NewsWrap for the week ending August 8th, 1998 (As broadcast on This Way Out program #541, distributed 08-10-98) [Compiled & written by Cindy Friedman, with thanks to Brian Nunes, Jason Lin, Graham Underhill, Martin Rice, Rex Wockner, Chris Ambidge, Greg Gordon & Lucia Chappelle] Anchored by Cindy Friedman and Leo Garcia For the first time, the U.S. House of Representatives has voted against discrimination based on sexual orientation. By a margin of about 4 - 3, Congressmembers rejected a measure introduced by Colorado Representative Joel Hefley, that would have killed President Bill Clinton's May executive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in civilian federal employment. The majority included more than one-fourth of Republican Representatives, more than twice as many as have ever before voted in support of gays and lesbians. More than 90% of Democrats supported equal treatment. Clinton released a statement saying that, "This vote reflected the values of our nation. The American people believe in fairness, not discrimination, and the Hefley amendment would have legitimized government-sponsored discrimination against its own citizens based on their sexual orientation." But hopes that that vote signalled an end to the recent spate of anti-gay rhetoric and actions by the Republican majority were quickly dashed. The very next day, Republican Congressmembers succeeded in adding to the annual appropriations bill for the city of Washington, D.C. amendments against co- adoptions by unmarried couples and against even the use of local funds for needle exchange programs to prevent AIDS. Most House Democrats opposed both measures, but they could not muster a winning margin. President Clinton had promised to veto the entire appropriations bill if either rider were added, and the Senate has yet to consider the bill. Also voting this week regarding gays and lesbians were the more than 700 bishops attending the global decennial Lambeth Conference in England. Despite more than two weeks of discussion, the statement overwhelmingly adopted by the full conference essentially confirmed the denomination's status quo, that the church "cannot advise the legitimizing or blessing or ordaining of those involved in same-gender unions." The bishops affirmed that any same-gender sex acts were "incompatible with Scripture" and that sexual abstinence was expected from all people outside of traditional marriage. The one hopeful element was a pledge to "listen to the experience of homosexual people." The resolutions of the Conference are not binding on any province of the church, but there is no Anglican body with more authority. The strongest opposition to inclusion of gays and lesbians came from the African and Asian bishops. In the rancorous debate before the vote, Bishop of Lahore Alexander Malik said, "I ask those people who want to bless homosexual unions, would they say yes if somebody came to them and said they wanted to marry their pets?" There was booing when Bishop of Maryland Donald Hart said that he knew practicing gay priests and ministered to same-gender couples in his diocese. Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. George Carey closed the debate saying that he saw, "No room in the holy scripture for any sexual activity outside matrimony." Yet Bishop of Newark, New Jersey John Spong, the leading Anglican advocate for gay and lesbian rights, predicts that bringing the issues out into the open will ultimately lead to the full inclusion of lesbians and gays. Other liberals were disappointed, saddened, and angered. Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church and Bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway doesn't blame the African bishops, but rather the U.S. conservatives who actively courted them. He said that, "What they have done is, having failed in their own church at home, they have hired the opposition from abroad." Nearly 100 bishops signed "A Pastoral Statement To Lesbian And Gay Anglicans" which apologizes to lesbians and gays for the rejection they might feel, and pledges their continued efforts to work for full inclusion. Even Archbishop Carey later apologized for the tone of the debate. The conference also led to a new international coalition group, the Alliance Of Lesbian And Gay Anglicans, which will continue the drive for ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians and for recognition of same-gender couples. Also considering same-gender commitment ceremonies this week was the United Methodist Church's Judicial Council. The denomination's high court has been asked to make a definitive statement as to whether a 1996 ban on ministers presiding at those ceremonies is a law or a guideline -- and, if it is a law, whether it is a chargeable offense. The hearing was requested in response to the March trial of the Rev. Jimmy Creech for having celebrated a lesbian couple's union. Creech's jury split on the question of guideline versus law, falling just one vote short of convicting him of disobedience. This week, the Judicial Council heard testimony from Creech and from a representative of his region's College of Bishops. A decision is expected within 3 weeks. Fiji ‘s Methodist Church and Council of Churches have submitted petitions to the prime minister for constitutional amendments to prohibit same-gender marriage. The nation’s new constitution was less than a week old when fears were raised that its anti-discrimination provisions might allow legal same- gender marriages, although it’s generally believed that that would require amending the marriage law. Florence, Italy has opened its common-law marriage register to same-gender couples, much to the dismay of the Archbishop, Cardinal Silvano Piovanelli. Piovanelli wrote in the Vatican newspaper that, "The registry -- to my way of seeing -- doesn't alleviate the suffering and the possible marginalization of those who might be, and often are, the victims of homosexuality." In Australia, the New South Wales Supreme Court has awarded a gay man a large share of his deceased partner's estate. Matthew Howard shared his Sydney home with Maurice Andrews for 12 years, until Andrews died 2 years ago without leaving a will, and usually that would have put Andrews' brother in line to inherit everything. But the court found that Howard and Andrews’ "close personal and loving relationship" made them dependent on each other, and awarded Howard the house, a portion of its contents, and a cash settlement. Nonetheless, Howard fumed that "Equal treatment does not mean you have to go through a ridiculous court case and spend vast amounts of money to get the same result as a heterosexual couple." A Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reporter has won his 4-year battle to designate his partner as the beneficiary of his pension plan. The CBC is not expected to pursue a further appeal of the arbitration that has now been affirmed by a trial court. Denis-Martin Chabot tried twice to get the CBC to extend its spousal pension benefits to his male partner, before he filed a grievance in November 1994, with the assistance of the Canadian Media Guild. An arbitration found in Chabot's favor in 1995, and the CBC filed for a judicial review of that decision. It's taken almost two years for the court to rule on the issue. The attorney for Chabot and the Guild, Aubrey Golden, said that the decision creates a climate in which labor arbitrators can rule without fear of being overturned. Golden added that an employer cannot deny benefits to partners in same-gender relationships in cases where a collective agreement specifically prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. Concerns about extending benefits to unmarried heterosexual couples this week lead Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci to veto Boston’s domestic partners measure -- but Mayor Tom Menino put them in place by means of an executive order. Cellucci’s legal advisors are checking to see if the city can indeed extend spousal benefits to its employees without the state’s approval -- but at least four other cities have already done so. Cellucci said he would have approved a bill which only covered same-gender couples, but didn’t want to undermine legal marriages. Menino and the Boston City Council believe a discriminatory measure would be vulnerable to legal challenges. The Hamilton, New Zealand Family Court has ordered a lesbian to pay child support for the three children her former partner bore by artificial insemination during their 14-year relationship. Calling the decisions the couple had made "uncompromising acceptance of fiscal and other responsibilities for the children", the judge upheld the biological mother's case that her former partner should be considered a legal stepparent. That judgment comes at a time when two measures are working their way through the parliament that deal with property division when relationships break up. Although neither currently deals with same-gender relationships, concerns have been raised that that omission may violate the national Human Rights Act. This week, the Law Commission told the government select committe considering the bills that the omission of gays and lesbians was a fatal flaw, and urged a rewrite. The Law Commission saw no reason in these laws to distinguish among married, unmarried heterosexual, and same-gender couples. The Labour Party has already introduced an amendment to add gay and lesbian couples to the law. And finally, in a beauty contest in Pescara, Italy, contestant Angela Baier was discovered to be a transsexual, formerly Massimiliano Baier. So impressed were the judges by what they described as Baier's long blonde hair, "full red mouth" and "provocative curves," that they nonetheless crowned Baier “Miss Adriatic 1998”.