Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 18:48:23 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines November 30, 1998 GLAADLINES - November 30, 1998 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Liz Tracey, Publications Manager (212) 807-1700 x18 tracey@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Index: 1) WORLD AIDS DAY 2) YOU WILL REMEMBER "A NIGHT IN NOVEMBER" 3) GLAAD FAIRNESS AWARDS TO BE HELD IN L.A. 1) WORLD AIDS DAY: The 11th observance of World AIDS will be held Tuesday, December 1. Among events making the news: … A Day Without Art Web Action: Creative Time, a non-profit arts organization based in New York, is sponsoring A Day Without Art Web Action, in digital observance of World AIDS Day. This year's actions include the Banner Project 1998, and 10 Web Action Tours. Any web site interested in participating can display one of three banners designed for the observance, and can display the banners through the month of December to remind Net users of the impact of HIV/AIDS. For more information about A Day Without Art Web Action, contact Creative Time at (212) 206-6674 x201, or visit their web site at http://www.creativetime.org/dwa/ . … Housing Works Vigil and Names Reading: Housing Works, an agency which works to house people with HIV/AIDS, will sponsor a march on New York's City Hall, culminating in a press conference on the steps of the building. The organization had to seek a court order to hold the press conference, as their permit was denied due to "concerns about terrorism" presented by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and city staff. However, Judge Harold Baer struck down a policy which restricted the use of City Hall to events of "extraordinary public interest," writing "who is to say that celebrating the Yankee World Series victory is a more or less extraordinary event than the commemoration of World AIDS Day? After all, it is presently estimated that 30.6 million people are living with HIV or AIDS worldwide." In addition to the march, a 24-hour vigil will be held in City Hall Park, where the names of those lost to HIV/AIDS will be read for a full day. For more information, contact Charles King (Executive Director, Housing Works) at (212) 966-0466. … The Levi's Benefit/Condom Tree: Another World AIDS Day observance was also struck with controversy, as Levi Strauss' plan to raise a Christmas tree covered with brightly colored condoms to bring attention to AIDS Awareness. The tree, which was part of a benefit concert for the charity LIFEBeat to be held in Central Park, was met with hue and cry from religious political extremists, who called for its removal. Levi's issued a statement after changing their plans for the benefit, stating that they found it "was not possible to hold an AIDS prevention and awareness event without incorporating condoms," and so moved the concert to New York's Roseland Ballroom. For more information about the concerts and other events for World AIDS Day in Sydney, Tokyo, Bombay, Joahannesburg, Sao Paolo, London and New York, contact Cassie Ederer (Public Relations, Levi Strauss Inc.) at (415) 501-7276. … Americans complacent about AIDS risk: In preliminary findings, a Harris poll has found that most Americans believe that they are more likely to be shot or badly hurt, than to become HIV-positive. More than 1,000 people were asked to rate their risk of different illnesses and accidents; included were their chances of being shot by a stranger, and becoming deaf. All of those polled, of all sexes, races and ages, ranked their risk of contracting HIV last. The findings were released by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR), which observed that nearly half of all new HIV infections in the United States are among people under the age of 24. For more information about the survey, and on AmFAR's World AIDS Day Symposium, contact Jay Blotcher (AmFAR Director of Media Relations) at (212) 806-1607. 2) YOU WILL REMEMBER "A NIGHT IN NOVEMBER": A new one-man play written by Marie Jones and starring Dan Gordon is in the last month of its run in New York, with its final performance at the Douglas Fairbanks Theatre on January 3. Exploring the hostility between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland, "A Night in November" examines the nature of prejudice and the impact of hatred, bigotry and intolerance upon both individuals and communities. "While not specifically lesbian- or gay-themed," said GLAAD Director of Communications Jennifer Einhorn, "the play's run falls amidst such recent events as the murder of Matthew Shepard and a rise in anti-gay violence. With palpable tension, smarts and uncanny timing, 'Night' makes crystal clear the universal and insidious nature of prejudice -- regardless of the shape it takes." The play is scheduled to tour in the winter of 1999. For more information, contact Steven Padla (Boneau/Bryan-Brown) at (212) 575-3030. 3) GLAAD FAIRNESS AWARDS TO BE HELD IN L.A.: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) will present its 1998 LA Fairness Awards to media relations and marketing firm Bragman Nyman Cafarelli, the largest gay majority-owned public relations firm in the world, and production and management company World of Wonder (WOW), owned by openly gay life partners Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, on Wednesday, December 2, in Beverly Hills, CA. GLAAD presents the awards to individuals and institutions that demonstrate exemplary leadership in combating discrimination based on sexual orientation through programs of education, communications and civil rights protection. Bragman will receive their award from Hollywood mogul Steve Tisch. RuPaul, whom World of Wonder partners Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey manage, will present the award to WOW. For more information contact Scott Seomin (GLAAD Entertainment Media Director) at 323.658.6775 or via e-mail at seomin@glaad.org . 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 Wonbo Woo at (212) 807-1700 or at woo@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 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" 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 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.