Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 17:00:24 -0800 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines - January 24, 2000 GLAADLines Contact: Bob Findle, GLAAD (323) 658-6775 ext. 31 findle@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 24, 2000 News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community 1. ATLANTA TO ADD 'GENDER IDENTITY' TO CHARTER 2. LLEGO ADDRESS RISING RATE OF AIDS AMONG LATINOS 3. THIRD ANNUAL GENDER, SEXUALITY AND THE LAW SYMPOSIUM ATLANTA TO ADD 'GENDER IDENTITY' TO CHARTER: Saying that government needs to protect everyone's rights, District 3 Atlanta City Councilmember Michael Bond introduced an ordinance Jan. 18 to add gender identity to the city's charter, which is similar to a constitution. In the ordinance, "gender identity" is defined as "self-perception as male or female." The terminology is to be placed in the charter's Bill of Rights and under Section 2, which deals with nondiscrimination in city employment and personnel matters. Also to be added to Section 2 are the words "sexual orientation," which already appear in the Bill of Rights. "We are delighted," Harry Knox, executive director of the Georgia Equality Project, said of the ordinance. "It has always been the unofficial policy of the city not to discriminate against transgender people. When city officials added sexual orientation, they believed they were covering the transgender community." Now they realize there is a difference. Knox said he sees the proposed ordinance as more of a "housekeeping" effort because gender identity is covered in city codes, but not the charter. Karen Collins, state director of Trans=3DAction, said, "The ordinance is a statement from the city of Atlanta that it intends to be fair to all aspects of society." Notice of the proposal has to appear once a week for three weeks in an Atlanta newspaper of general circulation before it can be officially adopted. During that time citizens can challenge the ordinance's passage. Knox said of any potential opposition, "At this point we have not heard any indication that there will be any hue and cry." Contact Knox at 404-872-3600 for more information. LLEGO ADDRESS RISING RATE OF AIDS AMONG LATINOS: The National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Organization (LLEGO) is requesting a strategy meeting with Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala. LLEGO is responding to the recently released report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that said for the first time the rate for AIDS cases for men of color has surpassed the rate for white gay men. It also reports a higher rate for initial HIV infection for 13- to 24-year-olds - 16 percent of all cases for blacks and 13 percent for Latinos, compared to 9 percent for white gay men. According to LLEGO Executive Director Mart=EDn Ornelas-Quintero, homophobia in the Latino community is an overlooked reason for the increase among that community's members. He said, "One factor which has not been addressed by any but few community organizations, but is yet by far the most insidious in perpetuating the current course of AIDS among Latinas/os is the epidemic of homophobia." He said that cultural barriers make it difficult to disperse prevention and treatment information to gay Latinos. To make the information more useful and accessible, Ornelas-Quintero said, "It is time that the epidemic of homophobia among Latinas/os was addressed vigorously and aggressively. =8A We need to engage our resources against homophobia in order to educate all of our communities about their true danger in the face of HIV/AIDS." Ornelas-Quintero and LLEGO plan to enlist the help of Shalala and the Department of Health and Human Services to start a grassroots anti-homophobia movement through Latino community-based organizations. LLEGO has already begun internal planning meetings while waiting for Shalala's response. Contact LLEGO Publications Manager Benjamin Sheppard at 202-466-8240. THIRD ANNUAL GENDER, SEXUALITY AND THE LAW SYMPOSIUM: Increasingly, as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community focuses on issues such as the right to marry and to raise children, the traditional definitions of family and parenting are being challenged both socially and legally. Also, the ever expanding array of methods to become a parent has brought social, legal and ethical concerns to the forefront. On Friday, Feb. 4, The Georgetown Journal of Gender and Law is presenting its third annual Gender, Sexuality and the Law Symposium in Washington, D.C. This year's topic is "Beyond Biology: Adoption, Reproductive Technology and Intentional =46amilies." Speakers include Kate Kendall, executive director of the National Center of Lesbian Rights; Jon and Michael Galluccio, a gay couple who recently won a lawsuit in New Jersey that allows them to adopt jointly; Terry Boggis, director of the Center Kids Project at the New York Lesbian and Gay Community Center; and others. Amy Fettig, symposium editor, said, "We wanted to take a closer look at how LGBT people are creating families. We wanted to make the connection that what is going in the LGBT family is also going on in mainstream families." Fettig said the topic was picked because The Georgetown Journal of Gender and Law is about issues of gender and sex, "We really feel that a lot of the cultural war going around LGBT issues has to do with the creation of families. That is where we learn our traditional gender roles and ideas of sexuality. When you challenge those roles you push a lot of buttons." Judith Stacey, a University of Southern California professor of sociology and gender studies who is presenting at the symposium, said, "The fact that this is a topic of public analysis and debate is a good thing. I believe that about any social issue. One hopes that talking about it is a way of challenging people who believe in something else." The Journal expects 200-300 people to attend. Contact =46ettig at 202-662-9460. GLAAD, the nation's lesbian & gay media advocacy organization, promotes fair, accurate, and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. 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