From: GLAADSFBA@aol.com Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 04:21:29 -0400 Subject: GLAAD MEDIA WATCH, May 27 M E D I A W A T C H for May 27, 1995 by A L K I E L W A S S E R Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter HEART ATTACK With the Paramount Pictures release of "Braveheart," the film's producer/director/star -- Mel Gibson -- continues his career in gay bashing. In this much-hyped film, gays are (once again) singled out for gratuitous contempt. The ostensibly "fact-based" epic portrays Edward II (believed by historians to be gay) as an excessively foolish and vain homosexual, deserving of the audience's ridicule. In screenings thus far, audiences have consistently laughed (on cue) every time the character appears on screen, and have even cheered as Edward's lover is tossed out a window to his death. In their rush to pay homage to Mel Gibson., the mainstream media have ignored "Braveheart's" homophobia The "New York Times" instantly declared the film "a stroke of brilliance." Gibson has been further flattered by his appearance on the covers of several major magazines, including the May issue of "GQ" and the June issue of "US." In her six-page "GQ" cover story ("Mad Mac"), Stephanie Mansfield never once mentions the possibility of "Braveheart's" homophobia, even though she was treated to a pre-screening of the film before it's final edit and release. In "Wild At Heart," "US" magazine's Jancee Dunn offers -- over the course of five dense pages -- only a parenthetical comment about the film's anti-gay bias. Of Edward II, she writes "It's a part that could have been written by Andrew Dice Clay, and one which critics will be sure to seize upon." Nevertheless, "US" opted to use Gibson's face on the "subscription cards" tucked into each magazine. Apparently, homophobia sells. In its "Summer Movie Preview" issue (May 26), "Entertainment Weekly" also gives ample page space to "Braveheart." Once again, homophobia is utterly ignored (the editors did manage, however, to include a photo of Gibson's oft-discussed butt). The myopic hype continued on "Larry King Live" (CNN, May 26). Appearing on the popular talk show, Gibson said of his "Braveheart": "It's the kind of film I always wanted to see when I was growing up." Unfortunately, "Braveheart" IS the kind of film that too many children already see; Hollywood consistently markets an unbalanced homophobia to youth audiences. Is it any wonder that young men perpetrate most of the anti-gay hate violence in this country? Bleating out further praise for "Braveheart," Larry King told Mel Gibson: "You ought to be damned proud!" Like King himself, not one caller to the world-wide broadcast ever raised (or was allowed to raise?) the subject of homophobia. Instead, every call came from a gushing Gibson fan. While "Braveheart" appears inconsistent with historical fact, it certainly IS consistent with Mel Gibson's own history of contempt for gays. He has regularly made a point of ridiculing the gay community, publicly suggesting that gay men and gay sex are disgusting and unnatural. Gibson has also stated that he feared being perceived as gay because he is an actor. "I became an actor despite that," he told one interviewer, "But with this look, who's going to think I'M gay? It would be hard to take me for someone like THAT." Obviously, there's nothing BRAVE about being homophobic. Everyday, lesbians and gay men are attacked and assaulted. And like a COWARDLY school-yard bully, Mel Gibson just keeps cheering on the bashers. ** Send much-needed feedback to any or all of the following: Sherry Lansing, Chair, Paramount Pictures, 5555 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038, tel. 213-958-5000 (Ext. 8393); Arthur Cooper, Editor-In-Chief, "GQ," 350 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017, tel. 212-880-8800, e-mail gqmag@aol.com; Jann S. Wenner, Editor-In-Chief (and a gay man who should know better), "US: The Entertainment Magazine," 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104-0298, fax 212-767-8214, e-mail usmag@echonyc.com; James Seymore, Managing Editor, "Entertainment Weekly," 1675 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, e-mail JamesS5089@aol.com (online comments can also be posted to America Online, keyword "EW"); Larry King, "Larry King Live," c/o CNN, and Ed Turner, Executive Vice President, CNN, One CNN Center, P.O. Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30348-5366, tel. 404-827-1700, fax 404-737-3323. ** For a contrasting perspective on some of the same historical material, rent a copy of Derek Jarman's film Edward II. A LESBIAN VOICE Lesbian rocker Melissa Etheridge fills the (over-sized) cover of "Rolling Stone's" June 1 issue. An important "rock 'n role model" for lesbian and gay youth, she makes a striking image -- decked out in gold lame pants, guitar in hand, Etheridge passionately belts out another hit. "She's the Boss," the headline declares. Inside the magazine, Jancee Dunn's feature offers a portrait of Etheridge AND her sexual orientation. The article pays ample and forthright attention to Etheridge's "longtime love, director Julie Cypher." "They do a lot of . . . bickering back and forth like an old married couple," Dunn writes, "Which, in a sense, they are, having been together for five years . . . . The two complement each other nicely." On an ironic note: This feature story also includes extensive commentary from comedian/TV star Ellen DeGeneres, who is a good friend of both Cypher and Etheridge. DeGeneres has given reporters a routine "no comment" in response to persistent questions about her own sexual orientation. That situation remains unchallenged in this story (and Etheridge, according to Dunn, "does not support outing"). Interested DeGeneres fans will have no trouble reading between the lines here (but it's unfortunate that they have to). In Dunn's article, Etheridge's own voice also comes through -- loud and clear. Of growing up in Kansas without lesbian role models, Etheridge observes: "There were no movies, except in the early '80s, there was 'Making Love,' which starred two men and Kate Jackson. Then, flash forward two years later, I kiss my first girl, and fireworks go off, and music is playing. And then it's just . . . clear." ** Feedback should be directed to Jann S. Wenner, Editor and Publisher, "Rolling Stone," 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104, tel. 212-484-1616, fax 212-767-8214, e-mail rollingstone@echonyc.com. SPINNING UNTOLD TALES "Homeless teens with HIV" are the subject of Dennis Cooper's essay in the June 1995 issue of "Spin," a pop music-culture magazine targeted to the youth/young adult market. Whether they are queer or straight, many HIV+/homeless teens struggle to earn a living as "gay hustlers." Their story is an important one, too often untold. Copper's essay ("AIDS: Words From the Front") focuses on "Jason," a "young, reckless, fledgling drummer in a ragtag Hollywood punk band" who is "also HIV-positive and homeless." In telling Jason's story, the author adopts a decidedly-subjective, moral tone that won't please every reader. Still, Cooper does allow his subjects to speak for themselves. And they do so with an eloquence that forcefully captures both their pathos and passion, their triumphs as well as their tragedies. Ultimately, Cooper's essay -- however "flawed" or partial -- is a welcome contribution on a subject that most mainstream media (and even some lesbian/gay outlets) prefer to ignore. Given our society's wide-spread persecution of young sex workers, such ignorance is intolerable. With this feature story, "Spin" provides a break in the silence that truly equals death. ** Comments should be sent to Craig Marks, Executive Editor, "Spin," 6 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011, e-mail spinonline@aol.com (letters intended for publication should addressed to "Attn: Point Blank"). EXEMPLARY EXAMINATION On May 23, California's Attorney General -- Dan Lungren -- joined with six other state attorneys general in attacking lesbian/gay/bisexual civil rights. "In the name of the people of California," Lungren asked the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Colorado's "Amendment 2," a 1992 initiative that would have deprived lesbian, gay and bisexual citizens of equal protection under the law. Lungren argued that lesbians and gays are NOT victims of persistent discrimination and that the U.S. Constitution was NOT meant to protect "every and any special interest group." Lungren's homophobic diatribe was roundly condemned by the "San Francisco Examiner," one of the city's major daily newspapers. In a May 25 editorial statement ("Lungren's Harmful Meddling"), the "Examiner" argued that Lungren had acted "without even a veneer of legal respectability" in supporting Amendment 2. The editorial explained: "Colorado's state Supreme Court held courageously -- and correctly, in our view -- that the controversial amendment would unconstitutionally bar homosexuals from having an 'effective voice in government' . . . . Lungren says he is not embracing Amendment 2 as such but is opposed to the . . . broad dictum that any 'independently identifiable group' is entitled to equal protection under the U.S. Constitution. He does not want this standard imposed . . . because it would confer rights on 'deadbeat dads, blue-eyed people, bald people, fat people.' C'mon. Is that what the courts are talking about?" The "Examiner's" editorial concluded: "Lungren might as well own up to his true intent of scoring a point against gay rights for the benefit of his right-wing constituency. The trouble is, this is not what he has been elected to do . . . ." ** Send comments to James A. Finefrock, Editor of the Editorial Pages, "San Francisco Examiner," P.O. Box 7260, San Francisco, CA 94120, tel. 415-777-7923, fax 415-512-1264, e-mail sfexaminer@aol.com. MEDIA BRIEFS * The "Disappearing Queer Blues?" . . . According to "USA Today" ("Back On Blue?," May 11), John -- a gay character on the prime-time series "NYPD Blue" -- might not be back next season. Currently, the ABC series ranks amongst the coveted "top twenty" shows, watched by over 20 million TV viewers each week. Calls for John's return should be directed to Steven Boccho and David Milch, Executive Producers, "NYPD Blue," Steven Boccho Productions, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035; copy your correspondence to Ted Harbert, President, ABC Entertainment, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067, tel. 310-557-7777, fax 310-557-7170, e-mail abcaudr@ccabc.com. * S-E-X on V-H-S . . . A call for entries has been issued for the 3rd Annual Gay Men's Safe Sex Video Contest, co-sponsored by Frameline, Falcon Studios, "Wilde" magazine, and the S.F. AIDS Foundation. The sponsors are "strongly encouraging low budget, amateur videos edited in-camera." Entries should be 10 minutes in length or less, and cash prizes will be awarded in each of five categories. Deadline for entries: July 1, 1995. For details, contact Safe Sex Video III, S.F. AIDS Foundation, P.O. Box 426182, San Francisco, CA 94142-6182, tel. 415-864-5855. * On The Mag . . . The June ' 95 issue of "Mother Jones" magazine features a cover story on "Bustin' Rush." Molly Ivins and Stephen Talbot write, respectively, about that "Lyin' Bully" and "Wizard of Ooze" -- Rush Limbaugh. The issue also includes "Big Fat Lies," a sampling of Limbaugh's deceptions, as collected by Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (F.A.I.R). Contact: Jeffrey Klein, Editor-In-Chief, "Mother Jones," 731 Market St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94103, e-mail backtalk@mojones.com. "Mother Jones" is available online through PeaceNet (telnet igc.apc.org) and URL (http://www.mojones.com or gopher://gopher.mojones.com). * Limbaugh Humbug . . . More of Rush Limbaugh's endless lies are carefully dissected in "The Way Things Aren't: Rush Limbaugh's Reign of Error" (The New York Press, 1995). Published under the auspices of F.A.I.R, the book examines "over 100 outrageously false and foolish statements from America's most powerful radio and TV commentator." Contact: F.A.I.R, 130 W. 25th St., New York, NY 10001, tel. 212-633-6700. * Compassionate Update . . . Hollywood Supports has announced that "an unprecedented list of national television programs, daytime soap operas, news shows and cable outlets" will honor the "Day of Compassion" on June 21 by "devoting programming to AIDS awareness and people affected by HIV/AIDS." First-time participants committed to date include nineteen cable networks. Contact: Hollywood Supports, 8455 Beverly Blvd., Suite 305, Los Angeles, CA 90048, tel. 213-655-7705, fax 213-655-0955, e-mail hsupports@aol.com. * Detailing Hate Radio . . . The June '95 issue of "Details" magazine includes an extensive profile of Spencer Hughes, "the youngest talk-radio host in America, and possibly the angriest." Hughes is on staff at KSFO, an all-conservative (and all-homophobic) San Francisco-based talk radio station, owned by ABC/Capitol Cities. Contact: Joe Dolce, Editor-In-Chief, "Details," 350 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10017. * Media Watch Allies . . . The Freedom Forum is a nonpartisan, international, programmatic foundation dedicated to "free press, free speech and free spirit for all people." Contact: The Freedom Forum Pacific Coast Center, 70 Washington St., Suite 210, Oakland, CA 94607, tel. 510-287-9960, fax 510-287-9980. * "I Do" vs. "I Don't" . . . In the May/June '95 issue of "MS," the magazine's executive editor examines some of the urgent issues surrounding the lesbian/gay marriage debate WITHIN the lesbian/gay community ("Is Marriage The Answer?: Domestic Partnership Activists Don't Think So"). Contact Barbara Findlen, Executive Editor, "MS," 230 Park Ave., New York, NY 10169, e-mail ms@echonyc.com. * E-Media Watch . . . Teachers and others experiencing homophobia at a college or university can contact the International Homophobia Hotline via electronic mail (lhart@english.upenn.edu). Initiated by Lynda Hart as "a watchdog in the academy," the e-mail Hotline provides both support and advocacy. Hart is also the author of "Fatal Women: Lesbian Sexuality and the Mark of Aggression," a book that examines murderous literary and film portrayals of lesbian/bisexual women. By phone, Hart can be reached at 215-898-8603. * Air Pollution Alert . . . DJ Gary Bryant -- of Northern California radio station KFRC -- has been playing the role of Schlock Jock-In-Residence. On May 23, he described sports writers as a "bunch of limp wristed little jerks" and complained that Bay Area media are "wimpy and feminized." Contact: KFRC, 500 Washington St., San Francisco, CA 94111, tel. 415-986-6100. * Sound Bites . . . "As far as I'm concerned, I think that a band like Pansy Division saves people's lives. A lot of kids go through life just not knowin' what the hell they are, or what their sexuality is all about, and they just kind of go confused. But if someone has sort of the same ideas and feelings they do, and a sense of humor thrown on top of it, then it really helps'' (Bille Joe, lead singer of Green Day, commenting on his group's opening act -- the queer punk band Pansy Division). * UnSound Bites . . . "I'm terribly vindictive. If somebody ripped me apart in the press, I'd kill them. I would HAVE them killed, and no one would ever know" (Mel Gibson to "GQ" writer Stephanie Mansfield, in the May '95 issue). # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # WE MUST CONFRONT THE MEDIA'S HOMOPHOBIA IN ORDER TO CURE IT! TO NOTIFY GLAAD-SFBA OF ANY DEFAMATORY OR AFFIRMATIVE MEDIA COVERAGE CALL OUR 24-HOUR MEDIA WATCH HOTLINE AT 415-861-4588, OR WRITE TO "MEDIA WATCH," GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION-SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, 1360 MISSION STREET, SUITE 200, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103; tel. 415-861-2244, fax 415-861-4893, e-mail GLAADSFBA@AOL.COM. FOUNDED IN 1988, THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CHAPTER OF GLAAD IS A MEMBERSHIP-BASED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO CULTURAL ADVOCACY AND MEDIA ACTIVISM. GLAAD-SFBA PROMOTES THE FAIR, ACCURATE AND DIVERSE REPRESENTATION OF LESBIAN, GAY AND BISEXUAL LIVES IN ALL FORMS OF MASS MEDIA. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "MEDIA WATCH" is a weekly report that may be reprinted or posted without prior permission, provided that, when appropriate, attribution is made to Al Kielwasser and/or GLAAD-SFBA. We greatly appreciate copies of any publications that use all or part of the "MEDIA WATCH." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Thank you for your participation in GLAAD's vital struggle to combat homophobia in and through the mass media . . . the most awesome forces in contemporary society.