Subject: "English Only" Blasted
From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 7 Mar 1996 19:25:12 -0500

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PRESS RELEASE
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
2320 17th St. NW; Washington, DC 20009
Contact: Robert Bray (415) 552-6448 [email-masked]
or Helen Gonzales (202) 332-6483 [email-masked]
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NGLTF BLASTS "ENGLISH ONLY" LAW;
 URGES SENATE TO STOP DIVISIVE, SCAPEGOATING LEGISLATION

Washington, DC, March 7, 1996...Saying it promotes divisiveness and will feed
fear and hostility, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) has
joined in coalition with other civil rights groups to oppose an "English
only" bill now before the U.S. Senate.

 S 356, the "Official English Bill" sponsored by Sen. Richard Shelby
(R-Alabama), seeks to make English the "official language" of the U.S.
Government.  Hearings on the bill were held today in the Senate Governmental
Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).  NGLTF, joining
with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the Mexican American
Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and other groups, has asked Sen. Stevens
to reject the bill.

 "As an organization that seeks to protect and promote the civil rights of
lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered individuals, we know
first-hand the impact of legislation that feeds the fear and hostility
individuals may have against one segment of the community," said NGLTF in a
letter to Senator Stevens.  The Task Force asked that the letter be included
in the formal record of the hearings. "When times are tough it is especially
easy to blame those who are different from us -- because of their language,
the color of their skin, or their sexual orientation -- for any and all of
society's problems."

 According to the LCCR, the negative impacts of the law are severe.  If
passed, the "English only" legislation would disenfranchise non-English
speakers by prohibiting the availability of bilingual ballots; deprive
language minority litigants of due process by denying them the right to have
court interpreters; and prohibit the availability of emergency services in
languages other than English, among other affects.

 "Since the bill itself does nothing to further the learning of English by
that small portion of the population that does not speak it well enough to
conduct day-to-day business in English, its impact will instead be to promote
discrimination against and isolationism by those individuals," said NGLTF in
the letter to Stevens.  The letter was cosigned by NGLTF Executive Director
Melinda Paras and NGLTF Public Policy Director Helen Gonzales, who attended
the hearings. "This legislation plays into the fear and hatred that already
exists against immigrants in this country by putting an official government
stamp of approval on actions of those who belittle or resent individuals just
because they speak another language."

 NGLTF warned about the possible rash of hostile lawsuits by people who
object to other languages being spoken.  "Since any individual who is
offended by the official use of another language has standing to sue under
this Act, it is likely there will be hundreds of frivolous suits by people
who may interpret vague provisions in this bill to suit their own
prejudices."

 "English already is overwhelmingly the dominant language in the U.S.," said
NGLTF in the letter to the Senate.  "According to the 1990 U.S. Census, more
than 95 percent of U.S. residents speak English 'well' or 'very well.'  S 356
seems to be addressing a problem that does not even exist.  Rather than
promoting a common bond, [the bill] will promote divisiveness." 

 To register opposition to this the bill, write the Chairman of the
Committee, the Honorable Ted Stevens, Chairman, Senate Governmental Affairs
Committee, 340 Senate Dirksen Office Building, Washington, DC 20510.  

 For copies of the NGLTF publication, "The Costs of Scapegoating:
Anti-Immigrant Backlash," contact the NGLTF publication order line at 
(202)332-6483, ext. 3327, or email [email-masked].  The document is part of
the Task Force's "Linkages Series," which makes connections between gay
rights and attacks on immigrants, welfare and affirmative action.

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