Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 07:08:01 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines 12.03.96 GLAADLINES contact: Don Romesburg (415) 861-2244 romesburg@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 3, 1996 News, Tips, and Breaking Stories about the Gay & Lesbian Community HAWAII COURT SAYS "I DO" TO GAY MARRIAGE: In the much-publicized Hawaii same-sex marriage case Baehr v. Miike, Circuit Court Judge Kevin Chang ruled today, December 3, that Hawaii could not deny marriage licenses to gay couples. Kirk Cashmere, an attorney for the three gay couples who sued the state, said the ruling means, "in a nutshell that the sex-based classification in the state's marriage law is unconstitutional." The court decision will likely be appealed to the State Supreme Court and stayed until a final judgment is made. For more information contact Peg Byron (Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund) at (212) 995-8585. CALIFORNIA LEGISLATOR BECOMES FIRST OPENLY GAY SPEAKER PRO TEM: On December 2, Fresno, California, Democrat Cruz Bustamante was elected as the first Latino speaker of the California Assembly. He then appointed Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) as the first-ever woman and openly gay speaker pro tem, the person who presides over the Assembly in Bustamante's absence. "This is an historic day, not only for myself but for every member of the chamber," Bustamante said after becoming the House's 61st speaker. "I'm extremely honored and very happy that the new speaker saw fit to name me not only the first openly gay or lesbian person to be speaker pro tem, but also the first woman ever to serve in that capacity," he added. For more information contact Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl (Assembly Speaker Pro Tem) at (916) 445-4956. DISNEY'S STRONG PROFITS SHOW FAILURE OF ANTI-GAY BOYCOTT: Flying in the face of fire and brimstone predictions by religious radical organizations after the Southern Baptist convention and other groups pledged to boycott The Walt Disney Company for extending domestic partnership benefits to lesbian and gay employees and producing several gay-themed movies, Disney is showing strong economic strength. During the fourth quarter, The Walt Disney Company's profits rose 27 percent to $858 million, citing strength in all three of its major divisions. "Apparently, the American public is not buying the bigoted boycott rhetoric of religious radicals," said GLAAD National Communications Director Alan Klein. "All people, including people of faith, are taking a stand against hate and rejecting attacks against lesbians and gay men," he added. For more information contact Alan Klein (GLAAD) at (212) 807-1700. BRANDON TEENA MURDERER SEEKS NEW TRIAL: Marvin Thomas Nissen, serving a life sentence for the 1993 shooting deaths of Brandon Teena, his girlfriend Lisa Lambert, and friend Phillip DeVine, will try to convince the State Supreme Court in Nebraska this week that he deserves a new trial due to errors made by police and the judge. One week prior to the murders, Teena, a transgender man (with a woman's body), had gone to police after Nissen and John Lotter allegedly raped him. The sheriff failed to arrest Lotter and Nissen for the rape until after the murder. Nissen's attorney, Peter Blakeslee, is expected to argue that the murder weapon found at his home should have been inadmissible and that Nissen was originally held on the sexual assault charge only as a pretext to hold him for the homicides. According to New York-based Anti-Violence Project (AVP) Community Organizer Maura Bairley, "Nissen's request for a new trial is outrageous. He committed sexual assault and was convicted of incredibly brutal murder clearly based in transphobia." For more information contact Maura Bairley (AVP) at (212) 807-6761. ALASKAN GAY YOUTH FIGHT FOR SCHOOL CLUB: Students at Dimond High School in Anchorage, Alaska formed a Gay/Straight Alliance on November 13, sparking controversy and debate within the Anchorage School Board and local media. Fred Hilman, a board member of the local Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, said that the club is "making schools safe for gay and lesbian students. Alaska, a state of pioneers, should be leading in this issue." Though local conservative talk radio is abuzz with vitriolic attacks on the club, the Anchorage Daily News published an editorial on November 27 supporting the club. The school board will discuss the issue at its December 9 meeting, to be held at 6:30 PM. For more information contact Mary DuHoux (the club's faculty advisor) at (907) 243-1141. GAY MEN OF AFRICAN DESCENT CELEBRATE TENTH ANNIVERSARY: On December 7, Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD) will hold a ceremony to honor ten years of support for the group, which focuses on advocacy, health, education and consciousness-raising for African-American gay men. In addition, the event will honor producer/director George C. Wolfe, author E. Lynn Harris, New York State Senator David Paterson, Dr. Billy Jones, Marjorie Hill, Ph.D. and Entrepreneur James Saunders for their contributions to the gay African American community. For more information contact Cary Alan Johnson (GMAD) at (212) 420-0773. To report events that merit media coverage, or news stories breaking in your area, please contact us. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is the nation's lesbian & gay news bureau and the only national lesbian & gay multimedia watchdog organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate, and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. To subscribe contact Don Romesburg at (415) 861-2244 or at romesburg@glaad.org. "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's DISPATCH AND QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay news bureau and the only national lesbian and gay multimedia watchdog organization. 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 registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.