LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
GLAADLines News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community |
Courting the 2000 Vote The Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) has released a 44-page report analyzing the positions of twelve leading presidential candidates on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. In "Courting the 2000 Vote," two Democrats, nine Republicans and one Independent are scrutinized principally on the basis of public statements and voting records. Noting that self-identified lesbian, gay and bisexual voters comprised a greater percentage of the 1996 electorate than either Latino or Jewish voters, the report highlights the political significance of community issues. Among the reported observations: recent polls have found more than 80 percent of Americans support equality in employment and housing, yet none of the Republican candidates has endorsed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would bar employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. NGLTF Executive Director Kerry Lobel criticized recent media analysis that have portrayed the Republican candidates as being supportive, and further noted that neither of the two leading Democratic candidates have spoken out against California's anti-gay Knight Initiative. "This shows we have work to do not just in one, but in both political parties." California Legislature's Last Minute Actions On Friday, Sept. 10, the last day of its 1999 session, the California State Legislature passed three bills aimed at protecting the rights of lesbian and gay citizens. Governor Gray Davis has not yet commented on two of the bills, but has announced that he plans to sign one of the three, AB 26a domestic partnership bill that would create a state registry for same-sex couples and entitle the same-sex partners of state and local employees to health insurance benefits. Of the remaining bills, AB 537 prohibits discrimination based upon sexual orientation in public schools and colleges, adding to the already-protected categories of race, ethnicity, gender and disability. Sponsored by openly lesbian Assemblymember Sheila Kuehl, AB 537 is a scaled back version of Kuehl's AB 222, which lost by one vote in the Assembly earlier this year. The third bill, AB 1001, moves existing housing and employment protections for lesbians and gay men from the fairly obscure Labor Code and into the Fair Employment and Housing Act, California's main civil rights law. Equality Principles Lists Transgender Needs The Massachusetts chapter of the national transgender rights organization, It's Time, America! has released a 7-point set of "Equality Principles on Gender Variance," intended to outline the needs of a broad base of constituents and move toward greater civil rights protections for all people. The Equality Principles have already been endorsed by numerous individuals and organizations from progressive and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, and It's Time, Massachusetts! plans to circulate the document to politicians and professional organizations for further endorsement as a means of demonstrating widespread support for the measures. Similar to existing documents such as the Greater Boston Business Council's ACE Principles and the Equality Projects Equality Principles, the newly released principles on gender variance will be distributed to employers and organizers nationwide in order to provide frameworks for fair policy making and professional conduct. The full text of the principles on gender variance are posted online at http://www.gender.org/itma/files/principles.htm. For more information, contact Penni Ashe at (508) 626-8522 or via email at penni@gender.org. Happy Bisexuality Day The first annual Celebrate Bisexuality Day (CBD) takes place Sept. 23, recognizing bisexuals, celebrating their history, culture and community and increasing visibility for their issues. Events will be held in U.S. cities and towns ranging from Boston to Montpelier (Vermont), Albuquerque (New Mexico) to Washington, DC, New Brunswick (New Jersey) to New Orleans. Internationally, events have been planned to take place in Canada, Australia and South Africa. |
GLAAD, the nation's lesbian & gay media advocacy organization, promotes fair, accurate, and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 9, No. 13, Sept. 17, 1999 |