Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 16:00:18 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert 04.11.97 GLAADALERT April 11, 1997 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation contents: 1. GLAAD Works With Locals to Bring Birmingham Bounced Ellen Episode (WBMA-TV - Birmingham, AL ABC Affiliate) 2. ABC Advertising Won't Let Women's Cruise Commercial Dock (ABC Broadcast Standards (television network broadcast standards), Olivia Cruises (lesbian travel company)) 3. Sweet Seventeen As Dad Comes Out (Seventeen (magazine)) 4. The Providence Journal-Bulletin Celebrates Sedar of Hope (Providence Journal-Bulletin (newspaper)) 5. NEC Features RuPaul Snapshot (NEC (computer company)) 6. Internet Advocates Bring Out Hits to Dr. Demento (Dr. Demento (radio personality), OUTVOICE! (online gay and lesbian music resource)) 7. GLAADAlert Follow-Up: Observer Seeks the Spirit of Charlotte to Protect Art (Charlotte Observer (newspaper)) 8. ELLEN DEGENERES COMES OUT-The Media Round-Up (Time Magazine (magazine), Detroit News (newspaper), Philadelphia Daily News (newspaper), Leonard Pitts, Jr. (syndicated columnist), Newsweek (magazine), San Francisco Chronicle (newspaper), CNN's Larry King Live (cable talk show), Primetime Live (news program)) 1. GLAAD Works With Locals to Bring Birmingham Bounced Ellen Episode Claiming that it is "not appropriate for family viewing," the ABC affiliate in Birmingham, Alabama, is refusing to air the April 30 episode of Ellen. Jerry Heilman, president and general manager of WBMA-TV, also known as 33/40, suggested that the affiliate may not carry any of the episodes in May if "they deal with the same thing." But local lesbians and gay men aren't taking it lying down. Considering that the episode has no violent content, strong language or sex, WBMA-TV's decision to block broadcast of the show is not about protecting families, but rather anti-gay hate. In order to ensure local viewers the right to decide for themselves how they feel about the program, Birmingham Pride Alabama is working with GLAAD to ensure that anyone who wants to see the history-making show can. At the Alabama Theater in Birmingham, beginning at 6:00 p.m., people will gather to watch the show. "It is so important we have the opportunity to watch the coming out episode of Ellen," said Kevin Stone, BPA's entertainment chair. "The support that we give one another by coming out publicly is profound. When someone of Ellen's stature does it, it's earth-shaking for us." Responding to Heilman, Stone says, "I want my remote control back-he may own the television station, but he doesn't have his finger on the pulse of Alabama. This is my home, and while we don't have a lot of rights as gay people in Alabama, they can't take away our First Amendment rights." According to Chastity Bono, GLAAD entertainment media director, "The gathering at the Alabama Theater is a testament to the importance of this groundbreaking moment in television history and to the courage and determination of lesbians, gay men and their friends and family to be a part of it." Please tell WBMA that their cowardice is both shameful and a denial of quality and precedent-setting programming to local viewers-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or otherwise. If you're in Alabama, feel free to attend this exciting community event. Contact: Jerry Heilman, President and General Manager, WBMA-TV, P.O. Box 360039, Birmingham, AL 35236, phone: 205.403.3340--enter 7 and then 1; For more information about the satellite feed, contact Alan Klein (GLAAD Communications Director) at 212.807.1700 or call Kevin Stone, BPA, Prideline: 205.254.9199 or phone: 205.925.4935. 2. ABC Advertising Won't Let Women's Cruise Commercial Dock While the history-making April 30 episode of Ellen portends a bright future for media representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, ABC Broadcast Standards have sent up a storm cloud by rejecting an Olivia Cruise advertisement based on the position that "discussion about same-sex lifestyles is more appropriate in programming," and that they "have a blanket policy against advocacy ads of any kind." Additionally, in a correspondence to Olivia, ABC checked a box about the ad that said "child restrictions." The ad as proposed would feature two women embracing together on the deck of a cruise ship and, originally, kissing at the end. After ABC Broadcast Standards rejected the spot, Olivia President Judy Dlugacz asked if it could be aired with content changes. ABC representatives indicated that no changes would make the ad suitable. After speaking with several ABC spokespeople, GLAAD was told the decision was not based on sexual orientation, but no alternate explanation was provided, except that this could potentially be perceived as "advocacy advertising," which is forbidden by ABC policy. While the anti-workplace discrimination Human Rights Campaign spot recently rejected by ABC clearly could be viewed as advocacy advertising, the Olivia ad no more advocates a political stance about lesbians and gay men than does a Carnival Cruise spot about heterosexuals. By viewing something as innocuous as two women on the deck of a ship as political, ABC Broadcast Standards rejects the most ordinary and casual aspects of our lives as an "issue" that is not only political, but should be hidden from children. As columnist Frank Rich wrote in the New York Times on April 10, "Am I the only parent who feels that the straight cruise-ship commercials starring Kathie Lee Gifford are more of a threat to my kids' view of heterosexuality than anything a gay sponsor could come up with?" GLAAD hopes that ABC will reconcile this bewildering rejection of the Olivia spot with its courageous and groundbreaking celebration of diversity in programming. This first attempt to reach a lesbian and gay market through network advertising is only the beginning, and as programming becomes more inclusive, networks' standards divisions must accept that inclusive advertising policies must follow. Please write to ABC Broadcast Standards and explain that while ABC's brave decision to have Ellen Morgan come out is praiseworthy, it is wrong to reject an advertiser based on the market it is trying to reach. Contact: ABC Broadcast Standards, 77 W. 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6201, fax: 212.456.2381, e-mail: abcaudr@abc.com. 3. Sweet Seventeen As Dad Comes Out The May issue of Seventeen features Noelle Howey reflecting on her father's coming out and her gradual acceptance of him. In "A Daughter's Story," Howey explains how, at 14, her mother broke the news of her parents divorce to her, saying, "'It's because your dad doesn't like women that way. You can't tell anyone, Noelle. Your dad could lose his job.'" Aside from the issues of dispelling myths and preconceptions she had about gay people, Howey also had to live with the stifling secret that her father was a closeted gay man. By the time she was a senior in high school, she could talk about anything to anyone, including intimate details about her sex life, but, "I still couldn't tell anyone the one thing that really mattered to me: that my dad was gay." Finally, that summer, she broke the silence to her boyfriend, "That summer I got psyched for college-where a third of my friends turned out to be gay-and I told my boyfriend the truth." She also met her father's new friend: "He was a big, stocky former Marine, but when Dad looked at him over the dinner table, there was contentment in my father's eyes I had never seen before. Afterward, Dad pulled me aside and, without saying anything, hugged me tight. He never had to say 'I love you.' We had finally moved beyond words." For the millions of sons and daughters of lesbian and gay parents who came out during a divorce from a cogendered marriage, such an article details the process from the perspective of one young woman who went through it-and her relationship with her father was stronger for it. It also highlights how the closet of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people can also become a closet for those who love them. Please commend Seventeen for this personal and heartfelt article. Contact: Caroline Miller, Seventeen, 850 Third Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY, 10022-6258, fax: 212.935.4237, e-mail: thespin@aol.com. 4. The Providence Journal-Bulletin Celebrates Sedar of Hope The April 7 Providence Journal-Bulletin featured an article about a special Passover Seder tailored to people of all faith whose lives had been touched by AIDS. Through focusing on Marc Paige, an HIV-positive gay man who was a leader and one of 200 participants at the local Jewish Community Center's "Seder of Hope," the article presented a celebration of life and an honoring of the dead. "Paige saw reminders that the burden of his losses is a burden shared by many," at the ceremony, which included the traditional makings, but with an added symbolism: "The horseradish reminded Jews of the bitterness of their days of slavery under Pharaoh; it reminded all of the bitterness of AIDS. The saltwater served as a reminded of the tears of the oppressed Israelites, and of the tears of those who have wept for the victims of AIDS; the egg was a symbol of springtime, of new life, and hope." The article notes that protease inhibitors are bringing Paige hope, saying, "Paige said that the microscopic battle being waged in his bloodstream is fascinating, and for the moment he is winning." Please thank the Journal-Bulletin for an emotional and important article highlighting yet another way gay people of faith honor both their religion and their lives. Contact: James V. Wyman, Providence Journal-Bulletin, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902-0500, fax: 401.277.7346, e-mail: letters@projo.com. 5. NEC Features RuPaul Snapshot A recent advertisement for Packard Bell NEC, Inc. features drag supermodel RuPaul celebrating "versatility." The theme of the campaign, "versatile notebooks for versatile people" has RuPaul pushing the company's Versa 2600 notebooks. According to the March 25 PC Week, NEC has received some complaints, but Kerry Zeida, vice president of corporate communications said, "for every one, we've gotten another one saying this is a very gutsy, very sophisticated approach. I wasn't concerned so much that people would be turned off by [RuPaul] as I was concerned that people wouldn't know him." The ad has appeared in computer magazines, and such mainstream venues as Rolling Stone. "This isn't meant to be provocative for the sake of being provocative," said Zeida. "This is really trying to find celebrities that match the characteristics of the ad itself." While it is impressive that NEC would choose an openly gay drag queen as a spokesmodel, what makes the ad so remarkable is that RuPaul was chosen because NEC wanted to celebrate versatility as it is embodied by someone who plays with both gender and sexual norms in our society. Please commend NEC for their bold and inclusive choice in advertising. Contact: Kerry Zeida, VP of Corporate Communications, NEC USA, Inc., 8 Corporate Center Drive, Melville, NY 11747, e-mail: webmaster@nec.com. 6. Internet Advocates Bring Out Hits to Dr. Demento The Dr. Demento Show, a nationally syndicated novelty music radio program, has begun increased play of lesbian-, gay- and bisexual-themed songs after a concerted effort by members of OUTVOICE!!, an Internet discussion group and newsletter dedicated to "queer music/queer culture." During the broadcast for the week of April 6, the playlist included "Monster" by Fred Schneider & The Snake Society, GLAAD Media Award winner "I Kissed A Girl" by Jill Sobule and "Some of My Best Friends Are Straight" by Romanovsky & Phillips. Since OUTVOICE!! editor Daniel Jenkins started the campaign, he said, "there has been an obvious increase in queer music played on the show." He noted that he was now trying to get "Sweet Maiden" by Jamie Anderson and "Newt" from the original cast recording of When Pigs Fly on in weeks to come. Considering the large number of humorous songs by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender artists, from Meg Christian's "Ode to A Gym Teacher," to songs by Phranc, the Flirtations and queercore/grrls bands, Dr. Demento's increased inclusion of gay novelty tunes is only appropriate. Suggest your favorite funny song to Dr. Demento and thank him for increasing our ranks in his playlist. Contact: Dr. Demento, The Dr. Demento Show, request line: (562) 633-8863, Web request: http://www.csci.csusb.ecu/kmaijala/request.html; Daniel Jenkins, editor, OUTVOICE!! e-mail: djoutvoice@queernet.org. 7. GLAADAlert Follow-Up: Observer Seeks the Spirit of Charlotte to Protect Art As mentioned in the April 4 GLAADAlert, Mecklenburg County (North Carolina) commissioners have moved to cut funding of all art that does not reflect their restrictive moral code, specifically targeting lesbian and gay art. Now, the April 3 editorial of the Charlotte Observer chastised the commissioners for this hateful attack on diversity and artistic expression. "To those who see Charlotte as a tolerant, enlightened city, the vote was a retreat into bigotry and darkness," the Observer said. "It was not the last word, however. Charlotte's culture war is far from over. Now that the commissioners have rejected the pleas for a tolerant and inclusive community, where will their homophobia lead? To removal of books from public libraries? To limits on the work of school counselors? To restrictions on how the health department deals with AIDS?" the editors ask, adding that the battle will "be fought at the polls in 1998, when voters decide whether the five commissioners who favored the resolution truly represent the values and interests of our county. We think they will be rejected by a community unwilling to be governed by prejudice and fear. Too many Mecklenburg citizens recognize that homosexuals are not the alien monsters reviled [by anti-gay bigots], but are our co-workers, our friends, our family." Please thank the Observer for a dignified and astute editorial, and continue to pressure the commissioners to reconsider their decision of hate. Contact: Letters to the Editor, Charlotte Observer, P.O. Box 2138, Charlotte, N.C. 28233, fax: 704.358.5022, e-mail: charcom@charlotte.com, WWW: http://www.charlotte.com. 8. ELLEN DEGENERES COMES OUT-The Media Round-Up: History was made in the April 14 cover story in Time when Ellen DeGeneres broke down her closet door and announced that she is a lesbian. The issue, which appeared on newsstands on April 7, was just the beginning of a media avalanche around the celebrity's move to announce she is a lesbian. The coverage was overwhelmingly positive or at least neutral. Following are some examples: … The April 8 Detroit News had a prominent news feature calling both DeGeneres' coming out and the April 30 show "a personal and social landmark," explaining that "DeGeneres is the most socially significant figure to hit network prime time since Bill Cosby starred in I Spy at the height of the civil rights movement." … Francesca Chapman, a columnist in the April 7 Philadelphia Daily News, said of DeGeneres, "Really, after clomping around in all those drab pantsuits and appearing pathetically unconvincing in the hetero romantic comedy Mr. Wrong, does she really expect us to consider this a news flash?" … On April 8, syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr., made a play on anti-gay Rev. Jerry Falwell's calling DeGeneres "DeGenerate," calling Falwell "Fedwell," "Fraudwell," "Foulwell," and a "sanctimonious homophobe." … The April 14 Newsweek had a side story on lesbians in Hollywood, saying, "Now that the closet door has been kicked wide open, lesbians are openly feasting at Hollywood's power-lunch tables. They even have a name for themselves: the Girl World," it says. "With each new public declaration, the network of upwardly mobile, outwardly lesbian women in Hollywood grows in force." … The San Francisco Chronicle on April 8 sought lesbian and gay on-the-street feedback, determining that, "yesterday's reaction to the news, in San Francisco at least, ranged from appreciation for her openness to anger that it took so long." … On the April 9 edition of CNN's Larry King Live, GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Chastity Bono responded to Falwell's hateful hype, noting "This country is about freedom, freedom to choose to make our own decisions. If [people] are offended or feel like their family shouldn't watch it, that's fine. But Americans don't like to be told what to do. They like to make their own decisions. So let's encourage people to do that on April 30." … The April 23 ABC Prime Time Live will feature Diane Sawyer interviewing DeGeneres about coming out. 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.