Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 15:19:29 -0800 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines - February 22, 1999 GLAADLINES Contact: Wonbo Woo GLAAD Communications Associate (212) 807-1700 x24 woo@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 22, 1999 News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community 1) MICHIGAN LESBIAN AND GAY NEWSPAPER RECEIVES THREATENING LETTER 2) STRESS AND DEPRESSION TOP HEALTH CONCERNS AMONG NYC COMMUNITY MEMBERS 3) WINNING LESBIAN PLAY BANNED FROM FESTIVAL 4) CHRISTINE QUINN WINS NYC COUNCIL SEAT 1) MICHIGAN LESBIAN AND GAY NEWSPAPER RECEIVES THREATENING LETTER: Between the Lines, a bi-weekly statewide lesbian and gay newspaper in Michigan, recently received an anonymous, threatening letter sent to them in an official Michigan House of Representatives envelope. Among the comments made by the author, who signed the letter "x": "I [xxxx]-ing hate you fags and dykes. Go back to Africa and take your AIDS virus with you," and "you [xxxx]-ers turned [the rainbow] into a butt-[xxx]-er's symbol. I hate you mother-[xxxx]-ers. I'm going to make sure I make a fag's/dyke's life a living hell. Starting with your staff." In a post-script, the author also warned that s/he would "be the one throwing bricks at you at the next PRIDE march. Maybe a Molotov Cocktail." The author sent the letter after the publication of a cartoon which was critical of Family Research Council, a religious political extremist group. Finding fault in the cartoon, the author criticizes the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community's media, members, and movement, specifically speaking out against protective hate crimes legislations. Between the Lines' publisher, Susan Horowitz, says the paper has worked in conjunction with Michigan's lesbian and gay anti-violence organization, the Triangle Foundation, to file a report with local authorities. In addition, they are initiating an investigation with the FBI and U.S. Postal Service. For more information, contact Horowitz at (248) 615-7003, ext. 30. 2) STRESS AND DEPRESSION TOP HEALTH CONCERNS AMONG NYC COMMUNITY MEMBERS: According to a new study conducted by the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, stress ranked as the highest overall health concern among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals surveyed in the New York area, with depression ranking in the top five concerns for both men and women. Some 600 surveys were collected at events throughout the city last summer. The other highest-ranking concerns were: HIV/AIDS, Health Insurance, Aging and Breast Cancer. Established in 1983, Callen-Lorde is New York's only medical facility dedicated to meeting the health care needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and people living with HIV/AIDS - regardless of any patient's ability to pay. Callen-Lorde will institute special programs to address the issues in their programmatic work. Callen-Lorde's study follows another health-related report, "Lesbian Health, Current Assessment and Directions for the Future," which was released last month by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The IOM report noted that lesbians face unique health problems due to institutionalized homophobia throughout the health care industry. For more information on the Callen-Lorde study, contact Katherine Strieder, Callen-Lorde Public Relations Director, at (212) 271-7200. For more information on the IOM report, contact Maureen O'Leary, Associate Director of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, at (415) 255-4547. 3) WINNING LESBIAN PLAY BANNED FROM FESTIVAL: The Children's Theatre of Charlotte and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools sponsored a playwriting competition in which winners were to be awarded $100 and have their plays performed at a special festival. But 17-year-old Samantha Gellar's winning play, "Life Versus the Paperback Romance," will not be among the works showcased in the Charlotte Young Playwright's Festival, because its central characters are lesbians. The Associated Press reported that the sponsors "said discussion of sexual orientation was not appropriate for the program's middle and high school audiences," and further, that "[t]he sponsors had told students in advance that winners could be deemed inappropriate for production." Gellar told the Associated Press: "I still consider it discrimination," given the fact that the play revolves around two adult women who fall in love and contains no nudity or explicit sex. Mecklenburg County was also home to the high-profile "Gang of 5," a group of anti-gay county commissioners who repeatedly blocked arts and education initiatives and funding in 1997. For more information, contact Cathy Renna, GLAAD Director of Community Relations, at (202) 986-1360, or by e-mail at renna@glaad.org . 4) CHRISTINE QUINN WINS NYC COUNCIL SEAT: In a special election held Tuesday, February 16, New York City voters elected openly lesbian Christine Quinn to their City Council. Councilmember Quinn will represent the third district of Manhattan, which includes Chelsea and the West Village, two neighborhoods with sizeable and visible lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations. The special election was held due to openly gay, HIV+ former Councilmember Tom Duane's election to the New York State Assembly. Formerly the Executive Director of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project and Chief of Staff for Duane, Quinn received 53% of the votes, defeating Carlos Monzano, and openly gay candidates Christopher Lynn and Aubrey Lees. For more information, contact Tim Sweeney of the Empire State Pride Agenda, at (212) 627-0305, or via e-mail attsweeney@espany.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. 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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.