Lawrence University Student Targeted in Anti-Gay Halloween Assault

Lawrence University's student paper, The Lawrentian, reports on a hate crime that occurred in the early hours of Sunday, following Halloween:

"The openly gay student, who was wearing a dress and carrying baby dolls for Halloween, was possibly targeted for the implications of his outfit. According to the student, he and a group of friends left the Halloween party at the co-op house to go to Topper's Pizza at around 2:30 a.m. On their way back to campus, the assaulted student separated from the others on the corner of Durkee Street and College Avenue because he lives in Colman. At the time, he was still in his costume dress and holding props and dolls. In between Avenue Jewelers and Colman, the student was attacked by a group of four middle-aged men who were drunk and wearing masks. The group of men at first giggled among themselves. The men then started to shove the student around, asking, 'Why are you wearing a dress?' and 'Are you a fag?' The student got hit in the back and in the face. When the student started yelling for help, the men ran away laughing. The student did not realize how quickly the incident would escalate. 'At first I thought they were just being d-bags, but then they hit me,' he said."

Lawrence is located in Appleton, Wisconsin. The attack happened just off campus.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Declines to Hear Domestic Partner Case

Offering no explanation, the Wisconsin Supreme Court yesterday refused to hear a case challenging domestic partner benefits in the state, the Badger Herald reports:

"According to court documents, the justices reviewed the case this week and decided the case should be tried in lower courts instead of directly by the Supreme Court. The case in question, Appling v. Doyle, where Wisconsin Family Action CEO Julaine Appling filed a petition of original jurisdiction stating the domestic partner benefits set up in the 2009-11 biennium budget by Gov. Jim Doyle were in direct violation of a 2006 constitutional amendment banning gay marriages in the state. Original jurisdiction brings the matter straight before the Supreme Court instead of having it work through the lower courts. Doyle spokesperson Lee Sensenbrenner commended the Supreme Court on its decision and said Doyle is confident the domestic partnership protections will be upheld in other courts. Katie Belanger, executive director of Fair Wisconsin, was also pleased with the order of the court, saying the protections for same-sex couples in no way violates the gay marriage ban."

970 couples have been added to the state's domestic partner registry since the law took effect in August.

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Gay Group to Ask Wisconsin Supreme Court to Reject Challenge to State's Domestic Partnership Law

Fair Wisconsin will ask the Wisconsin Supreme Court to reject a challenge to the state's domestic partner law by Wisconsin Family Action, which wants the law declared unconstitutional, The Northwestern reports:

"Nine-hundred seventy couples have been added to the registry since the law went into effect in August, Department of Health Services spokeswoman Stephanie Marquis said. Registering gives them limited legal protections such as the right to visit each other in the hospital, take medical leave to care for an ill partner and inherit assets when a partner dies. 'We are filing to intervene so that we can protect the interests of our members who have a really important need for these protections,' said Katie Belanger, executive director of Fair Wisconsin. 'We’re confident the court will make a fair and just decision, and we want to make sure we can assist in that process.' Members of Wisconsin Family Action, a social conservative group, claim in the lawsuit the registry violates the constitutional ban on gay marriage and civil unions approved by voters in 2006."

Madison attorney Lester Pines, who is representing the state, plans to ask the same of the court, independent of Fair Wisconsin's request. Pines was hired after Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen refused to defend the state last month, saying he doesn't like the domestic partner law.

Lambda Legal Attorney Christopher Clark feels the facts of the case would be better served in a lower court:

"He said Fair Wisconsin wants to show how supporters of the amendment told voters in 2006 it would not prohibit governments from offering domestic partner benefits. Such fact-finding is typically done in a trial court."

Wisconsin AG Refuses to Defend State in Domestic Partner Challenge

Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Holllen is refusing to defend a challenge to the state's domestic partner law, which went into effect last month, because he doesn't like the new law.

Supporters of the state's ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions want the domestic partnerships declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports:

"The Supreme Court asked the state to respond to the lawsuit by the end of the month but hasn't decided yet whether to take the case. Van Hollen, a Republican who has not ruled out a run for governor in 2010, said his decision was based not on a policy dispute but on his responsibility to uphold the state's constitution. Defending the law would require him to ignore the voters' approval of the marriage amendment in 2006 because he believes the budget provision recognizes a legal status that is substantially similar to the legal status of marriage, Van Hollen said in a statement. 'My duty to is to the people of the state of Wisconsin and the highest expression of their will - the constitution of the state of Wisconsin,' Van Hollen said. 'When the people have spoken by amending our constitution, I will abide by their command. When policy-makers have ignored their words, I will not.'"

A report on the new domestic partner law from the Capital Times, AFTER THE JUMP...