Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 15:22:52 -0800 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines - February 7, 2000 GLAADLines Contact: Bob Findle, GLAAD (323) 658-6775 ext. 31 findle@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 7, 2000 News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community 1. RHODE ISLAND CONSIDERS MARRIAGE BILL 2. EVENTS OPPOSE CALIFORNIA MARRIAGE PROPOSITION 3. NGLTF NATIONAL LAW REVIEW AVAILABLE 4. GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE CLUB GETS GO-AHEAD, FOR NOW RHODE ISLAND CONSIDERS MARRIAGE BILL: While Vermont legislators continue to debate how to implement the state's supreme court ruling that same-sex couples must have access to all the benefits and obligations of marriage, the Rhode Island House of Representatives will start work on its own same-sex marriage bill. Introduced Feb. 4 by openly gay Rep. Michael S. Pisaturo, the bill specifies that all Rhode Islanders, regardless of sexual orientation, should have the right to civil marriage. Pisaturo, a Democrat, points out his bill, titled the Equal Access Marriage Act, does not intrude on anyone's religious beliefs, an argument often used against such bills. "I am making sure people understand the difference between civil and religious marriage," he said. "They are very different. We can't impose views on religious institutions. =8A force them to marry anyone." Conversely= , he adds, "And no one religious viewpoint should dictate which marriages the state recognizes." According to Pisaturo, the bill already has the support of 20 house members. He expects the bill soon will be assigned to the Judiciary Committee, whose vice chairman is a bill co-sponsor. The bill is the only pro-same-sex marriage law currently being considered in the nation. "For me, marriage is a very prime topic we are going to face this decade," he said. "I will never debate the pros and cons of marriage as an institution - just the right to have it." Contact Pisaturo at 401-946-1905 for more information. EVENTS OPPOSE CALIFORNIA MARRIAGE PROPOSITION: This week, Feb. 10-14, those opposed to California's Proposition 22, the Limitation on Marriage initiative that says marriage can only be between one man and one woman, are holding Solidarity Sabbath, a series of events throughout the state focusing on the legal and social issues surrounding the proposition. Californians vote on Prop 22 Tuesday, March 7. San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, along with Evan Wolfson of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, kick off the events with an introductory press conference Thursday, Feb. 10. Throughout the state, Feb. 11-13, churches and synagogues will hold special services to show support against Prop. 22. All Our Families Coalition Executive Director Cheryl Deaner is an organizer. She said: "It has been really amazing to see clergy backing up our right to family." This support, according to Deaner, is very valuable. "What we are seeing happening, without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, is that these clergy are quietly educating their constituents all over California about our families and the fact that this seemly simple proposition is a way of codifying "Our family is better than your family." She said the clergy realize that treating families different "brings no peace to anyone's family." Contact Deaner at 415-681-1960 for more information on the various events. NGLTF NATIONAL LAW REVIEW AVAILABLE: The National Gay & Lesbian Task =46orce's Policy Institute's Legislating Equality: A Review of Laws Affectin= g Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered People in the United States now is available for use. NGTLF is calling it "the most extensive description to date of local, county and state laws addressing GLBT equality." NGLTF expects the 90-page booklet to be used by activists, journalists and policymakers. The report covers laws on anti-discrimination, hate crimes, domestic partnerships and same-sex marriage on the national level. It also breaks the data down for each state and then for counties and cities as needed. Entries give a law summary and the citation number for reference. Contact NGLTF's communications department at 202-332-6483 for more information or a copy, which can also be downloaded from http://www.ngltf.org/pub.html GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE CLUB GETS GO-AHEAD, FOR NOW: On Friday, Feb. 4, a U.S. District judge issued a preliminary injunction that orders the Orange Unified School District (OUSD) to allow students to form a previously disallowed Gay-Straight Alliance. More than 50 students have expressed interest in the club. The injunction said the students can meet at El Modena High School, in Orange, Calif., while their lawsuit against OUSD for denying them access to school property is processing. The trial is expected to begin this summer. People For the American Way (PFAW) and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund are representing the students. Kendra Huard, acting director for PFAW's California office, said that while the ruling is a great victory for the El Modena students, it goes beyond that. The ruling now will be a guiding precedent that could help other students around the nation trying to start gay-straight clubs, but who must sue school districts and boards to gain equal access. Huard said the students are planning to have their first meeting this week. OUSD could still block that from happening by banning all clubs, similar to the action taken by the Salt Lake City School Board a few years ago to stop a gay-straight club from forming there. The federal Equal Access Act of 1984 forbids public schools taking federal funds to exclude any one noncurricular club if others are allowed. Huard said the OUSD board met late Friday night, did not announce such an action, but still could. "It would mean that the kids couldn't meet, but the case would go on." She said she hopes the complete banning does not happen because it makes the gay and lesbian students targets for blame. Contact Huard at 310-478-6657 for more information. GLAAD, the nation's lesbian & gay media advocacy organization, promotes fair, accurate, and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. To subscribe, contact Wonbo Woo at (212) 807-1700 or at woo@glaad.org. 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