Date: Mon, 24 May 1999 18:21:58 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines - May 24, 1999 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 24, 1999 GLAADLINES Contact: Jerry Weinstein GLAAD Publications Manager (212) 807-1700 x18 weinstein@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Index to Stories: 1. CANADIAN SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF SPOUSAL RIGHTS; U.S. SUPREME COURT AFFIRMS SCHOOL SAFETY 2. ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARY TO AIR ON PBS THIS JUNE 3. GAY CHARACTERS INCLUDED ON FALL SCHEDULE 4. ACCOMPLICE FOUND GUILTY IN SHEPARD MURDER; DEFENDANTS PLEAD NOT GUILTY IN THE FATAL BEATING OF BILLY JACK GAITHER CANADIAN SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF SPOUSAL RIGHTS; U.S. SUPREME COURT AFFIRMS SCHOOL SAFETY: On May 20, the Canadian Supreme Court handed down what many legal experts are hailing as Canada's most significant judicial ruling in decades. The Court found an Ontario law, which defined the term "spouse" to apply only to heterosexual couples, as unconstitutional. As a result of this decision, Ontario must extend the definition of spouse to include same-sex partners. Many have speculated that while this decision stops short of sanctioning same-sex marriage, it will force the government to grant benefits such as income tax savings, equality under the criminal code, and ultimately full recognition of gay and lesbian marriages. The United States Supreme Court today decided that schools can be held legally liable if they fail to intervene when students sexually harass their peers. In a narrow five-four decision, the court held that the schools may be held liable under Title IX when the harassment is so egregious and pervasive and a school district does nothing about it. In the face of the recent outbursts of student violence from Colorado to Georgia, this decision reaffirms that all students have a constitutional right to safe schools. For further information on the Canadian ruling, please contact John Fisher, Executive Director, Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere (EGALE) at (613) 230-1043 or by e-mail at egale@egale.ca. For further information on the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court decision to gay and lesbian youth, please contact Jim Anderson, communications director at the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) at (212) 727-0135 or by e-mail at janderson@glsen.org. ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARY TO AIR ON PBS THIS JUNE: Beginning June 2 and throughout the summer, PBS stations around the nation will be airing the groundbreaking documentary, It's Elementary, for the first time. At press time, eighty-nine stations in twenty-five of the top thirty markets are scheduled to screen this film. Debra Chasnoff, academy award-winning documentarian (for Deadly Deception: General Electric, Nuclear Weapons, and Our Environment, 1991), and producer Helen S. Cohen have created a platform for imparting critical thinking skills to children, and in so doing, teaching them not to hate. The filmmakers report that a dozen stations are creating special programming to accommodate this broadcast. From Cincinnati to Boise to Syracuse there will be local wraparound shows that will incorporate discussions about discrimination based on sexual orientation in early education. While religious political extremist organizations have pressured public television affiliates to refuse to screen the documentary, many stations have stepped forward to broadcast the film. Some, as in the case of the Detroit, Michigan station, have reversed their initial decision against screening and will premiere the film. First released in 1996, the film has been shown nationally at nearly 500 teacher-training programs, as well as to thousands of educators. For more information on It's Elementary visit the web site at www.womedia.org. Journalists should contact It's Elementary's publicist, Tony Newman, of Fenton Communications at (212) 584-5007. GAY CHARACTERS INCLUDED ON FALL SCHEDULE: In New York last week, the broadcast networks announced their upcoming fall television seasons for advertisers. NBC, which currently has the most lesbian and gay characters in primetime, rolled out their new lineup which includes the return of numerous shows with lesbian or gay characters including The Profiler and Friends. Will & Grace will bring its brand of "Must See TV" back to Tuesday night. However, the network has cancelled Homicide: Life on the Streets, primetime's only show with a bisexual character. ABC added two new gay characters to their network with the gay-inclusive comedy Oh, Grow Up and, with Kevin Williamson, the openly gay creator and producer of Dawson's Creek, will premiere a new drama with gay inclusion entitled Wasteland. The WB's teen drama Popular will include a gay student in its ensemble cast. For more detailed information on the upcoming TV season, contact Scott Seomin, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Director, at (323) 658-6775 or via e-mail at seomin@glaad.org. ACCOMPLICE FOUND GUILTY IN SHEPARD MURDER; DEFENDANTS PLEAD NOT GUILTY IN THE FATAL BEATING OF BILLY JACK GAITHER: As the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) continues to be debated before the Senate, two recent trials are worth noting. Following the April 5 sentencing of Russell Henderson for the kidnapping and murder of openly gay Matthew Shepard, Chasity Vera Pasley, Henderson's girlfriend, was sentenced on May 21 to up to two years in prison as an an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Pasley is one of two women accused of helping McKinney and Henderson dispose of Henderson's bloodied clothes. In Sylacauga, Alabama, Charles Monroe Butler Jr. and Steven Eric Mullins, pleaded not guilty on May 21 for the fatal beating of openly gay Billy Jack Gaither. The defendants could receive the death penalty if convicted of capital murder in the death of 39-year-old Gaither. The two are accused of beating Mr. Gaither to death with an ax handle on Feb. 19 and then burning his body atop a pile of kerosene-soaked tires. For further contact information, please contact Wayne Besen of the Human Rights Campaign at (202) 216-1580 or by pager at (800) 386-5997. 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Loren R. Javier Interactive Media Director GLAAD Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation javier@glaad.org phone: 925.831.1092 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.