Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 17:14:16 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert 03.28.97 GLAADALERT March 28, 1997 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Falwell Fans The Flames For Ellen In a desperate attempt to slam Ellen Morgan's closet door shut, on March 25 Rev. Jerry Falwell, the anti-gay radical religious leader called for a boycott of sponsors of ABC's Ellen. While he may have found a new way to draw media attention to the highly anticipated April 30 episode where Ellen DeGeneres' lead character realizes she is a lesbian, the media has been overwhelmingly supportive of the gay-themed story line. Entertainment Tonight's second story on March 26 aired portions of Falwell's public statement but balanced their coverage by interviewing GLAAD spokesperson John Henning. Inside Edition also counted on GLAAD for comment and MSNBC gave out GLAAD's Alertline, 1 (800) GAY-MEDIA, for people who want to contact Ellen's sponsors and show their support. GLAAD remains at the forefront in encouraging support for ABC, Disney and the Ellen show sponsors. Across the country on April 30, GLAAD will sponsor "Come Out With Ellen" parties to mark this momentous occasion. According to Chastity Bono, GLAAD Entertainment Media Director, "This episode marks a historic turning point in television history, and we hope that lesbian and gay fans of the show will turn out with GLAAD to come out with Ellen." For more information about GLAAD's Come Out With Ellen campaign, please call (800) GAY-MEDIA or e-mail to glaad@glaad.org. In Los Angeles, call (213) 658-6775 or in New York call (212) 807-1700 or visit the "Come Out With Ellen" Web page at www.glaad.org. "Safe Zones" Stir Controversy in Connecticut The Danbury, Connecticut News-Times is doing an excellent job of following the controversy created by the establishment of Brookfield High School "Safe Zones"-classrooms marked with pink triangles where students questioning their sexual identity can seek support and talk about their sexuality with understanding teachers. In a series of articles written by Joseph Spector, he initially examined two sides of the issue as seen by Neal and Katie Houdes who oppose the "Safe Zones" and Veronica Berrill, a retired Brookfield HS teacher who is suing the Houdes for allegedly libeling her for her support of the program. While the jury is still out on the libel case, Spector's continuing coverage of the issue has been increasingly fair and inclusive. He has consulted a number of experts in the field of gay, lesbian and bisexual concerns including Clinton Anderson of the American Psychological Association who reiterated that "When students are confused about their sexuality...their performance in school is affected." Spector has given voice to the student peer counselors who initiated the program because they felt that gay students were not treated fairly, and helped educate the community about the high rate of suicide among gay and lesbian youth. Positive responses from the community are pouring in to the News-Times. Whatever the outcome of the libel suit, there seems to be a good chance that "Safe Zones" will stay as evidenced by similar successful programs in neighboring schools. Spector's accurate and well-researched articles are spurring important dialogue between members of the community, and that is the mark of quality journalism. Write Joseph Spector and thank him for the important contributions he is making to his community, and congratulate the News-Times for publishing this sophisticated and enlightened journalist. Contact: Joseph Spector, News-Times, 333 Main Street, Danbury, CT 06810-5868, fax: 203.792.8730. "Yes, I Am" Coming Out In TV Guide The March 29 edition of TV Guide features an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at ABC and Disney's development of Ellen Morgan as television's first "leading lesbian." The five-page article chronicles events beginning with a coded storyline suggestion ("The puppy") posted on the Ellen writers' bulletin board last summer, follows the sometimes stormy off-camera relations between the show's star Ellen DeGeneres and ABC executives and leads readers to the completion of the groundbreaking one-hour "Coming Out" episode due to air April 30. Included in the feature is a visit to DeGeneres' East Texas hometown and a short interview with Ellen executive producers Dana Savel and Mark Driscoll on "breaking a TV taboo." Driscoll noted a tremendous sense of responsibility to DeGeneres because "It's a story she cared very much about," and Savel added that the show is important to the gay community as well. "If this episode helps some child in the Midwest with their sexual identification, we've done our job." Examining the story behind the story illustrates that Ellen's coming out episode is no capricious whim designed exclusively to garner ratings. One could certainly draw a parallel with the show's struggle to define it's lead character's sexual identity-and the subsequent acceptance by viewers and sponsors-with the personal coming out experiences of individuals throughout history. Write TV Guide and thank them for including this thorough and thought-provoking article. Contact: Steven Reddicliffe, Editor-in-Chief, TV Guide, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-8701, fax: 212.852.7470. Mom's Sexuality Is Questionable and All That Zazz Chicago Sun-Times "All That Zazz" advice columnist Jeff Zaslow hit the nail on the head with his rational answer to a husband suspicious of his wife's possible lesbianism and the effect it could have on their son. In the March 25 Sun-Times, "Strong Suspicions" wrote to say that he had recently begun to question his wife's sexual identity because he found "gay magazines" in the house and all of her friends are "lesbians, and she often joins them in gay bars." While "Strong" had been direct and asked his wife about her sexuality (to which she answered that she "didn't believe in labels"), he was adamant that if she is a lesbian, he wants a divorce, but is concerned that divorce will force their son to need counseling. Zaslow responded that while the wife is possibly gay or bisexual, she may be in a state of denial about herself but committed to raising their son in a two-parent household. "But if she is living a double life, it has to stop." Zaslow encourages the couple to resolve this "major marital issue" through counseling-together or individually. He says that while children are resilient, "they're more likely to thrive with happy parents (even if mom and dad are divorced) than with parents who are unsure of who they are or why they're together." Without judging the wife's possible lesbian or bisexual leanings, Zaslow encourages the family to seek counseling and discover their true selves leading them to find the healthiest way to live. Please thank Jeff Zaslow for addressing this modern-day dilemma in a sound fashion. Contact: Jeff Zaslow, "All That Zazz," Chicago Sun Times, 401 N. Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, fax: 312.321.2120, e-mail: letters@suntimes.com. New York Times Marks ACT UP's Decade of "Shock Troop" Activism Noted for their "take-no-prisoners" fervor and brash demonstrations, the current incarnation of ACT UP is considerably less volatile and their numbers are greatly reduced according to a March 21 New York Times article entitled "ACT UP: A Decade-Old Activism of Unmitigated Gall Fades." Times writer Frank Bruni takes a fair albeit pessimistic look at where ACT UP has been and where it is going. Calling the activist group known for it's righteous ire and headline-grabbing antics a "shadow of it's former self," Bruni maintains that ACT UP "irrefutably accomplished it's bedrock goal: to make American's pay at least a moment's attention to AIDS." Many former members have moved on from ACT UP's "training grounds" to other important AIDS-related work and organizations, including Larry Kramer who is widely considered to be the founding father of ACT UP. According to Kramer, while there are many people who feel that ACT UP hurt itself by so many of it's people going to work on the "inside," he believes that "when you are given the chance to be heard a little better, it's hard to turn down." ACT UP alumnae can be found working at Treatment Action Group, Housing Works, GLAAD, Forum for Collaborative HIV Research and the National Minority AIDS Council. Barely acknowledging that much of the devolution can be attributed to the deaths of many of it's leaders and the changing emotions of grief to anger to acceptance, Bruni pretty much dismisses the ongoing activism in favor of sentimental yearnings for the "heyday." Those who remain active in the organization, which has not entirely lost its vibrant modus operandi evidenced by the March 27 10-year anniversary action at Wall Street, feel they still serve their purpose. Said Maxine Wolfe, a member since 1987, "An inside without and outside is politics as usual." Please write Frank Bruni and thank him for his insightful story and remind him that ACT UP is still alive and well. Contact: Frank Bruni, New York Times, 229 W. 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036, fax: 212.556.3622, e-mail: letter@nytimes.com. Shales Analysis of "Talked To Death" Reopens Old Wounds While Washington Post television critic Tom Shales consistently analyzes gay and lesbian representation in the media in a fair and accurate manner, his March 25 column "Talk Show Lions in the Modern Arena" misses the mark in discussing the murder of Scott Amedure. Amedure, a 32-year-old openly gay man who professed his attraction to 26-year-old acquaintance Jonathan Schmitz on a never-aired Jenny Jones Show about "Same-Sex Secret Crushes," was later gunned down by Schmitz. Shales' uncharacteristically misrepresents the facts in his analysis of Amedure's murder in his review of the currently running HBO documentary "Talked to Death," which exposes television talk shows' worst side. While Phil Donahue's defense of Jenny Jones is the subject of much debate, his statement that "What killed him, it looks like to me, is homophobia," is right on target. Shales' dismisses Donahue's as "fatuous," and states that "The man [Amedure] may well be alive today if he had expressed his feelings in private and not on national television." Gay men and lesbians are the target of homophobia in both their private and public lives-and that manifests as anti-gay violence. If Scott Amedure has professed his "crush" on Schmitz in private, the possibility of violence would still be there. Let Tom Shales know that his usually fair views were off the mark this time. Contact: Robert G. Kaiser, Managing Editor, Washington Post, 1150 15th Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20071-0002, fax (202) 334-4475, e-mail: webnews@washpost.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). 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 registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 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.