Subject: TWO wk of 5/6/96 promo + NewsWrap

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 16:02:50 -0400

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                         The week of 05/06/96 on
                            T H I S    W A Y    O U T
          the international gay & lesbian radio magazine

 * In NewsWrap :  Constitutional breakthroughs are reported in South Africa,
Canada and Hungary ... German Lutherans grapple with lesbigay issues ...
three lesbian couples seeking marriage licenses go to court in New Zealand,
while more U.S. states jump on the same-gender marriage ban bandwagon ... and
several other stories [anchored by Cindy Friedman and Brian Nunes].

* They're moving out of the bars and onto the playing fields in Britain - in
London, Rebecca Sandles samples queer tennis, football (soccer), volleyball
and skiing ... Nigel Wrench talks with a local lesbigay sports organizer
about the appeal of lesbigay athletics ... and the co-chair of the Federation
of Gay Games talks about the 1998 Gaymes in Amsterdam.

* Wishful thinking does not "change" make, notes queer author icon Patricia
Nell Warren ("The Front Runner"), who warns against being short-"changed" by
the "conformity" racket -- personal commentary paired musically with the
classic "Crazy World" by diva Michael Callen.
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                                        NewsWrap
                    for the week ending May 4th, 1996
         (As broadcast on THIS WAY OUT Program #423,
                             distributed 05-06-96)
   [Compiled & written by CINDY FRIEDMAN, with thanks to
       Brian Nunes, Bill Stosine, Jason Lin, Rex Wockner,
     Greg Gordon, Ron Buckmire, Andy Quan, Mary Salome,
                 Sandor Borsos and Bjorn Skolander]

SINCE THE FALL OF APARTHEID, SOUTH AFRICA HAS BEEN OPERATING WITH AN INTERIM
CONSTITUTION.  THE PERMANENT CONSTITUTION TAKES EFFECT MAY 8TH WITH ITS
EXPLICIT PROHIBITION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION
INTACT.  SOUTH AFRICA'S BILL OF RIGHTS IS THE FIRST IN THE WORLD TO EXTEND
CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS TO LESBIANS AND GAYS.  THE SEXUAL ORIENTATION CLAUSE
HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTED BY NELSON MANDELA AND HIS AFRICAN NATIONAL
CONGRESS AS WELL AS  BY SOUTH AFRICA'S NATIONAL COALITION FOR GAY AND LESBIAN
EQUALITY.  PUBLIC SUPPORT WAS STRONG AS WELL: LETTERS TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL
ASSEMBLY FAVORED PROTECTING GAYS AND LESBIANS BY 13-TO-1.  THE ONLY POLITICAL
PARTY TO OPPOSE THE MEASURE WAS THE AFRICAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, ON
THE GROUNDS THAT THE BIBLE PROSCRIBES HOMOSEXUALITY.

IN CANADA, THE LONG-AWAITED BILL TO ADD SEXUAL ORIENTATION AS A PROTECTED
CATEGORY UNDER THE NATION'S HUMAN RIGHTS ACT WAS INTRODUCED THIS WEEK BY
JUSTICE MINISTER ALAN ROCK AND PUT ON A FAST TRACK.  EVEN THOUGH PRIME
MINISTER JEAN CHRETIEN ALLOWED MEMBERS OF HIS RULING LIBERAL PARTY TO VOTE
THEIR CONSCIENCES, THE HOUSE OF COMMONS VOTED ITS APPROVAL IN PRINCIPLE BY A
MARGIN OF MORE THAN 3-TO-1.  THAT VOTE SENT THE BILL TO COMMITTEE, AND A
FINAL VOTE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IS EXPECTED IN THE COMING WEEK.

THE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT IS REPORTEDLY SET TO VOTE TO GIVE GAY AND LESBIAN
COUPLES THE SAME LEGAL STANDING AS UNMARRIED HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES.  HUNGARY'S
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULED IN MARCH 1995 THAT FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE
SAME-GENDER COUPLES VIOLATED THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION, AND ORDERED THE
GOVERNMENT TO "CEASE DISCRIMINATION WITHIN A YEAR".  THE HUNGARIAN GOVERNMENT
RESPONDED BY INTRODUCING THE CURRENT MEASURE, AND THERE SEEMS TO BE ENOUGH
SUPPORT IN THE PARLIAMENT TO ENSURE ITS PASSAGE.  THE RIGHT-WING SMALLHOLDERS
PARTY HAS OPPOSED THE MEASURE, WITH ITS LEADER JOZSEF TORGYAN SAYING, "THE
HUNGARIAN NATION IS IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION BECAUSE THE SOCIALIST-LIBERAL
GOVERNMENT PROMOTES GAY MARRIAGES INSTEAD OF AIDING FAMILIES."

BRITAIN'S HOUSING MINISTER HAS EXTENDED TO GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES THE OPTION
OF JOINT TENANCY EQUAL TO THAT OF LEGALLY MARRIED COUPLES.  THIS WILL ALLOW
ONE MEMBER OF A SAME-GENDER COUPLE TO RETAIN THEIR APARTMENT IF THE OTHER
PARTNER DIES.

IN NEW ZEALAND, THE AUCKLAND HIGH COURT HEARD ARGUMENTS IN A LAWSUIT BY THREE
LESBIAN COUPLES SEEKING MARRIAGE LICENSES.  THE COUPLES' ATTORNEY REASONED
THAT DEPRIVING THEM OF THE CHOICE OF LEGAL MARRIAGE WAS DISCRIMINATION IN
VIOLATION OF NEW ZEALAND'S BILL OF RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACT.  THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL'S OFFICE CLAIMED SAME-GENDER MARRIAGES WERE NOT PERMISSIBLE BECAUSE
MARRIAGE EXISTS PRIMARILY FOR PROCREATION AND CHILD-REARING, AND THAT IT WAS
UP TO THE PARLIAMENT RATHER THAN THE COURT TO CHANGE THAT.

IN THE U.S., ARIZONA GOVERNOR FIFE SYMINGTON THIS WEEK SIGNED INTO LAW A
MEASURE TO DENY LEGAL RECOGNITION TO GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES PERFORMED IN
ANOTHER STATE.  ARIZONA IS THE 6TH U.S. STATE TO PASS A LAW IN ANTICIPATION
OF POSSIBLE LEGAL SAME-GENDER MARRIAGES IN HAWAII FOLLOWING A TRIAL LATER
THIS YEAR.

HAWAII'S OWN STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDED THIS WEEK WITHOUT HAVING ENACTED
ANY OF SEVERAL PROPOSALS TO FORESTALL THE COURT'S DECISION.  A LAST-GASP
EFFORT TO STOP SAME-GENDER MARRIAGES BY MEANS OF A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
WAS BROUGHT TO A FLOOR VOTE IN THE SENATE, ONLY TO BE SOUNDLY DEFEATED.

THE NEXT GOVERNOR TO DECIDE THE FATE OF A BILL TO REJECT ANOTHER STATE'S
SAME-GENDER MARRIAGES IS ALASKA'S TONY KNOWLES.  WHILE THERE ARE INDICATIONS
KNOWLES MAY VETO THE MEASURE, IT HAD ENOUGH VOTES IN BOTH HOUSES THAT THE
LEGISLATURE MIGHT OVERRIDE HIS VETO ON THE FINAL DAY OF ITS CURRENT SESSION
IN THE COMING WEEK.
THIS WEEK, KNOWLES SIGNED INTO LAW A BILL ALLOWING EMPLOYERS TO GRANT BETTER
BENEFITS TO LEGALLY MARRIED COUPLES THAN TO UNMARRIED DOMESTIC PARTNERS,
INCLUDING GAY AND LESBIAN PARTNERS.

ILLINOIS' BILL TO DENY RECOGNITION OF ANOTHER STATE'S SAME-GENDER MARRIAGES
HAS MOVED TO THE DESK OF GOVERNOR JIM EDGAR AFTER PASSING THE STATE HOUSE
LAST WEEK BY A MARGIN OR MORE THAN 6 TO 1.

A SPOKESPERSON FOR SOUTH CAROLINA'S GOVERNOR DAVID BEASLEY HAS SAID HE
"ABSOLUTELY" SUPPORTS THAT STATE'S BILL AGAINST SAME-GENDER MARRIAGE, AND NOW
HE'LL GET THE CHANCE TO SIGN IT INTO LAW: THIS WEEK THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
SENATE FOLLOWED THE STATE HOUSE IN APPROVING THE MEASURE UNANIMOUSLY.

TENNESSEE'S GOVERNOR SUNDQUIST HAS SAID HE'LL SIGN THE BILL THERE TO REJECT
OTHER STATES' GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES IF IT PASSES THE LEGISLATURE.
 TENNESSEE'S BILL HAS YET TO COME TO A FLOOR VOTE.

SIMILAR BILLS HAVE NOW BEEN INTRODUCED IN NEW YORK AND PENNSYLVANIA, AND IT'S
RUMORED THAT FLORIDA'S MEASURE MIGHT BE RESURRECTED IN THE CLOSING MOMENTS OF
THAT STATE'S LEGISLATIVE SESSION.  MORE THAN HALF THE STATES IN THE U.S. HAVE
CONSIDERED BILLS AGAINST SAME-GENDER MARRIAGE THIS YEAR.

IN THE NETHERLANDS THIS WEEK, DESPITE THE PARLIAMENT'S RECENT SUPPORT OF
LEGAL DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS, A COURT IN AMSTERDAM REJECTED PETITIONS BY TWO
LESBIAN COUPLES SEEKING LEGAL CO-ADOPTION OF THEIR CHILDREN BY THE
NON-BIOLOGICAL PARENTS.

IN HAMBURG, GERMANY, LUTHERAN BISHOP MARIA JEPSEN ACCEPTED HER CHURCH'S FIRST
PUBLIC BLESSING OF A SAME-GENDER COUPLE, SAYING, "ALL PEOPLE ARE IN NEED OF
BLESSING" AND ANYONE SEEKING "GOD'S WORD OF COMFORT" SHOULD NOT BE REFUSED.
 HOWEVER, JEPSEN ADDED THAT THE BLESSING SHOULD NOT BE UNDERSTOOD "IN THE
SENSE OF MARRIAGE" OR REINTERPRETED FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.

ALSO IN GERMANY, THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE NORTH ELBIAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN
CHURCH ISSUED A STATEMENT ON "MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND OTHER LIFESTYLES".  IT
SAID THAT THE CHURCH HAS A DUTY "TO UNRESERVEDLY AFFIRM MARRIAGE AND ITS
SPECIAL IMPORTANCE", BUT ADDED THAT AFFIRMING MARRIAGE DID NOT HAVE TO MEAN
DEPRECATION OF OTHER LIFESTYLES.

IN LATVIA, THOUGH, THE SYNOD OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED A RESOLUTION CALLING HOMOSEXUALITY A "DEADLY SIN",
DENYING ANY POSITION IN THE CHURCH HIERARCHY TO OPENLY ACTIVE GAYS AND
LESBIANS, AND DENYING COMMUNION TO ACTIVE GAYS AND LESBIANS WHO DON'T REPENT
THEIR SEXUAL BEHAVIOR.

CANADA'S INTER-CHURCH COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN LATIN AMERICA HAS RELEASED
A REPORT ENTITLED "VIOLENCE UNVEILED: REPRESSION AGAINST LESBIANS AND GAY MEN
IN LATIN AMERICA".  THE TORONTO-BASED SOCIAL JUSTICE COALITION OF CHRISTIAN
GROUPS DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH IN LATIN AMERICA TO DOCUMENT THE VIOLENCE
COMMITTED AGAINST GAYS AND LESBIANS THERE BOTH BY DEATH SQUADS AND BY POLICE
AUTHORITIES.  THE REPORT'S AUTHOR BILL FAIRBAIRN SAID, "THESE ABUSES ARE
SYSTEMATIC, THEY TAKE PLACE IN A CONTEXT OF DEEP-SEATED, VIOLENT HOMOPHOBIA
AND THEY MUST BE RECOGNIZED AS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE."  THE
COMMITTEE CALLED ON LATIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS TO DISMANTLE THE DEATH SQUADS
AND SANCTION OFFENDING POLICE OFFICERS.  IT ALSO CALLED FOR CHURCHES AND
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO REVIEW THEIR OWN POLICIES TOWARDS SEXUAL MINORITIES
AND ENSURE THAT THEY DO NOT PROMOTE INTOLERANCE.

BUT IN EGYPT, THE ACCUSED MURDERERS OF TWO GAY MEN SAY THEIR ATTACK WAS
ORDERED BY THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD RELIGIOUS GROUP.  THE CAIRO NEWSPAPER AL AHRAM
AL MASSA'I  DID NOT NAME THE RELIGIOUS GROUP THAT SUSPECT TARIQ HANAFI SAID
ISSUED HIM AN EDICT BEFORE THE STABBING MURDERS OF A GAY COOK AND A GAY
PAINTER.  HANAFI AND THREE OTHER SUSPECTS SAY THAT THEY HAVE NO REGRETS FOR
STABBING THE TWO GAY MEN DOZENS OF TIMES BECAUSE THEY "DESERVED TO DIE".

IN CANADA, THERE'S A VICTORY FOR VANCOUVER'S LITTLE SISTERS BOOKSTORE IN ITS
LONG-RUNNING LEGAL BATTLE WITH CANADA CUSTOMS, WHICH HAS OFTEN SEIZED THE
STORE'S IMPORTED GAY AND LESBIAN MATERIALS AS BEING "OBSCENE".  IN A
FOLLOW-UP TO A JANUARY FINDING THAT CANADA CUSTOMS HAD SINGLED OUT LITTLE
SISTERS IN A DISCRIMINATORY FASHION, THE BRITISH COLUMBIA SUPREME COURT HAS
ORDERED PAYMENT TO LITTLE SISTERS OF $170,000 FOR ATTORNEYS' FEES AND
$110,000 FOR EXPERT WITNESS COSTS.  THE COURT ALSO ISSUED AN INJUNCTION
RESTRAINING CANADA CUSTOMS FROM KEEPING A SPECIAL "LOOKOUT" ON STOCK HEADED
FOR LITTLE SISTERS.  THE BOOKSTORE CURRENTLY HAS AN APPEAL IN PROCESS
CHALLENGING THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF CUSTOMS' AUTHORITY TO SEIZE MATERIALS ON
GROUNDS OF SUSPECTED OBSCENITY.

AND FINALLY ... U.S. SYNDICATED GOSSIP COLUMNIST LIZ SMITH HAS REVEALED AN
UPCOMING BOOK OF THE COMPLETE  LYRICS OF NOEL COWARD, INCLUDING 70 NEVER
BEFORE PUBLISHED.  AMONG THE NEWLY-DISCOVERED WORKS IS WHAT'S DESCRIBED AS
COWARD'S GAY VERSION OF THE SONG "MAD ABOUT THE BOY", WHICH OPENS WITH THE
COUPLET:  "PEOPLE I ANNOY, THEY CALL ME MYRNA LOY".

Sources for this week's report:  Reuter News Service;  The Daily
Telegraph/London;  Queer News Aotearoa;  The Honolulu Star-Bulletin;  The
Anchorage Daily News;  The Charlotte (North Carolina) Observer;  The Chicago
Tribune;  U.S.A. Today;  The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's "World
Scan";  Xtra! West/Canada;  Deutsche Presse Agentur/Germany;  The San Jose
(California) Mercury-News;  and press releases from The International Gay &
Lesbian Human Rights Commission, The Arizona Human Rights Fund, The Hawaii
Equal Right to Marry Project, the Boston-based Forum On the Right to Marry,
and The Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights In Latin America.
========================================================
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