Newsgroups: bit.listserv.gaynet
Date:         Tue, 1 Sep 1992 21:14:00 -0400
From:         gaynet@ATHENA.MIT.EDU
Subject:      GayNet Digest Volume 5 Issue 672

In this issue:
                          Mom-to-be...thanks!!
                          Republican platform
                             unsubscription
                             Monday's OLTL
                Human rights ruling on spousal benefits
                     Strategic Voting List Delayed
                            trivia question
                                  YMCA
                            Community values
                            Pitt G/L Alumni

Please send messages for the entire list to gaynet@ATHENA.MIT.EDU,
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 01 Sep 92 11:12:46 EDT
From: "Cindy L. Meneghin" <MENEGHIN%PUCC.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject:      Mom-to-be...thanks!!

I wanted to say "thanks" to those who were so very kind to send
me notes of encouragement, and also for the follow-up postings
on the net.  Thanks, guys!! :)

To answer a few questions:  John you asked if the rejection
we received was directed toward Maureen and me as parents-to-be
or to the idea of gays/lesbians being parents or just that the people
who rejected the idea of parenthood were doing so because they
themselves would not like to be parents.  No one has ever said that
Maureen and I (as people) should not be parents; that we'd make bad
parents because of our personalities.  We have heard (from straight
and gay) that gay/lesbian parents would be a "problem" for the child
and that we are being unrealistic if we think otherwise, and also that
we are not being fair to the child.  We also have met with rejection about
parenthood in general - that children are a pain/burden, but believe
it or not that has come only from straight people who are themselves
parents!!!  The negative comments/arguments we have faced from our gay/lesbian
friends have mostly centered on the idea that gays/lesbians should
not being doing "straight" things like having kids.  We do have a few
friends who have said they just don't like children, but they are
both straight and gay and have all wished us well...as a matter of
fact, their comments tend to be along the lines of "all the power to
you...better you than I."

A couple of people who wrote to me mentioned/asked about surrogate
parentage.  I know Mo and I are luckier than gay men who want
so much to have children, because we can actually have the baby.  To
all you who have this dilemma I wish you all the best and hope your
dreams of children will come true, somehow.  I would suggest though
that you seek the advice of a knowledgeable and friendly lawyer.
Each state has it's own laws on surrogacy and (as it was put to us)
the current social/court "climate" can have a lot to do with
how you can achieve (and keep) parenthood.  In NJ the courts/social
"climate" are in favor of the biological parent (even gay/lesbian)
over other "claims" from grandparents, zealot religious types, govenment
agencies...therefore our lawyer recommended anonyomous donor to avoid
any biological claim from anyone.  But "climates" do change...a chance
everyone has to take, I guess.  We can all so just so much to protect
ourselves and our loved ones!

But with all this "heavy" talk, let me just add a word on the happy
light side.  Our baby is due to "pop" into the world around December
1st - right between Mo's and my birthdays!  We'll have a great
Christmas present!   My mom and grandmom are thrilled to bits since this
will be their first grand/greatgrand child (and most likely their only!).
They each find it kind of funny that their gay daughter/granddaughter
will be the one to make them grand/greatgrand mothers - and not my
straight sister!!!!  The pregnancy has been filled with fun moments,
and exciting events - the first kick Mo felt nearly knocked her eyes
out.  The amnio allowed us to videotape the little bugger...such a
weird thing to see a little person rolling around inside of you
and not being able to feel it (this was at week 16 when you haven't
started to feel the movement/kicks).

We have chosen to not know the sex (though with AI the odds are
80 percent in favor of a boy), but we have picked names:  Joshua or
Sarah.  The baby will have Mo's last name as his/her middle name and
my last name as his/her last name (mostly for legal/medical purposes).  We've
learned a lot about the legal process (power of attorney for Mo to have
as well as medical authorization for Mo to have) and all that sort of
thing.

Mo has enjoyed the jokes from people about "finally getting me pregnant."
I'm looking forward to the delivery, when I get the opportunity to
tell Maureen that "she'll never touch me again!!!" :)

Again, good luck to all who are venturing into this world of parenthood,
and much, much thanks to all the uncles and aunts out there who make
it all possible through their support/love.  You really may not know
how much that means to moms-dads-to-be.

Cindy

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 11:50:37 EDT
From: aruesga@cc.gettysburg.edu
Subject: Republican platform

This fall I'm teaching a Contemporary Moral Issues course that includes
sections on sexism and homophobia.  I would like to put on reserve, and
discuss with my class, the Republican platform's pronouncements on
homosexuality and so-called "family" values.

Where can I obtain a copy of the Republican platform, or of the indicated
sections (I understand it's a very lengthy document)?

I would also appreciate newspaper articles reporting Quayle's "Murphy
Brown" gaffe, as well as leads on how to obtain copies of Pat Buchanan's
convention address.

I had some copies that were lost in my move to Gettysburg.  Thanks for your
help.
-----
G. Albert Ruesga
Department of Philosophy
Gettysburg College

"I'm pink, therefore I'm Spam."
<aruesga@gettysburg.edu>

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 12:50:23 -0400
From: bc256@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (William T. Deucher)
Subject: unsubscription

Please stop sending me your mail.  Thank You.

-
Long live the cats!
Bill Deucher bc256

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 11:28:21 -0600 (MDT)
From: WERLING <awerling@nmsu.edu>
Subject: Monday's OLTL

I keep hearing that Monday's One Life to Live is the last gay-oriented
episode (and there was that sentimental recap thing at the end there) but
I do hope they do some kind of followup...you can't tell me that Walter is
just going to live with his family in peace now...

Andrew Werling   awerling@nmsu.edu   yip@acca.nmsu.edu
"now we find sodom strange take it out put it in your mouth how do you like
gomorrah now a taste of this swallow that feel the fish hide the hat ezekial
where's your wheel you better grease it GREASE GREASE GREASE GREASE! ROCK!!!"
       --Chainsaw Kittens, "Ezekial Walks Through Sodom and Gomorrah"

------------------------------

From: Owen Plowman <owen@ca.oracle.com>
Subject: Human rights ruling on spousal benefits
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 13:54:52 EDT

For Immediate Release
September 1, 1992

(Toronto) In a decision released today, an independent Board of Inquiry
appointed under the Ontario Human Rights Code ordered the Ontario government
to extend survivor benefits under its pension plan to the spouses of gay and
lesbian employees.

A majority of the three person Board of Inquiry found that the denial of
spousal benefits, while permitted due to the definition of "marital status" in
the Ontario Human Rights Code as requiring a partner of the opposite sex,
nonetheless violated the equality guarantee in the Charter [The Canadian
Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms]. The third member of the panel found the
denial of benefits to be a violation of the Code itself.

Chief Commissioner Catherine Frazee stated that, "The Board's decision
represents a strong recognition and affirmation of gay and lesbian spousal
rights. It is a significant step towards achieving full equality for gays and
lesbians in this province.

We urge the government of Ontario to move quickly to amend provincial
legislation to recognize that that gay and lesbian spousal relationships are
of equal status and worth to heterosexual ones."

The provincial government was order by the Board to immediately extend to gay
and lesbian couples the same options and benefits under the pension plan as
are now available to heterosexual couples. The Board also found that the
provincial goverment had been "laggard" in pursuing the federal government to
amend the Income Tax Act. It directed the Commission to monitor the province's
efforts to lobby for reform.

The case decided today was first brought to the Commission in 1988 by Michael
Leshner, a lawyer working for the Ministry fo the Attorney General. Mr.
Leshner filed his complaint after being told that his spouse of over seven
years was not covered under the government's dental and health insurance plans.
Mr. Leshner was also told that his spouse would not be eligible to receive any
survivor benefits under the government's pension plan.

Effective January 1, 1991, the government extended health and dental insurance
coverage to the spouses of employees with same sex partners. However, the
government claimed that the provisions in the Federal Income Tax Act prevented
a similar extension of survivor benefits under the pension plan.

Further Information
Alan Shefman, Director, Communications and Education
Ontario Human rights Commission
12th Floor, 400 University Avenue
Toronto, Ontario  M7A 2R9
(416) 314-4634


I attended the press conference today; I am a friend of Michael's.  Let me
give you some additional information.

- the Ontario Human Rights Code was changed in 1986 to prohibit discrimination
  on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing and services.
  Unfortunately the definition of "marital status" still allowed for
  discrimination in many areas.
- effective 11:54 EDT, the Ontario Human Rights Code has been changed to
  reflect a new definition of "marital status" to include same sex spouses
- this change affects 79 other statutes in the province of Ontario, dealing
  with rights of visitation in cases of illness, pension benefits in the
  private sector, etc.

We won!

Today is a day to be very proud that in Ontario, we live in a Province where
discrimination is not tolerated under law, and that we have a system to change
the law *that works*.
--
Owen Plowman 					      Oracle Corporation Canada
Director, Core Technology Marketing		      40 King Street West
						      Suite 4900, Box 117
(416) 866-8062 x. 250				      Toronto, Ontario
(oplowman@ca.oracle.com)			      M5H 3Y2

------------------------------

From: Mark Hertzog <mwh8h@uva.pcmail.Virginia.EDU>
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 15:42:56 EDT
Subject: Strategic Voting List Delayed

Howdy!  Very sorry to report that I won't be able to get the strategic voting
list of states onto the Net until early next week; I'm heading to Chicago
tomorrow morning and have no time to finish it off.  It WILL go up no later
than next Tuesday.  In the meantime, have fun--and to Gabriel in New Mexico,
who got all the queers to the Democratic fundraiser: well, *get it, girl!*

Peace,
Mark, Gay Down South in Dixie

------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 01 Sep 92 14:02:35 MST
From: "Gabriel (in New Mexico)" <G9348712%NMSUVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject:      trivia question

                                                            ~
As reported previously, those of us in Las Cruces live in Dona Ana County.
We were curious to know if there is any other county in the USA whose name
has a tilde (~) in it.  If anyone knows, take the time to let us know.
Thanks.


Gabriel
g9348712@nmsuvm1.nmsu.edu           <-------   internet
g9348712@nmsuvm1                    <-------   bitnet

------------------------------

From: BJKPMA%FARMNTON.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu (Brian)
Date:    Tue, 01 Sep 92 17:04:18 EDT

I am an industrial psychologist studying discrimination against
lesbigays at work, in selection, placement, and termination.
I inadvertently discarded the posting describing the incident at
IBM.  Would somebody please resend it to me?  Thanks!
I'd also like to hear about anyone else's experiences of being
discriminated upon entry into, placement within, or exit from
organizations!!

==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+
Brian J. Kaufman, Ph.D
Department of Psychology
University of Maine at Farmington
Farmington, Maine   04938
207-795-6584 (h)  207-778-7379 (w)
BITNET: BJKPMA@FARMNTON
==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 14:12:38 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Medlin <jmedlin@u.washington.edu>
Subject: YMCA

I thought the Village People's YMCA, In the Navy, and other songs of that
era were really joyous affirmations and also witty double-entendres, and
was so disappointed that the VP would never acknowledge their own gay
associations.  (I SAW the one that dressed up like an Indian prancing
around on top of the bar at the Anvil in 1976 or so.) The YMCA in
pre-Stonewall days, and after, I suppose, was well-known as the place to
meet other gay men (usually for sex), and that's the basis for the gay
references in the song.  You had to be there, so to speak, so I'd suggest
you try to ferret out a VP album of the era; it probably wouldn't be too
hard.  I can't remember any of the lyrics now, except for the repeated
addresses to "Young Man!", which always reminds me of John Rechy's term in
__City of Night__:  "youngman", referring to a teenage or so hunky hustler
type.  I bet somebody on the net will publish the entire lyrics within a
day or so!

------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 01 Sep 92 17:41:01 EDT
From: Sarah Richardson <SRICH@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU>
Subject:      Community values

John Medlin says a mouthful:

>I don't think the gay community is a family any more than the straight
>community is one.  I'd hate to see the powerful and eloquent word 'family'
>reduced to dishwater from being given every possibly relevant definition.
>The gay community is a very diverse COMMUNITY, which I think differs quite
>a bit from a FAMILY.

Yes!  What he said!  Community values are crucial, and a far richer basis
for an ethical life than family values (even if we could all agree on
what we meant by that).  Extending our concept of how we should live
to include the larger community, rather than restricting it those we
reside with, or whom we grew up residing with, will give us the
broader vision we need.    (Sorry, kind of a run-on sentence. I get
all breathless thinking such lofty thoughts.)  I yearn for political
leaders who talk about, and SUPPORT, community values.

Sarah R. - who does not apologize for dangling participles (reside with)
----------> srich@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu   /   srich@vtvm1.bitnet <------------

------------------------------

Date:    Tue, 01 Sep 92 19:26 CDT
From: C60RBR1%NIU.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu
Subject: Pitt G/L Alumni

  Does anyone know if there is a gay and lesbian alumni group for
the University of Pittsburgh? If so, please post contact data to
me at c60rbr1@niu.bitnet.Haven't heard of one, and am trying to see
if I have missed information.Thanks in advance.
                                               Rob Ridinger

------------------------------

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