Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 16:26:18 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines 03.23.98 GLAADLINES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 23, 1998 News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community contact: Don Romesburg (415) 861-2244 romesburg@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org NEW YORK GALA BEGINS GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS: On March 30, GLAAD will kick off its three-city, 9th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at the New York Hilton. Expected at the gala are Tony Bennett, Phil Donahue, Cherry Jones, k.d. lang, Cristina Saralegui, Marlo Thomas, Sigourney Weaver, Bob and Harvey Weinstein and many others. "The Media Awards reflect a years' growth by the entertainment and news media in how they represent lesbian and gay lives," said Joan M. Garry, GLAAD Executive Director, "and highlights the work GLAAD has contributed to this important process. The awards bring industry and community advocates together to celebrate the power of positive change." The awards were created in 1990 to honor individuals and projects in the media and entertainment industries for their balanced and accurate representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives. For ticket sales, please contact Levy Pazanti and Associates at (888) 655-6529. For press credentials, please Susan Rettig at (212) 242-9353. UTAH LAWSUIT CHALLENGES SCHOOL CLUB BAN: A federal lawsuit filed March 19 by the ACLU, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund (LLDEF) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) against the Salt Lake City School District claims that the district allows some extracurricular groups to meet on campus while excluding others, such as the East High Gay-Straight Student Alliance. In a much-criticized 1996 decision, the school board voted to ban all extracurricular clubs rather than allow the Gay/Straight Student Alliance to become a school-sponsored club. Since then, the lawsuit asserts, the school district has allowed Future Homemakers of America, Future Business Leaders of America and the Key Club to meet at East High. "When schools play a shell game, misclassifying clubs, they are striking at the core of the Equal Access Act," said NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell. "Under the law, equal access is required whether students want to study the Bible or form an alliance to fight anti-gay bigotry." For more information contact Kate Kendell (NCLR) at (415) 392-6257, Jon Davidson (LLDEF Supervising Attorney) at (213) 937-2728 or Carol Gnade (ACLU of Utah Executive Director) at (801) 521-9862. LLEGO BUILDS MEXICAN-AMERICAN BRIDGES FOR COMMUNITY: On March 24, Miguel Angel Gúzman, the Board Treasurer from the U.S.-based LLEGO, the National Latino/a Lesbian and Gay Organization, will join openly lesbian Mexican legislator Patria Jiménez Flores in a meeting with Mexico City Mayor Cuahtemoc Cardenas to discuss plans for the first-ever Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Mexico City. According to LLEGO, the center will serve as a central organizing institution to increase awareness of the rights of lesbian and gay people and will build a new culture of tolerance towards sexual orientation in all its manifestations. This meeting is part of a series of LLEGO events with Mexico meant to strengthen Latina lesbian, Latino gay bisexual and transgender communities internationally. In February, Gúzman also met with Jiménez to bring a humanitarian aid package to Mexico which included $5,000 worth of AIDS medications. In addition, according to LLEGO Executive Director Martín Ornelas-Quintero, "We have been informing our constituency about the upcoming April 1 deadline to file for U.S. political asylum." For more information contact Martín Ornelas-Quintero (LLEGO Executive Director) at (202) 466-8240. SAN FRANCISCO TO CELEBRATE SAME-SEX COUPLES' UNIONS: On March 25, San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown will preside over a City Hall mass ceremony of commitment for 50 same-sex couples. Brown performed a similar ceremony two years ago for 163 lesbian and gay couples to honor same-sex relationships, which are legal as domestic partnerships under city policy. "On March 25th, we will put a human face on same-sex relationships, challenging America to look at these couples who pay the same taxes, share the same hopes and dreams, contribute equally to society, and yet are denied equality under the law," said Mayor Brown. Since the domestic partnership ordinance was enacted in 1992, more than 3,000 couples have registered with the city. For more information contact Michael Colbruno (Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for the Mayor's Office) at (415) 554-6974. GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS CYBERAUCTION OPEN FOR BIDDING : GLAAD and Pride Media have opened for bidding the CyberAuction for the 9th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Among the items up for bid: A fantasy trip to the Sydney, Australia Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, which includes airfare and hotel stay, a trip to Hollywood, which includes a walk-on part on Frasier and two pairs of L.A. Eyeworks Sunglasses to complete your "Star Ensemble," and a portrait of your favorite movie star, musician, politician or your own personal star, be it your child, pet or life partner by up-and-coming artist Allison Lefcort. To participate, one must register at the official 9th Annual GLAAD Media Awards CyberAuction site, which can be accessed at GLAAD Online at http://www.glaad.org or at the Pride Media Web site at http://www.pridemedia.com/cyberauction. For more information, contact Loren Javier (GLAAD Interactive Media Director) at (415) 861-2244 or by e-mail at 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 multimedia advocacy 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 registered 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 a national organization that 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.