Subject: GLAAD MEDIALERT, Oct. 23
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 02:55:30 -0400

INDEX:
1.  "Landers vs. Helms" (Ann Landers)
2.  "Homophobe, Heal Thyself" (Geraldo Rivera Show, Miami Herald)
3.  "TV Guides" (Central Park West, Courthouse, Pursuit of Happiness)
4.  "Two Points" (America & The Courts, Rocky Mountain News, U.S. News &
World Report, Colorado Solicitor General)
5.  "Media Briefs" (Republican Bumper Stickers, Alien Nation, Homophobia
Curriculum, Parenting Publications, Web Sites, Newsletters, Youth Hotline,
Bites)
6.  General GLAAD Information (GLAAD/SFBA, MediAlert, Membership)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

       M  e  d  i  A  l  e  r  t     

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

for the week of 
October 23 - 29, 1995 

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

L A N D E R S   V S   H E L M S  

Advice columnist Ann Landers refused to back down when one of her readers
wrote to complain about her opinion of Jesse Helms' opinions.  The reader who
wrote was Jesse Helms himself.

In a previous column, Landers questioned the Senator's views on AIDS.  Helms
has frequently condemned funding for research and care related to this
"homosexual disease."  

In her October 15 column, Landers printed a letter from Helms, who wrote to
clarify his record.  "I have indeed called for a fairer and more equitable
balance in federal funding for AIDS and a number of other diseases including
heart disease and cancer," Helms claimed, "As for AIDS being transmitted
through blood transfusions and by unsteralized needles, you are, of course,
correct.  But as has been made clear by many medical authorities long ago,
the ultimate origin of all such AIDS-tainted blood has been homosexual
contact."

Landers replied:  "Dear Sen. Helms -- Your statement 'the ultimate origin of
all such AIDS-tainted blood has been homosexual contact' is patently
incorrect.  The Centers for Disease Control does not know where the virus
originated, but it infects both homosexuals and heterosexuals alike."
 Landers also refuted Helms' claim she mistakenly asserted that he wanted to
reduce AIDS funding.  Landers reminded the Senator of his own despicable
record:  "You have sponsored four amendments to the 1995 Ryan White
Comprehensive AIDS Resources and Emergency (CARE) Act that would severely cut
funding for AIDS."  

Landers reminds Helms that he has indeed voted for legislation that would
restrict "funds from being used for organizations that provide lifesaving
services, counseling . . . and accurate medical information for gays and
intravenous drug users."  After detailing each of the amendments, Landers
pointedly asked the Senator:  "Are you aware that AIDS is the leading killer
of Americans ages 25 to 44?"

It is especially gratifying that a columnist with Landers' clout has refused
to capitulate to the stupidity and hate of Jesse Helms.  Landers is the most
widely-syndicated columnist IN THE WORLD.  Her daily advice appears in over
1,200 newspapers and reaches 90 MILLION readers.  

Landers' first column was printed on October 16, 1955.  In that premiere
piece, she offered some advice to an adulterous husband.  That advice could
easily be given, today, to Senator Jesse Helms.  "Time wounds all heels," she
wrote.  "You'll get yours."

***   ACTION ALERT!  Ann Landers has specifically noted that letters from
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender readers -- and our allies -- have
helped open her own, previously-homophobic eyes.  Keep the mail coming!
 Write to Ann Landers, P.O. Box 11562, Chicago, IL 60611-0562.

H O M O P H O B E ,   H E A L   T H Y S E L F 

With regard to intelligent conversation, a recent episode of the "Geraldo
Rivera" show was about as empty as Al Capone's vault.  "Gay Today, Straight
Tomorrow" was the theme for Rivera's October 18 broadcast, which opened with
the host asking:  "Can homosexuality be cured?"  

To his credit, Rivera's guests included two couples -- one gay, the other
lesbian -- who refuted the absurd and deeply homophobic notion of "cures."
 These couples were joined by Robert Spitzer, a medical doctor who played a
historic role (in 1973) in homosexuality's removal from classification as a
"psychiatric disorder."

However, the bulk of the talk show's chatter was taken up by Charles
Socarides -- the quack "doctor" and author of "A Freedom Too Far," who has
made a career of spreading homophobic misinformation.  Joining Socarides'
side of this "debate" were various self-hating lesbians and gays who claimed
to have been "cured."  Most told lurid and exaggerated stories of their
promiscuous lifestyles before being saved from the dread disease of
homosexuality.

Expectedly, Socarides dredged up some very stale "science."  He explained
that homosexuality festers in men who are attempting to compensate for a lack
of childhood masculinity; in women, homosexuality is the result of bad
relationships with men.  When asked why some homosexuals seemed to be happy
despite their "disease," Socarides told the audience that this was due to
"easy access to partners," a "lack of responsibility in raising children,"
and "keeping all of one's income to one's self."  

In an act of utter negligence, the despicable "doctor" also made a point of
directly addressing children in the viewing audience, urging them to be
healthy by CHOOSING heterosexuality.  Such impossible advice is tantamount to
telling young lesbians and gays to slash their own wrists.  It also gives
"professional" permission to the youthful homophobes who commit most of this
country's hate crimes, subtly advising them to stop the spread of
homosexuality by bashing another queer. 

Significantly, Geraldo Rivera did not challenge Socarides' claims, but
remained conspicuously neutral throughout the show.  Such neutrality is
hardly Rivera's trademark.  The passionate host has actually punched -- and
been punched by -- guests who were as racist as Socarides is homophobic.  

Rivera's DEFERENCE TO HOMOPHOBIA is a classic media bias.  Homophobes are
routinely given the "benefit of the doubt."  Homophobic comments are either
ignored or treated as "fair comment" by "good liberals" who -- like Rivera --
seldom display a similar tolerance for racist or anti-Semitic propaganda.

Talk shows are a media format where even the pretense of objectivity is
unnecessary.  In such a forum, Rivera's neutrality becomes even more
reprehensible.  Perhaps he might heed the advice of Elie Wiesel, who -- as he
accepted the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize -- reminded the world to "Take sides.
 Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim."

The oppressive myth of homosexual "cures" is as old as the myth of homosexual
"recruitment."  The irony, of course, is that few talk shows have yet to deal
extensively with the dreadful HETEROSEXUAL RECRUITMENT that gays and lesbians
must endure every day.  Moreover, too few talks shows have given significant
attention to CURES FOR HOMOPHOBIA, though homophobes ARE being cured --
slowly, but daily.

Consider, for example, a story in "The Miami Herald," printed just a few days
before the "Geraldo" broadcast.  In "A Minister's Revelation" (October 13),
 "Herald" staff writer Julie Kay details the story of John House -- "a
lifelong minister of the Southern Baptist faith."  Kay writes:  "One day
while driving into town with his 17-year-old son, John House heard three
words that would irrevocably alter his life:  'Dad, I'm gay' . . . .  'I
thought I would die,' House recalls.  In a sense, part of him did.  For as
House reexamined his life, he gradually shed the Southern Baptist stance
against homosexuality."  

"Today, nearly 20 years later," says Kay, "House, 69, is the pastor of . . .
a new church for gays and lesbians."

***   ACTION ALERT!   Insist that Geraldo Rivera deal seriously with serious
issues, treating homophobia with no more deference than racism or sexism;
also, encourage more print and broadcast media to expose the myth of "cured"
homosexuals," while telling the many untold stories of cures for homophobia.
 Write to Geraldo Rivera, "The Geraldo Rivera Show," 524 West 57th Street,
New York, NY 10019, tel. 212-265-8521, e-mail [email-masked];  Julie Kay,
"The Miami Herald," 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132, fax 305-376-8950, e-mail
[email-masked].

T V   G U I D E S

The Fall television season opened with the promise of unprecedented queer
visibility.  Some of that promise has been kept -- some has NOT.  

According to a report in "Variety," the original concept for the new
prime-time soap opera "Central Park West" included a homosexual character.
 However, CBS executives ordered producer Darren Star to change the role to a
straight woman.

The lesbian, African-American judge on CBS's "Courthouse" has been all but
invisible lately.  The character and her partner have not been featured
prominently in recent episodes, and the show is reportedly undergoing "some
revamping."

On a positive note, the new NBC sitcom "The Pursuit of Happiness" continues
to provide ample character space for "Alex," a gay series regular (played by
stand-up comic Brad Garrett).  One recent episode gave a twist to a sitcom
storyline staple.  Alex secured a "set-up" date to impress his ex-lover, a
construction worker, who was attending a party with his new boyfriend.

***   ACTION ALERT!  The vitality of queer TV characters depends on your
feedback!  Share your displeasure (with Lawrence Tisch, President, CBS, 51
West 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019), concerns (with Deborah Joy LeVine,
Producer, "Courthouse," Columbia Pictures Television, Sony Pictures Plaza,
10000 West Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, tel. 310-280-8597, fax
310-280-4398) and compliments (with David Lee and Peter Casey, Producers,
"The Pursuit of Happiness," Paramount Domestic TV, 5555 Melrose Avenue,
Trailer 33, Hollywood, CA 90038, tel. 213-956-4830, fax 213-956-1393; copy
your correspondence to Warren Littlefield, President, NBC Entertainment, 3000
West Alameda Avenue, Burbank, CA 91523, tel. 818-840-4444).

T W O   P O I N T S  

Press coverage of "Romer v. Evans" -- the Amendment 2 case -- was extensive.
 The result was a media mix of the good, the bad and the ugly.  

Good, if lackluster, coverage was provided by C-SPAN's "America & The Courts"
series.  The program's October 14 broadcast provided a fair and accurate
overview of the civil rights contest, now pending before the U.S. Supreme
Court.  The program properly identified Amendment 2 as legislation that "bars
or repeals any state or local laws that would protect homosexuals from
discrimination."  C-SPAN also provided viewers with the actual text of the
amendment, something many news outlets have -- remarkably -- failed to do.

Guests for this edition of "America & The Courts" included Jean Dubofsky,
lead attorney in the case against Amendment 2, Tim Tymkovich, Colorado's
Solicitor General, and Joan Biskupic, a Supreme Court reporter for "The
Washington Post."  Dubofsky pointed out that Amendment 2 would "deprive gay
people of all access to civil rights protections in Colorado," while
Tymkovich argued that Amendment 2 is really a matter of a "state's right" to
refuse "special protections" to homosexuals.

Bad coverage of the Amendment 2 case was plentiful, however.  For example, in
what the "Rocky Mountain News" touted as "A Different Perspective on the
Amendment 2 Conflict," associate editor Clifford D. May wrote:  "On one side
are homosexual activists tossing around such purposely provocative and
predictably hyperbolic slogans as 'Amendment 2 Kills Queers'.  On the other
side are religious activists who 'object' to what other people do in bed and
think their objections should matter to anyone but themselves."  May goes on
to champion the self-loathing rhetoric of "Log Cabin Republicans" and
"conservative homosexuals" who -- though they may oppose Amendment 2 -- still
"don't demand that government endorse their lifestyle or grant them special
protections based on the fact that they happen to find David Hasselhoff
prettier than Pamela Anderson."

May's editorial is hardly reflects the "moderate" position he seems to
admire.  Notice that he is incapable of referring to "religious activists" as
the "homophobic activists" they undoubtedly are.  Moreover, Amendment 2 is
hardly a privacy issue and has nothing to do with what "people do in bed."
 Defending the privacy of what "people do in bed" is not at all a defense of
the civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender citizens.  It is,
simply, the veiled rhetoric of homophobes like May who "don't mind" what
homosexuals do, as long as they don't "flaunt it."

Even uglier coverage of Amendment 2 can be found in the October 23 issue of
"U.S. News & World Report."  John Leo -- the magazine's "On Society"
columnist  -- defended Amendment 2.  Leo argued:  "For the Supreme Court to
strike down a state constitutional amendment as unconstitutional would come
close to overriding ordinary democracy."  Not surprisingly, Leo -- a white,
heterosexual male with a long history of homophobic writing -- is against
what he calls "victims groups" and their demand for "customized protections."

***   ACTION ALERT!   Send the appropriate feedback to John Leo, columnist,
and Mortimer B. Zuckermen, Editor-in-Chief, "U.S. News & World Report," 2400
N Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20037-1196, fax 202-955-2685, e-mail
[email-masked] (letters intended for publication should be sent to
the "Letters Editor," and must include the sender's full name, address and
daytime telephone number);  Clifford D. May, Associate Editor, "Rocky
Mountain News," 400 W. Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80204, fax 303-892-2568,
e-mail [email-masked];  Regina Hunter, Senior Producer, "America &
The Courts," C-SPAN, 100 North Capitol Street, N.W. 650, Washington, DC
20001, tel. 202-737-3220, fax 202-737-3323;  Tim Tymkovich, Solicitor
General, Office of the Attorney general, 1525 Sherman Street, 5th Floor,
Denver, CO 80302.

M E D I A   B R I E F S   

* DUMBER STICKERS . . .  The "Albuquerque Journal" (September 24) reports
that a number of highly offensive bumper stickers were prominently for sale
at a recent convention of the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW).
 Among the tacky stickers were those with these slogans:  "Roosevelt -- A
Chicken in Every Pot; Clinton -- A Fag in Every Pup Tent," "The Miracle of
AIDS Turned Fruits Into Vegetables," "Work -- It's the White Thing To Do,"
and "Renuke Japan."  As one observer noted:  "If this is the attitude of
Republican women, one can only guess at that of Republican men."  Demand that
the NFRW repudiate the message of these stickers and  apologize for allowing
them to be sold!  Contact the National Federation of republican Women, 124 N.
Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3011, tel. 703-548-9688.

* QUEER NATION . . .  A recent made-for-television movie based on the sci-fi
series "Alien Nation" has boldly gone where no homophobe has gone before.
 Not only did the movie include gay aliens, but the script made a point of
condemning homophobia and promoting sex-positive attitudes.  "Alien Nation:
 Body and Soul" aired October 10 on "The FOX Tuesday Night Movie."  Kudos
should be directed to the Fox Broadcasting Company, P.O. Box 900, Beverly
Hills, CA 90213-0900, tel. 310-369-1000, e-mail [email-masked]. 

* HEALTHY CURRICULUM . . .  A training curriculum, intended to teach health
providers about homophobia, has been developed by the Office of Gay and
Lesbian Concerns, 125 Worth Street, Room 601, Box 67, New York, NY 10013,
tel. 212-788-4310, fax 212-788-5243.

* PARENTAL PUBLICATIONS . . .  The National Center for Lesbian Rights
distributes several "manuals for lesbian and bisexual women considering or
already parenting."  Titles include:  "The Lesbian Mothers Litigation
Manual," "Lesbians Choosing Motherhood:  Legal Implications of Donor
Insemination and Co-Parenting," "AIDS and Child Custody:  A Guide to
Advocacy," and "A Lesbian and Gay Parent's Legal Guide to Child Custody."
 All are available for a "nominal fee" from NCLR, 870 Market Street, #570,
San Francisco, CA 94102, tel. 415-392-6257, fax 415-392-8442.

* WEB WATCH . . .  A new AIDS resource site is accessible via the World Wide
Web (http://www.thebody.com).  Wolfe Video, which has distributed lesbian,
gay and bisexual titles for over a decade, is now web-able
(http://wolfevideo.com).  Also well worth browsing is the OUT and PROUD site
(http://catalog.com/outproud/).  "Friends," the NBC sitcom series noted for
positive lesbian portrayals, has its own network-sponsored web site
(http://www.nbc.com/entertainment/shows/friends/index.html).  Chat about FOX
programs, from "The Simpsons" to "Melrose Place," is also web-accessible
(http://www.foxnetwork.com).  The activities of the American Family
Association, a homophobic media watchdog group, can be monitored and
countered by browsing the AFA web site (http://www.gocin.com/afa/home.htm).
 Another evil Right Wing group -- the Rutherford Institute -- can also be
monitored on the web (http://www.rutherford.org/).

* NEWSLETTER NEWS . . .  "Mulicultural Messenger" is the newsletter of the
International Multicultural Education Association (tel. 800-822-1080, fax
201-712-0045).  

* TELECOMMUNICATING . . .  The Indianapolis Youth Group (IYG) operates a
toll-free, youth-to-youth helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
teens.  The national service is confidential, anonymous, and staffed by
trained volunteers.  Call 800-347-TEEN.

* SOUND BITE . . .  "I never discuss my sexuality with the press because many
actors who have played openly gay characters have gone to great lengths to
announce their heterosexuality.  I find this behavior to be somewhat
homophobic"  --  Doug Savant, who plays gay character "Matt" on "Melrose
Place," quoted in "Entertainment Weekly," October 13, 1995.

* (UN)SOUND BITE . . .  "Oh God, help us care for our children. Give us
wisdom to create regulations that will protect the innocent . . .  In times
past, You have used the Senate to deal with problems of air and water
pollution, and the misuse of our natural resources . . . .  Now, guide the
Senators as they consider ways of controlling the pollution of computer
communications" --  Prayer offered by U.S. Senate Chaplain Lloyd John
Ogilvie, on the Senate floor, June 12, 1995. 

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A B 0 U T   G L A A D  .  .  . 

The GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION challenges homophobia in and
through the mass media . . . shaping the forces that shape our society.

Founded in 1988, the SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CHAPTER of GLAAD is a non-profit,
volunteer-based, membership organization dedicated to cultural advocacy and
media activism.  GLAAD/SFBA promotes the fair, accurate and diverse
representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lives.

To notify GLAAD/SFBA of any defamatory or affirmative media coverage, or to
request GLAAD membership information, please call our 24-hour MediAlert
Hotline (415-861-4588) or write to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation, 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94103, tel.
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 http://www.gaytrek.com/gaytrek/glaad.html.

To support our on-going monitoring and response efforts, GLAAD/SFBA welcomes
copies of any correspondence individuals send to, or receive from, the media.

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A B O U T   M E D I A L E R T  .  .  . 

"MediAlert" is a weekly column that may be printed, published or posted,
under this or any title, in whole or part, without prior permission.  When
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make use of these weekly reports. 

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