Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 21:31:50 -0500
From: glaad@glaad.org (GLAAD)
Subject: GLAADAlert 7.18.97

GLAADALERT
July 18, 1997
The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation

URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Versace Murder and the Hunt for Cunanan Bring Out the
Best and Worst in the Media
The recent brutal murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace and the hunt
for prime suspect Andrew Cunanan has brought both the best and worst out of
the media in the past week.  While many outlets have explored the impact
that these events have had on a frightened and angered lesbian and gay
community, some reports have served to fuel the fear and ignorance of the
general public towards lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people.


Please contact the following media and tell them that our community not
only deserves respect, but demands it.
_____________________________________________________________
Blaming the Victim
Less than 48 hours after the senseless death of Versace, both Cindy Adams
and Hard Copy set their sites on demonizing the victim, a highly respected
and regarded man.  In the July 16 New York Post, gossip guru Cindy Adams
told reads that "come nightfall, the workaholic (Versace) played...Often in
what the uptight might term dens of iniquity. Props in those places
included leather harnesses and young studs. Joints where 'a second date'
was only a phrase not a reality." That day the tabloid television show Hard
Copy  showed topless men dancing together at Miami events, and promised to
explore "more about Versace's private playland...a world some say may have
led to his untimely death." According to them, Versace threw parties that
"included scantily clad men as servants...the kinds of parties that Cunanan
reportedly trolled for fresh victims."  Going even further, the show
claimed that "some speculate he (Cunanan) may have AIDS and is exacting
revenge on all the men who could have possibly given it to him."

How do these items help the general public understand the motives of a man
like Cunanan?  They don't.  They only serve to blame the victim and
sensationalize a crime that has horrified everyone, especially the lesbian
and gay community.  These stories play on the fear and ignorance that many
have about who gay people are.

Please contact Cindy Adams and Hard Copy and let them know that demonizing
based on his sexual orientation is downright offensive to Versace's memory
and the community at large.
Contact: Cindy Adams and Marc Kalech, Managing Editor, New York Post, 1211
Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-8790, fax: 212.930.8540, e-mail:
newyorkpost@delphia.com; Harley Tat, Supervising Producer, Hard Copy,
Paramount Pictures, 5555 Melrose Ave. MAE W.Bldg. #120, Los Angeles, CA
90038-3197, fax: 213.956.1940.

Who is Antonio D'Amico?
While the majority of media outlets ignored him, both the New York Times
and the Miami Herald mentioned that Gianni Versace had a life partner (or
companion).  Both papers made mention of Antonio in their Wednesday, July
16 coverage of Versace's murder.  "As witnesses arrived (at the crime
scene)," the Herald reported, "Antonio D'Amico, Versace's longtime
companion, was frantically running back and forth between the house and the
sidewalk...D'Amico got into a car with police to look for the killer."  The
Times identified D'Amico as Versace's companion for 11 years as well as a
designer for Versace Sport, a line of the fashion empire.

Often, when a gay man or lesbian is written about, especially when they
pass away, the fact that they had a partner is completely ignored. This
type of invisibility only lends itself to a lack of understanding that the
community does have many long-term, committed relationships in it.  By
ignoring these unions, the media is ignoring the facts and does a
disservice to the true memory of the deceased and their grieving companion.


Please thank the New York Times and the Miami Herald for getting the story
right.  Also, please encourage your local media outlets to include the life
partners of gay men and lesbians when reporting on them.
Contact: Eugene L. Roberts, Jr., Managing Editor, New York Times, 229 W.
43rd Street, New York, NY 10036-3959, fax: 212.556.3690, e-mail:
letters@nytimes.com; Saundra Keyes, Managing Editor, Miami Herald, One
Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132-1693, fax:305.376.5287.

"Speculation Fuels New York Post Frenzy..."
The New York Post's  coverage of Versace's murder and the hunt for Cunanan
reached new peaks of sensational sleaze; doubly unfortunate since in the
July 3 GLAADAlert, GLAAD praised the Post for its coverage of a same-sex
wedding between two female New York City police officers. Among the
alarming (and alarmist) points:

… The continued use of the phrases "gay killer," "gay serial killer" and
"bloodthirsty gay serial killer," among other variations, link Cunanan's
sexual orientation to his suspected murders, and serves to place "guilt by
association" on the lesbian and gay community. Contrast this with coverage
by Cynthia McFadden on ABC's PrimeTime Live, which discussed Cunanan's
sexual orientation only when it was relevant, resulting in a balanced story
that took the high road in discussing Cunanan's alleged activities.
… The linking of Cunanan's supposed HIV status and the murders-the New York
Post headline on July 17 read "AIDS Fuels His Frenzy." Inside, a story
based on pure speculation conjectured that Cunanan may have killed because
he "fear[ed] he had AIDS" and that he was targeting people he thinks may
have infected him. There is no evidence of Andrew Cunanan's HIV-positive
status; the willingness of the New York Post to swallow such theories
without evidence alludes to an ignorance that needs to be dispelled. People
all over this country find out that they are HIV-positive every day-and
they don't turn into "spree killers." As with sexual orientation, it
connects HIV with murderous intent, feeding into the old stereotype of gay
people as both "sick" and "mentally unstable."
… The wholly unnecessary use of a "beefcake" photo to illustrate a column
by Steve Dunleavy, in which he interviews Louis Kelleman, a Versace model.
Obviously, using a photo of a model to illustrate a story is fair, but with
the continuing portrayal of Cunanan as a "gay killer" in the Post's pages,
along with Kelleman's pose (wearing underwear and soccer cleats), it adds
up to at the very least bad taste.

GLAAD was founded in response to the New York Post's irresponsible and
alarmist AIDS coverage in 1986. Sadly, in 1997, it seems that they've
resorted to the same scare tactics with the death of Gianni Versace, in an
effort to sell newspapers. Tell the Post that their tabloid-style hyperbole
needs to be replaced with responsible coverage of a complex story.
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@delphia.com.

Off-Key Coverage
During NBC's extensive coverage, Tom Brokaw and Edna Buchanan made
wrong-headed, and in Buchanan's instance, blatantly homophobic, comments
during NBC Nightly News and The Today Show respectively. Brokaw, in opening
an otherwise excellent story on Versace's murder, described Andrew Cunanan
as a "homicidal homosexual." Edna Buchanan, a respected crime reporter and
novelist had an interchange with Matt Lauer, host of The Today Show:

Matt Lauer:  "The Mayor and police down there said yesterday that this
could have happened anywhere. That Miami is a safe place.  How do you feel
about that?"

Edna Buchanan:" ... I think the Mayor and the Commission some years ago
decided to appeal to the gay element -the gay community, with the tourism
advertising.  They [the governmental leaders] thought they [gay tourists]
have more disposable income, they're well-behaved, and would make wonderful
tourists. They deliberately sought out that market, and South Beach did in
fact become a gay mecca. Now they're complaining that this happened here.
Well, where else?  Obviously he [Cunanan] was drawn here, that's his M.O.
Obviously Mr. Versace's here.  Now, they're unhappy about the whole thing.
But they're the ones that sort of put this in motion."

Using "homicidal homosexual" links Cunanan's sexual orientation to his
alleged murders and is offensive and contributes to stereotypes of gay men
as "sick." Brokaw, otherwise a friend to the lesbian and gay community,
might have questioned this before going to air. Buchanan's assertion that
gay tourism contributed to Versace's murder is on its face homophobic.
Would she have felt as comfortable asserting that Asian tourism "set this
in motion," since Cunanan is Filipino? We think not. Her statement also
ignores the enormous financial and cultural contributions that the lesbian
and gay community, among others,  have made to South Beach, a community
that Versace himself belonged to. Again, we see a willingness to blame the
victim for being in the "wrong place," as well as implying that gay men and
lesbians are predisposed towards crime.

One of the difficulties that journalists have confronted in reporting this
story may be their own discomfort around lesbian and gay issues, along with
a need for a solid base of information about the community (for example, as
some outlets continually refer to a "gay underworld," lesbians and gay men
wonder what fantasy land the reporters are talking about.) Unfortunately,
what may result from this is an inability to challenge those who may be
fueling fear and loathing by speculating openly about Cunanan's HIV status
and the private life of his victims. By not responding to a guest's
inaccuracies or flimsy theorizing, an anchor or host may let stand
conjectures which are not simply defamatory, but are patently false.

Please contact NBC Nightly News and The Today Show and let them know how
you feel.
Contact: Jeff Gralnick and David Bohrman, Executive Producers, NBC Nightly
News, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112-0002, fax: 212.664.6044;
Beth O'Connell, Senior Producer, The Today Show, NBC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza,
New York, NY 10112-0002, fax: 212.664.7234.

When in Rome...Ask the Romans
While reporting on a story that has impacted the gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender community so deeply, a number of media outlets have explored
that impact in significant ways. The Washington Post's "Long Skeptical of
Law Enforcement Efforts, Activists Now Are Working in Partnership,"
explored the growing number and role of gay and lesbian anti-violence
groups across the nation and the violence against the community that has
spearheaded that growth.  On Thursday, July 17, USA Today included the
story entitled "Gay Groups Worry About a Backlash," and in the New York
Times appeared a lengthy story on the gay community in South Beach, Miami
entitled "Loss and Concern in the Gay District."

The death of Gianni Versace and the events surrounding Cunanan have
garnered worldwide press.  However, only a handful of outlets are paying
close attention to the community that these crimes are effecting the most.
News reports are generally neglecting to include quotes from gay and
lesbian anti-violence groups, who have been concerned and invested in the
capture of Cunanan for months.  These three outlets took the next logical
step with their coverage, they looked at the impact on the community at
large.  Those that neglect to explore this impact are neglecting to address
the issues of its gay and lesbian readership, and therefore are not
representing the lives of all the people in their market.

Please thank the Washington Post, USA Today and New York Times for taking
the next logical step, and for recognizing that Cunanan does not represent
the community at large.
Contact: Robert G. Kaiser, Managing Editor, Washington Post, 1150 15th
Street NW, Washington, DC 20071-0002, fax: 202.334.4475, e-mail:
webnews@washpost.com; David Mazzarella, Editor, USA Today, 1000 Wilson
Blvd., Arlington, VA 22229, fax: 703.276.6585, e-mail: editor@usatoday.com;
Eugene L. Roberts, Jr., Managing Editor, New York Times, 229 W. 43rd
Street, New York, NY 10036-3959, fax: 212.556.3690, e-mail:
letters@nytimes.com

Please alert GLAAD to further good and bad coverage of the Cunanan case in
your area by calling 1-800-GAY-MEDIA or by e-mailing us at glaad@glaad.org.
________________________________________________________________

Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Don't Discriminate, Say Two Papers
In the wake of the July 2 federal court ruling against "Don't Ask, Don't
Tell," the Boston Globe and San Francisco Examiner have both come out
against the anti-gay military policy. The July 13 Globe editorial called
the policy "prejudice dressed up in official clothing," noting that "while
[Don't Ask, Don't Tell] earns its reputation as bad law, the policy also
turns out to be a lousy practice. It has failed to stop military officials
from asking service members about their sexual orientation. The result is
an unofficial practice of: Tell, or else. Now that the country has tried
and noticeably failed to sneak up on the issue, it's time for the president
to provide strong, constitutionally legal protection for gay military
personnel." The Examiner concurs in a July 6 editorial: "Consider how much
easier it would be if the military stopped worrying so much about people's
sexuality. The brass ought to have its hands full with real problems, such
as sexual predators who make games of coercively bedding soldiers in their
command. That's a crime. Nothing undermines 'unit cohesion' so much as the
military's refusal to come out of its bunker mentality. The Pentagon should
mothball 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"

Please let both the Boston Globe and the San Francisco Examiner know that
their clear-headedness on this clearly unworkable and unconstitutional
policy is appreciated.
Contact: Matthew V. Storin, Editor, Boston Globe, P.O. Box 2378, Boston, MA
02107, fax: 617.929.2098, e-mail: letter@globe.com; Phil Bronstein, Editor,
San Francisco Examiner, 110 5th Street, San Francisco, CA 94111, fax:
415.512.1264, e-mail: sfexaminer@examiner.com.

USA Today Needs Outspoken Gay Youth For Panel
On June 30, USA Today announced it is currently seeking "verbal teen-agers"
to serve on its Teen Panel, and GLAAD encourages lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender young people to apply. "The paper seeks creative, reliable
teens who can reflect what their peers are thinking. Teens must be high
school freshman, sophomores or juniors, with a fairly wide circle of
friends. Recent topics the panel has addressed included teen smoking and
the TV ratings system." For gay youth, the ratings system could have a
profound impact in erasing visibility and representation, and such a voice
could have been critical to the panel. The announcement continues:
"Applicants should address some of these issues: Who are you? What Are Your
interests? What are the most pressing concerns of teens? What is the key to
a good relationship with parents? What don't parents understand about
teens? What is the dating scene like at your school?" According to the
paper, "the panel will reflect the USA's geographic, ethnic and
socioeconomic diversity." Hopefully, sexual orientation and identity is
part of that valued diversity.

Include name, address, telephone and an optional photo. Also, please let
GLAAD know about your application so we may follow the process.
Contact: Teen Panel, USA Today, Life Section, 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington,
VA 22229, WWW: http://www.usatoday.com/life/lfront.htm.

PopcornQ Pushes Gay Film Preservation
PopcornQ, "the Ultimate Online Homes for the Queer Moving Image," needs
thousands of people to participate in a campaign to preserve lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender images on film in the Library of Congress.
According to the PopcornQ National Film Registry Campaign, "each year
(after reviewing public suggestions and consulting extensively with film
experts and the 40 members and alternates of the National Film Preservation
Board) the Library of Congress selects 25 films deemed 'culturally,
historically or aesthetically significant' for inclusion in the National
Film Registry." Films must be at least 10 years old, and individuals can
suggest up to 50 films for consideration annually. Currently the only
gay-related films in the Registry are Midnight Cowboy (1969), Some Like It
Hot (1959) and Eaux d'Artifice (1953).

Film is a particularly fragile medium. While 93 percent of books from last
century still exist, over 50 percent of all films (and 80 percent of silent
movies) no longer exist due to aging and poor archival care. Many lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender films, particularly independent ones, are in
jeopardy of being lost, denying the world a critical part of our cultural
heritage and the rightful place of representations of our community in film
history. PopcornQ's Web site (www.popcornQ.com) has extensive information
about the Registry campaign, as well as 50 suggested films for preservation
and a sample letter to the Library of Congress.

Please participate in this crucial effort to honor and preserve our past
and our place in the National Film Registry.
Contact: PopcornQ: Jenni Olson, Producer, Popcorn Q, PlanetOut, 956 Mission
St., #730, San Francisco, CA 94103, phone: 415.547.2800, ext. 309, WWW:
http://www.planetout.com; National Film Registry: Steve Leggett, National
Film Registry, Library of Congress, MBRS Division, Washington, D.C. 20540.

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), 415.861.2244 (San
Francisco), 202.986.1360 (Washington, DC), 404.607.1204 (Atlanta) and
319.472.4520 (Kansas City)
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.