Date: Fri, 7 Mar 1997 16:55:58 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert 03.07.97 GLAADALERT March 7, 1997 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation contents: 1. P-FOX and FOX-Intolerance and Ignorance (FOX (television network), FOX News Online (online news), P-FOX (anti-gay organization)) 2. Ugly Ad Targets Gay-Positive Television (KSTP-TV (local television station), KARE-TV (local television station)) 3. A. Embraces Asian-American Lesbians and Gay Men (A. Magazine (magazine)) 4. What A Difference A Day Makes (Soap Opera Digest (magazine), ABC (television network), NBC (television network), CBS (television network)) 5. Seattle Times Says No To Intolerance (Seattle Times (newspaper)) 6. Spin City Keeps Spinning Carter (Spin City (television sitcom), Michael Boatman (actor), TV Guide (magazine), Vibe (magazine)) 7. Showtime Screens Twilight of the Golds (Twilight of the Golds (play and made-for-TV movie), Showtime (cable network)) 8. The Data Lounge Takes Over OUT.Com (The Data Lounge (Web site), Mediapolis (Internet provider), OUT.Com (Web site), OUT Magazine (magazine)) 9. Save Relativity Team Launches Campaign (Save Relativity (campaign)) 1. P-FOX and FOX-Intolerance and Ignorance An ill-informed February 28 story ran on FOX News Internet which grossly misrepresented a marginal radical religious group of so-called "ex-gays" as being supportive of lesbians and gay men. Reporter Jo Stein, covering the first national conference of the hate group Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (P-FOX) in Washington, D.C., began the story, "Ten years ago Dawn Vukich was involved in a relationship with a woman. A student of gay theology, Vukich struggled with her sexuality for years before deciding to change her lesbian lifestyle because it conflicted with her Christian beliefs." She added, "Other speakers like Vukich will share their testimonies on how changing their gay lifestyle has made them happier." From there, Stein lumps P-FOX with the supportive and embracing Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). "Support groups are not new to the homosexual community. In 1971, PFLAG was established," she said. "But while support groups were developing in the 1970's to confront homosexuality, Exodus International began trying to re-orient peoples' sexual identities." While Stein does give space to countering views, she shows an lack of understanding of bigoted and harmful so-called "ex-gay ministries." To place the loving, sincere and supportive PFLAG with an opportunist anti-gay group like P-FOX, and to combine them as part of the same movement, is not only grossly inaccurate, but patently offensive. A support group does just that-supports an individual to be more true to him or herself-it does not seek to change him or her because of lies, propaganda and a narrow view of morality. After a discussion with GLAAD Communications Director Alan Klein, Stein stated she understands and appreciates our concerns and Scott Eherlich, director of issues, information and online services at FOX News Internet, said that FOX would consider doing a follow-up story. Write to FOX News Internet and insist that they present lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in a fair and accurate manner, and underscore the importance of doing a follow-up story that would correct the false assumptions the initial story failed to challenge. Contact: Scott Eherlich, Director of Issues, Information and Online Services, FOX News Internet, e-mail: comments@foxnews.com. 2. Ugly Ad Targets Gay-Positive Television In Minneapolis/St. Paul, a so-called "ex-gay" ministry is running commercials on two local network affiliates during lesbian, gay and AIDS-sensitive programming. During the February 24 broadcast of ABC's Elizabeth Taylor tribute "Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life," and the March 4 broadcast of Roseanne, which included the introduction of Bev's (Estelle Parsons) new girlfriend, Joyce (Ruta Lee), KSTP-TV aired a commercial telling lesbians and gay men that they could become straight. The sponsor, Outpost, Inc., is a local "ex-gay" ministry, and the ad's voice-over states: "If you're gay or lesbian and don't want to be, there's hope for change. Many have left the lifestyle and you can, too. For more information call 1-800-201-2890, extension 'Hope for Change.'" The commercial has also run repeatedly on KARE-TV, the local NBC affiliate. While stations have the right to air commercials from any sponsor they choose, the bigoted placement of anti-gay ads during gay-positive programming is callous and offensive. By permitting this ad to run, KSTP-TV gave hate a megaphone and aimed it at the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Outpost, Inc. is an affiliate of the national hate group Exodus, which preys on confused and unhappy lesbians and gay men by selling them fundamentalist Christian snake oil in the form of dangerous "reparative therapy." Many lesbian and gay survivors of the so-called "ex-gay" movement take years to recover from the indignities suffered, which includes shock therapy. Both the former heads of Exodus and the former director of Outpost have come out as openly gay, and have denounced their former organizations. Both KSTP and KARE should not accept advertising from any form of hate group. Would they have accepted a similar advertisement from the Ku Klux Klan or an anti-Semitic group? Tell both stations to stop broadcasting hate and facilitating lies. Contact: Harold Crump, Station Manager, KSTP-TV, 3415 University Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55114, phone: 612.646.5555, fax: 612.642.4409; John Remes, Station Manager, KARE-TV, 8811 Olson Memorial Highway, Minneapolis, MN 55427, phone: 612.546.1111, fax: 612.546.8606. 3. A. Embraces Asian-American Lesbians and Gay Men The February/March issue of A. Magazine: Inside Asian America, a hip, stylized magazine about Asian- Americans, fully integrates lesbians and gay men into the magazine's coverage of a variety of issues. The cover story, "Guy Talk," highlights six diverse Asian-American men in a round-table discussion about sex, self-image, relationships and family ties. Two of the six are openly gay, and their discussion is candid and inclusive. Another article, "Sugar & Spice: Grrls on Film," looks at Asian lesbian representation in six recent films and rates them on "lesbian realness quotient" and "sex scene." Finally, a look at Asian American identity by four authors includes two openly gay ones: R. Zamora Linmark and Karin Aguilar-San Juan. A. Magazine is way ahead of the curve in non-gay, -lesbian, -bisexual or -transgender-specific media. The publication includes people from our community in a story that is not directly related to sexual orientation. It has included us in a larger dialogue, recognizing the input of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people as critical and valuable to a more holistic-and realistic-representation of society. Please commend A. Magazine for its phenomenal and exciting inclusion of lesbians and gay men. Contact: Angelo Ragaza, Editor in Chief, A. Magazine, 270 Lafayette Street, Suite 400, New York, NY 10012, fax: 212.925.2896, e-mail: edit@amagazine.com. 4. What A Difference A Day Makes The March 11 Soap Opera Digest highlighted the virtual non-existence of lesbian characters on daytime television. "The Difference Between Night and Day," by Chris Kensler, shows the disparagingly low representation of lesbian lives on soaps in comparison with the growing number on prime time television. With time to explore and fully develop a character on a soap, Kensler wonders why prime time shows, such as ABC's Relativity, which air much less frequently, have been able to introduce realistic lesbian characters. Kensler surmises that "when a character is only used to explore what it means to be a lesbian, viewers may prick up their ears, but if she isn't allowed to become a multi-dimensional character with multiple relationships, there's no way she can last." Please write to Soap Opera Digest and thank them for highlighting lesbian-free daytime, and write to ABC, NBC and CBS daytime and encourage them to introduce fully developed lesbian characters. Contact: Lynn Leahey, Editor-In-Chief, Soap Opera Digest, 45 West 25th Street, New York, NY 10010-2754, fax: 212.645.0683; ABC Daytime, 77 W. 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6201, fax: 212.456.2381, e-mail: daytime@ccabc.com; NBC Daytime, 3000 West Alameda Avenue, Burbank, CA 91523, fax: 818.840.4275; CBS Daytime, 6309 N. O'Connor #125, Irving, Texas 75039, fax: 214.869-2653, e-mail: CBSDaytime@aol.com. 5. Seattle Times Says No To Intolerance In a February 15 editorial, the Seattle Times tackled anti-gay conservatives and the hypocrisy of their attacks on lesbian and gay youth. "While many conservatives in Olympia [Washington] preach against state intrusion in economic matters, they vigorously promote state intervention and virtual censorship when it comes to sensitive 'family values' issues such as homosexuality in the schools," the editorial states. Sen. Val Stevens (R-Lake Stevens) recently introduced SB 5167, which seeks to prohibit schools from "presenting" or "promoting" homosexuality as positive, normal behavior. When the Times interviewed Steven about her goals, the editorial notes, she replied, "To reduce the ever-expanding size and scope of government and to focus laws on the intent of our founding fathers, to secure the right of individual life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." "How SB5186 furthers that noble goal is beyond us," the editorial says. "Supporters of the bill say they don't mean to denigrate gay people. But a law banning positive speech about gays and lesbians in the classroom would have exactly that effect. How ironic that such an outspoken critic of expansive state power is so eager and willing to wield it for her own ends. She has put forth an embarrassing and hypocritical proposal to use the power of government to legislate her private intolerance." Please thank the Seattle Times for such a clear unmasking of the difference between the rhetoric and realities of anti-gay conservatives. Contact: Alex MacLeod, Managing Editor,Seattle Times, PO Box 70, Seattle, Washington 98111, fax: 206.382.6760. 6. Spin City Keeps Spinning Carter The current issues of two magazines-TV Guide and Vibe each feature profiles of Michael Boatman, who plays the gay activist-turned-mayoral-assistant on the hit ABC show Spin City. The April Vibe has an article entitled, "Gay, Black and Proud," which begins, "Ready or not, here it comes: prime-time television's first full-time, openly gay African-American male character." According to Boatman, "I wanted this character to stretch people's perception of stereotypes and what the mainstream considers mainstream. Carter makes a loud statement about humanity and the positive, well-adjusted people in our communities, schools and at work who just happen to be gay or lesbian." In the March 8 TV Guide, "Creating a Positive Spin," notes, "Carter makes strides for gay rights in the mayor's office and Boatman is helping change stereotypes on TV." "Gay men have been playing straight men onscreen for decades," Boatman says in the interview, "and now it's appropriate that it's starting to happen the other way around." Please let the magazines know you appreciate the profiles and encourage both Vibe and TV Guide to do more interviews with the actors playing the 28 (and counting) lesbian and gay characters on television today. Contact: Steven Reddicliffe, Editor-in-Chief, TV Guide, ; 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Floor, New York NY 10036-8701, fax: 212.852.7470; Alan Light, Editor, Vibe, 205 Lexington Ave., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10016, fax: 212.522.4578, e-mail: vibeline@nyo.com 7. Showtime Screens Twilight of the Golds On March 23, Showtime will premiere the made-for-TV movie version of Jonathan Tolins' play Twilight of the Golds. Suzanne Stein (Jennifer Beals) and her husband (Jon Tenney) discover that she is pregnant with a male child that carries a "gay gene." Suzanne's gay brother, David (Brandon Frasier) fights with the couple and his otherwise liberal parents, the Golds (Faye Dunaway and Garry Marshall), over whether or not they should keep the child. Showtime has continued to be a leader among the premium cable channels in lesbian- and gay-inclusive programming. This includes Losing Chase, which is nominated for a GLAAD Media Award this year for Outstanding Made-For-Television Movie. Please watch for Twilight of the Golds, let Showtime know what you think of the program, and commend Showtime for its continued inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters and themes. Contact: Matthew Blank, President, Showtime Network, 1633 Broadway, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10019, fax: 212.708.1212. 8. The Data Lounge Takes Over OUT.Com In a surprising turn of events, OUT Magazine shut down OUT.Com, its highly popular Web page, after over a year of existence, but another organization, Mediapolis, has taken the baton. The site offered many services for the gay and lesbian community, and served as a place for visitors to post opinions on topical issues and meet other gay and lesbian people. The Data Lounge, run by Mediapolis, is taking over most of the sites most popular features. Mediapolis has created and maintained Web sites for many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organizations and companies, including OUT Magazine and GLAAD, often offering pro-bono work in the effort to bring greater visibility of the community on the Internet. The site can be accessed at www.datalounge.com. Please thank Mediapolis for their wonderful work in the gay and lesbian community as well as continuing the important services once found at OUT.Com. Contact: Mediapolis, 1155 Broadway, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10001, e-mail: info@mediapolis.com 9. Save Relativity Team Launches Campaign A group called the Save Relativity Team has sprung into action to save the ABC show which has one of the most realistic lesbian characters on television. According to a March 5 press release, the team will "strive to heighten network and viewer support of the series by raising money to purchase advertising in major market papers and industry trades." Their slogan, which is also on a T-shirt they are selling to raise funds for the effort, is "Save Relativity-Because it doesn't take an Einstein to recognize amazing programming." Team member Ivy Vale said, "Our goal is to prevent one of the few intelligent, adult TV shows from being prematurely canceled." The Web site is located at http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/1404. Please join the effort to save Relativity and keep Rhonda Roth, an excellent lesbian character, on the air. Contact: Ivy Vale, Save Relativity Team, phone/fax: 212.662.4124, e-mail: WorldofOz@aol.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. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. Contact GLAAD by e-mail at glaad@glaad.org or by phone at 213.658.6775 (Los Angeles), 212.807.1700 (New York), 202.986.1360 (Washington, DC) or 415.861.2244 (San Francisco). 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