2—The Dally Collegian Wednesday, Oct. 18,1995 More states may enact laws lacking gay rights Officials exhibit mixed feelings about Supreme Court's future decision on a Colorado amendment By HAL D. COFFEY Collegian Staff Writer Imagine applying for a loan at a bank to purchase a house, or trying to pick up spousal benefits for your significant other. One day, the bank refuses the loan and the boss refuses to pay those benefits both coming without warning or explanation. Making these decisions on the basis of race, creed, gender or national origin is against the rights outlined in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Homosexual residents of Colorado contend that is exactly what Amendment 2 to the state constitution will allow. Such egregious discrimination based on sexual preference would be permissible for actors of the state according to the language of the legislation. Amendment 2 passed through a statewide referendum in Novem ber 1992 by a margin of 53-47 per cent. Since then, the case of Romer vs. Evans, which challenged the vote, has been pushed to the U.S. Supreme Court where it was heard by the justices last Tuesday. It appears the Court will find that amendment contradicts the Equal Protection Clause in the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment. But Catharine Buck, social and educational co-director of the Les bian, Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance, said the decision would not hamper the religious right’s campaign against rights for gays and lesbians. “Even if the Supreme Court did say this (amendment) was inappro priate and un-American, the reli gious right would keep going,” she said. “The folks who organized the amendment are extremely mobile. (This) shows how active anti-les bian and gay groups are and how quick they are to garnering sup port.” Beatrice Dohm, legal director of SVOBODA'S BOOKS ANNUAL FALL COMPUTER BOOK SALE WEEK ONLY!*^) OCTOBER 16TH TO THE 22ND SAVE2O% ON.ALL THE POORS IN OUR COMPUTER SECTIONS POORS ON THE INTERNET. 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Beaver Ave. (814) 237-6171 Svobooks @ aol.com the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, said the Court’s decision could put homosexuals on equal legal ground with others. “Certainly the case, in the best way, would make it so you can’t single out gay men and women for different treatment under the law,” she said. “It is a matter of whether we can even seek equal protec tion.” Dohrn said measures such as Amendment 2 violate a basic prin ciple of the Constitution. “Voters in a majority group can not change the rules of participa tion for members of a minority group because they are unpopu lar,” she said. “It is the most funda mental principle of our constitution that you can’t do that and still have a democracy.” The Supreme Court will do its best to deal with the legal techni calities and avoid such ethical or moral questions, Buck said. “I don’t expect them to come out and say homophobia is wrong,” she said. “One thing is for sure, the Court is not taking this on as a civil rights issue, but the constitutionali ty.” Regardless of the Court’s deci sion, Buck said she is concerned measures such as the one in Col orado could spread to Pennsylva nia, and quite possibly, to this region. “I think the measures could spread here,” she said. “One of the motives of the religious right is to go in locally, such as to school boards.” Buck said that the enormous size and power of the religious right in Colorado is largely due to the uni fied moral convictions on social issues such as gay and lesbian rights. “Because the gay, lesbian, bisex ual and transgendered population is not based on ideology, it is very difficult to organize,” Buck said. “The religious right has that ideo- 4 a«|vatt© e SsM® ool tela TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE HOTEL STATE COLLEGE DESK 2ml FLOOR ABOVE THE CORKER ROOM !1 2 WEST COLLEGE AVENUE * 23J_ ' I 3 1 DIVISION Of MOTEL S T A t t COLLEGE i "The folks who organized the amendment are extremely mobile. (This) shows how active anti lesbian and gay groups are and how quick they are to garnering support." logical connection which is very case, said she was glad to hear the motivating.” justices confront many of the The Court is ignoring the ideo- amendment’s legal issues when logical issues involved in the emo- they questioned Colorado’s Solici tional debate and has set its sights tor General, on the rational basis test of consti- “I was heartened to see a number tutionality which the amendment of the justices saw a basic flaw in must pass. the amendment,” she said. Dohrn, whose organization is named in the Romer vs. Evans Maine may ban gay rights protections By PETER JACKSON Associated Press Writer AUGUSTA, Maine The most divisive issue on Maine’s Nov. 7 ballot is an anti-gay rights measure that doesn’t even use the words “homosexual” or “sexual orientation.” Question 1 seeks to limit state and local rights guarantees to age, sex and eight other categories already in the Maine Human Rights Act none of them being sexual ori entation. If passed, the measure would repeal a gay rights ordinance that voters approved two years ago in Portland, Maine’s largest city. Backers warn that without a ban, homosex uals will get special rights such as gay affir mative action in hiring. “They have acceptance. They have tolera tion. ... If they ,were smart, they would sim ply accept that and stop this push for minori ty-class status,” said Carolyn Cosby. Cosby, a Portland housewife, formed the group Concerned Maine Families to put the QWK Remote 7 PM to 9 PM Catharine Buck social and educational co-director of LGBSA “That is why it is a completely impermissible way of amending deep discounts On everything...everydaya^ScofsLo-Cost! Special Coffee Filters discount price this Melitta #2,4,6 and #4 W^m week at Natural 001166 F,aters >C I V Scot’s! 40 count package ■ Special Hartz Flea & Tick discount price this CSontrol Home week at “ “ Scot’s! 16 ounce container Special Pepsi Products discount * ' ~ ' , price this 0* Pack Cube &!*■(£}£} week at AiVaiteOee Scot’s! fS ounce cam Open Daily 9am to 9pm Sunday 10am to 7pm measure for ordinance repeal on the ballot. She said she omitted the word “homosexu ality” in part to avoid the appearance of gay bashing. But that’s exactly what opponents see. Opponents of the measure, who include Gov. Angus King, decry fears of “special rights” for gays as bogus. “Maine hasn’t, Maine doesn’t and Maine won’t discriminate,” said King, the nation’s only independent governor, at last month’s campaign kickoff for Maine Won’t Discrimi nate. The group’s allies include the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, the Maine Med ical Association, the Maine Chamber of Com merce and Industry and the Maine Municipal Association, representing the state’s cities and towns. By mid-October, Maine Won’t Discriminate raised $655,289, compared with $61,000 col lected by Concerned Maine Families and its ally, the Coalition to End Special Rights. Tennis star Martina Navratilova, a lesbian, Km i |ggM!! ii the constitution,” Dohm said. Suzane Goldberg, a staff attor ney with the Lambda Fund, said the inherent problem with the amend ment is the way it hinders the polit ical ability of homosexuals. “Amendment 2 is an outrageous violation of the Constitution,” she said. “By banning laws that would prohibit discrimination against les bians, gay men and bisexuals, it changes the political playing field, but only for people who are gay.” The Romer case is being argued 10 years after the last time the Supreme Court heard a case involving state legislation restrict ing activities of homosexuals. In Bowers vs. Hardwick (1986), the Court upheld a Georgia statute declaring homosexual sodomy an activity punishable by the law. Prices Effective Through November 1,1995 Since the first anti-gay ballot ini tiative was proposed in Riverside, Calif., in 1991, there have been 36 ballot measures seeking to prevent lawmakers from amending state or local constitutions in a manner that prohibits discrimination against gay men, lesbians or bisexuals. Of those initiatives, only five have failed, including two statewide measures in Oregon. However, 27 cities and counties in the state have passed these refer endums, many being passed by wide margins. Also in the West, Idaho failed a state-wide vote by only about a thousand-some votes. Elsewhere in the country, Cincin nati and Alachua County, Fla., have passed both initiatives by better than six-percent margins. came to Maine to warn voters that the mea sure, like one approved in her home state of Colorado, sends the message that “it’s OK to discriminate against gay men and lesbians.” Maine is the only state with gay rights on the ballot this year and the fourth state in three years to seek to ban such protections. Voters rejected similar proposals once in Idaho and twice in Oregon. Colorado voters approved a ban on gay-rights laws in 1992, but it was thrown out by the state’s high court and is now before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1993, the Maine Legislature approved a gay rights bill, but Gov. John R. McKernan, a Republican, vetoed it. King has said he would sign such legisla tion. Nine states and 158 cities and counties now afford homosexuals some form of bias pro tection, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign. 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