Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 11:09:57 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: ELLEN BRINGS HOME AN EMMY - GLAAD CONGRATULATES STAR ON BIG WIN MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Liz Tracey (212) 807-1700 pager: (800) 946-4646, pin#1423527 e-mail: tracey@glaad.org ELLEN BRINGS HOME AN EMMY GLAAD CONGRATULATES STAR ON BIG WIN NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 15, 1997 - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today congratulated Ellen DeGeneres and her writing team for last night's Emmy win for outstanding comedy writing. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored the Ellen team for the "Puppy Episode," last year's historic coming out episode. On stage and to a crowded room of reporters backstage, DeGeneres made special note of gay youth, struggling for acceptance. "I accept this on behalf of all the people, especially the teens out there, who think something is wrong with them because they are gay," she told millions of Emmy viewers worldwide. "There's nothing wrong with you, and don't let anybody make you think there is." In total, Ellen was nominated for six awards. In addition, The Simpsons episode, "Homer's Phobia," which dealt with prejudice against a gay man (whose voice was provided by John Waters), and Tracy Takes On..., which has explored gay themes, won for Best Animated Cartoon and Best Variety, Music or Comedy Series respectively. "The Academy saw much of what American's saw, a incredibly brave person allowing her audience to grow with her and her television character," said Chastity Bono, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Director. "Ellen DeGeneres, and the whole Ellen team made history last April, and Emmy voters recognized and valued that incredible work. Television continues to make great strides at accurate portrayals of lesbian and gay mens' lives thanks in large part to Ellen and people like her who have the courage to simply be themselves." DeGeneres' emotional Emmy acceptance acknowledged the intense social pressures placed on lesbian and gay youth. A recent Minnesota study placed the suicide rate among gay male youth at seven times that of their heterosexual counterparts. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control reports that one in six lesbian and gay high school teenagers are beaten so badly that they require medical attention. "Ellen's acceptance speech not only touched each and every lesbian and gay man across the nation, it touched their families as well," said Joan M. Garry, GLAAD's Executive Director. "Like every American parent, I want my three children to grow up in a world free of hatred and bigotry, and Ellen's historic win last night is a great stride in the right direction for the television industry, and for our nation." Last April GLAAD, working behind the scenes to support Ellen DeGeneres and her show, hosted "Come Out With Ellen" House Parties world-wide. GLAAD is eagerly awaiting the new season of Ellen, which will begin on September 24. According to inside industry sources, Ellen Morgan will continue to grow into a multi-dimensional character throughout the year. GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in the media as a means of combating homophobia and all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. -30- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's DISPATCH AND QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.