Date: Fri, 19 Jul 1996 17:37:06 -0700
From: glaad@glaad.org (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)
Subject: GAY AND LESBIAN MEDIA CENTER OPENS AT OLYMPICS

MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Alan Klein (212) 807-1700
Pager:  (800) 601-5483 (please include area code)
Email:  klein@glaad.org
Cathy Renna, GLAAD Media Resource Center Atlanta (404) 892-7752


GAY AND LESBIAN MEDIA CENTER OPENS AT OLYMPICS
INTERNATIONAL PRESS CORPS TO COVER
 GAY AND LESBIAN ISSUES AND EVENTS

ATLANTA, GA, JULY 19, 1996- For the first time in Olympic history gays and
lesbians have a place at the Games.  The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) has established a Media Resource Center at the
first-ever Gay and Lesbian Visitor's Center in midtown Atlanta, at 1374
West Peachtree Street (at 17th St., two blocks from the Arts Center MARTA
Station) which will operate throughout the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

GLAAD's Media Resource Center will help media professionals from around the
globe cover breaking gay and lesbian Olympic stories, offering electronic
and print media outlets features and profiles. The Center will provide
computers, telephone and fax facilities for working press.  Georgia is the
setting of many controversial anti-gay legislative initiatives such as the
so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the infamous Cobb County
Resolution, and is the home of anti-gay Speaker of the House, Newt
Gingrich.

"Atlanta, 'the city too busy to hate,' is busy welcoming gays and lesbians
to the Games for the first time in Olympic history," said Cathy Renna, a
GLAAD spokesperson.  "GLAAD's Media Resource Center has broken new ground
and we hope it will come to symbolize the spirit of togetherness the
Olympics inspires."

The GLAAD Media Resource Center will focus attention on events organized by
Atlanta's gay and lesbian community. July 23 marks the 3rd anniversary of
the passage of Cobb County's anti-gay resolution, which drew national
attention to the suburban Atlanta community.  The resolution, which
condemned homosexuality as "incompatible with community standards,"
galvanized the gay and lesbian community prompting the Atlanta Committee
for the Olympic Games to relocate all Olympic events slated to occur in
Cobb County.

Thousands of Olympic visitors will see a giant billboard with a stark
message: "WARNING:  COBB COUNTY'S ANTI-GAY RESOLUTION DENIES RIGHTS AND
DIVIDES FAMILIES." The billboard, located on Route 75 South between exits
113 and 114, is sponsored by the Cobb Citizens Coalition and the Georgia
Equality Project.

GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay news bureau and the only national
lesbian and gay media watchdog organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate,
and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based
on sexual orientation or identity.

-30-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
glaad@glaad.org
VISIT THE GLAAD WEB SITE AT http://www.glaad.org!

GLAAD 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 trademarks of
the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.