Quest News     Volume 13 No. 6   April 13, 2006
Compiled & written by Mike Fitzpatrick

Feingold Opposes Wisconsin’s Proposed Marriage,
Civil Unions Ban
Wisconsin Senator Joins AFL-CIO, League Of Women Voters Against Amendment
Madison - U.S. Senator Russ Feingold has come out strongly opposing the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and "substantially similar" relationships from being recognized in Wisconsin. In a statement issued April 4, Feingold called the amendment a "mean-spirited attempt to divide" the state and discriminate against gays and lesbians. He said it should be defeated in the upcoming November referendum, when voters also will cast ballots for posts including governor, attorney general and the Legislature.
  The statement noted that Feingold first publically announced his opposition while responding to a question posed at a Kenosha County listening session during the previous weekend.  Feingold said he strongly opposed the proposed civil unions and marriage ban facing Wisconsin voters this November. He also expressed his support for the right of gays and lesbians to marry.
  “The proposed ban on civil unions and marriage is a mean-spirited attempt to divide Wisconsin and I indicated that it should be defeated,” Feingold said. “It discriminates against thousands of people in our communities – our co-workers, our neighbors, our friends, and our family members. It would single out members of a particular group and forever deny them rights and protections granted to all other Wisconsin citizens. It would also outlaw civil unions and jeopardize many legal protections for all unmarried couples, whether of the same or the opposite sex. We shouldn’t enshrine this prejudice in our state’s Constitution.”
  At the listening session, held at the Village Hall in Paddock Lake, Feingold also expressed his support for the right of gays and lesbians to marry. “As I said at the Kenosha County listening session, gay and lesbian couples should be able to marry and have access to the same rights, privileges and benefits that straight couples currently enjoy,” Feingold added. “Denying people this basic American right is the kind of discrimination that has no place in our laws, especially in a progressive state like Wisconsin. The time has come to end this discrimination and the politics of divisiveness that has become part of this issue.”
  Feingold noted that removing the prohibition against gay marriage would not impose any obligation on religious groups. He indicated that no religious faith should ever be forced to conduct or recognize any marriage, but that civil laws on marriage should reflect the principle of equal rights under the law.
  State Senator and lead amendment sponsor Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) issued a response claiming Feingold's position is too extreme and out of touch with Wisconsin voters. "His statement today puts him far outside of the mainstream, both here in Wisconsin and across the nation," Fitzgerald said.
  Feingold’s statement was the latest in a series of public stances taken around the state against the amendment. On March 22 the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO announced its opposition to the proposed constitutional ban on civil unions and marriage. A week later a Janesville labor leader spoke of his union’s plans to oppose the amendment.
  On April 5 the Dane County chapter of the League of Women Voters addressed the issue a their monthly meeting, following an anti-ban opinion piece published in The Capital Times two days earlier by two of the group’s members stating the organization’s official opposition.
  The AFL-CIO statement viewed the amendment as anti-family. “‘The mission of the AFL-CIO is to improve the lives of working families—to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our communities,' said David Newby, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. 'Discrimination against persons because of their sexual orientation not only violates the basic concept of human rights, but it also translates into economic discrimination,’” the statement said.
  “The Wisconsin AFL-CIO is also concerned about the far-reaching consequences of the ban, including the potential impact on domestic partner policies,” the statement added,
  As the statewide coordinating council for all AFL-CIO unions in Wisconsin, the state AFL-CIO determines union policy on state issues, speaks for labor union members on matters of public concern, provides services to local unions, and coordinates political and legislative action with its 1,000 affiliated unions representing 250,000 members in the state.
  A week later, United Auto Workers Local 95 president Mike Sheridan told the Janseville Gazette in a story published April 1 that  union will “absolutely try to bring voters out against the ban.” He predicted the union would side with the state AFL-CIO by weighing in against the ban within weeks. "We will be taking a position against it," Sheridan said.
  Sheridan, a Democrat who also serves in the Wisconsin Assembly as the 44th District representative, also told the paper the amendment was politically motivated.  "This is another Karl Rove Republican strategy," Sheridan said.
  The League of Women Voters anti-amendment editorial was penned by Rose Sime and longtime PFLAG member Joann Elder. “This amendment is about injustice and inequality, not about gay marriage,” they wrote. “Never before has there been a proposed amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution to circumscribe and exclude any group, not African-Americans, not American Indians, not Hispanics, not the poor.”
  “Passage of an amendment of this nature will hurt every one of us,” Sime and Elder warned. “If you diminish the freedom of one, you diminish the freedom of all. Moreover, this is a violation of the equal protection clause of the state constitution.”
  “The League of Women Voters holds policies in the areas of equal rights, education, marital property reform, meeting basic human needs, health care and domestic violence,” the editorial continued. “All unmarried couples are affected in all these areas by the proposed amendment. Based on our anti-discrimination policy and our concern for equal rights for all citizens and all families, the League of Women Voters urges you to vote against this amendment.”
  Supporters of the ban had two opinion pieces published in last two weeks in the Sheboygan Press and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, neither writer appeared to represent any position other than their own. Both viewed the amendment as a means to stop so-called “activist judges” from imposing same-sex marriage on the public, a move that would destroy the thousands of years of “traditional marriage.”
  However, after her self-described “reality check” in early March, the state’s leading spokesperson supporting the amendment - Julaine Appling of the Family Research Institute of Wisconsin - apparently regained her more fantasy-rooted senses. In a March 20 “Wisconsin Family Connection” broadcast, Appling claimed amendment opponents were largely gay activists. “Opponents of Wisconsin's constitutional amendment resolution to preserve traditional marriage are primarily homosexual activists who are trying very hard to portray the amendment as a homosexual-bashing, hate-filled effort that seeks to deprive them of their ‘rights’ as ‘loving and committed couples,’” Appling said before trying to equate same-sex marriage with polygamy.

Residents Only: Massachusetts Supremes Limit Gay Marriage
Boston - In a disappointment for the gay civil rights movement, Massachusetts' highest court ruled March 30 that same-sex couples from states where gay marriage is prohibited cannot tie the knot in the Bay State.
  The Supreme Judicial Court upheld a 1913 state law that forbids nonresidents to marry in Massachusetts if their marriage would not be recognized in their home state. If the court had struck down the law, Massachusetts would have been open to marriages by gay couples from across the country. Then they could have returned to their home states to fight for legal recognition for those marriages.
The ruling leaves in legal limbo an undetermined number of out-of-state gay couples who got married in 2004 in Massachusetts when it became the first state to recognize gay weddings. Arline Isaacson of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus called the decision "a painful reminder that we remain second-class citizens."
  Republican Governor Mitt Romney, who is angling for a 2008 presidential run, welcomed the decision, saying he did not want Massachusetts to become "the Las Vegas of same-sex marriage."
  "It's important that other states have the right to make their own determination of marriage," Romney said.
  More than 6,000 gay couples have married in Massachusetts since the state's high court ruled in 2003 that the state Constitution gives same-sex couples the same right to marry as heterosexual ones. Romney continues to oppose the ruling.

Ohio Appeals Court: State’s Marriage Amendment
Excludes Unmarried From Domestic Violence Laws
Dayton - County prosecutors cannot charge some unmarried people under Ohio's domestic violence law because it conflicts with the state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, this area's state appeals court ruled March 31.
  The Second District Court of Appeals is the first of the state's 12 appellate courts to rule that the domestic violence law runs afoul of the Defense of Marriage amendment, passed by voters in 2004, and does not apply to "a person living as a spouse." The appeals court upheld dismissal of a domestic violence charge against Karen S. Ward of Fairborn, charged with assaulting her "live-in boyfriend" in Greene County,
  The ruling affects domestic violence cases in Champaign, Clark, Darke, Miami and Montgomery counties as well, Greene County First Assistant Prosecutor Suzanne Schmidt said.
  There are conflicting decisions around the state on this issue: the Fifth, Seventh, Ninth and Twelfth District appellate courts have ruled that the amendment does not render the domestic violence law unconstitutional for unmarried people.
  Schmidt said her office will appeal the Second District Court's decision to the Ohio Supreme Court within thirty days. According to Schmidt, until the high court decides, unmarried defendants, who would have faced felony domestic violence charges, will be charged with misdemeanor assault charges in Greene County. "It's not protecting anyone," she said.
  Ward was indicted in April, the second time Ward had been charged with domestic violence. Her attorney, Ellen Weprin, sought dismissal in May, arguing the state's domestic violence law, established in 1979, conflicted with the new constitutional amendment. The amendment says the state cannot "create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the ... effect of marriage."
  But the appellate court said the state's domestic violence law, which includes protection for "a person living as a spouse," conflicts with the amendment. "The state or any subdivision shall not recognize these unions," said Greene County Common Pleas Judge Stephen Wolaver, the trial judge who dismissed the charges against Ward.
  Montgomery County assistant public defender Michael R. Pentecost predicted April 1 that the appeal's court decision also will limit the ability of unmarried people to get domestic violence protection orders and state lawmakers may have to amend the amendment. "The people who backed this amendment were not thinking about these types of unintended consequences," Pentecost said. "They got so overzealous."
  Judge Mike Fain wrote the majority opinion, in which Judge James A. Brogan concurred. Judge Mary Donovan dissented. "The Defense of Marriage amendment is a part of the fundamental, organic law of Ohio," Fain wrote.
"We make no observations concerning the wisdom of the electorate in having adopted the amendment."
  Fain suggested that if the domestic violence law applied "to all persons sharing residential quarters, that would present no constitutional problem."

Revealed: Freed Iraq Christian Hostage Is Gay
Toronto - The co-director of the Christian Peacemaker Teams has revealed the family of freed peace activist James Loney kept his sexual orientation quiet out of fear for his safety. Doug Pritchard said in a press conference March 27 that the family feared Loney might come to harm at the hands of his Iraqi captors had they known he was gay.
  British and US special forces released A British and two Canadian activists without firing a shot March 23, ending a four-month ordeal during which hopes for their freedom rose, and then faded when a fellow hostage, American Tom Fox, was murdered. The three Christian campaigners were freed in a raid on a house in western Baghdad. Their captors had already fled.
  British pacifist Norman Kember, 74, Canadians Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, and Fox, 54, were kidnapped  in a lawless district of west Baghdad on November 26. All four were volunteers with the Chicago-based group.
  Pritchard says it likely wouldn't have helped if Loney's partner, Dan Hunt, had come forward with public pleas for his release. Hunt made his first public appearance since Loney's ordeal began when he greeted his partner March 26 at the airport.
  In 2001, Amnesty International reported that Iraq's constitution was amended to make homosexuality a crime punishable by death.

Senate Committee Kills Minnesota Anti-Gay Amendment
Polling Showed Minnesota Voters Opposed Marriage Amendment 54-40%
St Paul - Amid tears and passionate rhetoric witnesses made their cases, but few votes were changed in a Minnesota Senate hearing about a constitutional amendment to define marriage. The Senate Judiciary Committee   failed to pass the amendment, which would prohibit same sex marriage and civil unions, for further consideration by the entire state Senate April 4 here.
  For most issues at the Capitol such failure would mean the end. But for amendment advocates it simply means they will have to find another way to fight. "We haven't heard the end of this issue," GOP Senator Michele Bachmann and chief amendment backer said.
  Both supporters and opponents anticipated the vote would come out as it did. Two years ago, the last time a Senate committee voted on the amendment, it also failed.
  Despite the near-certain outcome, both sides brought their fiercest arguments before the committee. Both were allotted 45 minutes of testimony and 50 tickets to distribute to observers.
  The Democratic majority on the Senate committee likely were buoyed by a recent statewide poll released March 26 that revealed a majority of Minnesota voters opposed the constitutional amendment. The survey found 54% of registered voters were against the proposed amendment, while 40% supported it. Moreover, if the amendment also made same-sex civil unions or domestic partnerships illegal, support for it dropped from 40% to 28%.
  The poll was released as the Minnesota Legislature considered a constitutional amendment that says marriage and "its legal equivalent" can only be between one man and one woman. Most opponents and proponents of the amendment have agreed that the "legal equivalent" language would ban civil unions or other same-sex partnerships that would grant gay couples the same rights and responsibilities as marriage.
  Decision Resources Ltd., a Minneapolis polling firm, conducted the poll of 625 registered voters in mid-January. It has a margin of error of four percentage points and was commissioned by Equality Minnesota, a nonprofit organization supporting the rights of same-sex couples.
  Although an advocacy group sponsored the poll, a national polling expert said it appeared to be impartial. "My impression is it's a very carefully done survey. In terms of question wording, it is not misleading or biasing," Cliff Zukin, a professor of public policy at Rutgers University and president of the American Association for Public Opinion Research told the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
  The Equality Minnesota poll suggested a significant change of heart on the issue by the state’s voters. Last year, a poll conducted for Marriage for Minnesota, an organization that supports a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, found that 61% of Minnesota residents would vote for the amendment.
Nationally, 51% of Americans oppose legalizing gay marriage, according to a poll released March 22 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. But that number has "declined significantly from 63% in February 2004, when opposition spiked following the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage and remained high throughout the 2004 election season," according to the Pew poll.
  But since then, the Pew report said, "opposition to gay marriage has fallen across the board, with substantial declines even among Republicans."
  In the Equality Minnesota poll, Democrats opposed the marriage amendment by a 2½-to-1 ratio, while Republicans support it by a 2-to-1 ratio. Independents also oppose the amendment but by a narrower 3-to-2 ratio.
  However, the poll results also indicated that while most Minnesotans disagree with the proposed constitutional amendment, they also opposed gay marriage. 75% supported the current state law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, while 19% opposed to it. 48% held the belief that  permitting same-sex marriage would somehow damage traditional marriage.
  Most polls on gay marriage ask only a few questions about the issue. The Equality Minnesota survey asked more than a hundred questions on that and related issues. "The group wanted not only to know where voters are on that issue but how they see gay and lesbian rights in totality," Bill Morris, president of Decision Resources said.
  The results suggested Minnesotans have reservations about the proposed amendment. By a 61% to 29% margin, they agreed with the statement: "Minnesota already has a law banning same-sex marriage; we don't need a constitutional amendment."
  Moreover, 77% said an anti-gay-marriage amendment "could be a distraction from other important issues facing Minnesota." And 60% believed such an amendment "could divide us, and we need to work together for the good of Minnesota."
  By more than a 3-to-1 ratio, the respondents said gays and lesbians "should have the same rights and responsibilities as everyone else." An even larger proportion said government shouldn't treat people differently because of sexual orientation.
  By a margin of 48% to 38%, poll respondents said it would be all right for government to "allow something like civil unions," but not same-sex marriages. The poll showed that 40% of Minnesota voters have a close friend or relative who is gay and 52% know or work with gay people.

TV Networks Reject Pro-Gay Church Ad
New York - The nation's major television networks have rejected an ad that shows a gay couple and others being banished from a church, saying it violates their rules against controversial or religious advertising. The 30-second commercial for the United Church of Christ will began airing on cable networks and Spanish-language stations in late March.
  The ad, called "Ejector," shows a gay couple, a single mother, a disabled man and others flying out of their pews as a wrinkled hand pushes a red button. Text on the screen reads, "God doesn't reject people. Neither do we," and a voiceover says, "The United Church of Christ. No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here."
  The church tried to run a similar ad in December 2004 in which bouncers outside a church stopped gay couples, racial minorities and others from entering. The networks also rejected that ad.
  The decision by CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox to decline the latest advertisement shows the networks have a narrow view of acceptable images of gays and lesbians, according to church leader Ron Buford. "They are saying, 'You can entertain on 'Will & Grace' and 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,' but when it comes to showing you as whole people with the church, that is going to far," Buford said April 3.
  CBS spokeswoman Shannon Jacobs said the network has "a long-standing and well-documented policy of not accepting advocacy advertising."
  Kathy Kelly-Brown, a spokeswoman for NBC, said the ad "violates our long-standing policy against airing commercials that deal with issues of public controversy."
  Representatives for ABC and Fox were not available for comment, but Buford said both networks had told the church they have policies barring religious advertising. Buford said CBS executives had told him the subject would be considered advocacy advertising until the inclusion of gays and lesbians is common at churches in the United States.
  The ad will run for three weeks on CNN, USA, TNT, BET and eight other cable networks, along with three Spanish-language stations. The church spent $1.5 million on the ads, which will run through the Easter season.
  The church filed a complaint against CBS and NBC affiliates in Miami after the networks rejected the first ad in 2004. That complaint is still pending.

California Mayor: “Yep, I’m Gay!”
West Sacramento - Mayor Christopher Cabaldon has broken his silence on his sexual orientation. At the annual State of the City dinner at West Sacramento City Hall on March 29, Cabaldon declared he’s gay.
  "The pressure and the stigma and sometimes the all too casual bigotry in this town made it painfully clear when I first ran for office that I could either serve this community or I could be a gay man. But I could not be both," Cabaldon said.
  His disclosure, which had been planned well in advance, concluded a speech focusing on levees, "walkable" communities and schools. After celebrating the accomplishments of the city and discussing the future, he disclosed that he was gay. Cabaldon said he decided to disclose he's gay to make it easier for other gays and lesbians wrestling with making their sexual orientation public.
  His heartfelt disclosure brought the crowd of 150 developers, business and political leaders to a standing ovation, some with tears in their eyes. "We couldn't be more proud of our mayor," developer Bryan Taylor said.
  In an interview with the Sacramento Bee, Cabaldon said when he began his political career, he thought he couldn't disclose the matter. So rather than lead a double life or a secret life, Cabaldon said he decided he couldn't have a personal life. "Nobody could really out me before because I wasn't dating," said Cabaldon. "I'm still not dating or anything like that."
  The 41-year-old mayor's unusual "coming out" will be carried in documentary form on LOGO, an MTV Networks cable channel featuring gay-themed programming. A crew working for the channel had been shadowing Cabaldon for the better part of a week. The program is expected to air in July.
  While the number of openly gay elected officials has increased in recent years, both nationally and within California, most of California's gay politicians represent solidly liberal coastal towns. Most, however, have made their orientation known before they run for office. Cabaldon becomes the state's fourth elected openly gay mayor currently in office, according to Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund in Washington, D.C.
  Six members of the California Legislature also have disclosed they are gay: Assemblymen Mark Leno of San Francisco and John Laird of Santa Cruz; Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg of Los Angeles; and state Senators Christine Kehoe of San Diego, Sheila Kuehl of Santa Monica and Carole Migden of San Francisco.
  Cabaldon said he told his father he was gay two years ago. Cabaldon said he was inspired by seeing the mayor of Providence, R.I., attend public events with his partner.
  Seth Kilbourn, political director of Equality California, said Cabaldon's decision will have a positive effect. "Having more openly gay elected officials helps others come out," Kilbourn said. "People come out for a lot of reasons, but living openly and honestly is a basic human desire. People come out so they can lead their lives in a way that is not hiding a part of who they are."

High School Coach Banned For Appearing In Gay Porn
Breese, IL - A tumbling coach who worked with cheerleaders at Mater Dei Catholic High School here has been banned from the campus because principal Dennis Litteken learned the 22-year-old gymnast had starred in gay porn videos. Coach Josh Weast was not a school employee, but for the past three years he had been allowed to use the Mater Dei gym to coach about forty girls and boys.
  Weast said that he regretted making the videos, but he said he made them about a year ago at a time when he needed the money badly. Still, he said his private life should have no effect on his coaching activities.
  In commenting on the case, Rick Garcia, executive director of Equality Illinois noted private religious schools have a legal right to enforce their own values as long as federal anti-discrimination laws are not violated.

George Michael Gets Judicial Bitch Slap For Drug Use At Gay Cruising Site
London - Gay singer George Michael has been given a police warning for drugs possession after he was found slumped at the wheel of his car in Hyde Park here last month. The former Wham! member was taken into custody at the end of February when police arrested him on suspicion of possessing class C drugs and being unfit to drive.
  Michael  received a warning for marijuana, but charges of being unfit to drive were dropped after medical examinations. Michael admitted the incident was his “own stupid fault,” he said: “I was in possession of class C drugs, which is an offense, and I have no complaints about the police, who were professional throughout."

Former Village People “Cop” Faces Prison On Cocaine Bust
San Francisco - The original lead singer of gay icons The Village People, is facing five years in prison over cocaine and gun charges. Victor Willis appeared on stage as the cop between 1977 and 1980 along with a sailor, a cowboy, an Indian, a leather enthusiast and a construction worker, but now he has found himself on the wrong side of the law after being arrested here when cocaine was found in his car.
  Assistant district attorney Morley Pitt said that “It’s sad his life has spiralled down to the point where in all likelihood he’s going to prison.” Police had previously caught him with drugs and a loaded pistol in his car last year.
  Willis, who helped write hits such as “YMCA” and “In The Navy,” and who is married, has claimed he asked to leave the band when the other members were identified as gay.

Vin Diesel Slams Gay Rumors
Los Angeles - Hollywood action star Vin Diesel has slammed rumors he is gay and remains defiant about keeping his personal life private. The XXX star has been notoriously guarded when it comes to his romantic relationships.
  "I'm not gonna put it out there on a magazine cover like some other actors,” Diesel said. "I come from the Harrison Ford, Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino code of silence."
  Diesel claims he prefers to date in Europe, where he's not as easily recognized and thinks celebrities dating other celebrities are just asking for trouble. The actor also doesn't want people going through his garbage, taking his photo at Starbucks or making his name into a  punch line.

Gay Chamber of Commerce Launches Women’s Business Initiative
Washington, DC - The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) will celebrating women’s history month by launching the Women’s Business Initiative (WBI).  The WBI will serve as a clearinghouse for networking, mentoring and best practices for the lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LBT) community.  Kate Karasmeighan, Manager of the Women’s Business Initiative said “The LGBT community is unique in that its diversity reflects that of general society.  As such, the NGLCC appreciates the difficulties faced by women in the LGBT business community, and seeks to provide the tools needed by women to make their business and professional lives more successful and rewarding.”
   As a benefit for women who are National members of the NGLCC, the WBI will provide opportunities for business women, professionals and students of business to network and share ideas in a variety of online and face-to-face forums.  One significant resource offered by the WBI is a series of tele-learning sessions covering topics such as, Breaking the Lavender Glass: Being an Out LBT Woman in Corporate America, Hot Topics in Employment, and Balancing Work and Family.  
   Eileen Kessler, Founder and President of Omni Studio, a marketing communications firm in Washington, DC responded to the WBI launch; “I’m pleased to know that the NGLCC has created a place for the women’s business community to meet and share resources.  When we work together there is a natural camaraderie based on our experiences as LGBT professionals.  I hope women will take advantage of the opportunities the WBI offers.”
   Leading the Women’s Business Initiative is the Executive Circle, a group of women with a broad range of talents and skill sets, regions, and business and corporate backgrounds.  Michelle Phillips, Partner in the White Plains office of Jackson Lewis, a preeminent labor and employment firm, and member of the WBI Executive Circle shared her enthusiasm; “The WBI is an invaluable resource for LBT women business owners and professionals to congregate, share ideas and network together.” 
  The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is the largest LGBT business development and economic advocacy organization in the world. The NGLCC represents the interests of more than 800,000 LGBT businesses and entrepreneurs is committed to forming a broad-based coalition, of LGBT owned and friendly businesses, professionals, and students of business for the purpose of promoting economic growth and prosperity of its members.

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