Date: Mon, 1 Feb 1999 18:50:59 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: Resend: GLAADLines February 1, 1999 NOTE: Some people have reported problems reading the February 5 issue of GLAADLines due to a formatting problem, so we are resending it to our lists. We apologize for any inconvenience. GLAADLINES Contact: Liz Tracey, Publications Manager (212) 807-1700 tracey@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 1999 News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community 1) French Tennis Star Comes Out 2) LGBT Students At Notre Dame Hunger Strike For Rights 3) West Hollywood Condemns Dr. Laura 4) Triangle Foundation Releases Study on Entrapment FRENCH TENNIS STAR COMES OUT: Rising tennis star Amelie Mauresmo came out in Melbourne, Australia following a strong showing in her first Grand Slam final, where she ultimately lost to Martina Hingis.19-year-old Mauresmo was a surprise unseeded finalist at the Australian Open. Hingis, in a subsequent interview with German reporters, said of Mauresmo's coming out: "She's here with her girlfriend. She's half a man," drawing criticism from Mauresmo, her coach Christophe Fournerie, and her partner, Sylvie Bourdon. Lindsay Davenport, the top-seeded player whom Mauresmo had beaten in the Australian Open, made a comment which at first drew some controversy, according to the New York Times, noting that "a couple of times, [she] thought [she] was playing a guy" and referring to Mauresmo's broad shoulders and powerful build, but Davenport never mentioned any connection to Mauresmo's sexual orientation, and cleared up the statement promptly with Mauresmo, according to the New York Times. Pam Shriver, former president of the Women's Tennis Association, told the Times that "This will be a good test=8AIf the commercial world embraces her, then it's a different era," referring to comparisons made between Mauresmo and openly lesbian tennis great Martina Navratilova, whose sponsorship and endorsement contracts were not considered commensurate with her athletic status subsequent to her public coming out. For more information, contact Liz Tracey (GLAAD) at (212) 807-1700 x18 or by e-mail at tracey@glaad.org. LGBT STUDENTS AT NOTRE DAME HUNGER STRIKE FOR RIGHTS: Over 100 students will begin a hunger strike at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana beginning February 3, as part of a week-long series of activities supporting the inclusion of sexual orientation as a protected category in the school's non-discrimination policies. As of this writing, OUTReachND, the student-run lesbian and gay organization on campus is not allowed to meet on campus, post advertisements on campus or buy space in the school newspaper, the Observer. GALA-ND/SMC, the lesbian and gay alumni organization, is also prohibited from buying space in the Observer. Notre Dame has an official policy of inclusion for gay and lesbian students, however, Phil Donahue, former talk show host, commented at a rally in November "What sort of inclusion is it if they say that if you are gay you are a member of the Notre Dame family, but they won't even give you a room to meet in." Donahue will be hosting an on-campus Speak Out as part of the week-long series of actions. For more information, contact Aaron Kreider (Media Coordinator, Progressive Student Alliance of the University of Notre Dame) at (219) 634-4346, or via e-mail at aaron.kreider.1@nd.edu. WEST HOLLYWOOD CONDEMNS DR. LAURA: The West Hollywood City Council recently voted to condemn remarks made by radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger in a December 8 broadcast of  her top-rated advice call-in show, which is syndicated nationally. Schlessinger has often made observations regarding lesbian and gay issues, which have drawn protest from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Among the remarks condemned were: "hear it one more time, perfectly clear; if you're gay or lesbian, it's a biological error that inhibits you from relating normally to the opposite sex=8Ait's a biological error." Councilmember Jeffrey Prang, co-author of the City Council resolution, stated, "Gays and lesbians are not second class citizens who are biological errors and must not be spoken about in an inaccurate and hateful manner. Dr. Laura needs to take responsibility for her words and apologize to her listeners." For more information about the West Hollywood resolution, contact Howard Jacobs at (323) 848-6460. For information about Dr. Laura Schlessinger and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, contact Jennifer Einhorn (GLAAD Communications Director) at (212) 807-1700 or via e-mail at einhorn@glaad.org. TRIANGLE FOUNDATION RELEASES STUDY ON ENTRAPMENT: On Wednesday, February 3, the Triangle Foundation will release its report on entrapment of gay men at Michigan rest stops. According to the Foundation, the report details incidents of civil rights violations, illegal entrapment, and systematic targeting of gay men for harassment, intimidation and arrest. The report, " 'Bag A Fag': Police Misconduct, Entrapment and Crimes Against Gay Men in Michigan", will be released at a press conference at the 35th District Court, 660 Plymouth Road in Plymouth, Michigan at 10:00 a.m..  According to the report, `Bag a fag' is a code name used by some of the police agencies referred to in the report to describe their "gay" decoy operations. Jeffrey Montgomery, executive director of the Triangle Foundation, commented, "[This report] should encourage activists and reformers to closely examine police abuse and help identify anti-gay motivation in the choices and decisions made by cops." For more information on the report, contact Sean Kosofsky (Triangle Foundation) at (212) 537-3323. 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. 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