From: MediAction@aol.com Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 22:20:16 -0400 (EDT) Subject: MEDIAlert! - [B] 8.29.97 (Media/BRIEFS) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- INDEX: "MEDIAlert!" - 08.29.97 [Part "B" ONLY] "MEDIA/BRIEFS" -ITEM 1: "Cause for Concerned" [Concerned Women for America; It's Elementary]. -ITEM 2: "Doctor Dementia" [TV Guide; Dr. Laura Schlessinger]. -ITEM 3: "Adding It Up" [Top Sponsors of Pro-Homosexual TV]. -ITEM 4: "Beer Buddies" [Molson Brewery]. "WEB WATCH" -ITEM 5: "Fruits of the Vine" [Grapevine Tribune-GLBT News & Action Alerts]. -ITEM 6: "Do Ask, Do Tell" [Oasis Magazine; OutProud]. -ITEM 7: "Zine Around" [SBC Online; Q San Francisco]. Part "A" ["Risky Reporting" and "For Love or For Hate"] posted SEPARATELY. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- M E D I A l e r t ! __________________________ M E D I A / B R I E F S August 29, 1997 Al Kielwasser [1] * * * CAUSE FOR CONCERNED . . . . "Warning: New gay propaganda aimed straight at the hearts of our children!" So screams the sensational headline on the latest mass-mailing from Concerned Women for America (CWA) -- a right wing hate group, which claims to be the largest women's organization in the U.S. The "propaganda" to which the CWA refers is a video titled "It's Elementary: Talking about Gay and Lesbian Issues In School." "It's Elementary" was produced in 1996 by Women's Educational Media, under the direction of award-winning lesbian filmmaker Debra Chasnoff. Since then, the documentary has been used successfully as a weapon against homophobia in schools across the country. The CWA sees things differently, however. According to CWA chairperson Beverly LaHaye, this film is "an extremely dangerous pro-homosexual video.... being used to guide schoolchildren into ungodly and immoral behavior that leads to death." "This is an abomination and shows just how low homosexual extremists will stoop to ensnare children, which is what 'It's Elementary' is really all about," LaHaye says. "Under the guise of promoting tolerance and ending bigotry, homosexuals are cynically recruiting a new generation to become homosexuals -- Innocent grade schoolers!" To rid schools of this "abomination," LaHaye recommends several actions. First, sympathetic homophobes are asked to sign a petition to their Congressional representatives, objecting to an NEA grant that was awarded Women's Educational Media. The petition calls for an end to "NEA funding of pro-homosexual propaganda." The CWA has also distributed a model letter, for writing "your local school superintendent to ask if 'It's Elementary' is in school libraries and to warn against its use." "I would be grateful to know the steps you will take to make sure the video is not used in any way," the letter concludes. Finally, the CWA is has encouraged its 5000,000 members to "generate public opposition by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper expressing your objection to attempts to teach children that homosexuality is normal." "Please don't assume that children where you live are safe," LaHaye warns. "Because they aren't!" C o n t a c t : Concerned Women for America, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20024, web site http://www.cwfa.org. To RECOMMEND "It's Elementary" to local school superintendents or newspaper editors, refer to: Women's Educational Media, 2180 Bryant Street, Suite 203, San Francisco, CA 94110, e-mail wemfilms@womedia.org, web site http://www.womedia.org. [2] * * * DOCTOR DEMENTIA . . . . The Aug. 30 - Sept. 5 issue of "TV Guide" features "Dr. Laura's Prime-Time Checkup," a five-page article by radio talk-show host Laura Schlessinger. As her theme, Schlessinger undertakes a search for "emotionally engaging entertainment that doesn't degrade values important to the well-being of the individual and society." As she explains: "I decided to analyze a number of successful shows in terms of the kind of morality they convey to the audience.... I watched these programs assessing behaviors on the basis of some fundamental principles of right conduct (in relation to sexual matters, business habits, friendship expectations, social obligations, ethical choices, etc.)." As a result of this fluff, Schlessinger identifies four programs that reflect good values ("Men Behaving Badly," "Law & Order," "Cosby," "Touched by an Angel"), and four that don't ("Melrose Place," "Cybil," "Millennium," "Walker, Texas Ranger"). While this article is not overtly homophobic, the author certainly is. In May of this year, for example, Schlessinger wrote a syndicated column in which she diagnosed homosexuality as a "biological faux pas" and referred to lesbians and gay men as "afflicted." "Heterosexuality is the functional norm," she said; homosexuality is "an error in proper brain development." "TV Guide's" pick of a BIGOT to serve as an "expert" on morality suggests a profound lack of editorial judgment. What could be next... a panel of neo-Nazi film critics offering their take on "Schindler's List?" C o n t a c t : Jack Curry, Managing Editor, "TV Guide," Box 500, Radnor, PA 19088-0500, web site http://www.tvguide.com; Dr. Laura Schlessinger, c/o New York Times Syndication Sales Corp., 122 E. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10168, tel. 800-375-2872, e-mail wisdom@cprinc.com, web site http://www.drluara.com/forum. [3] * * * ADDING IT UP . . . . The American Family Association (AFA) -- a heterosexual supremacist group dedicated to "promoting decency in media" -- recently issued the latest of its quarterly reports on the "Top Sponsors of Pro-Homosexual Primetime Network TV Programs." The AFA's current results are based on television programs monitored between March 1 and May 31. Advertisers are ranked according to the number of times they purchased 30-second commercials during programs with ANY lesbian, gay or bisexual theme. On the basis of this "research," the AFA has launched a national postcard campaign, targeting the top three "pro-homosexual" sponsors: Unilever, General Motors, and Warner-Lambert. The organization has distributed thousands of pre-printed cards, addressed to the heads of each company. For every sponsor, the message is the same: "I was disappointed to see Unilever (GM or Warner Lambert) as a leading advertiser on pro-homosexual programs from March 1-May 31, 1977. I will consider this the next time I shop." "Homosexual behavior is immoral and unnatural, and often leads to disease and broken lives," the postcards conclude. "I implore you to carefully choose on what programs you place your advertisements." C o n t a c t : Richard Goldstein, President, Unilever United States Inc., 390 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022-4698; John F. Smith, Chairperson, General Motors Corporation, 3044 W. General Motors Blvd., Detroit, MI 48202-3080; Melvin Goodes, Chairperson, Warner-Lambert Company, 201 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, NJ 07950-2693; Donald Wildmon, President, American Family Association, P.O. Drawer 2440, Tupelo, MS 38803. [4] * * * BEER BUDDIES . . . . As reported by Reuters/Variety (August 15), "Canada's largest brewery has produced a television commercial with an overtly homosexual theme but it is not sure whether the 30-second spot featuring a passionate kiss between two women is ready for prime time." The commercial for Molson's beer was leaked to the press before the company had committed to broadcasting it. "We want to make sure we do the right research with the general public and make sure they're comfortable with it before we do air the ad," said Diana Rose, a Molson spokesperson. If approved, the commercial might not air until early next year. Though not scheduled for broadcast in the U.S., the American Family Association has already expressed its disapproval of the ad. AFA spokesperson Allen Wildmon explained: "They're beginning with two women, which isn't quite as offensive as two men. Of course the next step would be two men. We would certainly join in with anybody who wanted to boycott the company." Reaction from Canadian lesbians and gays reportedly has been positive. According to Keir MacRae, president of "FAB" (a gay magazine distributed in Canada and the U.S.), this could the first time a gay ad will be used to target mainstream consumers. "It's refreshing to see an advertiser pushing the boundaries," said MacRae. "My only concern is that Molson's is using lesbian imagery as a male fantasy rather than showing it as an acceptable lifestyle." C o n t a c t : Molson Breweries, 33 Carlingview Dr., Toronto, ON, M9W 5E4, Canada, tel. 416-679-1786. W E B W A T C H ________________________ [5] * * * FRUITS OF THE VINE . . . . With varying degrees of success, a growing number of websites offer news for and about the lesbian, gay and bisexual communities. Among the latest efforts, "The Grapevine Tribune" is source of both news and action alerts -- distinguished by a "timely" focus. The entire site is optimized for "speed" -- designed to reduce time, and increase effectiveness, on the net. Low-graphic pages stress ease of reading, while news is kept brief and regularly updated. According to site administrator Jennifer Mahoney, users of The Grapevine Tribune "will find it easy to become involved." "From local to international, our news covers issues that affirm or oppress GLBT civil rights," Mahoney says. "The site also provides hundreds of resource links, including a complete list of e-mail links to the U.S. Senate and House, making it easy to respond to pending legislation and other action alerts." Volunteers serve as "eyes and ears" of the site, comprising a Grapevine Internet News Network (GINN) that tracks the issues worldwide. Ultimately, Mahoney hopes "to have one volunteer from every region where GLBT's are fighting for our rights and need our help to succeed." "With easily accessible information and resources, you can finally get involved without stretching your daily schedule to the limit," Mahoney explains. "The Grapevine Tribune is designed to make it easy and efficient to participate -- something we all need to do in order to make a difference." C o n t a c t : The Grapevine Tribune - GLBT News and Action Alert Website, http://www.drizzle.com/~ginn (anyone interested in becoming part of the vine's volunteer network should contact Jennifer Mahoney, Site Administrator, e-mail ginn@drizzle.com). [6] * * * DO ASK, DO TELL . . . . OutProud-The National Coalition for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth and "Oasis" magazine have joined forces to launch "the first-ever survey of queer and questioning youth on the Internet." This online survey, which runs through October 31, will tap into various issues facing queer youth today -- from HIV/AIDS to harassment at school. Intended to paint a broad picture of a community often obscured, the questionnaire asks about the family life, self-esteem, dating habits, spirituality, and (of course) online experiences of queer youth. The survey takes approximately thirty minutes to complete and is delivered electronically, via a special web site [http://www.oasismag.com/survey/]. A report on the results is expected to be published in January, 1998. "The Internet has played a crucial role in helping this generation of queer youth to acknowledge and accept their sexual orientation," said Christopher Kryzan, executive director of OutProud. "With this landmark survey, we hope to provide them with a powerful voice." "Each month we hear from countless teens as they are finding their way to self-acceptance and becoming a member of the greater queer community," adds "Oasis" editor and publisher Jeff Walsh. "Now, we intend to bring their issues to the mainstream." "Oasis" magazine is read by over 35,000 people each month. OutProud's resources, which include the QueerAmerica online and Lambda Youth Network referral services, are used by more than 100,000 individuals each year. C o n t a c t : OutProud, 369-B Third Street, Suite 362, San Rafael, CA 94901-3581, tel. 415-499-0993, fax 415-499-1013, e-mail info@outproud.org, web site http://www.outproud.org; "Oasis," 80 Elgin Park, # 8, San Francisco, CA 94103, tel. 415-487-9477, e-mail info@oasismag.com, web site http://www.oasismag.com. [7] * * * 'ZINE AROUND . . . . "SBC Online" is the self-described "magazine for Afrocentric homosexuals and their friends." Included in the July-97 issue are topics ranging from women in jazz to legends of drag [http://www.sbc-online.com]. Featured in a recent issue of "Q San Francisco" are queer filmmakers Arthur Dong -- whose "Licensed to Kill" is "a creepy, enlightening and engrossing documentary look at seven murderers in prison" -- and Su Friedrich, who discusses her latest film, "Hide and Seek" -- a "look at the world of lesbian adolescence during the 1960's" [http://www/qsanfrancisco.com]. [End - Part "B"] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT MEDIALERTS Distributed continuously since 1992 as a community press service, "MEDIAlert!" [TM] is a biweekly action and advocacy-oriented column of media criticism, focused on lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender issues. 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. Contact: MEDIAlert!, 163 Park Street, San Francisco, CA 94110-5835, voice-mail/fax 415-826-5203, e-mail MediAction@aol.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTHOR NOTES The editor of "Gay People, Sex and the Media" (New York: Haworth Press), Al Kielwasser's media criticism and research have appeared widely in both mainstream and academic 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! ________________________________________