Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2000 16:16:20 -0700 From: Jean Richter Subject: 7/19/2000 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. UT: Salt Lake City school board may reinstate nonacademic clubs 2. MA: Gay basketball tournament to benefit GLSEN 3. Boy Scouts urged to drop discriminatory anti-gay policy ====================================================================== 1. UT: Salt Lake City school board may reinstate nonacademic clubs Salt Lake Tribune, July 19, 2000 P. O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, UT, 84110 (Fax 801-257-8950) (E-MAIL: letters@sltrib.com ) ( http://www.sltrib.com ) Schools May Restore Nonacademic Clubs By Heather May, The Salt Lake Tribune Clubs, not just scholarly clubs, could be making a comeback in Salt Lake City schools as soon as September. Members of the Salt Lake City school board appear to be on the verge of ending their four-year ban on nonacademic clubs. While board members did not make any decisions Tuesday night during their regular board meeting, they did review two possible club policies that would allow students to form academic and nonacademic clubs. [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] ================================================================================= 2. MA: Gay basketball tournament to benefit GLSEN From: newsdistribution@gaydata.com Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2000 15:48:43 -0500 Subject: Boston Gay Basketball League Announces Tea Party Classic III ** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ** Boston Gay Basketball League Announces Tea Party Classic III BOSTON, MA July 17, 2000- The Boston Gay Basketball League (BGBL) has announced plans for the return of its annual national gay basketball tournament, the Boston Tea Party Classic, this year to be held Columbus Day Weekend, October 7th and 8th at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. After a year's hiatus, the tournament emerges this year stronger than ever, with a full complement of teams expected to join several Boston teams in competition. In an effort to make the tournament international, additional energy has been spent inviting Canadian and European teams as well. An exciting addition to this year's tournament is an alliance with the Boston chapter of GLSEN (Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network). This organization's mission is to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected, regardless of sexual orientation. A Friday evening forum and benefit basketball game will bring together gay and straight athletes, students, coaches, athletic directors, and community members to foster new cooperation and understanding. Teams of all abilities are encouraged to participate in the tournament. Registration fees are $350 per team prior to September 1st, $400 after September 1st and before the deadline of September 22nd. All teams are guaranteed 4 games, 3 in the round robin pool play. Teams will then be seeded in two divisions, and the single- elimination final rounds will be played. Tournament related social events are also scheduled throughout the weekend. For more information, visit the Boston Gay Basketball League web site at www.bgbl.com or send an email to btpc@geocities.com . You can also call the league's hotline at 617-426-4669, or write them at P.O. Box 1159, Boston, MA, 02117-1159. _____________________________________________________________________ Distributed by GLINN's News Distribution Service at www.gaydata.com, a division of the Gay/Lesbian International News Network at www.glinn.com. To be removed, Write: Mediamaster@gaydata.com ============================================================================ 3. Boy Scouts urged to drop discriminatory anti-gay policy From: JGrissom@lambdalegal.org Reply-To: lambdalegal@lambdalegal.org Subject: Discriminatory Policy Raises Questions About Special Treatment for Boy Scouts Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2000 17:18:11 -0400 =========================================== LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND www.lambdalegal.org News Release ============================================ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, July 19, 2000 CONTACT: Peg Byron 212-809-8585 x230, 1-888-987-1984 pager Evan Wolfson 212-809-8585 x 205 ============================================ Discriminatory Policy Raises Questions About Special Treatment for Boy Scouts Government, funders, members increase pressure on the organization (NEW YORK, July 19, 2000) - Barely one month after the Boy Scouts of America established its right to discriminate against gay members, long-time Scouts supporters are questioning their continued involvement with the organization, and the special government treatment long accorded the youth group increasingly is coming under close scrutiny. And with every passing day, according to Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, whose client James Dale narrowly lost his case before the United States Supreme Court on June 28, pressure is mounting on BSA to reverse its anti-gay membership policy. The latest effort came on Wednesday, when U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) introduced legislation calling for BSA's federal charter to be revoked. Only a handful of organizations enjoy this special government imprimatur. Lambda Senior Staff Attorney Evan Wolfson said, "As long as the Boy Scouts' leaders are insisting on an exclusionary membership policy, the rest of us, especially public schools, parents, and donors, are going to dissociate ourselves from discrimination against our kids." Based on BSA's now-violated pledge to be 'open to all boys,' many government agencies, including police departments, military units and public schools, sponsor - literally own and operate - Scout troops, making public entities responsible for upholding the discriminatory policy. By its policy, BSA stands to forfeit the litany of governmental privileges it has historically enjoyed, including favorable tax treatment, access to facilities and services, and a close association with Congress, the President, the military, and other government agencies. Wolfson notes that other youth organizations that receive similar public sponsorship, such as the Girls Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, and the National 4-H Club specifically ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. "At a time when our communities are grappling with violence and prejudice, all kids need to learn to value differences and respect each other. That is all the more reason why Scouting programs should be open to all boys regardless of sexual orientation," he said. "Government simply cannot be an accomplice to discrimination." "The Boy Scouts may have won the right to discriminate in court, but the court of public opinion is showing itself to be far less tolerant of discrimination. It seems only right that those who care about Scouting and believe in its principles would exercise their leverage to end this discrimination," said Lambda Legal Director Beatrice Dohrn. Since the Supreme Court ruling last month, financial support for the BSA has been question by public and private contributors alike. United Way agencies are withholding contributions, and the state of Connecticut recently removed Scouts from a list of charities state workers can support through payroll deductions. Reform Judaism and the Methodist and Episcopal Churches recently called for an end to the anti-gay ban, while current and former Scouts are returning their honors and badges in protest. 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 Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles. - 30 - Link directly to Lambda's news release: http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/pages/documents/record?record=664 ======================================= 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 =============================================================================== 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/