![[Contents]](images/cntsicon.gif)
Washington, D.C . Sept. 6, 1996 --- In a late-night announcement on the Senate floor, and a stunning turn of events, Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., announced yesterday that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) will come up for a vote as a free-standing bill next Tuesday, Sept. 10. ENDA, a bill first introduced in 1994, would ban job discrimination aganst lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
"We are within striking distance of passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the Senate," said Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). "While still an uphill battle, a momentous civil rights victory for our community, our families, our friends, and indeed, all fair-minded Americans is within reach."
Lott announced that ENDA would be voted on the same day as the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a bill originally sponsored by Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole that would deny federal recognition of same-sex marriages in the event that a state should ever legalize such marriages in the future. ENDA was to be offered an an amendment to the anti-gay bill as part of an agreement made before Congress recessed in August. "When it became apparent to the anti-gay bill's sponsors that ENDA could pass, they balked and the agreement collapsed," said Daniel ZInglae, HRC's political director. DOMA's sponsors feared that ENDA would kill their bill if it was successfully attached, and worked frantically behind the scenes to unravel the agreement. "We were a victim of our own success," said Zingale. "While killing the Defense of Marriage Act would have been an outstanding result in our view, the introduction of ENDA as an amendment was imply an attempt to gain something postiive out of an utterly dismal political situation."
HRC is encouraging citizens to call their U.S. senators on Friday, Money and Tuesday and ask them to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (S.932), and to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act (S.1740). Senators can be called through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
Zingale said the HRC has counted 43 senators voting for ENDA and has targeted 14 others whose support is possible. In a New York Times interview published today, Senator Alfonso D'Amato, R-N.Y., announced his support for the measure. "My position is clear: People should be judged on the basis of their ability," D'Amato told the Times, predicting that the Senate would ultimately approve ENDA.
ENDA prohibits quotas, and does not apply to religious organizations, small businesses or the military. Next weeks' Senate vote on the measure will mark the first time in the history of the United States that Congress has voted on a civil rights bill that would include lesbian and gay Americans.
At the same time the Human Rights Campaign is hailing the prospects of passing landmark civil rights legislation in the Senate, it vowed to continue fighting the Defense of Marriage Act in Congress and beyond. "While DOMA proponents continue to inaccurately soft peddle thei raim as reasonable -- denying gay people equal marriage rights will not stand," Birch said. "In the end American has always come down on the side of fairness, and there is no question in our minds that denying legal recognition to our relationships is discriminatory and unconstitutional. We will do everything in our power to work to defeat DOMA legislatively, and in our country's courts of law and public opinion.
CALL YOUR SENATOR. Click on ENDA for list of Senators who especially need telephone calls. Includes number and fax number.
Washington, D.C. Sept. 5, 1996 --- A historic vote in the U.S. Senate is likely to occur very soon on a good bill to end job discrimination based on sexual orientation, and on a bad bill that would restrict gay marriage. the vote, which was to take place Sept. 5, has been postponed for at least a few days and its future is uncertain. If you haven't contacted your senators yet, now is the time to act. Urge your senators to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA, S.932), and to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA, S. 1740).
.
Washington, D.C. September 5, 1996 --- Joining Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund Executive Director Kevin M. Cathcart outside the Senate Thursday, two women at the hear of the Hawaii marriage case urged rejection of the proposed federal 'Defense of Marriage' Act as "bigoted, anti-marriage hysteria."
"We are no threat to anyone. We just want to get married and live in peace," said Ninia Baehr, with her parnter Genora Dancel. Both are plaintiffss in the landmark trial to end anti-gay discrimination by Hawaii's civil marriage law. "This federal bill amounts to bigoted, anti-marriage hysteria against lesbians and gay men," she said before the Senate began debate on DOMA.
Dancel said, "This bill does not make child-care easier or secure health insurance, jobs, or decent incomes for people -- now those things might defend marriages." She added, "Ending discrimination has only strengthened society."
"Ninia and Genora obviously are not a threat to Western civilization or to anyone's marriage," said Cathcart, whose organization has championed the cause of equal civil marriage rights and is co-sounsel in the Hawaii marriage trial. "The real threat is from bills like DOMA that attack the constitution and promote hate against lesbians and gay men. There is no defense of marriage here," Cathcart said.
Baehr and Dancel, together for more than six years, seek to be wed in Hawaii, where a lawsuit in the case started by them and two other gay couples is to begin September 10. The state's highest court has ordered the government to prove it has a compelling interest in discriminating against gay people who wish to marry.
Washington, D.C. September 4, 1996 --- A year after Bob Dole's campaign accepted and then rejected its $1,000 campaign contribution, the Log Cabin Club, an organization of Republican gays and lesbians, has officially endorsed Dole for president.
The endorsement came Wednesday after the group received the results of a mail ballot of the more than 100 delegates to the Log Cabin Republican 's convention in San Diego last month. Log Cabin officials said the delegates voted by a 3 to 1 ratio to endorse Dole.
Rich Tafel, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, said Wednesday that his group had decided to endorse Dole out of party loyalty and because such an endorsement would allow his organization to continue to educate members of Dole's campaign staff on issues important to gay voters.
Clergy denounce 'Defense of Marriage' bill as bigoted
New York, NY Sept. 3, 1996 --- Religious leaders gathered with the nation's leading gay legal group in a New York City church Tuesday to demounce the federal "Defense of Marriage" bill the Senate is expected to debate this week.
Joining Lambda Legal Defense and Education fund at a news conference, clergy representing numerous congregations and national denominations for the first time together announced support of civil marriage rights for lesbian and gay couples.
In statements at the news conference, clergy members adamantly rejected the so-called "Defense of Marriage" Act, or DOMA, as a bigtoed bill that dehumanizes lesbians and gay men.
"Civil marriage will not be defended by an unconstitutional bill that imposes some politician's religious beliefs on this country and attacks the equality of all Americans," Lambda Executive Director Kevin M. Cathcart said at the news conference.
Cathcart added, "Many religious leaders resent that Congress is trying to exploit emotions and relgious beliefs about marriage to score political points against lesbians and gay men."
Representatives from a range of Christian and Jewish denominations and congregations gathered at the Unitarian Church of All Souls exactly one week before trial is to begin in Honolulu where the government must show it has a compelling reason to refuse to grant civil marriage licenses to lesbian adn gay couples.
"DOMA's sponsors are using the Hawaii case -- which won't be resolved for two years -- as an excuse to create second-class marriages for couples the federal government doesn't like," said Lambda Marriage Project Director Evan Wolfson. DOMA would block federal legal protections for married gay couples and encourage other states also to not recognize these marriages.
"Civil marriage is separate from religion," Wolfson said. "Not all religions accept divorce, for example, and they can make their own choices on marriage for gay couples. Civil marriage laws should not discriminate," he said.
Lambda at the news conference released its new guide, "Civil Marriage for Lesbians and Gay Men: Organizing in Communities of Faith," which was funded by The Riverside Church of New York City.
Churches represented in the news conference included: Central Conference of American Rabbis, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, Evangelical Anglican Church of America, The Episcopal Church Diocese of New Hampshire, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, Iglesia Episcopal de Santa Maria, Metropolitan Community Church, National Coalition of American Nuns, Riverside Church of New York City, Rutgers Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, and the Unitarian Universalists Association of Congregations.
Washington, D.C. Sept. 3, 1996 --- The Human Rights Campaign unveiled a 3-second television ad today featuring national figures urging passage of a bill to outlaw job discrimination against gay men and lesbians.
The ad, entitled "Fairness," showcases four very different public figures -- New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, COretta Scott King, former U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater and Kathleen Gingrich, mother of House Speaker Newt Gingrich -- all of whom agree that gay people deserve basic job protection and support the bill.
The ad is airing Sept. 2-5 in the Washington, D.C. market on all four network affiliates and CNN.
Washington, D. C. Sept. 3, 1996 --- My outing news conference today succeeded beyond my expectations. After briefly detailing an outing news conference I held on the Capitol Steps in May 1990, I then re-outed the three Senators who were on my list then. They are: Mark Hatfield, Republican of Oregon; Herb Kohl, Democrat of Wisconsin; and Barbara Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland. All three are presently sitting on the fence about how they'll vote on DOMA.
The other activists in attendance were my boyfriend Mike Merrigan; and Steve Michael and Wayne Turner of ACT UP/Washington, DC. Merrigan and I have been in a committed relationship for one year and five months. Steve Michael and Wayne Turner have been in a similar relationship for more than five years.
We explained to the reporters that we think gay marriage is about one thing -- love. I told the more than three dozen reporters, photographers and camera technicians, "There aren't a limited number of marriage licenses in America. My boyfriend and I want what straight people take for granted; the recognition and benefits accorded by the states to couples."
When asked if we were violating the privacy of the alleged closeted Senators, I said no. "We're asking the American media and people to apply the same standards when reporting about how the 'private' lives of politicians affects their public duties. I can't think of a single reporter decrying the 'violation' of Dick Morris' privacy last week. Indeed, everyone in America now knows about how Morris, a heterosexual, engaged in toe-sucking sexual practices with a female prostitute."
Two reporters who did not attend the news conference, but called afterward, asked why I didn't out Senator Larry Pressler, Republican of South Dakota. One reporter, of the New York Daily News, informed me that Pressler is known as "the prairie fairy."
All in all, I'm happy that we focused attention on closetry in the Senate, and how we believe that closetry may directly contribute to DOMA passing. I also believe the hinges on Senate closet doors may have been opened.
Finally, it must be noted that Rev. Mel White, an MCC leader and former ghostwriter for Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, was in attendance to silently lend support to our efforts to defeat DOMA. White is presently on a hunger strike as a means of focusing attention on the need to defeat DOMA.
WASHINGTON, D.C. Sept. 2, 1996 --- As students return to the classroom this fall, school officials have been put on notice that they can be sued if they ignore instances of gross and repeated sexual harassment of girls by other students.
Three federal courts ruled this summer that school districts, and perhaps school officials themselves, can be forced to pay damages to former students who were ridiculed, embarrassed and grabbed in hallways or on school buses. In each case, the girls and their parents had repeatedly complained to school officials, but nothing was done.
One sixth-grader from rural New York said she underwent a daily barrage of taunts, including "lesbo" and "dog-faced bitch." Several boys grabbed her breasts in class, she said. According to the lawsuit, her mother's complaints were brushed off with a school official's observation that "boys will be boys."
A Georgia case involved a girl who was mocked by comments about her breasts, and who endured daily grabbing. In Northern California, a mother reported that her daughter, having retreated into silence after boys repeatedly shouted "moo" at her, considered committing suicide rather than enduring the humiliation at school.
Not all the cases involve girls. A U.S. appeals court in Chicago in July reinstated a damage suit against a Wisconsin school district brought by a gay student who was repeatedly called "fag" and kicked and beaten in hallways. The July 31 ruling marks the first time federal antidiscrimination law has been extended to anti-gay harassment in schools.
Three weeks ago, civil rights lawyers at the Department of Education sent a directive to the nation's 15,000 school districts telling them they have a duty to protect students from sexual harassment. Currently, 78 school districts are being investigated by the department over complaints of sexual harassment of students by other students.
While lawsuits and damage claims might not be an ideal way to force a change, they will certainly get the attention of school officials, says one expert on discrimination law.
"Employers woke up to this when a few big damage awards were handed down," said Merrick T. Rossein, a law professor at the City University of New York. "The school people need to wake up to this issue and take action. I think a few damage awards will do it."
A legal expert on workplace discrimination, Rossein was contacted by the parents of the sixth-grader who had suffered daily harassment at her junior high school.
"They would have accepted an apology and a commitment to do something about the problem," he said. But they decided to file suit after the harassment became so severe they felt it necessary to transfer their daughter to another school, he said.
Lawyers for the school had maintained that officials could not be sued over the actions of students. But on July 24, U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy in Binghamton, N.Y., disagreed. He ruled that educators, if told of a sexual-harassment problem, can be held liable if they fail to take action. The suit goes to trial this month.
On July 22, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken in Oakland cleared the way for a damage trial against the Petaluma, Calif., school district. She acted on a suit filed by a young woman who says she was repeatedly called "slut" and "whore," among other things, during her junior high school days in 1991 and 1992.
Before that, another federal judge had said the school could be found liable only if its officials engaged in "intentional" discrimination against the girl. That high standard would be hard to prove, if not impossible.
But Wilken ruled that the workplace standards for sexual harassment also apply in the schools. Petaluma officials are liable if they "knew or should have known" of the harassment suffered by the young woman, yet "failed to take remedial action" to stop it, she wrote in her opinion. That case also goes to trial soon.
In the Georgia case, federal appeals court Judge Rosemary Barkett said school officials can be forced to pay damages if they are told of the problem and "knowingly fail to act to eliminate the harassment."
The new round of legal actions marks a major expansion of Title IX of the federal education code.
In 1972, Congress added Title IX to make clear that schools and colleges could lose their federal funds if they discriminated against girls by, for example, offering sports teams for men but not women.
Four years ago, the Supreme Court raised the stakes when it ruled school districts could be sued for damages for violating Title IX. The Georgia case, Franklin vs. Gwinnett County Schools, arose when a young woman complained that a sexually aggressive teacher had harassed and seduced her in high school. School officials had been warned several times about the teacher's pursuit of his female students.
The high court ruling established that school officials are responsible for sexual harassment by teachers or other employees. The latest decisions extend that duty to include harassment of students by other students.
Not all federal courts are in agreement. In April, a U.S. appeals court in New Orleans threw out a sexual-harassment complaint brought by the mother of a Texas girl. "The mere existence of sexual harassment [at school] does not necessarily constitute sexual discrimination," wrote Judge Jerry Smith for a 2-1 majority.
But Clinton administration lawyers have joined the mother's appeal to the Supreme Court. The school is being sued "for its own conduct in knowingly allowing a discriminatory environment to continue," said U.S. Solicitor Gen. Walter Dellinger.
School lawyers question the need for lawsuits. But they also are rushing to get the nation's secondary schools to enact strict policies against harassment of students by their peers.
"It's horrible what some of these girls have gone through, but it's not that easy to stop it," said Gwendolyn Gregory, counsel for the National School Boards Assn. "This is not like employment. There, you can say, 'If you do this, you're fired.' You can't do that with all the boys at school."
She said federal officials should help school districts adopt grievance procedures and educate their staffs, rather than bringing legal complaints.
"Surely there is a better way to deal with this than lawsuits," she said.
Meanwhile, the organization that represents junior and senior high school principals is urging its members to adopt clear policies against student harassment, as well as procedures for victims to complain about violations.
"They need to be proactive. That's what we have been telling them," said Stephen Yurek, general counsel for the National Assn. of Secondary School Principals, based in Reston, Va. "They can't just sit back and say, 'Well, boys will be boys at that age.' They need to be clear that it's not permitted. They need to have a way to report problems. They also need to make sure they are investigated and something is done."
Federal officials stress that schools can avoid liability simply by acting on complaints. "That's why we wanted to get these [draft regulations] out, to show schools how they can avoid a problem," said Roger Murphy, a spokesman for the Office for Civil Rights.
Copyright Los Angeles Times
Washington, D.C. Sept. 2, 1996 --- The Human Rights Campaign reminds the community to contact their U.S. Senators before Sept. 5 and urge them to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. (See Political Action News for more information.)
A historic vote in the U.S. Senate is set for Sept 5 on ENDA, a bill to protect Americans from job discrimination based on sexual orientation. Call your senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them that you are a constituent. Ask them to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA, S.932) as an amendment to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA S>1740) and to oppose DOMA itself.
Call now. If you don't know who your senators are, just ask the Senate switchboard when you call. Ask your friends to call too. -- and spread the word! For more information call the Human Rights Campaign Field Team: 202-628-4160.
New York, New York, August 30, 1996 --- A lesbian mother lost her appeal to regain custody of her daughter Friday when a Florida appeals court, citing concerns for the child's welfare, upheld an earlier decision in favor of the father, who was convicted of murdering his first wife.
Beatrice Dohrn, legal director for Lambda LEgal Defesne and Education Fund, said of the ruling, "This decision is heartbreaking, even though the court went out of its way to say that a parent's sexual orientation should not affect custody decisions."
Dohrn continued, "The child's father told the court he killed his first wife out of 'stupidity, jealousy and anger.' The mother told the court she is a lesbian. The court draws the conclusion that the father is the best parent, and the mother is to blame for any problems the child may have. This case exemplifies how, even as appellate courts say that sexual orientation should not affect custody decisions, lesbian and gay parents still lose their children when biased trial courts sit in judgment of their parenting."
The mother, Mary Ward, cared for her adolescent daughter from birth until September 1995, when a Circuit Court in Escambia County, Florida, transferred custody to the child's father, John Ward. Mary Ward had filed for an increase in child support shortly before John Ward petitioned to gain custody. In ruling in favor of the father, the lower court noted his remarriage to "A good woman," and also cited the fact that the mother is a lesbian and lives with her partner, viewing this as detrimental to the child and citing behavioral problems that were contested by the mother and even John Ward's new wife. The appellate court in Tallahassee declined to overturn that ruling.
Lambda filed an amicus brief on behalf of Mary Ward, who was represented by Kathryn D. Kendell and Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Charlene Carres of Tallahassee.
New York, New York August 29, 1996 --- NEWS CONFERENCE SEPT. 3, 1996.
WHO: Religious leaders from numerous congregations and national denominations.
WHAT: Annouce support of civil marriage rights fof gay couples and speak out against the so-called 'Defense of Marriage' Act as a bigoted attack on lesbians and gay men.
WHEN: Tuesday, September 3, 1996 at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: The Unitarian Church of All Souls (the chapel). 1157 Lexington Avenue (At 80th Street).
CONTACT: Peg Byron, public education director, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, 212-995-8585/9475.
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the nation's oldest and largest gay legal organizations, is co-counsel in the upcoming Hawaii trial on equal marriage rights for lesbian and gay couples.
"Many religious leaders resent that Congress is trying to exploit emotion s and religious beliefs about marriage to score political points against lesbians and gay men," said Kevin Cathcart, executive director of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.
WHAT: News conference to unveil a 30 second television ad created for the Human Rights Campaign, aimed at gaining support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would outlaw job discrimination based on sexual orientation, is slated to be introduced Sept. 5 as an amendment to the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act in the Senate. The ad highlights the support for ENDA of both Democrats and Republicans, quoting Coretta Scott King, New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, former Sen. Barry Goldwater and Kathleen Gingrich, mother of House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
WHO: David M. SMith, communications director, Huan Rights Campaign Winnie Stachelberg, deputy director for legislation, Human Rights Campaign.
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 3, at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Ballroom, National Press Club, 14th and F Sts., N.W., Washington, D.C.
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay political organization, with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provide campaign support and educates the public to ensure that lesbian and gay Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.
New York, New York, August 29, 1996 --- GLAMA, the 1st Annual Gay/Lesbian American Music Awards will be held at Webster Hall in New York City on Sunday October 6, 1996. This is the first and only national awards program to celebrate the work of gay, lesbian, and bisexual recording artists. The GLAMA awards are sponsored in part by Miller Lite, the Advocate, American Airlines, NAYA and NYC Net.
For ticket or advertising info call 215-592-4455. GALA can be written at 244 5th Avenue #2049, NYC 100001. Home page at http://www.glama.com. GLAMA virtual chat lounge @thatscape starting Sept. 3.
Tokyo, Japan, August 29, 1996 --- Japanese authorities Thursday made their first arrest in an HIV-tainted blood scandal that his disturbed the nation, filing charges aginst a prominent physician who many of Japan's hemophiliacs say bears responsibility for their infection with the HIV virus, which causes AIDS.
The arrest of Takeshi Abe, who headed a government advisory panel on AIDS in the 1980s, appears to be part of a new effort to punish those deemed responsible for some 1,800 hemophilacs becoming infected with HIV after using blood-clotting agents contaminated with the virus.
Earlier in the day Japanese police raided the doctor's residence, university office and other locations in search of evidence.
Japan's health ministry, acting partly on the advice of the committee headed by Abe, did not approve the use of blood-clotting products treated with heat to kill viruses until July 1985, two years and four months after such products were approved in the United States.
Miami, FL, August 28, 1996 --- Gay and lesbian journalists from all over the nation will convene for four days of professional development and discussion at "The Fifth Annual National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Associaton Convention," to be held September 5-8, 1996 in downtown Miami.
"Making Waves: NLGJA Convetion '96" at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 40 S.E. 2nd Avenue, will provide dozens of provocative workshops and insightful panel discussions featuring well-respected journalists, editors and TV news figures. National recognized speakers such as newswoman, produce and writer Linda Ellerbee, author James Stewart, National Public Radio's Ray Suarez will participate.
They will discuss such issues as gays and the law, religion, TV, moveis, AIDS and politics. The convention's most poular event, "View from the Top" will feature national news and media decision makers such as CBS News president Andrew Heyward, NBC vice president Cheryl Gould, Miami Herald publisher David Lawrence, Mark Carter of CNN and Joana Bisteny of ABC News, covering topis such as gays and lesbians in the newsroom and in the news.
In addition, nine profesional development workshops hosted by the prestigious Poynter Institute of Media Studies will also be offered, as well as toher training on writing, broadcsting, design, photography and the Internet.
Last yeart more than 500 gay and lesbian journalists from mainstream and alternative media attended the Fourth Annual Convention in Washington, D.C., entitled "Connecting in the Capital." "The 1995 convention was a milestone for NLGJA because it gave the organization such high visibility," said Leroy Aarons, president and founder.
To register and for more information call the NLGJA convention hotline at (412) 781-1138 or e-mail Jeff Newman at editorjeff@aol.com. Registration fees are: NLGJA members-$275, student members-$120, non-members-$350, and student non-members-$140.
Giles, a father of 10 who teaches at Santa Rosa Junior College, revealed this week that he is a transvestite.
``I accept what I am,'' Giles told The Press Democrat of Santa Rosa. ``I just decided I needed to quit living a lie.''
Giles, 58, who admitted that few people knew his secret, said he has identified with the opposite gender for as long as he can remember. This summer, with the support of his wife, Giles decided to come out and began dressing full-time in women's clothes. He even visited his family in Quincy, Ill., and attended his 40th high school reunion in a dress.
``I've known about it all the time we have been together,'' said wife Anne Giles. ``I'm glad the hiding, the worrying and the concern for the mental health of Diane is over. This is the person she is.''
Administrators at the school 50 miles northeast of San Francisco said Giles can continue to teach as long as his lifestyle does not interfere with his duties.
The biggest challenge has been which bathroom Diane Giles should use, said Ed Buckley, vice president of academic affairs. The problem was solved by putting an interior sliding bolt on the faculty men's bathroom, he said.
Los Angeles, CA, August 26, 1996 --- The Tenth Anniversary National Black Lesbian and Gay Conference and Instituts will take place February 13-17, 1997 at the Long Beach Hilton & Towers in Long Beach, California. This year's theme, "Black Lesbians and Gays Celebrating Our Legacy," will focus on the recognition and acknowledgement of the powerful, influential and critical contributions made by black lesbians and gays. In addition, the 10th Conference will "erve as an opportunity for lesbains and gays of African descent to establish a framework from which to position ourselves to move into the 21st Century," according to the organizers.
The conference draws national and international participants, and is host to workshops, Institutes and vendors from the African-American, lesbian and gay communities. Topics to be discussed during the five-day conference include leadership, culture/arts, family/youth, heterosexism, sexism, racism, ageism, health, public policy, econimics, womyn's/men's issues and spirituality.
This year's conference chairs are Vallerie Wagner and Troy Fernandez, and the vice-chairs are Debra Rose of Denver, CO, and Steven Walker of Houston, TX.
The conference is currently soliciting vendors, workshop presenters and volunteers for the five-day event.. The conference is also soliciting individuals from around the country to serve as local links to the conference. These individuals will be responsible for receiving and disseminating conference information to individuals in their respective cities and states. These individuals will also be instrumental in organizing of local fundraising efforts for the 1997 conference scholarship fund.
For more information contact the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum, 1219 South LaBrea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90019. Phone: 213-964-7820. Fax: 213-964-7830.
Seattle, WA, August 26, 1996 --- Seattle's Pride Foundation volunteers drew the winning tickets for the second annual Rainbow Raffle Saturday, August 17 at the first Pride Foundation Service Day. This "Raffle with a twist" is the first of its kind in the country. Winners -- instead of receiving cash, a trip or merchandise -- had the opportunity to designate up to $3,000 to support an organization they care about. Over 400 non-profit organizations were selected by the purchasers of over 5,000 tickets.
1996 winners included: $3,000 1st Prize to Kang Wen Clinic, selected by Maureen McLaughlin; $2,000 2nd Prize to Olympia Film Society selected by Roger Cummings; and $1,000 3rd Prize to the Pride Foundation, selected by John Sabol. Additional prizes of $500 each were awarded to the three organizations named nost often by ticket buyers: Chicken Soup Brigade, Bailey-Boushay House and Lambert House.
"It's a win all around," explained David Wertheimer, a Pride volunteer who sold the most tickets. "If you buy the lucky ticket, you can designate up to $3,000 to an agency that is doing work that you care about. If your ticket isn't drawn, your ticket purchase still supports the work of the Pride Foundation and its granting program."
According to Martha Sinkler, Pride's Volunteer Coordinator, the Rainbow Raffle was implemented by the Pride Foundation after they evaluated a variety of new fundraising opportunities. "We wanted to do something unique that would raise funds for Pride, and at the same time increase awareness of our role as a community foundation. The raffle is an ideal way to show how coordinated giving can get dollars to the organizations that are out there making a difference." Sinkler helped organize the volunteer tean that sold over 5,000 tickets.
Eligible agenices included those offering direct services to the lesbian and gay community in health, HIV/AIDS education and care, arts and recreation, youth and family services, education and advocacy, and more. Some ticket purchasers named mainstream organizations that don't have targeted services to show these organizations that they have a constituency that is supportive of the lesbian and gay community. To be eligible, the agency selected must be recognized as tax exempt under section 501(c)3 of Internal Revenue Code and cannot discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
Since 1987, Seattle's Pride Foundation has granted nearly $1,000,000 to mor ethan 150 community organizations working to benefit gays, lesbians and their friends and families in the Pacific Northwest. With support from over 2,000 donors and through the efforts of over 200 volunteers, Pride plans to award an additional $300,000 in 1996.
Washington, D.C. August 23, 1996 --- The health insurance bill recently approved by Congress includes a significant tax break for people with chronic or terminal illnesses. The bill allows these people to exclude accelerated death benefits or payments they receive from selling thei rlife insurance policies to qualified "viatical settlement providers" from their reported income. Currently, people who receive such payments must pay federal income tax on the money.
Chicago, IL August 22, 1996 --- Lawyers for an Illinois high school say administrators cannot be blamed for an anti-gay atmosphere that was so severe two students found it necessary to drop out and are suing the school for $1 million.
Two former students, identified in court records as Mario Doe and John Doe, claim teachers and administrators at the Riverside-Brookfield Township High School in the Chicago suburb of Riverside did nothing to prevent a host of anti-gay incidents that forced the boys to drop out of school.
In addition, the suit claims that after John Doe confided his homosexuality to a school counselor, the counselor gave that information to the boy's father.
Mario Doe claims the same counselor advised him to learn karate to defend himself against anti-gay assaults in school.
Lawyers for the school claim state law grants school officials immunity from blame for the actions of others. But the lawyer for the boys has argued that the Illinois School Code gives teachers and administrators both the authority and the responsibility for maintaining discipline in schools.
Chicago, IL August 21, 1996 --- More than 600 political activists heard President Clinton and key administration officials reaffirm their support for equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans at HRC OutVote '96, the Human Rights Campaign's first national political convention.
The three-day meeting opened Aug. 16 with a birthday party for Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun, D-Ill., and climaxed with a videotpaed address by Clinton. Conventioneers also attended workshops and heard speeches by Rep. Steve Gunderson, R-WIsc., and his partner Rob Morris; the Rev. Jesse Jackson; Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros; top CLinton adviser George Stephanopoulos and many others.
"I'm especially proud to be the first president ever to endorse a civil rights bill that specifically includes gay and lesbian Americans," Clinton said in his videotaped address, played at the main plenary session Aug. 17. "I support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, because I believe in the fundamental values of fairness and equality -- values that are at the very heart and soul of the creed that unites us as a nation."
Clinton reminded the audience of the vision of America he first articulated when he ran for president in 1992 -- "a vision you were and are very much part of," he said in the taped address. "I wanted us to come together in all of our diversity to prepare and strengthen America for the 21st century."
The Human Rights Campaign endorsed Clinton for re-election in February, citing the many steps he has taken toward securing equal rights for gay Americans.
Stephanopoulos came to HRC OutVote '96 to formally accept the endorsement, assuring conventioneers that "we will be your partners in the unfisnished work that remains before us."
Stephanopoulos noted some of Clinton's accomplishments on behalf of gay and lesbian Americans, including his record of instituing non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation for all Cabinet-level agencies; ending the ban on security clearances for lesbians and gays; and appointing more than 100 openly gay officials in his administration.
"Our administration has worked with you to address problems that prior administrations ignored," he said. "We created an interagency task force to examine hate-related violence. We granted political asylum to gays and lesbians who face persecution abroad. We gathered experts to examine the causes and solutions to suicide among gay and lesbian teenagers.
Actress Judith Light, star of ABC-TV's Who's the Boss, spoke movingly of her admiration for the gay and lesbian community.
"It is within this community that I have witnessed the clearest demonstration of what I have always believed this country to stand for. It is here that I have seen the immensity and unconditionality of love that all religions talk about," she said. "It is here that I have seen the most vivid demonstrations of family values."
Light, who works tirelessly in the fight against HIV and AIDS, was on eof three stars of the gay and lesbian rights movement honored with an HRC Equlity Award on Friday night. The others were Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer, the highest-ranking member of the military ever to be expelled for being gay, and the Rev. Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church.
HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch, who attended the GOP convention in San Diego, said before the president's message, "I spent the last week in San Diego with Newt Gingrich, Pat Buchanan, Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed, Bob Dornan, Phyllis Schlafly and Jesse Helms. I recommend the experience to any of you who need to rekindle your enthusiasm for Bill Clinton."
Birch acknowledged that Clinton has not been perfect on lesbian and gay issues, but, she said, "the best friend we have in the preisential campaign already lives at the White House."
HRC OutVote '96 also showcased the Human Rights Campaign's first class of young activists, 26 youths who participate din the organization's first Youth College for Campaign Training.
Others who addressed the convention's plenary session included Rep. Juanita Millender McDonald, D-Calif.; Ellen Malcolm, president of EMILY's List; professional golfer Muffin Spencer-Devlin; and state Assembly woman Sheila Kuehl, D-Calif.
August 21, 1996 Along the Campaign Trail --- Whenever GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole goes for the next few days, a hard-hitting TV ad about gay marriage will follow.
The Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian and gay political organization, has purchased television air time along the Dole campaign trail to show its provocative and highly successful marriage ad.
"Bob Dole can run for president but he can't hide his co-sponsorship of the hateful Defense of Marriage Act," said David M. Smith, HRC's communications director. "Wherever he goes, we want voters to know that he and the Republican Party are wasting tax dollars in an effort to pass this gratuitous, unconstitutional bill."
HRC's advertisement, which first aired in San Diego during the Republican National Convention, challenges viewers to think about the time in U.S. history when certain marriages -- between divorced or interracial couples -- were highly controversial or even illegal. The ad aired 20 times a day on CNN in San Diego durin gthe GOP convention, garnering much media interest. It was featured on the front page of Advertising Age and has been reported on by The Washington Post, The New York TImes, The Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, USA Today and other national news media.
The ad will air in Nashville, Tenn., on Friday, Aug 23, to coincide with EDole's appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists convention. However, at least two Nashville television stations have refused to run the ad. WSMV-TV, the NBC affiliate, said it would get too many viewer calls if it aired the ad; WKRN, the BC affiliate, made the same argument, adding that there are 700 Catholic churches in the area.
On Aug. 24, the ad will follow Dole to Tampa, Fla. On Aug. 25, it airs in Chicago. HRC will also air the ad in Santa Barbara, Calif., when Dole vacations there later this month. More cities and dates will follow.
The Defense of Marriage Act is scheduled for a vote in the Senate on Sept. 5. The measure, which has already passed the House, purports to allow states to ignore gay marriages performed in other states. Sponsors claim it is necessary because the state of Hawai is supposedly on the verge of approving same-sex marriage.
However, legal experts in Hawaii say the case is not likely to be resolved for about two years.
New York, NY August 20, 1996 --- Advertising in gay publications jumped nearly 20% this year over last, led by big media spenders such as Tanqueray and America Online, according to a new study.
From April 1995 to April 1996, advertising in gay print publications hit $73.7 million, a 19.6% increase over the $61 million spent in the year-earlier period, according to the Mulryan/Nash Gay Press Report.
Washington, D.C. August 20, 1996 --- The Log Cabin republicans will be making a political miscalculation if they endorse the Dole presidential ticket, the Human Rights Campaign asserted today.
"The Log Cabin's expected endorsement of Bob Dole for president would be a mistake," said Daniel Zingale, HRC political director. "Neither Bob Dole nor Jack Kemp has been a friend to gay and lesbian Americans, and a tepid indication that they will preserve the status quo is certainly no reason to support them now."
The delegates to the Log Cabin Republicans' convention failed to reach consensus on whether to endorse Dole when they met lask week in San Diego. they postponed the decision, hoping that Dole would reach out and ask for Log Cabin's endorsement.
Dole's staff then met with Log Cabin representatives, indicating that if elected, Dole would not roll back the non-disrimination policies at federal agencies, all of which were instituted by President Clinton.
Log Cabin's Endorsement Committee recommended on Aug. 15 that the delegates throw their support behind the Dole-Kemp ticket. Ballots were being counted this week.
"there are plenty of Republicans who have shown leadership in the fight for equal rights and deserve the support of lesbian and gay Americans. Bob Dole and Jack Kemp are not among them," Zingale said.
"At the same time, however, we at HRC recognize the need for gay Reublicans to try to work with their party to turn it away from the hateful platform adopted at the Republican National Convention," Zingale added. "Endorsing this ticket is not a means to that end."
HRC, the largest national lesbian and gay political organization, has endorsed Clinton for reelection. HRC, which is bipartisan, has also done a comparison of Dole's and Clinton's records on gay and HIV/AIDS issues, and found Dole's to be less than stellar.
For example, Dole has said he opposes "the special interest gay agenda that runs from gays in the military and reaches as far as to suggest special status for sexual orientation under federal civil rights statutes." He was also a lead co-sponsor of the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act.
Kemp has a solid anti-gay record as well. Most recently, he opposed the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Colorado's Amendment 2, a statewide ballot initiative that outlawed civil rights protection for gay people. He also blocked a union-negotiated non-discrimination policy and limited family benefits for gay couples at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1992, when he was a HUD secretary. Plus, although he says he supports civil liberties and the right to privacy for all Americans, he believes gay people should not be teachers.
San Antiono, TX August 16, 1996 --- A military jury late Thrusday acquitted an Air Force major of having lesbian sex after defense attorneys argued that her accuser was an untruthful predator bent on destroying a military career.
Maj. Debra L. Meeks, 41, had been charged with sodomy for allegedly carrying on a homosexual relationship over a two-year period with civilian Pamela Dillard.
The five-man, two-woman jury deliberated for seven hours before acquitting her of the sex charge as well as a charge of conduct unbecoming an officer, which was filed after Dillard said Meeks had threatened her with a gun.
After the verdict, Meeks put her head in her hands and slumped in her chair. Then defense lawyer Michael Tigar put his arm around her, and she hugged him.
"This is a proud day for justice in the military," Tigar said. "Major Debra Meeks had the courage to refuse to accept an offer to plead guilty to somehting she did not do."
The military had offered her a plea bargain for which she could have pleaded guilty to an assault charge. Instead, she chose to fight, rising the loss of her pension and other benefits, as well as up to eight years in a military jail."
"We sent a message, and the message is that if charges of this kind are to be rbought against a distinguished member of the military, those who bring them had better be prepared to back them up," Tigar said.
With tears in her eyes as she emerged from the courthouse, Meeks said, "I'm just glad this nightmare is over. My dog is at home, and I'd really like to go home to my dog."
Throughout the trial, she had refused to publicly state her sexual orientation. She continued to do that after the trial.
"I don't really want to comment on that. It's my personal, private life," she said.
Dillard, the prosecution's key witness in the court-martial, had testified that their relationship was intense and that Meeks had sent her cards and letters about their affair.
"those are not the letters that a friend would send to a friend. Those were passionate letters that one lover would send to antoher," said prosecutor Maj. James L. Flannery. "Sodomy? You betcha."
Tigar, however, questioned the authenticity of the correspondence and argued that written words are not evidence that homosexual sex occurred. Tigar also argued that even if they believed Meeks is a homosexual but didn't believe she committed sodomy, then they would would have to acquit her.
Company criticized for abandoning morality
Springfield, MO August 15, 1996 --- The Assemblies of God, a promoter of the Walt Disney Co. for 25 years, called on its 2.5 million members Wednesday to boycot Disney for "abandoning the commitment to strong moral value."
In uring its members not to see Disney movies, visit Disney theme parks or buy its other products, the Pentecostal denomination became the third religious gorup to ciritcize the company in recent months.
"In recent years we have watched with dismay the productions of the Disney Corp. abandoning the commitment to strong moral values and have noticed this moral shift in a number of Disney-sponsored films and events," the church's General Presbytery said.
Disney said it had no comment.
The General Presbytery critized "Growing Up Gay," a book for teenagers published by Disney-owned Hyperiod Press, and Disney's acquisition of Miramax, which then distributed the movie "Priest," about a gay cleric.
The Assemblies of God also criticized Disney's theme park in Orlando, Fla., which has been the site of a Gay and Lesbian Day for several years. Although Disney does not sponsor the event, the church said the company should have warned families.
In June, the 16 million-member Southern Baptist Convention theatened a boycott because Disney extends benefits to companions of gay employees and releases R-rated movies. And in April, a Roman Catholic group, the Knights of Columbus, sold $3 million worth of Disney stock to protest "Priest."
Disney said it was hardly afected by earlier calls for boycotts. In Jine, it said demand for its products was high, with surging attendance at its theme parks in Florida and California.
The General Presbytery adopted the anti-Disney resolution on Aug.6 during its annual meeting. It was made public Wednesday.
For more than 25 years, the church offered free Disney discount cards to employees, missionaires or anyone connected to its 11,800 churches or 17 colleges. That program was discontinued in May.
San Antonio, TX - August 13, 1996 --- Sodomy charges against an Air Force major accessed of having a lesbian affair should be dismissed, her lawyer said Monday, accusing the military of violating its "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue" policy.
Defense lawyer Peter Held repeatedly accused the Air Force of engaging in selective prosecution of Maj. Debra Meeks, who is being court- martialed on a charge of violating a military code against "unnatural" sex.
Prosecutors said Meeks violated the code by having an affair with a woman, a charge she denies. A 19-year veteran, Meeks faces discharge, loss of retirement benefits and eight years in prison if convicted.
But because the code applies to heterosexual as well as homosexuals, Meeks' lawyers want the military to produce statistics on prosecutions involving sodomy among heterosexuals.
"We want to see if the government goes into the bedroom," Held said.
Prosecutors said there had been five cases of consensual heterosexual sodomy prosecuted at Lackland Air Force Base since 1994, all of which also involved other charges and resulted in convictions.
Defense lawyer Michael Tigar said those cases were all irrelevant because of the additional circumstances involved and that if the military code were applied fiarly, there would be a lot more prosecutions, even of married men and women, under such a broad definition of sodomy.
The judge, Lt. Col. Mary Boone, did not immediately rule on the defense motions.
Aside from denying the affair took place, Meeks' lawyers argue the prosecution is prohibited under the Clinton administration's 1993 policy allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military as long as they do not have sex with service members and keep their sexual orientation and conduct private.
Meeks, 41, not only denies the affair, she has never discussed her sexual orientation with superiors.
"Here is Maj. Meeks , who has served her country for more than two decades, honorably and with distinction, and what's the purpose of having a military if not to see to it that the rights of all Americans, including their rights to privacy in these most intimate matters, are protected?" Tigar said.
The case arose out of an 1994 assault charge brought against Meeks by Pamela Dillard. When Meeks refused to pleas guilty to the accusation in military court, Dillard told authorities the two were lovers.
Tigar claimed that Dillard is acting out a "dependency fantasy" and asked the court to appoint a psychiatrist to evaluate her and a diary she kept. The diary includes such entries as "my heart belongs to no one" and "she's tempting me to do something to hurt her."
Prosecutors objected, saying the case is not about Dillard's mental health. They also denied Tigar's charge that the Air Force pursued the sodomy allegations in violation of its "don't ask, don't tell" policy when it reopened the assault investigation to include the homosexual conduct charge.
The court-martial was expected to continue today.
San Diego, CA - August 13, 1996 (Milwaukee Journal)--- Signs that the Dole campaign was seeking the support of gay Republicans was warmly received Monday by Rep. Steve Gunderson of Wisconsin.
Gunderson, who along with Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) are the only openly gay Republicans in Congress, said a statement issued Monday by a Dole press spokeswoman was a positive development.
The statement from Christina Martin said: "The Dole campaign would welcome the endorsement of Log Cabin Republicans as a sign that they share the same believes as Bob Dole. Bob Dole has always held the belief that the Republican Party is an inclusive party."
The Log Cabin Republicans is a group of gay political activists. Gunderson said Monday that he was not technically a member of the group but advised its leaders on various issues.
"I think it is a positive sign and it's consistent with what Bob Dole told me in the past year. Bob Dole does not discriminate.," Gunderson said.
The Log Cabin organization of gay party members had threatened to withhold their endorsement of Dole until they got some signal that he really wanted it.
Until Dole's people issued the statement Monday, gay Republicans had criticized the Republican presidential nominee.
"Much to our frustration," said a Log Cabin press release, "Bob Dole as a presidential candidate has repeatedly compromised, retreated or reversed himself under pressure from the extreme right."
In one incident earlier this year, Gunderson strongly criticized Dole for returning a $1,000 campaign contribution from the Log Cabin group.
At the time, Gunderson questioned Dole's commitment to stands on issues of interest to gays and lesbians, noting that returning the money had raised the question of whether Dole was rejecting support from gays and lesbians.
A Dole spokesman said at the time that the contribution was returned to express Dole's rejection of an organization that supported same-sex marriages and allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military.
Earlier, Log Cabin officials had produced a letter showing that the Dole campaign originally solicited the contribution, then returned it after inquiries from reporters.
Dole later called Gunderson and cleared up the matter.
HRC - Washington, D.C. August 5, 1996 --- Capitalizing on the fact that Americans are divided over a federal bill aimed at outlawing gay mariage, the Human Rights Campaign unveiled two TV spots on the issue that will air during the Republican National Convention in San Diego.
Entitled "Marriages" and "Campaign Guys," the 30-second addvertisements will air in the San Diego market on CNN, ABC's "Good Morning America," NBC's "Today Show," and CBS's "CBS This Morning" during the convention, Aug. 12-15.
"The Republican strategy of creating new laws legislating against gay relationships has the potential to backfire on them," said David M. Smith, HRC's communications director. "Americans are divided when asked if there is any need for this bill. Plus, voters tell us that they are turned off by politicians trying to score points off gay and lesbian Americans.
"Voters think Congress has much more important business than attacking gay people."
The first ad points out that marriages that should have been honored were once
considered controversial, if not illegal. It opens with a picture o GOP presidential hopeful Bob Dole and his second wife, Elizabeth. Then it focuses on Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, and his Asian-American wife Wendy. Next up are Clarence Thomas and his wife
Virginia, an interracial couple. An announcer says, "There was a time when some marriages were so shocking to the majority that they were not legal."The spot closes
with a shot of a lesbian couple, as the annoucer says, "Some still are not. Why are
Bob Dole and Congress wasting our time with new laws attacking gay relationships? They have better things to do.
The second ad features a conversation between two campaign operatives, one an older, cynical type and the other young and idealistic. As the "old campaign guy" talks about how "this new law against gay marriage is great" and is "going to take us all the way to the White House," the "young campaign guy" asks why they aren't targeting issues like crime, education, and Medicare. "Who cares about Medicare?" the old campaign guy asks. It closes with an announcer saying, "Tell Bob Dole and Congress to stop trying to score political points by attacking gay Americans. Americans want solutions to bring us together, not drive us apart."
"We know that there is no consensus among Americans on the 'Defense of Marriage Act,' " Smith said. "The Republican strategy of using the gay marriage issue as a political strategy is failing to gain reaction with voters."
According to a national poll conducted for HRC by The Mellman Group, 37 percent of Americans said they support a bill "defining marriage as only between men and women for the purpose of federal law," while 39 percent said they oppose it.
This lack of agreement was confirmed in another line of questioning. A total of 39 percent of those polled said they think this legislation is unnecessary, while 31 percent termed it necessary; a full 30 percent said they were not sure of the importance of such a law.
The anti-marriage bill was introduced in April in both the House and the Senate. One of its lead co-sponsors was then-Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, who will clinch the Republican nomination for president at the San Diego convention.
The bill passed the House onJuly 12 by a vote of 342-67. The Senate could take up the bill at any time once it returns from the August recess.
When the bill comes up in the Senate, Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D- Mass., James Jeffords, R-Vt., and Joseph Lieberman, D- Conn., plan to introduce the Employment Non-Discrimination Act as an amendment. That measure would outlaw job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
While opinon on the Defense of Marriage bill remains muddled, an overwhelming majority of those surveyed agreed there are more pressing issues facing Congress than attempting to outlaw same-sex marriage. Only 13 percent said that "passing this law should be an important priority." A total of 73 perent said "there are lots of other issues" that are much more important than creating a federal statute to define marriage as between a man and a woman.
The poll results were based on a national survey of 1,022 adults interviewed by telephone between May 31 and June 2. The study was based on a random-digit dailing probability sample of all telephone households in the continental United States, which ensures that every telephone household had an equal chance of participating in the survey. The margin of error for the sample as a whole is +/- 3.1 percent points at the 95 percent confidence level. The margin of error for subgroups varies and may be larger.
The ads were created by Linda Semans of the Semans Company based in Alexandria, Virginia.
![[Map]](images/mapicon.gif)
![[Index]](images/indxicon.gif)
![[Comment]](images/cmnticon.gif)
![[Search]](images/srchicon.gif)
![[Home]](images/homeicon.gif)
![[Up]](images/upicon.gif)
![[Previous]](images/previcon.gif)
![[Next]](images/nexticon.gif)
www.glinn.com Copyright © 2008 by GLINN Media Corporation