From: GLAADP21@aol.com Date: Sat, 11 May 1996 01:45:09 -0400 Subject: MediAlert! - May 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INDEX: "MediAlert! - May 10" -Item 1: "GLAAD No More" [GLAAD/San Francisco Bay Area; GLAAD/National; Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting; Institute for Alternative Journalism; Media Alliance]. -Item 2: "Picket Dunces" [National Anti-Porn Picket Day; American Family Association]. -Item 3: "Dropping Out?" [Dispatches; National Education Association; Resolution B-9; Lesbian & Gay History Month]. -Item 4: "Guns, Yes - Gays, No" [JROTC; Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors]. -Item 5: "MediAlert/Briefs" [Union for democratic Communications; The New York Times; Whazzup! Magazine; The New York Times; Whazzup! Magazine; Traditional Values Coalition; Talking Points on Same sex Marriage]. -Item 6: "Sound & (Un)Sound Bites" [Patricia Nell Warren; Donald E. Wildmon]. -General Information [about weekly MediAlerts]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ M e d i A l e r t ! ___________________________ May 10, 1996 - Al Kielwasser [ 1 ] G L A A D N O M O R E The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation was founded in 1986 to promote fairness and accuracy in the mainstream media. Ironically, the organization's national office is now in the midst of a deceptive campaign -- intended to mislead both the press and the public. Happy 10th Anniversary, GLAAD. Last week (May 2) GLAAD/National finally succeeded in its hostile effort to shut down the outspoken San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, GLAAD/SFBA. National spokespersons -- literally reading from prepared lists of Orwellian sound bites -- quickly announced that the takeover was actually a "merger." The chapter had not been closed down, but "transformed" into a "media center." National spokesperson Ken Bukowski went so far as to describe disenfranchisement as "opportunity" -- the liberation from "worrying about the day-to-day management of an office." GLAAD/SFBA was founded in 1988 as an independently-incorporated nonprofit organization; over the past few years, however, the chapter had come under mounting harassment by GLAAD/National's new management. An increasingly "conservative" National staff insisted that there could be only one opinion on media issues (theirs), while the more "radical" GLAAD chapter fomented dialog and debate. Where the National office promoted an exclusive ability to befriend and lobby media producers, GLAAD/SFBA emphasized the democratic empowerment of media audiences -- promoting media literacy in addition to lobbying. Of course, none of that history was included in a press release just issued by GLAAD/National (May 4). The statement claimed: "At it's [May 2] monthly meeting, the Board of Directors of GLAAD/SFBA voted to merge the agency, its programs and resources with the National organization in order to coordinate resources and expertise with other activists around the country, increase the influence and reach of its activist work, and expand programming.... The members and volunteers who make possible GLAAD/SFBA's high level of service will be crucial to the projects and operations of the new media center -- grassroots activism remains the core of GLAAD's success." "That press release is completely and purposely false," said Bonnie Haley, former Secretary of the GLAAD/SFBA Board of Directors. "Over the past two years, GLAAD/National staff made it clear to us, time and again, that local chapters must never offend elite major donors or wealthy 'celebrity friends' -- the ultimate arbiters of policy at the national level -- and that offenders would be silenced, one way or another. They may have gained an office now, but at least GLAAD/SFBA always kept its integrity" Prior to the chapter's closure, GLAAD/National lawyers had even threatened GLAAD/SFBA volunteers with nuisance lawsuits -- all pat of an effort to censor the chapter's "opinionated" and "judgmental" views. An internal memo to National managing director William Waybourn, from GLAAD/National staff (and now Board) member Chiqui Cartagena, is typical: "Dear William -- GLAAD/SFBA MediAlerts and press releases are opinionated, which is exactly what we don't want... [They] shall be stopped! Now that I am launching GLAADlines, may I suggest that GLAAD/SFBA be prohibited from writing any more MediAlerts and that they limit their press releases to local issues We only hurt ourselves as an organization by allowing SFBA to continue... when... they oppose positions we, as a national organization, have agreed to uphold." Cartagena was especially miffed that GLAAD/SFBA had issued a press advisory on the Communications Decency Act. She never mentioned that the offending press release filled an important gap, however. GLAAD/National failed to utter a single word about CDA -- the most significant media legislation in 65 years. The silence continues. According to the chapter's Secretary -- who is directly responsible for keeping such records -- the May 2 takeover was NOT "a monthly Board meeting," as GLAAD/National contends. "It was really a covert action, which observed none of the criteria for public accountability," Haley explained. The meeting was not publicly announced, no agenda was printed or distributed, the chapter's Executive Officers were not present, and the general membership had not been notified, let alone invited to attend. The meeting WAS attended by National operatives and a minimum quorum of GLAAD/SFBA's seven-member Board. Bowing to National pressure, the four GLAAD/SFBA Board members moved and "unanimously" affirmed a "re-organization plan" (i.e., chapter takeover) that they had recently voted to oppose. The same takeover bid had already been rejected by the FULL GLAAD/SFBA Board -- UNANIMOUSLY -- during its ACTUAL monthly meeting on April 14. The May 2 meeting was scheduled as a simple work session, to conduct routine reviews of certain accounts. Motions to dissolve the Board of Directors and surrender the organization were definitely not on the calendar... at least not officially. David Nelson -- GLAAD/SFBA's unelected Treasurer of three months -- has since confessed that the "merger" decision was actually formalized BEFORE the May 2 meeting, during secret "five- and six-hour-long meetings with GLAAD/National representatives." Within hours of the pro-forma "vote" on May 2, a GLAAD/National staff person was on hand to seize the San Francisco office. "In the end, dollars beat sense," said Haley. "Some votes are just easily bought." Though the largest chapter by membership count, GLAAD/SFBA's budget ($140,000.00) was far smaller than GLAAD/National's current war chest ($1 Million+). *** CONTACT: Comments or inquiries regarding the new GLAAD oligarchy should be directed to: Peggy Brady and David Huebner, Co-Chairs, Board of Directors, GLAAD/National, 150 West 26th Street, Suite 503, New York, NY 10001, tel. 212-807-1700, fax 212-807-1806, e-mail glaad@glaad.org or glaadny@glaad.org. Copy all correspondence to: William Waybourn, Managing Director, GLAAD/National, 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 640, Washington, DC 20009, tel. 202-986-1360, fax 202-667-0902, e-mail WAYBOURN@glaad.org or waybourn@aol.com; Ken Bukowski, National Director, GLAAD/National Media Center, 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94103, tel 415-861-2244, fax 415-861-4893. To support progressive media activism, consider giving time and/or money to such REPUTABLE organizations as Media Alliance, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), and the Institute for Alternative Journalism (IAJ). For details, contact: Media Alliance, 814 Mission Street, Suite 205, San Francisco, CA 94103, fax 415-546-6218; FAIR, 130 West 25th Street, New York, NY 10001, tel. 212-633-6700, fax 212-727-7668, e-mail fair@igc.apc.org, URL http://www.igc.apc.org/fair/; Institute for Alternative Journalism, 77 Federal Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, tel. 415-284-1420, fax 415-284-1414, e-mail alternet@alternet.org, URL http://www.alternet.org/an/. [ 2 ] P I C K E T D U N C E S The heterosexual supremacists of the censorious American Family Association (AFA) have declared Saturday, May 18 "National Anti-Porn Picket Day." According to the AFA's spurious correlations, pornography has no business in the "family marketplace" as it is overwhelming consumed by rapists and children. The AFA is encouraging "individuals, churches and groups to organize a picket of local stores which sell or rent porn videos, magazines or other pornographic material. AFA president Donald Wildmon recommends that "the picket be held from 10 a.m. until 12 noon" [presumably to garner maximum media coverage], though "any time during the day is acceptable." For ease of censorship, a "Picket Packet" is included in the May 1996 issue of the "AFA Journal." The packet offers "detailed instructions on how to organize and execute a successful picket," and even includes recommended picket sign slogans ("Protect Our Children," "Porn Causes Rape," "Stamp Out Smut," "Porn and Crime Go Hand in Hand") and media sound bites ("We believe that pornography does not belong in the family marketplace," "Pornography is both anti-family and anti-Christian"). A handy "Pass-Along Sheet" (flier) is also included, ready for mass reproduction. The sheet consists a salacious editorial linking genital mutilation, eye gouging, homosexual pedophilia and 'Playboy' magazine collections. "I am a homosexual pedophile convicted of murder, and pornography was a determining factor in my downfall," says Arthur Gary Bishop, AFA exemplar of homosexual deviance. The AFA also offers a selection of anti-porn merchandise, for use throughout the year. These items include (it's not just for Anti-Porn Picket Day anymore... ). These items include: - "Facts About Pornography" (a "colorful" fact sheet of "statistics and other information about diverse forms of pornography" -- 75 cents). - "God's Quiet Voice: John's Dilemma" (a "16-page comic book for grades 3-6 that teaches youngsters how to make right decisions about pornography; includes puzzle" -- $2). - "The Encourager" (a monthly self-help newsletter for fundamentalist Christian "sex addicts" -- No charge). Anti-Porn Day Pickets are already predicting success. "In the past few years," the AFA claims, "more than 35,000 stores have discontinued selling pornography." *** CONTACT: Donald Wildmon, President, American Family Association, P.O. Drawer 2440, Tupelo, MS 38803, tel. 601-844-5036, fax 601-844-9176, e-mail amfamily@ebicom.net (general mail) or nclement1@aol.com (Christian sex addiction mail), URL http://www.gocin.com/afa/home.htm. [ 3 ] D R O P P I N G O U T ? "Dispatches," a publication of the Western Journalism Center, has reported that the National Education Association intends to drop a resolution supporting the concept of observing "Lesbian and Gay History Month" in public schools. The NEA adopted the statement (Resolution B-9) last July. The March 13 "Dispatches" cites a source on the NEA's Resolutions Committee, who claims the teacher's union is bowing to pressure from Right Wing advocacy groups. According to "Dispatches," state and local NEA affiliates have been "inundated" with protest letters. Anti-intellectual and pro-censorship capitulation would be uncharacteristic of the NEA. The 2.1 million member teacher's union has previously encouraged schools to "acknowledge the diversity of the student body, including the presence of gay as well as non-gay students" (1994), defended the right of lesbian and gay students "to positive role models, both in person and the curriculum" (1994), and promoted the "accurate portrayal of the roles and contributions of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people throughout history, with acknowledgment of their sexual orientation" (1988). *** CONTACT: National Education Association, 1201 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-3290; NEA/Gay and Lesbian Caucus, P.O. Box 3559, York, PA 17402-0559, tel. 717-848-3354, fax 717-843-9790, e-mail jtesterman@aol.com or bullison@aol.com. [ 4 ] G U N S , Y E S -- G A Y S , N O "Make war, not love." It could easily be the motto of most schools. While queer textbooks and teachers are silenced and censored in, the U.S. Army is marching into classrooms across the country. The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) is leading this military invasion. JROTC programs bring a curriculum of violence, racism and homophobia into our public schools. JROTC funds ensure a warm welcome from school principals and superintendents. Leading the opposition to JROTC is the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors. Through its "Stop the Military Invasion of Our Schools Campaign," CCCO has forged a highly-effective coalition of activists, teachers, parents, and students. "We're not just organizing more, we're organizing smarter," says campaign coordinator Sam Diener. "We've learned a lot about how to approach school boards, what questions they need answered, and how to come up with information IN TIME FOR IT TO MATTER." *** CONTACT: Sam Diener, CCCO, 655 Sutter, # 514, San Francisco, CA 94102, tel. 415-474-3002, hotline 800-NO-JROTC, fax 415-474-2311, e-mail cccowr@igc.apc.org, URL http:www.libertynet.org/~ccco/. "AWOL - Youth for Peace and Revolution" is a new anti-militarist 'zine, published "by and for young people." Request a FREE sample issue from CCCO, at the above address. These new resources - for peace, youth, education or media activists - are now available from CCCO: "Action Guide - Countering the Recruiters" (includes fact sheets, articles, sample flyers, press releases; focus on the Army Cinema Van). "JROTC Wastes Scarce School Funds" (a two-page outreach sheet). "Are Your Students Getting A Balanced Education... About The Military?" (explains to school principals our right to receive access to students equal to that of military recruiters). [ 5 ] ____________________________________________________ M E D I A L E R T / B R I E F S ____________________________________________________ U N I O N D U E S . . . . "What's Left? - Critical Communications in the Belly of the Corporate Beast" is the theme for the annual conference of The Union for Democratic Communications (October 10-13, Chicago). UDC organizers are currently seeking proposals -- due June 15 -- for papers, audiovisual works, panels, workshops and other projects that address critical media activism and scholarship. ** Request proposal guidelines or UDC membership information from Kate Kane, Membership Coordinator, Union for Democratic Communications, Department of Communication, DePaul University, 2320 N. Kenmore, Chicago IL 60614-3298, tel. 312-352-7000 (ext. 2965), e-mail kkane@condor.depaul.edu. Direct other inquiries about the October 10-13 conference to Craig Kois, tel. 312-915-6557, e-mail ckois@wpo.it.luc.edu. M A K I N G T H E L I S T S . . . . "The New York Times" did NOT commit one of the most common errors of omission -- the exclusion of queer children from discussions of teen sex. Felicia R. Lee's (May 2) article offered advice for parents when talking with children about sexuality; Ann Heron's updated classic -- "Two Teenagers in 20: Writings by Gay and Lesbian Youth" -- was included on a list of suggested resources. ** Contact: "The New York Times," 229 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036, fax 212-556-3690, e-mail letters@nytimes.com. A N E W S S T A N D . . . . "We are not a fad, we are here, WE ARE EVERYWHERE, and we are here to stay." So writes Stephen Johnson, editor, in an inaugural declaration for "Whazzup! Magazine" (May 1996). "It is our goal to entertain, educate, inform and provide positive representation of and to the African-American Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community and their friends," Johnson explains. "We feel that this community is not only deserving but has been deprived of positive commentary and images about themselves for far too long." "Whazzup!" hopes to offer "something for anyone who has interest in the advancement of our communities. The magazine's tabloid-style pages feature everything from politics to poetry. "Take what you can use and leave the rest," Johnson advises readers. "We do intend to represent all facets of our community. This should prove to be controversial at times. However, it is evident that as a community, we need to respect and accept ourselves, all aspects of ourselves, before we expect anyone else to respect us." ** Contact: Stephen Johnson, Editor, "Whazzup! Magazine," 2501 Ivy Drive, Suite 19, Oakland, CA 94606, tel. 510-836-4759, fax 510-836-4758, e-mail Whazzup411@aol.com. C O U N T E R - A C T I V I S M . . . . The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC), the homophobic "lobbying ministry" led by Lou Sheldon, has published an eight-page collection of "TVC Talking Points on Same-Sex Marriage," intended "to fight against media bias." For a "gift of at least $25," the TVC is even hawking "a deluxe edition" of the "Talking Points" -- which still runs eight pages (the mysterious deluxe qualities are not specified in the ad). The TVC advertisement claims: "Same-sex marriage seems to have become the media 'darling' with highly rated TV shows and popular newspapers often featuring homosexual marriages, while at the same time downplaying the value of traditional heterosexual, monogamous relationships. Be sure to request your copy of the deluxe edition of the 'TVC Talking Points on Same-Sex Marriage' for your gift of at least $25. Homosexual marriage is sure to be a topic of many conversations.... Every thinking person needs to know this information!" Let's review the hype: 1. Three or four marriage scenes in 50 years of prime-time programming is too "often." 2. Popular periodicals shouldn't "feature" homosexuality, even though TVC publications are obsessed with nothing else. 3. "Deluxe" talking points are really worth the extra cost. To claim any connection between "thinking persons" and "TVC members" is obviously FALSE ADVERTISING. ** Contact: Traditional Values Coalition, 100 S. Anaheim Blvd., Suite 350, Anaheim, CA 92805. [ 6 ] * S O U N D B I T E "If the Communications Decency Act is found constitutional, minors will face the same heavy penalties as adults.... Two years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for a 17-year-old boy who hacks into the 'Playboy' site? For a girl who uses a school computer to download a gif on safer condom use?.... Gee, isn't this a bit excessive? Dan White did only five years...." -- Patricia Nell Warren, in the "Wisconsin Light" [April 11-24, 1996] * ( U N ) S O U N D B I T E "Back in the early 1980s there was a study made of the Hollywood elite, the movers and shakers who run Hollywood. The study, done by Linda and Robert Lichter and Stanley Rothman, was extremely revealing. And while the study hasn't been updated, I doubt very much has changed. In fact, I feel a study done today would show a more extreme difference between the Hollywood elite and mainstream America.... Ninety-two percent disagreed that women are better off at home. Seventy-two percent agreed that women should get preference in hiring, and 57% said blacks should get preference in hiring. Ninety-seven percent said a woman has the right to decide on abortion, 80% disagreed that homosexuality is wring and only 49% agreed that adultery is wrong. When asked who should have the most influence on our culture, the Hollywood elite said consumer groups, intellectuals, blacks and feminists.... Why is television entertainment so violent, vulgar and trashy? Now you know. As Jesus said, you can know a person by his fruits. Most of the fruit coming from Hollywood is rotten to the core." -- Donald E. Wildmon, "Why Entertainment Is As Filthy As It Is," in the "AFA Journal" [May, 1996] _______________________________________________ "MediAlert!" [TM] is an activist-oriented column of media criticism, distributed weekly, on request. This material may be printed, published or posted in print or electronic media, under this or any title, in whole or part, without prior permission. When appropriate, attribution can be made to "Al Kielwasser" and/or "MediAlert." Al Kielwasser is the editor of "Gay People, Sex and the Media" (Haworth Press) and has taught various communication theory and research courses at San Francisco State University and the University of San Francisco. He recently completed a two-year stint as Chair of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/San Francisco, and his current work seeks to integrate activism and academia at the intersection of queer and popular cultures. ________________________________________________ Shape the forces that shape our society . . . challenge homophobia and heterosexism in the media! To report any defamatory or affirmative coverage, contact: "MediAlert," tel./fax 415-826-5203; e-mail glaadp21@aol.com. ________________________________________________ Next MediAlert!: Friday, May 16