Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 16:06:07 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines May 26, 1998 GLAADLINES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 26, 1998 News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community contact: Don Romesburg (415) 861-2244 romesburg@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org 1) BIPARTISAN SUPPORT CONFIRMS HOCHBERG, BUT HORMEL STILL ON HOLD 2) PRIDE MONTH BEGINS WITH PRESIDENTIAL SALUTE 3) AWARDS GALA TO HONOR INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN AND GAY ACTIVISTS 4) HISTORIC PHILLY MEETING BETWEEN POLICE AND GAY COMMUNITY 5) FIRST FEMME CONFERENCE HITS SAN FRANCISCO BIPARTISAN SUPPORT CONFIRMS HOCHBERG, BUT HORMEL STILL ON HOLD: Even though several anti-gay Senators continue to block a vote on Luxembourg Ambassadorial nominee James Hormel, on May 22, the Senate approved openly gay nominee Fred Hochberg to serve as deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration. "Today bipartisanship triumphed. Mr. Hochberg's qualifications were recognized and praised by many members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat," said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. "We look forward to the continued display of bipartisanship for James Hormel. If the few extremists blocking the nomination would allow a full Senate vote, we believe Hormel would be confirmed." Hochberg's confirmation makes him one of the highest ranking openly gay officials in the Clinton administration. For more information contact David Smith (HRC Communications Director) at (202) 628-4169. PRIDE MONTH BEGINS WITH PRESIDENTIAL SALUTE: As Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month begins June 1, President Bill Clinton has issued a commendation honoring the occasion. "Events like the Pride Celebration help us to recognize anew that working in a spirit of community is not a hope but a necessity, and that our individual dreams can only be realized by our shared efforts," President Clinton said in a letter issued recently by the White House. "Our nation stands to lose if we let prejudice and discrimination stifle the hopes or deny the potential of a single American. And we stand to lose when any person is denied or forced out of a job because of sexual orientation." He went on to commend those taking part in the celebration for "you dedication to working for an America that celebrates our diversity, builds on our strengths, and fulfills our fundamental values of mutual respect and compassion." For more information contact Richard Socarides (Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Public Liaison) at (202) 456-1687. AWARDS GALA TO HONOR INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN AND GAY ACTIVISTS: At the New York Academy of Art on May 28, three international activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues will be honored by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) at the 1998 Felipa de Souza Awards. The award recognizes activists and organizations making significant contributions to the freedom of sexual minorities anywhere in the world. This year's winners include: Circulo Cultural Gay, a Mexican lesbian and gay rights organization best known for its high-profile, dangerous and effective work with threatened and assassinated transvestites and gay men; Dr. Tal Jarus-Hakakm a founding member of the Community for Lesbian Feminists, which leads the public struggle for lesbian equality and acceptance in Israel; and Indonesian activist Dede Oetomo, who is a founding member of Lambda Indonesia (the country's first gay organization) as well as an HIV/AIDS education and publisher of a gay magazine. For more information contact Sydney Levy (IGLHRC) at (212) 216-1256. HISTORIC PHILLY MEETING BETWEEN POLICE AND GAY COMMUNITY: On May 27, for the first time ever, the Philadelphia Police Commissioner will be the featured speaker at a town meeting held by the William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center. Recently hired Police Commissioner John Timoney, a 29-year veteran of the New York City Police Department, spent seven years as chair of that mayor's police gay and lesbian task force. "We see this Town Meeting as a positive step forward, a chance to hear the Commissioner's plans and what they will mean to the gay community and surrounding neighborhood," said Community Center Board Member Bill Wood. Center Executive Director Richard Heyl added, "We look forward to learning how the community and the police can better work together." For more information contact Richard Heyl (William Way Community Center) at (215) 732-2220. FIRST FEMME CONFERENCE HITS SAN FRANCISCO: On May 30-31, San Francisco's Harvey Milk Institute (HMI) will hold the first Femme Gender Conference: Creating Community on the Frontier of Gender. With a keynote address by writer and native rights activist Chrystos and panelists including Kate Bornstein, Karen Bullock-Jordan, Lani Ka'ahumanu, JoAnn Loulan and Mark Silver, the conference aims to promote exploration and discussion of gender issues, and is expecting hundreds of artists, activists, academics and others from around North America to examine femme identity, culture and history. For more information contact Kevin Schaub (HMI Executive Director) at (415) 552-7200. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is the nation's lesbian & gay multimedia advocacy 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. 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