Coretta Scott King Dies

(Atlanta, Georgia) Coretta Scott King, the widow of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., died this morning. She was 78.

Until she was disabled by a stroke last August King frequently spoke out, often to the anger of some Black pastors, in favor of LGBT civil rights.

King called her critics "misinformed" and said that Martin Luther King's message to the world was one of equality and inclusion.

In 2003, she invited the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to take part in observances of the 40th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech.

It was the first time that an LGBT rights group had been invited to a major event of the African American community and drew the ire of some of the other speakers.

King said her husband supported the quest for equality by gays and reminded her critics that the 1963 March on Washington was organized by Bayard Rustin, an openly gay man.

NGLTF executive director Matt Foreman, who spoke at the 2003 anniversary, called Coretta King a model for equality.

“Our community has lost a dear and courageous friend, someone who was there for us when virtually no one else was," Foreman said on Tuesday.

"Mrs. King never hesitated to use her moral authority to proclaim that homophobia is hate, and hate has no place in the Beloved Community that she and Dr. King envisioned for our nation and our world."

In March 2004, she told a university audience that same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue and denounced a proposed amendment to the Constitution ban it.

"Gay and lesbian people have families, and their families should have legal protection, whether by marriage or civil union," she said in a speech at The Richard Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey.

"A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages is a form of gay bashing and it would do nothing at all to protect traditional marriages."

In her speech King also criticized a group of black pastors in her home state of Georgia for backing a bill to amend that state's constitution to block gay and lesbian couples from marrying.

“All of us who aspire to live without prejudice or limits owe a very large debt to Mrs. King,” C. Dixon Osburn, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said following the announcement of her death.

“She was what Virginia Woolf once called that rare combination of ‘granite and rainbow,’ at once an immovable legacy on which we all stood and a luminous reminder of the arc waiting just behind the rain. A tireless advocate for equality, she leaves us both her own work and the work we must all yet do.”

Gay Democrats also remembered King's contributions.

"Standing behind a great movement was a grand woman who shouldered the hopes of our American dream," said Eric Stern, National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director.

"Returning to Memphis five days after the assassination of her husband to demand justice for working families, Coretta Scott King continued her advocacy for the expansion of liberty embodied by their partnership. Mrs. King argued that our nation would not fulfill its promise unless all Americans, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens, were afforded equal treatment under the law."

Coretta Scott met Martin Luther King Jr. while she was studying at Boston's New England Conservatory of Music.

They were married in June of 1953 and a year later moved to Montgomery, Alabama, to take on the leadership of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

When Dr. King was assassinated she was a young widow with four young children to raise.

The killing instantly thrust her to the forefront of the civil rights movement. She took up her husband's mantle of social justice crusader speaking in forums across this country and around the world.

Her death was announced by former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young. He said that she will be buried beside her husband at the Martin Luther King Center for NonViolent Social Change.

News bits on Marriage Equality

BALTIMORE - A Maryland circuit court ruled on 1/20/2006 that it is a violation of the state constitution to deny same-sex couples the numerous protections provided to married couples. The American Civil Liberties Union and Equality Maryland hail the decision as an historic step toward the ability of same-sex couples to legally marry in the state. Read more here.

BUT, at the same time:

(AP) ANNAPOLIS, Md. The agenda this week in the state legislature includes work on two leading issues -- gay marriage and electronic voting.

The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled tomorrow to hold a hearing on a proposed ban of same-sex marriage. The panel has killed similar bills in the past and Republican Delegate Don Dwyer of Anne Arundel County expects the same result for his bill this year. Read more here.

AND, in Jerry Falwell country:

Virginia voters will decide this fall if an anti-gay marriage amendment should be tacked onto their commonwealth's constitution, now that lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved it. So much for "Virginia is for Lovers."

ELSEWHERE:

Rhode Island's Senate and House are both facing bills that seek to legalize same-sex marriage.
Sen. Rhoda Perry, D-Providence, introduced the Senate version Tuesday. Rep. Art Handy, D-Cranston, reportedly introduced a similar bill in the lower house Wednesday.

GUTSY:

(Hendersonville, North Carolina) A Hendersonville, North Carolina same-sex couple is refusing to pay Federal and North Carolina Income Tax to protest the refusal of both levels of government to recognize them as a couple. Imagine the penalties...

Nothing new to report on our lawsuit these days. I think Laboriously S-L-O-W is an understatement in describing this process. Hell, I'm eligible for social security in just 12 more years.

Canadians Elect Conservatives, but it's not all bad news

(Ottawa) Canadians ended more than a dozen years of Liberal rule on Monday, electing a minority Conservative government.

For most voters it was an issue of 'new blood' rather than a ringing endorsement of conservatism.

Paul Martin's Liberals had been beset with a series of scandals and was seen as tired. "Voters decided the Liberals needed a time out," said one television commentator.

At the same time voters weren't in favor of giving Stephen Harper's Conservatives a majority. The Tories won 124 seats and the Liberals 103. The results were much closer than polls were showing only a few days ago.

The small left of center New Democratic Party was the big winner of the night - doubling their seats to 29 and putting the party in a position to be the power broker in the new Parliament.

NDP leader Jack Layton said he would make an issue by issue decision on whether or not to support the government.

If the party supports the Tories legislation will pass. If the party sides with the Liberals they could defeat the government.

"The people of Canada asked Mr. Harper to form a new government and the people of Canada have asked New Democrats to balance that government," Layton told supporters in Toronto.

For Layton the election was a double victory. His wife, Toronto city councilor Olivia Chow, also was elected to Parliament.

The Conservative dependence on the NDP will likely mean no revisiting same-sex marriage legislation.

Harper said on the first day of the campaign he would attempt to repeal the marriage equality law. With the New Democrats, the separatist Bloc Quebecois, and the Liberals all opposed to changing the law there is little chance same-sex marriage in Canada will end anytime soon.

While the Conservatives saw some of the party's most anti-supporters elected it also saw a wider number of moderate Tories win support. For Harper the big job will be in balancing the two factions.

In a lengthy speech to supporters Harper outlined his agenda for the new Parliament. Absent was any mention of same-sex marriage.

Longtime gay New Democrat candidate Svend Robinson lost his bid for a return to politics in British Columbia.

Robinson, 53, resigned from politics in 2004 after admitting that he had shoplifted a diamond ring that he said was sparked by the stress of a hectic work schedule and a mild bipolar disorder for which he was taking medication and seeing a therapist.

In Nova Scotia, Scott Brison the gay man who quit the Conservatives in the last Parliament and joined the Liberals was re-elected. Openly gay Bloc MP Real Menard also was re-elected

The election also marked the end of Paul Martin's political career.

Martin told supporters following the election that he was stepping down as party leader.

"My dedication to the Liberal family will never wane,'' Martin said in his Quebec riding of LaSalle-Emard.

"But I will not take our party into another election.''

One of the highlights of his political career was pushing through marriage same-sex marriage equality last year.

All eyes are on Canada today

(Ottawa) Canadians are voting for a new Parliament today in an election that could result in the repeal of same-sex marriage legislation.

Public opinion polls show the opposition Conservatives likely to win but whether Canadians will hand them an absolute majority remains to be seen.

The Conservatives oppose same-sex marriage but for most Canadians the big issues have been a series of scandals that have rocked the governing Liberals and Conservative Party promises to clean up government and cut taxes.

After 12 years in power the Liberals have grown sluggish and many Canadians just say its time for change - any change. That sentiment is helping the smaller opposition New Democrats. Polls show the NDP could have its best showing in more than a decade.

Vote rich Ontario has seen a resurgence in the NDP, especially in the cities which have traditionally been Liberal. Suburban and rural areas appear solidly Tory.

In Quebec, where the biggest Liberal scandal - over advertising kickbacks during the last independence vote - took place, the Bloc Quebecois are likely to pick up seats. But speeches by Conservative leader Stephen Harper have played well in the province and Tories also are looking to win more seats all at the expense of Liberals.

The issue of same-sex marriage came up on the first day of the campaign - an attempt by Harper to get it out of the way early. The Tory leader said that if his Conservatives form the next government he will reopen the marriage debate and put it to a free vote in Parliament.

During the leader's debates the issue came up again as the three other party leaders demanded to know how Harper would repeal the law without using a constitutional opt-out called the notwithstanding clause. Harper said he would not bypass the Constitution but has never said how he intended to get around the gay equality provisions.

In the waning days of the campaign Harper said repealing same-sex marriage was not one of his major priorities although it was still on his "to do" list if he wins.

If Canadians today elect a minority Conservative government same-sex marriage is safe. The New Democrats, Bloc, and the bulk of Liberals oppose any change in the current law.

But should Harper win a majority the issue could come into play. Yet even that is uncertain. With the Conservatives making a concerted effort to portray the party as centrist it selected a number of candidates like former broadcaster Peter Kent who support gay marriage.

Nevertheless, the Tories still have more than their share of extremists, supported by the Christian right, who have made same-sex marriage their main focus while campaigning. Attempts by the media to interview those candidates have been thwarted by national party handlers afraid extremist views could aid the Liberals.

Conservative Christian groups in the US have sent tens of thousands of dollars to their Canadian counterparts. Much of the money has been filtered to the Tory party.

With polls showing the likelihood of a Conservative government American conservatives have been warning their members to keep a low public profile for fear of tipping the election to the Liberals.

"Canadian voters have been led to believe that American conservatives are scary and if the Conservative Party can be linked with us, they can perhaps diminish a Conservative victory," Paul Weyrich, president of the Washington-based Free Congress Foundation, wrote Thursday in an e-mail to other conservative leaders, a copy of which was obtained by the Globe and Mail newspaper.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the oldest LGBT civil rights organization in the US however made a final appeal to Canadian voters and issued a warning for American gays.

"If the Conservatives succeed in Monday's election, not only will it cause years of turmoil in Canada, it will embolden continued right-wing attacks on the values of dignity, fairness and equality here in the United States," said NGLTF executive director Matt Foreman.

Officials Reverse Position, Lesbian Cop To Get Dying Wish
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: January 21, 2006 - 10:00 am ET

(Trenton, New Jersey) Ocean County freeholders will grant Laurel Hester her dying wish, to have her death benefit given to her same-sex partner.

Despite state law allowing local governments to grant health and other benefits to the same-sex partners of their employees Ocean County has steadfastly refused to do so.

For months Sgt. Hester, who has inoperable brain cancer, has pleaded with freeholders to pass an ordinance recognizing same-sex partners for the purpose of benefits.

Earlier this week, with only a few months to live, she made a final plea from her hospital room. (story)

Appearing weak, and breathing with the help of a machine, she said on a video tape that she feared partner Stacie Andree would lose the home they shared after Hester dies.

With little doctors can do for, except make her as comfortable as possible, Hester has been a released from hospital and is now at home.

Until she became too ill to work Hester was a lieutenant with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. She had worked there for 23 years - more than half her life - and is a member of the New Jersey Police and Firemen's Retirement System.

Although the state's five other pension systems allow its members to pass pension benefits to domestic partners the NJPFRS does not. Under the state's domestic partner law local governments can transfer pension benefits.

The death benefit amounts to about $13,000.

Following Hester's emotional appeal freeholders refused to reopen the issue. But following news coverage including television reports which showed Hester's deteriorating condition, freeholders were besieged with critical phone calls and emails.

Late Friday state Sen. Andrew Ciesla (R-Ocean) said he intends to bring in legislation that would amend the police and fire pension fund to permit domestic partners to receive benefits.

That was followed by a conference call between state GOP leaders from the county and freeholders.

The conference call ended with freeholders agreeing to a special meeting next Wednesday where a new vote will be taken and Hester will be allowed to transfer her benefits.

"This is one of the happiest days of my life," Hester said on Saturday morning. "I feel like David conquering Goliath."

Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality - the group that fought for Hestor and prepared the video so she could make her final appeal to freeholders - expressed relief on Saturday.

"Truth be told, we did lose hope for a reversal in the last couple of weeks. We had applied all the pressure in the world, embarrassing the freeholders as few public servants had ever been before in the state of New Jersey or in this country, and they would not budge. Finally they did. Hallelujah! There is a God."

Whether Wednesday's vote will apply only to Hester or will be extended to all same-sex partners of county workers is not yet known.

Freeholder James F. Lacey said Saturday that he still feels the benefits issue is one for the legislature. "I don't want to pay to clean up for the state," he said.

But he agreed that Hester's situation cannot wait for state lawmakers to act..

Following Hester's desperate plea this week in Ocean County two other New Jersey municipalities have changed their laws.

Camden County and Passaic passed ordinances offering health and pension benefits to the domestic partners of their employees. (story) Five other communities in the state also provide domestic partner benefits.