Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 13:41:01 -0500
Subj:  Project Open Mind Press Rel.
From:  PFLAGComm@aol.com       

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 16, 1995
Contact:  Rob Banaszak, Communications Director
   Jeffrey Garrett, Project Open Mind Campaign Manager
   202-638-4200

PFLAG RESPONDS TO CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK'S ATTACKS ON PROJECT OPEN
MIND TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS;

PFLAG PRESIDENT MITZI HENDERSON ISSUES STATEMENT

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), has met with
harsh attacks on its Project Open Mind television advertisements in Tulsa,
Oklahoma and in Houston, Texas. Project Open Mind challenges anti-gay hate
speech and addresses its harmful impact on lesbian and gay Americans, their
families and friends and society at large.   

In a letter addressed to all television general managers in Project Open
Mind's target cities of Tulsa, Atlanta and Houston, CBN threatened to "seek
judicial redress" against all stations airing the television advertisements,
"to the maximum extent permitted by law, including injunctive relief and
monetary damages." 

When Tulsa NBC affiliate station KJRH consulted its attorneys and decided to
air the ads, CBN then issued a memo to the station that said "we hereby
demand that you immediately air a retraction and public apology to Pat
Robertson and CBN."    KJRH discontinued its airing of the ads, citing its
concern about the "creative content" of the ads.


"This is censorship, pure and simple," said PFLAG President Mitzi Henderson.
  "We are saddened and angered that television stations who have a broadcast
responsibility to their communities would cave in to pressure to censor from
the Christian Broadcasting Network."

KHOV, the CBS affiliate in Houston, Texas and KHTV, a Houston independent
station, who had accepted the initial advertising buys, also pulled the
advertisements from their schedules after receiving the letter from CBN.  The
spots never aired on either station.  At the time of this release, TCI Cable
of Oklahoma has also put the ads "on hold."     

Mitzi Henderson said, "We are condemning hate speech.  Project Open Mind was
created to challenge all hate speech that is currently being spoken by those
who consider themselves moral leaders in our society, and to show the
potential tragic consequences of such anti-gay rhetoric.  America needs to
hold its leaders accountable to a higher standard of tolerance and acceptance
of their fellow human beings.  The ads are a wake-up call to tolerant,
fairminded Americans that this kind of hate speech in their communities is
harmful to their lesbian and gay family members and neighbors. 

"The religious and political leaders featured in the television
advertisements are unfortunately only representatives of those who bring
insidious anti-gay rhetoric into our culture every day for political gain.
 There is no justifiable context for the demonizing and marginalization of
gays and lesbians, or any group of American citizens." 

###

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