Tampa Bay Coalition
Newsletter February
2002
Hello My Friends
Hope all is well with you and yours. It's been awhile
since our last newsletter, this should catch you up with
"What's Up" with TBC and GLBT Organizations that TBC
is a Proud Members/Supporters of. Included in
this Newsletter are TBC Website Updates, Info and
excerpts from Action Alerts/Press
Releases. Should
you have any difficulty with hyperlinks, at bottom of
newsletter is an index of hyperlinks URLs.
Tampa Bay Coalition's Website Tracking Report has
shown visitors from countries around the world now accounts for
about forty percent of the hits to our Website
Directory. And fifty percent of hits to TBC Eye on GLBT
News and 9/11 Tribute to Our Brothers, Sisters & Friends Lost. This is
exciting news for us since we
went online two years ago as Stop Dr Laura Tampa Bay
Coalition. Once the Dr? Laura's TV program was officially cancelled, thus,
she was successfully stopped. Due to the tireless and dedicated efforts by all
of
you. I sent out a message thanking you and
about disbanding our website. However, your messages of
support and for continuing on to other issues of importance to GLBT's and Our Community. Convinced me
we had much more we could accomplish and to continue on as
Tampa Bay Coalition Against Hate and
Violence. Well, here we are today with a website that
is visited by people worldwide and this exceeded all
expectations I ever had. My deepest appreciation and
gratitude goes out to each of you. Your support and
continued dedication on behalf of making a positive
difference in the lives of so many others, always make
me so proud to be apart of your great efforts. TBC has
come a long way and it's all because of you, Thanks.
TBC will remain dedicated to offer the latest GLBT's
Local, National and International News & Headlines.
And to keep you informed of issues of importance to GLBT's
and what we all can do to achieve Equality in
GLBT Rights, Protections, Benefits and in Compensation as
all others enjoy by law.
Website Sections Updated, Added and or
Re-Designed;
TBC's Comprehensive Coverage of a few Top News
Events:
*Michael Kantaras Vs
Linda Kantaras Florida Transsexual
Custody Case: Benchmark case on Transsexual Rights. The hearing is
over, awaiting for the Judge to render his decision. Articles, Video Clips
and Photos.
*Diane Whipple Dog Mauling Death, Dog's Owners
on Trial. Trial continues. A major victory for lesbian and gay
couples when the state legislature passed a law allowing partners to sue for
wrongful death.
*Brutally Beaten Gay Teen, To Sue Brothers and
Their Parents. Police refuse to charge the four youths, that
Kyle Schlock, 17, alleges brutally beat
and left him for dead facedown and unconscious on a roadside.
*Key Endorsement For Gay
Adoption: The Academy Of Pediatrics
Says Gay Couples Can Raise Kids Well.
Opponents Lambaste
Gay Unions As Being Anti-American ~ Start
Campaign Asking Parents Tell
Doctors To Oppose 'Normaphobia'.
Check out TBC's Queer TV Special
Report;
"It's Queer TV,
Real Queer World, Queer Road Rules, Queer Survivors & Big Brothers,
It's About Time!!!"
Gay & Lesbian Cast Members of USA & UK TV shows
such as Real World (1992~2002), Road Rules, Survivors and Big Brother.
NEW~
don't have one, we have plenty to select from and would be
happy to make one for you.
Up coming GLBT Issues to Watch and TBC Will Be
Following:
The Federal Marriage Amendment;
This was proposed in Washington, D.C., on July 12,
by a coalition of religious and family policy experts. It has not
made the news of late, but, we should keep an eye on
this. TBC has posted background info on this.
*Online petitions opposing this amendment you can
sign.
*Block the Federal Marriage Amendment
Petition
Employment Non-Discrimination Act;
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. has announced the Senate
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing on the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).
Date: February 27, 2002
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Place: Dirksen Senate Office
Building
Much more to come on this, Get
ready for the Religious Right to flood the powers that be with their two cents opposing ENDA. We must be prepared to respond in
kind. This is an extremely important, if not the most,
piece of legislation that must not be allowed to fail
passage. TBC has complied information on ENDA and
will post it in the next few days. TBC will keep
following-up and continue posting updated
information in our Cyber
Activist Alert Section of TBC Eye on GLBT News
Section. Contact TBC should you have questions
or wish to see what you can do to help.
Action Alerts & Press Releases TBC Member
and Supporter Organizations:
GLBT Rights
Tampa Bay Coalition has supported the boycott of
ExxonMobil and contacting the powers that be to voice
support of reinstating sexual orientation to company
non-discrimination employee polices. TBC's website
has had a Boycott ExxonMobil Section for the past year or so.
Interest seemed to wane and not much was
heard on this issue. Recently TBC received an Action Alert
from The Coalition to Promote Equality at ExxonMobil and
Equality Project's Nondiscrimination Proposal at
ExxonMobil. We are please to share
this message in the hope you will wish to
participate and support their efforts.
Coalition to Promote Equality at ExxonMobil and
Equality Project's Nondiscrimination Proposal at ExxonMobil
Coalition Members are actively working to
convince the powers that be at ExxonMobil to add the words "sexual orientation"
to its formal, written nondiscrimination policies. A shareholder resolution to
do this has appeared on ExxonMobil's ballot for the past three years. It has
been defeated, mostly due to the strong resistance by top ExxonMobil officials. Prior to the merger of Exxon and Mobil,
Mobil did include sexual orientation in its non-discrimination policy. However, immediately after the merger
sexual orientation was removed as apart of the non-discrimination
policy.
Excerpts from their Action Alert, The Coalition to Promote Equality at
ExxonMobil needs your assistance in getting out the
vote for the ExxonMobil shareholder resolution.
Here's how you and your constituents can
help;
*Write to your state and local public pension
funds and urge them to support this resolution. These pension funds
are some of ExxonMobil's largest shareholders.
*Ask elected officials to join you in lobbying public
pension fund
administrators for their support.
* Encourage members of your organizations to make sure
that they vote in support if they are ExxonMobil
stockholders.
~~~~~~~
AIDS Awareness
Florida AIDS Action sent out three Press Releases.
Here are excerpts from each and links to read entire
Press Releases.
FLAA GRAVELY CONCERNED OVER FEDERAL BUDGET PROPOSAL
(Press
Release 1)
Florida AIDS Action (FLAA) has expressed grave concern in
response to President Bush's Federal Budget Proposal for 2003, which was
released on Monday, February 4.
"During the past five months, we've seen our nation unite
against the War on Terrorism. Now it is time for our leaders and our communities
to look at the national health emergency decimating our ranks - AIDS," explains
FLAA Board President Valerie Mincey.
In the United States alone:
·
More than 42,000 people became infected with HIV disease last year
· An
estimated 900,000 men, women and children are living with HIV disease
· AIDS
is the leading cause of death for African Americans 25 - 44 yrs of age
·
More than 50% of all new HIV infections occur in persons under the age of 25
yrs
· Women comprise the fastest-growing population of new HIV
infections
For more information on the Federal Budget Proposal and it's
impact on those living with HIV disease, or to learn more about HIV/AIDS public
policy and advocacy issues, please contact Florida AIDS Action by phone at (813)
232-5886, or by email at: information@floridaaidsaction.org.
Florida AIDS Action (FLAA) is pleased to announce that
state advocacy efforts have resulted in an emergency supplemental allocation of
funds to the AIDS Insurance Continuation Program (AICP).
On January 29,
the Florida Department of Health issued a memo indicating that AICP had run out
of funds and that the program would be closed for the remainder of the current
fiscal year, ending June 30th, 2002. The result, some 1600 Floridians with
HIV/AIDS would no longer have a way to pay medical insurance
premiums.
FLORIDA AIDS ACTION LAUNCHES STATE-WIDE VOLUNTEER
PROGRAM and ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION GEARS UP FOR POTENTIAL CHALLENGES IN NEW
YEAR (Press
Release 3)
Florida AIDS Action (FLAA), Florida's only statewide
HIV/AIDS service organization, is pleased to announce the implementation of the
agency's Florida-based volunteer program.
Designed to deliver up-to-date
information about Federal and State HIV/AIDS programs directly to Florida
communities, FLAA's Advocacy Associate program is comprised of ten key
volunteers strategically located throughout the state. These dedicated
volunteers work within their regions, serving as touchstones for information
dissemination, HIV/AIDS education and technical assistance.
******
As the Florida State Legislature began its session on
January 22, Florida's only state-wide AIDS service organization, Florida AIDS
Action (FLAA), started preparing for what appears to be another year of public
policy challenges for the HIV/AIDS community.
Expected to last well
beyond the scheduled March 22 closing date, this session will find legislators
needing to further address the slowing state economy, the rising cost of health
care in Florida, as well as the potentially arduous task of redrawing districts
throughout the state.
For more information on HIV/AIDS public policy and
advocacy issues, please contact Florida AIDS Action by phone at (813) 232-5886,
~~~~~~~
Hyperlink Index:
Take Good Care My
Friend
Zeke
R. Zeke Fread
Organizer -
Coordinator
Tampa Bay Coalition
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