PUC: Support for American Airlines (fwd)

[Ric Knowles]

Dear Candrama subscribers,

This arrived in my e-mail today from Peter Eliot Weiss through the
Playwrights Canada listserv. I encourage you to read it and sign it.
The expansion of rights and freedoms, whether they are authorized by
governments on a societal level or corporations within the domain of their
employee relations, ought to be encouraged and not discouraged.  In this
case it is American Airlines (as you know, partner with Canadian Airlines)
which has chosen to treat all its employees equally disregarding sexual
orientation.  I think this is an initiative to be applauded and not
attacked.

---------- Forwarded message ----------

April 6, 1998
Dear Everyone,
American Airlines is a major sponsor of human rights and
respect for
homosexuals.  They support groups like GLADD, 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.  American Airlines is also the first airline to
adopt a
written nondiscrimination policy covering sexual orientation
in its
employment practices.  In an unusual joint letter released
to the media
on Friday, March 14th from the Family Research Council,
Concerned Women
of America, American Family Association and Coral Ridge
Ministries,
American Airlines was openly criticized about that policy.
Rightist 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
homosexuality."
LaHaye and the other groups have written Bob Crandall,
President of
American Airlines, to complain that his company has "gone
beyond mere
tolerance" of gays and lesbians.  [Which is in point of
fact, not only
true, but something which we the undersigned believe the
company should
take pride in.]  An article blasting American appears in
Friday's Fort
Worth Star-Telegram, and possibly has been 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.
Please add your name to the following petition in support of
American
Airline's honorable stance in the corporate world and
forward it to as
many people as you can.  To add your name just cut and paste
this entire
page onto new mail, add you name at the bottom of the list
and send it
out to your family, friends, and colleagues!
***NOTE: If you are the 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th, etc. person
to sign
this petition then also please forward this to American
Airlines at
Webmaster at amrcorp.com ***
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.      Sarah Pinsker, Goucher College, Balto. MD
4.      Rebecca Olin, Amherst College, Amherst MA
5.      David Beckman, Amherst College, Amherst, MA
6.      Amanda Austin, Smith College, Northampton, MA
7.      Joan Prusky, Detroit, MI and Northampton, MA
8.      Elizabeth Kennedy, NYC and Smith College,
Northampton, MA
9.      Lindsey Stowe-Berns, NYC and Oberlin College,
Oberlin, OH
10.     Jill Rothstein, NYC and Oberlin College
11.     Julie Cross, Miami and Oberlin College
12.     Chris Morris, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
13.     Katherine Shorb, Tokyo and Oberli
14.    Chris Murry; Tampa, FL
15.    Scott Mikita, La Grange, IL
16.    Eric Brooks, New York, NY
17.    Mary Kay Adams, New York, NY
18.    Karen Lynn Scott, Beverly Hills, CA
19.    Fran Kaufer, Los Angeles, CA
20.    Matt Pringle, Los Angeles, CA
21.    Michael Cutler, Los Angeles, CA
22.    Philip Drewry, Los Angeles, CA
23.    Sarah Hill, Arlington, VA
24.    Kathy Brandt, Clearwater, FL
25.    Kathleen Taylor, Dunedin, FL (forwarded)
26.    Paul Farr, Athens, GA
27.    Heather Mitchell, Athens, GA
28.    Don Bertschman, Pittsburgh, PA
29.    Dixie Fox, Pittsburgh, PA
30.    Samantha Thorp. Pittsburgh PA
31.    Patricia L. Ennis, Anaheim CA (Damn Right!)
32.    Viki Therriault, Seattle Washington
33.    Joanne Magram, Everett, Washington
34.    Kathy Chaurasiya, Mukilteo, Washington
35.    Julie Ruffell, Surrey, BC
36.    Robert Thompson, Toronto, ON
37.    Jennifer Hale, Toronto, ON
38.    Anjali Kapoor, Toronto, ON
39.    Lucy Giannini, Toronto, ON
40.    Peter Eliot Weiss, Toronto, ON
41.    Ric Knowles, Fergus, ON

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