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SOUTHERN VOICE OCTOBER7/1993
Lesbians Fight For Custody Of Son^espiuupofaiesbian
couple in Madison, Wis., has led to a custody battle over a 5-year-old boy. Sandra Lynne
Holtzman has asked a judge to award her custody of the boy, who is currently staying with her
biological mother, Elisbeth Knott. A hearing has been set for Oct. 1. In court papers, Holtzman
claims that Knott is an unfit parent. The couple was together for 10 years before splitting last May.
The boy was conceived by artificial insemination during the couple’s relationship.
AIDS, Gay Groups Back Clinton Health Plan: Leaders of HRCF and the AIDS Action
Council have announced that they will support President Clinton’s proposed health care reform
plan. “The broad principles in the proposal set forth by the president provide the first comprehen
sive national framework for addressing a range of health care issues facing people living with
HIV/AIDS,” said Daniel Bross, executive director of AAC. HRCF director Tim McFceley also
praised the Clinton plan, saying “We believe that access to health care is a basic human right. We
will be with him in this fight.”
Secretary of Defense Les Aspin must ex
plain to a federal judge why the military
ban on gay people is still in effect.
Judge Wants Aspin In Court To Ex
plain Military Gay Ban: The federal judge
who ruled that the Navy’s gay ban was uncon
stitutional has ordered Secretary of Defense
Les Aspin and other officials to appear in court
to explain why the ban is still in effect. U.S.
District Judge Terry J. Hatter, Jr., said last
week that the officials must show cause “why
you should not be held in contempt.” Hatter
made his ruling in the case of Keith Meinhold,
a Navy petty officer who was discharged after
revealing his homosexuality. Meinhold has
been reinstated. President Clinton’s compro
mise plan is set to go into effect this week, but
the House and Senate have each passed stricter
versions of the plan attached to the defense
budget. The Clinton administration has indi
cated that it will not oppose the amendment.
NOW To Hold Hearing Ovor Alleged
Outing: The National Organization for
Women is considering whether to discipline
one of its officials for publicly identifying a
member of the group as a lesbian. The woman
whose conduct is being challenged, NOW
board member Efia Nwangaza, a Greenville, NC attorney, said she thought the woman’s
orientation was public knowledge, and claimed that the grievance and upcoming hearing are part
of “a continuing effort to quash dissent within the organization, a continuing effort to discredit
and neutralize black women and other women of color.” Both Nwangaza and her accuser are
African American.
Judge Throws Out Anti-Gay Rights El0Ctlon:ThestateofOregon is considering criminal
charges against five Junction City voters after a judge threw out election results for an anu-gay
rights measure sponsored by the Oregon Citizens Alliance. The measure passed by a single vote
in June, but Judge Gregory Foote tossed the results when he found improprieties with five voters,
two of whom admitted under oath that they voted for the measure even though they live outside
the city. One of the two, Amy Feinberg, said that she considers Christ’s Center inside the city
limits to be her home even though she actually lives in a trailer parked outside the city limits.
U.S. House PaS8B8 New Hate Crimes Legislation: The U.S. Houseof Representatives
passed the Hate Crimes Sentencing Enhancement Act of 1993 by an overwhelming vote on Sept.
21. The bill, if passed by the Senate where strong opposition from Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) is
expected, will increase sentences for federal hate crimes where the victim was targeted because
of race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. “The House has
now taken the next step with this vital piece of legislation to insure and protect the safety of all
Americans,” said Tim McFeeley, executive director of HRCF.
Teaching Assistant Reprimanded For Showing "Paris Is Burning": a teaching
assistant at the University of Iowa has received a letter of reprimand for failing to warn students
before showing the documentary film “Paris Is Burning.” “The person was not reprimanded for
showing the film but for not complying with our expectation that students be warned about
contents,” said Ann Rhodes, vice president for university relations. The instructor was not named
because disciplinary actions are confidential.
Losblan/Gay Journalists Critical Ot Mainstream Media Coverage: Television and
radio newsrooms are perceived to be generally good environments for lesbian and gay
employees, but there is a wide gap in the way newsroom managers and lesbian and gay journalists
view coverage of gay issues, according to a survey conducted by the Radio and Television News
Directors Foundation and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. 75% of gay
journalists reported that their newsrooms are comfortable workplaces, while 58% of news
directors agreed. But 72% of news directors gave high marks to their coverage of anti-lesbian/
gay violence, whileonly 35% of the gay journalists did so. The journalists are also farmorecritical
of the coverage of other issues concerning lesbians and gay men than the news directors.
Gay Police Officer Who Resigned Is Reinstated: Five months after he resigned from the
Seattle Police Dept, over what he says was harassment within the force, a gay officer is set to
return to his job. Paul Brady, an eight year veteran who resigned in May after fellow officers
criticized him intensely for testifying in favor of a proposed state hate crimes law, will return to
his former post as sergeant at the East Precinct. Grady’s attorney would not comment on why
Grady was returning, but Police Chief Patrick Fitzsimons, who Grady claimed tolerated the
harassment, is retiring in February. “You can read between the lines,” said Shelley Kostrinsky,
Grady’s attorney.
Second Lawsuit Filed Under Portland Gay Rights Ordinance: A Portland, Maine,
woman is suing a local bagel shop, claiming she was fired because she is a lesbian. Leslie Johnson
is the second person to test the city’s gay rights ordinance. Earlier this month, Cynthia Dowd
claimed that she was transferred, laid off and ultimately fired from her job because of her sexual
orientation. An attorney said that Johnson, who began work at the Bagel Works in August 1992
and was fired last April, was probed about her sexual orientation and then told she “didn’t fit the
mold.”
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