RA-news

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Newsletter of the Rainbow Alliance at the University of Florida June 2005, Vol. 3, No. 9 Please contribute to the Rainbow Alliance Fund. Our next Rainbow Alliance dinner/meeting will be on Wednesday, June 8, at 6:30 pm at Leonardo's 706 at 706 West Univesrity Avenue. Events to watch for: June 25 -- HairBall! (see story below) October -- LGBT Homecoming (see story below) The Rainbow Alliance is the staff and faculty organization at the University of Florida concerned with matters related to sexual orientation and gender identity. RA welcomes all members of the University community who share its goals.

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Contents First Words -- Building a Tolerant Society Features Don't Miss Out on HairBall VIII on Saturday, June 25! UF LGBT Groups Plan Homecoming Event American Psychiatric Association Urges Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage California Bills Legalizing and Banning Same-Sex Marriage Fail Single Gene Can Shift Fruit Fly Sexual Orientation Sexual Orientation Protections Introduced in Senate Departments Update on RA Projects Contributing to the Rainbow Alliance Fund Resources How To Join Rainbow Alliance Contributors to This Issue of RA-News

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First Words Building a Tolerant Society The first federal Hate Crime legislation was passed in 1968. At the height of the Vietnam War and following on the heels of a decade of civil rights legislation, the law allowed federal action against those committing hate crimes based on race, religion and national origin. It was a year before Stonewall. The women's rights movement was in full swing. Thirty years later, Congress began considering un update to this law called the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. It has been introduced in several congresses, and has been reintroduced this year under the name Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (LLEEA). Perhaps Enhancing Local Law Enforcement is more palatable in Washington these days than Preventing Hate Crimes. The bill is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It probably has not been high on their agenda. LLEEA would add sexual orientation, gender and disability to the categories of potential hate crimes. In the introduction to the bill there is a paragraph discussing slavery and involuntary servitude. The paragraph refers to role that violence played in enforcing not only slavery, but also its "relics." Violence is a common means of perpetuating discrimination. It is another means by which the control of people's bodies is the primary means of enforcing social norms. Hate crime legislation is only one plank in the platform of protection for minorities. For LGBT people, a crucial step was the decriminalization of what people do with their own bodies in the rejection of state sodomy laws in Lawrence v. Texas. The next logical step is the criminalizing of what other people do to our bodies because of who we are. This step hasn't been take, but it is not far off. Also, hate crime legislation is not non-discrimination legislation. The treatment of LGBT people in the workplace, the bank, the rental office, the university, etc. is a second plank. That step has also been difficult to take. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) was first introduced in 1994, and has been repeatedly reintroduced since. In 1998, 83% of American felt that gays and lesbians deserved protection the workplace, and many major corporations and institutions have non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation. Nevertheless, ENDA has not been passed and continues to be blocked by endless fallacious arguments about how churches would be forced to hire transgendered Sunday school teachers. A third plank, and the most famous these days, is legal equality of LGBT persons, including access to all the contracts and other arrangements accessible to heterosexuals, most noticeably, marriage. Other arrangements, such as civil unions, are "separate but equal" arrangements for LGBT persons. Despite the wave of constitutional amendments that were passed in 2004 and the 40 or so so-called "Defense of Marriage Acts," including the federal one, there is steady progress on this front. It appears that same-sex marriage will soon be legal all across Canada and several nations of the European Union. Same-sex marriage recently failed in the California Assembly by one vote. A fourth plank, and one people might not think of, must relate to the health and well-being of LGBT people, i.e., AIDS funding. Of course, this issue goes well beyond the LGBT community, and it is only in a small handful of countries that AIDS is a "gay" problem. In fact, AIDS has nothing to do with being gay. It is believed that the epidemic began with the butchering and consumption of a certain subspecies of chimpanzees in Central Africa, probably beginning in the early 20th century. The identification of AIDS with gay people in the US has to do with epidemiology, the sexual subculture of gay men in the US, and the high vigilance and quality of health care in the US. While great progress has been made in a relatively short amount of time, we must continue to press ahead both "locally and globally" (as the environmentalists might say). Social acceptance of LGBT people — if it can be measured by the television and films people choose — is fairly high. And we are not demanding that everyone "love" LGBT people, but that everyone participate in a tolerant and possibly nurturing society. Tolerance is good thing; you never know when you might some yourself. [top]

Features

Don't Miss Out on HairBall VIII on Saturday, June 25! The Eighth Annual Hairball Variety Show is on Saturday, June 25 and features many of Gainesville's most talented acts donating their time and energy to help fund this year's Pride Celebration activities. This year's show will be held once again at the Thelma Boltin Activity Center, 516 NE 2nd Ave., in Gainesville. Doors open at 7:30 PM with the Variety Show running from 8 to 10 PM. Tickets are available on a sliding scale between $10 and $20 (or whatever you can afford) from board members or at the door. Be sure to check out the Silent Auction items donated by community members. Beer, wine, light refreshments and snacks will be available. Your ticket stub will also get you into University Club later that evening for free! The HairBall Variety Show is a major fundraiser for PRIDE. The event is co-sponsored by the City of Gainesville's Department of Cultural Affairs and Pride Celebration of Gainesville. Your contributions to the HairBall help us to fund other events such as Gainesville Pride Week in October. Clear your calendar and tell your friends. The HairBall is coming! For more information call Pride Celebration of Gainesville at 352-377-7449 or email info@gainesvillepride.org. [top]

UF LGBT Groups Plan Homecoming Event UF alumni, Pride Student Union, The Director for LGBT Affairs and Rainbow Alliance are planning an event for this year's Homecoming. LGBT alumni, students, staff and faculty are an important part of the University community, and Homecoming is a great time to bring everyone together for reunion and celebration. Members of the Rainbow Alliance, LGBT alumni and students are invited to join the planning committee for this event. Do you know how to throw a great party? Then YOU are needed. Contact Tamara Cohen, tamararc@dso.ufl.edu, or Charles Brown, cmb@ifas.ufl.edu, to get involved. [top]

American Psychiatric Association Urges Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage At its recent national meeting, held in Atlanta, members of the American Psychiatric Association supported a formal statement urging the legal recognition of same-sex marriages. The statement goes beyond the 2000 APA position advocating civil unions. The APA joins other mental health organizations, including the American Psychological Association, in supporting same-sex marriage. The measure will go the APA Board of Trustees in July for ratification. Supporters cited the benefits of allowing a stable home-life and the negative impact on mental health of discrimination. They were also motivated by the inequity of civil unions, which would vary from state to state and provide an uneven pattern of protections. Marriage should guarantee uniform protection across all states. There was also opposition within the APA to the measure. Some members boycotted the meeting and some voted against the measure. Opponents cited the numerous state laws and some state constitutional amendments that prohibit same-sex marriage. They felt that the organization should not engage an issue that is so politically contentious and that has so many religious connotations. The APA was a leader in the modern era of LGBT civil rights when in 1973 the organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses. [top]

California Bill Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Fails On June 2, 2005, the Religious Freedon and Civil Marriage Protection Act (Assembly Bill 19) was defeated in the California Assembly by a vote 37 to 36. If passed the bill would grant same-sex couples in California the right to marry. The bill also includes guarantees concerning religious freedom. The bill has two parts. In the first part, it repeals the California law, passed in 2000, that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. In the second part, it prevents clergy and religious institutions who refuse to perform marriages from being sued. LGBT groups in California were saddened by the news, but remain hopeful, both because the legislation was introduced and because the vote was so close. [top]

Single Gene Can Shift Fruit Fly Sexual Orientation Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna have found that the alteration of one gene in the fruit fly can alter which gender it attempts to court. The gene appears to act as a "master gene" for sexual behavior in fruit flies and comes in a male variant and a female variant. Researchers gave the male variant of the gene to females and the female variant of the gene to males. The male variant induced more aggressive behavior in female fruit flies and caused them to pursue other females with courtship activity. The female variant caused males to behave less agressively and focus their attention on other males. Fruit flies have a collection of about 60 cells in their neural center that coordinate their mating behavior. It had been known that damaging any of these cells would disrupt or disable the very consistent mating behavior of fruit flies. Nevertheless, researchers were surprised that a single gene could act as a "master switch." "The results are so clean and compelling, the whole field of the genetic roots of behavior is moved forward tremendously by this work," said Dr. Michael Weiss, chairman of the department of biochemistry at Case Western Reserve University. "Hopefully this will take the discussion about sexual preferences out of the realm of morality and put it in the realm of science." The implication of this finding for other behaviors and for other species is not clear, but it lends support to the growing body of information that shows a biological basis for sexual orientation. Learn more: <http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N03280606.htm> [top]

Sexual Orientation Protections Introduced in Senate In late May, Senator Edward Kennedy and 44 co-sponsors, including Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, introduced the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act. The bill includes federal protections against hate crimes based on sexual orientation, gender and disability. A similar bill was also introduced in the House of Representatives. Some advocates prefer the House version which is more explicit in protection of transgendered persons. Versions of this bill have been introduced in previous congresses under the name "Hate Crimes Prevention Act." The new version has extensive support, including: Former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh 22 state attorneys general International Association of Chiefs of Police National Sheriffs' Association Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Police Foundation Police Executive Research Forum Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association National Center for Women and Policing National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives The current federal hate crime law was passed in 1968 and limits federal investigation and prosecution of hate crimes to race, religion, and national origin. The bill has been referred to the judiciary committee in the Senate. Follow progress of this bill on the THOMAS Web site. Go to <http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.html> and enter "Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act" in the Search window. For an interesting perspective on this legislation visit: <http://www.afsc.org/lgbt/news/LLEEAstatement.htm> [top]

Departments

June 2005 Update on Rainbow Alliance Plans If you haven't had a chance to attend a dinner, it might be difficult to keep up with the progress of RA projects. We'll try to keep you current with a monthly update. 1) Rainbow Alliance Fund at the University of Florida Foundation The Fund (established March 2003) is the only one of its kind at the UF Foundation specifically dedicated to the support of the LGBT community at UF. The Fund needs continuing support if we are to realize our goals. As always, details about contributing to the Rainbow Alliance Fund can be found at the end of the newsletter. Details about payroll deduction will be e-mailed to RA members soon. Contributions to this Fund are fully tax-deductible. 2) Homecoming Event Help us plan the first ever LGBT Homecoming Event! Contact Tamara Cohen, tamararc@dso.ufl.edu, or Charles Brown, cmb@ifas.ufl.edu, to get involved. 3) Of course, we'll continue our monthly dinners. We hope to see you there! 4) We're working on outreach to LGBT faculty and staff at other universities and junior colleges in Florida. If you have any contacts who would like to be on the Rainbow Alliance mailing list, please send them to cmb@ifas.ufl.edu. We're very interested in what is going on on other campuses. Maybe we can support and help each other. [top]