JUDGE STRIKES DOWN UW FEE SYSTEM
A federal judge has struck down the University of Wisconsin’s newly revised system for distributing student fees to campus groups, saying it is still unconstitutional, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports.
The system was revised under an order late last year from U.S. District Judge John C. Shabaz, who ruled this week that the changes don’t go far enough.
The court proceedings stem from a 1996 lawsuit filed by several conservative Christian students who alleged that the university’s system, which forced them to fund groups they disagreed with, violated their First Amendment rights.
The students particularly took issue with their fees being used to fund the campus’ GLBT student group.
The U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back to Shabaz last March, calling on him to ensure that the school’s fee system is “viewpoint neutral,” and allows student groups equal access to the money.
Vermont House passes gay marriage ban
The Vermont House passed, 84-55, a bill that bans gay marriage, the Rutland (Vt.) Herald reports.
The measure specifically states that the only legal marriages in Vermont are between one man and one woman. Supporters say it is intended to clarify the state’s position in the wake of last year’s civil unions law, and to make clear that the state’s marriage laws cannot be expanded in the future to include same-sex couples.
Lawmakers have to vote on the bill one more time before it clears the House.
ACLU, school district settle censorship case
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) have settled a book-banning suit that involved the removal of gay-themed books from a junior high school.
Students represented by the ACLU sued the the district in late December after officials removed the Lives of Notable Gay Men and Lesbians series from the shelves of Orangeview Junior High School. The students claimed the removal violated their First Amendment rights and violated state nondiscrimination laws.
Attorneys plan to file a motion with the Federal District Court asking for approval of the settlement.
Under the settlement, the books will be returned to the school, and the district will amend its library policy to forbid the censorship of material based on its discussion of sexual orientation.
Milwaukee station sends Dr. Laura to night shift
One of Milwaukee’s largest TV stations, Channel 4, has become the latest affiliate to move Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s ailing TV talk show to the night shift.
In response to record low ratings, Dr. Laura will be bumped from its 2 p.m. weekdays timeslot to 3:05 a.m., beginning April 2. Infomercials will now be shown at 2 p.m.
A Different Light bookstore closes its doors in New York
A Different Light bookstore, a New York institution and at one time the largest gay bookstore in the country, has shut its doors, The New York Times reports.
Citing the mounting difficulties in maintaining an independent store in a world of megachains and the Internet, the owners shuttered the 18-year-old store this week. They now plan to focus on the company’s two other stores in San Francisco and West Hollywood, Calif., and its website, www.adlbooks.com.
At its largest, the New York store had 20,000 titles, 5,000 square feet, a reading room and a movie theater.
Paper discusses duping by conservative activist
The San Jose (Calif.) Business Journal said it knew gay conservative Tom Beddingfield wasn’t the real thing when its editors heard from Charles Francis, an openly gay friend of the Bush family.
In an early March edition of the Journal, Beddingfield claimed that President Bush had appointed him as liaison to the gay and lesbian community. But within hours, activists and officials clamored to get out the truth.
“I would know,” Francis told the Business Journal. “He hasn’t been appointed to anything.”
Comedian Gold to join HRC FamilyNet
Emmy award-winning comedian and HBO host Judy Gold has joined HRC FamilyNet as a monthly columnist.
Gold is the host of HBO’s At the Multiplex with Judy Gold and Entertainment News. She recently co-starred with Glenn Close in the CBS movie of the week, The Ballad of Lucy Whipple, and will appear in the upcoming Woody Allen film, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.
“HRC FamilyNet is filling a huge need for the best information for and about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families,” she said. “Of course, if I can make FamilyNet users smile in the midst of all this serious stuff, I’ll feel like I’ve provided a true public service.”
TrueLesbians Channel seeks stories of women’s first time
The TrueLesbians Channel is looking for stories of women’s first lesbian encounters for stories that can be posted online.
The lives of the channel’s organizers, Tina and Kris, are broadcast live 24 hours a day on aLIFEcams channel.
Viewers will be able to choose the best first-time story, and winners will receive a range of prizes, including a Sony Camcorder or $500 cash.
Stories can be sent to the address at home.earthlink.net/~trueles.
Rivers, Arocha elected to GLSEN board
Leading activists from the transgender and Hispanic communities have been elected to the national board of directors of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
Dana Rivers and Zita Maria Arocha were elected to the board. Rivers, a male-to-female transsexual, is the California teacher who drew headlines when her school district forced her to resign when she revealed that she was transitioning.
Arocha has served as the executive director of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists is the training coordinator for The Freedom Forum’s Chips Quinn program youth journalists of color.