Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 16:04:38 -0800 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines February 16, 1999 GLAADLINES Contact: Liz Tracey, Publications Manager (212) 807-1700 tracey@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 1999 News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community 1. Falwell Denies Teletubbies Comments 2. Northern CA High School Student Beaten in Apparent Hate Crime 3. Special Election Today For NYC Council Seat 4. Montana, Louisiana Tackle State Sodomy Laws FALWELL DENIES TELETUBBIES COMMENTS: In a statement posted on his personal web site (http://www.falwell.com/), the Reverend Jerry Falwell now denies making any comments regarding the Teletubby Tinky Winky's supposed role modeling for the "homosexual lifestyle." The statement reads: "Dr. Falwell has never seen the teletubbies' [sic] TV program. Dr. Falwell has never commented in any way on the teletubbies. He did not "out" Tinky Winky". He then goes on to charge that: "[t]his entire controversy is the worst form of yellow journalism.... clearly designed to stereotype and damage Dr. Falwell." In fact, Falwell commented throughout the controversy last week on numerous television news programs, including "CBS This Morning" with GLAAD executive director Joan M. Garry on February 12. The original article, by David Reed of Associated Press, reported on a "Parents Alert" published in Dr. Falwell's National Liberty Journal, a monthly newspaper, which told parents that Tinky Winky used lesbian and gay symbols, thereby making it a "role model." For more information, contact Wonbo Woo (GLAAD Communications Associate) at (212) 807-1700, or via e-mail at woo@glaad.org. NORTHERN CA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT BEATEN IN APPARENT HATE CRIME: Adam Colton, a student at San Marin High School in Novato, CA, was beaten for the second time this year in an apparent hate crime. In the attack on Friday, February 12, Colton was beaten, and the word "fag" carved on his forearm and chest. The young man had recently begun an off-campus program because of previous harassment, vandalism and a physical attack after founding a gay/straight alliance at his school. "The fact that any student feels a need to leave a school community because of fear for personal safety should outrage any parent," said GLSEN Communications Director Jim Anderson. "Parents want assurance that when they send their kids off to school in the morning, they'll be returned in the same physical condition in the afternoon. That clearly isn't the case when talking about gay youth." According to GLSEN, studies show that: Studies show that: the average high school students hear anti-gay epithets 25 times a day; when teachers hear these comments, they fail to respond 97% of the time; 80% of gay youth report having been verbally abused, and gay youth are more than five times as likely as their straight classmates to skip school because they feel unsafe. For more information, contact Jim Anderson (GLSEN Director of Communications) at (212) 727-0135 x136, via pager at (888) 869-6512, or via e-mail at janderson@glsen.org. SPECIAL ELECTION TODAY FOR NYC COUNCIL SEAT: In a special election, four candidates will vie for the New York City Council seat left vacant by openly gay Councilmember Tom Duane's election to the New York State Assembly. Three of the four candidates are openly gay or lesbian: Christopher Lynn, former head of the Department of Transportation under Mayor Rudolph Guliani and a lawyer; Aubrey Lees, also a lawyer and Community Board Member; and Christine Quinn, former executive director of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project and former chief of staff for Duane. The fourth candidate, Carlos Monzano, a Democratic state committee member, has not discussed his sexual orientation during the election. The district which the candidates are hoping to represent includes the neighborhoods of the West Village and Chelsea, home to a significant and visible number of lesbians and gay men. According to Duane, 35 percent of his former district's constituents identify as lesbian or gay. For more information about the election and candidates, contact Tim Sweeney (Empire State Pride Agenda) at (212) 627-0305, or via e-mail attsweeney@espany.org. MONTANA. LOUISIANA TACKLE STATE SODOMY LAWS: In a split vote on Saturday, the Montana state legislature vote to keep their sodomy law on the books, despite the state's Supreme Court overturning the law as unconstitutional in 1997. Supporters of the law said that while the law was found unconstitutional, In Louisiana, the State Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals found their state's sodomy law unconstitutional, with further appeal by the state possible. For more information about sodomy laws still active in the United States, contact Peg Byron (Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund) at (212) 809-8585, or via pager at (888) 987-1984. 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. 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