Lansing’s LGBT Connection! Lansing Association for Human Rights June 2008 • Volume 29 • Issue 9 MICHIGAN PRIDE IS HERE! Lansing Welcomes You to Your Capital City!!! Disappointing Supreme by Bill Beachler, God-des and She, Sista Otis and the Publisher Wholly Rollers, Gregory Douglas, Julie Court Ruling Michigan Pride will Loyd, Bridgewater, and Dung Fu Diesel.” from Triangle be June 27, 28, and 29 LAHR hopes that everyone is making in Lansing. You may plans to participate in this year’s activities Foundation & Michigan go to the Michigan and participate in the fun. This is the time Equality Pride web site www. of year for the LGBT community, our Several key Michigan-based michiganpride.org families and our friends to come together organizations expressed their to find out the details for this year’s and join millions disappointment in the Supreme Court’s activities. of others around the world to ruling upholding The Advocate had this to say about celebrate the Court of Michigan Pride in Lansing - “Highlights: LGBT Pride. Appeals decision denying health care benefits LIFE RIDE 2008! to unmarried couples. Unity from Patrick Lombardi, LAAN Michigan, a group of organizations LAAN will host its annual Life Ride on Saturday, working together on issues June 14th to help raise funds and build awareness that includes equal rights, about HIV and AIDS in Michigan. will work hard to ensure This year, Life Ride will feature a 25 that no Michiganders lose mile course and a 70 mile course access to health care as a which will begin and end at the result of this decision. home of Patrick Lombardi in “We are disappointed Ovid, MI. Both courses will by this decision and still traverse the back country roads believe that a public employer of Clinton County to Eagle, MI offering health insurance (which marks the half-way point benefits to domestic partners of the 70 mile ride). The 25 mile of employees does not course will incorporate Sleepy create a marriage or anything Hollow State Park, also beginning approaching a marriage. and ending in Ovid. Several public employers have revised Registration for this event is required their eligibility criteria to continue health and forms are available online at: insurance coverage for domestic partners, in www.laanonline.org or by calling the compliance with the lower court’s decision,” LAAN office at 517-394-3719 ext. said Kary L. Moss, ACLU of Michigan Executive 14. Riders collect pledge dollars to Director. “We will now encourage and work with help support their effort and to raise public employers to revise their eligibility criteria funds to support the programs in order to provide continued health insurance and services for people living coverage. We encourage Governor Granholm with HIV and AIDS in 11 mid- to do the same and negotiate such coverage with Michigan counties. state employees.” The 2008 Life Ride will “Affirmations is extremely disappointed with begin at 8 a.m. with the 70 the decision that the Michigan Supreme Court mile course, followed by has made. This decision has left thousands the start of the 25 mile of children who are part of loving families course at 9 a.m. without access to health care that they have and will finish at relied on for years,” stated Bashar Makhay, approximately Community Organizing Coordinator for (continued on page 3) BUILDING STRONG LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES IN THE LANSING AREA Letter from the Prez by Penny Gardner, LAHR President Dear LAHR Membership, As president of LAHR, as an old lesbian, partnered, and the When one of our own, a member of our mother of five grown children, I worry about these things for LGBT communities is stricken, our sadness you, for me, and for others who may not be informed and/or for them can easily turn to concerns prepared. Recently a lesbian couple was on a cruise when about our own legal situation and those of one of them had a health crisis. She was rushed to a hospital. our friends and loved ones in such trying They had no documentation on hand of their long time circumstances. relationship. The patient’s partner and a parent of her children, With the recent Michigan Supreme Court was denied vital health information about her life partner, decision determining that offering domestic partner benefits denied access to her, and was not allowed to be with her when is too much like marriage and therefor it is unconstitutional her beloved died. for a public employer to offer domestic partner benefits And what about the dying woman? What was she going —the supremes determined they are a benefit of marriage through at the time? Not having the comfort of her beloved not a benefit of employment—it raises questions about what in the last hours of her life. It is an abomination! We who are happens to us and to our partners, if one of us is stricken with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender most likely have no legal a serious illness in which we are dependent upon others to care standing within our relationship with our partner, unless we for us or our loved one. can prove, or are given permission by someone in power, to These are some of my fears and concerns. What if those even know the status of our loved one. care-takers have an aversion to us who are other than A person with legal standing in the relationship with the heterosexual, or to people who’s gender expression does patient does not have to prove their legal standing. The not match their physical being? What do we need to protect statement: I am her husband! I am her mother! I am her son! ourselves? How do we protect our partners, our children, That’s all it takes. We, though, have to prove who we are. ourselves, should we or they require emergency care? Are the What if who we are is not acceptable to those in charge? papers that were somewhat effective before be not as effective I say these things because they are heavy on my mind. I say in light of the Michigan Supreme Court decision? What these things because I have not taken the care to insure-to the legal rights do these documents: Medical Power of Attorney, best of my ability-that Marilyn and I, as an us, will be allowed Medical Advocate, living will, etc. , give us and our families to be there for each other in the event of a health crisis. should some administrator, some care-giver, some nurse, not I will take care of these things soon, I promise. My first call honor them? What if my partner Marilyn wants to be with me, will be to the FREE Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender should I need medical care, and our records are not with us, Legal Hotline a program of Elder Law. Will you also promise will I be denied her comfort and clear thinking? Will she be to do the same? denied any information about my health? Penny The following people will be celebrating their Long Term Relationships (LTR): Congratulations! Matthew Carter and Gregg Waggoner 6 years on June 14, 2008 The LAHR Long Term Relationship (LTR) group wants to promote the importance of a strong, committed relationship in the LGBT community. If you have an anniversary for your relationship that you would like mentioned by the group, please email Greg at [email protected] . LGBT Hotline: 332-3200 or 1-866-645-LAHR • Email: [email protected] • On the Web: www.LAHROnline.org Cindy Redman, Vice President Lisa Halston - [email protected] LGBT News 643-0956 or [email protected] Jen Loforese - 896-4375 or [email protected] Lansing Association for Joseph Marutiak, Treasurer Website ------------------------------------ Human Rights 485-6697 or [email protected] Melissa Cogswell P.O. Box 6565 Nancy VanHoozier, Secretary 599-7061 or [email protected] East Lansing, MI 48826 484-6704 or [email protected] Story Contributers ------------------------- Bill Beachler: LGBT News Publisher Mike Carlson, Hotline Director Nancy English: variety - [email protected] 337-1419 or [email protected] 332-0167 ext. 43 or [email protected] Pam Sisson: A Matter of Law - 484-4300 Vicky Sharland: Layout Editor Members At-Large ------------------------- Jacob A. Distel, Jr.: Positively Speaking - [email protected] 290-0226 or [email protected] Bill Beachler 337-1419 or [email protected] Pastor Paul S. Downie: 332-2326/[email protected] LAHR Board of Directors ------------------- Michael Foland - 321-5893 or [email protected] Mary Boudreau: Our Families - [email protected] Penny Gardner, President Jillian Pastoor - 614-8466/[email protected] Bill Castellani: Our Washington/HRC Connection - [email protected] 484-4512 or [email protected] Nancy English - 482-2668 or [email protected] Brian Winters: Smart Money - [email protected] Contents of the LGBT News should not be construed to represent the beliefs of the LAHR organization as a whole. Lansing Association for Human Rights - GLBT News Benefits continued of Proposal 2, the so-called “marriage deserve the same legal protection as those amendment,” stated repeatedly on of married couples. Regardless of how Affirmations. television and in newspapers that the Michigan citizens feel about unmarried “Michigan Equality is very disappointed measure would have no effect on the health couples, the courts should not deny health by the decision reached today. We benefits of unmarried couples and their care benefits to their families and children. are saddened that the ones hurt by this children. Want to do more? decision are the children in these families ·With over one million Michigan Register to vote! Voting is the single whose health care is now in jeopardy.