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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE
National Notes
October, 1991
GLAAD criticizes "prophylactic prejudice"
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/New York (GLAAD/NY) has launched a Trojan War with a contemporary twist.
Carter-Wallace, Inc., maker of Trojan condoms, has said the best-selling brand will only advertise in "mainstream" men's publications which excludes national gay magazines such as The Advocate and Genre
-0
even though studies show gay men are more likely to buy condoms than their straight counterparts. The New York chapter of GLAAD is calling this "prophylactic prejudice".
The policy became apparent last summer when New York Newsday (June 17) and the Wall Street Journal (July 18) reported Trojan's avoidance of gay publications. Both papers ran stories on the deep-rooted reluctance of some big-name marketers toward advertising to the gay community, and both named Carter-Wallace as among the naysayers.
"Condom makers represent the most startling example of advertisers taking gay dollars while slamming the door on gay publications," said GLAAD spokesperson Stephen Miller.
GLAAD is organizing a grass roots campaign aimed at Carter-Wallace, telling the firm to begin supporting the publications that represent a huge proportion of its market. It is asking that protest letters be sent to Henry Hoyt, Jr., Chairman and CEO, CarterWallace, Inc., 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10105.
GLAAD also is raising the issue of the exclusive use of heterosexual images in condom ads and on product boxes. "It's insulting to target gay men solely with images of
straight couples placed in straight magazines," Miller said.
Human rights campaign fund seeks interns
The Human Rights Campaign Fund is looking for winter interns for its office in Washington, D.C. Interns work in all program areas of the organization, including the Constituents, Legislative, and Political Departments.
"This is a great opportunity for someone interested in lesbian and gay issues, or in just learning how the government and politics work," said Anne Theisen, who coordinates the intern program. "Interns have an opportunity to make a contribution to the lesbian and gay movement as they work on issues in Congress."
Interns must work at least twenty hours per week for three months. Each is under the direction of a staff member. The Campaign Fund provides a reimbursement to help cover living expenses during the internship.
People who have questions or who are interested in applying for internships should contact Ms. Theisen at 202-628-4160 or at the Human Rights Campaign Fund, 1012 14th Street, N.W., Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005.
The application deadline for winter internships is November 1, 1991. Final decisions and offers will be made by the Campaign Fund mid to late November. Applications will also be accepted from intern candidates who are interested in spring and summer positions.
LEAGUE AMERICA Inaugurates National Movement
Los Angeles Following a year of organization, LEAGUE AMERICA (Lesbians and
Gays United for Equality) inaugurated its national union of lesbians and gays at events marking Gay Pride and Independence Day. Founded July 4, 1990, as a national movement dedicated to achieving minority status for lesbians and gays, LEAGUE AMERICA has since organized into a social and political front to promote civil rights and individual self-esteem.
In its statement of purpose, the movement acknowledges: "Current law and custom refuse to recognize gays and lesbians as equal participants in American society, endowed with the same rights and liberties of all Americans. Believing democracy's promise of individual freedom and social equality, and working to gain full recognition for gays and lesbians, LEAGUE AMERICA answers America's need to hear all its voices."
Chapters of LEAGUE AMERICA are comunity based, and each local chapter creates its own agenda.
restaurant chain.
Earlier this year, the company instituted a policy whereby employees "whose sexual preferences fail to demonstrate normal heterosexual values" would be fired.
At least 12 employees have been terminated, and gay men and lesbians applying for jobs have been denied employment.
At a morning rally in Nashville, representatives of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and other groups condemned the policy and called for its rescission.
Cheryl Summerville, a former Cracker Barrel employee fired because she is a lesbian, told how the policy mobilized her to take action.
Following the rally, protesters moved in a car caravan to a Cracker Barrel restaurant outside Nashville in Lebanon, Tenn., site of the company's corporate headquarters. Activists occupied 97 percent of the tables at the restaurant, ordered the minimum cup of coffee or soda and stayed for three hours. Prime Sunday brunch business was effectively halted by the sit-in.
Individuals or groups interested in creating LEAGUE AMERICA chapters should write to: LEAGUE AMERICA, 9000 Sunset Blvd., Suite 700, West Hollywood, CA 90069. Include the names of your organizing Gay Republican Group Held Convention committee members.
South Rises Against Cracker Barrel
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Washington, D.C. Lesbian and gay activists and supporters from around the South descended on Tennessee for a rally and restaurant sit-in to protest the Cracker Barrel Co.'s anti-gay employment policy.
About 150 activists from Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Missouri, the District of Columbia, and other areas gathered August 11th in Nashville, Tenn., for a regional protest against the Cracker Barrel
CHICAGO--The National Federation of Log Cabin Clubs (NFLCC) held its 1991 national convention in August in Chicago. The NFLCC is the umbrella organization for gay Republican groups nationwide. Eighteen member groups were represented by more than 38 delegates.
"This Federation exists because you can't get anything done in this country without both parties," said Rich Tafel, NFLCC President. "Two parties rule this country and there is no escaping that fact. We have to work with them both."
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