Subject: MEDIAlert! - 1-15 OCT 96
From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 18:36:22 -0400

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INDEX:  "MEDIALERT!" FOR 15 OCT 96.

- Item 1: "POINTS OF SPEW" [U.S. News & World Report; John Leo; Robert Bork;
Slouching Toward Gomorrah; Kirk Fuoss].
- Item 2: "FAMILY VALUES?" [WWF Magazine; Mankind; World Wide Wrestling
Federation; Goldust].
- Item 3: "POOR ATTENDANCE" [It's Elementary; Debra Chasnoff; State of Utah;
The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project; Utah Human Rights Coalition].
- Item 4: "MEDIALERT!/BRIEFS" [XY Magazine; Queerpolitics; Bound; Gramercy
Pictures; The Sherrill-Buckmire Report; Wyatt's TV Guide; Free Radio].

- General Information [about MEDIAlerts; author notes].
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  M    E    D    I    A    l     e    r    t    !
  ________________________________

  October 1 - 15, 1996     Al Kielwasser

[1]

P  O  I  N  T  S    O  F    S  P  E  W

Columnist John Leo seems to have become the resident spokes-bigot for "U.S.
News & World Report," a leading news weekly.  His regular commentaries "on
society" often include homophobic spew -- which is not simply overlooked, but
evidently rewarded.  Leo is paid well to slander.

Over the past decade, for example, Leo has accused lesbians and gays of
exaggerating hate crime (as part of a media campaign to "advance their
special interest agendas"), announced that "everybody knows" homosexuality
leads to early death, and declared he is "not willing to grant that
homosexual behavior has the same value and meaning as normal heterosexual
sex."  Leo's most recent work continues the trend.

In his October 7 column (pompously headlined "In The Matter Of The Court v.
Us"), Leo accuses the Supreme Court of "imposing its own cultural and
political values on large and unwilling majorities."  Expounding on a theme
from Robert Bork's new book, "Slouching Toward Gomorrah," Leo broadly paints
the court system as "an instrument of the intellectual class:  the law
schools, the academy, the foundations, the media, the arts community,
activists on the left."

"As the country has grown more conservative," Leo claims, "the elite has
relied more heavily on the courts.  According to Leo, the liberal left
"doesn't organize or seek consensus by going to the American people; it
litigates and goes around them."

As a remedy to "judicial activism," Leo reiterates Bork's plea for "a
constitutional amendment allowing Congress to override any Supreme Court
decision by a simple majority vote of both houses."  Without constraint, Leo
warns, future rulings -- "even further out" than Roe v. Wade -- could easily
justify "suicide clinics, gay marriage, polygamy, inter-species marriage or
whatever new individual right the court feels like inventing."

Ultimately, Leo's point is but a conservative cliche.  His assault on the
"liberal elite " repeats a right wing mantra that demonizes everything from
the "liberal courts" to the "liberal media." 

Like many conservative critics, Leo is also fond of writing about "us" --
though his reference is really "me."  That is, the interests he defends are
specifically his own (and in this case, those of wealthy, white, heterosexual
men in general).

This common deceit has been generally described as "ex-nomination," or the
"operation of unnaming."  According to media critic Kirk Fuoss, "When the
operation of unnaming is successful, cultural constructs appear not as
constructs, but as part-and-parcel of 'the nature of things.'"  Thus,
heterosexuality is "natural" precisely because heterosexual culture does not
like to represent itself as "heterosexual culture," but simply as "culture"
(i.e., CULTURE ITSELF).

In Leo's scheme, a characteristic dysfunction of the fundamentalist right --
"contempt for democratic politics" -- is projected upon "law schools," "the
media" and other "activists on the left."  Such bizarro rhetoric is also not
uncommon in the mainstream press.  Because the politics of bigotry are
ultimately indefensible, homophobes (and other bigots) inevitably "blame the
victim."

In his final "warning," Leo's homophobia is at its most transparent.  To
equate lesbian and gay relationships with "inter-species marriage" is just
plain scurrilous.

Far from "reasoned opinion," such sentiments SHOULD be shocking -- especially
to the editors of a major news magazine.  Would "U.S. News" hire John Leo,
provide him with uncontested space, and promote his work, if -- instead of a
shameless homophobe -- he was an avowed Nazi?

Homophobia is not, after all, a "matter of opinion."  It is a matter of hate.

 ****  A c t i o n / O p t i o n s :   Encourage "U.S. News" to DISCOURAGE
careers in homophobia.  Send comments and criticism to Mortimer B. Zuckerman,
Editor-in-Chief, "U.S. News & World Report," 2400 N Street, N.W., Washington,
DC 20037-1196, tel. 202-955-2000 (copy your correspondence to Harrison
Rainie, Managing Editor, and John Leo, Columnist); letters intended for
publication should be directed to the "Letters Editor," at the same address
(fax 202-955-2685, e-mail [email-masked]).

 ****  R e / S o u r c e s :   Kirk Fuoss discusses the concept of
"ex-nomination" in his article "A Portrait of the Adolescent as a Young Gay:
 The Politics of Male Homosexuality in Young Adult Fiction," which is
featured in the anthology "Queer Words, Queer Images" (New York University
Press, 1994; R. Jeffrey Ringer, Editor).

[2]

F  A  M  I  L  Y    V  A  L  U  E  S   ?

Through its popular television programs, magazines, and on-line services, the
World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWF) continues pandering to homophobia.  In
particular, "Goldust" -- one of WWF's featured wrestlers -- has been cast as
a sort of "menacing gay freak," flirting dangerously with the "normal"
heterosexual wrestlers (who usually respond by "heroically" bashing him).
 According to WWF publicity materials, Goldust portrays a "flamboyant
Hollywood legend," who -- "despite his wigs and glittery appearance" -- is
"proving to be one of the toughest competitors in the World Wrestling
Federation."

While the character is not without strength, and even some charm, WWF
audiences are clearly cued to jeer Goldust.  His "amusing" sexuality is
intended to provoke derision and disgust.  Goldust is not a freak who happens
to be gay, but a freak BECAUSE he is gay.

This theme is reinforced in the latest (October, 1996) issue of "WWF
Magazine" -- "The Official Publication of the World Wrestling Federation."
 The cover photo features Goldust cradling "Mankind" (another WWF freak)
while, inside, a "special report" asks:  "Is Goldust Mankind's Mommy?"

With all due serious, the four-page "report" weaves "the hottest scoop of the
century."  Goldust and Mankind have been living together, as "mother" and
"son."

In itself, such a creative situation is not essentially problematic (and
could even provide an alternative to the WWF's more mundane character
pairings).  However, the "special report" merely provides the grist for
further exaggerating Goldust's freakish (i.e., non-heterosexual) nature.

Throughout the article, Goldust is labeled with terms of gross derogation.
 He is referred to as the "bizarre one," who "likes to frolic within the
psychologically bizarre realm of sexuality."  "What 'really' makes Goldust
tick?," the magazine asks, "Did something happen in his childhood that sent
him to super-bizarredom?"

Mankind -- an insane loner, who "likes to come off as being just plain nuts"
-- is portrayed as an appropriate match for Goldust.  The relationship
between the two is, accordingly, described as "The Bizarre and the Demented."

In a passage typical of the overall tone, the article recounts:  "Goldust and
Mankind were cutting a couple of interviews, talking about the upcoming
matches....  Anyway, through the entire cuts, Mankind was referring to
Goldust as...  MOMMY.  You got that?  MOMMY!  But wait, it gets even sicker!
 The three of us -- me and my own two eyes -- witnessed Mankind actually
BURYING HIS HEAD IN GOLDUST'S BOSOM in search of peace, love and
understanding!!!...  The following day after this goose-bumping incident, my
top informer informed me... that SON has moved into MOTHER'S mansion!!!!
 That's right!  They share the same CELLAR!!!"

In addition to "WWF Magazine," the World Wrestling Federation produces one of
the highest-rated weekly series on cable television ("Monday Night Raw") and
also operates "one of the most popular areas in America Online's sports
channel."  Collectively, these media target an audience of children and young
adults, and are particularly popular amongst men. According WWF's parent
company, TitanSports, Inc., "The World Wrestling Federation's goal has always
been to provide quality family entertainment."

Each year, thousands of hate crimes -- ranging from verbal assaults to murder
-- are committed against lesbians and gays.  Most of this violence is
perpetrated by teenage boys...  children "entertained" by homophobia.

 ****  A c t i o n / O p t i o n s :  By any standard of quality, pandering
to homophobia as a source of amusement is indefensible (especially in
youth-oriented media); encourage the WWF to combat rather than promote
homophobic bigotry.  Contact:  Vince Russo, Editor-in-Chief, "WWF Magazine,"
P.O. Box 3859, Stamford, CT 06905, fax 203-359-5118, e-mail
[email-masked]; copy your complaints to Christine M. Wypy, Fan Services
Coordinator, World Wrestling Federation/TitanSports, Inc., Titan Tower, 1241
East Main Street, P.O. Box 3857, Stamford, CT 06902, tel. 203-352-8600, fax
203-352-8699.

 ****  R e / S o u r c e s :   The "Safe Schools Anti-Violence Documentation
Project" is one of several surveys indicating widespread anti-gay violence
amongst teenagers.  To order free copies of the project's annual report (and
an accompanying poster), contact:  The Northwest Coalition Against Malicious
Harassment, P.O. Box 16776, Seattle, WA 98116, tel. 206-233-9136.

[For additional background regarding the on-going Goldust saga, see
"Wrestling With Homophobia" and "Bundle of Raw Nerves" -- MEDIAlert!, January
29, 1996 -- and "Adding Insult to Injury" -- MEDIAlert!, February 26, 1996]

[3]

P  O  O  R    A  T  T  E  N  D  A  N  C  E

Last month, over one hundred state politicians and education officials in
Utah were invited to a private screening of "It's Elementary: Talking About
Gay Issues in School."  NONE attended.

"It's Elementary" -- a new documentary from Academy-award-winning filmmaker
Debra Chasnoff -- was created to challenge homophobia in elementary and
middle schools.  According to "Salt Lake Tribune" reporter Katherine Kapos
(September 18), "None of the 130 Utah lawmakers, Salt Lake City School Board
members or principals invited to [the] screening attended, although three
legislators had viewed it earlier."  

``I'm not surprised, but I thought at least a couple would come,'' observed
Charlene Orchard, a spokesperson for the Utah Human Rights Coalition.

According to Kapos, "The only people who showed for the 3:30 P.M. screening
at the state Capitol were organizers and members of the news media."

If not unexpected, this dismal turn-out is all the more unacceptable,
according to critics.  critics.  Those invited to the screening "had a DUTY
to attend," says Jessea Greenman, founder of the "P.E.R.S.O.N. Project"
(Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally).  Greenman is
encouraging the public to contact state officials, "to communicate your
thoughts to them about open-mindedness (or lack thereof), courage (or lack
thereof) and the need for changes in Utah law governing what can and cannot
be taught to young people regarding sexuality."

Last Spring, the Salt Lake City School Board voted to ban all non-academic
clubs in order to prevent the formation of a "Gay-Straight Student Alliance."
 The state legislature followed suit, enacting legislation intended to
proscribe classroom discussions of homosexuality and prohibit teachers from
serving as advisors to gay and lesbian groups (SB 246).

"Acceptance or advocacy of homosexuality is one of the four taboo topics for
Utah teachers," Kapos explains.  "The others are intricacies of sex, use of
contraceptives and advocating promiscuity."

 ****  A c t i o n / O p t i o n s :   Share your concerns with Utah's
governor and schools chief.  Contact:  Michael O. Leavitt, Governor, State of
Utah, 210 State Capitol, Salt Lake City, UT 84114, e-mail
[email-masked]; Scott W. Bean, Superintendent, State Office of
Education, 250 E. 5th Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, tel. 801-533-7500,
fax 801-538-7521.

 Critical feedback should also be sent to these key legislators:  Sen. Howard
A. Stephenson (R), Chair, Education Committee, tel. 801-576-1022 (home) or
801-972-8814 (office), fax 801-973-2324; Sen. Scott N. Howell (D), Member,
Education Committee and Minority Leader (D), tel. 801-943-5770 (home) or
801-328-6643 (office); Rep. Beverly A. Evans (R), Chair, House Education
Standing Committee, tel. 801-454-3719 (home) or 801-722-4523 (office).  State
web sites provide a complete directory of the Utah Senate
(http://www.le.state.ut.us/senate/roster.htm) and House of Representatives
(http://www.code-co.com/utah/leg/legalph.htm).

 The three legislators who DID arrange to see "It's Elementary" were Darlene
Gubler (R-Holladay), Nora Stephens (R-Sunset) and Jordan Tanner (R-Provo);
Tanner later described the film as "a good story to show the need to get this
kind of education into the schools."  Contact:  Sen. Nathan C. Tanner,
Member, Education Committee, 6225 Woodland Drive Ogden, Utah 84403, tel.
801-479-6442 (home) or 801-442-3678 (office), fax 442-5061.

 "Letters to the Editor" can be sent to:  "The Salt Lake Tribune," P.O. Box
867, Salt Lake City, UT 84110, fax 801-521-9418.

 ****  R e / S o u r c e s :   "It's Elementary" premiered in June, and has
already won "Best Documentary" awards at the 1996 San Francisco and Chicago
International Lesbian & Gay Film Festivals.  The feature-length film is
(accurately) described by it's producers as:  "A powerful counterpoint to
conservative attacks on the so-called 'gay agenda' in education.  It makes a
compelling case that children should be taught to respect all people,
including lesbians and gay men, as part of their early education."  Through
1996, "It's Elementary" is scheduled for special screenings in cities across
the U.S.; the film will be released for purchase on video, with an
accompanying viewing guide, later this Fall.  Contact:  "It's Elementary,"
Women's Educational Media, 2180 Bryant Street, Suite 203, San Francisco, CA
94110, tel. 415-641-4616, fax 415-641-4632, e-mail [email-masked].

 For online activists, "The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project" maintains a substantial web
site, filled with general news and information about queer issues in public
education.  Contact:  Jessea Greenman, e-mail [email-masked],
 http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/.

 The Utah Human Rights Coalition has been at the forefront of several
challenges to the escalating homophobia in the state's school system.
 Contact:  Charlene Orchard, Chair, UHRC, P.O. Box 521242, Salt Lake City, UT
84152-1242, tel. 801-484-5291.

[4]

M  E  D  I  A  L  E  R  T  !   /   B   R   I   E   F   S

***  S C H O O L  G A Y S . . .    The October issue of "XY Magazine" -- "the
national magazine for young gay men" -- is a "Back To School" special; topics
range widely, from "locker rooms, high schools, bullying, gay studies, frats
and frat boys" to "how to start a gay club.... and how to sue your school for
harassment."  "XY" is a glossy bi-monthly, available through national
bookstore chains and newsstands, or by mail.

C o n t a c t :  "XY Magazine," 4104 24 Street, #900, San Francisco, CA
94114, fax 415-552-6664, e-mail [email-masked]. 

***  E - M E D I A . . .    Yet another e-mail "list service" --
QUEERPOLITICS -- has debuted this month.  According to its creators, this new
list will is devoted to:  "the discussion and analysis of the politics of the
gay rights movement; that is the movement for equal civil rights on the basis
of sexual orientation.  The idea behind QUEERPOLITICS is to facilitate
discussion between people holding diverse viewpoints about strategies,
personalities and policies in the struggle for gay rights."

Moderated and unmoderated versions of the service are available, and
subscribers can request a periodic digest of postings as well.  Selective
posts to the list will also provide material for another e-medium, "The
Sherrill-Buckmire Report" (an online gay and lesbian political newsletter).

C o n t a c t :  To join the moderated QUEERPOLITICS list, e-mail
[email-masked] (with a one line message SUBSCRIBE
QUEERPOLITICS-EDIT); for more information about the list and various
subscription options, e-mail the command INFO QUEERPOLITICS to
[email-masked].

***  R E E L  L E S B I A N S . . .    A dynamic lesbian duo inhabits the
storyline of "Bound," a new feature film from Gramercy Pictures.  The
action-suspense drama opened nationally in theaters on October 4, and
producers are anticipating good box office returns.  Significantly, "Bound's"
lesbian characters (played by Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon) are intended
to be just that -- CHARACTERS -- integral actors in the overall drama.
 Throughout most of Hollywood history, "lesbian" sexuality has often been
little more than a sensational plot device, and "lesbian" characters little
more than one-dimensional objects (conceived not from any creative passion,
but the masturbatory fantasies of heterosexual men).

C o n t a c t :  Gramercy Pictures, 9247 Alden Drive, Beverly Hills, CA
90210, fax 310-777-1966.

***  C H A R A C T E R S  O F  C O N T E N T . . .    "For several years
now," David Anthony Wyatt has been compiling a directory of television
programs that have included recurring gay/lesbian/bisexual characters.
 Specifically, the compendium covers "network and widely-syndicated
entertainment shows in the English language anywhere in the world (including
the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand)."

C o n t a c t :  Current copies of Wyatt's TV guide are available on the
World Wide Web (http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~wyatt/tv-characters.html), or by
e-mail ([email-masked]).

***  M I C R O P O W E R  T O  T H E  P E O P L E . . .    Promoting
alternatives to the licensed media giants, Free Radio Berkeley will sponsor a
"micropower broadcasting conference" (November 8-10, Oakland, CA).
 Organizers promise "lots of technical workshops along with an opportunity
for everyone to get together and come up with a collective strategy and
vision for the future of free radio."  Scheduled workshops and presentations
cover everything from legal affairs to interviewing techniques.

C o n t a c t :  For a conference packet, call 510-464-3041 and leave your
name and address; additional information is also available at the Free Radio
web site (http://wwww.freeradio.org).

[End]

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

"MEDIAlert!" [TM] (formerly "The GLAAD Media Watch") is a biweekly,
advocacy-oriented column of media criticism, primarily focused on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender issues.

Since 1992, this column has been distributed, on request, as a community
service.  Recipients may print, publish or post this material, in whole or
part, under this or any title, without prior permission.  When appropriate,
attribution can be made to "Al Kielwasser" and/or "MEDIAlert!"  File copies
of publications using all or part of any "MEDIAlert!" are always appreciated.

Some current and back issues of "MEDIAlert!" are available online, through
the Queer Resources Directory (http://www.qrd.org/qrd/media/medialert/) or
the news section of AOL's "Gay & Lesbian Community Forum" (keyword: GLCF
News).

Next "MEDIAlert!"   =   October 16 - 31 , 1996.

Contact:  "MEDIAlert!," 163 Park Street, San Francisco, CA 94110-5835,
voice-mail 415-826-5203,  fax 415-826-5203 (ext. 8), e-mail
[email-masked].

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A U T H O R  N O T E S

Al Kielwasser is the editor of "Gay People, Sex and the Media" (New York:
 Haworth Press).  He has taught a wide range of courses and workshops in
media theory and practice, and his research appears in the "Journal of
American Culture," "Journal of Homosexuality," "Journal of Popular Culture,"
"Feedback: The Journal of the Broadcast Education Association," "The High
School Journal," "Critical Studies in Mass Communication," and other
publications; he was twice elected Chair of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation/San Francisco Bay Area.

  ______________________________________________

  Shape the forces that shape our society . . .
  challenge homophobia in and through the media.
  _______________________________________________