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by Rip Naquin-Delain

HRC Dinner Boycott Threatens
to Cut Last Year's $90,000 Gross;
Ambush, GAA, KCQ's Endorse Boycott

Human Rights Campaign's [HRC] non-inclusion of bisexuals and transgenders in its mission statement has led to a full-scale boycott of this year's New Orleans dinner weekend in May. This action threatens to cut last year's $90,000 gross. The New Orleans HRC Dinner Committee reportedly sent a net of $60,000 to the national HRC organization in 1997.

Hints of a boycott, at 97's dinner, were put on hold, in hopes that HRC would reconsider its stance on transgenders. This did not transpire.

The Board of Directors and membership of Gulf Gender Alliance voted to initiate a boycott in January. "The boycott is being called because of HRC's non inclusion of bisexual and transgender people in their mission statement and language."

According to the HRC web site @ www.hrc.org, "The Human Rights Campaign envisions an America where lesbian and gay people are ensured of their basic equal rights - and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work, and in the community."

Ambush wholeheartedly supports and endorses the boycott. Individuals, businesses and organizations are urged to join the boycott, by not purchasing tickets to the New Orleans dinner weekend, or donating items to the auction, or advertising in the dinner program.

In addition, HRC can be contacted directly to voice support of the boycott. Write HRC, 1101 14th St., NW, Washington, DC 20005; E-mail hrc@hrc.org, call 202.628.4160, or fax 202.347.5323.

Four prior HRC award winners including Stewart Butler, Jim Kellogg, Charlene Schneider and Skip Ward are in support of the boycott. HRC dinner committee members Toni Pizanie and Rick Cosgriff resigned from this year's committee in support of the boycott.

The Board of Directors of the Gay Appreciation Awards including President Sonny Cleveland, Vice President Toni Pizanie, Lisa Beaumann, Teryl-Lynn Foxx, Mickey Gil and Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain, unanimously voted in favor of the boycott.

Another vote in support of the boycott came from the Royals of the Krewe of Queenateenas, including King Cake Queen [KCQ] II Jay Loomis, KCQ III Smurf Murphy, KCQ IV Reba Douglas and KCQ V Liz Simms. According to KCQ III Smurf Murphy, "In this day and age, when we have discrimination in every fashion and form, we as a collective group should support each other, no matter what our gender orientation may be. I hate discrimination on any level. It's not fair."

AMBUSHonLINE is developing a boycott web site currently. All of the latest info on the boycott will be posted on-line at www.ambushmag.com/boycott. An on-line form will be provided soon for those wishing to add their names to the boycott list. Please consider joining the boycott today.

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