So promises CEO Walter B. Schubert of SGI Ltd.--a member firm of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and SIPC-- in announcing the launch of the Gay Financial Network LLC.

A longtime member (15 years) of the NYSE trading floor community and the first openly gay member of the Exchange, Schubert's firm unveiled his strategic plan for the Gay Financial Network at Internet World in New York earlier this month. The Network will be the first fully integrated financial services Web site to target the gay and lesbian market.

Mr. Schubert created GFN, he says, to bring the nation's first "virtual finance community" to gay and lesbian investors. It will include a network of electronic investment, banking and insurance services with a team of gay, lesbian and gay-friendly finance professionals.

    -- an online investment center

    -- financial planning

    -- portfolio management

    -- a banking-real estate and mortgage referral service

    -- insurance products

    -- shareholder initiatives and tools for corporate change

According to studies recently completed by Simmons Market Research Bureau, there are approximately 4.8 million gay and lesbian Internet users. High percentages of both gay and lesbian populations have investment portfolios, own stock, and have home mortgages.

GFN is planning "member-to-member connectivity" that will establish a virtual community of empowered investors. In a discrimination-free environment, members will obtain and share vital research and information on gay-related issues in the workplace and the marketplace.     

"GFN.com will be the premier financial services Web site for all gay and lesbian Americans," believes Mr. Schubert. The Gay Financial Network is slated to "come out" online accepting registrants in first quarter 1998 on their website.

Mr. Schubert will soon announce GFN's first strategic marketing partner.

By Don Romesburg

GLAAD Publications Manager

On Friday afternoon, as promised (however, just short of the release of last week's critical GLAADAlert), Microsystems Software, the makers of the Internet filtering software Cyber Patrol, lifted the block on the majority of the WestHollywood sites on Geocities. The sites left blocked were sites Microsystems still felt met its criteria as "CyberNOTs".

In a conversation with Susan Getgood, Director of Marketing at Microsystems, GLAAD found that the company had every intention of working to lift the block. Cyber Patrol acknowledged the error of blocking the entire WestHollywood directory and reiterated that the move was not intended to discriminate against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. She noted that when GLAAD pointed the problem out, they immediately started looking into the issue. She re-affirmed the company's position of trying to create a software that can act as safety controls for parents, yet represents and respects a diversity of opinions and information. Getgood also let GLAAD know that aside from sitting on the oversight committee for Cyber Patrol, GLAAD could also contact Microsystems at any time and question any site. Finally, Microsystems will be working with GLAAD's Interactive Media Director to make sure GLAAD has more of an active role on their oversight committee.

Please thank Microsystems Software for making good on their word to lift the block on the WestHollywood directory at Geocities and for re-affirming their commitment to diversity. Contact: Dick Gorgens, CEO, and Susan Getgood, Director of Marketing, Microsystems Software, Inc., 600 Worcester Road, Framingham, Massachusetts 01701, e-mail: dickg@microsys.com for Dick Gorgens, susang@microsys.com for Susan Getgood; Cyber Patrol's Web page is located at http://www.cyberpatrol.com.