From: MPetrelis@aol.com Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1999 03:48:19 EDT Subject: Gays to picket PlanetOut over syphilis hysteria, privacy violations PLEASE REPOST!! PLEASE REPOST!! For Immediate Release DATE: October 1, 1999 CONTACT: Michael Bellefountaine: (415) 864-6686 David Pasquarelli: (415) 751-7457 Gays to Picket PlanetOut.com Over Syphilis Alert ---------- Online service violated privacy during public health campaign SAN FRANCISCO — Members of the direct action gay rights group ACT UP San Francisco will hold a picket and press conference this Monday at the Mission Street offices of PlanetOut, a homosexual online service. Activists will protest the internet provider's promotion of an unfounded syphilis alert targeting gays online, condemn violations of subscriber privacy and present reporters with just-released health department STD reports that confirm syphilis is at an all-time low and that there is no new "outbreak." Date: Monday, October 4, 1999 Time: 12:00 noon Place: PlanetOut Offices at 965 Mission Street ACT UP demands an apology to gays from PlanetOut CEO Tom Rielly, for participating in a homophobic health department campaign without first securing scientific proof of an alleged syphilis outbreak. ACT UP wants a commitment from the online service not to interfere in the private sexual lives of gay men in the future. PlanetOut has recently made headlines after an infusion of $16.4 million of funding from Silicon Valley's Mayfield Fund, America Online Investments, the UK's Eden Capital, and private investors. "Tom Rielly and his new Board of Directors obviously know more about stock reports and publicity than epidemiology and privacy. They jumped on this syphilis bandwagon to scare up a name for themselves and perpetuated a damaging stereotype of gays," stated ACT UP member David Pasquarelli. "PlanetOut has a responsibility to investigate the facts and protect subscriber privacy rather than promote the dangerous misconception of gays as 'diseased fags.'" On July 29, after allegedly identifying four (4) cases of early syphilis, health authorities issued the controversial alert and placed an alarmist full-page ad featuring a ticking timebomb in the gay press. The following week, ACT UP took out a full-page ad calling the syphilis alert "an anti-gay lie" and accusing the STD officials of deception. According to a front-page article in The New York Times, PlanetOut sent messages to subscribers suspected by government officials of spreading syphilis. PlanetOut also trained 60 volunteers to monitor gay male chat rooms and transmit instant messages to those who entered warning them of the alleged "outbreak" and urging them to get tested for syphilis at the city's STD clinic. "Tom Rielly needs to alert the gay community that syphilis rates are at their lowest point in San Francisco since the 1950s," commented ACT UP member Michael Bellefountaine. "We urge gay men to stay away from PlanetOut—do not give them personal information and do not use their chat rooms until this issue is resolved." ### ACT UP San Francisco 1884 Market Street * San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 864-6686 * Fax: (415) 864-6687 * Email: actupsf@aol.com