National/International News Southern Baptists Banish Churches Indianapolis, IN - Two Southern Baptist congregations were banished from the church for accepting gays. The measure was approved at a convention of the church, the largest Protestant de- nomination in the U.S. The ouster of any church that “acts to affirm, approve, or en- dorse homosexual behavior,” is a retreat from the Southem Baptist’s tradition of al- lowing individual congregations auton- omy. One of the ousted churches, Pullen Me- morial in Raleigh, NC, blessed a gay un- ion while the other, Binkley Memorial in Chapel Hill, NC, licensed a gay preacher. The resolution called these actions “con— trary to the teaching of the Bible on human sexuality and the sanctity of the family and offensive to Southern baptists.” (The New York Times) San Francisco Police Chief Fired San Francisco, CA - The San Francisco Police Commission voted unanimously to fire Police Chief Richard Hongisto on May 15th for his ordering the confiscation of over 2,000 copies of a local gay news- paper from newsracks around the city. The paper, Bay Times, contained an article crit- ical of Hongisto’s order of mass arrests during demonstrations protesting the ver- dict in the Rodney King case. During the mass arrests gay men were put in a hold- ing cell labeled “HOMOS.” The cover photo of the paper featured the head of Hongisto pasted on the body of lesbian ac- tivist Peggy Sue. Dressed as a police of- ficer, Sue was depicted fondling a police baton extending from her groin. A police" officer overheard Vice Inspector Gary Delagnes discussing the confiscation _with Hongisto, and reported it to his super- ror who in turn relayed it to the Police ARANOFF A\'r"l"C)IKI\IE\KS AT‘ UPSON SERVING THE NEEDS OF THE LESBIAN AND GAY COMMUNITY V Susan L. Aranoff Lisa A. Upson 28 MAIN STREET, MONTPELIER, VERMONT 05602 802.223.1418 AVV Special Investigation Unit. A total of 2,132 copies of the paper were discovered in the garage of one of the officers in- volved. During the 1990 International AIDS Con- ference in San Francisco, Delagnes had threatened to “draw my gun and shoot” if demonstrators splashed AIDS-tainted blood on him. Hongisto admitted talking to Delagnes about the Bay Times, but de- nied asking him to remove the papers, de- spite reports in the San Francisco press that he had recommended the confisca- tion of the paper. In announcing the fir- ing, the president of the commission said, “We believe the Chief exercised poor judgment and ‘abused his power.” Mayor Frank Jordan, himself a former San Fran- cisco Police Chief who had just appointed Hongisto six weeks earlier said, “I carmot condone his actions.” (The New York Times, The Washington Blade ) Victory in NY Domestic Partners Case New York, NY - A five judge panel of the New York State Appellate Division unanimously ruled on May 13th that the denial of health care benefits to domestic partners of lesbian and gay employees of the New York City School system may violate civil rights laws prohibiting dis- crimination on the basis of sexual orienta- tion and marital status. The ruling is the first time an appellate court has rec- ognized that gay and lesbian employees may present legal claims of dis- crimination when employment benefits that are given to spouses are denied to un- married partners. In 1991 the trial court refused to hear the case at the request of the City of New York. Judge Karla Moskowitz said then that to adhere, “to the traditional view of people as either ‘single’ or ‘legally mar- ried’ would be rejecting the reality of ‘family life” in this day and age.” At that July/August 1992 point, the City appealed the decision. This latest victory means that unless the City takes its appeal to the state’s highest court, the case will go back to the trial court for a full trial. (Lambda Legal Defense F und, Equal Times ) U.S. Agency Orders Gay Employee to List Others Washington, D.C - A gay employee of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was ordered last No- vember to supply the agency’s security chief with a list of gay FEMA employees. Testifying before a House Government Operations Subcommittee last April, Je- rald Johnson said agency officials held up the security clearance he needed to par- ticipate in an international project until he identified other gay employees. Johnson was first asked for the list during ques- tioning for a top secret classification three years ago. While being questioned he said that sexual preference should not be a con- sideration in security issues and that he knew of other govemment workers who were gay and excellent employees. Asked at that time for a list, Johnson refused and withdrew his request for clearance. Last fall he was asked to be part of an program to help Poland set up a management re- view system and told he would need se- curity clearance to participate. The list, which FEMA officials say was kept in a locked vault and not acted upon, was finally ordered destroyed on May 18, following pressure from Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and adverse publicity and editori- als in major new media. FEMA Director Wallace Stickney, who originally defended the actions of the agency now calls col- lecting the list “abhorrent." He has trans- ferred the security chief out of the Wash- ington office and announced that he would convene an outside board of review to ex- amine FEMA’s Office of Security. (The New York Times, Washington Blade) V a Contact publication for lesbians over 50 and women who love Canada and U._S. Confidential. warm, reli- able. For free information send seIt‘-ad- dressed envelope: (U.S. residents please stamp it). Sample copy mailed discreetly. $5.00(U.S.$) AP.O. Box 3177, Burlington, VT 05401 GOLDEN THREADS older women.