Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 16:10:32 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAAD APPLAUDS VETERAN GOLFER PATTY SHEEHAN FOR COMING OUT MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill Horn, phone: (213) 658-6775 pager: (800) 946-4646, pin #1423528 e-mail: horn@glaad.org GLAAD APPLAUDS VETERAN GOLFER PATTY SHEEHAN FOR COMING OUT LPGA CHAMPION COMES OUT IN GOLF WORLD MAGAZINE NEW YORK, APRIL 10, 1998-The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today their support for LPGA golfer Patty Sheehan, who came out in a recent issue of Golf World magazine. In a March 27 column entitled, "Bringing Up Bryce," Sheehan wrote about the experiences she has had since having adopted a baby with her partner Rebecca Gaston eight months ago. "I didn't really know how well others would deal with the idea of Bryce having two moms, but I've decided if they have a problem with it, it's their problem, not mine," wrote Sheehan. "We have the means to provide Bryce with a comfortable upbringing and, more importantly, we have the desire to be loving and devoted mothers....Bryce knows that she's loved and wanted now." The 18-year veteran of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1993, won the Nabisco Dinah Shore title in 1996, has twice won the U.S. Women's Open, and has more than 35 total career titles to date. "I want to congratulate Patty for making the decision to be open about her sexual orientation, and especially for sharing her feelings about the process of adopting Bryce," said openly lesbian LPGA golfer Muffin Spencer-Devlin. "Coming out was such a freeing experience for me; I can only imagine that becoming a parent would compound that joy. I am sure that Patty will find continued support from both her fans and her colleagues." "Patty Sheehan is breaking down barriers in sports and in society," said GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry. "For a professional athlete to come out as a lesbian mom takes a great deal of courage. As a mother myself, I greatly appreciate her stance on this issue: Love is at the heart of parenting, and lesbian and gay people are as committed to that ideal as anyone. Her voice resonates to many thousands of fans, and she is sending an accurate, positive message about our community." GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay media advocacy organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representations of individuals and events in the media as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. -30- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's DISPATCH AND QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.