NewsWrap for the week ending August 3, 2002 (As broadcast on This Way Out program #749, distributed 8-05-02) [Written by Cindy Friedman, with thanks to Graham Underhill, Chris Ambidge, Brian Nunes, Jason Lin, Rex Wockner, Lucia Chappelle & Greg Gordon] Anchored by Cindy Friedman and Greg Gordon Canada's federal Government announced this week that it's filing an appeal to the mid-July Ontario Superior Court ruling that declared denial of legal marriage to gay and lesbian couples is unconstitutional discrimination. The brief announcement by Justice Minister Martin Cauchon cited a responsibility "to seek further clarity" on the issue, given two earlier provincial court rulings supporting restriction of marriage exclusively to heterosexual couples and divided public opinion. Cauchon added that "in today's society the existence of a committed relationship is of great importance to our lives whether for opposite-sex couples or for same-sex couples." Cauchon then immediately became inaccessible to media for a week, and the rest of the Government has remained silent as well. It's believed there are no strong opponents of equal marriage rights in the Cabinet and that seven Cabinet members actually support them, although only Heritage Minister Sheila Copps has publicly spoken in favor. Jean Chretien's ruling Liberal Party will be caucusing by phone on the question in the coming week. While the religious right hailed the announcement, it sparked strongly-worded criticism from gay and lesbian marriage activists and from gay and gay-supportive politicians. Activists warned the Government will be spending C$10-million in pursuing a legal struggle it's bound to lose in the end. In Quebec, where Cauchon is the federal minister, the provincial government had placed full-page ads in several newspapers in support of full equality for gays and lesbians. In Toronto, the City Council passed without debate a resolution introduced by openly gay Councillor Kyle Rae declaring support for equal marriage rights. Openly gay Bloc Quebecois MP Réal Menard called the Government "cowardly" for looking to the courts to handle what it should be dealing with by legislation. Canada's first openly gay MP, British Columbia’s Svend Robinson of the New Democratic Party, said, "The Liberals are showing contempt for the fundamental law of the land." Also taking aim at the national Liberal Party was Vancouver Pride, whose spokesperson briefly threatened to ban four BC Liberal MPs from this weekend's parade unless they spoke out against the Government's stand. At a Pride meeting later the same day, cooler heads prevailed, and those gay-supportive MPs were again welcomed to join the march. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras organization was turned over to outside administrators this week because of its financial problems. Voluntary administration is the last step before going into receivership, although Mardi Gras' new administrators Sims Lockwood is expressing confidence that restructuring and new support can save the world-famous 25-year-old celebration. For now, though, all the organization's activities must be suspended indefinitely. In early July it had appeared that an agreement with a bank and community support had rescued Mardi Gras from the deep financial hole left by this year's celebration, which suffered from fears of terrorism that resulted in diminished international attendance and sharply increased liability premiums. But then one major backer's new legal advisers demanded guarantees Mardi Gras couldn't provide, and without his support the deal fell apart. Australian Prime Minister John Howard refused any federal support, saying, "Why would we? It's a commercial enterprise." The state of New South Wales also refused aid, as Acting Treasurer John Della Bosca said, "The Government believes that the reported A$400,000 needed by the organizers to keep the Mardi Gras going would be better spent on hospitals, roads or drought relief." That came as a bitter pill, since NSW is believed to have supported the World Rugby Championships to the tune of A$6-million, and economic impact studies have shown that Mardi Gras brings well over A$100-million into the state each year. The only public body considering supporting Mardi Gras is the South Sydney City Council, which seems likely to at least make an offer to purchase the rights to the name "Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras". Back on the couples front, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba this week passed a bill to allow same-gender partners to adopt a child together. The Government's Bill 34 was passed by a vote of 31-to-22, with the provincial Liberals joining the ruling New Democrats to outnumber the Opposition Tories. In the U.S., the Ohio state Supreme Court this week found that a lesbian couple can adopt a shared surname. The Ohio high court voted 6-to-1 to overturn lower courts' rejection of the request, which the state had argued was fraud because it would create a false perception that lesbian and gay marriage is legal there. Now Belinda Lou Priddy and Jennifer Lane Bicknell can legally both be known by their chosen surname, Rylen. Elsewhere in the U.S., the focus was on civil rights. The Westbrook, Maine City Council voted unanimously this week to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, credit, and public accommodations. Mayor Donald Esty is expected to sign the ordinance, which will then take effect immediately. Westbrook will be the 12th locality in Maine to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination. But the Christian Coalition of Maine, which was key in blocking similar statewide protections, plans to place a repeal measure before voters in November. In Allentown, Pennsylvania, a proposed ballot initiative to repeal a new civil rights ordinance was rejected this week by a vote of the City Council. The religious right group Citizens for Traditional Values had filed a petition for the repeal initiative, but more than 600 of the people who signed it claimed they'd been tricked into doing so. The state of Connecticut saw a U.S. federal court uphold its civil rights law in the face of a discrimination claim by the Boy Scouts of America. Because Connecticut's law prohibits the state from doing business with groups that discriminate, the State Employee Campaign Committee had prohibited civil servants from contributing to the Scouts via payroll deductions. The Scouts -- whose right to exclude gays was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court – then sued, claiming viewpoint discrimination. But the court found that the Scouts have to bear the consequences of their policies, saying, "The BSA asks the Court to declare that its lawful and constitutionally-protected right to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation is synonymous with compliance with the non-discrimination laws of the state, specifically the Gay Rights Law. The Court finds to the contrary." The Scouts will appeal that ruling. With that other U.S. group in uniform that legally discriminates against gays and lesbians -- the U.S. military -- a surprising chink has appeared in the anti-gay armor. The gay-affirming Metropolitan Community Church has won approval from the federal government to provide chaplains to the U.S. Veterans Administration. The VA provides support and outreach not only to veterans, but to active duty servicemembers as well. Now MCC is developing an application to provide chaplains to the military branches. And finally... in Britain this week, Alan Duncan became the first sitting Conservative Party Member of Parliament to voluntarily publicly identify himself as a gay man. Duncan's declaration came on the front page of the "Times of London", reportedly after weeks of planning with top Tories. Party Leader Iain Duncan Smith, no legislative friend to gays in the past, wrote Duncan offering his best wishes and "personal support" with a promise that coming out would not affect Duncan's political future. Indeed only the staunchest Tory traditionalists have been critical. Duncan has represented Rutland and Melton for a decade and currently sits on the front bench as the Tories' spokesperson on "global hotspots," particularly the Middle East. Conservative on economic issues but liberal on social issues, Duncan was not targeted for "outing" by gay activists because he voted in their interests. He's the only Tory frontbencher to have voted every time in favor of equalizing the age of consent for homosexual acts with that for heterosexual ones. Duncan's homosexual orientation has long been something of an open secret; even his home in Westminster, often visible as a center of party activity, is on Gayfere Street. He told the "Times" that, "The Tory view has always been, 'we don't mind, but don't say.'" But "Living in disguise as a politician in the modern world simply isn't an option. ... I think the only realistic way to behave these days, particularly if you are a politician, is to be absolutely honest and upfront, however inconvenient that may be at first." He added, "The Conservative Party has taken a long time to catch up with the world as it is. Nobody under 35 gives a damn about being gay these days but they feel repelled by people who sneer or condemn. Why on earth should the self-esteem of perfectly decent people be so permanently derided? The attitude of politicians can make a real difference." Duncan expressed a hope that his announcement will ease the way for others. Yet Duncan still hopes to keep his personal life private. He said, "I don't want to make a great song and dance about it. I don't want to be stuck with the label of being the first ever openly gay Tory MP. I hope people will put it in context and I will be allowed to talk about other things without being hounded by this." Along with the Duncan story the "Times of London" ran a cartoon commenting on the Conservative Party's growing efforts to appear less bigoted and more inclusive. It showed one Tory telling another, "I think we're becoming much more openly hypocritical." A couple of gay former Tory MPs had pithy comments as well. "Times" columnist Matthew Parris remarked, "I think Alan had a small burst of idealism, which happens from time to time, even to Conservative MPs." And Michael Brown, whose political career was destroyed by reports of his vacation trip with a young man, told the BBC that, "What Alan Duncan has done is to make sure that next time there is a Tory MP doing this, it is just one big yawn."