From: rgordon@convex.com (Rob Gordon)
Subject: Group in CO Springs to fight #2
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 19:06:37 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
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The following press release was issued by a Co Springs group formed
to fight CO Amendment 2. Donations are being accepted at:

GROUND ZERO
P.O. Box 1982
Colorado Springs CO 80901
(719) 635-6086

If anyone is interested in the text of statements made at press
conference, let me know.

==============================================================================
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION FORMED TO OVERTURN AMENDMENT 2

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, December 10, 1992 -- A group of community activists
announced today the formation of a grassroots organization to direct local
efforts to secure and maintain basic civil rights for gay, lesbian and bisexual
citizens. Calling itself, GROUND ZERO, the group was formed after several town
meetings indicated a need for a Colorado Springs-based political effort to 
overturn Amendment 2.

GROUND ZERO seeks to focus national attention on the implications of 
Amendment 2. "Since Colorado Springs was the birthplace of Amendment 2, 
we see ourselves as ground zero in the fight against the discrimination it 
condones," said Sam Broomall, Jr., a spokesperson for GROUND ZERO. 
Invited speaker, Robert Bray, speaking at a recent Colorado Springs Town 
Meeting, called Amendment 2 "the beginning of gay ethnic cleansing." 
Bray is Media Director for the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force.

GROUND ZERO will offer its support and the benefit of its experiences in 
Colorado Springs to gay rights' groups in other states facing Colorado-style 
amendments. The sponsor of Amendment 2, Colorado for Family Values (CFV), 
is actively supporting such amendments in several other states.

GROUND ZERO stands in full support of the growing national boycott of Colorado.
GROUND ZERO feels the boycott will focus attention on what transpired in 
Colorado and will encourage voters in other states to reject Colorado-style 
amendments. GROUND ZERO believes special attention should be given to 
boycotting Colorado Springs. "People should remember that Colorado Springs 
is ground zero. This is where it all started," said Bruce Loeffler, another 
GROUND ZERO spokesperson and professor at Colorado College.

A primary strategy of GROUND ZERO will be education. "Amendment 2 passed 
because people believed the `special rights' rhetoric. This is not about 
special rights, it is about discrimination that denies equal rights," 
said Mel Berwin, chairperson of the Education Committee.

Although billed as prohibiting special rights, the amendment states that 
homosexual, lesbian or bisexual orientation may not constitute the basis of 
a claim of discrimination. This clause in the amendment will be used to deny 
gays, lesbians and bisexuals jobs, housing, and public accommodation--
GROUND ZERO sees these as fundamental civil rights. Amendment 2 may also be 
used to discriminate against anyone, on the assumption or accusation, 
they are gay. Such tactics were used in 1935 Germany when anti-homosexual 
laws were used to target political opponents.

The main focus of the education effort will be to counter the grossly 
inaccurate and fear-inducing campaign used by CFV in support of Amendment 2. 
GROUND ZERO believes it is dangerous to let such misinformation remain 
unchallenged.

The education effort will also involve a religious outreach program to 
moderate the intolerant position of the religious right in Colorado Springs. 
GROUND ZERO will encourage discussion of civil rights issues within local 
churches in an attempt to defuse the religious right's position that gays 
are undeserving of civil rights protection. "Part of our mission is to reach 
out to the religious community to uncover the deception and misinformation 
promoted by the radical, fundamentalist right regarding homosexuality," 
said Alan Cook, chairperson of the Religious Outreach committee and a 
Colorado Springs psychotherapist.

GROUND ZERO will be sponsoring a march on Colorado Springs in late Spring. 
The march will be modelled after the national march on Washington scheduled 
for April 25, 1993. 

GROUND ZERO intends to continue its efforts to focus national attention on 
Colorado Springs until Amendment 2 is overturned.

For more information contact:
GROUND ZERO 		(719) 635-6086 


CONTACT LIST

GROUND ZERO
(719) 635-6086

BOYCOTT COLORADO
Terry Schleder 
(303) 377-0160
Robert Briggs-Daniels
(303) 399-6015

Colorado Legal Initiative Project (CLIP)
Mary Celeste
(303) 830-2100

Equality Colorado
Tony Ogden
(303) 839-5540

National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)
Robert Bray
(202) 332-6483

FACT SHEET
GROUND ZERO

GROUND ZERO is a grassroots organization consisting of gay, lesbian, bisexual 
and gay supportive people. The mission of the organization is to secure 
and maintain basic civil rights for gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens and 
to promote full participation of gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens in the 
community at large.


GROUND ZERO is a loosely structured organization. Direction is provided by a 
Steering Committee made up of representatives from focus groups. The focus 
groups with a public mission are described below.

Education - Work to encourage a greater understanding of the legal and 
psychological implications of Amendment 2. Work to educate the public on the 
manipulative and deceptive techniques employed by CFV. 

Religious Outreach - Work with local churches and religious organizations to 
educate them on gay issues. Uncover and correct the deceptive portrayal of 
homosexuals as presented by the fundamentalist Christian right.

Political - Work with elected officials to keep them informed of GROUND ZERO's 
plans, enlist their help and support. Plan direct action campaigns.

Media - Coordinate contact with local, state and national media. Monitor 
media coverage to ensure Amendment 2 and gay civil rights issues are fairly 
presented.

Minority Outreach - Work with local minority groups to forge an effective 
coalition to fight all types of oppression. We recognize that our quest for 
social justice fundamentally links us to the struggle against racism, 
sexism, class bias, economic injustice and religious intolerance.


GROUND ZERO
P.O. Box 1982
Colorado Springs CO 80901
(719) 635-6086 

FACT SHEET
Amendment 2

Amendment 2 was passed in Colorado by a 53%-47% margin on November 3, 1992. 
The text of Amendment 2 follows:

NO PROTECTED STATUS BASED ON HOMOSEXUAL, LESBIAN OR BISEXUAL ORIENTATION: 
Neither the State of Colorado, through any of its branches or departments, 
nor any of its agencies, political subdivisions, municipalities or school 
districts, shall enact, adopt or enforce any statute, regulation, ordinance 
or policy whereby homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual orientation, conduct, 
practices or relationships shall constitute or otherwise be the basis of or 
entitle any person or class of persons to have or claim any minority status, 
quota preferences, protected status or claim of discrimination.

Amendment 2 is due to go into effect on the first business day of January 1993.
Governor Romer's signature is required for Amendment 2 to become law.

The amendment was placed on the ballot by a Colorado Springs group, 
Colorado for Family Values (CFV). A similar, more harshly worded, ballot 
measure failed in Oregon in the November general election. Other states 
targeted for Colorado-style amendments include: Washington, Ohio, Idaho, 
Minnesota, Maine, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon and Florida.

The fight against Amendment 2 was led by EPOC (Equal Protection of Colorado), 
Inc. EPOC has since disbanded and has been replaced by Equality Colorado, 
GROUND ZERO and other groups.

El Paso county, home to Colorado Springs, voted almost 3-1 in favor of the 
passage of Amendment 2. Denver, Boulder and Aspen all voted against 
Amendment 2. These cities currently have non-discrimination ordinances 
which include sexual orientation. These ordinances will be overturned when 
Amendment 2 goes into effect.

CLIP (Colorado Legal Initiative Project) has filed a suit in District Court 
in an attempt to find Amendment 2 unconstitutional. The case is based on the 
abridgement of the U.S Constitution's equal protection clause, the vagueness 
of the implications of amendment and the usurping of home rule powers as 
guaranteed by the Constitution of the State of Colorado.

There is also a bill in the U.S. Senate, S574, which would add sexual 
orientation to the 1964 Civil Rights Acts. This bill would supercede the 
Constitution of the State of Colorado.

If neither the CLIP effort nor S574 succeeds, the soonest Colorado voters 
would have an opportunity to repeal Amendment 2 is November 1993.
Newsgroups: alt.politics.homosexuality