Desperately Seeking Female Auto-Mechanics (and Male Hairdressers)
On June 6, 2002 the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education, asking the office to investigate vocational-technology programs for violations of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally assisted programs. NWLC alleges that sex segregation is widespread in the nation’s vocational and technical programs, and that female students are unlawfully steered toward cosmetology and clerical courses and away from higher-paying courses of study, such as plumbing and auto mechanics. Targeted states are Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Arizona, California and Washington.
Source: USA Today (June 6, 2002)
: USA Today (June 6, 2002)
Transsexuals Welcome — Apply Within
The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) is asking members of Congress to sign a pledge supporting transsexual or transgendered congressional staff who want to dress and act as members of the opposite sex. According to Gina Reiss, managing director of GenderPAC, the project is a way to “take the temperature” of Congress on gender issues before proposing national legislation on the issue.? Ultimately, GenderPAC hopes that Congress will amend federal civil rights laws to prohibit discrimination on the basis of “gender identity” in the same way that such laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race and sex.? Close to 100 members of Congress have signed the pledge, including Senators Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ).
Source: CNSNews.com (May 22, 2002): CNSNews.com (May 22, 2002)
Law and Order
A new Texas law — the first of its kind in the United States — will permit prosecutors to collect DNA from an accused sexual offender at indictment in the hope that the test will permit police to quickly determine whether to pursue the case. Police also hope the measure will allow them to tag repeat offenders, leading to possible revocations of their parole or probation.
Source: www.womensenews.org? (May 22, 2002): www.womensenews.org? (May 22, 2002)
The Name Game
On May 24, 2002 the government of the District of Columbia issued an emergency regulation allowing married couples to give their children the surname of either the mother or the father. The regulation was issued in order to bring an end to a federal lawsuit challenging a D.C. law that requires babies born to married couples to be given the paternal surname. The lawsuit was filed by an Arlington, Virginia couple, whose baby was born at a D.C. hospital. Margaret McGilvray and Dan Redmond have decided to give their baby, Alexander, Margaret’s surname as his last name and Dan’s surname as a middle name. The D.C. Department of Health refused to issue a birth certificate for the child, citing the May 2000 law. McGilvray and Redmond argued that the law violated their right to free speech and unlawfully discriminated on the basis of sex.
Source: The Washington Post (May 15, 2002 and May 25, 2002): The Washington Post (May 15, 2002 and May 25, 2002)
Dead-beat Dad
Luther Crawford fathered 12 children by 11 women, and owed more than $74,000 in child support payments. Prosecutors gave Crawford the choice of spending one to five years in prison or agreeing to refrain from sexual relations with women. He chose celibacy, but then argued, through his lawyer, that the agreement violated his constitutional rights. The judge presiding over the case rejected the deal and sentenced Crawford to one year in prison.
Source: WEWS-TV (Kentucky), www.newsnet5.com (May 13, 2002) via www.free-market.org : WEWS-TV (Kentucky), www.newsnet5.com (May 13, 2002) via www.free-market.org