Judge Rules Gast Didn't Lie
AP


A judge in Leavenworth says a transsexual who signed as a woman on a marriage license application didn't lie, even though she's legally considered a man.

The decision came right after closing arguments this afternoon.

The judge said it's impossible to determine whether Sandy Gast intended to lie, or whether she truly believes herself to be female.

Gast was tried on a misdemeanor charge of false swearing. Prosecutors say she should have been listed as a man on the marriage license application filed in February.


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MCC's Rev. Dr. Troy Perry on "Transgender Day of Remembrance"
A Statement From The Reverend Dr. Troy D. Perry


Today, I am inviting all people of goodwill around the globe to join in the
observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance on Saturday, November 20, 2004.

Transgender Day of Remembrance has become an annual international event and
an effective way of raising public awareness of the ongoing plight of hate
crimes against our transgender brothers and sisters.

The reality is that vicious hate crimes are regularly committed against
transgender persons. In fact, over the past decade the statistics have been
consistent: On average, one transgender person has been the victim of a hate
crime murder every single month over the past 10 years. The impact of these
figures is staggering and reminds us that John Donne was correct: The death
of any one of us diminishes all of us.

These tragedies are further compounded by the fact that these hate crimes
and deaths too often have received little public attention and virtually no
media coverage.


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BC tribunal told lesbian moms sat through 'poisonous' school board meetings
Terri Theodore
Canadian Press


VANCOUVER (CP) - Fear and principle brought lesbian mom Kim Forster to the B.C. Human Rights Commission to complain about two Surrey school board meetings held last year.

"I was fearful for probably six months after the meeting at the level of hate that we were exposed to," said the woman who went to the meeting to support three same-sex books being used in Surrey's schools.

Forster and Carol Pegura complained the school board allowed anti-gay sentiment to be spewed during the meetings June 3 and 9, 2003.

Their lawyer Tim Timberg told the hearing Monday the school board had a duty under the School Act to provide a discrimination-free environment during the meetings.



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Students rally against protest
Anti-gay group to picket school
BY ELIZABETH GIBSONOf Our Carlisle Bureau


CARLISLE - Adisa Gobeljic could barely keep pace as students swarmed the cafeteria table where she sat yesterday taking unity pledges.

Carlisle High School students signed vows to treat one another with dignity and respect.

They snapped up tri-color, string bracelets that symbolize the school's stand against an anti-gay group that has planned to picket the high school Dec. 6.

"The group's coming to protest against the Gay Straight Alliance. Basically, we're having a unity thing ... to counterbalance it," freshman Rachel Wells said.




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Lesbian sheriff's officer wins $2.8 million in harassment suit


A jury has awarded $2.8 million to a former Essex County, N.J., sheriff's officer who said she suffered sexual harassment from other officers because she is a lesbian. The Union County jury returned the verdict Monday for Karen Caggiano following a three-week trial.

Caggiano, 43, of Bridgewater, testified that she was forced to use the same bathroom and locker room as male officers when she worked at the sheriff's office during the late 1990s and that pictures of naked women were repeatedly posted on lockers. She was also subjected to acts of lewdness, with one sheriff's officer repeatedly exposing himself to her, according to her lawyers.

Lawyer Neil Mullin said the department issued a "whitewashed" internal affairs report that found no merit to her complaints. Caggiano's superiors acted maliciously and intended to hurt her, Mullin told The [Newark] Star-Ledger for Tuesday newspapers.