Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 18:10:15 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAAD LINKS JOURNALISTS AND INTERNET COMMUNITY WITH PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZATIONS RESPONDING TO TRENT LOTT'S DISPARAGING AND HOMOPHOBIC REMARKS MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Jennifer Einhorn GLAAD Director of Communications phone: (212) 807-1700 x14 e-mail: einhorn@glaad.org GLAAD LINKS JOURNALISTS AND INTERNET COMMUNITY WITH PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZATIONS RESPONDING TO TRENT LOTT'S DISPARAGING AND HOMOPHOBIC REMARKS NATION'S LESBIAN AND GAY MEDIA ADVOCACY GROUP COMPILES STATEMENTS FROM LEADING CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS NEW YORK, NY, THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1998--On Monday, June 15, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott told The Armstrong Williams Show that "he believes homosexuality is a sin," and that "You should try to show them a way to deal with that problem, just like alcohol...or sex addiction...or kleptomaniacs." The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) fielded responses from twenty-five leading lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and progressive community organizations. The statements can be viewed at GLAAD Online, located at: http://www.glaad.org. Jennifer Einhorn, GLAAD Director of Communications said, "As a media resource, GLAAD wanted to provide journalists, activists and the Internet community with quick, easy and comprehensive access to diverse and prominent spokespeople." GLAAD Director of Community Relations Cathy Renna added, "We cannot underestimate the profound impact of bringing together--on one page--voices leading the struggle for equality on all fronts, and for all Americans. When so many of our unique voices speak collectively, it demonstrates just how powerful and determined our vision truly is." In addition to a statement from GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry on Senator Lott's comments, the site also features quotes given by representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Lesbian & Gay Rights Project; the Bisexual Network of the United States of America (BiNet USA); Children Of Lesbians And Gays Everywhere (COLAGE); Congregation Beth Simchat Torah; Dignity/USA; Empire State Pride Agenda; the International Foundation for Gender Education; GenderPAC; Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD); Gay and Lesbian Parents Coalition International (GLPCI); The Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN); Gay Officers' Action League (GOAL); The Human Rights Campaign (HRC); It's Time, America!; Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund; the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center; Log Cabin Republicans; the National Center for Lesbian Rights; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF); National Organization for Women (NOW); National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC); The New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project; Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); People for the American Way; Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL); and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC). GLAAD has provided users with links to available websites for the aforementioned organizations. GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay media advocacy organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of combating homophobia and all forms of 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.