========================================================================== PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION FORMED TO OVERTURN AMENDMENT 2 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, December 10, 1992 -- A group of community activists announced today the formation of a grassroots organization to direct local efforts to secure and maintain basic civil rights for gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens. Calling itself, GROUND ZERO, the group was formed after several town meetings indicated a need for a Colorado Springs-based political effort to overturn Amendment 2. GROUND ZERO seeks to focus national attention on the implications of Amendment 2. "Since Colorado Springs was the birthplace of Amendment 2, we see ourselves as ground zero in the fight against the discrimination it condones," said Sam Broomall, Jr., a spokesperson for GROUND ZERO. Invited speaker, Robert Bray, speaking at a recent Colorado Springs Town Meeting, called Amendment 2 "the beginning of gay ethnic cleansing." Bray is Media Director for the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. GROUND ZERO will offer its support and the benefit of its experiences in Colorado Springs to gay rights' groups in other states facing Colorado-style amendments. The sponsor of Amendment 2, Colorado for Family Values (CFV), is actively supporting such amendments in several other states. GROUND ZERO stands in full support of the growing national boycott of Colorado. GROUND ZERO feels the boycott will focus attention on what transpired in Colorado and will encourage voters in other states to reject Colorado-style amendments. GROUND ZERO believes special attention should be given to boycotting Colorado Springs. "People should remember that Colorado Springs is ground zero. This is where it all started," said Bruce Loeffler, another GROUND ZERO spokesperson and professor at Colorado College. A primary strategy of GROUND ZERO will be education. "Amendment 2 passed because people believed the `special rights' rhetoric. This is not about special rights, it is about discrimination that denies equal rights," said Mel Berwin, chairperson of the Education Committee. Although billed as prohibiting special rights, the amendment states that homosexual, lesbian or bisexual orientation may not constitute the basis of a claim of discrimination. This clause in the amendment will be used to deny gays, lesbians and bisexuals jobs, housing, and public accommodation-- GROUND ZERO sees these as fundamental civil rights. Amendment 2 may also be used to discriminate against anyone, on the assumption or accusation, they are gay. Such tactics were used in 1935 Germany when anti-homosexual laws were used to target political opponents. The main focus of the education effort will be to counter the grossly inaccurate and fear-inducing campaign used by CFV in support of Amendment 2. GROUND ZERO believes it is dangerous to let such misinformation remain unchallenged. The education effort will also involve a religious outreach program to moderate the intolerant position of the religious right in Colorado Springs. GROUND ZERO will encourage discussion of civil rights issues within local churches in an attempt to defuse the religious right's position that gays are undeserving of civil rights protection. "Part of our mission is to reach out to the religious community to uncover the deception and misinformation promoted by the radical, fundamentalist right regarding homosexuality," said Alan Cook, chairperson of the Religious Outreach committee and a Colorado Springs psychotherapist. GROUND ZERO will be sponsoring a march on Colorado Springs in late Spring. The march will be modelled after the national march on Washington scheduled for April 25, 1993. GROUND ZERO intends to continue its efforts to focus national attention on Colorado Springs until Amendment 2 is overturned. For more information contact: Bruce Loeffler (719) 389-6514 (through 12/14) GROUND ZERO (719) 635-6086 (effective 12/14) CONTACT LIST GROUND ZERO (719) 635-6086 BOYCOTT COLORADO Terry Schleder (303) 377-0160 Robert Briggs-Daniels (303) 399-6015 Colorado Legal Initiative Project (CLIP) Mary Celeste (303) 830-2100 Equality Colorado Tony Ogden (303) 839-5540 National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) Robert Bray (202) 332-6483 FACT SHEET GROUND ZERO GROUND ZERO is a grassroots organization consisting of gay, lesbian, bisexual and gay supportive people. The mission of the organization is to secure and maintain basic civil rights for gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens and to promote full participation of gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens in the community at large. GROUND ZERO is a loosely structured organization. Direction is provided by a Steering Committee made up of representatives from focus groups. The focus groups with a public mission are described below. Education - Work to encourage a greater understanding of the legal and psychological implications of Amendment 2. Work to educate the public on the manipulative and deceptive techniques employed by CFV. Religious Outreach - Work with local churches and religious organizations to educate them on gay issues. Uncover and correct the deceptive portrayal of homosexuals as presented by the fundamentalist Christian right. Political - Work with elected officials to keep them informed of GROUND ZERO's plans, enlist their help and support. Plan direct action campaigns. Media - Coordinate contact with local, state and national media. Monitor media coverage to ensure Amendment 2 and gay civil rights issues are fairly presented. Minority Outreach - Work with local minority groups to forge an effective coalition to fight all types of oppression. We recognize that our quest for social justice fundamentally links us to the struggle against racism, sexism, class bias, economic injustice and religious intolerance. GROUND ZERO P.O. Box 1982 Colorado Springs CO 80901 (719) 635-6086 (effective 12/14) FACT SHEET Amendment 2 Amendment 2 was passed in Colorado by a 53%-47% margin on November 3, 1992. The text of Amendment 2 follows: NO PROTECTED STATUS BASED ON HOMOSEXUAL, LESBIAN OR BISEXUAL ORIENTATION: Neither the State of Colorado, through any of its branches or departments, nor any of its agencies, political subdivisions, municipalities or school districts, shall enact, adopt or enforce any statute, regulation, ordinance or policy whereby homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual orientation, conduct, practices or relationships shall constitute or otherwise be the basis of or entitle any person or class of persons to have or claim any minority status, quota preferences, protected status or claim of discrimination. Amendment 2 is due to go into effect on the first business day of January 1993. Governor Romer's signature is required for Amendment 2 to become law. The amendment was placed on the ballot by a Colorado Springs group, Colorado for Family Values (CFV). A similar, more harshly worded, ballot measure failed in Oregon in the November general election. Other states targeted for Colorado-style amendments include: Washington, Ohio, Idaho, Minnesota, Maine, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon and Florida. The fight against Amendment 2 was led by EPOC (Equal Protection of Colorado), Inc. EPOC has since disbanded and has been replaced by Equality Colorado, GROUND ZERO and other groups. El Paso county, home to Colorado Springs, voted almost 3-1 in favor of the passage of Amendment 2. Denver, Boulder and Aspen all voted against Amendment 2. These cities currently have non-discrimination ordinances which include sexual orientation. These ordinances will be overturned when Amendment 2 goes into effect. CLIP (Colorado Legal Initiative Project) has filed a suit in District Court in an attempt to find Amendment 2 unconstitutional. The case is based on the abridgement of the U.S Constitution's equal protection clause, the vagueness of the implications of amendment and the usurping of home rule powers as guaranteed by the Constitution of the State of Colorado. There is also a bill in the U.S. Senate, S574, which would add sexual orientation to the 1964 Civil Rights Acts. This bill would supercede the Constitution of the State of Colorado. If neither the CLIP effort nor S574 succeeds, the soonest Colorado voters would have an opportunity to repeal Amendment 2 is November 1993. ====================My Statement=============================== STATEMENT ROB GORDON Good Morning. I stand before you today without any of the usual credentials associated with a press conference speaker. I am not a civic leader, nor a religious leader, nor a political or financial mover and shaker. I stand before you today as simply a citizen of Colorado Springs. In many respects I am an ideal candidate for inclusion in two groups responsible for our presence here today-- Colorado for Family Values and Focus on the Family. I am a straight, white, Christian male, married with two young children. So with attributes such as these--in some people's minds antithetical to cause of GROUND ZERO-why do I stand shoulder to shoulder with my gay and lesbian friends on this podium? Let me tell you why. I stand for truth in the face of a CFV campaign replete with deception and misinformation that depicted gays and lesbians as subhuman. I stand for justice in the face of a CFV campaign which violated the most basic sense of justice by depriving members of our community--and I mean this in the broadest sense--of fundamental civil rights. I stand for tolerance in the face of a CFV campaign that inspired fear and fostered grave intolerance and disrespect by promoting stereotypical images of gays and lesbians. And, finally, I stand for the message of love and compassion as taught to us in the Gospel in the face of a CFV campaign that engendered such prejudice and misunderstanding that its only logical result is hate. I refuse to remain silent in the face of falsehood. I refuse to remain silent in the face of injustice. I refuse to remain silent in the face of intolerance. And I refuse to give over my Bible and my Gospel to a radical fringe of Christianity that misuses, abuses and perverts its message into one of condemnation and punishment. I am here today to call on others like me to make the same adamant refusals. It is irrelevant if you think homosexuality is immoral. It is irrelevant if you think it is the result of nature or nurture. It is irrelevant if you think it is a choice or a predetermined orientation. Your opinion on these issues has no bearing on how you answer the following questions: Are you willing to deny fellow human beings--with the same range of emotions as yourself, with the same hopes and dreams, with the same daily struggles on the job or in relationships with people they care about--are you willing to deny these people rights as basic as a place to work or live? Are you willing to give an employer or landlord the freedom to look a person in the eye and say: "You are out because you are gay?" Unfortunately, I ask this question too late. Amidst all the deception and misinformation that preceded the election, the debate on Amendment 2 never focussed on this question. As a result, the people of Colorado voted to remove basic civil rights from some of thier fellow citizens. Yes, the last clause of Amendment 2 does this. Read the Amendment carefully. Skip the special rights rhetoric and go straight to the last clause. So now the time has come to refocus the question and fight the falsehood, injustice and intolerance that led us to this place. That is why GROUND ZERO has been born. And that is why I stand here today. December 10, 1992 Colorado Springs, CO SAMPLE QUESTIONS What is GROUND ZERO's position on the type of vandalism that occurred last week in Denver? What is GROUND ZERO's relationship with or position on NAMBLA (North American Man-Boy Love Association)? Colorado is being called the "Hate State" around the nation yet, CFV insists they do not hate gays and lesbians. Could you comment on this? Why is it so important to "come out?" Is this paper bag thing a gimmick or are people really that fearful? Can you give an example of threatening or fear-inducing actions towards gays since the passage of Amendment 2? Could you give an example of one or two pieces from the CFV campiagn you thought were deceptive? Does GROUND ZERO believe gays have the 'right' to work for a religious organization that may, for whatever reason, not want to hire them? If so, do you believe this is a 'right' that should be protected by law? Could you elaborate a bit on GROUND ZERO's position on the boycott? How can you be sponsoring a large march in Colorado Springs and honor your own boycott?