Subject: GLAAD MEDIA WATCH, July 14
From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 16:11:37 -0400

M e d i a W a t c h
for 
July 14, 1995

by

Al Kielwasser
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation,
San Francisco Bay Area

"NEWSWEEK" DISCOVERS "NEW SEX"

On June 21, 1993, an embracing lesbian couple filled the ubiquitous cover of
"Newsweek" magazine.  "Lesbians have always been the invisible homosexuals,"
the caption announced, "now these women are stepping front and center."  This
week, the magazine has similarly discovered bisexuals.  "Newsweek's" July 17
cover story declares:  "A new sexuality emerges . . . .  Now it's coming out
in the open -- in pop culture, in cyberspace and on campus."

Of course, bisexuality is hardly a "new sexuality."  But it IS news to much
of the mainstream press and -- consequently -- to much of the public.  In
that regard, this cover story is a particularly welcome (and long-overdue)
contribution to bi visibility.  

Across seven, well-illustrated pages, "Newsweek" paints a fairly affirmative
portrait of bisexual identities.  Significantly, the authors manage to avoid
much of the sex-negativity and "voyeuristic" style that has marred similar
attempts.  And while the article touches upon a broad range of subjects --
myths, history, media, sex, love -- not a single bigot was quoted for
"balance." 

"Newsweek's" coverage is not perfect, of course.  In contrast to (or perhaps
because of) the article's emphasis on bisexual identity, there is relatively
little said, directly, about bisexual politics.  The authors' gloss over such
concepts as "community" and "movement," though these are fundamental to the
very "emergence" announced on the magazine's cover.  

Nevertheless, the article is still a groundbreaking achievement for a
mainstream medium . . . especially one of this stature.  Thus issue of
"Newsweek" -- vivid, unapologetic and (literally) covered with bisexuality --
will reach several MILLION readers.

***  Encourage "Newsweek" to continue providing fair, accurate and diverse
coverage of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender subjects; send comments to
Richard M. Smith, Editor-in-Chief, "Newsweek," 251 West 57th Street, New
York, NY 10019-1894, fax 212-445-4120, e-mail [email-masked].

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

July 19 marks the season premiere of "The Larry Sanders Show," which is
entering its fourth year on the Home Box Office (HBO) network.  In the
season's second episode, scheduled for July 26, the cast will be joined by a
continuing gay character.  The new addition will be played by the (VERY) out
gay actor,  Scott Thompson (formerly of "Kids In The Hall").

Scott Thompson's appearance should continue HBO's good record on lesbian and
gay representation.  Last year, the network made a positive contribution to
lesbian visibility with "More Than Friends: The Coming Out of Heidi Leiter,'
which portrayed the story of a high-school senior who comes out to herself
and her parents, falls in love, and takes her girlfriend to the senior prom.
 This year, HBO's Sports Division hired Martina Navratilova as a Wimbledon
commentator; such high-profile positions are rarely given to lesbian or gay
athletes (unless they are closeted).  And next year, in February, HBO will
debut "The Celluloid Closet," a documentary film based on author/activist
Vito Russo's seminal history of homosexuality in the movies.

***   Supportive feedback can be sent to Home Box Office, HBO Building, 1100
Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. 

WHAT'S NEWS?

Actor Keanu Reeves is the subject of "Vanity Fair's" August 1995 cover story
("The Wild One:  Keanu Reeves on Sex, Hollywood and Life on the Run").
 Written by Michael Shnayerson, this feature is standard fare -- a typical
mix of doting biography ("Like every strong, athletic boy in Canada, Keanu
learned to adore ice hockey") and pop psychoanalysis ("Answering earnestness
with earnestness, I wonder aloud if there isn't in Keanu some central
struggle between discipline and nihilism . . . .").

The "Vanity Fair" feature is unique in one respect, however.  At one point in
the article, the "sexually enigmatic" Reeves offers some relatively direct
answers to questions about his sexual orientation (i.e., he's straight).
 Shnayerson hyped this angle on the July 5 broadcast of the daily television
show "Entertainment Tonight" ("ET").  That broadcast left much to be desired.

The "ET" segment opened with a derogatory teaser, which announced that Keanu
Reeves was "finally coming clean about some dirty Hollywood rumors."  During
the show, a misleading newspaper headline -- "Keanu Blasts Back At Gay Slur"
-- was displayed without comment.  Finally, "ET" host John Tesh concluded the
spot on a note of homophobic hope; the heterosexual love scenes in Reeves'
two new films, Tesh said, "should help dispel the gay rumors."

In the "Vanity Fair" interview, Reeves makes a point of insisting that he
does NOT resent the rumors about his sexuality because "there is nothing
wrong with being gay."    For Reeves, such rumors are neither "dirty" nor
"slurs."  But "ET" never got around to mentioning this aspect of the story;
the segment was only interested in DISPELLING homosexuality, not DISCUSSING
it.

When a young actor wants to talk about NOT BEING A HOMOSEXUAL, it's big news.
 But if he want's to talk about NOT BEING A HOMOPHOBE, the media aren't
interested.

*** Comments can be sent to Michael Shnayerson, Contributing Editor, "Vanity
Fair," 350 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017, e-mail [email-masked];
"Entertainment Tonight," 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038, tel.
213-956-4900, fax 213-956-4954.

CHOICE WORDS

A professional journalist would not -- as a matter of course  -- describe
"Birth of a Nation" as a "movie about African-American issues."  Likewise,
few reporters would refer to neo-Nazi publications as a "series of books on
Jewish topics."  When it comes to homophobic media, however, the same
standard is not yet applied.

A front-page article by John Carlson, staff writer at the "Des Moines
Register," provides a case in point ("Radio Host Soliciting For Anti-Gay
Campaign," July 8, 1995).  In general, Carlson provides adequate coverage of
an important subject.  His focus is Jan Mickelson, the host of a popular
talk-show in Iowa who is also soliciting money for The Report, "a
California-based anti-gay organization that is at the center of the
homosexual-rights debate in the Des Moines schools."

Carlson writes that The Report "has produced a half-dozen videotape programs
dealing with gay issues."  He also describes these tapes as a "series of
videos on gay issues."  That's an unfortunate (as well as misleading and
inaccurate) choice of words.

The Report's specialty is misinformation; the organization produces rabidly
homophobic videotapes, which have been widely distributed amongst
legislators, school officials, lobbyists and "church groups."  Among The
Report's more infamous productions is "The Gay Agenda."

"The Gay Agenda" -- a Nazi-esque propaganda effort -- is NOT "a videotape
program dealing with gay issues."  None of the videos produced by The Report
address "gay issues."  Rather, they are concerned with the specific fears and
fantasies of individuals who have made a career out of bigotry; these are
video programs dealing with "homophobe issues."  In fact, the videotapes
could have been described -- accurately, and with no need for any value
judgment -- as "homophobic."  

***   To encourage greater accuracy and fairness in reporting, write to John
Carlson, "Des Moines Register," Box 957, Des Moines, IA 50304, fax
515-286-2511, e-mail [email-masked].  For lurid details about The Report's
library of video hate, contact Ty and Jeannette Beeson, Executive Directors,
The Report, 42640 10th Street West, Lancaster CA 93534, tel. 1-800-462-4700.

LOG CABIN FEVER

During a recent Congressional debate, Rep. Randy Cunningham (R-SD) railed
against his colleagues for supporting  -- as he put it -- "homos in the
military."  That public slur was widely condemned, in both the mainstream and
lesbian/gay press.  According to the San Diego Log Cabin Club, however, the
press got it wrong.  

The May/June issue of the club's newsletter, "Political Journal," defends
Cunningham and argues that his use of the word "homo" was NOT defamatory.
  The "Journal" explains:  "The Congressman does object to gays in the
military.  But that was not the  issue in debate on the floor and
Cunningham's remark about 'homos' was not meant as a slur against gays, but,
as it was given, a generalized venting against liberals."  The newsletter
further argues that Cunningham was unfairly "singled out" for his use of the
term, since lesbians and gays also use the term, but without sanction.  

In other words, the "Journal" contends that SIMPLY because the phrase "HOMOS"
is tossed out RANDOMLY and with ANGER by a HETEROSEXUAL politician, who just
happens to ATTACK LESBIAN/GAY CIVIL RIGHTS for a  living, that's still NO
INDICATION OF HOMOPHOBIA.  

Such a claim is not simply immoral; it is insane.

***   Comments may be sent to David Tocki, Editor, "Political Journal," Log
Cabin Club of San Diego, P.O. Box 3242, San Diego, CA 92163, tel.
619-583-6538.

MEDIA BRIEFS

*  Movie Milestone . . .  Robert Hofler of the Reuters news service reports:
 "Amy Heckerling, who directed 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' in 1982, brings
back the much-maligned teen genre with one of the best comedies ever made
about pretwentysomethings.  'Clueless' stars Alicia Silverstone ('The Crush')
as a 90210 babe with the heart of a Gold Card, and newcomer Justin Walker,
who plays the screen's first gay 16-year-old heartthrob" (Reuters, July 12,
1995).

*  Gay-Per-View . . .   Last month, the "Wall Street Journal" reported that
Tangueray vodka and Pierre Cardin "have signed on to sponsor the television
show 'Freestyles,' hosted by Amanda Bearse, the openly lesbian actress from
the 'Married . . . With Children' TV series . . . .  The paid program will
run this summer on cable channel VH-1 with features that appeal to both gay
women and gay men."  "Freestyles" has since premiered, on July 16 and 17.
 VH-1 even placed an ad for the program in "TV Guide" (July 15-21, San
Francisco Metropolitan Edition, p. 87).  However, the "Freestyles" ad avoids
ever using the words "gay" or "lesbian," simply describing the program as "A
Show About Freedom . . . With Style."  Contact:  Viewer Services, VH-1, 1515
Broadway, New York, NY 10036, tel. 212-258-7800 or 212-258-8000.

*  Small Town S.O.S. . . .   This request was posted via the Internet by
Sammi (e-mail [email-masked]), a resident of Ocala, Florida:  "Ocala is a
small town but there is an upheaval on the gay issue . . . .  On July 2, the
local paper, the "Star Banner," released a story from the wire they got in
Seattle about a couple *gay men) raising adopted kids.  This is the 2nd story
in a positive light for this tiny paper, and a ray of hope.  But everyone is
writing in to boycott the paper and advertisers!  There is very little
supportive letters besides mine . . . it is a mess.  Can we get people to
write to the paper and let them know there are supporters for these
articles?"  Contact:  Editor, "Ocala Star Banner," 2121 SW 19th Avenue,
Ocala, FL, 32678, fax 904-867-4126 or 904-867-4028.  

*  In The (Computer) Life . . .   The July 1995 issue of "ComputerLife"
magazine includes a brief guide to on-line information resources on AIDS/HIV
treatment and prevention ("Online Life Savers," by Rebecca Freed).  Among the
sites to see, the magazine recommends the Queer Infoservers page
(http://www.infoqueer.org/queer/qis/health.html) -- "notable for its sheer
number of links" -- and the Safer Sex Page of the University of
California/San Francisco (http://www.cmpharm.ucsf.edu/~troyer/safesex.html),
which provides "educational resources such as newsletters, GIFs, and video
clips on safer-sex techniques."

*  Newsletter News . . .   "The Public Eye" is a "quarterly newsletter on the
American right wing and authoritarianism, with a major feature, essay-length
book review, annotated list of books received, resources list, and short
updates."  Contact:  Political Research Associates, 678 Massachusetts Avenue,
Suite 702, Cambridge, MA 02139-3355, tel. 617-661-9313.

*  E-Media Watch . . .   "FISHTALES" is a monthly on-line newsletter produced
by F.I.S.H. (Fighting Intolerance, Scapegoating and Hatred); the newsletter's
action alerts, updates, Internet tips, and resource lists reflect F.I.S.H.'s
"effort to combat the conservative right on all fronts."  E-mail:
 [email-masked]. 

*  Book Markers . . .   "Wilde About Sappho" is a "celebration of Gay and
Lesbian literature" held each November at the National Library of Canada; the
event is sponsored the Lambda Foundation for Excellence, "a
nationally-incorporated not-for-profit society dedicated to building bridges
of understanding among gays, lesbians, other equality-seeking groups and the
rest of society."  Contact:  Lambda Foundation for Excellence, tel.
613-791-6729.

*  Sound Bite . . .   "The world changes in direct proportion to the number
of people willing to be honest about their lives" (gay author and activist
Armistead Maupin, quoted in the "Rocky Mountain News," July 6, 1995).

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN GLAAD'S WORK.
YOUR PARTICIPATION IS VITAL!

Founded in 1988, the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of GLAAD is a
volunteer-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.  GLAAD challenges
homophobia in and through the mass media . . . shaping the forces that shape
our society.

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/San Francisco.  We greatly appreciate copies of any
publications that use all or part of the MEDIA WATCH.

To notify GLAAD/SFBA of any defamatory or affirmative media coverage, or to
request membership information, please call our 24-hour Media Watch Hotline
(415-861-4588) or write to Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/San
Francisco Bay Area Chapter, 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA
94103; tel. 415-861-2244, fax 415-861-4893, e-mail [email-masked].

LET THE MEDIA KNOW YOU'RE WATCHING!

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