I,+\,I _____-.___I_.___,_ NEWS lb Sl.p Mqgdzin® Hotel Wlashington to Rebtiild 1661 11. Wtler Slreel, Siiile 411 whwouhe®, wi 53202 Court Upboids Hawaii Gay Mqrid;gis ....... : ....-. 5 Jrdgr Rules Agivmst UW:Madisan GroiAp§ ............ 8 (414) 278-7840 volto (414) 278-S868 lax DEPARTMENTS iNSTErm@^oL.(on Nedonal & Wbrld News lssN# 1045.2435 Group Notes The Ari§ Ronold F. 6eimon The Calendar Founder The Classie§ Jorge L (obol FEATURES prosidord Hoiichy Gift Guide William Aifewell ediitoriNIM COLUMNS Inde|)endently Speaking Jo,ge L(obbl Qpeer Science ansedfror Rober;s Rules Monuel Korrright Keapin' In Slap alndredfrol Out in the Stars Keith (lock, Ron Geimon, Kevl.n lsom, Jomokoyo, Owen Keehnen, Chn.stopher Kh.mmer, Jim W. Loutenboch, Chorfene u.chtenstein, Morvi.n Liobmon, Cheryl Myers, Richnd Mohr, Dole Reynolds, Shelly Roberts, Jamie Toylor, RexWo{kner,Arlen6Zorembko,YvonneZipter [onlribufingwrilers Richard White 'b'em James Toylor pholographar IH STEP Hu\GAZIIIE OFFICE HOuRSs Robert Arnold, Paul Berge, Camper Our otli..s are open \o \he publl. Irom [anoonists 9am \o 5pm, M\onday through Friday a\= Wells Ink TI.e IIorlli®rn I.1g1.I Building arldiredionandaddesgiv \661 IIor\I\ Vva\er S\ree\, Sul\e 4\ I Publitatron of the rame, phooraph or othoi likeness of any person or ongur zdion in ln Step Mogrino ls not fo be consmed a5 any indication of the sexul, Hlilwaukee, WI 53202 relkyious oi peBti(ol ofrofion, pmcrfee or be]ids Of so(h persoii oi membes of swh o7givlzdions. WBresenrederichltoeditonysobmissiongulverf§Inooredwholatour5ole discTefon. Wo ossome "} resporsthltry for typagrphi(ol or obers emrs unle5s (omermady(opyisprovided.Woo§s(imone(esporslbilftyfoiodvedses'cloims. ON 0UH 00Vm: In Srty Mo9ozlne is a rogisfend frodenich Em ontents including edverfe. katheriile Linlom hosts PBS's "ln the Life" \ ino, ©1996 by ln Srty Mngozfro, extepl where specifitolly roed otherwl§e. All Photo: Nigel Tcare givsrosenred.Repndudion,eltherinwholeorperfisprohiblted. Deadline S.I.edule 1991 Volume IIun\ber \4 lanuary8 Dec. 31 January 22 Jar. 15 Februay 5 Jar. 29 Februay 19 Feb. 12. March 5 Feb. 26. March 19 March 12 April 2 March 26 April 16 April 9 April 30 April 23 May 14 May7 May 28 May21 June 11 June 4 June 25 June 18 with area businesses, /% Sfcp July 9 July 2 Sentry, Pick & Save^, and Osco stores on^ through-out July 23 July 16 Milwaukee and Waukesha. In Coming months we will be August 6 July30 adding more sites throughout WisconsirL to our expand August 20 Aug. 13 our distribution and readership even farther. At 12,000 September 3 Aug. 27 copies per issue, /a S#p is tmly the largest LesBiGay put)- lication in the state. September 17 Sept.10 Finally, from the entire staff at In Step wc sincerely October 1 Sept. 24 wish everyone a very happy holiday! October 15 0ct. 8 -William Amouell October 29 0ct, 22 November 12 Nov. 5 November 26 Nov.12 December 10 Dec. 3 December 23 Dec.17 INew! Hotel Washington Rebuilding Gets Green Light byWiNhamArmll According to Greg Scheel, co-owner of the Hotel Washington, ground breaking is slated for February lst with oflhBInSlapStoff construction expected to last seven to ten months. The new Madison - After months of ups and dawns and intense Hotel Washington will bc similar in design to chc previous speculation, rebuilding plans for the historic Hotel structure and will house the same businesses, Rod's, Cafe Washington took a decidedly positive turn when new flnanc- Palms and the New Bar. The Hotel will also feature 44 mod- ing pushed the effort forward with ground breaking on the ern hotel rooms. same location expected early next year. Schcel fold /# S4cp ^rcowjw4gzzzj.#c, "So much emotion On December 4, Capitol Bank, a local Madison bank, that runs through your body when you finally get something approved a $3.I million dollar loan for the rebuilding effort. through like this. I am relieved the battle is over for That loan, couplcd with a $600,000 Tax Incremental the financing." Financing (TIP) loan from the City of Madison, a $300,000 Schecl added, "I feel good for the community and the loan from Madison Gas and Electric and $1.1 million of employees because they always thought we could get it done." Scheels' own funds, secu[cd the future of the $6 million The original Hotel Washington burned in the early rebuilding plan. morning of Feburary 19 of this year. /% Sap will continue to The loan makes good business sense, according to state- follow this story as it develops. mcnt rclcased by Jim Dolister, president of the bank, "Capitol Bank was established to work on community pro- jects. The Hotel Washington will employ 120 people. It is Hawaii Marriage Decision to community projects like these we want to build our reputa- lion on.„ Impact Wisconsin Legislature The City of Madison City Council has yet I:o formally ByJamkyo approve the TIF loan. Madison Alderman Mike Verveer told /# Sfcp IVca#"4gi¢Zj.#e hc plans to introduce a proposal to oflheln§iapSldi grant the loan on December 17. The proposal would go Madison - The historic decision by a Hawaii judge in before the council on January 21, 1997 for final approval. support of same gender marriage is likely to have strong Vcrveer believes the City Council will approval the inca- repercussions in the wisconsin legislature, where politicians sure, stating, "I'm very optimistic the city will choose to par- who both support and oppose gay marriage have vowed to ticipate in the rebuilding of this landmark building which has introduce proposals repre- served has an important part in Madison's cultural history.» senting their very different The hotcl's rebuilding efforts have been the subject of points of view. intense interest. As recendy as last month, press reports indi- The confrontation over ca[ed the hotel was investigating opening at new location at sainc gender marriage in 1 1 I W. Main in Madison. Wisconsin could come as Another roadblock in the rebuilding effort came in the early as January when the form of a deed restriction from HUD. In 1992, the hotel new legislative session received a S174,000 loan from HUD to re-hab several rcsi- begins. dential units on the restriction they would be subject ,to rent Rep. Tammy Baldwin limits to provide affordable housing to low income individu- (D-Madison), the, state's als. The condition was secured by a deed restriction on chc only openly gay or lesbian land which would have made i[ financially difficult for any legislator, announced on rctiuilding effort to succeed. The hotel received a waiver for December 4 that she the restriction in July of this year. -frommy Bawwin would introduce a bill to 11 DetembeT 1 1 -December 25, 1996 IH i,EP legalize marriage between same gender couples. Her proposal Meanwhile, Rep. Scott Fi[zgerald (R-Juneau) intends to would allow 'gay and lesbian couples [o receiSe all the benefLts lead an effort to change the state constitution to declare the heterosexual married couples currently receive: hospital unequivocally that marriage is limited to unions between a visitation rights, family health insurance privileges, spousal man and a woman. Changing the constitution is a much inheritance rights and tax benefits. lengthier and more complex process than passing a law. It includes both legislative approval and a statcwide rcfercn- "ll's {letir 1® me we will hove lo do even dum. Rep. Baldwin told /# Sfap IVcac{j"4gaej.#c.. "We need to be more to prole{l the rights we q[reqdy llqve prepared to activate very quickly. The bills to be introduced and to fend o« II]ese new qllq(ks." will be referred to committees, and hcarings can bc held with very little notice. People are going to have to be committed - REp. TAunv BALDwiN to travel to Madison on fairly short notice to testify in sup- port of sane gender marriage.» "Gay men and lesbians want and deserve the right to pro- I "I was very pleased with the level of activism I saw last tect their partners in the context of legally rccognizcd com- session," Baldwin said. _"But it's clear to me we will have to mitl:ed relationships," Baldwin said. "Fanilies are the corner- do even more to protect the rights we already have and to stone of our society. Wc all have a vestcd interest in assuring fend off these new attacks. Now is a good time for every read- that every family is afforded the same legal rights which serve er of ln Step [o call their state representative and senator to to promote family stability." let them know how you feel." But opponents of gay marriage will introduce measures to Action Wisconsin, a statewide network of gays and les- block its legalization. Rep. Lorraine Seratti (R-Spread Eagle) bians and their supporters, as well as local organizations such plans to reintroducc a bill she sponsorcd during the last ses- as Milwaukee.s Human Rights League for Lesbians and Gays, sion which prohibits same gender marriage in Wisconsin and are currently informing and activating their members for the which denies the validity of any such marriages performed in educational/lobbying campaign ahead. Hawaii or other states. (Seratti's bill died in committee at the close of the last legislative session with no action taken on it,) IH STEP December 11 - December 26, 1996 11 THE HAVAII DECISION FREE The ruling against the state of Hawaii by Circuit Court Judge Kevin Chang on FIRST December 3 was the second court victory for gay marriage in the Aloha State. The 20 MINUTE final word is expected to be issued by the Hawaii Suprcmc Court in late 1997 or CONSULTATION 1998.