Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997 05:54:15 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert 04.04.97 GLAADALERT April 4, 1997 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Dr. Quinn Sings the Body Electric The Saturday, April 5 episode of CBS's Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman takes a 19th Century look at bigotry towards "the love that dare not speak its name" when Walt Whitman comes to town and sparks a debate in a small community. When Preston (Jason Leland Adams) invites Walt Whitman (Donald Moffat) to hold a reading, the townsfolk are abuzz with enthusiasm. Andrew (Brandon Douglas) soon dampens the excitement after pulling Preston aside, warning him against Whitman because of rumors that he "prefers the company of men." Preston goes on a campaign to disassociate himself from Whitman as townspeople begin to act upon their own stereotypes and homophobia. When Dr. Quinn's young son Brian (Shaun Toovey) goes for a walk in the woods with Whitman to interview him for the town newspaper, Dr. Quinn (Jane Seymour) must confront her own bigotry. By presenting issues of sexual identity and discrimination in a historical setting, CBS recognizes not only that one of America's great bards was a gay man, but also that lesbian, gay and bisexual people have always existed, dealing with discrimination and misunderstanding. Unfortunately, CBS has already come under attack from at least one anti-gay hate group. Please let CBS know how you feel about this very special episode of Dr. Quinn. Contact: Leslie Moonves, President of CBS Entertainment, CBS, 7800 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036, e-mail: marketing@cbs.com. Ellen Sponsors Stand For Intolerance Three corporations have decided not to sponsor the April 30 episode of ABC's Ellen in which the title character will come out of the closet. General Motors, Chrysler and Johnson & Johnson, three of Ellen's major sponsors in the recent past, have all announced that they will not place ads during the groundbreaking episode. A Chrysler spokeswoman said that "we're not making a social statement [about sexual orientation]. But it's not sound business for us to be involved with an episode that's in such a highly polarized and emotional environment." While the companies were targeted by anti-gay radical religious groups, each stated that their decision was made prior to any threats by hate groups. Whatever the timing of the decision, by shying away from sponsorship of this history-making episode of Ellen, these corporations making a statement against diversity. Additionally, they fan the flames of bigotry by appearing to kow-tow to the fractious agenda of anti-gay hate groups. Despite Chrysler's claim that their actions do not make a "social statement," their cowardice is a slap in the face to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans and their family and friends. As the world watches this momentous occasion, these companies will be viewed as sitting on the sidelines, along with the fearful, ignorant and small-minded. Urge Chrysler, General Motors and Johnson & Johnson to take a stand for diversity and for accurate portrayals of all Americans, and encourage them to reconsider sponsoring Ellen. Remind them that lesbians and gay men have historically supported businesses that support us. Contact: Robert J. Eaton, Chairperson, Chrysler Corporation, 1100 Chrysler Drive, Auburn Hills, MI 48326, phone: 800.992.1997; John F. Smith, Chairperson, General Motors Corporation, 3044 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48202, phone: 313.556.5000, fax: 313.556.1988; Ralph S. Larsen, Chairperson, Johnson & Johnson, One Johnson & Johnson Plaza, New Brunswick, NJ 09883, phone: 800.635.6789, fax: 908.214.0332, WWW: http://www.jnj.com/feedback.htm. In The Life Under Attack Wisconsin State Senator Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) has called for Wisconsin Public Television to stop broadcasting In The Life, the acclaimed gay and lesbian bi-monthly newsmagazine series which airs nationally on over 90 public television stations. Fitzgerald was alarmed that the April/May edition features a segment taped in Wisconsin about lesbian and gay people who grew up on Midwestern farms, and, in an April 1 press release, stated that "public television has gone beyond moral community standards. This program portrays Wisconsin in a very negative light and should be removed." The station has stood up to Fitzgerald's intolerance and continues to support In The Life as quality programming. Please commend Wisconsin Public Television for rejecting hate, and for celebrating the diversity of Wisconsin and our nation by airing In the Life. Contact: James Steinbach, Director of Programming and Production, Wisconsin Public Television, 821 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, fax: 608.263.9763, e-mail: steinbach@vilas.uwex.edu. Kenar Face-To-Face: Hip or Disgrace? A gender-bending advertisement for Kenar, a clothing company with a long-standing commitment to the fight against AIDS, has created a flurry of debate among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The print ad features supermodel Linda Evangelista wearing full makeup, hoop earrings and a negligee kissing what appears to be either a man or a very butch woman. On closer inspection, however, it is Evangelista morphed onto the body of a man wearing a tank top. The advertisement celebrates a fluid concept of gender as well as a playfulness towards sexual orientation. But on April 1, the ad was put into a potentially different context when it appeared as a full-page ad in the New York Times with the tag line: "April Fool's." Does the "April Fool's" tag line change the positive content of advertisement? Some GLAAD members feel that by calling the gender-bending a joke, Kenar implies that transgender or same-gender imagery is something laughable, and that by calling it a joke, the company has jeopardized an otherwise progressive ad campaign. Others members believe that the value of the ad still has meaning even with the tag line, and that Kenar should be praised for blurring the lines of gender and sexuality. In the first step towards GLAAD's plan to develop a GLAADAlert message board, we encourage people to sound off about the ad on our Web site at http://www.glaad.org. Through a public dialogue, we hope to better address the various issues of identity and representation such an ad embodies. Contact: GLAAD Web site: http://www.glaad.org. County Commission Perverts Arts Funding Process Mecklenburg County (North Carolina) commissioners striving to censor gay- and lesbian-themed art have voted 5-4 to cut all funding to the local Arts & Science Council, a quasi-public group that funds art projects. Prompted by a recent production of Angels in America in Charlotte as well as a scheduled production of Six Degrees of Separation, the commissioners claimed the April 2 decision to defund the arts was meant to prevent viewers from being "exposed" to so-called "perverted forms of sexuality." The policy would mean that the commissioners would consider each request for arts funding on a case-by-case basis. According to the resolution, money will be denied to all projects that "promote, advocate or endorse behaviors, lifestyles and values that seek to undermine and deviate from the value and societal role of the traditional American family." Nearly 700 people attended the meeting, speaking both for and against the move, which dissenting commissioner Parks Helms described as "the most terrible, terrible thing that has happened in this community in many years." Censoring free artistic expression because of its gay and lesbian content is hardly a new concept, especially in light of Rep. Pete Hoekstra's (R-Mich) recent attack on the National Endowment for the Arts based on lesbian- and woman-related film projects. By using taxpayer money paid by all citizens to fund only art which reflects the moral values of a handful of county commissioners, Mecklenburg County does an injustice not only to lesbian-, gay-, bisexual- and transgender-themed work, but sets a precedent to clamp down on any art which does not suit the commission's small-minded, high-handed views. To cite such world-renowned and standard works as Angels in America and Six Degrees of Separation as "perverted" reveals how truly marginal and bigoted these politicians are. Write the county commissioners and let them know that they give Charlotte a bad name by legislating for hate and against art. Contact: Mecklenburg County Commission, 600 E. 4th Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, phone: 704.336.2479. S.F. Paper Scores With Article on Homophobia in Women's Sports In the March 30 edition of the San Francisco Examiner, sports columnist Gwen Knapp wrote about the high anxiety felt by both the members and audience of a panel on homophobia in women's sports at a recent Women's Basketball Coaches Convention. Knapp notes that no coaches were willing to be on the panel. "There are no openly lesbian coaches in college basketball, a fact that distresses many of the game's biggest fans," Knapp notes. She adds that audience members were more outspoken, including one lesbian former high school coach and Ken Stanley, the coach of Oklahoma City College. "He said that a lesbian would not feel comfortable on his campus, and that he would avoid hiring an assistant or recruiting a player who wouldn't fit in," she says. Another audience member noted that someone could have argued the same thing 25 years ago about African-Americans, and that restricting hiring based on sexual orientation undercut competitiveness: "'If you don't have any lesbians on your team, you'll never win a national championship.'" Knapp adds, "Never win a title? Isn't that what athletic departments should fear most?" While a handful of notable lesbians have come out in women's sports, Knapp highlights the fear and denial which silences a truly open discussion about the issue in professional circles. She also makes a central point in reporting and commenting on how restricting recruitment because of homophobia only undercuts a core reason for college athletic programs-the struggle for victory. Please thank the San Francisco Examiner for this insightful and upfront article. Contact: Phil Bronstein, Editor, San Francisco Examiner, 110 5th Street, San Francisco, CA 94111, fax: 415.512.1264, e-mail: sfexaminer@examiner.com. Catching the Bi Vibe May's Vibe magazine's special sex section includes an uncensored conversation with openly bisexual recording artist and mother Me'Shell NdegéOcello, a 1997 GLAAD Media Award winner. Written by Christian Witkin, the openly bisexual daughter of Alice Walker, "Have No Fear" unflinchingly and unapologetically discuss the singer's sexual orientation and the most intimate of her sexual desires. Speaking of her first time, NdegéOcello tells Vibe "the first time she kissed me, her tongue just probed my entire throat and mouth, and it was the most amazing feeling." Witkin asks, "if having short hair or being openly bisexual affect record sales," and questions her about raising a son and her mother's reaction to her sexual orientation. While many publications, including many gay and lesbian publications, often ignore bisexuality, Vibe should be commended for dealing openly, honestly and unapologetically about the fascinating songstress and bisexuality. Contact: Alan Light, Editor, Vibe, 205 Lexington Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10016, fax: 212.522.4578, e-mail: vibeonline@nyo.com. The New Yorker Looks to the Stars to Come Out In the "Comment" section of the March 31 New Yorker, Hendrik Hertzberg asserts that there is no good reason why none of Hollywood's leading actors are openly gay. "Familiarity [with lesbian and gay issues] has bred [industry] tolerance and respect," Hertzberg comments. "Ever since the closet door swung ajar a generation ago, movie folk have been streaming through it. In the 1990s, it's perfectly O.K. for directors and producers to be gay. Ditto screenwriters, moguls, agents, publicists, caterers, gaffers, best boys, script girls, and 'supporting' actors and actresses," he notes. "But leading men and ladies? Hollywood doesn't think so." He adds that while it isn't viewed as okay for stars to be gay, it is fully respectable now for stars to play gay. "The industry evidently believes that audiences will readily suspend disbelief to watch a notorious Don Juan pretend to be a faithful husband...or, for that matter, a confirmed heterosexual pretend to be a raging queen. But under no circumstances can Romeo be played by someone who, off duty, might prefer Mercutio to Juliet," he says. "Yet the romantic-lead taboo, once someone gets around to defying it, will probably crumble away like the now forgotten assumption that no one Catholic, Southern or divorced could ever be President." Please commend The New Yorker for this timely and important message. Contact: "In the Mail," The New Yorker, 20 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036. A Cult Leader's Crushing Closet: The Heaven's Gate Media Round-Up During the week following the tragic group suicide of Heaven's Gate followers, the media discovered that UFO cult leader Marshall Applewhite struggled with his sexual identity and as a result even checked himself into a psychiatric hospital in the early 1970s in an attempt to exorcise his same-sex attractions. After that failed, he later castrated himself and banned sexual activity in his cult. But while some in the media obsessed over his "homosexual guilt," even calling him the "gay guru," (New York Post, March 30) other media outlets took the next logical step, explaining why Applewhite would feel such acute shame, highlighting the dangers of a society which discriminates and oppresses based on one's sexual orientation. As cult expert Janja Lalich noted, "Society's intolerance for sexual diversity certainly had some impact on Applewhite as a troubled individual and may have exacerbated his adoption of these bizarre ideas, but this is not about sexuality." Following are some of the high (and low) points of coverage: … The March 29 Washington Post featured an article which examined the reasons behind his guilt and attempt to "cure" himself of being gay in the early 1970s, writing that "when Applewhite was wrestling with his secret, science's view of homosexuality was evolving rapidly. Some psychologists still believed it possible to 'cure' homosexuality, but most concluded that sexual orientation is immutable." It then mentions the 1974 APA removal of homosexual from its mental disorders. … Quoting cult co-founder Bonnie Nettles' children, the March 31 New York Daily News calls Applewhite a "homosexual 'freak,'" and quotes Joe Nettles as saying that Applewhite "'was as gay as they came. He ran around with his friends in hot pants. My dad knew he was a freak.'" … The San Francisco Examiner, on March 30, featured a story headlines, "Sexuality Not To Blame For Deaths, Analysts Say," which looks at societal pressures against gay people and the psychological effects of the closet, but also quotes Roy Aarons, founder of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, saying, "'I was a totally scared, closeted gay person back in the '70s. But I wasn't talking about beaming up to a spaceship somewhere, fortunately.'" 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.