************************************************* The week of 04/08/96 on T H I S W A Y O U T the international gay & lesbian radio magazine * In NewsWrap: A federal appeals court ruling supports the Clinton "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy ... homophobic violence increases in Germany, while Argentinian transvesties are attacked by police following a protest demonstration against police abuse ... Georgia becomes the 4th U.S. state to ban same-gender marriage, and Kansas will probably be next ... and several other stories [anchored by Cindy Friedman and Brian Nunes] ==> Read the complete text of NewsWrap below! * The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is currently considering the case of Wisconsin teen JAMIE NABOZNY, who is suing his high school for failing to protect him from ongoing homophobic assaults and harassment by other students. Reporter Mark Bevis speaks with Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund attorney Pat Logue, and with Nabozny himself, to get the details ... * "Soon And Again" is the latest release from legendary lesbian singer/songwriter MARGIE ADAM. It's her second all piano album, released 15 years after her first such effort, "Naked Keys". Adam discusses the new album, and tells Cornelia Massolo about her musical roots -- she was writing for and playing piano long before she was writing and singing some of the movement's most enduring songs about love and liberation ... * In 1992 DIRK SHAFER was named Playgril Magazine's "Man Of The Year", becoming a spokesperson for what heterosexual women want from a heterosexual man ... what Playgirl, and the many media outlets Dirk appeared on didn't know, was that Dirk is gay. The "mockumentary" film "Man of The Year", which Shafer wrote and stars in -- as himself -- traces the conflicts between his public persona and his relationship with his lover Michael. Jon Beaupre talks with Shafer & has an audio lift from the film, to which he gives a "thumbs up" ... ==========================*============================= NewsWrap For the week ending April 6th, 1996 (As broadcast on THIS WAY OUT Program #419, distributed 04-08-96) [Compiled & written by CINDY FRIEDMAN, with thanks to Brian Nunes, Bill Stosine, Jason Lin, Greg Gordon and Ron Buckmire] IN THE U.S., THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S SO-CALLED "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" POLICY PROHIBITING MILITARY SERVICE BY OPEN GAYS AND LESBIANS HAS SURVIVED ITS FIRST TEST BEFORE A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT. IT CAME IN THE CASE OF 10-YEAR-VETERAN NAVY LIEUTENANT PAUL THOMASSON, WHO CAME OUT TO HIS COMMANDER JUST DAYS AFTER THE CLINTON POLICY TOOK EFFECT. BY A 9-TO-4 VOTE ISSUED APRIL 5th, THE COURT DETERMINED THAT THOMASSON'S DISCHARGE WAS "AN APPROPRIATE EXERCISE OF MILITARY AUTHORITY". THE MAJORITY OPINION CITED SUPREME COURT PRECEDENT AND SAID THAT A RULING FOR THOMASSON WOULD HAVE SERVED TO "OVERTURN THE EFFORTS OF THE ELECTED BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT TO RESOLVE A SIGNIFICANT QUESTION OF NATIONAL MILITARY POLICY." BUT 6 OF THE 9 JUDGES SUPPORTING THE POLICY WROTE A SEPARATE CONCURRING OPINION CHARGING THAT "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" HAD CREATED "A SANCTUARY FOR KNOWN HOMOSEXUALS WHOM THE MILITARY DETERMINES ARE NOT LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN HOMOSEXUAL ACTS" AND SAYING THEY WOULD UPHOLD "THE DISCHARGE OF ALL KNOWN HOMOSEXUALS." THE MINORITY OPINION CALLED THOMASSON'S COMING-OUT "MORAL COURAGE", NOTED HIS SUPERB SERVICE RECORD AND THE LACK OF ANY EVIDENCE OF MISBEHAVIOR, AND CONCLUDED THAT "IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, THE EXPRESSION OF LIEUTENANT THOMASSON'S THOUGHTS, WITHOUT MORE, IS THE CAUSE OF HIS 'HONORABLE' BANISHMENT FROM THE NAVY." WHEN THE ARCHBISHOP AND THE HOLY SYNOD OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF CYPRUS BROUGHT CHARGES OF HOMOSEXUALITY AGAINST A POPULAR CLERIC RECENTLY, IT RESULTED IN HOURS OF RIOTING THAT LEFT MORE THAN 70 PEOPLE INJURED, AND THREATENED A SCHISM IN THE CHURCH. THIS WEEK, THE CHURCH ANNOUNCED THAT THE CHARGES WERE BEING DROPPED, AFTER WITNESSES AGAINST ARCHIMANDRITE PANGRATIOS MERACLIS CHANGED THEIR DEPOSITIONS. POLICE ARE NOW INVESTIGATING WHETHER THOSE WITNESSES HAD BEEN BRIBED TO TESTIFY AGAINST MERACLIS. ALTHOUGH MERACLIS' SUSPENSION WAS LIFTED, HE IS STILL BARRED FROM SEEKING ELECTION TO THE BISHOPRIC. THE CHURCH ELECTION IN THE MORPHOU DISTRICT THAT APPEARED READY TO VOTE HIM IN CONTINUES TO BE SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY. IN GERMANY, OPENLY GAY MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT VOLKER BECK BELIEVES HOMOPHOBIC VIOLENCE IS INCREASING DRAMATICALLY. A HOTLINE FOR VICTIMS OF GAY-BASHINGS RUN BY THE ASSOCIATION OF GAYS IN GERMANY REPORTED A 15% INCREASE IN CALLS FROM 1994 TO 1995. IN ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THOSE ATTACKS, VICTIMS WERE ROBBED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED. MOST OF THAT VIOLENCE WAS COMMITTED BY GROUPS OF MEN IN THEIR LATE TEENS OR EARLY 20'S. BECK SAID LAW ENFORCEMENT SOURCES ESTIMATE THAT ONLY ABOUT ONE IN TEN HOMOPHOBIC ATTACKS ARE EVER REPORTED TO POLICE, AS THE VICTIMS FEAR NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES. THE GERMAN FEDERAL OFFICE OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION REPORTS ABOUT 30 BASHING MURDERS OF GAY MEN ANNUALLY. IN ARGENTINA, A LATE-MARCH PROTEST AGAINST POLICE ABUSE OF TRANSVESTITES ENDED WITH A GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION OF THE PROBLEM. THE PROTEST OUTSIDE A BUENOS AIRES POLICE STATION BY MEMBERS OF THE ARGENTINEAN ASSOCIATION OF TRANSVESTITES AND GAYS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS WENT SMOOTHLY UNTIL THE DEMONSTRATORS STARTED TO HEAD FOR HOME. THEN, ACCORDING TO ACTIVIST ALEJANDRA SARDA, 20 POLICE OFFICERS ATTACKED ONE TRANSVESTITE. WHEN TWO OTHER TRANSVESTITES RETURNED TO INTERVENE, THEY TOO WERE BEATEN. ALL THREE WERE DRAGGED INTO THE POLICE STATION, ARRESTED, AND DENIED THEIR RIGHTFUL TELEPHONE CALL. AFTER HOURS OF THREATS AND BEATINGS, THE TRANSVESTITES WERE RELEASED THE NEXT DAY. BRAZILIAN ACTIVISTS DEMONSTRATED AGAINST CHILE'S SODOMY LAW IN LATE MARCH. AT THE REQUEST OF THEIR FRIENDS IN CHILE, GRUPO GAY DA BAHIA GATHERED ABOUT 40 GAYS, LESBIANS AND TRANYS OUTSIDE THE CHILEAN CONSULATE IN SALVADOR TO SET FIRE TO A CHILEAN FLAG AND A COPY OF THE CHILEAN PENAL CODE. THE HOME OF AUSTRALIA'S LAST SODOMY LAW HAS ALSO BECOME THE HOME OF THE NATIONAL PARLIAMENT'S ONLY OPENLY GAY MEMBER. THE GREEN PARTY'S BOB BROWN WAS ELECTED IN MID-MARCH TO REPRESENT TASMANIA. SAN DIEGO'S ANNUAL MARCH HONORING THE MEMORY OF LABOR ORGANIZER CESAR CHAVEZ INCLUDED THE TIJUANA GAY & LESBIAN GROUP ?Y QUE? -- "AND SO WHAT?" -- WITH THEIR BANNER ... AND 25 LOCAL GAYS AND LESBIANS WITH A BANNER READING "GAY AND LESBIAN LATINOS CON ORGULLO" -- "WITH PRIDE". THE PREDOMINANTLY LATINO AREA WELCOMED THE GAY AND LESBIAN GROUPS WITH THE SAME APPLAUSE AS OTHER CONTINGENTS. THE FRENZY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE POSSIBILITY OF LEGAL SAME-GENDER MARRIAGES IN HAWAII FOLLOWING A TRIAL LATER THIS YEAR. GOVERNOR ZELL MILLER'S SIGNATURE THIS WEEK MADE GEORGIA THE FOURTH U.S. STATE TO DENY LEGAL RECOGNITION TO SAME-GENDER MARRIAGES PERFORMED IN OTHER STATES, FOLLOWING IDAHO, SOUTH DAKOTA AND UTAH. KANSAS IS LIKELY TO BE NEXT. THIS WEEK THE KANSAS STATE SENATE PASSED A SIMILAR MEASURE WITH ONLY A SINGLE VOTE IN OPPOSITION, AND THE GOVERNOR HAS INDICATED THAT HE'LL SIGN THE BILL INTO LAW. WITH THE INTRODUCTION THIS WEEK IN DELAWARE OF A MEASURE AGAINST GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES, THERE ARE NOW 14 STATES WITH SUCH LEGISLATION IN PROCESS. BUT ARIZONA AND RHODE ISLAND HAVE JOINED THE LIST OF 13 OTHER STATES WHERE SIMILAR MEASURES HAVE BEEN DEFEATED, BLOCKED OR WITHDRAWN. IN ARIZONA, OPENLY GAY STATE REPRESENTATIVE KEN CHEUVRONT SUCCEEDED IN AMENDING A BILL TO DENY LEGAL RECOGNITION TO SAME-GENDER MARRIAGES INTO A SIMPLE STATEMENT THAT ARIZONA'S PUBLIC POLICY IS TO PROMOTE STRONG FAMILIES AND STRONG FAMILY VALUES. IN RHODE ISLAND, HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIR CHARLES KNOWLES DENIED A HEARING TO A BILL AGAINST GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES -- EVEN THOUGH HE HIMSELF HAD BEEN A CO-SPONSOR OF IT. ANGERED THAT THE PRIMARY SPONSOR DIDN'T ATTEND THE SCHEDULED HEARING, KNOWLES REPORTEDLY SAID, "THIS WILL NOT BECOME LAW THIS YEAR ... IT IS MY OPINION THAT ACTION ON THIS MATTER IS BOTH PRECIPITOUS AND FUTILE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A MATTER WHICH IS ENTIRELY THEORETICAL. FIRST, THERE ARE NO GAY MARRIGES TO RECOGNIZE OR NOT RECOGNIZE UNTIL HAWAII ACTS. SECOND, ULTIMATELY THIS MATTER WILL BE DECIDED IN THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT. IF HAWAII ACTS AND THE COURT AFFIRMS THAT ACTION, THIS BILL WOULD BE OVERTURNED. IF HAWAII ACTS AND THE COURT REJECTS THAT ACTION, THEN THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR THE LAW. IF, SOMEHOW, THIS BILL COMES UP FOR A VOTE, I WILL VOTE AGAINST IT AND I WILL USE ALL OF MY INFLUENCE TO SEE TO IT THAT IT FAILS." A RECENT GALLUP POLL OF 1,000 RANDOMLY SELECTED U.S. ADULTS FOUND THAT ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OPPOSED LEGAL MARRIAGES FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS WHILE ONLY ABOUT ONE-FOURTH FAVORED THEM. ROUGHLY HALF OF THOSE POLLED AGREED THAT "HOMOSEXUALITY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE", BUT ONLY HALF OF THAT GROUP ACTUALLY SUPPORTED LEGAL SAME-GENDER MARRIAGES. NOT SURPRISINGLY, THOSE WHO FOUND HOMOSEXUALITY UNACCEPTABLE WERE ESSENTIALLY UNANIMOUS IN OPPOSING LEGAL GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES. EVEN WHEN BROKEN DOWN BY POLITICAL AFFILIATION, AGE AND GENDER, THE ONLY GROUP WITH A MAJORITY FAVORING LEGAL GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES WAS WOMEN UNDER 30. THE POLLSTERS DIDN'T ASK IF RESPONDENTS ACTUALLY WANTED THEIR STATE LEGISLATORS TO MAKE DENIAL OF EQUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS A PRIORITY. THESE ARE DIFFICULT TIMES IN THE U.S. FOR GAY AND LESBIAN REPUBLICANS, BUT THEY'RE FINDING A LITTLE SILVER LINING IN THE POLITICAL CLOUDS NONETHELESS. CHAPTERS OF THE GAY AND LESBIAN GROUP LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS IN VIRGINIA AND TEXAS WORKED HARD TO INCREASE THE NUMBERS OF MORE MODERATE REPUBLICANS VOTING IN THE RECENT PRIMARY ELECTIONS. THEY SUCCEEDED IN REPLACING SOME ENTRENCHED HOMOPHOBIC REPUBLICAN PARTY OFFICIALS WITH FRIENDLIER FACES, WHICH THE LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS' NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RICH TAFEL CALLED A CHALLENGE TO THE CHRISTIAN COALITION'S INFLUENCE OVER THE PARTY. AND FINALLY ... ONE DELEGATE TO THE UPCOMING REPUBLICAN PARTY CONVENTION IN KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON DID NOT WIN HIS SEAT THROUGH HARD WORK. IN FACT, DAN SAVAGE HAS NEVER ACTUALLY VOTED FOR A REPUBLICAN, AND DOESN'T INTEND TO; HE JOKINGLY DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS A "COMMIE PINKO", AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AS "HATE-MONGERING, GAY-BASHING, (AND) NEO-FASCIST". BUT AS SOMETHING OF A LARK, HE REGISTERED AS A REPUBLICAN AND ATTENDED THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PRECINCT CONVENTION IN MARCH. IT HAPPENS THAT SAVAGE'S DISTRICT IS THE MOST HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC IN THE STATE. OF THE MERE HANDFUL OF REPUBLICANS WHO LIVE THERE, NOT A ONE SHOWED UP FOR THE PRECINT CONVENTION. THUS, DAN SAVAGE BECAME A SANCTIONED DELEGATE TO THE COUNTY CONVENTION BY DEFAULT. AND ALTHOUGH THE POLLING HAS DESIGNATED HIS VOTE FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PAT BUCHANAN, DAN SAVAGE WILL HARDLY FIT THE MOLD OF THE CHRISTIAN COALITION'S DARLING: HE'S A SEX-ADVICE COLUMNIST AND A CROSS-DRESSER ... AND YES, HE'S CONSIDERING ATTENDING THE COUNTY CONVENTION IN DRAG. Sources for this week's report: Reuters News Service; The Associated Press; The New York Times; This Week In Germany; Rex Wockner International News; Capital Q/Australia; The Arizona Republic; press releases from The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and Lob Cabin Republicans; The Los Angeles Times; and The Seattle Times. ======================================================== 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. 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