Year 2000 - Year in Review
by Deborah Levinson

January 2000

January 3

70 couples in California sign up for the first statewide domestic partnership registry

January 5

California Church leaders urge the Mormon Church to withdraw its support of Proposition 22, aka "The Knight Initiative" which would define marriage in California as being between a man and a woman

January 8

Justin Fisher is sentenced to only 12 1/2 years for the murder of Army Pfc. Barry Winchell after reaching a deal in which he pleads guilty to "Obstruction of Justice"

January 12

Britain ends its ban on gays and lesbians in the military, replacing the ban with a "code of conduct" which will apply to all service personnel, gay or straight

January 27

President Clinton calls for passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) in his State of the Union speech along with the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)

March 2000

March 7

California voters pass Proposition 22

March 21

The first of many demonstrations against Laura Schlessinger's planned television show takes place in front of the gates of Paramount Studios

March 26

Hillary Swank wins an Oscar for her performance as Brandon Teena, a transgendered person who was murdered when his physical gender was discovered

April 2000

April 6

The New Jersey Supreme Court rules unanimously that a co-parenting lesbian is entitled to visitation rights after the relationship ends even though she is not a biological parent of the child.

April 11

Orlando, Florida elects its first openly lesbian (or gay) official when voters choose new City Councilperson Patty Sheehan

April 13

Gov. George Bush meets with a handpicked group of gays and lesbians in his bid for the Republican nomination for President

April 25

The Vermont House of Representatives passes the state's historic "civil unions" law

April 26

The U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the James Dale case against the Boy Scouts (on appeal from Dale's victory in the New Jersey Supreme Court)

May 2000

May 16

Proctor and Gamble withdraws its previously announced sponsorship of Laura Schlessinger's upcoming television show

June 2000

June 2

President Clinton issues a proclamation naming June as "Gay and Lesbian Pride Month"

June 20

The U.S. Senate passes the Hate Crimes Prevention Act by a vote of 57-42 by attaching it to a bill for Department of Defense spending (ultimately the bill is not passed)

June 28

The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Boy Scouts have a right to bar gays and lesbians as troop leaders

September 2000

September 13

The U.S. House of Representatives votes in favor of a federal hate-crimes law which would include sexual orientation

September 22

Ronald Gay enters a gay bar and opens fire killing one and seriously wounding several more.

October 2000

October 3

Ex-Gay Poster Boy John Paulk is removed from his post as chairman of Exodus International having been spotted visiting a D.C. gay bar

October 20

Revelations that Jean Case, second wife of AOL founder Steve Case, donated $8.3 million dollars to an anti-gay ministry results in a NationalGayLobby.org vote for "gays and gay-supportive persons" to stop using AOL

November 2000

November 21

The Virginia Court of Appeals votes to uphold its state sodomy statute

December 2000

December 13

A historic first, the U.S. Supreme Court chooses the next President of the United States

Contribute to G/L Issues

to help with our expenses