From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 27 May 94 11:05:32 EDT

Subj:  FAIRFAX VA LIBRARY SUMMARY  Date:  94-05-26 17:13:07 EDT
From: [email-masked]  To:     PFLAGNTL

Fairfax County citizens and individuals represeting Fairfax Lesbian and Gay
Citizens, Fairfax/Arlington/Reston Unitarian Universalists, Metropolitan
Community Churches of Northern Virginia, National Campaign for Freedom of
Expression, Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays [National office
and DC metro affiliate], People for the American Way and Unitarian
Universalists Association Office of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Concerns met on
Tuesday, May 24 at Pohick Regional Library in Fairfax County, Virginia to
discuss the latest attack by the radical right on free expression.  Valerie
Eastwood, PFLAG Advocacy Coordinator for Northern Virginia, convened the
meeting in response to a recent proposal introduced by Supervisor Elaine
McConnell.  Larry Ottinger a senior staff attorney for PFAW spoke briefly on
the implications of the measure.  The proposal reads as follows:

"No County employee or public official shall during duty hours display,
distribute or store any material which either advises, promotes, encourages,
solicits or entices anyone to violate any criminal law of the Commonwealth of
Virginia or either advises, promotes, encourages, solicits or entices anyone
to perform any activity that is a threat to the public health and safety of
the community, nor shall any County- owned, leased or rented facility be used
in a similar manner by any person."

The result would be that the Washington Blade (a gay and lesbian weekly)
would not be permitted in public libraries on the grounds that it encourages
readers to break the sodomy laws of Virginia. This measure would also outlaw
the Northern Virginia Lesbian/Gay Health Fair that took place on Saturday,
May 21 at a local high school and could be used against tobacco or liquor ads
in magazines and periodicals as they can be deemed a threat to public health.
 McConell said that she introduced the proposal at the request of
conservative Christian activists in Fairfax County and that although this
measure targets the Blade, "this is an issue that goes beyond the Blade." The
library board voted unanimously to send the measure to the County Attorney
for rview.  As the proposal stands now it is vague, infringes of free speech
rights and would probably be struck down as unconstitutional in court.

For the last 16 months the 12 member library board has been struggling with
the issue of access to the Blade.  The current policy is one of open access,
the Blade is on the periodical shelf and available for distribution.  The
board is divided between the open access policy and a contrary one that would
require patrons to show identification before they could read the Blade.

The County Attorney's review is expected to take three weeks.  In the
meantime participants of the meeting will be making calls to their board
supervisors, the board chairman and Elaine McConnell as well as contacting
other interested organizations and individuals to form a coalition.  For more
information please call Valerie Eastwood at 703-569-1798.