At its meeting on July 23, 1996, GLAA voted to sign on to the "Call to
Conscience" ad described below, and to contribute $50 toward the cost
of the ad. GLAA President Rick Rosendall is listed in the ad (shown after
the press release below) with his organizational affiliation. We thank
activists Mickey Wheatley, Joel Lawson, and Martin Childers for leading
this timely effort.
MEDIA RELEASE - For Immediate Release - July 25, 1996
For more information contact: Mickey Wheatley, Joel Lawson or Martin
Childers at 301-921-6933
GAY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TARGET OF AD BY GAY LEADERS
"End Your Silence" Activists Exhort Leaders
Washington, D.C. -- National and Washington, D.C. gay and lesbian
rights activists are calling on closeted Members of Congress to come out
as that institution debates the anti-gay "Defense of Marriage Act," or
DOMA.
In a full-page ad in Friday's edition (7/26/96) of The Washington
Blade, a gay newspaper, the activists are calling on closeted gays and
lesbians in Congress to "end your silence and defend your community in
this time of unprecedented hostility."
DOMA, passed by the House last week and expected to pass the Senate as
early as this week, proactively denies same-sex couples the basic
rights currently provided as privileges to heterosexual couples who
choose to marry.
"This is apartheid legislation," said Joel Lawson, a Washington, D.C.
activist who helped organize the ad effort. "DOMA codifies
discrimination. It is `special rights' for heterosexuals, and every
Member of Congress has an obligation to oppose it, especially gay or
lesbian members. We can no longer afford their silence."
"Gay and Lesbian Members of the House still have the opportunity to
come out and shatter the myths that gave birth to DOMA," said Lawson.
"Gay and lesbian Members of the Senate must speak out as that body
prepares to vote on this anti-gay legislation."
Mickey Wheatley, a civil rights attorney and gay activist, added,
"Lesbian and gay members of Congress have a special and historical
responsibility to speak out from their own life stories against the
outrageous attacks on gay and lesbian people that the DOMA legislation
and congressional debate represent."
"The silence of the members of the Congressional Closet has been
deafening," said Martin Childers, another Washington, D.C. activist.
"They must come out. They must speak out. Our freedom and their
integrity are at stake."
#####
Note: Text of the ad follows.
A CALL TO CONSCIENCE...
to all Closeted Gay and Lesbian Members of Congress
We call upon you to end your silence and defend your community in this time
of unprecedented hostility.
Gay and lesbian members of the House of Representatives who voted for the
anti-gay "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA): atone for your vote against your
community. Stand forward, apologize for supporting the DOMA, and shatter
the myths that afforded its passage.
Gay and lesbian members of the Senate: speak out before your chamber votes
on the DOMA. Tell our stories, your stories, to America from the highest
point of debate in the nation -- the floor of the United States Senate.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Americans can no longer afford your
silence. Create a moment in history. Speak for us. Protect us. Together,
we can render powerless the anti-gay slurs that now pass for legitimate
political discourse. Take this step, and the community will work with you
to defeat ignorance and bigotry.
Come out. Speak out. Our freedom and your integrity are at stake.
Vic Basile, Basile Ryan, Inc., Washington, D.C.
Roberta Bennett, Los Angeles, CA
Barrett Brick, former Executive Director, World Congress of Gay and Lesbian Jewish Organizations, Washington D.C.
Martin Childers, Activist, Washington D.C.
Jeff Coudriet, President, Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, Washington D.C.
Mindy A. Daniels, Executive Director, National Lesbian Political Action Committee
Bill Dobbs, Activist, New York, NY
John Duran, Civil Rights Attorney, Los Angeles, CA
Jeffrey S. Hops, National Gay and Lesbian Community Center Project
Lorri Jean, Executive Director, Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center
Joel Lawson, Washington D.C.
Supervisor Susan Leal, San Francisco
Brad Lewis, Chair, D.C. Coalition of Black Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals
Keith Meinhold, USN (Ret.)
Assemblywoman Carole Migden, CA
David Mixner, Los Angeles, CA
Ann Northrop, New York, NY
Jean O'Leary, Member, Executive Committee, DNC
Torie Osborn, former Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Washington D.C.
Stuart Perkins, Washington D.C.
Michael Petrelis, Activist, San Francisco, CA
Cathy Renna, Co-Chair, GLAAD National Capital Area
Rick Rosendall, President, Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC
Gabriel Rotello, New York, NY
Abby Rubenfield, Nashville, TN
Michelangelo Signorile, New York, NY
William Waybourn, Managing Director, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
Mickey Wheatley, Civil Rights Attorney, Washington D.C.
Dan Willson, Washington D.C.
_____________________
Page not found – GLAA
Nothing Found
Sorry, the page you tried to access does not exist or has changed address
