Subject: POM Update 11/15/96
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 14:09:48 -0500

PFLAG: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Project Open Mind UPDATE
November 15, 1996

        St. Louis Launch Marks One Year Anniversary

On Wednesday, November 13, 1996, PFLAG St. Louis launched Project Open
Mind, marking the one year anniversary of our national public education
campaign.  Unfortunately, we continue to meet resistance from broadcasters
to our television commercials.  Last summer, responding to broadcasters
concerns, we produced new commercials that were accepted in Seattle by all
but one station and in Minneapolis/St. Paul by all but one station.
However, in St. Louis, all four major network affiliates either refused our
new ads outright or placed unreasonable restrictions on ad content and
airtimes.

We have turned to the print media to get our message out to the citizens of
St. Louis.  A one week buy in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch began this week
as well as placing the ad in the Riverfront Times, a popular weekly
alternative paper.  As of this update, we have received scant media
coverage in St. Louis and are planning ways to pressure the media to give
coverage to our message of hate speech and violence towards lesbian, gay
and bisexual family members and friends.  See the next update for action
you can take to help PFLAG respond to the media.

The chapter secured strong public support from the communities of faith as
well as a number of community leaders and elected officials, including the
Mayor of St. Louis.  The Centenary United Methodist Church hosted our press
conference and their minister, Rev. Michael Tooley delivered the opening
remarks.  Nancy McDonald, National President, Millie Johanningmeier,
chapter President and Carolyn Griffin, past president and with Millie,
co-chair of POM also spoke.  Their remarks were framed in the background
with 14 members of various faith communities.  The point was made that our
faith communities are better arbiters of community standards than
television broadcasters.

We will provide additional information on St. Louis and our other POM
cities in the next update.

Thank you for helping us continue to educate America about the harmful
effects of hate speech and violence.
This concludes this Update from Jeffrey Garrett, Director of Marketing and
Training ([email-masked])