Subject: Special PFLAG Update
From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 11:40:40 -0400

PFLAG: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Project Open Mind
Special Update:  PRE-CONFERENCE
October 4, 1996

Project Open Mind (POM) has been receiving tremendous response nationally
from the media, our allies, our opponents and our own membership.  Requests
for interviews, stories, information, copies of the television ads,
presentations, etc. have maintained a steady flow since the public national
launch, November 9, 1995.

In our three pilot cities - Atlanta, Houston and Tulsa - the campaign got
off to a challenging start.  Pat Robertson and the Christian Broadcasting
Network (CBN) threatened legal action against broadcasters and the result
was our inability to get our original ads on the air.  Pro bono legal
representation by Hogan and Hartson resulted in legal documentation
discrediting the legal claims made by CBN in the letters to broadcasters.
The ensuing earned media campaign accomplished two things - first, it
generated millions of dollars in coverage at the national, regional and
local levels and second, made broadcasters extremely cautious about our ad
campaign.

Through the spring, our pilot cities continued to work on media and public
education and outreach.  It was apparent in the second phase of POM that
serious consideration had to be given to the advertising portion of the
campaign.  After lengthy discussions, a decision was made to change
agencies and advertising concepts.  In early May, Shepardson, Stern and
Kaminsky became our ad agency, developing new ad concepts, producing a tv
spot and securing a three week media buy in Seattle in just a few weeks.
Working with our PR firm, The Kamber Group, national media coverage was
secured again for the second phase, including articles in the New York
Times, Advertising Age Magazine and Inside PR.

PFLAG St. Paul/Minneapolis launched in mid-September with a very successful
press conference featuring speakers Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III
and Mitzi Henderson.  The chapter is working with National on a print
campaign to follow the tv buy to help the chapter continue to alert the
Twin Cities to the problems of hate speech and violence.

PFLAG St. Louis has scheduled their launch for November 7th - two days
after the elections.  This will also be the first anniversary of the public
launch of Project Open Mind.  We are going to work with the local and
national consultants to incorporate the anniversary into the St. Louis
launch.

MAJOR ENDORSEMENTS (partial list)

National

*       US Senator Patty Murray (WA)
*       US Senator Paul Wellstone (MN)
*       US Reps. Gerry Studds (MA), John Lewis (GA), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX) and
        Martin Olav Sabo (MN)
*       US Bank
*       AFSCME
*       People for the American Way
*       Human Rights Campaign
*       The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
*       Media Access Project
*       GLAAD
*       The NAMES Project Foundation and AIDS Memorial Quilt
*       Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
*       Office For Church in Society - United Church of Christ
*       Working Assets Long Distance
*       National Campaign for Freedom of Expression
*       Ground Zero

Atlanta
*       Mayor Bill Campbell, Atlanta
*       Councilmember Mary Davis, Atlanta
*       The Mayor's Safety Task Force, Atlanta
*       Sheriff Jackie Barrett
*       State Rep.  Nan Orrock
*       Trinity United Methodist Church

Houston
*       Mayor Bob Lanier, the City of Houston
*       Houston Councilmember John Peavy
*       St.  Stephens Episcopal Church, Houston
*       Bering Memorial United Methodist Church, Houston

St. Paul/Minneapolis
*       Minneapolis Star Tribune - Editorial endorsement
*       Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III
*       Secretary of State Joan Anderson Growe
*       Minnesota State Senate President Allen H. Spear
*       State Senator Phillip J. Riveness
*       State Rep. Wes Skoglund
*       Minneapolis City Councilmembers Lisa McDonald and Steve Minn
*       Minnesota League of Women Voters
*       Shir Tikvah Congregation
*       St. Mary's Episcopal Church
*       Twin Cities Religious Society of Friends - Quaker

Seattle/Olympia/Washington State
*       Nordstrom - Washington/Alaska Region
*       Gov. Mike Lowry (WA)
*       Washington Federation of State Employees
*       King County Executive Gary Locke, Seattle
*       Mayor Norm Rice, Seattle
*       Mayor Bob Jacobs, Olympia
*       State Rep. Dawn Mason, WA
*       State Rep. Ed Murray, WA
*       King Co Councilmember Maggi Fimia, Larry Gossett, Tom Weeks (Olympia)
*       Councilmembers Martha Choe, Sue Donaldson, Jan Drago, Margaret
Pageler,
        Tina Podlodowski (Seattle)
*       Washington Federation of State Employees
*       Church Council of Greater Seattle
*       First Baptist Church, Seattle
*       Bishop Calvin D. McConnell (UMC)
*       Tacoma and Pierce County YWCA
*       Washington Education Assn
*       Washington State League of Women Voters
*       State Senator Nita Rinehart (WA)

Tulsa
*       HIV Resource Center
*       Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
*       United Methodist Community of Hope Church
*       Rainbow Village
(For a complete list of endorsements, please contact

Action Item
PFLAG 15TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
October 11-14, 1996
Washington, DC
"Building a Nation of Equality - Love Takes Action"

For More Information visit the WEB [http://www.pflag.org] OR email
[email-masked] OR [email-masked]

This concludes this Special Pre-Conference Update-Jeffrey Garrett, Director
of Marketing and Training at: [email-masked]