEJANDRA SARDA] THE RETIRED EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF IOWA WILL BE FACING TRIAL FOR HERESY BECAUSE HE ORDAINED AN OPENLY-GAY MAN AS A DEACON. WALTER RIGHTER ORDAINED OPENLY NON-CELIBATE GAY BARRY STOPFEL IN 1990. RIGHTER DEFENDED THE ORDINATION BY CLAIMING THAT EPISCOPAL DOCTRINE PUTS NO LIMIT ON A BISHOP'S RIGHT TO ORDAIN WHAT HE CALLED "A CANONICALLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATE". BUT AT LEAST 75 OF THE U.S. CHURCH'S ALMOST 300 BISHOPS VOTED FOR RIGHTER TO COME BEFORE A COURT FOR THE TRIAL OF A BISHOP ON CHARGES OF "TEACHING A DOCTRINE CONTRARY TO THAT HELD BY THIS CHURCH". IF HE IS FOUND IN VIOLATION, PENALTIES COULD RANGE FROM ADMONISHMENT TO LOSS OF HIS PRIESTHOOD. [ASSOCIATED PRESS, KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES and THE SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS] LEGAL RECOGNITION OF GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES HAS APPEARED IN AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME. DENMARK, NORWAY AND SWEDEN ALL PROVIDE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION FOR SAME-GENDER COUPLES THAT IS ALMOST EQUIVALENT TO HETEROSEXUAL MARRIAGE. THOSE NATIONS HAVE NOW FORMALLY AGREED TO MUTUALLY RECOGNIZE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS REIGSTERED IN ANY OF THE 3 COUNTRIES. [STEFFAN JENSEN per DANISH MINISTRY OF JUSTICE via NATIONAL DANISH ASSOCIATION FOR GAYS & LESBIANS] GAY AND LESBIAN RELATIONSHIPS ARE NOT LEGALLY RECOGNIZED IN LATVIA, BUT THE COUNTRY'S FIRST PUBLIC SAME-GENDER WEDDING MAY HELP TO CHANGE THAT. IN A RIGA MOVIE THEATRE ON AUGUST 12TH, ASTRA INDRICANE AND BIRGIT BOHVINGER TOOK VOWS, EXCHANGED RINGS AND KISSED AS THEY REGISTERED THEIR UNION WITH THE LATVIAN ASSOCIATION FOR SEXUAL EQUALITY. IN KEEPING WITH LATVIAN TRADITION, THE COUPLE PROCEEDED TO LAY FLOWERS AT THE FREEDOM MONUMENT, DRAWING BOTH CHEERS AND BOOS FROM PASSERS-BY. THE WEDDING DREW EXTENSIVE MEDIA ATTENTION. [ASSOCIATED PRESS] A LESBIAN WEDDING IN NEW YORK HAS LED TO THE DISMISSAL OF THE CONGREGATIONAL MINISTER WHO OFFICIATED. EVEN THOUGH REVEREND RENWICK JACKSON PERFORMED THE WEDDING AT A DIFFERENT CHURCH, HIS OWN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF PATCHOGUE PARISHONERS VOTED TO FIRE HIM BY A 12 PERCENT MARGIN. RENWICK SAID, "THOSE AGAINST ME THREW CHAIRS AND SHOUTED, 'I WANT NO LESBIAN IN MY CHURCH' AND STALKED OUT." [NEW YORK NATIVE] THE ISRAELI JUDGE WHO ANGERED RELIGIOUS CONSERVATIVES WITH A LANDMARK RULING ON A GAY DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP IS NOW THE NATION'S LEADING JURIST. AHARON BARAK HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE ISRALEI SUPREME COURT AFTER 17 YEARS OF SERVICE THERE. ONE OF HIS MANY CONTROVERSIAL RULINGS FORCED EL AL AIRLINES TO GIVE A GAY EMPLOYEE'S PARTNER THE SAME BENEFITS RECEIVED BY MARRIED HETEROSEXUAL EMPLOYEES' SPOUSES. [REUTER NEWS SERVICE] A GAY MAN IN VIRGINIA IN LATE JULY WAS DENIED A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST HIS FORMER PARTNER BASED ON A YEAR-OLD RULING BY THE STATE'S ATTORNEY GENERAL. ALTHOUGH ALEXANDRIA DOMESTIC RELATIONS COURT JUDGE STEPHEN RIDEOUT SAID HE FOUND MERIT IN THE PETITION BY ELLIS EARLY, RIDEOUT FELT BOUND TO DISMISS THE CASE BECAUSE OF THE RULING BY VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL JAMES GILMORE. EVEN THOUGH THE LAW ESTABLISHING VIRGINIA'S DOMESTIC RELATIONS COURTS IS GENDER-NEUTRAL AND INCLUDES "COHABITING" COUPLES, GILMORE'S OPINION WAS THAT "CUSTOMARY LEGAL USAGE" RESTRICTED THE TERM "COHABITING" TO HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES, SO THAT GAY AND LESBIAN VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COULD NOT SEEK REDRESS OR OTHER SERVICES THROUGH DOMESTIC RELATIONS COURTS. EARLY IS APPEALING RIDEOUT'S RULING IN HOPES OF VOIDING GILMORE'S OPINION. [THE WASHINGTON (D.C.) BLADE] WHILE THE BRITISH DIRECT ACTION GROUP OUTRAGE HAS OFTEN PROTESTED THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND'S POSITION ON HOMOSEXUALITY, NOW THEY ARE PURSUING A CAMPAIGN THEY CALL "QUEER JIHAD AGAINST ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM". ON AUGUST 13TH THEY DEMONSTRATED AGAINST A "RALLY FOR ISLAM" HELD BY THE EXTREMIST GROUP, HIZB UT TAHRIR, WHICH REPORTEDLY ADVOCATES ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ISLAMIC THEOCRACY IN BRITAIN AND THE KILLING OF GAYS AND LESBIANS. ABOUT 100 OUTRAGE PROTESTORS HELD A SIT-IN AND DROWNED OUT THE SPEAKERS AT THE RALLY WITH WHISTLES AND FOGHORNS. THE MOSLEMS RESPONDED WITH DEATH THREATS BUT POLICE PREVENTED THEM FROM PHYSICALLY ASSAULTING THE DEMONSTRATORS. POLICE ALSO FORCIBLY REMOVED 20 OUTRAGE MEMBERS. OUTRAGE SPOKESPERSON JOHN JACKSON SAID, "OUR PROTEST WAS LESBIAN AND GAY SELF-DEFENSE AGAINST ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISTS WHO ENDORSE THE KILLING BY IRAN OF AN ESTIMATED 4,000 HOMOSEXUALS SINCE 1980, AND WHO THREATEN AND INTIMIDATE GAY STUDENTS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES IN BRITAIN." [per reports from BJORN SKOLANDER and REX WOCKNER] A BRITISH GAY MAN IS PROTESTING A CURATE'S REFUSAL TO ALLOW HIM TO SERVE AS GODFATHER FOR HIS NEPHEW, OR TO ATTEND THE CHRISTENING. THE RECTOR OF SAINT PETER'S CHURCH IN THE LONDON-AREA TOWN OF FRANBOROUGH SAID HE HAD NO CHOICE ONCE HE LEARNED THAT SIMON LAWLEY IS GAY; AND THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND'S CANON FOR THE REGION, ALAN BODDINGTON, UPHELD THE RECTOR'S RULING. LAWLEY'S SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW MOVED THE CHRISTENING TO A MORE LIBERAL PARISH THAT WELCOMED HIM, BUT LAWLEY HAS NOW CALLED ON THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY TO MAKE A RULING. THE ISSUE OF GAY AND LESBIAN GODPARENTS HAS APPARENTLY NOT COME UP FOR REVIEW BEFORE, AND IT'S STIRRED HEATED DEBATE WITHIN THE CHURCH. [ASSOCIATED PRESS and THE LONDON ELECTRONIC TELEGRAPH] BY A 3-TO-2 VOTE THIS WEEK, THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE PROHIBITED SCHOOLS FROM PROVIDING WHAT IT CALLED "ANY PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY THAT HAS EITHER THE PURPOSE OR THE EFFECT OF ENCOURAGING OR SUPPORTING HOMOSEXUALITY AS A POSITIVE LIFESTYLE ALTERNATIVE". THE BAN EXTENDS TO PROHIBITING SCHOOL EMPLOYEES FROM MAKING REFERRALS FOR COUNSELING TO GAY-SUPPORTIVE ORGANIZATIONS. THE MEASURE WAS PROPOSED BY SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR CHRISTOPHER AGER, WHO BELIEVES ANY DISCUSSION OF HOMOSEXUALITY SHOULD BE RESERVED TO FAMILIES. HE SAID, "IT'S NOT OUR BUSINESS TO ... SOCIALLY INDOCTRINATE THE KIDS". THE VOTE CAME BEFORE A HOUSE PACKED WITH AS MANY AS 400 OF MERRIMACK'S 22,000 RESIDENTS, WHOSE TESTIMONY AT TIMES DEGENERATED INTO SHOUTING AND INSULTS. OPPONENTS OF THE BAN HELD A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL AFTERWARDS. [THE BOSTON GLOBE and U.S.A. TODAY] AND FINALLY ... IN SCOTLAND, EDINBURGH CITY COUNCILMEMBER MOIRA KNOX IS SO RENOWNED FOR HER MORALISM THAT THE EDINBURGH ARTS FESTIVAL NOW PLANS TO GIVE A "MOIRA AWARD" TO ITS MOST OUTRAGEOUS SHOW. A LEADING CONTENDER IS AUSTRALIA'S "CLUB SWING-APPETITE", A GROUP OF LESBIAN ACROBATS WHO BILL THEIR SHOW AS A FEAST OF FOOD, SEX AND ORGASMIC TRAPEZE. WHEN KNOX CALLED THEIR SHOW A "DIRTY-MINDED DISGRACE" WITHOUT EVER HAVING SEEN IT, THE AUSTRALIANS ADDED THE QUOTE TO THEIR PUBLICITY POSTERS. A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS SAID, "ANY GROUP MOIRA KNOX CONDEMNS IS LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK. A STICKER SAYING, 'DISAPPROVED OF BY MOIRA KNOX' IS A SURE-FIRE WAY TO SELL TICKETS." 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