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Joins the Guys! SEE PAGE 16
Vol. VIII, No. 12
Flagship for the Gay and Lesbian Community of Spokane and the Inland Northwest
CBS extends partner benelits to gay employees No longer a wink:
Network asserts that diversity is vital to goal ofcompeting/or best talent WASHINGTON, D .C. - CBS Corporation will offer its gay and lesbian employees domestic partner benefits beginning January 1, 2000. The far-reaching decision, announ ced Nov. 16, affects all 8,000 employees of the CBS Corpor ation, including CBS News and its tele vision stations. In a letter to CBS staff, CBS Vice Pre ident for Human Resources David Zemelman said: "This action also reflects our belief that diversity is vital to achieving our goal of competing for the be t talent; it's consistent with the notion that we welcome and value all people without regard to difference in sexual orientation.·· · · · de ·-io
ational bian and Gay Journali t A ociation was quick to congratulate the network for its decision. The association and its members at CBS have worked for years to educate CBS on equal benefits and other concerns of gay and le bians employees in the workplace. and expre sed warm satisfaction that its reque t have been accepted. ·'By offering its gay and le bian em ployee domestic partner benefit CBS puts its non disc rimi n ati o n policies into practice," said NLGJA President Robert Dodge. "We thank them for responding to the concerns of our organization and our members, and above all, its own employees."It makes me proud to work for CBS News,'" said Jeff Kofman, an NLGJA .. member and CBS News correspon dent. "It's one thing for a company to .say it believes in equality, but it only has meaning when it's put into practice." The number of news media com panies and associated union offering domestic partner benefits has more than doubled (from 26 to 57) ince 1997, according to a recent study con ducted by NLGJA. Nearly six times as many media employers offer the benefits as did (as recently as 1994), when NLGJA first researched the scope of domestic partner benefits and only 10 media companies offered them. \\ ith the addition of CBS, NBC is no,, the only major remaining broad a! t televi ion network that does not
is a reflection of the highest yet offer its employees domestic part journalistic standards. ner benefits, according to NLGJA. "Equal pay for equal work, that's the "Employees who cannot provide behind health insurance for -------------. principle domestic partner their loved ones benefits for gay and through workplace lesbian workers. On policies face financial· average, benefits hardships and stress in account for 39 percent trying to cover the of p ayroll, which costs of medical care means that gay and or i n s u r a n c e t h e m lesbian employees in selves," Dodge added. committed, long term CBS has been in relationships are effec creasingly supportive tively being paid less of its gay and lesbian than their married employees and of coworkers." Equal benefits for equal work. NLGJA in recent years. " CBS News President Andrew The NLGJA, founded in 1990, He ward. Anchor Dan Rather, "60 works within the news industry to t Lesley Stahl, � 1inute ·· Co foster fair and accurate coverage of dvanceDire tor for lesbia and gay issues a d ooooses menr and Int Gilman ,,e,•,s,.. ....... = a aga ,-s• ga - a,,..a 1-e an lesbians and all orner minorities. president for human re ources, have N JA currently has more than 1,350 eee1t- particularly helpful to our members"M<J��u.s. d made i )ear a or.:: anizatio a d Cariada , �,., ar a" a,e ,., CB \\ ill not tolerate workplace Germany. bigotry," said Dodge. Its directory of media companies "Their commitment to create a providing domestic partner benefits comfortable workplace and to fair and may be found online at www.nlgja.org. accurate coverage of our community
Churches guilty of rallying for hate
DIVAS .. All over the place! SEE PAGE 9 December 1999
Inquisition defrocks pastor of 25 years
United Methodist Church:
Rev. Creech performed gay wedding service GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - The Rev. Jimmy C_reech has been found g uilty of disobeying the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church and stripped of his ministerial credentials. In a church trial Nov. 17, the p astor for some 25 years was defrocked by a jury of his peers for performing a same-sex covenant ceremony between two men in North Carolina. Creech refu ed to gi e an opening tatement or enter a plea in pr te t of the trial. - • e I .- wa uoju t and th whole tnal i:,, corrupted ...to put on a defense will give credibility to the law and will sav the law i valid and ju- ·· Cree --aid. ··1 ill not give an� re i ili o the l w:· The £\ ·o-h ur trial " officiated by Rev. Wilham Bo_. d Gro e, who closed the proceeding by praying for Creech and ··an gay. le bian, bi sexual and trans gender people wounded by the verdict. We know continued on page 5
Commentary by the Rev. Dr. Mel White Jimmy Creech had served the United Methodist Church faithfully for a quarter of a century. He had preached powerfully and pastored with distinction. And though he knew that conducting a same-sex holy union had just become a "chargeable offense" for United Methodist clergy, (see story above, column 4) he had broken that "unjust law" as an- act of conscience. The evening before the trial, we invited the media to see the same holy union for which Jimmy Creech was being tried.The grooms, Larry Ellis and Jim Raymer, had agreed to this "renewal of vows" as a witness to the world. A dozen television crews filmed the service. Nebraska papers carried front page, full-color photos of the grooms with Jimmy and their witnesses. The jury could have decided on a token penalty, a slap on the wrist, a warning. Instead, they chose to end Jimmy's career as a United Methodist cleric. For following his heart and doing justice for sexual minorities, the jury withdrew Jimmy·s ordination to Christian ministry and revoked his license to preach and pastor. With every passing day· I get more convinced that most of the Christian churches (Catholic and Protestant alike) are no closer to granting GLBT people
full acceptance than they were 20 or 30 years ago. In many ways it's gotten worse. Except for the United Church of Christ (which has led the way in acceptance and understanding) there is a general crackdown in most deno minations on clergy and laity who support us. Investigations are under way. Charges are made.Trials are conducted. Studies are commissioned and tabled. The debate goes on endlessly. In the process, God's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered children continue to suffer the endless acts of spiritual violence against us. When someone calls you a ·'fag:· you are a victim of psychological violence. When a person calls you a "fag" and hits you with a baseball bat, you are a victim of physical violence. But when somebody calls you a continued on page 4
STAFF PHOTO
Georgia Luker, an employee of Wonders of the Wor ld, admires Christmas decorations adorning the red brick and oak interior of the century-old Flour Mill.