LGBT
India: Police hold lesbians who "eloped" Two young Indian women are in police custody, the Times of India reports, after one of the girl's parents filed kidnapping charges against their daughter's lover. According to the Times, Sonu Avtar Singh, 21, and Rekha Marwadi, 18, ran away together from their home in Panchmahals to a village in the Punjab region. Shortly after their Jan. 1 journey, Rekha's parents told police she had been kidnapped by Sonu, and further claimed that Sonu was a man dressed as a woman. In fact, Sonu is the reverse -- a young woman who wears shirts and pants and who later told police she wants to live as a man. But the accusation was enough to send the police into action. The women were forced by authorities to return to their home town, where police checked them into a hospital for gynecological examinations. Since Sonu was not, in fact, male, and since both women told police they wanted to live together and no kidnapping had taken place, the law enforcement officers seemed hamstrung. "We are in love with each other and want to stay together forever," Rekha reportedly told police. "We cannot accuse Sonu of kidnapping," said Panchmahals deputy police superintendent J.K. Bhatt. Nor, he added, could Sonu be charged with "unnatural sex" under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Times of India Times 21 Sonu Avtar Singh 18 Rekha Marwadi Panchmahals Punjab Rekha Sonu Sonu Sonu T Sonu Rekha Panchmahals J.K. Bhatt Sonu 377 Sonu
Bhatt 377 Sonu 20 Usha Yadav 22 Shilpi Gutpa Uttar Pradesh Shilpi Paula Ettelbrick Ettelbrick LGBT Lesbian gay bisexual transgender LGBT Ettelbrick Husband-husband transplant pair doing well The recipient of what is apparently the nation's first husband-to-husband organ transplant is recovering nicely in Massachusetts, the Boston Herald reports. On Valentine's Day, Bill Mokeler of Malden, Mass., donated his kidney to his husband of two years, Paul Sagon, liberating him from the dialysis machines on which Sagon had relied since 1998. Mokeler had initially not been a donor candidate, because he was using heavy doses of ibuprofen to deal with excruciating arthritis pain. But he stopped taking the pills in order to qualify as a donor, and he did not tell his husband about it. "The pain I endured was nothing in comparison to what he had to endure with his kidneys," Mokeler told the Herald. In October, Mokeler discovered he was a good donor match, and told Sagon he had a present for him on the week of their first wedding anniversary. "I was expecting a DVD or some clothes," Sagon said. He has a sister who could have been a donor, but she is a single mother and Sagon ruled it out as too risky for her. Mokeler and Sagon are recovering at home with their two dogs and cat. So far, there have been no complications. "We say 'thank heavens' this couple was living in Massachusetts and were married and were able to take care of each other," said Samiya Bashir, communications director of Freedom to Marry, an organization devoted to marriage equality. Massachusetts is the only U.S. state to allow same-sex marriage.
"Conservatives can hopefully look at this case and see that we are real people and see that the level of commitment we have to each other is no more and no less than any other couple," Bashir said. Bill Mokeler Paul Sagon 1998 DVD Freedom to Marry Samiya Bashir Poll: Support for gay marriage rises in U.S. WASHINGTON -- The public backlash over gay marriage has receded since a controversial decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Court in 2003 to legalize those marriages stirred strong opposition, says a poll released Wednesday. Gay marriage remains a divisive issue, with 51 percent opposing it, the poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found. But almost two-thirds, 63 percent, opposed gay marriage in February 2004. "Most Americans still oppose gay marriage, but the levels of opposition are down and the number of strong opponents are down," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew
Research Center. "This has some implications for the midterm elections if this trend is maintained. There are gay marriage ballot initiatives in numerous states." Gay marriage got intense media coverage in 2004 after the Massachusetts court case, the decision by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to issue thousands of marriage licenses to gay couples and similar cases. But the intense focus on gay marriage has declined in the last year. In 2004, opponents of gay marriage were able to pass ballot initiatives banning the practice in 11 states, from Georgia to Oregon. Those gay marriage initiatives also helped conservatives rally their voters to the polls. The number of people who say they strongly oppose gay marriage has dropped from 42 percent in early 2004 to 28 percent now. Strong opposition has dropped sharply among senior citizens and Republicans. People are now evenly split on allowing adoptions by gay couples and six in 10 now favor allowing gays to serve openly in the military. Legal challenges of laws on gay marriage could result in more court decisions that stir public opinion, but this midterm election year is starting with far less public anxiety about one of the nation's most volatile social issues. The telephone poll of 1,405 adults was conducted March 8-12 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. 22 2003 -- -- Pew Research Center for the People and the Press 34% 51% 2004 63% 39% Andrew Kohut 2004 Gavin Newsom 2004
2004 42% 28% 60% 1405 3 California mayor comes out as gay The mayor of West Sacramento, Calif., revealed he was gay Wednesday night during the annual State of the City dinner. "The pressure and the stigma and sometimes the all-too-casual bigotry in this town made it painfully clear when I first ran for office that I could either serve this community or I could be a gay man. But I could not be both," Mayor Christopher Cabaldon told the Sacramento Bee. His admission before a crowd of 150 developers, business and political leaders earned him a standing ovation. Cabaldon's revelation was planned in advance. He was inspired by a show on the LGBT cable channel Logo and e-mailed the channel's producers about following his story. "The prospect of more kids and young people making the same choice because they didn't have any more accessible gay and lesbian role models in politics made it important for me to come out," he said. A Logo camera crew captured the moment and plans to air it in July, the Bee reported. "I think the significance (of this coming-out) is that more and more people, including politicians, have come to the conclusion that society has come to a place where they can come out comfortably," said Geoff Kors, the executive director of Equality California. According to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, Cabaldon is the state's fourth elected openly gay mayor currently in office. "There's about a dozen openly gay mayors around the country," said Dave DeCicco, the organization's spokesman. Cabaldon was elected to the West Sacramento City Council in 1996 and became mayor two years later. He is credited with bringing the popular River Cats minor
league baseball team to the city and helping to straighten up the Port of Sacramento's finances and craft a regional growth plan, the Bee reported. DeCicco does not believe Cabaldon's admission will hurt his chance of getting re-elected. "If the elected official is responsive to constituents and is doing a good job, voters will usually overlook the candidate's sexual orientation. The public is so desirous of good public officials that they won't care," he said. Yolo County Supervisor Mike McGowan, a former West Sacramento mayor, shared DeCicco's sentiment. "We are more concerned about the good work that you do than what kind of label you put on yourself," McGowan told the Bee. "I say bravo to him for having the courage to do this." The population of West Sacramento, situated in Yolo County, is 32,500, according to 2001 data listed on the city's Web site. West Sacramento Christopher Cabaldon 29 41 Sacramento Bee 150 Logo LGBT email Logo Equality California Geoff Kors Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund Dave DeCicco
1996 River Cats Yolo County Mike McGowan 2001 32,500 Lead U.S. bishop urges gay marriage ban The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wants all Roman Catholics to oppose marriage between same-sex couples by supporting a federal constitutional amendment that would ban it. "Today there is a growing sense shared by many people, including a wide range of religious leaders, that a marriage protection amendment is the only federal-level action that ultimately will protect and preserve the institution of marriage," Bishop William Skylstad wrote in a letter dated March 27 and made public Monday. Skylstad wrote that he expected the Protection of Marriage Amendment to be introduced in the Senate in June. "In a matter of months we will have the opportunity once again to stand publicly in support of marriage as the God-given union of a man and a woman," he wrote. "I am aware that the time is short for taking action, so I urge you to do whatever you can, given the situation and the resources available to you," Skylstad wrote, noting that the Knights of Columbus have initiated a national postcard campaign to support the anti-gay legislation. "I am also aware that in some states there are upcoming votes for either legislation or constitutional amendments defining marriage," Skylstad added. "We are challenged, therefore, to give attention to the interplay of state- and federal-level policy as well as to focus our efforts where they are most needed and can do the most good." Jeremy Leaming, spokesman for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, took issue with Skylstad's proposal.
"I think this confirms what our organization has been arguing for a long time -- that the religious majority in America wants the federal marriage amendment to enshrine their idea of marriage in the Constitution and have it imposed on everyone else, and other religions are rendered second class in essence," Leaming said. "We have a constitution that mandates a separation of church and state, and we have these people trying to enshrine their religious views in that very document," he said. "This is just so sad," said Sam Sinnett, president of Dignity USA, an LGBT Catholic organization. "With all the problems in the world, our bishops are putting their time and moral authority into this wedge issue in order to promote a conservative political issue rather than a Christian one." "As Easter approaches, we would call upon all the bishops to pursue the Christian values of love and inclusion rather to demonize gay and lesbian people who are seeking out civil rights," Sinnett said. William Skylstad 4 3 3 27 the Protection of Marriage Amendment the Knights of Columbus Americans United for the Separation of Church and State Jeremy Leaming -- LGBT Dignity USA Sam Sinnett
Attack victim seeks justice in St. Maarten One of the U.S. victims of a brutal gay-bashing in St. Maarten is going back to the Caribbean island Friday, eight days after the attack. Dick Jefferson, a senior news producer with CBS, said he was returning to meet with local and U.S. consular officials about last week's incident, in which he and a co-worker were nearly killed outside a Philipsburg bar. Jefferson has criticized police for a slow response to the attack. The attackers -- four men and two women -- beat Jefferson, 51, and co-worker Ryan Smith, 25, with a wheel wrench or metal pipe. They tried to run Smith over with a car and hit him with rocks and a spray can, Jefferson told authorities. Earlier in the evening, Jefferson said, the attackers had been harassing Smith and his boyfriend, Justin Swensen, calling him the local slang for "fag." The hecklers were thrown out of the bar, but apparently waited in the parking lot for Smith and his boyfriend to leave. Jefferson and Smith were airlifted to a hospital in Miami. Jefferson was released after surgeons stitched his wounds and placed a titanium plate in his head. Smith had been in intensive care but was recently transferred to the head trauma unit. He suffered severe neurological damage and may have to relearn how to speak. Jefferson had initially criticized police for failing to take the case seriously. He said the police did not take witness testimony on the night of the attack. Late this week, Commissioner of Tourism Theo Heyliger called the attack "barbaric and inhumane" and vowed in his weekly media briefing that "these kinds of crimes won't go unpunished in St. Maarten." Police later told the local newspaper that they have assigned three detectives to the case and the chief public prosecutor said they were talking to witnesses. Police also placed an ad in the paper, asking witnesses to come forward to share any knowledge they have about the attack. Jefferson said he wants to go back to thank residents who came to their rescue and to remind locals about the need for justice in this case. "The longer this case goes unsolved, the more harm the people of St. Maarten are inflicting upon themselves and the reputation of the island as a vacation spot," Jefferson said in a written statement.
St. Maarten 14 Dick Jefferson CBS 51 25 Ryan Smith Justin Swensen fag Theo Heyliger Paris' gay mayor visits San Francisco Bertrand Delanoe, the gay mayor of Paris, arrived Wednesday in San Francisco for a three-day visit marking the 10th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between the two cities. While same-sex marriage is not on his San Francisco agenda, it's expected to come up. Two years ago, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom created a national controversy by allowing nearly 4,000 same-sex couples to marry.
Delanoe has used his position to advocate for same-sex marriage. He spoke out angrily when train and bus officials would not display posters of same-sex couples kissing. Delanoe's agenda includes meetings with city officials on issues of homelessness, discrimination and business interests regarding digital media, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. He will attend the opening of the San Francisco International Film Festival at the Castro Theatre, located in the heart of the city's LGBT community. Courtney Joslin, senior staff attorney for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, headquartered in San Francisco, said, "The growing numbers of openly LGBT elected officials is a testament to the tremendous progress our community has made both in this country and around the world." Delanoe came out as gay before he was elected mayor in 2001. The next year, a man who said he didn't like homosexuals or politicians stabbed Delanoe in the stomach. Delanoe returned to work a few weeks later. "We're thrilled to have him here," Terence Kissack, executive director of San Francisco's GLBT Historical Society, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It gives one a little bit of pride... that the mayor of a major city is gay." Bertrand Delanoe 4 19 Gavin Newsom San Francisco Chronicle Castro Theatre LGBT National Center for Lesbian Rights Courtney Joslin LGBT 2001 GLBT Historical Society Terence Kissack
Gay figure skaters sue rink for bias Two gay figure skaters have sued an ice rink in Berkeley, Calif., claiming discrimination because they were ordered to stop holding hands during practice sessions. Alan Lessik and John Manzon-Santos were rehearsing their pairs routine for Gay Games VII on two occasions when Monte Tiedemann, the general manager of Berkeley Iceland, ordered them to stop skating hand-in-hand, according to the lawsuit filed last month. Lessik, of San Francisco, said the pair had been practicing at Iceland for nearly a year and a half. "In all of our time there, it has been only when the general manager was present were we harassed," he said. "We want to make sure that Berkeley Iceland and its employee never do this again." Lessik, 52, and Manzon-Santos, 41, want an apology and for Tiedemann to undergo sensitivity training. Rink managers deny the discrimination charge, saying the men were asked to stop skating in pair formation at a freestyle session out of concern for the safety of other skaters who were sharing the rink. "There is no homophobia going on at Berkeley Iceland or East Bay Iceland," Jay Westcott, general manager of East Bay Iceland, the Berkeley rink's parent company, told the Argus newspaper. "It's even a little bit insulting because we've had people of various sexual orientations who have worked for us, coached for us and skated for us." But in another incident, in April 2005, the men were asked not to hold hands during a public session even though male-female couples were skating together, the Argus reported. The two sides will meet for mediation Tuesday, the Argus said. Lessik and Manzon-Santos won skating medals at Gay Games VI in Sydney, and they regularly compete in amateur competitions. They are not romantically linked. Lessik described their Gay Games program, set to Moby's "Porcelain," as a "very ethereal number with an aspect of longing." He hopes the lawsuit will help make the sport of figure skating more inclusive. "We would like the national figure skating sanctioning and membership organizations to take a proactive approach in declaring that sexual orientation is part of their nondiscrimination policy and that no skater (professional or amateur), judge, coach, rink employee, or rink owner will again be subject to the same discriminatory acts that we face," Lessik said.
Alan Lessik John Manzon-Santos Berkeley Iceland Monte Tiedemann 52 41 East Bay Iceland Jay Westcott Argus newspaper 2005 5 9 2005 Anti-gay hate crimes seen to fall in '05 Anti-gay hate-related violence decreased in many regions of the United States in 2005, according to the latest survey by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. The 78-page report looks at data that some experts consider more accurate than the national numbers tracked by the U.S. Department of Justice. The data comes from
victim service organizations, as opposed to law enforcement reports used by the Justice Department that typically underreport gay-related hate crime. The survey looked at hate-related incidents in 13 different areas of the country, including Chicago; Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio; Houston' Massachusetts; Kansas City, Mo.; Minnesota' Los Angeles' New York City; Pennsylvania; San Francisco and Vermont. The latest numbers show a 13 percent decrease in incidents of anti-gay violence from 2004. Murders decreased from 13 in 2004 to 11 in 2005. The number of gay victims overall fell 12 percent. However, there are still a large number of these kinds of crimes. There were 1,985 anti-gay hate related incidents in 2005, compared with 2,270 incidents in 2004, according to the report. The most common incidents reported involved verbal harassment. "This year's report can be viewed as an indication that after almost two years of wholesale attack on LGBT individuals, communities and families, 2005 offered a respite of sorts for our community's experience with hate violence," said Clarence Patton, leader of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs and executive director of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. "However, no one working with the victims of anti-lgbt violence believes that 2005 presents a permanent condition for our community. The fact is that LGBT people are once again slated to be 'on the ballot' again in a number of states in the 2006 election season," Patton said. Patton worries the that the stir caused by anti-gay legislative attacks, including next month's Senate vote on a constitutional marriage ban, could provoke a rise in anti-gay incidents by the time his organization does the survey next year. The federal marriage amendment is spearheaded by Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who helped quash a federal bill to protect gay people from hate crimes. "Another round of political bashing of our community will no doubt be accompanied by the cultural and physical bashing we experienced across the country in 2003 and 2004," Patton said. 2005 (National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs) 2005 78 13
2004 13 2004 13 2005 11 12 2005 1985 2004 2270 (New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project) (Clarence Patton) LGBT 2005 LGBT 2005 LGBT 2006 (Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn) 30 LGBT 30 LGBT students win scholarships Thirty scholarships were awarded this week to outstanding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students by the Point Foundation. The students were chosen from among more than 1,300 who applied, foundation officials said in a written statement Wednesday. The average award is $12,500, renewable annually. Founded in 2001, the Point Foundation is devoted to providing higher education subsidies to LGBT students. Last year, it awarded 20 scholarships. "Our newest Point Scholars represent the best and brightest in our community, coming from diverse educational fields, genders and gender identities, sexual orientations, racial backgrounds, economic circumstances and geography," said Bruce Lindstrom, Point Foundation founder and chairman of the board of directors. Several foundations and corporations have partnered with Point to offer more financial awards. The Matthew Shepard Foundation, for example, will share in supporting three students, named Wednesday: Ellen Adams, an incoming freshman at Princeton; Matt Oertli, a student at Harvard Medical School, and Jennifer Wohlner, an art major at the University of Southern California.
"The foundation is extremely proud to support Ellen, Matt and Jennifer in their studies and honor my son Matthew's life in this way." said Judy Shepard, executive director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. "It is clear to me that these three leaders will go on to make the world a better place for all of us." 30 LGBT Point Foundation 2006 LGBT 1,300 12,500 2001 LGBT Bruce Lindstrom Matthew Shepard Foundation Ellen Adams Matt Oertli Jennifer Wohlner Judy Shepard LGBT 2006 Ron Correa - - Anna McCrerey - - Peace Corps Nick Nanna Hadikwa Mwaluko -- Harjant Gill -- 2006 65 12