AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR JOINS GLAAD FOR VIRTUAL TOWN MEETING: On Tuesday, October 21, special guest Edward M. Alwood will join GLAAD in a global town meeting in honor of Lesbian & Gay History Month: A Celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History. Alwood, former CNN reporter and GLAAD Media Award-winning author of the recent book Straight News, will discuss themes from his work, providing an insider's view of the changing fortunes of lesbians and gay men in American print and broadcast news media. The virtual town meeting will be hosted on gay.com at http://www.gay.com/pages/glaad.html or http://www.glaad.org/glaad/history-month/chat.html at 10PM EST/7 PM PAC. "This last of three virtual town meetings is another excellent opportunity for those interested in celebrating Lesbian & Gay History Month to honor our heritage," said GLAAD Interactive Media Director Loren Javier. "By holding it online, it also reflects our vision towards the future." For more information contact Liz Tracey (GLAAD Associate Communications Director) at (212) 807-1700, ext. 14; pager. (800) 946-4646, pin # 1423527, or via e-mail: tracey@glaad.

WINANS WAFFLE: "NEVER SAID" THERE WAS A MEETING: Gospel singers Angie and Debbie Winans continue to create anti-gay controversy through deception. Following the release of their song "It's Not Natural," which condemns lesbians and gay men, GLAAD approached representatives of the sisters for a meeting to discuss grave concerns about the falsehoods spread by the song. Winans representative Bill Carpenter now denies that such an opportunity for dialogue was ever planned between the Winans sisters and representatives from GLAAD, the National Black Lesbian & Gay Leadership Forum and Equal Partners in Faith. "Carpenter's denial [in the October 24 issue of the Washington Blade] is simply absurd and false," said Liz Tracey, GLAAD Associate Communications Director. "The meeting, originally scheduled for Monday, October 13 by the Winans' representatives, was canceled at the last minute because they had 'misunderstood' how many people would be attending. Our latest conversation with Bill Carpenter, in which he stated he would 'call us if they needed to meet with us' is not only a stalling tactic, but insulting." For more information, call Liz Tracey (GLAAD) (212) 807-1700, ext. 14, pager. (800) 946-4646 pin # 1423527 or via e-mail: tracey@glaad.org.

LESBIAN & GAY YOUTH, LAWYERS AND COWPOKES GET TOGETHER: The weekend of October 23-26, a young lesbian cowgirl studying law would be torn between three major conferences, including the Models of Pride Youth Conference and Lavender Law '97 in Los Angeles and the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) Finals Rodeo of Champions in Phoenix. Models of Pride, on October 25, is sponsored by the Los Angeles Unified School District and will feature workshops, panels and a dance. The National Lesbian and Gay Law Association (NLGLA) Lavender Law conference, October 23-25, includes keynote speaker Sheila Kuehl, Speaker Pro Tem of the California Assembly as well as panels on a host of issues including civil rights litigation, family law and transgender legal concerns. The IGRA Rodeo October 23-26 is an annual event bringing together the best from 17 regional lesbian and gay rodeos from throughout the year. For more information contact Bart Verry (Models of Pride) at (213) 259-2531; Lynn LeMay (Lavender Law) at (213) 654-7449; and Thom Sloan (IGRA) at (505) 272-2670.

GLAAD, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation promotes fair, accurate, and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. To subscribe, contact Don Romesburg at (415) 861-2244 or at romesburg@glaad.org.