Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 17:00:02 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: "FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE" SPECIAL URGENT ONLINE GLAADALERT SPECIAL URGENT ONLINE GLAADALERT SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR DIVERSITY IN THE FUNNY PAGES! "FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE" FACES ANTI-GAY BOYCOTT The comic strip "For Better or For Worse," which runs in 1,700 newspapers nationwide, is facing a stealth boycott by radical religious groups and the threat of being dropped by dozens of newspapers, due to its inclusive storyline this week, which includes two gay characters. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is calling for a show of support for Lynn Johnston and the comic strip she has created. GLAAD asks that all fair-minded people across the country buy three copies of the newspaper during the days of August 20 to 23, when the strip will run nationwide. Readers should keep one for themselves, then send one copy each to the Christian Family Network in Dayton, OH and the American Family Association of Tupelo, MS. Both groups, with aggressively anti-gay agendas, have called for their members to refuse delivery of their newspapers from August 20 to August 23, to show their opposition with the strip. Individuals who refuse delivery do not pay for those days' newspapers, thereby boycotting the newspaper by affecting their business livelihood. "These radical religious groups are asking their members to boycott newspapers sight unseen," said Joan M. Garry, Executive Director of GLAAD. "It's ironic, since Lynn Johnston's strip is one of the most family-friendly comics running today. We feel that everyone should read 'For Better or For Worse' and make up their own minds about the storyline. By sending these groups the newspapers, we hope they will take the opportunity to do just that." "For Better or For Worse" faced threats by small-minded bigots before, when Lawrence, the best friend of Michael Patterson, a member of the family whose story is told by Johnston in the daily comic strip, came out as a young gay man. At that time, thirteen newspapers canceled the strip. At least 25 other papers requested rerun strips. The upcoming storyline focuses on Lawrence and his boyfriend, Ben, who may be moving to Paris to study piano. "Their sneaky attempt to claim that this boycott is not a boycott is part of the same smoke and mirrors tactics these groups use to mask their hate and intolerance as `family values'," said Liz Tracey, Associate Communications Director. "These groups are not interested in people making up their own minds about this, they want to impose their agenda on others through anti-gay rhetoric, censorship and intolerance. We feel Americans can think for themselves." Also, GLAAD asks that you contact your local newspaper that runs "For Better or For Worse," and let them know that you support their taking a stand for inclusiveness in all sections of the newspaper. If your newspaper has chosen not to run the strip, please let them know how you feel about it. To locate the contact information for newspapers in your city, contact GLAAD online at www.glaad.org, and search our database of media outlets. The addresses to send your newspapers to are: Christian Family Network, PO Box 24171, Dayton OH 45424; American Family Association, PO Drawer 2440, Tupelo MS 38803. CONTACT: Elizabeth Anderson, Associate Director, and Lee Salem, Editorial Director, Universal Press Syndicate, 4900 Main Street, 9th Floor, Kansas City, Missouri 64112, fax: 816.932.6648, e-mail: webmaster@uexpress.com Also, give your opinion about the gay characters in "For Better Or For Worse" at United Press Syndicate's Express Yourself section on the World Wide Web at http://www.uexpress.com/cgi-bin/WebX?express-14@@.ee6b2da ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's DISPATCH AND QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.