Subject: GLAAD PRESS ADVISORY/AMMEND 2 (FYI)
From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 08:14:30 -0400

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
[email-masked], URL  http://www.gaytrek.com/gaytrek/glaad.html.