Subject: NGLTF Dec. Activist Alert
From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 1995 20:45:14 -0500

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NATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN TASK FORCE
          
             ACTIVIST ALERT

December 1995

2320 17th Street, NW  Washington, DC   20009
(202) 332-6483    FAX (202) 332-0207    TTY (202) 332-6219
EMAIL [email-masked]
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Congressional Gay Bashing Scheduled
After postponing them twice due to pressure from the gay, lesbian, bisexual,
and transgender (g/l/b/t) community, Newt Gingrich is proving that the
Republican leadership is in the back pocket of the Radical Right by making
good on his promise to Right Wing extremist Lou Sheldon to hold hearings  to
attack the rights and resources of gay youth.  This sure-to-be right wing
hate fest has now been expanded to two full days.  On December 5th and 6th,
the House Economic and Employment Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations, chaired by Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI),  will hold hearings on
"Parents, Schools and Values."  

The lead witness for the Subcommittee will be William Bennett, who served as
Secretary of Education and Drug Czar during the Reagan Administration and is
known for his "traditional values" and narrow definition of family.  These
chilling hearings are intended to promote the Right's narrow definition of
the "acceptable" family, to narrow the scope of "acceptable" values that can
be taught to the youth of this country, and to encourage - and promote -
intolerance for any values or concepts of which they do not approve.

ACTION:
Rip a pocket from an old pair 0of jeans and send it along with the attached
letter to your Representative at the address listed.  (Be sure to add the
name of your Representative to the letter.)  Demand that Congress get out of
the back pocket of the Radical Right and stop wasting tax money on forums
that will further divide this country and that  encourage hatred and
intolerance and result in increased violence against our youth. 

Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected
to the office of your Representative (if you don't know who s/he is, they can
tell you based on your zip code) to give him/her this same message.

----cut and paste-------

The Honorable
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC  20515

Dear Representative

 I am writing to express my outrage that the House Economic and Employment
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations has bowed to pressure from the
Reverend Lou Sheldon and his Traditional Family Values Coalition and is
holding hearings on "Parents, Schools, and Values" on December 5 and 6.
 These hearings, which Lou Sheldon has proclaimed are being held to make good
on a promise made to him by Speaker Newt Gingrich, are another chilling
example of the growing influence of the Radical Right in Congress.  The
hearings represent nothing more than a platform for extremists to air their
prejudices against a segment of the American community--its gay, lesbian,
bisexual, transgender youth and their families.  

 Lou Sheldon has a long history of irrational, extremist proclamations
related to lesbians and gays, even suggesting that people with AIDS should be
segregated in "cities of refuge" for their own good and the good of society,
according to reports in the Los Angeles Times.   According to Lou Sheldon and
others who support his views, any school services or programs which address
prevention of HIV, hate crimes and the high incidence of suicide among gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth should be eliminated because they
"recruit and promote homosexuality."

 I wonder which parents, which young people, and which values the
subcommittee's hearings will highlight?  Right wing extremists hope to
promote only their narrow definition of the "acceptable" family.   Will the
hearings fairly and fully reflect the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
youth who face harassment, hostility and violence in their schools every day,
with no one to defend them?  Will the hearings fairly and fully reflect the
aspirations of the many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender parents who
are raising children?  Will the hearings fairly and fully reflect values such
as respect, tolerance, and compassion?  Or will the hearings merely be a
platform for the narrow-minded bigotry of extremists like Lou Sheldon, the
Christian Coalition and others who share their views?  

 Please do not allow Congress to continue to be put in the back pocket of the
Radical Right.  I have enclosed by own back pocket as a reminder of the
increasing control right wing extremists are exercising over Congress.  I
urge you to please speak out against these hearings which will only provide a
forum to promote values that will lead to a generation of school children who
are taught hatred, intolerance, and mean-spirited bigotry.

Sincerely,

------cut + paste------

PROTECT MEDICAID DAY OF ACTION  
December 7 is "National Day of Action to Protect Medicaid," a nationwide
event sponsored by The Long Term Care Campaign located in Washington, DC.
 AIDS Action and others are supporting the series of events being held in
about 14 cities to assure support for the long term health care needs
financed by Medicaid.  Cities participating in this event include Los Angeles
and San Francisco, CA, Hartford, CT, Wilmington, DE, Portland, ME, Boston,
MA, St. Louis, MO and Cleveland, OH.  For further information on whether your
city is participating and how you can get involved, contact Steve Cha at The
Long Term Care Campaign at (202) 434-3744.  IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL MEDICAID
ADVOCATES WORK TOGETHER IF THE PROGRAM IS TO BE PROTECTED.

Amendment 2 and You
 The Supreme Court's decision on Colorado's anti-gay constitutional amendment
(passed by voters in November '92) will reverberate for gays and lesbians
across the country.  On October 9th, the Court heard arguments on the
constitutionality of Amendment 2.  They also heard from hundreds of activists
across the country who participated in the Undo 2 Day of Action, organized by
NGLTF and Colorado organizations, including Equality Colorado and Ground
Zero.  Over thirty actions across the country were held, including  a
sing-out in Tucson, Arizona, a candlelight vigil in Atlanta, and a press
conference in Detroit.  This coordinated day of action received extensive
media coverage both locally and nationally, including on CNN Headline News.
 Planning is now underway for a coordinated response the day the decision
(expected anytime between January and June) is rendered.  Be ready to raise
our collective voice once again in demonstration or celebration by organizing
an Undo 2 Action in your community.

ACTION: 
Join the Undo 2 Action Network by calling NGLTF Field Organizer Tracey Conaty
at (202) 332-6483 ext. 3303.  You will receive an Undo 2 Action Kit which
includes background information on Amendment 2, a matrix of possible
decisions by the Court and their meaning, and the latest on plans for a
unified response to the Court's decision.

Olympics  96
Going Out of the Way for Bigotry
 One year after pulling the Olympic Volleyball competition from Cobb County,
Georgia, Olympic officials in July announced that they would be routing the
Olympic Torch through the county.  In August, 1993 Cobb County officials
passed a resolution condemning the "The Gay Lifestyle," and on the second
anniversary of the resolution, officials stated they will NOT rescind it.
 Cobb County is also the headquarters for many right-wing extremist groups.  
  The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) is going out of its way
to condone the hate politics and extremism of Cobb County as the county is
far out of the way of Metro Atlanta where the relay ends.   ACOG is also
blatantly disregarding its agreement with the Olympics Out of Cobb Coalition
(OOC).  In July 1994,  ACOG agreed not to hold any sanctioned events of any
kind in Cobb County.  Activists responsible for blocking the volleyball
competition in Cobb County are hard at work to reroute the torch out of Cobb.
 Protests are scheduled across the country as the Torch begins its trek from
Los Angeles on April 27th to Atlanta - 15,000 miles and 84 days later.

ACTION:
Call 1-800-496-COKE to find out when the Torch is coming to your area (they
can even tell you the exact streets).  If there is a  protest already
planned, attend it and help spread the word.  If a protest isn't already
planned for your area, organize one.  Contact  Olympics Out of Cobb Coalition
to be connected with organizers in your area at (404) 814-0228 or Torch
[email-masked].   

Contact the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, and demand the Olympics
out of Cobb!  Billy Payne, President, Atlanta Committee for the Olympic
Games;  PO Box 1996; Atlanta, GA 30301-1996; (404) 224-1901, Fax (404)
224-1998
Dr. Leroy Walker, President, US Olympic Committee, 1 Olympic Plaza, Colorado
Springs, CO 80909.  (919) 361-2355, Fax (919) 361-2788

Creating Change Makes History
 Activists from across the nation gathered in Detroit, Mich., to grapple with
critical challenges, savor recent civil rights victories, and prepare for new
attacks on gay and lesbian equality.  NGLTF's 8th annual "Creating Change
Conference" was the largest ever gathering of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender activists in the country, This year's event, held Nov. 8-12,
 attracted some 2,000 activists from 48 states and the District of Columbia.
 Participants attended 160 workshops and  witnessed movement history in the
brilliant and powerful message of queer activist Elias Farajaje Jones in his
plenary speech, "Ain't I a Queer".  
 Next year's conference will be held Veteran's Day Weekend in Alexandria,Va.,
in the Washington, D.C./Capital area immediately following the 1996
presidential elections. It's not too early to begin planning to attend.
 Organizers from around the country will analyze the election results and
discuss the most pressing  public policy issues facing the g/l/b/t movement.
 Be a part of this critical dialogue on strategies to carry the Movement
through the next administration and into the next century.  
 
ACTION:
For more information,  call Creating Change Coordinator SueHyde at
(617)492-6393.

Cracker Barrel Cracking

Since activists began protesting Cracker Barrel Restaurants' discriminatory
hiring and promotion practices in 1991,  stock value  in the company has
consistently declined.  The company also has yet to rehire any of the over 28
employees fired for being gay.

ACTION:  Keep the pressure on Cracker Barrel.  Call Cracker Barrel at (800)
925-9066 and let them know that bias is bad business.