From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 17:21:01 -0500

PRESS RELEASE:  FOR IMMEDIATE USE

            CHURCH TRIES TO KILL VETERANS EVENT
                   BUT GLB VETS PREVAIL 

       New York, NY, November 7, 1994.  German Lopez,
President of Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Veterans of Greater
New York (GLB VETS), has declared a state of general
emergency in response to a heavy-handed move by the Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of New York to force cancellation of a
veterans awards ceremony.  The state of emergency will  be
kicked off at a public rally on Wednesday evening, November
9, at the Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center in
Greenwich Village at 7:00 p.m., with a march to St. Francis
Xavier, to depart from the Center at 7:30 p.m.
  
       On September 28, 1994, St. Francis Xavier Church
(16th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues) signed an
agreement with GLB VETS to rent Larkin Hall, undercroft of
the church.  Larkin Hall is generally available to the
public as a rental facility.  The veterans group rented the
hall for their 2nd Annual Rainbow Eagle Awards Banquet, the
most significant g/l/b vets honors event in the United
States.  This year's honorees included New York Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani, Judge Karen Burstein, Job Mashariki,
Director of Black Veterans of Social Justice, and New York
State Veterans Counselor Vincent Muscari, in addition to
long-time activist and GLB VETS board member Fred Knoerzer.
       At 3 p.m. on Thursday, November 3, 48 hours before
the dinner was to be held, the Archdiocese of New York
ordered the pastor of St. Francis Xavier to unilaterally
cancel the rental contract, which was signed and confirmed
weeks before.  The only pretext offered for the violation
of the agreement was that GLB VETS, in the opinion of the
Archdiocese, has "too high a profile" as a "gay group." 
GLB VETS, whose members advocate and volunteer on behalf of
all veterans without distinction, has been recognized as a
veterans service organization by federal, state and local
governments, in addition to recognition from the U.S.
Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and plaudits
from Vice President Al Gore.
       Officials with the vets group have confirmed that
the church offered no other excuse.  They have also
received information from church and independent sources
that this decision, including the last-minute timing of the
cancellation, was on specific orders from the highest
Archdiocesan authorities.
       Lopez noted with frustration, that "this couldn't be
anything but a move to kill this specific event, and to
destroy the credibility and financial stability of a
successful community-based veterans organization because of
prejudice.  The Archbishop of New York, Cardinal O'Connor,
has a long record of service caring for military and
veteran people - he has responsibilities for our well-
being.  Our Rainbow Eagle Awards honor people who have
served the entire vet community.  If His Eminence has
differences with that part of the veterans community our
members represent, because of other issues, it is sad and
shameful that he allowed his own prejudices to blind him to
larger issues of service, inclusiveness and non-
discrimination in the public venue.  He chose to act in a
spirit of meanness by this last-minute insult to our
distinguished honorees and military veterans."
       The need to find another hall for the banquet on
less than two days notice forced GLB VETS members to a
full-scale mobilization to obtain space, move set-up plans
and notify ticketholders.  The event was finally held at
Carmine Recreation Center in Greenwich Village.  Shifting
the event and changing plans resulted in the dinner running
far over budget, but organizers say that the event was,
according to Lopez, "a great success because of the support
we received from so many people.  Mayor Giuliani, Manhattan
Borough President Ruth Messinger and the New York City
Council issued proclamations honoring the event.  The
greatest municipality in North America chose to recognize
the service our people and honorees have rendered to
veterans.  We cannot understand why the Archdiocese chose
to disgrace itself by this public insult."
       GLB VETS is issuing this press release to draw
attention to the need to resolve a critical issue of public
access and fairness.  The state of emergency will remain in
effect, according to Lopez, "until all the reasons for this
disgraceful act are removed, and amends are made."
       Contact GLB VETS at 212-349-3455 for details and
further information.