Date: Fri, 6 Feb 1998 16:21:10 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADAlert 02.06.98 GLAADALERT February 6, 1998 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Suicide in Little Rock Once again, a newspaper's irresponsible publishing of the names and addresses of men arrested in public sex raids has led to one of the victims committing suicide, this time following a January 30 story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. In the story, "24 men are cited in 3-day park sting," the newspaper published eight men's names and addresses for being arrested on charges of "public sexual indecency: a misdemeanor." One of those men then killed himself. The Democrat-Gazette does not print the identities of others arrested in misdemeanor consensual sex-related offenses, or any other misdemeanors. When the newspaper ran a June 25, 1993 article on a major heterosexual prostitution sting, it did not identify any of the men arrested, and even blurred the photo of one man to protect his identity. Over a year ago, a GLAAD representative met with Frank Fellone, the deputy managing editor of the Democrat-Gazette, in part because of past instances of the newspaper publishing the names of men arrested in parks for misdemeanor offenses. According to local GLAAD contacts, until January 30, the newspaper had stopped printing the names except where a public figure was involved. As local GLAAD contact David Ivers noted, at the meeting "We predicted that the Democrat-Gazette was not only going to ruin careers but drive someone to kill himself. Now it has happened. The newspaper must understand that printing the names will not stop men from seeking out anonymous sex with other men. That will not occur until society, including the media, stops making it so painful and difficult for people to come out of the closet, and until laws in employment and other areas protect lesbians and gay men from discrimination based on their sexual orientation." GLAAD and other organizations are currently seeking a meeting with the editor and publisher of the Democrat-Gazette. Please contact the newspaper and firmly but rationally explain to them the clear bias of their actions and the intolerably dire consequences of them. Also, explain to them how societal forces of homophobia lead deeply closeted men to end up seeking out such furtive sexual encounters. Contact: Walter Hussman, Publisher, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72203, phone: 501.378.3485, fax: 501.372.3908 Yes, He's Gay To promote their show rough cut, cable network TNT has placed a full-page advertisement in the March edition of Movieline which draws attention to the unnecessary scrutiny faced by openly lesbian and gay people in the entertainment industry. In large font, the top half of the page reads, "YES, HE'S GAY." Below it says, "Now, can we please talk about the movie?" The bottom has the rough cut logo, and its slogan: "rough cut-where movies come first." The ad's assertion, that an entertainer should be able to be open about being gay, but that the person should be judged on the merit of his work, articulates in a clear and simple way the need for greater honesty about sexual orientation in Hollywood as a means of getting past it. In short, once Hollywood becomes comfortable with openly gay entertainers, we can all get over it and just celebrate their performances. Please commend TNT for this refreshing and clear call for greater openness and acceptance of sexual orientation in the entertainment industry. Contact: Andy Jones, Editor in Chief, rough cut, TNT, 1050 Techwood Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30318, fax: 404.885.0855, WWW: http://tnt.turner.com/asktnt/email_feedback.html Miami Herald Explores Ellen on the Edge The February 4 Miami Herald featured a story by Lydia Martin about the high probability of cancellation that ABC's Ellen faces and what the show means to its fans. "Krista Lopez, 22, is one of those die-hard Ellen fans. The kind who keeps every episode committed to memory and videotape. The kind who sprints to her computer as soon as the show ends each week to engage in Internet chatter with others," it begins. It discusses the program's plans to stir up greater enthusiasm for the show through appearances by Anne Heche, Ellen DeGeneres' real-life girlfriend, but adds that "there are plenty of theories" for challenges the show now faces to stay on the air. "Some say the show is just too gay, that it has become a soapbox for political correctness and has turned off a lot of people looking for something lighter," it says. The article adds that GLAAD and many fans say, "Those who argue that don't understand just how reflective of a person's coming-out experiences the show has been." It also quotes David Marc, a professor at Syracuse University's Center for Study of Popular Television, stating that since television is increasingly targeting different demographics, especially on cable, Ellen's varying ratings "proves how difficult it is to find the mainstream." GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Chastity Bono then speaks about the personal connections the show has had for her and many other lesbian and gay people. Local Miami activists working with kids note that tapes of the show help young people who are dealing with coming out issues. Finally, it quotes lesbian author Lyndsey Van Gelder, who does not watch Ellen because she does not watch television: "'But I applaud it. If straight people can have silly junk on TV, gay people should too.'" The article brings up many issues about both the successes and challenges of the groundbreaking show. GLAAD is currently urging people to "Save Ellen" by writing to ABC and Disney while they consider whether or not to renew the show. This may be our last chance! Let the Miami Herald know their insight into the Ellen struggle is appreciated. Also, let ABC and Disney know how you feel about the show and why you want to save Ellen. Contact: … Jim Hampton, Editor, Miami Herald, One Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132-1693, fax: 305.376.8950, e-mail: heraldedit@aol.com … Jamie Tarses, Entertainment President, ABC, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067, feedback form: http://www.abc.com/vvoice/Viewcons1.html … Michael Eisner, Chairman & David Newman, President of Network TV, The Walt Disney Company, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521, fax: 818.560.1930, E-mail via: WWW: http://www.disney.com/Mail The Gray Lady Visits New York's Bourgeois Gay Bars Examining the sociological reasons behind the development of a new aesthetic for the city's gay bars, an article in the February 1 edition of the New York Times raises several interesting issues facing New York gay men. "A new generation of gay bars have all but jettisoned dark and dingy interior designs for cleaner, airier, more creative spaces," writer David Colman says. "[It] mirrors a broader change in attitude among patrons of gay bars: a self-confidence about being out, a rising economic prosperity and less fear of harassment by nonhomosexuals. Traditionally, gay bars have been windowless dives that cloaked patrons in anonymous darkness while protecting them from the scrutiny of passers-by." The open, windowed new bars, Colman says, "illustrate that many gay men appear to be embracing some of the values and freedoms of mainstream society, from which they have often been excluded. Although such bars still function as they always have-as pickup places-they are now also attractive meeting places for friends, where a gay man can bring a heterosexual acquaintance without fear of complaint and even where gay couples can go, undaunted by a heavy cruising scene." He cautions, "But the more wholesome-looking digs have not been universally embraced. The closing of [sex-oriented] back rooms has been attacked by Sex Panic, a vocal gay group that advocates sexual liberation, for representing a crackdown on the freedom of gay men....Others have groused that the newer bars-like the obsessions with muscles and clothing that symbolize the Chelsea gay scene-bespeak a growing complacency among some gay men about political issues." Please commend the New York Times for this thought-provoking article about a community in transition. Contact: Bill Keller, Managing Editor, The New York Times, 229 West 43rd St., New York, NY 10036-3959, fax: 212.556.3690, e-mail: letters@nytimes.com (include phone number when sending by e-mail) The Repository Is A Receptacle for Radical Religious Trash The January 30 edition of Canton, Ohio's newspaper, The Repository, featured a completely propagandistic article on a so-called "ex-gay." Under the headline, "Former Homosexual to Relate Story of His Conversion, Salvation," Repository staff writer Charita Goshay begins, "Tim Scott says he is a happily married man, but that wasn't always the case. 'I used to be a homosexual,' Scott said bluntly." It then advertises Scott's upcoming speech of conversion at a local church which has placed ads in the paper calling for a boycott of ABC's Ellen. Goshay, without any criticism or countering views, reports Scott's statement that being molested by an 8th grade male teacher "introduced" him to "the gay lifestyle." It also pulls out the old myth about homosexuality being caused by a close relationship with his mother and a distant one with his dad. "Scott said it was a combination of religion and therapy that helped him change his life. 'I wasn't really happy with being gay,' [Scott said.] 'I don't know too many gay people who are.' Scott, who married [a woman] two years ago, said he worried that therapy to help homosexuals change might someday be declared unethical, or even illegal." Goshay fails to do any of the basic things a journalist does to create balance in a story. She fails to question Scott's total lack of credentials in discussing a highly controversial topic and does not even mention that the vast majority of psychologists are adamantly opposed to so-called reparative therapy, or that just last year the American Psychological Association issued a warning about severe misgivings the organization had with those who espoused it and the "treatment's" efficacy. She also ignores the total lack of objectivity or accountability that a representative of an already established anti-gay church has, and does not report on any countering views from other people of faith, or representatives from lesbian and gay organizations. Instead, she lets Scott essentially ask his own questions and then answer them in regards to his "transformation." The Repository has also recently begun regularly printing radical religious mouthpiece James Dobson's column in its pages. Let The Repository know that such shoddy journalism is both an embarrassment to the profession and an affront to all fair-minded people of faith and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Contact: David C. Kaminski, Editor, The Repository, 500 Market Avenue South, Canton, OH 44702-2193, fax: 330.454.5745, e-mail: dkaminsk@cannet.com The Maine Event, Boston Globe-style The February 2 Boston Globe profiled Paul Fuller, a tireless advocate for Maine's new civil rights law which includes protections from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. "Walking the snowbound roads of Maine, promoting equal rights for gay men and lesbians, Paul Fuller has almost forgotten he is wearing a bulletproof vest," it begins. "Fuller knows there are gay bashers out there. But midway through a 400-mile walk from Canada to Kittery to persuade voters to keep Maine's new law, he has trudged through one ice storm, at least one snowstorm and temperatures as low as 10 degrees below zero." It notes how supporters have far outweighed critics and some locals have joined him for hours at a time on his walk. "On Feb. 10, Mainers will decide in a statewide referendum whether to repeal the law," it adds, quoting one radical religious leader who is pushing for the repeal. It ends with a quote from Fuller: "'By being visible, we've made people aware,' Fuller said. 'It's a human rights issue.'" Please commend the Boston Globe for showing the human side of Maine's struggle to preserve human rights for all. Contact: Matthew V. Storin, Editor, Boston Globe, 135 Morrissey Boulevard, Dorchester, MA 02125-3338, fax: 617.929.3192, e-mail: letter@globe.com Erratum: The January 30, 1998 GLAADAlert indicated that Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Xander became a werewolf. In reality, Willow's new boyfriend, and not Xander, is the werewolf. GLAAD regrets any confusion this may have caused. The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation in the media 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), and 404.607.1204 (Atlanta) Feel free to pass GLAADAlert on to friends, family and associates! Report defamation in the media by calling GLAAD's Toll-Free AlertLine! 1-800-GAY-MEDIA (1-800-429-6334) Visit GLAAD Online at http//www.glaad.org "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc. GLAADAlert may be freely distributed and reprinted in all forms of media under the condition that any text used carry the full attribution of "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 a national organization that 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.