PFLAG NEWS

Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays

Salvation Army Goes to Canada

Thompson, 365Gay.com
Friday, December 14, 2001 / 04:30 PM


HALIFAX, Nova Scotia -- What started as a protest against the homophobic
policies of the Salvation Army by one PFLAG mom in Michigan and spread
across the United States has now crossed the border into Canada.

A Halifax doctor has begun a similar campaign to put notes in the army's red
kettles denouncing anti-gay policies in Atlantic Canada.

In the United States, Mary Scholl's PFLAG campaign protests the
Salvationists refusal to grant benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian
employees. The Salvation Army employs thousands of people called "civilians"
who are not necessarily members of the faith but work for the agency.

In Canada, those workers are covered by federal and provincial laws that ban
discrimination and recognize same-sex partnerships.

But, as Dr. James Tee discovered, the Salvation Army not only refuses to
allow gays and lesbians to join, it denounces homosexuality in its
publications.

Tee said, "I can't allow my money to go to an organization which
discriminates against a whole entire sector of the population."

The 26-year-old resident in pediatrics said that for as long as he can
remember, he and his family have contributed to the organization.

He said that up until now, he didn't bother looking into the background of
agencies he was donating to.

Bob Fougere, coordinator of the Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project, is also
denouncing the Salvation Army policy on gays.

"First of all, their position on homosexuality, in my opinion, is not
Christian," he said. "I'm a Christian. I go to a Christian church. I live in
a very committed relationship and to suggest that I can't snuggle up in
front of the TV with my partner and watch TV is not acceptable. It's not
reasonable."

Fougere and his partner have set aside a budget for charitable giving, but
it does not include the Salvation Army.

Dr. Tee says he believes in religious freedom, but he says that faiths that
discriminate will no longer get his financial support. "There are tons and
tons of organizations that have non-discriminatory clauses," he said.

For more Canadian and international news, visit 365Gay.com.
-------------------------------------------------------------

PFLAG mom will be on Michael Medved Show TODAY

The time (Eastern) is 4pm approx. to 5pm
The show is syndicated throughout the US
http://www.michaelmedved.com/home.htm 140 stations
You would need to check to see if it is offered on a station near you.  It
can also be heard by computer.
She needs friendly callers and our support. Michael is very hostile and
homophobic.  Please help.

Sean
-----------------------------------------------------

Philadelphia Daily News, December 17, 2001
400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA, 19101

(Fax: 215-854-5691) (E-Mail: dailynews.opinion@phillynews.com )
( http://www.philly.com )
http://dailynews.philly.com/content/daily_news/2001/12/17/local/gay.htm

Suspect busted in gay tryst killing
Cops tracked him through internet
By Chris Brennan, brennacphillynews.com

       After a year of mourning the death of his longtime love, Adam
Levy began chatting on the Internet this year, trying to meet new people and
move on with his life.
       Computer files left behind from those chat room conversations led
Philadelphia police to the man they say killed Levy, 40, in August,
leaving his partially nude body in Pennypack Park.
       Investigators charged Dennis Urban, 24, with murder Friday.  He
is being held without bail.
       Levy's body was discovered in a wooded area near a running path
in the park at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 26, a Sunday morning.
       The popular architect from East Falls had been robbed and
strangled. His pants were pulled down and his hands were handcuffed behind
his
back.
       The handcuff key dangled from a chain around his neck.
       Investigators considered it a case of a clandestine sexual tryst
gone terribly wrong.
       Levy's friends and family were happy to hear about the arrest.
       His sister, Elizabeth Krause of Westerville, Ohio, had been
tracking the investigation for her family, which lives in Kingston, near
Wilkes-Barre.
       "I called the police on Friday, just as one of my regular calls
to them," Krause said.
       Detectives told her of the arrest and how the computer files and
information from Levy's Internet service provider helped break the case.
"We're glad somebody is in custody," Krause said.  "We're looking
forward to getting answers to why this happened."
       Jim Foulton, a friend of Levy, yesterday said he knew Levy had
been using the Internet to try to meet people.  Foulton said Levy had not
spoken of Urban.
       "He was a very close friend," Foulton said of Levy.  "We miss him
dearly.  We're glad they found the person this happened with."
       Pennypack Park, in the Northeast, has a reputation as a place
where gay men gather to meet.
       Investigators last week did not disclose what information in the
chat room computer files led them to charge Urban.
       Levy left his job and spent a year mourning the death of his
boyfriend, Don Falconio, who died of a heart attack after choking on a
piece of steak at his 55th birthday party in March, 2000.
       Levy had spoken to family and friends of returning to work and
dating again.


Home Depot Says PFLAG Misrepresented Company's Position
By Scott Hogenson
CNSNews.com Executive Editor
June 06, 2001

1st add: Includes new information on re-run PFLAG news release

(CNSNews.com) - An official with Home Depot's corporate headquarters
said Wednesday that a pro-homosexuality organization misrepresented the
company's support for a Father's Day promotion launched by the group.

Home Depot Public Affairs Manager Mandy Holton said Parents, Families
and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) issued an erroneous new
release last week, which incorrectly stated that the company was
sponsoring the PFLAG promotion.

"We had asked them not to issue that news release," said Holton.
PFLAG's press release said the company was sponsoring a promotion in
which people contributing $100 or more to PFLAG would receive a $25
Home Depot gift certificate.

But according to Holton, PLFAG went ahead and issued a statement "which
we did not approve," because it "positioned" Home Depot as the
promotional sponsor. 

Home Depot did make a grant to PFLAG last month in the amount of
$2,500, which Suzanne Apple, vice president of community relations for
Home Depot, said was awarded to the group to help provide counseling
for people who openly declare their homosexuality.

However, Holton said the grant was not mentioned in the erroneous PFLAG
news release, only the group's Fathers Day promotion. PFLAG officials
were not immediately available for comment.

The company makes about 30,000 grants each year, according to Apple,
and has a budget of $25 million for charitable contributions.

However, a May 30 PFLAG news release that had apparently been removed
from the group's Internet web site on or before May 5 was available
again the following day.

The group's site search engine returned information on the news release
Tuesday, but no statement was included with the group's other public
relations statements that day.

The PFLAG statement that ran Wednesday made also note of Home Depot's
$2,500 grant, contradicting an earlier statement by a company official.

Home Depot makes about 30,000 grants each year, according to Apple, and
has a budget of $25 million for charitable contributions.

__________________________________________________

   *    *    *    PFLAG News Release    *    *    * 

July 1, 1999							
Contact: Janice Hughes 202-638-4200 x225	

Families Share Stories of Faith and Acceptance
Expanded, Revised Publication for Those with Gay Loved Ones


	Faith in Our Families: Parents, Families and Friends Talk About Religion 
and Homosexuality highlights the experiences of many families upon learning 
that a loved one is gay. This newly expanded and revised booklet from 
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) addresses how 
families nationwide have reconciled their faith with their acceptance of 
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender loved ones.

 	Using personal stories - as told by moms, dads, grandparents and others - 
 Faith in Our Families addresses the issues faced by many when a loved one 
comes out.  PFLAG members, from chapters across the country, share their 
wide range of experiences in dealing with their loved ones' sexual 
orientations and their faith traditions' teachings on, and treatment of, 
homosexuality.
			
	PFLAG members also tell how they "came out" in their own faith 
communities, educating and advocating locally for their gay loved ones and 
for respect for all people.  They tell how they are working to change 
anti-gay attitudes and practices, rather than change their children.

	The newly expanded Faith in Our Families offers an extensive resource 
guide, including a comprehensive listing of welcoming religious and 
spiritual groups.  Recommended readings in religion and homosexuality are 
also provided.

	"Faith in Our Families addresses the critical needs that many families 
have upon learning that their child, grandchild, sibling or friend is gay," 
said PFLAG President Rev. Paul Beeman.

	"Faith is an important part of many of our lives, no matter what 
traditions we follow," he said.
				###

PFLAG is non-sectarian, non-denominational and not affiliated with any 
religious institution.  For ordering information, contact info@pflag.org

	

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) promotes the 
health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, 
their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse 
society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to 
end discrimination and to secure civil rights.   PFLAG provides an 
opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and 
acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. 
  Serving over 75,000 members, PFLAG affiliates are located in more than 
425 communities across the United States and abroad.


1101 14th Street, NW . Suite 1030 . Washington, D.C. 20005 . 
(202) 638-4200 . Fax: (202) 638-0243
E-mail: info@pflag.org . Web: http://www.pflag.org

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