LAWTON KICKS OFF FAIR WISCONSIN’S “GO ALL THE WAY” ELECTION RALLY UW-Madison Event Start Of Statewide Campus Campaign Madison - Wisconsin lieutenant brightest unless you happen to Judge co-founded Students for a Fair Wis - governor Barbara Lawton head - be gay, lesbian, bisexual (or) consin to build student opposition to the lined a rally for UW-students transsexual,” Lawton said. 2006 ballot measure that banned gay civil here October 15 urging atten - Fair Wisconsin’s “Go All The unions marriage as well as legal recognition dees to vote in state and local Way On Election Day” addresses for all unmarried couples regardless of sexual elections and help elect candi - the fact that the state is only orientation. dates who support LGBT rights. three seats away from having a “We as students have an undeniable legacy to LGBT rights advocacy group Fair pro-fairness majority in both fight for what is right,” Judge said. “The state Wisconsin sponsored the rally as houses of the State Legislature. Legislature is the first step. It’s the spear that we part of its “Go All the Way on A high turnout, particularly need to start reversing the effects of the ban.” Election Day” campaign to en - among younger voters who tend UW-Madison College Democrats Chair Claire courage students to vote to be more supportive of LGBT Rydell also spoke at the rally, expressing her through the entire ballot, especially at the equality will be very important. concern over students who don’t consider state level. The campaign is running on col - “The only way to change the leadership in casting their ballot to be important enough to lege campuses statewide. the state Assembly is to get rid of those un - wait in long lines at the polls. “They don’t Lawton believes politicians must speak out fair state Assembly members and to get stu - think their vote matters, but it does,” she said. against discrimination and uphold equality in dents from around Wisconsin to again vote all Fair Wisconsin hope to repeat its 2006 elec - the state because civil rights are the basis of a the way down the ballot,” Fair Wisconsin di - tion success. Though losing the state referen - democracy. “If we are going to attract and re - rector Glenn Carlson said at the rally. dum, the LGBT civil rights groups campus tain the best and the brightest to drive our Also appearing at the rally was 8th District organizing resulted in the ousting of five pro- state forward, it can’t be the best and the Madison Alder Eli Judge. Prior to his election, amendment legislators. CONNECTICUT HIGH COURT RULES FOR GAY MARRIAGE Ruling Comes Less Than One Month Before Three States Vote On Constitutional Bans Hartford - The Connecticut Supreme Court on October 10 gave gay and which seeks to overturn the state court’s ruling in May that allowed lesbian couples the right to marry, ruling that civil unions relegate them such marriages. Recent polls in the state now indicate that the recent to a “separate” and “inferior status” that falls short of full equality. $1.25 million campaign being run by Prop 8 supporters has turned “We therefore agree with the plaintiffs that maintaining a second- the tide toward passage of the amendment. class-citizen status for same-sex couples by excluding them from the Attorneys on both sides of California’s same-sex marriage ballot ini - institution of civil marriage” violates the state’s constitutional guar - tiative said that the Connecticut ruling has no legal significance for the antee of equal protection of the laws, the state high court said. Proposition 8 campaign because it was based on Connecticut’s state By a 4-3 vote, the state justices agreed with eight same-sex couples constitution, but agreed that a ruling in a third state legalizing same- who sued after they were denied marriage licenses four years ago. Con - sex marriage has social significance. necticut now joins California and Massachusetts in authorizing mar - “The Connecticut ruling shows “that this is really an issue for the en - riage for gay and lesbian couples. In all three cases, the issue was tire nation. It really does affect the entire nation,” Andrew Pugno, a decided in a 4-3 ruling by the state high court. Sacramento attorney who is general counsel for the Yes on 8 cam - So far, no state has authorized same-sex marriage through its legis - paign, told the Associated Press. lation or by a popular vote. However, on November 4, voters in Ari - Shannon Minter, legal director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights zona, California and Florida will consider constitutional ban measures. in San Francisco, said he hoped the Connecticut ruling will help people The most high profile ballot measure is California’s Proposition 8, see that the proposed ban in California is going against the evolution of opinion elsewhere in the nation. “I hope it will fering a simpler measure known as Proposition after the ruling on the website yes2marriage.org. have the effect that people will see that this re - 102. The single sentence change in that state’s “Literally on the basis of one judge’s decision - the ally is something that is inevitable,” he said. Constitution, if passed would limit marriage to difference in the Connecticut 4-3 ruling - ‘gay “Other states are also recognizing that same- “one man and one woman.” It is expected to marriage’ is now required in that state, as it is now sex couples have a right to marry, that treating pass on its second try. The Connecticut ruling occurring in California and Massachusetts (both of families differently is just fundamentally unfair has not brought forth a flurry of analysis for or which also changed the definition of marriage by and harmful to those families, and harmful to against the Arizona measure. the margin of one judge’s vote),” Florida Baptist our whole society.” In Florida, where the gay marriage ban is known Witness executive editor James A. Smith Sr. After Arizona citizens defeated a marriage and as Amendment 2, pro-amendment groups did link wrote. “We’re fooling ourselves to believe the civil union ban with wording similar to Wis - the Connecticut ruling to the upcoming ballot same thing could not happen in our state at some consin’s in 2006, gay marriage foes there are of - measure. Supporters issued a statement shortly point in the future.” WORLD & NATIONAL NEWS: featured on the Top 10 list are powered by al - ternative fuel or offer a hybrid drivetrain. The Volkswagen Rabbit is #1 Gay Car smart fortwo, despite being powered by gaso - subcompact Yaris, the least expensive ve - line, falls into the green category due to its hicle on the GayWheels.com Top 10 list, thrifty fuel economy, of course. while sixth place was split again between Another oddity: Other than the niche mar - the Dodge Caliber compact five-door and ket Maserati, Audi, Saab and Volvo were the sport-luxury oriented Saab 9-3. only premium brands to achieve Top 10 rank - Volvo’s luxuriously appointed yet ing, with luxury mainstays BMW, Lexus and compact C30 places well in seventh, Mercedes-Benz shut out from the list entirely. while the offbeat little smart fortwo ap - pears destined for the alternative lifestyle in eighth place. Tied for ninth is Toyota’s Matrix five- Los Angeles - Want to find the perfect car to door hatch and the über-cool Mini Cooper, express your fabulous lifestyle? The No. one while for the first time ever an exotic makes most researched car on this year’s Gay - the GayWheels.com Top 10 list, Maserati’s Wheels.com Top 10 list is Volkswagen’s Rabbit, gorgeous GranTurismo. showing that gay people who visit this site lean The list, featuring data gathered from July 1 more towards European flair than straight-up to September 30, allows for some interesting economy. Proof in point, second on the list is insights. One: gay people trend toward another Volkswagen, but this time the even smaller, thriftier cars. Secondly, we’re not will - more stylish Eos hardtop convertible. ing to give up perceived quality (the premium Tied for third is a car that’s become symbolic of feel that VW does so well) or style despite the gay lifestyle, Mazda’s fun-loving MX-5 going small. A focus on compact models could Miata, and the sporty Audi A3 five-door hatch - be due to urban-oriented lifestyles, or possi - back. Mazda and VW are together again for a bly because of a greater leaning towards envi - fourth place tie, with the Mazda3 and VW Jetta. ronmental issues, but other than the Jetta, The fifth most researched vehicle is Toyota’s which offers a diesel variant, none of the cars Survey Says: 87% of Straight Americans Want You To Come Out! Washington, DC - According to a new na - identified as gay or lesbian was conducted on - tional survey, nearly nine out of ten (87%) het - line between September 15-22 by Harris Inter - erosexuals said that if someone were to come active, a global market research and consulting out to them as gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans - firm, in conjunction with Witeck-Combs Com - gender, it would have a positive or no impact munications, Inc., a strategic public relations on how they would view gay, lesbian, bisexual and marketing communications firm with spe - or transgender people. The survey also revealed cial expertise in the LGBT market. that two out of three (67%) heterosexual adults A large majority of gay and lesbian adults dis - agree that if someone they knew is gay or les - closed that they are “out” and honest with bian, they’d want that individual to be open others about their sexual orientation.