Date: Fri, 09 May 1997 15:05:23 -0600 From: "FACES of South Dakota, Inc." Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Censorship in South Dakota Prisons For Immediate Release 5/8/97 Free Americans Creating Equal Status of South Dakota, Inc. condemns the censorship actions of officials at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. Prison officials have refused to deliver the publication FACES of South Dakota, South Dakota's only publication for the bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgendered and two spirit communities to inmate Randy Wilson #28666, who is serving a life sentence without possibility of parole for the murder of his lover in Aberdeen. Wilson had been receiving the publication for over a year, according to FACES executive director and publication editor Barry Wick, until a postal notice dated May 9th indicated the publication was refused. "FACES of South Dakota is a very tame publication compared to even some of the national magazines," says Wick. "We feature no pictures of unclothed persons. We feature no unsavory, sexually overt, personals advertisements, and we do not discuss overt sexual practices in our publications except to advise persons to practice safer sexual techniques in light of the AIDS plague sweeping the country." Wilson had advised FACES that a crackdown on mail had been implemented. There had been no indication that FACES of South Dakota would be refused since the prison has accepted previous issues. The refused May issue featured photographs of FACES library and offices in Rapid City (also available on the internet) along with articles about the Gill Foundation's recent grant to FACES, passage of a law that jails suspected HIV positive persons, articles about sponsors bailing out of "Ellen", an update from Lambda Legal Defense and Marriage Fund on the Hawaii marriage case, notices of a PFLAG meeting in South Dakota, articles from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, an obituary for Republican Conservative Marcin Liebman, a list of books donated to the FACES library in March and April, a South Dakota calendar of events, short articles based upon current news, an opinion by author Patricia Nell Warren, plus a few advertisements from the state's only gay bar, Planned Parenthood of South Dakota where HIV testing is available, and two personal ads. "Wilson committed a murder and, in my opinion, seems to believe the punishment fits his crime. FACES has received support in various forms from Wilson including a copy of his admittedly X-rated comic book which he drew himself. FACES have never even published his sexually suggestive comics because we thought they might be a touch controversial. We may have changed our mind on this since Wilson's comics are quite critical of prison officials and guards," says Wick. "Wilson or prison officials can be reached by writing PO Box 5911, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57117-5911," says Wick, "but keep it free of whatever they don't like there. Frankly, I don't have a clue." ------------------------ FACES of South Dakota, Inc. is the state's largest organization advocating civil and human rights for bisexuals, gay men, lesbians, transgendered persons and two spirit peoples. It publishes the monthly FACES of South Dakota, webpages on the internet, operates the state's only library for these underserved communities and provides limited advocacy. The organization's mailing list has grown from 180 in late 1995 to over 500 today. One thousand copies of FACES of South Dakota are printed every month with readership estimated at 1,200 statewide. FACES of South Dakota, Incorporated's entire budget is less than $20,000.00 per year. The all volunteer organization recently open a small office on Rapid City's Main Street. <<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>> Free Americans Creating Equal Status of South Dakota, Inc. (FACES) South Dakota Alternative Library 625 1/2 Main St Ste 3, Rapid City, SD 57701-2758 Phone 605-343-5577, FAX 605-394-8962 email: facessd@rapidnet.com; webpages: http://www.rapidnet.com/~facessd/ <<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>