i
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novemher 3, 2000 ■ J w t K , 1 \ g
OL chief donates $8 million to
church that funds ex-gay min­
istry," read the headline for an
Oct. 18 story by the online serv-
. ice Gay.com.
Within days, TheAdvocate.com, the Hu­
man Rights Campaign, columnist Michelangelo
Signorile and other were piling on. The one
thing none of these players disclosed was their
own vested interests in stoking the controversy.
The thread of this story began with an Oct. 18
article in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sun-Sendne! an­
nouncing a gift of $8.35 million from Jean Case,
wife of America Online chairman Steve Case, to
Westminster Academy. She graduated from the
private high school in 1978. The bulk of the
money was earmarked to build a new high school
campus, the remainder to fund a scholarship pro­
gram.
The abbreviated Gay.com article emphasized
that Westminster was founded by the Rev. D.
James Kennedy and is affiliated with his Coral
Ridge Presbyterian Church. He is a leading anti­
gay television preacher whose matrix of organi­
zations supports “ex-gay” ministries and the con­
troversial but ineffective “Truth in Love” adver­
tising campaign claiming that gays can change
their sexual orientation through Jesus. The arti­
cle insinuated that some of the money would be
used to promote these activities.
The next day, H RC send a letter to A O L
asking them to reconsider the donation. “We
find it unfathomable how your family could
reward a school inexorably linked to teachings
that say gay and lesbian Americans are not wor­
thy of dignity, respect and full citizenship,” exec­
utive director Elizabeth Birch wrote.
Later that afternoon, Jean Case responded
with a statement saying the gift was “specifically
in his body,” M accubbin said of Steve Case.
T h eir extensive series o f contacts dates back
to the late 1980s.
Maccubbin said whenever the gay communi­
America Online chairman donates millions to anti-gay organizations
ty was upset with AOL, he would drive out and
have lunch with Case. “Steves reaction was
by Bob Roehr
always, ‘Tell me about it.’ ...H is
directed to benefit ch il­
response generally was, ‘You know, that
dren,” a cause the couple
makes sense.’ And within a week or
regularly support. Steve
two, it was changed.”
Case earlier had given $10
An online industry analyst, who
million to the private high
wished to remain anonymous, said
school he attended while
Gay.com really has a financial incentive
growing up in Hawaii.
to trash AOL. The site is struggling to
“The gift was not given
attract users to reach a critical mass and
lure advertisers. Controversy alone will
to benefit Coral Ridge Pres­
byterian Church or its pro­
help generate that traffic, which further
would grow if some of AOL’s gay and
grams,” Jean Case insisted.
“In no way was it intended
lesbian subscribers became disenchant­
to send a message of intoler­
ed and left the service.
ance. Steve and I strongly
In addition, the collapse of dot.com
oppose discrimination in
initial public offerings on Wall Street
any form.”
has closed that method of financing the
red ink that most online operations con­
But H RC would have
none o f it. Spokesman
tinue to hemorrhage. The Darwinian
Wayne Besen said, “It is
struggle to survive is becoming more
not a gift toward education
intense.
but one toward indoctrina­
H RC surely believes its criticism of
tion.” He said the Cases
Case.
But it also launched its own
Steve and Jean Case say they strongly oppose discrimination in any form
were “funding an assembly
“H RC FamilyNet” earlier last month.
line o f bigots.”
also was midwife to the huge gay and lesbian
A boycott of A O L might help drive more Web
surfers to its new site.
Signorile chimed in with his Gay.com col­
community on AO L.
umn O ct. 23. He lambasted the Cases for dona­
Maccubbin called the Cases’ donation “a
Plus, both Gay.com and PlanetOut are cor­
tions their foundation made to a fundamental­
damned foolish move to make, because it sends
porate sponsors of HRC. Could the political
ist church in McLean, Va., and all but threat­
a very inaccurate message. There is no way to
group be trying to line its own coffers by guilting
ened a boycott.
interpret it as other than something that is
AOL into joining that list?
harmful to the gay and lesbian community. It
“D eacon” Maccubbin is founder and co ­
tarnishes their good name.”
owner o f Lambda Rising, what many consid­
B ob R oehr is a free'lance reporter based in
er the premier gay bookstore in the world. He
But “I never detected a homophobic bone
Washington, D .C .
W eb of C ontroversy
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OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR
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are due by 1:00 PM., PST, November 13th , 2000. For other information
about this Request contact Diane Betcher at 503-823-4567
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