Date: Sat, 23 May 1998 15:07:27 -0700
From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation <glaad@glaad.org>
Subject: GLAAD DISTURBED BY GAINESVILLE TIMES' ANNOUNCEMENT TO NO LONGER
 PRINT GAY AND LESBIAN NEWSPAPER.

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jennifer Einhorn, Director of Communications
Phone: (212) 807-1700 ext.14
Pager: (888) 656-9045
E-mail: einhorn@glaad.org

GLAAD DISTURBED BY GAINESVILLE TIMES' ANNOUNCEMENT TO NO LONGER PRINT GAY
AND LESBIAN NEWSPAPER.
MEDIA ADVOCACY GROUP CALLS FOR CLARITY AROUND TIMES' DECISION TO DROP
SOUTHERN VOICE

NEW YORK, NY, MAY 23, 1998---The Gainesville (GA) Times announced earlier
this week that, effective June 1, it would no longer print Atlanta's
lesbian and gay newspaper, Southern Voice. The Times, a Gannett-owned paper
whose commercial printing company, Southland Publishing, also prints USA
Today for Northeastern Georgia, began printing Southern Voice in late
April.  Almost immediately, The Times was targeted by religious political
extremists who urged readers and sponsors to cancel their subscriptions and
advertisements.

The Times issued a two paragraph statement announcing their decision, a
portion of which reads:  "Southland Publishing remains committed to be
non-discriminatory in our business practices and printing operations. We
will continue to work with any group...regardless of its religious, racial
or lifestyle affiliations, provided the organization and its needs are
legal and within the bounds of accepted business and printing practices.
Recent operational and press scheduling conflicts have made it necessary
for us to reevaluate our commercial printing commitments...."

Joan M. Garry, GLAAD Executive Director, said, "The very wording of this
statement causes us great concern.  It is a vague and indirect response to
a very serious and potentially precedent-setting matter.  We find it
unacceptable that The Times  will not specifically address their decision
to no longer print this lesbian and gay newspaper."

On Thursday, May 21, GLAAD Communications Director Jennifer H. Einhorn
spoke at length with Chris Jenson, President and Publisher of The Times.
"GLAAD wanted to determine that as a matter of course, The Times would now
turn away any newspapers--regardless of their content or readership--which
requested the same time slot and print volume as Southern Voice.  We were
then directed toward The Times' statement."

Garry continued, "GLAAD hopes that all businesses will stand firm in the
face of fear and intolerance. This was a perfect opportunity for The Times
to demonstrate such resolve. As we await a more thoughtful response from
them, we hope that they recognize this too."

-30-

GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay media advocacy organization.  GLAAD
promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of
challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
glaad@glaad.org

TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at
1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report
through our Alertline Online.

TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's DISPATCH AND QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE,
call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at
www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html

TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to
majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net"

TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message
"Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net"

GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive
representation 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.