From: GLAADSFBA@aol.com Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 08:14:30 -0400 Subject: GLAAD PRESS ADVISORY/AMMEND 2 (FYI) For Immediate Release: October 6, 1995 Contact: Al Kielwasser Kristy Billuni 415-861-2244 Media Advisory *** Media Advisory *** Media Advisory *** Media Advisory AMENDMENT TWO GOES TO THE SUPREME COURT GLAAD/SFBA Advisory to the Mainstream Press on Fair and Responsible Coverage of Historic Civil Rights Case ******************************************************** San Francisco/Washington, DC - In a hearing beginning Oct. 10 the U.S. Supreme Court will determine the constitutionality of "Amendment 2," a Colorado measure that would effectively deny civil rights and equal protection under the law for lesbian, gay, and bisexual citizens. Whatever the outcome of the case, it is clear that homophobic organizations intend to seize this opportunity to further their campaign of misinformation about homosexuality. If the nation's news media provide an unchallenged forum for that misinformation, these bigots will have achieved a victory even if Amendment 2 is declared unconstitutional. The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD/SFBA) calls upon responsible members of the press, as they report on this historic trial, to challenge the dubious claims of bigots, investigate the credentials of "expert" witnesses, and expose the deceptive and misleading rhetoric used to promote Amendment 2. To assist the press in covering one of the most important civil rights cases in U.S. history, GLAAD/SFBA offers the following guidelines (each is explained in more detail in a following section): 1. Members of the press are advised to exercise great caution when referring to "special protection" and "special rights" for lesbian, gay and bisexual persons; the phrase "special rights" was invented by bigots to promote legislation that, in fact, denies equal rights to any group that these bigots despise. Simply, there are no such things as "special rights" for lesbians, gays or bisexuals. 2. Members of the press are advised to skeptically evaluate the homophobic claims of "moral" and "scientific" experts who will be cited in this case, or who will use this opprtunity to appear on television and radio talk shows or make themselves available as sources for print journalists. 3. Members of the press are advised to investigate and challenge the dubious -- and particularly insidious -- claim that lesbian, gay, and bisexual people are not a legitimate minority deserving of protection and that civil rights for lesbians and gays infringe upon the civil rights of people of color and other minorities; we strongly encourage the press to seek out, interview and extensively quote lesbian, gay and bisexual people of color on this issue and other issues related to the case. 4. We call upon the press to accurately and fairly report upon the broad and diverse opposition to Amendment 2. ________________________________________________________ ******** Detailed Media Advisory Points ******** 1. Members of the press are advised to exercise great caution in referring to "special protections" and "special rights" for lesbian, gay and bisexual persons. The phrase "special rights" was invented by bigots to promote hate legislation that, in fact, denies equal rights to any group that these bigots despise. Simply, there are no such things as "special rights" for lesbians, gays or bisexuals. In reality, Amendment 2 would effectively prohibit lesbians, gays and bisexuals from claiming any rights regarding employment, education, housing or status. Amendment 2 forbids the passage of laws that would protect the civil rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual citizens. The actual text of Amendment 2 demands that: "Neither the State of Colorado, through any of its branches or departments, nor any of its agencies, political subdivisions, municipalities or school districts, shall enact or enforce any statute, regulation, ordinance or policy whereby homosexual, lesbian, or bi-sexual orientation, conduct, practices or relationships shall constitute or otherwise be the basis of or entitle any person or class of persons to have or claim any minority status, quota preferences, protected status, or claim of discrimination." This amendment clearly denies equal rights to lesbians, gays and bisexuals. The Colorado Supreme Court found Amendment 2 unconstitutional precisely because it deprives one group of the rights enjoyed by others. GLAAD/SFBA calls upon the press to challenge any source that refers to "special rights" to provide concrete examples of such "rights." Those who refer to "special rights" must demonstrate how those "rights" might even remotely be considered "special" rather than "equal." It is the responsibility of an objective news media to point out that Amendment 2 is an attempt to prevent a group of people from having any rights under the pretense of denying them "special privileges." 2. Members of the press are advised to skeptically evaluate the homophobic claims of "moral" and "scientific" experts who will be cited in this case. "Colorado for Family Values," "Focus on the Family," and other hate groups intend to use this case to further their own propaganda goals, regardless of the ultimate outcome of the case itself. For example, during the State Supreme Court's appeal hearing in Denver (in 1993), "expert" witness Paul Cameron was called to testify. Dr. Cameron has made a career of disseminating false and misleading information about the nature of human sexual orientation. Members of the press should be aware that, in 1993, Dr. Cameron was dropped from membership in the American Psychological Association (APA) for "a violation to the Preamble to the Ethical Principles of Psychologists." In 1984, the Nebraska Psychological Association (NPA) adopted a resolution stating that it "formally disassociates itself from the representations and interpretations of scientific literature offered by Dr. Paul Cameron in his writings and public statements on sexuality." In 1985, the American Sociological Association (ASA) adopted a resolution stating that Dr. Cameron "has consistently misinterpreted and misrepresented sociological research on sexuality, homosexuality, and lesbianism" and "repeatedly campaigned for the abrogation of the civil rights of lesbians and gay men, substantiating his call on the basis of his distorted interpretation of this research." In 1986, the ASA officially condemned Cameron's "consistent misrepresentation of sociological research." In addition to defrauding the public and his peers, Cameron has previously lied to the courts. In his written opinion in Baker v. Wade, Judge Buchmeyer of the U.S. District Court of Dallas referred to Cameron's sworn statement that "homosexuals abuse children at a proportionately greater incident than do heterosexuals," and concluded that Cameron "made misrepresentations to this Court" and that "there has been no fraud or misrepresentations except by Dr. Cameron." In short, Dr. Paul Cameron is not an expert on homosexuality. His aim is not to illuminate the truth, but to promote mindless bigotry. No responsible broadcaster or publisher would invite someone who presents such misinformation and hateful lies to speak as an authority on issues of concern to lesbians, gays or bisexuals (just as no responsible journalist would invite a leader of the Ku Klux Klan to speak as an "expert witness" or "authority" on issues of concern to African Americans and other people of color). Members of the press are cautioned that other "expert" witnesses in this case will possess the same dubious credentials as Paul Cameron. Indeed, he is just one example of this abuse of the judicial process. In many instances, these "experts" are actually hate mongers who have been discredited by the very professions that claim to represent encourage the press to seek out, interview and extensively quote lesbian, gay, and bisexual people of color on this issue and other issues related to the case. 3. Members of the press are advised to investigate and challenge the dubious claim that lesbian, gay and bisexual people are not a legitimate minority deserving of protection and that civil rights for lesbians and gays infringe upon the civil rights of people of color. We strongly encourage the press to seek out, interview, and extensively quote lesbian, gay and bisexual people of color on this issue and others issues related to the case. The claim that lesbians, gays and bisexuals are not a "legitimate minority" is one of many patently absurd claims. Lesbians, gays and bisexuals are indeed a minority in need of protection. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, "homosexuals are probably the most frequent victims" of hate crime. In a review of twenty surveys conducted across the United States, the National Gay & Lesbians Task Force has found pervasive patterns of discrimination against lesbians and gays involving employment, housing, public accommodations, health care, credit, parenting, police, insurance and education. In one survey, one out of every four employers said they would "not promote" someone they thought to be lesbian or gay. Because of homophobia and the intense discrimination they experience, lesbian, gay and bisexual youth may be at an especially high risk for suicide, drug abuse, and homelessness. Because the news media, politicians, and other public figures have tended to ignore or downplay the significance of anti-gay and anti-lesbian discrimination, many people still operate under the false assumption that lesbians and gays to do not experience the same hatred that fuels racist and anti-Semitic violence in the United States. Homophobic violence is a serious problem and a national disgrace. In previous trials, Colorado Attorney General Gale Norton claimed that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was created only to protect (presumably heterosexual) African Americans and that "gay rights" compromised the civil rights of "legitimate minorities." The claim that civil rights for lesbians and gays infringe upon the rights of "legitimate" minorities is, itself, a patently racist claim. Those who attempt to pit lesbians and gays against other minorities utterly defame the lesbian, gay and bisexual people of color who - as victims of homophobia and racism - understand most intimately the need to defend the civil rights of all minorities and to bring all oppressed groups under the protection of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The issue at hand is whether or not our government is dedicated to providing civil rights for everybody and defending "liberty and justice for all." 4. We call upon the press to accurately and fairly report upon the broad and diverse opposition to Amendment 2. The hatred, bigotry, and misinformation that propelled Amendment 2 garnered widespread condemnation from a diverse range of individuals and organizations. Hundreds of organizations across the United States have condemned this Amendment. Among those who have filed "friends of the court" briefs against it are: American Bar Association National Bar Association Common Cause People for the American Way Colorado Bar Association Connecticut Bar Association Delaware Bar Association Kansas Bar Association Illinois Bar Association Maine State Bar Association Massachusetts Bar Association Minnesota State Bar Association State Bar of Montana New Jersey Bar Association Oregon State Bar Association Vermont Bar Association Wisconsin Bar Association New York County Lawyers Association Florida Association of Women Lawyers New Mexico Women's Bar Association American Association of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFL-CIO) National Education Association Colorado Education Association American Federation of Teachers (AFL-CIO) American Association of University Professors Anti-Defamation League American Friends Service Committee Unitarian Universalist Association United Church of Christ, Office for Church in Society United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism American Psychological Association American Psychiatric Association National Association of Social Workers Asian American Legal Defense Fund Japanese American Citizens League NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund # # # end # # # Founded in 1988, the SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CHAPTER of GLAAD is a non-profit [501(c)(3)] organization, volunteer-based, membership organization dedicated to cultural advocacy and media activism. GLAAD/SFBA promotes the fair, accurate and diverse representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lives. Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94103, tel. 415-861-2244, fax 415-861-4893, e-mail glaadsfba@aol.com, URL http://www.gaytrek.com/gaytrek/glaad.html.