Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 17:42:18 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert 05.16.97 GLAADALERT May 16, 1997 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Contents 1. Roseanne Finale Embraces The Whole Conner Clan 2. Two Magazines Look At "Spree Killer's" Sexual Orientation 3. Babylon 5 Says Same-Sex Marriage Is Not Just For Martians 4. Women|Sport Premiere Issue Illustrates Homophobia 5. Newsweek Does Its Own Gender Limbo 6. Filipinas Features Straight Talk on Gay People 7. Abby Gets It Right Again 8. GLAADAlert Update: Is Chrysler Ellen's Fair-weather Friend? 1. Roseanne Finale Embraces The Whole Conner Clan As nine wonderful years of ABC's hit show, Roseanne, come to a close with the May 21 finale, the lesbian, gay and bisexual characters have a central place in the extended Conner family as they welcome home Darlene and David's baby from the hospital. According to spokespeople for the show, each character has the opportunity to reflect on the baby, the Conner clan, and their own lives during the one-hour special. Roseanne and Jackie's lesbian mother, Bev (Estelle Parsons), who came out earlier this season, will be there, but without her new girlfriend. Leon and Scott (Martin Mull and Fred Willard) have a special announcement to make about their own family on the show, which many speculate will be their decision to adopt a child. Even Roseanne's bisexual friend and coworker Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) will come back to Lanford for the special episode. Roseanne has introduced five lesbian, gay and bisexual characters over the years, and has addressed issues from coming out to older lesbian identity, and from lesbian and gay families to workplace discrimination. In 1994, Roseanne made television history with an onscreen kiss with Mariel Hemmingway, helping pave the way for realistic and open portrayals of same-sex intimacy on television. The show on the whole has been a central driving force in opening Hollywood's-and America's-eyes about the importance of fair, accurate and inclusive media representation of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. Please thank Roseanne and ABC for producing such a high-quality, intelligent and inclusive program as Roseanne, and let them know that the Conners-and the entire extended family-will be sorely missed. Contact: Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, Roseanne, Daniel Palladino, Executive Producers, Roseanne, c/o Carsey-Werner Productions, 4024 Radford Avenue, Building Avenue, Building 3, Studio City, CA 91604, fax: 818.760.5882; Ted Harbert, Chairperson, Jamie Tarses, President, Brett White of Broadcast Standards, ABC, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067, fax: Jamie Tarses--310.557.7679, Ted Harbert-310.557.7160, Brett White-310.557.7160, e-mail: abcaudr@abc.com. 2. Two Magazines Look At "Spree Killer's" Sexual Orientation As media around the country continue to cover Andrew Cunanan as the primary suspect of a series of brutal murders, most have focused on the killings themselves as well as his life, but others have obsessed over his sexual orientation. The May 19 issues of both Newsweek and Time report on Cunanan, but while Time sticks primarily to the facts, Newsweek's article begins with voyeuristic details about his being an openly gay teenager. "At the Bishop's school in the posh San Diego suburb of La Jolla, Andrew Cunanan was regarded as way over the top. An openly gay teenager, he would whistle at the boys on the water polo team, and he once came to a school dance in a tight red jumpsuit with an older man as his date. The yearbook voted him 'Least Likely to Be Forgotten.' Indeed. Last week Cunanan, a suspect in a string of murders, became the subject of a nationwide manhunt." Additionally, while the Time article identifies him as a "party boy," the subhead of the Newsweek article immediately identifies Cunanan as "a gay socialite." While the Time article recognizes Cunanan's sexual orientation, it is placed in a reasonable context as simply another facet of his identity. The Newsweek article, on the other hand, by repeatedly fixating on his being gay, as well as leading off the story with a seemingly irrelevant details about his high school years, seems to be trying to tie the murders specifically to his sexual orientation. In doing so, Newsweek not only does a disservice to gay people, but seems to imply that being openly gay, flamboyant and "least likely to be forgotten" in high school somehow foreshadowed the current state of affairs. It is as offensive and absurd as it would be to dwell on his Filipino ethnicity as a "reason" for killing. Please write Newsweek and let it know that the article is sensationalist and offensive-and that as an ostensibly "objective" newsmagazine, the article's clear bias against gay people in general has no place in its pages. Contact: Newsweek, 251 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-1894, fax: 212.445.4120, e-mail: letters@newsweek.com. 3. Babylon 5 Says Same-Sex Marriage Is Not Just For Martians The April 24 episode of the science-fiction series Babylon 5, two male crew members are sent on an undercover mission to Mars as a gay newlyweds in order to infiltrate the society there. As they were given their falsified identification, their contact, Captain Jack (Donovan Scott) told them that "most of the resistance travel light, travel alone. So to get travel permits for the two of you together...you're [going to pretend to be] a young, married couple on holiday to Mars for their honeymoon." The two characters, Dr. Stephen Franklin (Richard Biggs) and Marcus Cole (Jason Carter) assumed the roles with total nonchalance with Marcus saying to Stephen, "Well, shall we go, darling?" They argued about in-laws and other day-to-day issues and showed casual affection for one another, down-playing the fact that this was a gay couple and choosing instead to deal with the characters as just another married couple. At the episode's conclusion, Franklin and Cole were still in the Martian rebel camp, and their cover had not yet been exposed, as they were placed in the "Honeymoon Suite" of the local hotel. Babylon 5, by introducing the issue of same-sex marriage so casually, sends a message to its audience that same-sex marriage need not be such a big issue. They also present a more accepting and inclusive society in the future, as opposed to shows such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Please thank the WB for Babylon 5's candid portrayal, and encourage them to continue to fold lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elements into their plots. Contact: Jamie Kellner, President, WB/Warner Brothers Network, 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522, fax: 818.972.0864. 4. Women|Sport Premiere Issue Illustrates Homophobia In the spring 1997 issue of Women|Sport , Sports Illustrated's long-awaited woman athlete-oriented magazine, Olympic softball team member Dot Richardson describes her years of hurt and disappointment, caused by people's presumptions that as an athletic woman she must be a lesbian. As early as seventh grade, Richardson felt "crushed" when a friend called her a lesbian during an argument, "freaked" when a teammate came out to her in 10th grade, and later in college ran "sobbing" out of her room when another good friend who was gay asked Richardson to "'consider her sexual views,'" which Richardson characterized as a sexual advance. Richardson states that the stereotyping of female athletes as lesbians "has been one of the biggest hindrances to the development of women in sports" because parents don't want "insinuations" so they keep their daughters off playing fields. While Richardson claims to have moved beyond judging her lesbian teammate ("Wasn't she still a good ballplayer, a good teammate, a good person?"), her article stereotypes lesbians as women who "wanted to be [boys]," denies lesbian sexuality as "not really sex," and calls being labeled a lesbian "poison." Richardson maintains that it's the possibility of being called a lesbian that keeps gifted women athletes from developing, not her and society's homophobia and discomfort with women who happen to love other women and who challenge gender stereotypes. Write Women|Sport and tell them that including an anti-lesbian article in their premier issue is a cowardly way of denying lesbians a level playing field in the arena of women's athletics. Contact: Sanra Bailey, Editor, Women|Sport, Sports Illustrated, Time & Life Building, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, fax: 212.522.4543, e-mail: letters*si@cis.compuserve.com. 5. Newsweek Does Its Own Gender Limbo Following on the heels of several other articles about intersex people in major newspapers, the May 19 Newsweek features "Gender Limbo," a discussion of the medical, political and personal debate around surgically altering babies with "ambiguous" genitals. The article reflects the growing skepticism about the standard procedure of doctors imposing either a male or female genitalia and identity if an infant does not have a clear gender. Several intersex people who are advocating a reform of the system are interviewed, including Kira Triea of Hermaphrodites With Attitude and Cheryl Chase, director of the Intersex Society of North America. "Though [the advocates] lack political clout," author Geoffrey Cowley writes, "they're exposing flaws in a cherished medical doctrine. Most physicians say the operations are usually successful. Unfortunately, there is little if any research to back that assertion." Cowley also notes how recent the phenomenon is: "Intersexuals have been persecuted in some societies, revered in others. But until 40 years ago, no one gave much thought to 'fixing' them." Now, the article says, it has become so much the norm that many adults who underwent such procedures are warning against the ways they and their families were treated, and the pressure that medical professionals exert on families nowadays to go through with the procedure. Chase "says she was not only denied information as a child but was lied to by doctors when she later tried to obtain her medical records." Finally, the article notes that "despite their sometimes angry rhetoric, the activists and their supporters have a fairly modest agenda. They want physicians to delay surgery until their patients can make some informed choices." The Newsweek article not only articulates the new movement of intersex people to challenge the assumption that such surgeries are needed, but also the larger context of the rights of people to make choices about their own destiny versus the power of so-called authorities. Cowley adds to an evolving body of work in the media on intersex issues and the article will bring new pressure on medical professionals to dialogue with intersex people and allies. Please commend Newsweek for tackling this complicated subject with sophistication and an appreciation for the very real people involved in the intersex struggle. Contact: Newsweek, 251 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-1894, fax: 212.445.4120, e-mail: letters@newsweek.com. 6. Filipinas Features Straight Talk on Gay People The March issue of Filipinas, a magazine for Filipino-Americans, has two excellent articles featuring lesbians and gay men. "Smart Alec: A Special Report on Actor Alec Mapa," by Pamela Torno, profiles the star of his current one-man show, I Remember Mapa. In the show, "he talks candidly (and humorously) about his experiences in the entertainment industry and the many facets of his identity-as a Filipino, as a gay man, as an Asian American performer." The second article, "The Sound of Silence: Lesbians Speak Out," by Laarni Almendrala, features a group of Filipina lesbians discussing their own experiences and struggles. "Many Filipino-Americans identify themselves as lesbians," Almedrala writes. "Some are immigrants, while others were born and raised in the United States. Their backgrounds are diverse, as are their appearances and experiences. Yet, to a woman, they right for the right to be considered equal both in the eyes of the law and the community around them." The article acknowledges that, "within the Filipino American community, there's a deafening silence surrounding lesbianism. Even with their own families, many Filipina lesbians are hesitant to discuss the issue of their sexuality." As Anne Ubaldo, one of the interviewees, notes, she is "uncomfortable discussing her parents' reaction. 'They were worried about the stability of that lifestyle,' she says. 'They know, but it's better we don't talk about it. It's like 'don't ask, don't tell.''" The article also features Genora Dancel, a Filipina lesbian who, with partner Ninia Baehr, is one of the principle couples fighting for the right to be legally married in Hawaii. Both articles reflect not only the diversity and commonality of experiences for lesbian and gay Filipinos, but are integrated without sensationalism into Filipinas. The articles reflect the quality inclusion of the magazine towards issues affecting gay men and lesbians in general. Please thank Filipinas for the excellent articles and encourage them to do more with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender content. Contact: Mona Lisa Yuchangoo, Publisher, Filipinas Publishing, Inc., 655 Sutter Street, Suite 333, San Francisco, CA 94102. 7. Abby Gets It Right Again Not to be outdone by her sister Ann (see 5/9/97 GLAADAlert), the ever-supportive Abagail Van Buren featured a letter by a young boy who has a gay dad in her May 13 Dear Abby column. The 11-year-old says, "The reason I am writing is for all the people who say bad things about my dad and me. It's usually not the kids at school, it's their parents and some of my teachers. They ask me if it bothers me that I was adopted by a gay man. It doesn't-only their questions bother me. I love my dad and he loves me." He also dispels a number of myths, including the possibility that having a gay parent can "make" someone gay. "His parents raised him to be straight and he isn't. My dad was born gay and he can't change who he is. He has never told me to like boys (or girls). He says when I am older, I will feel love for somebody, just like he loves John, just like my godmother lovers her husband. Please print my letter so people will think twice before they say hurtful things to people like me. Just because my family is a little different doesn't mean I'm not happy." He signs, "Happily Adopted in Orlando, Fla." Abby responds. "Thank you for your wonderful letter. There is an incredible amount of wisdom in that 11-year-old head of yours." Please let Abby know how much her support of happy families in all their forms is appreciated, and for publishing a letter that highlights how love-not the gender of the people involved-makes a family. Contact: Dear Abby, Universal Press Syndicate, PO Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. 8. GLAADAlert Update: Is Chrysler Ellen's Fair-weather Friend? After not sponsoring the historic coming out episode of Ellen, Chrysler advertised on the following episode, during which Ellen Morgan came out to her parents. The car manufacturer, which has had a spotty record on gay and lesbian issues in the past, seems to now be a fair weather friend of the show. Despite their return, Chrysler is still embroiled in battle with their lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender employees over inclusiveness, domestic partnership and other workplace fairness issues. Thank Chrysler for their support of Ellen, but remind them that true inclusiveness starts at home. Contact: Robert J. Easton, Chairperson, Chrysler Corporation, 1000 Chrysler Drive, Auburn Hills, MI 48326, phone: 800.992.1997. 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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