Sgt. Brett Parson is recovering from a successful surgery. Upon returning to work, Parson will again work with the D.C. Metro Police’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit to implement Chief Cathy Lanier’s plan to expand the unit. (Blade photo by Henry Linser)
La Clinica blames staffing, facility hurdles for trans program delays
Official says non-commercial ‘cruising’ not prosecuted
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Friday, July 13, 2007
D.C. Metropolitan Police Sgt. Brett Parson is recovering after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor from one lung. Parson, a former commander of the District’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit, had a typical carcinoid tumor in the upper lobe of his right lung. The lobe was removed July 3 during a lengthy but successful surgery. “Brett’s surgery went fine,” said Chris Grasso, Parson’s partner, last week. “He is in the ICU for a day or so, then will be in a regular hospital room for another two to nine days.” The American Cancer Society describes typical carcinoid tumor as a mild form of cancer. About 1,700 newly diagnosed cases are reported annually in the U.S. Patients have a 95 percent survival rate five years after diagnosis. Grasso said Parson’s rehabilitation “is basically a full-time job,” but a good recovery is expected. “Right now, he is doing breathing exercises every hour that he is awake and they are getting him up and out of bed to walk as much as possible,” Grasso said. “This is to help make sure his lungs stay clear and heal properly.” Parson previously told the Blade the tumor was found during a routine checkup. He is not a smoker.
The Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit has noted that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the local chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors. The organization assists surviving families of officers killed in the line of duty.
Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 31549, Washington, D.C. 20030. More information about the organization is available online at www.dc-cops.org.
JOSHUA LYNSEN
Maryland curriculum battle
could move to federal court
The legal battle over a Maryland school district’s gay-inclusive sex education curriculum could move to federal court. A leading opponent of the Montgomery County Public Schools lessons, which were approved last week by state officials, said he’s asked three national law firms to help him keep fighting. John Garza, an attorney and president of Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, said he and other lesson opponents have appealed to the conservative Liberty Counsel and other firms for help. He declined to name the other firms. “We’re still waiting for a positive response from two or three national law firms to see whether or not they’re willing to help us,” he said. “So far, we haven’t heard one way or the other from any of them.” Garza said if the firms accept the case, it would likely move to federal court, because a circuit court appeal of the state’s ruling must be filed within 30 days. “I don’t think we’re going to get it together in 30 days, quite frankly,” he said. “So I would say federal court is the way we’re going to go.” The lessons, titled “Respect for Differences in Human Sexuality,” explain concepts such as sexual identity and orientation using nonjudgmental language. The curriculum is slated for use in Montgomery County classrooms this fall. Christine Grewell of Teach the Facts, a coalition of curriculum supporters, said she hoped curriculum opponents “would be gracious enough to admit defeat and move on.” She noted state officials ruled July 3 that the legal challenges filed by Garza and others were unfounded. “I guess they can keep trying, but at what expense?” Grewell said. “It seems to me that it’s time for them to accept the ruling.”
JOSHUA LYNSEN
Theft of PFLAG chapter’s
banner treated as bias crime
A large banner belonging to the Columbia, Md., and Howard County chapter of Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays has been stolen. Rob Lance, a member of chapter’s steering committee, said the banner was torn from the back of the group’s Columbia City Fair booth sometime late June 29 or early June 30. The theft is being treated by Howard County Police as a bias crime. “The banner was not just taken, it was ripped off its mounting,” he said. “I checked with other exhibitors nearby who had banners and none had any stolen.” Colette Roberts, the chapter’s chair, said she was surprised by the crime. “This is a very welcoming community, and I’m shocked that our chapter would be the victim of such an act,” she said. “Apparently, we still have work to do.”
Roberts said the 24-square-foot banner, which displays the chapter name in purple lettering, was purchased 10 years ago. It was routinely used at booths and in parades, and had not previously been stolen or defaced. “That’s why this was such a shock,” she said. “It has never been an issue.” Roberts said other items were reported stolen from fair booths, including clothing, jewelry and stuffed animals, but the banner theft was befuddling. “What do you do with a PFLAG banner?” she said. “This really just kind of threw us that this happened.” Anyone with information regarding the theft is asked to contact Howard County Police at 410-313-2200.
JOSHUA LYNSEN
D.C. Council gives final approval to Graham club relocation bill
The Washington City Council voted 9 to 4 on Tuesday to give final approval for a bill introduced by gay Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) that allows some of the adult gay entertainment clubs displaced by the new baseball stadium to reopen in new locations. Mayor Adrian Fenty was expected to sign the bill within the next 10 days, sending it to Capitol Hill for a required congressional review period of 30 legislative days. On June 5, when the bill came before Council for its first vote, Graham agreed to a series of amendments introduced by Councilmember Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5) that place a series of restrictions on where the businesses, including nude dance clubs, can move. Thomas raised strong objections to having the clubs “clustered” in his ward, saying they would hinder longstanding plans for economic development. He disavowed statements by some Ward 5 residents who said gay clubs should not be welcomed in the ward because they objected to homosexuality on religious and moral grounds. Among other things, the Thomas amendments prevent more than two of the clubs from moving into any single ward. Ward 5 includes some of the city’s only remaining warehouse areas suitable for adult entertainment clubs, club owners have said. With two gay and four straight clubs competing for the warehouse district locations, some observers believe those who lose out on a Ward 5 location may not be able to find another suitable location in other parts of the city. The heavily amended bill does not provide a procedure for deciding which clubs may move to any given ward. Graham said he did not have the votes to pass the bill without the amendments. The Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance called the bill “imperfect” but the best possible option for giving the displaced gay clubs any chance of reopening. The same four Council members who voted against the bill on June 5 voted “no” on July 10: Thomas, Councilmembers Kwame Brown (D-At-Large), Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) and Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4).
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Graham introduces DP,
transgender rights bills
Gay D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) on Tuesday introduced three bills that offer “new rights and protections” for domestic partners and transgender persons in the city. One of the bills calls for allowing the name of a domestic partner to be placed on the birth certificate of a child born to his or her domestic partner. The second bill gives domestic partners the “same rights as married couples to leave an inheritance to each other while postponing the inheritance tax.” Graham noted that under existing city law, when a widow or widower inherits money from their spouse, no tax is paid on the inheritance until the surviving spouse dies. But domestic partners do not enjoy this same right and must pay the inheritance tax immediately, Graham said. Graham said the third bill expands the city’s existing non-discrimination law for transgender persons by adding the category of gender identity and expression to complaints that may be filed with the Police Complaints Review Board.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
GLLU announces schedule
of community meetings
The Metropolitan Police Department has set up a series of meetings between its Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit and the District’s gay population. Meetings will be held in the city’s seven districts to gauge perceptions and concerns about the GLLU. Those unable to attend the meetings may e-mail any suggestions to mpdc.liasonunits@dc.gov. Schedule of meetings: First District meeting is Monday, Aug. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Metro Teen AIDS (651 Pennsylvania Ave., SE; Eastern Market Metro); Second District meeting is Monday, July 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the University of the District of Columbia (4200 Connecticut Ave., NW, building 38 in the Windows Lounge; Van Ness Metro); Third District meeting is Saturday, July 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Metropolitan Community Church (474 Ridge St., NW; Mount Vernon Square Metro); a joint meeting for the Third and Fourth districts will be held on Tuesday, July 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Us Helping Us-People Into Living (3626 Georgia Ave., NW; Petworth Metro); Fourth District Meeting is Wednesday, Aug. 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Emery Recreation Center (5701 Georgia Ave. NW); Fifth District is Thursday, Aug. 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Gallaudet University, Jordan Student Academic Center; New York Avenue Metro; Sixth District meeting is Thursday, July 26 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Marshall Heights Community Development Organization (3939 Benning Rd., NE; Benning Road Metro); Seventh District meeting is Tuesday, July 31 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Town Hall Educaton Arts and Recreation Campus (1901 Mississippi Ave., SE; Southern Ave. Metro).
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