2006 was a gangbusters year for the GLBT community – and it sure had some salacious headlines, didn’t it? Who could forget Floridian Mark Foley’s scandalous e-mail exchanges with congressional pages? And then there was the Rev. Ted Haggard’s confession of “sexual immorality,” in which he confessed to having sex with and buying meth from a male prostitute.

But the real story of 2006 was, of course, the midterm election. Democrats cleaned up, recapturing the majority in both the House and the Senate, breathing new life into GLBT legislation at the federal level.

As this year comes to a close, let’s take a moment to reflect on the many victories and losses for the GLBT community in 2006. To give you a comprehensive overview, we’ve culled from the year’s biggest headlines both here in San Diego and nationally. To read these stories in their entirety or to review the many headlines that didn’t make the cut, visit us at www.gaylesbiantimes.com.

ReBar shuts down after 20 years

ReBar, a San Diego gay bar that had been open on the corner of 30th and Upas streets in North Park for almost two decades, abruptly closed Dec. 27, 2005, after a difficult business year.

The family of John McCusker, the former owner of both ReBar and Club Montage who died suddenly of a cardiac arrest in March 2005 while visiting Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort, had immediately closed and then sold Club Montage following McCusker’s death, but had kept ReBar open in hopes of finding a new owner.

Local businesspeople Cuong Nguyen and Adam Cook bought ReBar, taking ownership on Nov. 1, 2005, but then closed the bar after only two months as new owners.

“We tried to keep it open. It was just a business decision,” Cook said. “The only thing we can say is that it’s unfortunate for the community, but it was strictly a business decision.”

Man found dead in Club San Diego

A 42-year-old man was found dead in a hot tub at Club San Diego on Dec. 30, 2005, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office and the San Diego Police Department.

San Diego Police Sgt. Jim Schorr told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the body had been under water for “quite some time.” The body was discovered when a patron got into the hot tub and stepped on the corpse.

The County Medical Examiner’s office said the man was found unresponsive at Club San Diego and that the cause of death was officially ruled an accidental drowning. The man was then identified as 42-year-old Scott Alan Wood.

Maryland judge strikes down same-sex marriage ban

BALTIMORE, Md. (AP) – A Baltimore judge struck down a 33-year-old state law against same-sex marriage on Jan. 20, declaring it violates the Maryland Constitution’s guarantee of equal rights.

Circuit Judge M. Brooke Murdock immediately stayed her order to allow the state to file an appeal with Maryland’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. The attorney general’s office did so later that day.

Murdock ruled in favor of 19 gays and lesbians, rejecting a state argument that the traditional family is ideal for children.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors disputes California medicinal marijuana law

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Diego on Jan. 20 to overturn Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act, and Senate Bill 420, a law passed by the California Legislature in 2003 that requires county health departments to issue identification cards to medicinal marijuana users and maintain a database of such users.

California voters passed Prop. 215 in 1996, giving Californians suffering from serious illnesses the right to obtain and use marijuana for medicinal purposes with a physician’s recommendation. The physician must determine that the patient’s health would benefit from the use of marijuana in the treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief.

The county argued in its lawsuit that Prop. 215 and SB 420 should be unenforceable because both conflict with the federal law that bans marijuana possession and distribution. The lawsuit said federal statutes pre-empt state law.

Bishop Gene Robinson acknowledges alcoholism, enters rehab

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – The Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson, said he was being treated for alcoholism on Feb. 1.

“I am writing to you from an alcohol treatment center where on Feb. 1, with the encouragement and support of my partner, daughters and colleagues, I checked myself in to deal with my increasing dependence on alcohol,” Robinson wrote in an e-mail dated Feb. 13.

Robinson’s assistant at the Diocese of New Hampshire, the Rev. Tim Rich, said that a growing awareness of his problem, rather than a crisis, led to Robinson’s decision.

In his letter, Robinson, 58, says he has been dealing with alcoholism for years and had considered it “as a failure of will or discipline on my part, rather than a disease over which my particular body simply has no control, except to stop drinking altogether.”

Robinson was elected bishop of New Hampshire in 2003 and confirmed by the national church, causing an upheaval not only in the Episcopal Church, but the worldwide Anglican Communion of which it is part.

Army moves soldiers from barracks during porn investigation

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – A group of paratroopers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division were moved from their regular barracks while military officials investigated allegations they appeared on a gay porn Web site, according to spokesperson Maj. Amy Hannah.

Hannah said the investigation was still at an early stage and was “intended to determine facts from rumors,” adding that the decision to move the soldiers was not prompted by concerns for their safety.

The 82nd Airborne acknowledged the investigation but declined to say how many soldiers had appeared on the military-themed porn site. A defense official speaking on condition of anonymity said that up to seven soldiers were involved.

Suspect in Mass. gay bar attack dies during Ark. gun battle

BOSTON (AP) – The teenager who killed a police officer and a woman days after an attack in a New Bedford gay bar fatally shot himself in the head as Arkansas police closed in, Bristol District Attorney Paul Walsh Jr. said on Feb. 7.

Jacob Robida, 18, of New Bedford, turned the gun on himself Feb. 4 after he fatally shot a West Virginia woman who was in his car, Walsh said.

Police originally said that they shot Robida on Feb. 4 after he fired at them at the end of a high-speed chase in rural Arkansas. Robida killed Gassville, Ark., police officer Jim Sell and led police on a 20-mile chase before being stopped in nearby Norfork.

Police had searched for Robida since early on Feb. 2, when they say he used a hatchet and handgun to wound three men at Puzzles Lounge, a gay bar in New Bedford.

San Diego murder has gay community talking

Questions surrounding the sexual orientation of the 39-year-old man found strangled and stuffed under a bathroom sink in his Little Italy apartment in early February had many in the GLBT community wondering if the crime was motivated by anti-gay hatred.

The victim, Raymund Catolico, was said to use popular gay hook-up Web site Adam4adam.com. Following Catolico’s death, members of the community contacted the Gay & Lesbian Times asking why his death was not being investigated as a possible hate crime.

A 19-year-old Marine named James Alexander Hardy, of New Mexico, was arrested Feb. 11 for Catolico’s murder. Hardy was detained by military police at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot and pleaded not guilty to murder in court.

The District Attorney’s Office later added a hate crime enhancement to the murder charge.

San Diego County hit with more HIV/AIDS funding cuts

The continued federal HIV/AIDS funding cuts to Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act Title I/II monies forced the San Diego HIV Planning Council to make cuts for the third consecutive year, reducing services for HIV/AIDS consumers in San Diego County by $476,914 (approximately 5.2 percent).

That made the total operating budget stand at a little more than $9 million for the contract year, which began March 1, 2005, and ended on Feb. 28.

Three core services were eliminated from the budget: treatment education and adherence, services for the deaf and hard of hearing, and case management/peer advocacy training.

Campus military recruiting law upheld

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court ruled unanimously March 6 that the government can force colleges to open their campuses to military recruiters despite university objections to the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on gays, lesbians and bisexuals serving openly in the military.

Justices rejected a free-speech challenge from law schools and professors who claimed they should not have to associate with military recruiters or promote their campus appearances.

The decision was a setback for universities that had become the latest battleground regarding the military policy allowing gays, lesbians and bisexuals to serve only if they keep their sexual orientation to themselves.

The ruling did not, however, answer broader questions about the policy itself. Challenges at that point were pending in courts in Boston and Los Angeles that were expected to reach the high court.

Oklahoma governor signs funeral protest bill into law

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Gov. Brad Henry signed a bill into law that restricts when and where people can protest at funerals in response to increasing protests by the Westboro Baptist Church at soldiers’ funerals across the nation.

After the state House gave the bill final approval, the legislation went into effect immediately so it would be in force when the family of Army Spc. Joshua Pearce, who was killed in Iraq, gathered for funeral services in the Oklahoma Panhandle city of Guymon.

House members hurriedly approved the Senate-passed funeral protest bill and sent it to Henry for his signature to challenge members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., lawmakers said.

This year, the Rev. Fred Phelps, pastor of Westboro Baptist Church, and his followers conducted a string of protests throughout the nation at military funerals, chanting and carrying “God Hates Fags” placards thanking God for improvised explosive devices, a major killer of soldiers in Iraq.

Church members claim soldiers are being struck down by God for fighting for a country that harbors gays and lesbians.

San Diego lesbian mother of four walks 500 miles for GLBT visibility

Jennifer Schumaker, a local lesbian and mother of four, walked 500 miles from San Diego to San Francisco in an effort to increase visibility for GLBT people everywhere.

The Walk for Togetherness kicked off on April 8 at the corner Sixth Avenue and El Prado South in Balboa Park and continued for eight weeks, ending with a finale event in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on June 3.

Schumaker first conceived of the Walk for Togetherness two years prior to draw attention to the shared humanity of all people and to highlight the interconnections among those who are GLBT and their allies, friends and families. She said the walk sought to widen this vision to reach other individuals and groups experiencing societal disenfranchisement in America.

Federal judge throws out suit challenging ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

BOSTON (AP) – A federal judge on April 24 dismissed a lawsuit filed by 12 servicemembers challenging the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” established in 1993 under the Clinton administration, prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of servicemembers but requires discharge of those who acknowledge being gay, lesbian or bisexual, or acknowledge engaging in homosexual activity.

The servicemembers had argued the policy violates their constitutional rights to privacy, free speech and equal protection under the law.

However, the Bush administration in court documents argued that Congress, in approving “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” recognized that the military is characterized by its own rules and traditions, including some restrictions that would not be accepted in civilian society.

The policy “rationally furthers the government’s interest in maintaining unit cohesion, reducing sexual tensions and promoting personal privacy,” the government argued.

A spokesperson for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said they would likely appeal the ruling to the 1st Circuit.

San Diego Youth Housing Project officially opens

More than 140 supporters attended a special reception sponsored by The Center at the Pacific Living Properties office downtown on April 28 to celebrate the grand opening of its Youth Housing Project.

The reception marked the end of nearly four years of community effort to address the issue of homelessness among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning and HIV-positive youth.

The housing facility, called the Sunburst Apartments, aims to help youth successfully transition out of homelessness. It’s among the first of its kind in the nation, providing supportive housing for young adults ages 18-24. The project is a collaborative of The Center, Walden Family Services, YMCA Youth and Family Services, Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego and Children’s Hospital Chadwick Center.

Sheriff deputies’ use of force contributes to death of transgender person

According to a San Diego County deputy medical examiner, there is reason to believe sheriff deputies’ use of force resulted in the death of Vanessa Facen, a 35-year-old pre-operative transsexual who was arrested last November for a residential burglary.

Following Facen’s death, Sgt. Rick Empson, a sheriff’s homicide investigator, told The Associated Press and restated to the Gay & Lesbian Times that there “is nothing to indicate that the use of force caused this death.” However, San Diego County Deputy Medical Examiner Christopher Swalwell, M.D., said that the deputies’ use of force did, in fact, play a role.

“I am not sure what they mean that there’s not a relationship between the restraint and the death because there certainly is a relationship in terms of the sequence of events and when the arrest occurred,” Swalwell told the Gay & Lesbian Times in response to Sgt. Empson’s statement. “There is a connection between the restrain and the death because the arrest occurred during that time, and the implication is that it did play a role in the death.”

82nd Airborne paratrooper pleads guilty in porn case

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) – An Army paratrooper pleaded guilty to engaging in sex acts on a military-themed gay pornographic Web site and a judge sentenced him to prison for approximately two and a half months, along with a bad conduct discharge when the time was served.

Judge Col. Grant S. Jaquith accepted the pleas to three charges, including one involving drug use, then recessed the court while he deliberated a sentencing recommendation for Pfc. Richard T. Ashley.

In addition to the prison sentence, Ashley, 21, was demoted to private and lost two-thirds of his pay, the judge said. Ashley was one of seven members of the 82nd Airborne Division charged with appearing on the site.

New York judge halts government restrictions on AIDS funding

NEW YORK (AP) – A U.S. policy that forces groups fighting AIDS overseas to denounce prostitution in order to receive federal funding violated free speech rights, a judge ruled.

The Supreme Court “has repeatedly found that speech, or an agreement not to speak, cannot be compelled or coerced as a condition of participation in a government program,” said U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.

Marrero asked both sides to propose a preliminary injunction within two weeks that conformed with his findings, which temporarily blocked the government from demanding the pledge while the legal case continues.

The case stemmed from legislation passed by Congress in 2003 that required AIDS groups to pledge their opposition to sex trafficking and prostitution or do without federal funding. The pledge was immediately applied to foreign aid recipients, and now also affects private U.S. groups conducting AIDS programs overseas.

The government says it formed the policy to reduce behavioral risks associated with HIV and AIDS.

Former New Jersey governor explores struggle with homosexuality in memoir

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – Former Gov. James E. McGreevey’s tell-all book about life as the nation’s first openly gay governor would explore his own struggles as a closeted gay man but wouldn’t venture into anyone else’s bedroom, said people familiar with the contents of the memoir, which was released in September.

McGreevey, 48, announced he is gay and his impending resignation in the same nationally televised speech during which he declared he had been involved in an affair with a man. A Democrat, McGreevey was governor from Jan. 15, 2002, to Nov. 15, 2004.

U.S. Supreme Court avoids San Diego lesbian couple’s custody battle

WASHINGTON (AP) – For the second time, the Supreme Court on May 22 shied away from getting involved in a child custody fight between a San Diego woman and her former partner.

The birth mother, known as Sharon S., is trying to prevent her former partner from adopting one of the two children the women were raising together.

Sharon S. and her partner Annette F. separated after an incident of domestic violence that Sharon blames on Annette.

The California Supreme Court rejected the attempt by Sharon to prevent the adoption, which she consented to by signing an adoption petition in August 1999. The following July, with the lengthy adoption process still pending, Annette struck Sharon in the face, injuring her, it was asserted in the case. This prompted Sharon to request dismissal of the adoption petition.

The U.S. Supreme Court had declined the case in March 2004 without comment. Sharon argued that her constitutional rights would be violated if an unrelated person were allowed to adopt her child despite her objections.

Fritz Klein, pioneer in bisexual research, dies at 73

Dr. Fritz Klein, a psychiatrist who studied human sexuality and helped launch a foundation focused on bisexuality, died May 24 at his home in San Diego. He was 73.

Klein founded the American Institute of Bisexuality (AIB) and served as board chair. His life work was defined by his belief that sexual orientation is fluid and changes throughout a person’s life. Klein believed the number of men who were sexually active with both sexes had been undercounted and unrecognized by the scale developed by Alfred C. Kinsey in the 1940s.

Klein is best known for his pioneering sex research and the development of the multi-dimensional Klein Sexual Orientation Grid, which measures the complexity and fluidity of sexual orientation.

Same-sex marriage amendment rejected by U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate on June 7 rejected a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, dealing a defeat to President Bush and Republicans who hoped to use the measure to energize conservative voters in the November elections.

Supporters knew they wouldn’t achieve the two-thirds vote needed to approve a constitutional amendment but they had predicted a majority of votes. Instead, they fell one short, 49-48.

That was one vote more than they got last time the Senate voted on the matter, in 2004.

The vote fell 11 short of the 60 required to send the matter for an up-or-down tally in the Senate. The 2004 vote was 48-50.

Supporters lost three key “yes” votes. Two Republicans changed their votes from yes in 2004 to no this time: Sens. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. The third was Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who did not vote this time because he was traveling with Bush.

All told, seven Republicans voted to kill the amendment.

LGBT Pride amends policy on youth

San Diego LGBT Pride amended its controversial policy regarding youth at this year’s Pride celebration after a special board meeting on June 14.

According to San Diego LGBT Pride executive director Ron deHarte, youth would not have to be accompanied by an adult or guardian in order to enter the festival and would no longer have to be assigned to a buddy/guardian within the festival grounds. In addition, no oaths or waivers would need to be signed by any individual entering the festival and youth would be allowed in for free if they presented a valid ID and attended a special orientation.

Pride also added four levels of oversight to the festival regarding youth. Youth had the opportunity to participate in an orientation in order to receive a free ticket to enter the festival grounds.

The reason why a separate policy for youth was developed in the first place partially had to do with the 2005 Pride festival, when three volunteers, one staff member and a clown who worked in Pride’s Children’s Garden were discovered to be registered sex offenders, deHarte said.

Episcopalians elect first female leader in Anglican history

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Nevada Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori became the first woman picked to lead an Anglican province June 18 when she was elected presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, a groundbreaking and potentially divisive step that came three years after the denomination ordained an openly gay bishop.

Standing before cheering delegates to the Episcopal General Convention, Jefferts Schori said she was “awed and honored and deeply privileged to be elected.”

Outgoing Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold was at her side as she was introduced after closed-door balloting.

The choice of Jefferts Schori strained the already difficult relations between the American denomination and its fellow Anglicans. Episcopalians have been sparring with many in the other 37 Anglican provinces about homosexuality, and a female leader added a new layer of complexity to the already troubled relationship.

In 2003, the Americans shocked the Anglican world by electing the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Placing a female bishop at the head of the denomination has further angered conservatives overseas and within the U.S. church.

Lesbian fire chief adjusts to role-model status

San Diego’s new openly lesbian fire chief was coming to grips with being a gay role model after taking the job in June.

“I’m kind of adjusting to it since this has all been finalized,” Tracy Jarman said in an interview with the Gay & Lesbian Times.

Jarman was selected by Mayor Jerry Sanders June 20 and approved unanimously by the City Council on June 26. She already was serving as interim fire chief following the resignation of former Chief Jeff Bowman.

Jarman initially turned down a request to be interviewed by the Gay & Lesbian Times and, after changing her mind, still answered “no” when asked if it’s “noteworthy” that the nation’s eighth-largest city selected an open lesbian as fire chief.

“I think it’s really based on my leadership, my character, experience, the knowledge I bring to the position,” she said.

San Diego City Council approves Clean Syringe Exchange Program

The San Diego City Council’s 6-1 vote in favor of restarting the Clean Syringe Exchange Program was easier this time around, especially with the support of Mayor Jerry Sanders, a former police chief, as well as the current police and fire chiefs.

After a few hours of debate, Councilmember Toni Atkins made a motion to reinstate the program and Councilmember Tony Young seconded it. Also voting in favor were Councilmembers Kevin Faulconer, Ben Hueso, Donna Frye and Scott Peters.

Councilmember Brian Maienschein cast the only dissenting vote.

The program was suspended a year ago following the convictions of Councilmembers Michael Zucchet and Ralph Inzunza on conspiracy and wire fraud charges (Zucchet has since been acquitted on seven of the nine charges). After their resignations, too few votes remained to pass the motion, and the program ended.

Faulconer was the only Republican to vote in favor of the project.

David McWhirter, co-author of ‘The Male Couple,’ dies at 74

Dr. David McWhirter, well-known psychiatrist, academic and co-author of the book The Male Couple, died July 28 at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. He was 74.

McWhirter and his partner of 34 years, Dr. Andrew “Drew” Mattison, co-authored the bestseller in 1984 in order to find out how gay male couples lived.

Mattison, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2004, died in December 2005. He was 57.

Court: HIV positive? Tell your partner

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A divided California Supreme Court ruled July 3 that people who lead high-risk sexual lifestyles have good reason to know they may be infected with the virus that causes AIDS and are responsible for informing partners about possible exposure.

The 4-3 ruling was the state Supreme Court’s first involving allegations of negligent HIV infection, and makes those with “constructive knowledge” – people who should have known by their behavior and other signs they were infected but perhaps did not – legally liable for infecting others.

The case involved a woman who accused her husband of infecting her with HIV during their honeymoon.

New York’s top court rules same-sex marriage not allowed in state

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – New York’s highest court ruled July 6 that same-sex marriage is not allowed under state law, rejecting arguments by same-sex couples who said the law violates their constitutional rights.

The Court of Appeals in a 4-2 decision said New York’s marriage law is constitutional and clearly limits marriage to between a man and a woman. Any change in the law should come from the state Legislature, Judge Robert Smith wrote.

“We do not predict what people will think generations from now, but we believe the present generation should have a chance to decide the issue through its elected representatives,” Smith wrote.

“It’s a sad day for New York families,” said plaintiff Kathy Burke of Schenectady. “My family deserves the same protections as my next-door neighbors.”

Same-sex marriage ban fails to pass House

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House rejected a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, ending for another year a congressional debate that supporters of the ban hoped would still reverberate in the November elections.

The 236-187 vote for the proposal to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman was 47 short of the two-thirds majority needed to advance a constitutional amendment. It followed six weeks after the Senate also decisively defeated the amendment, a top priority for social conservatives.

But supporters said the vote would make a difference when people went to the polls in November.

“The overwhelming majority of the American people support traditional marriage,” said Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colorado, sponsor of the amendment. “And the people have a right to know whether their elected representatives agree with them.”

Opponents dismissed the proposal as both discriminatory and legislatively irrelevant because of the Senate vote. The measure is “all for the purpose of pandering to a narrow political base.” said Rep. Tammy Baldwin, an openly gay Democrat from Wisconsin. “This hateful and unnecessary amendment is unworthy of our great Constitution.”

Three arrested in connection with attacks outside Pride festival

Three suspects were arrested in connection with a series of attacks on six men outside the San Diego LGBT Pride festival on July 29, in what police classified as hate crimes.

James Allen Carroll, 24, was arrested on the morning of Aug. 1 on two felony counts of suspicion of attempted murder and multiple felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Lyonn Tatum, 18, and a 15-year-old white male suspect were also taken into custody the same day, SDPD media services manager Mónica Muñoz said. Tatum was arrested in the Point Loma area in the afternoon and the 15-year-old was arrested in the downtown area that evening, Muñoz said. Since the teenager is a juvenile, the SDPD did not release his name.

All three suspects were slated to be charged with the same crimes: two counts of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. The SDPD said the determination had not yet been made as to whether the juvenile would be charged as an adult. Muñoz said the charges for the 15-year-old could change if they couldn’t charge him as an adult, but that would be determined by the District Attorney’s Office.

Audit Committee report finds San Diego City Council, pension board acted improperly and illegally

The Audit Committee’s final report on San Diego’s financial situation, delivered and presented to the City Council on Aug. 8, found that the city’s dire financial straits were caused by years of “reckless” mismanagement from a number of past and present city and pension board officials.

Among the elected officials named in the report from risk-management firm Kroll, Inc. are former Mayor Dick Murphy, Council President Scott Peters and Councilmembers Toni Atkins, Donna Frye, Brian Maienschein and Jim Madaffer.

Murphy and the five councilmembers were found to have violated pension and sewage laws, and were also said to have improperly handled financial statements and bond disclosures having to do with both the pension fund and wastewater treatment.

San Diego GLBT community speaks out against hate crimes

More than 1,000 people turned up at The Center for a rally Aug. 4 responding to hate crimes committed against members of the GLBT community during San Diego Pride weekend.

According to police reports, the attackers made anti-gay remarks before a fight broke out in which the attackers proceeded to beat the men with the bats. One victim was stabbed in the back and another remained hospitalized with a fractured skull at the time the rally took place.

Three men and one teenager were arrested and charged for the attacks. All pleaded not guilty.

Domestic partners bill sparks personal attacks in California’s Assembly

SACRAMENTO, California (AP) – Debate about a bill that would let registered domestic partners in California file joint state tax returns devolved into a shouting match as state lawmakers accused each other of intolerance and one Republican said his gay colleagues live a deviant lifestyle.

Discussion of the bill on Aug. 23 began to heat up when Republican Assemblymember Jay La Suer called the measure “part of the homosexual agenda.” He said it would negatively affect California’s children by teaching them “that this is an acceptable lifestyle.”

Assemblymember Lloyd Levine, a Democrat, countered that “the real homosexual agenda is simple equality and freedom from discrimination.” He said the bill would move California closer to that goal.

The debate took a personal turn when Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg, a Democrat, said she felt personally offended by La Suer’s remarks, telling him he was “castigating me and mine.”

After La Suer argued that he had every right to disagree with Goldberg’s lifestyle, efforts to bring the discussion back to the specifics of the bill were thwarted by an outburst from then-Assemblymember Dennis Mountjoy, a Republican.

“What you seek in society is acceptance,” he said to Goldberg, addressing his comments to her and the other two openly gay members of the Assembly. “But your lifestyle is abnormal. It is sexually deviant.”

The Democrats immediately broke for a caucus meeting, an apparent effort to cool the rhetoric.

When the session resumed, Mountjoy apologized if he had personally offended anyone, saying his remarks were an effort to defend his values and principles.

Longtime lesbian venue Six Degrees closes its doors

For four decades, the bar at 3175 India Street was an institution in the San Diego gay and lesbian community. But on Aug. 30, Six Degrees closed it doors forever.

Throughout it final days, the bar touted banners that read: “Six Degrees… proud to be part of 40 years of gay history at 3175 India St.,” and hosted several commemorative celebrations. Patrons were invited to write messages on the walls with permanent markers.

City Council approves 301 University condo project

After hearing several hours of debate from supporters and opponents of a 12-story condominium complex in Hillcrest, the San Diego City Council voted 7-1 on Sept. 12 to approve construction of the proposed mixed-use complex at 301 University Ave.

Councilmember Toni Atkins made the motion to approve the project, as well as to grant permits and adopt a tentative map for the project, which would be the tallest structure in that area of Hillcrest.

Councilmember Tony Young seconded the motion. Also voting for it were Councilmembers Jim Madaffer, Kevin Faulconer, Ben Hueso, Scott Peters and Brian Maienschein.

Councilmember Donna Frye cast the lone dissenting vote, saying the project was not compatible with the area. Frye said she thought the 121 parking spaces that would be created won’t be used by the public.

Episcopal bishops unable to reach consensus on gay issues

NEW YORK (AP) – Inching toward a break with the church regarding homosexuality, conservative Episcopal bishops failed to win approval Sept. 13 for their request to stay in the denomination without answering to its national leader, who supports same-sex relationships.

The proposal was the subject of a private meeting of 11 Episcopal bishops, organized at the request of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Williams is trying to keep the Episcopal Church and the world Anglican Communion unified despite deep rifts regarding how to interpret Bible verses on gay sex.

In a joint statement, the bishops said they recognized the need to accommodate the seven dioceses that had so far rejected the authority of presiding bishop-elect Katharine Jefferts Schori. But they said they “were unable to come to common agreement on the way forward.” They pledged to “work together until we have reached the solution God holds out for us.”

Colo. worker planning sex-change surgery wins job discrimination case

DENVER (AP) – A woman who was fired while preparing to undergo sex-change surgery was let go in violation of state anti-discrimination law, the head of Colorado’s civil rights agency ruled.

Advocates praised the ruling, saying it was the first of its kind in Colorado and a sign that society has begun to better understand transgender people.

Danielle Cornwell, 54, claimed in a complaint filed in April with the Civil Rights Division that she was fired in July 2005 because she is a woman and because she had recently told the company she planned to undergo gender-reassignment surgery.

The company, which uses X-rays and other methods to test materials for the construction and manufacturing industries, argued Cornwell was fired because of a decline in business and because she had a low performance rating.

In his Aug. 21 decision, Civil Rights Division Director Wendell Pryor agreed Cornwell was fired because she is a woman and said the evidence did not support the company’s claims. He said no other employees doing similar work were fired.

Pride festival attackers sentenced to prison

After a two-day preliminary hearing and other court proceedings, three men received prison sentences after pleading guilty to charges resulting from a series of attacks on six men outside of the San Diego LGBT Pride festival.

Following testimony from key witnesses and victims, James Carroll, 24, Lyonn Tatum, 18, and Kenneth Lincoln, 24, pleaded guilty to felony charges during the second day of the preliminary hearing, which took place on Sept. 22.

Initially, the three men and a 15-year-old juvenile pleaded not guilty at an arraignment hearing on Aug. 3.

The juvenile, who was also charged in connection with the attacks, pleaded guilty on Sept. 18 to three counts of assault with a deadly weapon with hate crime allegations. He also admitted to an allegation that he caused great bodily injury to one of the six victims. He faces up to 13 years in custody when he is sentenced on Oct. 4.

Superior Court Judge Frederick Maguire sentenced Carroll to 11 years in prison, Tatum to eight years and Lincoln to 32 months during a sentencing hearing on Sept. 25.

Youth charged in Pride attacks sentenced

In front of his crying mother, a 15-year-old El Cajon boy, who previously pleaded guilty to attacks on men outside the San Diego LGBT Pride festival, received a sentence of up to 10 years at a state youth detention center.

During an Oct. 4 sentencing hearing at San Diego Juvenile Court, Superior Court Judge Theodore Weathers sentenced the 15-year-old to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Division of Juvenile Justice.

As part of a plea bargain, the teen previously pleaded guilty on Sept. 18 to three counts of assault with a deadly weapon on three different victims with hate crime allegations. He also admitted to an allegation that he caused great bodily injury to one of the six victims. The teen assisted in the attack of Oscar Foster, the most seriously injured victim, who was struck in the head and upper body 10 to 12 times. The other victims included Marlon Morales and Jason Bemis.

Protesters hold vigil outside Buju Banton concert at 4th & B

Approximately 50 people held a candlelight vigil and demonstration against reggae artist Buju Banton’s House of Blues-sponsored performance at 4th & B on the evening of Oct. 4 because the Jamaican native’s lyrics advocate for burning, shooting and pouring acid on the heads of gay people.

The protest was organized by the Stonewall Citizens Patrol, a neighborhood watch organization formed in response to violent attacks that occurred outside the San Diego LGBT Pride festival on July 29.

Rep. Foley exits Congress in a hurry

WASHINGTON (AP) – This time, there were no tortured explanations, no heels dug in, no long, slow drip of revelation or fight for redemption.

Republican Rep. Mark Foley, of Florida, just up and quit after his e-mails expressing undue interest in a 16-year-old male page were exposed to the nation. Less than six weeks from a tough election for Republicans, who controlled an already ethically tainted Congress, the more common stick-it-out approach to scandal was cast aside.

Foley, a moderate Republican whose work in Congress included protections for children against sexual predators, left after it was initially revealed that he had repeatedly e-mailed a boy working as a page in August 2005, asking for his picture, asking what he wanted for his birthday and making chatty comments about school and about another page who he said was “in really great shape.”

The page told a colleague the e-mails “freaked me out” and were “sick,” according to transcripts posted online by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

Following Foley’s departure, numerous electronic messages he sent to other pages were revealed.

California appeals court upholds ban on same-sex marriage

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A state appeals court upheld California’s ban on same-sex marriage Oct. 5, a critical defeat for a movement hungry for a win after similar losses in two other states.

In reversing the March 2005 ruling of a San Francisco trial judge, the 1st District Court of Appeal, in a 2-1 decision, agreed with the state’s attorney general, who argued it is up to the Legislature, not the courts, to change the traditional definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The ruling did not guarantee, however, that same-sex couples will not ultimately be able to get married in California. Same-sex marriage advocates said beforehand that they would appeal to the California Supreme Court if the intermediate court did not decide in their favor, and the high court unanimously decided on Dec. 20 to review the 1st District Court’s ruling.

A decision is not expected until late 2007.

New Jersey recognizes same-sex unions

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey’s Supreme Court ruled Oct. 25 that same-sex couples are entitled to the same rights as heterosexual couples.

But the court left it to the Legislature to determine whether the state would honor same-sex marriage or some other form of civil union, and New Jersey opted for civil unions. Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed the civil union bill into law on Dec. 21. The law will go into effect. Feb. 19.

The case was brought by seven same-sex couples who said the state constitution allows them to marry.

New Jersey is one of only five U.S. states with neither a law nor a state constitutional amendment blocking same-sex marriage.

Only Massachusetts – by virtue of a 2003 ruling from that state’s top court – allows same-sex marriage.

Election recap for San Diego County

All openly gay candidates in San Diego County lost their election bids in the Nov. 7 midterm election.

In the 52nd Congressional District, Republican incumbent Duncan Hunter, who recently announced his intention to run for president in 2008, rolled past openly gay Democrat John Rinaldi. Hunter earned 64 percent of the vote, while Rinaldi took 31 percent.

In the race for Chula Vista mayor, Republican challenger Cheryl Cox unseated openly gay incumbent and Democrat Steve Padilla. Cox earned 55 percent of the vote, while Padilla received 44 percent.

Openly gay candidate Frank Tierney did not win re-election to the Coronado City Council.

In the 50th Congressional District race, Republican Brian Bilbray captured 53 percent to retain the seat. He previously won the seat in a special election in June after the seat was vacated by Randy “Duke” Cunningham following a bribery scandal. Democratic challenger Francine Busby earned 43 percent of the vote.

Openly gay Republican candidate Ralph Denney lost to Democrat incumbent Assemblymember Lori Saldaña in the 76th Assembly district. Denney took 35 percent of the vote, while Saldaña received 64 percent.

Democrat Bob Filner had no problems winning his re-election in the 51st Congressional District, earning 66 percent of the vote to Republican challenger Blake Miles’ 30 percent.

Senator Dianne Feinstein also won easily in her re-election bid, defeating Republican challenger Richard Mountjoy. She earned 59 percent of the vote, while Mountjoy received 34 percent.

Incumbent Democrat Susan Davis defeated Republican challenger John Woodrum 67 to 30 percent in the 53rd Congressional District.

In the Republican-heavy 49th Congressional District, incumbent Darrell Issa held on to his seat for another two years, capturing 63 percent of the vote. Democrat Jeeni Criscenzo earned 33 percent.

In the state’s 77th Assembly District, Republican Joel Anderson beat Democrat Chris Larkin 60 to 35 percent.

In the 78th Assembly District, Republican Shirley Horton defeated Democrat Maxine Sherard 51 to 45 percent.

Democrat Mary Salas beat Republican Jean Roesch in the 79th Assembly District 61 to 39 percent.

In the 44th Assembly District, Democrat Anthony Portantino, brother of Gay & Lesbian Times publisher Michael Portantino, won with 58 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Scott Carwile, who received 33 percent.

Democrats take Congress, losses on ballot measures jolt religious right

Democrats cleaned up nationwide in the Nov. 7 midterm elections, reclaiming the majority in the House and in the Senate, making politics in Washington a whole new ballgame.

With a Democratic majority in Congress, prospects brightened dramatically for GLBT rights legislation, including legislation on hate crimes and a new version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that includes protections based on gender identity.

From the country’s heartland, voters sent messages that altered America’s culture wars and dismayed the religious right: defending abortion rights in South Dakota, endorsing stem cell research in Missouri and, in a national first, rejecting a same-sex marriage ban in Arizona.

Gay rights supporters took heart at the relatively close results in some of the seven states that had same-sex marriage bans on the ballot, notably in South Dakota, where the ban received only 52 percent of the vote.

In Arizona, the defeat of the same-sex marriage ban stemmed in part from its scope. It not only would have reinforced an existing state law against same-sex marriage but also would have barred any government entities from recognizing civil unions or domestic partnerships when providing benefits to employees.

Thirty-three robberies reported in 90 days in Hillcrest, North Park areas

There were 33 unsolved street robberies reported in the Hillcrest and North Park areas from August to November, according to the San Diego Police Department Western Division.

More than one third of the robberies involved a handgun or knife in the attacks.

This information was presented to the Stonewall Citizens Patrol during its meeting with the SDPD on Nov. 6 at The Center. The meeting took place on the same day that another man was stabbed in the chest while walking along Washington Street in Hillcrest. He was hospitalized with a serious injury.

Two full-time detectives have been assigned to investigate the series of crimes, and San Diego County Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward leading to any arrests. In addition, SDPD officers are visiting businesses in the affected areas to alert their security forces to the crime spree.

Fired Colo. evangelist apologizes for his ‘sexual immorality’

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) – Members of the New Life Church were stunned and brought to tears by the Rev. Ted Haggard’s confessions of “sexual immorality,” then accepted his plea for forgiveness with open arms.

Haggard, who had been a leading evangelist and vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, apologized Nov. 5 in a letter read from the pulpit of the 14,000-member church he founded.

Some in the standing-room-only crowd wiped away tears and embraced each other as they heard Haggard’s words read by a member of the board that fired him a day earlier.

“The fact is I am guilty of sexual immorality. And I take responsibility for the entire problem,” Haggard wrote. “I am a deceiver and a liar. There’s a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it for all of my adult life.”

The scandal disappointed Christian conservatives, whom President George W. Bush and other Republicans were courting heavily in the run-up to the November elections.

Many were already disheartened with the president and the Republican-controlled Congress about their failure to deliver big gains on social issues even before the congressional page scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley.

Haggard, 50, resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents 30 million evangelical Christians, after a man claimed to have had drug-fueled trysts with him.

HIV patients live years after diagnosis

ATLANTA (AP) – An American diagnosed with the AIDS virus can expect to live for about 24 years on average, and the cost of health care throughout those two-plus decades is more than $600,000, new research indicates.

Both life expectancy and the cost of care have risen from earlier estimates, mainly because of expensive and effective drug therapies, said Bruce Schackman, the study’s lead author.

The research found that the average annual cost of care is about $25,200, which is nearly 40 percent higher than a commonly cited estimate from the late 1990s.

The new research also updates other studies from the 1990s, when life expectancy for HIV-infected people was closer to 10 years.

But since the mid-1990s, about two dozen HIV-fighting antiretroviral drugs have come onto the market that have essentially turned HIV from a death sentence into a chronic disease.

Physicians now understand life expectancy after HIV diagnosis to be two decades or more, and the new study supports that belief.

Lesbian fire chief in Minn. to step down

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (AP) – Bonnie Bleskachek, the nation’s first openly lesbian big-city fire chief, agreed to step down in the wake of firefighter lawsuits accusing her of harassment and discrimination, her attorney and the mayor said.

Mayor R.T. Rybak announced the agreement in a letter to the city’s executive council in which he wrote that he no longer had confidence in Bleskachek as chief.

Bleskachek, 43, was hailed as a trailblazer when she was promoted to the top job two years ago, but her tenure was troubled.

Three female firefighters sued, alleging various acts of discrimination and sexual harassment. A city investigation ultimately found evidence that the department gave preferential treatment to lesbians or those who socialized with them.

Two of the lawsuits were settled, but then a male firefighter brought another lawsuit alleging he was denied advancement because he is male and not gay.

Bleskachek, who was unavailable for comment following the announcement she would step down, has denied wrongdoing in the past. She has since agreed to demotion and a $40,000 pay cut.

Death of transgender person in sheriff’s custody sparks lawsuit

The family of Vanessa Facen, a pre-operative transsexual woman who died last year in November after being apprehended for attempted burglary, is seeking recourse for their daughter’s alleged wrongful and untimely death while in the custody of San Diego law enforcement.

Diane Facen, mother of the decedent, filed suit on Nov. 20 against the county of San Diego, Sharp Grossmont Hospital, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and their respective employees thought to be complicit in the events preceding Facen’s death.

In the suit, alleged violations of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution are brought against the sheriff’s department. Within these allegations, Sharp Grossmont Hospital is charged with flagrant disregard for Facen’s state of mental instability, protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and for failing to provide adequate instructions to the deputies of the sheriff’s department accordingly.

Judge rejects counties’ challenge to California marijuana law

SAN DIEGO, (AP) – A state judge on Dec. 6 upheld California’s law permitting the use of medical marijuana for medical purposes, rejecting a lawsuit by three counties challenging the decade-old statute.

The counties, led by San Diego, argued that local governments shouldn’t be bound to uphold state laws that are weaker than the federal blanket ban on marijuana. San Diego County Supervisors Pam Slater-Price, Dianne Jacob and Bill Horn voted to file the suit. Supervisors Greg Cox and Ron Roberts opposed the decision.

San Diego County sued California and its health services director in February regarding the state’s decade-old law permitting use of the drug with a physician’s approval.

Two other California counties, San Bernardino and Merced, joined San Diego as plaintiffs. All three counties have refused to issue identification cards for medical marijuana users and maintain a registry of people who apply for the cards, a state requirement.

State attorneys responded that California was entitled to pass its own laws suspending state prosecution for medical marijuana use and to legislate programs enabling qualified users to access the drug.

Marijuana users in California can still be prosecuted under federal drug laws.

Law enforcement message board marred by homophobic comments

The image of Mayor Jerry Sanders sitting across from Police Chief William Lansdowne on the Dec. 7 Gay & Lesbian Times “Persons of the Year” cover elicited a debate on a San Diego Police Officers Association (SDPOA) message board.

Anonymous commentators opined both about the association of the two centrist civic leaders with the GLBT community and about the “Persons of the Year” honor itself. Although a majority of the members had mostly constructive remarks on the subject, dissenting comments ranged from offensive to blatantly homophobic.

Both Sanders and Lansdowne were recognized as the 2006 “Persons of the Year” by the Gay & Lesbian Times for their demonstrable vigilance and organized initiative in apprehending perpetrators of the beatings wrought against six men outside the summertime Pride festival. The recognition was met with online acrimony on a message board operated and used mostly but not exclusively by police officers, raising questions about illicit discriminatory practices by the police force against individuals of the GLBT community.

“Sorry but I find this shameful! The last thing I want my kid to see is my boss on the cover of a magazine like this! This makes me sick,” a user with the online handle “NY” exclaimed after seeing the cover.

Others followed suit, with postings like: “Nice! Hope is officially lost” and “Very cute! Pardon me while I go vomit.”

Congress sends Ryan White CARE Act to president

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) – HIV/AIDS legislation sent to President Bush will shift care and treatment money to rural areas and the South as Congress voted to renew the largest program for people with HIV/AIDS.

The House agreed by voice vote to renew the $2.1 billion-annual Ryan White CARE Act on Dec. 9. The Senate passed the bill after senators from New York and New Jersey dropped their opposition, accepting a compromise that settled months of dispute just as Congress adjourned for the year.

Lawmakers from some urban areas feared losing money under a five-year renewal of the law. The final deal renews it for three years. That allows earlier reviews of the formulas for distributing money and eliminates the large dollar cuts in the final years that threatened some areas.

Second Colorado pastor resigns amid gay sex allegation

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) – A month after the senior pastor at a huge Colorado church was fired amid gay sex allegations, the founding pastor of another church in the state quit for similar reasons.

The founding pastor of the 2,100-member Grace Chapel resigned after he said he had sexual relations with other men.

Paul Barnes, who led the church for 28 years, told his congregation Dec. 10 in a videotaped message that church leaders allowed The Denver Post to view.

He and his wife have two adult daughters.