Subject: GLAAD MEDIA WATCH, June 9
From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 1995 04:08:18 -0400

M e d i a W a t c h
for June 9, 1995
by
A l   K i e l w a s s e r
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation,
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter

CYBER PHOBIA

Rumors that a 15-year-old Washington boy had been "lured" to San Francisco by
an "older"  gay man -- using the America Online (AOL) computer service --
have excited a rush of paranoid and homophobic news reports.  The "San
Francisco Examiner" ran a piece on "prowling through the Internet."  A Bay
Area (KGO-TV) morning news program broadcast the story, using -- as
background footage -- images of someone searching AOL's "Gay & Lesbian
Community Forum" (suggesting that the bulletin board is really a pedophile
playground).  

The June 19 issue of "Newsweek" ran an especially melodramatic report, "Don't
'Chat' To Strangers."  The article, written by Marc Peyser, opened on this
note:  "Daniel Montgomery was so addicted to America Online's 'chat rooms' --
a nationwide system of cyberspace pen pals -- that his parents limited him to
four online hours a week.  But the Montgomerys didn't know how dangerous the
obsession was until the 15-year-old vanished from home in Mapple Valley,
Wash., on May 18."

The "Newsweek" article went on to discuss how baffled and vexed parents are
in the face of such "computer-assisted disappearances."  "A child may know
not to talk to strangers at the mall," the article explains, "but in the
faceless, anonymous world of online, talking to strangers is the whole idea.
 And sometimes those strangers can be predators."

As it turned out, the "older" gay man in the Daniel Montgomery case was
actually another teenage boy.  The mainstream media have been less anxious to
tell that part of the story.

Missing from these and many other accounts has been any serious investigation
into Daniel Montgomery's home life.  The press was anxious to question how
the boy could be LURED from his home by a pedophile.  But no one asked how he
could have been DRIVEN from his home by homophobic parents.  That, after all,
is the more common -- and yet less reported upon -- situation in the lives of
lesbian, gay and bisexual youth.

In fact, Daniel's parents have been described as "devoutly Christian."  A
report in the " San Jose Mercury News" reveals a bit more.  In his June 6
article, David Plotnikoff reports that "the dust from Daniel Montgomery's
on-line odyssey -- which began with a meeting in one of America Online's
real-time gay chat areas -- has yet to settle."  Plotnikoff indicates that
Daniel's father -- according to earlier reports -- believes there are
"organized gay efforts on-line to recruit boys."  

Another story in the "Mercury," also on June 6, reports a conversation with
Daniel's mother.  Talking with her by phone, reporter Michael Dorgan quotes
Ruth Montgomery as she insists that "there are no indications" that her son
might be gay.  "Just then," Dorgan writes," the phone connection was briefly
interrupted, after which Ruth Montgomery could be heard to say sternly,
'Don't do this to Mommy!  You don't do this to your Mommy!'  After several
similar admonishments from Ruth Montgomery, an angry young male voice
shouted, 'You'll just make it worse!'"

Unfortunately, this current spate of cyber phobia will only feed the
censorious frenzy surrounding the Internet.  For example, the latest (May
1995) issue of "Family Voice" -- magazine of the Right Wing "Concerned Women
for America" -- warns readers:  "The Internet has become the latest avenue
for pornography to slip into the home.  But now the state and federal
governments are ready to crack down on this latest assault on the family."
 And, indeed, Senator James Exon (D-NE) has already introduced the first of
an inevitable series of legislative efforts to ban "obscenity" on the
Internet.  

It's impossible to avoid the uneasy feeling of deja vu.  Censors have always
been suspicious of the pleasures of children.  In his 1954 book "Seduction of
the Innocent," psychiatrist Frederic Wertham panicked the nation -- and the
U.S. Congress -- with his lurid tales of how popular comic books could lead
children into homosexuality and murder.  Such irrational fears and fantasies
have been raised in regard to every medium popular with the young, from
movies to music.  Now, it's the modem.

For lesbian, gay and bisexual youth, this issue is nothing less than a matter
of life and death.  Often isolated and despised by both family and society,
these youth may find a lifeline in the on-line world of the Internet.

**  Encourage the press to tell the REAL story of homophobia in the lives of
young gay and lesbian teens.  Ask your local papers to editorialize against
efforts to censor Internet communication.  Feedback can also be directed to
Phil Bronstein, Editor, "San Francisco Examiner," 110 5th Street, San
Francisco, CA 94103, tel. 415-777-2424, e-mail [email-masked]; Jim
Topping, President, KGO-TV, 900 Front Street, San Francisco, CA 94111, tel.
415-954-7777, fax 415-956-6402; Maynard Parker, Editor, "Newsweek," 251 West
57th Street, New York, NY 10019, fax 212-445-4120, e-mail [email-masked]
or [email-masked]; Jerome Ceppos, Managing Editor, "San Jose Mercury
News," 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95190, tel. 408-920-5000, fax
408-288-8060, e-mail [email-masked] or [email-masked]; For a free 3-month
subscription to "Family Voice," call 800-323-2200, or write to Concerned
Women for America, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC
20024.

ABBY APOLOGIZES!

In her May 5 column, "Dear Abby" (Abigail Van Buren) gave some rotten advice
to a man who was upset about "ugly" rumors that he might be gay.  Abby agreed
that such talk (and, by implication, being gay) was indeed "ugly."  She
condemned the "ugly accusations" without condemning -- or even mentioning --
homophobia.  

In response, the popular advice columnist received lots of advice herself --
from lesbian and gay letter writers.  "It is PREJUDICE that is ugly -- not
being gay," one reader wrote, "I believe you owe all of us an apology."

To her credit, Van Buren printed a number of similar letters in her June 2
column, which was completely devoted to the subject.  And she DID apologize.

Van Buren wrote:  "Anyone who has read my column for any length of time knows
that not only am I not homophobic but for decades I have spoken out to
promote understanding and acceptance of gays and lesbians.  You have my
profound apology.  I completely agree with your statement that what is ugly
is prejudice -- not one's sexual orientation."

Send compliments to Abigail Van Buren, "Dear Abby," P.O. Box 69440, Los
Angeles, CA 90069.

A CREDIBLE FILM

This Summer, theater screens will light up with a new film from
writer/director (and ACT UP activist) Maria Maggenti.  "The Incredibly True
Adventures of Two Girls In Love" tells the comic tale of first love between
two young women during their Senior year of high school.

Laurel Hollmon plays "Randy Dean" -- a working class "tomboy" who lives with
her lesbian aunt and her aunt's lover.  She falls in love with "Evie Roy" --
"one of the most popular girls in school" -- who is played by Nicole Parker.

Major motion pictures seldom (if ever) celebrate lesbian, gay or bisexual
teen relationships.  Fine Line Pictures deserves support for the decision to
distribute this breakthrough film.

*  Contact Sarah Eaton, Fine Line Pictures, 888 7th Avenue, New York, NY
10106, fax 212-956-1942.

STYLE GUIDANCE

Ron Rapoport writes a sports column for the Los Angeles "Daily News," and he
also appears each Saturday on National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition."  In
his June 2 "Daily News" column ("Sports Zone"), Rapoport offers his
perspective on the recent death of Glenn Burke, a major league baseball
player who was gay and had AIDS.

Rapoport's column is fairly intelligent, and he makes several important
points.  He notes the homophobia that rages through professional sports, and
which keeps most lesbian and gay athletes locked firmly in the closet.  "The
obituaries seem to imply that when Burke died Tuesday night he was the first
major-league baseball player to succumb to AIDS," Rapoport writes, "but this
is not the case."  Rather, he points out, "Burke was the first player to
admit to being gay and contracting the disease and therein lies a crucial
difference."

Despite what seem to be his good intentions, however, Rapoport's column is
marred by two stylistic problems that plague lots of news print.  First,
Glenn Burke did not -- as Rapoport writes -- "admit to being gay."  Burke
came out.  He said he was gay.  And that's an important difference.  As long
as reporters improperly use phrases like "admit to being gay" or "an admitted
lesbian," homosexuality is treated less as a sexual orientation and more like
a criminal offense.

Rapoport also writes:  "Burke did not get AIDS from having sex with women or
from a blood transfusion or even from an infected needle while taking drugs.
 He got it in what is by far the most common way.  He got it from gay sex."
 Certainly, gay men are a community besieged by the HIV plague.  But no one
ever got HIV or AIDS from "gay sex."  People contract the virus through
unprotected or unsafe sex with an HIV-positive individual.  This
all-too-common media misstep only reinforces the homophobic notion that "gay
sex" is inherently dirty, diseased or even deadly.

**  Rapoport and other well-intentioned journalists want to do better; they
just need some advice on how to do it.  Send feedback to Ron Rapoport, "The
Daily News," P.O. Box 4200, Woodland Hills, CA 91365,  tel. 818-713-3000, fax
818-713-3723.

MEDIA BRIEFS

*  Misinformation Bulletin . . .   The "Bulletin of the National Association
of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality" (NARTH) is a source of much
homophobic misinformation.  For a free copy (along with other "information"
on "healing homosexuality"), call 818-789-4440.  NARTH's annual conference is
scheduled for July 29, in San Francisco.

*  Around The World . . .   "BLK" has recently established a World Wide Web
site, focusing on the black lesbian and gay community
(http://www.blk.com/blk/).  "Pinkboard," Australia's "oldest gay computer
bulletin board system," has also joined the World Wide Web
(www.pinkboard.com.au); e-mail [email-masked].  "OUT" -- "America's
best-selling gay and lesbian magazine" -- just launched its new World Wide
Web service, in conjunction with Apple Computer and over 20 gay/lesbian
newspapers (http://www.out.com).  The Institute for First Amendment Studies
-- publishers of "Freedom Writer" newsletter ("A Hard Look At The Hard
Right") -- also offers a World Wide Web home page
(http://www.crocker.com/~ifas/).

*  Media Milestone . . .   According to producers, the 13 episodes of
"Network Q:  Out Across America" have made "broadcast history" as "the first
weekly gay television series."  The series premiered June 8th, on Denver PBS
station KBDI.  The series will be distributed via satellite (and at no cost)
to PBS stations nationwide.  Urge your local PBS outlet to pick up this and
other lesbian/gay/bisexual programming!  For more information about "Out
Across America," contact Network Q, 4001 S. Decatur #367, Las Vegas, NV
89103, tel. 800-368-0638, e-mail [email-masked].

*  Hate On-Line . . .   Subscribers to the America OnLine (AOL) computer
service are given the option of completing public  "user profiles," which
list such details as name, birthdate, occupation and hobbies.  Demonstrating
that hate is alive and well (and on-line), a recent sampling of AOL profiles
includes the following:  (1)  Screen Name: Ebelrectom, Member Name: Chuck,
Birthdate: 2/1/64, Sex: Male, Hobbies: Nasty women, big tits, fag bashing.
 (2)  Screen Name: Slade13,  Member Name: Slade Stewart,  Birthdate: 8/80,
Hobbies: Fag bashing.  (3)  Screen Name: Dav666, Birthdate: 3/7/70, Sex:
Male, Occupation: U.S. Marine Corp, Hobbies: Gay bashing, fag hunting.  (4)
 Screen Name: Tdogg34, Member Name: Travis Lawler, Birthdate: 12/7/78, Sex:
Male, Hobbies: Snowboarding, guitar playing, fag bashing.  (5) Screen Name:
Uklet, Sex: Male, Hobbies: Cross burning, gay bashing, nigger lynching.  

*  By The Book . . .   The American Library Association's Gay, Lesbian and
Bisexual Book Awards Committee has announced the winners of the 1995
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Book awards.  Award-winning books include Dorothy
Allison's "Skin:  Talking About Sex, Class & Literature" (Firebrand Books)
 and Phillip Sherman's and Samuel Bernstein's "Uncommon Heroes:  A
Celebration of Heroes and Role Models for Gay and Lesbian Americans"
(Fletcher Press).  Nominations are already being sought for the 1996 awards,
and the deadline is November 30, 1995.  For details, contact John DeSantis,
Chair, Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Book Award Committee, Dartmouth College
Library, HB 6025, Hanover, NH 03755-3525, tel. 603-646-3605, fax
603-646-3702, e-mail [email-masked].

*  Straight From The Homophobe's Mouth . . .   "Shut Up Fag!" is a new
collection of California Congressperson Bob Dornan's "outrageous statements
on gays and many other issues."  The collection is produced by Mainstreet
Media, edited by Nathan Callahan and William Payton, and distributed by the
Institute for First Amendment Studies (IFAS).  For details, contact IFAS,
P.O. Box 589, Great Barrington, MA 01230, tel. 413-528-3800, e-mail
[email-masked].

*  The ROT in JROTC . . .   The "Junior Reserve Office Training Corp"  --
JROTC -- is a Pentagon-operated military  program that brings racist and
homophobic textbooks into public school classrooms.  Across the country,
hundreds of new JROTC programs are scheduled to open next Fall.  A national
telephone hotline -- 1-800-NO-JROTC -- provides information to activists
working to stop JROTC indoctrination.

*  Sound Bite . . .   "I visualize being with another man" (San Antonio Spurs
forward Dennis Rodman -- who also says he goes to gay bars -- in a recent
"Sports Illustrated" cover story).

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WE MUST CONFRONT 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
[email-masked].

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.

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"MEDIA WATCH" is a weekly report that may be reprinted or posted without
prior permission, provided that, when appropriate, attribution is made to Al
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Thank you for your participation in GLAAD's vital struggle to combat
homophobia in and through the mass media . . .    We're shaping the forces
that shape our lives!