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WASHINGTON — After more than a decade of government inaction, gay-rights proponents in Congress have gotten several major bills moving through the Democratic-controlled chambers, a development that could result in the greatest expansion of federal protections for gays and lesbians in US history.
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April 26th – Iowa
A law banning discrimination against LGBTs in the workplace, housing and public facilities goes to the Chet Culver, governor of Iowa, who has vowed to sign it.
The 59-37 vote was largely along partisan lines, nine Republicans broke caucus to support the rights bill.
The version in the House, Iowa’s more conservative chamber, somewhat weakens its language on transgender protections, striking “appearance, expression, or behavior” from its wording on gender identity. The changed language on transgendered people should not lessen their protection. It was made, she said, to soothe lawmakers worried about cross-dressing or sudden gender transitions in schools.
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Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual And Transgender Health Issues Getting Short Shrift At U.S. Schools Of Public Health
Aside from HIV/AIDS, health issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population are not likely to show up in research and lesson plans offered at schools of public health across the nation. Researchers mailed questionnaires to 184 department and division heads at 35 of the country’s schools of public health.
The majority of schools include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policy. Of the 102 respondents, 41 percent reported having at least one faculty member who was conducting research on an issue related to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender health – yet the majority of the research was on HIV/AIDS.
In addition, fewer than 10 percent of the departments had offered a course covering lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender health topics in the previous two years.
The importance of offering such courses and providing research are highlighted by previous studies identifying that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are at increased risk for some health problems, such as substance use and being victims of violence. They also face “unique barriers to accessing and utilizing appropriate health services,” the study’s authors said. “Consequently, factors associated with sexual orientation and gender identity are increasingly recognized as important to consider in public health practice and research.” In recognition of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health disparities, official American Public Health Association policy urges educational institutions to support efforts to improve the health of this population.
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Yale Daily News Mon, 02 Apr 2007 11:07 PM PDT
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Cooperative at Yale is planning a ?day of silence? for April 18 to highlight the experiences of queer students and others who are forced to hide their sexuality.
Members of the Co-op, as well as straight students allied with their cause, will abstain from speech the entire day and wear conspicuous symbols on their clothing meant to bring attention to their silence, Co-op coordinator Anna Wipfler ’09 said. The day is intended to increase awareness among Yalies of the difficulties faced by gays and lesbians who do not feel comfortable speaking about their experiences, she said.
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Planet Out via Yahoo! News Mon, 02 Apr 2007 5:10 PM PDT
Rashawn Brazell. Sakia Gunn. J.R. Warren — victims of three of the country’s most brutal killings of gay men and lesbians in recent years. Yet their deaths received little attention and their names somehow don’t evoke the intense resonance that followed the 1998 killing of Matthew Shepard, a gay man from Wyoming.
But a documentary maker, an artist and an Ivy League doctoral candidate hope to change that.
Separately, the three — all strangers to the victims — have created a scholarship fund for college-bound students, an independent documentary, and an art exhibit to not only highlight the killings but also reignite larger discussions about homophobia and bias crimes.
See Our Full Article…
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Disney’s Theme Weddings Come True for Gay Couples
Washington Post Fri, 06 Apr 2007 8:11 PM PDT
Same-sex weddings are coming out at Disneyland. Walt Disney Co. said yesterday that gay couples can buy the company’s high-end Fairy Tale Wedding package that allows them to exchange vows at Disney’s theme parks and aboard its cruise ships, starting about $4,000 per wedding.
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Transgender Navy vet protests war in US Congress
When former CIA operative Valerie Plame testified at a congressional hearing bristling with TV cameras, Midge Potts was right there, a distracting figure in a shocking pink shirt emblazoned with “Impeach Bush Now.”
She’s been ejected, arrested and detained for protests demanding U.S. troops leave Iraq, but that hasn’t deterred the Gulf War veteran, former Republican congressional candidate and transgender woman.
“We shouldn’t be afraid to vocalize our opinion to our elected leaders,” said Potts, one of several members of the Code Pink anti-war group who frequently show up for congressional hearings and debates on Iraq.
Now she and the group are aggressively targeting Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and other presidential contenders they believe have failed to push for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
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Cleveland opens first gay health clinic in Ohio
WKYC Cleveland Sun, 08 Apr 2007 10:01 AM PDT
Cleveland opens first gay health clinic in Ohio
The Pride Clinic, which is dedicated to serving the gay, lesbian and transgender community, had two patients on its opening day last week.
Doctor Douglas Van Auken is medical director at McCafferty Health Center, which houses the clinic. He says it’s important for people to feel accepted at their doctor’s so that they can answer questions honestly and help doctors treat them.
The clinic is currently open only on Wednesdays and offers screenings for sexually transmitted diseases, hypertension, diabetes and depression. It also has an onsite social worker and resources for family planning.
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