Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 18:42:29 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines - February 8, 1999 GLAADLINES Contact: Liz Tracey, Publications Manager (212) 807-1700 tracey@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 8, 1999 News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community 1) SECOND ANNUAL FREEDOM TO MARRY DAY CELEBRATED FEBRUARY 12 2) RALLY FOR BINATIONAL SAME-SEX COUPLES 3) "EQUALITY BEGINS AT HOME" TO BE HELD MARCH 21-27 1) SECOND ANNUAL FREEDOM TO MARRY DAY CELEBRATED FEBRUARY 12: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organizations will celebrate the Second Annual National Freedom To Marry Day on Friday, February 12 across the country. Numerous events to raise awareness about equality in marriage will be held by local, state and national organizations fighting for the freedom to marry. Among the events to be held: o Rock The Bridal Shoppe: A choral group will sing and a local parents' group will distribute literature at a bridal shop in The Juneau Mall in Juneau, AK; o A press conference held by the Mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown to commend the 95 Methodist ministers who recently held a commitment ceremony for two women in Sacramento, CA; o Be My Valentino: A Freedom To Marry-Positive Night of Song presented by Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles; and o A Freedom To Marry "caravan" in Akron, OH, featuring cars decked out in "not married yet" regalia. The date was chosen by organizers "to coincide with Lincoln's Birthday and Valentine's Day-thus emphasizing our themes of Love and Equality." GLAAD has coordinated GLAAD's Freedom To Marry Voices, lesbian and gay couples, clergy, parents and children located throughout the country, willing to speak to the press about their own concerns and struggle for the freedom to marry. For more information about the Second Annual Freedom to Marry Day, including city and state events, contact Peg Byron (LLDEF) at (212) 809-8585. For more information concerning scheduling interviews with a local couple from GLAAD's Freedom to Marry Voices, please contact Wonbo Woo (GLAAD Communications Associate) at (212) 807-1700, or via e-mail at woo@glaad.org . You can access a partial list of the Freedom to Marry Voices participants at GLAAD's web site http://www.glaad.org/glaad/press/981030.html . 2) RALLY FOR BINATIONAL SAME-SEX COUPLES: In addition to the events planned for Freedom To Marry Day, the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force will be holding a rally at the Immigration and Naturalization Service office to protest the treatment of same-sex couples of different nations. Unlike married heterosexual couples, according to the Task Force, the foreign partner in a binational same-sex couple cannot immigrate to the United States based on such a relationship. A press conference will be held to raise awareness about discrimination, and call for Congressional action to be taken. The rally and press conference will be held on Thursday, February 11 at 12:00 p.m. at 26 Federal Plaza, New York (between Worth and Duane Streets on Broadway.) For more information about the rally, or about the issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender immigrants, please contact Jen Higgins at the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force at (212) 818.9639, or via e-mail at info@lgirtf.org . 3) "EQUALITY BEGINS AT HOME" TO BE HELD MARCH 21-27: The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and the Federation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Statewide Political Organizations are coordinating the first ever national week of actions for equality, "Equality Begins At Home." GLAAD is one of numerous LGBT organizations signed on as a partner with Equality Begins At Home. Among the platform issues for the participants in state actions are: building support for laws that counter hate violence, ban employment discrimination, provide safe schools for all students, ensure the right to adopt and become foster parents, and address health issues including HIV/AIDS."'Equality Begins At Home' is not an end point but a beginning point. We are going to make our statewide organizations stronger, mobilize more people, register more voters and demand greater accountability from our state legislators and policy makers," said NGLTF Executive Director Kerry Lobel. "It is this organizing at the state level that will ultimately counter the hostility and gridlock we have come to know from our nation's capital." For more information about Equality Begins At Home, and individual state actions being held in March, contact Tracey Conaty (NGLTF Communications Director) at (202) 332-6483 or Federation Co-Chair Gina Reiss at (732) 828-6772. Equality Begins At Home's web site can be found at http://www.equalitybeginsathome.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.