Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 16:29:43 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: "FIND THE FACTS, KNOW THE TRUTH" GLAAD PROUDLY CELEBRATES LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER HISTORY MONTH MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Dilia Loe, Director of Programs phone: (404) 876-1398 pager: (800) 732-1838 e-mail: loe@glaad.org "FIND THE FACTS, KNOW THE TRUTH" GLAAD PROUDLY CELEBRATES LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER HISTORY MONTH NATIONAL LESBIAN & GAY MEDIA ADVOCACY GROUP TO HOST AND PARTICIPATE IN SPECIAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT OCTOBER NEW YORK, NY, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1998 - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced the theme of the fourth annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month: "Find the Facts, Know the Truth." Throughout the month, nationwide observances will honor lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender historical figures and events that have helped shape the modern world. "This year's theme - 'Find the Facts, Know the Truth' - speaks to the historical exclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from the record of human history," said GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry. "We hope that this year's History Month will empower people to explore the richness of our community's prominent legacy and the continuing contributions of its members." In January 1994, Rodney Wilson, a high school teacher in Missouri, appalled by the exclusion of lesbian and gay history from textbooks, set out to make a change. Wilson organized community leaders to educate the public about lesbians and gay men, past and present. They formed a national grassroots network to create a celebration and education campaign that continues today. October was chosen as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month to commemorate the anniversaries of the first two lesbian and gay marches on Washington, in October of 1979 and 1987. A partial list of events planned for this year's History Month celebration follows: … Friday, October 9, 1998, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm: In collaboration with the National Historical Society, GLAAD's Director of Community Relations Cathy Renna will moderate a panel entitled, "Pink Politics in the Nation's Capital: Looking Back, Moving Forward." Panelists include: Kathleen DeBold, deputy director, The Lesbian and Gay Victory Fund; Carl Schmid, vice-president, National Capital Area Log Cabin Club; Jeff Coudriet, vice-president, Gertrude Stein Democratic Club; John Burlison, legislative co-chair, Free State Justice. The event will be held at the Historical Society of Washington, DC (New Hampshire Ave., one block south of Dupont Circle). … Tuesday, October 13, 1998, 8:00 pm EST: Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) will be featured in a Virtual Town Meeting sponsored by GLAAD. Jennings will discuss his role as editor of the newly published Telling Tales Out of School, a collection of over 30 essays of people of all ages who share their experiences growing up gay, lesbian and bisexual in schools across the country; and as co-producer of Out of the Past, a documentary which traces the emergence of gay men and lesbians in American history. A former teacher himself, Jennings has edited two other books: One Teacher in Ten, featuring essays by lesbian, gay and bisexual teachers, and Becoming Visible, which chronicles the history of the lesbian and gay community. … Wednesday, October 21, 1998, 7:00 pm EST: Internationally renowned author and veteran activist Rita Mae Brown takes part in a GLAAD-sponsored Virtual Town Meeting in celebration of the 25th anniversary printing of her groundbreaking novel, Ruby Fruit Jungle. Brown, who has published numerous novels and was a longtime member of the lesbian activist group known as the Furies, will share her experiences as an author and an activist. Other events will take place nationally on college campuses, bookstores and libraries and on the Internet. For more information and schedule of events, please visit GLAAD Online at http://www.glaad.org/glaad/history-month . GLAAD has also linked its website to more than twenty lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender archives across the country in order to provide community members with access to research information and assistance in planning celebratory events. A quick-reference timeline of relevant historical events is also posted on the GLAAD website. 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-