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National/international News

Illinois Judge Rules
Lesbian Couple Can Adopt

Chicago, IL - In what's believed to be the
first ruling of its kind in Illinois, a judge
has decided that two Chicago lesbians
have a legal right to jointly adopt a young
girl. The women have been trying to
jointly adopt the 4-year-old girl for more
than 1 1/2 years. She was conceived by
one of the women through artifical
insemination when the couple, after being
together more than nine years, decided
they wanted a child. Cook County Judge
Stephen Yates’ ruling, which permits the
case to go forward, apparently is the first
in the state to recognize an unmarried
couple's right to adopt a child together.
(Chicago Tribune)

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Florida Supreme Court
Blocks Anti-Gay Ballot Initiative

Tallahassee, FL — In a major civil rights
victory for Lambda Legal Defense and
Education Fund and the Florida Gay and
Lesbian Lawyers Association against the
national wave of anti-gay initiatives, the
Florida Supreme Court blocked an anti-gay
and anti-democratic measure from the
state's November 1994 ballot. The high

_ court declared that the measure violates

Florida law and instructed the Attorney
General to not certify the measure. “The
Florida Supreme Court's ruling is a critical
national precedent. It makes clear that civil
rights are not special rights -— and it deals a
powerful blow to the national radical right
attack on lesbians and gay men and civil
rights generally” said Suzanne B.
Goldberg, the Lambda staff attorney who
argued the case before the high court. “By
striking the measure, the Florida Supreme
Court has preserved the integrity of the
state's political process and made clear that
‘stealth measures’ which pretend to protect
citizens but actually target some for
unequal treatment will not be tolerated,”
she added.

The measure, sponsored by the American
Family Political Committee, sought to
amend the state's constitution to prohibit
legislation protecting certain groups from
discrimination; and it threatened to repeal
all additional anti-discrirnination laws --
including laws against discrimination based
on sexual orientation, veteran status,
pregnancy and other characteristics. Seven
states currently face attempts to place
similar anti-gay and anti-democratic
initiatives on their ballots. (Lambda Legal
Defense Fund, The Washington Blade)

Oregon Upate

Salem, OR - The anti-gay forces of the
Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA) have
succeeded in passing anti-gay measures in
three more Oregon cities and Marion
County, the location of Salem, the state
capital.

Unofficial results as of March 31:

Turner Yes 313 (77%)
No 85 (23%)

Junction City Yes 658 (57%)
' No 497 (43%)
Albany Yes 5357 (59%)
No 3750 (41%)

Marion County. Yes 36418 (61%)

No 22897 (39%)

Marion Co was split nearly even on the
infamous Measure 9 in 1992, and is
considered by some to be the most nearly
representative of potential statewide voting
patterns among all the Oregon jurisdictions
which have been lost to the OCA “Sons of
9” measures this year. (American Online)

Lesbian/Gay Families Under Attack»

In Rome, Pope John Paul H blasted the
European Parliament for approving a
non-binding resolution that gay and lesbian
couples be allowed to marry and adopt
children. “A relationship between two men
and two women cannot make up a real
family,” said the Pontiff. “You cannot grant
such a union the right to adopt children
who do not have a family.”

In Washington state , an anti-gay ballot
initiative targets lesbian and gay parents
and their families, prohibiting them from
becoming foster parents, adopting children,
or gaining custody in a divorce. The
initiative states that upon the dissolution of
a marriage where one of the parents is gay
or lesbian, the other parent will receive
custody. Where both parents are gay,

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