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vention of naval aviators and says that top Navy
admirals have “tacitly approved” of such activity
for years. The alleged misconduct occurred at a
convention of Navy and Marine Corps aviators in
Las Vegas. More than half the women involved
were naval officers. Navy officials said no disci
plinary action is contemplated, but said policy
changes would be enacted to prevent such con
duct in the future.
▼ ▼ ▼
In June, the National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force will launch its sixth annual National Lobby
Days for lesbian and gay civil rights. Held during
the entire month, National Lobby Days are de
signed to encourage, empower, and coordinate a
grassroots lobbying front aimed at the U.S. Con
gress. Activists and organizations lobby their
federal legislators by hosting letter-writing par
ties and arranging district-based office visits with
members of Congress. For a copy of The Lobby
Days Report, or for more information about Na
tional Lobby Days, call Peri Jude Radecic at 1-
202-322-6483.
▼ ▼ ▼
Hundreds of gay and lesbian activists and their
supporters will be on hand next month for a gala
reception honoring leaders in the struggle to over
turn the m ilitary’s ban on gay and lesbian
servicemembers. Members of Congress as well
as gay and lesbian veterans will be honored at the
June 24 even sponsored by the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute. The recep
tion, titled “Honoring Our Allies, Forging Our
Future,” will honor Rep. John Conyers (D-MI),
chairman of the Government Operations Com
mittee who requested a study by the Government
Accounting Office into the cost of discharging
gay and lesbian servicemembers; Rep. Barbara
Boxer (D-CA), who introduced H.R.271, which
directs the president to rescind the military’s ban
on gay servicemembers; and members of Gay,
Lesbian and Bisexual Veterans of America
(GLBVA), an organization which has taken the
helm of the battle to secure civil rights for gay
servicemembers and veterans. Special guests at
the reception include Rep. Gerry Studds (D-M A),
Joe Steffan, who was dismissed from the Naval
Academy because he is gay, and Sgt. Miriam
Ben-Shalom, chairperson of GLBVA.
▼ ▼ ▼
In a groundbreaking public service announce
ment currently being aired on television stations
across the country, members of Parents and Friends
of Lesbians and Gays proclaim their love for all
their fam ily m em bers, according to Tom
Sauerman. Starring 45 PFLAG family members
of all races and ages, the 30-second spot evokes
the image of a giant photo of a warm and diverse
“ family," with voice-overs of parents recalling
the experience of coming to terms with having a
lesbian, gay, or bisexual family member. It in
vites viewers to call a computerized voice-mail
system (1-800-4-FAMILY) to obtain the num
bers o f local P-FLAG helplines in over 270 com
munities. The helpline messages are taped in both
English and Spanish.
▼ ▼ ▼
Working in coalition with ethnic, religious
and civil rights groups, the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) is pressuring the
U.S. Government to respond more inclusively
and aggressively to anti-gay and -lesbian hate
crimes. A coalition of national organizations,
including NGLTF, testified before the House
Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights
for fuller implementation of the federal Hate
Crimes Statistics Act by the Department of
Justice’s Community Relations Service (CRS).
The CRS has dragged its feet and at times refused
to include anti-gay and religious-motivated inci
dents in its educational materials and programs-
sparking a year-long battle between NGLTF and
CRS to get gays included in the agency’s “man
date.”
▼ ▼ ▼
The Justice Department has conceded that it
has yet to begin a vigorous study of 15,000 police
brutality complaints nearly 14 months after the
beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King
prompted the agency to promise a review. The
complaints covered alleged misconduct by offic
ers in 4,000 of the nation’s 16,000 police depart
ments.
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▼ ▼ ▼
Staff members of the National Gay and Les
bian Task Force met with the new acting chair of
the National Endowment for the Arts in a meeting
that was both cordial and challenging. Acting
chair Anne-lmelda Radice stated solidly that she
is “not homophobic,” but reaffirmed that she will
not fund sexually-explicit art.
▼ ▼ ▼
Artifacts relating to the Nazis’ persecution of
lesbians and gays are being sought for display in
the Holocaust Memorial Museum, which is now
under construction in Washington, D.C. Museum
officials said that so far very few items relating to
homosexual persecution at the hands of the Nazis
have been collected. More information can be
obtained by calling the museum at 1-202-653-
9878.
W ASHINGTON
The Pride Foundation, dedicated to strength
ening the gay and lesbian community through
fundraising and grant awards, is now located at
2820 East Madison St., Seattle, WA 98112-4841.
The telephone number is 1-206-323-3318. The
Pride Foundation has made grants to over 80
organizations since it was founded in 1985. In
1991 it granted over $55,000.
Compiled by Matt Bailey, Ariel
Waterwoman and Rex Wockner
’
there's a lot we can do."
...
' i
Get T r e a t me n t . Be here lor the cure.