From the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights in Philadelphia...
April 28, 2006
Constitutional Amendment Set to Run in PA House
The House of Representatives is in session [the week of May1]and the bill is posted on the voting calendar. This means that a vote can occur at any time.
The House Appropriations Committee voted the so-called "Marriage Protection Amendment" out of Committee on April 24th. This was the next procedural step to running the bill, HB 2381, on the House floor.
We have heard from legislators that both supporters and opponents to the amendment have been contacting them in unprecedented numbers.
It is critical that constituents continue to contact them and ask them to oppose the amendment. If you have not talked to your Representative recently, please do it now! Please ask your friends and family in Pennsylvania to contact their legislator.
If you don't know who your state Representative is, go here.
An Altoona jury found that an Army Reserve officer was not guilty of sexually assaulting a female officer. He said it was consensual sex. She claimed otherwise. Guess who the jurors believed?
During the trial, the woman soldier testified that she had not wanted to file charges for fear that it would come out that she was a lesbian which would impact her career. Her testimony surprised the courtroom, but she simply stated "You asked, and I told."
So now its more of a "Don't Tell and They Won't Ask" policy where soldiers are protecting their assailants in order to protect themselves. What the hell kind of twisted logic is that?
A 2006 study from the Pentagon indicates a 40% increase in the reports of sexual assaults within the military in less than one year. 40% increase! While I'm glad people are reporting it, it makes you wonder what the hell was happening before 2005 AND who else isn't reporting it. Advocates express concern over how the female soldier victims are being treated by the military throughout the internal investigations.
Apparently, in Altoona, it ain't so good. Because guess what? This female soldier is going to be investigated for outing herself.
Before the verdict was announced, Army Reserve spokesman Jack Gordon in Coraopolis told The Associated Press that the woman's testimony would be reviewed by military officials.
Thus, LGBT soldiers are caught in particularly vicious catch 22: report sexual assault and risk their orientation being revealed OR keep quiet and risk being further assaulted. What a wonderful environment for female soldiers of any orientation.
Not that I'm surprised that Altoona "We have more in common with Alabama than Philly or Pittsburgh" is the locale for this particular travesty of justice. Friends of mine who are a heterosexual, biracial couple have wonderful stories of tolerance and openmindedness from their brief sojourn in Altoona. It was awful enough to make Pittsburgh a sort of beacon of acceptance when they relocated to this part of the state.
As a member of the female species and a feminist I have been paying attention to the furor in Mt. Lebanon. I have some friends who live in Mt. Lebanon and my grandfather lived there for many years. It's a nice place. Lately it has also provided a lesson in good ole fashion hypocrisy, one of my favorite subjects.
It's a favorite topic because I always have to laugh at how people can condemn and bash gay people for supposedly being morally bankrupt. And then turn around and do the same thing (or worse) they condemn others for doing.
Mt. Lebanon--white, rich, Christian and right-wing republican has a group of boys (sorry, they don't qualify as young men) rating the girls of their school on such wonderful areas as their breasts, buttocks and whether they perform oral sex and do drugs. A lovely, lovely way to think about their female peers. I'm sure the "women" at Concerned Women for America are very proud. Anyway, to illustrate my point, I can't think of a better way to do it then the following quote--published in today's Post Gazette from Attorney William H. Difenderfer, who represents one of the boys involved in making the list:
He added, "I'm very fearful with this publicity that the administration will go over the top with these boys. They're very good kids. I know them well. They all are college-bound. They all have very constructive lives ahead of them. ... These kids are all decent kids. My client is extremely remorseful."
Here is what these "decent kids" were talking about in their list of "Top 25" females:
The list includes grades for girls' faces, breasts and buttocks and talks about drug use, oral sex, sexually transmitted disease and weight.
So, these are what the right-wing republicans of Mt. Lebon consider to be "decent kids?" Well, it makes me feel better that they are college-bound and have constructive lives ahead of them--doing what? Writing for Hustler Magazine? Playing lacrosse for Duke? Ohhh, low blow!!
These are the same, smug people who, with their Bibles in hand, will vote to ban gay marriage so those deviants don't harm our society!
See, ain't hypocrisy grand? And I will say this. I will pit all of my gay friends (and most of gay society--LOL) against these "decent boys" any day of the week.
Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents is pleased to welcome our newest
correspondent Shelly. We've known Shelly for several years -- she is very
active in the local LGBT community. Her writing, you will find, is
articulate, insightful and from a slightly different perspective than Ledcat
and me.
I was wrong! On Monday, I credited the USC decision to reinstate the International Baccalaureate Program as a sign of hope. From the PG:
Funding will come from a combination of $45,000 raised by families of the students and $85,000 guaranteed by Gov. Ed Rendell to the district, board members said.
I just shake my head that the state is allocating $85,000 for Upper St. Clair. Dormont might lose a pool. My own community of Manchester has not a single organized youth activity. And schools throughout this region are scraping by.
I think the IB program is important and kudos to the parents (and the students) for not letting the wingers win. It is just sad this victory underscores the truth that those who have access get a disproportionate share of resources. Does that bode well for the lesbians and gays in Pennsylvania?
From the PA-GALA website, an update on the PA marriage protection amendment ...
The Anti-Marriage Amendment (HB 2381) is on the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives Agenda for the week of Monday, April 24th! A vote on the Amendment could be held anytime this week!
PA-GALA needs you to contact your State Representative and ask him or her to oppose the Anti-Marriage Amendment. Ask your legislators to protect all Pennsylvania families and not harm some by writing discrimination into Pennsylvania's constitution.
Visit the PA-GALA website for information on how to contact your State rep.
The Trib's Mike Seate steps up for his turn on the Rene Portland homobashing situation and considers Portland a viable candidate for Pennsylvania politics.
[I]nstead of offering any apologies or explanations for her bigotry and paranoia, Portland held a news conference last week where she refused to answer any questions. In fact, she pretty much denied the whole ugly affair. Fined $10,000 by the school, the foul-line homophobe will get to keep her job, which is the kind of hall pass previously reserved for crooked politicians.
Seate makes some nice comparisons to our illustrious hall of crminals, including Western PA's very own Jeff "Corruption" Habay.
Seate believes that Portland may in fact be on to this trend ...
If I were a betting man, I'd wager that Portland already knows this. She knows that a winning record makes beloved sports figures almost bullet-proof when it comes to criticism. It also means the rules, whatever they are, don't apply to the powerful and successful.
And by now, I'm sure Portland realizes that Penn State may never place the same importance on its students as it does its athletic programs.
Local gay advocate Dana Elmendorf asks Pennsylvania to consider why Darryl Metcalfe and his band of merry men are rushing the marriage protection amendment to the House floor? This was in the PG.
UPDATE 11:27 AM: And this was in Friday's Tribune Review. Good job Dana!
The Nigerian homosexuality bill, the "Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, 2006" which was presented to the House on the 31st March has now had its first reading in the Senate. A report in the Nigerian Vanguard states that the Bill has been widened to include "punish individuals who witness, celebrate with or support couples involved in homosexual relationships".
This legislation essentially criminalizes homosexuality. It strips a group of human beings of their entire identity and any claim to justice whatsoever. Homosexuals will "no longer be human beings, but illegal beings."
The Bill effectively silences the issue of homosexuality in Nigeria and removes all Human Rights of HR defenders, lesbians, gays, bi-bisexuals and transgendered people.
Peter Akinola, Anglican bishop and all around homohater, argues that this law reflects the Nigerian people's view on sexual matters.
Here's the Pittsburgh angle .... our beloved Episcopal Bishop Robert Duncan issues a press release stating that the Archbishop's support for this legislation is an improvement over Sharia law which advocates death for homosexuals. He then whips out the arguement that outraged Episopalians (and Anglicans) are being COLONIALIST by imposing their sexual values on Nigerians ....
I can't make this stuff up folks. God be with the entire Nigeria population. Because the Anglican Church sure isn't with them.
The PG has published several letters to the editor in response to Darryl Metcalfe's uninspiring diatribe on the need for a anti-gay marriage amendment.
The letters tend to be from heterosexual people, some parents of gay adult children, who clearly get that not only is Metcalfe scapegoating gays but that he has no business investing his time and energy into a non-issue while other critical matters go unaddressed. Darryl Metcalfe is not doing his job.
M.W. Sage of Swissvale writes "Care depends on the caring capacity of the individuals involved in providing the care, not on sexual orientation."
William O'Donnell of Elizabeth Township adds, "The theme of his comments is that Pennsylvania should be a two-tiered society -- the we-gets and the you-don'ts."
Kara O'Bryon of Point Breeze indicates that Metcalfe's bigotry has inspired her to take action "It is time for us to stop accepting this thinly veiled bigotry. This is an attack on gay people who, believe it or not, Mr. Metcalfe, are "productive members of society." I've never called myself a "homosexual activist," but I am deeply offended that Mr. Metcalfe has so frontally attacked me and people whom I love and care about and likened their relationships to criminal relationships between brothers and sisters. "
And Diana Slivinska of Ingram knocks the ball out of the park. She writes, "As a married woman, I'll thank Mr. Metcalfe not to take it upon himself to defend me or define me. Unless someone proposes to marry my husband, another's marriage has nothing to do with me. People get married every day, and their marriages have absolutely no effect upon mine."
Interestingly, not a single letter (thus far) in support of Mr. Metcalfe. I hope Western PA legislators are reading the paper. And I hope Western PA queers take heart to realize that we have vocal defenders in the heterosexual community.
Rosemary Protsko of Bethel Park wrote "Our stealth Legislature is at it again. It can't pass tax reform, lobby reform or an increase to the minimum wage, but it can put energy toward a state constitutional amendment to protect marriage"
Kurt Colborn of Swisshelm Park notes the hypocrisy of PA legislators, "So, our salary-jacking friends in Harrisburg think it's OK to quash free speech, deny that all men are created equal and restrict the pursuit of happiness to the privileged majority. What's important, it seems, is that they use polite language while they do it."
If you know these good folks, thank 'em for taking the time to write to the PG.
