Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 20:21:59 -0500 From: glaad@glaad.org (GLAAD) GLAADLINES contact: Don Romesburg (415) 861-2244 romesburg@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 27, 1997 News, Tips and Breaking Stories about the Gay & Lesbian Community LIVING TIMELINE HONORS LESBIAN & GAY HISTORY MONTH: On October 29, GLAAD and the Historical Society of Washington, DC will host a "living timeline" panel and reception to mark October as Lesbian & Gay History Month. Moderated by Duke University professor John Howard and University of Iowa professor Brett Beemyn, the diverse panelists span four decades of witnessing and participating in important events in lesbian and gay history. Luminaries involved include longtime lesbian photographer Joan E. Biren, Mandy Carter of the Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum, longtime DC gay activist Frank Kameny, grassroots community organizer Donna Red Wing (Human Rights Campaign), Birmingham Pride Alabama Vice President Kevin Snow, organizer of the historic Birmingham "Come Out With Ellen" event last spring, members of the Gay and Lesbian Activist Alliance, PFLAG and many more. For more information contact Cathy Renna (GLAAD) at (202) 986-1360 or pgr. (301) 215-1354. LONGTIME UTAH TEACHER FIGHTS AGAINST ANTI-GAY GAG RULE: On October 21, Utah P.E. teacher and mother of two Wendy Weaver filed a federal lawsuit against the Nebo School District, saying she was illegally fired as volleyball coach for being a lesbian and that a district gag order violates her right to freedom of expression. In July, Spanish Fork High School Principal Robert Wadley, who is named in the suit, fired her as coach despite 18 years of service, including four state titles, after finding our she is a lesbian. In addition, the district gave Weaver a memo telling her "not to make comments, announcements or statements to students, staff members or parents regarding your homosexual orientation or lifestyle," threatening that if she did, it "may jeopardize [her] job and be cause for termination." Weaver said, "in essence, a government agency has mandated what I can and cannot say about my personal life to anyone in the community." When she could find no lawyers willing to represent her in the conservative, primarily Mormon community, she went to the ACLU. According to ACLU General Counsel Pamela Martinson, the gag "is a clear violation of her civil liberties, or her right to free speech, her privacy rights and her right to equal protection." Utah ACLU Executive Director Carol Gnade added that the organization is "committed to fighting for the same rights...for all educators regardless of their sexual orientation. For more information contact Carol Gnade (ACLU) at (801) 521-9862. WASHINGTON VOTERS MULL HISTORIC EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS INITIATIVE: As Washington State voters gear up to head to the polls November 4 to vote on a statewide civil rights initiative to protect workers against discrimination based on sexual orientation, a recent independent poll shows that while a vast majority believe that anti-gay workplace discrimination is wrong, far fewer have decided to vote for I-677. The Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research Inc., poll of 805 voters, commissioned by the Washington Blade and other news organizations, found that 85 percent feel people should not be fired for being gay, but that only 41 percent plan to vote for the initiative. A whopping 20 percent of those polled were still undecided. Still, 67 percent felt that gay people should be protected from discrimination the same way the law forbids discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender or marital status. Support for I-677 has come from the governor, the state's largest organization of Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, the AFL-CIO and the Washington State Bar Association. It is the first time a state has considered such a bill in the form of a statewide referendum. "For 20 years, we've been laboring with a legislature that won't pass anything gay-related," said Hands Off Washington Executive Director Jan Bianchi. For more information contact Jan Bianchi (Hands Off Washington) at (206) 323-5191. ELLEN GETS CAUGHT KISSING A GIRL, PART 2: ABC has resumed placement of a "parental advisory" before this coming episode of Ellen, which will air on October 29. ABC had previously attached a warning an episode which contained a same-sex kiss, and then withdrew it after protests made by Ellen DeGeneres, GLAAD and others. "ABC's decision to reintroduce the warning constitutes a double standard for lesbian and gay content on television that is simply unfair and un-American," said Chastity Bono, GLAAD Entertainment Media Director. "ABC made history last April, when Ellen came out. Now they're telling people that there is something explicity wrong and harmful about living openly and honestly." For more information, contact Liz Tracey, Associate Communications Director at (212) 807 1700, extension 14, or by pager at (800) 946 4646 pin# 1423527. WORK YOUR ASSETS FOR ENDA: Working Assets, the long distance telephone company based in San Francisco which donates a percentage of its profits to non-profit groups, will run a full-page advertisement in The New York Times on Wednesday October 29 urging people to call President Clinton and advocate on five issues of interest to Americans. One of the issues cited in the ad is the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would end workplace discrimination against gay men and lesbians. Working Assets has set up a toll-free number for those who wish to voice their opinions on this and other issues. For more information, contact Michael Shellenberger (Communications Works) at (415) 255 1946. 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 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) 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. Check Out GLAAD's Bi Visibility Web Site at www.glaad.org/glaad/bi_visibility. OCTOBER IS LESBIAN & GAY HISTORY MONTH: A Celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender History! Check out LGHM's Official Web Site at www.glaad.org/glaad/history-month/index.html! GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation in all forms of media as a means of challenging homophobia and all forms of 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.