Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 17:49:55 -0700
From: glaad@glaad.org (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)
Subject: SPECIAL On-Line GLAADAlert: ELLEN SPONSORS NEED AFFIRMATION

GLAADALERT

September 24, 1996
The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation

SPECIAL On-Line GLAADAlert: ELLEN SPONSORS NEED AFFIRMATION
Following last week's announcement that Ellen Degeneres' title character on
her hit ABC sitcom Ellen may make television history this season by
announcing that she's a lesbian, the press has been speculating on how the
show's sponsors would react to the news. In a September 20 Associated Press
story, several major advertisers, including J.C. Penney, Toyota, Pepsi-Cola
and Coca-Cola said "they would await developments before deciding if they
should change their plans." Others, such as Microsoft and Intel, have
affirmed their support of the show regardless of plot developments.
Unfortunately, the story quotes Donald Wildmon, head of the anti-gay
American Family Association, calling for boycotts. But it fails to allow
any lesbian and gay organizations to counter what appears to be an
essentially meaningless threat. The positive vs. negative public response
to Ellen's coming out is 5:1.

These sponsors need to be reassured with a dose of reality. According to
Alan Klein, GLAAD's communications director, "It seems that this minority
of radical religious organizations are failing to dictate the viewing
privileges of the many." Still, the perception of a boycott could cause
advertisers to make irrational decisions. Let the sponsors know that the
lesbian and gay community has a long history of remembering its allies, and
that economic strength of the community far outweighs any small-minded
boycott from the fringe.
Contact: For appreciation for their support: William Gates, Microsoft
Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052, phone: 206.882.8080,
fax: 206.936.7329, e-mail: askbill@microsoft.com; Gordon Moore, Chair,
Intel Corporation, P.O. Box 58119, Santa Clara, CA 95052, phone:
408.765.8080. web: http://www.intel.com.
To encourage them to remain true to the fair and accurate representation of
lesbians and gay men on television, and not to back down because of a
handful of religious radicals: William Howell, Chair, J.C. Penney Company,
Inc., P.O. Box 10001, Dallas, TX 75301, phone: 214.431.1000, fax:
214.431.1977;  Shinji Sakai, President, Toyota Motor Sales, 19001 S.
Western Avenue, Torrance, CA 90509, phone: 800.331.4331, fax: 310.618.7800,
web: WWW:http://www.toyota.com/whatsat/feedback/; D. Wayne Calloway, Chair,
Pepsi-Cola, 700 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577, phone:
914.253.2000, fax: 914.253.2070;  Roberto Goizueta, Chair, The Coca-Cola
Company, P.O. Drawer 1734, Atlanta, GA 30301, phone: 800.438.2653, fax:
404.676.4903; web: http://www.cocacola.com/forum/backtalk.html.

The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation.
GLAAD is the lesbian and gay news bureau and the only national lesbian and
gay multimedia watchdog organization.  GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and
inclusive representation as a means of challenging all forms of
discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.

Copies of articles referred to in the GLAADAlert are available to our
members by contacting GLAAD.

Contact GLAAD by e-mail at glaad@glaad.org or by phone at 213.658.6775 (Los
Angeles), 212.807.1700 (New York), 413.586.8928 (Northampton), 503.224.5285
(Portland, Oregon), 202.986.1360 (Washington, DC) or 415.861.2244(San
Francisco).
Report defamation in the media by calling GLAAD's Toll-Free AlertLine!
1-800-GAY-MEDIA (1-800-429-6334)
Visit GLAAD's Web Site at http://www.glaad.org
"GLAADAlert," "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are
trademarks of
the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
glaad@glaad.org

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"

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.

GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay news bureau and the only national
lesbian and gay multimedia watchdog organization.  GLAAD 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.