OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS — SEPTEMBER 1999 -+ 3

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Soldier killed

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. —
Some gay groups charge that an
Army private who was beaten to
death was the victim of a hate
crime.

Although the Army denies it,
the Lesbian and Gay Coalition
for Justice and the Servi‘cemem-
bers Legal Defense Network said
several people have told them
that Pfc. Barry Winchell, 21, of
Kansas City, Mo., was killed
because he was thought to be gay.

Pvt. Calvin Glover, 18, has
been accused of premeditated
murder. Spec. Justin Fisher, 25,
was charged with encouraging
Glover to hit Winchell with an
undisclosed weapon, acting as an
accessory after the crime, lying to
investigators, and obstructing the
investigation.

Bantist iellll

NEW YORK —— American
Baptist Churches USA is having
an internal dispute about whether
to toss out churches that welcome
gays and lesbians.

The denomination’s General
Board earlier this summer voted
to . expel four churches in
California for their liberal stand
on gay issues.

The pastor of one of the con-
gregations, the Rev. Esther
Hargis of Berkeley, CA, said she
was officially notified that sever-
al regional subunits had filed for-
mal protests over the expulsion of
her congregation.

The protest freezes the expul-
sion and sets in motion a process
of “adjudication” that has rarely
been used in such disputes.

The other targeted congrega-
tions are located in Oakland, San
Jos,e and San Leandro.

l’|'lllG disturbance

SAN DIEGO —— Another
city’s gay pride observance was
marred this year.

This time a tear gas canister
was thrown into the crowd
watching San Diego’s parade.

About 15 people were treated
at the scene for eye and skin irri-
tations. Three others, including a
woman with asthma, were taken
to a local hospital with minor
injuries, fire spokesman Bob
Macy said.

The parade was delayed about
15 minutes as police unsuccess-
fully tried to find the attacker.

EXIIIIIIS gathering

WHEATON, Ill. — A
Christian group trying to recruit
gays and lesbians had a big gath-
ering this year.

Some 1,200 Exodus
International enthusiasts attended
the annual meeting this year —
the biggest turnout since the
group began in 1976.

As the group clapped inside
the hall, the Rev. Bradley
Mickelson of the Metropolitan
Community Church of the
Incarnation in Oak Park led a
quiet protest march of 50 people
outside.

Exodus, based in Seattle, rep-
resents 131 independent min-
istries located in 38 states and the
District of Columbia. Delegates
from related ministries in 15 for-
eign nations were also in atten-
dance this year.

The organization teaches that
“freedom from homosexuality is
possible through repentance and
faith in Jesus Christ” and says it
seeks to provide help for “men
and women who desire to over-
come their homosexuality.”

The group acknowledges that
for some homosexuals, changing
orientation will prove impossi-

ble; it says they should practice
celibacy.

WASHINGTON Bill
Clinton has become the first sit-
ting president to convene a gath-
ering of openly gay and lesbian
elected officials for a freewheel-
ing discussion of policy.

About a dozen out local and
state officials talked with the
president at the White House in a
closed meeting that lasted more
than an hour and a half.

The officials expressed con-
cerns about protections_ for gay
and lesbian young adults in class-
rooms. They also suggested a
need for greater diversity and
sensitivity training for teachers.

More broadly, the leaders said
they were worried about the epi-
demic of violence in schools tar-
geted toward those who are per-
ceived in some way as different.

Airline nartners

SAN FRANCISCO — Three
major airlines have begun offer-
ing domestic partnership benefits
to employees, largely in response
to a new city law.

United Airlines was the first,
offering some benefits to domes-
tic partners just hours after an
appeals court refused to grant the
company an exemption to a city
ordinance mandating the benefits.

The law, which took effect
June 1, 1997, requires companies
doing business with San
Francisco to offer the same bene-
fits to domestic partners as they
do to married spouses.

In succeeding days, first
American Airlines and then
USAirways followed United’s
lead by offering the benefits to
their employees..

Under the federal court ruling,

the airlines must-offer bereave-
ment leave, family medical leave,
and spousal flight discounts to
San Francisco domestic partners.

United said it will begin offer-
ing family benefits to non-mar-
ried families nationwide next
May.

British eounles

LONDON — If any good
could come of the terrible bomb-
ing at a gay pub earlier this year,
it’s new sensitivity from‘ the gov-
emment.

The British government is
considering recognizing same-
sex couples for the first time
under a new criminal compensa-
tion law, officials said.

The possible change was
spurred by the bombing of a gay
pub in London on April 30, The
Times reported.

A gay man whose partner was
killed in the blast was denied
compensation because the
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Authority does not recognize
same-sex couples. If the couple

"had been heterosexual, the man

would have been entitled to as
much as $160,000 in government
benefits.

The explosion at the Admiral
Duncan pub was the most deadly
of three nail-bomb attacks on gay
and ethnic minority targets in
April. The bombings killed three
people and injured 116 more.

BIN scouts

TRENTON, N.J. — For the
first time, a state’s highest court
has ruled that the Boy Scouts of
America’s ban on homosexuals is
illegal.

New Jersey’s Supreme Court
said that because the Boy Scouts
are a “place of public accommo-
dation,” they fall under the state’s
anti-discrimination law — even

though it is a private organiza-
tion.

The ruling could force the
issue into the US Supreme Court,
which, in a past decision, refused
to review another state’s ruling
that upheld the Boy Scout ban.

Still, the decision was a victo-
ry for James Dale, an assistant
scoutmaster who was kicked out
of the Boy Scouts nine years ago
when leaders found out he is gay.
He sued seeking reinstatement.

“The Supreme Court of New
Jersey is wonderful,” Dale said.
“This is exactly what scouting
has taught me: to believe in the
system and that goodness will
prevail.”

nlallama slaving

ROCKFORD, Ala. —— Two
men convicted of killing a gay
man and setting fire to his body
will not themselves be executed.

The family of Billy Jack
Gaitherv opposes the death penal-
ty.

A jury convicted Charles
Butler Jr., 21, ofcapital murder in
the slaying of Gaither, who was
beaten to death and then burned
atop kerosene-soaked tires in
rural central Alabama.

Judge John Rochester sen-
tenced Butler to life in prison
without parole, rather than the
death sentence, at the request of
Gaither’s family and the prosecu-
tor.

“We don’t believe in the death
penalty. The only one who’s got a
right to take a life is God,” said
Randy Gaither, the victim’s
brother.

Steven Mullins, 25, who
pleaded guilty to the murder and
testified against Butler, also was
sentenced to life in prison with-
out parole, at the request of the
family. V

Lunden passes
continued from previous page

loss.

A film about Blue’s life,
“Some Ground to Stand On,”
was completed last year and has
been shown at 30 festivals both
here and abroad. The winner of
numerous festival prizes plus
the National Education Media
Apple Award, it tells about
Blue’s odyssey of coming of
age as a butch lesbian in 1950s
New Orleans, of multiple
arrests, and of eventually being
harassed out of town for “wear-
ing clothing of the opposite
sex.” For the next 20 years she
lived in New York City coping
as a single parent, becoming
sober, and transforming her life
through her activism. Blue
attended many of the screenings
and in each case her purity of
heart and her vision as depicted
in the film were further evident
in her articulate and inspiring

talks to the audience. In New .

Orleans, the town she was
forced to leave, there was a
reception in her honor in con-
junction with the screening at
the New Orleans Film Festival.
Blue was a working class les-

. bian/feminist who cross-dressed

in the 1950s as an act of uncon-
scious resistance before an
organized
movement began. She was self-
educated and her politics
became clarified by her experi-
ence, the women she met, and
the very extensive reading she
did.

She was a woman with a
wide range of interests who had
the courage to be herself from a
young age. She lived conscious-
ly and created community wher-
ever she was. She inspired us all
to bring about a better world.
Her friends, family, and lovers
will forever miss her.

Remembrances can be sent to
the Sugarloaf Women’s Land
Trust, 19657 Date Palm Drive,
Summerland Key, FL 33042. V

lesbian and gay‘

Recruitment for VCLGRIPRIDE

continued from front page

out a full board for two years, and
has seen flagging interest from
the community in political orga-
nizing.

Keith Goslant, VCLGR co-
liaison, is hoping that the board
restructuring combined with the
political atmosphere surrounding
the issues of same—gender mar-
riage and safe schools for queer
youth will help revitalize the
organization and build involv-
ment.

“The hope is to have true rep-
resentation of our communities:
geographic, orientation, gender,
political advocacy, and commu-
nity interest,” he said.

Simultaneously, volunteers
for Pride Vermonts are also
recruiting members for its new
board from community organiza-
tions, hoping to draw on the tal-
ents and resources of _already
active community members.

|

Although volunteer burnout

.has been a problem for the small

organization, Pride Vermont’s
reorganization is being counted
on for more than simple revital-
ization. Sarah Harrington, a long-
time committee volunteer, said
they hope to answer criticism that
Pride Vermont simply does not
represent the community at large.
_ “We really want to have a
good party for the millennium,”
said Mike Hayes another Pride
Vermont Volunteer, “It’s all of
ours, not just the Pride
Committee’s party.”

By recruiting a board of peo-
ple already involved in other
community organizations, the
organization hopes to draw on
both connections and experience
to produce an event that appeals
to all‘ parts of the community.
Establishment of a board will
also allow Pride Vem1ont to seek

non-profit status and improve its
fundraising ability.

If Pride Vermont can’t meet
these goals, said Harrington, “we
might just have to go back to
basics, abandon the waterfront,
and have a smaller celebration.”

Harrington says that initial
response has been very positive.
Pride Vermont organizers will
meet again in late September to
compare responses and make
plans for a meeting with all rep-
resentatives on October 6.

Tage Lillja of Outright
Vermont says he thinks it is a
great idea but he hopes that both
Pride Vermont and VCLGR real-
ize that not every organization
has the time and employee/vol-

’unteer availability to participate.

even when they might really
want to.V