Subject: Taking on the Southern Baptist Boycott
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 17:08:38 -0500

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

To:		PFLAG Leaders and Members
From:		Zoe Hudson, Katie O'Byrne, Jeff Holt
		Field, Program and Policy Department
Date:		June 25, 1997
Re:		Taking on the Southern Baptist Boycott

Tomorrow morning at 10 am, simultaneous press conferences will be held in
three cities to announce PFLAG's challenge to stand up to the Southern
Baptist boycott on the Walt Disney company.  PFLAG's National President,
Nancy McDonald will issue the challenge from Houston.  Executive Director
Sandra Gillis and South Atlantic Regional Director, Glenda Guess will be
speaking in Nashville, home of the Southern Baptist offices.  And the
Orlando chapter will be joined by community and religious leaders --
including the President of the Florida Council of Churches -- to accept the
challenge from the home of Walt Disney world!

How can you take up the challenge?

1) Join PFLAG in Orlando for our national conference September 11-14 (early
bird registration closes July 18th) to show your support for Disney.

2) Write a letter to the editor (sample attached).

Please contact Katie O'Byrne at [email-masked] if you need additional
information.

We hope to see  you in September!

**************************************************************

***PRESS ADVISORY***

PARENTS, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF LESBIANS AND GAYS

CONTACT:	Karyn Siobhan-Robinson
202-638-4200
[email-masked]
June 25, 1997

PFLAG TAKES ON SOUTHERN BAPTIST BOYCOTT

WHO:	PFLAG President Nancy McDonald, PFLAG Executive Director Sandra
Gillis; PFLAG Affiliates in Houston, Nashville and Orlando; and Local
religious and community leaders

WHAT:	Challenge to support the Walt Disney Company's equal employment
practices

WHERE:	Simultaneous press conferences will be held in Houston, Nashville
and Orlando

WHEN:	June 26, 1997 Contact PFLAG's national office for specific venues
and times

In response to the Southern Baptist Convention's boycott of the Walt Disney
Company for their equal employment practices, PFLAG President Nancy
McDonald will issue a challenge Thursday to PFLAG's 69,000 members, 400
Affiliates, and all fair-minded Americans.

McDonald has stated: "The Southern Baptist Convention's boycott treats our
families like second class citizens.  PFLAG's national conference will be
held this September in Orlando, home of Walt Disney World.  The time has
come for America to see true family values: families that have stayed
together despite this kind of discrimination and hateful rhetoric.  We plan
to use the conference to affirm our support of the Walt Disney company and
our family values."

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) promotes the
health and well-being of gay, lesbian and bisexual persons, their families
and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education,
to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination
and secure civil rights.  PFLAG provides opportunity for dialogue about
sexual orientation, and acts to create a society that is healthy, and
respectful of diversity.  Founded in 1981, PFLAG is now organized in 400
communities nationwide, with more than 69,000 household members.

                                                             ###

*****************************************************************

Tips for writing a Letter to the Editor:

 *       You can usually find information about sending a letter to the
editor on the same page as the current letters in the newspaper. If you can
not find the information, call the newspaper and ask.
 *       Include your day time phone number and home address with zip code
at the bottom of your letter.
 *       Before you e-mail a letter, or fax through a computer, check with
your local newspaper. Many newspapers require your signature at the bottom
of letters.

 SAMPLE | SAMPLE | SAMPLE | SAMPLE | SAMPLE | SAMPLE | SAMPLE | SAMPLE

 To the Editor:

Last week, the Southern Baptist Convention launched a boycott on the Walt
Disney Company for its employment policies that are inclusive of gay and
lesbian family members.  I am taking up a different challenge.  It's the
challenge to love in the face of intolerance; the challenge to educate in
the face of ignorance.

As the (mother/father/sister/brother/friend, etc) of a lesbian (or gbt)
person, the Southern Baptist boycott treats my family like second-class
citizens.  I will not participate in the boycott.  Rather, I am going to
Orlando to support Disney.  Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and
Gays (PFLAG) will hold our national conference from September 11-14 in
Orlando, home of Walt Disney World.

I challenge Southern Baptists and other fair-minded Americans to join us in
Orlando to affirm support of the Walt Disney Company and to dialogue about
homosexuality and the issues that face our families thoughtfully.

 Sincerely,

 Your name
 Your address
 Your daytime phone

=====================================================================

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 13:50:32 -0500
Subject: Religious Leaders Join PFLAG in Support of Disney

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 1997

Contact:	Karyn-Siobhan Robinson
	202-638-4200
	[email-masked]

PFLAG TAKES ON SOUTHERN BAPTIST BOYCOTT
Religious Leaders Join PFLAG In Support of Disney

PFLAG President Nancy McDonald issued a challenge today to PFLAG's 69,000
members, 400 Affiliates, and all fair-minded Americans in response to the
Southern Baptist Convention's boycott of the Walt Disney Company.

At a Houston press conference, McDonald stated: "The members of PFLAG are
deeply saddened that the Southern Baptist Convention has voted to boycott
the Walt Disney Company for its equal employment policies. The majority of
Americans and people of faith support such policies.  We challenge
fair-minded American families to join us at our national conference in
Orlando this September to affirm our support of the Walt Disney Company and
real family values."

Taking up the challenge, PFLAG Affiliates in Houston, Orlando and Nashville
held simultaneous press conferences.  PFLAG Executive Director Sandra
Gillis convened the Nashville press conference on the heels of "Family
Reunion 6" moderated by Vice-President Al Gore.  PFLAG's Orlando Affiliate
was joined by James Armstrong, President of the Florida Council of
Churches.

Retired Southern Baptist Minister and PFLAG Chattanooga Chapter President
Matt Nevels affirmed the need for a public display of support for companies
like Disney.  He remarked: "I won't be supporting my denomination's boycott
of Disney.  To the contrary, I will be joining PFLAG in Orlando this
September to demonstrate my support for the company.  My wife and I are a
part of PFLAG because we want other mothers and fathers to understand their
child and experience their love without fear of ridicule and harassment.
Negative rhetoric is un-Christian.  Let us live life the way God meant it
be lived -- with love and compassion, not hate."

PFLAG's Annual Conference will be held Orlando, Florida September 11-14.
Orlando is one of the premier vacation spots for American families --
primarily because of the family-friendly entertainment offered by Walt
Disney.  All PFLAG conference attendees will be encouraged to take full
advantage of the entertainment options offered by the Walt Disney Company.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) promotes the
health and well-being of gay, lesbian and bisexual persons, their families
and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education,
to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination
and to secure civil rights.   PFLAG provides an opportunity for dialogue
about sexual orientation, and acts to create a society that is healthy and
respectful of human diversity.   Serving more than 69,000 members, PFLAG
affiliates are located in more than 400 communities across the United
States, and in 11 other countries.

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