Quest Vol. 13 No. 13

*Quest News* Volume 13 No. 13 July 20, 2006 Compiled & written by Mike Fitzpatrick Top Story: Wisconsin Gay Marriage Ban Referendum Is A Dead Heat Poll Finds .7% Split With Liberals More Energized By November Vote Madison - Wisconsin residents are evenly split over whether to amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage and civil unions, according to a WisPolitics poll published July 8. With about four months to go before the question will appear on the ballot, support and opposition to the amendment is virtually equal throughout the state, with 48.5% supporting and 47.8% opposing the ballot measure, a less than once percent difference. 3.7% had no opinion or declined to answer. The telephone poll of 600 randomly selected adults had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. Other published polls conducted earlier this year had shown a 60- 40 split on the issue. However, the same polls showed support for same-sex civil unions and none actually asked directly about the amendment question. Internal GOP polling leaked last February showed a similar close 43-41 approval edge. Fair Wisconsin’s Mike Tate said the new poll demonstrates people are beginning to understand the problems with the ban. “Granted, it’s a long way from election day, but I think this is a good sign,” Tate told the Associated Press. “I think it means Wisconsin voters are starting to pay attention to the negative effects this will have.” Vote Yes for Marriage spokesperson Lorri Pickens claimed she was not overly concerned about the results because she believed the poll was not “a true reflection of the attitude of this state.” “I absolutely believe support is a lot higher than what the poll shows,” Pickens said. “We’ll do the grass-roots education, reiterate that marriage is between a man and a woman and we’ll keep them with us.” Pickens declined to explain how educating voters would reverse the 20-30% drop in support from a November, 2004 Tarrance Group poll conducted for amendment supporters. The Tarrance poll was conducted at the height of the Presidential election cycle when 14 states voted on similar marriage and civil union bans. The proposed amendment, approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature and strategically timed for the mid-term election, would add two sentences to the constitution declaring marriage is between one man and one woman and that unmarried individuals should not be granted a legal status similar to marriage, such as civil unions. The proposal will need a simple majority of voters to take effect. The GOP strategy of using the amendment to drive turn out by social conservatives may be backfiring, according to the poll, which was taken June 18-19. The poll found that the strongest responses appeared to come from self-identified liberals in opposition, meaning the fight against the amendment could help bring out Democratic-leaning voters in November. Also, self-identified political “independents” generally opposed the amendment. The poll found that politically, self-identified Republicans, conservatives or backers of GOP-gubernatorial candidate Mark Green supported the amendment. Self-identified Democrats or supporters of Jim Doyle’s re-election opposed the amendment. Wisconsin law already defines marriage as between a husband and a wife, a definition supported by a 1994 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling. Supporters continue to claim the real purpose for the amendment is to defend so-called traditional marriage against legal challenges seeking to allow gay marriage. Critics point out the broad language in the amendment’s second sentence threatens benefits and legal rights granted to many unmarried couples, regardless of sexual orientation. Fair Wisconsin Airs First Television Ads in Amendment Battle Eau Claire, Fox Cities, Green Bay, LaCrosse, Stevens Point & Wausau Areas Targeted Madison - The ad wars on the proposed ban of civil unions and gay marriage officially have begun. On July 10, Fair Wisconsin began airing the ads in three media markets covering nearly all of greater Wisconsin outside of the Madison/Milwaukee metro area. The thirty second ad introduces the two-sentence amendment on the November 7 ballot to viewers in Eau Claire, the Fox Cities, Green Bay, LaCrosse, Stevens Point, Wausau and surround areas. The ad explains that although voters will hear a lot about gay marriage, the ban is about much more than just gay marriage. The ad goes on to explain that the second sentence of the ban will outlaw civil unions and domestic partnerships for all unmarried couples - gay or straight - and the critical legal protections that would be available. “Because the language of the ban is so far-reaching, it will jeopardize even existing legal protections for unmarried couples, including hospital visits, health care decisions, health insurance, and pensions,” the narrator in the ad warns. The ad also directs viewers with Internet access to a new website devoted to opposing the ban: www.GetTheFactsWi.com, which also is affiliated with Fair Wisconsin. The ads will supplement the work of a reported 7,000-plus volunteers canvassing door to door, phoning and speaking out to educate likely voters statewide about the far-reaching consequences of the amendment and to encourage them to vote “No.” The ads' early impact apparently has ruffled the feathers of the "Vote Yes On Marriage" campaign. On July 14, Julaine Appling issues a press release claiming the ad contained "outrageous lies," and took offense with even the "GetTheFactsWI" website name. However, the press release avoided directly challenging any of the substantive points of the Fair Wisconsin ad. Nebraska & Tennessee Courts Deal New Setbacks To Gay Marriage Lincoln, Nashville - Courts handed victories to opponents of same-sex marriage in two states July 14, reinstating Nebraska’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage and dismissing an attempt to keep a proposed ban off the ballot in Tennessee. In the Nebraska case, the Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit overturned a ruling last year that the ban was too broad and deprived gay men and lesbians of participation in the political process. 70% of voters had approved the ban as a constitutional amendment in 2000. Nebraska’s amendment goes further than similar bans in many states, in that it also bars same-sex couples from many legal protections afforded heterosexual couples. For example, the partners of gay men and lesbians who work for the state cannot share their health insurance. The court ruled the amendment “and other laws limiting the state-recognized institution of marriage to heterosexual couples are rationally related to legitimate state interests and therefore do not violate the Constitution of the United States.” In Tennessee, the state Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union that contended the state failed to meet its own notification requirements for a ballot measure asking voters to ban same-sex marriage. The high court ruled unanimously that the ACLU did not have standing to file the suit. Like Wisconsin, Tennessee already has a law banning same-sex marriage, but lawmakers who support the proposed amendment said they wanted a backup in case the law was overturned. Similar steps have been taken in many of the other states that have specifically barred same-sex marriage through statute or constitutional amendment. World & National News: Feds To Georgia: “Give Gay Clubs Equal Access” Gainesville - A federal judge ruled July 14 that the White County High School here cannot deny a student gay rights club equal access or a fair opportunity to conduct meetings on school premises during non-instructional time. According to Beth Littrell, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who filed the suit on behalf of Kerry Pacer, a graduate who was present of P.R.I.D.E. (Peers Rising in Diversity Education), the ruling is a “triple victory.” “I think it is obviously a victory for our courageous young plaintiff, it’s a win for all students and a win for the principle of equality,” Littrell said. “It sends a clear message that school officials can’t discriminate against students.” U.S. District Court Judge William C. O’Kelley also ruled that White County cannot discriminate against student groups on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical or other content of their speech. “The law was with us and the judge agreed, and interpreted the law as it had been interpreted,” Littrell said. “The school did a good job of attempting to circumvent the federal law by dressing clubs up as organizations or faculty-led, basically slapped some lipstick on a pig.” O’Kelley ruled that school officials violated the Federal Equal Access Act during the 2005-2006 school year by barring P.R.I.D.E. from meeting on campus, while allowing other non-curricular clubs to do so. Brian Dorsey, the principal of White County High School told the Associated Press that he had no comment on the ruling because he “didn’t have time to read it.” Dual Defeats For Same-Sex Marriage In Georgia, New York Courts Albany, Atlanta - The gay marriage movement suffered two major defeats on the state level July 6, when Georgia’s Supreme Court upheld an amendment banning same-sex unions and New York’s highest court ruled that its state constitution does not grant same-sex couples the right to wed. Same-sex marriage advocates found some solace in the ruling in New York, a state where gay marriage currently is unlawful, because it gave legislators the option of approving a same-sex marriage law in the future. But taken together, the rulings represent a legal “valley” for the gay civil rights cause, especially compared with the “peak” of three years ago, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down anti-sodomy laws and the Massachusetts high court ruled that banning same-sex marriage violated the state constitution, according to David Buckel, the marriage project director for Lamba Legal. To same-sex marriage opponents, the July 6 rulings show they are gaining the upper hand in state-by-state battles over one of the nation’s most contentious cultural issues. In Georgia, the legal issue under consideration was not the right of gays to marry but whether the 2004 amendment--which was approved by 76 percent of Georgia voters--violated a provision of the state constitution. That provision states that ballot items cannot address more than one issue at a time. Attorneys for Lambda Legal and others had argued that the language on the ballot appeared to ban both marriages and civil unions for same-sex couples. The attorneys said that was unfair to voters who might be against gay marriages but in favor of civil unions that offer some marriage-like benefits. The New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, ruled 4-2 against more than 40 same-sex couples challenging the state’s decades-old statute limiting marriage to heterosexuals. Compared with the Georgia ruling, New York’s majority opinion, signed by three of the four assenting judges, offered the meatiest language to cultural conservatives. Judge Robert Smith wrote that limiting marriage to heterosexual partners is not solely based on prejudice or ignorance. Because childbirth is a natural consequence of heterosexual unions, he wrote, lawmakers could find a special benefit in promoting stability in those relationships. Moreover, he wrote that children generally thrive when they grow up with both a mother and a father. “Intuition and experience suggest that a child benefits from having before his or her eyes, every day, living models of what a man or woman are like,” the ruling said. In a strong dissent, Chief Judge Judith Kaye, joined by Judge Carmen Ciparick, condemned the majority decision as a step away from New York’s “proud tradition of affording equal rights.” Most New Yorkers, she wrote, “can look back on, or forward to, their wedding as among the most significant events of their lives.” The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force decried the 4-2 decision and called upon state leaders – including Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer and State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver – to pledge that they will do everything possible to pass and sign into law a marriage equality bill when the legislature comes back into session in January 2007. “Today’s tortured and intellectually strained decision is beyond disappointing. It is insulting to gay and lesbian people and our families,” Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman said. “It is an egregious departure from the New York Court of Appeals’ long and proud tradition of advancing liberty and dismantling discrimination. It is a disgrace to the constitution and the people of New York.” Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese also questioned the logic used in the opinion. “The court’s archaic reasoning is rooted in ignorance and completely contradicted by the facts of today,” Solmonese said. “The court threw the expert advice of child welfare professionals and years of scientific evidence out the window with its ruling against fairness.” Mike Johnson, senior legal counsel for the James Dobson-founded Alliance Defense Fund, said the New York ruling was particularly important because it was issued by one of the “more progressive courts” in the country. “Massachusetts looks even more extreme now, more radical,” Johnson said. Johnson helped prepare friend-of-the-court briefs in both cases. Some gay advocates fear that they have been losing momentum since March 2004, when the California Supreme Court halted a month-long flurry of high-profile gay weddings sanctioned by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Indeed, the dual setback came as the Massachusetts law is under threat. State legislators took up a proposed the postponed a vote on a constitutional amendment that would end the gay marriage provision. To become law, the measure must win approval from at least 25% of state senators and representatives in the 2006 and 2007 legislative sessions. The Massachusetts vote has been delayed until after the November elections. If the proposal passes that hurdle, as is now widely expected, the amendment would face a popular vote in 2008. However, none of the gay and lesbian marriages that have been solemnized in Massachusetts since 2004 would be invalidated, but future same-sex unions would not be allowed. Massachusetts is the only state to have legalized same-sex marriage, although Vermont and Connecticut allow same-sex civil unions. Bay State Lawmakers Delay Vote On Gay Marriage Measure Boston - Massachusetts lawmakers have delayed a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriage until after the November election. In a 100-91 vote, the joint legislative session voted July 12 to recess until November 9, two days after Election Day. Legislators also defeated in a separate vote a move to reconvene next week. Gay-marriage advocates said they had pushed for a postponement so they could persuade more legislators to vote against the proposed amendment and prevent it from reaching the ballot in 2008. But supporters of the ban were furious that the vote was postponed. The proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage represents the latest high-profile effort to overturn the 2003 decision by the state’s Supreme Judicial Court legalizing same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. Backers of the amendment say they have collected more than 170,000 signatures from registered voters to place the measure on the ballot in 2008. To get a spot on the ballot, the measure needs the backing of 50 legislators in two successive legislative sessions. The amendment declares that the state ``shall define marriage only as the union of one man and one woman.” Lawmakers had spent 4 1/2 hours working through half of the 21-item agenda for the joint session known as a Constitutional Convention. The proposed amendment banning same-sex marriage was 20th on the agenda. Opponents of the measure defended their decision. “The only people who want to deal with this right now are the people who want to put this on the ballot,” Representative Byron Rushing told the Boston Globe. “I’m waiting for the time when my side has the most votes. We did nothing that was against the rules. We did no funny business.” Ann Dufresne, a spokeswoman for Senate President Robert E. Travaglini, who presided over the joint session, said lawmakers recessed because by early evening they still had too many major items left on the agenda. “After hours of debate, a majority of lawmakers determined that we would not be able to get through the full calendar today,” Dufresne said. “And with only two weeks left in the legislative session, they are anxious to resume their work finalizing the budget, taking up overrides, and acting on important legislation and other initiatives.” Activists on both sides said they will use the next several months to try to sway legislators. “Every week we’re getting more votes,” Arline Isaacson, co-chair of the Massachusetts Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus said. The group is a leading opponent of the amendment. “This is evolution, not revolution. The more they see it, they more they know it doesn’t cause a lot of tumult among their constituents. It’s not a hot topic in their districts. People care about education, healthcare, and the economy. But we have our work cut out for us, a lot of work,” she said. ``We are nowhere near where we need to win.” Republican Governor Mitt Romney, who is eyeing a run for president in 2008, criticized the maneuver. “Tens of thousands of citizens have petitioned the government for the right to have their voices heard. They have played by the rules. This issue won’t go away until the people are heard,” Romney said. Demonstrators from across the state and the political spectrum had lined up outside the building, along Beacon Street. Opponents of the ban hoisted signs that read “No Discrimination in the Constitution,” while supporters held signs saying: “Let the People Vote!” Chicago Gay Games Under way, Montreal Outgames Next Chicago, Montreal - Chicago has begun hosting the Gay Games, an international athletic festival that is expected to attract nearly 100,000 people and generate as much $80 million for the local economy. The games will run through July 22. A new competition called the World Outgames, will begin four days later on July 26 in Montreal The 2006 edition of the Gay Games marks the return of the event to North America for the first time in 12 years, with events taking place throughout the city. During the Games, athletes, gay and straight, will participate in 30 different sports. Since its inception in San Francisco in 1982, the Gay Games have traveled around the globe, stopping in Sydney, Amsterdam and Vancouver. The Chicago games are on track to being the biggest to date, with close to 12,000 athletes from more than 65 countries participating in 30 events, and are expected to be an economic boon to the area. As many as 40,000 visitors are expected to join the nearly 60,000 Chicago area residents who will participate in or watch the events live. Organizers see the Games as a good opportunity to showcase Chicago as a gay-friendly destination. “This is a chance for us to establish the city as a long-term tourism destination,” spokesman Kevin Boyer told the Chicago Sun-Times. “The city has always been a destination, but it’s a much more competitive market now. To have a large-scale event like this helps set us apart.” But this year there will be second gay athletic event, a new competition called the World Outgames, beginning July 26 in Montreal. The new games are a result of a contentious dispute between the governing body of the Gay Games and what had been the host committee in Montreal, which is producing the Outgames. Behind the split was a fight over whether the Montreal committee could create the largest - and most financially successful -Gay Games ever, and who would control the budget. After failing to resolve those differences, the governing board of the Gay Games reopened bids with other cities, and chose Chicago. Since then, competition between the two groups has not been friendly. However, the two events appear to be very similar. Both will feature famous athletes, with Greg Louganis at the Gay Games and Martina Navratilova at the Outgames. Well-known entertainers Margaret Cho and Cyndi Lauper will perform at the Gay Games, while Liza Minnelli will appear at the Outgames. Some athletes are planning to attend both competitions as well. Duke Athlete Convicted In Prior Gay Bashing Assault Washington, D.C. - A Duke University lacrosse player was convicted July 11 of assaulting a man on a Georgetown sidewalk last fall after taunting him with anti-gay epithets. Collin Finnerty, 19, who is one of three Duke lacrosse players indicted on charges of raping a North Carolina woman, did not testify during his two-day trial. District of Columbia Superior Court Judge John H. Bayly handed the verdict after. Finnerty had waived his right to a jury trial.Bayly sentenced Finnerty to 30 days in jail, which he suspended in favor of six months’ probation and a $500 fine. While on probation, Bayly said, Finnerty must abstain from alcohol and stay away from Georgetown, but the judge declined to make him attend anger management class. Finnerty did not speak on his behalf during the sentencing phase. His only utterance was “Yes, your honor,” when asked if he understood he had a right to file an appeal. Bayly said that among the many “conflicting accounts” of what transpired in the early hours of November 5, the “clearest account” was given by Jeffery Bloxsom, who was attacked by Finnerty. Bloxsom testified that he was fearful of Finnerty, who he said kept throwing punches at him and asked if he would perform a sex act. Finnerty’s lawyer, Steve McCool, said he was disappointed with the judge’s ruling but thought the sentence was “very fair and lenient.” He said he intended to file an appeal on Finnerty’s behalf. After his arrest last year, Finnerty was offered the same plea deal as his two co-defendants that would have sentenced him to community service. But that offer was rescinded after Finnerty was indicted in March on rape charges in Durham, N.C. Finnerty, Reade Seligmann and David Evans are charged with raping a woman at a March 13 team party where she was hired to perform as an exotic dancer. All three have said they are innocent. Michigan Gay Partner Insurance Benefits Challenged By “Family” Group Lansing - A so-called “family values” group sued here July 7 to stop Michigan State University from offering health insurance to the partners of gay workers and said the school is violating a 2004 amendment to the state constitution. The American Family Association of Michigan filed the lawsuit in Ingham County Circuit Court and hopes to get a ruling setting a precedent that would block domestic-partner benefits at other state universities. The purpose of the suit is to ensure that courts rule on the constitutionality of domestic-partner benefits at public universities, according to Patrick Gillen, an attorney for the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, which is representing the association. “By providing same-sex benefits, MSU is recognizing same-sex marriage in substance, if not by label,” Gillen said. Deborah Labelle, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, said the suit is pointless because the state appeals court already is set to rule on the issue. The court heard arguments in a related case in April. Labelle characterized attempts to strip benefits from gay partners as “mean-spirited.” “In one fell swoop, they manage to diminish both what marriage is and to exaggerate the impact of domestic-partner benefits,” she said. MSU spokesman Terry Denbow said the school would not comment on pending litigation. State schools that provide benefits to gay couples include the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Northern Michigan, Wayne State, Saginaw Valley and Oakland universities. San Francisco Supervisor’s Budget Includes $300,000 Transgender Initiative San Francisco – The city’s Board of Supervisors has approved a historic $300,000 commitment to reverse the high rates of poverty in San Francisco’s transgender communities. The supervisors earmarked funds to improve employment and entrepreneurial opportunities to overcome high rates of unemployment and underemployment among transgender people in the city. “The Comprehensive Transgender Employment Initiative is a great investment for San Francisco,” San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty said. “Too many well qualified transgender people who want to work or start businesses are frozen out of the market. The Initiative is a vital first step in making sure that this community can fully participate and contribute to the well being of our great city.” The proposal had received unanimous support from the Budget Committee June 29. “This commitment is overdue,” Committee Chair Chris Daly said . “For too long, transgender people in my district and throughout the city have been isolated from living wage jobs and career opportunities. This initial investment signals an end to that reality and a strong step forward in full inclusion.” Funding for the Initiative will be managed by the City’s Human Services Agency (HSA) which oversees work force development. “We are excited to be part of a public collaborative developing this much needed effort,” HSA Director Trent Rhorer said. San Francisco’s Airport and the Public Utilities Commission collaboratively contributed $100,000 to the Initiative so that some of the employment training programs will be specifically geared to meet their employment and hiring needs. The remaining commitment comes the for city’s General Fund. Former ‘NSync Star Lance Bass Coming Out? Provincetown - Eyebrows were raised over the 4th of July weekend here when onetime ‘NSync star Lance Bass visited a popular gay bar with a prominent gay star. On July 12 the New York Post’s Page Six column reported that Bass had been spotted with openly gay “Amazing Race” star Reichen Lehmkuhl at Atlantic House, a gay bar in Provincetown, Mass. Following the Post report, a blog on the LGBT newspaper Washington Blade claimed that Bass had been outed. Bass declined to comment directly on the report, using spokeswoman, Cindy Owen to respond to mainstream media reporters. Lehmkuhl’s spokeswoman, Mara Santino, also declined to comment on the Post report. “Perhaps the Post is not outright saying Lance is gay. But by implication, we can all easily connect the dots,” Kevin Naff, managing editor of the Washington Blade told ABC News. In his “Blade Blog” entry “Bye, Bye, Bye to the Closet,” Naff questioned why Bass had allegedly continued to deny his sexuality while otherwise living what he described as an “openly closeted” celebrity, comparing it to what Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres had done for several years before they publicly came out. Over the July Fourth holiday, Naff wrote in his blog that Bass reportedly had made “the gay party rounds,” appearing with Lehmkuhl at several prominent gay Provincetown parties. His whereabouts were also noted by “gay bloggers” Andy Towle and Cyd Zeigler, Naff wrote. Bass, Naff wrote, “tried lamely to disguise himself with a hat” during his vacation. “Unfortunately for Bass, it wasn’t big enough to fool the New York Post,” Naff wrote, adding that it was the most media exposure Bass had received since “his odd and ill-fated attempt at space exploration.” Lehmkuhl and Bass have been spotted together several times in the last few months. Lehmkuhl became a prominent gay celebrity in 2003, after winning the $1 million prize for “The Amazing Race 4” with his former lover, Chip Arndt. “If privacy is what Lance wants, that’s something that’s easy to have,” Naff said. “But if you’re Lance Bass, and you’re going to the gayest town on the gayest day of the year and going to gay parties, you have to expect something.” State News: Pro-Amendment Spokesperson Involved In Political Scandal Milwaukee - Less than a week after making her debut as the new campaign manager of the “Vote Yes For Marriage,” a prominent political blogger has tied Lorri Pickens to a 1997 scandal that resulted in the harshest penalties ever handed down for political skullduggery. Bill Christofferson, writing in his Xoff Files blog on July 12, documented Pickens’ involvement in an “independent” group, the Wisconsin Coalition for Voter Participation (WCVP). WCVP raised $200,000 to mail 354,000 postcards and conduct a phone campaign disguised as a non-partisan get-out-the-vote effort for the Supreme Court race that year. The group illegally coordinated its efforts with the campaign of Supreme Court Justice Jon Wilcox and helped him defeat challenger Walt Kelly. Mark Block, a right-wing operative who served as the leader of WCVP, was banned from politics for three years, and fined $10,000 for his role in an illegal scheme. Block recently re-emerged at the head of another “non-partisan” group called Americans For Prosperity. Pickens served both on the board of the WCVP and as an associate director of Block’s current operation. Pickens’ husband Brent helped set up the WCVP and was later investigated, fined $35,000 and banned from politics for five years. Pickens herself appears to have escaped prosecution because she was married. A March 11, 2000 report in the Wisconsin State Journal stated: “Dane County Circuit Judge Dan Moeser on Friday ruled that the state’s marital-privilege law bars investigators from asking Lorri Pickens about statements made privately by her husband, Brent Pickens, an organizer of the Wisconsin Coalition for Voter Participation (WCVP). Lorri Pickens was an officer in WCVP, which raised and spent about $200,000 on postcards and phone calls in the 1997 state Supreme Court election.” Christofferson noted that with Justice Wilcox’s $10,000 fine added, “the $60,000 total was the biggest penalty ever paid in an elections case in Wisconsin.” Christofferson also noted that Pickens couple earned $34,000 from the WCVP in part for the renting of mailing lists used in the direct mail operaton. Lists of voters identified as likely to vote a particular way on an issue are critical tools in campaigns such as Fair Wisconsin’s and “Vote Yes For Marriage.” The pro-amendment group appears to be the Milwaukee-based operation for the Family Research Institute of Wisconsin, the lead organization supporting the civil unions and marriage ban. The “Yes” group lists a phone contact with a 414 area code, though it has a Madison mailing address. “Vote Yes For Marriage” does not appear to have a web presence at this time. FRI also operates another group called the “Wisconsin Coalition For Traditional Marriage” which currently appears to be inactive. The Coalition website has not been updated since late 2005. Christofferson noted the irony of Pickens’ use of “marital privilege” in the investigation of the 1997 scandal and her current position supporting the civil unions ban. “And Lorri is now working to make sure that if a gay couple ever engages in illegal campaign activity, they will have to testify against each other. Some things are just better left between a man and a woman, the way God intended,” he wrote. Republican Ex-Gov Dreyfus Explains His Anti-Amendment Stance Waukesha - Former GOP governor Lee S. Dreyfus has expanded his remarks on the forthcoming ballot to approve a constitutional amendment to ban gay civil unions and marriage. In his column published July 12 in The Freeman, Dreyfus both educated and defended his position on the amendment issue. Dreyfus began by noting the difference between civil marriage and Holy Matrimony. “Marriage, in my opinion, is not a covenant to be dealt with by the state,” the former governor wrote. “Marriage is a sacrament of the church. That sacrament should be defined by theology and by the churches alone!” Dreyfus also believes the Wisconsin amendment, if passed, will survive a challenge at the federal level. “Federally, such an amendment would never pass muster with the Supreme Court,” Dreyfus wrote. “The very First Amendment of the Bill of Rights clearly states, ‘Congress shall make NO law respecting an establishment of religion, OR prohibiting the free exercise thereof.’ Such an amendment nationally would do that very clearly. We wouldn’t put up with that as Americans, so why would we as Badgers in this state?” Dreyfus also cautioned organized religion that they might not like the “answered prayer” the amendment’s passage might bring. “I would warn church leaders to be very resistant to inviting the government into your tents. If you let the camel’s nose in, the hump will surely follow,” he wrote. Dreyfus concluded his remarks by noting neither side was completely happy with his position. “I know that neither the gay organizations nor the conservative right is happy with my position because it threads right down the middle,” Dreyfus wrote. “With both groups unhappy, I’m probably where I should be. That’s why I hope people would not support amending our state’s constitution with this ban.” Dreyfus’ complete column is available online at the Greater Milwaukee website: www.gmtoday.com. Dreyfus served as the 40th governor of Wisconsin from 1979 to 1983. In 1982 he signed landmark legislation banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation - the first “gay civil rights” law in the United States. He has been married to his wife, Joyce, for over 50 years. Earlier this month Dreyfus, along with former governors Tony Earl, Patrick Lucey and Martin Schrieber issues a joint statement formally opposing the proposed constitutional amendment to ban legal recognition of all married couples, regardless of sexual orientation. Lucey, an 88 year-old Roman Catholic, also has elaborated on his opposition to the ban in an interview with columnist Tom Sheehan. As a public official, Lucey said he took his cue from former President John F. Kennedy, who although Catholic said while campaigning he would accept no dictate from Rome. Lucey’s reiterated his anti-amendment stance just days after Wisconsin’s bishops urged Catholics to consider a “yes” vote on the amendment. 2nd Annual Rainbow Community Pot Luck Picnic Set For July 22 Milwaukee - The Second Annual Rainbow Community Pot Luck Picnic has been set for Saturday, July 22 from 11 AM to 4 PM at Lake Park, 3233 E. Kenwood Blvd. at Picnic Area #3 near the tennis courts. Attendees should look for the rainbow flags and decorations. Lunch will be served at 1 PM. Sponsors will provide: burgers, brats, hot dogs, vegetarian entrees, buns, beverages, condiments and utensils. Attendees with specific alternate preferences are encouraged to provide their own as needed. Pot luck items are divided as follows based on last names. Those whose names begin A-K are asked to bring a side dish such as potato salad, macaroni salad, etc. Those whose names begin L-R are asked to provide desserts and those whose names begin with S-Z should bring snack or appetizer items. RSVPs are requested. Please call the SAGE office at 414-224-0517 to confirm your attendance. This year’s Rainbow Community sponsors are ProjectQ, PFLAG, SAGE/Milwaukee, Lesbian Alliance of Metro Milwaukee (LAMM), Black and White Men Together (BWMT), Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church and the Brew City Bears. Visioning Project sponsors include: Cream City Foundation, Collage, Cream City Chorus, FORGE, Men’s Voices Milwaukee, Women’s Voices Milwaukee, Counseling Center of Milwaukee, Galano Club, Rainbow Families, Diverse and Resilient, Center Advocates, Best D Clinic, Saturday Soft Ball League, HIT Bowling League, PrideFest, Milwaukee Gay Arts Center. 15th Annual Guernsey Gala Begins July 21 Green Bay - The longest running local gay fundraiser for HIV/AIDS in any Wisconsin LGBT community returns Friday, July 21 for a three week run. The kick-off show for the 15th Annual Guernsey Gala will be held at the Napalese Lounge here beginning at 10:30 PM. The “dollar a vote” contest for the title of Guernsey “queen” benefits the Emergency Financial Assistance Fund and other client services for the 200+ caseload managed through the Green Bay office of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin. Rainbow Over Wisconsin, the not-for-profit charitable organization serving the LGBT community in the central, northeastern and eastern parts of the state, will again coordinate the project. Since its inception the Guernsey pageant has raised over $100,000 for ARCW and its predecessor organization Center Project. In addition to entertainers and the introduction of this year’s candidates, ARCW representatives will again recognize the Gala for its contributions for those attending who were unaware of the agency’s Community Service Award given at the Have A Heart dinner last February. The Guernsey Gala will again have an annual softball tournament and a variety of fundraising dinners, shows and other events sponsored by individual candidates. The event will conclude with a show on August 12 at a candidate sponsor site to be announced after a drawing at the kick-off event. Gay Christian Singers Jason & deMarco In Concert July 21 Milwaukee - Gay Christian recording artists Jason and deMarco will be in concert Friday, July 21 at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church, 1237 W Mineral St. here. Show time will be 6 PM. The trail blazing pair are currently on tour promoting the debut of their new album Till the End of Time. Having openly gay performers working the Contemporary Christian music circuit was, until recently, unthinkable. But Jason and deMarco, who are both a romantic and musical duo, are winning converts fast enough to make Jerry Falwell’s head spin. DeMarco was raised Roman Catholic, Jason Pentecostal. Both were successful performers before they met. DeMarco’s resume includes a solo pop album recorded in Italian, a part in a television commercial and a role in a traveling production of West Side Story. Jason toured with the Sound, a contemporary Christian act, until he came out to his band mates, who kicked him out of the group. He then went solo and found even greater success. In 2001, Jason moved to Los Angeles and met deMarco. After a year of dating, they decided to perform together, starting with the 2002 holiday album The Spirit of Christmas. Spirit Pop, Jason and deMarco’s 2004 album, is more sophisticated. Some of these songs could play just as easily on mainstream stations as Christian radio. The group visited Milwaukee, appearing at PrideFest to support Spirit Pop. Till the End of Time was produced by Alan Lett, with additional production from Grammy and Dove Award winning producer, Joe Hogue. While seven of the album’s twelve songs have been written by Jason and deMarco, additional writing credits on the disc include the two-time Academy Award, Grammy and Golden Globe nominee songwriter, Allan Rich. The first single from the album, “Trying To Get To You,” is currently in rotation on MTV’s gay-oriented LOGO cable channel and on XM Satellite Radio’s BPM channel. Dance remixes of the song are also popping up on dance DJ playlists at clubs around the country. Tickets for the concert are $20 and are available at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church or by contacting Corky Larson at wuidodog@yahoo.com. AIDS Network’s ACT 4 Ride Set For August 3-6 Madison - AIDS Network and Williamson Bicycle Works have set the fourth annual AIDS Network Cycles Together or ACT 4. The three hundred mile bike ride through southwestern Wisconsin will run from August 3-6 to raise awareness and funds for AIDS Network. ACT 4 has three primary goals: To provide a ride that is a substantial challenge for riders, but at the same time is fun and safe; educate the community, raise awareness, and teach tolerance; and raise significant funds for the benefiting agency, ensuring as high a return as possible. AIDS Network is hoping for three hundred riders the the event’s fourth year. Between ACT I, II, and III, 400 riders and 200 crew have traveled through small towns and cities all over southwestern Wisconsin, spread the word that AIDS continues to affect our state, and raised nearly $900,000. 87% of that amount, almost $800,000, went directly to the AIDS Network and the services that they provide in their thirteen county service area.. Registration for the ride is currently in its final stages, but there is still time to sign up. Registration costs $100 to register for ACT, and there is a minimum $1,100 fundraising requirement. Crew registrations for those helping riders is $50. Online registration and printable forms are available at the ACT 4 website at: www.actride.org. For more information by mail contact AIDS Network, 600 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703. You may contact ride organizers by phone at 608-252-6540 or 800-486-6276 or by fax at 608-252-6559. Feature Story: Top of Page Quest Home QNU Home

Wisconsin Gay Marriage Ban Referendum Is A Dead Heat
Poll Finds .7% Split With Liberals More Energized By November Vote
Madison - Wisconsin residents are evenly split over whether to amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage and civil unions, according to a

WisPolitics poll published July 8.
With about four months to go before the question will appear on the ballot, support and opposition to the amendment is virtually equal throughout the state, with 48.5% supporting and 47.8% opposing the ballot measure, a less than once percent difference. 3.7% had no opinion or declined to answer. The telephone poll of 600 randomly selected adults had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.
Other published polls conducted earlier this year had shown a 60- 40 split on the issue. However, the same polls showed support for same-sex civil unions and none actually asked directly about the amendment question. Internal GOP polling leaked last February showed a similar close 43-41 approval edge.
Fair Wisconsin’s Mike Tate said the new poll demonstrates people are beginning to understand the problems with the ban. “Granted, it’s a long way from election day, but I think this is a good sign,” Tate told the Associated Press. “I think it means Wisconsin voters are starting to pay attention to the negative effects this will have.”
Vote Yes for Marriage spokesperson Lorri Pickens claimed she was not overly concerned about the results because she believed the poll was not “a true reflection of the attitude of this state.”
“I absolutely believe support is a lot higher than what the poll shows,” Pickens said. “We’ll do the grass-roots education, reiterate that marriage is between a man and a woman and we’ll keep them with us.” Pickens declined to explain how educating voters would reverse the 20-30% drop in support from a November, 2004 Tarrance Group poll conducted for amendment supporters. The Tarrance poll was conducted at the height of the Presidential election cycle when 14 states voted on similar marriage and civil union bans.
The proposed amendment, approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature and strategically timed for the mid-term election, would add two sentences to the constitution declaring marriage is between one man and one woman and that unmarried individuals should not be granted a legal status similar to marriage, such as civil unions. The proposal will need a simple majority of voters to take effect.
The GOP strategy of using the amendment to drive turn out by social conservatives may be backfiring, according to the poll, which was taken June 18-19. The poll found that the strongest responses appeared to come from self-identified liberals in opposition, meaning the fight against the amendment could help bring out Democratic-leaning voters in November. Also, self-identified political “independents” generally opposed the amendment.
The poll found that politically, self-identified Republicans, conservatives or backers of GOP-gubernatorial candidate Mark Green supported the amendment. Self-identified Democrats or supporters of Jim Doyle’s re-election opposed the amendment.
Wisconsin law already defines marriage as between a husband and a wife, a definition supported by a 1994 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling. Supporters continue to claim the real purpose for the amendment is to defend so-called traditional marriage against legal challenges seeking to allow gay marriage. Critics point out the broad language in the amendment’s second sentence threatens benefits and legal rights granted to many unmarried couples, regardless of sexual orientation.

Fair Wisconsin Airs First Television Ads in Amendment Battle
Eau Claire, Fox Cities, Green Bay, LaCrosse, Stevens Point & Wausau Areas Targeted
Madison - The ad wars on the proposed ban of civil unions and gay marriage officially have begun. On July 10, Fair Wisconsin began airing the

ads in three media markets covering nearly all of greater Wisconsin outside of the Madison/Milwaukee metro area.
The thirty second ad introduces the two-sentence amendment on the November 7 ballot to viewers in Eau Claire, the Fox Cities, Green Bay, LaCrosse, Stevens Point, Wausau and surround areas. The ad explains that although voters will hear a lot about gay marriage, the ban is about much more than just gay marriage.
The ad goes on to explain that the second sentence of the ban will outlaw civil unions and domestic partnerships for all unmarried couples - gay or straight - and the critical legal protections that would be available. “Because the language of the ban is so far-reaching, it will jeopardize even existing legal protections for unmarried couples, including hospital visits, health care decisions, health insurance, and pensions,” the narrator in the ad warns.
The ad also directs viewers with Internet access to a new website devoted to opposing the ban: www.GetTheFactsWi.com, which also is affiliated with Fair Wisconsin. The ads will supplement the work of a reported 7,000-plus volunteers canvassing door to door, phoning and speaking out to educate likely voters statewide about the far-reaching consequences of the amendment and to encourage them to vote “No.”
The ads' early impact apparently has ruffled the feathers of the "Vote Yes On Marriage" campaign. On July 14, Julaine Appling issues a press release claiming the ad contained "outrageous lies," and took offense with even the "GetTheFactsWI" website name. However, the press release avoided directly challenging any of the substantive points of the Fair Wisconsin ad.

Nebraska & Tennessee Courts Deal New Setbacks To Gay Marriage
Lincoln, Nashville - Courts handed victories to opponents of same-sex marriage in two states July 14, reinstating Nebraska’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage and dismissing an attempt to keep a proposed ban off the ballot in Tennessee.
In the Nebraska case, the Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit overturned a ruling last year that the ban was too broad and deprived gay men and lesbians of participation in the political process. 70% of voters had approved the ban as a constitutional amendment in 2000.
Nebraska’s amendment goes further than similar bans in many states, in that it also bars same-sex couples from many legal protections afforded heterosexual couples. For example, the partners of gay men and lesbians who work for the state cannot share their health insurance.
The court ruled the amendment “and other laws limiting the state-recognized institution of marriage to heterosexual couples are rationally related to legitimate state interests and therefore do not violate the Constitution of the United States.”
In Tennessee, the state Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union that contended the state failed to meet its own notification requirements for a ballot measure asking voters to ban same-sex marriage. The high court ruled unanimously that the ACLU did not have standing to file the suit.
Like Wisconsin, Tennessee already has a law banning same-sex marriage, but lawmakers who support the proposed amendment said they wanted a backup in case the law was overturned. Similar steps have been taken in many of the other states that have specifically barred same-sex marriage through statute or constitutional amendment.