Chuck Polis’ win a victory,
says Victory Fund president

WASHINGTON, DC - Jared Polis will likely become the first-ever openly gay man elected to the U.S. Congress as a nonincumbent. Polis campaign officials said he won his Democratic primary in the race to represent Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, adding his two opponents conceded the recent race. As the Democratic nominee in an overwhelmingly Democratic district, Polis is nearly certain to win the seat in November. He would join Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) as the only openly gay or lesbian members of Congress.

“Jared’s election is a victory for democracy. Gay Americans are woefully underrepresented in our government,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, which endorsed Polis. “Jared’s victory brings us one step closer to fulfilling America’s promise of truly representative government.”

Polis, who was previously elected statewide to the Colorado State Board of Education, would fill the seat of Rep. Mark Udall, who is running to represent Colorado in the U.S. Senate. The Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute supported Polis when he came out publicly while serving on the Board of Education. Polis is also a graduate of GLLI’s Advanced Candidate and Campaign Training.

Polis would become the sixth openly gay member to serve in the House of Representatives. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat elected from Wisconsin in 1998, was the first openly gay person to be elected to the U.S. House as a non-incumbent. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, also a Democrat, announced he was gay in 1987 after having served several terms in the House. Frank is now the powerful chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. The late Gerry Studds, a Democrat of Massachusetts, came out publicly while serving in the House, as did former Congressman Steve Gunderson, a Republican from Wisconsin, and former Congressman Jim Kolbe, a Republican from Arizona. No openly gay or lesbian person has yet been elected to the U.S. Senate.

For more information, visit www.victoryfund.org.

NY lawyers defend move
to recognize gay marriages

NEW YORK, NY (AP) - State lawyers are defending New York Gov. David Paterson’s move to recognize out-of-state gay marriages.

They recently asked a Bronx judge to dismiss a Christian legal group’s argument that the governor is overstepping his authority. The case comes as thousands of gay New York couples are expected to take advantage of new regulations in Massachusetts that let them wed there.

Same-sex couples cannot marry in New York, and the state’s highest court has said only the Legislature can change that. But Paterson’s counsel told state agencies in May that a recent state court ruling required them to recognize gay marriages legally performed elsewhere.

The Christian group, the Alliance Defense Fund, says the issue should be decided by the Legislature, not the governor.

McGreevey owes
wife no alimony

TRENTON, N\J (AP) - Four years ago, Jim and Dina Matos McGreevey stood side by side as he announced he was a “gay American” and would resign as New Jersey governor. Recently, a judge finalized their divorce, marking the end to a stormy marriage marred by lies, deceit and allegations of infidelity.

McGreevey lawyer Stephen Haller said the gay ex-governor wants nothing more than to move ahead with his life “privately.” Matos issued a statement recalling the pain of the past four years.

The marriage ended unceremoniously, with the judge posting an opinion online letting McGreevey off the hook for alimony, but assessing him $250 a week in support for the couple’s 6-year-old daughter. The couple share custody of the child.

That was far less than the $2,500 a month alimony for four years and $1,750 a month in child support sought by Matos.

Union County Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy also ruled that Matos is not entitled to assets from McGreevey’s tell-all book, “The Confession.” However, she did order McGreevey to pay Matos $109,000, half their various bank and investment holdings.

The judge rejected Matos’ claims that her ex-husband should compensate her for the 13 months she missed out on the lifestyle perks of the governor’s office.

That portion of the ruling could impact whether Matos proceeds with a fraud claim against her ex-husband. She claims McGreevey duped her into marriage because he needed the cover of a heterosexual relationship to advance his political career.

However, Matos’ request for money to compensate her for the alleged fraud is based on the lifestyle she would have enjoyed had McGreevey not resigned. Recently, the judge said Matos was not entitled to that lavish gubernatorial lifestyle.

She also rejected claims that McGreevey was purposely underemployed so that he didn’t have to pay alimony. Cassidy noted that McGreevey was able to rely on his rich boyfriend to provide for him.

The recent ruling follows a bitter, month-long divorce trial held this spring after the McGreeveys failed to come to terms on alimony, child support and other financial matters. They agreed to share custody of their daughter.

In her written ruling, Union County Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy lamented the anger and animosity she witnessed during the couple’s divorce trial.

Olympic athletes invited
to Gay Games VIII 2010

SAN FRANCISCO, (CA) - As the Games of the XXIX Olympiad open in Beijing, the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) offers its best wishes to the International Olympic Committee for successful Games that will promote the ideals shared by the two organizations.

More importantly, the FGG invites Olympians, past and present, to participate in Gay Games VIII in Cologne, Germany, opening in late July 2010. FGG copresident Emy Ritt, Paris, explains that “The Gay Games welcomes all sport and culture participants without regard to their sexual orientation, age or physical abilities. Participants can choose from cultural events, such as band or choral singing, or from 34 sports, including many that are also offered in the Olympics. In the Gay Games, participants of every level come together in the spirit of “Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best™.”

The FGG is also encouraging participation in a campaign to support a recently Out Olympian, Matthew Mitcham, an Australian diver. For the FGG, Mitcham is a symbol of all LGBT athletes at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and of the hope that many more athletes will be able to compete as Out Olympians in future Games. FGG co-president Sion O'Connor, Boston, says “The Federation is hoping that thousands of messages of support will be sent to Matthew as a sign of appreciation of all out athletes who practice sport at every level.”

Interest by the FGG in the Olympic movement dates back to the very beginnings of the Gay Games. The Gay Games were founded in 1982 by an Olympic decathlete, Dr. Tom Waddell, a member of the US track team at the 1968 Olympics. Originally named the “Gay Olympic Games,” the Gay Games have become one of the largest multi-sport events in the world, bringing together some 10,000 athletes and 2,000 artists every four years. Among the many Gay Games Ambassadors, the FGG counts several former Olympic athletes, including Judith Arndt (cycling, Germany), Michelle Ferris (cycling, Australia), and Petra Roessner (cycling, Germany), Bruce Hayes (swimming, USA), Greg Louganis (diving, USA), Leigh-Ann Naidoo (beach volleyball, South Africa), and Ji Wallace (trampoline, Australia).

The FGG message to the International Olympic Committee can be found at www.gaygames.org. To encourage Matthew Mitcham, visit http://hero.telstra.com/olympics.

For information on how to sponsor or participate in Gay Games VIII, visit www.games-cologne.com. For information concerning sponsors, visit www.gaygames.org.

The Federation of Gay Games is the international governing body that perpetuates the quadrennial Gay Games and promotes the event's founding principles of “Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best”™. The Gay Games were conceived by Dr. Tom Waddell, an Olympic decathlete, and were first held in San Francisco in 1982 with 1,350 participants. Subsequent Gay Games were held in San Francisco (1986 - 3,500 participants), Vancouver (1990 - 7,300 participants), New York (1994 - 12,500 participants), Amsterdam (1998 - 13,000 participants), Sydney (2002 - 11,000 participants), and Chicago (2006 - 11,700 participants). Gay Games VIII will be held in Cologne, Germany on July 31, 2010 to August 7, 2010.

“Gay Games,” “Federation of Gay Games,” the interlocking circles device, and the phrase “Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best” are trademarks of the Federation of Gay Games, Inc. Trademarks are registered in the USA, Canada, Benelux, the UK, Germany and Australia.

Judge upholds summary
of CA gay marriage ban

SACRAMENTO, CA (AP) - A Sacramento judge recently said state officials do not have to rewrite the ballot summary describing Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban voters will consider in November.

The ruling is a setback for the initiative’s supporters, who say the title and summary written by Attorney General Jerry Brown are argumentative and could prejudice voters. They say Brown should have written a more neutral statement.

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley disagreed. In his 8-page ruling, the judge said the title and summary is an “accurate statement” of the proposition by saying it would eliminate the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry.

Brown is required to write a brief title and summary spelling out to voters the details of measures intended for the California ballot.

Last November, he wrote a title and summary for the initiative that later became Proposition 8. That wording said the initiative would impose a “limit on marriage” by amending the state Constitution “to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

Brown’s description was included on the signature petitions gay marriage opponents circulated to get the issue on the ballot. Brown wrote a new title and summary after the measure qualified. He said he did so to reflect the state Supreme Court ruling in May that overturned California’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage.

The new summary says the proposition would “eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry.”

Brown responded to the decision by saying the court properly dismissed a lawsuit that “was more about politics than the law.”

The initiative’s supporters said they would appeal. They say Brown’s descriptions contrasted with the attorney general’s routine practice of selecting ballot titles that state the subject matter of an initiative in a neutral way.

Oxnard boy pleads not
guilty to murder of student

VENTURA, CA (AP) - A 14-year-old boy has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his gay classmate.

Brandon McInerney entered the plea in a Ventura County Superior Court. McInerney is charged as an adult with first degree murder and a hate crime for the Feb. 12 fatal shooting of 15-year-old Larry King at their junior high school in Oxnard. King sometimes wore makeup and told friends he was gay.

Defense attorney William Quest said in court that he expected his client would die in prison if convicted on the severe charges. Quest is asking that the boy be tried on a lesser charge of manslaughter. Prosecutors said they had no plans to change the charge.

A jury can convict McInerney of manslaughter instead of murder unless the judge instructs them not to, Quest said.

McInerney has been held at county juvenile hall since his arrest. He told Judge Edward Brodie “Yes, sir,” when asked if he understood his rights. His divorced parents sat in the front of the courtroom, his mother Kendra McInerney visibly upset.

The arraignment had been delayed several times as Quest and McInerney challenged a California initiative giving prosecutors the exclusive authority to charge defendants as adults.

Recently, different superior court judge declared the initiative constitutional, clearing the way for McInerney’s adult prosecution. The decision is under appeal.

King’s parents said after court they support the adult charge.

“He went into a classroom in front of other students and shot my son in the back of the head twice,” father Greg King said. “For his age to be taken into consideration, he didn’t take my son’s age into consideration.”

Aspen Skiing Co. to add
domestic partner benefits

ASPEN, CO (AP) - The Aspen Skiing Co. will start offering benefits to employees’ domestic partners this fall, matching policies at other major Colorado resorts.

By the time ski season starts, health insurance and ski passes will be available to employees’ domestic partners, whether they are of the same or opposite sex, said Jim Laing, vice president of human resources. He said outside factors didn’t influence the decision.

Bryan Gonzales, executive director of the Roaring Fork Gay & Lesbian Community Fund, said it was a “nice surprise” to hear about the company’s change in policy. The 31st annual Aspen Gay Ski Week is scheduled for January.

Vail Resorts Inc., which operates Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone, and Intrawest ULC already offer domestic partner benefits. Intrawest’s coverage is available to partners of employees at Copper Mountain, Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado.

Gift cards key to new
AIDS prevention strategy

ATLANTA, GA (AP) - Could the AIDS virus be stopped with gift cards? Desperate for a way to stop the escalating spread of HIV among young gay men, public health officials are looking to novel strategies, such as enlisting local gay opinion leaders to urge their peers to practice safe sex.

Promising signs from such a project in North Carolina led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to begin rolling it out on a broader scale, to more than 200 community groups. The budget is $1.5 million over a two-year period.

The idea is to give gift coupons to popular, influential men in the gay community and encourage them to talk up condom use, regular HIV testing and other responsible actions. It may sound frivolous, but little else has proven effective for the men most affected by the epidemic.

Recently, new figures showed still-rising HIV infections in gay and bisexual men, with about 53 percent of new cases in that group. Meanwhile, HIV rates among injection-drug users and heterosexuals is declining.

The CDC says it’s also committed $5 million to a five-year social marketing campaign to promote HIV testing to young black gay and bisexual men, who have been diagnosed with HIV at especially high rates.

The new approaches are an encouraging sign of help, but the funding behind them doesn’t come close to raising prevention spending to the level most experts say it should be, said Julie Scofield, executive director of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.

Scrutiny of U.S. prevention efforts increased after the CDC’s recent release of new estimates of annual HIV infections. The CDC said the nation had roughly 56,300 new infections of the AIDS virus in 2006 - a dramatic increase from the 40,000 annual estimate used for the last dozen years.

The agency acknowledged it had been undercounting but said new testing technology offered a more accurate picture of trends in the U.S. epidemic. For example, the new report found infections are falling among heterosexuals and injection drug users, even as they continue to rise in men who have sex with men, especially among blacks.

Advocates have complained that prevention spending in general has been too low, and that what is spent is not targeted properly.

Meanwhile, prevention programs that target gays and bisexuals are scattershot. Even in progressive cities, these efforts sometimes amount to little more than offers of testing and free condoms, some experts said.

Great attention was focused on the gay community when AIDS first hit the United States in the 1980s. But the epidemic gradually became perceived as a threat to the general population, and some political leaders have kept the focus away from gay men, said Leroy Blea, a Berkeley, Calif., health official who is past president of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.

“It’s not a very easy population to fund,” Blea said. “It’s often more politically viable to fund programs for women and children and youth.”

Mewing models pussyfoot
into high fashion

NEW YORK, NY (AP) - The catwalk really was a catwalk. Show cats dressed in everything from an Elvis costume to a sequined satin dress strutted their stuff at New York’s Algonquin Hotel.

The feline fashion show unfolded in the dining room where Dorothy Parker presided over famously catty Round Table literary luncheons in the 1920s.

The show benefited an animal welfare group and honored Matilda, the Algonquin’s resident cat, who just turned 13.

She is the hotel’s ninth cat since the tradition started in the 1930s, when actor John Barrymore dubbed a bedraggled stray Hamlet.

Earlier in the day, Matilda, a pedigreed ragdoll breed with long, silky, cream-colored hair, held court on a chaise longue by the entrance.

In her honor, cocktails with names like Purr-tini and Pink Pussycat were being served at $20 apiece to guests including representatives of the nonprofit North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, on Long Island. The adoption shelter, which was to receive the proceeds of the benefit, offered more than a dozen homeless cats for adoption.

Man rams home
with semi during fight

SAEGERTOWNM PA (AP) - Authorities say a man rammed his house with a semitrailer during a fight with his roommate and tried to run down police called to the scene.

State police say 20-year-old James H. Rosenberg injured no one. Authorities say Rosenberg rammed a pickup into a garage door, then drove the semi through the door and hit a car. That vehicle hit a stove that crashed through a wall into the living room. Rosenberg then drove the semi into a camper before trying to run down two officers called to the scene.

Rosenberg is charged with assault, reckless endangerment and terroristic threats. Authorities don’t know what started the argument. Maybe a fight over the TV remote?

Cops nab snack thieves

ST. PAUL, MN (AP) - Officers were called to the Arlington Recreation Center on July 29, where they found a vending machine’s glass had been broken with a chair. Most of the candy and chips were missing, according to a criminal complaint in Ramsey County District Court.

The officers followed a orange, dusty trail from the rec center, around the side of the building and to a nearby home. Inside, they found numerous vending-sized bags of Cheetos and other snacks.

Police arrested three males aged 17, 18 and 19 who soon arrived at the home by car. The two adults are charged with third-degree burglary, while the 17-year-old is charged with criminal damage to property.

All three denied being involved, the complaint says. Their orange-colored fingers might refute that, though.