Date for Same-Sex Marriage Nears (published to Indybay.org ~5/9/2004)
City and town clerks in Massachusetts will begin to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples on Monday May 17th, 2004. Legal battles in the state have failed to stop the licenses from being issued; however, Governor Mitt Romney has said that clerks will not be allowed to issue licenses to gay couples who are from out-of-state. Boston might disobey this order. As early as 2006, voters may be able to vote to ban gay marriage in that state.
How Same-Sex Marriage Became Legal in Massachusetts | Religious Tolerance Same-Sex Marriage Page | NGLTF Marriage Center | Freedom to Marry Coalition of Massachusetts | Mass Equality | Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders‘ Info on how to get a license.
Nationwide same-sex marriage activism: May 17th will be a day of Equal Marriage Rights for All: End Discrimation, Bigotry, & Racism actions. In San Francisco, people will gather at 5:00pm at Powell and Market and march to a rally at City Hall. June 7th will be a National Anti Federal Marriage Amendment Meetup Day
Gap's Own Report Finds Labor Violations
5/11/2004: For years, activists have been protesting against Gap Inc. for its support of deforestation, its use of sweatshop labor, and its domination of consumer culture through the chains The Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy. However, today the Gap released its own Social Responsibility Report. Sweatshops at Gap factories in such places as El Salvador and the US territory Saipan were exposed in the 1990's, but conditions obviously have not improved. Some think that the Gap might be the first of several such large companies to come out about its practices in countries such as China, where its workers are not allowed to unionize.
Behind the Label | UNITE's 2002 Sweatshop Report | Boycott the Gap Campaign
Bayview/HP Under Siege by SFPD, CHP
5/8/04: The Bayview/Hunters Point Neighborhood in the southeast corner of San Francisco has been under siege this week.
Beginning on Monday, the occupying army of the SFPD was joined by the California Highway Patrol. People were stopped for any reason, or no reason at all- cars were impounded for not having current registration, arrests were made, and over 190 citations were given out on Monday alone. As of Friday the 7th, there were still checkpoints near key intersections in the area. The increased police presence is seen by many to be in response to the recent killing of police officer Isaac Espinoza in the Bayview.
Disabled Man Killed by SF Police, Community Reels (published to Indybay.org on 5/8)
During the first meeting of the newly expanded SF Police Commission on May 7th, Cammerin Boyd, a 29 year-old African-American man, was shot and killed by the SFPD after a car chase that ended in the Western Addition. A woman has alleged that Boyd had attempted to kidnap her and her child. Boyd, whose legs had been amputated below the knee following a previous car chase by the CHP, had allegedly pointed a gun at police during that day's pursuit by the SFPD. However, witnesses to the killing have said that Boyd had his hands in the air in an attempt to surrender. The media has reported that, following a similar car chase on May 2nd, Boyd had asked police in Oakland to kill him.
Community reponses to the killing: Neighbors have pointed out that several children had been playing very close to the place where the shooting took place. Mayor Gavin Newsom has told Boyd's mother that he intends to "make sure justice is done." Many activists in the African-American community in San Francisco wonder if the killing of Boyd was payback for the April 10th killing of police officer Isaac Espinoza by a black man in the Bayview. Disability rights activists are asking questions about relations between disabled people and the police. A high school friend of Boyd's who is now a police officer told a community meeting about his memories of a happy young man who had been a star athlete in school. He also said, "The whole department is hurt, obviously. Nobody takes pleasure in this, it's a tragedy."
There will be a police accountability press conference at the Green House on May 14th.
FDA says Plan B Not Available Over the Counter(published to Indybay.org on 5/8/04)
5/8/2004: The Food and Drug Administration announced this week that Plan B will not be available over the counter. Plan B is an emergency medical contraceptive that, if taken within 72-120 hours of unprotected intercourse, can prevent pregnancy. The FDA claims that not enough research on teenage women's ability to use Plan B correctly is available.
Pro-choice organizations react: Many organizations around the country believe that this denial of women's right to determine when they become pregnant reflects the Bush administration's conservative nature.
ACLU | NARAL Pro-choice America |
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health | National Organization for Women
