Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 18:29:38 -0500 From: glaad@glaad.org (GLAAD) Subject: GLAADLINES 12.22.97 GLAADLINES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 22, 1997 News, Tips and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Contact: Liz Tracey (212) 807-1700 tracey@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, PART 1: On December 18 the American Psychoanalytic Association (APA) endorsed Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund's Marriage Resolution, which maintains that states should not interfere with couples of the same gender who wish to marry. Marvin Margolis, M.D., Ph.D., president of the APA, expressed his enthusiastic support for the resolution. Ralph Roughton, M.D., chair of the Association's Committee of Issues on Homosexuality added "[A]s psychoanalysts, we are proud to join the many prominent national organizations and individuals which support the efforts for gay and lesbian civil rights in the area of marriage and family, spearheaded by the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund." For more information, contact Leon Hoffman, M.D. (American Psychoanalytic Association) at (212) 249-1163. NEW JERSEY COUPLE BECOME FIRST JOINT GAY ADOPTERS: On December 17, New Jersey couple Michael Gallucio and Jon Holden became the first couple to jointly adopt their foster son, Adam, in a landmark decision which made New Jersey the first state in the country to allow joint adoptions by both lesbians and gay men and unmarried heterosexual couples. These couples who sought to adopt children jointly had to make two court appearances, whereas married heterosexual couples could adopt with one. At this time, Florida and New Hampshire are the only states that currently bar adoptions by lesbians and gay men. GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry, whose three children were adopted in the first second parent adoption in New Jersey, said "It is important that the lesbian and gay community not cede the issues of what makes a family to radical religious groups. This victory gives us an opportunity not only to take those issues back. Most importantly, we've learned that the important issue when talking about adoption isn't whether a parent is lesbian, gay or heterosexual, but whether they are simply a good parent, period." For more information, contact Liz Tracey (GLAAD Associate Communications Director) at (212) 807-1700. SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, PART 2: On December 19, The Hawaii Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that prevented eight state lawmakers from intervening in the case of Baehr v. Miike, which led to a decision allowing same-sex couples the right to marry. The case itself, which was decided a year ago in favor of three couples seeking the right to marry, is currently on appeal to the same Supreme Court which ruled on the lawmakers' appeal. If the court had found in favor of the state representatives, it might have jeopardized the landmark decision which found that denying marriage licenses to couples of the same sex amounted to unconstitutional gender discrimination. The lawyer representing the eight states, Jay Sekulow, is an attorney with the American Center for Law And Justice, which is closely affiliated with Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition. For more information on the Hawaii case, and on the Marriage Resolution, contact Peg Byron (Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund) at (212) 809-8585, ext. 230, 888-987-1984 (pager). ALAMEDA TEACHER CLEARED IN ELLEN INCIDENT: The California state teacher licensing panel cleared Victoria Forrester, a teacher in Alameda, of wrongdoing in discussing the April coming-out episode of "Ellen." The teacher stated that the classroom conversation had been started by a student, and that she then steered the student to talking about people who are different. A parent, who had asked the school board to fire the teacher and revoke her license, had reported that his 11 year old daughter had come home in tears, and had violated his right to control what his daughter heard in school about homosexuality. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) attorney Kelli Evans, who helped with Forrester's defense, stated "(Parents) do not have the right to prohibit their children from ever hearing any idea with which they don't agree. Some parents are asking public schools to be a 100 percent reflection of their values. That is not public education." For more information, contact Denny Lee (American Civil Liberties Union) at (212) 944-9800, ext. 424. HRC JOINS GLAAD'S "ELLEN" WATCH: This week the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) began linking GLAAD's "Ellen" Watch, a weekly e-mailed list of the weeks Ellen advertisers, from its own Web page. The ABC sitcom has come under heavy fire from anti-gay groups after its lead character came out as a lesbian. Since then, those groups have been pressuring advertisers not to support diversity and inclusion on network television by refusing to buy advertising on the show. Recently, the anti-gay American Family Association has redistributed "Ellen" Watch to its members, encouraging them to write the advertisers in protest. "HRC's involvement with 'Ellen' Watch will help combat the homophobic and narrow minded efforts of radical religious groups hell bent on derailing Ellen DeGeneres and ABC's efforts to truly reflect the fabric of America," said Liz Tracey, GLAAD Associate Communications Director. For more information, contact Liz Tracey (GLAAD) at (212) 807-1700, or via e-mail at tracey@glaad.org or contact David Smith (HRC Senior Strategist) at (202) 628-4160. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (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 registered 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 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.