RA-news Newsletter of the Rainbow Alliance at the University of Florida September 2005, Vol. 3, No. 12

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Please contribute to the Rainbow Alliance Fund. Next Rainbow Alliance Dinner Meeting, Wednesday, September 14, 2005, 6:30 pm, at Olive Garden on Archer Road. Upcoming Events 9/23 -- Celebrate Bisexuality Day (Details below) 10/8 -- LGBT Homecoming Event -- Graham Gallery; Begins 1-1/2 hours before the game (Still TBA on 9/5) 10/20 -- Welcome Reception -- Keene Faculty Center 11/18 -- An Evening with Ronni Sanlo 11/20 -- Transgender Day of Remembrance 12/1 -- "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise." World AIDS Day 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 -- A Shift in the Wind Guest Editorial -- Marriage and Civil Rights Features Celebrate Bisexuality Day, September 23, 2005 -- The Details UF Professor Seeks Gay/Bi Participants for Survey California Senate Passes Same-Sex Marriage Law Helping Victims of Katrina Good News and Bad News in Gay Sport Progress in Maryland Departments Update on RA Projects Contributing to the Rainbow Alliance Fund Resources Help us Build the Rainbow Alliance Contributors to This Issue of RA-News

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First Words A Shift in the Wind There are some odd shifts in the wind. Time was when Jerry Falwell and Louis Farrkhan were as reliably anti-gay as any homophobes on the planet. But what group do their recent statements put them in? On the August 5, 2005 edition of MSNBC's "The Situation with Tucker Carlson," Falwell participated in a discussion with Carlson and Rachel Maddow, a host of AirAmerica radio's "Rachel Maddow Show." Maddow is also an outspoken supporter of LGBT rights. In a conversation with Carlson and Maddow apbout the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court, Falwell stated: But civil—civil rights for all Americans, black, white, red, yellow, the rich, poor, young, old, gay, straight, et cetera, is not a liberal or a conservative value. It‘s an American value that I would think that we pretty much all agree on. This was one of a series of remarks Falwell made during the broadcast segment in support of equal rights in the area of housing and employment. He stated his reservations about what he calls the homosexual "lifestyle," and he was never asked directly about same-sex marriage. Nevertheless, his remarks must take in the view of the Supreme Court in setting aside racial intermarriage laws that: "Marriage is one of the ‘basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival." (See Guest Editorial below.) For Louis Farrakhan, the shift came during his planning for the Millions More Movement -- the 10-year commemoration of the Million Man March. Farrakhan had received letters from the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) requesting a role in the Millions event. Farrakhan responded: "The Millions More Movement is for all of us. . . . Please be assured that any member of our community that has gifts, skills, and talents to plan for the redemption of our people will be welcomed at the table." The remarks of both these individuals are helpful. Falwell is looked up to by many in the Christian evangelical community, and Farrakhan is a powerful spokesman for issues of black Americans and for Black Muslims, in particular. In an era when holy wars of all sorts are becoming increasing popular, The comments of Farrakhan and Falwell represent a clarification of the division between church and state, as well as between church and the rest of us. Acknowledging that we can share important goals, principles and beliefs with people we might have disagreements with is a major step for anyone in acheiving justice. I don't expect Falwell or Farrakhan to march in a Pride parade, but I do expect them to live up to their religions in terms of compassion and justice. [top]

Guest Editorial Marriage and Civil Rights by H. Merton As children around the nation prepare each morning to begin a day of learning, they recite a familiar passage. A passage that has invoke inspiration and loyalty in past generations, now grown and working toward dreams built on its promises. With hand over heart, facing the U.S. flag, the words fall from their lips, "... one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." But for some, it is a passage that is not as promising as they once thought it would be. "Protecting" Marriage In 2003, the Federal Marriage Amendment was introduced in the House of Representatives. The amendment would define marriage to consist "only of the union of a man and a woman." If such an amendment were added to the Constitution, what is really meant by the words "justice" and liberty" in the Pledge of Allegiance? Gay and civil rights activist view the amendment as discriminatory. Conservative and some religious groups see it as serving the will of the majority. Still others believe it imposes religious principles on the nation, violating separation of church and state. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., a proponent of the amendment, said that he does not view the amendment as an attempt to impose religious ideals on the public. "Poll after poll has shown that a strong — even-vast — majority of Americans oppose same-sex marriage," said Stearns. "It is those who espouse this revolutionary arrangement who are forcing their ideals on an unwilling America." However, gays consider the amendment as a deliberate attack on their civil rights, asserting that it is the majority that has impose its will over the course of history instead. They believe it is an attempt to bypass the courts. Estimated at 600,000 in the United States, same-sex families do not receive the same benefits that traditional couples do and about 150,000 of those raise children. This has encouraged many same-sex couples to take their cases to the courts. However, as courts began legalizing same-sex marriages, fear of the provisions in the Constitution's Full Faith and Credit clause, which requires states to recognize legal documents issued in other states, have escalated the debate to the federal level. In 1996, as Hawaii was on the verge of issuing same-sex licenses, Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which allows states to decide whether they wish to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriage licenses, thus limiting the scope of the Full Faith and Credit clause. Then, in 2003, when Massachusetts neared legalization of same-sex marriages, many legislators saw the potential for the Supreme Court to deem DOMA unconstitutional. This prompted some legislators to introduce the Marriage Amendment to Congress sparking the controversy. On July 15, 2004, one day after the defeat of the amendment in the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives passed the Protection of Marriage Act, limiting the power of federal courts to rule over DOMA. Effectively, it became the "Protection of the 'Defense of Marriage Act' Act," a bit like piggy-backing legislation in a move aimed at protecting a majority view. Legislative moves such as these are not new in American history and some are much like efforts to preserve discrimination against blacks in the late 1800s and early 1900s. When in the late 1800s, laws separating blacks from whites (referred to as Jim Crow laws) came under intense legal scrutiny by state courts, the Supreme Court ruled, in Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896, that these laws made blacks "separate but equal" and were not discriminatory. This served to protect the "Jim Crow" laws. While the decision reflected the view of the majority at the time, civil rights activists considered it discriminatory and saw it as a means to tie the hands of the lower courts. Activists of today view the Marriage Amendment as having potentially the same effect. Dr. Richard Scher, a political science professor at the Univ of Florida, said that the Marriage Amendment supports discriminatory thinking and if passed, though unlikely, would inflict terrible consequences on civil rights. "If ratified, it would arguably be the largest setback since Plessy v. Ferguson," declared Scher. Unlike Plessy, the Marriage Amendment would act to circumvent the Supreme Court since, over the years, its views have migrated toward expanding civil rights regardless of majority opinion. This migration is apparent in their decision on a similar issue regarding laws banning inter-racial marriages, otherwise known as miscegenation laws. Thirty states adopted such laws in the years following the Civil War, and in 1883, the Supreme Court upheld their constitutionality. It took 100 years for the Supreme Court to reject these laws. On June 12, 1967, in a case challenging Virginia's "Racial Integrity Act" of 1924, the Court ruled that miscegenation laws were unconstitutional under the Equal Protection and Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In it, the court stated, "Marriage is one of the ‘basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival" Because of this, gay and civil rights activists believe they may already have the precedent needed to challenge legislation such as DOMA and the Protection of Marriage Act. If the Marriage Amendment were ratified, however, it would ban all same-sex marriages and stop states from issuing same-sex licenses. Those that support the amendment hope that this will be the case, but the historical progress of civil rights and change in fundamental thinking has some political scholars considering the likelihood of the amendment's success. According to Richard Schumate, a political scientist and consultant, the amendment has little chance of success, since it would not have enough supporters. "Any person with half a mind wouldn't support it unless they were politically backed by a supportive group or had deep personal feelings about the amendment," said Schumate. "There is an extremely small chance of it being ratified." But, as the tug-of-war continues, only time will tell which side will succeed. Depending on the amendment's outcome, words of the Pledge of Allegiance, to some children, particularly those with gay parents, may take on new meaning. For them, the words' meaning may remain "...with justice and liberty for some." [top]

Features

Celebrate Bisexuality Day, September 23, 2005 -- The Details On 23 September, bisexuals and their allies all over the world will celebrate the 7th Annual Celebrate Bisexuality Day (CBD). Original description of CBD from its founders: "This day is a call for bisexuals, their families, friends and allies to recognize and celebrate bisexuality, bisexual history, culture and community, and the bisexual people in their lives. Celebrate Bisexuality Day is the brainchild of three activists who wanted to challenge the pervasive and wrongheaded notion that any one of us can be defined by the gender of our partner. “Ever since the Stonewall rebellion, the gay and lesbian community has grown in strength and visibility. The bisexual community also has grown in strength but in many ways we are still invisible. I too have been conditioned by society to automatically label a couple walking hand in hand as either straight or gay, depending upon the perceived gender of each person,” remarked Texas bi/trans activist Gigi Raven Wilbur." Wall Painting: On Sunday, 18 September, we'll be painting the 34th St Wall in observance of CBD in shifts. All are welcome to attend. Email me at chango@ufl.edu if you're interested in helping out. The more, the merrier, and the faster we'll accomplish this. Poetry Reading/Slam: In observance of CBD during Gator Nights (Friday, 23 September) at the Orange and Brew, the Reitz Union Board and LGBT Affairs will be presenting the film Kinsey (2004): <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362269/> from 8pm to 10pm, then having a poetry speakout for the remainder of the evening. We're looking for poets to read/perform their work which addresses sexuality and/or gender and critiques/explores/challenges the standard dichotomies of gay/straight, female/male, woman/man. Poets need not be self-indentified transgender/genderqueer and/or bisexual/pansexual/omnisexual individuals as we are all affected differently by these dichotomies: if you're questioning/exploring your gender and/or sexual identity and are feeling pressured to define yourself, if you're in a mixed orientation relationship where you're gay/straight but your partner is bi and vice versa, if you or your partner is transgender and are trying to figure out what it means to be romantically and/or sexually involved with someone who is transgender, if you're a survivor of genital mutilation which occurs with intersexed babies being forced to fit into the female/male dichotomy, if you're wondering what it'd be like to hop the "fence" and date/have sex with someone whose gender is different than what you normally prefer, .... etc. This poetry slam is your time to shine and have your voice heard. ALL are welcome to attend. All poets interested in performing, email me at chango@ufl.edu. Thank you ALL for your time. Please forward this email to whomever you feel would be interested in attending and, especially, in helping out. If you have any questions, thoughts, and/or concerns, email me as well. -- Yuri LaTorre Ortiz [top]

UF Professor Seeks Gay/Bi Participants for Survey UF Sociology Professor Bill Marsiglio needs your help in finding gay/bi participants for an important study. Please read the detailed description which follows and contact Bill directly to help. UF RESEARCH STUDY ON MEN AND KIDS: Dr. William Marsiglio, Professor of Sociology, is recruiting gay/bi MEN who currently have a job and/or volunteer in settings in which they interact with youth who are 18 years of age or younger (e.g., teachers, coaches, Boys/Girls Club staff, youth intervention specialist, childcare worker, youth pastor, Big Brother/Big Sister, 4-H Club agent). Participants will be paid $30 to be involved in an anonymous qualitative interview. The interviews will explore participants’ family backgrounds, how they started working/volunteering with kids, what motivates them, their perceptions of kids strengths and weaknesses today, what activities they share with kids, how they have affected kids, how their work with kids has affected them as individuals, etc. Participants should be willing to talk about any ways their sexual orientation and others' possible perceptions of them influence their commitment and style of involvement with kids. If you are eligible and would like to participate, please call (392-0251, x233) or e-mail (marsig@soc.ufl.edu) William Marsiglio to discuss the possibility of scheduling an interview. Please briefly mention your job/volunteer experience with kids, your name, phone number(s), e-mail address, and the best time to call you. [top]

California Senate Passes Same-Sex Marriage On Tuesday, September 6, the California Assmebly is scehduled to take up a bill which would legalize same-sex marriage in California. The California Senate passed the bill last week bu a vote of 21 to 15. The bill has been voted down in the Assmebly in June, but by a narrow margin -- four swing votes would make the difference. Sponsor Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) hopes that that the Senate approval will influence the Assembly. The California Senate has become the first legislative body to approve same-sex marriage without the compulsion of a court order. The bill would then go to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose record on gay rights issues is good and has said he favors domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. He has also said he prefers for the matter to be resolved by the courts or the people. It isn't clear what Schwarzenegger's response would be to the bill. His disapproval rating is currently 54% according to the LA Daily News -- a rating of 67% got former governor Gray Davis recalled. Popular polls in California have show a slight majority of Californians opposes same-sex marriage and about 44% approve. Two groups are trying to put referendums on the June 2006 ballot to prohibit it. California's March to Equality 1999 -- Lawmakers establish a registry of same-sex couples 2000 -- California voters overwhelmingly approve Proposition 22, defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman 2003 -- California recognizes domestic partner rights 2004 -- In February, San Francisco grants marriage licenses to same-sex couples 2004 -- In March, the state Supreme Court voids the San Francisco marriages 2004 -- Schwarzenegger signs law requiring insurance comapnies to treat same-sex and opposite-sex couples equally 2005 -- California Supreme Court rules that country clubs must treat same-sex and opposite sex couples equally 2005 -- California Supreme Court supports rights of same-sex parents [top]

Helping Victims of Katrina Certainly, everyone is aware of the incredible devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. There are many ways to help, and LGBT groups are developing their own reponse. The Rainbow World Fund (no connection to Rainbow Alliance) is an LGBT organization whose relief efforts extend beyond the LGBT community. RWF partners with "with humanitarian service agencies and national institutions to fund and support existing relief efforts." You can contribute to Katrina Relief through the Metropolitan Community Church, an inclusive denomination known for its acceptance of and advocacy for LGBT people. The National Youth Advocacy Coalition is an advocacy and support organization for LGBTQ youth. It offers relief directly to LGBT youth and families. From the NYAC Web site: "In partnership with many of our colleague organizations around the country, today NYAC is launching a targeted “Hurricane Katrina LGBT Relief Fund,” to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our community receive the critical support they need to regain stability in their lives. "Working with our national and local community partners, we will ensure that your financial investment gets into the hands of LGBTQ young people and LGBTQ families who need it most." You can visit Give.org to find a number of charities accepting aid for Katrina relief. Give.org is operated by the Better Business Burea and provices information on the reliability of charities. Do what you can. [top]

Good News and Bad News in Gay Sport In 2002, the Sixth International Gay Games were held in Sydney, Australia. The year before, in 2001, the sponsoring organization, the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) had selected Montreal as the site of the 2006 games. The Sydney games were very successful by many measures, drawing over 12,000 participants -- surpassing participation in the Sydney summer Olympics in 2000. The games draw hundreds of thousands of spectators and party-goers. Contribution to the Sydney eceonomy was estimated at around 100 million Australian dollars (AUD). Despite the success of the games in many ways, they have left the games' organizing committees with substantial debt. The Sydney games left a debt of over 2 million AUD. In negotiations with Montreal, The FGG planned to scale back in its planning for the event to reduce financial vulnerability, however, the City of Montreal had its own business pan for the event aimed at maximizing the potential revenues to the city eceonomy. In 2003, negotations between FGG and Montreal finally broke down. FGG reopened the bidding for a game venue and Chicago won. In January 2004, Montreal hosted a conference on the future of gay sport. About 30 people "from three different continents, and from the world of GLBT sports and mainstream sports" met and concluded that a new organization should be formed. More details about the conference and its conclusions can be found at <http://www.montreal2006.org/en_no_4.html>. In March 2004, the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF) withdrew from the FGG. Then, in April 2004, the formation of the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association (GLISA) was announced. GLISA and Montreal announced that they would hold an international sporting event in Montreal in 2006 -- the First World OutGames "Rendez-Vous." The current schedule calls for the Seventh Gay Games to be held in Chicago, July 15-22, 2006, and the First World OutGames to held in Montreal from July 29 to August 5, 2006. It is likely that the Chicago games will be dominated by American competitors, although organizers claim that participants from 25 countires have already registered. International participants may find Canada an easier country to enter given the barriers established in the U.S. in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The Gay Games were founded in 1986 by Olympic decathlete Tom Waddell with the hope that they would advance and showcase the international solidarity of lesbians and gays. It is both good and bad news that gay sport has grown to the point that its premier sports event is a coveted prize and that it can support to such events. Gay Games Chicago: <http://www.chicago2006.org/> World OutGames Montreal: <http://www.montreal2006.org/home.html> Gay and Lesbian Sports Web sites: www.gaysports.com www.outsports.com www.queersport.com www.gaysport.info [top]

Progress in Maryland Maryland Enacts Trans-Inclusive Hate Crimes Legislation The National Center for Transgender Equality reported that Maryland joins nine other states by including transgendered persons in its hate crime law. The nine states are California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Governor Ehrlich aslo signed the Safe Schools Reporting Act of 2005. This act requires incidents of harassment or intimidation against students in public schools, including harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity, to be reported to the Department of Education. It also requires the State Department of Education create a standard victim of harassment or intimidation report form. -- Source: Transgender Crossroads LGRP and ACLU File Same-Sex Marriage Lawsuit in Maryland The Lesbian and Gay Rights Project and the American Civil Liberites Union filed a suit in a Maryland circuit court on behalf of nine gay couples. In recent arguments, an attorney for the couples told a judge that the state law that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman violates their rights under the Maryland Constitution. Attorneys for the state, representing five city and county clerks who have refused to issue marriage licenses to the gay men and lesbians, said there is no right to same-sex marriage. The case is expected to end up in the highest court in Maryland, the Court of Appeals. -- Read more: Equality Maryland [top]

Departments

Help Us Build the Rainbow Alliance 1) UF Faculty and Staff: We want every LGBT staff or faculty member and their allies to be a Rainbow Alliance member. Tell interested friends and colleagues about Rainbow Alliance. They can check out the Web site at <www.ra-online.org>, or bring them along to a monthly dinner. They can join by sending an e-mail to <info@ra-online.org>. 2) Alumni: Our mailing list of UF alumni is growing. Alumni are a vital part of the University community. Anyone with an interest in improving the LGBT envrionment at the University of Florida should look into Rainbow Alliance. Working together with Pride Student Union and the Director of LGBT Affairs, we are working to keep alumni informed, to help them connect, and to draw on their expertise. 3) Contribute: The Rainbow Alliance Fund at the University of Florida Foundation (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. A word to out contributions: Your donation is fully tax-deductible, and the RA Fund is not used to support operations of the Rainbow Alliance. Learn more below. 2) Statewide: Help us connect with staff and faculty on other Florida/Depp South campuses working on LGBT issues. We have some unique challenges in the South. Maybe we can support each other and collaborate on progress. [top]