From: GLAADSFBA@aol.com Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995 01:28:27 -0500 Subject: GLAAD MediAlert (A), Dec. 11 SPECIAL NOTE: This week's MediAlert column is continued, under separate cover, as "GLAAD MediAlert (B), Dec. 11." ________________________________________________________INDEX: (Part A) 1. "Wedding Day Jitters" (Roseanne; ABC) 2. "Talk Soap" (Soap Opera Weekly; Soap Opera Digest; All My Children; ABC) 3. "The PC World of 'PC World'" (PC World) 4. "Critical Mass: Imitation or Liberation?" (Harper's Magazine; lesbian/gay glossies) (Part B) 5. "Hearing Tests" (Associated Press; U.S. Congress; Log Cabin Republicans; Parents, Schools & Values) 6. "Gays On Fire" (Grace Under Fire; ABC) 8. "Look Whose Talking . . ." (KSFO-AM; KST-AM; Jeff Katz; Spencer Hughes) 4. "Media Briefs" (Alfie's Home; Freedom FM; NC-17; In The Life; Soap Opera Weekly & HIV; web sites; Denver Board of Education; Atlas to the World Wide Web) 10. General Information (about GLAAD; about MediAlert; about membership) ________________________________________________________ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * M e d i A l e r t * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * for the week of December 11 - 17, 1995 (Part A) by Al Kielwasser Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, San Francisco Bay Area W E D D I N G D A Y J I T T E R S The ABC television network rescheduled the December 12 broadcast of "Roseanne," airing the episode at 9:30 PM instead of 8:00 PM, the show's regular time slot. The episode -- entitled "December Bride" -- featured the long-awaited wedding of recurring gay character "Leon" (Martin Mull) and his lover "Scott" (Fred Willard). "We felt the adult humor within the show was more appropriate at a later time period when there are fewer children in the audience," explained ABC spokesperson Janice Gretenmeyer. According to Gretenmeyer, less than 10% of viewers for the 9:30 PM period are children under 11 years old. Perhaps signaling a late-breaking concession to conservative lobbyists, ABC's decision was announced without warning. Even "TV Guide" was not notified in advance; the magazine's December 9 -15 issue lists "Roseanne" at the usual 8:00 PM broadcast time. While ABC's overall support for "Roseanne" might be admirable, this particular decision is viciously homophobic. As one critical viewer observed: "I was really struck by the comment that the gay marriage on "Roseanne" should be moved to a later time slot so that children do not see it. See what? That homosexuals can fall in love and have a happy domestic life together? What on earth is the message that is being sent here?" Indeed, this is PRECISELY the sort of programming that children should be ENCOURAGED to view. Affirmative television images can help boost the beleaguered self-esteem of so many queer youth. Moreover, such programming could help to combat the bigoted attitudes of the young men who commit most of this nation's homophobic hate crimes. ABC's decision reveals a blatant double-standard. To protect children from "adult humor," the network has NEVER rescheduled its other 8:00 PM programs -- "Lois & Clark," "Family Matters," "Ellen" -- which routinely feature EXPLICIT references to HETEROSEXUAL romance. *** Action Alert! Demand fairness from ABC. Insist that the network resist homophobic bias in making scheduling decisions; encourage ABC to broadcast the "December Bride" re-run episode in "Roseanne's" usual time slot. Contact: Ted Harbert, President, ABC Entertainment, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067, tel. 310-557-7777, e-mail abcaudr@ccabc.com. T A L K S O A P The soap opera press -- represented by several, popular supermarket tabloids -- has taken a generally favorable approach to lesbian and gay inclusion in daytime dramas. Several magazines have covered the introduction of a significant, continuing gay character on the popular soap "All My Children" (AMC). The new character -- "Michael" -- is a school teacher and, so far, the plot has twisted competently around his confrontations with homophobic fears of pedophilia. In the November 14 issue of "Soap Opera Weekly," editor Mimi Torchin voices her support for "AMC's" decision to examine "daytime's least explored, most ignored subject: homosexuality." "By making the charismatic super-teacher Michael gay," Torchin wrote, "they have chosen the perfect means by which to explore this lifestyle and the prejudices surrounding it." Despite some unfortunate references to "lifestyles," Torchin has consistently supported affirmative lesbian and gay characters ("Soap Opera Digest" also uses outmoded terminology; the December 19 issue refers to "the truth about Michael's sexual preference"). The November 28 issue of "Soap Opera Weekly" also sides with Michael rather than his detractors. The "Weekly" writes of the "redneck roots" revealed by the "ballistic" homophobia of Michael's brother-in-law. Of course, editorial support might be less significant than viewer support. According to "Soap Opera Digest" (November 21), viewer reaction to "AMC's" new gay character could be pivotal. The magazine reports: "At present, 'AMC' is the only daytime soap to feature a gay character prominently. The show attempted a gay story once before, without success: In 1983, a lesbian storyline involving Devon and Lynn was axed when viewer reaction was negative." "AMC" head writer Lorraine Broderick expects the new storyline to fare better, as viewers are "more tolerant" today. "It's groundbreaking to have a healthy gay, male character who is a long-term part of the community," she said. "It's also a step forward." "ABC has been very supportive," Broderick added. "They know it's a big, contemporary story and they've been behind it 100 per cent." However, the story is apparently not big enough -- yet -- to encompass any gay romance. Broderick told "Soap Opera Digest" (November 21) that her gay character "initially . . . will not have a love interest. Rather the story will focus on the repercussions of his revelation." After interviewing Broderick, "Soap Opera Weekly" (November 28) concluded: "Will Michael find a lover in Pine Valley? No comment." Significantly, soap operas are built around the explicit sexual/romantic lives of their HETEROSEXUAL characters. Nielsen ratings for November indicate that "All My Children" is viewed in some 4,986,800 homes, making it the fourth most popular daytime drama on U.S. television. *** ACTION ALERT! Send supportive comments to Mimi Torchin; also, advise both the "Weekly" and the "Digest" to discontinue the use of such inappropriate and inaccurate terms as "lifestyle" and "preference." Contact: Mimi Torchin, Editor-in-Chief, "Soap Opera Weekly," 41 West 25th Street, New York, NY 10010; Lynn Leahey, Editor-in-Chief, "Soap Opera Digest," 45 West 25th street, New York, NY 10010. Support the inclusion of continuing queer characters on daytime dramas. Contact: Thomas Campbell, ABC Daytime Programming, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067-4785, e-mail daytime@ccabc.com. Encourage "AMC's" producer to fully develop Michael's character, allowing him the important -- and human -- capacity for romantic love. Contact: Felicia Minei Behr, Executive Producer, "All My Children," 320 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023. T H E P C W O R L D O F " P C W O R L D " The December 1995 issue of "PC World" magazine includes the feature article "Family Values," in which contributing editor James Martin reports on six families asked to test-drive new home computer models. A gay African-American couple is included amongst the families profiled. "It all started when 'PC World' invited six families -- all in the market for new PCs -- to come by a local hotel suite and taste-test a half dozen brand-new computers designed for the homes," Martin explains. Throughout the article, the gay men -- "Clifford A. Rivers, a rehabilitation counselor, and Jayson Romine, a transportation contractor" -- are respected as just one of the families. The article contains pictures of four of the families, including a shot of Romine and Rivers. *** ACTION ALERT! Compliment "PC World's" inclusive consciousness. Contact: Philip Lemmons, Editor-in-Chief, and James A. Martin, Contributing Editor, PC World Editorial, 501 Second Street, #600, San Francisco, CA 94107, tel. 415-243-0500, fax 415-442-1891, e-mail letters@pcworld.com, URL http://www.pcworld.com. C R I T I C A L M A S S : I M I T A T I O N O R L I B E R A T I O N ? The December 1995 issue of "Harper's Magazine" includes a critical essay by Daniel Harris, "Out of the Closet and Into Never-Never Land," which examines the lesbian and gay magazine market. Harris raises a number of significant issues that are worthy of debate in the lesbian, gay and bisexual communities. Unfortunately, his analysis also suffers from some sloppy research and shallow thinking. Harris begins with a plausible critique of the content of "upbeat, glossy gay magazines," in which political concerns are "lost amid fashion spreads, hair-care products, and Club Med packages." "Doing their best to mimic 'Details' or 'Vanity Fair,'" Harris writes, "magazines such as 'Out,' 'Genre,' 'Men's Style,' and '10 Percent' present endless images of well-adjusted gay bohemians, frolicking in a utopia never-never land where homosexuals are no longer persecuted or self-loathing." Given the dire "political climate for gay rights," Harris argues, "these glossies are but fantasy literature, mood enhancers for a demoralized movement." "The picture of gay life here is a sanitized one," he writes, "scrubbed clean of overt sexuality and unseemly images." Popular glossies omits photographs of people with AIDS, says Harris, in favor of Hollywood icons and "ruddy, gym-buffed physiques." While Harris raises a legitimate concern, his analysis falls short of anything deep or even prescriptive. He ignores articles on youth, education, pedophilia, lobbying, cultural advocacy, AIDS, the religious right, and other such "political concerns" that HAVE been examined -- and not always marginally -- on the pages of "Out," "Ten Percent" and even "Men's Style." Apparently, Harris assumes that the queer community could (or should) be served exclusively by one or two national magazines that, of necessity, are "all-purpose" publications. Yet, the mainstream magazine industry is clearly a niche marketplace, with particular titles appealing predominantly to particular needs and interests. It is possible for a gay man to read about hair-care products in "Ten Percent," anti-gay initiatives in "The Advocate," and the best parks to cruise for sex in "Steam Magazine." Harris reports, correctly, that the editorial content of successful gay magazines can be driven by advertising dollars. Magazine's like 'Out' choose to appeal to "image-conscious" and "style-conscious" queers because those queers are appealing to major advertisers. Of course, upscale gay consumers hardly represent the sum of the queer universe, a point that Harris ironically misses. Harris reports that "gays and lesbians have impressive demographics: their average household income of $47,000 a year is 12 percent higher than for most Americans." That statistic is bogus. Such figures have been used extensively, in fact, by the Religious Right in promoting the myth of homosexuals as a "privileged class." The realities of the closet prevent the random sampling necessary for accurate statistical profiles. Significantly, higher percentages are often produced by firms doing business for or with advertisers, who seek communities with disposable income. According to political scientist Kenneth Sherrill, "There is no solid theoretical foundation to support any assumption other than that gay people are randomly distributed about the American population. Similarly, there is no solid theoretical foundation to support any assumption that gay people are any wealthier than average Americans." Furthermore, as Sherrill points out, "people who are low in deference, respect and safety may well be forced to accept jobs at low wages or, at the very least, trade off cash income for job security and freedom from harassment." Finally, Harris derides popular gay glossies for their "fixation on celebrities," which he asserts "reflects a larger dynamic that has taken hold of gay culture: the notion that liberation lies not with politicians but with pop stars, the moral vanguard in American society." "Gays are now betting that the concrete social changes they have failed to realize through conventional legal methods can be achieved by riding the coattails of mass culture." True enough. The celebrity "profiles of courage" that are a staple of popular gay magazines have tended to confuse political courage with the "courage" of "making it." Successful capitalists, unfortunately, ARE given more coverage than successful activists. In dismissing "the coattails of mass culture," however, Harris demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of cultural advocacy and media activism. In a very real sense, liberation DOES lie "with the pop stars." Harris (and some social service agencies) might not like it, but it's simply a fact -- soap operas and comics books CAN effectively curb hate violence. Research and experience demonstrate that, in order to achieve the widespread attitudinal changes necessary to successfully combat homophobia, we MUST transform our popular culture. *** ACTION ALERT! Whether you agree or disagree with Daniel Harris, the issues he raises are important ones. To share your thoughts on the purpose and function of queer magazines, contact Lewis H. Lapham, Editor, "Harper's," 666 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, fax 212-228-5889. From: GLAADSFBA@aol.com Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995 01:30:58 -0500 Subject: GLAAD MediAlert (B), Dec. 11 SPECIAL NOTE: This week's MediAlert column is continued, under separate cover, as "GLAAD MediAlert (A), Dec. 11." ________________________________________________________ INDEX: (Part A) 1. "Wedding Day Jitters" (Roseanne; ABC) 2. "Talk Soap" (Soap Opera Weekly; Soap Opera Digest; All My Children; ABC) 3. "The PC World of 'PC World'" (PC World) 4. "Critical Mass: Imitation or Liberation?" (Harper's Magazine; lesbian/gay glossies) (Part B) 5. "Hearing Tests" (Associated Press; U.S. Congress; Log Cabin Republicans; Parents, Schools & Values) 6. "Gays On Fire" (Grace Under Fire; ABC) 8. "Look Whose Talking . . ." (KSFO-AM; KST-AM; Jeff Katz; Spencer Hughes) 4. "Media Briefs" (Alfie's Home; Freedom FM; NC-17; In The Life; Soap Opera Weekly & HIV; web sites; Denver Board of Education; Atlas to the World Wide Web) 10. General Information (about GLAAD; about MediAlert; about membership) ________________________________________________________ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * M e d i A l e r t * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * for the week of December 11 - 17, 1995 (Part B) by Al Kielwasser Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, San Francisco Bay Area H E A R I N G T E S T S On December 5 and 6, the U.S. Congress held special hearings regarding "Parents, Schools and Values." Originally slated as an inquiry into the "promotion of homosexuality in schools," the proceedings were re-named and rescheduled several times in an effort to skirt public criticism. Despite ample pre-hearing publicity, media coverage of the event was unexceptional. An Associated Press report (December 7) opened with this lead: "Educators are going too far in their discussions of birth control, homosexuality and AIDS in the nation's classrooms, implying that it's OK to be promiscuous, three parents told a House subcommittee Wednesday. But other witnesses at a public hearing asked members of Congress not to block local efforts to warn teen-agers about AIDS and teach them tolerance, especially for fellow students." AP writer Cassandra Burrell specifically quoted "parent Warren Grantham," who testified that "some instructors cross the line and advocate homosexuality." However, Burrell did not report -- and apparently did not ask -- WHO Grantham is, WHAT his qualifications are, and HOW or WHY he was invited by the United States Congress to testify on this issue. Burrell DOES provide organizational affiliations for other witnesses mentioned. However, no substantive effort is made to qualify (and thus clarify) what those affiliations signify. For example, the AP article quotes Claire Connelly, "president of the Gay & Lesbian Resource Center, a New Age-style counseling clinic," who testified that certain education programs "recruit" children "into the gay lifestyle." Burrell reports: "Connelly said that as a lesbian activist, she supports programs that encourage teen-agers to abstain from sex before marriage and remain monogamous afterward." Obviously, Connelly is NOT a bona fide representative of any significant lesbian or gay constituency, but a witness pulled from under some rock to serve the purposes of Congressional homophobes. That fact would hardly be evident to the causal (heterosexual) reader, however. Careful, precision reporting would have provided more useful details regarding the credentials of quoted witnesses. Similarly, the AP story (like most mainstream reports) cites claims about homosexual "recruitment," but provides no mention of any evidence. Perhaps, the witnesses also provided NO credible evidence, a fact that -- if true -- certainly merits reporting. While the mainstream media tended to downplay the homophobic motive of the hearing, press releases issued by most lesbian, gay and bisexual organizations roundly denounced the "voices of hate" that dominated the two days of testimony. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) concluded that the hearing "revealed itself to be precisely what youth advocates had feared: a taxpayer-funded platform for ant-gay extremists." However, the Log Cabin Republicans (LCR), representing lesbian and gay Republicans, PRAISED the hearing as "fair and balanced" and "a forum for gay youth advocacy." The complete roster of scheduled witnesses included: Sandi Martinez (representative of the deeply-homophobic Concerned Women For America), Nancy Maclone (mother opposed to condom availability), Warrent Grantham (homophobe who ran for his local school board but lost to a gay man), Claire Connelly (self-loathing, self-identified "lesbian activist" who is really a homophobe), George Dent (law professor who supports homophobic litigation under the ruse of "parental rights"), Ann Simon (teacher and Republican who supports education about sexual orientation as a means to reduce anti-gay violence), Alan Storm (school administrator who also supports education about sexual orientation) and Mary Griffith (well-known lesbian/gay supporter and mother of a gay son who committed suicide). Unfortunately, in covering these "no promo homo" hearings, mainstream reporters made no effort to access surveys or other data that CLEARLY demonstrate an actual DEARTH of affirmative information about homosexuality in textbooks and other educational media. A National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) report, issued to the press several months ago, could have provided some context. The report tracked 17 anti-gay state measures that would mandate "only negative references to gay-related issues and individuals through the education system." In fact, the proper Congressional hearings would have investigated this REAL issue: the promotion of HOMOPHOBIA in schools. Such hearings could have examined the Federal government's (as yet non-existent) role in securing educational equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. These disenfranchised youth are frequently at the mercy of homophobic schools and school-boards, which violate -- with impunity -- each students' right to fair and factual information about sexual orientation. *** ACTION ALERT! Send letters to any and all appropriate newspapers or magazines, exposing the homophobic focus of the "Parents, Schools and Values" hearings; encourage the Associated Press and other news outlets to provide more-rigorous and substantive reporting in this vital area. Contact: Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020, tel. 212-621-1500. Recommend a higher standard of "fairness" and "balance" to the Log Cabin Republicans. Contact: Richard Tafel, Executive Director, Log Cabin Republicans, 1101 14th Street NW, Suite 1040, Washington, DC 20005, tel. 202-347-5306, fax 202-347-5224, e-mail logcabin@cais.com. Finally, urge the U. S. Secretary of Education and your (supportive) Congressional representatives to denounce the malicious motive of the recent hearings, call attention to the real problem of wide-spread homophobic indoctrination in our nation's public schools, and assert the Federal government's responsibility in securing educational equity for lesbian and gay youth. Contact: Richard W. Riley, Secretary of Education, Room 6263, Building FB10, 600 Independence Avenue, Washington, DC, tel. 202-401-3000, URL http://www.ed.gov/index.html or ftp.ed.gov (additional information is available from the Department of Education's Information Resource Center, tel. 800-872-5327). Call the U. S. Capitol Switchboard, tel. 202-224-3121, for names and addresses of your Congressional representatives. House of Representatives addresses are also available on-line, at web (http://www.house.gov/) and FTP sites (ftp.servtech.com/pub/users/maxlent). G A Y S O N F I R E "Grace Under Fire," an ABC situation comedy, currently ranks among the top ten most-watched television programs. Nielsen ratings estimate that, for the week of November 27 - December 3, the show was watched by almost 22 MILLION viewers. In a recent (December 6) broadcast, title character "Grace" (Brett Butler) accidentally discovers that her ex-husband's father is gay. The father-in-law, "Emmet" (Bryan Clark), has been a recurring, though not regular character on the show. In the December 6 episode, Grace happens upon Emmet at an out-of-the-way bar, where he and his lover are enjoying each other's company. Emmet explains that he has been involved in this relationship for several years, but pleads with Grace to keep the affair a secret, particularly from his wife. On a positive note, this plot twist hinted at some of the unique struggles faced by older gay men. Also, Emmet IS portrayed as a caring, committed and generally sane man. On the downside, of course, Emmet is also a liar. Though he claims that his sex-less marriage is not a loveless one, Emmet nevertheless betrays his wife's trust and gets Grace to participate in the fraud. Unfortunately, there seems to be little room for Emmet to evolve beyond a hackneyed plot contrivance. Sitcoms have routinely outed random characters for an easy laugh. In such cases, the homosexual CHARACTER typically has no "life" beyond the homosexual REVELATION and its all-important impact upon the HETEROSEXUAL cast. Hopefully, ABC and "Grace Under Fire" will do something more with "Emmet," perhaps bringing his gay love-life out into the open -- right alongside the show's heterosexual cast. *** ACTION ALERT! Send feedback to Ted Harbert, President, ABC Entertainment, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067, tel. 310-557-7777, e-mail abcaudr@ccabc.com. L O O K W H O S E T A L K I N G . . . Two Northern California radio stations continue to pollute the airwaves with their conservative "hate talk" formats. Sacramento-based KST (650 AM) is the source of some of the most homophobic bile ever broadcast, while San Francisco's KSFO (560 AM) is once again spreading AIDS hysteria. KST is home base for Jeff Katz, a morning talk-show host who regularly spends several hate-filled and fact-less hours engaged in homophobic ranting. During one recent (November 27) broadcast, for example, Katz spent an hour or more describing a repulsive image that he saw from his car window: two men, "who looked like football players," kissing each other. Again and again, Katz wailed: "I just felt physically ill," "I almost had to pull over," "God, it just honestly made me sick!" Katz also "informed" his audience that all homosexuals are pedophiles. "They do want your children!" he shouted. "They do not reproduce . . . . They're not gonna be happy until they steal your kids." At KSFO, during a (December 2) broadcast motivated by World AIDS Day, weekend host Spencer Hughes suggested that gay men living with HIV/AIDS somehow DESERVED their disease. Citing higher rates of infection amongst gay men, Hughes indicated that homosexuality itself was at fault. He shouted: "I am fed up with people saying that homosexual sex is just as normal as heterosexual sex! I'm sick and tired of people saying, 'oh, heterosexuals have just as much a chance of getting it as gay people.' It's an absolute lie and it has to end here . . . . And if you can't handle that, the hell with you! Keep up with your dangerous lifestyles and you'll end up in a casket too . . . . because of your own stupidity, and ignorance and complete idiocy!" Though Hughes cited accurate HIV statistics, his interpretation was faulty and his tone hateful. The AIDS virus is NOT attracted to any particular demographic traits, of course. The prejudice that causes indifference IS. The spread of AIDS in certain communities -- gays, prostitutes, and people of color -- demonstrates nothing more than our society's willingness to tolerate a plague for as long as it seemed to be killing "all the right people." *** ACTION ALERT! Send complaints to Jack Swanson, Operations Manager, KSFO-AM 560, 900 Front Street, San Francisco, CA 94111-1450, tel. 415-398-5600, fax 415-954-8700; Dave Burke, General Manager, KST-AM, 10910 Olson Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670, tel. 916-858-1578, fax 916-858-1588. Copy your correspondence to the Federal Communications Commission, Mass Media Bureau, Enforcement Division, Washington, DC 20554. Advertisers during the (November 27) Jeff Katz show included Glendale Federal Bank (1-800-41-FEDUP); you can let this company know that underwriting bigotry is bad for business. M E D I A B R I E F S * WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT? . . . The November issue of "South Dakota Citizen" (a periodical for homophobes) offers consolation to "parents and family groups" who are "rightly outraged" over "pro-homosexual attitudes in the classroom." The "Citizen" announces: "Now . . . there is hope for dealing with homosexuality truthfully -- and lovingly -- as presented in the new children's book, 'Alfie's Home.' This is the story of a boy who struggles with homosexuality and then transitions into heterosexuality after finding help and experiencing his parents' love." The new book is the product of International Healing Foundation, Inc. (IHF), which "is looking for concerned citizens who want to offer our children hope and who want to set the record straight." The "Citizen" encourages readers to "TAKE ACTION: Contact IHF for your free copies of 'Alfie's Home' to donate to your local public libraries and public schools. Write: IHF, P.O. Box 901, Bowie, MD 20718-0901. Telephone (301) 858-1181." * LONDON CALLING . . . Freedom (104.9) FM, lesbian and gay radio for London, is now online with "The Official Freedom FM Web Page" (http://freedomfm.co.uk/index.html). The new site includes program schedules and a link to Freedom FM's Real Audio site, "where Net users can hear us broadcasting in real time!" * THE PRICE OF PREJUDICE . . . Last month, the distributors of "When Night Is Falling" (a film containing two lesbian love scenes) rejected the NC-17 rating assigned to the film; rather than edit the movie to secure an R, October Films risked releasing the movie without an official rating. October Films and other critics have accused the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) of unfairly assigning NC-17 ratings to movies with homoerotic content, with their heterosexual counterparts are given the less-restrictive R. According to a newly-published poll, this bias can be a costly one for queer films. The Hollywood Reporter/Robinson Lerer Sawyer Miller Poll of adults (18+) estimates that "an NC-17 rating can keep nearly a quarter of the available audience away from a movie" ("The Hollywood Reporter," December 5). Survey results indicate that the NC-17 rating can "steer away a substantial segment of the audience for a film considered to be a high-quality production. Twenty-four percent of those polled said they would refuse to attend an NC-17 rated film even if it has received mass critical acclaim." Based on these findings, Marcella Berland, senior vice-president of KRC Research, has concluded that the NC-17 rating is a definite "handicap," significantly diminishing a film's chances for mainstream success and profitability. * LIFE SIGNS . . . Now in its fourth season, "In The Life" (ITL) is billed as "broadcast television's only regularly scheduled series concentrating solely on gay issues." For a free ITL membership guide, call 1-800-627-ONTV or e-mail InTheLifeTV@nycnet.com. * TV & HIV . . . In a recent issue of "Soap Opera Weekly," columnist Marlena De Lacroix challenges soaps and their viewers to support realistic AIDS storylines ("Critical Condition," November 21). In another issue, a reader explains how such fictional storylines helped her to overcome stubborn "stereotypes and prejudices" in real life, as she realized "AIDS was not just a homosexual disease, but a human disease" ("Reader's View: In Remembrance of Our Friends," November 14). Contact: Mimi Torchin, Editor-in-Chief, "Soap Opera Weekly," 41 West 25th Street, New York, NY 10010. * WEB WATCH . . . (1) The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project web site -- "Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally" -- provides access to resources for education activists (http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/); additional information is available from Jessea Greenman, P.E.R.S.O.N., 586 62nd Street, Oakland, CA 94609-1245, tel./fax 510-601-8883, e-mail jessea@uclink2.berkeley.edu. (2) Claude DiDomenica, of Children's Animated Television, has created "Name That Fascist!," a site with a sense of humor (http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/fascist/). (3) An invaluable resource for queer media monitors, Carol Mortimer's Gay TV Home Page provides detailed comments and weekly previews of "TV shows with gay, lesbian, other sexual minority, and gay/straight AIDS themes" (http://pages.prodigy.com/NJ/carol_mortimer/gay_tv_menu.html). * POSTER PREVAILS . . . An informational poster WILL hang on the walls of Denver's 10 high schools, despite objections by organized homophobes. According to the "Rocky Mountain News," the new poster "will stress the impropriety of slurs and intimidation based on race, gender and sexual orientation." Focus on the Family (FOF), a Colorado Springs-based heterosexual supremacist group, waged an unsuccessful campaign to censor the poster and has criticized the school board's recent decision . "To include homosexuality along with such characteristics as race, ethnicity and gender is to accept an understanding of homosexuality which is not grounded in fact," said FOF spokesperson Lawrence Burtoft. Support for the poster campaign can be directed to: All Members, Denver Board of Education, 900 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203, tel. 303-764-3211, fax 303-764-3216; copy your correspondence to the Letters Editor, "Rocky Mountain News," 400 W. Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80204, fax 303-892-2568, e-mail letters@denver-rmn.com. * E-MEDIA . . . Karen Wickre, co-founder and chair of Digital Queers, has authored (with Bob Powell) a new book, "Atlas to the World Wide Web." This reference manual highlights some of the web's most useful features, including various sites dedicated to communications, magazines, film, journalism, marketing, music, newspapers, radio, television, video and other subjects of value to media activism and activists. Direct comments, questions, or requests for a free catalog to: Ziff-Davis Press, 5903 Christie Avenue, Emeryville, CA 94608, tel. 800-688-0448. Digital Queers is a non-profit organization dedicated to the enhancement of electronic activism within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. For more information, contact : Digital Queers, 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94103, tel. 415-252-6282, fax 415-252-6290, e-mail info@dq.org, URL http://www.dq.org/dq. **************************************************** A B O 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. GLAAD/SFBA is the oldest and largest GLAAD chapter in the nation. 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: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94103, tel. 415-861-2244, fax 415-861-4893, e-mail glaadsfba@aol.com, URL http://www.gaytrek.com/gaytrek/glaad.html. To assist our on-going monitoring and response efforts, GLAAD/SFBA appreciates copies of any correspondence individuals send to, or receive from, the media. **************************************************** 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 appropriate, attribution should be made to "Al Kielwasser" and/or "GLAAD San Francisco." MediAlerts are available by mail, e-mail or fax. GLAAD/SFBA greatly appreciates copies of any publications that make use of these weekly reports. **************************************************** A B O U T M E M B E R S H I P . . . GLAAD's work is directly supported by our members. Please consider joining with us in one of the following membership categories. All memberships include a subscription to the monthly newsletter, "GLAAD Update." Indicate your choice below and mail check or credit card information to: GLAAD/SFBA, 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94103, Attn: Membership. ( ) $ 5 Youth Membership (18 and under) ( ) $ 35 Basic Membership ( ) $50 Household Membership ( ) $100 Institutional Membership (community organizations/media/businesses) ( ) $250 GLAAD Guardian (includes complimentary limited-edition Project 21 lesbian/gay/bisexual history poster) ( ) A check is enclosed. ( ) Please bill my VISA # ____________________________ MASTERCARD#_____________________ EXP. DATE:_________________________ NAME:_________________________________________________ ADDRESS:______________________________________________ CITY:__________________________________________________ STATE:______________________ ZIP:______________________ PHONE (Optional):________________________________________ E-MAIL (Optional):_______________________________________ Send me more information about . . . 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