Date: Mon, 28 Oct 1996 16:58:22 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines 10.28.96 GLAADLINES contact: Don Romesburg (415) 861-2244 romesburg@glaad.org http://www. glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 28, 1996 News, Tips, and Breaking Stories about the Gay & Lesbian Community BOWERS BACK IN THE BUSINESS OF GAY BASHING: On October 24, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard Shahar V. Bowers, a case in which a lesbian was withdrawn as a candidate for job as a Georgia State Attorney. Georgia Attorney General Michael Bowers, infamous for his role in the 1987 U.S. Supreme Court case Bowers v. Hardwick, which upheld the criminalization of homosexual sex acts between consenting adults, offered a state attorney position to Robin Shahar and then withdrew it when he learned that Shahar was planning a Jewish wedding ceremony with another woman. Bowers claimed that the hiring would violate the state's sodomy law. Shahar and her lawyers are arguing on three constitutional points: her right to religious freedom, her rights to equal protection under the law and her right to intimate association without government interference. A 3-judge panel of the Circuit Court has already ruled in Shahar's favor. The full Circuit Court decision is pending. For more information contact Denny Lee (American Civil Liberties Union Lesbian & Gay Rights Project) at (212) 944-9800, ext. 424. TEXAS GAY-POSITIVE BILLBOARDS DEFAMED: A large billboard on the Gulf Freeway in Houston which reads "Someone You Know and Love is Gay" was spray-painted over the October 19-20 weekend with the message "God forgive us and save us!!" The billboard, one of eleven in a campaign by the local chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), will be replaced. At an October 22 City Council meeting, PFLAG co-president Barbara Winston said that the person who sprayed the billboard was motivated out of ignorance. Co-president Pat Rickey noted that, "Gay people are part of our community and our families. The person who defaced the billboard is attacking my child and my family. When parents of gays and lesbians realize the prejudice our children face every day, we can't stand by anymore. The billboards are a positive way for us to take action, and a little spray paint isn't going to stop us." For more information contact Kyle Young (PFLAG) at (713) 521-7793. VICTIM OF AIR FORCE WITCH HUNT SEEKING JUSTICE: Captain Robert Saragosa, an officer stationed at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, says that the Pentagon has violated the "don't ask, don't tell" policy and he is filing suit to drop charges of sodomy. Hickam has been the scene of aggressive violations against gay servicemembers. The military gave Senior Airman Bryan Scott Harris, who is facing a long prison term for sexually assaulting another man, a reduced sentence for turning over the names of other servicemembers involved in acts of sodomy. Saragosa was one of sixteen individuals that Harris named. For more information contact Kirk Childress (Servicemembers Legal Defense Network) at (202) 328-2344 or e-mail at sldn1@aol.com. GAY TELEVISION SHOW PREMIERES IN "NEAR PERFECT" TIME SLOT: In the Life, a bimonthly program about gay and lesbian issues and culture on national public television will begin its fifth season with a premiere episode on October 29 at 11:00 PM on Washington D.C.'s WETA channel 26, the PBS flagship station. "We always hoped to fall into the 11:00 PM spot because we attract the most viewers at that hour-after popular network programs but before the witching hour," said Katherine Linton, the show's host and senior producer. In the Life credits the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) for a letter-writing campaign to ensure the strong airtime. The episode, entitled "Left & Right: The Politics of Pride," details the current political landscape in lesbian and gay America leading up to the Presidential election. For more information contact John Catania (In the Life) at (212) 255-6012, ext. 307. "IGGY" AWARDS TO HONOR HISTORY MAKERS: The International Gay and Lesbian Archives will hold the First Annual "IGGY" Awards in Los Angeles to honor outstanding men and women who have contributed to lesbian and gay history and who have helped to create and contribute to our culture. The first two recipients are writer Armistead Maupin, author of the Tales of the City series, and Ivy Bottini, a longtime Los Angeles lesbian activist. The event, dubbed "An IGGY Is Born," will also feature cabaret-style entertainment headlined by comics Kathy Najimy and Scott Thompson. Also performing will be Barbara Eden in a duet with pianist/singer Tom Carlisle. For more information contact Jeanne Cordova (IGLA) at (213) 856-9055. To report events that merit media coverage, or news stories breaking in your area, please contact us. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is the nation's lesbian & gay news bureau and the only national lesbian & gay multimedia watchdog organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate, and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. To subscribe contact Don Romesburg at (415) 861-2244 or at romesburg@glaad.org. "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 the nation's lesbian and gay news bureau and the only national lesbian and gay multimedia watchdog organization. GLAAD 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.