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Gay group pledges money to Gunderson campaign

Milwaukee, WI (GLINN)-- Candace Gingrich, the lesbian half-sister of House Speaker Newt Gringrich (R-Ga.), has pledged staf and money from her group to help with a write-in campaign for Rep. Steve Gunderson (R-Wis.)

Candace Gingrich, of the Washingon, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign, visited Madison as part of a seven-city tour promoting OutVote '96, a national gay and lesbian convention.

Gunderson, of Osseo, the only openly gay Republican congressman, is scheduled to speak at the OutVote convention in Chicago Aug. 16-18.

The Human Rights Campaign is putting $2,500 into a write-in campaign for Gunderson in the Republican primary for the 3rd Congressional District.

Gunderson's office did not immediately return a call seeking comment Friday on Gingrich's offer.

Also on Friday, five former 3rd District Republican Party chairmen called for Gunderson to step aside in the race for his seat.

"The time is now fo ryou to end this game and recapture the trust of all of use who have supproted you for these 16 years, said a letter that Janet Schipper, Marlys Griffiths, Lori Wiggert, Walter F. Baltz and Craig Olson wrote to Gunderson.

"We want you to regain our trsut by stepping aside and supporting the Republican primary winner so we can once again be proud to say that we helped Steve Gunderson serve the people," the letter concluded.

Gunderson had announced this would be his last term, but Wisconsin supporters have urged him to run again, and most recently have started a write-in effort, in part because he is in line to become chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

HRC Issues Urgent Action Alert

Washington, D.C. July 18, 1996-- The Human Rights Campaign has called for immediate action to help pass the bill protecting Americans from job discrimination based on sexual orientation. They call upon all gays and lesbians to contact their Senators and urge them to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act as an amendment to the "Defense of Marriage Act". See the Political Action page for full information.

Job discrimination based on sexual orientation legal in 41 states

Birch testifies on need for Employment Non-Discrimination Act

Washington, D.C. July 17, 1996-- Americans who are fired from their jobs simply because of the sexual orientation are not protected by federal law, the head of the largest national lesbian and gay political organization told Congress today.

"Today, it is still perfectly legal under federal law to fire a person simply because he or she is gay, lesbian or bisexual," said Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign. "Let that sink in for a moment because it is reminiscent of other cruel, shameful moments in American history."

Birch testified at a historic hearing before the House Small Business subcommittee on government programs to consider the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). ENDA, which has broad bipartisan support in the House and Senate, would make it illegal to discriminate in hiring, firing, promoting or compensating workers based on sexual orientation.

"This kind of discrimination happens in every region of the country," Birch said. "It is un-American. It is un-businesslike. And it is wrong. But it remains sanctioned by federal law, or rather, by the absence of any law prohibiting it."

Birch cited national polls showing that more and more Americans believe this kind of discrimination is wrong. "In May of this year, a Newsweek poll found that 84 percent of Americans support equal rights in employment for gay and lesbian people," she testified. "More recently, in June, as Associated Press poll found 85 percent favor this kind of legislation."

Corporate America has recognized this fact and has adopted non-discrimination policies that cover sexual orientation, Birch said. She cited a recent HRC report that found slightly more than half of the Fortune 500 companies have such policies.

"Despite the overwhelming public support for the principles behind ENDA, there are political groups here in Washington that oppose it," she added. "They have attacked this simple piece of popular legislation in the same way that they have vilified gay and lesbian Americans -- with naked hostility, fabrications and distortions."

ENDA would not apply to religious organizations, small businesses or the military, and it would not require employers to provide equal benefits to domestic partners of employees.

Chai Feldblum, a Georgetown University law professor and a consultant to HRC, testified that passing ENDA would be a "profoundly moral response" to the discrimination that currently exists in America. Feldblum said a majority of Americans reject the view of ENDA opponents that gay people should be punished for being honest about their lives.

"The American majority is stating a different moral vision for society," she testified. "Under this vision, people are to be judged on their merits and not on the basis of a characteristic that has no relevance to their ability to perform their jobs. Under this vision, gay people are to be protected from punishment and harassment based solely on their decision to respond honestly to their given sexual orientation."

AIDS advances hurt firm

A company that buys life insurance policies from the terminally ill, giving them a source of upfront cash, said Wednesday that it would suspend purchases of insurance policies of AIDS patients because of progress in treating the disease. Dignity Partners, Inc., of San Francisco, was among the first companies to offer the discounted payments for the right to collect a policy's full benefits after a client's death. After the announcement, the company's stock fell 77%.

Rep. Dornan again proves how mean he is

Bob Balkin's column on the Politics Now Internet site reports that Rep. Bob Dornan (R-Calif.) is currently attempting to rescind the spouse pin and House I.D. used by Rob Morris, Gunderson's partner of 12 years.

HRC Report Documents Need for Federal Law Prohibiting Workplace Discrimination Against Gays and Lesbians

Washington, D.C. July 15, 1996-- Although corporate America is making slow progress toward fairness for gay and lesbian workers, there is still a pressing need for a federal law guaranteeing protection from discrimination in hiring, firing, promotion and compensation, according to a report released today by the Human Rights Campaign.

"The State of the Workplace for Gay ane Lesbian Americans: Why Congress Should Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act," is a comprehensive study looking at the proliferation of non-discrimination policies covering gays, as well as domestic parnter benefits and gay and lesbian work groups in America. The report documents 648 employers that have non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation, including more than half of the Fortune 500. Howerver, as the report notes, this is a tiny fraction of the 6.8 million private and public employers in the United States. Plus only nine states -- California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin -- and the District of Columbia have comprehensive laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

"It is perfectly legal in 41 states for employers to fire workers merely for being gay or lesbian -- something most people don't even realize and something most people also think is wrong," said Elizabeth Birch, HRC's executive director. "That's why it is critically important for Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Additionally, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., has said he will introduce ENDA as an amendment to the Defense of Marriage Act when it reaches the Senate floor.

Since 1974 when IBM became the first U.S. corporation to add sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy, gay and lesbian Americans have made dramatic strides toward fairness and inclusion in everyday life, the HRC report notes. HRC's own polling has shown that more than half of all Americans now say they know someone who is gay. (Compare this to a Newsweek poll that found that only 22 percent said in 1985 that they knew someone gay.) HRC's polling has also shown that people who know someone who is gay or lesbian are far more likely to support equal rights for gay people; a total of 80 percent of Americans who know someone gay have said they favor preventing job discrimination, according to a poll conducted by Lake Research, Inc. in May 1995.

As part of this study, the Human Rights Campaign also identified:

• 313 employers that have adopted same-sex domestic partner benefits;

• 165 cities and counties that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation;

• 103 companies that have gay and lesbian employee support groups.

This year, HRC conducted the most exhaustive survey ever of the Fortune 500 to determine ho wmany have non-discrimination policies that include gay men and lesbians. The survey found:

• 251 have such policies. They include some of the most rec ognizable names in business, such as Time Warner, American Express, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Walt Disney, Levi Strauss, Quaker Oats, Apple Computer, Xerox, Colgate Palmolive, Reebok, Sara Lee, Eastman Koday and Pfizer.

• 91 do not have such policies. They also include some of the best-known names in business, such as Chrysler, Nike, Pennzoil and Reader's Digest Association.

• 158 did not answer HRC's survey.

"American business leaders have recognized that adopting policies protecting their gay and lesbian workers from discrimination is among the best ways employers can remind these employees that they are acknowledged, welcome and valued," Birch said. "In an increasingly competitive global marketplace, the existence of these policies can ensure that the best and brightest stay with a company regardless of their sexual orientation. The atmosphere fostered by such policies increases productivity and profits by allowing a company to tap the skills and talents of all members of the workforce."

Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Moving Company that Refused Service to Neighbor of a Persons with AIDS

Washington, D.C . July 15, 1996-- The Justice Department reached agreements with an Illinois-based moving company and one of its local agents that allegedly refused to help two Philadelphia residents move because a neighbor with AIDS was present at the moving site.

The agreements, which were reached on June 27, resolve a complaint filed by the Justice Department last October in the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. The complaint alleged that in July 1994, the Bekins Van Lines Company of Hillside, Illinois, and Schloer Enterprises, Inc., its local agent in Philadelphia, violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by refusing service to two individuals who were moving from Philadelphia to Scotsdale, Arizona.

According to the complaint, a Bekins crew arrived at the home of David Homan and began to assess the property to be moved. Allegedly, when the company employees encountered a neighbor whom they believed had AIDS, they refused to load any of the belongings.

There is no evidence that AIDS can be transmitted trough casual contact.

"This agreement will help to send a message to businesses that it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because they or their associates are infected with AIDS or the HIV virus," said Deval L. Patrick, Assistant Attorney for Civil Rights.

Bekins Van Lines of Illinois has agreed to include a policy statement in its procedural manual that addresses the transmissions of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS in relation to the packing, loading and transportation of household goods. This manual is distributed to each of Bekins' more than 400 agents around the country.

In addition, the company has agreed to pay David Churchill, the individual with AIDS, $12,000, and Robert Rosenbaum and David Homan, the individuals whose belongings were to be transported, $10,500 and $7,500 respectively.

Under a separate agreement, the local Philadelphia affiliate, Schloer Enterprises, Inc., will adopt the parent company's nondiscrimination policy and will ensure that its operations Manager and current dispatchers attend educational seminars about the ADA. The local company will also pay $14,500 to the U.S. government.

Title III of the ADA prohibits businesses from discriminating against persons who have an association with individuals with disabilities. Testing positive for HIV or having AIDS is considered a disability under the ADA.

In 1994, the Justice Department reached an ADA settlement with the Philadelphia Emergency Medical Services after they refused services to an injured individual with AIDS. The Department also reached settlements with dentists in Houston, New Orleans, and Connecticut who refused to treat patients who were HIV positive or had AIDS.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), AIDS can only be transmitted by sexual contact with an infected individual, exposure to infected blood or blood products, and from an infected mother to her infant.

Custody Appeal Made in Support of Bisexual Mother

Judge had ruled that possible `social condemnation' could harm the children

Chicago, IL July 12, 1996-- Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund is asking an Illinois state appeals court to allow two children to reamin with their Washington, Ill. (a suburb of Peoria) mother after a lower court judge ruled that she should lose custody after five years because the children might one day be subjected to expressions of disapproval of the divorced woman's relationship with another woman.

"Parenthood is not a popularity contest. Everyone in this case agreed that these children have been thriving for years in the care of their mother. They should not be uprooted based on hypothtical fears," said Patricia M. Logue, managing attorney for Lambda's Midwest Regional Office, who is representing the mother in the appeal.

Lambda filed its brief on behalf of the mother with the Appellate Court of Illlinois for the Third District on July 11, 996.

The youngsters have lived all their lives with their mother, Rebecca (Becky) Schroeder, who was granted custody following her divorce from Stuart Schroeder in 1991. Both parents subsequently established new relationships, with the ex-husband re-marrying, and Rebecca eventually moving with the children into Washington, Ill., home of her new partner in 1994. Mr. Schroeder sought custody based on his concerns about the effect of Becky's sexual orientation and its effect on the children, but the court's expert and Becky's expert testified those fears were baseless.

Last January 31st, Judge Brian Nemenoff of the Circuit Court of Tazewell County, ordered a change of custody because of his belief that this would protect the children frrom social condemnation.

Logue called the ruling an "affront to the people of central Illinois, with dangerous ramifications for socially unpopular parents," adding that the children have been completely accepted by their peers and their school. "Illinois law clearly requires a showing of actual harm before custody can be changed."

"Any child would be lucky to receive the love and care these children have gotten over the years," Logue said, noting that the children's teachers also testified that the youngsters were well adjusted, happy and earning straight A's at school.

Kevin Cathcart, executive director of Lambda called the case, "a painful example of a court sanctioning irational, private prejudice." Cathcart said, "The United States Supreme Court rejected exactly this kind of justification for government action with its recent landmark ruling in Romer v. Evans that overturned Colorado's anti-gay Amendment 2."

A Friend of the Court brief in support of the appeal has been filed by th National Association of Social Workers. The National rganization for Women Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Bloomington, Illinois chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

Lambda's co-council on the case is Zane Lucas of Carter & Grimsley in Peoria, Illinois.

House of Representatives Passes Anti-Marriage Bill

Washinton, D.C. July 12, 1996-- The House of Representatives hit a new low in gay-bashing today when it passed an anti-marriage bill by a vote of 342-67, with 2 members voting present.

"The House committed an ugly, cowardly and unconstitutional act by passing this bill, and history will remember it as such," said Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign. "It is nothing more than gratuitous election-year gay-bashing and the Human Rights Campaign intends to hold every member of Conress accountable for this vote."

The so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" would allow states to ignore gay marriages performed in other states, and would create an unprecedented federal definition of marriage to exclude gay unions from all federal benefits should any state decide to legalize same-sex marriage.

The House began debate late last night and resumed consideration of the measure this morning. Amendments offered by Rep Barney Frank, D-Mass. -- which would have preserved federal benefits in states that might allow same-sex marriages in the future -- were defeated 103-311.

Sens. James Jeffords, R-Vt., Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and Edward Kennedy D-Mass., announced yesterday a plan to attach the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill to outlaw employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, as an amendment to the Defense of Marriage Act if it reaches the Senate floor.

"A gay person can't get married in any of the 50 states today, and that's not likely to change for at last another two years," Birch said. "Yet gay people can be fired from their jobs in 41 states merely because of their sexual orientation. Congress should quit wasting time on legislation to outlaw an institution that doesn't exist and pass a bill to end discrimination that does."

Birch said the Human Rights Campaign will focus on passing the ENDA amendment in the Senate and believes it has a solid chance of passing. ENDA, reintroduced in June, 1995, currently has 30 co-sponsors in the Senate and is supported by GOvs. William Weld, R-Mass., and Christine Todd Whitman, R-NJ.

Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund Harshly Critical of House Vote on so-called 'Defense of Marriage' Act

House votes 342-67 in favor of anti-gay, anti-marriage bill

New York July 12, 1996-- Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund harshly criticized today's US. House of Representatives' approval of the so-called 'Defense of Marriage' Act, which Lambda said is unconstutitional and is really an attack on the institution of marriage, on the quality of all Americans, and especially on lesbians and gay men.

Kevin Cathcart, executive director of the country's leading gay legal organization, said, "The so-called 'Defense of Marriage' Act is retro legislation. This bill would take us back to the ugly days, just 30 years ago, when similar laws said you could not marry someone of the `wrong' race. Now, Congress would have the government tell us you cannot marry someone of the 'wrong' sex."

Cathcart said the bill's sponsors seem intent on "dehumanizing gay relationships with a federal law that would carve out a discriminatory exception from the U.S. Constitution for lesbians and gay men." He added, "Congress should heed the United States Supreme Court's recent ruling in Romer v. Evans that the governmetn cannot use popular prejudice as a reason to single out gay people for discrimination."

Evan Wolfson, director of Lambda's Marriage Project, said, "DOMA is really at attack on marriage, on the Constitution and on lesbians and gay men. This attack bill sticks federal lawmakers for the first time in history into the mariage arena, grabbing state powers and defining what couples have 'good' marriages and what couples have 'bad' marriages. Under the proposed caste system, 'bad' mariage would initially be for gay couples who years from now might be able to marry in at least one state." Wolfson asked, "What categories of couples will be next -- second marriages? Childless marriages? Welfare families with 'too many' children?"

Gay couples currently are denied the fundamental freedom to marry throughout the country. Lambda is co-counsel with Honolulu lawyer Dan Foley in a Hawaii case that could allow civil marriage licenses for gay couples by 1998. Lambda is also part of the national Freedom to Marry Coalition, which includes most national and state lesbian and gay organizations, as well as non-gay and religious groups.

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