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NEWS ITEMS AFFECTING GAYS AND LESBIANS
For 2002 - October to December
Sponsored link.
News of 2002-OCT:
 | 2002-OCT-13: Steven Spielberg criticizes BSA, homophobes, Nazis:
In his acceptance speech for the National Equality Award from the
Human Rights Campaign Spielberg said, in part:
 | "Once upon a time
I was a Jewish kid growing up, alive and alone, in an all Gentile
neighborhood. And mostly in school I experienced 'exclusion' from many
other kids my age who only knew what a Jew was from what their parents
told them, what their friends said or popular negative stereotypes. ...So
when I joined the Boy Scouts of America I felt that
I had found a safe haven, away from all the teasing and all the
taunting....And maybe most importantly, it was through the Boy Scouts of
America - as I was trying out for a merit badge in photography - that I
actually discovered my passion for filmmaking. That's exactly how I got
started....For most of my life, I have been a passionate advocate of
Scouting and I served on the National Board for years until the Supreme
Court Case of Dave versus the Boy Scouts of America, where I realized
something that I had not been very aware of: that you could be black and
white, Hispanic and Asian, Native American, Jewish, Catholic, Islamic -
but you couldn't get in to the Scouts if you were gay. So I quit the Boy
Scouts. I resigned my commission, which I know is one of the reasons
you're that honoring me tonight..... quitting the Boy Scouts was probably
one of the most painful experiences I've ever had to endure. But they are
wrong and you are right. We are right and we have never been more right
than we are right now, in this country and at this time....But I am not
totally naïve. The unthinkable shadows our lives everyday. You know,
hatred has us in its crosshairs....A few people - and you know, it only
takes a few - who are viciously proactive in their hatred. Their fears -
irrational fears - and their ignorance compound themselves into sudden
violence. That is why the Holocaust occurred, and that is why Matthew
Shepard was murdered...." 1 (Not mentioned by Steven
Spielberg is the exclusion by the Boy Scouts of members who are
Atheists.) |
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| 2002-OCT-24: Kodak millwright fired over Email: On
OCT-11, the National Coming Out Day for gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender persons, supervisors and others in
management at the Eastman Kodak Company received an Email which
described how to support an employee who came out of the closet.
Suggestions included being supportive, acknowledge their courage
at taking this step, respect their privacy, etc. A supervisor
forwarded the Email to his employees, which included Rolf Szabo, a
Millright at Kodak's Rochester NY plant. Szabo replied via Email:
"Please do not send this type of information to me anymore, as
I find it disgusting and offensive. Thank you." Whether
intentional or not, the reply went to all 1,000 recipients of the
original Email, rather than just to Szabo's supervisor. Szabo was
given two choices: to sign an employee commitment plan which said
that he was sorry for his action and which outlines steps to
prevent a similar incident, or to be terminated. He elected the
latter. 2 |
| 2002-OCT-18 (approx): ON: Anti-gay material removed from
Muslim display: Musa Raza coordinated an Exhibition of
Islamic Art and Science -- at the Scarborough Civic Center
in Scarborough, ON Canada. One of the panels contained a collage
of various images of gays and lesbians, along with quotations from
the Qur'an and the Bible which
suggested that homosexual behavior is sinful and that gays and
lesbians would be punished after death for their activities. Rita
Davies, managing director of the city's cultural division said
that her staff asked that Raza provide photographs of the exhibits
in advance, but he had failed to do so. Raza says that he does not
hate gays and lesbians, but objected to the city obeying the "gay
and lesbian command" to remove the panel. He said: "I don't
know why this (gay and lesbian) lobby is going too strong and
nobody is paying attention about our religion, about our society,
about the values of the family." It apparently took a full
week after the first complaint was received before the city staff
was able to conclude that the display violated the city's human
rights policy. Councilor Kyle Rae said: "I'm very disappointed
that city staff have allowed...offensive attacks upon gay men and
lesbians to be displayed at one of our civic centers."
3 |
| 2002-NOV-5: KY: Gay-Straight Alliance meets opposition:
Some gay and straight students of Boyd County High School
in Cannonsburg, KY, attempted twice to obtain permission from the
school's teacher-parent council to organize a Gay-Straight
Alliance support group. They were rejected both times. On the
third trial, during the week of OCT-26, they had a letter of
support from the American Civil Liberties Union which
explained the requirements of the federal
Equal Access Act. This time, the
PTC approved their application. This triggered two demonstrations:
The Boyd County Ministerial Association, is planning a
community protest against the support group on NOV-10. Many
students boycotted the school by staying home on Monday NOV-4; 420
out of the total student body of 990 stayed away.
Some reactions:
| Jenny Reese, mother of a student who is a member of the
Alliance said: "I just don't think it's a good idea for parents
to let their children stay home from school. It doesn't set a good
example for tolerance.'' |
| Andrea Opell, 17, a senior, said: ''Anything could happen.
'A lot of people say it will die down, and I hope it does. I hope
it doesn't get violent. I hope it doesn't get out of hand.''
|
| Rev. Tim York, pastor at Heritage Temple Free Will Baptist
Church and the Rev. Bill Bentley, pastor at First United
Methodist Church have appealed the council's decision. |
| James Esseks of the ACLU said at this was ''the
first time I've heard of a reaction of this kind or this size''
to the creation of a gay-straight alliance at a school. He
continued: "The level of reaction or resistance they're
encountering illustrates the need for a safe place for these kids
to meet. Can you imagine being a gay or lesbian student in a
community where people feel so free in expressing their
intolerance? That must be a difficult place to be.'' 4 |
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| 2002-NOV-26: PA: New hate law protects persons of all
sexual orientations: The Pennsylvania Ethnic Intimidation
Law had raised crimes motivated by hatred of a person's
"race, color, religion or national origin" to the level of
hate crimes. On NOV-26, the House passed a bill 118 to 79 which
would add additional grounds to the law: ''ancestry, mental or
physical disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender
identity.'' During the debate, the bill's opponents argued
that it violated the principle of "equal justice for all."
It is difficult to support this argument, because the proposed
amendment would protect heterosexuals, bisexuals, gays and
lesbians equally. Other opposition is based on the fear that
anti-homosexual speech -- for example a pastor quoting homophobic
Bible passages -- could be charged under the law. Again, this
appears to be difficult to support, because the law kicks in only
after a crime has been committed. Speech denigrating a group of
people is not a crime; pastors and others are guaranteed freedom
of speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. If
no crime has been committed, then the Intimidation Law does not
apply. The bill was promoted by Stewart Greenleaf, the chair of
the state Senate Judiciary Committee, and House Majority Leader
John Perzel. Both are considered conservative Republicans. Since
state Senate passed the bill during 2001 by a vote of 32 to 15, it
now goes to Governor Mark Schweiker, who has promised to sign it.
5 |
|
2002-DEC-10: Anglican Evangelicals meet to oppose new Archbishop of
Canterbury:
Four of the most conservative groups within the Church of England --
Reform, the Church Society, the Church of England Evangelical
Council, and the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies --
are meeting to challenge the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
Evangelicals within the denomination had called on Dr Williams
either to recant his belief that biblical passages can be
interpreted to support committed same-sex relationships, or to
resign his office. Figures from the 2000 Church Attendance
Survey indicate that the Evangelical movement within the
denomination represents over one in three Church of England
members, and is growing rapidly. If Evangelicals were to withhold
donations in the form of the "parish share" they could
drive the Church near bankruptcy.
In a column in The Church of England Newspaper,
Andrew Carey, the son of the former Archbishop, wrote: "God always has
plenty more work to do, even in the lives of distinguished
churchmen. Which is why evangelicals must continue to have a
conversation with Dr Williams, to ensure that he understands why
we believe him to be utterly wrong on human sexuality." The Rev David Holloway, Vicar of Jesmond
said: "At the time of Rowan Williams and gay theology, you
don’t only have to teach the truth and refute error, you also have
to take action." He quoted Romans 16:17: "Watch out for
those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are
contrary to the teaching that you have learnt. Keep away from them."
The Rev George Curry, chairman of the Church Society,
said: "As loyal Anglicans, we are faced with the fact that we have
bishops across the world and in the Church of England who are
teaching error when their job is to drive away error and teach the
Gospel."
Christina Rees, a prominent member of the General Synod
who resigned from the Church of England Evangelical Council after some
members criticized Dr Williams, said: "I have seen a draft of the
statement and, although it does not mention the archbishop by
name, it clearly alludes to the Rowan situation. It is intended to
be a rallying point. It refers to sexuality....Making a person’s attitude to homosexuality a touchstone of the
Christian faith is elevating it to a place it has never held in Christian
tradition." 6 |
| 2002-DEC: MO: Professor warns of dangers of tolerating
homosexuality: Patricia Schoenrade is chairperson of the
Department of Psychology at William Jewell College.
This is a liberal arts college in Liberty, MO, whose mission
statement calls on it "To be an institution loyal to the ideals
of Christ, demonstrating a Christian philosophy for the whole of
life, and expressing the Missouri Baptist heritage which is the
foundation of the college." The student senate is currently
debating whether to add sexual orientation as a protected class in
the student bill of rights. According to Baptist Press,
Professor Schenrade expressed concern at the growing acceptance of
"homosexuality at the school." She is quoted as saying: "I
think it's fair to say that there is a pattern developing. It's
very easy to confuse love for the individual with acceptance of
the lifestyle. Whatever a student finds on a Christian campus,
they will assume it is Christianity. If they hear advocacy of a
behavior and nothing to counter it, that person will assume it is
Christianity...I can't say this strongly enough, but I believe
[that] the spiritual and intellectual souls of our students are at
risk." In 1997 she coauthored a paper in the Journal
of Personnel Psychology called: "Staying in the Closet
Versus Coming Out: Relationships Between Communication about
Sexual Orientation and Work Attitudes." At the time, she
supported equal rights and protections for gays and lesbians.
However, she "came to know Christ" in 1998-FEB. Earlier in
December, she sent an Email to students saying: "I refute those
ideas now. And the reason why is because I gave my life to Christ."
She is reported as saying: "I began to see my role as a
Christian teacher of psychology. I was to do it for his [Christ's]
glory. Any data I read, any research had to be subordinated to his
direction." She believes that many of the faculty share her
beliefs, but are afraid to speak out. She said: "You will hear
more voices in what's called tolerance but that is not the
sentiment of the majority of the faculty. Sometimes people are a
little reluctant to speak up because they may be judged intolerant
or naive." 7 |
Sponsored link:
| 2002-DEC-11: North America: Bisexual comic book character:
According to Agape Press: "Marvel Comics has announced that
'The Rawhide Kid,' a Marvel character since the 1950s, will make
his first appearance as a homosexual in a February release. In an
Associated Press report, Marvel's editor-in-chief Joe Quesada
states that while the character will not come right out and say he
is homosexual, it will be 'obvious through his actions and the
things he says that his preference is men, not women.' " It is worth noting that if his "preference"
is for men rather than women as a sexual partner, then he is
apparently a bisexual not a homosexual. The Kid had been
portrayed as a girl-shy character. Effective with the 2003-FEB
issue, he will appear as a hero with a homosexual or bisexual
orientation.
Randy Sharp, director of special projects for the Fundamentalist
Christian American Family Association is distressed by the
forthcoming new, openly gay, character in a comic book. He said: "It's
imperative that parents learn what Marvel Comics is now trying to
do -- and that is to infiltrate their children's lives with a
message of homosexuality and to normalize it for the kids. There
should be a safe haven for children, and homosexuality should not
be able to penetrate that safe haven." He is encouraging
parents to complain to Marvel about this development. Sharp said:
"That ought to send a message all across America that it's
going to be dirty, deviant, nasty, and [supportive of the]
pro-homosexual agenda. Parents should be warned that Marvel Comics
can no longer be trusted to produce a comic which is entertaining
and yet safe for children." 8
|
| 2002-DEC-9: IL: Students organize protest over school's
"cutest couple": Students at the Crete-Monee High School
in the Chicago area traditionally vote to select the "cutest
couple" to be featured in their yearbook. This year, the
senior class selected a couple for the honor who had been dating
since the beginning of the school year. They are lesbians. The
school administration put a hold on publishing the selection in
the yearbook. Some students complained at a NOV-18 school board
meeting. The board refused to act. On NOV-20, about sixty students
staged a walkout. School board spokesperson, Sue Rossi, explained
that the hold was imposed while permission of the girl's parents
was obtained. Rossi said: "Because sex preference is such a
private issue, prior to making it a permanent printed record--such
as in the yearbook--parental permission was required."
Patricia Logue of Lambda Legal Defense and Education, a gay
and lesbian legal rights group, commented: "I doubt if this
couple were a boy and a girl they'd see a need to run it by the
parents." 9 |
| 2002-DEC-17: NY: Senate expands protection against
discrimination: In spite of concentrated efforts by religious
and social conservatives, the Republican-controlled state senate
passed the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA)
by a vote of 34 to 26. Focus on the Family described this
as approving "non-discrimination status for homosexuals..."
This appears to be an error, because all persons of all
sexual orientations -- heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals --
would be equally protected if the bill is signed into law. It
would prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, education,
credit and public accommodations. Currently, the only protected
criteria are age, race, religion, color, national origin, sex,
marital status and disability. The state Assembly overwhelmingly
passed the bill earlier in 2002. 10 Governor George Pataki signed it into law
a few hours after the Senate passed it. It comes into effect on
2003-JAN-16. According to Focus on the Family: "Opponents
say SONDA will move the state one step closer to normalizing
homosexuality and placing it on par with the traditional family."
11 |
| 2002-DEC-18: HI: Westboro Baptist Church to picket in
Hawaii: Fred Phelps told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin
that "God hates fags." He and his group are planning to
visit Hawaii in 2003-JAN "to inject a little gospel truth and
sanity into that insane orgy of sodomite lies masquerading as a
state." The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS,
which he heads, issued a statement saying that it would protest in
Honolulu from JAN-9 to 14. It criticized a brochure distributed to
Kihala Middle School students in 2002-NOV which explained
how young people mature sexually and summarized research on
sexual-orientation. Ken Miller, spokesperson for The Center,
a gay-positive support group said: "It's a sad statement that
there's someone like this who will come out and denigrate a
segment of our community. His message is scary that God hates all
fags and that we should burn in Hell. United Methodist
minister Rev. Sam Cox said: "It's sort of a Ku Klux Klan type
of extreme homophobia...They sanction murder and even say
that 9/11 is God's punishment on America for condoning
homosexuals." 12 2002-DEC-20: BC: Canadian Supreme Court overrules local
school board:
In response to strong parental support during 1997, the Surrey School Board,
near Vancouver, BC, in Canada banned three gay-positive books in
its public school systems. In a 7 to 2 decision, the Canadian
Supreme Court ruled that the board must revisit its decision.
More details. |
References:
- "Spielberg Likens Matthew Shepard
Killing to Nazi Persecution," The Gay Financial Network, at:
http://www.gfn.com/news/story
- Joe Kovacs, "Kodak fires man over 'gay' stance: 23-year veteran of
global film giant objected to pro-homosexual memo," WorldNetDaily, at:
http://www.wnd.com/news/
- Bruce Demara, "Exhibit's anti-gay material removed," Toronto Star,
Toronto ON, 2002-OCT-25.
- Mark Pitsch, "Gay-rights decision protested at E. Kentucky
school: Allowing group to meet sparks student boycott," The
Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY., 2002-NOV-5, at:
http://www.courier-journal.com/
- Felicia Dionisio, "Pennsylvania House OKs 'gay' rights; Will pastors be
targeted for preaching against homosexuality?," WorldNetDaily™,
2002-NOV-28, at:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/
- Ruth Gledhill, "Evangelicals ready to
challenge Williams for the Church's soul,"
The Times (England), 2002-DEC-10. Online at:
http://www.gospelcom.net/
- Todd Starnes, "Prof sees pattern toward acceptance of
homosexuality at William Jewell," Baptist Press, 2002-DEC-11, at:
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=14830
- Allie Martin and Jody Brown, "Marvel Comics Puts Homosexuality in the
Saddle," Agape Press, 2002-DEC-11, at:
http://headlines.agapepress.org/
- Mubarak S. Dahir, "Chicago Students Stand Up for Gay Equality,"
at:
http://www.tolerance.org/teens/stories/
- Sonja Swiatkiewicz, "N.Y. Senate approves pro-gay bill: Observers
say the measure will move homosexuality closer to full acceptance,"
Focus on the Family, at:
http://www.family.org/cforum/
- Sonja Swiatkiewicz, "Pataki Signs N.Y. Pro-Gay Bill,"
CitizenLink, Focus on the Family, 2002-DEC-19.
- "Anti-gay group to picket in isles: The religious group from
Kansas will protest in January," Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
2002-DEC-18, Page A3.
- Art Moore, "Law of the land: Canada OKs pro-'gay' books for kids.
Parental views cannot override imperative of tolerance, diversity."
WorldNetDaily, 2002-DEC-28, at:
http://wnd.com/news/article.asp
Notice:
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. sec 107: The news items
contained in the above hyperlinks are provided without profit by the
Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance, PO Box 27026, Kingston ON
Canada K7M 8W5, and are intended to be available to anyone
interested in the topics included, for educational purposes only. Any
editor, author, Webmaster, writer, publisher, news service, etc. that
objects to being part of this listing may request that future works be
excluded. We will also attempt to delete previous entries from the
same source.
Copyright © 2002 by the Ontario
Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2002-DEC-28
Compiler: B.A. Robinson
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