Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 14:06:31 -0500
From: glaad@glaad.org (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)
Subject: GLAAD AND GLSEN CONDEMN INTERNET FILTERING SOFTWARE LEGISLATION

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1998

Contact:
Heather Hopkins, Widmeyer-Baker
(212) 252-0490


GLAAD AND GLSEN CONDEMN INTERNET FILTERING SOFTWARE LEGISLATION

WASHINGTON, DC-On Thursday, March 12, the Senate Commerce Committee
approved a bill (The Internet School Filtering Act, S. 1619) which requires
schools and libraries that receive federal funds for Internet access to
install software designed to block material that is deemed inappropriate
for children.  The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and
the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) are concerned about
this proposition, as it constitutes a violation of the First Amendment
rights of students and citizens.

"The use of Internet Filtering Software may be appropriate in the home,
where parents can make their own personal value judgments about what
filtering software to purchase and what types of sites to block," said Joan
Garry, Executive Director of GLAAD.  "However, requiring a public
institution, such as a school or library, to make this judgment
call-therefore censoring certain sites from view-is a violation of the
First Amendment rights of local citizens.  It is inappropriate for schools
or libraries to make these types of decisions."

The criteria by which Internet filtering software limits the World Wide Web
can be subjective and questionable.  These software companies, in the
interest of retaining what they call "proprietary information," often do
not disclose the specific criteria used to determine whether a site or
newsgroup should be blocked.  Therefore, consumers-as well as schools and
libraries-who purchase the software will most likely never know exactly
what they are missing.

Access to a wide variety of Internet sites is especially important to
members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, because it
provides them with vital information, a forum for expression, and a sense
of solidarity. Internet filtering software threatens that access and
prevents the community from receiving valuable resources by uniformly
blocking many important informational sites.

Most of the sites serving the community provide information about sexual
orientation as it relates to culture and identity.  For example, the
Internet serves as a unique community forum for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender youth, serving as a comfortable medium where they can meet
others who, like them, struggle with the everyday issues of homophobia and
intolerance.  Many of these youth are isolated both emotionally and
socially as a result of their sexual orientation or identity, and denying
them access to such gay-supportive sites can put them at an even greater
emotional risk.

 "I am not only the Executive Director of GLAAD; I am a mother as well,"
said Garry.  "While I want to protect my children from dangerous material
on the Internet, I also want them to have access to all the wonderful
information and knowledge that is available on the World Wide Web."

"Part of what it means to be educated is having the ability to learn to
think independently.  While parents may choose to limit their children's
knowledge of certain subjects or people, it is vital that schools do not
play that role," said Kevin Jennings, Executive Director of GLSEN. "The use
of Internet filtering software by public schools and libraries interferes
with that which is the basis for the existence of those institutions in the
first place - to think, learn and grow as an individual," he continued.

GLAAD and GLSEN believe that it is imperative to prevent this bill from
passing.  Supporters of these organizations are encouraged to write, call,
or e-mail their Congressperson to urge them to prevent the passage of this
bill.

GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate, and
inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on
sexual orientation or identity.  Joan Garry is available to discuss GLAAD's
position on the Internet School Filtering Act with the media.

GLSEN is the largest national organization fighting anti-gay bias in K-12
schools.



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_________________________________________________________________________
Wonbo Woo
Communications Assistant
Internship Coordinator
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
(212) 807-1700 x24
email: woo@glaad.org

Visit GLAAD Online at:  http://www.glaad.org
To report defamation, call our toll-free Alertline at:  800-GAY-MEDIA
_________________________________________________________________________
SAVE ELLEN! Visit GLAAD's "Save Ellen!" Campaign at:
http://www.glaad.org/glaad/ellenwatch/save-ellen.html
_________________________________________________________________________
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is a national organization
that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals
and events in the media as a means of challenging discrimination based on
sexual orientation or identity.
_________________________________________________________________________
'GLAAD' and 'Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation' are registered
trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.
_________________________________________________________________________