Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 17:53:30 -0700 From: GLAAD Subject: GLAADLines 01.21.97 GLAADLINES contact: Don Romesburg (415) 861-2244 romesburg@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 1997 News, Tips and Breaking Stories about the Gay & Lesbian Community PRODIGY'S "WAFFLEGATE" COOKS ABC ON ELLEN: Users of the online service provider Prodigy's gay and lesbian bulletin board have recently launched a campaign to protest ABC's indecision on letting television's Ellen out of the closet. Angered by ABC's "waffling" on the issue, Prodigy users are urging people to send ABC "coupons for waffle mix, or coupons for pancake restaurant meals, or pictures of waffles, or packets of waffle mix, or, best of all, recipes for homemade waffles" in addition to letters supporting Ellen's coming out, both by snail mail and by email. Prodigy gay and lesbian bulletin board member representative Laurie Pollack said that this "will demonstrate to ABC, in a harmless way, the annoying fact of their stalling on the Ellen situation. Since ABC is determined to 'waffle' on this issue, it appears that they need help in preparing this dish." For more information contact Laurie Pollack via e-mail at QMVD36D@prodigy.com. HAWAIIAN CATHOLICS CLASH IN GAY MARRIAGE PROTEST: Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo of Honolulu and Dignity Hawai'i, a gay Catholic organization, will find themselves at odds during a January 24 demonstration and counterdemonstration at 4 p.m. at the State Capital to protest the issue of same-sex marriage. On January 10, Bishop DiLorenzo issued a statement read last Sunday in churches around the state that called for a rally "in favor of marriage and against same-sex marriage," stating that the Catholic Church "does not want [our] schools to be forced to teach 'same-sex marriage' as the equivalent of real marriage. For the good of our children, we must stand up for true marriage." According to Carolyn Gulley of Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Oahu, "After being brought up Catholic, I am ashamed and appalled that the bishop would go to such extremes to be such a bigot." For more information contact Dignity at (808) 536-5536. SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ATTACKED NATIONWIDE: In addition to the 16 states that have already banned same-sex marriage, Mississippi, Nebraska, Minnesota, Arkansas and Washington are part of the next wave of attacks on the rights of gay couples. The Mississippi Senate unanimously voted on January 10 to define marriage as between one man and one woman and to not recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. In Nebraska's legislature, 29 of a total 49 senators have co-sponsored an anti-same-sex marriage bill introduced January 13. In Minnesota, leaders of both parties favor enacting a state law to prohibit gay and lesbian marriages, even though another one is already on the books. In Arkansas, activists are pushing for an amendment to the current anti-gay marriage bill that would insure civil rights protection for lesbians and gay men. And outgoing Washington State governor, Mike Lowry, is sponsoring legislation to authorize same-sex marriages, while majority Republicans intend to pass their own ban of gay and lesbian unions. For more information contact Peg Byron (LLDEF Public Education Director) at (212) 995-8585 or the Freedom to Marry web site at http://www.ftm.org. PEOPLE OF FAITH OPPOSE GAY PRESBYTERIAN CRACKDOWN: On January 14, delegates from 72 San Francisco Bay Area churches voted to oppose a nationwide attack in the church's constitution on lesbian and gay ministers, deacons and elders in the Presbyterian Church USA. The proposed constitutional amendment, adopted during a national convention last June, limits ordination to those who maintain "fidelity in the covenant of marriage of a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness." The amendment must be approved by a majority of the 171 regional presbyteries, and as of last week, only 15 had voted-eight for and seven (including the Bay Area) against. "As a gay man, it directly affects my participation in a congregation I have been a member of for years," said Richard Sprout, an openly gay elder at Montclair Presbyterian Church in Oakland. For more information contact Richard Sprout (Montclair Presbyterian Church) at (510) 339-1131. CHASTITY BONO HOSTS VIRTUAL TOWN MEETING ON COMPUSERVE: Chastity Bono, GLAAD Entertainment Media Director, hosts another in a series of GLAAD Virtual Town Meetings on Pride! on CompuServe. Bono will lead a discussion about lesbian and gay images in Hollywood and throughout the media and will interact live with audience members from around the world. Recently, Bono hosted a forum on America Online's onQ. GLAAD will host additional global Virtual Town Meetings throughout the year. Bono will appear on CompuServe's Pride! (GO: PRIDE) Wednesday, January 22, at 7 p.m. Pacific. For more information contact Loren Javier (GLAAD Interactive Media Director) at (213) 658-6775 or e-mail javier@glaad.org. 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.