Subject: Hostile Climate: Anti Gay Discrimination Report, 1999 (7)
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 18:34:43 EST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  November 9, 1999
CONTACT: Media Relations Department at 202-467-4999
______________________________________________________________

NEW REPORT DOCUMENTS RISING TIDE OF ANTI-GAY BIGOTRY

Available Online --> http://www.HostileClimate.org/
or click here:  <A HREF="http://www.pfaw.org/hc/">People For the American Way 
Foundation | Hostil…</A>

Today, People For the American Way Foundation (PFAW Foundation)
releases Hostile Climate, its sixth nationwide chronicle of anti-gay
discrimination.

This year's report has a new feature:  a series of 14 personal
essays by people who have firsthand experience with anti-gay
discrimination and the movement to end it.  The essayists include: 
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), California legislator Sheila Kuehl,
filmmakers Arthur Dong ("Licensed to Kill" - www.deepfocusproductions.com - <A
 HREF="http://www.deepfocusproductions.com/">DeepFocus Productions - Home</A>)
  and Debra Chasnoff ("It's
Elementary"), and activists such as David Mixner, a former adviser to
President Clinton, and Jeff Montgomery of Detroit's Triangle
Foundation.

This year's report details almost 300 incidents in 47 states, more
than twice as many incidents as reported in the 1998 edition.  The
states that report the highest number of incidents are California
(31), Texas (18), Florida (17), and New York (15).  Incidents related
to marriage and family issues - such as same-gender marriage,
adoption, child custody and foster parenting - more than doubled from
20 in 1997 to 42 last year.  In the area of education, which includes
incidents that occurred in secondary schools or colleges, the number
again more than doubled, from 34 in 1997 to 76 in 1998.  The report
further details incidents in the following categories:  anti-
discrimination ordinances (32), censorship (20), "culture wars" or
incidents related to public events such as protests or parades (36),
employment (36), politics and government (44), and religion (32).

"Since Matthew Shepard's death, we have been asking ourselves, as a
nation, 'How have we arrived at such a place, where someone could
commit such a heinous, heartless crime?'  The answer, as this book
reveals, is that we start down this path whenever we deny people
their basic human rights and dignity.  The hostile climate that
lesbians and gay men face - with its powerful undertow of partisan
rhetoric, public and corporate policy -- fosters hate by validating
and perpetuating discrimination," said Carole Shields, President of
People For the American Way Foundation.

PFAW Foundation has received support from the Gill Foundation, a
leading philanthropic foundation focusing on justice and equality
issues, to establish the "Hostile Climate Campaign," an aggressive
program for distributing the report to state policy-makers and
colleges and universities.  As part of the Hostile Climate Campaign,
activists will hand-deliver copies of the report to state legislators
at the beginning of the legislative sessions in early January.  In
addition, anyone with Internet access can get involved by visiting
http://www.HostileClimate.org and donating a copy to a legislator,
school or library. 

"There's an old saying, 'Everyone talks about the weather, but no
one does anything about it.'  Well, you can help change the hostile
climate by sending this report to someone who really needs to
understand the truth about discrimination against lesbians and gay
men," said Shields.  

"As the lives of gay and lesbian people and families become more
visible through policy discussions on the state level - employment
non-discrimination, hate crimes, same-sex unions and family issues -
it is critical that the public, the media and policy-makers have
accurate information.  Hostile Climate is one of the most
comprehensive and well-documented catalogues of discrimination
against our community," said Katherine Pease, Executive Director of
the Gill Foundation.

______________________________________________________________________

Please visit our website for more information, to read personal 
essays, samples of state incidents, and to order copies for yourself
or needy public officials:

http://www.HostileClimate.org/
or click here:  <A HREF="http://www.pfaw.org/hc/">People For the American Way 
Foundation | Hostil…</A>

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