Geocities is a company that provides free Web space and archives sites into specific "neighborhoods" based on common interests. WestHollywood houses approximately 23,000 Web sites devoted to lesbian and gay interests (including sites such as Gay Hockey and the National Black Lesbian & Gay Leadership Forum's Young Adult Program).

Microsystems Software, Inc, Cyber Patrol's manufacturer, said that the decision was made due to WestHollywood containing a large number of sites that displayed "nudity" or "pornographic images."

Cyber Patrol is used by Internet giant America Online, Compuserve and the Boston Library, whose users will no longer be able to access the area. Bob Parker, Geocities' WestHollywood Community Leader Liaison, however, noted Geocities' clear guidelines to creating a Web page in the community.

Those who use Geocities are prohibited from: "Displaying material containing nudity or pornographic material of any kind; Providing material that is grossly offensive to the online community, including blatant expressions of bigotry, prejudice, racism, hatred, or profanity; Displaying material that exploits children under 18 years of age."

When GLAAD ran a spot check of 100 sites on Geocities, it found that 2/3 of the sites contained nothing that could even be perceived as nudity. The other 1/3 of the sites contained photos that had partial nudity (example - a shirtless man).

GLAAD also noted that WestHollywood was rich with important informational and support resources. When GLAAD approached Dick Gorgens, CEO of Microsystems Software, last week he admitted, "Upon my review, you were absolutely correct in your assessment that the subdirectory block on WestHollywood is prejudicial to the Gay and Lesbian Geocities community. We took the 'easier' approach to blocking the small number of actionable non-nudity publishers in that area rather than individually sanctioning them. Taking that technique to the limit would have us pull the plug on the entire Internet which is obviously not our plan." Gorgens also pledged that, "Over the next week the problem will be corrected."

A week later, however, the blocks still remain in place. Please write Microsystems Software and let them know how you feel about this discriminatory move and urge them to lift the block.

Contact: Dick Gorgens, CEO, Microsystems Software, Inc., 600 Worcester Road, Framington, Massachusetts 01701, e-mail: dickg@microsys.com; Cyber Patrol's Web page is located at http://www.cyberpatrol.com.