Historic Ruling on Trans Rights Will Log Cabin Endorse Romney?
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*,ÊÊÓÇÊÊÓä£ÓÊÊ6"1 Ê{ÎÊÊ--1 Ê£ÇÊÊU O U R C O M M U N I T Y, O U R S T O R I E S S I N C E 1 9 6 9 UÊ7- /" ° " Will Log Cabin endorse Romney? iÞÊ"*ÊiiÊ raise questions about whether the Log Cabin Republicans will endorse Romney hires gay adviser but for president, despite his promise to can’t outrun hostile pursue a federal amendment banning same-sex marriage, among other anti- primary rhetoric gay positions he’s articulated during the primary season. By CHRIS JOHNSON The debate over whether to endorse [email protected] Romney could prove thorny for Log Cabin. On one hand, the organization is likely to feel ÌÌÊ ,iÞÊ ÃÜi«ÌÊ >Ê ÃiÀiÃÊ vÊ "*Ê pressure from its Republican base to throw its presidential primaries on Tuesday as news support behind the party’s standard-bearer in ÃÕÀv>Vi`ÊÌ >ÌÊ iÜÌÊ}ÀV ÊÜÊÃÕëi`Ê the general election. On the other, Romney his campaign next week. has backed anti-gay positions during the With Romney poised to wrap up the primary season, including support for a U.S. Republican nomination — and ready to constitutional amendment banning same- pivot to the general election contest — his sex marriage throughout the country and a campaign announced the appointment of a «i`}iÊÌÊ`ivi`ÊÌ iÊ iviÃiÊvÊ>ÀÀ>}iÊ MITT ROMNEY ÃÊ«Ãi`ÊÌÊV>«ÌÕÀiÊÌ iÊ"*Ê«ÀiÃ`iÌ>Ê>Ì]ÊLÕÌÊ ÃÊÃÕ««ÀÌÊvÀÊ }>ÞÊ>]Ê,V >À`ÊÀii]ÊÌÊÃiÀÛiÊ>ÃÊ>Ì>Ê Act in court. a federal marriage amendment is likely to create a dilemma for gay Republicans. security and foreign policy spokesman. The developments this week Ê " / 1 -Ê" Ê* Ê£È WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY Historic ruling Hate Crime? on trans rights Marine faces murder charge after stabbing fellow Marine and EEOC says job bias of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’s laboratory in Walnut Creek, using anti-gay slur. based on gender Calif., after she announced she was PAGE 4 identity amounts transitioning from male to female. The decision, made unanimously by the to discrimination commission on a 5-0 vote, was made public Monday evening. By CHRIS JOHNSON “[W]e conclude that intentional [email protected] discrimination against a transgender individual because the person In a historic ruling, the U.S. is transgender is, by defi nition, Pointing Equal Employment Opportunity discrimination ‘based on ... sex,’ and Commission has determined that job such discrimination therefore violates bias against employees on the basis Title VII,” the decision states. the Way of gender identity amounts to sex EEOC is the federal agency that Point Foundation discrimination under existing law. interprets and enforces federal non- ÃÌÃÊ ° °ÊvÕ`À>ÃiÀ The determination came about as discrimination laws. Its decision next week to benefi t part of the resolution of a case fi led by on transgender workers applies to the Transgender Law Center on behalf both public and private employers /ÊÃV >ÀÃÊÊii`° of Mia Macy, a transgender woman who throughout the United States, PAGE 29 allegedly was denied a job as a ballistics technician at the federal Bureau Ê " / 1 -Ê" Ê* Ê£{ äÓÊUÊ*,ÊÓÇ]ÊÓä£ÓÊÊÊ ÊÊ Ê Ê Ê ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ7- /" ° " Join us for a Community Conversation! “Improving Health of LGBT Elders” !"#$%&'"% Joe Izzo Whitman-Walker Health Psychotherapist Bill Amt Dr. Imani Woody Ron Swanda Iona Senior Services IWF Consulting Community Activist Monday, April 30 | 7:00 pm The DC Center, 1318 U Street, NW, Washington DC C C-: the DC Center, the Mautner Project, SAGE Metro DC 202.745.7000 | www.whitman-walker.org Join us for a conversation on meeting the needs of seniors in our community! WASHINGTONBLADE.COM ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Ê ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ*,ÊÓÇ]ÊÓä£ÓÊUÊäÎ washingtonblade.com ä{ÊUÊ*,ÊÓÇ]ÊÓä£ÓÊ ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê ÊÊÊÊ" Ê 7- Marine accused in killing claims self-defense the process of discharging Poth under less after the hearing, Benowitz declined to than honorable circumstances as a result discuss the allegation by one of the Marine of drug-related offenses and “belligerent” witnesses that Poth hurled an anti-gay slur behavior toward other Marines. at Bushong shortly before the stabbing. David Benowitz, Poth’s attorney, Gay activists, including offi cials of the disputed the signifi cance of Poth’s local group Gays and Lesbians Opposing pending discharge to the case at hand. Violence (GLOV), had not weighed in as of He pointed to the police arrest affi davit’s Monday on whether they agreed with the account by another Marine guard witness initial police decision not to list the murder who said he saw Bushong retract his arm as an anti-gay hate crime. as if he was about to punch Poth just prior Friends of Bushong said he was neither to the stabbing. gay nor homophobic, according to the Benowitz said the account by the Marine Washington Post, which interviewed some witness supports his contention that Poth of his friends. The Post reported that acted in self-defense. He told the court friends described Bushong as a “warm that a second-degree murder charge isn’t and sincere young man who loved to supported by the facts of the case. read” and “shattered the stereotype” of a In responding to questions by reporters Marine rifl eman. Victory Fund backs gay man for school board Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Jack Jacobson, who’s gay, is running for a seat on the D.C. State Board of Education representing Ward Michael Joseph Poth, 20, told police he stabbed Marine Lance Cpl. Philip Bushong, 23, on April 21 after Bushong followed him on the sidewalk across the street from the Marine Barracks on Capitol Hill 2 in the November election. and after Bushong allegedly punched him in the face. “I am honored to serve our community as a Neighborhood Commissioner, and am eager to take this next step in public service to represent all of Ward 2 on the WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY State Board of Education,” Jacobson said in a statement. “Having been the son of a public school teacher and two school board members, I’ve been involved in education my entire life,” he said. “Recent tours by a knife penetrating his upper chest. Fellow Marine stabbed of a number of Ward 2 schools and conversations with parents, teachers, and “Information uncovered during the community members have persuaded me that we need new leadership on the to death after being course of the preliminary investigation Board of Education.” indicates that there was a verbal exchange, called anti-gay slur The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund this week endorsed Jacobson in the race. and during the exchange a homophobic “Jack Jacobson has proven his dedication to serving the District and Ward 2 slur was heard from the suspect prior to as an elected member of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission,” said Victory the stabbing,” a police statement says. By LOU CHIBBARO JR. Fund vice president Denis Dison. “We are eager to support openly LGBT leaders D.C. Superior Court Magistrate [email protected] like Jack who want to work to make their communities better.” Judge Karen Howze ruled at Monday’s Jacobson is challenging incumbent Ward 2 Board of Education member Mary A Marine charged with fatally stabbing presentment hearing that prosecutors Lord, who suggested in an interview with the Dupont Circle area community another Marine on a D.C. sidewalk after provided suffi cient evidence to establish affairs blog Borderstan that she will compete with Jacobson for Ward 2’s large allegedly calling the victim an anti-gay probable cause that Poth committed number of gay voters. name told police he acted in self-defense. second-degree murder in connection with “I have led numerous efforts to promote excellence and achievement,” Lord A police affi davit released Monday the case. She ordered him held without told Borderstan. “That includes being an unwavering partner and advocate for during a court hearing says Michael bond and scheduled a preliminary hearing the LGBT community, working to ensure that education policies refl ected our Joseph Poth, 20, told police he stabbed for the case on May 15. shared commitment to social justice, dignity and respect.” Marine Lance Cpl. Philip Bushong, 23, on No mention was made during the hearing LOU CHIBBARO JR. April 21 after Bushong followed him on the about the police statement that a witness sidewalk across the street from the Marine heard Poth make an anti-gay slur at the Barracks on Capitol Hill and after Bushong time Poth and Bushong got into a verbal allegedly punched him in the face. altercation on the street that turned violent. A police homicide detective who A police incident report doesn’t list the prepared the affi davit says in the murder as a hate crime. Lt. Robert Alder, document that there were no signs of commander of the Homicide Branch, said an injury or bruise on Poth’s face or a hate crime designation could be added Police Log head when police questioned him at the to the report depending upon the fi ndings Homicide Branch offi ce a short time after of an ongoing police investigation. The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit participated in the following investigations: the incident occurred. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Police charged Poth with second- Liebman, the prosecutor in the case, said UÊ"Ê«ÀÊ£ÈÊ>ÌÊ£äÌ Ê>`Ê, `iÊÃ>`ÊÛiÕi]Ê °7°]ÊÌÜÊV«>>ÌÃ]ÊÀi«ÀÌi`Ê degree murder while armed after Marine during Monday’s hearing that a witness that seven suspects approached them and began throwing rocks at them.