Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 17:48:52 -0800 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines - March 15, 1999 GLAADLINES - March 15, 1999 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jerry Weinstein (212) 807-1700 x18 weinstein@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Index: 1) COALITION FIGHTING FOR INTERNET PRIVACY FORMS 2) OSCAR'S GREAT GAY HOPE 3) CONGRESS WILL TAKE UP PASSAGE OF HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT 4) "CONDUCT UNBECOMING" FINDS MILITARY HARASSMENT ON THE RISE 5) LESBIAN LEADER TO BE HONORED AS A CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE "WOMAN OF THE YEAR" 6) NYC ST. PATRICK'S DAY UPDATES 7) CORRECTIONS 1) COALITION FIGHTING FOR INTERNET PRIVACY FORMS: The Center for Democracy and Technology, Consumer Action, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Private Citizen, Inc. and Electronic Privacy Information have formed a coalition in response to a complaint filed against Intel, whose Pentium III chip can verify the true identity of an online consumer. With no regulations protecting personal data, the chip has the potential to invade privacy and openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people online. For this reason, GLAAD recently joined the coalition and participated in a meeting today with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Joan M. Garry, GLAAD's Executive Director, noted, "The Internet has become a virtual lifeline to many in the lesbian and gay community, and can facilitate the process of coming out. Without privacy safeguards, however, many in the community can face a loss of family, job, and home." The coalition is urging the FTC to enjoin the further shipment of the Pentium III chip, as well as the shipment of any computer without the Pentium III PSN deactivated in a secure manner, until a proper investigation can be conducted. For more information, contact Loren Javier, GLAAD's Interactive Media Director, at (415) 861-2244 or by e-mail at javier@glaad.org . 2) OSCAR'S GREAT GAY HOPE: Hopes are riding high that Sir Ian McKellen, star of the critically acclaimed film Gods and Monsters, will win Best Actor at the 71st Annual Academy Awards. If he wins, McKellen would make Academy history by becoming the first openly gay actor to win for a gay role. McKellen's co-star Lynn Redgrave is nominated for her supporting role, which garnered her a Golden Globe last month. "Sir Ian McKellen is not only a gifted actor, he is also an extraordinary man who lives his life in a humble and honest manner," said Scott Seomin, GLAAD Entertainment Media Director. The ceremony, telecast live on both coasts by ABC, will be held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 21 at 8:00 p.m. EST. For more information, contact Seomin at (323) 658-6775, ext. 14, or via e-mail at seomin@glaad.org . For a complete list of nominees visit Oscar Online at http://www.oscar.com . 3) CONGRESS WILL TAKE UP PASSAGE OF HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT: On March 11, a bipartisan press conference was held on Capitol Hill to reintroduce the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA). The recent outbreak of anti-gay violence, as seen in the deaths of Matthew Shepard and, more recently, Billy Jack Gaither, underscore the timeliness of this federal legislation. The act would extend current federal hate crimes protection to gender, sexual orientation and disability, and would allow local law enforcement access to federal assistance in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), an alliance of 26 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender anti-violence organizations, supports the reintroduction of HCPA. For further information on the HCPA please contact David Smith of the Human Rights Campaign at (202) 628-4160. For more information on NCAVP, contact Richard Haymes at (212) 714-1184. 4) "CONDUCT UNBECOMING" FINDS MILITARY HARASSMENT ON THE RISE: The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) released a report today finding that incidents of anti-gay harassment in the military have doubled in the last year, contrary to expectations since the implementation of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue," in 1994. The Pentagon has yet to comment on the report. For more information, please contact Julia Adams of the SLDN at (202) 328-3244. 5) LESBIAN LEADER TO BE HONORED AS A CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE "WOMAN OF THE YEAR": California State Senator Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) recently announced that Kate Kendell, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, (NCLR) would be recognized as a Woman of the Year on March 15. "Kendell is one of the nation's most prominent advocates," Speier said. "As an attorney she has worked on historic litigation which has been instrumental in securing a place on the legal map for families who are often rendered invisible by courts across the nation." For more information, please contact Shannan Wilber of NCLR at (415) 543-3379. 6) NYC ST. PATRICK'S DAY UPDATES: After an invitation to march in the Bronx's first St. Patrick's Day Parade in 70 years was rescinded, Brendan Fay of the Lavender and Green Alliance and five others, including City Councilwoman Christine Quinn and State Senator Thomas K. Duane, both openly gay democrats, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct for participating in the parade against the wishes of parade chairman, Patrick Devine. In addition, the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization (ILGO) has again been denied a permit to protest their exclusion from New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade. ILGO will be having a press conference to discuss their parade plans tomorrow, Tuesday, March 16, at the Lesbian & Gay Community Services Center located at One Little W. 12th Street in Manhattan. For more information on ILGO's activities, please contact Lisa Springer at (212) 724-8997. For more information on the Bronx St. Patrick's Day parade, contact Jimmy McNulty, of the Lavender and Green Alliance, at (718) 436-5756. 7) CORRECTIONS: … The March 8, 1999 issue of GLAADLines inadvertently omitted "alleged" in identifying the two men charged in the murder of Billy Jack Gaither. Guilt or innocence has not yet been determined by a court of law. … In the piece on Justice Blackmun, Romer v. Evans was mischaracterized. No on 2, the law struck down by Romer, had prohibited Colorado and its municipalities from ever enacting anti-discrimination laws to protect gay people. 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" (without the quotation marks). Make sure that you turn off all signatures and extraneous text. TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" (without the quotation marks). Make sure that you turn off all signatures and extraneous text. 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 combating 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.