Dear Friends and Family,
BACKGROUND:
American Airlines is a major sponsor to and supporter of groups
like GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, the Gay and Lesbian Victory
Fund, the AIDS Action Foundation, DIFFA, AmFAR, and scores of community-
based groups representing gays and lesbians. It is also the first
airline to adopt a written non-discrimination policy covering
sexual orientation in its employment practices.
An unusual joint letter was released to the media on Friday, March
14th from the Family Research Council, Concerned Women of America,
American Family Association and Coral Ridge Ministries. Radical right
leader Beverly LaHaye also went on Christian "talk radio" on Friday to
blast American Airlines because "American's sponsorship of homosexual
'pride' events constitutes an open endorsement of promiscuous homo-
sexuality."
She and the other groups have written Bob Crandall at American to
complain that the airline has "gone beyond mere tolerance" of gays
and lesbians. The full article appears in Friday's Fort Worth
Star-Telegram, and possibly picked up by other newspapers around the
country.
It has come to the attention of the gay and Lesbian community that
American Airline's switchboard and e-mails are being bombarded now by
homophobic and hateful callers who have been urged by LaHaye and others
to DEMAND the company terminate its gay-friendly policies.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
At the end of this note is a petition supporting American Airlines'
stance on gay rights. If you feel that discrimination is in nobody's
best interest, add your name to the list below. And, of course, pass
it on.
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IF YOU ARE the 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th, etc., person to sign this
petition, please forward this copy to American Airlines at:
webmaster@amrcorp.com
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To American Airlines:
We, the undersigned, support your gay/lesbian rights policies and
commend you for your efforts in ending discrimination. Thank you
for your dedication to such issues and please continue to remain
active in the struggle to end discrimination.
1. Marybeth Kurtz, Philadelphia, PA
2. Jen Faust, Goucher College, Balto. MD
3. Heather Riley, UMBC, Balto., MD
4. Katy Schuman, UMBC, Balto., MD
5. Rebekka Gold, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH.
6. Danielle Hirsch, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH.
7. Jerrod Wendland, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH.
8. Jon Morgan, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH.
9. Keri Rainsberger, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
10. Cheryl Lynn Bates, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
11. Court Singrey, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
12. Carol Fischer, Indiana University, Bloomington IN.
13. Victoria R. Gardner, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
14. Joshua S. Greenbaum, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
15. Tamara Grybko, Boston, MA
16. Jameson Hill, San Francisco, CA
17. Ed Roppo, San Francisco, CA
18. Christopher Pratt, Mountain View, CA
19. Tom Lloyd, San Francisco, CA
20. Brian Kliment, San Francisco, CA
21. Steve Christensen, Palo Alto, CA
22. Michael Larson, Sunnyvale, CA
23. Jennifer Rudenick, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
24. Sarah Knipper, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
25. Jan Alfred Sandven, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
26. Amy Van Looy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
27. David Bradley, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
28. Andrea Rufo, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
29. Alison Chase, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
30. Julie Noelle Chase, San Francisco, CA
31. Steve Boland, San Francisco, CA
32. James Devinny, Denver, CO
33. Heather Saunders, Denver, CO
34. Meg Green, Austin, TX
35. Rachel Matthews, Austin, TX
36. Danny Field, San Francisco, CA
37. Daniel Heilborn, San Francisco, CA
38. Kevin H. Souza, San Francisco, CA
39. Willis Navarro, UCSF, San Francisco, CA
40. Gregory S. Arent, M.D., San Francisco, CA
41. Derek A. Palmer, Seattle, WA
42. Recinda L. Sherman, Portland, OR
43. Amanda Perrygo, Charlottesville, VA
44. Jamison F. Bowman, Woodstock, MD
45. Marc Roney, Parkersburg, WV
46. Rev. D. L. Kemp, Hinton, WV
47. JT Kemp, Hinton, WV
48. Barbara Russell, Beckley, WV
49. Virginia Keyes, Austin, Texas
50. Thomas Kermani, Austin, TX
51. Tani L. Barr-Kermani, Austin, TX
52. Laura Hicks, Austin, TX
53. Sarah Hicks, Portland, OR
54. Kristen Hoard, Portland, OR
55. Patricia Ju, New York, NY
56. Heather MacLean, Kent, OH
hmaclean@kent.edu
http://kent.edu/~hmaclean/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu May 25 2000 - 19:06:06 PDT