From: MediAction@aol.com Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 09:19:01 -0500 (EST) Subject: MEDIAlert! 02.15.97 -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------- INDEX: "MEDIAlert!" for 15 FEB 97 [Parts A & B] -ITEM 1: "Dollars and (Non)Sense" [Simmons Market Research Bureau; UPI; = Mulryan/Nash Advertising; Financial News]. -ITEM 2: "Drag Teens" [Jerry Springer; TCF Newsletter; TransFagRag]. -ITEM 3: "Indecent Proposition" [Student Press Law Center]. -ITEM 4: "It's A Date" [Ellen]. -ITEM 5: "Reel Women" [MadCat Women's Film and Video Festival]. -ITEM 6: "Critical Mass" [Spin City; USA Today; Matt Roush]. -ITEM 7: "Promising Prognosis" [E.R.; Nash Bridges]. -ITEM 8: "Polluted Airwaves" [KFIV; Gay, Lesbian and Straight Teachers Ne= twork]. = -ITEM 9: "Web Watch" [Blackout; If the Sun Were Queer; Open Prairie Syndi= cate; Laugh Lines Press; Mentoring Site for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans= gendered Youth; The Lavender Lens; Task Force Online; Ultimate TV List]. -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------- M E D I A l e r t ! _________________________ February 1-15 Al Kielwasser [ 1 ] D O L L A R S A N D ( N O N ) S E N S E The cant of a "wealthy gay elite " has become one of the more popular and= persistent themes in the rhetoric of homophobia. In perpetuating this l= ie, however, homophobes have been assisted by the efforts of self-interes= ted marketers and lazy journalists. Most recently, Simmons Market Research Bureau announced the results of it= 's "first-ever gay and lesbian market study -- conducted at the behest of= Mulryan/Nash, "a New York-based advertising agency that specializes in r= eaching gay consumers." Reported with less care than hype, the study's e= xuberant claims about homosexual wealth are not likely to break any new g= round -- but only reinforce the foundations of homophobic myth. In a press release headlined "Affluence of Gay Market Confirmed" (Feb. 3,= 1997), Simmons touts the survey's results. While the study claimed two = major findings -- that homosexual consumers have lots of money, and tend = to spend it on queer-positive advertising -- an exaggerated claim of aff= luence dominated the spin. According to Simmons, "28% of the nearly 4,000 respondents reported perso= nal income that exceeds $50,000" and "household income exceeds $100,000 f= or over one-fifth." On the basis of such figures, Rebecca McPheters, pre= sident and CEO of Simmons, concludes: "This study confirms the affluence= and spending patterns for which there previously has been only anecdotal= evidence." Among the study's "comparative findings," Simmons reports: "Nearly twice= as many gays and lesbians (50%) drink vodka as the total U.S. adult popu= lation (26%)" "61% of gays and lesbians swim as part of their physical fi= tness regimen, and 46% engage in weight training," and "89% have stayed i= n a hotel within the past 12 months." As stated, these findings stray well-beyond the survey's limitations. In= dividuals surveyed by Simmons could very well crave more vodka, earn high= er wages, and occupy an unusual number of hotel rooms. However, it could= NOT be argued the interests or earnings of these particular persons are = representative of gays and lesbians in general. Because many gays and lesbians are still closeted, it is difficult -- if = not impossible -- to randomly sample the population. Standard procedures= for ensuring representativeness (including random sampling) are likely t= o produce an UNREPRESENTATIVE sample when surveying lesbians and gay men.= Such samples can yield systematically INACCURATE results, which -- in a= ny case -- should not be generalized. = News accounts of Simmons survey -- based largely, if not exclusively, on = the company's press release -- have ignored even the most basic of statis= tical cautions. A story by United Press International (Feb. 3), for exam= ple, began with this over-generalized lead: "A new study reports that ga= ys have plenty of money to spend, and they're highly likely to spend it o= n products that are hawked by gay-oriented advertising campaigns." UPI further reported that "researchers say about half of those questioned= report an annual income of $50,000 or more -- with one in five boasting = of a $100,000 yearly take." The story concluded by noting: "...with com= panies like Absolut and Suburu advertising heavily in the gay media, gays= are twice as likely as the rest of the population to drink vodka or own = a sport-utility vehicle." According to journalist Eric Jansen, "the problem with the assumption tha= t all gays are rich white magazine readers with two VCRs, two BMWs and 2.= 2 dogs in the yard is this: The very numbers that gay people have used t= o sell themselves on Wall Street are hanging them on Main Street." Indee= d, both homophobic rhetoric and mainstream reporting are replete with unf= ounded claims of gay wealth. The American Family Association's 24-page treatise -- "Homosexuality in A= merica: Exposing the Myths" -- is typical. "Myth # 8," according to the= AFA, is that "homosexuals are an oppressed minority and should have the = same civil rights extended to them regarding their homosexuality as other= minorities." As "evidence" for debunking this "myth," the AFA argues th= at lesbians and gays "have an average annual income of $55,430, over $20,= 000 more than the general population... Homosexuals are one of the most a= ffluent groups in America!" Obscured by such rhetoric is the Religious Right's OWN financial clout --= which includes organizational assets that exceed the budgets of most, i= f not all, lesbian and gay groups. Recently, for example, Reuters (Feb. = 11) examined the influence of the Family Research Council, "a powerful or= ganization with an annual budget of $13 million." As Reuters reports, th= e FRC "reserves its strongest language for its campaign against homosexua= lity.... A position paper from the organization bluntly states that homo= sexuality is 'unhealthy, immoral and destructive to individuals, families= and societies.'" By contrast, the annual budget for GLAAD -- "the nation's lesbian and gay= news bureau and the only national lesbian and gay multimedia watchdog or= ganization" -- just recently breached the $1 million mark. Most regional= lesbian and gay groups must get by on even less. For years, the mainstream press has parroted the myths of gay affluence. = In 1993, for example, "USA Today" (April 23) carried a typical story on = "Courting the Gay Market." Without citing a source, the nation's leading= newspaper said of lesbians and gays: "They've got money - the average h= ousehold income is $51,624 for gay men and $42,755 for lesbians, versus t= he U.S. average of $37,922." Contemporary coverage of (and in) "the trade" has continued this trend, o= n a global scale. Recently, for example, the "Financial News" (Feb. 2) r= eported on Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras -- in an article headlined= : "Travel Industry Loves Big-Spending Gay Crowd." According to this acc= ount, Mardi Gras "attracts a relatively modest overseas following" -- co= nsisting of some 2,500 or so visitors, many from the U.S -- but "these ca= shed-up gay tourists spend on average 50 per cent more that their 'straig= ht' counterparts." Repeating a familiar chord, "Financial News" also quo= tes the head of an "exclusively gay" travel agency, who claims: "The ga= y market has considerable disposable income -- no money is spared if they= want to do something." Surveys and statistics that paint a less-expansive picture of gay affluen= ce are NOT so widely reported by the popular press. In a study of "Gay a= nd Lesbian Homeless/Street Youth," for example, Gabe Kruks found that sig= nificant percentages of homeless teens are actually young gays. These yo= uth -- who have been kicked out or forced to run away from home -- are no= t economically advantaged; quite the opposite. Other studies indicate that lesbians and gays, in general, might actually= earn LESS than their heterosexual counterparts. In a survey commissione= d by the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies (IGLSS), for ins= tance, economics professor Lee Badgett suggests that -- on average -- st= raight men earn more than gay men; lesbian and bisexual women not only ea= rn less than men, but less than straight women. Political scientist Ken Sherrill has specifically criticized the Simmons = survey for reporting "biased data that overestimate lesbian, gay and bise= xual wealth." "These data are then used to deny us protection against di= scrimination," Sherill says. "When will we learn to stop giving credence= to such crap?" "There is no solid theoretical foundation to support any assumption that = gay people are any wealthier than average Americans," Sherrill explains. = "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." Responding to such concerns, Dave Mulryan -- partner in Mulryan/Nash -- h= as agreed that the Simmons survey "is not necessarily projectible to anyo= ne other than the respondents." Sharon Stern, of Simmons Market Research= Bureau, also admitted the survey does not represent "a universe of gay a= nd lesbian people;" respondents were drawn from lists maintained by "a po= litical organization, a credit card firm and a mail order firm," Stern re= vealed. = However, these subsequent concessions were made in the lesbian and gay pr= ess -- and do not appear, anywhere, in the Simmons press release. As rep= orted to the general public, important qualifications are not simply miss= ing; they are contradicted. Several years ago, congressperson Gerry Studds penned the introduction to= a collection of queer statistics -- "Gay & Lesbian Stats: A Pocket Guid= e of Facts and Figures" (The New Press, 1994). His cautionary preface re= mains good advice. "We must no longer allow ourselves to be victimized by distortions and ha= lf-truths," Studds warned. "Neither must we be content to perpetuate fal= sehoods that seem to serve our purposes." * * * ACTION ALERT! Encourage more careful, accurate and complete repo= rting on this important subject; contact: Dave Mulryan, Mulryan/Nash Adv= ertising Agency, 161 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013, tel. 212= -633-6139, fax 212-633-8696; Rebecca McPheters, Simmons Market Research, = 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10170, tel. 212-916-8900; United Press= International, 1400 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20005, fax 202-898-8057.= Popular "trade" publications -- such as "Advertising Age" and "Marketing = Tools" magazine -- should also be encouraged to provide competent coverag= e of lesbian/gay surveys and stats; contact: "Advertising Age," 220 East= 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017, tel 212-210-0170, e-mail sdonaton@adage= =2Ecom; "American Demographics/Marketing Tools," Dow Jones Company, tel. = 607-273-6343, fax 607-273-3196, e-mail WebMaster@demographics.com. [For an earlier overview of income and marketing issues, see Eric Jansen'= s article "The Incredible Shrinking Gay Dollar" ("Genre," Nov. 1994); Gab= e Kruk's study of "Gay and Lesbian Homeless/Street Youth" appears in the = "Journal of Adolescent Health" (Vol. 12, No. 7). Lee Badgett is assistan= t professor of economics at the University of Maryland-College Park, IGLS= S, tel. 301-405-6348, e-mail lbadgett@puafmail.umd.edu; Kenneth Sherrill = is professor of political science at Hunter College, in New York City]. [ 2 ] D R A G T E E N S On the "Jerry Springer" show, a recent topic of conversation was "Teenage= Drag Queens." The February 13 broadcast pitted two young gays against t= he rancor of family and audience members. Though both "drag teens" offer= ed a powerful and eloquent self-defense, the show ultimately privileged t= heir attacker's talk. Alan (aka Alana) was confronted by his sister, who declared: "He is not = old enough to make a decision that is going to affect the rest of his lif= e... He does not know himself... I am not going to allow [this] destructi= ve behavior!" The sister's fiancee, Scott, was also brought onto the pan= el and asked for his opinion of Alan -- even though he had NEVER met the = boy. Equating cross-dressing with drug abuse, Scott declared: "I won't = have it in my house!" The other teen -- 15-year-old Matthew (aka Laqueeda) -- had to face an an= gry quartet; his mother, sister, aunt, and a "friend" all spouted their r= esentment. Articulate and proud, Matthew somehow stood his ground. "You= can call me a faggot, a drag queen," he said. "I know who I am!" After his aunt had fretted about his "condition," Matthew reminded his le= ss-than-perfect relative that he had always stood by her -- with uncondit= ional love -- for better or worse. "And now you're going to make a big o= bstacle [out of the fact] that I have on a dress?," he exclaimed. Matthew's family also blasted him with accusations of hanging out at bars= , in the company of older men. Though he never drank, Matthew said, he d= id occasionally go to bars -- where he could be with other drag queens of= all ages. A shocked and accusatory Springer asked : "What are you doin= g going to a bar at 15?... As a 15-year-old kid, you certainly don't nee= d to be hanging around these places!" Apparently, a more-appropriate question never occurred to the host. Spri= nger should have asked: "What is our society doing... when gay and tran= sgender teens are given nowhere to go (but a bar) for the support, commun= ity and affirmation they need?" Instead, empathy was encouraged for the "concerned," "distraught" and "pu= t upon" families of queer youth. Concern was directed toward the "poor,"= "suffering" parents who could "really love" their transgender teens... = if only they wouldn't "shove it in my face." It is worth asking if simil= ar sympathy would be afforded to other bigoted relations (say, a Baptist = uncle, who moaned: "Jerry, I love my nephew... but does he have to act l= ike a Jew in front of me?"). Throughout Springer's show, transphobic family members would essentially = demand: "I just want you to be my BROTHER (nephew, son) -- not my SISTER= (niece, daughter)." Comments from the gallery were much the same; not O= NE member of the audience offered any support for the teens. Typical of = the reaction was an individual who opined: "If god intended you to be a = woman, you would have been born one!" Yet Springer never asked his guests or audience why they -- or society --= should suffer so desperately from chronic gender-rigidity. In fact, the = host's whole approach was decidedly uninformed. Where he might have asked intelligent questions, based on current issues = and expertise, Springer seemed to have done no reading or other preparati= on for this show. While shows addressing other "children's issues" have = included at least one expert (a psychologist or social service representa= tive, for example), this program invited no such guests. Outnumbered 2 to 1, the transgender teens were left to fend solely for th= emselves -- and the audience was left with an absurd context for debate (= This is not the first time Springer allowed panelists and members of the = studio audience to viciously attack a transgender guest; in 1994, much th= e same thing happened during a show titled "My Boy Friend Turned Out to b= e A Woman"). As if everything about homosexual or transgender youth were= a matter of opinion -- and nothing is a matter of fact -- the very EXIST= ENCE of queers becomes a refutable proposition. At the conclusion of every show, Springer offers a "Final Thought" on the= subject at hand. Usually, he manages to strike a liberal note. This ti= me, he was consistently off-key. Though Springer's "Thought" began with promise ("This probably would be a= better planet if we accepted people for who they are..."), he ultimately= offered some dubious advice. Parents should "apply discipline," Springe= r said, and seek counseling for their children at the first signs of any = "gender confusion." The real problem is not a child's "gender confusion," but the society's c= onfused ideas about gender. Always, it is the oppressed -- and never the= oppressors -- who are told to "get help." * * * ACTION ALERT! Send critical feedback to: Jerry Springer, "The J= erry Springer Show," 454 N. Columbus Drive, Chicago, IL 60611, tel. 1-800= -96-JERRY. Related resources: For on-line activists, the "TCF Newsletter" is a valu= able, monthly publication -- posted through AOL's Transgender Community F= orum (e-mail onqpepsi@aol.com). Issue One of "TransFagRag" -- "the first= and only international newsletter for gay and bi transmen" -- has just b= een published; for information, contact C. Julian Leonard, Elessar Press,= 1259 El Camino Real, Suite 151, Menlo Park, CA 94025, e-mail julian7@hoo= ked.net. = M E D I A l e r t / B R I E F S _________________________ [ 3 ] = * * * INDECENT PROPOSITION . . . The Student Press Law Center (SPLC) i= s currently preparing an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding= the Communications Decency (sic) Act. As part of that process, says SPL= C staff attorney Mike Hiestand, "we are looking to cite material on the I= nternet that -- though newsworthy -- might be considered 'indecent' or 'p= atently offensive' and thus subject to prosecution under the law" (for ex= ample, safe sex articles). Hiestand is primarily seeking "material publi= shed by mainstream student or commercial news organizations," and interes= ted individuals are asked to forward appropriate articles to SPLC as soon= as possible. C o n t a c t : Student Press Law Center, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1910 = Arlington, VA 22209-2248, tel. 703-807-1904, e-mail splc@splc.org, web si= te http://www.splc.org. SPLC takes on various censorship cases, and rece= ntly assisted the students combating homophobia at schools in Maryland an= d Texas [see "Don't Ask, Don't Television," MEDIAlert!, Jan. 31, 1997]. [ 4 ] = * * * IT'S A DATE! . . . Various industry sources are reporting that A= BC's "Ellen" might be coming out at last, and on a date -- almost -- cert= ain: April 30. Significantly this slot coincides with the vital May swe= eps, during which key network ratings are measured. According to the "Ho= llywood Reporter" (Feb. 14), only one hitch remains: "The final thumbs-up= on Ellen's outing depends on ABC and Disney execs approving a script, wh= ich has not yet been submitted." C o n t a c t : Jamie Tarses, President, ABC Entertainment , 2040 Avenue= of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067, fax 310-557-7679, e-mail abcaudr@cc= abc.com; David Neuman, President, Walt Disney Television, 500 South Buena= Vista, Burbank, CA 91521, http://www.tvplex.com/Note. [ 5 ] = * * * REEL WOMEN . . . WiseGirl Productions has launched the "MadCat W= omen's Film and Video Festival" -- a noncompetitive, international venue = for "the promotion and exhibition of innovative works by a diverse group = of women." The festival premieres March 21-23 in San Francisco, with a p= rogram that highlights "up and coming women film and video artists and ho= nors the women that have come before them." "This festival emphasizes wo= rk that generates discussion and challenges the audience to reexamine fil= m and the role women play in its creations," says event director Holen Ka= hn. "Until there is equal representation of women in both the film indus= try and the art world, festivals such as MadCat are necessary." C o n t a c t : Holen Kahn and Ariell J. Ben-Dov, Directors, The MadCat = Women's Film Festival, WiseGirl Productions, 937 Fell Street, San Francis= co, CA 94117, tel. 415-826-6017 or 415-436-9523. [ 6 ] = * * * CRITICAL MASS . . . Since it's Fall debut, "Spin City" has made = a singular effort at inclusion and diversity. Indeed, this ABC sitcom is= currently the only primetime series to feature an African-American gay c= haracter in a recurring role. For at least one reviewer, however, "Spin City" could do even better. Of= the show's February 11 plot, "USA Today" critic Matt Roush wrote: "In a= Valentine's episode of romantic misadventure, Mike (Michael J. Fox) is e= nlisted to masquerade as Carter's (Michael Boatman) lover when Carter's e= x (Luke Perry) shows up with a fiancee. Mike's panic at playing gay is b= elow this show's dignity. It would have been fresher if he'd willingly g= one along with the joke only to learn (to his dismay) he was lousy at it.= " Whatever the other faults or merits of his critique, Roush does what few = mainstream critics have ever done: recognize heterosexism as a critical = concern. Given the diminished expectations that homophobia encourages, h= is review is also an admirable reminder. Expect the media's best, or it'= s the least they can do. C o n t a c t : Matt Roush, Critic, and David Mazzarella, Editor, "USA T= oday," 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22229, fax 703-247-3290, e-mail e= ditor@usatoday.com; Jamie Tarses, Entertainment President, ABC, 2040 Aven= ue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067, fax 310-557-7679, e-mail abcaudr@= ccabc.com. [ 7 ] = * * * PROMISING PROGNOSIS . . . In the February 6 episode of NBC's "E.= R.," a recently-added character -- "Dr. Maggie Doyle" (Jorjan Fox) -- cam= e out to a friend and co-worker. Doyle's sexuality was revealed during a= brief scene, in which she unexpectedly runs into an ex-girlfriend. To w= hat extent this character's lesbian or bisexual life will be developed re= mains to be seen. However, the series has enjoyed both critical acclaim = AND ratings success -- a fortifying mixture, which should encourage a pro= gressive creativity. Meanwhile, on another network... During the February 7 episode of CBS's= "Nash Bridges," a recurring character -- "Stacy" (Angela Dorhmann) -- id= entified as a lesbian. As Stacy told another character, she's "dating wo= men now." = C o n t a c t : Leslie Moonves, President, CBS Entertainment, 7800 Bever= ly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036, e-mail marketing@cbs.com; Michael Cr= ichton and John Wells, Executive Producers, Crichton Television, 4000 War= ner Brothers Blvd., Production Building 1, Los Angeles, CA 91505; Warren = Littlefield, President, NBC, 3000 West Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA 91523-00= 00, fax-818-840-3247, e-mail entertainment@nbc.com ["E.R." is produced by= Crichton Television for the NBC network]. [ 8 ] = * * * POLLUTED AIRWAVES . . . Kevin Jennings -- director of the Gay, L= esbian and Straight Teachers Network (GLSTN) -- recently appeared at a ju= nior college in Modesto, California. Unfortunately, the event was hailed= by local broadcasters with less-than-broad minds. During their January 17 show, KFIV's morning DJs -- Rick Minyard "and his= sidekick Tom" -- ridiculed GLSTN and Jennings. According to one listene= r, the radio hosts "intimated that the GLSTN Executive Director was less = than a man, saying 'their man, or boy or whatever he is, Kevin Jennings w= ill be here.... that's so special... isn't that special' (imitating Dana = Carvey's Church Lady character from 'Saturday Night Live')." The same DJ= s have been a source of both racist and homophobic "humor" in the past. With more than forty chapters -- and a membership of over four thousand t= eachers, parents, and concerned citizens -- GLSTN is the largest national= organization dedicated to combating homophobia in classrooms and curricu= la. Members work to insure that "schools are places where all people are= respected and valued, regardless of sexual orientation." C o n t a c t : KFIV Newstalk 1360-AM, 3600 Sisk Road, Modesto CA, tel. = 209-545-5585; Gay, Lesbian and Straight Teachers Network, 122 W. 26th Str= eet, Ste. 1100, New York, NY 10001-6804, tel. 212-727-0135, fax 212-727-0= 135, e-mail glstn@glstn.org, web site http://www.glstn.org/. [ 9 ] = W E B W A T C H . . . = * * * COLOR-FULL SITE . . . A webzine dedicated to gay and lesbians of= color, "Blackout" offers news releases, reviews, stories, interviews, a = national events calendar, links galore and a live chat page. According t= o producers, "It's as glossy as the Internet is ever going to get!" [http= ://www.networkamerica.com/~dagarrat/blackout]. * * * BOOK REPORT . . . An online picture book written for, but not ex= clusively to, the children of gay or lesbian parents is now available at = Open Prairie Syndicate's web site [http://www.visi.com/~oprairie/hoover/b= ook/book.html]. The book -- "If the Sun Were Queer" -- was inspired by t= he Sharon Bottoms travesty and similar cases nationwide, where children h= ave been removed from or denied placement in a queer parent's home. Onli= ne for over a year, the Open Prairie Syndicate regularly "showcases carto= onists who work outside of the mainstream press" -- including Alison Bech= del's "Dykes to Watch Out For" [http://www.visi.com/~oprairie/]. * * * LESBIAN LAUGHTER . . . Laugh Lines Press -- "publisher of award-= winning lesbian humor books" -- now has a website [http://www.outbooks.co= m/laughlines]. = * * * MENTOR-BY-MODEM . . . A "Mentoring Site for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexu= al, Transgendered Youth, Young Adults and their Friends" is currently und= er development [http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/6210]. According = to creator Randy Olson, his new site is intended to provide "an additiona= l resource for youth to obtain support, answers to their questions, and o= ther information, through an online network of mentors, peer and adult." = Among the featured pages is "Our Stories, Our Lives" -- a compilation o= f "people's stories and experiences as they relate to coming out, dealing= with sexuality, homophobia, etc." "Anyone interested in sharing their s= tories can reply via e-mail (olsonra@pacbell.net) or directly at the webs= ite," says Olson. * * * HOMO MOVIES . . . "The Lavender Lens" is a weekly feature on que= er film history, written by David Johnson and illustrated with movie stil= ls For more information, browse Johnson's home page [http://home.aol.com= /flicfag]. * * * FEEL THE FORCE . . . The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has= upgraded its web site -- "Task Force Online" -- which now features a ful= ly-searchable database of state bills and legislative information [http:/= /www.ngltf.org]. "We're proud to offer this new, valuable resource to ac= tivists and organizers around the country," said Kerry Lobel, NGLTF execu= tive director. "It's in our mission to powerfully leverage and integrate= all our high technology assets in the fight for equality." *** TV GUIDANCE . . . The "Ultimate TV List" has been relocated [http:/= /www.ultimatetv.com/]; this site is one of the best on the net for search= ing all-things-television: shows, networks, addresses, news, industry li= nks, and more. [end] -------------------------------------------------------------------------= --------- AUTHOR NOTES Al Kielwasser is the editor of "Gay People, Sex and the Media" (New York:= Haworth Press). His media criticism and research have appeared widely,= in both mainstream and academic publications (including the "Journal of = American Culture," "Journal of Homosexuality," "Journal of Popular Cultur= e," and "Critical Studies in Mass Communication"); he was twice elected C= hair of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/San Francisco Bay A= rea. -------------------------------------------------------------------------= --------- ABOUT MEDIALERTS Distributed as a community press service since 1992, "MEDIAlert!" [TM] is= a biweekly, advocacy-oriented column of media criticism, primarily focus= ed on lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender issues. Recipients may print, pub= lish or post this material, in whole or part, under this or any title, wi= thout prior permission. When appropriate, attribution can be made to "Al= Kielwasser" and/or "MEDIAlert!" File copies of publications using all o= r part of any "MEDIAlert!" are always appreciated (and can be sent to the= address below). Next "MEDIAlert!": February 28, 1997. Contact: A. P.= Kielwasser, MEDIAction, 163 Park Street, San Francisco, CA 94110-5835, v= oice-mail 415-826-5203, fax 415-826-5203, e-mail mediaction@aol.com. --PART.BOUNDARY.0.10975.emout11.mail.aol.com.856188650--