IN Step . LCBT Wisconsin's Community Newspaper . Founded in 1984 June 3, 1999 • Vol. XVI, Issue XI- $2.95 outside of Wisconsin SECTION ONE: FEATURE: Wisconsin's Gay Help Lines PLUS: ARCW to Begin AIDS Vaccine Trial Quips and Quotes • Casual Observer- Paul Berge Cartoon • Out Right • Letters SECTION Q: FEATURE: Gays Take I.V. By Storm CRAFT OF MURDER: Interview with Mystery Writer Michael Craft TELEIVIOSN: `In the Life' Bursting with Pride • INK: Midwest Murder The (lassies -The Calendar • Keepin' IN Step with Jamie • The Guide i PINekhdliffirkiliS as St Judge-vs-Judge Battle Reviewed sexually harassing students. Student Public school officials agreed that even though the court Chicago — According to the Chicago Court Rules in imposed the highest legal standard to prove a case, it neverthe- less means schools will have to be extra vigilant and quicker to Sun-Times, a Cook County (III.) judge who act on claims of harassment. tried to block lesbian couples from adopting Sexual Harassment Case But experts on sexual harassment called the ruling a "walk- children will herself now fate a judicial review up call" for the nation's public school system. by Keith Clark after time they the cases. "Many students feel confused when time of her handling of of the IN Step staff watch as school officials ignore sexual harassment when they see County Circuit Court Judge Susan Washington — Students who are victims of sexual harass- it in their classrooms and hallways," said Victoria Alzapiedi, McDunn last year was reassigned to traffic ment by another student can now sue teachers and administra- head of the non-profit Title IX Advocacy Project. Souter, presiding judge who indicated her tors who are "deliberately indifferent" to their suffering, a close- The majority included Justices John Paul Stevens, David court by a Day O'Connor. ly divided U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. Gay rights advocates Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sandra handling of the adoption cases was tainted by Scalia, and say the ruling clarifies a significant aspect of harassment of gay Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Justices Antonin the judge's own anti-gay biases. and lesbian students as well. Clarence Thomas joined Kennedy in the minority opinion. According to the paper, McDunn blocked In a statement praising the court's narrow ruling, the Lamb- the adoptions by the two lesbian couples and da Legal Defense and Education Fund, which had filed a friend confidential information concerning the of the court brief in the case, said that harassment of students Shepard Killer's Girlfriend sent because they are gay or lesbian often involves sexual harassment. case to the Family Research Council, an anti- Beatrice Dohrn, head of Lambda, said, "Sexual harassment gay organization based in Washington, D.C. of lesbians and gay students is a significant problem. The court Sentenced to 2 Years McDunn, the paper reported, had tried to has taken an important step in recognizing that school officials convince the council to enter the case in oppo- by Keith Clark sition to the adoptions even though state child "Sexual harassment of lesbians of the IN Step staff welfare authorities hod rated the two couples Laramie, Wyo. — District Court Judge Jeffrey Donnell has and gay students is a significant sentenced Chasity Pasley for up to two years in prison for her as "highly recommended." part in covering up the savage beating her boyfriend gave to County Division Judge Francis Barth con- problem." Matthew Shepard last year that led to Shepard's death. cluded that McDunn's personal anti-gay views BEATRICE DOHRN In rejecting a state pre-sentencing report that recommended probation for the 20-year-old young woman, whose boyfriend were overriding her judicial capacities and who turn a deaf ear to complaints of serious harassment and vio- Russell Henderson pleaded guilty to first-degree murder charges in reassigned McDunn to traffic court in Sep- lence themselves facilitate the denial of educational opportuni- the case in April, Judge Donnell said it was unclear "if you could tember — a decision which McDunn herself ties of harassed students." have saved him [Shepard] or not" had she gone to authorities later tried to rule invalid and then overruled The 5-4 court decision holds Georgia educators financially instead of helping hide the bloody clothing Henderson wore after responsible for ignoring complaints that a 10-year-old boy the attack. "But the court cannot separate you from your acts." Barth's decisions in the adoption cases. grabbed a classmate's breasts and repeatedly rubbed against her Pasley pleaded guilty in December to charges of being an Following a series of judge-versus-judge at school. accessory after the fact in the murder case. She told the judge that rulings, Barth finally ruled that McDunn had But dissenters on the high court predicted that the case she had helped Henderson get rid of the bloody clothing because she loved him but was "very angry" with her boyfriend for attack- "lost sight of her role as the judge of an indi- would spawn a wave of self-serving victims and a sea of litigation. "After today, Johnny will find that the routine problems of ing Shepard in what she said she thought was simply a fist fight. vidual case [and had] demonstrated a deep adolescence are to be resolved by invoking a federal right to Second Shepard Murder Trial Postponed aversion to this sort of adoption proceeding." demand assignment to a desk two rows away," wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy in the minority's opinion. For unknown reasons, District Court Judge Barton Voigt Adoption Foe The majority opinion anticipated possible unwarranted suits has delayed the trial of Aaron McKinney, the 21-year-old man and ruled that harassment has to be severe and pervasive, but charged with murdering University of Wyoming student Charged with that school officials who know about harassment and ignore it Matthew Shepard last year. are in violation of federal anti-bias laws known as Title IX. Judge Voigt announced that the August 9 trial date that had Sexual Abuse The standard of demonstrating "severe and pervasive", been scheduled would be delayed and that a new trial date harassment is the same one the court imposed last year when wouldn't be announced until sometime in October. Anderson, Ind. — In 1998, Earl Kim- ruling that school districts can be held responsible for teachers merling and his wife objected to plans by a gay male couple in Indianapolis to adopt a young girl and her three brothers, all living in from communities throughout the state foster homes with the Kimmerlings at the like Beloit, Janesville and other cities time. Two Indiana lawmakers joined the Kim- Wausau and Stevens Point. Harry said that callers often do not know that merlings' cause and introduced legislation to Any resources are available near where they bar gays and lesbian from adopting children Questions? live. Sometimes even professional coun- in the state "to protect children from abuse." hours of training in peer counseling and selors who call to get more information Now, in one of the saddest ironies, Earl do observation shifts before taking calls for a client are surprised to find that Out resources about sexual orientation are Kimmerling, who subsequently adopted the -Line and Gay Youth themselves, explained Callen Harty, Out- Reach's direct services coordinator. The available outside of Madison and Mil- girl, now age nine, has been charged with Wisconsin Field Calls Out-Line currently has about 25 volun- waukee. "They'll say, `You're kidding? In four felony counts of sexually molesting her. About teers who work three-hour shifts during Marshfield? In Stevens Point?'" Coming Out and Harty said The girl told authorities the sexual abuse the hotline's hours of operation, 9 a.m. to that when dealing with Other Issues from 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. Out- callers who may be in the process of com- started in 1998 and police say Kimmerling Line's next training session is scheduled ing out, the Out-Line and in-person dis- confessed that he had sexual contact with the Around the State for July. cussion groups coordinated by OutReach girl "many times" during the post year. "We also do a lot of referrals," Harty try to be helpful but not heavy-handed. "We don't try to convince people that If convicted on all four charges, Kimmer- by Christopher Ott said, noting that OutReach maintains ling could face up to 116 years in prison. of the IN Step staff How do you know? Cincinnati Nixes Wisconsin's phone hotlines for people "I would say a great deal of our serious calls with questions about gay issues take hun- Expanded Hate dreds of calls each month, responding to at least have to do with people being afraid Crimes everything from bar queries to questions to come out" Coverage about relationships and gay-friendly reli- —$TACY PACK Cincinnati — The city council in Cincin- gious communities. But volunteers for both the Madison-based Out-Line and lists of therapists and medical profession- nati has rejected on a 6-3 vote a proposal to the Milwaukee-based Gay Youth Wiscon- als, as well as listings of gay-friendly busi- they're gay," he said, adding that Out- expand its hate crimes ordinance to include sin Hotline said that the most common nesses. He said callers know that conven- Reach would even carry listings for coun- gender, disability and sexual orientation. question by far is still one of the most tional "crisis lines" might not be able to selors who offer "conversion therapy" for basic: How do you know if you're gay? people who want to become heterosexual.