Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 17:45:10 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines - April 19, 1999 GLAADLINES Contact: Jerry Weinstein GLAAD Publications Manager (212) 807-1700 x18 weinstein@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 19, 1999 News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community INDEX TO STORIES: 1. MCKINNEY, IN LETTERS FROM JAIL, ADMITS BIAS AGAINST SHEPARD 2. UNITED METHODISTS TO HOLD FORUM ON SAME-SEX UNIONS 3. GAY LIBERATION FRONT CELEBRATES THIRTY YEARS 4. GENDERPAC'S 4TH NATIONAL LOBBY DAY TO BE HELD MAY 23-25 IN WASHINGTON DC 5. HAWAIIAN ANTI-GAY GROUP TARGETS VERMONTERS AS THEY CONSIDER GAY MARRIAGE MCKINNEY, IN LETTERS FROM JAIL, ADMITS BIAS AGAINST SHEPARD: Following the April 5 sentencing of Russell Henderson for the kidnapping and murder of Matthew Shepard, Henderson's lawyer Wyatt Skaggs released a pair of handwritten letters to the Casper Star-Tribune allegedly authored by co-defendant Aaron McKinney. In one of the letters, which bears no date, McKinney recounts the events leading to Shepard's fatal beating. Writes McKinney, "While he was comming [sic] out of the closet, he grabbed my nuts and licked my ear!! Being a very drunk homofobic [sic] I flipped out and began to pistol whip the fag with my gun, ready at hand." Although McKinney writes, "I had no intention to kill anyone and did not single him out because he was gay," his anti-gay bias was a motivation for this crime. Dion Custis the public defender for McKinney, disputes the authenticity of the letters. For further comment, please contact GLAAD's Communications Director, Ben Stilp, at (212) 807-1700 x14. UNITED METHODISTS TO HOLD FORUM ON SAME-SEX UNIONS: Earlier this month, a Chicago Pastor was convicted by a United Methodist court for violating a new church law that prevents ministers from performing same-sex marriages. In January, sixty-nine Methodist ministers officiated at a lesbian wedding service in California as an act of defiance. Rather than widen the gulf between status quo and gay-supporting pastors, the local Methodist leadership in Philadelphia has decided to have open and ongoing discussion on this topic. Over the last two years it has convened a series of open forums on same-sex marriage, attempting to bring together those camps who are gay-affirming, as well as those who wish to ban the ordination of openly gay seminarians. The forum, to be held next Saturday, at Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church, will focus on congregational ministry to gays and lesbians. For further information please contact the Conference of United Methodist Churches at (800) 828-9093. GAY LIBERATION FRONT CELEBRATES THIRTY YEARS: A few weeks after the 1969 Stonewall Inn uprising, a group of young, gay New York City radicals came together to form the Gay Liberation Front, launching the lesbian and gay civil rights movement. Actions included picketing anti-gay establishments, "kiss a queer" booths at mainstream student functions, and alliances with organizations such as the Black Panthers. According to activist Karla Jay, now director of women's studies at Pace University in New York, "The homophile groups had felt the best way was to fit in. This was a radically different perception--that you could be yourself." The 30th anniversary of the Gay Liberation Front is this summer, with festivities scheduled to take place across America. For further information, please contact Jerry Weinstein, GLAAD's publications manager, at (212) 807-1700. GENDERPAC'S 4TH NATIONAL LOBBY DAY TO BE HELD MAY 23-25 IN WASHINGTON DC: In 1998, GenderPac had a series of meetings with government agencies about issues of gender variance and federal law. At Lobby Day this year they will present the results of their recent GenderPac/NGLTF/NCLR survey of employment discrimination. Participating civil rights groups for this event include: the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, It's Time America, BiNet USA, Transgender Officers Protect & Serve, International Foundation for Gender Education, the Intersex Society of North America, National Center for Lesbian Rights and the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. "In time we will wear away the stereotypes many legislators hold about gender-different people. And when the stereotypes are gone, what we seek-the right to live free of the threat of violence, the right to work free of discrimination, the right to be treated like other Americans-will no longer seem such a distant dream," said GenderPac's Washington D.C. Advocate, Dana Priesing. For further information please contact either Dana Priesing or Carrie Davis at (212) 645-1753. GenderPac can accept email at lobbyday@gpac.org . HAWAIIAN ANTI-GAY GROUP TARGETS VERMONTERS AS THEY CONSIDER GAY MARRIAGE: Three Vermont couples have challenged lower court rulings that hold there to be no fundamental right to same-sex marriage. While the State Supreme Court of Vermont is considering the case, the Alliance for Traditional Marriage Hawaii sent a letter out to every household in Vermont, arguing for a gay marriage ban and sharing words of advice on Hawaii's campaign against this civil right. This mailing was funded by Ohio-based Citizens for Community Values for $40,000. Early reports indicate that Vermonters found this mailing presumptuous and offensive. For further information, please contact Mary Bonato, Civil Rights Program Director for the Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders at (617) 426-1350. 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 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.