Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 21:46:56 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines April 6, 1998 GLAADLINES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 6, 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 GLAAD COMMENDS LESBIAN AND GAY PEABODY WINNERS: GLAAD congratulates both ABC' Ellen and San Francisco public television station KQED's documentary The Castro, after the University of Georgia announced each as honorees of the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. The award, considered the broadcast and cable industries' most prestigious, describes Ellen's "Puppy Episode" as "a landmark moment in television history notable not only for the frequent laughter the situation provoked but also for portraying the importance of tenderness and caring to all relationships." The Castro is hailed as "an informative, unusual and provocative look at San Francisco's Castro District that reveals how one neighborhood became the cornerstone for a social and political movement." GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry said, "ABC and KQED should be proud of this outstanding achievement. GLAAD hopes this commitment to thought-provoking lesbian- and gay-inclusive programming inspires more of such work in the future." For more information contact Cathy Renna (GLAAD Interim Communications Director) at (202) 986-1360 or pgr. (301) 215-1354. CORETTA SCOTT KING APPEALS FOR JUSTICE FOR ALL: On March 31, Coretta Scott King told a Chicago audience that her slain husband's memory demanded a strong stand for equal rights for lesbians and gay men. "I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice," King said, "But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King, Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' I appeal to everyone who believes in [King's] dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people." She also noted that lesbians and gay men "stood up for civil rights in Montgomery and Selma, [Alabama], in Albany, Georgia, and St. Augustine, Florida, and many other campaigns of the civil rights movement," and saluted those gay people who fought "for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own." For more information contact Len Cothren (Assistant to Mrs. King at the MLK, JR. Center for Nonviolent Social Change) at (404) 526-8900, ext. 8883. NGLTF FAMILY TOUR CELEBRATES LESBIAN AND GAY FAMILIES: Beginning March 26 in Toledo, Ohio, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) kicked off a 15-city tour entitled, "Celebrating Our Families: The NGLTF Families Tour," to implement strategies to combat the increasing right-wing attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families. During the tour, which will last through the summer, NGLTF will co-host town forums with state and local groups. According to the NGLTF, of the 40 current gay or HIV/AIDS-related state legislative bills it considers "hostile," over half relate to family issues. "More than ever before, we will focus on the areas of parenting, custody, adoption and foster care, domestic partnership, and schools," said NGLTF Executive Director Kerry Lobel. "We will continue to work for the day when our families will be afforded the same rights and sense of security which our friends and neighbors enjoy." For more information contact Tracey Conaty (NGLTF Communications Director) at (202) 332-6483, ext. 3303 or pgr. (800) 757-6476. GAYS IN MILITARY COURT STRUGGLES CONTINUE: Two high-profile cases currently within federal courts call for critical examination of the abuses-and possible unconstitutionality-of the Clinton Administration's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" policy. On April 2, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments from the government appealing the first full defeat of the military's anti-gay statute in Able v. USA. On July 2, 1997, an Eastern District Circuit Court judge found the ban unconstitutional. "It is time for the court to call an end to the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' charade," said Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund (Lambda) Legal Director Beatrice Dohrn, adding that the circuit court judge "said it best when he noted that 'don't ask, don't tell' creates a 'degrading and deplorable condition for remaining in the Armed Services.'" In addition, on March 31 the Justice Department appealed a federal court ruling against the Navy in the case of Senior Chief Timothy McVeigh. In the original decision on January 29, a federal judge found the Department of Defense in clear violation of both "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act in seeking and obtaining McVeigh's confidential America Online e-mail account information by subterfuge and without a court order. Since then, the Navy has announced it has no intention to return McVeigh to his former post in spite of the ruling, citing "the confined conditions aboard a submarine." "I would hope the Clinton Administration would think twice before making such blatantly homophobic arguments in federal court," noted John Aravosis, McVeigh's lawyer. For more information contact Kathy Strieder (Lambda) at (212) 809-8585 and John Aravosis (for McVeigh) at (202) 328-5707. NATIONAL DAY OF SILENCE UNITES CAMPUSES FOR GAY AWARENESS: On April 8, thousands of supporters of equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from more than 100 high schools, colleges and universities will take a nine-hour vow of silence to draw attention to the silence that homophobia causes. Instead of speaking, participants hand out cards stating, "People who are silent today believe that laws and attitudes should be inclusive of people of all sexual orientations. The Day of Silence is to draw attention to those who have been silenced by hatred, oppression and prejudice. What can you do to end the silence?" National Day of Silence Co-chair Maria Pulzetti notes, "The strength in this event lies in the fact that it fills a real need for solidarity among youth concerned about LGBT rights. The National Day of Silence is the only national event created and organized by youth. The collective statement we make is staggering." For more information contact David Mariner (Advocates for Youth) at (202) 347-5700. 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.