Ford criticizes ban on gay marriages
By TOM TROY
BLADE STAFF WRITER


Mayor Jack Ford yesterday denounced a proposed state constitutional amendment banning gay marriages, and in the process disclosed the city has opened the door to recognizing unmarried partners.

The issue of "domestic partners" came up yesterday at a news conference when Mr. Ford announced his opposition to Issue 1 on the Nov. 2 ballot.

The measure would ban gay marriage. It also would forbid the state or its political subdivisions from recognizing relationships of unmarried individuals that "approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effect of marriage."

Mr. Ford expressed his opposition to gay marriage, but said that governments and businesses should be free to offer benefits to their employees.

Otherwise, he said, Ohio could find itself continuing to lose jobs.


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Gay students kiss for a cause
By KAYCE T. ATAIYERO, Staff Writer


CHAPEL HILL -- Just before noon, the students came to the Pit in twos and threes, lured by word of mouth.

With the careful choreography of a line dance, they began kissing in chorus, setting off a 15-minute session of synchronized smooching, swaying in rhythm to the symphony of suction.

There were couple kisses. There were triple kisses, in which three people searched for the perfect point for their lips to overlap. There was also a cause: to bring awareness to the double standard that members of the UNC-Chapel Hill lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community say exists in society when they engage in public displays of affection.


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City alters gay benefits rules
By April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News


The city of Denver this week did away with a long-standing policy that required same-sex couples to answer a host of questions that some said were intrusive and degrading before receiving health benefits.

Denver revised the rules for gay employees so they now mirror what is required of employees in common-law marriages.

"We have opened the door to getting benefits to same-sex partners in ways that retain their dignity and are far more comparable to heterosexual couples," said City Councilwoman Marcia Johnson, who pushed for changes to the city's policies to bring about greater parity.

Aggressive steps were taken to change the policy before an open enrollment period began this month for benefits selection, said Kelly Brough, executive director of Career Service Authority, the city's human resource agency.