LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
GLAAD Lines |
News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community
New Jersey High Court: Boy Scouts Cannot Discriminate The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled August 4 that the Boy Scouts of America's ban on gay members is illegal under New Jersey's anti-discrimination law. In its unanimous decision, the court ruled that the Boy Scouts, given its broad- based membership and partnerships with public entities and public service organizations, constitutes a "place of public accommodation," and thus acted unlawfully nine years ago when it expelled James Dale, an assistant scoutmaster, after leaders found out he was gay. "The highly respected New Jersey Supreme Court handed down a win-win-win ruling: a victory for an outstanding Eagle Scout; a victory for gay youth who should be included, not excluded, from scouting; and a victory for all members of scouting, who join because they value honesty, community service, self-reliance, and respect for othersnot discrimination," said Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund Attorney Evan Wolfson, who argued the case in January. For more information, contact Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund's Communications Director Peg Byron at 212-809-8585. Religious Roundtable to Address Lesbian and Gay Spirituality Seeking to challenge the religious right's "narrow theology of exclusion," the National Religious Leadership Roundtable will convene August 23-24 in Colorado Springs. Co-sponsored by Equal Partners in Faith and the Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), the semi-annual Roundtable gathers a national network of leaders of faith, spiritual and religious organizations who affirm gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. A free public forum, "Spirituality and Sexuality: In the Image of God," will be held in conjunction with the event. "We are coming to the religious right's front porch in Colorado Springs to tell the world that they do not speak for all people of faith," said Laura Montgomery-Rutt, national organizer for Equal Partners in Faith. "Across the country, millions of spiritual Americans now embrace the simple truth that their faith does not conflict with support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people." For more information, contact Rev. Steven Baines at Equal Partners in Faith, 202-296-4672, and NGLTF Communications Director David Eliot at 202-332-6483, ext. 3303. The Education of Dr. Laura GLAAD has begun a campaign to educate popular radio talk-show host, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, on the impact of her increasingly anti-gay rhetoric (see page 5). In recent weeks, Schlessinger has escalated her attacks on lesbians and gay men and their families, while assailing the American Psychological Association for its 1972 removal of homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. In response, GLAAD has encouraged members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to write Schlessinger, telling her, without rancor, how her words harm individuals and families. On her radio program Friday, Schlessinger responded, attacking GLAAD as having "misrepresented" her and characterizing the letter-writing campaign as part of a "three-point plot" to "deal" with her. "Changing hearts and minds is fundamental to GLAAD's mission," said GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry, who met with Schlessinger twice (most recently in March) to discuss her position related to lesbians and gay men. "Our meeting exposed how deep runs the schism of our ideologies. Through this campaign, we want Dr. Schlessinger to realize that her words and her rhetoric hurt real people." For more information, contact GLAAD Communications Director Stephen Spurgeon at 323-658-6775, or via e-mail at spurgeon@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. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 9, No. 11, Aug. 13, 1999 |