For Queer Mice
by BROWWWSER
Fight the Good Fight - Online
he spark that started me on this issue's column was when I was flipping through the
opinion page of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Yet again there was another ridiculous
commentary from some stupid bigot full of rhetoric about "family values" and how
gay marriages would somehow destroy the world. Who do these people think they are, that
they can force us from our jobs, our families, our homes, our children? How can we fight
back? With the World Wide Web at our fingertips, now we can communicate with queers all
over the country. We can access information and ideas quickly, and form action plans
almost overnight. Even if you're still closeted, you can anonymously speak your mind and
pitch in the fight for our rights for equality. In fact we must do so since the Religious
Right is already using the web to spread their propaganda. This column is about sites that
every good queer should have bookmarked, so we can come together as a community and fight
against the Phyllis Schlaflys and Bob Dornans of the world.
The Human Rights Campaign at http://www.hrcusa.org is a must for any semi-active
queer. 
Enter in your zip code and
a list of your government representatives will appear, showing their stands on gay issues.
Our senators Christopher Bond and John Ashcroft, both Republicans, have dismal records on
gay issues, with Ashcroft earning a whopping 0% on the HRC scale. Luckily our
Representatives William Clay and Richard Gephardt are both Democrats and have a much
better record. Then you can send them aletter straight from the HRC site. Also see
upcoming HRC events, info on National Coming Out Day, and more. Find out the latest about
Jesse Helms' so-called "Freedom of Speech Act" which would prohibit the
government from providing sexual orientation discrimination protection at work. Take a
little time and check it out!
If you've ever wondered what all those blue ribbons on web pages mean, visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Blue Ribbon Campaign for
online free speech at http://www.eff.org/blueribbon.html.
In 1996 the President signed the Telecommunications Act that makes it illegal to post
"indecent" material on the Internet, which means any web page about
homosexuality can be illegal because someone might find it indecent. In June a
Philadelphia panel of judges said the act was unconstitutional, but we're notout of the
woods yet. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on March 19th. Find out how you can
help the EFF and pick up a blue ribbon for your web page too.
The American Civil Liberties Union has a great site
where you can get news about ENDA, the military ban, freedom to marry, and the struggle of
gay and lesbian student groups. See what's in the courts, how to join, and how to act now
at http://www.aclu.org. Like the HRC site, you can send
an ACLU letter to your representatives with a click of the mouse. So get clicking!
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
is a multimedia watchdog organization that has their eyes out for good and bad queer
themes in TV, radio, and even the web. Read the latest GLAADAlert and GLAADLines to find
out about the lesbian earthquake kiss in Relativity, the ever-skittish Ellen, and Mel
Gibson's about face (maybe). In March is the GLAAD Media Awards, so visit http://www.glaad.org soon.
Did you know gays and lesbians are the most frequent victims of hate crimes? Find
statistics on this, teen suicide, and more at http://www.pflag.org.
The Parents, Family, & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)
website has lots to offer, 
including the chapter nearest you. Read about Project Open
Mind and how here in St. Louis all four TV network affiliates refused or restricted
PFLAG's commercials. Oh, and then visit their store for some groovy merchandise.
The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)
web site has news, events, press releases, publications, and more for you to see at http://www.ngltf.org. Check out the not-so-friendly skies
at United Airlines, and see their year-end wrap-up. Lots of info to get you going.
The most beautifully haunting web site is http://www.aidsquilt.org.
The NAMES Project has a wonderful site full of info
about the AIDS Memorial Quilt: how to make a panel, how 50 new panels are added each week,
and more. Find the chapter nearest you, read the latest AIDS info, but most importantly
view a portion of the Quilt online. In February African-American History Month is
featured. See the panels and read a bio of the person who each panel is for. Probably the
most moving web site you'll ever visit.
There are tons of other useful websites that need mentioning, like the Gay & Lesbian National Hotline at http://www.glnh.org (or call 1-888-THE-GLNH M-F 6-11pm).
The Gay Mens Health Crisis is at http://www.gmhc.org. Visit some Digital
Queers at http://www.dq.org or the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Teachers Network at http://www.glstn.org/respect/. Find out about
nonprofit groups with the Contact Center Network at http://www.contact.org, and finally see who's taking
home a Gay & Lesbian American Music Award at http://www.glama.org.
If you need more motivation than this, just pick up your local newspaper and flip to
the opinion page. That should piss you off enough to get motivated! In our struggle for
equal rights, we need all the tools we can get. The Internet is a fantastic tool. Use it!
