Date: Tue, 6 Jul 1999 15:58:34 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines - July 6, 1999 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 6, 1999 GLAADLINES Contact: Jerry Weinstein GLAAD Publications Manager (212) 807-1700 x18 weinstein@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org Index to Stories: 1. KENTUCKY CONSIDERS FAIRNESS 2. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTION ACT THREATENS GAY RIGHTS LAWS 3. PUBLIC OFFICIAL SUPPORTS RAINBOW FLAG BURNING IN OHIO 4. GAY MEN'S HEALTH SUMMIT TO BE HELD IN BOULDER, COLORADO News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community KENTUCKY CONSIDERS FAIRNESS: On Thursday, July 1, Lexington, Kentucky's Urban County Council will vote to consider an ordinance that would ban discrimination in the areas of housing, employment and public accommodation on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. While the measure is expected to pass and has the support of Mayor Miller, there has been some dissent regarding the inclusion of gender identity in this ordinance. In whatever form the proposal passes, however, Lexington will be, after Louisville, the second city in Kentucky to adopt such an ordinance. Two nearby municipalities, Jefferson County and Henderson, are in the early stages of considering similar measures. These local measures have given impetus to a statewide bill, which has already been pre-filed for the fall legislative session. For further information, please contact the Lexington Fairness Campaign at (606) 296-7812 and the Kentucky Fairness Alliance at (502) 897-1973. Visit the website for comprehensive information at www.fairness99.org . RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTION ACT THREATENS GAY RIGHTS LAWS: Charles Canady (R-FLA) has authored the Religious Liberty Protection Act (RLPA) of 1999, a bill that would mandate that state or local offices may not substantially burden religious exercise without a compelling reason like public health or safety. While protecting freedoms of religious minorities is commendable, RLPA has a devastating side effect. Said ACLU counsel Christopher E. Anders: "Our concern is that some courts may turn a federal statutory shield for religious exercise into a sword against state and local civil-rights laws. Persons protected because of characteristics such as marital status, familial status, pregnancy status, sexual orientation disability and perhaps religion itself, could find their protections under state or local laws eroded by federal law." As it stands, RLPA will have dire consequences to the enforcement of local gay rights laws across the country. It has been reported that the Senate sponsor of the bill, Orrin Hatch, will be scheduling hearings for later this month. For further comment, please contact Steven Baines of Equal Partners in Faith at (202) 296-4672 x 14 and Christopher E. Anders of the ACLU at (202) 544-1681. PUBLIC OFFICIAL SUPPORTS RAINBOW FLAG BURNING IN OHIO: On Sunday, June 27, during Columbus, Ohio's 18th annual gay pride celebration, a rainbow flag, which was flown for the first time in front of the Ohio State Capitol, was torn down from its flagpole and set afire. Two men and one woman were arrested after the incident. Following the crime, parade security and police separated parade marchers from the hecklers, most of whom came from nearby High Street Baptist Church. When the Delaware County Commission reconvened the following day, Commissioner James Ward came to the defense of the protestors who tried to intimidate and compromise the safety of parade celebrants. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has called for Ward to apologize for defending these actions, which give "tacit approval to illegal, destructive and hateful behavior which nearly incited violence," said HRC National Field Director Donna Red Wing. For further comment, please contact Jeff Redfield, executive director of Stonewall Columbus, at (614) 299-7764 and Wayne Besen, associate director of communications at HRC, at (202) 628-4160. GAY MEN'S HEALTH SUMMIT TO BE HELD IN BOULDER, COLORADO: A conference entitled, "Boulder Summit: Launching a Gay Men's Health Movement" is to run from July 29 through August 1 in Boulder, Colorado. Organized by the Boulder County AIDS Project, the keynotes, panels, workshops and organizing meetings are designed to educate and explore a wide range of issues of importance to gay men. Summit topics include (but are not limited to): substance use and abuse; health issues facing gay men of color; health politics and advocacy; and gay culture and cyberspace. The summit is designed to strengthen community activism and grassroots organizing. Space is limited and is filling quickly. For more information, or to register, go to http://www.bcap.org or call Mike Beyer at (303) 444-6121. 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. 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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 combating 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.