Posted on 04/30/2003 6:50:25 AM PDT by new cruelty
Covington city commissioners Tuesday unanimously supported a new human rights ordinance which extends protections to gays and lesbians. "I guess the basic question that needs to be asked is should we allow discrimination in this community?" said Commissioner Jerry Bamberger. "The answer is no."
The new law, which Mayor Butch Callery hopes will be a model for cities across the country, will take effect in about a week.
"Some day, I think the entire nation will one day wake up and realize that guess what: Equal rights is something that should have been done 100 years ago," said Commissioner Alex Edmondson.
The law's implementation will be carefully watched by the Sharonville-based Citizens for Community Values which campaigned hard against it.
CCV said it intends to help find lawyers to represent landlords or businesses which feel their rights are infringed, the group's vice president, David Miller, said after the vote. It also is forming a political action committee, which can be used to fund tri-state candidates who oppose such measures.
Covington's new law bans discrimination based on age, sexual orientation, marital status and parental status. It applies to employment, housing and public accommodations, such as hotels and restaurants.
It expands a city law which prohibited housing discrimination because of disability, gender, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, family status and place of birth.
"I'm just completely elated and pleased and so happy with the leadership of Covington," said Dean Forster of the Northern Kentucky Fairness Alliance. "The people of Covington clearly supported this ordinance, clearly made a stand that discrimination is wrong and all people should be accepted equally."
Frank Warnock, the lawyer Covington hired to refine the ordinance, explained how the law will work:
• Upon receiving a discrimination complaint, the city manager would have discretion to try to resolve the conflict before launching a city investigation into the allegation.
• If reconciliation is not possible, the manager or a designee would investigate.
• After the investigation, the manager could choose to dismiss the complaint or seek an amicable resolution. "I think that's probably one of the most important parts of this ordinance, is the idea that you're trying to educate, you are trying to correct a wrong, and one of the best ways to do that is reconciliation."
• Failing that, a hearing officer appointed by the city manager would reach findings of fact and conclusions of law, which would become an order of the human rights commission.
• Fines could range from $100-$250, and a business which willfully violated the law three or more times could lose its business license.
CCV spent $10,000 this month mailing 20,000 anti-gay booklets to Covington households and sent letters to all Catholic churches in Northern Kentucky because all five city officials who voted are Catholics.
Bamberger said the mailings did not sway him: "I didn't hear too many complaints from residents after they sent out their messages. I believe the city of Covington and the city officials here have a responsibility to deal with our own issues, and deal with our citizens."
After the vote, commissioners sat quietly during almost 30 seconds of a standing ovation.
Bamberger said his goal was that everybody be treated equally. "For the many people who opposed the ordinance -- and I received a lot of input from those people, and I appreciate that input -- I wish that they would take the time now. I wish they would review that ordinance, and look at it, and see if they still have any concerns about it."
"No one would choose to be discriminated against, no one would choose to be hated, no one would choose to be treated differently," Edmondson said. "And someday, I believe the city of Covington will have a small piece in that understanding, of creating tolerance, bridging the gap, and more importantly, allowing people to know that yes, a small city like Covington can show the entire region: Yes, we can."
You cannot be objective where Narth is concerned since you're a gay man who has many times demonstrated no interest in facts.
In these forums, the biological influence is what NEEDS to be emphasized, considering the widespread reluctance amongst some to deny it exists.
Besides the minimal biological risk factor, we get enough of the biological influence from the extremely biased media and pro-gay sources.
The pro-gay source said:
Although male and female homosexuality appear to be at least somewhat heritableThey don't say it is heritable, they say it appears that way and you appear to want to emphasize this minor statement and ignore what the same source said is the major risk factor. That being environment as the major risk factor.
Your redundant and gratuitous use of "properly" reveals your own bias.
Everybody say it with me: "please." I stated the facts and you don't like it.
You said: "Narth QUOTES from a pro-gay source..." But then, what you actually CITE... is a NARTH OPINION!!!
There's just no end to your obfuscation is there? I cited a quote from Narth about a fact. That being, a pro-gay source was forced to admit the opposite of what the public is led to believe:
environment must also be of considerable importance in [homosexuality]That's a pro-gay source stating something you refuse to acknowledge.
"Some people are gay and that's okay." I'd call that "factual."
The problem is they don't keep it to themselves and they try to recruit in the schools. That's a fact and it's not okay.
People have this fiction that Nazism (National Socialism) is somehow "right" wing. Nazism (fascism) and socialism and communism are all cousins. None of them has anything to do with conservatism. They all depend on lying, repression, and totalitarianism, and especially on supressing all opposition. The founder of ACT-UP read Mein Kampf for inspiration, guidance, and tactics. This is not hearsay, he admitted it.
Can anyone say "KLINTOON AND MRS. KLINTOON"????
Umm, I think you mean Dr. Warren Throckmorton, immediate past president of the American Mental Health Counselors Association. Nice try at misdirection, though.
"... managed to get something published..."
Ever hear of the peer review process used to publish articles in refereed journals?
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice - Manuscript Submission Guidelines
"Masked Review
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice uses a masked reviewing system. In order to permit anonymous review, all authors' names, affiliations, and contact information should be removed from the manuscript itself and included instead in the submittal letter. Every effort should be made by the authors to see that the manuscript itself contains no clues to their identities."
WHAT IS A REFEREED ARTICLE? "The following definition is found in Cabell's Directory of Publishing Opportunities in Educational Psychology and Administration, David W.E. Cabell, Editor, 6th edition, 2002-2003 on page XIV.
With some exceptions a refereed article is one that is blind reviewed and has two external reviewers. The blind review requirement and the use of external reviewers are consistent with the research criteria of objectivity and of knowledge.
The use of a blind review process means that the author of the manuscript is not made known to the reviewers. With the large number of reviewers and journals, it is also likely that the name of the reviewers for a particular manuscript is not made know to the author. Thus, creating a double blind review process. Since the author and reviewers are frequently unknown, the manuscript is judged on its merits rather than on the reputation of the author and/or the author's influence on the reviewers.
The use of two (2) reviewers permits specialists familiar with research similar to that presented in the paper to judge whether the paper makes a contribution to the advancement of knowledge. When two reviewers are used it provides a broader perspective for evaluating the research. This perspective is further widened by the discussion between the editor and reviewers in seeking to reconcile these perspectives..."
"... does not in way suggest that his opinions are now law."
It would seem that the APA now believes his research is valid enough to publish them.
Former APA President Condemns APA for Barring Research
"The APA is too goddamn politically correct...and too goddamn obeisant to special interests!" said Robert Perloff, 1985 President of the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Perloff delivered those uncensored remarks during a rousing speech to psychologists at the 2001 APA Annual Convention.
In an expression of public anger and frustration, Dr. Perloff condemned the APA's one-sided political activism. Of reorientation therapy with homosexuals, he said: "It is considered unethical...That's all wrong. First, the data are not fully in yet. Second, if the client wants a change, listen to the client. Third, you're barring research." (1)
Dr. Perloff is a recipient of the American Psychological Foundation's Gold Medal Award for Lifetime Achievement in Psychology in the Public Interest. In bestowing the award, the Psychological Foundation recognized Perloff for his noted "love of social justice" and his career-long struggle to champion "the rights and dignity of women, minorities, and homosexuals."
But, Perloff asked, "How can you do research on change if therapists involved in this work are threatened with being branded as unethical?"
Contacted by NARTH, Dr. Perloff added the following comment in an interview:
"I believe that APA is flat out wrong, undemocratic, and shamefully unprofessional in denying NARTH the opportunity to express its views and programs in the APA Monitor and otherwise under APA's purview." (2)..."
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