Salt Lake City Council swears in gay man
Salt Lake City’s ABC News 4 reports that Stan Penfold, an openly gay man, was sworn in Jan. 3 as a Salt Lake City councilperson.
Penfold said the council has done a “remarkable job’” on social issues and he doesn’t intend to become a lightning rod for gay rights.
The council recently passed ordinances banning discrimination against gays in housing and employment. Penfold said he will focus on grassroots issues such as affordable housing and improving neighborhoods’ quality of life.
Criticized warden steps down
Yahoo News reports that the warden at Virginia’s largest women’s prison is retiring amid allegations the prison discriminated against lesbian inmates.
Department of Corrections spokesperson Larry Traylor said Dec. 28 that Barbara Wheeler will retire as warden of Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women.
State Sen. Frank Ruff (R-Mecklenburg) asked the department in June to look into allegations that the prison separated masculine-looking prisoners from the rest of the population.
His request followed an Associated Press report in June that inmates — mostly lesbians — who had short hair and more masculine features had been segregated in a wing referred to as the “butch wing” or “little boys’ wing” for more than a year. Inmates and guards said the practice stopped after the AP questioned Wheeler about it.
Televised Prop. 8 trial possible
365gay.com reports that the federal judge presiding over an upcoming trial on California’s same-sex marriage ban said he is considering seeking permission to broadcast the proceedings.
The governing body for federal courts in Western states recently approved a pilot program that would allow cameras in civil trials being decided by judges.
Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker said he wanted to record or Web cast a Jan. 6 pretrial hearing as a test run for the trial, in which he’ll consider a constitutional challenge to California’s voter-approved gay-marriage ban, Proposition 8.
Lawyers representing sponsors of the ban said they oppose having the trial broadcast outside the courtroom.
— Larry Nichols