Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 18:32:40 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines January 11, 1999 GLAADLINES Contact: Liz Tracey, Publications Manager (212) 807-1700 tracey@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 11, 1999 1. DQ & GLAAD Join Efforts 2. Denver Schools To Consider LGBT Rights, While Arizona Looks to Ban GSAs 3. Arkansas Bans LGBT Foster Parents 4. "Capital Gains And Losses" Report Available News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community DQ & GLAAD JOIN EFFORTS: On January 8, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced that it would integrate Digital Queers, now known as the DQ Initiative At GLAAD, into its programs. The announcement came at a panel held at during Macworld SF, which explored the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community's use and relationship to the Internet. GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry observed, "With an award-winning website, the compilation of online compendiums which serve as a vital resource to journalists and community members, and its groundbreaking report on filtering software, GLAAD has already illustrated its understanding of the power of the Net. GLAAD is now redoubling its efforts in these areas, moving forward with a new media initiative under the DQ umbrella. Through the DQ Initiative GLAAD will engage a whole new set of activists and media professionals in the 21st century." For more information about the DQ Initiative at GLAAD, contact Jennifer Einhorn (GLAAD Communication Director) at (212) 807-1700, extension 14, or via e-mail at einhorn@glaad.org. DENVER SCHOOLS TO CONSIDER LGBT RIGHTS, WHILE ARIZONA LOOKS TO BAN SCHOOL GSAs: In hearings held on January 7, the Denver Public Schools heard testimony from teachers and students about discrimination they had suffered based on sexual orientation as the board considered adopting an anti-discrimination measure that would cover sexual orientation and gender identity. A student at East High School in Denver, Hunter Smith, was quoted as stating "For those of you who think we're asking for special rights, you’re wrong." The proposal came from a task force recommendation that studied areas of protection offered by school policy that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the school community did not enjoy. The board will vote on the proposal January 21. Also, Republican legislators in Arizona are seeking to bring a bill which would ban public school groups for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth and their straight supporters (often known as "Gay/Straight Alliances" or GSAs) from Arizona schools. A bill similar to this measure was presented to the legislature two years ago, but died before a vote was taken. If Arizona votes to ban the clubs, they risk losing their federal education funding, due to their violation of the federal Equal Access Act. In a situation similar to this, Salt Lake City voted three years ago to end all extracurricular activities in its high schools, rather than allow a Gay/Straight Alliance to meet. For more information about the Denver proposal, the Arizona bill, and about anti-discrimination policies in schools, contact Jim Anderson (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) at (212) 727-0135, or via e-mail at janderson@glsen.org. ARKANSAS BANS LGBT FOSTER PARENTS: On January 6, the Child Welfare Agency Review Board of Arkansas passed a resolution which bans lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from serving as foster parents. The measure states that anyone who has "engaged in same-sex sexual behavior or anyone sharing a household who has engaged in same-sex sexual behavior" would be denied the opportunity to serve as a foster parent in Arkansas. At this point, a comment period is in effect, during which five public hearings will be held. At the end of this, which may take a number of weeks, the ban will become effective. The passage of this measure makes Arkansas the third state to prevent lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from acting as foster parents and/or adopting, joining New Hampshire (bans both adoption and foster care,) Florida (bans adoption) and Oklahoma (those convicted of sodomy are ineligible for adoption.) For more information about the Arkansas ban, or on issues of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parenting, contact Felicia Park-Rogers (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE) Director) at (415) 861-5437. "CAPITAL GAINS AND LOSSES" REPORT AVAILABLE: The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) has issued its third annual report card on legislative initiatives related to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, which is available from NGLTF and on its Web site (http://www.ngltf.org/98cgal/). "Capital Gains and Losses: A State By State Review of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and HIV/AIDS-related Legislation in 1998" covers the 258 individual measures introduced throughout the past year. Executive Director Kerry Lobel stated, "Both the right wing and our community understand that the decisions most potently and directly affecting the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are those that occur at the state and local level. It is no surprise that we have therefore seen and increase in gay-related legislation for the third year in a row." In 1996, the first year of the report, 160 measures were introduced. For more information, and a copy of the report, contact Betsy Gressler (NGLTF Deputy Political Director) at (202) 332-6483, extension 3306, or via e-mail at bgressler@ngltf.org. 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 Wonbo Woo at (212) 807-1700 or at woo@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 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" The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in the media as a means of combatting homophobia and 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.