Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 16:22:24 -0700 From: GLAAD Subject: GLAADLines 01.27.97 GLAADLINES contact: Don Romesburg (415) 861-2244 romesburg@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 1997 News, Tips and Breaking Stories about the Gay & Lesbian Community ELLEN IS BACK ON THE AIR!: Contrary to its original decision, ABC will not place the Ellen show on hiatus. According to Jill Lassard, ABC's spokesperson for Ellen, "The show has done quite well in its new timeslot and we'd rather not take it off the air." While the new Arsenio Hall show will still temporarily take Ellen's 9:30 Wednesday time slot beginning March 5, Ellen will be moved to Tuesdays at 8:30, March 4-April 23. A source at Disney indicated that GLAAD's campaign to keep the show on the air brought in a deluge of positive mail from viewers. "GLAAD would like ABC to finally end the speculation about whether an Ellen coming out episode will air," said Chastity Bono, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Director. "The public has waited patiently but now our patience is waning." For more information contact Alan Klein (GLAAD) at (212) 807-1700, ext. 11 or e-mail klein@glaad.org. GAY YOUTH BASHING CONTROVERSY HEATS UP: Following a history making award of nearly 1 million dollars in damages against a Wisconsin school district for failing to protect a gay student from anti-gay attacks, Arkansas schools now face a similar situation after two incidents in that state. According to the December 6 edition of the Northwest Arkansas Times, 16-year-old William Wagner of Fayetteville High School was beaten by several teenagers who shouted, "This is what you deserve, you faggot." While he had been repeatedly harassed since junior high, neither teachers nor the took action. At Woodland Junior High School, the 12-year-old daughter of a lesbian mother was tripped, kicked and spit upon. The principal, Evelyn Marbury, claims to have been unaware of any incidents, but said, "Harassment is rarely a one-sided occurrence." Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) have begun a campaign to protect youth from harassment and attacks on the basis of sexual orientation. According to Esther Gordon of PFLAG-Little Rock, "We have to express our outrage and put a stop to this behavior." She added that once the administrators learned of the recent Nabonzy case in Wisconsin, they began to take the issue more seriously. Carolyn Wagner, William's mother, is planning to go to state capitol on January 30 to lobby for greater protections for gay and lesbian youth. For more information contact Esther Gordon (PFLAG-Little Rock) at (501) 568-4063. HAWAII RELIGIOUS LEADERS SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE: In the face of a Hawaii State House bill seeking a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman, the Hawaii Council of Churches has come out in support of legal same-sex marriage. In "An Interfaith Perspective on Same Gender Marriage," representatives from nearly twenty religious organizations note that in a variety of different religious traditions, the embracing of diversity, protection of people from discrimination and ensuring of civil liberties are central to a whole spiritual life. "The issue of determining the legitimate civil rights of same-gender couples is distinguishable from the question of whether same-gender marriage is acceptable within the moral traditions of particular religious communities," it reads. "The undersigned oppose any constitutional amendment of other statute concerning same-gender marriage which would offend the Bill of Rights or impose one religious vision of the spiritual and moral significance of marriage on everyone." For more information contact Rev. Donna Faith Eldredge (Hawai'i Council of Churches) at (808) 538-0068 or e-mail hichurchh@i-one.com. AIRLINES TEST DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP LAW: United Airlines has become the first test of a new law requiring businesses contracting with the City of San Francisco to provide health and other benefits to employees' domestic partners. Supervisor Tom Ammiano, one of the sponsors of the law, said, "It is my hope that United will see the light and move forward." Additionally, employees at American Airlines have filed a Human Rights Commission complaint for potential violations of city ordinances protecting people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or HIV-status. If American and the employees fail to settle and the Human Rights Commission finds the airline at fault, the new law could also affect American's contract with the San Francisco International Airport. For more information contact Tom Ammiano (S.F. Board of Supervisors) at (415) 554-5144. GAY SPIRITUAL EVENT CONVERGES IN NEW YORK: Inside Out '97, the First Annual Conference and Celebration of Spiritual Paths in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Transgender and Queer Community, will be held in New York January 31 and February 1. According to conference organizer Eva Yaa Asantewaa, "Inside Out will provide a safe space for people from diverse traditions to connect and share visions for community as we approach the 21st Century." For more information contact Eva Yaa Asantewaa (Inside Out) at (212) 505-0426 or e-mail 104245.2204@compuserve.com. 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.