From All Over: GenderNews
  • Day of Silence / Le Jour de Silence Planned for April 7
  • Louisville, KY Gets Fairness Law With Some TG Protection
  • Anti-Discrimination on Agenda Of Maryland's Governor

  • Posted
    Feb. 27
    1999




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    Day of Silence / Le Jour de Silence
    Planned for April 7

    A press release that came via GLB-PRESS.

    Momentum Gaining For Day Of Silence Project

    On April 7, 1999, thousands of students at high school and colleges across the United States and Canada will stay silent, passing out cards advocating for queer equality rather than speaking. These students will be participating in the Day of Silence.

    The purpose of the Day of Silence is to create a visible, "audible" silence to protest the oppression forced upon lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. It also hopes to offer educational tools and dialogue devoted to ending the silence by organizing post-event forums and breaks. Participation in the event has grown exponentially from a single campus in 1996 into an international effort.

    For the first time, the Day of Silence Project has chosen to adopt a theme: "Unity through Diversity." By focusing on this topic, DoSP hopes to encourage dialogue about the unique issues facing diverse segments of the queer community. The Project expects that these conversations will allow the community to unite to protest homophobia and heterosexism.

    Chloe Palenchar, Co-Chair of DoSP, comments: "We want to help others recognize how as a community we can achieve equality by through our diversity -- along gender, sexuality, race, class, age, educational status, and every other line."

    The Day of Silence Project Team is composed of volunteer youths from across the country who are dedicated to fighting for queer rights. Their energy and focus is garnering momentum and recognition as April 7 approaches. Co-Chair Jessie Gilliam comments "schools across the nation are gearing up to fight oppression and end homophobia on this day. We invite you to join our Project and work to end the silence."

    If you or your school are interested in participating or learning more about the project, please contact Jessie Gilliam, Co-Chair, at jmg8r@virginia.edu or Chloe Palenchar, Co-Chair, at cpalenchar@hotmail.com. Also, please refer to our homepage at
    http://www.Youth-Guard.Org/dayofsilence/

    "Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights. People who are silent today believe that laws and attitudes should be inclusive of people of all sexual orientations. The Day of Silence is to draw attention to those who have been silenced by hatred, oppression, and prejudice. Think about the voices you are not hearing. What can you do to end the silence?"

    day of silence logo

    Les Jeunes LBGT Et Leurs Amis Unifiez!

    Le Jour National de Silence cherche des participant(e)s pour 1998

    Le 8 avril marque le deuxieme Jour National de Silence. En 1997, les etudiant(e)s d'au moins cent ecoles secondaires, colleges, et universites ont participe. L'evenement est une protestation contre le silence cree par l'homophobie. Le 8 avril 1998 les participant(e)s, de toutes orientations sexuelles, prennent un voeu de silence de 9 heures. Au lieu de parler a leurs profs, amis, et condisciples, les etudiante(s) donnent des cartes qui explique comment les personnes gaies, lebiennes, bisexuelles et transgenres sont force au silence.

    Le Jour National de Silence est un facon efficace d'accroitre la visibilite et de mettre votre campus au courant des questions qui sont importantes aux gais, lesbiennes, bisexuels, et personnes transgenres.

    Le Jour National de Silence n'est pas cher, vous n'avez seulement qu'a photocopier les cartes pour les participant(e)s.

    Le 8 avril, c'est bientot! Si vous voulez participer, contactez moi aussitot que possible. Votre participation peut encourager les autres institutions dans votre region a participer aussi. Le Jour National de Silence est une demonstration de solidarite entre tous etudiante(s) qui sont contre l'homophobie.

    Pour de plus amples renseignements, visitez le site web: http://www.youth-guard.org/ndos

    "Veuillez comprendre les raisons pour mon silenceaujourd'hui. Je suis un(e) partisan(ne) des droits deslesbiennes, des gais, des bisexuels, et des personnes transgengres.Les personnes qui ne parlent pas aujourd'hui croient que les loiset les attitudes devraient etre inclusives aux personnes detoutes les orientations sexuelles. Le Jour de Silence est pourremarquer toutes celles et tous ceux qui sont forces au silence parl'haine, l'oppression, et les prejuges. Pensez aux voix que vous nepouvez pas entendre. Que pouvez vous faire pour mettre fin ausilence?"


     
     




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    Louisville, KY Gets Fairness Law
    With Some TG Protection

    From the web page of The Letter - Kentucky's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender newspaper, at http://www.iglou.com/theletter/feblocal.htm

    Louisville Board Of Aldermen Passes Fairness Amendment

    by David Williams, Editor

    Louisville (January 26). The fifth time was a charm.

    By a vote of 7-5 this evening, the Louisville Board of Aldermen passed a measure known as the Fairness Amendment that protects citizens against discrimination in the workplace on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Two other measures covering housing and public accommodations were tabled for further discussion but may be resurrected under aldermanic rules at some point within the next six months.

    Newly installed Mayor Dave Armstrong has said he will sign any gay rights measure passed by the aldermen.

    The ordinance is the first city-wide gay rights law in the state of Kentucky and one of the few in the South. It's also one of only a handful of laws in the country that protect citizens on the basis of their gender identity.

    Voting in favor of the measure were newly-elected aldermen Tina Ward-Pugh, Bill Allison, and George Unseld and previous aldermanic supporters Denise Bentley, Reginald Meeks, and Paul Bather, all of whom are African-American. Aldermanic president Steve Magre, who had voted against three earlier versions of the proposal, also supported it.

    Key to victory this year came early in the year when Magre, president of the board, came out publicly in support of the employment proposal. What made the difference this time around, he said, were personal testimonials he heard about employment discrimination faced by Louisvillians.

    Another factor in the debate came last fall when the Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children fired a supervisor because of her sexual orientation. Alicia Pedreira had informed her boss of her homosexuality before he hired her. He told her that it would be no problem as long as his bosses didn't hear about it. When they did, they asked her to resign but she refused, so they fired her. Her case drew national attention, and Pedreira became a poster child for the local Fairness Campaign.

    "For over ten years, this community has struggled to achieve justice for our gay, lesbian, transgendered, and bisexual members," said Dan Farrell, co- coordinator of the Fairness Campaign. "Tonight, the Board of Alderman, with the progressive leadership of the seven aldermen, has taken a major step toward fulfilling the will of the people and creating a community where all people are valued, included and protected."

    Pam McMichael, a fifteen-year veteran of the local struggle, concurred. "This win just affirms what we have always known, that Fairness and our allies have steadily and diligently changed the hearts of this community," she said. "Despite the previous amendments being voted down, it has never been about failure. It has always been about moving forward and about transformation."

    As in previous years, the 1999 debate was marred by accusations from local religious right leaders that the ordinance would allow pedophiles free reign in the city. Besides charging that the proposal gave "special rights to homosexuals," they worried that the law would be a violation of their First Amendment rights of religious expression.

    Orchestrated by Dr. Frank Simon, Kentucky's leading anti-gay activist, the campaign against the ordinance included inflammatory radio and tv commercials which attempted to link gay men to pedophilia. The ads were aired on several local religious-oriented radio stations popular in the African-American community, but they were rejected by all four local television stations.

    As a last ditch effort, Rev. Charles Elliot and several other preachers met with Magre an hour and a half before the vote. As the noise from pro- and anti-Fairness demonstrations wafted up from the street, Magre heard them out but informed them his mind was made up.

    The ordinance passed this evening exempts churches and religious organizations, even if funded in whole or in part by taxpayers. Ironically, Alicia Pedreira would not be protected under the new ordinance if she were still employed at the Baptist agency. All religious-owned organizations, no matter the extent of their taxpayer funding, would be exempt. A previous version of the 1999 proposal would not have exempted religious organizations which receive a majority of their funding from taxes.

    .     .     .

    Gender identity was also narrowed in the final version. The first version included individuals going through transition, but the final version only covers anyone who has already gone through a sex change operation.

    "This is, at best, a pyrhic victory for us today," said Angela Bridgman, noted local transgender activist. "While I am pleased that gender identity made the bill, the language was so distorted as to make it cover only post-operative TS's."

    She did feel gratified, on the other hand, that Louisville has gone where larger cities have feared to tread. "I have lived in five metro areas bigger, and more cosmopolitan than Louisville: Chicago, Orlando, Austin, New York, and Philadelphia. None of those cities have gender identity anywhere in their civil rights bills. So, on that level, I am amazed that Louisville does."


    From a subsequent report by Mr. Williams --

    Following through on a campaign promise, Louisville Mayor Dave Armstrong signed into law the Fairness Ordinance Monday, February 1.


     
     




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    Anti-Discrimination on Agenda
    Of Maryland's Governor

    From the Baltimore Gay Paper, http://www.bgp.org/

    By Winnie McCroy, BGP Staff Writer

    Legislators returned to Annapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 13, as Maryland's General Assembly reconvened for its 90-day session. Among proposals outlined on Glendening's 1999 legislative agenda was a vow to push for a statewide law banning discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender people. Although Glendening has given a tacit support to these bills in the past, his recent move to back such legislation should give the issue more visibility and a better chance of passage.

    "I think it is very important and commendable that Glendening has included the legislation in his package for this year," said Betsy Gressler, deputy political director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF). "It hasn't gotten very far in past years, and the fact that he's including it is very helpful.

    "I live in Maryland, and was at the conference when he announced it. It was very moving," added Gressler.

    The bill would add sexual orientation as a protected class to existing legislation that bans discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations. In addition, this is the first year that the bill contains language that would protect transgender people from discrimination.

    According to Don Vandrey, the governor's press secretary, the wording of the new legislation is still being negotiated. Del. Sheila Hixson, (D-Montg.), sponsor of the proposed legislation, has been involved in these negotiations.

    "Of course, I am very pleased-thrilled-that [the governor's] coming out to support us both in testifying at the hearings and his statement in the press," said Hixson.

    "I am also pleased about the Speaker of the House [Casper Taylor, (D-Alleghany)] coming out and saying it is time for discrimination to end."

    According to Hixson, the governor will introduce two identical drafts of the bill, one in the House, and the other in the Senate. "Something could still happen [to prevent the bill from passing," said Hixson, "but at this point, I am very optimistic." This double-teaming effect may give this legislation a much-needed boost. Similar anti-discrimination legislation has been introduced in the General Assembly for the past seven years, yet has never made it past the House, thwarted by a conservative House committee chair, Del. Joseph Vallerio (D-Prince George's Co.).

    According to reports, Glendening was prompted to back anti-discrimination legislation by memories of his younger brother Bruce, who died of AIDS after a career in the Air Force.

    "No one should be in fear of their job, no matter what their occupation, because of their sexual orientation," the Baltimore Sun quoted Glendening as saying at a Jan. 7 press conference. "It's time we stepped up and said we will not tolerate discrimination because of sexual orientation."

    "There are not many governors who are taking a leadership role in promoting anti-discrimination legislation," said Gressler. "It is very important that we continue to work in those states that don't have anti-discrimination legislation."

    As of Jan. 20, the deadline for co-sponsoring House legislation, 32 legislators had signed on to co-sponsor the bill. Del. Samuel "Sandy" Rosenberg, (D-Balt. City, Co.) who is the lead sponsor of proposed hate crimes legislation, recently signed on as a co-sponsor of the anti-discrimination legislation.

    "It is important to say in the workplace, in housing, that we can't discriminate based on race, religion, gender, disability...It is also important that we can't discriminate against people for their sexual orientation," said Rosenberg. "The governor has made an important public statement that in this state, we won't tolerate discrimination. His backing increases the likelihood that the bill will pass."

    Local opponents of the legislation include Richard Dowling, executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference. According to Dowling, the legislation is useless, as in his opinion it is impossible to distinguish between orientation and practice.

    "How can you defend against the charge of orientation?" questioned Dowling. "What the bill really must be saying is to raise up as protected homosexual practice.

    "People who want this bill are pursuing a relatively substantively meaningless goal," added Dowling. "I acknowledge that it may be symbolically important...but I think that the legal manifestation of that purpose will prove hollow because you can't provide protection-you can't litigate on the basis of orientation."

    Dowling said that his main opposition to the legislation was that it allowed for no "conscience clause" for landlords or employers whose religious beliefs mandated that homosexuality was a sin.

    He also bemoaned that the Catholics were perceived as being insensitive to the gay community, and insisted that "our tradition considers it a sin to discriminate-on behalf of the church, I think our Catholic tradition does a lot to end that. I think our outreach to the homosexual community is earnest, and based solidly on tradition. It's good."

    Dowling has not yet decided what action, if any, the Maryland Catholic Conference will take in lobbying against the legislation.

    Baltimore County Democrat Del. Emmett C. Burns Jr., known for his staunch anti-gay attitudes, also opposed the legislation, using the same argument he has employed in previous years.

    "I have no anti-gay feelings," Burns told the Baltimore Sun, "[but] I don't think the governor or anybody else should force employers to hire gays against their will."

    In Maryland, Baltimore City, and Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's County have already enacted laws to protect the rights of gays and lesbians. Ten states have also passed anti-discrimination legislation, including California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

    Glendening is expected to discuss his support for the anti-discrimination bill during his Jan. 21 State of the State address to the General Assembly. This will be televised live on Maryland Public Television and on the Internet at www.toad.net. The speech will also be available on the governor's Web site, at http://www.gov.state.md.us


     
     
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