************************************************* The week of 11/27/95 on T H I S W A Y O U T the international gay & lesbian radio magazine * In NewsWrap: Canadian government workers gain limited same-gender couples' rights, while in the U.S. a new report shows a dramatic rise in corporate domestic partnership benefits ... the Dutch Lutheran Synod, the Norwegian Church, New Zealand's Presbyterian Church and the Austin, Texas Baptist Association all grapple with lesbigay issues ... and several other stories [anchored by Cindy Friedman and Brian Nunes] ... * The international outcry against the Zimbabwe government's recent homophobic fervor followed President Robert Mugabe in mid-November to Auckland, New Zealand for The Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting. Ross Stevenson reports from a protest demonstration held by about 200 gays and lesbians to denounce Mugabe's rhetorical terrorism ... * In one of the cruelest recent examples of homophobic violence, a 9-year-old boy who played with dolls was brutally murdered. In a personal commentary, Patricia Nell Warren, longtime lesbigay youth advocate and author ("The Front Runner") asks why such a horrific event has been generally ignored by the mainstream media ... * In the second of a multi-part feature interview with Josy Catoggio, Urvashi Vaid, author of the recently-published "Virtual Equality: The Mainstreaming of Gay and Lesbian Liberation" says that "we're just like you" political strategies are a dead end in the current struggle for lesbigay rights ... ... and more! ========================*=============================== --------- ===> NewsWrap <=== --------- For the week ending November 25th, 1995 (As broadcast on THIS WAY OUT Program #400, distributed 11-27-95) [Compiled & written by CINDY FRIEDMAN, with thanks to Brian Nunes, Jason Lin, Bill Stosine, Greg Gordon, Graham Underhill, Ross Stevenson and Ron Buckmire] FOR THE FIRST TIME, CANADA HAS EXTENDED SOME BENEFITS TO THE GAY AND LESBIAN PARTNERS OF MOST OF ITS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. THE MOVE CAME IN A DIRECTIVE FROM THE TREASURY BOARD OF CANADA AS PART OF A BROAD REVIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT'S BENEFITS STRUCTURE. EMPLOYEES CAN NOW TAKE LEAVE IN THE EVENT OF THEIR SAME-GENDER PARTNER'S ILLNESS OR DEATH, AND THE GAY AND LESBIAN PARTNERS NOW QUALIFY FOR FLIGHT AND ACCOMMODATION ALLOWANCES ALREADY AVAILABLE TO HETEROSEXUAL SPOUSES. HOWEVER, GAY AND LESBIAN PARTNERS STILL WILL NOT RECEIVE THE MORE COSTLY MEDICAL, DENTAL, AND PENSION BENEFITS THEIR HETEROSEXUAL COUNTERPARTS GET, AND EVEN THE LIMITED BENEFITS WILL NOT APPLY TO PARTNERS OF THOSE EMPLOYED BY THE ARMED FORCES, POLICE, PARLIAMENT, OR GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS. NONETHELESS, POLITICAL CONSERVATIVES ARE OUTRAGED, HAVING RECENTLY DEFEATED A PARLIAMENTARY MOTION TO RECOGNIZE GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES. SHARON HAYES, THE OPPOSITION REFORM PARTY'S SPOKESPERSON ON FAMILY MATTERS, SAID, "IT COMES OUT OF NOWHERE AND BEHIND THE SCENES. IT'S REFLECTIVE OF THE WHOLE APPROACH TO THIS ISSUE, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT HAVE THE WILL OR THE NERVE TO TAKE IT TO THE CANADIAN PUBLIC. IT'S COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE." THE LOBBY GROUP FOCUS ON THE FAMILY CANADA SAID THE MOVE WAS A SIGN OF "THE EROSION OF THE CONCEPTS OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THAT SOCIETY HAS ALWAYS DEPENDED ON." GAY AND LESBIAN ACTIVISTS ARE ALSO LESS THAN SATISFIED. WHILE CALLING THE MOVE "A GREAT STEP FORWARD FOR EQUALITY", JOHN FISCHER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GAY AND LESBIAN LOBBYING GROUP EGALE, ALSO SAID, "IT IS ILLOGICAL AND BIZARRE TO EXTEND TO SAME-SEX SPOUSES ONLY SOME BENEFITS BUT NOT OTHERS." [Source: REUTER NEWS SERVICE] IN A RELATED STORY, THE GAY AND LESBIAN PARTNERS OF EMPLOYEES OF AIR CANADA AFTER JANUARY 1ST WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR ALL THE BENEFITS RECEIVED BY THEIR HETEROSEXUAL COUNTERPARTS EXCEPT PENSIONS. THE COMPANY'S DECISION FOLLOWED A COMPLAINT TO THE CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION. AS WITH UNMARRIED HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES, GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES MUST WAIT ONE YEAR AFTER REGISTERING WITH THE COMPANY BEFORE RECEIVING COVERAGE. [TORONTO XTRA!] IN THE U.S., THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS OFFERING BENEFITS TO THEIR WORKERS' GAY AND LESBIAN PARTNERS IS SKYROCKETING. ACCORDING TO COMMON GROUND, A MASSACHUSETTS-BASED CONSULTING FIRM, THERE'S BEEN A 90 PERCENT INCREASE JUST IN THIS YEAR FOR A TOTAL OF 428. AND COMMON GROUND CO-FOUNDER LIZ WINFELD SAYS, "FOR EVERY ONE OF THOSE 428 THERE ARE AT LEAST TWENTY ORGANIZATIONS JUST IN THE U.S. THAT ARE BEING PETITIONED BY THEIR EMPLOYEES, MOSTLY BY GAY EMPLOYEES, TO IMPLEMENT THOSE BENEFITS." WINFELD WENT ON TO SAY, "IT'S INCREASING BECAUSE DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS ARE SIMPLY GOOD BUSINESS FOR AN ORGANIZATION. THEY PROVIDE A HIGH RETURN ON INVESTMENT AT LOW COST, AND SHOW AN ORGANIZATION IS TRULY INCLUSIVE FOR ALL ITS CONSTITUENCIES." JUST HOW LOW IS THE INVESTMENT? ACCORDING TO WINFELD, COVERAGE FOR GAY AND LESBIAN PARTNERS HAS ADDED "LESS THAN ONE PERCENT TO THE TOTAL MEDICAL INSURANCE BUDGET OF ANY OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS IN THE U.S." [REUTER NEWS SERVICE] AND WHILE DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE IN THE CHAPEL OF DUKE UNIVERSITY. THE NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL'S GAY,BISEXUAL AND LESBIAN ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN PROTESTING FOR ALMOST A YEAR A BAN ON SAME-GENDER WEDDING CEREMONIES IN THE UNIVERSITY'S CHAPEL. THEY INTEND TO CONTINUE THE STRUGGLE, IN THE BELIEF THAT THE BAN IS DISCRIMINATORY AND VIOLATES THEIR FREEDOM OF RELIGION. DUKE'S HEAD CHAPLAIN WILL WILLIMON, WITH THE SUPPORT OF DUKE'S PRESIDENT NAN KEOHANE, AFFIRMED THAT THE CHAPEL IS AND WILL LIKELY REMAIN OFF-LIMITS FOR GAY AND LESBIAN WEDDINGS. [CHARLOTTE OBSERVER] THE DUTCH LUTHERAN CHURCH SYNOD RULED IN EARLY NOVEMBER THAT IT WILL GIVE BLESSINGS TO THE COMMITMENTS OF GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES, SAYING, "THE BLESSING OF A COMMITMENT FOR LIFE BETWEEN TWO WOMEN OR TWO MEN CAN GIVE EXTRA MEANING TO A RELATIONSHIP." THE 20,000- MEMBER CHURCH DECLARED THAT "THERE ARE NO THEOLOGICAL ARGUMENTS AGAINST BLESSING TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE STRONGLY COMMITTED TO ONE ANOTHER, FAITHFUL AND DEDICATED." THE SYNOD ALSO CALLED FOR A THEOLOGICAL RECONSIDERATION OF THE IDEAS OF WEDDING VOWS, FIDELITY AND BLESSING. THE LUTHERANS ARE ONLY THE SECOND DUTCH CHURCH TO BLESS GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES, FOLLOWING THE SMALL REMONSTRANT BROTHERHOOD. THE DUTCH PARLIAMENT IS CURRENTLY CONSIDERING LEGAL RECOGNITION OF SAME- GENDER COUPLES, AND MANY DUTCH CITIES PROVIDE DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP REGISTRIES FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS. [ENI NEWS] GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES ARE LEGALLY RECOGNIZED IN NORWAY, BUT THE NORWEGIAN CHURCH WILL NOT HIRE GAYS OR LESBIANS WHO LIVE OPENLY WITH A PARTNER. THAT WAS THE DECISION OF A MID-NOVEMBER CHURCH CONFERENCE IN BERGEN, BY A VOTING MARGIN OF ALMOST 3-TO-1, DESPITE INTENSE LOBBYING BY GAY AND LESBIAN ACTIVISTS. THE ACTIVISTS BELIEVE THE DECISION VIOLATES NORWAY'S LAWS PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION AND REGULATING WORKING CONDITIONS. NORWAY'S FIRST FEMALE BISHOP HAS SAID SHE'LL CONSIDER EMPLOYING GAYS AND LESBIANS DESPITE THE CONFERENCE'S DECISION. [from cybercorrespondent PETTER MARTINSON in OSLO] BUT NEW ZEALAND'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HAS FOR THE FIRST TIME LICENSED A MINISTER WHO IS OPENLY AND ACTIVELY GAY. THE CREDENTIALLING OF REVEREND MARTIN DICKSON WAS CELEBRATED IN A CHURCH SERVICE IN DUNEDIN. OPPOSITION WITHIN THE CHURCH DELAYED DICKSON'S LICENSING FOR A YEAR. ALTHOUGH A CHURCH JUDICIAL COMMISSION ULTIMATELY RULED IN HIS FAVOR, COMMISSIONERS DID NOT INTEND DICKSON'S CASE TO SET A PRECEDENT. THEY BELIEVE THE PRESBYTERIAN GENRAL ASSEMBLY SHOULD DETERMINE POLICY ON LICENSING OF NON-CELIBATE GAYS WHEN IT MEETS IN 1996 -- SOMETHING THE ASSEMBLY FAILED TO DECIDE AT ITS LAST MEETING. WHILE THERE ARE OTHER OPENLY-GAY MINISTERS IN NEW ZEALAND'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, THEY CAME OUT AFTER BEING ORDAINED. [EXPRESS/Auckland, New Zealand and REX WOCKNER INTERNATIONAL NEWS] IN TEXAS, ONE CHURCH'S ORDINATION OF A GAY DEACON LED TO ITS EXPULSION FROM ITS LOCAL BAPTIST ASSOCIATION, BUT A STATEWIDE GROUP HAS DEFERRED DISCUSSION ON THE ISSUE. THE UNIVERSITY BAPTIST CHURCH WAS EXPELLED IN OCTOBER FROM THE AUSTIN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION FOR ITS ORDINATION OF AN UNNAMED GAY MAN. AT THE TEXAS BAPTISTS' STATEWIDE CONVENTION HELD IN MID-NOVEMBER IN SAN ANTONIO, DELEGATE DAN WORKMAN OF LUBBOCK PROPOSED A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO DENY REPRESENTATION AT ANY FUTURE CONVENTIONS TO ANY MEMBER CHURCH WITH GAY OR LESBIAN DEACONS OR PASTORS. DESPITE SOME FIERY HOMOPHOBIC RHETORIC, THE CONVENTION VOTED TO REFER THE QUESTION TO THE STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION'S EXECUTIVE BOARD. TO AVOID A SHOWDOWN, THE UNIVERSITY BAPTIST CHURCH ITSELF HAD CHOSEN NOT TO SEND A DELEGATE TO THE CONVENTION. [ASSOCIATED BAPTIST PRESS] WORLD AIDS DAY IS OBSERVED DECEMBER 1ST WITH A VARIETY OF MEMORIALS, CANDLELIGHT VIGILS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AROUND THE GLOBE. IN AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY'S HARBOR BRIDGE WILL BEAR 2 GIANT RED RIBBONS. A SERIES OF POSTCARDS PROMOTING SAFER SEX HAS BEEN ISSUED THERE WHICH FEATURES NEWLY-OUT OPENLY GAY RUGBY STAR IAN ROBERTS. [SYDNEY HERALD SUN] THE TRADITION OF MAKING WORLD AIDS DAY A "DAY WITHOUT ART" IS BEING OBSERVED ON THE INTERNET AS A "DAY WITHOUT GRAPHICS". [from cyberpress release posted by EGMC - ELECTRONIC GAY COMMUNITY MAGAZINE] CUBA HAS LONG BEEN QUARANTINING PEOPLE WITH HIV IN CENTERS KNOWN AS "SIDATORIA". BUT ACCORDING TO A MID-NOVEMBER REPORT FROM LA PRENSA LATINA NEWS AGENCY, 10 PERCENT HAVE WON RELEASE AFTER CONVINCING AUTHORITIES THAT THEY WILL AVOID INFECTING OTHERS. [REX WOCKNER INTERNATIONAL NEWS] THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION HAS APPROVED THE USE OF THREE NEW DRUGS FOR THE TREATMENT OF AIDS, INCLUDING ITS FIRST APPROVAL OF A PROTEASE INHIBITOR. [TREATMENT ACTION NEWS press release] THE U.S. NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE HAS ALSO ISSUED SOME SOBERING HIV STATISTICS, BELIEVED TO BE THE MOST ACCURATE SO FAR. IN USING AIDS CASES TO CALCULATE THE PREVALENCE OF HIV IN THE U.S. AT THE BEGINNING OF 1993, THE INSTITUTE'S PHILIP ROSENBERG ESTIMATED THAT HIV HAD INFECTED MORE THAN 1 PERCENT OF MEN AGED 27-TO-39 YEARS. AMONG THE U.S. MEN IN THAT AGE GROUP, HIV HAD INFECTED ONE OF EVERY 139 CAUCASIANS, ONE IN 60 LATINOS, AND ONE IN 33 AFRICAN-AMERICANS. RATES AMONG WOMEN WERE LESS THAN ONE-FOURTH THOSE FOR MEN. ROSENBERG AND THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL BELIEVE THIS PROFILE FOR JANUARY 1993 IS PROBABLY STILL TRUE TODAY. IT REFLECTS A RAPID RISE IN INFECTIONS AMONG MEN 18 TO 25 DURING A PERIOD WHEN INFECTIONS AMONG OLDER U.S. MEN WERE LEVELLING OFF. [ASSOCIATED PRESS] AND IN ZIMBABWE, WHERE HOMOPHOBIC RHETORIC HAS BEEN PERVASIVE AMONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, BUT WHERE AIDS IS A LEADING KILLER OF HETEROSEXUALS, HEALTH AND CHILD WELFARE MINISTER TIMOTHY STAMPS CUT OFF HIS HAIR FOR AUCTION AT AN AIDS BENEFIT. IT WAS BOUGHT BY A GERMAN MAN FOR THE EQUIVALENT OF 24 U.S. DOLLARS. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'LL DO WITH IT, BUT IT'S A WIDESPREAD CUSTOM IN AFRICA TO CUT OFF ONE'S HAIR AS A GESTURE OF MOURNING. [ZIANA NEWS AGENCY] AND FINALLY ... THE HOST OF AN AUSTRALIAN RADIO CALL-IN SHOW ON SEX PROBLEMS SIGNED OFF IN EARLY NOVEMBER BY REMARKING THAT THE SHOW COULD BE HEARD EACH WEEK AT THE SAME TIME AND THE SAME FREQUENCY ... "IN THE TRANSMISSIONARY POSITION." [TELEGRAPH-MIRROR/Melbourne] ************************************************* Some "THIS WAY OUT" operating expenses are funded by grants from THE C.P. ESTES GUADALUPE FOUNDATION, THE MARTHA J. TROLIN PHILANTHROPIC FUND and THE ADVOCATE, the award-winning national gay and lesbian newsmagazine, and by individual donations from listeners worldwide. THIS WAY OUT is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the corporate name of OVERNIGHT PRODUCTIONS, INC. -------------------------------------------------------- THIS WAY OUT airs on over 85 public/community radio stations throughout the U.S. and Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, and on global shortwave station Radio For Peace International (RFPI). For a complete Station Carriage List and/or more information, write to THIS WAY OUT at P.O. Box 38327, Los Angeles, CA 90038-0327, or e-mail your request to: TWOradio@aol.com . ---------*----------- For a current list of participating stations and lots of other information about THIS WAY OUT (including audiocassette subscription information), you can also check out our continually-updated WORLDWIDE WEB home page! Find it on the Queer Resources Directory ... Our page is at http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/media/radio/thiswayout ************************************************* HAVE YOU SEEN THE IMPORTANT LETTER FROM LESBIAN- FEMINIST HUMORIST KATE CLINTON ABOUT THE FINANCIAL SURVIVAL OF "THIS WAY OUT" ? YOU CAN REQUEST AN E-MAIL COPY FROM TWORADIO@AOL.COM. ********************THANKS!**********************