May, 1990

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE Page 5

HRCF drops Western Union after S.F. rights law challenge

by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.

Officials of the Human Rights Campaign Fund have announced that they are canceling $350,000 worth of electronic mail business with Western Union Corporation in response to the company's decision to challenge the legality of San Francisco's gay rights ordinance.

HRCF, a national gay rights lobbying group based in Washington, D.C., said it decided to discontinue using Western Union to deliver thousands of constituent messages to members of Congress after the company asked a San Francisco judge to throw out that city's gay rights ordinance.

The request was made as part Western Union's defense against a penuing anti-discrimination suit. The suit was filed last year by Armand Ertag, a former Western Union salesman who charged that his supervisor subjected him to harassment and intimidation because of his sexual orientation. Attorneys representing Western Union decided to respond to the suit by challenging the validity of the city gay rights ordinance rather than challenging Ertag's claim discrimination.

Gays and

lesbians working in mainstream press surveyed

Washington A study conducted by the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) finds that mainstream newspapers are largely hospitable to gay and lesbian journalists, although there is an undercurrent of bias in the newsroom. The gay and lesbian journalists, responding to the first survey of its kind, give their newspapers low marks for their coverage of gay issues and concerns.

The study was conducted by ASNE's Human Resources Committee and released in April at the opening of the society's 67th convention. The findings are based on a survey conducted over the past year with gay men and lesbians who work in the newsrooms of daily newspapers, plus interviews of the jour nalists and of newspaper editors.

A total of 205 persons responded to the survey.

The 85-page ASNE report offers these major findings:

On coverage of gay issues and concerns, respondents overwhelmingly give their newspapers a grade of mediocre.

A communication gap may exist between newspaper editors and their openly gay staff members.

Although 59 percent of the sample say they are "out," the issue of coming out remains a difficult one, complicated by perceptions of indifference or even career risks by many gay and lesbian journalists.

• Respondents say most of their gay and lesbian colleagues are closeted, contributing to a conclusion that despite the survey, many such journalists remain to be heard from.

• Respondents show a surprising ignorance of official workplace policies that have potentially serious consequences for them.

During the past 12 months those involved in preparing the ASNE report conducted interviews with hundreds of gay and lesbian journalists. A five-page questionnaire was completed by more than 200 journalists. In addition, a number of newspaper editors were interviewed about gay issues in the newsroom, and several individual newspapers are profiled in the report.

The survey respondents indicate that their newsroom colleagues frequently make derogatory comments about gays and lesbians. "Overall, the comments by respondents create a portrait of many gay and lesbian journalists living with

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ira Brown ruled on April 4 that San Francisco's gay rights ordinance was valid under California's state constitution and that Western Union must now respond to the merits of the discrimination suit itself. Western Union attorneys had argued that under legal precedent in California, a municipality cannot enact an employment-related anti-discrimination ordinance that is broader than state law.

Western Union has said that it doesn't plan to appeal Brown's ruling.

Warren Bechtel, a press spokesman for Western Union, said the company doesn't discriminate against gays and is not attempting to attack gay rights. "We have an individual case based on a law which we feel in invalid," said Bechtel. "When you are sued, you defend yourself in the most expeditious way you can."

Bechtel said that if Western Union lost its attempt to invalidate the gay rights ordinance, it would challenge the suit on the merits of the case raised by the former employee.

Gregory King, HRCF's press spokesman, said HRCF plans to retain another telecommunications firm to deliver its

constituent messages to Congress. The MCI Corporation and the Telepost Corporation, among others, will be considered as replacements for Western Union, said King.

"Lesbian and gay Americans do not intend to spend their money with an organization that is fighting to deny our rights to live free from discrimination," said Tim McFeeley, HRCF's executive director. "What Western Union is doing presents a greater threat to the rights of lesbian and gay Americans than any other corporate action in recent memory."

In a press release, HRCF said it spent more than $80,000 on Western Union electronic messages for its national "Speak Out" campaign in 1989. The group says it had planned to spend more than $400,000 this year.

The "Speak Out" campaign involves recruiting gays and their supporters to pay HRCF $8.85 for a minimum of three electronic messages, to be sent to their senators or representatives on a gay rights or AIDS-related matter. those participating in the program give HRCF the authority to send the messages in their names at a time when HRCF deems necessary to influence key members of

Your Personal Space

by Antone Feo, Ph.D. Grieving

Grieving is a normal process which is oftentimes difficult. This necessary part of life is a way of saying goodbye to someone or something which has died has left us. Without this final goodbye it is difficult to let go of the person or thing which is gone. As can be expected, one cannot say hello to new experiences if one has not said goodbye first.

Most individuals recognize the importance of their mourning process. They typically mourn the loss of a mother, father, family member or significant other. Grieving occurs when a friend moves to another city or when a friend dies. In like, it is important to mourn the death of a pet, a change of job or a move from one house or apartment to another. During these times you may not recognize this as mourning, but feel "out of sorts" or "under the weather."

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross is a leading pioneer in the understanding of the grief process. Through her work with the terminally ill, she gained insight into stress and tension which the dying individual and survivor experience.

Kubler-Ross formalized the grieving process into five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

and tolerating a not-so-subtle

Denial: Initially when you are told that a good friend has died, you attempt to deny the reality of the situation. You do not want to hear the words. You may respond to the news by saying: “Oh, no, it can't be. We're going to have dinner tomorrow night. There must be some mistake. He just can't be dead."

Many times people will continue to use their denial until they actually see the death notice in the paper. Others do not accept the situation until they view the casket.

Anger: When the denial is broken through the survivor typically feels alone, sad, empty, stunned, and confused. Once these feelings pass, anger becomes the primary focus.

If something we prize is taken away from us or lost, we typically feel angry. You most likely would feel angry if your mate tells you that she does not love you any longer and wishes out of the relationship. Initially you do not believe her, but then you become angry. The anger exists because you are being abandoned and rejected.

When angry, you may say or do things which you would not normally say or do. You may want to vent your anger by striking out. You may want the person who you perceive as hurting you to hurt as much as you are hurting. At this stage it is advisable to be angry but not aggressive.

Bargaining: The purpose of this act is

Congress. HRCF prepares the text of the messages.

Last year, McFeeley said, Western Union charged HRCF $1.20 per message, on a bulk rate basis. HRCF, which charges participants $2.95 per message, uses the balance its collects to cover administrative costs.

At the rate of $1.20 per message, HRCF's plan to spend $350,000 for the Western Union messages indicates the group plans to send over 290,000 messages to members of Congress this yeara dramatic increase over the 66,000 messages the group says it delivered to Congress last year.

"We're not guaranteeing we would have sent out all 290,000 plus messages," said HRCF's King. "But we were striving for that amount, and possibly more." King said Steve Endean, director of the "Speak Out" program, indicated HRCF has the potential to spend as much as $2 million on electronic messages in two years.

Western Union spokesman Bechtel said the company's revenue totaled $600 million last year. ▼

Reprinted with permission from the Washington Blade, Washington, D.C.

to postpone or ward off the upcoming death or loss. It is common to become childlike, asking an adult for a favor. Typically, a secret bargain is made with God or a higher power. The bargaining prayer may be similar to: "Oh, God please help me feel better. If you do, I'll start going to church again. I'll even put money into the collection plate. Just don't let me be sick. I will change may ways and be a good person."

Depression: Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and powerlessness exist. The body and mind slow down so that it can begin healing itself. This is the time to come to terms with the loss, reflect on the lost relationship, and atone for any transgressions.

Acceptance: During this stage the survivor begins to accept the loss. The depression begins to lift and there is more energy to become involved in other matters. People and things take on a new interest. You may wish to contact old friends and go to once familiar places. This is a time to begin life anew. While it may be painful to go forward, it is more painful to live life in the past.

If you are in the process of grieving for the loss of a significant other or the loss of your good health, you may wish to read one of the Kubler-Ross books. She presents her findings in understandable vignettes. You may wish to talk about your feelings with other survivors or your family.▼

homophobia," the report states. On the O.H.I.O. hires volunteer

other hand, the survey respondents express a great deal of satisfaction regarding their work as journalists and optimism about their careers.

When asked whether they think their newspaper devotes enough space to gay issues and concerns, an overwhelming 83 percent answer "no." Respondents to the survey feel best about their papers' coverage of AIDS, and worst about coverage of gay and lesbian lifestyles and politics.

"Gay and lesbian" is the term of preference among these journalists, rather than "homosexual."

The ASNE report is entitled "Alternatives: Gays and Lesbians in the Newsroom." Copies are available at $3.95 each from the society's headquarters, P.O. Box 17004, Washington, DC 20041. Payment should be made in advance to ASNE Foundation. Shipping and handling are included.

coordinator

A graduating senior at Oberlin College has been named the volunteer coordinator for the Ohio Human Interest

Organization, a Lorain County lesbian and gay organization. The board of directors of the organization voted to give the ten-hour-a-week position to Maureen McCarthy, an Oberlin College senior with a dual major in psychology and women's studies.

McCarthy has been involved with many college groups, including the AIDS Education Planning Center, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP Oberlin College), and new student orientation. She also has loaned her volunteer services to many agencies in Lorain County, including the hospice unit at St. Joseph Hospital, the Lorain

County Animal Protective League and the Genesis Battered Women's Shelter.

McCarthy, who is a native of New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where she was instrumental in organizing the computerization of the Clarion County United Way campaign, plans to make Lorain County her home. Her position is funded by a one-year, $7000 grant from the Western Reserve AIDS Foundation.

The Ohio Human Interest Organiza tion was organized in 1985 to provide basic human services to the gay and lesbian population of Lorain County. In recent years an emphasis has been placed on AIDS education and direct services to people affected by the HIV epidemic without respect to their sexual orientation.▼