Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 17:14:29 -0700 From: GLAAD Subject: GLAADAlert 01.31.97 GLAADALERT January 31, 1997 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Contents: 1. A Domain of Hate Litters Cyberspace (InterNIC (online organization), Westboro Basptist Church (anti-gay organization)) 2. Masterpiece Theatre Breaks The Code With The First "Digital Queer" (Masterpiece Theatre (public television program), Mobil Corporation (gas company)) 3. R & B Hit Doesn't Quite Fit The Bill (Mardi Gras Records (record company)) 4. No Room at the Holiday Inn? (Holiday Inn (hotel chain), Fallon McElligott (advertising company)) 5. Alfie's Home Is A Terrible Place To Live (Alfie's Home (children's book), International Healing Foundation (reparative therapy institution)) 6. Lesbian and Gay Youth Find Safe Place in Cyberspace (Newsday (magazine)) 1. A Domain of Hate Litters Cyberspace On January 22, the domain "godhatesfags.com" was registered with InterNIC, an organization that acts as a registration clearinghouse for new domain names. Domains give identity to companies, organizations, institutions and individuals on the Internet. In this case, "godhatesfags.com" is the name, or "identity" of the Westboro Baptist Church, the so-called "ministry" led by anti-gay hate-monger Fred Phelps. Phelps' grandson, Benjamin Phelps, first created a Web site for the church while a student at Kansas State University (KSU). When the community got wind of it and the University was contacted, KSU claimed that it was a student's right to freedom of speech, despite the hateful and threatening content. Now that Phelps is leaving KSU and must relinquish the KSU site, he has registered the offensive domain with InterNIC. While the Web site has been removed from its Internet service provider, the domain name is still registered as a legitimate identity with InterNIC, so it is still possible for Phelps to find another Internet service provider on which to display his site on the web. InterNIC's policy states that it will only question domain names containing one of the "seven dirty words." If a domain does not have one of these words, it is free to exist, despite its hateful and derogatory message. GLAAD questions whether InterNIC would allow anti-Semitic or racist domains, and if the "dirty words" should be expanded to include hate epithets. As long as the domain can exist, it sets bad precedent for other hateful domain names. Please write InterNIC and tell them that while you respect and support a person's freedom of speech, there are instances where hate crosses the line and becomes dangerous and threatening. Contact: Network Solutions, Attn.: InterNIC Registration Services, 505 Huntmar Park Drive, Herndon, VA 20170, fax: 703.742.9552, e-mail: complaints@internic.net. 2. Masterpiece Theatre Breaks the Code with the First "Digital Queer" In their 26 years as the sole sponsor of Masterpiece Theatre, Mobil has shied away from gay- and lesbian-themed productions, but makes up for lost time with "Breaking the Code," airing February 2, 9:00 to 10:30 PM ET on PBS (check your local listing). This Drama House/ BBC North production is based on the life Alan Turing, the brilliant mathematician who cracked the Nazi "Enigma" military code and lived quite openly as a gay man. Derek Jacobi gives a sensitive portrayal of the historical figure, who is also the designer of some of the first computers. "Breaking the Code" follows Turing's fascinating life as a pioneering mathematician and one of England's greatest heroes of World War II, when he was praised by Winston Churchill and awarded with the Order of the British Empire for his assistance in defeating the Nazis. But an equal amount of the program is dedicated to Turing's lifelong struggle to remain openly gay-despite being threatened, given female hormones as "treatment" for his homosexuality and held up to public ridicule. In adapting Kevin Patterson's play to the screen, Masterpiece Theatre has taken a notable step towards a fuller, more inclusive representation of lesbian and gay historical figures. More than just about Turing himself, it will introduce many viewers to their first understanding of the lives of gay people during the first half of this century. Please commend Masterpiece Theatre and their sponsor, Mobil, for portraying this honest and powerful story from gay and lesbian history. Contact: Steve Ashley, Producer, Masterpiece Theatre, WGBG Boston, 125 Western Avenue, Boston, MA 02134; phone: 617.492.2777, fax: 617.787.0714; steve_ashley@wgbh.org; Mobile Corporation, 3225 Gallows Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22037, e-mail: pub_afs@mobil.com. 3. R&B Hit Doesn't Quite Fit the "Bill" "Bill," a song by Peggy Scott-Adams currently storming R&B airwaves across the country tells the story of a woman coming to grips with the discovery of her husband's sexual orientation. In the song, she recalls being at a party with her husband, and finding him in a passionate embrace with their close friend Bill. "Bill was a friend/ He was goduncle to our only son/Now it looks like Uncle Bill wants to be his stepmom," she sings. "I asked my man, why didn't you tell me that you were gay/When you knew that I built my world around you/Here's what he had to say: 'I knew I had those feelings/And I didn't want it to be/See I thought by being with you, girl, I thought it would change me.'" She also explains that there isn't any shame in her situation, but says "My man was just a queen that thought he was a king." As the husband leaves with Bill, "He said, 'I know you're hurt,' and I know you're mad/but if it's not asking too much baby, could you tell my son I love him and I'm still his dad.'" The song illuminates the struggle of lesbian and gay people coming out to their heterosexual spouses and the pain that it can cause for everyone involved. It also highlights why sometimes people who know that they are gay decide to get married in hopes of being able to ignore or "change" their sexual orientation. It is clear that the husband and Bill will remain close to the son. Unfortunately, much of the sensitivity of this song is counterbalanced by the unnecessary and out-of-place effeminization of Bill (who wants to be a "stepmom") and the husband (a "queen who thought he was a king"). In doing so, songwriter Jimmy Lewis, who in a number of interviews about the song has called himself an "avowed heterosexual," perpetuates stereotypes about gay men. Please write to the songwriter/producer and performer and let them know that you appreciate this supportive, clever song. Encourage them to continue to produce music that address sensitive issues, but not to include any tired stereotypes that only serve to demean people. Contact: Jimmy Lewis, Producer, and Peggy Scott-Adams, Mardi Gras Records, Inc., 3331 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70115, phone: 504.895.0441, fax: 504.891.4214. 4. No Room at the Holiday Inn? A Super Bowl Sunday Holiday Inn television ad featuring a transsexual has drawn mixed reactions from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender viewers and was pulled from the air on January 28. In the ad, a tall, blond female model walks through a class reunion, drawing ogling glances and gaping mouths from onlookers as a narrator recounts how much she paid for her new nose, lips and bust. She runs into a classmate who says that he never forgets a face. After realizing that she is a transsexual, and was Bob Johnson during their school years together, his face turns from friendly to stunned and finally horrified as he says, "Bob? Bob, is that you?" Throughout his exaggerated reaction, however, the transsexual woman looks confident. The narrator says, "It's amazing the changes you can make for a few thousand dollars," alluding to Holiday Inn's billion-plus renovation campaign. It is encouraging that Holiday Inn and its advertising agency, Fallon McElligott, saw the realization of a transsexual's physical gender transformation as positive and worthy of comparison to the betterment of the Holiday Inn hotel chain. Additionally, the confidence the transsexual woman exhibits is noteworthy. Even the very recognition that transsexuals are part of the mosaic of society is positive in the visibility it lends to transgender issues. Even so, the reaction of the man is appalling, insensitive and mean-spirited. It is as if nothing could have been more horrifying to the man than "Bob" being a woman. After receiving complaints both by transphobic people and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, Holiday Inn quickly pulled the ad. Whatever impression it left you with, please write to Holiday Inn and Fallon McElligott and encourage them to continue to strive to sensitively represent the diversity of their customers, including transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Contact: Craig Smith, Public Relations Director, Holiday Inn World Wide, 3 Rivinia Drive, Suite 2000, Atlanta, GA 30346, phone: 770.604.2000, fax: 770.604.5403, e-mail: hiwsprt@mindspring.com. Pat Fallon, Chairman, Fallon McElligott, 901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 3200, Minneapolis, MN 55402, fax: 612.321.2346, pat.fallon@fallon.com. 5. Alfie's Home Is A Terrible Place To Live In mocking response to Alyson Publishing's award winning children's books Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy's Roommate, Richard Cohen, founder of the anti-gay International Healing Foundation, presents his own children's book entitled Alfie's Home, that spreads lies and myths about the gay and lesbian community and touts so-called reparative therapy. The story follows Alfie, a teenage boy who lives in a dysfunctional family. When Alfie starts recognizing his attraction to other boys, he seeks out a counselor for help and advice. The counselor, however, tells Alfie that he is not gay and that his gay feelings were caused by the absence of his father's love and Alfie's history of sexual abuse by his uncle. Alfie's struggle with his sexual orientation miraculously brings the family together, with his father spending more time with his son and the uncle apologizing for his criminal behavior. Alfie then decides he is not gay and ends up marrying a woman. These kinds of lies can lead homophobic parents to create a home atmosphere that is hostile to youth dealing with their sexual orientation. They can also create despair for young people who are beginning to deal with being gay when they realize that it is not something that can be "cured." Alfie's Home could even contribute to the number of lesbian and gay youth who turn to drugs , alcohol or attempt suicide. Cohen also discounts the hundreds of thousands of gay men and lesbians who have come from loving parents and who have never had a history of sexual abuse. Write the International Healing Foundation and let them know what a disservice they are doing for children, especially those who are gay and lesbian. Also, please report to GLAAD any bookstores or libraries where you might have seen this book by calling 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or e-mailing glaad@glaad.org. Contact: Richard A. Cohen, Director, International Healing Foundation, P.O. Box 901, Bowie, Maryland 20718-0901, fax: 301.341.1258, e-mail: IHF90@aol.com 6. Lesbian and Gay Youth Find Safe Place in Cyberspace In a January 28 Newsday article entitled "What A Difference A Modem Makes," writer Matthew McAllester explores the high-speed connections lesbian and gay teens are making online. McAllester writes, "For gay teenagers like Jay, 17, it's a lifeline, "noting that for many teenagers the Internet is a fascinating and exciting source of information and communication. Giving isolated lesbian and gay youth online opportunities to meet, chat and find "virtual homes" where they are loved and accepted turns the Internet into a limitless resource. David Kilmnick, founder of the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth group LIGLY, said that last year over 400 gay youth got in touch with LIGLY, "Over half of them via the Internet or America Online." Another LIGLY employee visits male-to-male chat rooms looking for local teens who might benefit from the "companionship, community and counseling," and invites them to the LIGLY center instead. Reaching out to America's lesbian and gay youth via the Net is not without it's risks, writes McAllester, "but don't believe much of the hype about how cyberspace is populated with pedophiles." More common risks are teenage crisis cases with no local assistance and potentially ill-fated long-distance love affairs. Supportive and healthy virtual communities can be real life-savers for isolated lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning teens. One lesbian teen found that she was helping women older than herself come to terms with their sexuality. Using the Internet to develop support systems that fan out into community-based forums and meeting places for these youth help displace the long roads and intolerant views that separate gay teens and their peers. It also gives today's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth the opportunity to create their own revolution-a cyber-Stonewall. Write Newsday and tell them you appreciate their publishing this well-rounded and reality-based article. Thank writer Matthew McAllester for looking beyond the hype and into the lives of lesbian and gay youth. Contact: Robert Brandt and Howard Schneider, Managing Editors, Newsday, Two Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5676, fax: 212.696.0396, e-mail: ndstaff@newsday.com. 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. 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