Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 09:30:29 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines 02.10.97 GLAADLINES contact: Don Romesburg (415) 861-2244 romesburg@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 10, 1997 News, Tips and Breaking Stories about the Gay & Lesbian Community MASS SAME-SEX WEDDING CELEBRATES VALENTINE'S DAY: Nearly 150 same-sex couples and 5,000 friends and family will join together on Valentine's Day weekend in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for a mass commitment ceremony on February 15. In the wake of state and federal legislation aimed at curbing same-sex unions, gay men and lesbians will be taking a stand and taking their vows. The event, called "Love Celebration," will be officiated by Rev. Grant Lynn Ford of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC). "We want to give participants meaningful recognition of their relationships," said Arnoldo A. Ramirez, producer of Winter Gayla '97, a weekend series of parties and events culminating in the ceremony and reception. For more information contact David Hafner (Michael Kaminer Public Relations) at (212) 627-8098 or e-mail: david@mkpr.com. BIG GAY DOLLARS NOT MAKING CENTS: A new survey claims lesbians and gay men are significantly more affluent than the average American. But many lesbian and gay scholars have charged that the survey is a misrepresentation that could create anti-gay and -lesbian backlash and set back gay civil rights. Conducted by Simmons Market Research Bureau for the gay market-based advertising agency Mulryan/Nash, the survey of only 4,000 lesbians and gay men was based on self-selected respondents from the mailing lists of a political organization, a credit card company and a mail order company. According to Lee Badgett, economics assistant professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, a survey she conducted for the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies (IGLSS) indicates that lesbian and bisexual women earn less than straight women and that gay men tend to earn less than heterosexual men. The alleged affluence of the gay community has also been used, say advocates, to block recent civil rights advances: during the congressional hearings on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and in Justice Scalia's dissent in Romers V. Evans. For more information contact Lee Badgett (IGLSS) at (301) 405-6348 or e-mail lbadgett@puafmail.umd.edu. BILL PROTECTS STUDENTS FROM DISCRIMINATION: In keeping with a new nationwide trend of protecting students, California Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) is reintroducing legislation to protect students from anti-gay discrimination in California's public schools, colleges and universities. "This bill is about making certain students have equal access to education," said Kuehl who noted that the California Education Code recognizes that students already have the right to educational opportunity without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex or economic status. "You can't concentrate, you can't learn and you can never reach your full potential if you're always frightened and made to feel ashamed." For more information contact Assemblymember Sheila Kuehl (Speaker Pro Tem) at (916) 445-4956. LAWMAKERS QUESTION ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE BILLS: The latest flurry of same-sex marriage debates centers on creating a legal structure for same-sex partner rights and whether anti-gay preemptory marriage legislation is a waste of taxpayer money. Minnesota Judiciary Committee chair Senator Jane Ranum (D) refused to hear Senator Tom Neuville's (R) bill prohibiting same-sex marriage due to the likelihood of a "very costly and time-consuming" legal challenge in the future. When the Mississippi House of Representatives passed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages, leading Representative Barney Schoby (D) who supported the proposal stated, "I think we're in violation of the Constitution, but I don't think two men ought to get married." For more information contact Peg Byron (Lambda Legal Defense and Education) at (212) 995-8585. GAY CONFERENCES NATIONWIDE: Three major lesbian, gay and bisexual conferences convene this week. February 13-17 in Long Beach, California, the National Black Lesbian and Gay Conference sponsored by the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum (NBLGLF) will recognize the critical contributions made by black lesbians and gay men. Speakers include Dr. Joycelyn Elders, poet/activist June Jordan, author Alice Walker and Dr. Cornell West. In Corpus Christi, Texas, the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Veterans of America (GLBVA) will hold a national convention February 14-16. Finally, the Southeastern Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual College Conference (SLGBCC) at Middle Tennessee State University happens February 14-16, with lectures by David Mixner and Torie Osborn. For more information contact NBLGLF at (213) 964-7820; Jim Darby (GLBVA) at (773) 752-0058; and Conference Co-Chair Demetrius Johnson at (SLGBCC) at (615) 895-2240. 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.