NewsWrap for the week ending April 10th, 1999 (As broadcast on This Way Out program #576, distributed 4-12-99) [Compiled & written by Cindy Friedman, with thanks to Graham Underhill, Brian Nunes, Jason Lin, Martin Rice, Rex Wockner, Chris Ambidge, John Aravosis, Fundacion Triangulo, Greg Gordon & Lucia Chappelle] Anchored by Cindy Friedman and Leo Garcia The first trial in the notorious bashing murder of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard ended abruptly this week. Before jury selection had been completed, Russell Henderson escaped the death penalty by pleading guilty to kidnapping and unpremeditated murder in the commission of a felony. He was immediately given the maximum sentence of two consecutive life terms without possibility of parole. In his recounting of the events leading to Shepard's death, he admitted to driving the truck that took him, fellow suspect Aaron McKinney and Shepard to an isolated spot, and to tying Shepard to a fence at McKinney's instruction. But as Henderson told it, it was McKinney's idea to rob Shepard, while Henderson at first disagreed; and only McKinney beat and pistol-whipped Shepard, while Henderson told him to stop. McKinney's attorney later told reporters these statements were fabricated and Henderson's attorney defended them, until a judge put a gag order on both, pending McKinney’s trial in August. Although Henderson apologized for his deeds, the judge said he didn't believe Henderson felt remorse, while Shepard's parents were far from ready to forgive. Judy Shepard said to Henderson, "I hope you never experience another day or night without experiencing the terror, humiliation, the hopelessness and helplessness that my son felt that night." U.S. President Bill Clinton again urged passage of the national Hate Crimes Prevention Act this week, at a White House gathering held specifically for that purpose. The bill would add sexual orientation and disability to the existing federal hate crimes law, while significantly expanding federal authorities' ability to act on bias crimes. Clinton connected the racism of his Southern childhood to ethnic violence in Kosovo, Bosnia, and Rwanda, gender violence in Afghanistan, racial and religious violence in the Middle East, and bias crimes in the U.S., saying that "it is very easy to get into a social system where you always get to think a little better of yourself because you've always got someone that you can dehumanize. And that's really what this whole issue with gays is today in America." The President also announced several new initiatives to promote tolerance. Last year, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act died in committees in both the House and Senate, despite intense lobbying efforts in the wake of the bashing murder of Matthew Shepard. Its prospects aren't much better this year. A bill to add sexual orientation and disability to the protected categories in Colorado's ethnic intimidation law edged past the state House Appropriations Committee this week by a vote of 6 - 5. The same committee had killed similar measures in each of the last three years, but this time two Republicans joined Democrats in its support. The bill's first-ever floor debate is expected to end in a close House vote that could go either way. In Vermont, there's already a hate crimes law to punish homophobic perpetrators, but this week the state Senate approved a bill more directly aimed at protecting victims. The measure would allow victims to file for restraining orders against those who are harassing them based on their membership in a group, similar to protective orders granted to battered women. Supporters believe these "civil rights injunctions" could provide easier, faster relief for victims, especially those who've suffered a series of repeated attacks by the same offenders. Violation of the orders would be a crime punishable with fines or imprisonment, with the penalties increasing if the violation is repeated. The bill will next be considered by the Vermont House. California's "Dignity for All Students" bill won the minimum vote for passage by the Assembly Education Committee this week, despite intense opposition from the religious right. The measure by openly lesbian Assemblymember Sheila Kuehl to add sexual orientation to the state's anti-discrimination law for public schools has failed twice before, but has an excellent chance of enactment this year. It will next be heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, chaired by openly lesbian Assemblymember Carole Migden. Lou Sheldon's Traditional Values Coalition had placed radio ads opposing the bill, and the Family Research Council joined in, denouncing what it misleadingly labels the "homosexual curriculum bill." But even lawmakers who voted against the legislation were deeply moved by the personal testimony of two students who had experienced severe harassment by their peers while teachers stood idly by. Other students demonstrated support this week for equal treatment of gays and lesbians, by remaining silent. On some 200 high school and college campuses in the U.S. and Canada, they observed the fourth annual Day of Silence, perhaps the largest of any action organized by young people for lesbigay and transgender civil rights. While not speaking for nine hours, the students communicated with stickers and cards saying, "The Day of Silence is to draw attention to those who have been silenced by hatred, oppression and prejudice. Think about the voices you are not hearing. What can you do to end the silence? One silence ended this week, as the World Congress of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Jewish Organizations for the first time received a letter from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While Jewish groups often receive communiques from the Israeli government, the Congress had never before gotten even a meaningful answer to its own letters advocating for gays and lesbians in Israel. What they have now received is a letter with a clipping entitled "Palestinian Police Chief Maligns Homosexuals," with negative quotes from Palestinian police chief Ghazi Jibali carefully underscored. World Congress vice president Lee Walzer objected to Jibali's remarks, but declared the Palestinian affair outside his group's purview. However, he said, "We will be glad to continue receiving material and briefings on issues important to our communities." In Yugoslavia, the Serbs are reportedly demonizing their Western enemies by describing them as gay. Although homosexual acts were decriminalized there five years ago, homophobia and discrimination remain rampant. The end of diplomatic relations with the West has deprived the Yugoslav group Campaign Against Homophobia of all its major funders, forcing the closure of its offices. But taunts about sexual orientation were severely punished by Britain's Football Association this week. A disciplinary committee of the pro soccer authority took up a case of homophobic taunting for what may be the first time. While the racial taunting that's apparently more typical there is usually punished with censure alone, Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler received a two-game suspension for words and gestures he directed against Chelsea fullback Graeme Le Saux in February. Le Saux, who ultimately knocked Fowler to the ground with an elbow to the head, had been expected to be slapped with a four-game suspension, but because of the provocation involved, he was banned from only one game and fined 5,000-pounds. The two had long since apologized to each other and shook hands when they met as teammates in Britain's international lineup. In France, the Jospin government's bill to extend most social and financial benefits of marriage to unmarried couples was passed again by the National Assembly this week, by a vote of 300 to 253. The bill to create contracts of "civil solidarity" known as PACS, had passed in the Assembly in December, but was voted down in the Senate last month. The Senate went on to pass its own domestic partners measure with no provisions for same-gender couples -- even though gay and lesbian couples were the main reason for proposing the contracts in the first place. The latest Assembly version is open to both heterosexual and same-gender couples, but no longer allows contracts between blood relatives. That version will now return to the Senate. It cannot become law until both houses agree on the language and the Constitutional Council has given its approval. The parliament of the Spanish region of Aragon has enacted an "Unmarried Couples Law" which does include gays and lesbians. Couples are defined as two unmarried, unrelated individuals of legal age in a relationship of mutual affection who have lived together for two years, and who register with the regional administration. Unmarried heterosexual couples and same-gender couples are treated the same in most respects under the law, except that adoption rights are denied to gay and lesbian couples. Like the domestic partner law recently passed in Catalonia, the Aragon law can only deal with the obligations between the individuals involved in a partnership; the regional parliaments lack the authority to change couples' recognition by the government for issues such as pensions and taxation. The measure received support from all the political parties in the regional parliament except for the national ruling party, Partido Popular. And finally, despite the vehement objection of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, those drag nuns, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, celebrated their 20th anniversary on Easter Sunday with 7,000 of their closest friends and no problems at all. Before joining the Castro block party, several hundred gays and lesbians held an Easter eve service atop Mount Davidson, whose 100-foot cross was lighted in rainbow colors for the occasion. Metropolitan Community Church Pastor Jim Mitulski, who led that service, said, "If we believe in the resurrection of Jesus 2,000 years ago, we have to believe reconciliation is possible today."