Baltimore Alternative, July 1991

ALTERNATIVE July 1991 ▼ Volume 6, Number 7 T Serving The Baltimore /Washington Community Since 1986 . County Gets Gay Rights Ordinance BY JOHN ZEH THE ALTERNATIVE Prince George’s County has become the fourth Maryland county to extend civil rights protections to les¬ bians and gay men. County Executive Parris Glendening signed Council Bill 23 in a public ceremony June 14, making the law adding sexual orientation to the county’s human relations code barring discrimination take effect August 1. After hard work by citizen lobbyists, the council approved the legislation unanimously June 4, setting off a standing ovation by over 70 supporters. Sodomy remains a felony in the “Free State.” The new law covers acts of discrimi¬ nation against homosexuals in housing, employment, law enforcement, educa¬ tion. financial lending and public accommodations. It allows redress through the county’s Human Relations Commission, which can impose fines or issue cease-and-desist orders. “The gay and lesbian community had no protection, so you had many people living in a constant state of fear and confusion,” said Kevin Watkins. See PG COUNTY, page 4 Suburbs Set Agenda for State Gay Rights BY JIM MARKS _ THE ALTERNATIVE It was good news, bad news for gay political organizing in the District of Columbia and its suburbs during June. The best news was the sign¬ ing by Prince George’s County Executive Parris Glendening of an amendment to the county’s human rights law, extending protections to gays and lesbians. According to Brian Scott of Prince Georgians for Equal Rights, who spearheaded the effort, the signing brings to four the number of jurisdic¬ tions who have such protections (the others are Montgomery and Howard counties and Baltimore City) and if Maryland gays can succeed in getting Baltimore County to become the fifth, then the stage will be set for enacting statewide gay rights protections. Scott made his assessment at a DC forum June 18, where he was joined by representatives of gay political organi¬ zations from the District and Virginia. Alexandria’s Jeff Hudson also reported progress in his area. Despite state laws prohibiting the serving of alcohol to homosexuals, Alexandrians opened its first gay bar, and has added gays to its human rights law, although that law is See SUBURBS, page 4 Life Style A Reno test drives new show at Theatre Project V Megan Hamilton and Mike Giuliano on art in Baltimore/Washington area David Perkins’ Future Circus Reviews: Travel, Books, Film Starting on page 25 The Brave and The Proud on Pride Day PATSY LYNCH/ALTERNATIVE Members of Gay and Lesbian Veterans of Maryland marched in this year's parade at Baltimore Pride Day. Pictured left to right are: Michael Selby, Kitt Kling, Doug Knapp and Alan Stephens. The organization is actively seeking the repeal of DoD policy 1332.14, which states that homosexuality is incompatible with military service. The organization has more than 70 members statewide. NATIONAL Brutal Gay Bashing Caught on Videotape BY KEITH CLARK _ THE ALTERNATIVE SAN JOSE. CA — A gay man here, who says he’s had on-going problems of harassment by his neighbors for years, delivered a videotape to local television stations June 14, showing the teenage son of one of the neighbors beating and kicking him. William Kiley, 44, says the unidentified 17- уеаг punched, kicked and beat him on Tuesday, June 11, outside a house Kiley owns across the street from his own home. Kiley was treated for a broken nose, multiple cuts and bruises over his body and a dislocated neck ver¬ tebra. Both of Kiley 's eyes were blackened, his face swollen and his lower lip split open from the assault. Kiley says he set up his video camera in the front window of his home across the street on the advice of an attorney who told Kiley he had no proof of the family’s continuing harassment. Following the videotaped beating of Rodney King by police officers in Los Angeles, it is a tactic some lawyers are now advising their clients use as well. The assault comes at the very end of the two-hour tape. The video shows the youth shouting at Kiley in front of the rental property as Kiley waters the front lawn. The teenager dances around Kiley briefly and tries to knock the hose from Kiley ’s hand. When Kiley doesn't respond to the taunting, seemingly ignoring the youth, the young man suddenly leaps forward and punches Kiley in the face. Kiley then turns the garden hose on the youth who rips his own shirt off and begins attacking Kiley, repeatedly hitting and kicking the man. At one point during the assault, the teenager can be heard clearly saying, “fucking faggot!” as he punches Kiley. The videotape ends shortly after members of the youth’s family come out of their next-door home. One of the family can be heard also call¬ ing Kiley a “goddamn faggot” as well. At no point docs the tape show Kiley provoking the attack or even fighting back. A 12-year-old boy and neighbor, Erick Deitrick, who witnessed the assault, confirmed Kiley ’s claim that he had done nothing to pro¬ voke the attack. “He [Kiley] didn’t throw any- See GAY BASHING, page 6