>From tempestj@aol.com Wed Jan 12 09:12:58 1994 >Date: Tue, 11 Jan 94 20:42:48 EST >From: tempestj@aol.com >To: stonewall25@queernet.org >Subject: FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions About Stonewall 25 January 11, 1994 What is Stonewall 25, how is it organized? Stonewall 25 (SW25) is the umbrella of events celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. SW25 is producing the International March on the United Nations for the Human Rights of Lesbian and Gay People, the Rally in Central Park, the Stonewall Candlelight March, the Global Calendar and other direct actions and lobbying efforts. There are numerous conferences taking place in New York in June of 1994, including ILGA, PFLAG, MCC, The National Leather Conference and more. In addition, the Gay Games will be happening in New York, and more than 15,00 athletes are expected. When is Stonewall 25? The March on the UN and Rally are on Sunday June 26, 1994, but SW25 related events are happening around the globe and in New York all during June and the beginning of July. See the Global calendar in the Appendix. How do I get more information about Stonewall 25? Call or write the SW25 office for calendars, SW25 history sheet, merchandise, contact sheets, March Demands and structure. Is it related to the Gay Games? The Games is a different organization, but SW25 and the Games are friendly with each other and are cooperating with each other. The Games run from June 18 to June 25, 1994. Is there a local SW25 committee? Check the contact sheet. Some local March on Washington Committees are continuing as SW25 Committees and most of the Pride committees are helping out. You can also contact the Steering Committee member near you. What committees exist and how can I contribute? The standing committees that exist are: March Logistics, Rally Logistics, Media, Merchandise, National and International Transportation, Hospitality, Fundraising, Outreach-US, Outreach- International, Direct Action and Housing. Contact the person identified on the contact sheet. What can I do to increase the visibility of SW25 at this year s Pride events? Contact your local Pride Committee. Ask to march as SW25, help your local Pride Committee sell SW25 merchandise and distribute flyers. Call the International Association of Lesbian/Gay Pride Coordinators for Pride groups in your area (see contact sheet). How can I get on a mailing list? (The question is how do you get off of one!) Let us know who you are. Send your name, address and phone number to SW25- Volunteer, 208 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011. How can I sponsor items or contribute money, goods, or services? What are you offering? Contact the Development Director listed on the contact sheet or write to Stonewall 25-Fundraising, 208 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011. I am in a band/wrote a song/designed a t-shirt - that I want used, How do I go about this? Send your idea in writing, with a resume/picture/tape, or sample to SW25-Rally (for talent) -Merchandise (merchandise ideas). I want more information about Stonewall history. While there is no definitive text on the subject, there is information in Stonewall by Martin Duberman, Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community produced by John Scagloti, Making History by Eric Marcus and Hidden from History: Reclaiming the Gay & Lesbian Past edited by Martin Duberman, Martha Vicinus and Georgr Chauncey, Jr. What groups are participating and how? The groups participating in Stonewall 25 include: Amnesty International Members for Lesbian/Gay Concerns, BiNet USA, Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, Forgotten Scouts, Gay Games IV, Gay/Lesbian Arab Society, Gay Male S/M Activists, Human Rights Campaign Fund, International Alliance of Courts, International Gay Bowling Organization, International Gay/Lesbian Archives, International Gay/Lesbian Human Right Commission, International Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Appointed & Elected Officials, Lesbian & Gay Bands of America, Log Cabin Clubs of America, National Black Gay & Lesbian Leadership Forum, National Coalition for Black Lesbians & Gays, National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, National Gay Officers Action League, Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, U.S. Student Association, Universal Fellowship of the Metropolitan Community Church, War Resisters League, and the World Congress of Gay/Lesbian Jewish Organizations. See our contact listing for more national and international organizations. The purpose of Stonewall 25 is to coordinate planning of the International March and accompanying Rally in New York and to support Stonewall 25 activities of other groups as a central communications link through the promotion of the Global Media Calendar. In its broadest sense, Stonewall 25 is a period of time centered on June 1994 when the Lesbian/Gay Movement around the world will commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969. In the United States, this is also the thirtieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The current Lesbian/Gay Rights Bill is an amendment to it that has languished in Congress since 1974. As an organizing tool, Stonewall 25 is an opportunity for many different groups to plan events and actions specific to the needs and interests of their local communities while joining with other groups to attract media attention to the overall strength and diversity of the broader Lesbian/Gay Community. On Sunday June 26, 1994, the International March on the United Nations for the Human Rights of Lesbian and Gay People in New York is expected to be the largest march for human rights ever. In addition, Gay Games IV, the annual conference of the International Lesbian & Gay Association (ILGA), and numerous other conferences and activities will take place in New York during June and July. What is the history of how Stonewall 25 has it been organized? Planning for Stonewall 25 began in October 1985 with a presentation at the International Association of Lesbian and Gay Pride Coordinators (IALGPC) Conference in Fort Lauderdale. Subsequent forums have taken place in Vancouver, British Columbia (October 1989) where IALGPC members voted to shift the dates of all other Pride Events in 1994 so as not to conflict with the International March on the United Nations in New York; at the ILGA Conference in Stockholm, Sweden (July 1990); and at the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) Creating Change conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota (October 1990). In February 1991, over fifty organizations sent representatives to a Stonewall 25 Planning Group held in New York. This meeting drafted a statement of purpose and elected an interim Administrative Committee to incorporate and set up a bank account and mail box, all of which was done. This group also prepared a series of formal proposals which were to be presented at the ILGA Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico (July 1991). That conference was changed to Acapulco when, at the last minute, the local homophobic government intervened. Subsequent meetings were then held at the NGLTF Conference in Alexandria, Virginia (November 1991); the ILGA conference in Paris, France (July 1992) at which the International Demands were approved; the NGLTF Conference in Los Angeles, California (November 1992), Dallas, Texas (January 1993) at which the structure for SW25 was determined and an Interim Steering Committee and co-chairs were established; and Washington DC (April 1993), at which the co-chairs were confirmed. National Steering Committee meetings: Milwaukee, Wisconsin July 31- August 1, 1993 Boise, Idaho October 22-24, 1993 Atlanta, Georgia January 14-17, 1994 New York, New York March 18-20, 1994 What are some of the Stonewall 25 committees? There are many groups working on SW25. Those include, but are not limited to, the members of IALGPC and a number of the Local March on Washington Committees. In addition, SW25 is broken down into regions to allow a grass-roots level entry to the SW25 planning. There is an importance in organizing in a manner that stresses initiative while expressing our commitment to including the full range of the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered Community.