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How drugs laws compound race inequality
The war on drugs disproportionately targets black people in the US and UK, exacerbating oppression, says Sebastian Saville
On September 18 drug campaign group Release held its annual conference in London. To thunderous applause, drug policy reformer and racial equality advocate Deborah Small gave a harrowing account of the plight of her fellow black Americans whose lives are caught up in the vicious interplay of the drugs and race wars being waged by US authorities.
"People say the drug war isn't working," she opines, "but not me - I say it is working, only too well. It's a highly successful method of maintaining the oppression of black people in the United States."[more] The war on drugs disproportionately targets black people in the US and UK, exacerbating oppression, says Sebastian Saville ... more -
Sarajevans Stand Up to Hate Attacks
The activist group Citizens of Sarajevo is taking a stand against increasing violence aimed at sexual and gender minorities in the Bosnian capital -- particularly attacks perpetrated at last week's Queer Festival -- and calling on the international community to do the same.
"The threats issued against the organizers of the first Queer Sarajevo Festivala (QSF) over the last month or so culminated and materialized last night, during the opening ceremony," reported OneWorld Southeast Europe's Sanjin Buzo after Festival participants were attacked.
"Human rights issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina are dominated by the attempts of the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY), established in 1993 in The Hague, to establish accountability for the most serious crimes committed during the war," states OneWorld UK.
Please Help Us Fight Discrimination and Violence!
From: Citizens for Sarajevo
We, the citizens of Sarajevo, call upon the representatives of the International Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina to raise their
voices against the escalation of violence in the Capital, especially with regards to the recent events that increased the feeling of insecurity among law-abiding people. Namely, the events that followed he opening of the Queer Festival in the night of the 24th September, when eight people were injured and other participants and visitors verbally and physically harassed in the very heart of the city, are only the continuation of violent crimes that we have been witnessing over the past year, the most horrific one being the brutal murder of a young boy, Denis Mrnjavac back in February. We believe that the failure of the authorities to take responsibility for prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators in an efficient manner led to this shocking surge of crime.
This inefficiency was clearly demonstrated at the opening of the Queer Festival, when a group of Wahabis and young hooligans expressed their disapproval of sexual and gender minorities through physical violence. The Sarajevo Canton Police did not manage to prevent the attacks although the event was assessed in advance as a high-risk one, nor did they show enthusiasm in apprehending the perpetrators. Prior to the event, the leading political parties in power and the representatives of religious institutions further stirred up the negative atmosphere with their discriminatory and homophobic speeches. Religious and political leaders should be made aware that
the violence which occurred is a direct result of their homophobic speeches.
The tacit - or otherwise - political approval of violence is supported by the fact that the inflammatory speeches that preceded the Festival
were used as a means for mobilising the electoral body. What is even more frightening is the fact that not one of the main political parties in power condemned the violence after it occurred, which additionally proves their indirect support to the perpetrators of crimes. All these facts clearly illustrate that the representatives of authorities do not comply with the BiH legislative: The rights to peaceful assembly and to freedom of expression are recognized and protected by a number of international treaties to which Bosnia and Herzegovina is a party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention for the protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
This is why we ask you to demand from the representatives of the authorities to condemn the violence that occurred on 24th September and to apprehend and punish the perpetrators. If they fail to do so, we fear that the promotion of fascism and homophobia will spread to the other spheres of social life of the wider community. We, the citizens of Sarajevo, have the right to freedom, without fear of persecution because of our personal beliefs or sexual orientation. The activist group Citizens of Sarajevo is taking a stand against increasing violence aimed at sexual and gender minorities in the Bos... more -
Google opposes same-sex marriage ban
Google has taken a stand against Proposition 8, an anti-gay marriage measure on the November ballot in California.
Google's co-founder Sergey Brin released a statement, saying that "while there are many objections to this proposition – further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text – it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 – we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love. Because our company has a great diversity of people and opinions – Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, all religions and no religion, straight and gay – we do not generally take a position on issues outside of our field, especially not social issues." Google has taken a stand against Proposition 8, an anti-gay marriage measure on the November ballot in California. ... more -
Oh, yes it's ladies' night, judge rules
NEW YORK (AP) -- It's closing time for a lawsuit alleging ladies' nights at nightclubs discriminate against men.
Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum tossed the lawsuit out of federal court in Manhattan on Monday. She said nightclubs can price their products as they wish because they're not acting as representatives of the state.
The lawsuit was brought by attorney Roy Den Hollander, who has crusaded against feminism and recently sued a university over its women's studies program.
Hollander said ladies' nights at Manhattan nightclubs discriminate against men by offering women free or discounted admission and drinks. He tried to link the state to the discounts because it licenses the sale of alcohol at nightclubs.
He called the judge a feminist and said her dismissal of his lawsuit was consistent with the discrimination embedded in many of America's institutions.
Nightclub attorneys said Hollander's lawsuit was frivolous. It sought to represent men over the age of 21 who entered Lotus, the China Club and several other New York nightclubs on a ladies' night since June 21, 2004.
The nightclubs said the prices charged to men aren't so burdensome that they amount to denying them entry and male customers actually might benefit from ladies' nights because so many women attend.
Hollander's lawsuit had asked the judge to conclude the clubs' policies violate the Constitution and to assess minor damages against them.
Last month, Hollander sued Columbia University, saying its women's studies program is discriminatory and unconstitutional because the school didn't have a comparable men's program.
Columbia University had no comment on that lawsuit. NEW YORK (AP) -- It's closing time for a lawsuit alleging ladies' nights at nightclubs discriminate against men. ... more -
T.G.I. Friday's guilty of HIV discrimination
The company that owns T.G.I. Friday's restaurants has been fined $5,000 for an outlet's wrongful termination of an HIV-positive employee, an act that violated the city's Human Rights Code.
Former Friday's employee James McCray, 39, was fired from T.G.I. Friday's on July 26, 2006, the day after he reportedly told supervisors he has HIV. The Human Rights Commission decided on July 8, 2008, that T.G.I. Friday's had wrongfully terminated him. The company that owns T.G.I. Friday's restaurants has been fined $5,000 for an outlet's wrongful termination of an HIV-posit... more -
Workplace bias against Muslims on the rise, survey says
Increasing complaints of workplace bias against Muslims are saddening and disheartening, a former board member of Dallas Peace Center said Wednesday after the release of a report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"Muslims are in the cross hairs," said Hadi Jawad of Dallas, chairman of the center’s End the Occupation of Iraq committee.
The national report, called Without Fear of Discrimination, outlines 2,652 incidents and experiences of anti-Muslim violence, discrimination and harassment in 2007. That is the highest number of civil rights cases ever recorded in the Washington-based group’s report, the only annual study of its kind, council officials said.
The increase is partly due to the inclusion of a new category of cases of mailed, faxed and e-mailed hate messages, according to the results. However, the study did detect a decrease in categories such as physical violence and verbal harassment, which allows "a note of cautious optimism," said the report by CAIR, America’s largest Islamic civil-liberties group.
The findings were not startling to officials in the Muslim community or with the Austin-based ACLU of Texas.
Lisa Graybill, the legal director of the state’s ACLU office, said it receives about 200 to 250 complaints a month, with many of those related to "folks who are or are perceived to be Muslim."
"I’m really sorry to say these results [from CAIR] are not totally surprising," she said.
Jawad, 56, who emigrated from Pakistan when he was 19, called harassment a "collective punishment" of Muslims after 9-11. "There’s been a drastic change since then," he said. "I’m stunned how neighbors turned against neighbors, against people who have absolutely nothing to do with that violence."
He mentioned incidents of individuals ripping hijabs, or head coverings, of Muslim women shopping in malls.
The hecklers "yelled obscenities and tell them to go home — and some of these girls were born here," he said.
"I find this totally un-American. I love the country and the ideals of equality, opportunity and justice. . . . I find these elements [bias and harassment] are hurting Americans more than anything." Increasing complaints of workplace bias against Muslims are saddening and disheartening, a former board member of Dallas Peace Center ... more -
Obama effigy hung from tree at US Christian college
Officials at a US Christian college have launched an investigation after a cardboard effigy of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was hung from a tree, a statement said Wednesday.
George Fox University, in Newberg, Oregon, said in a statement on its website that the cutout of Obama was found hanging from a tree on campus early Tuesday morning before being removed by staff.
A sign reading "Act Six reject" was taped to the cutout. Act Six is a scholarship program run by the college granted to 10 student leaders from urban Portland. Most of the students currently benefiting from the program are ethnic minorities, the statement said.
George Fox University President Robin Baker was to address the college's 1,800-strong undergraduate body later Wednesday.
"We will not tolerate such displays and condemn it in the strongest terms," Baker said in a statement.
The people responsible for the incident have not been identified, the statement said, but authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Obama_effigy_hung_from_tre... Officials at a US Christian college have launched an investigation after a cardboard effigy of Democratic presidential candidate Barac... more -
Transgender Woman Wins Bias Suit Against Library of Congress
The Library of Congress unlawfully discriminated against a transgender woman whose job offer was revoked when her plans to transition from male to female were revealed, a U.S. district court ruled Friday. Judge James Robertson decided that Diane Schroer was discriminated against on the basis of sex, a groundbreaking conclusion, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented her.
"The evidence established that the Library was enthusiastic about hiring David Schroer -- until she disclosed her transsexuality," Robertson ruled. "The Library revoked the offer when it learned that a man named David intended to become, legally, culturally, and physically, a woman named Diane. This was discrimination 'because of ... sex.'"
The court agreed with the ACLU's argument based on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans sex discrimination in the workplace. The Library of Congress attempted to have the case dismissed, claiming that transgender people are not protected under the federal act. The court also said that the library used gender stereotyping because Schroer would have failed to adhere to traditional gender roles.
Schroer, 52, was denied a job as a terrorism research analyst in December 2004. She retired from the military as a special forces commander while she was still David, and previously directed a classified organization formed to track and target international terrorists after the September 11 attacks.
The ACLU filed suit on Schroer's behalf in June 2005 for $300,000 (the legal limit for such a case) and the position for which she applied. The district court trial started in August, where Charlotte Preece, Schroer's once-prospective supervisor, said she worried the transition would distract her from her work. Schroer countered, saying that her transition has helped her focus even more.
"It is especially gratifying that the court has ruled that discriminating against someone for transitioning is illegal," Schroer said in a statement. "I knew all along that the 25 years of experience I gained defending our country didn't disappear when I transitioned, so it was hard to understand why I was being turned down for a job doing what I do best." The Library of Congress unlawfully discriminated against a transgender woman whose job offer was revoked when her plans to transition ... more -
France: Court says virginity lie should not annul Muslim marriage
A court decision to annul a Muslim couple's marriage because the bride lied about being a virgin discriminates against women and should be overturned, state prosecutors argued Monday.
A court in the northern town of Douai annulled the 2006 marriage in April because the husband discovered on his wedding night that his bride had lied about her virginity. The decision caused an uproar, with some in France calling it a sign that the country's secular values are losing ground to the traditions of its fast-growing immigrant communities. There are some 5 million Muslims in France.
The lower court based its decision on an article of the French Civil Code that states that a spouse can seek an annulment if the partner has misrepresented his or her "essential qualities."
Eric Vaillant, a spokesman for the Douai appeals court, said prosecutors told the three-judge tribunal during a nearly two-hour hearing that a woman's virginity is "in no way ... an essential quality," as the lower court had suggested.
Making a wife's virginity a condition of marriage "would be discriminatory because it would harm the principles of equality between men and women, of free use of one's body and the dignity of the human being," Vaillant said by telephone, summarizing the prosecution's argument.
The prosecution said it was not opposed to the idea of annulling the marriage, which neither couple now wants, but the motive must be "legitimate," in conformity with the principles upheld by France.
Vaillant said the court could base an annulment on an "error about the person, with the couple discovering their true respective personalities on the wedding night" instead of basing it on a false virginity claim.
"We are offering an exit door," he said.
Should the appeals court agree to simply scrap the annulment, the couple will remain married and be forced to seek a divorce.
The couple, a man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s, has not been identified by name. Neither was present in court, Vaillant said.
A verdict is expected Nov. 17. A court decision to annul a Muslim couple's marriage because the bride lied about being a virgin discriminates against women and ... more -
Canadian board blocks highschool course with gay content
The local school board is keeping high schools in British Columbia from teaching a new social justice course that covers issues dealing with everything from homophobia to animal rights.
The school board says it wants to review the course's content after religious groups objected to the teachings. As a result, one high school swiftly modified the course, eliminating information about gay and lesbian rights.
A letter from the board about the course indicated they thought a number of the subjects were better suited to college students. "Many of the issues and topics are very sensitive and encroach on areas of family values, beliefs and practices," reads the letter, according to the Sun. "Some resources and related discussions may leave students feeling alienated or threatened rather than feeling accepted and respected for their opinions and perspectives."
The Social Studies Department head at the high school, Leanne Abrey, said she was frustrated by the board's action. "[I] kind of questioned why a ministry-approved course would need to have board approval. I don't think it reflects well on our community. It sort of defeats the purpose of a social justice course when it can't be offered", she stated. The local school board is keeping high schools in British Columbia from teaching a new social justice course that covers issues dealin... more -
'Gay things need to die', says man accused of brutally killing transgend...
A man accused of brutally beating a transgender woman to death told his girlfriend in a phone call from prison that he "snapped" and that “gay things need to die.”
Allen Andrade, 31, was charged with the murder of transgender woman Angie Zapata, 18, who was found dead in her apartment on July 17 2008. Andrade had told investigators that he had met Zapata on a social networking site and that the two met with the intention of having a sexual relationship. Apparently, Zapata performed oral sex on Andrade but refused to let him touch her. When Andrade was left alone in Zapata's apartment, he found several photographs that made him question Zapata's sex. When he confronted her, she told him "I am all woman." Andrade then grabbed Zapata's crotch area, felt male genitalia and became angry. He proceeded to take a fire extinguisher off a shelf and struck Zapata twice in the head, telling investigators he thought he "killed it."
In the phone calls from prison, Andrade expressed that he was out of control, outside himself and not a coherent person the day of the murder. The calls were also laden with derogatory remarks towards homosexuals, and he stated that people in jail are scared of him because of his reputation for wielding a fire extinguisher, which is the suspected murder weapon. When Andrade’s girlfriend said her cell phone was dying during a call, he said that was gay and that gay things need to die.
Weld District Court Judge Marcelo Kopcow ruled today that there was probable cause for first degree murder after deliberation, a felony bias-motivated crime. A man accused of brutally beating a transgender woman to death told his girlfriend in a phone call from prison that he "snapped&#... more -
Met Chief Ali Dizaei Is Suspended
British police said Thursday they have suspended the officer who heads the National Black Police Association.
Commander Ali Dizaei was suspended because of "allegations," the Metropolitan Police Authority said in a statement, but gave no specifics. It said the suspension was not a disciplinary sanction and "should not be taken as a presumption of guilt."
British Broadcasting Corp. reported, without citing sources, that Dizaei was alleged to have helped the defense in a police prosecution, made an arrest while off duty and misused a credit card.
The Iranian-born Dizaei was suspended once before, in 2001, after being accused of obstructing justice and faking expenses. He was cleared, but the case prompted the Black Police Association to charge London police with discrimination and urge nonwhites not to apply for London police jobs.
Dizaei is the second high-ranking minority officer to be suspended in the past two weeks.
On Sept. 9, Scotland Yard's top-ranking Muslim officer, Tarique Ghaffur, was placed on authorized leave after he sued the force alleging racism and religious discrimination. The force denies the charge.
The Metropolitan Police Commander Ali Dizaei was suspended last night following an investigation into allegations that he helped to "coach" a hit-and-run suspect to escape criminal prosecution.
Mr Dizaei, one of the country's most senior Asian police officers and the President of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), is alleged to have acted as a consultant to point out weaknesses in a case brought by the Met against a woman accused of leaving the scene of a fatal hit-and-run.
He denies any wrongdoing and says the complaint is malicious.
The investigation comes amid a rancorous race discrimination dispute between the Commissioner of the Met, Sir Ian Blair, and his most senior ethnic minority officers – among them Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, who is bringing a race discrimination claim against his boss.
The investigation started after a complaint was made directly to Sir Ian more than a month ago. It is said to centre on an accident in March 2005 when a 37-year-old woman allegedly collided with a man on a bicycle.
In his role as the NBPA's president, Mr Dizaei is a close confidante of Mr Ghaffur, who has been sent on gardening leave by Sir Ian. He was privy to closely guarded details of Mr Ghaffur's dossier of evidence of alleged racism and discrimination. British police said Thursday they have suspended the officer who heads the National Black Police Association. ... more -
Fired for being gay
Colleagues of a young gay South Carolina worker constantly harassed him with name-calling and abuse. He complained to his supervisor, and was fired. Find out why his termination was legitimate from a legal standpoint.
[Yes, you guessed it: More than 30 US states have NO legal protections for LGBT employees. And human dignity and respect are not necessary criteria for creating a healthy workplace, apparently, since other employees can, with impunity, humiliate and denigrate another employee about something that has nothing to do with work. Welcome to the compassionate land of the free and the home of the intolerant.] Colleagues of a young gay South Carolina worker constantly harassed him with name-calling and abuse. He complained to his supervisor, ... more -
Fumetti. Per evitare denunce «Dennis the Menace» fa il gayfriendly
Mentre in Italia si spranga il ragazzo di colore o lo si licenzia come è accaduto ad un lavoratore della Vismara che ha subìto vessazioni e insulti dai suoi compagni per più di un anno, gli inglesi continuano, come succede in altre parti del mondo, ad allenarsi alla tolleranza e al rispetto verso tutti.
Così, un fumetto che è letto da milioni di ragazzi in cui il bullo Denis se la prende sempre, e anche menando le mani, con il "tenerone" Walter, ha deciso di essere più politically correct.
L'editore e il vignettista si sono resi conto che i comportamenti di Dennis erano troppo violenti, un bullo che poteva incitare all'odio anche verso i gay. E hanno deciso di dargli una calmata dopo una bella lavata di capo.
Walter potrà tornare a giocare con i suoi orsacchiotti di peluche e forse avrà più pace e comprensione da parte del monellaccio dal crine nero e arruffato. Che però, avvertono dalla redazione, non diventerà certamente uno stinco di santo. Mentre in Italia si spranga il ragazzo di colore o lo si licenzia come è accaduto ad un lavoratore della Vismara che ha subìto vessazi... more -
Homophobic mob attacks gay couple
A group of up to 12 men and women carried out a sustained attack on two men in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, that has been described as homophobic.
The mob struck early on Sunday morning as the men walked near the village of Maghera. First, the gang verbally abused the men and chased them, before assaulting them. Finally, the mob went to the home of one of the victims and attacked his mother.
There are less than 4,000 people in the village, but no arrests have been made and the police are appealing for witnesses.
The chair of the local policing partnership, Seán McPeake, told the Mid Ulster Mail: "The message must go out loud and clear that such sickening homophobic attacks have no place in our society. Everyone regardless of class, creed, colour, nationality or sexuality have the right to live their lives with full dignity and in peace."
A previous homophobic attack in the province caused a major political storm when the DUP's Iris Robinson was asked to comment. During a BBC Radio Ulster interview in June the MP for Strangford offered to introduce gay men to a "Christian psychiatrist" who could make them heterosexual. She has refused to modify her position that homosexuality is vile, wicked and an abomination, based on her Biblical beliefs. A group of up to 12 men and women carried out a sustained attack on two men in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, that has been des... more -
The New Jim Crow: GOP Destroying the Black Vote
Lose your home, lose your vote? Black voters asked to show unusual forms of I.D.? Fake voter fraud claims to discount votes in Black districts? The GOP has employed underhanded tactics to neutralize an already hurting community of poor and minority voters. Raising the question of fairness, will the race be played out in the courts or the voting booth? Lose your home, lose your vote? Black voters asked to show unusual forms of I.D.? Fake voter fraud claims to discount votes in Black d... more
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Celebs support campaign against homophobic bullying
A group of prominent celebrities have joined forces with Stonewall to support its campaign against homophobic bullying in Britain’s schools.
In September’s issue of UK's Attitude magazine, Hollyoaks actor James Sutton, screen icon Sir Ian McKellen, singer Danni Minogue, comedian Alan Carr, Westlife’s Mark Feehily, and The Feeling’s frontman Dan Gillespie Sells have been photographed wearing t-shirts which depict the campaign slogan: ‘Some people are gay. Get over it!’
Chris Gibbons, Stonewall’s senior education officer, said: "As pupils return to school, it’s fitting that Stonewall’s campaign to tackle homophobic bullying has been given such a boost. Celebrity support is a way of getting the message out – especially to younger people – that homophobic bullying is unacceptable."
Matthew Todd, editor of Attitude, told PinkNews.co.uk: "I don’t consider this a 'gay issue.' Most gay people will not have kids. These are the children of straight people. We are the children of straight people, mostly. I think that’s something that’s always fallen out of the debate about homosexuality in the past. It’s not a them and us issue, were all in this together."
The ‘Some people are gay. Get over it!’ design started life as posters, postcards and stickers which are sent out to schools who want to support the campaign.
Earlier this year, the slogan also ran as a billboard campaign in 600 locations across the country. Most recently, it featured on panels in London’s tube trains as part of Stonewall’s ‘back to school’ campaign.
During the campaign for Mayor of London all the main candidates also gave their backing to the fight against homophobic bullying in schools. Mayor Boris Johnson announced last month that a £10,000 grant to Soho Pride will instead be re-invested to help facilitate a London campaign against homophobic bullying in schools. A group of prominent celebrities have joined forces with Stonewall to support its campaign against homophobic bullying in Britain’s sc... more -
Would you stare at this woman?
Alison Rich is not just another face in the crowd - every morning on her way to work on the London underground, she is met with sideways glances and shocked second looks. Some people even stare openly or turn away in obvious embarrassment.
Alison was born with a condition that affected the development of the left side of her face and gave her spine a severe scoliosis, curving her back from side to side. As a result, she has had to deal with people's looks and stares all her life.
It was one of the cruellest reactions that transformed how she dealt with her disfigurement. "I was in the student union and this guy came up to me and threw me against the wall and said: 'You are the ugliest thing I have ever seen, I'd kill myself if I looked like you'. I just didn't go out for a few days, I was quite bruised by it. But it also made me realise how I was going to handle myself and that I had to get strong inside. And I think even more importantly I needed to learn how to deal with these things." In a way, she says, he did her a favour. She now has a number of strategies she recommends to anyone concerned about their disfigurement: Look someone in the eye, have a short explanation ready, move the conversation on, and seek expert support.
But she still has bad days. A young man who had been talking to her suddenly turned round and said: "you'd be really lovely if you weren't so ugly"; and before her wedding a shop assistant told her: "Oh gosh, I didn't think that someone who looked like you could get married."
Alison now works for Changing Faces, a charity that challenges the prejudices surrounding facial disfigurement. Findings by the charity suggest 542,000 - or one in 111 - people in the UK have a significant facial disfigurement.
What do you think is the impact of facial disfigurement on an otherwise normal life? Do you look different and have had similar experiences? And how do you behave 'correctly' when you meet someone who looks unusual or different? Alison Rich is not just another face in the crowd - every morning on her way to work on the London underground, she is met with sidewa... more -
School fires teacher because he is HIV-positive
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is filing a suit against a Maryland school for allegedly firing a teacher because he is HIV positive.
From 2003 to 2006, Chauncey Stevenson taught second grade and after school music classes at a Maryland school. Even though he received good evaluations from his supervisors, his contract was not renewed.
"They were advised that he was HIV-positive and he was fired, despite the fact that he wanted to come back to work," EEOC attorney Jacqueline H. McNair told the Sun. "He was a good teacher and well-liked."
Stevenson first filed a complaint, but when the school did not offer a settlement, the EEOC decided to sue.
The EEOC says Chesapeake Academy violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, which defines HIV as a disability, therefore making it unlawful to wrongfully terminate someone with the virus.
"From our perspective we did not feel the decision we made had anything to do with the disability," head of school at Chesapeake Academy Jay Scheurle said in a statement. “We intend to defend the claim vigorously.” Stevenson’s lawsuit intends to force the Academy to create a safety net in its policy for other faculty members, ensuring wrongful termination cannot happen again. He also seeks back pay and “front pay with prejudgment interest.” The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is filing a suit against a Maryland school for allegedly firing a teacher beca... more -
High school for gay students proposed
A Chicago group has proposed opening a new high school that would welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and sexually questioning students.
The plan comes from the people who run the Greater Lawndale Little Village High School for Social Justice. They say the new campus would be open to all students, but would especially seek to foster a violence-free atmosphere for students who are often targeted for their sexual orientation. The charter school proposal is still in the early stages. A public hearing is set for Sept. 18, and the proposal requires approval by an evaluation team and then Chicago Public Schools Chief Arne Duncan before it goes before the school board.
Conservatives say the Social Justice High School-Pride Campus would be a misuse of public funds and require administrators to take a moral stance on homosexuality, a judgment well above their pay grade. Even some gay rights advocates argue that isolating the gay and lesbian population from the mainstream would be damaging and prevent different groups of students from learning to interact.
“If we’re going to set up a separate school, let’s put the bullies in the school and not our gays kids,” said Rick Garcia, public policy director of Equality Illinois, the state’s largest gay rights group. “Kids should be able to go to school in a safe environment wherever they are.”
The importance of creating a safe environment at least partially stems from the higher risks that gay, lesbian and bisexual students face. Experts say those kids are at greater risk of dropping out of school, abusing drugs and alcohol and are two to three times more likely to attempt to commit suicide. A 2003 district survey shows that gay and lesbian youth also are three times more likely to miss school because they feel unsafe.
Do you think this proposal is a good idea or will it just result in the creation of a 'gay ghetto' that harms both the LGBT community and society at large? A Chicago group has proposed opening a new high school that would welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and sexually questioning... more
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Discrimination
