Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 15:55:30 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert 07.03.97 GLAADALERT July 3, 1997 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Contents: 1. TV Land and TV Guide Highlight "Timeless Treasures" 2. An Arresting Post Piece 3. Joyce Brothers Talks Toy Trucks 4. County Commissioners Hold City Hostage with Anti-Gay Policies 5. New Christian Coalition Leader Called "Stealth Homophobe" 6. Ann On-Line Nets Gay and Lesbian Issues 7. Pride Festivities Media Round-up 1. TV Land and TV Guide Highlight "Timeless Treasures" Teaming up with Nick at Nite's TV Land, TV Guide recently published a list of the "100 Greatest Episodes of All Time," including a number of gay- and lesbian-themed episodes. NBC's Frasier, #43, ABC's My So-Called Life, #38, (both GLAAD Media Award Winners) and HBO's Larry Sanders Show, #39 (1997 Media Award nominee) are particular episodes with gay and lesbian plots or subplots. Of course the highest ranked lesbian or gay related episode in the group, #35, belonged to the history making coming out show on ABC's Ellen, entitled the "Puppy Episode." "What distinguishes its plot," TV Guide writes, "is some of the sharpest comedy TV can offer." Please write TV Guide and Nick at Nite and thank them for recognizing quality, inclusive television programming. Contact: Jack Curry, Managing Editor, TV Guide, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036-8701, fax: 212.852-7470, feedback form: www.tvguide.com/report.htm; Rich Gronon, President, c/o Gennifer Birnbach, Nick at Nite, 1515 Broadway, 38th Floor, New York, NY 10036, e-mail: mailtvl@nickatnitestvland.com. 2. An Arresting Post Piece The June 25 New York Post included a prominently placed, full-page story, entitled "Lady Cops Join Forces: Lesbians 'wed' in Central Park lake ceremony," detailing the nuptials between two local police officers. The page three story includes two large photos of the ceremony, including one of the two women kissing. "Two lady cops swapped their guns for roses yesterday and tied the lavender knot in a Central Park gay 'wedding' as fellow officers cheered them on," the Post read. "It's so wonderful to see all the fellow officers here. It's a sign of courage. Before, cops used to turn their back. Now they're embracing us," the story quotes Edgar Rodriguez, the head of the Gay Officers Action League, as saying. In 1985, GLAAD was formed primarily around the defamatory media coverage of the AIDS epidemic in the New York Post. This positive story is a sign of changing times. When reporting on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, the media often rushes to get comment from anti-gay groups in the name of "balance." The Post piece does not make that same mistake. Instead, it garners comment from the weddings guests, those personally affected by this joyous occasion. Please write the New York Post and thank them for recognizing the importance of the event and for writing about it in a responsible and engaging way. Contact: Marc Kalech, Managing Editor, New York Post, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-8790, fax: 212.930.8540, e-mail: newyorkpost@delphi.com. 3. Joyce Brothers Talks Toy Trucks In her July 1 column Dr. Joyce Brothers discusses children's gender issues with a mother, I. T., who's concerned about her daughter's toys. The mother's brother is giving the 3-year-old "trucks, fire engines, building blocks and other toys suitable for boys...". She says that it bothers her husband, who's afraid the young girl will identify "more with boys than with girls." Dr. Brothers tell I.T. that her husband "should stop worrying," and that she "see[s] no reason why building blocks shouldn't be considered as important or 'suitable' for young girls as for young boys." She goes on to say that if girls like trucks or trains, one doesn't have to attach a stigma to their preference. However, she then says "...a child's choice may express already established gender identity. If a young boy only wants to play with dolls, or a young girl rejects all dolls and wants only toys usually associated with boys, this might be reason for some concern." The concern she seems to be alluding to is one that the child may have gender "abnormalities." It is worrisome that Dr. Brothers would advise parents to be alert for signs of "opposite-toy behavior", as it implies that the parents should then take action to "correct" the child. Many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children have been forced by parents into "normal" behavior, even being forced into institutionalization, causing them to feel stigmatized and isolated not only from their peers, but within their own families. Additionally, there is no evidence that making a child conform to gender-normative behavior has any effect on their future sexual orientation; in fact, what evidence there is points to negative after effects on their self-esteem. Please write to Dr. Joyce Brothers, and tell her that while she was headed in the right direction, her advice made a sharp wrong turn at the end. Contact: Dr. Joyce Brothers, King Features Syndicate, 235 East 45th Street, New York, NY 10017. 4. County Commissioners Hold City Hostage with Anti-Gay Policies The June 23 Philadelphia Inquirer featured an expose of the Charlotte, North Carolina, "Gang of Five," a group of radical religious and anti-gay commissioners who are voting as a bloc to implement bigoted and oppressive measures. According to Inquirer writer Jeff Gamage, the Commissioners believe that "they're following God's will-and liberating taxpayers from supporting the perversions of homosexuality." The Commission voted to abolish the Arts and Sciences Council, after learning that it had funded Angels in America and Six Degrees of Separation. This forced arts organizations to seek funding individually from the Commission for works of art that did not contain "perverted forms of sexuality." The Commission then ended arts funding altogether, as arts supporters on the board said they refused to "pick and choose" between proposed projects. The result has been a $2.5 million reduction in arts funding for the county. The Commission further attacked basic health and safety of county youth by banning county-funded crisis counselors from discussing sex, pregnancy, or sexually transmitted diseases with teens in crisis. According to the article, Commissioner James supported this measure because he was worried that counselors were not giving out the message that homosexuality was "'perverse and immoral.'" "'We don't want a bunch of counselors trained in New York... who are taught that these things are normal, to be responsible for children's sexual training.'" Thank Jeff Gamage and The Philadelphia Inquirer for reporting on how democracy is being held hostage by the hateful manipulations of a handful of zealous anti-gay politicians. Contact: Jeff Gamage, Writer, and Steve Lovelady, Managing Editor, The Philadelphia Inquirer, PO Box 8263, Philadelphia, PA 19101, fax: 215.854-4794, fax: 215.854.4794. 5. New Christian Coalition Leader Called "Stealth Homophobe" Randy Tate, the new executive director of the Christian Coalition shares the "same old anti-gay agenda" as his predecessor, Ralph Reed, according to columnist Debbie Woodell in the June 24 Philadelphia Daily News. Although Tate, a one-term congressman from Washington state, has attempted to shy away from open bigotry (other than voting against every piece of legislation favoring equal rights protections for people with HIV/AIDS, lesbians and gay men), writer Debbie Woodell exposes the true Tate by looking into his questionable past. Among suspicious acts, says Woodell, are allegations of gay-baiting around accusations of child molestation of a political opponent and another opponent's signs being desecrated with graffiti and swastikas, although Tate distanced himself from those actions. Still, Woodell notes, since Tate hasn't been identified as directly responsible for anything, "that means he might be a stealth homophobe, much as Reed tried to be late in his tenure at the Christian Coalition." Please thank Debbie Woodell and the Philadelphia Daily News for giving context to Tate's anti-gay legislative past and some of his more dubious associations with dirty campaigning. Contact: Debbie Woodell, Writer, and Brian Toolan, Managing Editor, Philadelphia Daily News, PO Box 7788, Philadelphia, PA 19101, fax: 215.854.5691 6. Ann On-Line Nets Gay and Lesbian Issues Now on a Web browser near you is Ann On-Line (www.annonline.com), one of the gay-friendliest talk shows on the Net. Hosted by talk show star and journalist Ann Devlin, Ann On-Line offers fresh, informative perspectives on a variety of contemporary topics, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. Almost every week, Devlin interviews personalities and activists from the community, including Day of Compassion founder Neil Tadken, author Brian McNaught, OUT magazine Editor Sarah Pettit, theologian Daniel Helminiak and GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Chastity Bono and Associate Communications Director Liz Tracey. Thank Ann Devlin for her wonderful coverage and for incorporating our issues into a unique online show. Contact: Ann Devlin, Ann On-Line, c/o Diskwriter Communications, 505 McNeilly, Pittsburgh, PA 15226, e-mail: ann@annonline.com. 7. Pride Festivities Media Round-up While mostly fair-minded, some coverage by major media outlets of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pride events over the past month have continued to fall into the tired trap of over-representation of the more flamboyant segments of paraders at the cost of more accurate coverage. The following are some of the best (and worst) media comments from the week: … The June 28 edition of the New York Post covers Pride with balance and insight. Author Faye Penn writes, "While revelry is the order of the day, most participants see a serious side behind the spike collars and the size-13 pumps. Some will walk in honor of the gays in countries where homosexuality is punishable by death. Others remember those who did not survive AIDS. Still others will rally for the right to marry or live free of discrimination." Contact: Marc Kalech, Managing Editor, New York Post, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-8790, fax: 212.930.8540, e-mail: newyorkpost@delphi.com. … In Philadelphia, in spite of a lively parade, almost no media sources covered the event. The major networks, WPVI-TV (ABC), KYW-TV (CBS), and WCAU (NBC) and one major newspaper, The Philadelphia Daily News failed to even mention the parade. Contact: Dave Davis, News Director, WPVI-TV, 4100 City Line Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131-1610, fax: 215.581.4515; Jeff Bartlett, News Director, KYW-TV, 101 S. Independence Mall, East, Philadelphia, PA 19106, fax: 215.238.4783; Steve Doerr, News Director, WCAU-TV, City & Monument Avenues, Philadelphia, PA 19131, fax: 610.668.3700; Brian Toolan, Managing Editor, Philadelphia Daily News, PO Box 7788, Philadelphia, PA 19101, fax: 215.854.5691. … In the June 22 (Portland) Oregonian, Wade Nkrumah mixes humor with seriousness as he celebrates "Finally, a parade with attitude." He emphasizes the newly inclusive name of the event as: "The Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Trans Parade." He quotes a participant, "'It is really nice to have formal acceptance that sexuality comes in all stripes.'" Contact: Peter Bhatia, Managing Editor, The Oregonian, 1320 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201-3499, fax: 503.227.5306, e-mail: letter@news.oregonian.com. … The June 8 Boston Globe characterized the local parade as a diverse display of "unity and optimism," combining "religion and hairspray, politics and prom dresses, baby strollers and combat boots." Contact: Matthew V. Storin, Editor, Boston Globe, PO Box 2378, Boston, MA 02107-2378, fax:617.929.3192, e-mail: letter@globe.com. … On June 24, KCXI-FM, a Tucson, Arizona radio station featured "Stonewall Day," a full 12 hours of programming and music by and about lesbian, gay and bisexual people. The station has received an overwhelmingly positive response. Contact: Mike Landhewr, Program Director, KXCI-FM, 220 South Fourth Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701, phone: 520.623.1000, fax: 520. 882.5820. … The June 8 Bozeman Daily Chronicle, covering the controversial parade in this small Montana town interviewed straight onlookers, but no gay people. One observer exclaims, "'Ain't this a bitch? I've never seen such a collection of queer people.'" Another onlooker states, "'Whatever they're into is O.K. They have a right to express themselves. This is America." Yet curiously missing are quotes from actual gay people. Contact: Bill Wilke, Managing Editor, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, PO Box 1188, Bozeman, MT 59771, fax: 406.587.7995, e-mail: citydesk@gomontana.com. … The wire service Reuters saw only the flamboyant in the San Francisco celebration, saying, "a colorful and outrageous march featuring leather-clad bikers and cheerleaders in drag," and goes on to say the parade included "many scantily clad men and women." Contact: Adrian Croft, Bureau Chief, Reuters America, 153 Kearny St., San Francisco, CA 94108, fax: 415.986.5147. … From the June 23 Detroit Daily News: "A peaceful and festive gathering drew people of all ages, sizes, and colors who marched a half-dozen blocks to the Capitol under police escort. They chanted "Hey, hey, ho, ho, homophobia has got to go. Balloons filled the air. A few people dressed as drag queens, but most participants looked like anyone's neighbors." Contact: Christina Bradford, Managing Editor, Detroit News, 615 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit, MI 48226-3197, fax: 313.222.2335. … In Los Angeles, the Fox affiliate KTTV news presented a balanced, in-depth story of the festivities covering the whole spectrum of the Pride celebration, including interviews with P-FLAG members, observers, and the occasional drag queen. Contact: Jose Rios, News Director, KTTV-TV, 5746 Sunset Blvd., LA, CA 90028-8588, fax: 213.856.1617. 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 "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. 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