From: MMOW2000@aol.com Date: Tue, 6 Jul 1999 12:37:32 EDT Subject: Notes From The March on Washington: 7/2/99 Visit The Millennium March Website At http://www.mmow.org \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Notes From The March \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ News of the Millennium March on Washington Produced by the MMOW Staff July 2, 1999 INDEX: 1. Here's How You Can Help The March! 2. Martina Navratilova To Be Featured At March on Washington 3. Had Problems Registering On-Line? 4. MMOW Town Meeting, Board Meeting Set for Chicago 5. We Welcome Many New Endorsing Organizations 6. GLBT Marches Birth New Groups 7. Meet The Newest MMOW Board Members 8. Another Powerful Story... Don't Miss This One! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 1. Here's How You Can Help The March! Looking for a way to help promote the March on Washington? Willing to volunteer some time? We have MMOW peel-off stickers and handout cards for distribution at Pride Events and GLBT community events in your area. If you are willing to distribute these MMOW materials to help promote the March, send us your name and mailing address and we'll rush promotional materials to you by return mail. Send requests by e-mail to MMOW2000@aol.com or call the March office at 818-891-1748. Write us today and let us know how many handouts you can use! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 2. Martina Navratilova To Be Featured At MMOW Tennis champion, activist and author Martina Navratilova will be a featured keynote speaker at the Millennium March on Washington for Equality, the 4th national march for LGBT rights scheduled for April 30, 2000. "We are honored that one of the great sheroes of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community, and one of the greatest athletes of the 20th Century, will participate in the upcoming March on Washington," said Nicole Murray-Ramirez, co-chair of the March. Navratilova, who won over 1400 professional matches and 167 titles during her professional tennis career, is also co-founder of the Rainbow Card program, which has distributed more than $600,000 to non-profit groups serving the LGBT communities since its founding in October 1995. The Rainbow Card was conceived during Navratilova's participation in the 1993 March on Washington and the photo on the front of the Rainbow Card was taken as she spoke from the main stage during that event. "Martina Navratilova is a great role model for the LGBT communities," said Robin Tyler, Executive Producer of the Millennium March on Washington. "By coming out at the height of her career when she was the most famous athlete in the world, Martina made enormous personal sacrifices, including major corporate sponsorships and the significant revenue they brought to other athletes. Her courage pioneered the way for other celebrities to come out and has given hope to hundreds of thousands in the LGBT movement." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 3. Had Problems Registering On-Line? If you experienced problems registering on the Millennium March Official Website, now is the time to try again. The registration system is now fully functional. Visit www.mmow.org -- or go to PlanetOut keyword: MMOW -- and sign-up today. Everyone who registers will receive a free MMOW Access Card good for $100 off travel and lodging to the March. If you've already signed-up, be on the lookout for your MMOW Access Card. They will be mailed at the end of July! If you encounter any problems registering on-line, e-mail us at MMOW2000@aol.com. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 4. MMOW Town Meeting, Board Meeting Scheduled for Chicago The next meeting of the MMOW Board of Directors will be held in Chicago Aug. 2-3. This meeting is open to the public. A Town Meeting to gather community input for the Millennium March will also be held in Chicago on Monday evening, Aug. 2. Locations for both meetings are being finalized and will be posted on the Millennium March website at www.mmow.org as soon as arrangements are completed. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 5. We Welcome Many New MMOW Endorsing Organizations! There's a sense of excitement as GLBT organizations across the country endorse the Millennium March on Washington. MMOW Board Member David Medina and Associate Producer Ginny Foat report on the most recent organizations to endorse the March: We extend a warm welcome to the friends and members of the HIV Network, Inc. of Johnson City, TN. The Network is a non-profit organization providing support and services to people with HIV and AIDS, and to their friends and families.... Welcome to Spectrum Center for LGBT Concerns. They provide services to 6000 persons annually in Marin, County, CA... Middle Tennessee State University Lambda (Murfreesboro, TN) has also endorsed. They provide a safe arena for GLBT students and their supporters to discuss issues of interest and concern to their community... Trenton Gay & Lesbian Civic Association (NJ), which fosters greater participation of Trenton's gay and lesbians in civi life... PrideNet.com of Trappe, MD, provides GLBT resources over the Internet... Cyberdolls On-Line, a lesbian networking and resourcing group with more than 300 members... and the PFLAG Chapter of Norfolk and Southern Hampton Roades, VA. Here's a reminder that every organization endorsing the March may designate a member or representative to serve on the MMOW Leadership Council to implement the platform of the March and to work with local, state and regional organizing. Official endorsement forms may be downloaded from www.mmow.org, or are available upon e-mail request from MMOW2000@aol.com. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 6. National GLBT Marches Birth New Organizations and Groups Did you know that the GLBT Marches on Washington have consistently birthed new organizations and new movements? And the upcoming March will be no different. For example, the forerunner of today's National Black Lesbian & Gay Leadership Forum was born at the 1979 March on Washington. National Coming Out Day was born at the 1987 March, as was LLEGO, the largest LGBT Latino/a organization in the world. Both PFLAG and the National Youth Advocacy Coalition were founded from the national Marches in 1979 and 1987, respectively. And The Front Page, a premiere GLBT newspaper serving North and South Carolina was created from the inspiration of the 1979 March. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 7. Meet The Newest MMOW Board Members The MMOW Board of Directors continues to grow and expand, representing the broad diversity of the LGBT communities. We extend a warm weclome to the three newest members: Malcolm Lazin is Executive Director of PrideFest America in Philadelphia. Malcolm is an attorney by profession having been an Assistant U.S. Attorney and thereafter a partner in a law firm. He was Chair of the Pennsylvania Crime Commission overseeing a staff of 60 with a mission of investigating organized crime. He received the US Attorney Genral's Distinguished Service Award given annually to 5 of the over 100,000 employees of the US Dept. of Justice. He has been active in the gay and lesbian community for over 10 years. He is founder of PrideFest America. In 1999, he became its Executive Director. Butch McKay is Executive Director of Coastal Pride of Florida, which provides gay issues workshops, promotes safer sex practices, lobbies legislators on issues affecting our community, and organizes social events. He has been actively involved in the area of HIV/AIDS education, outreach, and case management for more than eleven years. He is currently the Executive Director of Okaloosa AIDS Support and Informational Services, Inc.(OASIS) of Fort Walton Beach, FL. Butch is the founder and chair of the Positive Living HIV Conference Series held annually in Northwest Florida, attracting nationally known researchers and presenters in the field of HIV/AIDS care and attendees from all over the Southeast. He serves on the Community Advisory Boards of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group and the AIDS Vaccine Evaluation Unit at the University of Alabama at Birmingham AIDS Research Clinic. He serves as a district leader with Florida AIDS Action Council calling on legislators both in Florida and in Washington, D.C. regarding HIV/AIDS legislation. He has been recognized as Outstanding Social Worker of the Year by Florida Association for Health. The 1993 March on Washington was a turning point in McKay's life. He wants to be a rural voice in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 2000 and will be working to get his brothers and sisters in small towns to participate in this historical event. Dennis Gorg of St. Louis, MO. Dennis is president of Events Group, Inc. and has long been active in the GLBT communities. He is a board member of St. Louis Pride, on the Executive Committee of the St. Louis Efforts for AIDS, Inc., a board member of Awareness of Breast Cancer, and a member of the St. Louis Convention & Vistors Commission. The Board continues to maintain its strong committment to diversity in our communities. 50% of the board membes are women, and 50% are people of color. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 8. How National GLBT Marches Change Lives! LETTER FROM JEFF SIZEMORE AND TIM BATES (TENNESSEE): I'm sure you've been overwhelmed with questions, comments, and requests for information about the upcoming march, so I'll keep it short... My partner and I live in rural East Tennessee, where the majority of the gay "community" cannot afford, due to social/family/religious pressures, to live their lives openly and honestly, with pride and dignity. Our city's first "gay pride" celebration took place in a private, controlled area to keep media coverage, as well as potential social confrontation/violence, at bay. Such is life in rural, homophobic America. Granted, we're making progress. But ever-so-slowly. That's why we look with anticipation and hope to the upcoming Millennium March on Washington for Equality in Washington, DC on April 30, 2000. Events such as this are not just important, they are VITAL to the visibility of GLBT communities in our country. They are a peaceful reminder that intolerance, ignorance, and outright violence toward fellow human beings should never have been accepted, and will no longer be tolerated. As members of this community, my partner and I seek no special rights...only the human rights intrinsic to our status as companions in the human race. For this reason, in the spring of next year, we will join millions of supporters in our nation's capital in pursuit of freedom, justice, and recognition for all. Because we care about ourselves...because we care about others...because we're not willing to mourn another senseless, tragic end like those faced by Matthew Shepherd or Billy Jack Gaither...we will be there. Jeff Sizemore/Tim Bates (END)