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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1999)
Gays rally for equal rights RALLY from page 1 hate,” Fuglei said. “I believe all of us are entitled to the same rights and freedoms as everyone else.” Fuglei said he used to cry himself to sleep at night, but has had people who love and support him to help. Not all gays are that fortunate, he said. Scott Winkler, chairman of the Nebraska Federation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Political Organizations, said Nebraskans must work together to achieve equality. “It’s our turn,” he said. “We came here today to claim our freedom and seek equality for all Nebraskans. We must come together as one commu nity.” Marcella Bucknam, a national coordinator for Binet USA, an orga nization for bisexuals, said many people are bisexual and it’s not some thing others should be afraid of. “We are targets of abuse^igno rance and hate crimes,” she said. “It’s time to put aside stereotypes, envy and fear.” Workplace discrimination was the target of the week’s action in Nebraska. Under the current system, employers are not barred from dis criminating against people because of their sexual orientation. Organizers are supporting LB69, a bill that would add sexual orienta tion to the list of characteristics for which one cannot be discriminated against. The list currently includes race, gender and religion. An organizing effort to encour age businesses to adopt anti-discrim ination policies is also under way. Under the Nebraska Fair Workplace Project, employers are being asked to sign a pledge solidify ing their support for nondiscrimina tion. Six companies that have already Speaker says visibility is key to equal rights LiUpjjiJL irom page 1 bus tour, stopping in towns across the state to educate citizens. “Those things prove equality does begin at home,” Lobel said. “You know and I know that the changes we need to make to (gain our freedom) begin in small towns, cities and states.” Lobel formerly served as lead organizer of the Women’s Project in Little Rock, Ark. Her work there focused on women and AIDS, vio lence in the home and women in prison. The NGLTF works to eliminate prejudice, violence and injustice against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. At Friday’s rally, Lobel said the right wing’s stifling conservative views are slowly dying. “I believe the right wing is breathing its last dying breaths,” she said. “They are using our com munity to raise money. We intend to hold them accountable ” Lobel has also worked as a con sultant to 200 national organiza tions, where she helped to define goals and strengthen the internal structures of the groups. pledged were presented with work place fairness awards at the rally. These included First Data Corporation, Norwest Bank Nebraska, Oriental Trading Company, Printmakers Limited, Travel X Financial Service and US West Communications. “Fairness in the workplace is the way to get (good) workers,” said 66 It is up to us to do our part to form and change public opinion” Kerry Lobel gay rights speaker From 1979 to 1984, Lobel served as executive director of the Southern California Coalition on Battered Women. She is editor of “Naming the Violence: Speaking Out About Lesbian Battering,” as well as co author of “Lesbian Teens in Abusive Relationships” and “HIV, AIDS, and Reproductive Health: A Peer Trainer’s Manual.” Lobel said it is up to the gay, les bian, bisexual and transgender community to make an impact. “It is up to us to do our part to form and change public opinion,” she said. “We can only do that by being visible.” Stephen Charest, Citizens for Equal Protection legal counsel. Although the rally marked the end of Equality Begins at Home week, organizers said it was the start of a changing attitude. “This is not an end, but a begin ning,” Johnson said. “We are here to change the face of Nebraska family values.” fMC GIANT BIKE SALE! f All 1998 Bikes over $500“-Buy1, Get 1 for 1/2 Price) 1 w | All Mountain Bikes!!! All Road Bikes!!! I M ( * I A I l X 5 All Youth Bikes!!! All toilers!!! | All Accessories Are ON SALE! j t T wff&r I lLks-15% OFF!!! A"He'^All Winter Clothing- > 20% OFF!!! 40% OFF!!! ? 4 Great Savings without Sacrificing Service. ? c -^ ? 3321 Pioneers • 488-2101 $ f FREE Lifetime Tune Ups • FREE Delivery in Lincoln 4 ) Hurry Spring Sale Ends Today!!! ri — ■*■ ■!■■'"" J-- - *** i.H'Ci. — — ^“^r Computer virus Melissa’ spreads through businesses PITTSBURGH (AP) - Computer experts hope a weekend of warnings will prevent workers returning to their office terminals Monday from spreading a new virus that launches documents into cyberspace and clogs e-mail servers. Several businesses and govern ments around the world have contact ed Carnegie Mellon University’s Computer Emergency Response Team for help with the virus, said CERT manager Katherine Fithen. She said they should consider it a potential security breach. CERT first learned of the virus Friday afternoon and its members worked through the night to analyze it, Fithen said. She said the full reach of the virus may become clear Monday when millions of people sit down at their computer terminals for the first time since Melissa emerged. “It’s safe to say we’re bracing our selves,” she said. Fithen declined to say if any gov ernment’s security was breached. She also wouldn’t name anyone affected. The Melissa virus spreads via infected e-mail and attacks comput ers loaded with Microsoft’s widely used Word 97 or Word 2000 pro grams, according to CERT. Infected documents are sent as attachments to e-mails most fre quently bearing a header: “Subject: Important Message From” and the name of person whose computer relayed the virus. The body of the message says, “Here is that document you asked for ... don’t show it to anyone else Several anti-virus software mak ers have posted software on their Web sites that their customers can down load to detect and reject the virus. People can also protect themselves by not opening the attachments, Fithen said. If a computer user opens an infected Word-format document, the virus propagates itself by reading the user’s e-mail address book and send ing an infected message to the first 50 entries, CERT said. The message can include the con tents of any Word document open on the computer, Fithen said. Also, the virus can send so much unwanted e-mail that it crashes mail servers, the computers that distribute e-mail. Microsoft was among the compa nies hit by the virus, but it suffered no problems, said company spokesman Adam Sohn. The company limited its e-mail transmissions and didn’t lose any confidential information, he said. Microsoft officials said company programmers worked with CERT and manufacturers of anti-virus programs to develop an antidote. 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