Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1998 22:50:24 -0400 From: glaad@glaad.org (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)) Subject: GLAADAlert - August 6, 1998 GLAADALERT-August 6, 1998 The GLAADAlert is the weekly activation tool of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation EDITOR'S NOTE: GLAADAlert will be on hiatus for a week during GLAAD's Annual Staff Retreat. Publication will resume on Thursday, August 20, 1998. GLAADAlert Index: 1) GLAAD Media Round-Up: Same Facts, Different Takes 2) Sins of Omission 3) Marie Claire Makes Clear the Dangers of 'Conversion Therapy' 4) AP: From Excellent to Egregious 5) Reuters Skews Reality of Report on Youth 6) A Little More of the Midwest Gets In the Life 7) As a "One-Man Gay AP," Wockner Rocks 8) Sensitive Look at Female-to-Male Transgender Experience 9) Lesbians and Gay Men Ignored in Report on Lesbian/Gay Adoption Ban GLAAD Media Round-Up: Same Facts, Different Takes Two weeks after 15 religious political extremist groups launched an ad campaign claiming lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people could change their sexual orientation, several major media outlets have examined that egregious claim at some length -- with varied results. Here are some of the highlights: … Nightline: Forrest Tucker, substituting as host of ABC's Nightline on July 30, moderated a debate between Andrew Sullivan, editor the New Republic and Center for Reclaiming America Director Janet Folger, who engineered the ad campaign. Sullivan asked repeatedly whether Folger supports laws allowing imprisonment for having sex with someone of the same gender. After Folger gave several non-responsive answers, Sawyer pressed, "Ms. Folger, forgive me. He is asking the direct question, 'Do you support laws that advocate the imprisonment of people who engage in homosexual behavior?'" Folger answered, "I guess if you're looking at sodomy laws, there are sodomy laws on the books that I very much support." … USA Today: An Aug. 4 Life section cover story examines various aspects of the so-called "ex-gay" movement -- while firmly stating that the bulk of scientific opinion questions its effectiveness. Reporter Kim Painter writes that the American Psychological Association "says that there's no evidence such therapy works and that it may do more harm than good." Sadly, the piece carried a thoughtless headline on one of four accompanying sidebars. The headline, about an "ex-gay" couple, reads "Once gay, now they're a family" -- giving the incorrect impression that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals do not have families. Overall, however, Painter makes strong points about the true nature of the ad campaign, and points out the potential dangers of "conversion therapies," noting that they can do active harm to individuals and their families. … Washington Post: A July 31 article examining Washington, D.C.-area "ex-gay" groups leads with a vignette of "ex-gay" Corey Welch, who "escaped from what he considers the clutches of a depraved underworld and entered the welcoming arms of the Transformation Christian Ministries" -- a group that reporter Hanna Rosin says, "shepherds gay men and women away from the 'devil's temptation.'" … The Village Voice: An Aug. 11 article by Mark Schoofs, entitled, "Straight to Hell: When Gays Go Hetero, the Consequences Can Be Anything But Redemptive," says some survivors of the "ex-gay" programs call them 'psychological terrorism.'" Yet they've "suddenly gained media credibility, simply because conservative political groups, such as the Christian Coalition and the Family Research Council, shelled out $200,000 for a high- profile ad campaign." … Philadelphia Inquirer: "Christian gays caught in a conflict," reads the front-page headline. "Some in Phila. choose faith over sexuality." Like the Washington Post report, the article describes a support group for persons unhappy with their sexual orientation. Despite of a brief quote from GLAAD Communications Director Jennifer Einhorn, the Inquirer devotes only perfunctory space to telling the other side of the story. … The New York Times: In the Aug. 2 "Backtalk" column, former Green Bay Packer David Kopay -- the first professional football player to say he's gay -- tells current Green Bay Packer Reggie White that "Sexual repression, alcoholism, spousal abuse, child abuse, drug addiction, loneliness, hate and ignorance are the real enemies we face. Lighten up on gay folks, because we are not the enemy." White repeatedly has made homophobic comments and is featured in one of the conservative ads. Contact: … Nightline, 1717 DeSales St. NW, Washington, DC 20036-4401, fax: 202.222.7976, e-mail: niteline@abc.com or via WWW: http://www.abcnews.com/onair/nightline/email.html … Howell Raines, Editorial/Opinion Page Editor, 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 e-mails) … Susan Weiss, Life Section Editor, USA Today, 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA. 22209-3901, fax: 703.247.6580, e-mail: editor@usatoday.com (include name, address and phone) … Robert G. Kaiser, Managing Editor, Washington Post, 1150 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20071-0002, e-mail via WWW: http://www.washingtonpost.com … Doug Simmons, Managing Editor, Village Voice, 36 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003, fax: 212.475.8944, e-mail: editor@villagevoice.com … William Ward, Managing Editor, Philadelphia Inquirer, 400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19130-4015, fax: 215.854.5884, e-mail: inquirer.letters@phillynews.com Sins of Omission The Aug. 2 cover of The Washington Post Magazine shows a hand raised in a Boy Scout salute. The headline reads, "'And Morally Straight' ... Gay Men v. the Boy Scouts." The article tells of two men in Washington, D.C., who took the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) before the city's human relations commission after the BSA revoked their memberships because they are gay. District of Columbia law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation, thereby giving grounds to their case. The article explains the men's distress over the BSA's reaction to the disclosures of their sexual orientation. Among those quoted by reporter Tracy Thompson is local Scout leader Roger Brown. In the piece, Brown argues, uncontested, that the two men "made a choice in their lifestyle, and all these other people with kids in Boy Scouts have chosen a lifestyle, too. And those two are not compatible." The article also tells that the BSA brought in child psychologist George A. Rekers, who now "spends much of his time treating youngsters with 'gender identity disorder,'" (GID) as a witness at the human relations commission hearing. The reporter notes that the American Psychological Association considers this controversial therapy's goal to be "inappropriate, which is why Rekers resigned from the APA several years ago." Sexual orientation is "a matter of choice," Rekers is quoted as testifying. No contradictory testimony or opinion is quoted. "GID" diagnosis and therapy for children has been labeled specious and possibly damaging by individuals and groups within both the American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association. Its use to force the treatment and institutionalization of children and adolescents who don't conform to "gender norms" in clothing, play and behavior has drawn sharp criticism throughout the scientific, medical, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. The cover story's failure to acknowledge this years-long controversy makes Refers' testimony seem far more-accepted and uncontroversial than, in reality, it is. The writer also allows a Scout leader to refer to being gay as "a lifestyle" and a "choice," without giving equal weight to the widely-held contention that sexual orientation is innate. Please write The Washington Post Magazine. Let them know that you appreciate their inclusion of an important issue, but express your deep concern with the blatant omissions in this piece and tell the editors of the dangers of "conversion therapy" and the questionable validity of "GID." Contact: Tom Frail, Managing Editor, Washington Post Magazine, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071-0002, fax: 202.334.5693, e-mail: 20071@washpost.com Marie Claire Makes Clear the Dangers of 'Conversion Therapy' In September's Marie Claire magazine, reporter Thomas Mournian carefully examines the brisk trade in institutionalizing girls whose parents suspect are lesbians. The writer examines the impact of institutionalization on young lesbians such as Lyn Duff, forcibly committed to a private Utah hospital when her mother learned she is a lesbian. Duff, diagnosed as having Gender Identity Disorder and depression, "claims her 'treatment' included heavy sedation, isolation, hypnosis and behavior modification.'" Her lesbianism was "equated...with perpetration of sexual abuse, which is why gay teens were treated like sex offenders." She eventually escaped and got a court to revoke her mother's parental rights. Duff -- who came to national attention in 1996 when she was profiled in an ABC 20/20 segment nominated for a 1997 GLAAD Media Award [see GLAADAlert 10.04.96] -- "'is actually one of the lucky ones," the article states. "...She has made a new life for herself, including good friends, a college education and a job.'" Mournian is thorough and sensitive in his research. He provides compelling coverage in a general-audience women's magazine of an underreported, but reportedly damaging, practice that has drawn professional concern from both the American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association, and continues to generate intense concern in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Mournian interviews representatives from the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), and even provides NCLR's toll-free number, noting that it "offers help to institutionalized teens." Please thank Marie Claire magazine for this compelling look at an ongoing danger facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. Contact: Deborah Frank, Managing Editor, Marie Claire, 250 West 55th St., 5th Floor, New York, NY 10019-5201, fax: 212.649.5050, e-mail via WWW: http://homearts.com/mail/mcmail.htm AP: From Excellent to Egregious The Associated Press (AP) filed reports last week that varied widely in their treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. A report datelined Colorado Springs, Colo., profiles five people "exemplifying tolerance, charity and hope" in a city where "not everyone lives by those tenets." Two of the five are lesbian co-parents Maggie Abrams and Jennifer Hickman. The article tells how their son, Milo, now two, was conceived by artificial insemination only after they had received two years of counseling, "weighing possible effects on their relationship and on a child." The piece describes Milo as a happy, active toddler and quotes Abrams as saying, "People will say that two women shouldn't be raising a child. And that it's irresponsible. We just say it's better to have two parents who are interested than none at all." But the AP also filed an irresponsible Aug. 1 report on the Gay Games that begins, "They're painting the town pink." The second paragraph reads, "Clad in everything from wedding veils to leather G-strings, tens of thousands of homosexuals from 66 countries partied in the cobblestone streets of Amsterdam." With a passing reference to "bare-chested men with nipple jewelry rollerblading through town," the article cites some statistics comparing the international event to the Olympics, then notes that there are "scattered smirks over the fact that they'll be handing out medals here for such 'sports' as ballroom dancing and oil wrestling. Or that a small fringe group of hard-core homosexuals were running their own 'Queer Do-It-Yourself Games,' featuring purse-tossing and a 200-meter dash in high heels." One of the relatively few quotes -- the last one in the article-was this: "'This is certainly adding to our cultural experience,' Bill Mayer of Greensboro, N.C., said with a grin as he and his wife, Kathy, watched two gay men in clingy black dresses and pumps walk past." While the first report is touching for its honesty and inclusiveness, the second is unremittingly derogatory, for both its specific images and overall tone. The report begins by parading before readers a string of overworked stereotypes, and then proceeds to mention some of the Gay Games' non-traditional competitions, selecting events, such as ballroom dancing, using them to perpetuate stereotypes of effeminacy and powerlessness. Although 15,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender competitors alone were in Amsterdam for the event, and tens of thousands more were spectators, the AP report quotes only persons it indicates are heterosexual. Please thank the AP for its welcome inclusion of same-gender parents in the Colorado Springs report, but express your sharpest displeasure at the denigrating and flatly unacceptable report about the Gay Games -- a valued cultural event within our community. Contact: Julia Rubin, News Editor, Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10020-1266, fax: 212.621.1679 Reuters Skews Reality of Report on Youth In a July 30 story, Reuters reports that a gay male youth's number of sexual partners "may be linked to a risk for violence, suicide, and drug abuse," citing findings by medical researchers in North Carolina. The researchers, whose report was in July's The Journal of Pediatrics, theorize that students may be more likely to identify sexually active gay teens as homosexual, "thus upping their risk for victimization. 'Correlations were found between the number of male sexual partners and the frequency of having been threatened or injured with a weapon at school, the number of days the student did not attend school because they felt unsafe, and the number of times they had been injured in a fight that required medical treatment.'" This report is a classic example of "blaming the victim." It begins with the sensational implication that being a sexually active gay youth means elevated risks for violence, suicide and drug abuse, and it's not until deep into the story that Reuters notes that most violence encountered by the youth is likely anti-gay violence. And it is only in the last paragraph that Reuters refers to countering researchers, saying, "The Vermont authors believe their findings highlight the need for improved student counseling services and youth-oriented programs which 'promote mutual respect for gay and straight lifestyles.'" Write Reuters and tell the wire service that the skewed emphasis in this story reinforce images that severely affect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. Encourage them to be more responsible in the future. Contact: Bernd DeBusmann, News Editor, Reuter's America, Inc., 1333 H St. NW #410, Washington, DC 20005-4707, fax: 202.898.8383, e-mail: editor.reuters@reuters.com A Little More of the Midwest Gets In the Life Both the Iowa Public Television (IPT) network and Duluth, Minnesota's WDSE-TV will air the August/September installment of In the Life, America's only lesbian and gay television news magazine. WDSE recently decided to air the series on a regular basis, while this is the statewide IPT network's first time airing the show. IPT has not yet decided if they will air subsequent episodes. Now in its sixth season, In the Life airs on more than 110 public television stations nationwide, including those in the top twenty markets. For its August/September episode, In the Life takes its third annual look at films from around the world that highlight and explore the lesbian and gay experience. It is heartening that WDSE has decided to air the program, but the decision by Iowa Public Television is especially important: It means that this month, In the Life will reach every Midwestern state except Missouri. In the Life Executive Producer Charles Ignacio, who was raised in Indiana, told GLAAD, "Every new station added in the region is a personal victory as well as a victory for the gay and lesbian community." Please thank WDSE and Iowa Public Television for airing what is a vital resource to many members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Encourage IPT to broadcast the show regularly -- and please be sure to tune in. The August/September episode airs Aug. 6 at 11:00 p.m. on WDSE and on Aug. 11 at 11:40 p.m. on the IPT network. For air dates and times in other areas, check out In the Life's website at http://www.inthelifetv.org . Contact: … Daniel Miller, Director of Programming and Production, Iowa Public Television, P.O. Box 6450, Johnston, IA 50131-6450, fax: 515.242.6170 … Ronald Anderson, Programming and Production Manager, WDSE-TV, 1202 E. University Circle, Duluth, MN 55811, fax: 218.724.4269, e-mail: email@wdse.com As a "One-Man Gay AP," Wockner Rocks For the past four years, reports Steve Silberman in the Aug. 5 Wired magazine, "a pioneering journalist named Rex Wockner has used the Net to up the intelligence quotient of the mainstream press and to affect the way media cover gay and lesbian issues." Wockner -- a "one-man gay AP" -- aggressively markets his international news feed not only to websites such as Planet Out but to 91 outlets including newspapers all over the world, says Wired. "Wockner's diligent networking played a crucial role in breaking the story of America Online naming gay sailor Timothy McVeigh," writes Silberman. But Wockner says, "If someone ... in a Third World country reads a story about hundreds of thousands of people marching in a pride parade in Los Angeles, they could get the idea that if they stick with it, they might make it. That's really why I do this." The Wired magazine profile demonstrates the vital role the Internet plays in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, and validly positions it as a lifeline to many of our community's members. What's more, it provides an entertaining, informative look at a little-known person who has played a pioneering role in expanding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture -- and creating community across national boundaries. Please thank Wired magazine for a profile as enlightening as it is entertaining. Contact: Martha Baer, Managing Editor, Wired, 520 3rd St., 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94107-1815, fax: 415.276.5150, e-mail: editpress@wired.com Sensitive Look at Female-to-Male Transgender Experience An article by Miami Herald reporter Lori Teresa Yearwood for Knight-Ridder, ran in the July 28 Columbus, Ga., Ledger-Enquirer. It opens by telling how Miami university student Nick Sarchet, 28, was followed home and beaten by two men. As they beat and verbally abused Sarchet, he realized he "didn't dare tell them what he really was. Because Nick Sarchet, who until last month went by the name of Kimberly Lin Smith, is a woman. A woman in the process of becoming a man. It has taken years for him to get to this place, a place of relative comfort and self-acceptance." The article details Sarchet's long journey toward assuming a male identity. He has yet to tell his parents, because he is afraid they will try to take from him his 4-year-old daughter, born when he still identified as a woman. Still, he knows he's doing what's right for him -- and that he wants to discuss the attack publicly: "I'm tired of other people thinking people like me don't exist, that we're just weird, or strange, or abnormal. Someone has to make people like me real." With acceptance and understanding, Yearwood tells Sarchet's story in a way that gives readers a thoughtful look at life from a transgender person's perspective. The article also makes the point that transgender persons can be loving parents and lead normal lives. Please thank Yearwood for this intelligent handling of a little-covered subject. Also, please thank the Columbus, Ga., Ledger-Enquirer for sharing this memorable story with its readers. Contact: … Lori Teresa Yearwood, Reporter, Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132, fax: 305.376.2202 … Susan Catron, Managing Editor, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, 17 West 12th St., Columbus, GA 31901-5254, fax: 706.576.6290, leletter@leo.infi.net Lesbians and Gay Men Ignored in Report on Lesbian/Gay Adoption Ban The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette printed a 34-paragraph story on the state's Child Welfare Agency Review Board's decision to prohibit same-gender couples (as well as unmarried opposite-gender couples) from being foster parents through private agencies. The report quotes three review board members: an attorney and spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Human Services, an assistant state attorney general and a private social services agency administrator.The article also reports that Chris Pyle, family life issues liaison for Gov. Mike Huckabee, told the board that Arkansas law prohibits marriages between members of the same sex. He said Huckabee believes "it is not in the best interest of children for them to be placed in an environment that the Legislature has specifically and purposely removed from legal sanction." The lengthy article fails to quote or refer to any lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender persons or organizations. While it gives a voice to essentially every other party involved in the issue, it fails to question some of the most directly concerned parties: parentless children and the lesbians and gay men who might otherwise provide such minors with stable homes. Please tell the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the absence of any same-gender couples in this story serves to marginalize and make invisible a significant portion of the population -- and narrows parentless and homeless children's chances of finding both. Contact: Bob Lutgen, Managing Editor, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 121 E. Capital, Little Rock, AR 72201-5734, fax: 501.372.3908, e-mail: news@ardemgaz.com 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 (LA), 212.807.1700 (NY), 415.861.2244 (SF), 202.986.1360 (DC), 404.876.1398 (Atlanta) and 816.756.5991 (Kansas City) 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. 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