Date: Fri, 7 Jun 1996 06:30:39 -0700 (PDT) From: jessea@uclink4.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman) Subject: (National) PFLAG Launches Web Site || two SF Bay Area items || one CA statewide Action Alert For Immediate Release: June 5, 1996 Contacts: Rob Banaszak, Communications Director rbanaszak@pflag.org Julie Gedden, Information Systems Manager jgedden@pflag.org 202-638-4200 Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Launches Web Site PFLAG is officially launching its area on the World Wide Web June 7, 1996. PFLAG's address on the Web is http://www.pflag.org. PFLAG's home page features a rainbow map of the United States that Web browsers can click on to receive complete chapter information for any state in the country as well as information about international affiliates. Other areas on the site include: * How PFLAG Works, a complete overview of the organization's mission, structure and leadership. * Join PFLAG, a description of benefits of membership as both a chapter member and an at-large national member. Included in this area is information on how to join PFLAG as a chapter or at-large member. * Press and Policy, the latest press releases issued by PFLAG; recent press clippings featuring PFLAG members or about PFLAG around the country; letters to the editor and op-eds written by PFLAG members and published in periodicals around the country; information about PFLAG's activities around current issues and events affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people and their family members and friends; and PFLAG's organizational policy statements. * PFLAG Spotlight, a monthly-updated highlight of the work and activities of a selected PFLAG chapter in the field, as well as information about timely local and national events like PFLAG's annual conference, PFLAG's Family to Family helpline, and more. * Project Open Mind, information and the latest updates on PFLAG's most ambitious public education campaign to date, as well as data and statistics on hate crimes and teen suicide, two often tragic results of hate speech targeted at lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans. * PFLAG Store, information about PFLAG support and education publications, as well as other PFLAG merchandise like pens, notepads, t-shirts and more. According to PFLAG Information Systems Manager Julie Gedden, the Web site was designed entirely in-house, with the help of some dedicated PFLAG volunteers. "Our Web site is the product of an excellent working partnership of staff and volunteer resources," said Gedden. PFLAG Executive Director Sandra Gillis said, "Our Web site is a powerful new communications tool for PFLAG. With the tremendous accessibility of the Web, PFLAG can reach more people than ever with our mission of support, education and advocacy. We can provide information to teens who may not be able to use their parents' phone to make a call. We can be a lifeline to those parents or family members of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered people who may have no initial place to turn for truthful information about their loved one and how family members and friends can create new and loving relationships with them. "With our new Web site we are also able to highlight the achievements and accomplishments of our grassroots network, making the site a valuable resource for PFLAG affiliates and members. Affiliates, members and the public worldwide will be able keep informed about PFLAG's activities throughout the country, and they will have a forum for suggestions and comments on how PFLAG can most effectively serve its membership and the community at large." Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian and bisexual persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure civil rights. PFLAG provides an opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. Serving more than 56,000 members, PFLAG affiliates are located in more than 390 communities across the United States, and in 11 other countries. ### ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- BANGLE Conference: Bay Area Network of Gay and Lesbian Educators will hold its annual conference October 26, 1996. Conference title: "United in Diversity," a west coast conference on GLBT issues in education. For more information, email , or snail POB 70554, Pt. Richmond CA 94807-0554. ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) will be coordinating the San Francisco Bay Area tour of the photo-text exhibit "Love Makes a Family" from June 5-November 30, 1996. For information on bringing this exhibit to a Bay Area location near you, contact Denise Connett at COLAGE, 415-861-5437. ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- CA AIDS education action alert from AIDS Project LA lobby office in Sacramento (926 J St, Suite 816, Sacramento CA 95814, phone 916-443-9055, fax -447-5302) : AB 2248 (Baldwin), which requires parents to turn in permission slips before any student receives AIDS, sex/family life or STD education, passed out of the Assembly on a 41-31 vote. However, in order to get AB 2248 passed, Baldwin had to promise to water down the bill in the Senate so that high school courses (grades 9-12) would be excluded from the bill. Thus, positive parental consent for this type of education would only apply to courses taught in junior high and elementary school grades. The bill now goes to the Senate Education committee, on which sits a strong ally, Senator Teresa Hughes (D-Los Angeles). However, language was also inserted in the Assembly budget which requires affirmative written parental consent before students can attend AIDS education in grades k-12 (unlike AB 2248, this language does not apply to sex/family life or veneral -STD- disease education. The budget now moves to Conference Committee to iron out the differences between the Senate and Assembly versions to arrive at a final budget. ACTION NEEDED: Send letters opposing the Assembly Budget language on AIDS education IMMEDIATELY to all the Conference Committee members listed below and to Senator Bill Lockyer, President Pro Tempore of the CA State Senate, . In addition, letters of opposition to AB 2248 should be submitted to the Senate Education committee AND ALL OTHER STATE SENATORS ASAP. Generic address for state legislators: Jane Doe, State _______ [Senate or Assembly] State Capitol Sacramento CA 95814 Conference Committee members: {AM= assembly member, SM= senate member} AM Ducheny (D- San Diego) AM Miller (R- Diamond Bar) no email address AM Poochigian (R-Fresno) no email address SM Kopp (I-San Francisco) SM Thompson (D-Napa Valley) SM Wright (R-Simi Valley) The composition of the conference committee is troubling because Senator Kopp, representing one of the senate's Democratic slot on ths committee, is the principal co-author of AB 2248 and strongly supports the idea of affirmative parental consent. His vote, along with the potential votes of the 3 Republicans, constitutes a majority supporting this Budget language, so that even if AB 2248 is defeated in the Senate Education committee, this policy could become law through the budet process. To find out legislative information such as members, committees, bill status, etc. go to URL: http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/access/guides/uguide.htm *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ OK TO RE-POST. Jessea Greenman The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) CHECK THIS OUT FOR TONS OF INFO - - http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/ Please cc us (for our files) on correspondence you send or receive re our action alerts. "There will be no satanic churches, no more free distribution of pornography, no more abortion on demand, no more talk of rights for homosexuals. When the Christian majority takes control, pluralism will be seen as evil and the state will not allow anybody the right to practice evil." -- Gary Potter, Catholics for Christian Political Action "As a straight, caucasian adoptive mother of two daughters of African ancestry, I'd much prefer to have RuPaul teaching my children in a classroom than any one of your hate-mongering ilk." said by one of our new subscribers to the religious political extremists in her area.