Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 21:07:45 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines - July 26, 1999 GLAADLines - July 26, 1999 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Contact: Sean Lund, GLAAD (323) 658-6775 x 18 lund@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org TASK FORCE LAUNCHES FAMILY PROGRAM ON HEELS OF PRIDE ATTACK: A tear gas attack on families and children at San Diego's annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Weekend resulted in four hospitalizations and numerous injuries. C. Ray Drew, executive director of the Family Pride Coalition, attributed the attack to the increasing hostility toward gay families. "All the recent anti-adoption legislation and rhetoric calling gay men pedophiles legitimizes this kind of violence against lesbians and gay men." Drew said. In related news, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) announced today the formation of a new family policy program to respond to the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families. "We are in the midst of a revolution in family creation within GLBT communities, but ironically, and inaccurately, our movement is characterized as being anti-family," said NGLTF Executive Director Kerry Lobel. For further information, contact the Family Pride Coalition's C. Ray Drew at (619) 296-0199, and David Elliot (NGLTF Communications Director) at (202) 332-6483, ext. 3303. SENATE APPROVES HISTORIC HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT: Praised by President Clinton as "a big step forward in the journey toward greater protection for all Americans," the Senate on July 22 approved the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The legislation adds sexual orientation, gender and disability to current federal hate-crime protections covering race, color, religion and national origin. The measure claimed wide bipartisan support that included Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), James Jeffords (R-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.). The Senate also approved Sen. Orrin Hatch's (R-Utah) federal hate-crime legislation, criticized by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) for its failure to provide protection for lesbians and gay men. "Under the Hatch proposal, a victim of a hate crime would have nowhere to turn if local officials are unwilling or unable to prosecute his or her case," said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. The measures, which are not mutually exclusive, now move to the House. For more information, please contact HRC Communications Director David Smith at (202) 628-4160. TRANSGENDER BEATINGS, INVISIBILITY SPARK RALLY: Even as the media increases its awareness and coverage of hate crimes against lesbians and gay men (evidenced by the coverage of the murders of Matthew Shepard and Billy Jack Gaither), hate crimes against transgender people remain largely unnoticed in the mainstream media, and in some cases, even in the lesbian/gay media. Two separate Los Angeles-area attacks on transgender people last week sparked a protest march Saturday July 24, drawing participants from the Metropolitan Community Church L.A. and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Community Center. Organized by the Transgender Menace Southern California, the "Stop the Hate" rally and march served to draw attention to these invisible hate-crime victims. "Not only are we invisible, but our situation is worsened by the media's use of incorrect terminology and the spreading of misinformation," said Shirley Bushnell of Transgender Menace. For further information, contact Shirley Bushnell at (323) 573-6428. MCC PROTESTS GAY "CONVERSION" CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO: In response to a national gathering of "ex-gay" ministries in Chicago, the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of the Incarnation in Oak Park, Ill., presented a three-day series of seminars, worship services and prayer vigils to counter the advocates of so-called "conversion" therapy. Exodus, a group dedicated to "converting" lesbians and gay men to heterosexuality through Christianity, is holding its national conference at Wheaton College from July 26-31. "We need to let everyone know that the message of Exodus is not the message of Christ and the Christian Church," said Rev. Bradley Mickelson, pastor of the Oak Park MCC. "The message of Christ is that God created us and loves us all - just as we are." The event also drew parallels between "ex-gay" ministries and an increasing climate of hostility toward lesbians and gay men. "We're putting Exodus on notice," said Cynthia Marquardt, Oak Park MCC Director of Community Relations. "We want to dialog, but we can no longer stand by and accept the hate crimes that result from their rhetoric." For further information, contact MCC Oak Park's Cynthia Marquardt at (708) 383-3033. FILTERING LEGISLATION, ACCESS GAPS THREATEN FREE SPEECH: In Washington, D.C., two recently-introduced bills pose new threats to freedom of Internet access. On July 20, Rep. Ernest Istook, Jr. (R-Okla.) introduced H.R. 2560, the Child Protection Act of 1999, which would require libraries and schools to install Internet filtering software in order to receive federal funds for computer operations. Meanwhile, the Senate Commerce Committee approved Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) Children's Internet Protection Act (S. 97), which would require schools and libraries to install filtering software in order to receive a key telecommunications discount. In related news, "Falling Through the Net: Defining the Digital Divide," a July 8 Department of Commerce survey, revealed wide gaps along racial, economic and geographic lines in terms of Internet access. "Given the Department of Commerce's findings, this trend toward filtering legislation could deny access and support resources to those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community who need them the most," said GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry. "This is a frightening thought. The Internet has proven to be a virtual lifeline to those in isolated communities, and on-line access to our community must remain available to them." For more information, contact Loren R. Javier, GLAAD's Interactive Media Director, at (415) 861-2244 or via e-mail javier@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. 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