Good Vibrations Magazine

Vermont only State to Allow Same Sex Civil Unions

At the end of 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court made history and created a victory for gay couples when it ruled in Baker vs. Vermont that same-sex couples could no longer be denied “full and equal protections, benefits, and responsibilities.” The Vermont Supreme Court also gave the House and Senate first option at deciding how to provide equality, while retaining jurisdiction over the case. After extensive hearings, the House and Senate passed a law to create a new kind of marital status, called “civil unions,” which provides for protection in cases of inheritance and property division, child custody and visitation, family leave and state tax benefits under state law.

Gay couples are now able to apply for these civil unions, and dozens of same sex couples have traveled to Vermont to have the civil union performed despite the fact that the civil union is only binding in Vermont.

FOX Network Attempts to Make Television History with “Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?” and TV Bride Bares it all… in Playboy

In February, FOX Television attempted to make television history with its dismal Who Wants To Marry A Multimillionaire, a show which pitted 50 female contestants against each other in a contest for the attention of one “multimillionaire” — who then married the lucky winner on national television. The bride turned out to be a 34-year old emergency room nurse named Darva Conger, who requested an annulment from multimillionaire comedian Rick Rockwell immediately after the TV marriage when it was discovered that Rockwell had some domestic violence issues in his past. Others speculated the reason for the annulment was the fact that Rockwell was actually worth a lot less than the two million dollars he claimed to possess. After the annulment, Darva Conger’s primetime vows dominated media headlines for weeks and Darva found herself on the receiving end of an outburst of criticism. After it seemed as if she would never be able to return to her former quiet life, she changed the negative into a positive. The result? A 10-page pictorial in the August 2000 issue of Playboy. The dollar amount she received for the pictorial was undisclosed. Since, Ms. Conger has been spotted at a number of Playboy parties, leaving some to wonder if she’ll ever go back to nursing…

Showtime Premiers “Queer As Folk,” and Primetime Shows Wake Up to the Sexuality of the American Public

December saw the premiere of Showtime’s Queer As Folk, which is based on the British smash hit of the same name. It revolves around a group of 20-something gay friends living in Pittsburgh. The show, which features plenty of explicit language and sexual situations, has been called by Salon television critic Joyce Millman “the most explicitly homocentric drama series ever seen on these shores.”

Broadcast television has also made some progress in the last few decades, and homosexuality has seen more attention in primetime dramas and sitcoms. We’ve come a long way from Ellen DeGeneres’ ill-fated Ellen, and TV viewers have now made Will & Grace a primetime favorite, with the continuing saga of its homosexual characters, Will and Jack. In addition, for the first time some networks are now addressing homosexual issues in teenagers, primarily in the WB’s teenage drama Dawson’s Creek. For the last two seasons viewers have watched as Dawson character Jack (Kerr Smith) has struggled with his homosexual identity, admitted it to friends and classmates and even watched as he chose a male date for his high school homecoming dance. Kudos to the WB Network for daring to address the issue of homosexuality amongst teens at a time when it is desperately needed.

Another honorable prime time mention is FOX’s Ally McBeal, which introduced a male transsexual character on the show. The character later became involved with one of McBeal’s counselor colleagues (also male). Though the transsexual role only lasted a few episodes, it is a major breakthrough for network television.

Houston Auctions off Labia

One of the strangest events of last year happened in April, when porn star Houston, best known for her 600-man gangbang, underwent labiaplasty, a procedure where the labia are reduced by trimming excess skin. That might not be a significant event in itself, but the fact that she chose to auction her labia off is pretty noteworthy. The labia, encased in Lucite, were put up for bidding on EroticBid.com (www.eroticbid.com) and received bids for up to $1,879. One of the highest bids came from Moonlight Bunny Ranch owner Dennis Hof. The highest bidder will be presented with it during the Adult Entertainment Expo held this month in Las Vegas. Hey, who wouldn’t love to own a porn star’s private parts? Think of it as a lucky charm.

US Senate Passes the Trafficking Victims Protection Act

For years, organized crime groups have been recruiting young women from foreign countries with promises of employment, only to force them into a life of unpaid prostitution and hard labor. Each year, over 50,000 women and children are trafficked to this country and forced to endure these conditions, according to the CIA.

In October, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and two weeks later the bill was signed into law by President Clinton. The act is being called the first modern anti-slavery law of its kind and was co-sponsored by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn).

The legislation will raise penalties for trafficking, create special visas and provide protection for victims of trafficking. In addition, the law authorizes $94.5 million over the next two years for enforcement.