Date: Mon, 11 May 1998 17:49:10 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines May 11, 1998 GLAADLINES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 11, 1998 contact: Don Romesburg (415) 861-2244 romesburg@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community NAVY TO PROMOTE "DON'T ASK, DON'T AOL" SAILOR: Just months after losing a court decision for breaking the government's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" policy in pushing officer Timothy R. McVeigh out of military service, the Navy has selected him to be promoted to its highest enlisted rank. In January, U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Sporkin ruled the Navy broke its own rules in investigating McVeigh, especially in seeking out his America Online (AOL) screen name identity. The judge further stated the Navy had violated the Electronic Communications Privacy Act by seeking the AOL information without a court order. McVeigh, an 18-year Navy veteran, was part of only 15 percent of those eligible for promotion to Master Chief Petty Officer. "I see this as a very positive development, and McVeigh has a stellar record," said Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) Staff Attorney Dixon Osborne. "I'm pleased that the Navy has seen fit to promote him." At a June 1 hearing, Judge Sporkin will determine whether or not the Navy has complied with his order to reinstate McVeigh in the same or a comparable capacity. For more information contact Dixon Osborne (SLDN) at (202) 328-3244. SCOUTS GAMBLE ON FUTURE WITH SELECTIVE POLICY ENFORCEMENT: Despite exclusionary policies which ban gay youth and atheists from becoming Boy Scouts, ostensibly because it goes against policy, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have flagrantly ignored another policy in order to honor an owner of numerous gambling casinos. At a recent fundraiser, the Boulder Dam Area Council of the BSA awarded Las Vegas mogul E. Parry Thomas the "Good Scout Award," even though the Cub Scout Leader Book explicitly opposes gambling, and the BSA Finance Division adds that "General guidelines for money-earning projects include...no gambling." The event was held at the Treasure Island Gambling Casino. In addition, the BSA faced a protest of concerned parents and defenders of diversity at the May 9 Orange County (California) Scout-O-Rama. On May 6, the Berkeley (California) City Council voted 8-1 to deny free marina space to the Sea Scouts, an affiliate of the BSA, because local ordinances make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or religion. In addition, the BSA is facing mounting pressure to provide equal access to all boys from Scouting For All, an organization headed by 13-year-old Boy Scout Steven Cozza. "The BSA does not have a policy of excluding gays from scouting," said Scouting for All's Scott Cozza, Steven's father. "Steven himself started the Scouting for All movement based on Scout law, believing that you should treat others as you yourself would like to be treated. I don't think anyone would like to be discriminated against. The Boy Scouts of America are not being consistent in adhering to their own law." On May 12, Steven Cozza will be honored at a San Francisco benefit for his "courageous effort to end the Boy Scouts' anti-gay discrimination." For more information contact Scott Cozza (Scouting For All) at (707) 778-0564. PENNSYLVANIA PUSHES FOR CIVIL RIGHTS FOR ALL: On the heels of a successful May 7 Philadelphia City Council vote for domestic partnership benefits for lesbian and gay city workers and tax-breaks for recognized same-sex couples throughout the city, fair-minded Pennsylvanians are seeking support for the Pennsylvania Civil Rights Initiative. The Initiative is focused on the introduction and adoption of twin civil rights bills to amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and the Pennsylvania Fair Educational Opportunities Act to include "sexual orientation" as a category in which people would be protected from discrimination. Currently, the Initiative is supported by nearly 30 diverse state organizations, the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Council, the National Lesbian and Gay Health Association and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. Organizers hope to have the Initiative introduced into the State Senate by early June. For more information contact Rita Addessa (Executive Director, Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force) at (215) 772-2001. VICTORY FUND ENDORSES 27 GAY CANDIDATES NATIONWIDE: In a number of upcoming elections around the country, openly lesbian and gay candidates will enjoy endorsements from the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, who recently announced 12 newly-chosen candidates, bringing their supported total to 27. Among the 12 latest to receive Victory Fund support are: Matt Solberg [I] for Lexington (KY) County Council, Bonnie Dumais [R] for San Diego Superior Court, Steve May [R] for Arizona State House, Evelyn Mantilla [D] for Connecticut State House and Andrew Reyes [D] for Mecklenburg (NC) City Council [See below]. "The incredible depth and breadth of this formidable slate of candidates shows how far our community has come in the political arena," said Victory Fund Executive Director Brian Bond. For more information contact Kathleen DeBold (Victory Fund) at (202) 842-8679. VOTERS DUMP MECKLENBURG ANTI-GAY "GANG OF 5": In a county where for the past year arts and education were held captive by a zealous radical religious group of county commissioners bent on an anti-gay agenda, voters in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, primaries disbanded the "Gang of 5." One member of the gang, Commissioner George Higgins (R-Dist. 5), was trounced by challenger Tom Cox. He will face openly gay Democratic candidate Andrew Reyes in the general November election. Councilmember Hoyle Martin (R-Dist. 2) lost his seat, but is attempting to get on the November ballot as an independent candidate. The other three won, but according to local observers, Tom Bush [R], who leads the field of the at-large position, faces strong competition from both Democrats and Republicans. "Voters are tired of the direction they [the Gang of 5] were headed in," said Jerry Fox, Assistant Campaign Manager for Reyes. "But we're not finished. We need to make sure to elect those who will make real change." For more information contact Andrew Reyes at (704) 367-1489. 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.