The following are actual excerpts from the resolution passed here. Whereas the Board of Commissioners makes the following finding of fact; that the traditional family structure is in accord with those community standards;... that lifestyles advocated by the gay community should not be endorsed by public policy makers, because they are incompatable with the standards to which this community subscribes; and that gay lifestyle units are directly contrary to state laws. Now therefore be it resolved: Cobb County openly and vigorously supports the current community standards established by state laws regarding gay lifestyles; the Board of Commisioners pledges not to fund those activities which seek to contravene these existing community standards;... Be it further resolved, the Board of Commissioners intends to send this message to policy makers of this country such that a previously silent voice will be heard. Yes, there is quite a stir here among many groups, and not just queer groups either. The decision to selectively fund the arts in this way, based on some nebulous idea of "family values" is being harshly criticized, and the word "censorship" has come up a lot. (Go figure...) As to the part about gay lifestyle units being directly contrary to state law, I think that they are actually in the wrong here. Obviously, MOTSS couples cannot obtain a marriage licence here, but I think that this ia an allusion to the law prohibiting sodomy. I think that it has never occured to these commissioners that, for example, the law does not specificy gender, that MOTSS couples do not necessarily engage in the proscribed acts, and that if the acts occur between consenting adults, it's none of their business, anyway. The same law would make MOTOS couples guilty for oral sex. No one complains about that... As a matter of fact, let me see if I can get the code section for sodomy... OCGA 16-6-2. SODOMY; AGGRAVATED SODOMY (a) A person commits the offense of sodomy when he performs or submits to any sexual act involving the sex organs of one person and the mouth or anus of another. A person commits the offense of aggravated sodomy when he commits sodomy with force and against the will of the other person. (b) A person convicted of the offense of sodomy shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than 20 years. A person convicted of the offense of aggravated sodomy shall be punished by imprisonment for life or for imprisonment for not less than one nor more than 20 years. [annotation deleted] This is always such a problem, because aggravated sodomy is in the same code section as sodomy. This would be like having voluntary sex prohibited in the same code section as rape. (The offense of rape in GA only applies to a man having forcible genital-genital sex with a woman. Any other situation has to be prosecuted as agg. sodomy, agg. sexual battery, etc.) As far as the theater types go here, there is a considerable stir. No one seems to like the idea of being told what to produce under threat of not being funded. The Cobb County Commissioners have taken so much fire over the past few days that the commission chairman, Bill Byrne, has announced that he would like to just cut off ALL funding for the arts in Cob County. (another brilliant move.) -- Mark Noel Internet: gt2118b@prism.gatech.edu | "The tragedy in life is not what knoel@gonzo.cs.columbia.edu | men suffer, but what they miss." Snail: P.O. Box 32118 - Ga Tech | -Thomas Carlyle Atlanta, GA. 30332 | #include Extra Disclaimer: any opinions expressed here are MINE and MINE ONLY. I really mean it. I do NOT speak for CCSO, or for Cobb County.