Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2000 16:33:52 -0700 From: Jean Richter Subject: 4/7/2000 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. NY: Civil rights leader speaks to school on tolerance 2. UK: Prime Minister Blair still backs Clause 28 repeal 3. Supreme Court to hear Boy Scouts anti-gay discrimination case 4. CA: Development coordinator position open at GLSEN SF-EB ========================================================================== From: SARATOGANY@aol.com Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 09:39:37 EST Subject: Morris Dees Jr. (SPLC) Speaks at Saratoga Springs High School Msg fwd by: The Coalition for Safer Schools of NYS, PO Box 2345, Malta, NY 12020 Email to: saratogany@aol.com "The Actual or Perceived GLBT Student Protection Project" CSS-NYS Note: Find "Teaching Tolerence" at www.splcenter.org ========================================================= This message has been distributed as a free informational service for the expressed interest of non-profit research and educational purposes only. Schentady's Daily Gazette 3/29/00 Civil rights leader: Bias still prevalent By RIK STEVENS Gazette Reporter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- SARATOGA SPRINGS - The battleground has shifted ever so slightly but hate and racism and intolerance abound in this country, the founder of a civil rights organization said Tuesday. [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] ================================================================================ REUTERS, March 29, 2000 Blair sees anti-gay prejudice in debate over law LONDON - Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair charged on Wednesday that attempts to stop him repealing a controversial law on homosexuality were rooted in anti-gay prejudice. [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] ================================================================================ From: JGrissom@lambdalegal.org Reply-To: lambdalegal@lambdalegal.org Subject: U.S. Supreme Court Urged to Bar Anti-Gay Discrimination by Boy Scouts of America Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 15:44:43 -0500 =========================================== LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND www.lambdalegal.org News Release ============================================ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 29, 2000 CONTACT: Peg Byron 212-809-8585 x230, 1-888-987-1984 pager Evan Wolfson 212-809-8585 x 205 ============================================ U.S. Supreme Court Urged to Bar Anti-Gay Discrimination by Boy Scouts of America States, cities, dozens more organizations also file supporting briefs to U.S. Supreme Court (NEW YORK, March 29, 2000) - Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund filed its legal brief with the United States Supreme Court Wednesday, urging the justices to uphold the New Jersey Supreme Court's unanimous ruling against the Boy Scouts of America's all-out ban on gay members. A prestigious array of amici, ranging from numerous states and cities, leading civil rights groups, and divinity and rabbinical school deans, to organizations such as the American Bar Association, American Psychological Association, the NAACP, and National Council of Jewish Women, also filed briefs in support of the New Jersey court ruling in the case, now called Boy Scouts of America v. James Dale. "Boy Scouts of America has never been about teaching any kind of intolerance, including anti-gay bigotry," said Lambda Senior Staff Attorney Evan Wolfson, who will argue the case before the Supreme Court on April 26. Added Wolfson, "BSA is an important organization for youth. It is supported by, and identified with, government entities such as schools, police and fire departments, as well diverse religious groups. Above all, BSA holds itself out as open to all boys. And 'all' means 'all,' including gay kids." Last August, the New Jersey Supreme Court held BSA is a public accommodation and therefore subject to state protections against discrimination. Closely mirroring U.S. Supreme Court precedents, that ruling also made clear that enforcement of the law does not encroach on BSA's first amendment rights since scouts do not come together to promote an anti-gay message. Now BSA urges the U.S. Supreme Court to find a first amendment conflict where one simply does not exist, Lambda said in its brief. "In the past, other organizations like the Rotary Club and the Jaycees have tried to hide behind the First Amendment in order to exclude women and people of color. Time and time again, courts have rejected such attempts to assert a 'right to discriminate'," said Lambda Managing Attorney Ruth Harlow, co-author of Lambda's brief. In its brief, filed February 29, the BSA relied heavily on the Supreme Court's decision in Hurley, the Boston parade case in which the Justices ruled that a state law against discrimination could not prevent parade organizers from excluding a gay and lesbian contingent from marching under its own banner. Said Lambda Legal Director Beatrice Dohrn, "For parade organizers to say, 'We don't want to include your pro-gay message,' is very different from the Boy Scouts saying, 'We don't allow gay people to participate.' The Boy Scouts organization is not a parade. It cannot reject boys and adult volunteers who support the Scouting message but happen to be gay." The case began in 1990 after BSA ousted James Dale, an exemplary Eagle Scout, solely because he is gay. Then 20, Dale had been with the organization for 12 years, earning 30 scout badges and other honors. "Scouting was a central part of my life. I grew and learned so much as a member, I believe in the program, and I look forward to being able to give back to the organization I grew up in," said Dale, now age 29. Friends-of-the-court "The diverse array of organizations supporting our case reflects its broad significance and the value placed on preserving both genuine first amendment freedoms and vital civil rights protections. Truly, a win for James Dale will be a victory for all," said Lambda Executive Director Kevin Cathcart. The friend-of-the-court arguments included warnings that a reversal of the New Jersey court threatens enforcement of the nation's civil rights laws, which bar discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, and national origin as well as sexual orientation. Among the amici filing briefs to support the New Jersey anti-discrimination law are an array of states, and cities, professional and religious-affiliated organizations. Boy Scouts of America v. James Dale Amici in Support of New Jersey Supreme Court States New Jersey as well as California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington Youth and education organizations, including National 4-H Council, National Education Association, American Association of School Administrators, New York City Board of Education, Los Angeles Unified School District, San Diego Unified School District, San Francisco Unified School District, Laguna Beach Unified School District, Society of American Law Teachers, National Association for Multicultural Education, Matthew Shepard Foundation, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, National Youth Advocacy Coalition, Religious-affiliated groups and individuals General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, American Jewish Congress, Deans of a number of divinity schools and rabbinical institutions, Diocesan Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, United Church Board for Homeland Ministries, and Unitarian Universalist Association. Cities Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, Tucson, and San Francisco Professional organizations American Bar Association, American Counseling Association, American Federation of Teachers, American Public Health Association, American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers, and American Orthopsychiatric Association Leading civil rights organizations, including American Civil Liberties Union, Anti-Defamation League, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium, National Council of Jewish Women, NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, California Women's Law Center, Center for Women's Policy Studies, Equal Rights Advocates, Human Rights Campaign, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women's Law Center, Northwest Women's Law Center, and People for the American Way, Women Employed, Women's Law Project Lambda is the nation's largest legal organization for lesbians, gay men and people with HIV/AIDS. Headquartered in New York, Lambda has offices in Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta. (Boy Scouts of America v. James Dale, No. 98-699) --30-- Link directly to Lambda's news release: http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/pages/documents/record?record=612 ======================================= Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund www.lambdalegal.org National Headquarters 120 Wall Street, Suite 1500 New York, NY 10005-3904 212-809-8585 phone 212-809-0055 fax lambdalegal@lambdalegal.org =========================================================================== From: MsLes01@aol.com Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 20:06:32 EST Thanks, Ann Job Announcement GLSEN SF-EB will be accepting applications for a half-time position as Development Coordinator. The job will consist of major donor cultivation and solicitation, grantwriting, event development, speaking engagements and networking with other agencies. It is an exciting position and an opportunity to grow with the organization. The application deadline is May 1, 2000. Please call or e-mail GLSEN SF-EB for further information or send a resume and a letter indicating your qualifications for the position to: GLSEN SF-EB 436 Fourteenth Street, Suite 209 Oakland, CA 94612 510-338-0880 E-mail: respect@glsen-sfeb.org ================================================================================= Jean Richter -- richter@eecs.berkeley.edu The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) These messages are archived by state on our information-loaded free web site: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/