Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 16:51:33 -0800 From: glaad@glaad.org (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)) Subject: CompuServe Ban on Gay & Lesbian Newsgroups Press Release GLAAD CONDEMS COMPUSERVE'S CONTINUING DISCRIMINATION; ALERTS MEMBERS TO OTHER INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS NEW YORK (January 4, 1996) -- The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today that it does not appear likely that CompuServe will reverse its discriminatory action banning lesbian and gay newsgroups, and has alerted its members to consider alternate Internet service providers. "The newsgroups are still there," said GLAAD managing director William Waybourn, "but they are no longer available through CompuServe." Waybourn said the ban against lesbian and gay informational newsgroups was "heartless" and done with apparent malice against freedom of expression and to restrict the exchange of information related to lesbian and gay issues. GLAAD has attempted to determine the scope of the investigation by German officials which CompuServe claims to have triggered its ban on certain newsgroups. "Our own finding reveals that CompuServe was not asked to ban or censor gay and lesbian newsgroups, but took upon itself the very Draconian step of including them with those newsgroups they disconnected," Waybourn said. "Regardless, the smoke has now cleared, and CompuServe has made no attempt to reconnect appropriate lesbian and gay groups that clearly operate within the confines of German law," he said. CompuServe has had more than enough time and adequate requests to re-establish the legitimate newsgroups, "but apparently it has no intention of doing so," said Waybourn. GLAAD received a statement issued by CompuServe CEO Bob Massey, that says "I want to make it clear that regardless of how this issue is resolved, there are certain newsgroups that will not be added to our index." William Giles, a spokesman for CompuServe, said the provider was working on a way to resume broadcasting a full range of Internet content to its subscribers. "It may be next week or it may be next month, who knows," Giles said in a separate statement to Eric Auchard of Reuter News Service. While the statement GLAAD received did not specifically name which newsgroups will continue to be banned, Waybourn said it was troublesome that CompuServe continues to confuse legitimate lesbian and gay newsgroups with child pornography and erotic newsgroups. Based on copies of numerous cancellation orders directed to CompuServe that GLAAD has received, Waybourn said today's announcement may be moot, but that the organization wanted to alert its own members to seek Internet service providers who do not discriminate, and that the prospects of getting CompuServe to change its position appear grim. GLAAD encouraged its members to express their opinions on this matter by contacting: Robert Massey, President CompuServe, Inc. 5000 Arlington Center Boulevard Columbus, Ohio 43220 Note: CompuServe members may address customer service by contacting them via GO FEEDBACK; non-CompuServe members may send email directly to John Latham, CompuServe Feedback at 70006,101@compuserve.com (John Latham). For more information contact Chiqui Cartagena, GLAAD's News Media Director at Cartagena@glaad.org or via phone at 212 807-1700. **************************************************************************** Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation GLAAD glaad@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in the media as a means of combating homophobia and all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ****************************************************************************