From alaura@u.washington.edu Thu Apr 2 09:12:32 1998 Received: from jason04.u.washington.edu (root@jason04.u.washington.edu [140.142.78.5]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id JAA49562; Thu, 2 Apr 1998 09:12:28 -0800 Received: from homer19.u.washington.edu (alaura@homer19.u.washington.edu [140.142.76.3]) by jason04.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id JAA28838; Thu, 2 Apr 1998 09:12:27 -0800 Received: from localhost (alaura@localhost) by homer19.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.04) with SMTP id JAA76268; Thu, 2 Apr 1998 09:12:25 -0800 Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 09:12:25 -0800 (PST) From: Suzanne Klinger To: equity@u.washington.edu, uwtpride@u.washington.edu Subject: Three Chicago Articles on Coretta Scott King Speech (fwd) Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII FYI all--Suzanne ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 01 Apr 1998 10:54:15 -0800 From: Channel Q To: queerpolitics@abacus.oxy.edu Subject: Three Chicago Articles on Coretta Scott King Speech CHICAGO DEFENDER April 1, 1998 - Front page KING SEEKS TO END GAY BIAS by Chinta Strausberg Speaking before nearly 600 people at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel, Coretta Scott King, the wife of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Tuesday called on the civil rights community to join in the struggle against homophobia and anti-gay bias. "Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood," King stated. "This sets the stage for further repression and violence that spread all too easily to victimize the next minority group." King spoke at the Lambda's Bon Foster Memorial Civil Rights 25th anniversary celebration. "Every human rights movement needs an organization dedicated to pursuing justice in the courts," King told the audience. "The Civil Rights Movement was blessed with outstanding attorneys who fought tirelessly in the courtrooms of the nation to end segregation and secure the constitutional rights of African Americans and other minorities." King commended Lambda for reportedly providing outstanding leadership in protecting and expanding the legal rights of lesbian and gay Americans. King also praised the group for its work in securing fair access to health care for those with AIDS including helping lesbian, gay youth and to end anti-gay violence, and its challenge to the military's anti-gay "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Her speech was peppered with quotes from her husband just three days before the 30th anniversary of his assassination. "As Martin once said, 'We are all tied together in a single garment of destiny, an inescapable network of mutuality. I can never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be,' " she said. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Chicago Sun-Times April 1, 1998 Page 18 WIFE INVOKES REV. KING IN SUPPORT OF GAYS - Coretta King sees parallels in struggles By Mary Houlihan-Skilton, Staff Reporter Quoting a passage from her late husband's writing, Coretta Scott King reaffirmed her stance on gay and lesbian rights Tuesday at a luncheon celebrating the 25 anniversary of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national gay rights organization. "We are all tied together in a single garment of destiny . . . I can never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be," she said, quoting her husband. "I've always felt that homophobic attitudes and policies were unjust and unworthy of a free society and must be opposed by all Americans who believe in democracy," King told 600 people at the Palmer House Hilton, days before the 30th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assasination on April 4, 1968. She said the civil rights movement "thrives on unity and inclusion, not division and exclusion." Her husband's struggle parallels that of the gay rights movement, she said. "I still hear people say that I should be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people, and I should stick to the issue of racial justcie," she said. "But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' " King praised Lambda's work in achieving recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men and people with HIV and AIDS through litigation, education and public policy work. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Chicago Tribune April 1, 1998 Section 2, Page 4 KING'S WIDOW STANDS UP FOR GAY RIGHTS By Terry Wilson, Tribune Staff Writer Coretta Scott King, activist and widow of slain civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said Tuesday she has received advice from people to avoid involvement in the gay civil rights movement and to concentrate, instead, on racial justice. Tuesday, as she stood in a ballroom filled with more than 600 lawyers, activists, politicians, students and other influential Chicagoans, King said she considers her huband's words when she ignores that advice. "For many years now, I have been an outspoken supporter of civil and human rights for gay and lesbian people," King said at the 25th Anniversary Luncheon for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. "I've always felt that homophobic attitudes and policies were unjust and unworthy of a free society and must be opposed by all Americans who believe in democracy." She said she reminds those who dislike gays that her husband professed injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund is a national not-for-profit organization that fights for gay equality in the courts. It has fought to overturn the ban against gays in the military and efforts to legalize marriage for gays. Given two standing ovations, King gave a keynote speech that advised activists in the gay struggle for equality to draw on successes of other movements, including the civil rights movement. "Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla., and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement," she said. "Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions." She advised those in the ballroom at the Palmer House Hilton to read books authored by her husband, who was killed by an assasin's bullet 30 years ago. The books offer a blueprint of the struggle and strategies for success, she said. She also suggested that the gay civil rights movement involve itself in other issues. It should help teach tolerance and understanding to children, ensure that the gay rights movement features diversity among its activists, and support affirmative action and other programs designed to enhance inclusion in the workplace and elsewhere. "When we allow our institutions to exclude minorities from full citizenship rights, I believe we are cooperaitng with evil," King said. "Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to deny a large group of people their humanity, their dignity and personhood." She said right-wing politicians who are authoring bills like those designed to end affirmative action programs are supported by the same homophobic groups that Lambda Legal Defense's staff members challenge in courtrooms across the country. ************************************************************************ This message has been forwarded as a free informational service. 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