out in the mountains the rest of our world More Violence at Gay Youth New York — Lambda Legal reported last month that it is expanding its youth rights educational campaign to communities where students have faced antigay actions in the aftemiath of the election. At a Salt Lake City high school. a policy now requires students to get permission from their parents if they want to take a sarne-sex date to a school dance. A Missouri school pun- ished a student for wearing a gay pride shirt although antigay clothing is com- mon at the school. The Texas Board of Education wouldn't approve health textbooks unless the text was changed to define marriage as between a man and a woman. A school board in Pleasant Valley. lowa. Passed a policy that prevents teachers from reading books with gay characters in class. “We're alarmed by a notice- able increase in gay youth facing dis- crimination or hostility in just the last month since the election. While we've just been through a very contentious national election that focused a great deal on the rights of gay couples. that can't be allowed to threaten the well established rights of gay youth to be out. safe and respected in schools." said Michael Adams. Director of Education and Public Affairs at Lambda Legal. TWIRP Day Banned Houston — According to an Associated Press report. a tiny Texas school dis- trict has scrapped plans to hold a homecoming tradition in which boys dress like girls and vice vcrsa. thanks to a parent's complaint about the event's "homosexual overtones." Instead of corrupting mal- leahlc young minds with the gender- rolc switching "TWIRP Day." the ele- mentary to senior high schools held "Camo Day" for the militarily inclined or indoctrinated, with black boots and Army camouflage to be worn by everyone who wants to participate. TWIRP stands for “The Woman Is Requested to Pay." a switch on traditional roles wherein the man pays for date expenses. Spurger schools had celebrated the event. a kind of "Sadie Hawkins“ celebration. for years during Homecoming Week. Delana Davies, 33, said she complained after reading a school notice about TWIRP Day. "It's like experimenting with drugs." said Davies. whose 9-year-old son and 4- year-old daughter attend Spurger schools. “You just keep playing with it and it becomes customary. If it's OK to dress like a girl today. then why is it not OK in the future?‘ Hoosiers Expand Gay Paenls’ Rlyrts Bloomington — The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled late last year that les-. bian partners in lndiana who agree to conceive a child through artificial insemination are both the legal parents of any children born to them. According to the Associated Press, in a unanimous ruling, the court chided state lawmakers for being slow to deal with advances in reproductive technol- ogy and urged the General Assembly to address the “current social reality“ of unconventional families. “No (legitimate) reason exists to provide the children born to lesbian parents through the use of reproductive technology with less security and protection than that given to children born to heterosexual par- ents through artificial insemination." Judge Ezra H. Friedlander wrote. The coun's decision over- turns a ruling by a Circuit Court judge who found that a Bloornington woman. Dawn King. had no legal standing with the girl born to her for- mer partner. Stephanie Benham. because King was not a biological parent. Previously in Indiana. the only way for sarne-sex partners to each attain legal parent status was through a "second-parent adoption." a costly undertaking that grants parental righLs to a non-biological parent. Some judges in lndiana have refused to allow second-parent adoptions for same-sex partners. Ofllclal Cohabltatlon Los Angeles - The Housing Authority of Santa Monica agreed. after ACLU intervention. to allow a gay man on disability to live with his partner of ten years. Gene Boccia. disabled since :1 I974 hate crime. learned this fall. that he could apply to the Housing Authority to have his life partner Brett Crowley. a disabled vet. share his apartmem with him. Although the cou- ple has been together over ten years. they had always lived apart for fear of violating rules and jeopardizing their public assistance. The Housing Authority failed to act on the couple's request until the ACLU intervened, pointing out that state and local law prohibit housing discrimination based on sexu- al orientation. Last month. the - Housing Authority notified Boccia that his request to share his apartment with Crowley was approved. Because the two men could not live together, they were unable to apply to the state to become domestic partners. Now, they plan to register with the state and take advantage of the expanded protections afforded to domestic partners that are scheduled to take place on January 1, 2005. l.et’s Get Married, Eh? Toronto — Canada's highest coun said early last month the government can redefine marriage to include same-sex couples, but it added that religious officials cannot be forced to perform unions against their beliefs. As report- ed by the Associated Press, the ruling by the court in Ottawa brings to the final stages a long. bitter fight over whether gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry in Canada. Judges in six provinces and one territory had already overturned the traditional definition. allowing thousands of same—sex weddings. Canada would join Belgium and the Netherlands in allowing gay maniage if the government acts to make it legal nationwide. To pass in the House of Commons. the legislation needs the approval of about 44 of the 95 Liberal members of Parliament to obtain the necessary majority. One top Liberal predicted the legislation should pass easily after its introduction. likely early next year. church March Washington — The National Black Justiec Coalition. the nation ‘s only national African American gay and lesbian advocacy organization, con- demned an anti—gay march led by the Atlanta-based mega church. New Birth. under the leadership of Bishop Eddie L. Long. The focus of the match was to oppose the right of gays and lesbians to marry. “Gay and lesbian couples deserve the same freedoms afiorded to heterosexual couples in this country and African American gay and lesbian couples are no different." stated NBJC Board Member Jasmyne Cannick. “Black ministers should be marching to help garner more HIV/AIDS fund- ing from the Bush Administration as a way of protecting the family instead of pushing a right-wing agenda designed to divide the black community." The match was scheduled to start at the King Center. “To march from the King Center against the rights of gays is a slap in the face to the legacy of Dr. King,“ said NBJC President Keith Boykin. “Dr. King said injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," added Boykin, “but Bishop Long seems to think that injustice against gays and lesbians is perfectly fine.” Boykin noted that Coretta Scott King and many other civil rights veterans have spoken out in favor of marriage equality. Put Out Your Dyke shoes Zurich — Get your shoes out of the closet because the world's largest les- bian online community — www.shoe.org — celebrates the second “lntemational SHOE Day" on March 4, 2005. On that day, lesbians from all over the world will hang their shoes outside the window to show their lesbian pride and promote lesbian visibility. ' The “International SHOE Day” idea was born from the basic need to know that you are not the only one. According to the press release, “Not all lesbians have a fully function- ing gaydar and for many women it can get very lonely. Most probably have just one simple wish: that all lesbians woke up with green hair! Just for one day." The organization behind the celebration claims 100,000 members across the globe. Oklahoma to OK Gay A 'ons? Oklahoma City — In an order made public early last month, a federal judge gave the green light to Lambda Legal‘s lawsuit seeking to strike down Oklahoma‘s new antigay adoption law. The state had asked the court to dis- miss the lawsuit filed against Oklahoma's Governor Brad Henry and Attorney General Drew Edmondson. The law in question, passed hastily in the last legislative session, says that Oklahoma, “shall not recog- nize an adoption by more than one individual of the same sex from any other state or foreign jurisdiction." Lambda Legal represents same-sex couples who adopted children while living in other states and later moved to Oklahoma with their children or want to visit the state with their adopt- ed children. “The judge clearly sees how dangerous this law is for families in Oklahoma. Thefllslature singled out these families and tried to strip them of all legal protections, and that’s unconstitutional,” said Brian Chase, Staff Attorney with Lambda Legal. ’Bama Book Ban Montgomery — An Alabama lawmaker who sought to ban gay marriages now wants to ban novels with gay chame- ters from all public libraries. As reported in the Birmingham News last month, Republican Rep. Gerald Allen’s proposed legislation would prohibit the use of public funds for “the purchase of textbooks or library materials that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle.” Allen said he filed the bill to protect children from the “homosexual agenda.” If this bill passes, Allen stat- ed that novels with gay protagonists and college textbooks suggesting homosexuality is natural would have to be removed from all public and uni- versity library shelves and destroyed. Asked about Tennessee Williams’ clas- sic “Cat on a Hot Tm Roof,” Allen said the play probably couldn’t be per- formed by university theater groups. A spokesman for the Montgomery-based Southem Poverty Law Centercalled the bill censorship. “It sounds like Nazi book burning to me,” said SPLC spokesman Mark Potok. Michigan Workers Lose Benefits Washington, DC — 'I'he‘Human Rights Campaign denounced the decision to strip domestic partner benefits from Michigan state workers’ contracts due ' to the passage of Proposal 2, an amendment to the Constitution that denies marriage to same-sex couples. i “We’re deeply disappointed about this decision,” remarked HRC National Field Director Seth Kilbom. “This is a dangerous move for thou- ~ sands of families who are working just as hard as their co-workers but receiv- ing no health insurance for their fami- lies." Pope: Gay Destroys Vatican City — Pope John Paul launched a new assault on sarne-sex marriage, accusing gays of an “aggres- sive attempt to legally undermine the family,” as reported by 365Gay.com last month.“Attacks on mafriage and the family, from an ideological and legal aspect, are becoming stronger and more radical every day,” he said. The Pope also attacked couples who live together, abortion and artificial insemination.V Compiled this month by Susan McMillan.