Date: Fri, 1 Mar 1996 16:29:38 +0100
From: javier@glaad.org (Loren R. Javier)
Subject: GLAAD URGES MEDIA TO CHALLENGE ANTI-GAY STATEMENTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:        Mark F. Johnson
                     News Media Director
                     (212)  807-1700


GLAAD URGES MEDIA TO CHALLENGE ANTI-GAY STATEMENTS


NEW YORK, NY--March 1, 1996--The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) urges the news media to challenge the anti-gay
statements that have been made by some candidates seeking the Republican
party 1996 presidential nomination. "The gay and lesbian community is being
used as a scapegoat and is clearly the target of much prejudice, bigotry,
and misinformation  by some  of the Republican party candidates,
particularly Patrick Buchanan," said Mark F. Johnson, News Media Director.

"Such insensitivity and prejudice would not be tolerated if these comments
were aimed at any other minority group," noted Johnson.  "The gay community
is just as important and worthy of respect .  Politicians should not make
controversial statements against lesbians and gays nor should the news
media allow them to go unchallenged," Johnson said.

The press plays a valuable role  in educating the public and should be
equally  strident in exposing bigotry against gays and lesbians as it is
about exposing racism,  sexism, ageism or any other form of discrimination,
he added.

"Gays and lesbians are looking to America's chief opinion-makers to do the
right thing," Johnson asserted. "Hopefully, the time has passed that
people can make negative public comments against any  group in this country
and get away with them." Nor is it acceptable to appeal to homophobia  by
villifying  gays and lesbians.  There are scores of lesbian and gay
representatives available to the news media to balance out these
misrepresentations and to correct any misconceptions. GLAAD is willing to
work with the media at identifying some of these individuals, so that news
coverage more accurately reflects the lives and values of gay and lesbian
Americans.

GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive
representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual
orientation or identify.






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Loren R. Javier
Director of Information Systems
javier@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 combatting homophobia and
all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.
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