Date: Wed, 8 Nov 1995 10:22:58 -0500 From: Maggie Heineman Subject: Philadelphia PFLAG P.O.M. Release Philadelphia PFLAG will be faxing this press release to local media today. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- For Immediate Release November 8, 1995 National Contact: Damien Enderle, Tina Dreyfus The Kambor Group 202.223.8700 Philadelphia Contact: Maggie Heineman 215.849.4326 fax: 215.849.4326 HOUSTON NBC AFFILIATE REFUSES TO AIR ANTI-HATECRIME COMMERCIALS. LOCAL PARENTS' GROUP PLANS TO BRING CONTROVERSIAL TV ADS TO PHILADELPHIA MARKET. Philadelphia, PA The local chapter of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) has begun making plans to bring controversial "Project Open Mind" TV advertisements into the Philadelphia area. The hardhitting, emotionally-compelling TV advocacy advertisements portraying the anti-gay hate speech of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Sen. Jesse Helms and images of the deadly consequences of their words, are the focus of a national education campaign on the effects of hate speech and hate crimes on lesbian and gay Americans. In Houston, Texas the local NBC affiliate refused to buy the pro-gay commercials. However, on November 6, 1995 the news department of the Houston NBC affiliate ran the story of "why not" near the top of Tuesday's 6:00 p.m. news, after publicizing it with three teasers during the day. "Why Not?" 1) Controversial; 2) may incite copycat actions - including gay bashing; 3) may give legal problems for studio; 4) they don't know if PFLAG has permission from Falwell. The Houston news spot ended with words that viewers have not heard end of the story. Called "Project Open Mind," the national education campaign is being conducted by PFLAG: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), an international organization serving more than 55,000 households, with affiliates in 380 cities and 11 other countries. Today PFLAG showed the Project Open Mind commercials at a press conference in Washington, D.C. Vivian Cooperman, president PFLAG Philadelphhia saw a sneak preview of the ads at the group's national convention last month in Indianapolis. Cooperman wants the ads to be shown in the Philadelphia Market. She says, "Our chapter has been working to keep families together since 1980. Unfortunately, in 1995 we must also work to keep our family members alive." Cooperman states that the advocacy spots are designed to "shock citizens out of silence and explain to the public the connection between the hate-speak of Pat Robertson and the hate-crimes against our children." The first ad spot, "Bashing," shows video clips of Robertson equating homosexuality with an "abomination," a "pathology," "Satanists" and even "Adolf Hitler." While he is speaking the viewer witnesses a group of skinheads beating up a young gay man. At the end of the spot, Nancy Rodriguqes of Atlanta, tells viewers, "My son Paul was brutally murdered. The FBI said it was a gay bashing." The second ad, "Innocent," shows video clips from Falwell saying that "God Hates homosexuality" and that it is a "moral perversion" along with quotes from Robertson and Helms. At the end, an announcer notes that "It is estimted that 30 percent of teenage suicide victims are gay or lesbian." In addition to the television ad campaign, Project Open Mind includes a program of local community outreach to educate the public about the harsh realities of anti-gay rhetoric and attacks. "In order to bring these advertisements into the Philadelphia Market, our local chapter will need to embark upon an unprcedentend fund raising campaign," admits Cooperman, "but I believe that most Philadelphians do embrace true family values, and that most do understand that we must love and protect *all* (underlined) of our children. I also believe that many people do understand the connection between hate-speeech and hate-crimes and that people will help us to raise the funds to air these powerful ads that show that connection. We must generate a dialogue about how we can work together to eliminate ignorance and hate based on misinformation about sexual orientation." Mitzi Henderson, President of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays spoke today at the Washington, D.C. press conference. Henderson says, "The number one family value is to love and protect your children. If our community and our society is to embrace family values, then we must love and protect all of our children. To do so, we must speak out forcefully against anti-gay bigotry wherever it occurs - and to reaffirm to gays and lesbians that they are entitled to the same respect, dignity and civil rights as all Americans." ===Margaret Andrus Heineman [maggie@critpath.org] Philadelphia Chapter Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays ===You may repost.