National/International News Library Employees Victorious Minneapolis, WI - The Minneapolis Civil ‘ ~ Rights Commission has determined that the city of Minneapolis and the Min- neapolis Library Board discriminated ‘ against three lesbian empoyees by de- nying them dependent health insurance coverage. The three-person panel award- ed Jane Anglin, Marie Hanson, and Ju- dith Bagan a total of $90,516 in com- pensatory and puntative damages in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs. The order upholds a September 1991 finding by the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights that denial of dependent health coverage constitutue discrimination be- cause of affectional preference. Min- neapolis, like a number of other mu- nicipalities and a few states, protects residents from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Jane Anglin first applied for health care coverage for her partner in July 1987 and continued to apply every year during open enrollment period until she left her job at the library in 1990. In November of 1988 Hanson and Bagan joined Anglin by applying for their partners. Hanson and Bagan remain library employees. All the initial applications were denied and subsequent applications were not ac- cepted. The employees took their case to the Library Board which told them it was a matter for the City Council who re- ferred them on to their employee’s union. The city has the option to appeal the or- der. At press time the Mayor and City Council had not commented on whether they would do so.(Equal Time) Albany Gay Rights Ordinance Now Law Albany, NY - The Albany Common Council narrowly approved a lesbian and gay rights ordinance on December 7th. Signed by Mayor Whalen a few days lat- er, the ordinance immediately became law. The 8 to 6 vote followed by the may- or’s signature ended a five year struggle. Early in 1992 Mayor Whalen reversed his previous position against the ordinance. The ordinance prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in em- ployment, housing sales, rental of com- mercial space, housing rentals (except owner-occupied two family wellings) and public accomodations. The mayor and all 15 Common Council members are up for re-election next year; opponents of the ordinance, including Pat Robertson’s Christian Coalition and Con- cerned Citizens of Albany, have pledged to run candidates that will support amending or overturning the ordinance. (Community) Cambridge Mayor “Comes Out” Cambridge, MA — Cambridge Mayor Kenneth Reeves announced on De- cember 11 that he is gay, but said it should not have come as a suprise to anyone. Reeves said his sexual orienta- tion, which has been Carnbridge’s “best- known secret” during his public life, never received much public attention because the media overlooked it. It was at an awards ceremony that Reeves de- cided he needed to be honest. The Greater Boston Lesbian/Gay Political Alliance gave Reeves a “Friend of the Community” award. At the end of his acceptance speech, Reeves said, “I am not an honary homosexual. I am a real Homosexual.”..In an interview with The Washington Blade Reeves explained his decision, saying, “I felt it was du- plicitous and deceptive...to be accepting some sort of ‘friend to myself‘ awar .” Reeves, believed to be the nation’s first openly gay African American mayor, has been a member of the city council since 1989. Elected to mayor in January of 1992, his term will expire in 1994. With Reeves’ announcement, Carn- bridge becomes the largest city in the United States with an openly gay may- or.(The Washington Blade) California Fundamentalists Follow Colorado Lead Sacramento, CA - Rev Louis P. Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition has sent a fund-raising letter calling for a “statewide ballot proposition on the bet- erosexual ethic” in california. The letter gives the sucess of Colorado's Amend- ment 2 as an example of what Sheldon’s group wants to accomplish. “Pro-family activists won a measure prohibiting ‘special rights’ in Colorado”, the letter states. The Traditional Values Coalition, which is based in Anaheim, CA has also announced formation of a Minnesota af- filiate to oppose attempts to enact a statewide ban on on antigay bias in that state.(Equal Times) February 1993 Lewiston Police Dept. Seeks Ordinance Lewiston, ME - In January, members of the Lewiston Police Department’s Hate and Bias Crime Task Force presented a proposed ordinance to the City Council to ban discrimination on the basis of sex- ual orientation in areas of housing, credit, and public accomodation. Supporters of the ordinance include Lewiston police Chief Lament Gilbert, Mayor James Howaniec, State Senator Dale McCor- mick, and Portland City Councilor Peter O’Donnell, who proposed the successful ordinance in that city.(Apex, The Ad- vacate) Australia Lifts Defense Ban Sydney, Australia - Despite a year long effort by defense chiefs and Defense Minister Robert Bray to keep the ban on gays and lesbians in the defense force, the Australian cabinet lifted it in De- cember 1992. The change took effect im- mediately. Prime Minister Paul Keating said that the ban breached national hu- man rights obligations not to discriminate on the basis of sexual preference. .(Equal Time) R IE D HOT and IIVIL VALENTINE'S EVE QUEER PRIDE DANCE with D] Craig Mitchell Saturday, February 13th, 8pm Contois Auditorium 0 Burlington $5-10 donation (Wear Socks You Can Hop In) A benefit for the 1993 Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Pride Celebration. Vermont's Pride celebration will be Saturday, June 26th, in Burlington. For more info on the developing festivities, call 864-6764. Dance co-sponsored by the Burlington Women's Council. 0.