Hollywood, Washington Team Up for Rights

It’s a busy Saturday night at a Century City hotel. “Sex and the City” star Kim Cattrall fields questions about human rights, while a woman in an ankle-length black velvet coat is shouting into her headset, “Sen. Boxer’s people--where are you? We gotta go! We’re six minutes out! Where’s Sen. Boxer? Where’s the governor? We’re out of time!”

Senators and TV stars are sharing the spotlight at the annual banquet for Human rights Campaign Los Angeles, a lesbian and gay political organization honoring Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and “Sex and the City” creator Darren Star.

Gov. Gray Davis is there on the stump, fresh from the state Democratic Party convention in downtown Los Angeles. While he huddles backstage with HRC’s executive director Elizabeth Birch, his press officer distributes fliers detailing the governor’s long support of domestic partnership legislation. Later, he tells the crowd: “We’ll respect your dignity ... no matter who you love.”

After a booming speech on equality and the need for hate crimes legislation, Daschle is swarmed. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California) is among the first to embrace the Democrat from South Dakota. “You have brought light to our state today,” she says. A reporter corners him on the pending campaign finance legislation package. Will the Republican opposition prevail? “They have done everything to stop it for a long time, but I think we’ve got the votes to stop them,” he says. Then Daschle is asked to pose with Ellen DeGeneres. A few tables away, Bruce Vilanch wears a faded T-shirt: “Out of My Mind. Back in Five Minutes.”

Star stands outside of the crowd, musing on the fact that he was honored at the same event as the Senate leader. “It feels a little out of context, but I’m extremely honored,” he says. “I think Hollywood is always star-struck by Washington.”

Elsewhere, Hollywood and Washington intersected Saturday night.

Robert Reich had spoken, and now guests at Stanley Sheinbaum’s fund-raiser to support the former Labor Department Secretary’s run for governor of Massachusetts, went about their business of meeting and greeting.

Warren Beatty talked politics. So did Mike Farrell.

A woman handed her business card to Annette Bening, pitching yet another worthy cause. Still, the actress didn’t feel overwhelmed. “I don’t feel like I go to a lot of things,” she said. “I’m really selective.”

Nearby, salonista Arianna Huffington and author Marc Cooper held court as self-help guru Marianne Williamson offered Reich her support. Perched on a couch, the author of “A Return to Love” said she thought the former Clinton cabinet member could help “make this world a better place.”

She had come to the party with Democratic Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich, of Ohio, who is also trying to make the world a better place. His business card promises: “Visionary Leadership for a New America.”

Guests had paid between $100 and $500 for their chance to hobnob with politicians and Hollywood folk. “We don’t believe in keeping people out just because they’re not rich,” said one of the organizers.

The event raised about $40,000. After the party, octogenarian Sheinbaum relaxed on his couch as staff cleared the living room of his home. He looked a tad tired. Not surprisingly. He’s been doing salons and fund-raisers for 20 years. He said, joking: “I’m a 107 years old.”

DNA Tests Planned in Rodman Lawsuit

DNA testing is being arranged this week in the $10-million civil lawsuit filed against Dennis Rodman by actress Tina New, who claims in the suit the former basketball player kidnapped, drugged and raped her in 1999.

An Orange County Superior Court judge on Feb. 11 granted New’s request to have her dress and underwear tested for Rodman’s DNA in an attempt to prove that he sexually assaulted her during a late night party at his Newport Beach home. Results are expected in two months.

The clothing has been preserved by the Newport Beach Police Department, which conducted a criminal investigation of the incident, New’s attorney Stephen Tornay said. He contends that the clothing wasn’t tested for DNA evidence by police. Police found no evidence of rape at the time New reported it the alleged incident. No criminal charges were filed.

Rodman, 40, has claimed that he has never met New. “The allegation is untrue,” his attorney Paul Meyer said. “The police determined it to be unfounded. It is an abuse of the court in an attempt to get money from a celebrity athlete.” Trial is set for Sept. 23.

The incident allegedly occurred during the wee hours of Aug. 20,1999, after New and Rodman met at the Buzz at the Beach nightclub in Newport Beach, according to the lawsuit. When the club closed around 2 a.m., one of Rodman’s friends allegedly grabbed New by the arm and forced her into a car driven by Rodman.At the house, New drank two shots of what she thought was alcohol, offered to her by Rodman and “became disoriented extremely fatigued and sleepy,” the suit states. She fell asleep in a bedroom and awoke several hours later to find Rodman naked and attempting to have sex with her. When she refused his advances, he became violent, according to the suit.

The next morning, New relayed the experience to two friends and a rape crisis counselor, but she waited 10 days to call the police, her attorney Tornay said. “She said she was scared of who [Rodman] was,” he said. “She was going through a custody battle at the time.” He added she was worried her ex-husband Darryl would use the incident as reason to deny her custody.