Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 17:29:20 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: A letter to the community from Chastity Bono Dear GLAAD Members and Supporters, On April 30, television history will be made. Ellen Morgan, the title character on ABC's sitcom "Ellen," will be coming out as a lesbian. As an organization committed to fair, accurate and inclusive media representation, GLAAD understands the power of ABC's brave decision to have Ellen Morgan come out of the closet. Coming out is the single most important step we can take as gay men and lesbians, both personally and politically. While this process may seem frightening or overwhelming, the benefits of living openly and honestly are limitless. Although 28 gay and lesbian characters appear on television today, Ellen Morgan's coming out marks the first time that the lead character of a television show is openly gay or lesbian. In celebration of this historic event, GLAAD is encouraging gay and lesbian people throughout the country to use April 30th and the days that follow to take Ellen's brave lead and begin or continue their own coming out process. GLAAD will also be hosting "Come Out With Ellen" parties in major cities nationwide. Events are already planned in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC, San Francisco and Kansas City, Missouri. Other parties are being planned in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and San Diego. If you are not in any of these cities, you can still join in the celebration by hosting your own "Come Out With Ellen" house party with friends and family members. In fact, we have developed a "Come Out With Ellen" kit that will show you how to put a house party together for 5 to 15 guests. We will send you invitations, tips on throwing a house party, GLAAD membership brochures, Images, Dispatch, a poster of Ellen and other fun items. We appreciate your support by throwing a "Come Out With Ellen" house party to benefit GLAAD. So, let your friends know and encourage others to host house parties as well. For a "Come Out With Ellen" kit, call us at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or e-mail us at glaad@glaad.org with your name, address, phone number and interest to host a party. You will receive your kit by April 14, 1997. But act quickly, as supplies are limited. Visit GLAAD Online (http://www.glaad.org), the home of the OFFICIAL "Come Out With Ellen" Web page, for more information about GLAAD's nationwide celebration of Ellen Morgan's coming out, or call us at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA. Remember, if Ellen Morgan can come out to the world...you can come out to your family, friends and co-workers. Help make April 30 more than just another night in front of the T.V. Come out with Ellen...you'll be GLAAD you did! Sincerely, Chastity Bono Entertainment Media Director GLAAD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 the nation's lesbian and gay news bureau and the only national lesbian and gay multimedia watchdog organization. GLAAD 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. Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 16:03:16 -0400 From: glaad@glaad.org (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation--GLAAD) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA RELEASE Contact: Alan Klein (212)807-1700 Email: klein@glaad.org EXCLUSIVE ELLEN MEMORABILIA, GIVE-AWAYS & GIFTS AT OFFICIAL "COME OUT WITH ELLEN" PARTIES GLAAD HOLDS NATIONAL CELEBRATION ON APRIL 30TH TO COMMEMORATE HISTORIC TV BROADCAST LOS ANGELES, APRIL 15, 1997-The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today that exclusive celebrity memorabilia from the historic Ellen "coming out" episode will be featured at GLAAD's official "Come Out With Ellen" parties nationwide. GLAAD "Come Out With Ellen" fundraising events will take place in Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, San Diego and Kansas City on April 30th at 7:00 PM for the ABC telecast of Ellen (ABC-TV, 9:00 PM). The media watchdog organization has also organized more than 1,500 GLAAD "Come Out With Ellen" home viewing parties in all 50 states and 5 countries. Autographed "coming out" episode scripts, used by the cast of Ellen, and signed cast photos, posters, sweatshirts and tee shirts will be raffled at "Come Out With Ellen" fundraising events. Also up for grabs are a pair of American Airline tickets good for travel anywhere in the continental US, Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean. GLAAD's "Come Out With Ellen" parties-sponsored by The Advocate and Absolut-celebrate a turning point in American television. Ellen is the nation's first television program to feature a lesbian lead character. Ellen DeGeneres, the show's star, announced she is a lesbian in the April 14, 1997 issue of Time magazine. The GLAAD "Come Out With Ellen" event in Los Angeles takes place at Love Lounge located at 657 North Robertson Blvd. in West Hollywood. Cast members including Patrick Bristow and David Higgins will join GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Chastity Bono at the LA event. Advance tickets are available by calling (213) 658-6775. The New York event will be held at Irving Plaza, located at Irving Place and East 15th Street. Call (212) 807-1700 for tickets. In Washington DC, the event takes place at Trumpets Drama Lounge at 1603 17th Street NW. Tickets can be purchased by calling (202) 986-1360. The San Francisco event is at Club Touche, located at 300 De Haro Street, Potrero Hill. Call (415) 861-2244 for tickets. The "Come Out With Ellen" party in Kansas City takes place at Cabaret at 5024 Main, and in San Diego at the Flame at 3780 Park Boulevard. Call GLAAD at 1-(800) GAY-MEDIA for ticket prices or visit GLAAD Online at www.glaad.org for more information about GLAAD "Come Out With Ellen" parties nationwide. GLAAD's "Come Out With Ellen" campaign is the culmination of eight months of successful lobbying to "Let Ellen Out." Last month, GLAAD launched the official "Come Out With Ellen" World Wide Web site (www.glaad.org) which provides information on throwing Ellen house parties, online Ellen resources and critical coming out information. GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay news bureau and the only national lesbian and gay multimedia watchdog organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. -30- Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 15:44:26 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAAD'S "COME OUT WITH ELLEN" HOUSE PARTIES A HIT COAST-TO-COAST NATIONWIDE "COME OUT WITH ELLEN" PARTIES CELEBRATE TV HISTORY MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jamie Simmons (212) 807-1700 Email: horn@glaad.org GLAAD'S "COME OUT WITH ELLEN" HOUSE PARTIES A HIT COAST-TO-COAST NATIONWIDE "COME OUT WITH ELLEN" PARTIES CELEBRATE TV HISTORY NEW YORK, NY, APRIL 23, 1997- The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced that on Wednesday, April 30, more than 1,500 Ellen fans across the nation will host "Come Out With Ellen" House Parties. GLAAD "Come Out With Ellen" House Party Kits were provided to households nationwide, and as far away as Australia and Finland. Ellen fans will celebrate the historic "coming out" episode set to air on ABC in one week. As the culmination of GLAAD's highly successful eight month "Let Ellen Out" campaign, the house parties will celebrate this groundbreaking broadcast. On April 30, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and their friends and families, will be gathering together in locations as diverse as New York City and Great Falls, Montana, San Francisco and Ward, Alaska, to watch Ellen Morgan slam her closet door shut. According to Chastity Bono, GLAAD Entertainment Media Director, "This episode marks a historic turning point in television history, and we hope that lesbian and gay fans of the show will turn out with GLAAD to come out with Ellen." "GLAAD's 'Come Out With Ellen' House Parties will be an opportunity for the gay and lesbian community nationwide to come together and celebrate Ellen Morgan and Ellen DeGeneres' courageous decision to leave her closet behind," added Ms. Bono. "GLAAD hopes that lesbian and gay fans of the show will come out with GLAAD to come out with Ellen." Last month GLAAD launched the official "Come Out With Ellen" World Wide Web site (located at www.glaad.org). GLAAD also announced its "Come Out With Ellen" House Parties and its six "Official Come Out With Ellen" fundraising events to be held in New York, Los Angeles, Kansas City, San Francisco, Washington DC and San Diego. Also, GLAAD and Birmingham Pride Alabama will present a "Welcome Out Ellen Party" in Birmingham, Alabama, following the local ABC affiliate's refusal to air the April 30 episode. For more information on fundraising events, the Birmingham event or on covering a house party in your area, please call (800) GAY-MEDIA. GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay news bureau and the only national lesbian and gay multimedia watchdog organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation 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 the nation's lesbian and gay news bureau and the only national lesbian and gay multimedia watchdog organization. GLAAD 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.