From: GLAADNATL@aol.com
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 16:10:27 -0500
Subject: GLAAD Urges Support of TV Gay & Lesbian Characters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
contact:  Tamra King
(213) 658-6775



GLAAD URGES SUPPORT OF TELEVISION'S GAY AND LESBIAN CHARACTERS

LOS ANGELES, November 15, 1995 --  The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) is encouraging its members to express  their support of
the lesbian and gay characters on five television shows premiering this
season.

The new shows include  "The Crew" (Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on FOX) featuring
Paul Steadman, the tart-tongue gay flight attendant;  "The Pursuit of
Happiness" (Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on NBC) featuring Alex Chosek, the
ambulance chasing, crass law partner of the main character;  "Courthouse"
(Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. on CBS) featuring Rosetta Reid and Danny Gates, as
the first black lesbian couple in television history;  "Live Shot" (Tuesdays
at 9:00 p.m. on UPN) featuring Lou Waller, the closeted sportscaster of a
fictional television news station, who also deals with the homophobia of the
sports industry; and,  "Murder One" (Thursdays at 10:00 p.m. on ABC)
featuring Louis Heinsbergen, the gay assistant to celebrity attorney Ted
Hoffman.  

"These characters are some of the most positive gay and lesbian characters on
television." according to GLAAD's Entertainment Media Director Tamra King.  

"This has been an unprecedented season for positive portrayals of gay men and
lesbians.  We have gone beyond just identifying a character as a lesbian or a
gay man," she said, "to the point where the characters are multi-dimensional
and are interwoven into each show's storylines."

While the final ratings on the new programs are not in, all these programs
may be in danger of cancellation due to their time slots and competition from
other programming.  GLAAD encourages individuals to write the producers of
these shows to acknowledge the positive aspects of introducing such well
rounded characters.  Letters of support  for the shows should also be written
to the networks.

GLAAD promotes the fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals
and events as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual
orientation.

Write:

Jamie Wooten and Marc Cherry, Creators, "The Crew," Wooten & Cherry
Productions, Hollywood Center Studio, 5800 West Sunset Boulevard, Producers'
Building, Los Angeles, California 90028, and also send a letter to Chase
Carey, President, FOX, P.O. Box 900, Beverly Hills, California 90213, e-mail:
 foxnet@delphi.com

David Lee, Peter Casey, David Angell, Executive Producers, "The Pursuit of
Happiness," Grub Street Productions, 5555 Melrose Avenue,Wilder Building,
Suite 101, Hollywood, California 90038, and also send a letter to Warren
Littlefield, President, NBC, 3000 West Alameda Avenue, Burbank, California
91523 

Deborah Joy Levine, Executive Producer, "Courthouse," Columbia Pictures
Television, 9336 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, California 90232,
and also send a letter to Peter Tortorici, President, CBS, 7800 Beverly
Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90036

Dan Guntzelman and Steve Marshall, Creators, "Liveshot," Rysher
Entertainment, 3400 Riverside Drive, 6th Floor, Burbank, California 91505,
and also send a letter to Lucy Salhany, President, UPN, 1180 Wilshire
Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90025, e-mail: UPNMail@aol.com

Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee and Channing Gibson, Creators, "Murder One,"
Steven Bochco Productions, 10201 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, California
90035, and also send a letter to Ted Harbert, President, ABC, 2040 Avenue of
the Stars, Los Angeles, California 90067