PREVIOUS NEWS May, June 2001

Minnesota Battling Court's Sodomy Law Ruling Tuesday, 5 June 2001 MINNEAPOLIS, Mn - The American Civil Liberties Union is blasting as "callous and absurd" a move by lawyers representing the state of Minnesota to limit the overturning of the state's sodomy law to the seven plaintiff's who named in the lawsuit. State District Court Judge Delila F. Pierce struck down the sodomy law in late May. The ACLU, which brought the lawsuit, requested that the case be technically certified as a class action applicable to all Minnesotans. Quite unexpectedly, the state decided to stand in opposition to the motion, long considered little more than a legal formality. The office of Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura released a statement last month agreeing with the decision reached by the court. "The judge's action is consistent with the governor's principle that there are certain things the government should not have a role in," Ventura spokesman John Wodele told the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. But days later, the Ventura administration filed papers seeking to limit the ruling's impact to the individuals named in the original suit. "The sodomy law has been declared unconstitutional -- and the state has no good reason to say that it should be unconstitutional for some people, but not everyone," said Matt Coles of the ACLU's Lesbian & Gay Rights Project. In court papers, the state argues that instead of certifying the case as a class action, the court should force the ACLU to amend the initial lawsuit to name all local law enforcement entities in the state as defendants. "This is nonsense," said Coles, who has led court challenges to sodomy laws in several states. "The issue here isn't who ought to be sued but who ought to benefit from the court's ruling that the law is illegal." __________________________________________________ Washington Post, June 2, 2001 ( http://washingtonpost.com/ ) Military's Discharges of Gays Increase Army Base Where Anti-Gay Murder Occurred Had Record Number of Departures By Roberto Suro, Washington Post Staff Writer The number of troops leaving the U.S. military after declaring themselves gay jumped by 28 percent last year, with departures from an Army base that was the scene of a gay-bashing murder accounting for most of the increase, according to statistics the Pentagon released yesterday. A total of 1,106 service personnel received "statement discharges" because they voluntarily informed superiors of their sexual orientation during fiscal 2000, which ended Sept. 30. The previous year's total was 863. The number of service members who left the military after their superiors became aware they were engaged in homosexual conduct fell to 106 last year from 171 in 1999. Under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy adopted in 1993, gays are allowed to serve in the military as long as they do not engage in homosexual conduct or openly reveal their orientation. In addition, under the more recent "don't harass, don't pursue" policy, commanders are barred from investigating the sexual orientation of their troops, and anti-gay harassment is considered a failure of military discipline. Fort Campbell, Ky., home of the 101st Airborne Division, reported an increase of statement discharges from 17 in 1999 to 161 last year in what appears to be the largest increase ever in a year at a major military installation. The Army and its critics offer different explanations for the statistics, but both start with the beating death of Pfc. Barry Winchell in his Fort Campbell barrack on July 5, 1999. The Winchell murder revealed an anti-gay bias that pervaded the base and drove gays to seek discharges, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a legal aid and watchdog group that favors allowing gays to serve openly in the military. Dixon Osborne, the SLDN's executive director, blamed the base's former commander, Maj. Gen. Robert Clark, for permitting an environment that "simply made it an unsafe place for service members." The SLDN reports that it has received markedly fewer complaints of harassment from soldiers at Fort Campbell since Clark left the command last summer. The Army contends that more gays are stating their orientation because educational and disciplinary initiatives undertaken across the entire service since the Winchell murder have created a tolerant atmosphere at Fort Campbell. "The Army put together a substantial program to ensure that soldiers deal with each other with dignity and respect. And the outgrowth of that is that soldiers feel comfortable coming forward," said Lt. Col. Duncan Baugh, a chaplain who oversees the Army's anti-harassment initiatives. Overall, the Army reported that 573 soldiers left the service last year under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The Navy had 358 cases; the Air Force, 177; and the Marine Corps, 104. -- Associated Press, June 1, 2001 Bush Won't Issue Gay Proclamation By SANDRA SOBIERAJ WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush is opting out of Gay Pride Month. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush will not, as President Clinton did, issue a proclamation with such a designation for this month. Nor, as another White House official put into writing this week, will the executive office of the president sponsor an observance. "The president believes every person should be treated with dignity and respect but he does not believe in politicizing people's sexual orientation. That's a personal matter,'' McClellan said Friday. In a staff memo circulated by the White House Office of Administration via e-mail, managers within the administration were advised: "The executive office of the president will not sponsor an observance for Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. The executive office of the president will continue to observe, in some form or manner, the special emphasis programs that are traditionally recognized through the Affirmative Employment Program.'' "Those programs recognize minorities and women that have been traditionally underrepresented in the work force,'' the e-mail continued. David Smith, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, the country's largest gay and lesbian advocacy group, said that since Bush became president in January he has signed proclamations designating Black History Month, Women's History Month, and Irish-American Heritage Month. Bush has "reached out to other constituencies,'' Smith said. "His refusal to reach out to our community calls into question his promise to be president of all the people.'' In previous years, Clinton signed proclamations for Gay Pride Month and his administration sponsored speakers' forums for the occasion. This year, some executive branch offices, including the Interior and Transportation departments, are still planning their own observances regardless of White House endorsement. Bay Windows Boston, MA May 31, 2001 http://www.baywindows.com Activists exult at Senate that will face them in wake of switch by Jeffords Sens. Ted Kennedy and Joe Biden will be in; Sens. Helms and Lott will be out By Beth Berlo Bay Windows staff While gay activists reveled over Vermont Sen. James Jeffords' GOP party defection May 24, many say they weren't surprised that the senator from the free-thinking Green Mountain State switched to an independent. More importantly, most expect the shift in control of the U.S. Senate will create a climate more favorable for issues involving the gay community. The move resulted in giving the Democrats a 51-49 majority, which means Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., will replace Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., as majority leader and that Democrats will have the power to name the chairs of all Senate committees. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, will replace Sen. Orrin Hatch as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which votes on George W. Bush's judicial nominations. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., will become chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee. ``The Senator is going to continue to aggressively push to increase funding for HIV and AIDS, both nationally and around the world for research, prevention and treatment," said Kennedy spokesperson Matthew Ferragutl. ``Bush kept flat level funding for Ryan White (Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act) research this year despite 40,000 anticipated new cases. He's funding it as if there were no new cases. Senator Kennedy is going to make sure Ryan White has the funding it needs to continue." Ferragutl also said one of Kennedy's top priorities is to push to pass the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) and continue his ``ardent support" for the employment non-discrimination act (ENDA). Among other changes, Joseph Biden, D-Del., will replace Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Helms is one of the senators who delayed the nomination of openly gay James Hormel for ambassador to Luxembourg during the Clinton administration. ``The new composition of the Senate will serve as a brake on Bush's more radical proposals," said David Elliot, communications director at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF). Bush's judiciary nominees in particular, Elliot said, will receive more careful scrutiny now. Of Jesse Helms, Elliot exulted, ``He is an enemy of our community and he has lost his committee chairmanship. Oh, happy days." In a joint statement, Human Rights Campaign Executive Director Elizabeth Birch and Public Policy Director Winnie Stachelberg commiserated with the difficulty of Jeffords' decision saying they ``hold the senator in the highest regard" for his ongoing support of ENDA, HCPA and the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act. Gay Vermont state Rep. Bill Lippert said Jeffords' decision is a rejection of the Republican Party's move to the right: ``I'm pleased he has the integrity to stand up and take the actions he did by leaving the party. I think it's an affirmation of our ongoing commitment for civil rights for gay and lesbian Vermonters and for an increase in support for the possibility of fairer treatment at the federal level as well." Lippert recalled his loss of close friend David Curtis, a former Vermont politician, to AIDS a year and a half ago. Among others, Jeffords offered his reflections of Curtis' life at the funeral service. ``Right now, David must be smiling somewhere," Lippert said. ``I think he'd be very pleased to see his old friend has finally made the step away from the Republican Party." Among several who held press conferences last year decrying the anti-civil union attack that was shaping up north was Vermont Congressman Bernie Sanders. In 1990, Sanders became the first independent elected to Congress in 40 years. This week, Sanders wrote an op-ed piece in The Boston Sunday Globe May 27 saying though he and Jeffords have locked horns on a host of issues in the past, they are now in ``absolute agreement that the Republican Party has moved far to the Right and is out of touch with the needs of ordinary Vermonters - and ordinary people - throughout this country." As the new administration increasingly fuses religion with its political agenda, it is going to continue to drive more Republicans from the party, some say. In a statement, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry said he had enormous respect for what Jeffords did and his reasons why, calling him one of the most thoughtful and creative members in the Senate. ``In the last days, there's been a lot of talk about something Ronald Reagan used to say: `I didn't leave my party, my party left me.' Increasingly, and regrettably, because it is neither good for the political system nor the health of the party system in which I believe, the intolerance of the Republican Right is drowning out voices of moderation and chasing good people out of politics," Kerry stated. When Kerry came to the Senate in 1985, it was a different place, he says. It was less partisan, less ideological and far more inclusive, he said. It was a time when the Republican Party - despite it being the Reagan administration - respected Republicans who supported more liberal issues such as a women's right to choose, fiscal discipline, AIDS funding and environmental protection, Kerry reflected. Kerry said he hopes Bush can begin to veer a little more to the middle on issues and pursue a responsible course for the country, allowing moderate Republicans a lesser sense of alienation. Associated Press, May 31, 2001 Council rejects contract with health benefits for same-sex partners Statewire MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Milwaukee Common Council has narrowly rejected a union contract that included health benefits for same-sex partners, sending the matter to an arbitrator. The council voted 9-8 Wednesday against the pact with District Council 48 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the city' s largest union with about 2, 300 members. Aldermen initially rejected the tentative agreement between city negotiators and the union earlier this month, but a procedural maneuver delayed final action until Wednesday. It was the first time in at least 40 years the council voted down an agreement reached by city and union negotiators. There was no debate on the council floor before Wednesday' s vote, and activists on both sides watched quietly from the gallery. A handful of them argued in the hallway afterward about interpretations of the Bible. Several religious groups had fought the benefits, saying they amounted to the city condoning sinful homosexual behavior. "Clearly there are Common Council members content to perpetuate homophobia," said Neil Albrecht, executive director of the Milwaukee Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center. "That's what this vote was about." AFSCME officials have said they now will take the matter to an arbitrator, where they will seek larger pay increases than those included in the negotiated contract, which called for a 2.5 percent increase this year and 3 percent next year. After a period of attempted mediation, the arbitrator can declare an impasse. Each side then submits a final offer, and the arbitrator chooses between them. Pentagon: Discharge of Gays Rose WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of military personnel discharged for homosexual conduct or for stating their homosexuality rose by 17 percent last year to the highest total in recent years, the Pentagon (news - web sites) said Friday. The Army's total more than doubled, while the Air Force had a 50 percent decline. In all, 1,212 members of the armed services were discharged during the 2000 fiscal year that ended last Sept. 30, compared with 1,034 the year before and 1,145 the year before that, the Pentagon said. Of last year's total, all but 106 of the discharges were cases in which military members stated their homosexuality. The others were discharged for homosexual acts. The military permits homosexuals to serve so long as they do not engage in homosexual conduct or state their sexual preference. The Pentagon gave this breakdown, by service: Army: 573 total discharges, compared with 271 the year before. Of the 573, all but 35 were troops who stated their homosexuality. The rest were people the Army said engaged in homosexual conduct. Navy: 358 total discharges, up from 314 the year before. Of the 358, all but 42 were for homosexual statements. Air Force: 177 total discharges, down from 352. Of the 177, all but 19 were for homosexual statements. Marine Corps: 104 total discharges, up from 97 a year earlier. Of the 104, all but 10 were for statements. May 31, 2001 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: In United States: Julie Dorf 415-948-7494 In Berlin: Ralf Dose +49-30-441-3973; in Vienna: Kurt Krickler +43-1-545 13 10 US GOVERNMENT GRANTS HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO ACKNOWLEDGE GAY VICTIMS OF THE NAZIS This week the Pink Triangle Coalition received $504,210 from the United States' portion of the International Nazi Persecutee Relief Fund. According to the award letter from the US Department of State, the funds were specifically granted "to promote public education and remembrance of the gay men and lesbians who were murdered by the Nazis or otherwise persecuted during the Nazi period." The Pink Triangle Coalition was formed in 1998 by eight gay advocacy organizations in Europe, Israel and the United States to co-ordinate affairs relating to the Nazi persecution of gay men and lesbians. "Our Coalition is heartened by this opportunity to finally honor the memories of these gay men and lesbians who were killed by the Nazis and we are appreciative to the US government for acknowledging these non-Jewish victims," remarked Julie Dorf, one of the founders of the Pink Triangle Coalition and former Director of the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission. "But it also underscores how little has been done by a number of governments, particularly Germany." Ralf Dose of the Magnus Hirschfeld Society added, "We are still waiting for the German government to even consider true reparations for the gay victims of the Nazi period." Last year, the US portion of the International Nazi Persecutee Relief Fund allocated $70,000 for the Pink Triangle Coalition to redistribute to these seven survivors and for a Berlin-based research project to help uncover additional survivors. Also this year, the Austrian member of the Pink Triangle Coalition secured $33,000 from the Austrian portion of the International Nazi Persecutee Relief Fund. The Swiss and Austrian members of the Pink Triangle Coalition have also secured smaller amounts of money from other sources for gay survivors of the Nazis. The International Nazi Persecutee Relief Fund was created in 1997 as the final resolution of the left over money that the Tri-Partite Gold Commission had taken back from the Nazis after World War II. During the war, the Nazi government had stolen gold from the countries, which it occupied, and the US, British and French governments set up the Tri-Partite Gold Commission to handle the redistribution of these monies after the war. In London in 1997, governments from 23 countries met to discuss how to handle the left over funds and there they created the International Nazi Persecutee Relief Fund, from which the US distributed 25 million dollars in total. This grant of a half million dollars will be distributed to three projects in Germany and one international project. Together these projects will greatly contribute to the educational resources our communities have available to remember what happened to gay men and lesbians at the hands of the Nazis. Through film, books, study guides, the Internet and CD-ROMS, these three projects will create a long-lasting body of materials that will finally bring this hidden piece of history to a larger public. One project will ensure that a recent documentary film by Academy Award-winning directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, "Paragraph 175" will be seen and discussed around the world (http://www.tellingpix.com). A second project will create a "virtual" and real memorial to those killed as well as institutions destroyed by the Nazis in the form of a museum exhibition at the Gay Museum in Berlin (http://www.schwulesmuseum.de), a CD-ROM and an Internet site for educational uses. A third project will publish a memorial book of the names of gay men and lesbians in Berlin who were murdered by the Nazis (http://me.in-berlin.de/~hirschfeld/). The funds will be distributed through the Astraea Lesbian Action Foundation, based in New York City (http://www.astraea.org). In February, the Dutch government also allocated approximately 1.4 million dollars of funding-although not from their portion of International Nazi Persecutee Relief Fund-for research and exhibition projects related to gay and lesbian persecution by the Nazis and its broader impact for Dutch gay and lesbian life during and after the German occupation of the Netherlands. Representatives of various gay and lesbian groups, including of the Pink Triangle Coalition, have worked with the Dutch government on this important development. For additional background information, visit http://www.iglhrc.org/issues/nazi/index.html Photos available upon request Julie Dorf 2978 Folsom Street San Francisco, CA 94110 USA Tel. 415-824-5526 Fax. 415-282-1879 email jrdorf@pacbell.net Military panel rejects sodomy law By Barbara Dozetos, Gay.com / PlanetOut.com Network SUMMARY: A panel established by the National Institute of Military Justice says the Pentagon (news - web sites) should eliminate the armed services' sodomy law. A panel established by the National Institute of Military Justice says the Pentagon should eliminate the armed services' sodomy law. The seven-member Commission on the 50th Anniversary of the Uniform Code of Military Justice released its review of the UCMJ today. Among its recommendations was the repeal of the military's sodomy statute, also known as Article 125. "Of all of the topics that appeared on the Commission's long list of possible areas for consideration, the issue of prosecuting consensual sex offenses attracted the greatest number of responses from both individuals and organizations," the commissioners' report said. "The Commission concurs with the majority of these assessments in recommending that consensual sodomy and adultery be eliminated as separate offenses in the UCMJ and the Manual for Courts-Martial." The panel, headed by retired Federal Appeals Judge Walter T. Cox, III, found that prosecutions of the current military laws on adultery and sodomy "are treated in an arbitrary, even vindictive, manner." They suggest the adoption of "a comprehensive Criminal Sexual Conduct statute" similar to laws passed in recent years by state legislatures. "The commission is appropriately urging Congress to step into the present and do right by our men and women in uniform. The military's sodomy law is antiquated and should be repealed," said C. Dixon Osburn, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). SLDN submitted written comments to the commission supporting a repeal of Article 125. Sharra E. Greer, SLDN's legal director, testified before the commission at a public hearing earlier this year. "Article 125 is a throwback to English common law that has long since been abandoned by the militaries of the original NATO (news - web sites) countries, including Great Britain, on whose law ours relies," said Greer. The commission report has been forwarded to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who is currently overseeing a comprehensive review of Pentagon personnel policies. The chairpersons and ranking members of the Senate and House committees on armed services, as well as the Code Committee on Military Justice, will also receive copies. Study Examines Homosexual Tolerance WASHINGTON (AP) - A survey of gay and lesbian high school students suggests they endure less violence and confrontation in schools where students receive AIDS (news - web sites) and sexual-orientation instruction to increase sensitivity to gays. The survey, appearing Friday in the American Journal of Public Health, also found that gay, lesbian and bisexual students in schools without sensitivity training were more likely to report risky and frequent sex, substance abuse and suicide attempts. In schools where there was gay-sensitive HIV (news - web sites) instruction ``there was a reduction, or appeared to be, in risk behaviors by GLBT youth,'' said Susan Blake of George Washington University, author of the study. The June issue of the journal is devoted to the health of the GLBT population, referring to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals. This population has some unique risks of disease and by publishing the special issue the journal sought to open the field of investigation into those issues, commented Ilan H. Meyer or Columbia University. ``We believe that by promoting the health of all populations the public health for all of us is improved,'' added journal editor Mary E. Northridge. ``Gay, lesbian and bisexual youths were at greatest risk in schools where no or minimal levels of gay-sensitive HIV instruction existed,'' according to the survey. The research was conducted among pupils at 59 schools in Massachusetts, where school personnel are offered training on sexual orientation and suicide prevention and counseling services are available for homosexual students and their families. Researchers from George Washington University and the Center for Applied Behavioral and Evaluation Research in Washington and the Massachusetts Department of Education (news - web sites) conducted the survey. The survey conclusions were based on questionnaires completed at 54 high schools by 3,647 students, including 151 who either identified themselves as gay or were identified through same-sex sexual behavior. The pupils' ages ranged from 13 to more than 18 in grades 9 through 12. Overall, the survey found that 53.6 percent of heterosexual students reported drinking in the last 30 days. Among homosexual students, 69.7 percent reported drinking. Gay students were almost twice as likely as heterosexual students to report having had sexual intercourse in the last three months, 68.5 percent to 47.8 percent. On questions of personal safety, homosexual students were about four times more likely to have attempted suicide as heterosexual students, 36.1 percent versus 9.4 percent. About 28.3 percent of homosexual students reported threats or injury, versus 6.9 percent of heterosexual students. About 20.3 percent of homosexuals missed school because they felt unsafe, compared with 5 percent for the others. In schools with gay-sensitive HIV training, suicide planning by homosexuals dropped to 27.7 percent, and 12.2 percent missed class because of fears of personal safety. The authors said 39.1 percent of gay students at schools with high levels of the training reported recent sexual intercourse, compared to 78.2 percent at schools with none or minimal training. - On the Net: American Journal of Public Health: http://www.apha.org/journal/AJPH2.htm Washington Blade May 25, 2001 http://www.washblade.com Jeffords switch gives gays boost on Capitol Hill Change means Senate falls under Democrats' control, boding well for hate crimes, ENDA by Lou Chibbaro Jr. The decision by U.S. Sen. James Jeffords (R-Vt.) to leave the Republican Party to become an independent creates an advantage for the gay civil rights movement on a number of fronts, gay activists said this week. The immediate effect of Jeffords' action will be a sudden and unexpected change in the control of the U.S. Senate from Republicans to Democrats. The Senate had been divided 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, with Vice President Dick Cheney providing the tie-breaking vote that enabled Republicans to hold onto a razor-thin majority. Jeffords' withdrawal from the Republican Party and his decision to side with the Democrats in the organization of Senate leadership provides the Democrats with a 51-49 majority. That majority enables Democratic senators to serve as chairpersons of all of the Senate's standing committees, including committees that have the authority to send gay civil rights and hate crimes legislation to the Senate floor for a vote. The expected change next week in the chairperson of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee from Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will have an immediate effect on the process for approving - or possibly rejecting - nominees for all federal court judges, including U.S. Supreme Court justices. The Constitution gives the president authority to nominate federal court judges and gives the Senate authority to confirm or reject those nominees. Gay civil rights attorneys have expressed concern that Bush might nominate large numbers of judges - as well as Supreme Court justices - who have hostile records on gay civil rights and AIDS issues. Leahy, a strong supporter of gay civil rights issues, will likely clear the way for a vote on a federal hate crimes bill that includes protections for gays. Hatch favors a weaker version of the hate crimes legislation. In other changes, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is expected to become chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which has jurisdiction over the gay civil rights bill known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA. The committee also has jurisdiction over various AIDS programs. Kennedy is a longtime supporter of pro-gay and AIDS measures. Democratic control of the Senate also means that Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), who supports gay civil rights, will become the new Senate Majority Leader, replacing Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), who has compared gays to kleptomaniacs. "The primary obstacle for our issues in Congress has been the Republican leadership," said David Smith, spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay political group. "This changes that dynamic." Smith and officials with other gay groups said the changes are not a panacea for pro-gay legislation. Republicans remain in control of the House of Representatives, and conservative Republicans hostile to Gay civil rights remain in key House leadership positions. Although the Republican-controlled House passed a resolution endorsing a hate crimes bill favored by most gay organizations, the House GOP leadership has the power to block any pro-gay legislation that comes before the House, Capitol Hill observers say, including legislation passed by the Senate. -- Frontiers Newsmagazine Los Angeles/National Edition http://www.frontiersweb.com May 25, 2001 High Court Bans the Use of Medical Marijuana By Aslan Brooke In a sharp departure from their usual states' rights stance, the U.S. Supreme Court on May 14 deferred to Congress and ruled 8-0 that there is no exception in federal law for those afflicted with debilitating diseases such as AIDS and cancer to use marijuana to ease their suffering. The decision reversed a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in United States vs. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative et al that medical necessity can be a legal defense in marijuana cases. Some legal experts believe that patients could still use marijuana for medicinal purposes in states that allow it, but point out that it would be more difficult to obtain the drug because the high court has deemed that distribution violates federal law. According to Graham Boyd, director of the ACLU's Drug Policy Litigation Project, "The decision outlawing any medical marijuana exception under federal law is disappointing, but it is important to note that nothing in this decision affects the validity of the medical marijuana laws passed in California and eight other states. Under those laws, state and local officials are still barred from prosecuting users of medical marijuana; traditionally, they, not the federal government, have been the only authorities to engage in this kind of law enforcement." The nine states that have laws making it legal to use marijuana for medicinal purposes are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. In all the states except Hawaii, the law was approved by voters through ballot initiatives; in Hawaii, the Legislature last year passed a law allowing its use. Writing for the court, ultra-conservative Justice Clarence Thomas harked back to a 1970 federal law that states the drug has no "medical benefits worthy of exception." There is, however, one exception, and that is for government research projects studying marijuana usage. Although he joined in the ruling, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote a concurring opinion that the decision went too far. It should have included a caveat that a patient "for whom there is no alternative means of avoiding starvation or extraordinary suffering" could raise a medical necessity defense. Stevens was joined in his opinion by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter. Justice Stephen G. Breyer recused himself because his brother presided over the case at the district court level. As usual, the conservative majority held sway, with Thomas being joined by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Justices Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia and Anthony M. Kennedy. The case came about in 1998, when the federal government sought an injunction against the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative and five other marijuana distributors. Although the ruling targets manufacturers and distributors of marijuana, it could as well impact those who grow their own because under federal law, that is considered manufacture. The issue may become quite tangled in terms of states' rights versus federal law, given, for example, that in California patients can legally grow marijuana for their own medical use. Reaction to the ruling was swift, and in some cases scathing. "The Supreme Court's own anti-drug hysteria has now threatened the lives and well being of thousands of people," said West Hollywood City Council-man Steve Martin. "Apparently democracy and states' rights only count when the Supreme Court is installing a president." Scott Imler, president and founder of the West Hollywood-based Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center (LACRC) and co-author of Proposition 215 (the law approved by California voters in 1996 that allows seriously ill patients to grow and use marijuana for pain relief, with a doctor's recommendation, without state penalties), said the decision was not entirely the high court's fault in that the justices were following the law as set down by Congress. As for that body, Imler said "Congress is out to lunch" on the issue. Pointing out that 80% of LACRC's members are people with AIDS, Imler said the cooperative has followed the law and works closely with the Sheriff's Department to adhere to the rules and protocols, and that it is a "viable alternative to the streets." But, he said, LACRC members are "not going to condemn ourselves to an unknown fate ä we will continue to provide for our medical needs; we will continue until we can't anymore." According to ACLU's Boyd in a written statement, "The Justices' ruling ä hinges on a finding by Congress that marijuana has no medical use. Congress ignored the overwhelming evidence on medical use of marijuana; would the Court have deferred to a congressional finding that the world is flat? "The fact is, every group of voters and every state legislature to consider the scientific and ethical arguments in favor of medical marijuana has ended up endorsing the idea. As [the Supreme Court's] opinion demonstrates, Con-gress is sadly lagging behind states and voters in recognizing the appropriateness of medical marijuana, both as a public health solution and as a humanitarian matter. "On the bright side," Boyd said, "the Justices agreed with the ACLU argument that federal judges do have the discretion to allow medical marijuana distribution to continue in the face of the government's seeking an order to shut the clubs down. A court can instead require the government to take its case before a jury. It is particularly troubling that the federal case circumvented facing a jury in a state whose voters have overwhelmingly approved the use of medical marijuana." Boyd is also the lead attorney in another Proposition 215 case, Conant vs. McCaffrey, in which the ACLU is seeking to permanently block the federal government from censoring or criminally prosecuting California doctors who recommend medical marijuana to their patients. A favorable ruling was issued by a U.S. District Court in California last September; the government has appealed the ruling to the 9th Circuit. Jeff Jones, the executive director and co-founder of the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative and a named defendant in the government's case, said he's "more in a state of frustration at the hypocrisy [of the ruling]" than experiencing any other reaction. He pointed to the irony of Thomas having written the decision, particularly since Thomas admitted during his confirmation hearings to having used marijuana in college. "He had to commit one felony to get the marijuana, and he's on the Supreme Court," Jones said. Also pointing to the duplicitous nature of the decision, Gwenn Baldwin, executive director of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, said, "The hypocrisy is amazing. The Supreme Court is all for states' rights until it becomes inconvenient. It's maddening and a little unnerving." Baldwin added that the Center does prescribe Marinol (tetrahydro cannabinol) for patients, but that some people cannot tolerate the synthetic drug and need access to medicinal marijuana. Noting the "head in the sand" attitude of Congress and the Court, Baldwin said, "It really is shocking." Jones pointed to the topsy-turvy history of marijuana in the United States: As early as the 1600s, the government encouraged the cultivation of hemp for the production of rope and sails, among other items. (Marijuana is the mixture of dried, torn flowers and leaves from the hemp plant.) Domestic production of hemp flourished well into the late 19th century, and it was during this time that the weed became a popular ingredient in many medicinal products. Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, in 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act required labeling of any cannabis contained in over-the-counter remedies, but this little crackdown didn't deter the usage of the drug. By the 1920s, marijuana was being used as a recreational drug, but since it was introduced in that capacity by Mexican immigrants, eventually resentment that the immigrants were taking jobs away from U.S. citizens turned to indignation about the drug itself. Research was suddenly undertaken which, not unexpectedly, linked the use of marijuana with violence, crime and other socially aberrant behaviors. By 1931, the year following the creation of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 29 states had outlawed marijuana. In 1937, Jones said, Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, which essentially made criminal general usage of the drug, restricting its possession to those who paid an excise tax for certain authorized medicinal and industrial uses. A mere seven years later, in 1944, the New York Academy of Medicine issued an extensively researched report asserting that marijuana usage did not lead to violence, insanity or aberrant behavior, and, very importantly, that it did not lead to addiction or other drug use. During World War II, hemp again became popular because its yield aided the war effort in terms of supplies. But then came the 1950s, during which time stringent anti-drug laws were enacted. People caught using marijuana, for example, could be subject to up to 10 years in prison. In the 1960s, the drug again found favor among the population, particularly counterculture youths, and government reports found that its usage did not lead to crime or experimentation with hard drugs. The 1970s were a pivotal decade, particularly 1972, when the bipartisan Shafer Commission, appointed by Richard Nixon at the direction of Congress, recommended that personal use of marijuana should be decriminalized. According to Jones, that is the first time that the word "decriminalized" came into the lexicon. Nixon, unhappy with the findings, rejected the report, but before the decade was out, 11 states had decriminalized marijuana. Under Reagan, in the 1980s, however, marijuana again found disfavor, and penalties for possession were practically as severe as for selling the drug. When the elder Bush became president, he immediately launched a war on drugs, and conservatives viewed people who used marijuana with about the same jaundiced eye as they viewed gays. It was in the 1990s that attention was again paid to the medicinal use of marijuana for AIDS and cancer patients, as well as those with multiple sclerosis and other diseases, and, for a while, it looked as if there was real hope for these people. But, with the new, extremely conservative Bush administration, and a high court overwhelmingly conservative as well, the only attack now is to change the thinking of Congress. Some question if that is possible with a Republican-controlled House, but all agree the effort must be made, and made soon. GLAAD NEWS GLAAD News Pop June 5, 2001 "DR. LAURA" FLYING LOW, BUT NOT OFF THE RADAR Schlessinger to appear on Fox News Channel tonight (6pm PDT/9pm EDT) ***************************************************************** MONITORING ALERT: Laura Schlessinger is scheduled to appear tonight on Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes" (6PM Pacific/9PM Eastern). Fox's history of sensationalism and bias, paired with the apparent gag-order restricting Schlessinger's radio anti-gay attacks, make for "must-monitor" TV. (NOTE: "Hannity & Colmes" repeats at 11pm PDT/2am EDT). ***************************************************************** Since the March 30 cancellation her TV show, Schlessinger's political advocacy has become both insidious and, at the same time, more obvious. POLITICAL SPEECH TO NATIONAL RELIGIOUS BROADCASTERS (4/25) A GLAAD representative attended Schlessinger's address to a breakfast gathering of religious broadcasters at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas on April 25. In a speech that called for a strategic alliance with religious broadcasters, Schlessinger blatantly pitched herself as an organizing center for religious activists, offering to organize direct political actions and asking the assembled audience to "join forces on a few crusades this year." She also circulated a list of her "call to action" lobbying success stories from the past two years. CALLS TO ACTION ON THE BOY SCOUTS (5/24-31) In each of her three opening radio monologues on May 24, Schlessinger read a prepared statement endorsing the Helms Amendment to the Senate's education package (which, as of today, has not been voted on). The amendment would force public schools to open their doors to the Boy Scouts in order to keep their federal funding. Schlessinger assiduously did not once utter the words "gay," "homosexual," or "sexual orientation" in discussing the amendment. In fact, her only public reference to the LGBT community since the cancellation of her TV show was during her April 2 "Larry King Live" interview. On May 25, Schlessinger opened her radio show with another call to action, asking her audience to contact their local United Ways and encourage them to continue funding the Scouts. On May 31, Schlessinger attacked the "Los Angeles Times" for denying a funding request from a local Scouts program due to the national organization's discriminatory policies. GLAAD will continue to provide information around Schlessinger's stealth advocacy. Look to our Web site (www.glaad.org) for future updates. GLAAD Alert Today June 4, 2001 "New York Post" Homophobia, AIDS-phobia Continues Unrelenting in its homophobic and AIDS-phobic coverage since 1985, the "New York Post" today ran a misleading and defamatory editorial to mark the 20th anniversary of the Center for Disease Control's first published news of the virus that would later be called AIDS. The editorial, which continues the "Post's" tradition of anti-gay bias and factual misinformation in AIDS reporting, stands in stark contrast to the thoughtful, in-depth coverage the anniversary has received in most of the nation's media outlets. To read the Post editorial, as well as a sampling of other "AIDS at 20" articles and features, visit http://www.glaad.org/org/news.html . "GLAAD was founded in December 1985 specifically because of the "New York Post's" homophobic AIDS coverage," said GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry. "GLAAD's first action saw community members demanding a meeting with the paper and tossing yellow rags at the 'New York Post' offices. Unfortunately, the intervening 15 years have seen little change in the 'Post's' defamatory anti-gay coverage and propagation of offensive AIDS myths and misinformation." Among its many problematic assertions, the editorial states as fact the myth that more federal funds are spent on AIDS than on cancer and heart disease. What the "Post" fails to acknowledge is that federal dollars used to fight the epidemic are tracked and reported more diligently than those used to fight any other major disease. For more information, visit AIDS Action Council at www.aidsaction.org . The editorial also charges that AIDS activists exploited the epidemic in an effort to change public sentiment about homosexuality. In truth, when the LGBT community began publicly dealing with the impact of AIDS, it was anti-gay activist groups and publications like the "New York Post" that exploited the disease in an effort to stigmatize gay men. It was these public attacks that prompted the community to organize, mobilize and educate the media and the public about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lives. "This editorial could have been pulled from a time capsule marked '1985,'" Garry said. "The 'New York Post' insults those who have died, stigmatizes those living with HIV and AIDS, and trivializes the work of researchers, activists and community organizations who have dedicated their lives to stopping this international pandemic. This is not journalism; it is anti-gay propaganda at its very worst." Contact: New York Post 1211 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10036 Editorial Page Editor: Bob McManus E-mail: bmcmanus@nypost.com E-mail: letters@nypost.com Phone: (212) 930-8527 Fax: (212) 930-8546 GLAAD News Pop May 24, 2001 SPITZER CRITICIZES SENSATIONALISTIC MEDIA COVERGE OF "EX-GAY" STUDY In a May 23 op-ed in the "Wall Street Journal," Dr. Robert Spitzer once again defended his controversial study but also blasted the media for misrepresenting his research and conclusions. "I did not conclude that all gays should try to change, or even that they would be better off if they did," Spitzer wrote. "However, to my horror, some of the media reported the study as an attempt to show that homosexuality is a choice, and that substantial change is possible for any homosexual who makes the effort." He also insisted that his study should not be used either to deny civil rights to LGB people or as support for coercing people into unwanted "reparative therapy." (The complete op-ed can be read thru May 29 at http://www.glaad.org/org/news.html ) In a May 23 conversation with GLAAD News Media Director Cathy Renna, Spitzer discussed the problematic news coverage that was the subject of a national GLAAD Alert on May 15 (you can read the alert at http://www.glaad.org/org/news/alerttoday/index.html?record=2766 ). Renna and Spitzer also discussed GLAAD's concerns over the lack of acknowledgement of bisexuality both in Spitzer's study and in the attending media coverage. "We're pleased that Dr. Spitzer has acknowledged the inaccuracy of the media's coverage of his study," Renna said. "But I'm frankly surprised that he can't see the connection between inaccurate, sensationalistic media coverage and the problematic methodology of his own study." "We hope Spitzer's op-ed is not the last word on this study or this issue," Renna said. "As we've said before, we welcome scientific inquiry into the origins of sexual orientation. But in order for such research to hold up under scrutiny, it needs to look at all variations of sexual orientation. It also must acknowledge the outside forces that might compel individuals to attempt this kind of change. " A LETTER FROM GLAAD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOAN M. GARRY REGARDING THE CANCELLATION OF "DR. LAURA" APRIL 2, 2001 Too often after a long race, we don't take a breath and realize what we've done. The cancellation of "Dr. Laura" is a perfect opportunity to recognize the small steps and the huge efforts that have brought us to this pivotal achievement for the LGBT community. For us at GLAAD, this was never just a campaign about "Dr. Laura." This was about holding up a clear, indisputable example of defamation and using it to tell corporations, advertisers, media outlets, and the American public that our community refuses to be an easy target for society's "last acceptable prejudice." Make no mistake, this is a HUGE and visible victory. Advertisers and media outlets now have an increased awareness not only of LGBT issues, but also of the power of our community; anti-gay religious political extremists now know that their attacks on our lives will be opposed vigorously; media corporations like Paramount have learned first-hand that profiting from anti-gay prejudice is bad business; and we have held Laura Schlessinger accountable for her attacks of our community. Our victory would not have been possible without the generous efforts of many dedicated organizations and individuals, among them the local and regional organizers who extended this campaign into cities and towns across the country: Robin Tyler and StopDrLaura.com; Doreen Cudnick and Stonewall Cincinnati, whose smart visibility strategy was instrumental in getting Procter & Gamble to stick to its decision not to sponsor "Dr. Laura"; GABLE, Procter & Gamble's LGBT employee group; Harry Knox and Georgia Equality, Inc.; Bob Summersgill; the Washington D.C.-based Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance; eagle-eyed GLAAD interns John Schuppan and Courtney Frierson; Mark Segal; the Center for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights in Philadelphia; the New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project; NOW-New York City; Jeffrey Montgomery and the Triangle Foundation in Detroit; and local organizers in Cleveland (the Lesbian/Gay Community Service Center of Greater Cleveland), Baltimore (Mark Mayer and the Baltimore Activist Coalition), Chicago (Alan Amberg, Mary Morten and Rick Garcia), Phoenix (Amy Culver), Seattle (Pete Gregson), Boston (Eric Marion), San Francisco (Ryan Clary), Dallas (John Selig, John Eger, and the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance); West Virginia (Mary Lee with the West Virginia Lesbian and Gay Coalition, and Rainbow Pride); Atlanta (Rabbi Joshua Lesser) and Kansas City (Lisa Litchman, Johnson/Wyandotte Counties NOW, and Bob Minor). Special thanks also to former GLAAD board member Howard Buford of Prime Access, who provided essential resources and direction to our education efforts with daytime TV media buyers and advertising brands last summer; current and past GLAAD board members Liz Page, Scott Widmeyer, David Huebner, Rosanne Siino, Nancy Kokolj, David Stewart and Michael Fleming for their amazing organizing, fundraising and consulting expertise; "Frasier" co-creator/executive producer David Lee, Paramount's most out (and outspoken) employee; "Frasier" executive producer Joe Keenan; "Dr. Nora" episode director Katy Garretson; Gary Peck of the Las Vegas ACLU, who advised us on our outreach to the CBS station managers at their O&O meeting last May; and the Horizons Foundation. Special thanks also to those who made our groundbreaking "Dr. Laura" ad campaign a success: Prime Access, which not only designed the ads targeting prospective "Dr. Laura" sponsors, but also made them appear in all the right places - including "The New York Times," "Advertising Age" and "Adweek" - just before the fall TV upfronts; the GLAAD major donors whose special gifts funded the ads; and our ad coalition partners - the National Organization for Women, the National Mental Health Association, the National Conference for Community and Justice, People for the American Way and the dozens of organizations that signed onto our regional ads last August. Thanks and gratitude also go out to our other allies in this campaign - many of whom are straight. From the start, GLAAD focused on national "Dr. Laura" sponsors (those that bought ads directly through Paramount), a strategy calculated to cripple the studio's revenue directly, significantly and early in the process. This strategy succeeded due to the responsiveness of the more than 30 national sponsors whose ads ran on and were quickly withdrawn from "Dr. Laura" after being contacted by GLAAD, as well as the nearly 300 national advertisers and media buyers with whom we worked who never gave their support to the show. Thanks also to the LGBT employee groups that worked with us from within these companies to discourage corporate support of Schlessinger's attacks. We also extend our gratitude to the local affiliate promotion managers we met with at PROMAX who made their decisions not to budget promotions of "Dr. Laura"; and the television critics we met with at the Television Critics Association who ensured that Schlessinger's TV audience knew exactly what she was saying about our community when the show debuted. And finally, to the countless cities that utilized Local Laura Activism, including Houston, TX; Lexington, KY; Baltimore, MD; Detroit, MI; Providence, RI; Huntington-Charleston, WV; Des Moines, IA; and Cincinnati, OH; and to all those who vigilantly monitored the show as part of GLAAD's Local Laura Monitoring Team, especially Adam Stone and Jeffery McCollom. And to everybody who picked up the phone, penned a letter, or sent an e-mail to advertisers, local affiliates and Paramount: thank you! Your voice has been heard loud and clear, and together we've shown the power of a community that is willing to take a stand for what's right. Joan M. Garry Executive Director Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation March 22, 2001 The GLAADAlert is the bi-weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation 1. Into the closet for Gay TV 2. GLAADAlert changed; regional alert added Into the closet for Gay TV Gay TV, an all-gay television channel based in Palm Springs, Calif., recently changed its name to Triangle Television Network and deleted all references to the words "lesbian," "gay," "bisexual" and "transgender" from advertising submitted to LGBT publications. Officials at the channel confirmed the name change as a business decision to ensure a continued association with their satellite provider, the Dish Network. Triangle Television Network representatives report that they were compelled to do so after pressure from Dish Network executives. Although Triangle Television Network's Web page does make reference to its audience being the LGBT community, GLAAD is concerned that a media company wanting to market to the LGBT community has, in fact, removed all references to our community in its advertising. In addition, by changing its marketing mantra from "the first and only Gay TV Channel" to "the first Television Channel for America's Alternative Lifestyles," Triangle Television Network wrongly reinforces the stereotype of a "gay lifestyle." GLAAD encourages those concerned to contact Triangle Television Network and the Dish Network. Contact: Triangle Television Network, 1000 E. Tahqultz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262; phone: 760-322-1217; e-mail marvin@triangletelevisionnetwork.com Dish Network, c/o EchoStar Communications; Michael Dugan, President, 5701 S. Santa Fe Drive; Littleton, CO 80120. GLAADAlert changed; regional alert added Starting April 2, GLAAD will begin issuing GLAADAlert Today, a replacement to the GLAADAlert you have been receiving. GLAADAlert Today will be issued on an as-needed basis instead of on a biweekly schedule. This change will mobilize people to action quickly when defamation happens in the national media. You will receive GLAADAlert Today at the same e-mail address you have been receiving GLAADAlert. GLAADAlert Today will not be faxed. If you receive GLAADAlert by fax, you will need to send an e-mail to glaadalertsub@glaad.org with a blank message. Make sure that you turn off all signatures and extraneous text. Because GLAADAlert Today pertains to national media only, a second mobilization publication is starting April 2. The GLAAD Call to Action will address local media and will be a regionally produced publication. There are five regions. To be added to a particular region, please subscribe by sending an e-mail with a blank message. Make sure to turn off all signatures and extraneous text. o East Central Region: ECCall-sub@glaad.org Del. Ind. Ky. Md. Ohio Penn. Va. Washington, D.C. W.V. o Northern Region: NCall-sub@glaad.org Conn. N.H. Maine Mass. Mich. N.J. N.Y. R.I. Vt. o Southern Region: SCall-sub@glaad.org Ala. Ark. Fla. Ga. La. Miss. N.C. Okla. S.C. Tenn. Texas o West Central Region: WCCall-sub@glaad.org Ill. Iowa Kan. Minn. Mo. Mont. N.D. Neb. S.D. Wis. Wyo. o Western Region: WCall-sub@glaad.org Alaska Ariz. Calif. Colo. Hawaii Idaho Nev. N.M. Ore. Utah Wash. _________________________________________ The GLAADAlert is the bi-weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. GLAAD is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Contact GLAAD by e-mail at glaad@glaad.org or by phone at 323.658.6775 (LA), 212.629.3322 (NY), 415.861.2244 (SF), 202.986.1360 (DC), 404.614.3700 (Atlanta) and 816.756.5991 (Kansas City) Feel free to pass GLAADAlert on to friends, family and associates! Report defamation in the media and breaking news of interest to the LGBT community by calling GLAAD's Toll-Free AlertLine! 1-800-GAY-MEDIA (1-800-429-6334) Visit GLAAD Online at http://www.glaad.org "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc. GLAADAlert may be freely distributed and reprinted in all forms of media under the condition that any text used carry the full attribution of "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)." MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Scott Seomin Entertainment Media Director (323) 658-6775, ext. 14 seomin@glaad.org STATEMENT BY THE GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION (GLAAD) REGARDING PROCTER & GAMBLE'S DECISION TO PURCHASE ADVERTISING TIME ON LAURA SCHLESSINGER'S FALL TV SHOW MAY 8, 2000 "If Procter & Gamble has bought this show, then it's bought trouble, too. For a company so concerned with its positive image, P&G has just aligned itself with an infamously negative, anti-gay one. Laura Schlessinger's message is about discrimination and divisiveness, and purchasing ad time on her program implies support for this message. Why would any company want to alienate part of its loyal customer base, not to mention many of its vocal employees, stockholders and their financial advisors? Because in making this buy, that's exactly what P&G has done. "We encourage members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and our allies to contact Procter & Gamble and express their displeasure with this decision." PROCTER & GAMBLE CONTACT INFORMATION: Durk I. Jager Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive The Procter & Gamble Company P.O. Box 599 Cincinnati, OH 45201 (513) 983-1100 Internet E-mail: http://www.pg.com/about/contact1.htm The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. -30- _________________________________________ The GLAADAlert is the bi-weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. GLAAD is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Contact GLAAD by e-mail at glaad@glaad.org or by phone at 323.658.6775 (LA), 212.807.1700 (NY), 415.861.2244 (SF), 202.986.1360 (DC), 404.876.1398 (Atlanta) and 816.756.5991 (Kansas City) Feel free to pass GLAADAlert on to friends, family and associates! Report defamation in the media and breaking news of interest to the LGBT community by calling GLAAD's Toll-Free AlertLine! 1-800-GAY-MEDIA (1-800-429-6334) Visit GLAAD Online at http://www.glaad.org "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc. GLAADAlert may be freely distributed and reprinted in all forms of media under the condition that any text used carry the full attribution of "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's QUARTERLY GLAADNOTES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/org/join/index.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAADAlert, GLAAD's electronic activation tool, send e-mail to glaadalertsub@mail.glaad.org with a blank message. Make sure that you turn off all signatures and extraneous text. TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to glaadalertunsub@mail.glaad.org with a blank message. Make sure that you turn off all signatures and extraneous text. __________________________________________ GLAAD is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Contact GLAAD by e-mail at glaad@glaad.org or by phone at 323.658.6775 (LA), 212.807.1700 (NY), 415.861.2244 (SF), 202.986.1360 (DC), 404.876.1398 (Atlanta) and 816.756.5991 (Kansas City)

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