LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
GLAADlines: News and breaking stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community |
FRENCH TENNIS STAR COMES OUT
Rising tennis star Amelie Mauresmo came out in Melbourne, Australia following a strong showing in her first Grand Slam final, where she ultimately lost to Martina Hingis.19-year-old Mauresmo was a surprise unseeded finalist at the Australian Open. Hingis, in a subsequent interview with German reporters, said of Mauresmos coming out: "Shes here with her girlfriend. Shes half a man," drawing criticism from Mauresmo, her coach Christophe Fournerie, and her partner, Sylvie Bourdon. Lindsay Davenport, the top-seeded player whom Mauresmo had beaten in the Australian Open, made a comment which at first drew some controversy, according to The New York Times, noting that "a couple of times, [she] thought [she] was playing a guy" and referring to Mauresmos broad shoulders and powerful build, but Davenport never mentioned any connection to Mauresmos sexual orientation, and cleared up the statement promptly with Mauresmo, according to The New York Times. Pam Shriver, former president of the Womens Tennis Association, told the Times that "This will be a good test. If the commercial world embraces her, then its a different era," referring to comparisons made between Mauresmo and openly lesbian tennis great Martina Navratilova, whose sponsorship and endorsement contracts were not considered commensurate with her athletic status subsequent to her public coming out. For more information, contact Liz Tracey (GLAAD) at 212-807-1700 x18 or by e-mail at tracey@glaad.org. NOTRE DAME HUNGER STRIKE BY LGBT STUDENTS Over 100 students began a hunger strike at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana February 3, as part of a week-long series of activities supporting the inclusion of sexual orientation as a protected category in the schools non-discrimination policies. As of this writing, OUTReachND, the student-run lesbian and gay organization on campus, is not allowed to meet on campus, post advertisements on campus or buy space in the school newspaper, the Observer. GALA-ND/SMC, the lesbian and gay alumni organization, is also prohibited from buying space in the Observer. Notre Dame has an official policy of inclusion for gay and lesbian students, however, Phil Donahue, former talk show host, commented at a rally in November "What sort of inclusion is it if they say that if you are gay you are a member of the Notre Dame family, but they wont even give you a room to meet in." Donahue will be hosting an on-campus Speak Out as part of the week-long series of actions. For more information, contact Aaron Kreider (Media Coordinator, Progressive Student Alliance of the University of Notre Dame) at 219-634-4346, or via e-mail at aaron.kreider.1@nd.edu. WEST HOLLYWOOD CONDEMNS DR. LAURA The West Hollywood City Council recently voted to condemn remarks made by radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger in a December 8 broadcast of her top-rated advice call-in show, which is syndicated nationally. Schlessinger has often made observations regarding lesbian and gay issues, which have drawn protest from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Among the remarks condemned were: "hear it one more time, perfectly clear; if youre gay or lesbian, its a biological error that inhibits you from relating normally to the opposite sexits a biological error." Councilmember Jeffrey Prang, co-author of the City Council resolution, stated, "Gays and lesbians are not second class citizens who are biological errors and must not be spoken about in an inaccurate and hateful manner. Dr. Laura needs to take responsibility for her words and apologize to her listeners." For more information about the West Hollywood resolution, contact Howard Jacobs at (323) 848-6460. For information about Dr. Laura Schlessinger and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, contact Jennifer Einhorn (GLAAD Communications Director) at 212-807-1700 or via e-mail at einhorn@glaad.org. TRIANGLE FOUNDATION STUDY ON ENTRAPMENT On Wednesday, February 3, the Triangle Foundation released its report on entrapment of gay men at Michigan rest stops. The report details incidents of civil rights violations, illegal entrapment, and systematic targeting of gay men for harassment, intimidation and arrest. According to the report, " Bag A Fag: Police Misconduct, Entrapment and Crimes Against Gay Men in Michigan", `Bag a fag is a code name used by some of the police agencies referred to in the report to describe their "gay" decoy operations. Jeffrey Montgomery, executive director of the Triangle Foundation, commented, "(This report) should encourage activists and reformers to closely examine police abuse and help identify anti-gay motivation in the choices and decisions made by cops." For more information on the report, contact Sean Kosofsky (Triangle Foundation) at 212-537-3323. GLAAD is the nations 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. 1, February 5, 1999 |