************************************************* The week of 04/15/96 on T H I S W A Y O U T the international gay & lesbian radio magazine * In NewsWrap: Alaska's legislature passes a measure allowing better spousal employment benefits for legally-married couples than for unmarried domestic partners, while California's Supreme Court rules that non-discriminatory housing access is more important than personal religious belief ... the French government allows hetero Swedes to get married at the Swedish Embassy in Paris but says same-gender lesbigay Swedes can't, even though Sweden has legalized same-gender partnerships ... The New York Times editorially endorses same-gender marriage ... Andrew Sullivan is quitting as editor of "The New Republic" ... and several other stories ... [anchored by Cindy Friedman and Brian Nunes] ==> Read the complete text of NewsWrap below! * The objects of queer entertainment affections often have an ambiguous relationship with their fans. The BBC's Nigel Wrench and Edmund Hall examine the pleasures and the politics of the current "Boy Band" rage in Great Britain ... * Despite the proliferation of lawsuits and school board warfare for and against lesbigay-positive materials and programs for young people, the real lives of gay and lesbian adolescents remain by and large ignored by the media. "Passages Of Pride: Lesbian And Gay Youth Come Of Age" represents an award-winning heteroexual reporter's journey into the world of these embattled teens. In the first of a multi-part feature interview with Josy Catoggio, author Kurt Chandler discusses how his book came to be, and some of the people he profiles -- both lesbigay teens and their parents. ==========================*============================= NewsWrap For the week ending April 13th, 1996 (As broadcast on THIS WAY OUT Program #420, distributed 04-15-96) [Compiled & written by CINDY FRIEDMAN, with thanks to Brian Nunes, Bill Stosine, Jason Lin, Greg Gordon, Bjorn Skolander, Mark Proffit and Ron Buckmire] IN THE U.S. THIS WEEK, THE ISSUE OF DISCRIMINATION BASED ON MARITAL STATUS REACHED CRITICAL POINTS IN ALASKA AND CALIFORNIA. IT'S NOW UP TO ALASKA GOVERNOR TONY KNOWLES TO DETERMINE THE FATE OF A BILL TO SPECIFICALLY ALLOW EMPLOYERS TO OFFER BETTER BENEFITS TO THE PARTNERS OF THEIR LEGALLY MARRIED EMPLOYEES THAN TO UNMARRIED DOMESTIC PARTNERS. THE MEASURE PASSED THE ALASKA STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 19 TO 8 THIS WEEK, AFTER PASSING THE ALASKA STATE SENATE LAST WEEK BY A VOTE OF 11 TO 9. KNOWLES HAS NOT INDICATED HIS POSITION ON THE MATTER. THE LEGISLATION FOLLOWED A LAWSUIT BY TWO UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA EMPLOYEES SEEKING SPOUSAL BENEFITS FOR THEIR GAY AND LESBIAN DOMESTIC PARTNERS. IN DECIDING THAT LAWSUIT, THE ALASKA STATE SUPREME COURT SAID THERE WERE 3 LEGAL OPTIONS FOR THE UNIVERSITY: TO ELIMINATE ALL SPOUSAL BENEFITS; TO PROVIDE COMPENSATION OF EQUAL VALUE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES; OR TO DEFINE DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS TO WHICH THEY WOULD EXTEND BENEFITS EQUAL TO THOSE OF MARRIED COUPLES. SINCE THAT DECISION, THE UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHED DOMESTIC PARTNER GUIDELINES AND HAS BEEN OFFERING FULL SPOUSAL BENEFITS TO 44 UNMARRIED COUPLES. THEY COMPRISE JUST OVER 1 PERCENT OF THE UNIVERSITY'S EMPLOYEES WITH HEALTH COVERAGE. THE CALIFORNIA STATE SUPREME COURT THIS WEEK RULED 4-TO-3 THAT A LANDLORD COULD NOT REFUSE TO RENT TO AN UNMARRIED COUPLE DESPITE HER STRONGLY-HELD RELIGIOUS BELIEF THAT PRE-MARITAL SEX IS SINFUL. ALTHOUGH THE COUPLE IS HETEROSEXUAL, THE DECISION IS IMPORTANT FOR AND FAVORABLE TO GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES ... BECAUSE IT GIVES PRECEDENCE TO EQUALITY IN THE MARKETPLACE REGARDLESS OF MARITAL STATUS, OVER AN INDIVIDUAL LANDLORD'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION. THE CALIFORNIA STATE SUPREME COURT DECISION REVERSED AN APPELLATE COURT'S RULING IN THE CASE OF GAIL RANDALL AND KENNETH PHILLIPS AND LANDLORD EVELYN SMITH. SMITH'S ATTORNEY SAID HE'LL ASK THE U.S. SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW THE DECISION, BUT THAT COURT PREVIOUSLY REFUSED TO REVIEW A SIMILAR RULING FROM ALASKA. IN HAWAII, IT LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD BE LEFT TO AN UPCOMING COURT TRIAL TO DETERMINE THE QUESTION OF EQUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS, WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE STALEMATED BETWEEN THE STATE SENATE'S PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS AND THE STATE HOUSE'S PROPOSAL TO DENY LEGAL RECOGNITION TO SAME-GENDER COUPLES. BUT STATE SENATOR MILTON HOLT THIS WEEK MADE A REMARKABLE, RULE-BENDING EFFORT TO WIN A NEW HEARING FOR A MEASURE AGAINST GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES, THROUGH TOTAL REVISION OF A BILL ON AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT SUBJECT: THE WITHDRAWAL OF DOCTORS LICENSES FROM PHYSICIANS WHO HAVE SEX WITH THEIR PATIENTS. A STATE SENATE CAUCUS HEARING LATER MOVED HOLT'S EFFORT TO RESTRICT MARRIAGE TO HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES TO ANOTHER COMPLETELY UNRELATED MEASURE, ONE CONCERNING THE USE OF THE WORDS "AND" AND "OR" IN STATE LAWS. AT LEAST IN ILLINOIS, THE THIRD-LARGEST U.S. POLITICAL PARTY, THE LIBERTARIANS, ISSUED A STRONG STATEMENT CONDEMNING AS "MEAN-SPIRITED" THE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE EFFORT TO DENY LEGAL RECOGNITION TO GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES. LIBERTARIAN GAY AND LESBIAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST MILAN VYDARENY SAID ON BEHALF OF THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF ILLINOIS, "GOVERNMENT'S ROLE SHOULD BE LIMITED TO ADJUDICATING MARRIAGE DISPUTES, JUST AS WITH ANY OTHER CONTRACT. THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT EXTENDING TAX BREAKS TO HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGES SHOULD REFOCUS THEIR ENERGY UPON REDUCING GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND LOWERING TAXES FOR EVERYONE!" PARIS IN THE SPRINGTIME MIGHT SEEM PERFECT FOR A WEDDING, SO MUCH SO THAT A HALF-DOZEN SWEDISH COUPLES JOURNEY THERE EACH MONTH TO GET MARRIED AT THEIR EMBASSY. BUT GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES WHO CAN BE LEGALLY UNITED IN SWEDEN HAVE BEEN DENIED THE PARIS OPTION BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT. THE FRENCH MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAS PROHIBITED SAME-GENDER DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP REGISTRATION CEREMONIES AT THE SWEDISH EMBASSY, EVEN THOUGH ITS SITE IS LEGALLY SWEDISH TERRITORY. THE VENERABLE NEW YORK TIMES, THE "NEWSPAPER OF RECORD" FOR THE U.S., RAN AN EDITORIAL APRIL 7TH STATING STRONG SUPPORT FOR EQUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS. ENTITLED "FREEDOM TO MARRY", THE PIECE CALLED SAME-GENDER MARRIAGE "PERHAPS THE BIGGEST SOCIAL ISSUE THAT THIS NATION FACES AS WE GO INTO THE 21ST CENTURY", AND SAID, "SECURING EQUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS WOULD ADD ONE MORE LAYER OF FAIRNESS TO OUR SOCIETY." THE GAY AND LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION APPLAUDED THE TIMES. OPEN GAY ANDREW SULLIVAN IS RESIGNING FROM HIS HIGH-PROFILE POSITION AS EDITOR OF THE U.S. MAGAZINE THE NEW REPUBLIC. NOTING H'ED PUT OUT 250 ISSUES AND HELD THE JOB LONGER THAN HIS PRECECESSORS, SULLIVAN SAID, "I THINK YOU SHOULD STOP TALKING BEFORE THEY START LOOKING AT THEIR WATCHES." THE AUTHOR OF "VIRTUALLY NORMAL: AN ARGUMENT ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY" HAS SIGNED A CONTRACT FOR A BOOK ON FRIENDSHIP. ALTHOUGH SULLIVAN HAS HIV, HE DENIED THAT HIS RESIGNATION IS HEALTH-RELATED. MAINSTREAM CORPORATIONS ARE ENTERING THE LUCRATIVE AREA OF GAY AND LESBIAN TOURISM. CERTIFIED VACATIONS, A MAJOR WHOLESALER OF TOUR PACKAGES, HAS BECOME THE FIRST SUCH MAINSTREAM PROVIDER TO OFFER A NEW LINE OF PACKAGE TOURS TO 30 U.S. DESTINATIONS THAT'S TARGETED SPECIFICALLY FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS. THEY'RE PLANNING FOR AGGRESSIVE MARKETING AND EXPECT TO SELL 5,000 TOUR PACKAGES IN THE FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION THROUGH THE NEW GAY RESERVATIONS DESK AT THEIR HEADQUARTERS IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA. VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS LAST YEAR BECAME THE FIRST MAINSTREAM AIRLINE TO OFFER GAY TOURS. FODOR'S GAY GUIDE TO THE U.S.A. WILL BE ISSUED IN MAY, MAKING FODOR'S THE FIRST MAJOR MAINSTREAM PUBLISHER TO PRODUCE A SPECIFICALLY GAY TRAVEL GUIDE. THE NEW ZEALAND GAY AND LESBIAN TOURISM ASSOCIATION HELD ITS FIRST MEETING AT THE END OF MARCH. 10 GAY-RUN AND GAY-FRIENDLY PROVIDERS JOINED THE NEW PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION, WHICH SEEKS TO PROMOTE GAY AND LESBIAN TOURISM BOTH TO AND WITHIN NEW ZEALAND. OPEN GAY KEVIN THOMAS WAS AWARDED CUSTODY THIS WEEK OF A GIRL NOT RELATED TO HIM BY BLOOD -- FOR THE SECOND TIME. THOMAS WAS FIRST GIVEN LEGAL CUSTODY OF THE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY DISABLED GIRL, NOW 8 YEARS OLD, IN A HIGHLY PUBLICIZED DECISION IN 1993. HE'D HELPED TO RAISE HER SINCE HER BIRTH AND LEGALLY CHANGED HIS OWN NAME TO MATCH HERS. HER BIOLOGICAL MOTHER, CATHERINE THOMAS, RECENTLY SOUGHT TO REGAIN LEGAL CUSTODY. IN FEBRUARY AN APPELLATE COURT RULED KEVIN WAS NOT HER LEGAL FATHER AND ASKED THE TRIAL COURT TO CONSIDER IF IT WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE GIRL TO RETURN TO HER MOTHER. THIS WEEK IN LOS ANGELES, SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE MARTHA GOLDIN NOT ONLY REAFFIRMED KEVIN'S SOLE CUSTODY, BUT LIMITED THE MOTHER'S VISITATION RIGHTS TO ONE PHONE CALL EACH WEEK. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE AGAINST CATHERINE THOMAS, SHE FLED THE STATE WITH HER DAUGHTER ON 2 OCCASIONS OF VISITATION AFTER KEVIN WAS FIRST AWARDED LEGAL CUSTODY. A NEW HAMPSHIRE HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER WHO WAS FIRED FOR USING GAY-THEMED BOOKS IN HER CLASSES HAS BEEN REINSTATED BY AN ARBITRATOR. PENNY CULLITON WAS FIRED LAST MAY AFTER DISTRIBUTING E.M. FORSTER'S "MAURICE" AND MAY SARTON'S "THE EDUCATION OF HARRIET HATFIELD" TO HER JUNIOR AND SENIOR ENGLISH CLASSES. CULLITON'S PROTEST OF HER FIRING LED TO THE ARBITRATION. THE ARBITRATION ITSELF WAS LESS CONCERNED WITH THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOKS THAN WITH CULLITON'S VIOLATION OF A DIRECTIVE FROM HER PRINCIPAL REGARDING UNAUTHORIZED TEXTS, AND THE ARBITRATOR APPARENTLY BELIEVED FIRING WAS TOO SEVERE A PUNISHMENT FOR HER INFRACTION. CULLITON WAS NOT AWARDED ANY COMPENSATION OR BACK PAY FOR HER MISSED YEAR OF TEACHING, BUT WILL RETURN TO HER JOB IN SEPTEMBER. THE FATE OF THE BOOKS THEMSELVES WAS DECIDED BY THE MASCENIC REGIONAL SCHOOL BOARD IN A 4-TO-3 VOTE APRIL 1ST: ALONG WITH BETTE GREENE'S "THE DROWNING OF STEPHEN JONES", THEY'LL BE CARRIED IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND ACCEPTABLE FOR USE IN AN UPPER-LEVEL "LITERATURE IN SOCIETY" COURSE, BUT WILL NOT BE USED IN ANY REQUIRED ENGLISH COURSES. AND FINALLY... STORIES OF BOYS ATTENDING SCHOOL IN DRAG ARE GETTING TO BE OLD HAT, BUT THE TALE AT SEATTLE'S WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS A GRATIFYING TWIST. WHEN 2 YOUNG MEN WORE SKIRTS TO SCHOOL THERE IN LATE MARCH, THEY WERE FORCED BY PRINCIPAL BRUCE HUNTER TO CHANGE INTO MORE TRADITIONAL GARB, BECAUSE HE FEARED THEY WOULD DISRUPT THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. BUT ON APRIL 5TH, MORE THAN 100 STUDENTS FROM AT LEAST 6 LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOLS GATHERED FOR AN HOUR OF PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION IN SUPPORT OF THE BOYS. A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE ORGANIZERS, EMPOWERED YOUTH EDUCATING SOCIETY, EXPLAINED THE ISSUE WAS NOT FASHION, BUT PERSONAL RIGHTS. ONLY A HANDFUL OF STUDENTS OPPOSED THE PROTESTORS. Sources for this week's report: The Anchorage Daily News; The San Francisco Examiner; The Associated Press; press releases from The Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund, The Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project, The Libertarian Party of Illinois and The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; Dagens Nyheter/Sweden; The New York Times; U.S.A. Today; Queer News Aoteroa/New Zealand; The Los Angeles Times; City News Service/Los Angeles; The Telegraph/Nashua, New Hampshire; 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 several 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), please 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 *************************************************