************************************************* The week of 04/01/96 on T H I S W A Y O U T the international gay & lesbian radio magazine * In NewsWrap: Costa Rican activists win legal recognition, while Australia's High Court schedules a challenge to Tasmania's sodomy law for August or September ... Colorado's Roy Romer is the first governor to veto a legislatively-passed measure to ban recognition of same-gender marriage, while Alaska and Illinois state senates pass similar bills, and Iceland's government proposes a legal domestic partner registry ... more U.S. federal judges question "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ... and several other stories [anchored by Cindy Friedman and Greg Gordon] ==> Read the complete text of NewsWrap below! * Mayor Willie Brown and several San Francisco Supervisors officiated at a mass wedding for almost 200 gay and lesbian couples on March 25th. While many U.S. state legislators seem to be falling all over themselves in a rush to deny recognition to same-gender couples, official San Francisco -- and the couples who participated -- delighted in taking their own stand. Kathryn Simmins provides an on-scene report ... * The popularity of country/western music has increased dramatically in the U.S. lesbigay community in recent years ... but you may be surprised to hear that queer cowboys and cowgirls are not just line-dancing in the States. From London, Rebecca Sandles and John Keen profile drag country singer Tami C and Scotland's Well-Oiled Sisters in this report on the growing queer country/western scene in the U.K. ... * John Berendt's "MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL" is the best-selling tale of a sensational murder trial in the genteel Southern town of Savannah, Georgia. The book has been on the New York Times best-seller list for more than 2 years, has sold more than a million copies worldwide, been translated into 11 languages, and is being made into the proverbial "major motion picture". In the conclusion of Josy Catoggio's 3-part "This Way Out" feature interview, Berendt discusses the Southern-style "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" attitude towards homosexuality, his role as the "good Yankee" from New York City and his continuing affection for Savannah, and his next project ... ========================*=============================== NewsWrap For the week ending March 30th, 1996 (As broadcast on THIS WAY OUT Program #418, distributed 04-01-96) [Compiled & written by CINDY FRIEDMAN, with thanks to Brian Nunes, Bill Stosine, Jason Lin, Bjorn Skolander, David Williams, Greg Gordon and Ron Buckmire] IN COSTA RICA, A LANDMARK DECISION BY A GOVERNMENT AGENCY HAS DECLARED THAT IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL FOR THE COSTA RICAN GOVERNMENT TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST GAYS AND LESBIANS OR OTHER MINORITIES IN LEGALLY RECOGNIZING THEIR ORGANIZATIONS. THE DECISION BY THE DEFENSORIA DE LOS HABITANTES IS LEGALLY BINDING. IT CAME IN THE CASE OF THE GAY ORGANIZATION TRIANGULO ROSA, WHICH HAD BEEN DENIED A CHARTER BY THE COSTA RICAN NATIONAL CIVIL REGISTRY. TRIANGULO ROSA PURSUED THE CASE, EVEN AFTER THE CIVIL REGISTRY HAD FINALLY AGREED TO GRANT THE CHARTER, IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THIS PRECEDENT. IN AUSTRALIA'S NATIONAL HIGH COURT, TASMANIA'S SODOMY LAW CAME A STEP CLOSER TO TRIAL. CHIEF JUSTICE SIR GERARD BRENNAN REJECTED A MOTION BY TASMANIA TO DROP THE LAWSUIT BY RODNEY CROOME AND OTHER GAY ACTIVISTS AS A WASTE OF THE COURT'S TIME, AND SCHEDULED THE CASE FOR A HEARING BEFORE THE FULL COURT IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER. COLORADO'S ROY ROMER THIS WEEK BECAME THE FIRST U.S. GOVERNOR TO VETO A BILL TO DENY LEGAL RECOGNITION TO GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES. ROMER CALLED THE MEASURE "DIVISIVE" AND "MEAN-SPIRITED" AND SAID, "WE CAN BE PRO-FAMILY, WITHOUT BEING UNFAIR TO GAY AND LESBIAN PEOPLE." THE GOVERNORS OF 3 OTHER STATES -- UTAH, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND IDAHO -- HAVE SIGNED SIMILAR BILLS INTO LAW. AT LEAST ONE STATE SENATE SPONSOR OF THE COLORADO BILL IS OPEN TO ROMER'S COMPROMISE SUGGESTION OF A BILL TO BOTH AFFIRM HETEROSEXUAL MARRIAGE AND TO SET UP A COMMISSION TO STUDY SOME LEGAL SUPPORTS FOR GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES. IT'S IRONIC THAT THE VETO SHOULD COME IN COLORADO, THE STATE THAT PASSED AMENDMENT 2, A BALLOT INITIATIVE TO DENY CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS TO GAYS, LESBIANS AND BISEXUALS. THE U.S. SUPREME COURT RULING ON THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THAT MEASURE COULD BE HANDED DOWN ANY TIME IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. KENTUCKY ALSO THIS WEEK JOINED THE LIST OF 12 STATES WHERE ANTI-MARRIAGE BILLS HAVE BEEN DEFEATED, WITHDRAWN OR BLOCKED. THERE HAD BEEN 3 BILLS AND ONE FLOOR AMENDMENT AGAINST GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN KENTUCKY ... ALONG WITH 3 ATTEMPTS TO RE-CRIMINALIZE SODOMY THERE, WHICH WERE ALSO DEFEATED. 15 STATES CURRENTLY HAVE LEGISLATION IN PROGRESS TO DENY EQUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS TO SAME-GENDER COUPLES, AS THEY SCRAMBLE TO PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF LEGAL GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES IN HAWAII FOLLOWING A TRIAL LATER THIS YEAR. MEASURES TO DENY LEGAL RECOGNITION TO GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES WERE PASSED BY LANDSLIDE VOTES IN THE STATE SENATES OF ALASKA AND ILLINOIS THIS WEEK. WHEN THE ILLINOIS STATE SENATE PASSED A SIMILAR BILL IN 1993, IT WAS DEFEATED IN THE STATE HOUSE. IN ARIZONA, A PROPOSED BILL TO DENY LEGAL RECOGNITION TO GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES WAS SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION AT A SPECIAL MEETING BY A STATE HOUSE COMMITTEE THIS WEEK, BUT HAD TO BE RESCHEDULED AFTER TOO FEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOWED UP. IN ICELAND, THE GOVERNMENT HAS INTRODUCED A BILL IN THE PARLIAMENT TO ESTABLISH A LEGAL DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP REGISTRY. AS IN DENMARK, NORWAY AND SWEDEN, THE BILL FALLS SHORT OF FULL LEGAL MARRIAGE BY DENYING RIGHTS TO ADOPTION, ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION, AND CHURCH WEDDINGS ... BUT THE ICELAND MEASURE GOES BEYOND THE OTHER SCANDINAVIAN LAWS IN ALLOWING SECOND-PARENT ADOPTIONS TO THE PARTNERS OF GAY AND LESBIAN PARENTS. IN ITALY, A DRAFT PROPOSAL IN THE OUTGOING PARLIAMENT TO ESTABLISH SOME RIGHTS FOR UNMARRIED COUPLES, INCLUDING SAME-GENDER COUPLES, BECAME A POLITICAL HOT POTATO THIS WEEK AS THE VATICAN URGED VOTES AGAINST ITS SUPPORTERS IN UPCOMING ELECTIONS THERE. THE VATICAN'S SEMI-OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO EDITORIALIZED THAT "THE CITIZEN WHO ... FAVORS THE ELECTION OF A CANDIDATE FORMALLY COMMITTED TO TRANSLATING THE HOMOSEXUAL DEMANDS INTO LAW, CANNOT BE WITHOUT CENSURE" AND CHARGED THAT GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES "FUNDAMENTALLY UNDERMINE THE FAMILY MODEL ON WHICH HUMAN CIVILIZATION WAS BUILT." THE PDS, OR DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF THE LEFT, STOOD FIRM ON ITS POSITION IN FAVOR OF CIVIL MARRIAGES, BUT THE FREEDOM ALLIANCE, DESCRIBED AS CENTER-RIGHT, IS CAMPAIGNING HEAVILY ON SO-CALLED TRADITIONAL FAMILY VALUES. THE CENTER-LEFT COALITION IS DIVIDED ON THE ISSUE. THE ITALIAN NATIONAL ORGANIZATION ARCI-GAY/ARCI-LESBICA COMPARED THE LANGUAGE USED BY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WITH NAZI ANTI-SEMITIC PROPAGANDA, AND WARNED THE PARTIES TO "WATCH OUT FOR THE HOMOSEXUAL VOTE". THE U.S. CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF AMERICAN RABBIS VOTED THIS WEEK TO SUPPORT LEGAL MARRIAGES FOR SAME-GENDER COUPLES. THE ORGANIZATION REPRESENTS 1,750 LIBERAL RABBIS. THEY DID NOT DISCUSS THE QUESTION OF ACTUALLY OFFICIATING AT THOSE CEREMONIES, ALTHOUGH SOME RABBIS OF THE REFORM SECT AND MANY OF THE RECONSTRUCTIONIST SECT HAVE BLESSED GAY AND LESBIAN UNIONS. ANOTHER U.S. FEDERAL JUDGE HAS DECLARED UNCONSTITUTIONAL THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S SO-CALLED "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" MILITARY POLICY ON GAYS AND LESBIANS, AND ORDERED THE REINSTATEMENT OF CALIFORNIA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD LIEUTENANT ANDREW HOLMES. HOLMES ANNOUNCED THAT HE IS GAY IN A LETTER TO HIS SUPERIORS SHORTLY BEFORE THE CLINTON POLICY WAS ANNOUNCED IN MID-1993, AND WAS DISCHARGED MORE THAN A YEAR LATER. U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE SONDRA BROWN ARMSTRONG FOUND THAT HE WAS DISCHARGED FOR WHO HE WAS, A GAY MAN, RATHER THAN FOR ANYTHING HE'D DONE. HER INTERPRETATION OF THE SO-CALLED "REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION" THAT OPEN GAYS AND LESBIANS WILL ENGAGE IN PROHIBITED ACTS WAS THAT THE ONLY SUCCESSFUL REBUTTAL WAS FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS IN UNIFORM TO PROVE THEY ARE NOT GAY. SHE NOTED THAT HETEROSEXUAL SERVICEMEMBERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SIMILAR PROOF THAT THEY WILL NOT ENGAGE IN PROSCRIBED HETEROSEXUAL ACTS. SHE ALSO CALLED THE MILITARY'S "UNIT COHESION" ARGUMENTS A THINLY-VEILED ATTEMPT TO JUSTIFY PREJUDICE, AND POINTED OUT THE HISTORIC USE OF SUCH ARGUMENTS TO EXCLUDE PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM THE MILITARY. THE PENTAGON IS EXPECTED TO APPEAL THE CASE BEFORE ACTING TO REINSTATE HOLMES. BUT THE FIRST OPENLY-GAY U.S. SERVICEMEMBER EVER TO ACTUALLY BE REINSTATED BY A FEDERAL JUDGE'S ORDER HAS ANNOUNCED HIS PLANS TO RETIRE FROM THE MILITARY. NAVY PETTY OFFICER KEITH MEINHOLD HAS SERVED THREE YEARS SINCE HIS DISCHARGE, UNDER THE FORMER OUTRIGHT BAN ON SERVICE BY OPEN GAYS AND LESBIANS, WAS OVERTURNED BY U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE TERRY HATTER. MEINHOLD FEELS HE'S MADE HIS POINT, AND INTENDS TO CONTINUE HIS MILITARY ACTIVISM, BUT BELIEVES IT'S TIME FOR HIS NEXT CAREER. MEINHOLD WAS HONORED BY THE NAVY IN AN HOUR-LONG CEREMONY THIS WEEK. AND ANOTHER FEDERAL JUDGE THIS WEEK ACTED TO STOP THE U.S. NAVY FROM DISCHARGING A SUSPECTED LESBIAN. SAILOR AMY BARNES IS SUING THE NAVY, CLAIMING THE ANTI-LESBIAN WITCH-HUNT AGAINST HER WAS IN RETALIATION FOR HER HAVING REJECTED THE SEXUAL ADVANCES OF A MALE OFFICER. U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE EMMET SULLIVAN ISSUED A RESTRAINING ORDER TO HALT THE DISCHARGE, IN THE BELIEF THAT BARNES HAS A "STRONG LIKELIHOOD" OF WINNING HER CASE. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF VICTORIES FOR OPEN GAYS AND LESBIANS IN RECENT U.S. PRIMARY ELECTIONS DESPITE GAYBAITING CAMPAIGNS AGAINST SOME OF THEM. IN CALIFORNIA, OPEN GAY RICK ZBUR WON THE DEMOCRATS' NOMINATION FOR A SEAT IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, BECOMING THE FIRST OPENLY GAY NON-INCUMBENT EVER TO BEAT OUT AN OPPONENT FOR A PLACE ON A CONGRESSIONAL BALLOT. ZBUR OVERTOOK A GAYBAITING FORMER CONGRESSMEMBER BY 2-1/2 PERCENTAGE POINTS. ALSO RUNNING AS A DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE MAINE'S DALE McCORMICK, AN OPEN LESBIAN. OPENLY LESBIAN SAN FRANCISCO SUPERVISOR CAROLE MIGDEN WON BOTH A SPECIAL ELECTION TO A SEAT IN THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY AND THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION TO RUN UNOPPOSED FOR THE SAME SEAT IN NOVEMBER. SHE'LL BE THE 18TH OPENLY GAY OR LESBIAN U.S. STATE LEGISLATOR, AND THE SECOND OPEN LESBIAN IN THE CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY, FOLLOWING SHEILA KUEHL'S ELECTION THERE IN 1994. GERRIE SCHIPSKE ALSO WON A DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR A SEAT IN THE CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY, AND LARRY McKEON WON A DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR A SEAT IN THE ILLINOIS STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. McKEON IS RUNNING IN A STRONGLY DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT WHICH IS LIKELY TO MAKE HIM ILLINOIS' FIRST OPENLY GAY STATE LEGISLATOR AND FIRST OPENLY HIV-POSITIVE ELECTED OFFICIAL. IN SAN FRANCISCO, KEVIN McCARTHY DEFEATED AN INCUMBENT TO BECOME CALIFORNIA'S FOURTH OPENLY GAY OR LESBIAN JUDGE. IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, OPEN GAY SEBASTIAN PATTI WON THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR A JUDGESHIP. OPENLY GAY AND LESBIAN CANDIDATES WINNING RE-ELECTION IN MARCH INCLUDED WILTON MANORS, FLORIDA CITY COUNCILMEMBER JOHN FIORE; DANE COUNTY, WISCONSIN SUPERVISOR SCOTT McCORMICK; AND SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO CITY COUNCILMEMBER PATTI BUSHEE. AND FINALLY ... ONE HERO IN THE REBUILDING OF BOSNIA IS A REAL STUD: ROMBI, A HIGHLY-BRED GERMAN-BORN SIMMENTAL BULL. TO THE AMAZEMENT OF BREEDERS, HIS FEMALE OFFSPRING PRODUCED AN AVERAGE OF 25 PERCENT MORE MILK THAN THEIR MOTHERS' OTHER DAUGHTERS. THAT'S WHAT SAVED HIM FROM THE FATE OF 7 OF HIS 11 COMPANION STUDS WHEN THEY REPRESENTED AN AWFUL LOT OF BEEF TO STARVING BOSNIANS. BUT WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVING SIMMENTAL STUDS USE AN ARTIFICIAL COW TO MAKE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF BOSNIAN STOCK, ROMBI PREFERS THE BOY NEXT DOOR, A REDHEAD KNOWN AS RODLER. EACH WEEK THE VETS TAKE THE PAIR FOR A WALK AND A SHOWER, LET THEIR GAY BULL NATURE TAKE ITS COURSE, AND STEP IN AT THE CRUCIAL MOMENT TO COLLECT ROMBI'S OUTPUT. Sources for this week's report: A cyberpress release from Costa Rica's Triangulo Rosa; Australia's "Brother-Sister"; The Associated Press; United Press International; cyberpress releases from Ground Zero in Colorado Springs, Colorado, The U.S.'s National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and The Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund; Kentucky's "The Letter"; The Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News; The Chicago Tribune; The Rocky Mountain News/Denver; The Arizona Daily Star; RFSL's "News From Swedish Lesbian/Gay Politics"; Reuter News Service; The New York Times; The San Jose (California) Mercury-News; a cyberpress release from the U.S. Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund; and The Wall Street Journal. ======================================================== Some THIS WAY OUT operating expenses are funded by grants from THE C.P. ESTES GUADALUPE FOUNDATION, THE GILL FOUNDATION, THE KICKING ASSETS FUND OF THE TIDES FOUNDATION, and by individual donations from listeners worldwide. Special thanks to UNCOMMON CLOUT Visa cardholders who have designated THIS WAY OUT as one of 82 nonprofits to receive a percentage of their chargecard purchases. 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, and on Costa Rica-based 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, U.S.A., 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), visit our continually-updated WORLD WIDE WEB home page! Find it on the Queer Resources Directory ... Our page is at: http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/media/radio/thiswayout *************************************************