Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 06:58:40 -0800 From: jessea@uclink2.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman) Subject: PFLAG OCT. 5th ACTION ALERT RE SHELDON HEARINGS: [PFLAG is the national group Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. They can be reached at or 202-638-4200, 1101 14th St. NW, Suite 1030, Washington DC 20005.] The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project notes that the threat of the hearings is still very real. They have not been cancelled, only postponed. We need more letters (thanks for all you've written to date) demanding that the hearings be permanently cancelled. ======================== OCTOBER 5, 1995 LOU SHELDON HEARING UPDATE THE LOU SHELDON CONGRESSIONAL HEARING HAS BEEN POSTPONED -- NOT CANCELED. PLEASE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE THAT THE HEARING BE CANCELED ALTOGETHER. At the request of Lou Sheldon, of the Traditional Values Coalition, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich agreed to arrange a Congressional hearing to investigate whether homosexuality is being "promoted" in the nation's public schools. The House Subcommittee On Oversight And Investigations, a subcommittee of the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities, has agreed to hold the hearing. Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI), chair of the subcommittee, agreed to call the hearing under the guise of addressing broader issues concerning public education. Despite it's title, "Parental Involvement in Social Issues in Education," the hearing is expected to focus mainly on the radical right's alarmist allegations of homosexual recruitment in schools. Although there is no legislation directly attached to the hearing, having a public record of a "fair hearing" that supports Sheldon's beliefs about homosexuality will aid in future attempts to pass anti-gay legislation. In past years, Members of Congress have attempted to pass legislation to cut off federal funding to all schools that portray homosexuality in anything but a negative light. If the hearing goes forward, it could set the stage for this unconstitutional legislation. The hearing, originally scheduled for Sept. 12, then rescheduled for October 13th, has now been postponed until further notice. The hearing was postponed after Representative Hoekstra's office heard from youth supporters across the country. The hearing is expected to run a half day with three official primary focuses: 1. Sexual education and abstinence 2. Condom distribution in schools 3. Promotion of homosexuality in the public schools The hearing was originally announced in a fundraising letter by Lou Sheldon, leader of the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC), in which he asked for $25,000 to wage a media campaign around the hearing. In that letter, Lou Sheldon identified five cities and states in which he believes homosexuality is being "promoted" in the schools: Massachusetts; Fairfax, Virginia; Des Moines, Iowa; Los Angeles, California; and Minnesota. It appears that the programs in these states have provided the impetus for the Congressional hearing. Lou Sheldon stated that the TVC has spent the past few weeks "tracking information leads on exactly what the homosexuals are planning to do to our public school children." We know that the programs in these school systems provide vital, factual information, and often save lives. Since the hearing has been postponed, we must take this opportunity to educate all Members of Congress about gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth, their families, friends, and support systems. Grassroots action is needed to cancel the hearing. PFLAG is participating in a national coalition to strategize about the hearing. We are collecting testimony from the "target states," and others, to submit for the official hearing record. The coalition is also identifying people who can speak at the hearing and has submitted recommendations to the committee staff. PFLAG has sent out an electronic action alert and a hard copy appears in this packet. Please distribute this action alert to as many people as possible. If you do not have a copy of this alert, contact PFLAG's national office by phone or e-mail. Members of PFLAG Metro D.C. have met with members of Representative Hoekstra's staff, and members of PFLAG Akron, Ohio have met with Representative Sawyer (the ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee). Other PFLAG members are scheduling visits with their Representatives in Congress. Check our action alert to see if your representative is on the subcommittee. Call PFLAG's national office for information on setting up a visit. Write letters and call members of Congress. Letters are most effective, but phone calls are fast and do have impact. Be sure to write/call Chairman Hoekstra and your own Member of Congress. (See our model letters.) Tell Chairman Hoekstra that he has a reputation for fairness, and holding hearings at the request of Lou Sheldon is the fastest way to ruin his good reputation. Thank him for postponing the hearing and urge him to cancel the hearing altogether. Tell your member of Congress that they were elected to work on critical problems facing this country, NOT to wage attacks on youth and their families. U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121. Send letters to: The Honorable (full name), United States House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. , 20515. Look in your local blue pages for a district address and phone number. Coordinate or participate in a lobbying visit. If your Member of Congress is on the subcommittee, schedule a visit in the district office to discuss the upcoming hearing. PFLAG's national office can help you set up the meeting, provide you with the appropriate information, and help you strategize before the visit. Alert your local media. Meet with the editorial board of your local paper to provide them with background information on the hearing before it happens. Making this contact will help to ensure that the hearing is covered more accurately by the media. Reporters will know who to turn to for information, quotes, and perspectives not represented in the hearing itself. Send us testimony. If the hearing does go forward, we will have the opportunity to submit written testimony for the Congressional record. It is critical that the voices of parents, youth and those who love and care for our nation's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth are represented. Send your written testimony to PFLAG's national office. (This testimony will be entered into a public record.) 1) To call Hoekstra's office: (202)225-4401. (Majority Chief of Staff: Jay Eagen, (202) 225-4527). You can fax him at 202-225-0779. You can email Congressperson Hoekstra , though you will get an email form response telling you that he will not snail mail respond to anyone outside his district. 2) Call the other subcommittee members and give them the same message! COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES (202) 225-4527 Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Majority: 9 / Minority: 7 LHOB = Longworth House Office Building RHOB = Rayburn House Office Building CHOB = Cannon House Office Building All House Office Buildings have DC ZIP code 20515 Member State/District House Office Room Phone ====================================================================== Peter Hoekstra, Chairman R-MI, 1122 LHOB, (202)225-4401 TELLHOEK@HR.HOUSE.GOV Bill Barrett , R-NE, 1213 LHOB, (202)225- 6435 Cass Ballenger, R-NC, 2238 RHOB, (202)225- 2576 CASSMAIL@HR.HOUSE.GOV Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-CA, 227 CHOB, (202)225- 5452 Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-CA, 307 CHOB,(202)225- 1956 TELLBUCK@HR.HOUSE.GOV Michael N. Castle, R-DE, 1207 LHOB, (202)225- 4165 Dave Weldon, R-FL, 216 CHOB, (202)225-3671 FLA15@HR.HOUSE.GOV William F. Goodling, R-PA, 2263 RHOB, (202)225-5836 Harris W. Fawell, R-IL-13, 2159 RHOB, (202)225-3515 HFAWELL@HR.HOUSE.GOV Thomas C. Sawyer, D-OH-14, 1414 LHOB, (202)225-5231 Matthew G. Martinez, D-CA-31, 2239 RHOB, (202)225- 5464 Jack Reed, D-RI-02, 1510 LHOB, (202)225- 2735 Tim Roemer, D-IN-03, 407 CHOB, (202)225- 3915 Robert C. Scott, D-VA-03, 501 CHOB, (202)225- 8351 Gene Green, D-TX-29, 1024 LHOB, (202)225- 1688 GGREEN@HR.HOUSE.GOV *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ YOU MAY RE-POST Jessea Greenman The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project*; ph/fax: 510-601-8883, 586 62nd St. Oakland, CA 94609-1245 Gopher to "gopher.outright.com" Organizing Manual: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/ (under construction) http://www.pride.net/pridenet/person Resources: http://emanate.com/glwa/proj21 (courtesy "Gay & Lesbian Web Alliance") Action Alerts and Organizing Manual: http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/glb/person.html/ (courtesy Children's Animated Television) The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project is *always* looking for volunteer organizers. Please cc us (for our files) on all correspondence you send or receive regarding one of our action alerts. Thanks! *P.E.R.S.O.N. (copyrighted) stands for Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally.