Rights and votes WASHINGTON — All across America this year, vot- ers are being asked to decide the rights of gays and lesbians. Referendums are proposed on same—sex marriage, on teaching public school students about homosexuality, and on whether gays should receive the same civil rights protec- tions as racial and religious minorities. Many votes were requested by groups who oppose what they call “special rights” for gays and lesbians. “To our knowledge, there have never been this many (gay-rights issues) on the bal- lot," says David Elliott, spokesman for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "It’s a backlash against the progress we’ve made toward equality.“ In Traverse City, Mich., for example, city commissioners adopted a bitterly contested resolution opposing discrimi- nation against gays and les- bians. Opponents began circulating petitions to force a vote in November on a proposed city charter amendment that would nullify the toothless resolution and prohibit commissions from approving gay-rights measures of any kind. The Christian Coalition is seeking a referendum on repealing a gay-rights ordi- nance in Dade County, Fla. Oregon activists are collecting signatures in support of ban- ning homosexual instruction in public schools. And critics of an anti-discrimination measure adopted this year in Davenport, Iowa, have begun a drive to overturn it. Presbyterian unions NEW YORK — Local Presbyterian churches have the authority to conduct religious ceremonies celebrating gay unions that stop short of mar- “ riage. The decision by a I6-mem- ber court is binding unless the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) overrides it. The case, one of three on gay issues argued before the tribunal in June stemmed from a ceremony performed in Dobbs Ferry, NY. The Northeast regional church court ruled that ceremonies of “holy union” for same—sex cou- ples may be conducted if it is made clear .they are not mar- riages. The high court agreed, though it instructed regional church bodies to make a clear- er distinction between mar- riages and “blessing services.” A second case before the high court involved a homo- sexual candidate for ministry who said he did not intend to remain celibate, even though church rules require clergy to observe either “fidelity in mar- riage" or “chastity in single- ness.” . In that case, the Northeast regional court decided he could continue as a candidate, and that his “manner of life” could be evaluated prior to ordina- tion. Again, the high church concurreD. It said the denomi- nation’s standards of fidelity and chastity are to be applied at the point a person is considered for ordination, not during can- didacy. Singapore speech ban SINGAPORE — Gays and lesbians have been forbidden even from talking about their sexuality in Singapore. Authorities canceled a planned forum on the topic, saying it would legitimize practices considered unlawful in this conservative city-state. In a statement, police said they “cannot allow the holding ofthis public forum, which will advance and legitimize the cause of homosexuals in Singapore.” Businessman Alex Au, who had requested government per- mission to hold Singapore’s first forum on gays and les- bians on Sunday, said he was saddened by the ban. “It seems that civil society can only operate within the narrow confines of what the authorities deem to be the pub- lic interest,” Au said. Gay wealth - not WASHINGTON — A new scientific study is exploding yet another myth about the gay community: the one about the high disposable income gays have. The study finds that just isn’t the case. V Men who consider them- selves “unmarried partners” of another man are better educat- ed on average, but make less money than heterosexual men of the same age. Women who have female “unmarried partners” also tend to be more educated, but earn salaries comparable to those of heterosexual women in the same age bracket. Those are among the conclu- sions of a study in the June issue of Demography, the jour- nal of the Population Association ofAmerica. Advocates applauded what they said was the first compre- hensive study of homosexuals but cautioned against drawing any firm conclusions until more research is done. The study also found that 22 percent of lesbian couples liv- ing together have children, compared to 5 percent of gay couples living together. Sanders said that may show that gay couples have less pres- sure to get higher-payingjobs. Catholic silence BALTIMORE — The Vatican has moved to silence a nun and a priest ordered to stop minis- tering to gays and lesbians. Sister Jeannine Gramick said she and the Rev. Robert Nugent were summoned to Rome and instructed by their religious orders not to talk about the Vatican’s decision. While they ended their min- istry, both have spoken about the church’s decision. Gramick, of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, said she would not obey the Vatican. “I choose to obey the voice of God within me, and in this instance, the voice of God is saying that I should not collab- orate with my own oppres- sion,” Gramick said. A statement released by the order said that Gramick was obligated by her vows to fol- low the Vatican’s latest direc- tive. She could be dismissed if she fails to comply. Nugent chose to abide by the directive. “I am now prohibited from speaking or writing in the pub- Iic forum about the Notification itself, about the ecclesiastical process that led to it or about the issue of homo- sexuality,” Nugent said in a short press statement. Zimbabwe crime HARARE, Zimbabwe — The former president of Zimbabwe has been ordered to jail on sex and assault convictions in a rul- ing that said homosexual acts remain illegal. Canaan Banana, 64, was convicted in 1999 of 11 counts of sodomy and abusing his power to sexually assault and carry out “unnatural acts” with men, most of whom were part June 20003 I Out-:in—rthé’fMountains‘ I3" = news :- of his presidential staff. He had appealed the convictions, con- tending they violated privacy rights enshrined in Zimbabwe’s constitution. Zimbabwe’s five Supreme Courtjudges were divided over whether consensual sodomy by homosexuals should remain illegal, Chief Justice Anthony Gubbay said. Three of the judges took into account con- servative African attitudes toward homosexuality and ruled the law should remain in effect, he said. More polls NEW YORK — A new national poll confirms that at least half of Americans still don’t like the idea of gay mar- riage. But just as many say gay partners should have some legal rights of a married cou- ple, such as inheritance, Social Security benefits, and health insurance. More women than men feel gay marriage is OK. So do more Democrats than Republicans, more young peo- ple than old, and more people who feel gays are born with that sexual orientation. The poll, conducted for The Associated Press by ICR of - Media, Pa., found that 51 per- cent were opposed to allowing gay couples to marry, while 34 percent approved. Half the respondents were asked the question a bit differ- ently —— whether they approved of allowing gays to form a “domestic partnership” that would give them the rights and benefits of opposite-sex mar- riage. In that question, which did not refer to “gay marriage,” the number that approved allowing such a relationship grew slight- ly to 41 percent while the1oppo- sition was almost half. The AP poll found that at least half of Americans support the‘ rights of gays to receive health insurance (53 percent), Social Security benefits (50 percent) and inheritance (56 percent) from their partners. Tuilian fight SAN FRANCISCO — Dr. John Hensala is suing the U.S. Air Force for trying to force him to repay the government the cost of his education. The Air Force ordered him to repay $70,000 in tuition for medical training at North- western University and Yale. That was after he disclosed to his superiors that he was gay. He then was discharged and billed the cost of his education. The Air Force said Hensala deliberately timed his announce- ment to get out of his military obligation. But Hensala, 35, said he did not know he was gay when he signed up. “This is largely on princi- ple,” Hensala said in an inter- view in his apartment in San Francisco’s largely gay Castro District. “I would be able to pay back the funds eventually. But an employer who fires someone just because they’re gay... I don’t think it’s the right of the employer to say, ‘You owe us this money.”’ Italian Outing ROME — There has been controversy in Italy over World Gay Pride week festivities coinciding with Jubilee Year festivities of the Roman Catholic Church. Even that was upstaged when a member of the Italian Cabinet revealed his bisexuali- W Minister Scanio Agriculture Alfonso Pecoraro ‘revealed his sexual orientation in Panorama news magazine. “Courageous,” said the caption under his photo. Very few public figures in Italy outside the fashion world are openly anything but hetero- sexual. Pecoraro Scanio’s announcement won quick praise in some circles. “He broke a taboo,” the daily newspaper La Repubblica said. But Alessandra Mussolini, granddaughter of dictator Benito Mussolini, was quick to criticize Pecoraro Scanio for going public. Mussolini is a member of parliament from the National Alliance, a party born out of the ashes of her grandfa- ther’s political movement. “Sexuality should remain a private matter,” she said. Gay Days Growing ORLANDO, Fla. — Gay Days at Walt Disney World has finally come out of the closet. During one year of the cele- bration, Disney posted signs at the entrance warning guests . aw-5 ,, .. _.