Quest Arts & Entertainment Feature:
Interview with Sissor Sisters Front Man, Jake Shears

Recent Ruling on DOMA & upcoming prop 8 decision will have far reaching impact

by Mark Mariucci
At the heart of the battel for Gay Marriage is the question of whether the government has legitimate interest in denying same sex couples the right to marry which will deprive them of all the rights that has come to be associated with marriage. As soon as the Proposition 8 lawsuit is decided, it is expected to go on to the Supreme Court. Most people also expect the recent judges ruling on DOMA will end up there as well. If the Supreme Court decides to settle, once and for all, the issue of gay marriage in America, it's possible both issues could be part of the same review.

The two lawsuits are for distinctly different reasons; The Boston DOMA cases hinged on whether Congress has the right to limit federal marriage benefits to gay couples already legally married under state law. In the Prop 8 trial, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in California will rule on whether the U.S. Constitution forbids a decision by citizens of a state to change their own state constitution to forbid gay marriage.

Congress passed DOMA in 1996, in the middle of public outcry about the sanctity of marriage and the immorality of homosexuality. It was three years after Hawaii’s Supreme Court was first to rule in favor of gay marriage. DOMA defined marriage — for federal purposes — as only between one man and one woman. States still had the right to decide on Gay Marriage, however DOMA insured the federal government wouldn’t recognize those marriages. The law also said no state could be forced to recognize a gay marriage from another state. California voters passed Prop 8 in November 2008, just months after its Supreme Court had struck down a state law preventing gay marriage. It changed the state constitution to make gay marriage illegal in California. Many other states have follwoed this path including Wisconsin with the marriage ammendment passed in 2006.

The judge’s decision on DOMA declaring a state law allowing same-sex marriage in Massachusetts should take precedence over a federal definition of marriage exposed weaknesses groups working to bolster states’ rights will have to face. The Tea Party, 9/12 and Tenth Amendment movements, all argue the Sates authority should trump Washington most of the time. The DOMA ruling fits in with the ideology of these groups, but at the same time, many in these movements are for preserving marriage for one man and woman. The DOMA ruling worked against those goals.

Some fear the ruling will be misinterpreted as affecting all states, giving a reason to toughen laws banning same-sex marriage in places where it is unpopular.

City Pays Milwaukee Gay Arts Center and Clarifies Theater License Requirements

Milwaukee– July 14 The Milwaukee Gay Arts Center received a check for $20,000 from the City of Milwaukee in settlement of a federal lawsuit filed on its behalf by the ACLU of Wisconsin. The suit alleged that the City violated the First Amendment by shutting down “Naked Boys Singing,” a musical play with gay themes that has been produced around the country, after receiving complaints from a citizen who objected to its content.

  Paul Masterson, the Executive Director of the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, said the settlement sends a message that the government should not interfere lightly with theatrical works, including works that express and celebrate gay identity. “Good theater sometimes challenges convention,” he said. “The police should not shut down a play because some people find it offensive.”

  City officials told MGAC representatives that it could not stage the play because the Center had not obtained a theater license required by a local ordinance. The ordinance requires that the Common Council approve theater license applications, but the Common Council was not meeting until long after “Naked Boys Singing” was scheduled to run. After the play was shut down, the City determined that, because the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center was a non-profit organization, it was exempt from the license requirement. After the dispute over “Naked Boys Singing” emerged, the City changed its theater licensing forms to make clear that non-profits were not required to get a theater license. However, the city ordinance still requires for-profit theaters to obtain a license and puts no time limit on when the Common Council must decide on the license application.

  “Requiring any theater to get a license before putting on a play comes dangerously close to the kind of ‘prior restraint’ on speech the First Amendment was designed to prohibit,” said ACLU of Wisconsin Legal Director Larry Dupuis. “We are pleased that the City has clarified the process so that non-profits will know they are not required to get a license. However, we continue to believe that the City should amend its ordinance to limit the time the City has to issue any theater license. It’s too easy for the authorities to just delay giving the permit to performances they don’t like.”
 
MGAC was represented in the case by cooperating counsel Steve Porter and Jeff Scott Olson of Madison, Wisconsin, and ACLU of Wisconsin legal director Larry Dupuis.

Barrett campaign finds rich support at gay pride event

Green Bay - Tom Barrett's campaign people came away from Green Bay on Saturday evening exhausted, but beaming.   For nine hours the Barrett team worked the crowd in heat, humidity and a brief thundershower at the city's Pride Alive LGBT festival.  By that evening, their diligence had added 470 signatures to the Milwaukee Mayor's gubernatorial nominating petitions.

As the Barrett people discovered over the weekend, Wisconsin's gay and lesbian community continues to be one of the party's richest troves of support.  Still aware of the Democrat's bold inclusion of a domestic partners registry in the state's biennial budget, the crowd was largely affirming to the campaigns that made a presence to the festival.

Part of the reason for the crowd's warmth was the positive political messaging woven into the festival's entertainment.  The organizers had produced short, radio-style messages from supportive officeholders--local, state and federal--and played them as commercial breaks between the music.  That, plus the posed photos, smiles and handshakes by the candidates who attended built impressions of mutual loyalty with the gay community that may prove extremely valuable come this fall.

mmmmm

Above Left Photo: Jim Soletski w/ Pride Alive organizers
Andrew DeBaker and Andrea Schultz

Above Right Photo: Sam Dunlop with friend Lauren

Left: Henry Sanders with Jamie Shiner, Vice Chair, Wisconsin Democrats LGBT Caucus

Brown County Supervisor Patrick Evans--whose eyeing a run for Green Bay Mayor--paid a visit to Pride Alive.  So did current mayor Jim Schmitt.  88th Assembly District Rep. Jim Soletski shook hands as he circulated his nominating petitions.  Sam Dunlop, the former De Pere Alderman who's making his second run for 4th Assembly District seat, passed out his pocket-sized campaign stickers.

The local candidates were joined by Henry Sanders, the only candidate for Lt. Governor who attended the event, and by field organizers for the Kagen For Congress campaign.

FORGE; SHEBA Presents Commumnity Cares II
A presentation by Kent Lovern from the District Attorney's office

Milwaukee - In response to the Chanel Larkin murder, FORGE; SHEBA, a program of Diverse and Resilient; and the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center's Anti-Violence Project are sponsoring a second Community Cares meeting at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 25, 2010 at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, 315 W. Court Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

  Kent Lovern from the Milwaukee District Attorney's office will explain what comes next in the prosecution of the person accused of Chanel's murder.  Although he will not be able to talk about the case itself since it's still being prosecuted, he will take questions about how the prosecution and sentencing process works, including what might happen if there is a plea bargain.

  After the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to revisit the previous meeting's suggestions of conducting a court watch and/or march and, if those are still desired, determine the next steps.  We will make space at the end to talk about what other actions we as a community want to take to heal from this terrible crime.

  Snacks will be provided.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  For more information, contact Michael Munson @ tgwarrior@forge-forward.org or 414-559-2123

Leather, Levis and Lifestyles Conference

Racine - The LGBT Center of Southeast Wisconsin will offer a conference on Leather, Levis and Lifestyles Saturday August 14. Guest speakers include Jack Rinella, Patrick, Ron Kosek and other prominent members of the greater Leather/Levi community of the Wisconsin/Illinois area.

The conference and talk, beginning at 1 p.m., will consist of a brief introduction of the participating speakers and their ideas as to alternatives within the Leather, Levis and similar lifestyles and their concerns about specific issues. Open to all on a first come, first serve basis. RSVP is recommended by July 30th given that the center has a limited capacity. Tel. 262-664-4100

Nominations Sought for OutReach Community Awards

Madison - OutReach, Madison & South Central Wisconsin’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Community Center, is seeking nominations of individuals, organizations and businesses that have made outstanding contributions to Madison’s LGBT community in the past year.  Awards will be presented at OutReach’s 18th Annual Community Awards Banquet on Friday, September 17th, at the Monona Terrace Convention Center.

A committee of community members reviews the nominations and selects award recipients. Past award winners, OutReach staff and board members are not eligible. Award categories are David Runyon Memorial Man of the Year, Susan Green Memorial Woman of the Year, Business or Organization of the Year, Ally of the Year (non-LGBT individuals or groups that support the LGBT community) and OutReach Volunteer of the Year.

Nomination forms are available at OutReach (600 Williamson St, 255-8582) or on-line at our web-site www.lgbtoutreach.org.  Nominations must be received by August 1, 2010.

OTHER UPCOMING OUTREACH EVENTS

Saturday, July 24th “The Kids Are All Right” Movie Matinee at Sundance, 1:25 p.m. matinee (meeting time, and details to follow). “The Kids Are All Right” is a critically-acclaimed film starring Annette Benning and Julianne Moore as a lesbian couple raising two teenage kids and what happens after the kids seek out their sperm donor father, Mark Ruffalo; coffee and/or dinner discussion to follow.

Saturday, August 28th Mark your calendars for the Second Annual W4W Summer Picnic and Party at Governor Nelson State Park for an afternoon of summer fun. We’ve reserved a shelter for the day which will feature a potluck and cookout, lively conversation, outdoor games, swimming and hiking. Help plan the event. Details will follow (time, directions, logistics, etc.)