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New Orleans City Council passed last month Domestic Partnership provisions,
whereby applicant may register at City Hall.  While having no "civil effect",
such as effecting successions, property rights or the like, the new ordinance
does pave the way for future gains in the mostly French Quarter and Uptown
Gay and Lesbian communities.

The ordinance was proposed by local gay leaders, with the most notable
efforts put forth by members of AIDSLaw and LAGPAC (Louisiana Gay and Lesbian
Political Action Committee).  Favoring the proposal, several noteworthy
speeches were presented by State Representative Mark Morial and others.
Conspicuously, support for the ordinance from Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson
(whose District C encompasses the highest density of gays and lesbians and
most of the French Quarter) was decidedly lacking - her reticence may prompt
greater turnout for the next local elections.

While New Orleans is in many ways a conservative community when approaching
the issue of sexual orientation, the attitude of the Council when approaching
this issue, as put by long-time local politician "Chief" Giarrusso, "It ain't
none of my business what they doing behind closed doors".