Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 11:13:25 +0100
From: glaad@glaad.org (GLAAD)
Subject: GLAAD CRITICAL OF NEWSPAPER'S DISCRIMINATION AGAINST GAY EDITOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:        William Waybourn
                     (202) 986-1360


GLAAD CRITICAL OF NEWSPAPER'S DISCRIMINATION AGAINST GAY EDITOR

NEW YORK, NY -- January 31, 1996 -- The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD)  questions the transfer of Todd Camp, the openly gay
graphics editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's children's section. Camp
was removed from his original post after Debbie Price, the paper's
Executive Editor, received a letter from a writer for the Fort Worth
chapter of the American Family Association (AFA).

"This is a shocking example of discrimination," said William Waybourn, GLAAD's
Managing Director, "Camp's work for a gay community newspaper (the Texas
Triangle) has no bearing on his competency as an editor at the
Star-Telegram.  The American
Family Association should not be positioning itself as a job counselor."

Waybourn continued, "The professional capacity of an employee is not
determined by his or her sexual orientation.  Job performance should be
based solely on job related criteria." Waybourn also stated, "This transfer
shows the crucial need for workplace protections for lesbians and gay men,
especially since Texas is one of those states where lesbians and gay men
can be fired without recourse."

The American Family Association has been campaigning to drive the Texas
Triangle out of business.  In December, they threatened advertisers of the
weekly paper with dissemination of their names to local preachers and
broadcasting their names on a local radio station advocating a boycott.

The Star-Telegram has actually been praised by local gay organizations in
the past for offering domestic partnership benefits to same gender
employees and for being one of the leading papers in Texas to support gay
rights.  "It saddens us to hear that a paper, like the Star-Telegram, which
has had a good track record with the gay community,  has buckled to the
pressure of the Radical Right," said Chuck Donaldson, Interim Chair of the
GLAAD's Dallas chapter, "By caving in to the AFA, the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram has opened a Pandora's Box to future transfers and/or
firings. If you don't think this will affect the rights of reporters to
cover stories on the AFA and other extreme right organizations, then think
again."

GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive
representation of individuals and events in the media as a means of
challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.

GLAAD encourages its members to write the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

Debbie Price, Executive Editor
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
P. O. Box 1870
Fort Worth, TX, 76101
Phone (817) 390-7400, Fax (817) 390-7789
E-mail   harral@onramp.net

##

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Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
glaad@glaad.org
http://www.glaad.org

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, GLAAD, is a national
organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of
individuals and events in the media as a means of combatting homophobia and
all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.
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