Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 16:52:06 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert 08.22.97 GLAADALERT August 22, 1997 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Contents 1. For Better Or For Worse At Its Best (For Better Or For Worse (comic strip), Lynn Johnston (cartoonist), Universal Press Syndicate (press syndicate)) 2. Anti-Gay Editors At Their Worst (Augusta Chronicle (newspaper), For Better Or For Worse (comic strip)) 3. The Quest for Fairness on the 'Net (NetRated (Internet filtering software), PC Data Power (software company), Enough Is Enough (Internet organization), X-STOP (Internet filtering software), Log-On Data Corp (software company)) 4. More of the Same From Cal Thomas (Cal Thomas (columnist)) 5. You Can Dress It Up, But You Still Can't Call It Science (Keene Sentinel (newspaper), Omega: A Journal of Death and Dying (trade journal)) 6. Miami Herald Says "Yes" to Gay Adoptions (Miami Herald (newspaper)) 7. Vanity Fair Shows Bad Taste (Vanity Fair (magazine)) 8. Elton John's Tantrums and Tiaras (Tantrums and Tiaras (cable movie)) 1. For Better Or For Worse At Its Best In the face of boycotts from radical religious groups, including the Christian Family Network and the American Family Association, Universal Press Syndicate and cartoonist Lynn Johnston's For Better or For Worse features a storyline running August 20-23 about Lawrence dealing with his boyfriend's (Ben) move to Paris. While helping the Pattersons landscape the garden, Lawrence tells his straight best friend Michael about the pain that he is going to feel when Ben leaves. He says, "Man, I can't believe I'm actually telling you this." Michael then replays, "And would you believe that I actually understand." On August 22, Michael related his own relationship experiences, "It's the joy of having had that time together that makes it all worthwhile--it's the laughs, the memories and all the good stuff you've shared--that make falling in love...worth the risk." When Lawrence came out, Michael had an especially hard time excepting the news. For Better of For Worse is a family-friendly comic strip, and Lawrence grew up with the Patterson kids as readers watched. His coming out story several years ago, and now the discussion of his boyfriend's move to Paris, underscores how, for many Americans, lesbian and gay family, friends and peers are just part of life. Please thank Lynn Johnston for including Lawrence as an ordinary part of the Patterson family's world, and Universal Press Syndicate for their support of Johnston. In addition, be sure to commend local papers who have included the storyline for supporting diversity. Contact: Lynn Johnston, For Better or For Worse, Universal Press Syndicate, 4900 Main Street, 9th Floor, Kansas City, MO 64112-2644; Web Site to access series: http://www.uclick.com/demo/ 2. Anti-Gay Editors At Their Worst In addition to the approximately 30 newspapers which considered not running the gay-inclusive storyline in For Better or For Worse, on August 20 the Augusta (Georgia) Chronicle featured an anti-gay editorial on the subject. Referring to "'Lawrence and his homosexual 'friend,'" the Chronicle writes, "It's instructive that this be the topic of community debate, especially in light of some successful efforts in recent years by primarily Christian therapists and support groups to convert homosexuals back to a healthier lifestyle." It continues, "Why don't trendy religious leaders want to foster the scholarly search for truth, whose foundations are found in the Scriptures?... Yes, let's talk about 'Lawrence.' Is our editorial opposition to unhealthy same-gender sexual relationships 'an attempt to impose our values on others,' which is the usual liberal line? Our response is simply this: Someone's values are ultimately going to prevail in this ongoing cultural battle. Why not the values of our founding fathers and the Judeo-Christian tradition which made this country great?" The final two sentences strike the heart of the difference between the work of organizations like GLAAD and the work of radical religious groups and individuals such as the editors of the Augusta Chronicle. While GLAAD and many other progressive organizations and individuals see America (and the intentions of the founding fathers) as cherishing of a multiplicity of attitudes, values and beliefs and a tolerance for all people regardless of sexual orientation or religion, the Chronicle editors see it as an either/or proposition: Either everyone must toe the line of a single, rigidly anti-gay fundamentalist value system, regardless of their own individual beliefs or identity, or radical religious groups feel as if they are somehow "losing" the "cultural battle." Freedom and equality are big enough for all of us, even if we do not fit the arbitrary interpretations of the Bible as set out by a radical minority of Christian Americans. Explain to the Augusta Chronicle that a variety of values can coexist in a free society--that is what our country is based upon. In addition, let your local newspapers who have denied readers the opportunity to decide for themselves know that their stand against diversity is a stand for intolerance. Contact: John Fish, Managing Editor, Augusta Chronicle, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30903, fax: 706.722.7403, e-mail: augchroned@aol.com. 3. The Quest for Fairness on the 'Net With the Communications Decency Act struck down by the Supreme Court, the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community has found itself out of the frying pan and into the fire, with more Internet filtering software being developed that might affect access to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender content. One such software is NetRated, developed by PC Data Power, which is designed to block "X-rated" and "violent" materials. However, a list provided by the company shows that amongst its preprogrammed blocked sites are several gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender information and educational sites are blocked, including GLAAD's Web site, a site devoted to "Religious issues for gays and lesbians," Beth El Binah, a Jewish congregation that is also a "member of the world congress of gay and lesbian Jewish organizations," the International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs, the Boston Latin School Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Alumni home page and others. NetRated also gives the option of an audit trail for parents. This allows parents to see what sites their children have tried to access in their absence. This feature is always dangerous to gay and lesbian youth, especially closeted youth of homophobic parents. The product is endorsed by Enough Is Enough, an organization whose mission is to fight pornography in cyberspace. But the organization also has an anti-gay agenda, offering "victim testimonial" from a so-called "ex-gay" and bibliographical resources to anti-gay ministries. While GLAAD stands with Enough Is Enough against the exploitation of children, it does not support the use of sexual orientation as a scapegoat. In addition, the Internet filtering software X-STOP, developed by Log-On Data Corp, is now being marketed by the American Family Association (AFA), an anti-gay hate group, and endorsed by the Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN), which has a plethora of anti-gay programming. While GLAAD has not had an opportunity to test the software to see if it purposely blocks gay and lesbian sites, there is a grave concern about what influence the AFA has had on the product. GLAAD reported several months ago on CYBERsitter (see GLAADAlert 1.24.97), once endorsed by the radical religious group Focus On the Family, which continues to be the most homophobic filtering software on the market. Please write PC Data Power and let them know that blocking gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender-related topics is unfair and untrue to their mission. Sexual orientation does not necessarily mean X-rated. Also, let Enough Is Enough know that while their mission is noble, the execution is misguided and also confuses discussions of sexual orientation with pornography, even if the content is about something as innocuous as square dancing. Finally, let Log-On Data Corp know their affiliation with a hate group taints and degrades their software, making their agenda seem not the protection of children, but the spreading of intolerance and homophobia. Contact: Elias Khamis, President, PC DataPower, 1891 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA 92606-4902, fax: 714.852.8136, e-mail: info@netrated.com; Dee Jepsen, President, Enough Is Enough, 3000 West MacArthur - Suite 424, Santa Ana, CA 92704, e-mail: dj@enough.org; George Shih, President, Log-On Data Corp, 4175 East La Palma Avenue, Suite 130, Anaheim, CA 92807, e-mail: info@ldc.com. 4. More of the Same From Cal Thomas In a syndicated column appearing in newspapers across the country last week, anti-gay pundit Cal Thomas attacks the American Psychological Association's (APA) recently adopted resolution asserting that so-called reparative therapy is without sound scientific evidence, that nothing is wrong with homosexuality and that psychologists have an ethical responsibility not to "participate in or condone discriminatory practices with sexual minority clients." "But the facts (as opposed to the politics) are that people who want to change can change, because it is behavior at issue," Thomas asserts. He then quote the widely dismissed Robert Kronenmeyer from his 1980 book Overcoming Homosexuality: "Homosexuals are made, not born 'that way.' Buried under the 'gay' exterior of the homosexual is the hurt and rage that crippled his or her capacity for true maturation, for healthy growth and love. For those homosexuals who are unhappy with their lives and can find effective therapy, it can be overcome." "There's no 'hate' or 'bigotry' in this statement," writes Thomas. "Just clinical, observable facts." He then quotes a study from the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), which is run by Joseph Nicolosi and Charles Socarides, both of whom have been attacked for their severe anti-gay agenda and shady research methods, as a further assertion of Thomas' "factual" basis. Thomas chooses his "facts" based on his own anti-gay beliefs, then claims objectivity by calling the APA resolution "political." The worn-out claim that homosexuality is based in "stunted maturation" is total nonsense as most credible psychologists and psychiatrists will attest to. No doubt those who thought the Earth was flat believed it was a "political" rouse, too, when the advancement of science lead to the discovery that the Earth is round. But that doesn't mean that it was true. If Thomas and other anti-gay ideologues choose to remain ignorant despite overwhelming scientific opinion to the contrary, it is hate, not reason, which guides them. That is what the APA warned against with their resolution. Tell Thomas and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate that these archaic views on sexual orientation are absurd and offensive, and that before he claims to know the "facts," he should understand them in a fuller context. Additionally, if your newspaper carries Thomas, encourage them to carry a columnist less blinded by his hate. Contact: Cal Thomas, Los Angeles Times Syndicate, 218 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, fax: 213.237.4992. 5. You Can Dress It Up, But You Still Can't Call It Science In an August 12 column in the Keene (New Hampshire) Sentinel, columnist George Fellendorf discusses an article which claims to have found that lesbians and gay men have shorter life spans with little or no evidence to scientifically prove their contention. The column, entitled "Speaking of Education: Homosexuality is Bad for Your Health," discusses how Planned Parenthood and the American Red Cross do not give out the "life-saving" information that "[h]omosexuals die early. In fact, their life span is a little more than half that of the population that does not perform homosexual acts." The article Fellendorf (a former chair of the New Hampshire Christian Coalition, whose national parent is well known for its anti-gay agenda) references was published in Omega: A Journal of Death and Dying. Fellendorf makes a point of noting that this journal is "refereed," "the same adjective used to describe the journals of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the New England Journal of Medicine." In fact, if a journal has an underlying agenda, being "refereed" by peers with the same biases does not assure objectivity in the least. The article goes on to discuss the findings, stating that "the authors' investigation reveals that homosexuals experience a shortened lifespan and have done so for the last 140 years." Many questions arise: What type of methodology was used to find lesbians and gay men in 1858? On what evidence were those in the study assumed to be gay, considering that homosexuality was not a medical classification until the 1870s, and until the early 20th century few people self-identified as homosexual? It is mind boggling that the researchers managed to find a representative cross section of our community dating back 50, much less 140 years, that would fulfill the criteria for sound scientific research. Fellendorf is unconcerned with reality, however, instead stating that "the pattern of early death evident today in homosexual obituaries [was] reviewed by this team of researchers," meaning their "rigorous scientific method" merely consisted of reading old newspapers. This sounds suspiciously similar to the work of Paul Cameron of the anti-gay Family Research Institute, whose own study on "The Homosexual Lifespan" studied "homosexual obituaries," comparing them to the obituary pages from two newspapers. Cameron's intensely biased misrepresentations about the lesbian and gay community earned him a formal dismissal from the American Psychological Association, including a written notice sent to all members announcing his dismissal. In fact, the numbers cited by Cameron in his abstract on his "research" and those cited in the column are almost identical, and have been completely dismissed by all serious scientists. Please write the Keene Sentinel, and tell them that Fellendorf's column may well be the worst kind of homophobia: that which tries to masquerade as "unbiased scientific proof." The Sentinel should have made sure to check their columnist's writing, as they would any news story, to eliminate Fellendorf's obvious agenda to spread lies about the lesbian and gay community. Contact: Letters to the Editor, Keene Sentinel, 60 West Street, Keene, NH 03431, fax: 603.352.0437. 6. Miami Herald Says "Yes" to Gay Adoptions Coming on the heels of balanced and fair Cunanan coverage (GLAADAlert 8/1/97), the Miami Herald continued to display a depth and appreciation for issues of sexual orientation in an August 15 editorial advocating the rights of gay people seeking to adopt. "Denying gay people the right to be considered as adoptive parents is silly and just plain wrong," the editors say. "All that is on the table is the right to be considered as individuals, not as part of an arbitrary human category. That's all courts should extend to gay people seeking to adopt children. That's all the law gives anyone else," they continue. "Every Floridian now has the right to petition for an adoption except for homosexual people who truthfully answer the intrusive question about their sexual orientation. Only Florida and New Hampshire have statuary bans; Florida's was passed in 1977 at the height of an emotional campaign against gay people." Finally editorial states, "No one would expect the courts to grant adoptions to people, homosexual or heterosexual, who flaunt their sexual practices in front of children. What [reform] is being sought is simply the right to be considered on one's merits as a parent." Please let the Miami Herald know how much such an intelligent and clear-headed editorial is appreciated. Contact: Saudra Keyes, Managing Editor, Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132, fax: 305.527.8955, e-mail: heraldedit@aol.com. 7. Vanity Fair Shows Bad Taste In the September issue of Vanity Fair, writer Maureen Orth's article on Andrew Cunanan is trumpeted on the front cover with the tease "On The Trail of the Gay Serial Killer." While not wanting to flog a dead horse, the magazine's use of a phrase which was retreated from by many media outlets after learning that equating his sexual orientation with his crimes was defamatory to the lesbian and gay community shows that it was either woefully ignorant of the discussions which took place publicly about the issue, or willfully ignored them. Either way, Vanity Fair ends up looking both behind the times, as well as insensitive. This is doubly unfortunate when considering that earlier this year GLAAD praised the publication for a story on lesbian representation in film (see GLAADAlert 5.30.97). Tell Vanity Fair that its lapse in judgment tarnishes their reputation as a publication. Contact: Chris Garrett, Managing Editor, Vanity Fair, 350 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017-3799, fax: 212.880.6707, vsmail@vs.com. 8. Elton John's Tantrums and Tiaras On September 3, Cinemax's Reel Life Documentary Showcase will premier Tantrums and Tiaras, a documentary about musician Elton John. Earlier this month Cinemax premiered Paul Monette: The Brink Of Summer's End (see GLAADAlert 8.1.97). Directed by his longtime life partner, David Furnish, Tantrums follows John from the recording studio, on world tour and to the Oscars. The guarded and often self-described temperamental star allows Furnish unprecedented access to his personal life and inner demons, including issues of self-esteem and past drug abuse. Throughout, viewers are reminded of the intimate and loving relationship between the couple, one that John obviously treasures. Please check out Tantrums and Tiaras and then thank Cinemax for yet another intimate portrait of a complex and interesting gay man. Contact: Shiela Nevins, c/o Cinemax, 1100 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-6737, fax: 212.512.1000, feedback forum: http://www.hbo.com/feedback.html. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive media representation as a means of challenging homophobia and 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 816.374.5927 (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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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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